This post is the second in a series entitled Debunking Coupon Myths. See the previous posts in the series here, and if you are new to couponing make sure to check out my introductory tips…

My goal in this series is to help you see that saving money by using coupons can be easy and efficient. I decided the best way to do that is just write down my step by step approach. I will share what my steps were as a beginner, and how they have changed as couponing has become more of a hobby. I hope to show that it can be easy to get started, and that it is worth the time.

5 Basic Steps
1) On Sunday, I pull the circulars out of the paper and date them. If you don’t currently subscribe to the Sunday paper, check discountednewspapers.com for some great deals on subscriptions. Mine originally cost $7 a month for Sunday’s only, and I usually make at least that in one week using coupons.

2) I check couponmom.com (you can use another coupon site if you prefer) to find a weekly deals list where store sales are matched with newspaper coupons. Find more information about this process see here.

3) Since I use couponmom.com, I use her list creation feature to select the deals I want and print my list.

4) I cut the coupons specified on my list from my dated circulars and place them in store specific envelopes (if I am going to more than one store). That’s it!

How I Save Even More
1) Daily, I check deal blogs for printable coupons and special deals.

2) I organize my coupons in a binder, so that I have all of them with me while shopping to maximize my ability to get the best deals. I plan ahead as much as possible by pulling out coupons for things I know I will need. However, I have found that having all of my coupons with me at the store allows me to score even more great deals. Again, you do not have to take the time do this in order to save money. I am just sharing what I have found works for me.

Remember, if you are just getting started, it may take a few weeks to see substantial savings, because you have to accumulate circulars. But, I promise if you stick with it, you will see results.

This post is the third post in a series entitled Keys To Unlocking Great Relationships. Read the previous entries in this series here.

Today I would like to share with you five easy ways to improve you communication skills. These tips can be applied in any of your relationships including those with your family, friends, and co-workers.

1) Be Intentional
Relationships will not improve without intentional effort. Make time in your schedule to spend with those important to you (this may mean actually writing down specific times in your planner). If you live far away from loved ones, schedule one time in your week for important phone calls. During busy weeks, I often combine these calls with other activities including taking a walk or cleaning. A quick check-in email can also be very meaningful. Reaching out and connecting doesn’t have to mean an hour phone call, it can mean just taking five minutes to write a quick email. Do what you can with the time that you have.

2) Find Connection Points
Learn what the other person likes and is interested in. Find out what they enjoy doing and do it with them. Ask questions to learn about the deeper parts of their life. I have mentioned this in previous posts, but it bears repeating, the more we know about the person (their story, hurts, and dreams) the more empathy we will have for them.

3) Use Appropriate Humor
Learn to play together. As adults, sometimes I think we take each other too seriously. I have found this to be especially helpful with spouses, children, and roommates. It is always easier to communicate when you are laughing or doing something fun together.

4) Use “I feel” Statements
This means when in a confrontation, beginning your statements with “I feel…… when you…..” instead of ‘You did…..and I feel……” I know sometimes these phrases can feel contrived and phony when you first start using them, but they really do reduce defensiveness. They also prevent the conversation from starting out with a harsh tone. Let me share an example:

Wife: “I feel hurt when you don’t call when you are going to be late for dinner.” This is as opposed to saying, “You never call when you are going to be late and it really hurts me”

The second phrase has a much more accusatory tone, and is much more likely to result in a defensive response from her husband. These statements can also help you own your feelings. If someone uses an “I feel” statement to confront you, a helpful response is “What would you like me to do differently?” Again, I know this type of conversation can feel forced at first, but it really can work. I have seen it dramatically improve my relationships.

5) Be Clear About Your Goals Before Entering a Confrontation
Make sure you know exactly what you hope to communicate, and come up with a plan to explain how you feel. This may mean taking some time to think about what you want to say before you have a difficult conversation. Writing in a journal can also be helpful. If you are unclear of what you want to communicate, there is a much higher potential for misunderstandings and escalation. During the conversation, try to stay focused on the main issues, and avoid getting sidetracked by minor disagreements.

Many of us may have made goals to be more active in this New Year. The unfortunate thing about New Year’s is it occurs in the dead of winter. This makes keeping our resolution to work-out quite challenging, especially for those of us who live in cold and wet climates. In this frigid and dreary January stretch, it is hard to find the motivation to exercise, and options are limited because we can’t be outside. These obstacles can making staying active quite difficult.

