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The Leftovers Shelf

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Don’t you just hate rummaging through the refrigerator and coming across leftovers that you have completely forgotten about? Has something like this every happened to you? You are looking for something to eat and you stumble across an old Tupperware filled with some almost-unidentifiable dish. Upon further examination, you discover that it must be lasagna, although you can’t even remember the last time it was that you made lasagna. How do some of our leftovers go unnoticed for that long? And how much money is thrown away every time you clean out your fridge of old food? We obviously have … Continue reading →

Does It Cost More for a Homemade Lunch?

I started out making homemade lunches for my first-born child for financial reasons. It just seemed cheaper that way than to buy lunch from the cafeteria. Years later, all of my kids still pack their lunch bags every day. They actually prefer it because they don’t have to spend time waiting in a cafeteria line or trying to decide on food they might not like. A friend of mine agrees with the preference but not with the cost. She says she winds up spending more money when her kids pack a lunch compared to when they buy it at school. … Continue reading →

End of Month Spending Check

Tomorrow is the last day of the month, and it is time to do an end-of-month spending check. In January, I have been focusing on groceries and food, keeping track of our spending in those areas and saving as much as I can. Writing down what I spend on each trip to the grocery store has helped. While I still don’t have a lot of coupon use, I’m paying more attention to the sales and not buying things that we don’t need, purchasing more fruit and less snacks for example. This has made a difference. I’ve also been more conscious … Continue reading →

To Santa or Not to Santa?

The Thanksgiving turkey has been enjoyed and we are now digging into the leftovers. Christmas trees are for sale at roadside farm stands. Town centers have put up lights and wreaths. It is the Christmas season, and for parents of small children, one common question is whether or not to take their children to the mall (or elsewhere) for the ubiquitous photo with Santa Claus. When I was a child, my sister and I went to see Santa at the mall almost every year. I am not sure how young we were the first time, and I am not sure … Continue reading →

Spring Scrapbook Purge

Have you seen the TLC show “Hoarders”? I’ve watched bits and pieces of several episodes, but have never sat down to watch a full show. Of course, you don’t need to sit through an entire hour to see that the people featured on the series have serious psychological problems that center on material goods. Whenever I watch the show I feel the need to purge all corners of my home, including my craft corner. Regular readers of this blog know that I don’t have a huge scrapbooking space. What’s more, I don’t have the budget to purchase huge quantities of … Continue reading →

Save Your Gift Bags

If you are pregnant with your first baby, you’re probably going to be given at least one baby shower by your friends or family. At least in my experience, almost everyone brings their gift in a gift bag instead of wrapping it in paper, which means you are going to go home with dozens of cute baby-themed gift bags. Don’t you dare throw them away, either… Gift bags are one of these things that can be easily reused. The most obvious way to reuse a gift bag is to use it when giving a gift to someone else. I gently … Continue reading →

Storing Books – Part 2

When it comes to storing books, some people have them arranged by genre as we do. Others have them arranged alphabetically by author. Still others find the shelf height dictates how books will be stored, so they are sorted by size. For this reason a bookcase with adjustable shelves is ideal. Most of our bookcases, and we have a number, have one middle shelf which is fixed and the others are adjustable. It saves the problem of having a large book and nowhere to put it. In our home, books are housed in the family room, lounge room, spare bedroom … Continue reading →

Is Angel Food Ministries a Good Frugal Choice

I was recently turned onto Angel Food Ministries by someone who needed to stretch their food bill and found it a good deal. Angel Food Ministries distributes boxes of foods with a full week’s menu valued at about $65.00 for $30.00. The service meets their requirements to feed their family on a small budget. As a frugal person, but not necessarily needy, I have been pondering whether using Angel Food Ministries is a good idea. Here are some of the conclusions I have come to. If I am not necessarily needy, is it right to use Angel Food Ministries? Angel … Continue reading →

Frugal Picnic Night

One of the favorite activities that my kids like to do as a family is also economical. Recently, I’ve made it even more frugal. Here is what we did last night and how we had a fun time for pennies. When the weather warms up, my kids are always clamoring for the park. One fun way to enjoy the park and get out of a warm house is to visit the park around dinner time. We eat dinner on one of the picnic benches, and then after dinner is done, mom and dad pack up while the kids play on … Continue reading →

How to Clean Out Your Fridge

If the cheese is walking across the shelf on its knees and the peas are covering themselves in a fuzzy fleece blanket, then it just may be time to clean out the refrigerator. Here is what you need to know about the tools and tips that will make the job easier than you might think. Assemble the masses Some people prefer to go it alone when cleaning out the fridge, but it can be helpful to have at least one helping hand. Designate a helper to toss things into the trash as you hand them out, or dry the glass … Continue reading →