PayPal Pays

FREE CLOTHES!

FREE MOVIES!

FREE DATE NIGHT!

All of these are thanks to PayPals!

(photo source)

It's the best rebate app I've ever used!

Thanks to rebate apps like Ibotta and MobiSave (I know there are tons more but these 2 are my favorites) when I grocery shop I can get money back!

Remember how I posted about the 45 cent pizza from 7-11. Here is what I do with my Ibotta savings. 

1. I purchase the item that has offers from Ibotta. Like this 7-11 offer. When I buy a $5.50 pizza (price might be regional) I will get back $5.05! 

2. That money will stay in my Ibotta account until my total cash back reaches $20. This is not hard to do. After 2-3 shopping trips I've usually reached my $20. See the photo below. When "My Balance" is $20 or more then I can cash out. That money can either be sent Venmo, PayPal, or used to get a gift card. I always select PayPal. 

3. When I cash out and have the money sent to my PayPal it takes about 24-48 hours to show up on my account. But this is a screen shot of what my PayPal. Yes- I sent my Ibotta savings already :)

See the arrow that is the money I had Ibotta transfer into my PayPal accounts. From this point I can just transfer the money into my bank account or keep it in my PayPal account. I usually keep it in my PayPal's since I'm going to use it to grab a few deals.

If you look I got $26.10 from Ibotta. Then spent $25.00 the next day on LuLaRoe Me Daina for some fabulous leggings. So the cost for me was FREE since I used my Ibotta money. I love FREE!!

Haha! A few days later I sold something on Ebay like my previous post talks about. So I made another $20 with I purchased something from Kmart then just transfered the rest into my bank account.

4. Last thing to know is how to use those PayPal bucks. Most store sites give you options on how to pay. Credit/Debit card, Gift card, or PayPals. Here I am at Kmart. com  buying some cute shoes. After putting my item in my cart and proceeding to check out this website gives me the option to pay with Kmart Points, Gift Card, Sears Card, Credit/Debit Card, and PAYPALS! I click on this option where Kmart will link to my PayPals account. I will authorize Kmart a 1 time withdraw of the certain dollar amount. Once I authorize Kmart will return to it's site and I will get a confirmation about my order.

Here is how I grab free clothes, free movie tickets, free toys, free anything. Just about any store website that offers PayPals as payment I can use that money I got from Ibotta. 

From Purse to Clutch

I have been loving all the photos surfing around the web with clutches. From the envelope and fold over to clasp and magnetic. But I'm not one to spending tons of money on things like this. So I've been looking out for a clutch that is sturdy, neutral, and medium sized so my wallet, cell phone, chap stick, and keys can be inside.

But I was striking out! The stores I looked didn't have what I wanted. The websites I looked on had the kind I wanted but they were way WAY too much out of my budget. So I decided to make it a DIY. I love DIY projects since I always get what I'm looking for.

So I needed to start out finding the purses with "potential". You know.... those items that a "Refashioner" can see past the current state and see what that item could be. :) And here are my babies I found at my local thrift shop.

 Neiman Marcus denim bag with a cracked and peeling handle. This Neiman Marcus isn't real since it was made in China so I didn't mind cutting it up

And a black leather backpack that has tons of zippers and clasps. Both bags were in good shape for what I was wanting them for. And for $1 each I couldn't pass up these steals. So my total project is costing me $2! Perfect for my budget :)

 Since I'm making a clutch out of the denim bag I started by cutting the heck out of it. Every seam was ripped. Those handles were tossed. 

And when I got to the "bones" of the bag I seen how dirty it was. So this needed a dusting and cleaning. Plus with all the loose threads I trimmed them back so when I do sew it back together it will have a smooth finish.

Once the denim bag was all gutted and cleaned I moved onto the black backpack. I didn't need much from it. All I wanted was the leather zipper but like I said this bag had tons of zippers and hardware 

So after I cut what I needed I gutted this bag too. This time I took out all the zippers, clasps, D-rings, key rings, etc. Everything that I know I would reuse I cut. So for the $1 it cost me for this bag  I got myself a nice stash of DIY pieces.

After I was done killing this poor purse I trashed it. And went back to the 1 piece I originally wanted. This loverly metal zipper.

Now it's time to SEW!

I tossed the brown bottom. Trimmed the edges of the bag since there was access fabric from the side panels of the purse. 

Then it flipped it inside out and pinned it like crazy to join these two piece together. 

I sewed a straight line then "surged" it. Nothing fancy; mostly since I don't know how.  

