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My New Year’s Resolution in One Word

A close up of a baby laughing.

Recently on Money Saving Mom, she challenged readers to pick one word to be their focus for 2013.  Many different words immediately popped into my head – organize (a popular one!), focus, family, goals, peace, balance, patience…

After some deep thought while sledding with my children yesterday, I decided on one:

LAUGHTER

I can learn so much from my family, and laughter is key.  My daughter laughs at everything, and tries to make us laugh all the time – and is often very successful!  My son is very creative and even mundane tasks become an adventure.  My husband loves building forts, singing songs, and being a human jungle gym with the kids, relishing in the moment and not getting too worked up about other worries of the day.

Over the holidays, one of my favorite days was when we did not have power for most of the day.  We played games, colored, read stories, and cuddled in front of the fire.  It was a day filled with so much laughter and joy!

My focus for 2013 is to allow laughter to fill my day, instead of always having a ‘to-do’ list running through my head.  I can still work on organization, exercise, cooking more, etc. but with an added dose of laughter, I will be creating memories and moments and not just completing tasks.

Bring on more dance parties in the living room, sledding in the cold, puzzles on the kitchen floor, cuddling on the couch, baking messes in the kitchen – 2013 is going to be a blast!

What word will be your focus for 2013?

OneWord2013_laughter150

Special thanks to Melanie at Only A Breath for making this awesome button!

PinPoint Rewards: Free Discount and Reward Program in Omaha!

Have you heard of PinPoint Rewards?  It is a Free and simple way to receive great coupons and wonderful rewards from popular Omaha stores and restaurants!  I love my Pinpoint Card, and use it often to save on dining and entertainment.

Highlights

Welcome Rewards – Upon enrolling, members will receive high value coupons such as Free Items and ‘Buy 1, Get 1 Free’ to favorite locations like Charlie’s on the Lake, Cold Stone Creamery, La Mesa, Vidlak’s, plus many popular Old Market restaurants!

Birthday and Anniversary Rewards – Celebrate with special birthday and anniversary rewards

Earn Points – Earn 1 point for every dollar spent at participating locations, with several merchants offering double or triple points on certain times and days of the week, which will earn you valuable Payback Rewards.

Mobile App now available where you can find participating merchants, access your PinPoint Card, and review and redeem your PinPoint Rewards.

Online Access – You may login and print your Pinpoint Card and Rewards online.

How It Works – One of our favorite restaurants is Spaghetti Works.  We received a Special Welcome Reward of ‘Free Entree with Purchase of an Entree’ and will receive another coupon for a Free Entree as a Birthday Reward.  Additionally, they offer Double Points from 11-4 every weekday, and $10 reward for every $50 spent!

New merchants are added regularly, and special discounts and prizes are offered at The PinPoint Rewards Facebook page.  See all of the participating merchants and available rewards here, and Frequently Asked Questions.  Sign up today!

Travel Tips: Traveling with Kids on an Airplane

Pink and blue suitcases with overlay text that reads, Travel Tips: Traveling with Kids on an Airplane.

We recently returned from a vacation, and were surrounded by many children who did exceptionally well on the plane ride.  Another family was visibly nervous about this trip, since the last time they traveled, people around them had asked to move!

Here are some tips to help your kids (and you!) have a pleasant and enjoyable trip on a plane:
  • For airline travel with kids, pack DVDs, books, toys without a lot of small parts, and their favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
  • Suckers and sippy cups are great for take off and landing to help with their ears.  
  • During layovers, walk around the airport as much as possible.  
  • Pack a few surprises (fruit snacks, extra books, etch-a-sketch, coloring pages, etc.) to pull out when they are getting restless.  
  • If possible, plan nap time during the flight.  Always a bonus if this works out!
  • Try to space out toys and snacks throughout trip.  
  •  Although tempting, be careful not to unload all of your snacks, books, and surprises even before you get on the plane.  Walk around the terminal, play silly and active games, and save the sedentary activities when the kids have to be buckled in.
  • Try to relax and enjoy flying with your children!  Do you remember the first time you flew on a plane?  Enjoy the joy and wonder of flying for the first time through the eyes of your kids and everyone will have a much happier experience!
Interested in more travel tips?  Be sure to visit:

 

Have you traveled with kids successfully?  What helpful tips have worked for you?

