The Bay Area has a lot of great resources available to it's residents. Once you have an idea of where to look you will realize that you have a lot of options!
One of the best resources that we have available to us is Catholic Charities. They have so many programs available, from employment seeking to housing programs.
Once a few years ago when I was looking for work Catholic Charities made me an appointment to visit their "Career Closet" where you go through this huge assortment of business attire to pick out some clothes that would be suitable for interviews. They are awesome!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
PG&E Offers Programs for Low Income Households
If your home uses gas or electricity, you are probably familiar with PG&E.
If you use PG&E, I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of the numerous programs that they have to assist low income households with their utility bills. They have programs that lower your bill by a certain percentage each month as well as programs that can do a one time credit on your bill if there ever comes a time that you encounter financial hardship and can't pay your bill that month.
If you struggle to keep your power on, or are just interested in learning more about the types of programs that are available, you should check out the PG&E Website!
Comcast Internet for just $10!
If your child receives free school lunches you might qualify for Comcast's new "Internet Essentials" program. The program assists low income households with fast internet service for just $9.95, with no price increases, installation, or equipment rental fees!
If you want some more information on this awesome program you can visit Internet Essentials or if you just want to call them and get signed up you can call 1 (855) 846-8376 to request an application!
Wow! Check out Target's printable coupons!
If you are looking to save some money at Target I suggest making your way over to their website ASAP and printing off any of their coupons that might appeal to you.
They even have one for 10% off of an Ipod! I don't believe I've ever seen a coupon for an Ipod!
And do you know what one of the best things about Target coupons are? You can stack them! If you aren't familiar with the lingo, let me translate:
Say there is a Target coupon that you print for $1 off a particular brand of toilet paper (you can tell the difference between Target coupons and manufacturer coupons because it will say "Target Coupon" on the top when you print it), if you find a manufacturer coupon, either a printable one from the area down below or in the sunday paper, for the same item for $2 off, then you could use both coupons together for a total of $3 off the item. Yay!
In the near future I will be posting the weekly deals for stores in our area, and Target will more than likely be included in the list, so you should familiarize yourself with it now.
Today's Revelation
Last night my boys managed to get ahold of my spare change jar that I keep in the kitchen, and next thing I knew my younger one had thrown it around the living room like confetti. Sometimes if I have one dollar bills in my pockets at the end of the day I will toss them in the change jar as well, and so among the change that littered my carpet there were also two or three crumpled dollar bills.
I only caught the tail end of this activity, but rather than flipping my lid about the mess like I usually do I actually took a step back and learned a very important lesson from what was going on at that moment in my living room.
As adults (specifically adults who carry the weight of supporting a family on their shoulders alone), it is easy to become obsessed with money. Not in a greedy Scroogey way, but just because we almost have to in order to get all of the bills paid, keep food on the table, and keep a roof over our heads. Single parents learn to become independent fairly early on and so often that independence turns into complete self reliance. I think we all have varying degrees of the "I'm the only one who won't let myself down" mentality.
The only problem with this outlook though is that this self reliance can get us so wrapped up in looking out for ourselves that we don't have room for God in our lives.
Watching my son throw loose change and dollar bills around as if they were legos made me realize that he places absolutely no value on money, whatsoever. It means nothing to him. If I offered him a $5 bill or a brightly colored sock he would probably go for the sock because the money means nothing to a child. Children have no need to worry about money, because they come into this world believing that they will be taken care of and provided for no matter what. It is hardwired into them, and they don't even question it.
It made me wonder how different all of our lives would be if we placed that kind of expectation on our Father. If we never worried or even thought twice about if we would be okay, because we just knew that God would provide for all of us the same way that our children just know that we are always going to provide for them.
Being independent is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but just don't be too independent to turn to God. He will jump at the opportunity to help you out! He knows what each of us needs and is just waiting for us to ask...
I only caught the tail end of this activity, but rather than flipping my lid about the mess like I usually do I actually took a step back and learned a very important lesson from what was going on at that moment in my living room.
As adults (specifically adults who carry the weight of supporting a family on their shoulders alone), it is easy to become obsessed with money. Not in a greedy Scroogey way, but just because we almost have to in order to get all of the bills paid, keep food on the table, and keep a roof over our heads. Single parents learn to become independent fairly early on and so often that independence turns into complete self reliance. I think we all have varying degrees of the "I'm the only one who won't let myself down" mentality.
