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Frugal Ways to Entertain Your Kids this Summer

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Summer vacation is a time that most children excitedly look forward to. It is easy to see why. They get a whole lot of free time! Parents are going to need some frugal ideas for fun activities that will entertain their children. Here are a few ideas to try. Bubbles Little kids cannot get enough of bubbles! You can pick up small bottles of bubbles, complete with bubble wand, from a dollar store. Check the dollar racks at Target, too. Parents can sit down outdoors and blow bubbles that their toddlers will chase. Older kids can blow bubbles on their … Continue reading →

Frugal Food: Make Your Own Chewy Granola Bars

My kids are crazy for those chewy granola bars. They love to take them with their school lunches or to the park when they might need a snack. They are very convenient to have. Unfortunately, the price of chewy granola bars has been rising, all while the amount you get in a package has been shrinking. Combine that cost with the unsavory ingredients in some of them (“natural” versions are even more expensive), it only makes sense to create my own homemade version. I experimented with a number of recipes but wound up settling on one that uses honey as … Continue reading →

Six Critical Skills for Frugal and Eco-Friendly Kids

These are frugal times, and these are times when environmental consciousness is rising. How can you prepare your kids to live as adults when times are more frugal and much more ecologically conscious? This generation of parents has lost a lot of the skills that our grandparents had. I know I have, and I’m trying to regain them. Here are six ways that you can help your children become frugal adults. By modeling these skills and allowing your kids to help, you’ll give them great know-how for the future. Preparing Food Prepared food is something that is easy for kids … Continue reading →

Money-Saving Mom Moves

School starts here in just a few weeks. Never mind that Target and Wal-Mart erected their school supply displays on the day after Fourth of July. “Mommy, is summer over?” my 7-year-old asked as we strolled by the cases of new pencils, pens and binders on JULY 5th. For weeks, I’ve resisted going near those aisles. I’m dreading having to dig deep to purchase all new supplies, plus uniforms, shoes, and the 17,000 other accessories that students need to tackle a new academic year. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to snap out of my denial phase pretty soon. Sure, my … Continue reading →

Frugal and Natural Home Remedies

I love natural home remedies for everything from coming down with a cold to stomach cramps. These natural remedies can be pretty inexpensive, too. The next time you need to heal, grab the solution right from your own pantry. Chances are that you already have everything that you need on hand. Starting a Cold Who doesn’t dread that classic tickle in your throat, the swollen feeling that tells you that you are about to come down with a cold? To sooth inflamed tissues, loosen mucus before it takes hold and flush out irritants or bacteria that can make you sick, … Continue reading →

Frugal Things to Do with Coffee Grounds

Wait, don’t throw those used coffee grounds away. There are many things you can do with coffee grounds. Why waste something that can be put to work for you for free? Keep Bugs Away Coffee grounds can be used as a natural way to keep ants and slugs off of your garden plants. Mound up the grounds and form them into a ring around your plants. The bugs won’t cross the ring. Deodorize Dry the grounds first and then place a bowl of them in your refrigerator. The coffee grounds will absorb stray odors from food and keep everything fresh … Continue reading →

Putting it Together: Blogging Tips Part 2

Baker’s Dozen, Continued Short Posts are Best: Format your posts to be attractive to the reader. The reader is looking for a post that has the most content and the fewest words. Blog posts should not go beyond 600 words. A good post should run about 300 words. Most readers will click off a post if they see endless words. Break it up with images, highlighted quotes or text, bullet points, bolded statements or phrases, and/or numbered points. Call to Action: What do you want your reader to do? Do you want your reader to follow you, subscribe, comment or … Continue reading →

Gamestop Removes Coupon, Sells Game Anyway

Gamestop has done something that frugal people who appreciate the value of a good coupon will consider to be downright vile. They opened brand new boxes of a video game, removed the coupon that was supposed to be inside it, and then sold the game for the full, “new” price! It seems that you cannot be certain that the coupon that is supposed to be inside a product will actually be there. Gamestop sells new and used video games. They call the used ones “pre-owned”. Theoretically, you can bring in used copies of games that you, your spouse, or your … Continue reading →

Frugal Ways to Clean Marble

In a previous blog I provided tips on how to clean marble countertops. While there are a number of repuatble commercial cleaners that do wonders to revive dulled or scrathced marble surfaces, there are also a few very inexpensive alternatives that can help get your countertops looking new again. Cornstarch: Standard cornstarch is a saving grace when you have marble countertops. The household staple works wonders to absorb grease and oil spills before they stain your marble counters. Simply use a dry rag or some paper towels to soak up excess grease or oil, then sprinkle cornstarch liberally over the … Continue reading →

How to Save Money When You Move

The real estate season usually peaks in the summer, which means that many families are either getting ready to move or have just moved to a new home. There is a lot of expense involved with moving. But with these tips, you can save hundreds of dollars. Moving Supplies and Services Moving can be a big expense; from closing costs or deposits to the price of movers, it starts to add up. We, ourselves, are in the middle of the moving chaos. We’ve found our perfect home and are waiting to sell our current one. Check out: The Frugal Move: … Continue reading →