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Every year I say I am going to start a budget and saving money and then life happens. Now though that my kids are getting older I found that I have more time to shop smarter and therefore save money. What I mean by ‘shop smarter’ is when my kids were younger, I would literally shop as fast as I could with them and didn’t always look for the best deal or use coupons. Now I can make sure I am getting the best deal and what I needed.

It is crazy how fast savings can add up. Just the other day I used five coupons for a total of $4.50 savings on products I was buying anyways. Believe me when I say I am not at all an extreme couponer but I do clip coupons for brands that I know I am going to buy regardless if I have a coupon or not.

Saving money for college

If I can save $5 a week at minimum, that is over $200 a year in savings that I can deposit towards my kids’ futures. It may not seem like its a lot but it will add up by the time they go to college and even if it just covers books, it is still something. I am all about the saying “Every little bit helps.”

Luckily though there are tons of ways to save money other than using coupons. That $5 may turn into $20 a week just by cutting costs in other areas.

Do I really need to redecorate a room? What about a brand name pair of shoes when I saw a similar pair for half the price? Have I checked out the local thrift stores for essentials? I really believe that it is possible to save money or cut costs if people budget. Just looking around my house I see ways to save money to invest.

Why do I feel its important to save for college?

College is crazy expensive and the cost just keeps going up. I don’t want my kids to opt to not go to college because they can’t afford it. I want college to be an option for them regardless of cost. I want my kids to be able to focus too on their education rather than the debt they will accumulate.

It is crazy to think about how my oldest could be heading off to college in just seven years but that still gives me plenty of time to save for him and my other two children.

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