The only problem with this outlook though is that this self reliance can get us so wrapped up in looking out for ourselves that we don't have room for God in our lives.
Watching my son throw loose change and dollar bills around as if they were legos made me realize that he places absolutely no value on money, whatsoever. It means nothing to him. If I offered him a $5 bill or a brightly colored sock he would probably go for the sock because the money means nothing to a child. Children have no need to worry about money, because they come into this world believing that they will be taken care of and provided for no matter what. It is hardwired into them, and they don't even question it.
It made me wonder how different all of our lives would be if we placed that kind of expectation on our Father. If we never worried or even thought twice about if we would be okay, because we just knew that God would provide for all of us the same way that our children just know that we are always going to provide for them.
Being independent is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but just don't be too independent to turn to God. He will jump at the opportunity to help you out! He knows what each of us needs and is just waiting for us to ask...
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
You Might Have Unclaimed Money!
Did you know that the state of California is currently sitting on over $6,000,000,000 (yes, billion!) worth of unclaimed property? The money usually derives from things like old bank deposits, uncashed checks, all kinds of random things.
There is actually a website where you enter your name and they tell you right away if they're holding on to something that's yours, and if so there is a claim form you print off the website and send to them. I have personally spent hours on this site, looking up just about every single person I had ever met in my life to see if they had any unclaimed property. I kid you not, at one point I entered the name of one of my elementary school friend's parents and found out that the state of California owed her dad $37,000!
So yeah, if you have some time on your hands you may want to try your luck on the California Unclaimed Property site! Let me know if you find out they owe you anything!
There is actually a website where you enter your name and they tell you right away if they're holding on to something that's yours, and if so there is a claim form you print off the website and send to them. I have personally spent hours on this site, looking up just about every single person I had ever met in my life to see if they had any unclaimed property. I kid you not, at one point I entered the name of one of my elementary school friend's parents and found out that the state of California owed her dad $37,000!
So yeah, if you have some time on your hands you may want to try your luck on the California Unclaimed Property site! Let me know if you find out they owe you anything!
Arm Yourself With Coupons!
At the bottom of this blog there's an area where you can choose coupons and print them. The first time you try to print them you will need to download the printing software, it downloads super fast and it's totally worthwhile.
I'm going to be posting weekly deals for stores in our area that will help you get the most bang for your buck, and a lot of times these deals will involve coupons that are found in the area below. A lot of printable coupons have a set number that are available, so if you see one that you think you might need you may want to snatch it as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Other great places for getting coupons that will assist you in getting the great deals that will be featured are:
San Jose Mercury News Sunday Paper
All You Magazine (only sold at Walmart, but an EXCELLENT coupon resource)
RedPlum
SmartSource
If I ever catch wind of any deals that involve a coupon located somewhere other than the places mentioned above, I will be sure to point you in the right direction!
I'm going to be posting weekly deals for stores in our area that will help you get the most bang for your buck, and a lot of times these deals will involve coupons that are found in the area below. A lot of printable coupons have a set number that are available, so if you see one that you think you might need you may want to snatch it as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Other great places for getting coupons that will assist you in getting the great deals that will be featured are:
San Jose Mercury News Sunday Paper
All You Magazine (only sold at Walmart, but an EXCELLENT coupon resource)
RedPlum
SmartSource
If I ever catch wind of any deals that involve a coupon located somewhere other than the places mentioned above, I will be sure to point you in the right direction!
Monday, November 28, 2011
You're Invited... To My Church!
Since the day I got baptized (March 13, 2011) I have seen a lot of miracles happen in my life.
When I stumbled into the church I currently call my home church, I wasn't even sure what I was doing there. I had come in on a whim (it was actually more of a divine intervention than anything else), and I had come in broken.
I was unemployed, I was recovering from a number of addictions, I was about to be evicted, I had no money and I was feeling more hopeless than I had ever felt. I think if I hadn't been as bad off as I had been that day I might not have realized my need for God in my life. Isn't it strange to actually be thankful to God for letting you ruin your life on your own?
If you are feeling hopeless, or are wanting to build a relationship with Jesus Christ and don't know where to start, you should check out South Bay Church. They are the most friendly God loving people that you will ever meet. When I walked in that Sunday so long ago I was so afraid that the people inside would judge me but no one did. I walked through the door and was greeted by smiles and open arms. I love my church and the relationship that they have inspired me to seek out with God, I invite you to stop by and see what they're all about!
