Search Results for: blog creative play saves money

School Enriches Creative Play

The other day, we spent some time talking about two of the world’s smallest animals – the bumblebee bat and the bee hummingbird. We discussed the larger varieties of both species as well, and how a hummingbird can hover unlike other birds, and how a bat has extraordinary sensing powers. We covered the topic pretty thoroughly, and then moved on. I thought the kids might retain some of the information, maybe just in time to appear on an episode of Jeopardy! down the road, but my six-year-old surprised me. He went and found the kitty cat ears he’d been given … Continue reading →

School Suspends Fourth Grader for Using Imagination

It is typical for young children to re-enact the stories that they watch in a movie. One of the reasons they do this is simply because it is fun. In addition, children engage in imaginative play in order to figure out the world around them and where they might fit into it as an adult. Play can be an important component of learning. That being said, a fourth grader who is a student at Kermit Elementary School, in Kermit, Texas, was suspended for using his imagination in a way that is typical of children who have been inspired by a … Continue reading →

How to Shop Smart

Sometimes it isn’t all about the coupons and sales but where in the store that you shop. Did you know that you can often find two of the exact same things (or at least similar things) in a store such as Target or Walmart and yet pay two different prices, depending on the section in which you find the item? Doing a little creative thinking can often save you some money. Similar use items When shopping for something first think about whether or not it might have other uses. Is it a specialty item? Are there other items that might … Continue reading →

Emergency Meal Stretching

If you find yourself having to feed your family for less, if you have unexpected dinner guests or if you just want to tighten the belt to afford a luxury, knowing how to stretch a meal in an emergency is a great skill for any frugal person to possess. Making food go farther without anyone feeling deprived or noticing a difference can be an art form. Here are some tips to get you started. If you are running short on a main ingredient, the most obvious thing to do is to stretch it out is to add other foods to … Continue reading →

A Winter Thaw – Treasures From Trash

As can be expected, we’ve had a long cold winter in Colorado. This week we’ve had a break in winter, with sunshine and warmer temperatures. All the snow melted away, leaving just a little ice in the shady spots of the yard. Today the boys and I took advantage of the warm day and played outside after school. They ran, climbed on the play set, jumped on the trampoline, and chased the dog. I walked around surveying the winter damage in our huge backyard. We’ve got a lot of small branches down that we will need to clean up. The … Continue reading →

Using Diaper Boxes

If you buy disposable diapers, one of the best ways to save money is by buying them in bulk. As a result, you may wind up with quite a few of those large bulk diaper boxes. I have found that they are very useful around the house. Here are some ways that we have put those large diaper boxes to good use. In our new home, we have a garage that is actually big enough to park a car. Currently, it still has quite a few boxes that we haven’t unpacked, mostly all of my books. But regardless, we have … Continue reading →

My Third Week in Review

Three times is the charm, right? I’ve had a lot of fun this week, celebrating Christmas, getting ready for the new year and blogging up a storm. Are you having a good holiday season? In case you missed any posts from my third week, here they are again. Reflections in A Dime Store Window: My first exposure with getting good deals happened early on in my childhood. Caught up in the holiday wonderland of Brooklyn, New York, the sort of magic that is captured by the song “Silver Bells, Silver Bells,” I would stare wide-eyed at the shops lining the … Continue reading →

Wall Art For The Frugal Minded (2)

Continuing our creative discussion of wall art for the frugal minded, I have several more great ideas. Creating wall art is easy and saves a lot of money off store purchased items. Frame the item yourself and you’ve saved even more. Here are a few more great ideas to get you working on personalizing your home even further. Collage Art Cut photos and patterns out of papers, calendars and greeting cards collaging them together in a slightly shabby chic way. Cut the entire print to the size of the frame you want, and you have a piece of wall art … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Dirty

Dirt. It’s the perennial enemy of the parent. We tell our children not to get dirty. We tell them to keep their clothes clean and when they come home wearing red sauce painted in a motif across their pale yellow shirt coupled with dark dirt stains on their pink shorts – we sigh, we smile and we throw them in the wash. The beauty of this – is when our children come home painted from head to toe in sweat and dirt – guess what – they wash too? Give Yourself a Break I don’t know how many times I’ve … Continue reading →