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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…It’s Super Saver Girl

By 207 Comments

Coin JarI think I’ve mentioned before that I’m a “super saver.” In fact, my husband and I both feel strongly about wise money management. We save faithfully, invest dutifully, and strive to give generously. And we do our utmost to keep spending to a minimum.

We believe that “little things” add up and we talk about our money goals regularly.

Here are just a few of the things we do to cut costs and keep our money “output” low:

  • We don’t have cable TV.
  • We rarely eat out.
  • We rent or buy movies instead of going to the movie theater.
  • We save up for quality items instead of contributing our money to the Target dollar bins.
  • We don’t make spontaneous purchases. We read reviews. We discuss our needs. We think about it. We talk about it some more. THEN, we buy.
  • We don’t take out loans or buy things on credit.

By being intentional about our choices, we hope to model good money management skills to our daughter so that she’ll grow up without having to feel the “weight” of debt or the stress that often results from poor money handling.

moonjar classic moneyboxThis is a topic I feel strongly about so I was pleased to recently have the opportunity to review the Moonjar Classic Moneybox ($24.95), a retro tin with three separate “banks” for saving, spending, and sharing. Essentially, the idea is to encourage your child to think about where their money is going when they receive it.

I like the concept overall. The three categories are fantastic and the idea of giving your child a “piggybank” or box of any kind is a good one. Our 2-year-old daughter already gets excited about putting money into the different compartments. That said, I think I would like it more if there were different “slots” for pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters for easier calculating and transporting to the bank. I am assuming that this little box is geared to 5-10 year-olds, but it can easily be used with younger ones as well.

YOUR TURN: Leave your best money-saving tips. You can leave up to three separate tips for three separate entries.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Moonjar Classic Moneybox ($24.95). To enter, leave a comment on this post [see above] prior to Tuesday, January 13 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

*UPDATE* The winner is #76 HilLesha. Congratulations!

Comments

  5. I make myself put 50 cents in a jar everyday.It does add up over time.Please enter me and thanks
    for the giveaway

    Reply

  6. My very best way to save money is to stay home! Every time I leave home it costs me money! Thanks for a fun giveaway!

    Reply

  8. I am a cash only person. I pay with cash for everything with the exception of 4 checks per month that must be mailed off. If I don’t have the cash for a purchase I just don’t need it. My HE washing machine gave it up last month – along with the Christmas expenses, but I was able to stick with my cash only policy. Of course, if something happened healthwise I would do whatever is necessary to get the money. Thank you for offering this prize.

    Reply

  9. I plan my weekly meals by using the Wednesday circulars and coupons I have collected. I make a list and stick to it (most of the time — sometimes that bag of chocolate candy that is an unadvertised manager’s special is just too tempting). Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this giveaway!

    Reply

  11. I donate money right after I get paid and before my money goes for that extra dinner out or shirt I really don’t need.

    Reply

  14. We pay our bills on time which actually is magical, because late fees sometimes accrue high penalty rates! : )))

    leahita[at]gmail[dot]com

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  15. Growing fruits and veggies in our garden is a magical way to save money and truly enjoy these delicious goodies organically! : )))

    Thanks so much for this give~away! : )))

    leahita[at]gmail[dot]com

    Reply

  22. I don’t buy anything, until it goes on sale, unless I really need the item. When it does go on sale, stock up.

    Reply

  23. I save up my change in a jar. Then when it is full, I wrap them up in a coin holder and take it
    to the bank.

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  24. Match coupons to sales paper items. This is especially handy when the store has double or triple coupon sales.

    Reply

  26. Don’t spend what you don’t have! After you pay all the interest on your credit card, your bargains will not be bargains any more.
    Spend on needs, and be careful about rationalizing wants. Wants should wait for special occasions, and be saved for and paid in full at the outset.

