shoppingonabudget

Today I am going to take a small break from showing you ways that you can save money and focus on ways that you can save money for your local schools. Did you know that many schools in the United States participate in the Box Tops for Education Program? Many elementary schools do.

A special Box Top label or coupon is found on participating products. These products include some General Mills cereals, Betty Crocker foods, Ziplock, and more. One Box Top is equivalent to .10 cents. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, it easily adds up, especially when many parents save for their school.

I have started saving these coupon tops for my daughter’s school. She just entered pre-k. I never paid attention to the program until I saw a sign at the school. It honestly bothers me a little bit when I think of all the Box Tops I threw in the trash.

Even if you don’t have a child in school, you can still save your Box Tops. If you happen to notice a label or coupon on a product, clip it. It will only take a minute to do. These coupon labels usually expire in 3 or more years. So, you can save them for a while. Once you have accumulated enough, contact your local school or drop them off at the main office.

If you want to learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program, please click here.

When you grocery shop, do you buy items based around your meal plans or do you just buy the best deals? I am thinking I need to change my shopping habits. I have always been a “buy it if I like it and if it is on sale,” shopper. Unfortunately, after examining my cupboards this weekend, am thinking that isn’t the best shopping plan.

I now have about 2 months worth of side dishes. These items include hamburger helper (which isn’t enough for a full meal in our house, so it is a side dish), about 15 cans of soup, about 5 Knorr side dish packets, and much more. So, my goal is to shop buying these side dish items for the next month or two and focus on using what we already have.

Of course, it is always great to stock up when food is one sale, as you can save money. With that said, it is also important to know what you have.

I will admit that I am a newspaper coupon girl. I like to get my coupons from weekend newspapers, but I have started getting them online more. I was disappointed when I visited my favorite websites this week (www.coupons.com and www.smartsource.com). There just weren’t many good coupons available.

However, I started looking for more websites online and came across the Penny Pincher Gazette. They link to both coupon websites, but had many more coupons available. Thanks to visiting this website, I saved at least $10.

I always recommend going directly to the source, but if you are disappointed with the available grocery coupon selection, checkout the Penny Pincher Gazette and you can do so here. I didn’t realize the coupon selection varied depending on the website, but it apparently does.

If you are looking to increase your fiber intake, you may head to your local grocery store, department store, or drug store to purchase fiber supplements. If you have never purchased them before, you may be turned off by the price. Personally, I thought they were kind of high. If you feel the same, here are some moneysaving coupons for you.

Save $2 on Citrucel

Save $3 on Fiber Choice

Save $1 on Fiber Con

Spending money on a magazine doesn’t sound like the best way to reduce your shopping bill, but it can be if you buy the magazine All You. The magazine, which is available for sale at Wal-Mart, is full of moneysaving tips, great recipes, and grocery coupons.

The coupons found inside the magazine do vary from month to month. I just purchased the October 24, 2008 issue and there were over $25 worth of coupons inside. With a suggested retail price of $2.49, this magazine is a great deal.

As previously stated, coupons will vary, but here are my favorite coupons inside this month’s issue:

Save $1 on Any Size White Cloud Toilet Paper
Save $1.50 on Colgate Total Toothpaste
Save $1 on Any Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers
Save .75 cents on Any Reddi-Wip
Save .50 Cents on 18oz Peter Pan Peanut Butter

If you want to learn more about the All You magazine or order a subscription, you can do so here. As of October 1, 2008, there is a special offer on their website where you get 2 free trial magazines.