They also added a formula at the bottom of the infographic for you to calculate how much electricity you use and how much your appliances are costing you.  

Love our infographics? ~See more infographics now ~

by Alvina Lopez

The holidays, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas, are wonderful times of togetherness and magic, but they are also particularly expensive for you and your family. With gift lists, travel plans, family dinners, and a hundred other related holiday expenses, it’s no surprise that many people start thinking about how to save a few bucks here and there during the holidays.

If you’re looking to save some money in the holidays, why not start at home?

1. Check the ‘Stat

The thermostat, that is: one the best ways to save money is to tightly control your heating and air-conditioning. An efficient way to handle the heating is to keep the temperature around 68 while you are awake, and lowering or turning it off when you sleep. Remember, you can always pile on more blankets.

You can save about one percent for every degree lower you keep your house as long as you keep the temperature constant for at least eight hours. The same is true in the summer, except that you keep your house warmer instead of cooler to save money.

2. Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are great air circulators, and also will save you money on your energy bill, as they take less electricity to run. In the winter you can reduce your heating costs by around 10% by turning your fan on in a clockwise rotation (clockwise creates an updraft, which pushes hot air back down to the floor), and in the summer that number jumps up to 40% when you keep fans running counterclockwise. So become a fan!

3. In Hot Water

Washing machines use a considerable amount of energy, but will use considerably less when you wash with cold instead of hot water — up to 90%! Furthermore, air-drying your clothes rather than using your dryer will both reduce your energy bill and preserve your clothes longer and better than the dryer.

4. Skirt the Draft

Any crack, seam, or opening in your house that leaks air will let in a cold draft in winter, and put a greater strain on your heater, and, by extension, your wallet. The best way to avoid this leakage is to seal and caulk any place that lets in air. Also, you should use weather stripping around windows and doors if they are cold air culprits.

Proper insulation in your house (and in your ducts) can make your air conditioning system more efficient and can save on your energy bill.

5. Get in the HoLEDay Spirit

Ok, that was a bad joke, but is still good advice. LED Christmas lights can last up to 100,000 hours and use less energy than traditional decorative lights.

Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank. Follow these tips to keep your spirits high and your wallet thick during the holidays.

Alvina Lopez is a freelance writer and blog junkie who blogs at Accredited Online Colleges.

The following guest post was contributed by Andy at Saving Up, a comparison website where people in Australia can find a savings account as well as helpful tips on saving money. 

There is no denying that Christmas is one of the most expensive times of the year. From loved ones to coworkers and many others, buying gifts is a large part of the holiday season. Unfortunately, it is easy to spend more money than your budget allows. Here are 10 tips that can help you get through the Christmas holiday on a budget!

10 Tips to Get Through Christmas on a Budget

1. Set a budget: This is an obvious tip, but one that many people overlook. If you don’t have a budget written out there is a good chance that you will break the bank and find yourself in a bad financial situation. Note: write your budget on paper so you can track your spending to ensure that you are staying on track.

   Editor’s Note: Use our free Christmas Shopping List Budget Planner to plan all your Christmas gift shopping.

2. Resist the urge: There is nothing better than giving great gifts for Christmas, but who says you have to spend a lot in order to make the recipient happy? You may get the urge to overspend, but you must ignore this as you continue to shop.
3. Shop online: Online prices are often much cheaper than those at local stores. Along with this, many online stores offer free shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas day. When you add together these benefits, it is easy to see why a large number of people do all of their shopping online.
4. Use coupons as often as possible: You can find coupons and promotions in your local newspaper as well as online. It doesn’t matter where you find your coupons, as long as you are using them as a means for saving money. If you take the time to search far and wide for the best coupons, you may be able to save money on every purchase you make.
5. Comparison shopping is a must: Regardless of what you are buying, it is safe to say that more than one store sells the item. By comparison shopping, you can be 100 percent sure that you are getting the best deal. Even if you only save a few dollars, this can really add up over the course of the holiday shopping season.
6. Don’t be in a hurry: Many consumers rush out to local stores on Black Friday in search of the best deals. While there is nothing wrong with this, you don’t want to jump the gun. If you do this, you could miss out on some of the better deals that are sure to come available as the holiday closes in.
7. Make your own gifts: This is truly one of the best ways to save money on holiday gifts. Are you the creative type? Do you know somebody who loves homemade gifts? If you answered yes to these questions, you should consider making a few gifts. This can be anything from a homemade Christmas wreath to a batch of your famous chocolate chip cookies.
8. Suggest a “grab bag” for your family or group of friends: With this, you and everybody else who participates are only responsible for buying one gift. This is by far one of the best and easiest ways to save money without looking cheap. Remember, you are not the only person who is interested in staying on budget during the holiday season. You may find that others are trying to save just as much money as you.
9. Avoid using credit cards, if possible: It is very easy to overspend when using a credit card. After all, the money is not coming out of your bank account and you have a near endless supply (based on your credit limit). The last thing you want is a huge credit card bill showing up in your mailbox sometime during the month of January. If this happens, you will look back at your spending and wonder what went wrong. But sometimes, you just have to use a card. If you’ve run up a large balance, be sure to apply for an interest-free balance transfer at the earliest possible opportunity to save more money.
10. Be realistic: It is important to set a budget for Christmas spending. At the same time, it is essential that you are realistic. For example, if you say you will only spend $2 on every person on your list you are setting yourself up for failure. Set a realistic budget so that you have a realistic chance of meeting your expectations.