    Reply

  27. We make a list before going shopping with the agreement that any items we find that is not on the list must not total over $10. It gives us a chance to fudge on a bargain if needed but it still sets limits so we don’t overindulge. But the biggest saver for us has been using only cash…no more credit cards except for emergency expenses. And those emergencies must be real emergencies. A new tire or snow chains when we get freaky weather. Someone breaks a leg and we need to buy crutches. Stuff like that.

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  35. Sounds simple, but when you find something you use on sale, buy lots of it. Yesterday, my dh’s favorite salad dressing was just $1.99, so I bought 6 of them. Since they are usually 3.89, I saved $11.40!

    Reply

  36. It’s easy to fall prey to advertising. Remember to only buy what you need, not how much you will save if you buy. A few months ago I fell into a trap when a store was offering a great one day sale. I purchased things I didn’t really need just because of the savings and after all it was only good for one day.

    Reply

  43. I bring my own lunch. It doesn’t seem like much, but lunches at places around my office are a minimum of $7 each, which could add up to $35+ a week, not including tax and tip. That is enough for my DH and I to have a nice dinner out once a week, if we wanted.

    Reply

  45. Using coupons religiously really adds up. They often come out to coincide with supermarket discounts on the same products, so you’re saving even more.

    Reply

  52. I shop with coupons only . Items that I can pick up at a consignment shop I do because the savings are great .

    Reply

  55. My family saves all their change and whenever there’s something special we need or want we have the cash and don’t have to rely on credit for anything.

    Reply

  57. never, never, NEVER go grocery shopping when hungry and always stay to the outside edges of the store for the cheapest and healthies foods

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  62. I LOVE to find bargains at thrift stores. I rarely buy my son new books because I can find them used at thrift stores for a fraction of the cost! Thanks!

    Reply

  63. We turn our heat way down at night and when we are not home…it makes a big money difference and it is good for the environment!

    Reply

  64. I always use coupons at the grocery store. I also try to wait for the double coupon days to go shopping. Thanks!

    Reply

  65. While my kids are little and do not care for name brand things and they grow SO fast, its the Salvation Army shop for me. I have saved so much money buying slightly used clothing its crazy. Now my oldest daughter is 13 and she hates new and scratchy clothes. She requested we go to the Salvation Army and we got 6 pairs of pants and several shirts for about $24. You cannot beat that! (Of course, undies & socks I always buy new!)
    harmonden[at]wowway.com

    Reply

  66. Lately we’ve had to do more and more. But my favorite thing to do I learned from my husbands family. Once a week or so you have MUSSGO night, where everything in the fridge must go.

    Reply

  69. Shop for Christmas all year long. My husband is always amazed when the Holidays come around, I have so much stuff already!

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  70. WE DO NOT PURCHASE THINGS WE DO NOT NOW HAVE THE MONEY FOR AND WE SAVE FOR BIGGER PURCHASES LIKE CARS, APPLIANES, FOREIGN VACATIONS. IT’S NICE TO COME HOME AND NEVER WORRY ABOUT WHEN THE BILL WILL COME.

    Reply

  71. my tip is to shop around on the internet especially for big purchases, you can really save a lot if you chose not to settle.

    Reply

  72. I shop at Whole Foods, Henry’s, and Mother’s so coupons are not always easy to find. Mambo Sprouts sends out a coupon booklet for all-natural, organic products and I use those to save. I also only buy things on sale and do a lot of comparison shopping. I try to buy in bulk when it makes sense and we’re going to use it. I love Amazon and their Subscribe and Save program (we do that with my son’s 7th Gen. diapers and some of the other things we go through regularly). If I have more tips I’ll share them with ya!

    Reply

  73. I have an 11 year old that I would LOVE to get this for. I think it would be a wonderful way for her to learn that she needs to put things aside for each of her goals or desires. Thanks!

    Reply

  74. I find one of the best money saving tips to put into practice is the following:
    categorize cupboard,cabinet and fridge items alphabetically and only replace the main items with (ONE) letter at a time.

