Search Results for: blog 36 money making ideas for kids and teens

Invest Your Time Wisely

“Time is money” is an old saying that is meant to convey the urgency of rushing ahead because any time wasted could be time spent earning money. Many times in our frugal lifestyles, we trade off time in order to save money, such as cooking from scratch instead of going through the fast food line, taking out the time to create a grocery list and clip coupons before shopping, etc. Most of the time these are good choices and have a secondary benefit. The time I spend hanging laundry means saves some money, but it also means that my kids … Continue reading →

Save Money and “Off to College”

Ah college memories. The years of eating ramen noodles heated up in a hot pot and an entire floor trying to scrape up enough money for pizza. I had to laugh when I saw one of those “off to college” commercial ads for one of the big box stores. It was a list of all of the college essentials that parents needed to purchase for their new college student. I couldn’t believe it. There were practically all of the comforts of home. Actually, there were more comforts in that dorm room than are probably in my own home right now! … Continue reading →

Frugal Picnic Night

One of the favorite activities that my kids like to do as a family is also economical. Recently, I’ve made it even more frugal. Here is what we did last night and how we had a fun time for pennies. When the weather warms up, my kids are always clamoring for the park. One fun way to enjoy the park and get out of a warm house is to visit the park around dinner time. We eat dinner on one of the picnic benches, and then after dinner is done, mom and dad pack up while the kids play on … Continue reading →

Ways to Save on Vacation Lodging

If you have had enough of the staycation and want to actually travel somewhere away from home, then lodging will be an expense that you will have to deal with one way or another. Fortunately, there are a lot of choices and opportunities, if you think a little bit out of the box. Here are some great frugal tips for saving money on your vacation stay. For the large family or group If you have more than four people traveling, then you are in for some issues. As part of a family of five, I know first hand. This is … Continue reading →

Free Vacations

Just because you don’t have the budget for it doesn’t mean that you can’t have one! Here are some ways to snag some great free vacations. Explore the city I just got a list of all of the fun and free things that we could do nearby in Philadelphia! There are historic sites, museums, music concerts, walking tours and more that are absolutely free. I also found out that one famous theater opens its doors free to the public for the final dress rehearsal before the show. The rehearsal is just like the normal show, complete with costumes, lights, props … Continue reading →

5 Ways to Spend Less Eating Out on Vacation

Traveling costs can add up. And one of the biggest expenses after air fare is the cost of food on vacation. Here are five ways that you can be frugal when it comes to the cost of dining out when you are out and about. Cook at “home” Depending on where you are staying, you may be able to get away with cooking at home. Most hotels offer a refrigerator free of charge, and you can use it to store lunch meats, milk and other items to feed you your lunch and breakfast. Bread, peanut butter and jelly can be … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Get Free Entertainment

The money used for entertainment is most household seems to be growing year by year. Whereas previous generations listed food as their biggest expense (after housing), for modern families, entertainment costs can rival food expenses. Here are three different ways to get free entertainment. The Library If you haven’t visited your local library in a while then you are really missing out. Of course there are plenty of books to be had, saving you anywhere from $7 to $30 a read. There are also audio books, movies, music and even video games to check out. If you use the library’s … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Save Money on Birthday Cake

This week we are in the middle of trying to finalize plans for an upcoming birthday party for our two sons. Two boys with birthdays only a month apart means one party to save the relatives from traveling, but two separate cakes with different themes. All of that cake can add up in expense. Here are four different ways to save money on birthday cake. With these various options, you should be able to find your own great way to shave off some of the cost of the birthday cake. Buy a regular birthday cake but skip the special decorating. … Continue reading →

Where to Find Inexpensive Clothes for Slightly Older Kids

Inexpensive gently used clothing is easy to find for the littlest set, but once a kid gets past the age of four or five, the hunt becomes a real challenge. Here are some places you can use to cloth your children with inexpensive clothing for slightly older kids. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, finding good quality second hand clothing gets more difficult as kids get older. There is simply not a good inventory available. You can still do pretty well, though, if you check out the following sources. The outlets Outlets can sometimes yield great finds in new clothing. … Continue reading →

Finding Inexpensive Clothes for Slightly Older Kids

From the time we decided that I would leave my full time job and stay home with our first child, I have been practicing ways to save money. But now that our first child is nearly eight years old, there has been one area that has become more difficult: finding good quality clothing for him and cheap or free prices. One of the biggest reductions in costs for us was baby clothes. There is a wealth of great quality and great looking used clothes that could be had at thrift stores, yard sales and from generous friends. It was very … Continue reading →