Debi talks about her Albertsons grocery shopping trip where she used her Albertsons stamp book and got 2 Thomas Rosenthal Cookware pieces for 2 pennies!

Kevin Nealon gives Debi some Christmas shopping advice from the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. November 30th, 2010

Debi talks about her Albertsons grocery shopping trip where she saved $115! She uses coupons, re-usable bags and CASH to get the most out of her trip! She also explains Albertsons’ cookware stamp book and how to get quality pots or pans for just 1 penny!!

Learn more about Albertsons here: www.albertsons.com

On her way to a show in Thousand Oaks, Debi gives some encouraging words for friends and fans to support local businesses on “Small Business Saturday”. (November 27th, 2010)

Fiamme – www.fiammerestaurant.com
Fringe Salon Covina www.fringesaloncovina.com

Are you kidding me? This woman whose only claim to fame was a sex tape and whose entire family flaunts not only an immoral life style, but one that is, at times, violent and abusive is going to tell me how to raise a financially responsible adult by giving her a credit card? The only thing the Kardashian women can teach my daughter is how to be objectified, over exposed and abused. They teach disrespect for self and others. They teach that money should be obtained in ANY manner and used for greed. They teach that self gratification should come at all costs and they have learned that from their mother who has no problem instructing her daughters to use their bodies and even sexual acts to get a bigger check, contract or house!

The Kardashian women teach that putting up with verbal abuse and threats of physical violence is acceptable in a relationship. even if you are mother with a young child at stake. God forbid the cameras stop rolling and we lose any of the drama as daddy comes home drunk and breaks all the furniture as he chases his girlfriend and infant son from their high-end rented condo. Does this woman leave him? No! She gives him chance after chance and “Momager” even gives this man a surprise birthday party to kiss up to him so he doesn’t move her daughter and grandson away to New York. Every season this family stoops to new lows all for the sake of ratings and money.

Kim, keep your credit card. I have been teaching my daughter about responsibility and how to take the high road and by avoiding any exposure to you and your lifestyle. Unfortunately, their are girls and their mothers who will take advantage of your designer credit card and treat themselves to jewelry, clothing and accessories from your stores. They will buy into your philosophy that you should have EVERYTHING you want, regardless if you can pay for it or not. If you can’t pay your bill, who cares? The Karadshian women are showing us how easy it is to sell your soul to earn a buck.

Recently, I posed a question on Facebook and emailed it to my friends and asked, “How much do you spend on groceries a month?” The reason I asked is because I saw an “expert” from Consumer Magazine report that the average family of 4 spends $6,000 a year; claiming “this is way too much!” I was shocked! We’re a family of 3 and I’m a savvy shopper. I use coupons, serve leftovers and cook from scratch. We rarely eat a meal out, our morning coffee is always brewed at home and we carry refillable water bottles everywhere. I do all our laundry and clean my house myself. We have one pet – a small dog. And I spend approximately $675.00 per month. (That’s $8,100 per year)

I did the math from the “expert” and here is the breakdown: A family of four spends $500 a month in groceries which is $125 a week, which is $17.85 per day for a family of four, or FOUR dollars 50 cents per person per day! (That’s $1.50 per meal if you’re still counting) This guy thinks we can cut this down even further?  First of all, what is this guy’s dining-out budget? Are his work clothes dry cleaned? Does he have his house cleaned professionally? What does he spend on his morning coffee?

So I reached out to the real experts: my friends and fans. I polled them in person and on Facebook. These are the people who grocery shop, cook meals and care for their homes, clothes and pets. Most of them coupon shop, buy in bulk for products they actually use, and occasionally color their hair at home! I reminded everyone to work in their laundry needs, pet foods, cleaning supplies, and paper goods. The responses included the size of their family, including pets. The straw poll average was $7.65 per person per day. This comes out to around $918 per month. I think that is very reasonable when you include all the products your family requires that are non-grocery but are often bought during the grocery trip!

My gripe with this guy is that he didn’t qualify what is a grocery budget! Anyone who stopped to listen to the story was, of course, interested in curtailing their spending and the expert gave good advice. But, I feel the stat he gave at the beginning should have been explained. There are many families in this economy who are spending more at the grocery store because they are spending far less at restaurants, coffee shops and personal services like hair color and pedicures! I know several families who are planning on gifting home made baked goods, salsas and jams for the holidays.

What works for me is I put all my cash for grocery in one envelope marked “grocery” and I pay from that envelope where ever I buy groceries. Including my usual stops where I get groceries like Target, Walgreens and Big Lots. This way I can tell exactly how much I go through. Too many of us nickel and dime ourselves at those stores and don’t realize the money slipping through our hands!