When I stumbled into the church I currently call my home church, I wasn't even sure what I was doing there. I had come in on a whim (it was actually more of a divine intervention than anything else), and I had come in broken.
I was unemployed, I was recovering from a number of addictions, I was about to be evicted, I had no money and I was feeling more hopeless than I had ever felt. I think if I hadn't been as bad off as I had been that day I might not have realized my need for God in my life. Isn't it strange to actually be thankful to God for letting you ruin your life on your own?
If you are feeling hopeless, or are wanting to build a relationship with Jesus Christ and don't know where to start, you should check out South Bay Church. They are the most friendly God loving people that you will ever meet. When I walked in that Sunday so long ago I was so afraid that the people inside would judge me but no one did. I walked through the door and was greeted by smiles and open arms. I love my church and the relationship that they have inspired me to seek out with God, I invite you to stop by and see what they're all about!
Ebates
Are you familiar with Ebates? Basically what it is is a website the gives you a percentage of your purchase price back any time you go through their site to shop on another site like Target, Victoria's Secret, pretty much any store you might want to shop at online.
If you ever buy the Entertainment books for your area, those coupon books with all kinds of Buy One Get One Free coupons and discounts to different entertainment venues in the area, you could go through Ebates right now and get one for $25 with free shipping, and then Ebates will refund you 40% of your $25! That's $10 back, so essentially you're getting the 2012 Entertainment book for $15, I think it will save you more than $15 by the time you've used two of the coupons!
If you do any online shopping and haven't signed up with them you might want to, I mean if you're spending the money anyway you might as well get something back for it, right?
Save Money Shopping Online...
If you ever even think about shopping online, I suggest signing up for nomorerack, even if it's just to look around at some of their crazy deals. On a normal day they have nine sales going on that last for 24 hours, things like designer clothes, make-up, toys, tools... Basically things you need. Their prices are just crazy! Most things that they feature are at least 70% off, and a lot of things are as much as 90% off!
Did I mention that one out of the nine deals every day is FREE though? I've actually see them give away quite a few really cool free things, I'm not going to lie, there are times when the free item kind of makes you go, "Huh?", but for the most part they are pretty generous with their freebies. At the moment I am kicking myself because I waited until 4:00 in the afternoon to check out today's deals and apparently they were selling an XBox 360 bundle for $100 (75% off!), but it had obviously sold out by the time I got around to checking them out.
The other cool thing about the site is if you sign up for their referral program and get any of your friends to just sign up (as in they don't have to actually make a purchase) you can start earning some really REALLY cool things. So if you know a lot of people, I suggest signing up and asking everybody you know to do the same!
Did I mention that one out of the nine deals every day is FREE though? I've actually see them give away quite a few really cool free things, I'm not going to lie, there are times when the free item kind of makes you go, "Huh?", but for the most part they are pretty generous with their freebies. At the moment I am kicking myself because I waited until 4:00 in the afternoon to check out today's deals and apparently they were selling an XBox 360 bundle for $100 (75% off!), but it had obviously sold out by the time I got around to checking them out.
The other cool thing about the site is if you sign up for their referral program and get any of your friends to just sign up (as in they don't have to actually make a purchase) you can start earning some really REALLY cool things. So if you know a lot of people, I suggest signing up and asking everybody you know to do the same!
The Dreaded "B" Word... Budget!
One issue that a lot of people have is momey management. I personally have dealt with the issue of compulsive shopping, or "Retail Therapy" if you will...
As I mentioned before, I am in Chexsystems, which means that no bank wants anything to do with me. Because of this, I was forced to figure out a less traditional means of managing my money and making sure that when the time came to pay rent I had it.
If you have tried budgeting in the past and have failed (don't feel bad, I've been there!), don't give up, just try this method out and I am confident that you will succeed this time around.
First off, start by writing down all of your monthly expenses. This is my list to give you an idea:
Church Offering
Rent
Loan from Mom
Gas
Cell Phone
Car Insurance
You get the picture... Once you have your list, write down the amounts due each month next to each expense. Depending on how often you're paid (daily, weekly, semi monthly, etc) divide each expense by that amount.