We Have a New Design!

A graphic of hot air balloons with overlay text that reads, the Spirit of Saving.

Welcome to our new design at The Spirit of Saving!  Thank you for your patience as we make sure everything is working as it should.  Please let me know (the spirit of saving at gmail dot com) if a link is not working or you run into an error that needs to be fixed.  I want this blog to be very helpful to you to find deals or family-friendly events and activities!  Special thanks to Jeannette at Crafty Hippo Designs for creating the new design.

Travel Tips: Saving Money and Traveling with Kids

Pink and blue suitcases with overlay text that reads, Travel Tips: Traveling with Kids on an Airplane.

Even though the summer is winding down, many people are taking one last vacation before the school year starts.  Here are some helpful tips for saving money and traveling with kids to make the trip easier and more enjoyable.

How to Save on Travel
  • Sign up to receive emails on daily deal sites with discounts in the city you will be visiting such as Groupon, Living Social, or local programs specific to that city like Daily Deal Omaha.  I know many people are hesitant about using these deal sites for travel – the key is to do your research on the hotel, tour, or attraction on sites like TripAdvisor.comto make sure that it comes highly recommended, and ask questions to clarify what is or is not included in the deal.
    • Hint: If you do not plan to participate in all activities that are part of the deal, ask if you can exchange one activity for another.  Most hotels and travel companies would be very happy to work with you.  We have used both Groupon and Living Social for travel deals and have been extremely happy, saved a lot of money, and found the hotels and travel companies very easy to work with.
  • Volunteer to give up your seat on oversold flights in exchange for a voucher for future travel.  Before giving up your seat, confirm that you have a seat on a later flight, ask for a meal voucher if your wait is long, and make sure you understand the conditions and amount of the voucher you will be receiving.  Recently, when we were travelling for my husband’s work (one and only work trip), we volunteered to get ‘bumped’ on our flight because it was too full.  We only had to wait two hours, and the airline gave us a voucher for a meal, and a voucher for future travel of $400 each!
  • Browse through many restaurants in the location you will be visiting at Restaurant.com and purchase $25 gift certificates for only $10.  Or, even better, wait for special promotions where you can purchase $25 gift certificates for as low as $2!
  • Many museums and attractions offer special discounted times or free nights.  Visit their websites or facebook pages to find out when these special discounted times are.
  • If your hotel does not offer free breakfast, bring along breakfast such as cereal in ziploc bags and bowls and spoons.  Buy milk when you get there.  Growing up, we did this on every family vacation, which was very helpful with a family of 6!
Helpful Tips for Traveling with Kids
  • Pack a lunch and stop at a park with a playground to let the kids run around.  On a recent road trip, we stopped several times at playgrounds, and this made all the difference!
  • Prepare a small bag for each child of toys, books, games, sticker books, etc., suggests Danielle from Find Time for Fun.  She prints off coloring sheets and workbooks, and has her kids use the tops of two small rubber maid containers as desks.  (She also suggests sticking with colored pencils and bringing along a sharpener.)  And, remember to set some papers and coloring books aside for the drive home.
  • My favorite tip from Danielle is to burn a family music CD.   She suggests using a combination of songs that each person likes.  The mixture is nice because then you are not listening to Barney (or whatever cartoon) for 30 minutes straight!
  • Take a cooler…or two recommends Omaha Area Kiddie Fun.  “We went to Chicago, road-trip style, every year when I was growing up – we always had a cooler filled with items to make sandwiches and plenty of drinks!  Food and drink right there at our hands – no extra stops, no extra spending.”
  • Money Saving Mom has a great suggestion for how to pack an Emergency Box.  We usually do not go to this extent, but a package of wipes is always very handy to clean up all sorts of messes!

How have you saved money on a trip?  What helpful tips can you share for traveling with kids?

 

Save on Travel: Reciprocal Membership Programs

A close up of an Omaha Children\'s Museum sign with overlay text that reads, Save on Travel, Reciprocal Membership Programs for Zoos and Museums.

