No-Spend Month Series

Hello again, savvy savers! A new day, a new daily challenge, as part of our No-Spend Month Challenge!

So as this week we will be focusing on selling the items we cleared out of our home last week, today I want to focus on eBay sales!

So why eBay?

• eBay is a popular shopping website where individuals and businesses can buy and sell new and second-hand items. 

• a computer with an internet connection
• a credit or debit card.

1. Go to the eBay website.
2. You can only buy or sell on eBay if you’re registered, so if you don’t have an account, now is the time to create one. If you’re new to eBay, click register above the eBay logo.
3. If you’re already registered, click Sign in, enter your user ID, then your password, and you will be logged in; you can then skip to Step 5. 
4. To register, you’ll need to fill out details such as your name, email address and chosen password.
5. Click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
6. A confirmation email will be mailed to you.
7. Check for this email.
8. Click Continue if you are happy to proceed, within the email prompts. 
9. You will be taken back to the eBay homepage, and your seller account is completed!

How To List An Item For Sale:

1. Click on Sell at the top of the screen, and a ‘Update your information’ page will open.
2. Complete your address information and click Continue.
3. You will now be taken to a new page where you can start to list your item for sale. 
4. Type the name of the item you want to sell in the box provided and click Get started.
5. A new page will open with step-by-step instructions on how to create your listing, including how to give your item a clear, specific title and how to upload a photo.
6. It will also show you how much money it will cost to list your item; these fees will be added to your sellers account, payable monthly.
7.  Once you’ve filled in all the details for your listing, click List with displayed fees at the bottom of the screen.
8.  A new page will open. Here you’ll see how your listing will look before it’s posted on eBay.
9. Click Continue if you’re happy with the way it looks.

How To Edit A Sale Listing:

1. Click Edit listing if you want to make any changes.
2. A new page will open asking you for extra information. Click Continue.
3. Review your account information, check the box and click Continue if it is correct. 
4.  eBay will then verify your information.
5. You will then be asked to verify your phone number. Click the Call me now button and an automated service will call to give you your PIN. Once you have this, enter it into the PIN field and click Continue.
6. You will then need to log back in. 
7. When you sell items on eBay, the website charges a small fee. You now need to choose how you will pay any fees. Select the payment type you wish to use; credit card or paypal, and continue.
8. If you chose to pay via PayPal, you will now need to agree to the PayPal user agreement. When you have read it, click I agree.
9. A new page will open giving you the chance to review your listing again. 
10.  Your item is now posted!

A few tips:

• Start with no more than 10 items; this will lessen your chance of any listings being reviewed by bots.
• Click Track your listing in My eBay to see if anyone is bidding for or buying your item.
• You can also click My eBay at the top of the screen at any time to look at these details.
• Potential buyers may ask you questions about your item via email, so answer them promptly to ensure you get good feedback later.
• You may receive haggle offers, but you are not forced to accept any offer.

When an item sells:

•  When your item is sold, you’ll receive an email from eBay.
• Go back to ‘My eBay’ and click Sold.
• There you’ll see the name of your item as well as the price it sold for.
• Click Send payment details to send your buyer an invoice, which PayPal prepares automatically if you’re using that method of payment.
•  Once the payment has been received, you’ll receive an email from PayPal.
• Go to the PayPal website and enter your email address and password to log in to your PayPal account. 
• Always promptly mail parcels, as soon as possible.
• Always mail items with SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION delivery options; this avoid people charging back offers for non-receipt of items, once you’ve mailed a parcel.
• Always offer a “no-refund” policy, except if an item is grossly misrepresented, and list items as no-shipping refunds, no return refunds, too; this prevents mailing scam issues.
• Always list shipping tracking numbers on both eBay and Paypay.

So, that’s it. That’s how to successfully sell on eBay! So, naturally… today I challenge you to:

1. Crate an eBay/Paypal account.
2. List 10 items.
3. Have fun selling!

So, be sure to check back tonight for a recap of today’s challenge!