Next add that wonderful zipper. 

I decided to keep the original mesh lining. This way to keep my things nice and to protect the outer lining. But I wanted to reenforce the bottom of the clutch since 99% of the times my keys will rip a hole in my purse linings. This leading me to go fishing for my keys, coins, phone, or whatever  in between my inner and outer lining. So to avoid this event all together I added a piece of denim fabric that were in my straps to the bottom of the mesh liner. So whatever I might throw inside will have a thick layer of fabric to rest on.

After everything is sewed, which is easy to do since there are only straight lines being done, I was finished with my new denim Neiman Marcus knock-off clutch. I just love this clutch! 

I added a little tab to one side to my clumsy fingers will find the zipper tab easier (plus it hides where I gathers the zipper and forgot to sew it to have an invisible look) But I like it. It adds a certain charm to my new clutch. Now to go out on a date with my husband so I can use my new clutch.

So here's to my $2 purse to clutch refashion. :)

Skip The Fast Food

When I have to run errands I try to plan it between it meals. Like right after breakfast so my kids will be full. This in theory should give me about 4-5 hours until they start wanting lunch. However this rarely works. After 1 stop at a certain store my kids will tell me how they're starving. And their nagging just increases after each fast food place we drive past. So to help me skip these "battle of the belly" grumbles I stock my SUV up with snacks.

(Excuse my not so vacuumed floor)

While getting groceries there's always some sort of deal on snacks. A few weeks ago Smith's Food and Drug had Capri Sun's on close out. So I got 3 packs of Capri Suns for $2! And the almonds I got at Target with a coupon, cartwheel, and an Ibotta rebate. So the cost was like 50 cents! So these 2 items stay in my car so when my little ones say they are starving they can grab something from the backseat pockets. 

This has saved my family tons of money. Sure we'll eat at fast food places sometimes. But that's when I'm planning for it. But when I'm just driving to the post office and to pick up my husband from the train stop these snacks are a lifesaver. 

Facebook Yard Sales

I have a tendency to overbuy.

During the Christmas season I purchased so many items that I was sure I would be giving away to friends, family, neighbors, etc. But after all the gifts were given I found myself with extras. But now I have several items in my gift closet I  need to get rid of.

(Side note: some items I do keep like toys, books, jewelry... things that I can use for upcoming birthday or holidays. But some items like lotions, perfumes, art supplies.... things that are better to use immediate so things don't break, crumble, or fade in scent... these are the things I get rid of)

So here's an art set I no longer need. It's a Kid Made Modern Chalk Party Outdoor Art Set.
And I'll be honest I'm not sure where I got it. Between all my orders to Target, Amazon, Ebay, etc I'm not sure what I paid for it. This means I need to do a little research. I will look up this item on Google and see what pops up. 9 out of 10 times Amazon will be my first spot to look up an item but in this case this particular item is not on Amazon. So when I looked this chalk kit on Google I seen it on a few sites. Prices ranging from $17-$20.

I take a few photos of the item. I try to find good lightening with a neutral background so my item will be the focal point and not my messy house in the background.

Then I get read to post my item on yard sale sites.

 There are so many sites I can chose from. There's craiglist, ksl, thred up, and ebay. Or I can use apps like poshmark, etc. But I have the most success with my local yard sale sites that are on facebook.

To find your local yard sale sites type in the search bar above your county or city with the words "yard sale", Since I live in Davis County, Utah I types in "Davis County Yard Sales" and about 10 different groups popped up. I could chose one or two groups but I know the more people who see my ad the faster it will sell. So I joined all 10 groups PLUS  a few groups of surrounding cities since we drive a lot I can meet people.

In picking a price for my item  I use this rule:

50% off retail price if it's New and in perfect condition.

75% off if it's Like New. Like a new shirt but my kids torn the tag off. So I'm a manic when my kids try on clothes to make sure they don't take the tag off until I'm sure it fits them.

80-90% off if it's used. I really dislike it when people post an outfit that has been worn, washed and dried for a few dollars than they paid for it. Sorry I'm not going to pay you that much for something that's been on your body. So when I sell my families used clothes I price them between $1-$5 (the higher price is it's a dress or dress clothes)

Free if the items is really used but still has some life in it. Like when my kids outgrow their shoes and they clearly show the wear and tear but they are still good with no holes. I'll post them for free. I love doing this since karma comes around and I will find things for free too that help my family.

Anyways back to the point....

