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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 Is as Frugal Does

Life may be a like a box of chocolates, but for the really frugal minded, those chocolates were half price and purchased with a coupon. Pick a random group of 25 people and ask them what it means to be frugal and how they make choices to be good stewards of their money. Chances are that you will get a lot of different answers all across the board concerning frugality and saving money. It tends to mean different things to different people. I recently read an article in a national women’s magazine about a family that decided to be frugal, … Continue reading →

A Child’s Self Esteem and the Frugal Life

My daughter came home the other day from a doll playdate. The girls all brought their 18-inch dolls, you know the American Girl Doll kind. My daughter does have a real American Girl Doll, given to her on her birthday after more than four years on her wish list and some creative saving. She is fond of that doll, and has never once complained about the fact that it is her only one (it is not unusual for her peers to have three or four of these dolls as well as all of the accessories). She did complain though that … Continue reading →

Why We Started Gardening for Food

After many years of talking about it, we are actually going to put in a food garden. This is a big step for us. I’m originally from Queens, NY, and my husband is from Joisey (new Jersey). There isn’t a lot of gardening going on there (although New Jersey is the self-proclaimed garden state). It is time, though, with food prices going higher, and our desire to eat organic produce, we can’t put it off any longer. The initial investment of putting in a garden should pay off for our family for years. We are going to start out small … Continue reading →

Why Cash Might Be the Best Gift

Some people feel uncomfortable giving cash as a gift. That was never a problem in my family. In every Italian-American family wedding I’ve been to, the bride carries around a little purse just for the purpose. The envelopes get oohed and ahhed over more than does the sauce maker or the set of bed sheets. I do understand, however, that many people aren’t comfortable giving cash. They often opt for gift cards instead. A recent survey shows that people like getting gift cards, too. According to the 2012 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey, about six out of ten people would like … Continue reading →

The Best Frugal Treats

It is okay to indulge yourself a bit and still stay on budget. Here are some of the best ideas for frugal (read inexpensive) treats that will make you smile. Something for the Tastebuds Go ahead an purchase a small piece of an expensive chocolate, an exotic spice, a favorite take out item (such as an egg roll or the best fries in the world) or whatever will make your tastebuds sing. It will feel like an indulgence but costs much less than a dinner out. Something for the Senses Indulging your senses can feel like a luxury, and you … Continue reading →

Frugal Protein Sources

Unfortunately, it is a fact right now that food prices are continuing to rise, and the experts are telling us that it is going to get worse before it gets better, if it ever does get better. Although most food is effected by the current food price hikes, the cost of protein sources is particularly worrisome. Meat prices had already been high, and now with the drought will get even higher. Peanut butter, a once inexpensive source of protein, has now gotten more expensive and may no longer be the best choice when you are on a limited budget. This … Continue reading →

Why I Rarely Spend Money on Bathroom Products

Some people put in line items for bathroom products, cleaning products and then groceries. Usually, we lump all of these expenses together, since I most often buy groceries and cleaning products at the same time. I was thinking about bathroom products, though, all of those shampoos, soaps, body wash, etc., and curious about how much we spend. With the exception of some special toothpaste because of one child’s allergy, we really don’t spend much money on bathroom products. In fact, I can’t recall the last time that we did. So how do I get away with hardly spending anything on … Continue reading →

Have a Frugal Cinco de Mayo

Are you throwing a Cinco de Mayo party this week? Why not save some money at the same time? Here are some tips on how you can have a fun but frugal Cinco de Mayo. Buy Supplies in Bulk Skip the party store for most of your supplies and head over to a warehouse store, such as BJs, Costco or Sam’s Club to do your shopping. You can buy everything from paper products to appetizers in bulk and cut down on the cost to feed your crowd. Many times you can get a one-day pass to these warehouse stores in … Continue reading →

Why Price Matching and Comparing Prices Just Got Harder

Being able to compare prices using smart phone price checking apps or searching online for the best price offer great ways to save on your purchases. When stores price match on the same items, you can save even more. Just show an ad or an online price to the store and they will often match it or beat it by a certain percentage. The problem is that these methods don’t always work. Why? Well for a simple reason that retail stores don’t want them too. Take, in point, two of my personal cases. In one case, I wanted to have … Continue reading →