Yet, activity is a key to maintaining a positive mood on these often gloomy days. I would like to share with you some creative ways I have found to keep my fitness routine fresh and fun, without a gym membership. I think staying active is both possible and affordable, even in this challenging time of year.

Use Technology
If you have a Wii or any other electronic work out system, use it. Right now I am really into the The Biggest Loser Challenge for Wii Fit. I received this as a Christmas gift, and it has been a huge motivation for me. I love the show, and the game incorporates a lot of aspects of the show (weigh-ins, challenges, etc) while also giving you a great work out. I highly recommend it for any Biggest Loser fans.

If you don’t have a Wii fit, exercise DVDs are another great option. Don’t have any, or are you tired of the ones you have? Good news, you can often rent DVDs from you local library for free. They often have a large variety of fitness DVDs. This is a fun and free way to keep your routine fresh. Another good place to find work-out DVDs is your local used book store. They usually have a variety of work-outs at great prices. Other options include online workouts (see my article on ExerciseTv), and if you have On Demand cable, you usually have access to free workouts from your On Demand menu. If you don’t enjoy videos, never fear, there are other options…..

Find Unique Indoor Spaces
When I first think about indoor options, I automatically think mall walking. Some of you may groan at this idea, but it really can be a good option if you add friends. This may not be something you want to do every day, but find a friend and make a weekly walking date. I did this with a friend a few years ago, and it was a highlight of my week. You can also increase the fun factor by adding music or switching up locations. If you make the date on a Saturday, you could take extra time to drive to a more exciting location (a bigger mall, different city, etc). You can also increase the challenge by adding ankle or hand weights.

Another fun thing to do with a friend is walking stairs. A friend and I used to do this on our lunch break. We worked near a building that had ten stories, so before lunch we would spend thirty minutes walking up and down those ten stories. If you don’t work in a place with stairs, good places to find them include, local universities, large offices, and medical buildings.

An additional idea for free indoor walking/jogging is to check with your local community center. Our community center has a free indoor track. They also have an indoor pool I can use for $5 a day. Speaking of pools, if you are interested in swimming, check with your local high school. Some schools have free use of their indoor pools during specified community hours.

A final indoor option is taking an exercise class from a local studio, community center, or church. These are usually cheaper and less intimidating than gym memberships. Keep an eye on local deal sites such as Groupon or LivingSocial for fitness class sales.

A couple of final suggestions
First, don’t completely give up on the outdoors. Keep an eye on the weather, and look for days that it is feasible to be outside, even if you have to bundle up. If it does snow, going sledding is a great way to stay active and it is fun.

Secondly, if you wish you had exercise equipment at home but can’t afford it, keep an eye on Craigslist.org. People often list used treadmills, bikes, and other equipment for free or rock bottom prices.

Is anyone out there suffering from the post holiday spending blues? If so, you may be looking for ways to make some extra cash to recover after the extra holiday spending. For today’s Money Making Monday post, I would like to start a short series entitled “Secrets to Finding Hidden Cash in Your House”. In this series, I will share with you a few ways I have found to turn unused household items into extra dollars.

The quickest and easiest household item I have found to sell is books. You might be saying, “I thought only text books can make money on resale, and I am not a college student, so I don’t have anything to sell.” Good news: there is a website that buys all types of books, and it is cash4books.net.

Here is what I love about this site:
-They accept all kinds of books, not just textbooks.

-Their site comes highly recommended for other bloggers (including moneysavingmom).

-It is a safe company; they are accredited by the Better Business Bureau

-They make shipping fast, easy, and free. They provide you with a shipping label to print, and they provide user-friendly instructions on packing and shipping.

-Their prices are competitive.

-They buy your books straight up. It is less hassle than sites like Ebay, where you have to wait on a seller.

-Their payment options are flexible. They offer a pay pal or check payment option.

I have found this to be an easy way to make some extra cash, and de-clutter by getting rid of books I don’t use. I hope you enjoy!

For today’s Faithful Friday post, I would like to share some thoughts I have been having about freedom. It all started when I read this quote this morning…

“Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty” -Samuel Johnson

What struck me about this quote is the idea that frugality leads to freedom. Making wise choices with your resources leads to the freedom to be able to live and give as you desire. Spending wisely means no longer living in slavery to financial debt. Isn’t it interesting how what we interpret as restricting is often the very thing that frees us.