Here is a simple solution to keep track of your grocery budget:

1. At the beginning of the month, write down all your needs. (Click here for a free PDF list from grocerylists.org)
2. Look at your month to see if you have any holiday or party foods and add that to your budget.
3. Include anything you want to have on hand to combat buying things on the run. For example; spending money on 2 nice coffee commuter cups and brewing from home and protein breakfast bars cut down on those Starbucks or McDonald breakfast visits!
4. Check all rooms of the house to stock up on toilet paper, hand soap, hair care, cleansers and detergent. Those are the items we run to get at Target and, while there, end up buying everything we need to redecorate the entire kitchen!
5. Now, estimate how much money you will need for the month and then, if your paycheck allows, take the entire month budget in cash and keep in an envelope. Use the money in your envelope for any grocery or household expense. Use it when you go to Walmart, CVS, drive thru dairy…etc.
6. Do this a few months in a row and depending on how much you have to add to the envelope or left over, you will have your TRUE grocery budget.

Chances are, you will go over the expert’s horrifying amount of $500 per month, but I guarantee, you will be curbing in other areas of your budget and save money! By doing this, you will also not overbuy and have “cash in the trash” by throwing away expired food, but you will also be able to keep track of that kid who uses shampoo like water or think diet coke just multiplies miraculously in the fridge!

This year would be different in our household. My youngest, Pilar will be going into 7th grade and for the first time ever…no uniforms! It has always been so easy to try one style of shirt and pants on her and then buy 5 uniforms in her sizes. We finish off with white socks, regulated shoes and the school hoodie! Done! Of course, like every mother of a private school kid, I went away licking my wounds at the cost of the uniforms, which incidentally, could only be at purchased at one store which never seemed to have items on sale!

As most of my readers know, I use the envelope system for cash. I withdraw each month, at the beginning of the month, the amount of cash I need and put it in envelopes marked, “Grocery”, “Dining Out”, “Gasoline”, and “Misc or Fun”. Using these envelopes have always made me stay on budget and think about each of my purchases; whether it is for going out to a restaurant or drive through Del Taco! And since the envelopes have been such a success, I decided to try it with our school budget!

I worked my budget to include school clothes and supplies and withdrew the cash. I showed Pilar her envelope for school clothes. We all agreed on $300 to begin the year and once she was in school, we would include an amount every month to update her wardrobe. Now, keep in mind, she has never been to public school and most of her wardrobe was made up of only uniforms and she wore those 5 days a week, so we had to buy everything!

I realize, $300 may not seem like much, but I wanted to see how far we would get. I told her school supplies and backpack were not included, however, if she wanted the cute mechanical pencils with fancy erasers instead of the box of plain ole’ number twos I was willing to buy, that had to come out of her envelope! Same went for an upgrade to the back pack or lunch box I was willing to buy.

We got up early and went off to the outlets. She knew she could get more bang for her buck at the outlet malls and we had time on our side to search. I was very impressed with her knowledge about selecting her wardrobe. She planned to shop with her favorite colors in mind so she could easily mix and match. I was concerned when she choose a gray skirt and gray cardigan, but she showed me how many colors go with gray…red, pink, yellow, lavender, pale bue…what a smart kid! She watched every penny and tried on all the clothes to make sure her money was spent well. She hit the information center at the mall for additional coupons and deals! She shopped clearance first, knowing that here in Southern California a summer wardrobe works well in to October.

The purchase I was most impressed with was her shoes! Like every girl on the planet, she loves her shoes! We went to the Converse outlet and she looked at various shoes and told me which ones she could find cheaper on line…something I didn’t even know she researched! I was shocked when she picked a solid black pair! “Really? Black? ALL black?” I asked. She beamed at me and walked over to the shoe lace aisle and grabbed 6 pairs of different colored shoe laces! I tell you, my baby is brilliant!

Every time we made a purchase, we took out our envelope and she saw her cash go down, she winced. I had to remind her that she was making great deals and buying exactly what she wanted. We found a 25% discount at Old Navy just for saying out loud she was a student and on a another day, camis for $2 dollars each for saying “I love Camis”! We came home with a 30% coupon off Converse on a purchase made next month. We are waiting for Kohls to have their blow out sale on jeans and Levi for a sale on a good quality jean jacket.

