Frugal Thoughts

My friend Lisa has been sending out emails with money saving tips and ideas and links to some great sites. I am so thankful as just this morning I was able to send for a free bag of Kitten Chow for our kitten Timothy. I know if you saw the pictures of "my little helper" he really doesn't look like much of a kitten anymore but he is not yet a year old so I still feed him kitten chow and he really likes it ~smile~ I also sent for a number of coupons that will save our family quite a bit of money. Thank you Lisa for sharing.

If anyone else is interested the site I visited this morning is Frugal Shopper Canada .

This whole thing got me to thinking about a lesson I learned some time ago but often need to go over again. Things are not a good deal no matter what the price is if it isn't something you need.

I used to fall into the trap of buying more and more things because they were too good a deal to pass up. This was especially the case when I discovered second hand stores. Often these same things ended up unused in our next yard sale.....a good deal? I think not. If it costs any money at all then you need to think about it's value to your family before you buy it. Sure that thing might be a fantastic price at $3 but do you need it? Is it something you would have bought anyway? Will this have a place in your home? Or will it end up in your next yard sale?

This lesson can also apply to grocery shopping and coupons. If you have a coupon and combine it with a sale you can get many items nearly free. I love coupons but I had to learn that I am not saving money if I am buying things we don't need or wouldn't normally buy just because it is a good deal. I would save far more by leaving it on the shelf. I also learned that often the store or no name brand is sometimes still cheaper than name brand with a coupon. It's important to check!

If you have any money saving tips or ideas I'd love to hear them ...I am always on the look out for ways to save money for my family.

Blessings,

Liisa

P.S. Isn't that a pretty piggy bank? It is an Anna Rosa Piggy Bank and plays you are my sunshine when you put in your money. Too cute!