    Reply

  76. Have your coupons handy and organized. Always use a list to buy groceries according to preplanned meals. Bring your own calculator into the grocery store, so you can truly compare price, even if you have a coupon.
    Don’t buy bulk if you will end up throwing part of it out.
    Importantly, do not buy groceries on an empty stomach–you will be tempted to buy snack food.

    Reply

  77. Clip coupons & match them to sale items.

    And, while this may sound old-fashioned, we use leftovers whenever remotely possible. Almost no food goes into the trash.

    Reply

  78. My friend belongs to a warehouse store and we purchase cleaning and paper products in bulk and split the packages between us. Neither of us wants to buy 10 packs of anything so this way we each get and pay for half. It’s worked out quite well for us and we do this every few months. We also shop with a list and get just what we need.

    Reply

  80. I leave my debit and credit cards at home. If I can’t pay for it cash then I don’t need it. It’s amazing to see how much I save by doing this and have eliminated impulse spending.

    Reply

  82. For groceries, I use many coupons and try to wait for what we need to go on sale and then buy it with the coupons. Of course, this works best for items like toothpaste, deodorant and the like. Again,
    many thanks…..Cindi

    Reply

  83. Another way that helps me save money is shopping for Christmas gifts for people throughout the year!
    I listen for ideas while we are talking about things and make sure later to make note of it. Great bank idea and one that is needed in our home!
    Thanks, Cindi

    Reply

  84. I hardly ever buy anything full price. If it is an item that we really need and worth full price, then it is an exception. Thanks, Cindi

    Reply

  88. We also only use cash, no credit cards at all. We contribute to three different savings accounts each paycheck, one for emergencies, one for vacations and luxuries and one we don’t touch.

    Reply

  90. If I’m doing a shopping day with friends, I set my limit before I go and withdraw cash that morning, and that’s all I spend.

    Reply

  91. Like Sheila H said above, I save all my change throughout the year and cash it in to buy Christmas presents, as a shock absorber for my end-of-the year budget.

    Reply

  93. Send away for and follow up on rebates. After you buy a product with a rebate, send in the form that day. Then mark your calendar to remind yourself to follow up with the rebate company if the check hasn’t show up.

    Reply

  95. 10% of what I make goes right into savings….we do our banking online and right after direct deposit goes in, we transfer $ to savings…from same bank…so it’s a piece of cake. thanks again

    Reply

  99. We took all our change to our bank recently and we had a little over $170. Change adds up very fast! Rolling it yourself takes time but it’s better than losing some of it to the machines that take a percentage.

    Reply

  101. DO save your change in change jars! Instead of going to an automated change machine at the grocery store (that charges you several cents on the dollar), take your coinage to your bank and see if they have a free coin changer! Those coins add up fast!

    Reply

  102. For one month, save every receipt from every purchase. Add up your receipts at the end of the month for a sometimes shocking look at where your money goes and how many of those purchases were necessary.

    Reply

  103. When I get the urge to buy something on impulse, I walk away from it and give myself 24 hours to decide if I can really afford it and/or need it.

    Reply

  104. Use a credit union and have a small amount deducted each month from your check before you ever see it!

    Reply

  108. I love the idea of things like this. Something so simple can go so far. never to early to teach children sound money principles!

    Reply

  110. PIP – Personal injury protection can be completely waived to also reduce your auto premium. I have not had PIP on my policy for over 10 years with no negative impact

    Reply

  113. I have found a couple of consignment stores in our area that offer great prices on quality kids clothes. And of course I consign our clothes after the kids grow out of them… Some of my co-workers and I do a sort of “clothes swap” each season to see who might fit into what the other has grown out of! It works out pretty nicely!

    Reply

  114. With a family of 4, I need to be able to spend money very wisely at the grocery store…. We use coupons (doubled) when items are on sale, rebates, shop at clubs like BJs or Costco with friends (so we split the large items), and purchase lots of packaged items at Target or Walmart where they are so much less than a “grocery store”.

    Reply

  116. Coupons, comparison shop, and my best tip of all – don’t use credit cards to impulse shop- take cash and stick to a budget.