So now to describe how to post an item- I will usually upload 2-3 different photos to show the condition of the item on all sides. This is important especially since I wrote on my post that this item is new. Some people are interested in buying new items to pass along as gifts and there's nothing worse than buying a gift that's suppose to be NEW and really has some damage on it.

I chose the price of $10 since it's 50% the retail price I found during my research.

I  only write a small short sentence about my item. Condition. Where I'm located. If this item is posted on other sites. (oos means on other sites), and price.  Since most people will look at these sites on their cellphones if I write anymore then they might not see everything and will cause them to scroll past my item. Short and simple brings the best results!

And like I said I joined several yard sale sites so I repost this ad on each one.

Then I sit and wait.

Most of the time my item will sell within 24 hours. So with all my unwanted items this is a great way to bring in some extra cash. And if an item doesn't sell within a week I will take down the item and just donate it to my local thrift shop. So look around your house and turn that junk into some extra cash.

Ogden Dinosaur Park

Mr. L and I love going on dates with our kids. That special one-on-one time is precious and priceless. So to keep the cost on the low we've mastered the under $10 dates!
Last week Mr. L went on a date with our 7 year old daughter to the Ogden Dinosaur Park.

This place is so amazing and fun that most kids never know its educational.
Normal price for admission for them both would have been $12. Sure it's only $2 more than our date caps but we're money saving enthusiast. This wouldn't cut it.

(photo source)

But thankfully KSL Deals was having a deal on tickets. They had a sale for $3.50 per ticket.

 So buying 2 tickets only cost $7! That's great since just Mr. L. would have cost this. BUT I'm always finding ways to try to save more money. See that yellow arrow on the left side. If you click on it, you'll be asked to share this deal either email or on fb. Once you do you do this a 5% promo code will pop up. (SAVE5) So this brought my total down to $6.64! Sure it's a few cents but every penny counts :)

So the upcoming weekend was warm with clear air, a good change from Utah's yucky inversion. And to make it better my husband picked up a pizza to make his daddy date more into a picnic. 

Have you heard of Ibotta? If not head here. 

Sign up using my link to join my team. It's an app that gives you money back for certain purchases. So the night before I checked to see what new rebates were available since new ones are always popping up and seen that 7-11 had a pizza deal. 

Since I live in Utah the beer purchase is not required. So please read fine print on deals like this. But for me the deal is buy any large pizza and I'll get back $5.05. 7-11 sells their pizzas for $5.50!

So Mr. L. picked up the pizza, saved the receipt so I upload it to Ibotta when he got back home and I got my money back. So it's like paying 45 cents for a large pizza! 45 cents!! 

So total date would have cost $17.50! But with coupons and rebates it cost $7.10! Well under our $10 limit. And our daughter had so much fun with her daddy learning about dinosaurs. 

Cedar of Lebanon Restaurant

For our pre-anniversary my huband, Mr. L, and I went out on a magical date. First we met some friends and attend the Salt Lake City Temple.

Afterwards Mr. L and I parted ways from our friends and went out to dinner at Cedar of Lebanon.

(photo source)

I have never heard of this place. It's a small restaurant in downtown Salt Lake. But thanks to Groupons there was an amazing deal for this place.

(photo source)

The deal was $15 for a $30 gift card to this restarant. Although this is a great deal since it's 50% already I never shop Groupon unless there's an additional sale. So this time there was an extra 20% off promo code to any purchase. So I paid $12 for this $30 gift card! Great deal!

Groupons will run promotions every couple of weeks where they will give an additional savings on top of their already low prices. They will let you use the promo code up to 3 times per account. So this is when I stock up on deals. And this restaurant was one of those deals. :)

So for our anniversary we paid $12 for gift card, $1.50 for parking meter, $7 for tip (we tip pre-coupon amount). So great price for us!

Begining of Thankful Savings

Hi!
Last night my husband and I went out to dinner and while we were there I was thinking of how amazing it was that here we are; dining out while we're living on 1 income right now. ( I broke my back on Christmas Eve) I was thinking about how much we've saved over the years that even though we are technically living below the poverty line there's no way anyone would ever know. There's no way we'd ever know.

So I wanted to share with the world how living on a tight budget, caring for a family of 6, shouldn't stop anyone from living a full and amazing life. There's ways to cut and trim expenses to that those funds could be used elsewhere. So this is why I wanted to start this blog. To share our families tricks and tips. To share how we get MORE on LESS!

I hope this page finds you and helps you live a fuller and cheaper life. :)