So, for instance, when I was working through a temp agency I was getting paid Thursday of every week, so I went down the list and divided each one by four (just for the sake of math I always estimate that there are four weeks in a month). Now that I am permanent I get paid on the 15th and the last day of each month, so I would divide each expense by two.
Some of you reading this might be working in a job where you get tips, like as a waitress for example. If you work five days a week, for four weeks a month, you would divide each expense by 20 because that is how many times a month you receive money.
Depending on what you prefer, either take several envelopes (one for each expense), or a little coupon organizer with tabs (they have them at Dollar Tree, and sometimes in the "Dollar Spot" section at Target). Write each expense name either on the designated envelope or tab.
Whenever you get paid take the cash and separate the amounts into the designated envelope/tab. Use the amounts that you got when you divided each expense by number of pay periods. Once you have "deposited" the money into each expense's "account", put your bank away where you won't be tempted to touch it until you either have more money to add to it or until it's time to pay the bill itself.
Any money that you have left outside of what you put into your mini accounts is yours to either spend, save, or anything else, but at least you can feel confident in knowing that your bills will be paid when the time comes, without worrying about the possibility of overspending and accidentally dipping into money that needed to go to next month's rent.
As I mentioned before, I am in Chexsystems, which means that no bank wants anything to do with me. Because of this, I was forced to figure out a less traditional means of managing my money and making sure that when the time came to pay rent I had it.
If you have tried budgeting in the past and have failed (don't feel bad, I've been there!), don't give up, just try this method out and I am confident that you will succeed this time around.
First off, start by writing down all of your monthly expenses. This is my list to give you an idea:
Church Offering
Rent
Loan from Mom
Gas
Cell Phone
Car Insurance
You get the picture... Once you have your list, write down the amounts due each month next to each expense. Depending on how often you're paid (daily, weekly, semi monthly, etc) divide each expense by that amount.
So, for instance, when I was working through a temp agency I was getting paid Thursday of every week, so I went down the list and divided each one by four (just for the sake of math I always estimate that there are four weeks in a month). Now that I am permanent I get paid on the 15th and the last day of each month, so I would divide each expense by two.
Some of you reading this might be working in a job where you get tips, like as a waitress for example. If you work five days a week, for four weeks a month, you would divide each expense by 20 because that is how many times a month you receive money.
Depending on what you prefer, either take several envelopes (one for each expense), or a little coupon organizer with tabs (they have them at Dollar Tree, and sometimes in the "Dollar Spot" section at Target). Write each expense name either on the designated envelope or tab.
Whenever you get paid take the cash and separate the amounts into the designated envelope/tab. Use the amounts that you got when you divided each expense by number of pay periods. Once you have "deposited" the money into each expense's "account", put your bank away where you won't be tempted to touch it until you either have more money to add to it or until it's time to pay the bill itself.
Any money that you have left outside of what you put into your mini accounts is yours to either spend, save, or anything else, but at least you can feel confident in knowing that your bills will be paid when the time comes, without worrying about the possibility of overspending and accidentally dipping into money that needed to go to next month's rent.
Kidspark - A Single Mom's Best Friend!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Have You Considered Applying for Assistance?
Throughout the years I have had my ups and downs. During the low points I really felt like I had no other option other than going on Welfare in order to be able to feed my family and keep a roof over our heads.
With the economy the way that it is even those of us who are employed are often underemployed. I think a lot of people are under the false impression that if you work at all you aren't eligible to receive any kind of assistance, but that actually isn't the case.
Aid generally falls into four categories: Cash, food, Medi-Cal, and child care. Each one has it's own income limits but if you are struggling financially you may want to at least look into it and see if you are eligible for any programs. If you have children and have no medical coverage available to you you should definitely look into Medi-Cal for them and yourself. There are even child dentists that accept it, so really think about getting it for your family.
If you visit this website you can go through this short questionnaire to get an estimate of what programs you might be eligible for, and it's all anonymous: CalWIN Site
Another great thing about aid is the child care aspect. I don't know about you, but if I wasn't receiving subsidized child care it wouldn't even really be worth it to work, because the amount I would be paying out for care would be about the same as what I was making. If you are receiving, or within the last two years have ever received, cash aid then you are eligible for 4C's. It is an excellent program that assists with paying for child care. You can visit their site here: 4C's Santa Clara County
Even if you are not eligible for cash aid, or have never received it, you should at least go on the 4C's site and get your name on the Centralized Eligibility List. If you contact the numbers on the site they will walk you through it. It is a waiting list for parents who aren't eligible by the cash aid standard, but who are still considered low income. When there are funds available they will start enrolling people from the list and assisting them with child care costs.