This principle operates in so many areas of our lives. Setting boundaries on time leads to having more of it. Taking care of our bodies by eating healthy and exercising (which can feel burdensome) leads to the freedom that a healthy body can bring. This principle also operates in our spiritual life.

Although God is loving and full of grace, He also calls His children to live an obedient and disciplined life. The beautiful thing about these requirements is that they actually lead to a fuller life by leading to a fuller experience of Him. God is not a vengeful and restrictive taskmaster, and He isn’t holding out on us- even though there are days when it feels that way. Rather, I must constantly remind myself that He is a loving Father who has gone to the ends of the earth to set us free. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and longs for nothing more than for us to experience it. Living in light of His boundaries truly does lead to freedom.

Some days are easier than others, but for today, I am resting in the safety and freedom that boundaries can bring.

For today’s Thrifty Thursday post, I wanted to pass on some great printable coupons being offered this week, and I thought I would begin a short series entitled, Debunking Couponing Myths. In this series, I will share with you a few reasons I didn’t use coupons before, and why I do now.

Myth: You can’t really save money.
My thinking used to go something like this: “If I just shop at discount stores and buy generic, I can save just as much money, if not more, than using coupons. Also, using coupons will cause me to buy things I don’t need.”

The reality is, these things are true IF you don’t pair coupons with store sales. That is the key to saving money with coupons. When you ‘stack’ a coupon with a store sale, you can almost always beat the generic price, and sometimes you can even get items for free. You may be asking, “How do you know which coupons to use with which store sale?” Keep reading :)

Myth: Couponing takes too much time.
I am not going to lie, couponing can be time-consuming, HOWEVER, it does not have to be. With the help of the Internet, you can save tons of money with coupons by only spending five to ten minutes a week. My favorite website is www.couponmom.com. She does all the leg work for you by creating spreadsheets that pair store sales with newspaper coupons. Her website is easy to use, and you can even print your selected deals in a grocery list format.Take five minutes to watch her introduction videos and see how easy it can be.

For more tips, check my post here for an introduction to my couponing method. I will be writing more about this topic in the coming weeks. For now, on to some great printable coupons I have found this week!

Another coupon complaint I often hear is, “I can never get coupons for healthy things.” I want to help you discover the truth that you can get coupons on healthy items. I will feature healthy printable coupons whenever possible and this week there happens to be quite a few.

Healthy Coupon Picks Of The Week…
Sunbelt Snacks is offering a .75 off their Granola Cereal here. Paired with a store sale, this should make for a great and healthy deal!

V8 is also offering some great coupon deals this week on their juices and soups. Click here to be taken to their site.

Organic Earthbound farms is offering $1 off any of their products if you take a short quiz found here.

Here is a link to a $1.50 off 1 Wholly Guacamole item.

(-A special thanks to moneysavingmom and hip2save for alerting me to some of these deals!)

Just wanted to share a quick update about a deal offered by LivingSocial.com (a daily deal site similar to groupon).

They are selling a $20 Amazon.com gift card for just $10. This is an awesome deal, and when paired with Amazon sales, it could make for some amazing savings. Also, if you go through Swagbucks, you can get 280 Swagbucks for purchasing this deal. I just picked mine up and thought I’d pass it on.

Click here to go through Swagbucks or here to go directly to livingsocial.com.

This deal has expired, but thanks for all who participated!!

Today’s post is the second in the series entitled “Keys To Unlocking Great Relationships” To read previous posts, click here.

Today, I would like to share a couple of simple principles that have been foundational for me as I seek to build positive relationships in my life. I was reminded of these ideas as I was having coffee with a friend yesterday, and thought I would pass them on.

Know Thy Self
At first read, you may wonder if we are talking about improving relationships with other people, why would you want to focus on yourself? This is a valid question, however, allow me to explain. I believe that if we do not understand ourselves, we will never understand the people we are wanting to relate to.

We must ask ourselves, why do I have these types of reactions to this specific person? What kind of feelings do they bring out in me, and why? Why do their words affect me so much more than other people? Does this person or situation remind me of anything from my past, and am I letting that experience taint this one?

Often our difficulties in relationships have less to do with the other person, and more to do with our own feelings and experiences. Don’t get me wrong, there are difficult people in this world, and people who will intentionally hurt us. But it is our reactions to these situations that will ultimately determine how they affect our life. This leads me to my second point….

