Deals I got from other blogs

I don't go to Target very often, but I saw two deals on some other blogs. So I stopped after work today. This week they have Oil of Olay body wash on sale for $5.50 each. If you buy 3, you get a $5 gift card. Then there is a $15 rebate to send in on the purchase of 3 OO products. Then they had Special K cereal bars on sale for $2.50 and when you buy 5 you get $5 GC.

So I spent $29 and got $10 in GC and $15 rebate so over $30 worth for about $4.

I guess it was worth the trip

Thoughts on Vacation

Following is a post from Dave Ramsey about waiting until you can afford it to go on vacation. I can tell you from personal experience a vacation is more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about it when you are gone or worry about paying for it when you get home. Also, if you put the expenses on your credit card and pay if off over time, it will end up costing you considerably more than you first planned.


One of Dave's radio show listeners emailed to get some advice:

We have a few thousand saved up for a trip this summer as a way to reward ourselves for working so diligently on our debt snowball lately. We deserve a break! Should we go? Is now the best time?

What Did Dave Say?
Waaaahhhh! I didn’t go on vacation for two years while I was cleaning up my mess. Listen, your life has been a trip to the beach. Now it’s time to clean up your mess! I’m not saying that you should never go on a vacation. Just don’t go when you’re $20,000 in debt! Live like no one else now so later you can live like no one else. That’s what I did. Now I can go to the beach any time I want! You’ve got to break this cycle in your head that you deserve stuff. None of us deserve squat.

Traveling somewhere for a vacation is a luxury, not a necessity. We must remember that. So many people don’t understand the difference.

Whoever said you have to travel and spend lots of money on a vacation? Ever heard of a “staycation”? It’s a vacation from everyday life where you stay close to home—what a novel idea! You can be a hometown tourist, spend extra quality time with your family, and forget about work for a while. If you’re still working on your debt snowball, this is the way to go.

If you’re out of debt, have the money saved, and have planned your vacation, by all means, go! Go now while the sale light is on! You’ve sacrificed, and your hard work and dedication have literally paid off. Everything is still on sale big time! And if you pay with cash, you’re more likely to get even greater deals.

Don’t fall for the line that the economy will slump if you don’t do your part by traveling. That is completely absurd. The economy will continue to improve regardless of how you choose to spend a few days off. Once again, you have to be a mature adult and do what’s best for you.

Whether you’re going on a Mediterranean cruise or grilling out at the neighborhood park, you can have an absolute blast on vacation in the coming months! It’s all about your attitude and staying within your budget.

Sometimes you can splurge

I write on here alot about how to save money and making the most of it.

But if you watch how you spend your money, sometimes you can splurge on things you may not usually buy. Over the weekend I was showing my mom and sister in law a purse I had bought. When I told them I spent $50 on it they about fell over. But then I said I did save $15 on it and I had used a gift card that I got for Christmas from my employers. I did have second thoughts about spending the money on it but both handles on my other purse had broke and I was having to hold the whole purse. I figured I would end up spending almost as much some place else or if I spent less it wouldn't last as long.

I didn't think much about posting about it until my sister-in-law mentioned it the other day.

I also told a friend of mine about it awhile back and she was surprised to hear what I had spent on it. When I told her I had bought a new purse she was expecting to hear about some big deal I had gotten on it.

Also, I have been looking for a good deal on a chaise lounge or chair/ottoman. A couple weeks ago I ran across a good deal on a used stuffed chair/ottoman. I did think about it overnight, and figured if it was still there the next day it was meant to be. So I did end up buying it but paid a fraction of the new price and it looks almost new.

So if you watch how you spend your money on certain things you have the money for other things.

America Saves Week, Feb 21-28

America Saves Week

During America Saves Week, individuals will be encouraged and assisted to assess their savings progress and take action to advance this progress. This encouragement and assistance will be provided by organizations and professionals with an interest in improving the financial security of individuals and families.

You Can Learn to Be Good With Money

One of the many excuses I hear about people not dealing with their finances is that they have never been good with money or finances. One reason for this is that most people were not educated how to handle finances. This is why I feel it is very important to teach this in school.

Also, many times with married couples if one person is more inclined to dealing with the finances the other one will hand everything over to them. Even if decide to do it this way, it is also very important that the other person has

"Switch" How to Handle Change When Change is Hard

The authors of Switch, How to Handle Change when Change is Hard were on the Dave Ramsey Show tonight. Following is the first chapter of the book.

Teaching Kids about Money websites

I have found two websites with information on teaching kids about money. The first one is Money Wizdom and the other is Money Saving Guide. Money Wizdom is just about kids and Money Saving Guide contains information on many different money saving topics.

There are many others websites on this but these are 2 that I recently found. I will keep posting when I find more information.