I know that being on Welfare has a lot of negative connotations. There are people who assume it's for people who are too lazy to go out and get a job, or are too busy sitting around having kids to go out and support themselves. It's just not true! The bottom line is this, if you are struggling to support yourself right now you need to do what you need to do. That's it. If government assistance is the route you need to take, then take it, and don't feel ashamed!
Your #1 priority is keeping your kids happy and healthy, and if getting help makes it easier for you to do it, then there is no shame in that.
Know Why I Smile? Cause It's Worth It...
Finding Affordable Housing in the Bay Area
As I'm sure you are well aware, the housing costs in the Bay Area are out of control. There is affordable housing available, you just need to know where to look and also have some patience.
The first thing you need to know is that most apartment complexes don't advertise the fact that they have BMR (Below Market Rate) units available. If you want to find one, you need to be prepared to do your research. Often times you will call and find out that the complex offers BMRs, but that they have a waiting list to get into one. If you get nothing else from this blog, please at least listen to this: Regardless of the length of the waiting list (a lot of times they will tell you two to three years), GET ON IT!
When a unit becomes available, they will start going down the waiting list. Even if you are #100 on the list, by the time they have eliminated people ahead of you either because they can't get a hold of them on the phone number they have on file, their situations have changed and they are no longer eligible, they have since found a living arrangement that they are satisfied with... Whatever the reason, you could be a lot closer to the top of the list a lot sooner than you think.
The other reason you should always get on the waiting list regardless of the length is because even if you aren't bumped to the top of the list, and you do end up waiting two years to be called about a vacancy, the chances that your situation might be similar to what it is now is kind of likely. Think about it, unless you have a Master Degree right around the corner that is going to start earning you a six figure salary, or you are positive that you have a large inheritance coming your way, the likelihood that you will still be in the market for affordable housing two years from now is pretty high... Just keepin' it real.
When I was six weeks pregnant with my younger son I started getting my name on BMR waiting lists anywhere where they would let me. All of them had about a two year wait list estimation. I received probably about five calls from different complexes over the next two and a half years, and a couple came within two or three months of getting on the waiting list.
On the other hand, one call from a complex came right at about the two year mark, and at that point my situation was much worse than when I had initially placed our names on the waiting list. A little patience scored me a 1200 square foot 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in one of Santa Clara's nicest communities for $1210 a month. The regular rent on the same size units was $2895. So all I'm saying is have a little patience.
If you are looking for a place now, below are a few of the resources that I use when I am in the market for a new living space:
San Jose Affordable Housing
San Jose (Cont'd)
Sunnyvale Affordable Housing
Mountain View Affordable Housing
Santa Clara Affordable Housing
Santa Clara (Cont'd)
Morgan Hill Affordable Housing
Palo Alto Affordable Housing
Santa Clara County Housing Search
Santa Clara County Housing Search (Cont'd)
Another suggestion you might want to try which sometimes results in finding hidden gems, is to flip through an Apartment Guide (free in Safeway, 7-11, etc.), find an apartment complex that you really like and just call and ask if they offer any BMR units... You never know, and since they don't advertise the units you might be looking at a much shorter waiting list.
Let me know how your search goes and good luck to all of you!
The first thing you need to know is that most apartment complexes don't advertise the fact that they have BMR (Below Market Rate) units available. If you want to find one, you need to be prepared to do your research. Often times you will call and find out that the complex offers BMRs, but that they have a waiting list to get into one. If you get nothing else from this blog, please at least listen to this: Regardless of the length of the waiting list (a lot of times they will tell you two to three years), GET ON IT!
When a unit becomes available, they will start going down the waiting list. Even if you are #100 on the list, by the time they have eliminated people ahead of you either because they can't get a hold of them on the phone number they have on file, their situations have changed and they are no longer eligible, they have since found a living arrangement that they are satisfied with... Whatever the reason, you could be a lot closer to the top of the list a lot sooner than you think.