Here’s to saving,

Good morning, savvy savers! Can you believe we are almost half-way finished with this No-Spend Month! WooHoo! So, today will be the final day of this months No-Spend Challenge Cleaning projects! 

Today I want to focus on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. Yes, the cave of Frugal Wonders! My stockpile, housed in my homes basement, though it’s well lit, houses many built-in shelving features, the area still seems to always be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning! The one saving grace of this area, the exhilarating feeling I get each time I am able to gaze over my shelves, from the shampoo to the paper products, and then proceed to “shop from my home!”  

My stockpile, though hard earned, is an immense blessing to my home. And as they say, to whom much is given, much is asked, and this rule equally applies to my stockpile! My stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars a year, but I must honestly admit is the most neglected area in my home. But no more! So today, I challenge you all to clean up your stockpile! 

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc.. 
2. Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.
3. Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.
4. Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.
5. Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to only keep items no longer than two years. 
6. Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately! 
7. Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly. 

Keep in mind, this project took me a little less than three hours, and I was able to clean out three shelves of goods, and the best part… I assembled sixteen boxes worth of goods which are being donated today to a local women’s shelter and homeless pantry!

I was able to clean out three shelves of goods, and the best part… I assembled sixteen boxes worth of goods which are being donated today to a local women’s shelter and homeless pantry! Woohoo! 

As well today I was also able to accomplish:

1. As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
2. Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner, before heading out this morning.
3. Read my daily devotional.

Today I will save:

• I received a $200.00 tax receipt for donating goods to charity.
• I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
• Ate from my weekly menu, three times, and saved $8.91.

Total amount I saved my family: $212.59

So, how is your week looking? What are you saving this week, I’d love to hear about it!

Here’s to saving,

Hello again, savvy savers!  I hope you all are well rested, work-minded, and in the mood for cleaning and organization this week! 

As you know, this last week, we focused the first part of the week on pantry organization, organizing food swap days, creating meals based on pantry staples, and then switched focus to alternative pantry re-stocking methods, and this morning we are going to scrub, dust,  sort, purge, evaluate, and hopefully make a profit in the process! For the rest of the week we will be focusing on mini-areas within our homes, and today I want to tackle bathrooms. 

So, today I am challenging you all to accomplish three tasks:

1. To tackle a one hour cleaning challenge: you will need to start by a visual decluttering and surface cleaning of your home. 
2. To sort and purge from your medicine cabinets, makeup bags/drawers, and to clean out under your bathroom sinks. 

What to Purge:

• What to All cosmetics older than one year, should be purged.
• All cosmetic sharpeners, brushes, or curlers two year or older, should be purged.
• All hair coloring products or kits, two years or older, should be purged. 
• All vitamins or supplement older than one year, should be purged.
• All flue, cold, sinus, or allergy products older than two years, should be purged.
• All essential oils three years or older, should be purged.
• All first aid items, older than three years, should be purged and replaced. 
• All digestive aids, older than three years, should be purged. 
• Any fiber-based supplement, older than a year, should be purged. 
• All expired medications should be purged in sealed Ziploc bags, with your home information blacked out with a sharpie.
• Any nail lacquers that have been to separate should be purged.
• All manicure and pedicure supplies, that are used, but have not been utilized within the last six months should be purged. 
• Purge your oldest towel set; towel, hand towel, and wash cloth. 

Now, while this list seems extensive, depending on the size of your home, should only take a couple hours today, and in the long run should greatly help you not only today but in the future. This week is not only about creating long-lasting cleaning solutions in your home, but establishing routines that will help you not only keep your home cleaner and safer, but to shave the time it takes you to do so, in half! 

Here’s to saving,

Hello again, savvy savers! It’s a new day, and time for a new challenge! Did you know that you can request from your utility companies, your gas, water, and power companies, an itemized summary of your peak and non-peak hours and service pricing? Did you also know that you could be saving as much as 1/4 off of your bills monthly? Well, you can! Here’s an example…

Starting last Spring, my water bill went up by 20% in a months time! Not that it was a lot of money, but in a year’s time it would have amounted to $400.00! I set out to figure out how to reduce this amount!

