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Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family Part 2

Are you looking for some practical gift ideas for someone who is frugal? We are continuing with our brainstorming. If you missed the first post in this topic, click here to catch up: Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family. And, now on to some more ideas… Freezer bags or containers Chances are that a frugal family is buying in bulk and freezing ingredients and meals. And chances are also good that they may be using the same freezer bags over and over again. Give them the gift of freezer bags and containers to help them keep on track. Since this … Continue reading →

New Rule Closes the Loophole with the “Do Not Call List”

Don’t you hate it when unwanted telemarketing messages invade your home? We get at least two or three a week. Funny, because I thought being on the official “Do Not Call” list would eliminate unwanted telemarketing calls. The calls are even more annoying when they come prerecorded. They are also known as “robocalls.” As anyone who has heard it knows, I have been cursed or blessed with a naturally very soft-spoken voice that doesn’t usually get picked up clearly by answering machines or voice recognition systems unless I remember to actively project it. (I have this same problem talking on … Continue reading →

Preserving Mother’s Day Gifts

It is only a few days before Mother’s Day. Are you ready? One of the gifts that we usually give and get on Mother’s Day is flowers. Wouldn’t it be nice to preserve the gift to last longer than the few days before it wilts? How about preserving cards and other memories of the day? Here are some ideas. For cards and home made drawings, why not frame them and hang them on the wall. You can create a collage or pick one or two special paper memories and hang them in individual frames. One cute area for this is … Continue reading →

Frugal Ideas for Unwanted Gifts (2)

If you have some gifts that just weren’t a perfect fit, don’t worry. You can use these tips to take advantage of having those gifts, even if they weren’t exactly what you wanted. Don’t just throw those gifts in a drawer, closet or basement, never to be seen again. Use them frugally! This is the second part of the earlier article: Frugal Ideas for Unwanted Gifts (1). In that article, we talked about two ideas for those unwanted gifts, now we’ll follow up with three more ideas: Exchange, Sell and Donate. Here we go. Exchange Having an exchange is a … Continue reading →

Frugal Ideas for Unwanted Gifts (1)

Did santa miss the mark on a gift or two? Maybe you really wanted a mixer instead of a Hermes bag or vice versa? Your first instinct might be to stuff the item in the closet, basement and garage and forget about it until the next time you decide to clean one of those areas. But, there are plenty of frugal ways to deal with gifts that are less than perfect and save yourself some money. If you have an unwanted gift, you can do one of the following things: Re-gift Return Exchange Sell Donate. I’ll offer the hows and … Continue reading →

Money Saving Ways to Prepare for Christmas Now!

Yes, the summer is still here, and temperatures may still be in the 90s or higher, but it is a perfect time to start making some preparations for Christmas right now. From gifts and decorations to food and entertainment, making the right moves now will be big savings during one of the toughest seasons for the budget. Stock up on the following items during the summer and fall, while you still can. Fresh Produce You’ll get the best prices on fresh produce right now, thanks to the bounty of late summer. Blueberries, strawberries, cherries, corn and other fruit and vegetables … Continue reading →

Be A Good Houseguest

Are you having houseguests for the holidays? I love having company almost as much as I love being company. Mostly because I get to visit with people that I don’t see that often and if I go to their home I get a real glimpse of their world. It makes it easier to imagine the things they tell me about once I’m back home. However, houseguests are not always everyone’s favorites, and it’s usually because of a bad experience with houseguests in the past. If you want to be invited back there are a few simple rules to follow follow: … Continue reading →

Overhaul Your Scrapbook Space

Part of my New Year’s ritual is to purge my home of unwanted and unnecessary goods. I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions, but this annual pre-spring cleaning ceremony comes pretty close to the formal promises people make at the beginning of a new year. I take one room or fraction of a room at a time. The process takes a few weeks, but by the time I am done my home is much more organized. Currently, I am working on overhauling my scrapbooking space. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to organize your space. After … Continue reading →

Gift Card Tips

Chances are pretty good that you got or gave at least one gift card this holiday season. That is because this year it was one of the most popular gifts. According to the National Retailers Federation, though, a good chunk of those cards will go to waste. That is because about 10 percent of all gift cards are never redeemed. This is one of the reasons that retail stores love gift cards. They are paid for up front, but not always exchanged for goods. This is like giving money to the stores for free. You won’t throw money away, would … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Earn Extra Money for Christmas without Getting a Job

It will be here before you know it. Already my kids are making their wish lists, and the stores are starting their holiday sales. As I mentioned before, our Christmas tree is more like a “couple of sticks with some green toothpicks on it,” as my son describes, and there is extra tithing and charity. All of these things aren’t normally in the budget. That is why we are employing some strategies to earn a little extra money this year. Some effort now will help avoid great debt later. Because our schedules are already packed tight with kids and work, … Continue reading →