The Only Person You Can Control Is Yourself
This is such a hard one for me to remember, but when I do, it dramatically improves my interactions with others. I have to continually remind myself that it is not my job nor right to attempt to change someone else. The only person I can change is me. I can express my feelings, thoughts, and opinions to others, but I am not responsible for their choices.

If someone continues to make hurtful or damaging choices, I can set a boundary with them to protect myself. If I continue to allow them to affect me in a negative way, that is my responsibility, not theirs. As Carl Sandburg says, “Love your neighbor as yourself; but don’t take down the fence”

Especially in challenging relationships, I need to continually examine my reactions. I must understand and accept myself, and learn to accept others where they are at. This does not mean we can not encourage others to make healthier choices, but again I must remember that encourage and pressure are very different.

If we can learn to extend grace to both ourselves and others, we will be on the path to healthier relationships. It is very good to have goals and aspirations, but we must guard against always wishing we were further along in the journey. Relationships are processes that take time, and we must give ourselves the freedom to allow and enjoy that time.

The past few weeks, I have been examining my approach to healthy eating. I do really well in some areas like staying relatively low-fat and eating mostly whole grains, but really need improvement in other areas like eating too much processed food, sodium, and sugar. I decided that this year, I want my food theme to be, “back to the basics”. I am trying to find inexpensive ways to eat more whole foods. For today’s “Trying to be Healthy” Tuesday post, I thought I would share a few steps I am taking to move towards this goal:

1) Try homemade recipes
In order to reduce our sodium and sugar intake, I am attempting to make more things homemade. So far I have tried, homemade bread, ice cream, and chicken broth. I found these things to be less labor intensive than I expected, and they were very tasty (follow the links for the recipes I used). There are still things I will buy that are processed because I get them so inexpensively with coupons. However, I am trying to find quick and easy recipes for some of the higher cost items. You have to decide for your family what is practical as far as homemade items go. So far I have found my homemade products to be much faster and easier to prepare than I expected. My next goal is homemade noodles (I will let you know how they turn out :)

2) Buy produce in its whole form, even if it takes longer to prepare.
I am going to try to find one whole produce bargain and try it each week. This week I tried buying whole carrots. They were only $1 a bag, and I found that peeling them took much less time than I expected.

3) Begin learning about city gardening now.
This is the scariest of my three goals because I have absolutely no talent in this area. I have the opposite of a green thumb and basically kill anything green when it is in my care. But, I really hope if I start researching now, I can learn enough by spring to at least keep a few plants alive. Fresh produce is one of the more expensive parts of my grocery budget, thus growing my own would not only be healthier but cheaper (if I can keep them alive). The good news is, there are a lot of free resources on the internet. I will update you as I research and let you know what I find.

I would love to hear the way you have found to incorporate whole foods into your lifestyle.

For the first Making Money Monday post, I would like to review a few sites that have helped me bring in a *little* extra income these past few months. These methods aren’t going to bring in major cash, but I am able to bring in around $20 a month. Every little bit helps in my opinion!

Swagbucks– this is a rewards site that you earn points by searching the web, voting in daily polls, and various other activities. At first, I thought this had major earning potential, but I found myself spending extensive time on their site with minimal rewards. However, I have found time effective ways to earn 10 swag bucks a day on average. This (and having my husband sign up under me as a referral) has allowed me to accumulate enough points to redeem one $5 paypal credit a month since I joined. Then, I have this credit deposited directly into my bank account. There are many other great rewards including amazon gift cards.

My tips on efficient swag bucks earning:
– Download their toolbar and use it to search instead of Google. You get a swagbuck a day just for opening your browser and you get randomly awarded for searching.
– Vote on the daily poll and visit the survey site every day for two quick and easy bucks.
– Have family and friends sign up under your referral link (i.e. husband, kids, grandma, anyone who searches a lot)

I have found swagbucks to be an easy and efficient way to earn a little extra money. I am already using a search engine, I might as well get rewarded for it. Click here for more information.

Upromise– is a cash-back rewards program that helps you save for college and/or pay off student loans. I get cash back on purchases I would have made anyway. It is a great program with lots of creative ways to save. Click the link above to learn more.

Recycle Bank– I love this site! Check out my previous post here to see why. It helps me save at least $3 a month.

I hope these tips are helpful, and I would love to hear any creative ways you have found to earn a little extra cash and/or rewards.