Search Results for: blog home heating costs have you done the snow test

Affording Toys for the Holidays

If you are having a lean year, like many of us, you might have started getting concerned about the holidays and how you will be able to afford getting toys and other gifts for your children. Yes, we all know the real meaning of the holidays does not involve material gifts, but what parent doesn’t want the pleasure of giving toys to their children? This will be a two part series on affording toys for the holidays. As I look around our living room, which has been turned into a playroom for the kids, I feel blessed that we are … Continue reading →

Frugal Holiday Parties

The Holiday season will be here soon.Are you prepared for the expense of socializing? Here are some frugal tips to get your through it all with both the holiday fun and the budget in tact. I had a nice conversation with my mother-in-law last night. We started discussing what we were going to do about the upcoming holiday season and the Thanksgiving and Christmas get-together events. No one ever really wants to host either because of the work, and well, the expense. That is understandable, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Two words have gotten me through … Continue reading →

Smart Savings Solutions to Prepare for Winter

Many people tend to be in the deepest financial crisis in the winter months. This may be due to a few different factors and can be different for each family. Here are some common causes of a winter financial crisis as well as some smart savings solutions that you can get started on right now to prepare for winter and protect yourself. Causes of a winter financial crisis Illness With flu and cold season approaching, an illness could cause a financial crisis in more ways than one. Doctor visits, prescriptions and even hospitalization can take a toll on your finances. … Continue reading →

Telecommuting Can Be Frugal

Today we are still in the middle of that snowstorm. The snow is really piling up. After much deliberating to himself, my husband made the decision to work from home. Actually, it probably wasn’t much of a decision, since I doubt he would have made it through the roads anyway. I starting thinking about how frugal telecommuting is. If you haven’t taken advantage of your company’s telecommuting policy, you might want to consider it. Here are some ways that telecommuting can be frugal. Of course you know that working at home means that you won’t have to get to the … Continue reading →

How to Care for Your Roof

There is a reason that people talk about having “a roof over your head.” Roofs are one of the most important parts of a house. They keep you and your possessions safe and out of the elements. A problem with your roof could lead to problems through the rest of your house. Taking proper care of your roof is essential. Here are some things you need to know about how to care for your roof. Make sure that there is good ventilation in your eaves and attic. This can extend the life of your roof because there is a less … Continue reading →

Snow End in Site

Overnight and in the early morning, we got hit with a few fluffy gentle inches of snow. I decided to get the shovel and brush out and take care of the long driveway, the car and the steps, cleaning them up. Our house is situated downhill, and it is a minivan, which means that even with a little snow, it isn’t getting up the hill of the driveway. So, even though I am fighting a fever, a sore throat, aches and chills, I thought it was in our best interest to get it cleared. I did a combination technique of … Continue reading →

How to Buy a Generator 2

Tis the season to lose power as wintery winds, snow storms, and ice coat the land here in most of the country. At our house here in the woods, we tend to lose power at least four of five times a year. This can be very inconvenient, especially since losing power also means losing heat and water. Just two short weeks after we moved in to our home we purchased a generator. It was a very good investment. Here is a continuation of how you can choose your own household generator. Let’s talk about how much capacity you require from … Continue reading →

How to Buy a Generator

With snow and ice blanketing or threatening to blanket most of the country, it is important for home owners to be prepared. Being without power can mean living with out electricity, water and heat, and this could be deadly in some cases. One purchase that may be a good investment, depending on where you live, is a private generator that can replace your source of electricity when your power fails. There are different types of generators, from small portable ones for a few essential services to large whole home ones that automatically switch over in the event of a power … Continue reading →

Snow, Ice and Your Home

As you might have guessed by reading today’s Frugal Living post, I have snow and the snow in New Orleans on my mind. We’ve already had our first good snow this year, although it melted away a couple of days later. Still I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about snow and your home. When I was little, the windows in our apartment were so drafty that when it snowed, the snow would actually come in the windows and pile up in the corners of the windowsill. As a child, I thought it was great fun to make indoor … Continue reading →

Tips for Driving in the Snow, Frugally

With the news about Snow in New Orleans, it reminds me that being prepared for the snow is always a good thing. Many people skip preparing to drive in snowy weather. Special tires can be expensive, for example. But inevitably, you may find yourself out in the snow somewhere and stuck. Maybe you were still at work when the snow started to fall, or you had a doctor’s appointment or you needed to run out for milk. Whatever the case, take a look at the following tips to help you drive in the snow and do so frugally. First, it … Continue reading →