The other reason you should always get on the waiting list regardless of the length is because even if you aren't bumped to the top of the list, and you do end up waiting two years to be called about a vacancy, the chances that your situation might be similar to what it is now is kind of likely. Think about it, unless you have a Master Degree right around the corner that is going to start earning you a six figure salary, or you are positive that you have a large inheritance coming your way, the likelihood that you will still be in the market for affordable housing two years from now is pretty high... Just keepin' it real.
When I was six weeks pregnant with my younger son I started getting my name on BMR waiting lists anywhere where they would let me. All of them had about a two year wait list estimation. I received probably about five calls from different complexes over the next two and a half years, and a couple came within two or three months of getting on the waiting list.
On the other hand, one call from a complex came right at about the two year mark, and at that point my situation was much worse than when I had initially placed our names on the waiting list. A little patience scored me a 1200 square foot 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in one of Santa Clara's nicest communities for $1210 a month. The regular rent on the same size units was $2895. So all I'm saying is have a little patience.
If you are looking for a place now, below are a few of the resources that I use when I am in the market for a new living space:
San Jose Affordable Housing
San Jose (Cont'd)
Sunnyvale Affordable Housing
Mountain View Affordable Housing
Santa Clara Affordable Housing
Santa Clara (Cont'd)
Morgan Hill Affordable Housing
Palo Alto Affordable Housing
Santa Clara County Housing Search
Santa Clara County Housing Search (Cont'd)
Another suggestion you might want to try which sometimes results in finding hidden gems, is to flip through an Apartment Guide (free in Safeway, 7-11, etc.), find an apartment complex that you really like and just call and ask if they offer any BMR units... You never know, and since they don't advertise the units you might be looking at a much shorter waiting list.
Let me know how your search goes and good luck to all of you!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Mail - The Highlight of My Life
Mail is one of my favorite things in life. As the Corporate Receptionist at a decent sized company here in the Silicon Valley, I get to deal with mail in large volumes on a regular basis. The downside to that is that the majority of it isn't for me, but I still get a thrill as I'm going through all of the piles, just from knowing that something might be for me.
Four days out of my work week I would say I walk away from the mail delivery empty handed, however there are those days every once in a while that I come across something and realize that it is in fact addressed to me. Those are my best days... Today was one of those days!
As my pal, the mailman, set down the USPS crate I noticed the box on top of the pile immediately. There, on the very top of the enormous mail delivery sat a little box, and along the edge of the box I could read the words I had been longing to see on a box for the last six days: "Vitacost".
Six days ago I stumbled on a little website called Vitacost. This website is now an obsession of mine. If you are going to check it out you should check it out here: Vitacost Website because when you register through this link we both get $10 to use on the site, awesome, right??
Now, I don't really do a lot of online shopping, mainly because most of the things that I purchase outside of the categories of food and diapers are all impulse buys that I am convinced I need to have in my life at that second, so I buy them at the store. The reason I am so obsessed with this website is because not only do they have a TON of things that you would never even really expect to see on a health product website, but their prices are amazing. When I got my $10 credit I was able to get two full size Atkins products for FREE, all I paid was $4.99 shipping.
Atkins is the diet apple of my eye right now. I have lost 20 lbs in about 6 weeks and that's the longest I've ever stuck with a diet plan. The only downside is the fact that the Atkins products themselves are like $9 a box at the store, and their stock is usually really limited. Vitacost to the rescue! I could not believe how many things they had from Atkins, and at about half of what the stores charge. Christmas just came early for me!
If you decide to check it out, be sure to leave a comment and let the rest of us know what goodies you scored on the site!
Four days out of my work week I would say I walk away from the mail delivery empty handed, however there are those days every once in a while that I come across something and realize that it is in fact addressed to me. Those are my best days... Today was one of those days!
As my pal, the mailman, set down the USPS crate I noticed the box on top of the pile immediately. There, on the very top of the enormous mail delivery sat a little box, and along the edge of the box I could read the words I had been longing to see on a box for the last six days: "Vitacost".
Six days ago I stumbled on a little website called Vitacost. This website is now an obsession of mine. If you are going to check it out you should check it out here: Vitacost Website because when you register through this link we both get $10 to use on the site, awesome, right??
Now, I don't really do a lot of online shopping, mainly because most of the things that I purchase outside of the categories of food and diapers are all impulse buys that I am convinced I need to have in my life at that second, so I buy them at the store. The reason I am so obsessed with this website is because not only do they have a TON of things that you would never even really expect to see on a health product website, but their prices are amazing. When I got my $10 credit I was able to get two full size Atkins products for FREE, all I paid was $4.99 shipping.