Did you know that when you purchase a membership to a local zoo or museum, it often includes participation in a reciprocal program with free or reduced admission to similar locations around the country?  On a recent trip this summer, we were able to visit a couple zoos and children’s museums for signicantly reduced admission!  As always, it is best to call ahead to verify participation and admission discounts.

Association of Zoos and Aquariums Reciprocal Admissions Program

Members of local AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums will receive free or discounted admission to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide.  It is a good idea to become familiar with the Reciprocal Admission Rules before your visit.  See the complete list of 2012 partipating zoos and aquariums here.

*Please note: “The number of visitors admitted with a family membership may vary and parking may not be included. In addition, participating institutions located in close geographic proximity to each other are not required to offer free or discounted admission to each other’s members in order to participate in AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions Program.”  As always, it is best to call ahead to verify.

Omaha: Members of the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium receive reciprocal privileges (50% off admission) to OVER 100 zoos across the country!

ASTC Travel Passport Program

More than 250 Science and Technology Museums across the country offer reciprocal discounts through the Association of Science and Technology Center.  The Travel Passport Program entitles visitors to free GENERAL ADMISSION (does not include special exhibits).  See current participating science centers and museums here.

Restrictions: “Science centers and museums located within 90 miles of each other are excluded from the program unless that exclusion is lifted by mutual agreement, although, science centers/museums may create their own local reciprocal free-admission program.  Also, to receive Travel Passport Program benefits, you must live more than 90 miles away ‘as the crow flies’ from the center/museum you wish to visit.”  As always, it is best to call ahead to verify.

Omaha: Omaha Children’s Museum Members who have a Family, Grandparent, Patron and Educator membership receive reciprocal discounts through this program.

Association of Children’s Museums
The ACM Reciprocal Program is a voluntary network of ACM member museums open across the U.S. and Canada that reciprocate free or discounted admission to one another’s members that hold premium family memberships. Find a participating ACM Children’s Museum here using online search pages.  Those museums that have a red R button indicates that they participate in the ACM Reciprocal Program network.  The Association of Children’s Museums is changing this program in April 2013, rather than free admission, admission will be discounted.  As always, it is best to call ahead to verify.

Omaha: Omaha Children’s Museum Members who have a Patron membership also receive reciprocal discounts through this program.

See also:

What are other reciprocal membership programs do you participate in?

How to Use Coupons Without Being Extreme

A close up of advertisements with overlay text that reads, how to Use Coupons Without Being Extreme.

Have you been watching the new season of Extreme Couponing?  It is interesting to watch how much the people featured are saving and how they are hauling bags and bags of groceries for only a few dollars.  Is this realistic?  Is it really possible to save that much on groceries?

While it is possible (as filmed with high suspense on the show), there is a lot that happens behind-the-scenes that we do not get to see.  In order to prepare for the shopping trips you see on the show, the people featured spend many, many hours planning and organizing their coupons and deals to get the results you see.

Personally, I do not want to spend that much time cutting coupons.  Instead, I have come up with a system that works for me to still save money, but in a shorter amount of time.  I spend about 1-2 hours per week planning and preparing for my shopping trips, and although I don’t save 95% off my bill, I have cut our spending significantly since following these steps I provide at The Spirit of Saving.  Decide for yourself what works for you and your family, and go with it!

Key steps:
  1. Each week, I flip through the inserts and cut out only the coupons I know I will use, are of high value, or are for products that I might be interested in buying – usually about 10% of all the coupons.
  2. I date and file the remaining inserts and organize the coupons I did cut out in a little coupon organizer.
  3. Each week, I look through the ads for the best prices on the items I need and price match at my favorite store.
  4. Many awesome blogs post coupon matchups for stores, helping you match the sale prices with available coupons (At the Spirit of Saving, you can find highlights of the coupon matchups for CVS, Walgreens, Target, and HyVee.)

Related Posts: New to Using Coupons?  Helpful Tips for Beginners

For further information, be sure to visit other helpful resources:

What tips would you share with others who are starting to use coupons?

Welcome

Family Fun in Omaha

Family Fun in Omaha is your local resource for family-friendly activities and events in Omaha and beyond! We are a local family of 5 that loves finding new adventures and wants to help you enjoy all that Omaha and the surrounding area has to offer. We recommend starting here. Thank you for visiting!

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