Disclosure: I am a member of the Total Wireless Team and have been compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sticking to a budget and saving can be hard. One thing though that can help is to systematically think about each purchase you make. This is especially true for large purchases including housing and vehicles. You also really want to apply this model to any purchase that you enter into a contract, for example, cable television or mobile phone service. Those monthly fees can really add up! The same theory though applies even when you are purchasing a shirt at the mall. Who hasn’t come home with a piece of clothing that seemed like a good purchase at the time and then it sat in your closet unworn. That is money down the drain.

So how do you make smart purchases? For each purchase I make, I apply the wants vs. needs model and also consider if I am being over-sold. I recently purchased a new vehicle and I followed this model. I will walk you through my example so you can apply this model to your purchase decisions in the future.

• Needs – I need a vehicle to drive my children to school and make purchases for my business and home throughout the day. You might say that this is a want but my husband works over 45 minutes from our home and we have no public transportation. Also, school and shops are not within walking distance.  Therefore, I am going to consider basic transportation a need. The need though would just be a used car that fits me and the girls and runs well.
• Wants – Luckily, we had enough room in our budget that we could afford to consider some wants in our purchasing decision. My wants included a vehicle that could hold 7 since sometimes I carpool and have more than my girls in the vehicle.  Also, I hoped we could afford a backup camera since I worry about safety. My final want was heated seats. This seemed a bit extravagant to me but it does get super cold in Michigan and heated seats are amazing! Since these were all wants, when we shopped for a vehicle we priced out vehicles with and without these options. That way we could determine what fit in our budget.
• Avoid the Oversell – The vehicle options in my wants list were often bundled with a bunch of different options. These bundles made a HUGE difference in price to the total vehicle cost. By going with one vehicle brand vs another, I was able to get my wants without a bunch of extras and that ended up saving us almost $5000 on the purchase price. I even got my heated seats. Hurray!

Do you consider wants vs. needs and avoiding the oversell when you make a purchase? You will be surprised how just taking these steps can help you meet your budget.

The funny video below for the latot stroller helps show just have easy it is to get sucked into the oversell. I must admit there were some baby items that I purchased that in hindsight were more than we needed.

Have you looked at the cost of your mobile phone service lately? With Total Wireless you get everything you need and nothing you don’t on America’s largest and most reliable network. They require no contracts and no credit checks.

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How does that compare to your current service?  Be sure to multiply the monthly savings by 12 to see how much you could save annually. Total Wireless phones and service plans are available only at Walmart and can be found at over 3,000 participating Walmart retailers nationwide.

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This class is cancelled due to the snowstorm. I will update you when it is rescheduled. 

Does getting food on the table stress you out? Then be sure to attend our upcoming Meal Planning class.  This class will help you save time and money plus reduce the stress of the dinner preparation. This is the last class I will be teaching for awhile so don’t miss out.

Topics discussed in the workshop include the following areas:

The Importance of Meal Planning
Learn why and how meal planning can transform your grocery budget, but also your daily routines and the dreaded “witching hour.”

Beginner and Advanced Meal Planning Tactics
The class will walk you through the different phases of meal planning and teach you the ins and outs of 2 different “schools of thought,” so that you can come up with a meal planning plan that works for you.

Time-Saving Cooking Strategies and Shortcuts
Get practical help with how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen, making healthy and delicious meals in a fraction of the time!

You will receive a pamphlet to take lots of valuable notes during the workshop. So come prepared to learn, discuss and connect with others who are excited about saving money and time in the kitchen too!

Following the workshop, attendees will leave with a better understanding of all the different ways to make a meal plan. All the tips and tricks to making meal planning successful, along with cooking strategies and shortcuts to help you spend less time in the kitchen, while still making fabulous meals for your family.

Meal Planning Simplified – Metro Detroit

Febuary 2, 2015

Clarkston Independence District Library
6495 Clarkston Road, Clarkston, MI 48346

7:00 — 8:00 PM

This class is sponsored by the library and free to all attendees. You do not need to be a Clarkston resident to attend.

Sign Up Here To Reserve Your Spot

Hope to see you soon!

Want some extra cash for one of your savings goals? Be sure  to check out these two offers from Capital One! They only come around twice a year and they are a great way to save and get cash back!

One great way to save money is to put it in an account that is dedicated to a certain saving goal.  An Capital One account is a great place to do this especially since right now they are offering  HUGE bonus  for new sign ups!  You can create an account for each member of your family.

I already have one account where we saved for  kitchen remodel and our emergency fund but want to open an account for each girl so they can start saving too. This bonus cash will be a nice start for them.

This would also be a great place to put aside money for a vacation or other savings goals.

You can get a FREE $125 when you open a checking account and FREE $75 when you open a Capital One Savings Account!!

Or you could do both and  get $200!!!

There is a minimum deposit on the savings account but NO minimum deposit for the checking account!

Here are the details on the two offers:

Earn a $125 bonus when you open a 360 Checking account:

How it works:

1. Open a fee-free 360 Checking® account between June 30th and July 3rd.
2. Use your Debit Card to make 5 purchases or use CheckMateSM to make 5 deposits (or a combo of both) within 45 days.
3. Snag your $100 bonus on day 50.

