http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_80c9604a-4085-595d-b242-fcbac94c6bce.html
When Crystal Mcalister first started clipping out coupons, she was a stay-at-home mom looking to stretch every dollar that came in after the family moved to Midland.
Now 2 1/2 years later, she's making it her New Year's resolution to continue couponing in hopes of taking her family on vacation and saving for the future.
"We have a goal this year to pad our savings. We want to make it to the family reunion we have coming in July, and we want to pay off the car three years early," she said. "We want this year to be debt free - all but our house - and it's our goal to get there."
Having learned the art of clipping out coupons, checking online deals and blog sites from another mom a few years ago, Mcalister said she's saving her family about $400 a month on items including groceries, toys, health and beauty supplies and even clothes.
"We don't only use coupons for food. We also use them for our outings. There is a new coupon site online called groupon.com. Some of my mommy friends take our kids for outings during the week, and we save money by watching what Groupon deals are on their site and then planning events around those," she said.
And Mcalister is not alone planning for her family's future by looking for discounts and sales; there's about 20 other women in Midland who get together for coupon swaps and use the Internet to refer each other to deals.
They're just some of many Midlanders who are wishing to start the new year off by promising to cut back on their finances and do some serious saving in the coming months.
It's a topic that has been in recent national headlines. An Associated Press story released Monday stated that many who are nearing the age of 65 and getting close to retiring are in jeopardy of not having their finances in order.
A report from the AARP stated that the personal savings rate averaged close to 10 percent during the 1970s and 80s. But as recent as 2007, it had sunk to a negative 1 percent.
And planning for the future along with a savings plan is not something that is on everyone's resolution list, although many local financial planners believe that it should be.
"It's not a big issue. They'd rather plan for their vacation than they would their retirement," said financial advisor Craig Tinslar with Mullins Wealth Advisors LLC of Midland.
Tinslar said that many statistics show that less than 25 percent of people over the age of 50 are going to be able to retire and live the lifestyle they've been accustomed to with their retirement savings.
"Any amount you can put away - the earlier you start, the less you have to put in. The more you wait and the later on in life, you have to put a substantial more back to get the same results," he said.
While Tinslar doesn't think that saving and financial planning is one of the top five resolutions for the new year, he adds that those who should start planning and saving for their future are around the age of 25 to 35 years old.
"It's never too late to start putting some money back," he said.