I am so proud of Pilar and her ingenuity to design her wardrobe from top to bottom. But I am truly most proud of her for respecting our family’s budget and working within it with no complaints; only an excitement to see what her next find will be! As we go out shopping, I see lots of spoiled girls clamoring and whining about what they want. Pilar doesn’t notice though, she is too busy making her money work!

It is the end of the month and Pilar has purchased a skirt, 8 camis, 2 pairs of shoes with six pairs of laces, a darling cardigan, a graphic t-shirt and she still has $107 left! This has taught us, as mother and daughter, a few lessons as well. I have learned how to be more patient with her and trust in her ability to pick what is right for her body and sensibility. She has learned how to be a good steward…a lesson which will serve her well…always.

Now, I grew up with a gas dryer.  I remember a neighbor having a clothes line and when it rained, my mom let her use our dryer. The closest I ever came to line drying clothes was in a hotel room. (And does a pair of panty hose and underwear count?)

I stared at the box for quantity, I went ahead and typed in 2!  I ordered a portable clothes line for me too!  Why not give it a whirl? I always had delicates to wash.  My clothes line was delivered and my husband put it up. I had a brand new bag of clothes pins ready and waiting! I washed a load of underwear and bras and went outside to hang it.

A funny thing happened outside while I hung the panties on the line.  The sun was warm on my back as I stood there in the sun. The dogs were sitting calmly at my feet while I fastened clothes pins on the bras and panties. They actually looked cute hanging in the sun.  I wasn’t feeling rushed or as if I was doing a chore. I could hear my neighborhood buzzing about; a dog bark, a gardener’s lawn mower, birds chirping, the mail man’s cart approaching our home. Before I knew it, the entire load was on the line. It was a warm California day and the clothes were dry in about an hour.

I went out to take them off the line and again experienced a calmness as I folded each item and put it in the basket. It was easy and I felt, well… I felt accomplished! I have been drying my clothes on the line ever since.

It took some research and a few tries to figure out how to hang jeans, dress shirts and that socks are hung from the toes. I found the fabric softener I loved and realized that the sun bleached my dishtowels like Clorox never could.

No matter how busy and hectic my days are, I find that hanging clothes on the line calms me and slows me down.  As I hang Pilar’s favorite Hawaiian Punch graphic t-shirt, or her favorite white hoodie, I find myself thinking about her. I stop and reflect on her smile or her laugh. I always smile when I hang my husbands sexy briefs on the line. When no one is looking, I make them dance! And for some weird reason, I always get an even number of socks! Not one sock has gone to live with Jesus since I have been hanging laundry!

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, my laundry looks brighter and  smells fresher. No matter how hard or stressful a day has been, I look forward to the calming effect I get from hanging my laundry.

Here’s a link to the same one I have. This is Target’s version: http://www.target.com/Household-Essentials-Portable-Umbrella-Dryer/dp/B001H1GUXW/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

But one day, I did what millions of you do every day and had no idea the snowball effect it would take on our family. I paid some bills, sent a card to a friend confirming our vacation dates and where we would meet them, a photo along with my daughter’s school information for an award she won, a few dvds to Netflix and my husband’s unemployment claim form… complete with his social security number. I put the outgoing mail in my mailbox which sits on my property and faces the street. I put the red flag up alerting the mail man that I had mail to be picked up. Apparently, I also let a criminal know my mail was ready to be picked up.

The first thing I noticed was that Netflix didn’t notify me that my DVD’s were received. That was odd because I am always notified in a day by email. After a few days, I reported them missing, but didn’t think much more about it. I check my bank statements on line every day and before leaving on a day trip to the beach with my family, I checked my account and saw 2 checks written for a total of $1,300 from our checking account. I clicked on the check image and when I did, checks with a different name and address came up. How could the bank have switched these checks between customers. I thought because we had the same first name, this was a likely mistake. Upon closer viewing, my husband noticed the checks had our account and routing numbers! Someone took one of our checks, created their own checks using their own name and driver’s license number and proceeded to write checks form our account!

We ran to the bank and closed the account and went to the police. After being shuffled through several police stations in different cities; the city where the woman lived, the city where the checks where written and even our own city where the mail was taken, we were finally told we had to take this to the Post Master, who apparently is the Police Department who handles federal crimes of stolen mail. We reported this to the Post Master several weeks ago and still have not had a return call! We are completely frustrated. We try not to think about it because we wake up in the middle of the night feeling pissed off at the criminal and the system that allows her and others like her to commit these crimes. We contacted one of the managers of a store where she wrote a check. She bought over $800.00 worth of merchandise, the manager has video tape, and because we are STILL waiting for the Post Master to do his or her job, this criminal was able to return the merchandise for cash!

