Tracie Fobes

Tracie Fobes is blessed with an amazing husband, Tim, and 3 amazing children...who, as of the date of this post are: Emma - 4 1/2; Garrett - 2 and Charlotte - 11 months. In November 2007, the Fobes’ decided to get completely out of debt. Part of that was to re-evaluate how they were spending money and establish a tight budget. As a result, Tracie needed to do what she could to stretch dollars. Once she noticed the number of resources out there and how much time she spent to compile savings lists, she decided to help other families not only in the KC metro area, but also around the country. Tracie doesn't mind that others benefit from her hard work. Hearing that people are saving heaps of money and getting great deals makes it ALL worth it! Read Tracie’s blog and you too can become a PENNY PINCHER!

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• Extreme Couponing: A Love/Hate Relationship

  published: 9/29/2011 7:09:03 PM

  Last night, TLC began another new season of Extreme Couponing.  I have come to have a love/hate relationship with this show. 

  I hate this show because it is a skewed sense of reality.  These stores bent policies, allowed multiple coupons to be used and waived policies for "good savings."  Not only that, the TLC crew would use their own members to make things seem more believable.  

  What has now happened as a result is that more ...

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• Updating Your Child's Wardrobe - On a Budget

  published: 9/15/2011 10:00:00 AM

  If you are like me, you blink and your child has outgrown that new pair of shoes or jeans you purchased for them just a month back.  It can get really expensive to outfit your child with clothes -- wether they wear a uniform or not to school.  Not only can it get expensive, it can be pretty stressful.  However, if you and your child work together, you can actually save yourself some money (and ...

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• Amazon: Saving Big on Your Grocery Shopping

  published: 9/8/2011 10:00:00 AM

  When it comes to saving money at your favorite stores, many times people forget to check out Amazon.  They sell groceries, staples and toiletries - just like your big name retailers like Target and Walmart.  The question people always wonder - is on-line going to get me a better deal?  When trying to determine the best deal,  there is more to take into consideration than just the price.  You should look at sales tax, ...

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• Snacks & Lunches That Will Make Mom Smile

  published: 9/1/2011 10:08:50 AM

  I can't believe that we have had school in session for two weeks.  We are still working on finding our groove.  One thing we are really concentrating on is healthy foods. 

  My daughter is a picky eater.  It is furstrating. She will eat only limited foods and is not interested in trying anything new.  Sadly, my son is also following suit. So, what's a mom to do?  You have to use some psychology and bring ...

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• Save on Dining Out

  published: 8/25/2011 7:00:00 AM

  I work hard to plan meals and menus for my family.  I find that we not only eat healthier when we do this, we also save quite a bit of money.  Of course, there are those evenings when I just am not in the mood to cook dinner - and neither is my husband.  We plan for these outings in our monthly budget, but we always do what we can to save money.

  We register ...

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• Savings Breaks Are OK!

  published: 8/11/2011 2:47:44 PM

  This past week I was out of town.  In fact, our entire family was out of town -- but not all together.  My husband went to Maryland to a conference, the kids were at granny's house in Kansas and I was in California, also attending a conference.  So, that meant when we all returned home, our cupboards were bare.  It also meant that I was tired.

  For some crazy reason though, my family feels that ...

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• Rain Checks -- Not Just For Grandma!

  published: 8/4/2011 7:00:00 AM

  It seems that people think that grandmas are those who usually get rain checks on items that are not in stock.  I'm here to tell you that this is NOT the caes!  These are a great tool at your disposal  -- and they are free. 

  What is a rain check? It is a voucher given to the customer to promise that they can get the same price on an out-of-stock item at a later date. ...

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• No Price On A Happy Mom

  published: 7/28/2011 10:00:00 AM

  So recently, I realized that I just was feeling fatigued.  I just couldn't keep up with anything anymore.  Sure, it has been hot.  The kids are home and getting cabin fever and it is hot.  Just plain hot.  However, it was more than that. I could just tell.

  So, I made the appointment, spent the $20 co-pay and found out it was nothing serious (thankfully).  Then, I kicked myself for spending that $20.  Then, I ...

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• Where Have All The Deals Gone?

  published: 7/21/2011 10:40:30 AM

  If you live for Sunday morning to flip through the newspaper to look over the ads and to see which coupons you received, you might have been a little disappionted lately.  The coupons -- are low in value.  The ads -- are nonexistent.  Why?  Will this change?

  It is just the summertime lull.  So many people are on vacation right now, away from home and not focused on shopping, so there is not any reason ...

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• Never Too Early For Back to School Shopping

  published: 7/14/2011 10:00:00 AM

  It may be only July 14th, but it is the perfect time to start planning for back to school.  While your children are probably less than eager to think about this already, you should do it now.  The deals are slowly starting to show themselves.  There's of course also no law that says you have to go to the store and purchase all of your items in one trip.

  What I've started to do is ...

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• Price Books? Do I Need One?

  published: 7/7/2011 10:00:00 AM

  With the fluctuation of prices and deals it can be difficult to keep up with the prices around Kansas City.  This is where a Price Book can help.  What's a Price Book?  Well, it is just what it sounds like -- a book in which you keep track of prices.

  So, do I need a Price Book?  If you are really serious about saving, it can certainly help - but of course won't prevent you from ...

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• Here a Splurge.....There a Splurge

  published: 6/30/2011 10:00:00 AM

  I know I preach all about using coupons, saving money, not paying full price.  I will admit that there are times when I do pay full price -- and dare I say it -- don't use a coupon!  And the thing is, I don't even feel guilty about it when I do.

  Shocking, isn't it?  Why in the world would you ever pay full price for anything?  Well, there are items that aren't on sale.  ...

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• Refinancig Your Mortgage Just Might Be A Great Way to Save

  published: 6/23/2011 10:00:00 AM

  This past week, my husband and closed on a refinance of our home.  When we crunched the numbers, we realized the savings was just far too great NOT to proceed.  We actually knocked 8 years off of our repayment period by dropping to 15 years.  We reduced our interest rate from over 5% to 3.85%.   We will end up saving nearly $60,000 over the life of our loan -- which is bascially money in our ...

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• Father's Day Inexpensive (or Free) Gift Ideas

  published: 6/16/2011 10:00:00 AM

  Father's Day is just a couple of days away.  If you are still struggling to figure out what to get Dad, there are some really easy and inexpensive (and even free) things you can do to make his day perfect for him.

  Coupon Book.  You can download and print a FREE coupon booklet that was created by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.  What a great way to give Dad what he really wants ...

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• Warehouse vs. Grocery Store -- Which is Better?

  published: 6/9/2011 10:00:00 AM

  So, you are thinking of purchasing a Costco or Sam's Club membership.  But, you wonder - is it worth it?  It can be, but you have to put forth a little effor and do take some things into consideration before you shell out the cash.  Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  How frequently will I shop at this store?  If you don't foresee shopping once or twice a month at the warehouse, it ...

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  by: Tracie Fobes