Fun and Frugal Valentine’s Day Gifts

With some of these creative ideas, you’ll be able to get Valentine’s gifts for all of the sweethearts in your life. Make it fun and frugal. Valentine Gifts for Kids Sneakers with fun designs are in demand for girls right now. If you don’t want to spend $50 on one of these types of sneakers, make them yourself. Purchase an inexpensive pair of tennis shoes or other plain sneakers on sale. Then using fabric markers, add some fun Valentine’s designs. To make them really special, add the child’s name as well. Create a little card craft kit. First check with … Continue reading

Ideas for a Frugal New Year

Celebrate and ring in the New Year without breaking the annual budget. Here are some great ways that you can have fun and party like the prices were in 1999. There are plenty of inexpensive options for having a frugal New Year’s Even, whether you like to have a wild time out or just stay close to home to celebrate. Balloons are generally very inexpensive, especially if you skip the helium and just blow them up yourself. Check out the dollar store for colorful balloons and then put them everywhere: tied to the furniture or just all over the floor. … Continue reading

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments

Time for some festive little ornaments to sweeten up the house! As soon as Thanksgiving is over I need to get the house ready for Christmas, it’s a compulsion! This has to be the easiest cinnamon ornament recipe I’ve found and it works great. They smell wonderful, are easy to work with and last a long time. They are even more fun if you have a little helper or two. I like to make these at the beginning of the season to get the smells of the holidays going in the house, when you hang these every time someone walks … Continue reading

How to Save on Halloween Expenses

There is nothing spookier on Halloween than the prices of all of the stuff on your list. Here are some of the common Halloween expenses along with some strategies to help you save money. Hayrides and Haunted Houses Visiting your local hayride, haunted house or corn maze can be a lot of fun. If you have a larger family like mine, though, the cost of entrance can be a little daunting. To save money, check for coupons and discount days. You may be able to find out about these on the event website or through local businesses. Our favorite pizza … Continue reading

Gather These Holiday Things Now to Save

Don’t wait until right before Christmas if you want to save on decorations and gifts. There are several times throughout the year where items go on deep discount. These things are perfect for the holidays and will actually much more expensive in December. Here is your seasonal guide telling you what to gather for the holidays. New Years Grab all of those after Christmas specials when they reach 90 percent off and store them with your current items when you take down your Christmas tree and decorations. Don’t forget any shiny new year decorations that don’t have the year on … Continue reading

How to Take Advantage of After Easter Bargains

As soon as Easter Sunday rolls around, you’ll find all sorts of Easter-related products that are on deep discounts. Snap up the following items when they hit 75 percent off and use them in some creative ways. You’ll save money and get points for resourcefulness. Easter Baskets Baskets can be used for all sorts of things around the home, from gathering clothespins to holding houseplants. Some of my favorite ways to use easter baskets include corralling baby board books, holding diapers, as gift baskets for birthdays and baby showers, for desk supplies and even as stair catch-alls (for items that … Continue reading

Frugal Christmas Tree Ornaments

Christmas tree ornaments can certainly be expensive. A single ordinary ornament can cost on average $5! Many fancier ornaments cost up to $25! At these prices, you may have to chose between decorating your tree and paying your mortgage for the month. There are ways, of course, that you can decorate your Christmas tree without spending a lot of money. Try some of the following ideas. I’ve included generally ornaments and even some that would be great for a theme. Just think, you could have a designer tree without the designer prices. For no-fuss tree decorating, just hit your local … Continue reading

Home Month in Review: November 2008

Is your home ready for the holidays and winter? Now that November is over, it is time to gear up for the December ahead. Take a look at last months articles and see if there is anything you missed! November 1st Home Blog Month in Review: October As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. November 2nd Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature 2 Isn’t it … Continue reading

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 the fact that winter doesn’t officially start until next month, the fall seems to give way to the winter in November anyway. We had a day of snow already. Here is looking ahead to December and the end of the year! November 1st 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. November 2 … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: November 17th Through November 23rd

There has certainly been some good news about gas prices going down, but I don’t think that we are out of the woods just yet. Being good stewards of our resources is a necessity. Take a look at last week’s articles about Frugal Living. November 17th Frugal Living Week in Review: November 10th Through November 16th Job losses seem to be increasing to the point where I am hearing about more and more people that I know being laid off. But I am hopeful that things will turn around. Look for some future posts on dealing with some of these … Continue reading