 Here’s what I did:

1) I started by calling my city water department, who did not return my call.

2) I then called my city managers office, and was informed by a kind gentleman there, that water, like electricity has a variable cost, and there are peak and non-peak times of the month, season, and year when water charges are higher, so countries and cities can offset the cost of public works projects in many areas. He also said, that you can request in writing, that your city water department tell of you of current charges, pending spikes for everyone, etc.

3) When I found this out last summer, I noticed that charges were higher the last week of the month, so I implemented new water usage strategies in my home; I purchased rain barrel systems to attach to my gutters, which I now use for watering my garden the final week of the month, I also do not wash during that week, making sure all of my wash is prepped before that time, for example.

4) I also checked all of my toilets, plumbing, and water lines for any leaks or pipes that needed to be replaced; luckily they did not!

5) Just these two changes saved me $38.10 monthly!

6) What’s better? I then went on to repeat this process for all of my other services, too! I found out that every county seat in this country must provide customers that opportunity to learn what are peak and non-peak hours for consumption. I requested this from my local power co-op, and was then able to see that later in the week, from 7-12 am nightly power premiums were less in price, which allowed me to adjust my washing, drying, dish-washing, and vacuuming to this time.

7) I also found out the same schedule from my city managers office, in terms of out city water department, and adjusted watering for my garden to Sunday’s and Wednesday’s, as the water was nearly 20% less in premiums on non-peak times.

With just these two changes, I was able to save over $400.00 last year!

 So today, I challenge you to pull out your paper and e-print utility statements, check out your peak and non-peak hours, and then write your companies and request an itemized usage statement so that you too can reduce your overall gas, power, and water consumption rates in your neck of the woods! 

So today I challenge you to start the process of seeing where you can save on your utilities, too! 

Here’s to saving,

Hello again, savvy savers! Can you believe it, we are almost a week into this no spending challenge! Awesome stuff, huh? 

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite ways to continue to “shop” for deals, particularly my weekend drugstore deals for my weekly scenarios, especially during my no-spend periods, and that is with rains-checks! Yes, rain-checks, a couponers great friend! 

So, here is what I do:

1) As I live in a small town, I wait until the last day of the current sale week, or in my case, the end of the week when the hottest weekly deals, freebies, and offers are sure to be sold out during no-spend months, and then go to each store and ask for rain-checks for each and every one of the offers that I will still be able to redeem later; this means your rain-check window of opportunity is generally Friday-Saturday for drugstores, Saturday afternoons for grocery store deals which sale cycles renew on Sunday’s, and Tuesday evenings for stores that have new Wednesday sale cycles.

2) I ask for offers where I will be able to later pair with a coupon; if your paired coupon will expire by the end of your no-spend month period, skip that deal!

3) I then file my rain-checks by store!

4) At the end of my no-spend challenges, I will use earned store rewards, as most will last a full month before expiration, and then will go to the stores when able, and buy goods at my convenience! 

When requesting rain-checks I keep the following guides in mind:

• Nationally, most grocery and market chains will offer rain-checks, without limit of goods.
• Grocery and market chain store rain-checks will normally have only a 30-day window to redeem rain-checks; this applies to stores such as Vowell’s Fresh Market, The Fresh Market, Publix, Kroger, and Winn-Dixie.
• Walgreens rain-checks will also have only a 30-day window to redeem rain-checks.
• Rite Aid and CVS do not have redemption windows, and their rain-checks can be tucked into your coupon binder, for use as “filler deals” as needed!
• Catalina Deals cannot be combined with rain-checks.
• Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart do not offer rain-checks! 

So today, I challenge you to look online at your local stores sales guides and weekly fliers, compile a list, and head out to your favorite stores and “rain-check shop” for savings deals today!

Here’s to saving,