feeling the squeeze.

Money is tight. There, I said it. It's like that for almost everyone, right? With the cost of nearly everything going up, including next year's health insurance premiums, I'm pretty certain that we may be bringing home less than we do right now, even if we get our yearly raises.  Terrifying, right? On some level, absolutely. On another, we are incredibly lucky to have good jobs and benefits. If we lived anywhere else, we would be set.

How do we make it work then? Here are a few tips and tricks:

• Coupons: I work hard for my money and I want to save every cent possible! There's no shame in saving some moolah with another form of currency. 
• Store Sales: Most stores put items on sale once in a six-week cycle. Buy when it's on sale and save your hard earned cash. 
• Yard Sales: I've gotten hooked on online yard sales this year. Initially, I was a little hesitant but this has turned into a great little venture. I see this as an amazing way to get paid to de-clutter my house! So far, the money from the sales have gone toward a credit card payment, staining our deck, and installing a ceiling fan in Nate's room. Right now we're saving up for one of the dogs to have a dental cleaning! 
• Eating at Home: I don't cook well and I don't need all of my fingers to count the meals that I do know how to make. However, what we lack in variety, we make up for in leftovers...and when Chris decides to make a new concoction :)

Check out more money saving tips for all your grocery runs!