4 Frugal and Free Easter Goodies for the Kids

Celebrate Easter and thrill your little ones all while still staying frugal. Like so many frugal practices, it not about doing without but in how you go about getting what you need. Even the Easter Bunny is tightening its belt these days, it seems. Here is some advice that will keep the Easter bunny on track no matter how many little ones he has to deliver to. Baskets If you don’t already have the baskets you need around your home, just get creative. An inexpensive sand bucket usually costs less than an Easter Basket and is a bonus toy that … 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

How I Saved on Birthday Goodie Bags

My daughter’s birthday party is this coming weekend. Naturally, she asked for a Disney princess theme again. I recently spotted color wonder kits in a princess theme for only $5 a piece. This seemed like a great bargain for goodies to hand out to the party goers (the kits normally go for $7.99 to $9.99 elsewhere), but when I added up the number of kits who would be attending, I found that it would cost me $5 times 15 kids (plus 3 more if I wanted to give my own kids goodie bags) for a minimum of $75. Ouch. Yes, … Continue reading

Anatomy of A Frugal Kid 2

I’m continuing my examination of a typical frugal kid, as he appeared this morning while waiting for the bus stop. You can see that it doesn’t take a lot of money to have a healthy and happy kid. If you missed the first post, click here: Anatomy of A Frugal Kid. Now, let us continue with the torso. In the backpack is a new lunch box that I purchased at the end of September for only $2. It is insulated and a name brand. In it, you’ll find a homemade lunch that includes items such as from scratch banana bread, … Continue reading

Anatomy of A Frugal Kid

If you dissect a frugal kid, what do all of the parts look like? Don’t worry, this isn’t some creepy Halloween story. In fact, it is just a way of taking a look at how we typically live our frugal life and how it doesn’t take a lot of spending for the care and feeding of a typical kid who is healthy and happy. I’ll take my eldest son as an example, on a typical morning waiting for the school bus. Head In his head are already thoughts of his holiday wish list. He says that he is thinking about … Continue reading

Frugal Living Month in Review: June 2008

What a happy month is June, filled with the renewal of spring and the promise of summer. In the last month, we have shared so many ideas for frugal living and saving money. This past month has seen some pretty big increases in food, gas and other items (look for an upcoming post about strawberries increasing more than 100 percent). Now more than ever, it is important to save money where we can. This is why I decided to do a month in review. June 2nd Frugal Living Review: May 26th Through June 1st Garage sale shopping has got to … Continue reading

Frugal School Supplies in July 3

School supplies can add up, so if you want to spend between $1.75 and $5.50 instead of between $25 and $28 for all of those pencils, notebooks and more (one friend told me she spends about $45 for back to school supplies), keep reading. There are two previous articles in this series: Frugal School Supplies in July and Frugal School Supplies in July 2. Well, we have our school supply list and are now ready to use it to grab the bargains. What is the first step and where can we get school supplies for pennies or for free? Let’s … Continue reading

Frugal School Supplies in July 2

I know you think I am crazy, but I have to say that my school shopping is almost done for this coming September. No, I am far from supermom, and I do have a life (or at least I think I do). Instead, I’ve been employing some strategies to help get the best deals possible on school supplies, and as a result, I am usually prepared long before that first bell rings after summer. Previously, I talked about what I do to get some frugal school clothes. Now, let’s talk about school supplies. These are all of the pencils, notebooks, … Continue reading

Frugal Living Review: June 23rd Through June 29th

From birthday parties and summer activities to doing the laundry, there are plenty of ways to save money in your life. The best way to be frugal? Read the Frugal Living Blog of course and put some or all of the advice into practice! June 23rd Frugal Goodie Bags Birthday parties for kids can be fun, although the cost of these parties can quickly add up. One of the costs that can quickly get out of hand are the goodie bags. Although some parents do get very elaborate with goodie bags (one family gave out $50 toy store gift cards … Continue reading

Frugal Goodie Bags

Birthday parties for kids can be fun, although the cost of these parties can quickly add up. One of the costs that can quickly get out of hand are the goodie bags. Although some parents do get very elaborate with goodie bags (one family gave out $50 toy store gift cards and tickets to the circus), even filling the bags with traditional small toys and candy can can add up. This coming Saturday, we are having a birthday party for my two boys, and we want to offer goody bags to the guests at the end of the party. We … Continue reading