During this time, I realized that the other mail stolen that day contained personal information. My husband’s social security number was on the claim form, my daughter’s picture and school information, and the dates we would be gone on vacation. I kick myself daily over this and my husband has been so kind and understanding. As he reminds me, I did what millions of people do every day, put my mail out in my home mail box to be picked up!

Here are steps you must do to protect yourself and your family. Pass this information on to seniors or to college students out on their own, both groups who often fall victim to identity theft.

• Always send mail through the post office or federal mail box.
• Get a mailbox that can be locked or get a post office box to receive mail and packages. If you do get a post office box, wait until you get home to throw away your mail, do not use the communal trash can provided…I can attest to the the fact the good folks at the post office could care less what happens to your mail.
• Make sure your bank DOES NOT send your new checks, debit or credit cards through the mail. Always request to pick them up from the bank.
• If you are expecting a package, ask a neighbor to keep an eye open for you or have them delivered to your office.
• Don’t send cash or gift cards in the mail. Our postman told us criminals look for birthday card envelopes in the mail hoping to steal cash or gift cards. You can send gift cards via the internet and most banks will wire money free of charge.
• Put your trash out on the morning of collection, not the night before. We have had other neighbors who have had trash pickers also steal their mail or take info from the trash to use for identity theft. AND your trash on your property is NOT free for anyone to go through…it is still on YOUR property.

I hope this blog is informative to you, a neighbor, friend or family member. Criminals are crappy people and don’t care about the damage they do to your family. You can fall into mountains of paper work when trying to repair the damage, so hopefully you can prevent this from happening to you or someone you care about. Share ideas with your neighbors, criminals, thieves and vagrants will avoid communities where people are watching out for each other.

The envelope system is based on the fact that most people are more aware of what they are spending if they are using cold hard cash.  The feeling of handing over two $100 dollar bills for a purchase at the mall stings more than running a debit card and punching in your PIN. I know as a mother, I actually see “cash” laying on the floor of my daughter’s room in the form of brand new jeans and t shirt!

I am what Dave Ramsey refers to as the “nerd” and my husband is the “free spirit” which means that I love to look at and crunch the numbers and he is happy having me do just that!   But, every month, the two of us sit down and look at the next months bills.  We take into consideration any thing special coming up.  For example, we had to add Mother’s Day gifts for the moms in our family and for our daughter’s birthday.  This reminds us that birthdays and holidays are NOT emergencies and come at the same time every year so we should plan for them.  That being said, we look at our budget for the month, add in anything that can come up every few months like insurances, car registrations, birthdays. or even utility bills that have a high fluctuation during certain months.

During this time we talk  over the budget calmly and rationally and coffee and pastries are always welcome!  After we establish our budget, at the beginning of the month, (we are self employed and schedule our paydays on the first  of the month) I set up the bills to be paid on line, write checks for other bills, and withdraw all the cash we have set aside in the budget for groceries, dining out, gasoline, holiday or birthday, clothing and “misc”.  I take the cash and put the amount we agreed on into different envelopes. When I go to the grocery store, I take my envelope and buy my groceries and, if at the end of the month we are running out of grocery money, it’s time to get creative! If we are out and about and my daughter wants a cold drink or I want a coffee, we check our dining out envelope and if there is cash we can enjoy a treat!

As the mother of a tween daughter, buying clothes are always an issue, but with an envelope with cash, she can see how much we have allotted for ALL OF US that month!  Our gift/holiday envelope keeps up to stay within budget when buying presents for friends and family.  I also realized that we buy gifts for people who we love and love us and they would never want to know we spent more than we could afford on them.  The “misc” envelope is just that; miscellaneous items.  We also use it if we do not have enough in the other envelopes. For example, we are almost out of cash in our dining out envelope but haven’t touched our misc envelope.  Tonight is going to be crazy with 3 of us going in 3 different directions and I am using some misc cash for Subway sandwiches!  Done deal! At the end of the month we can see if we underestimated or overestimated in certain areas and can plan even better for the next month.

At first I was worried that people would think I was an idiot carrying around my envelopes, but most people are curious and my envelopes have become quite the conversation starter!   The best part of using this tool is that since we have been using our envelopes we have stayed within budget EVERY month!  We have have cash in our checking account at the end of the month as well.  We have put a stop to spending without thinking.  We have learned the difference between a need and a want.  We have all come together as a family to live the best life possible, be creative and take care of our resources.

Give it a try for one month and let me know what you think!