Get a $75 bonus when you open a 360 Savings account

How it works:

1. Open a no-fee 360 Savings® account between June 30th and July 3rd (with a deposit of $500 or more).
2. Snag a $76 bonus and start earning interest.
3. Celebrate the fact that you’re on the road to saving.

Remember you have UNTIL JULY 3  to to sign up for these offers, so be sure to sign up before then to get your free money.

Also, once you create your checking account you can refer two friends and get an EXTRA $100 BONUS!!!

I will be appearing on local 4 WDIV  Live in The D today!  A few weeks ago,  I explained some of the ways you can save on groceries plus we announced the Local 4 Grocery Saving Challenge.

Here is a link to the video.

Today we are introducing the  volunteers who will put these savings strategies to work for their families.

You don’t have to be on TV to join in the fun.  There is a Everyday Savvy Grocery Savings Challenge Facebook group. In the group, I will answer questions, give links to good deals, discuss meal planning and more. Plus you can share the deals you find and help each other save any more. (This is different from the regular Everyday Savvy Facebook page. In this new group we will focus just on groceries and household goods.)

Join the Everyday Savvy Grocery Savings Challenge Facebook Group Here.

You can invite your friends to join too!

Be sure to read a this Easy Ways to Save on Groceries Article to get you started.

If you are local, I have a Metro Detroit Grocery Savings/ Intro to Couponing class coming up soon that is free to attend.

This page with savings and recipe resources will help too!

I look forward to you joining and everyone learning how easy it can be to save on groceries.

Today is the last video chat.  Be sure to join us. Plus you can watch any you missed!

I know many of you are not local and are unable to attend my Metro Detroit Grocery Savings and Coupon Classes. That is why I will be offering a new online video discussions series that will help you learn the tips and tricks to saving at the grocery store. Plus I even have some expert cohosts that will be giving their expertise as well.

In weeks 1 and 2, I will be joined by my friend Kristie from Saving Dollars and Sense and  in weeks 3 and 4, I will be joined by my friend Laura at Beltway Bargain Mom. These ladies know their stuff and we will be giving information that can reduce your grocery bill by up to 50%!!!  If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to save some money in 2014, you will want to attend!

We will be discussing the Favado Grocery Shopping & Savings App in all the sessions, so be sure to download it today! 

I also am giving away a $50 Visa Gift Card sponsored by Favado. Details on how to enter coming up soon.

The first discussion is occurred on January 9 at 1:00 pm EST. You can view it here on the new Bargain Shopper Mom live training page or over on the Bargain Shopper Mom Youtube page.

If you can not attend in person at the time of the discussion, they all will be taped and you can view them anytime View at Bargain Shopper Mom Youtube page after the discussion has finished.

Here is the schedule –

Week #1 (Jan 9 – 1:00 pm EST) – Smarter Grocery Shopping Habits

The first week, we’ll be talking mostly about the little habits you can change while shopping that can make a big difference in your grocery spending…such as not buying the magazines off the rack at the checkout, writing a grocery list and sticking to it while shopping, as well as checking unit prices and sale expiration dates.  Favado helps by allowing you to have a shopping list in the palm of your hand that you won’t forget at home!

Here is a link to the week one video.

Week #2 (Jan 16 – 1:00 pm EST ) – Shopping the Sales and Following the Sales Cycles

Grocery stores and manufacturers work hard to push out their best sale prices to you on a weekly basis through their store circulars. If you follow along closely, you’ll notice that most products operate on an 8-12 week sales cycle. You’ll also find that “product families” all go on sale at the same time, for example all the P&G products will be discounted the same weeks, and will return to their regular prices for a few weeks, then go back on sale together.  Favado Helps by showing you when your favorite products go on sale, so that you can purchase them when they are on sale and not have to pay full price in between sales cycles. Over time, you’ll learn how much to purchase to last you until the next sale.

Bargain Shopper Mom Youtube page

Week #3 (Jan 22- 1:00 pm EST) – Couponing for “Double the Discount”

The deep 50-70% savings that you hear talked about frequently occur when you combine a coupon with an already discounted product for “double the discount.” For example if toothpaste is on sale for $1 and you have a $.75 off coupon, you’ll get that toothpaste for just $.25, as opposed to its $2.49 regular price.  Favado Helps by doing all the hard work for you and putting the best sale prices with matching available coupons in a nice, organized list. Favado makes it easy to find these discounts and save big on groceries.

Bargain Shopper Mom Youtube page

Week #4 (Feb 3 – 1:00 pm  EST ) – Meal Planning

Making a meal plan based on what’s on sale in your local grocery stores can help you cut your grocery bill by 20-30% alone. Matching your meals with the sales is a simple, scissorless way to save each week at the grocery store.  Favado helps by allowing you to search for ingredients that are on sale for the meals you want to make each week. Want to make a slow cooker meal that calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs or beef roast? Favado can tell you which store has those ingredients on sale each week.

