Why did it take me so long to do this?

That's what I keep asking myself about signing up for the Target Debit Card. 

This card has great benefits!  You get 5% off of your purchases in stores and online.  This is not 5% back; this is an actual discount at the time of purchase.  You also get free shipping on all online orders with no minimum purchase.  If you choose the debit card (not the credit card) it will be linked to your checking account.  That means no monthly bill to pay, no interest, and no debt.  There is no annual fee because this is not a credit card.  You can also get cash back with your purchase because it is linked to your checking account.

Add this to Target's coupon policy and you have great savings heading your way.  Target has store coupons both online and in mailings.  These can be stacked, or paired, with manufacturer's coupons for double savings.

I recently bought some medicine that was priced at $7.49.  I had a Target coupon and a manufacturer's coupon - together they were $7 off.  With my Target debit card, I paid 47 cents!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The Green Movement may be labeled "green" because it's good for the environment, but it could also be labeled "green" because it's good for your wallet.

Reduce - The biggest way to spend small is to buy less!  This seems so simple - but many people just can't seem to do it.  Ask yourself, "How many ______ do I really need?"  Cut back on clothes, shoes, toys, books, games, kitchen gadgets, etc.  We love to buy books, but how many books do we really need?  If I can get it at the library, then I don't buy it.  You may want to declutter your home to start off right.  A clean, organized home is a great incentive to reduce how much more you bring into it.

Reuse - We live in a society that says newer is better.  We no longer believe in  "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without".  For instance, just because our cell phone contract ended, we didn't have to buy new phones.  The old ones still work fine.  If something can still be used, than use it!  Don't buy into the money draining belief that newer or bigger is better.

Recycle -  They say that one man's junk is another man's treasure.  This brings to mind yard sales, Craig's List, and Freecycle.  But in fact, your own junk could be just as valuable when used in a new way.  Be creative!  Think of new uses for an object before throwing it away.  It may be just what you were looking for.

Good Coffee

Admittedly, I am a coffee snob.  There is nothing better than the sound and smell of coffee beans grinding in the morning... or afternoon, or evening for that matter.  Good coffee can be hard to come by when you are trying to spend small.  It seems like everywhere I turn someone has a Starbucks or Caribou cup in their hand.  All I see are dollar signs.  I do love a splurge at Starbucks, but at three to five bucks a cup - I know why "bucks" is in their name!

On the other hand, I don't want Folgers either.  So, my husband and I embarked on a coffee journey to spend small and still live large.  Our journey ended at World Market.  They have great tasting whole bean (and ground if you prefer) coffee at a decent price.  What's more they have a terrific coffee rewards program that makes the price even better.  For every 6 bags of coffee you buy, you get one free.  Or if you really want to save, and we do, only buy coffee on Wednesdays when you get double points.  That way you only have to buy 3 bags to get one free.  They have 10% off coupons in the Sunday paper from time to time and they have coupons for your birthday when you join the rewards program.

Wednesday deal:
3 bags of 24oz at $9.99 = $29.97 (or $26.97 with coupon)
plus 12oz free
that's 84oz for $29.97 or $0.36/oz (or $0.32/oz with coupon)

Compare to:
Folgers ground without a coupon is about $0.26/oz
Starbucks whole bean without a coupon is about $0.65/oz

So, for just a little more than cheap ground coffee, we get quality whole bean coffee.  It's worth every penny.

Eat In, Not Out - Breakfast

I woke up to the smell of bacon.  My amazing husband made breakfast this morning.  French toast, bacon, fresh fruit, and coffee... delicious!  We are always looking for ways to save money and this morning was no exception.  We decided to figure out how much breakfast cost.  Here was the breakdown:

Loaf of bread - $0.65
6 Eggs - $0.50
12oz Bacon - $3.50
Fruit - $2.00
TOTAL - $6.65

It's a little more difficult to figure the exact cost of the syrup we used and the coffee we drank.  However, we figured that it cost at most $1.25 per person for our family of six.  And we had leftovers!

Consider the option of eating out.  Last week this same amazing husband took me out for breakfast for my birthday.  Being the frugal people we are, we took a coupon.  Buy one meal and two drinks, get a meal free.  Even with this coupon we ended up spending $20 including the tip.  That's $10 a person compared to $1.25.  Maybe it's occasionally acceptable for my birthday or other special occasion, but eating out often will certainly bust your budget.  To be honest, our homemade breakfast tasted just as good and for the price you just can't beat it.