Search Results for: blog the temptation of target

How Small Temptations Can Ruin Your Budget

Sometimes it’s not the big expenses that shatter your resolve to save money, it is the small temptations that will get you. It is those small temptations that I, personally, most have to guard against. For example, although my husband and I often like to stop at the Apple store and look at the iPads whenever a new one is released, we aren’t in danger of purchasing one any time soon. It just doesn’t make that much sense to spend that much money when our emergency fund isn’t, well, as fully funded as we would like and we still owe … Continue reading →

The Temptation of Target

Why is it so easy to spend money at Target? It seems that whenever I go in there for one thing, I wind up coming out with several. This week alone, I have found myself visiting Target three times! I am getting way too comfortable in that store. I’m branching out to the point where I make a stop first at the Starbucks in the store for a small coffee. Yesterday, I ordered a medium one and actually contemplated feeding the kids at the in-store Pizza Hut Express. What is happening to me? I think I miss malls. I was … Continue reading →

The Temptation of Great After Holiday Deals

There are some great holiday deals out there, but giving in to temptation can put you into debt. Here is how to take advantage of those deals without hurting your finances. We have been spending a lot lately. From replacing clothing that is falling apart to a new pink Barbie bike we got at the thrift store, money seems to be pouring out of our hands lately. Add to that the fact that our big grocery shopping trip was this past month, and it has gotten me a little bit nervous. Next month will be a lean one for us, … Continue reading →

Freebies at Target

Recently, a blog, written by Mary Ann Romans, “New Grocery Shopping Techniques 2” got me thinking about using coupons and if they are really worth the effort. The blog claims coupons are not worth using anymore. I currently belong to several coupon trains and cut up several newspapers inserts each week. I spend 2-3 hours a week staying organized. So I started wondering if maybe she was right so I tried a little experiment. How much can I save using as many coupons as possible? Can I still get freebies or items we use under $1? I decided to try … Continue reading →

How to Be a Hero Mom on a Budget

Sometimes I don’t feel like a hero mom. Such as yesterday. It was very late, and my tween and I were in the grocery section of Target looking to pick up just a couple of food items to help us make it through a long week, since we missed our scheduled food shopping.  As we passed the frozen case on our way to hunt down cheese, my child asked me if we could get ice cream. Apparently he and his siblings already went through the one gallon container, the one quart container, and the box of ice cream sandwiches that … Continue reading →

Take Inventory Before You Shop

Before you shop, stop! Try this quick trick that will save you money now and in the long run. To save money, do a quick inventory of what you already have before you go shopping.  This will help save money in so many ways. From duplicate purchases to avoiding the pitfalls of shopping for bargains that you don’t need, a quick assessment each time you are ready to shop can make a difference. DVDs I’m ashamed to admit that we have two copies of a certain new Disney princess DVD movie. We simply forgot that we had the movie and … Continue reading →

Be Content with What You Have and Save Time

Something funny happens when you start being content with what you have. You gain more time to do the things that you love. No longer are you having to hunt down and scheme for the material things in life, or work harder to afford them. Instead, you can sit back and enjoy the little things that make life worthwhile, all while saving time. Here is a good example. We used to spend most weekends or even weeknights running around doing shopping errands. You know, the typical trips to Target and Home Depot with maybe some groceries thrown in. While we … Continue reading →

Using the Library to Lower My Grocery Bill

We’ve been going to the library a lot lately. I think the fact that the weather is no longer snow and ice but not yet nice enough to stay outside long may have something to do with it. Either way, our library cards should really be sporting racing stripes. Today, rather than picking up the latest novel, I decided to browse the cookbooks and flip through the recipes. As you may know, one of my major goals this year is to keep the food budget under control, no more than $100 a week, with $80 being ideal. Since we don’t … Continue reading →

Trick Yourself into Saving

“Trick Yourself into Saving.” That was the title of a recent magazine article that appeared in one of those popular magazines that are geared toward women. The subhead promised to show readers how they could use mind games against themselves to make saving money painless and fun. Seriously? I’m all for tips about saving money, but I really think that trying to fool yourself into doing it isn’t the way to go. You want to establish good lifelong money habits, not quick tricky fixes that will save you money in spite of yourself. Badly played national magazine for women; badly … Continue reading →

HDTV Deals in January

Did you miss out on the HDV deals on Black Friday? Don’t worry, you are probably better off. The real deals are coming in January. That is when you can pick up a brand name HDTV for a rock bottom price. During the Black Friday Blitz, there were some low priced HDTV deals. That is for sure. What you may have noticed, though, if you looked closely, is that none of those deals were for high brand name HDTVs. Instead, the Black Friday sales featured many third-tier brands. Sure the deals are great, but you have to shop early, and … Continue reading →