Bargain Shopper Mom Youtube page

If you have some specific questions, be sure to leave them in the comments and we will do our best to address them all in the videos.  I hope you can join us and getting started right this year on the path to saving money and living well!

Amazon has already started lots of lightning deals for the holidays. Many of their prices will match or be better than the Black Friday prices in store.

I suggest that you check out  and bookmark  the Lightning Deals Page now and check it out each morning to see if any items are on your holiday gift lists. You can select the category on the top right hand of the lightning deals.  Some of the most popular deals will sell out in under a minute.  My suggestion is to be at your computer right when the Lightning Deal  starts and immediately put it in your cart. You then have 15 minutes to check out. During that time, you can do some price checking to see if you really want to buy the deal.

DO NOT  complete that price checking price first because when you come back you might not be able to add the item to your cart. If you add it to your cart and find out the price is not that great just don’t check out. Last year many people lost out on great lightning deals because they did not immediately add the deal to their cart.

If you are not a member of Amazon Prime, this is a great time to sign up for Amazon Prime for FREE!   You can try it out for FREE for 30 days which will enable you to get FREE Two-Day Shipping with no minimum order size on millions of items.  This is great because otherwise you would have to pay for shipping or get to the $35 minimum for FREE super saver shipping. This  free offer is only good for 30 days and after that you either need to cancel or pay for the yearly membership. I personal love it and think it is well worth the cost.

Here are a few links that show deals that will show you specific sales. Once the calendars come out for the the movie and books deals I will add these here too! These links are hard  to find on Amazon so you may want to bookmark them.

Toy Lightning Deals

Check out the Countdown to  Amazon Black Friday Week Sale

I am so excited to share this new Grocery Shopping Savings App with you.  I know many of you think it is difficult to save at the grocery store but this new app does all the work for you.  It works at stores all across the United States.  You can find your regional grocery store in the app as well as national chains.

It is easy to check which stores in your area have the best price on different items and it will even let you know if there is a coupon that matches up with the sale.  Did I mention that the app is FREE!   By using the app you can save over $1000 a year on groceries easily with by buying items on sale and never paying full price.  If you stack coupon saving on top these sales you will save even more.

This video explains the basics.

Features Inside the Favado Grocery Shopping Savings App

Compare Prices
Sometimes, two or more stores have the same product on sale at the same time. With Favado, you can compare prices on specific items across multiple stores at one time, so you get the best price.

Easy Organization
Save time by building and sharing shopping lists for the week. You don’t have to look through the circulars anymore; just open the app and find all the sales in one place.

Top Deals
Industry experts pick their favorite “top deals” for the week to help shoppers save even more.

Personalized Sales
Save your favorite products and brands to your “Faves” list to see stores offering sales on your preferred items.

Notifications
Don’t you hate missing a sale? Never miss one again! Favado can send you push notifications when a new sale starts at stores you select.

Coupon Matching
Have you ever purchased something, but later realized you had a coupon for it? Favado will let you know when additional coupons and savings are available, and where you can find them.

I honestly can not say enough good things about this Grocery Shopping Saving App. It will revolutionize the way you shop for food.  Have a little time while you are waiting to pick up the kids?  Grab your smart phone and start making your grocery list.  Need chicken for dinner but want to pay the best price?  Use the compare feature to find chicken on sale near you. The amount of data available at your fingertips is amazing. Plus if you plan your shopping trips you can save so much money. Wouldn’t you rather spend the money on a vacation, your kid’s education, or saving for retirement.

How can you get this great  Grocery Shopping Savings App for FREE?

1. Sign up for a Favado account here
2. Be sure to complete the form with your user name and password.
3. Use the App Store or Google Play to download Favado to your iOS or Android device.
4. Sign in with the user name and password  you just created
5. Start saving big money at the grocery store!

If you are local, be sure to check out the Metro Detroit Grocery Weekly Sales and coupon match-ups here. 

Looking for how to save money on groceries? Click here for 10 easy tips to save money groceries  

Every wanted to attend one of my Grocery Savings Classes but live too far away or missed out on recent classes?  Well here is your chance to attend the exact same class for FREE online. Join Savings.com & LearnVest for a live webinar on this Thursday, September 26th at 8 p.m. EST.  Learn how to save up to 50% off your weekly groceries and how to put those savings to work!

What You’ll Learn:

• Shop Smarter: Avoid common marketing traps at the grocery store
• Realistic Couponing: Learn how coupons work and how to use them to save 50% on your groceries
• Meal Planning Made Simple: Get practical tips for planning out your menu and save the most money while feeding your family.

The class is hosted by LearnVest & Savings.com and the webinar will be led by: a LearnVest financial expert and Savings.com DealPros, Lynette Rice of CleverlySimple.com and Laura Harders of BeltwayBargainMom.com. I personally know both of these ladies and they know their stuff. You will not be disappointed.

By registering for the webinar, you will be automatically enrolled in LearnVest’s program and receive access to LearnVest tools. You will answer just 4 basic questions and then you can register for the class.

Sign up For the FREE Grocery Savings Webinar Class Today!