Atkins is the diet apple of my eye right now. I have lost 20 lbs in about 6 weeks and that's the longest I've ever stuck with a diet plan. The only downside is the fact that the Atkins products themselves are like $9 a box at the store, and their stock is usually really limited. Vitacost to the rescue! I could not believe how many things they had from Atkins, and at about half of what the stores charge. Christmas just came early for me!
If you decide to check it out, be sure to leave a comment and let the rest of us know what goodies you scored on the site!
Saving Money on Groceries
As I have mentioned before, I love saving money with coupons. Since none of the stores in our area seem to double coupons we are at a bit of a disadvantage, but I have discovered a little trick that has actually saved me way more in the long run than doubling coupons ever could.
I only shop at Safeway. I realize that their prices can be a little bit higher than some of the other stores in our area, but you can solve that problem by following these simple steps:
1) Go to Safeway and ask to sign up for a Safeway card
2) Sign up there, and they should give you your card at that point
3) Go online and sign up for "Just For U"
4) Once successfully signed up you will be able to load e-Coupons onto your card, there are lots, and I load them all, even if I don't think I need them just because you never knowNOW, all of that seems pretty self explanitory, in fact there are probably lots of you reading this who have already done steps 1-4 and are currently using e-Coupons, but did you know that 99% of the coupons offered as loadable coupons on the Safeway website are available as printable coupons on coupons.com?
What does this mean for us? Well I will share one of the recent deals I got using this method just to show you an example:
eCoupon on Safeway.com : $3 off 1 Hormel Party Tray
Printable coupon on coupons.com : $3 off 1 Hormel Party Tray
Purchased Hormel Party Tray @ $8.99
eCoupon automatic deduction - $3.00
Paper Coupon deduction - $3.00
Total Amount Paid: $2.99! Pretty cool, right? Try it out... I dare you! And let me know about your little come ups using this method...
Another little tidbit of information: On the coupons.com website there is a tab in the left column that says "Savings Card", this one is a little more hit or miss, but I have had times when I have had a loadable coupon for coupons.com, a loadable coupon from Safeway.com, and a paper coupon all go through for the same product, which is pretty awesome when it happens! Try it out, I want to hear all about your shopping adventures...
143 To Do List!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Can't Get a Bank Account?
Daily Adventures
Saving Money
There are tons of ways to keep extra money in your pocket, one of my favorite ways is by using coupons.
Don't get me wrong, if you don't know what you're doing using coupons can end up costing you more, but armed with a little coupon knowledge you too can benefit from this valuable resource.
Unlike just about every other place in the country, no stores in the Bay Area double coupons (at least none that I am aware of!) But if you'll let me teach you a couple of the work arounds that I have been forced to develop, you will see that we can all still benefit!
Don't get me wrong, if you don't know what you're doing using coupons can end up costing you more, but armed with a little coupon knowledge you too can benefit from this valuable resource.
Unlike just about every other place in the country, no stores in the Bay Area double coupons (at least none that I am aware of!) But if you'll let me teach you a couple of the work arounds that I have been forced to develop, you will see that we can all still benefit!
Inspirations
I attribute all of my successes to my relationship with God and the impact that
my church has had on the lives of me and my children.
As single parents we all have our lows, and unfortunately these lows can seem to go on forever.
Developing a relationship with God, and getting involved in a church family, can
be life altering. All it takes is the tiniest amount of faith.
my church has had on the lives of me and my children.
As single parents we all have our lows, and unfortunately these lows can seem to go on forever.
Developing a relationship with God, and getting involved in a church family, can
be life altering. All it takes is the tiniest amount of faith.
Low Income Resources
Being a single parent is a lot of work, but luckily there are plenty of resources available, you just need to know where to look. Here I have compiled several of the programs that I have utilized to get me to where I am today.
If you have one to contribute, or if you are looking for something you don't see, please feel free to comment and I will do my best to gather the information you need!
If you have one to contribute, or if you are looking for something you don't see, please feel free to comment and I will do my best to gather the information you need!
Hi, My Name is Adria, and I'm a Single Parent...