Do you want to guest post on Home Ever After?  Submit your guest post here.

Save Money on Heating Fuel Overnight

While brainstorming ways to save money on heating fuel costs this winter, one of the ideas that my husband and I came up with was to lower our thermostat at night while the family is sleeping.

We’d have to make an initial investment by purchasing new bedding and warm sleepwear, but would recover the money invested in fuel savings.  But would we really save money on heating fuel?

The answer is yes, and you can too.  Let’s break down the rationale behind bulking up to cut down.

SAVE MORE: 5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Live a Frugal Life

Is Bedding Really an Investment?

You may be wondering, "Is it a good move to spend money on bedding and warm sleepwear in the hopes of saving on heating costs?"  You bet!

The money spent on these supplies is a one-time investment, meaning you pay one time and you have something permanently.  Money spent on heating is not a one-time expense, but a recurring expense.

SAVE MORE: 13 Ways to Save Energy and Cut Utility Bills

That means if you pay to have heat today, you have heat today only.  If you don’t pay tomorrow, you don’t have heat tomorrow.  With this in mind, we can see that making a one-time investment now in warmer supplies will allow you to lower your heating costs forever. What a winning equation!

Invest:  "To put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value."

-Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc.

Learning What Our Parents Figured Out About Heating Costs

This isn’t the first time people have been concerned about saving on heating costs, and we can learn a lot from looking back about 30 years in the history books.  During the oil crisis of the 1970s, families were using similar strategies to reduce their use of heating fuel.  President Carter spoke publicly about reducing thermostat temperatures.

Zolton Cohen at HowStuffWorks wrote a great article about this very subject called "How to Conserve Energy at Home".  In it he said,

"Because space heating constitutes the largest energy expenditure in many homes, even a little conservation of heating fuel goes a long way toward achieving a lower utility bill. Dialing down the thermostat one degree during the winter can result in about 1 to 3 percent less fuel use, and a similar reduction in your heating bill."

1% to 3% may not seem like much of a savings for sacrificing 1 degree of heat, but remember that the price of heating oil is currently $4 per gallon and is estimated to reach $7 per gallon mid-winter!  This outrageous heating fuel price is forcing hundreds of families where I live (in Alaska) to sell their homes and move to warmer locations.  It’s a matter of survival; they simply can’t afford heating fuel any longer.

SAVE MORE: Top Energy Wasters in Your Home

With that in mind, every degree people can sacrifice will return great savings in energy costs and will definitely be worth it!

Zohan continued,

"A furnace or boiler has to maintain a differential in temperature between the inside of the house and the outdoors in order for the house to feel comfortable. On cold days that difference can be as much as 50 to 60 degrees (say, 20 outside and 70 inside). Any time the differential can be reduced, even by a degree or two, the heating system comes on less often, less fuel is burned, and savings result. The downside of turning down a thermostat, of course, is that the house is cooler. But Carter had a solution for that — simply slip on a sweater. That makes sense, too. Instead of turning up the heat to increase the overall warmth in the huge volume of space inside the house, you can simply increase your personal insulation to help retain body heat.

"Though dialing down might seem a hardship at first, after a while your body will adjust to the "new normal" house temperature and wearing sweaters and socks inside will become a part of everyday life."

The Ice-Simmons Family Turns Down the Heat

To put this strategy into action,  my family would have to do certain things before implementation:

• Buy additional comforters and blankets for everyone’s beds
• Buy and switch to flannel sheets
• Buy warmer socks and pajamas for all family members
• Teach toddler son to sleep under a blanket (he squirms around the toddler bed all night)
• Convince daughter to sleep under covers (she doesn’t like to make her bed in the morning, so she tries to sleep on top of the covers!)
• Convince family to sleep wearing socks

After completing the six steps listed above, we would be able to gradually turn down the thermostat at night to save on heating fuel.  So yesterday I went to Walmart, armed with a budget of $200 and determined to come home with warm blankets for every bed.

SAVE MORE: Top 13 Free Things to Stop Paying For Now!

Bedding Supplies Needed to Save on Heating Fuel  

The blankets and comforters were very reasonably priced, allowing me to come in under budget.  A down alternative blanket was the choice for mom and dad’s bed; cost: $33.

For my daughter’s blankets, I chose a comforter in queen size for her twin bed.  A queen comforter can be folded in half to exactly fit the width of a twin-size bed.  Effectively, for the $29 the comforter cost, she got two layers of blanket.

The same strategy was followed for our toddler son, with a $29 twin size Batman comforter wrapped around and underneath his toddler bed mattress.  Flannel sheets were also reasonably priced at approximately $20 per set.

I didn’t purchase any pajamas or socks that day, since I’m planning to catch the next sleepwear sale for flannel PJs for the family.  It helps to keep an eye out at the thrift store for kids’ warm sleepwear as well.

