The start

This week has been an interesting one.  I have made a budget and started using cash.  It's not as easy as the tv shows make it out to be however I am really excited to see how things will go.

I am using a a budget planner pro app on my iPad & iPhone.  I am used to using Quicken on my laptop however my computer crashed so I needed to start new.  It's a learning curve but being able to budget for 3 months is fantastic as I know that what I spend now will impact my bank account in October.

Pretty pumped about my couponing and rebate apps.  I did up a meal plan with most of the groceries I already had, worked on my list and shopped for an hour and a half.  Couponing and price matching takes a lot of work but it is sooooooooooo worth it.   Overflowing grocery cart for under $70 made me very very happy.  I've gone from $120.00 bill to $70.  My goal is to get it to $50.00 a week, however with 5 mouths to feed, I am not sure I am going to figure this out.

What am I doing?

I am price matching using my ''flipp'' app, which is amazing!!!   I am also using coupons on the sale price items as well as rebate apps, which you load your receipts too.  My hopes is to get each item under $1.00 or even free.  Free is so much better then $1.00 ;) 

My friend yesterday shared on Facebook how she price matches.  It's such a fantastic, organized way to do it.  I find the more orderly your order is, the happier and nice your cashiers are.  If you are a ''mess'' and aren't ready with your flyers or your ''apps'', the process can become very stressful and embarrassing.   Here is her chart to help get us started in the organization progress.

''How to use the chart!  Basically, you just write a little detail in the box about the item you 'clipped' (either in the app or with actual flyers).  I organize my grocery cart by each row (group items together as well as you can) and when shopping you go by the columns (get everything from all the flyers at once). That way you're not forgetting things and have to go back to a section.  Once you get to the checkout you take out groceries & group by the flyer as it goes through (to show one flyer at a time).''

I know that this is the start of something exciting.  Saving and teaching my children is such a passion of mine.  It all begins with teaching ourselves first.