Free Fall Fun!

If your calendar isn’t yet booked with fun things to do this fall, you might want to look around a bit. Now is one of the best times of year to find plenty of free events to entertain the kids and even the whole family. Check out the following options that may be available in your area. Trunk or Treat Many churches and places of worship sponsor trunk or treat events, that are either on a weekday or a weekend, during the day or in the evening, so there are a lot of scheduling options. During a trunk or treat … Continue reading

Back to Nature for Frugal Fall Decorations

The other day we were out shopping in Lancaster county, at a little gem of a store. We were looking for something very specific for our home, a set of three candles that we loved but had decided to wait on purchasing until we were sure we really wanted them. On the way through the store, I stopped to admire some fall decorations and picked out a lovely little pumpkin with some hand carving in it. Unfortunately, the price wasn’t too lovely, especially for my husband, but it did inspire me to look beyond cost to find some more frugal … Continue reading

Frugal Scrapbook Fun

My 7-year-old has been on summer vacation for nearly two weeks and I only got around to sorting through her bulging backpack yesterday. She brought the bag home on the last day of school crammed with the contents of her desk and nine month’s worth of junk. Given my frugal nature, I refused to dump all of her school supplies in the trash. Rather, I painstakingly sorted through the pile of used items to see which ones I could salvage for the upcoming school year. Obviously, I couldn’t save it all, but there were many materials that could either be … Continue reading

How to Have A Frugal Halloween

One of the most frightening things about Halloween is how much it can cost. Do you know, I saw a recent retail report that showed that American’s spend more money at Halloween than at any other time, with the exception of Christmas? This just strikes me as incredible. At the end of the celebration, what happens to all of those goods that are purchased? Do most people have anything to show for all of that spending? I get it. I mean Halloween can be a fun holiday. There is candy. Candy is probably a good enough reason (although there is … Continue reading

Save Money on Fall Decorations 2

In my previous post, I started sharing some ideas that I had for my fall decorating, and ideas about spending no money at all. Of course I recognize that I may need to pick up some additional items. So, in order to stay frugal and keep that money in the bank, there is a bit of smart shopping to do to get what I want and like without too much of the spending involved. Here are some of my favorite stores for fall decorations at a fraction of the cost. The first is Jo-Anns fabrics. If you happen to have … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: December 1st Through December 7th

By the first week in December I am almost ready with everything for the holidays–at least shopping wise. Of course there are always a few things to pick up here and there, hopefully frugally. December 1st Frugal Living Week in Review: November 24th Through November 30th How was your holiday? Was it a frugal one? In case you missed any of last week’s articles, here are the posts that were featured. December 2nd Frugal Month in Review: November 2008 November to be is the beginning of two things. The holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, and then there is winter. Despite … Continue reading

Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature 2

Isn’t it fun to decorate for the fall and upcoming holidays? I’ve done a little bit with a basket of mini pumpkins, a friendly scarecrow and some candles, but I am itching to do more. Some of my favorite decorating involves the use of natural materials. I covered some ideas for fall and holiday decorating with nature in an earlier post. Did you like that log idea? Now I’ll share some more suggestions for your home. With a heavy rain yesterday, I know that there are plenty of fallen twigs and small branches in my yard. One idea is to … Continue reading

Frugal Month in Review: October 2008

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot October has come and gone, but we can still enjoy fall and the celebration of Thanksgiving and all of the great joys of the season. Take a look back at all of the ways to save money that were featured last month. October 1st Frugal Halloween Costumes It is fall and Halloween is approaching fast, are you ready? What do the kids want to be? You can make some great homemade costumes … Continue reading

Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature

Have you ever considered using a cut log as a decorative element? This is just one of the many ideas I have for fall and holiday decorating with nature. Fall is a wonderful time for gathering the bounty around you and using it to decorate. And for the holidays, there is often nothing quite as homey and bringing a bit of the outdoors in. It gives a sense of that old fashioned Christmas we all dream about. I talked a little bit about using nature in yesterday’s post about centerpieces and decorative items, but let’s expand to cover little touches … Continue reading

Fall and Holiday Centerpiece and Decorating Ideas

Over the summer, Better Homes and Gardens published an idea for a nautical centerpiece that used an old lantern, some sea glass and a lemon. While it wasn’t exactly my style, I though the idea could really be adapted to fall and holiday decorating, especially with a few changes. The concept is very flexible, and you can adapt it to suit your own particular style. For example, why not substitute the nautical lamp for a hurricane lamp? This may give you a more homey, New England or country feel to the decor. Actually, any type of container that has some … Continue reading