    Reply

  118. The metro mama gods hate me, I never win… :(

    ahem… hint hint.

    Ahhh a money saving tip… hmm let’s see… well as always, my number one money saving tip is DOLLAR TREE. It’s a great store, they have all kinds of cool stuff for just a dollar each.

    Reply

  121. groceries are a big expense-I plan my weekly meals around the store’s sales-only buy what is on sale and use my coupons

    Reply

  124. My son got a coin-counter bank for Christmas and he has really loved seeing the amount total up. I like the idea of this bank because of the spending, saving and sharing compartments. I would like to teach him more about wise money management. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  125. I always ask myself..Do I need it or can I live without it…I have left many things there at the store after I answer that question

    Reply

  126. Make a weekly menu so you aren’t buying groceries you won’t use during the week, plus it will save extra trips.

    Reply

  128. I like using the Grocery Gathering over at BeCentaAble, http://www.becentsable.net/ . In their own words: “Here we host a “gathering spot” for other blogs to bring you all the great drugstore and grocery deals from across the country as well as resources and coupons.”. Its great because they list grocery stores all over the US.

    Reply

  130. Don’t have any shame in going to yard sales, because you never know what you will find at a really good price. :)

    Reply

  134. We save our change and when it’s vacation time, this is what we use. If we are not good savers our vacation is not as nice as if we do well on saving our change.

    Reply

  135. If my 11 year old nephew really wants something that’s pricey, he goes through his old toys that he does not want anymore and we put them up on Ebay. With the money he makes he is free to get whatever he wants!

    Reply

  136. I buy my jeans at thrift stores. You can find great designer jeans at unbelievable prices and they are already broken in.

    Reply

  137. Instead of getting pricey coffee everyday I bought a pretty travel cup and make coffee at home instead. I splurge once at the beginning of my week at McDonald’s only and now I look forward to Monday’s!

    Reply

  139. this is such a good idea!
    I save money by writting whenever I spend money, that way I can see where it’s going and trim the fat

    Reply

  140. My husband and I empty all of our change at the end of each day into a jar. When the jar is full, we count and wrap the change and either use it on something we really want or put it into our IRA.

    Reply

  145. use ad matches from weds local grocery ads from the newspaper at walmarts ! ty 4 the awesome giveaway and entry:)

    Reply

  146. My bf and I rent movies from the library. New ones too so we don’t have to pay crazy prices at blockbuster.

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  147. I find a lot of great coupons on the internet. They are usually higher value than the ones in the paper. I also send for a lot of free samples of shampoo,deodorant,toothpaste etc. Sometimes they are pretty good size samples.

    Reply

  148. When out shopping we hit the resale shops. You can find some really nice new items for a fraction of the cost. Where else can you get a brand new Dora outfit for $5.00 with a pair of pants,shirt and a jacket. Plus garage sales are really fun to shop.

    Reply

  150. I make homemade marinara sauce and freeze it in quart sized containers. It is less expensive than the store jars.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  151. Before I go shopping I make a list of all sale items that I want from the various circulars. I then match up coupons to use on the sale items.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  152. I stopped impulse buying. It was hard at first and it took a while to do but I am now free of impulse buying stuff that I don’t need.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  154. Coupons, saving loose change and having a small garden in the summer (love my tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers).

    Reply

  155. I love this! What a great tool for teaching kids how to manage & distibute their money & most important how to share. I got so many great ideas from everyone elses messages.
    Myself I count on coupons & use them on a regular basis.

    Reply

  156. My boys spent an hour counting the money in our change bank today. That bank idea looks fantastic to teach kids how to save specially when grandparents give them money.

    I buy produce from a local co-op which saves me tons of money. I highly recommend finding the local produce in your area!

