Saving a few dollars just makes cents.

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of summer vacation and I'm not outside enjoying the air and sun and pollen. I'm at my computer. Why? Well, honestly I've had a little too much "outdoor time" lately if that's even possible. We went camping and then on a  two day zoo trip with my favorite family in the world.

We soaked up some vitamin E and man, it really wore me out. So now I'm here, trying to clip coupons, load my Target Cartwheel and Mperks up and prepare for the week when hubby goes back to work on Monday.

Looking back on the week, I am overwhelmed with the joy of knowing how my creative ways of saving money allowed us to take this vacation and not use any of our "house" money or credit cards. Not only have I been tucking away money from my Origami Owl and Thirty One parties to pay for this and my upcoming Thirty One conference in Columbus, but I've been pinching pennies here and there for the last year to ensure we can live comfortable on a single income.

Creative ways. That means more than clipping coupons. I started to do secret shops, most recently for my Credit Union that I use anyway. They pay $15 each shop that I complete. All I have to do is bank like normal, and fill out a survey about my trip. Easy. I just paid for Penny's zoo hat and the admission to the Sting Ray Bay.

Today I made the realization that razor blades and insanely overpriced. With both Nick and I using them (about 2-3 new blades a month) at a cost of $20-$25 a month, we spend over $300 shaving our unwanted body hair each year. Now, I could have just made the decision to never shave my legs or arm pits again, and really save some money, but I instead opted for this: The Dollar Shave Club. For $9 a month (shipping an tax included) I get 4 cartridges each with 6 blades. That's serious shaving right there. Nick and I can share them and each use 2 a month. That's only $108 a month. That means I've saved another $192 for the year. Boom. Hotel paid for!

It's easy to find ways to save money when you know where to look. These are just two things I did today. But honestly if you invest the time, you will be amazed to see how much money you can save. :)