I have been brainstorming all of the elements of this blog for about two years now. Of course when I first got the genius idea to create a blog, things were different... A LOT different.
I was first inspired to create a blog in 2009, while on maternity leave after the birth of my second son. Money was tight because I was only receiving state disability, and my husband was working in construction so his work wasn't exactly consistent.
I decided to look into couponing. I started doing a little research online and next thing I knew I was propelled into this seemingly underground world of couponing blogs. Everyone posted their little pictures of all of the things they had managed to get for free by pairing coupons with sales and shared all of their secret info on upcoming sales and when to buy what where... I was instantly hooked.
The thing that I started to notice though, was that most of these blogs were being written in places across the country that I have never even been to, let alone needed to shop in. I tried looking for money saving blogs that were geared towards the west coast, specifically the San Jose/Bay Area, but to my surprise I found nothing...
If no one else was going to keep all of us Bay Area residents up to date on deals in stores that we had actually heard of, then maybe I needed to step up to the plate. I had the desire, I knew there was a need for it within the community, but between work, being a wife, and being a mom I just didn't have the time.
So fast forward to 2011, I found myself single, unemployed, and completely responsible for my two little offspring. I guess you could say I found myself at one of the lowest points I had ever been in in my whole 28 years on this earth.
As I was laying in bed one day (at 4:30 in the afternoon BTW), feeling sorry for myself and wondering if there was any reason to even go on, it occured to me. I had two choices. I could keep hiding under the covers hoping my problems would just disappear, or I could get up, get it together, and do something about it...
I think it's obvious which one I chose. In just eight short months I turned everything around. I embraced being a single mom, I got on a little Girl Power kick, I got a job, I got a place to live, and I got (or at least realized that I HAD) the freedom to do whatever I want. So now I am doing what I have wanted to do for two years, I've started a blog geared towards all of us single parents here in Sunnyvale, San Jose, Santa Clara, the Bay Area as a whole.
Do I hope I become one of those blogs with like 500,000 followers? NO, I have ADHD and that would be waaaaay too much pressure to stay on track all of the time... Anything short of 500,000 would be fine though. I realize it doesn't have as much to do with popularity as it does with reaching a hand out to the people in my area who are struggling with their situation, and who just need someone to tell them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it... and probably better.
I was first inspired to create a blog in 2009, while on maternity leave after the birth of my second son. Money was tight because I was only receiving state disability, and my husband was working in construction so his work wasn't exactly consistent.
I decided to look into couponing. I started doing a little research online and next thing I knew I was propelled into this seemingly underground world of couponing blogs. Everyone posted their little pictures of all of the things they had managed to get for free by pairing coupons with sales and shared all of their secret info on upcoming sales and when to buy what where... I was instantly hooked.
The thing that I started to notice though, was that most of these blogs were being written in places across the country that I have never even been to, let alone needed to shop in. I tried looking for money saving blogs that were geared towards the west coast, specifically the San Jose/Bay Area, but to my surprise I found nothing...
If no one else was going to keep all of us Bay Area residents up to date on deals in stores that we had actually heard of, then maybe I needed to step up to the plate. I had the desire, I knew there was a need for it within the community, but between work, being a wife, and being a mom I just didn't have the time.
So fast forward to 2011, I found myself single, unemployed, and completely responsible for my two little offspring. I guess you could say I found myself at one of the lowest points I had ever been in in my whole 28 years on this earth.
As I was laying in bed one day (at 4:30 in the afternoon BTW), feeling sorry for myself and wondering if there was any reason to even go on, it occured to me. I had two choices. I could keep hiding under the covers hoping my problems would just disappear, or I could get up, get it together, and do something about it...
I think it's obvious which one I chose. In just eight short months I turned everything around. I embraced being a single mom, I got on a little Girl Power kick, I got a job, I got a place to live, and I got (or at least realized that I HAD) the freedom to do whatever I want. So now I am doing what I have wanted to do for two years, I've started a blog geared towards all of us single parents here in Sunnyvale, San Jose, Santa Clara, the Bay Area as a whole.
Do I hope I become one of those blogs with like 500,000 followers? NO, I have ADHD and that would be waaaaay too much pressure to stay on track all of the time... Anything short of 500,000 would be fine though. I realize it doesn't have as much to do with popularity as it does with reaching a hand out to the people in my area who are struggling with their situation, and who just need someone to tell them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it... and probably better.
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