Saving » MomsBudgetPlan

Creative Savings - a New Take on the "Swear Jar"

Family, Saving, Tips & Tricks Comments Off

Dec 132011

Have you heard of a “swear jar”? Some families who are trying to improve their language will institute a swear jar. Any family member who swears has to put a quarter into the jar. But you can get creative with your family. Is there something your family would like to improve on that could use a “swear jar”? Here are some ideas, especially for those with older kids who generally have some money somewhere in a piggy bank.

Every time your child talks back he or she has to put a quarter in the jar.
Playing video games, watching television, or other entertainment media “costs” $0.50 for every half an hour.
Family members must pay a quarter each time they don’t put away their shoes, toys, or whatever item always seems to be left on the floor each day.
Complaining about dinner will cost family members $0.50 each.

Of course these totals are just for example. You can tailor your “swear jar” penalties, and fees to match your family’s goals, age appropriateness, and even have a sliding fee scale depending on the age and infraction of the individual. Not only will you begin to see a change in behavior, but you can put that money towards a family goal. It makes paying the penalty a little easier.

5 Ways We Live Without Credit Cards

Cutting Expenses, Saving Comments Off

Jul 252011

We live without credit cards! Don’t get me wrong we have credit cards, we just don’t use them – for anything! It dawned on me not too long ago that I hadn’t charged anything on a credit card in over 2 years. We are making our best efforts to pay off our remaining credit card debt, and adding it to it is out of the question as far as we are concerned. So, how are we living without credit cards? We have learned to live within our means.

1. There is no such thing as impulse shopping in our spending. Different from emergency spending, we just don’t buy what is not planned for, or not on a list. We don’t jump on a great deal just for the sake of getting it at a great price.

2. I budget, as best I can – hence part of the whole reason for this blog. While I admit it seems to lay heavily on the couponing side – part of that is because it’s one of the things I feel like I can control and save more money as I get better at it. Admit it, there’s only so much electricity, or water you can conserve. Which leads to my next way we’re living without credit cards.

3. We are learning more tricks for conserving on utilities. With Summer (and this 95 degree heat) we’re doing what we can to practice creative cooling, but when it gets to be dangerously HOT outside, and inside I cave on turning the AC on (but only up to 82, and maybe 80 at night). Whatever time of year it is, we do our very best to keep the AC and heat use to a minimum.

4. Family camping staycations, and local vacations. To us, spending time together as a family, without a work schedule hanging over our head is vacation enough. We love camping and have found a way to blend the two into a camping staycation. We do our best to make the time together, with family and friends nearby as meaningful as possible. Of course I have aspirations of a Disney vacation, but now is not the time.

5. We do not keep up with technology. We have what suits our needs, and enjoy the slightest of upgrades every now and then. We aren’t on the breaking edge, but have managed to stay somewhere in the middle of the future and the dark ages. We have cable, but not DVR. We watch movies via DVD, not on our iPads. (Don’t own one. ) We see a first run movie, maybe, every couple of years. Don’t want to jinx anything, but I think both my PC and my laptop are over 5 years old! Excited about getting a new lower end digital camera with video capability for my birthday this year, but we still haven’t gotten a stand alone digital videocamera.

No, I’m not posting all of this for any sort of sympathy – this is just how it is for us right now. And thankfully both of us, and now our kids have learned to live on less – life lessons that I believe will continue to help our kids have a true, yet realistic appreciation for money. Our kids know that money is tight, for everyone, it’s just a matter of how each of us chooses to spend what we have, or charge what we don’t. We have just chosen to live without credit cards.

State Sales Tax Holidays

Kids, Saving Comments Off

Jul 222011

The back to school sales are starting! I’m not ready to face it yet, but I am ready to start budgeting for it. We’ve been planning ahead, but then comes news that our state did not renew the state sales tax holidays we enjoyed at back to school time last year. However, there are a lot of states that have set dates for lifting the state sales tax on specific back-to-school purchases.

For example, here in Illinois last year in 2010, the sales tax holiday ran August 6 through August 15. During the period, the 5 percent statewide sales tax was waived while the local sales tax continued to be collected. Virtually any supply a child might be required to have when school began that Fall was covered by the reduced sales tax rate. Clothing that cost less than $100 per item was also eligible. Exclusions were computers, computer supplies, and any items needed for afterschool activities.

I could not find a completely comprehensive list of all of the 2011 state sales tax holidays, but did find a partial one – you can see if your state is listed. Also, you can check with your state if it’s not listed. I searched “Illinois sales tax holiday 2011″ and found this IL news link to find out our state is NOT having a sales tax holiday this year.