    Reply

  158. To save money, I scour the internet for coupons that I can send away for to reduce the cost of the things that I alreay would be buying!

    madamerkf at aol dot com

    Reply

  160. I make our laundry detergent. At first I was hesitant after being a many year Tide user but found it works wonderful.
    I hang cloths outside to dry and just toss them in the dryer a few minutes to fluff. Has had a very noticeable change in our electric bill (electric dryer)
    We have changed all the light bulbs in the house to energy saving and can see the return on our electric bill. They should have paid for themselves in about 3 more months and are said to last years.
    jeanilynne at gmail dot com

    Reply

  161. I buy extra papers for Sunday coupons and match sales with double coupon savings. I save all my spare change and cash it in and use it to off set my grocery bill too.

    Reply

  164. I use pharmacy transfer coupons to get gift cards when getting prescriptions renewed. Sometimes I can score a $30 gift card off a $1.25 prescription. Not too shabby!

    Reply

  165. Always look online before buying to see if you can get an item cheaper on the internet. Often you can combine internet purchases with free shipping and % off offers and really save big $.

    Reply

  168. Coupons are great but not if you are not actually going to use it- or its going to rot before you use it..buy what we need and don’t get greedy- if we have free items coupons we get and donate right away to a food bank or shelter.

    Reply

  170. Take money out of your pay before you get it. Like the 401k or credit union savings, that way you won’t really miss it.

    Reply

  173. Don’t take out loans (including paying by CC). If you can’t pay cash, you can’t afford it. Save up for it instead, and you will give yourself time to decide if it’s something you still want.

    Reply

  174. Automatically deduct money from your paycheck before you see it. This can be going into your 401(k), a savings account for emergencies, a money market fund or myriad of other choices. If you talk to the accounting dept. at your work, most companies will deposit a specified amount into other accounts before they print your check, so you don’t even notice it’s gone. If you don’t see it, you won’t spend it!

    Reply

  175. Match coupons to sales! I regularly save 50-60% off my grocery bill by matching sales to coupons and knowing which stores double coupons (Frys, Bashas and Safeway always double here in Tucson).

    Reply

  186. This is a really great way for my nephew to understand how to take care of his money.
    I save my change and then when my sisters family comes to visit – my nephew counts it up and we go do something together with it – this year it was $96 in quarters.

    Reply

  188. I try and use coupons that double. And i try and buy things that are on sale, or that i can get for practicably free.

    Reply

  189. I don’t carry my credit card around any more. I bring our check book and a couple bucks in cash. If there isn’t enough in the checking account then we don’t need it. I also use coupons and do surveys for extra cash. Thanks for the chance.

    Reply

  190. You don’t have to join a gym to get a good workout! My family goes on hikes around our home regularly, takes walks around the neighborhood and swims at the city’s community pool.

    Reply

  191. I look through grocery advertisements to see which store has which items on sale, then build meals around those specials.

    Reply

  194. We use the want vs. need rule. If you want it, you have to save for it. That gives you plenty of time to do research, check for deals, and decide if you really want it or if it was just a passing fancy.

    Reply

  196. I pay myself when using coupons, for example if I use 2 dollars worth of coupons 2 dollars goes into my money jar it adds up quick

    Reply

  197. Check out books, movies, and music from the public library. It’s free and they will send you an email when your selections are ready to be picked up. Lots of research for big purchases. And coupons for the supermarket are a must!! Thanks!

    Reply

  199. If your bank offer a program to put the extra change into your savings account-DO IT!! It really adds up quick1

    Reply

  201. I don’t want to win this. I just wanted to say that this is a great tool for teaching young kids to make smart money choices. (My four years old son has one.)

    Money-saving tip: Type the name of the company that you’re going to buy from followed by coupons in Google search before making your search (i.e. “Children’s Place coupons”) Usually, you’ll find some great discount/free shipping/etc. coupons!

    Reply

  206. I put my pocket change in a jar everyday and then when it gets full, i deposit it in my savings account.

    Reply

  207. When I pay cash if the store has a gc I’ll have my change put on it and continue to do and then when something unexpected comes up like a gift I have money for it.

    Reply

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