I’ll be watching for girls’ flannel pajamas and footed sleepers for toddlers at our local Value Village, hoping to add a few extra sets of pajamas to the kids’ jammies drawers.  As fast as kids grow, you should never be afraid to shop second-hand for children’s clothing.

SAVE MORE: How to Save 90% on Kids Clothes

All in all, we spent approximately $140 dollars on winter bedding for a family of four.  Not too shabby.  I anticipate spending another $30-$40 on heavyweight pajamas and socks, making our total expenditure $200.  We slept in our newly-insulated beds last night, and the whole family gave rave reviews!

Our thermometer went down 3 degrees last night, and everyone was warmer in their beds than on a normal night.  We were warmer even though the house was colder!

The "investment" made in warm blankets and sleepwear for your family is an expense you can feel good about.  Know that you will see those dollars come back to you almost immediately in the heating savings you’ll realize.

Warm blankets can be a good investment when you reduce your thermostat to save money on heating fuel overnight!

Reader, Suzi “PlainSister” wrote in:

“We heat and cook with wood, no backup, and do not heat our bedrooms at all. We have found that the fleece blankets with the longer nap used as sheets increase the warmth considerably, much better than flannel.

We also use a down/feather blanket over it and sleep warm and comfy. The down alternative blanket works well when the temps are not so cold at night.

We also live in the mountains between 6 and 7 thousand feet, so the nights are pretty chilly year round and the fleece for sheets works for every season. It is so much cheaper to live as we do rather than have to buy propane.

We live in an area that can get snowed in for months and there would be no way for the propane trucks to get in to fill tanks.”

Photos courtesy of stock.xchng.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

For the last few years I’ve been hearing more and more about Branson, Missouri as the place to take your family for vacation. Granted, I’d never really thought of Missouri as a vacation spot until I learned about all the great family things to do in Branson.

The biggest attraction in Branson for me is one I haven’t been to yet, but can’t wait to visit with my husband and our 4 kids. This center of family fun is a theme park like no other: Silver Dollar City!

I first found out about this spectacular theme park when the Duggar family on the Discovery channel took a televised family vacation to Silver Dollar City. The Duggars went to the culinary school inside the park and got to witness old-style baking and their kids got to sample the fresh baked goodies.

The Duggars’ trip to Branson and Silver Dollar City (which I was living vicariously through them during their experience) was such good, wholesome fun for their whole family and the weather was wonderful!

Silver Dollar City is a pioneer town, basically. It’s set in the 1880s and everything is set up just as if you had traveled back in time to the pioneer days. My favorite parts of the experience were the demos; they do regular craft demonstrations for how to make things as they were made in the 1880s. They show how to make nails, bake bread, etc. using pioneer skills and tools.

Plus, Silver Dollar City also has the regular theme park bits and pieces, like roller coasters, shows, and restaurants. I can’t wait to take my kids to this gorgeous park in the Ozarks or Branson and experience the “olden days”!

Since I travel a lot for conferences, there’s always a chance I’ll get to go to Branson that way (that is if the conference planners get smart and choose the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel as the location!).

Branson may well be the hottest fall vacation spot, just because of the abundance of things to do and the family-focused activities all around the area. It would be a fun Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday trip for the family and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing even has special Santa Claus package for Christmas priced for a family of 4. Plus, they have a shopping package so you can fit in your holiday shopping while you get a little R&R.

The hotel’s famous Level 2 Steakhouse has local 28 day aged beef from Kansas City, prepared to perfection in their 1600 degree radiant heat oven. I’d sure like to have that in my kitchen to roast my turkey! Speaking of turkey, Level 2 has a special Thanksgiving brunch with fantastic local food from Newman Farms.

They also offer the “Turkey to Go” deal, where you can stay in and have Level 2 prepare your turkey meal to feed a family of four for $79.95. What a luxurious way to treat your family to a relaxing holiday meal without having the stress, mess, and bustle of preparing all the food yourself!

If I could manage a fall getaway to Branson this year, I’d definitely fit in a trip to the Titanic Museum and catch the water fountain show with choreographed music, lights, and pyrotechnics (fire). Branson may just be the hottest fall vacation spot to get your fall holiday family fun started!

The main reason that my frugality varies is that my priorities change from time to time, plain and simple. When I’m pregnant, I spend more money on things that make my life easier and save me time, such as paper plates for the family to use to save time on doing dishes. While I realize that buying paper plates costs more than simply using my regular dishes, I also realize that I can’t spend as much physical energy right now and that saving my time is a better option for me right now.

I love to save money on groceries and stock up with coupons and sales, but I don’t always have the time to shop or space in my pantry to store items. Sometimes I’m more frugal than others, and sometimes I save more than others, and that’s okay!

Your frugality is personal and you’ll never be the same as anyone else, so give yourself a break and stop comparing! Even when it seems that all the other frugal bloggers are making everything homemade for their families (homemade bread, homemade dishwashing detergent, homemade baby food), I remember that not everyone can maintain the same level of frugality or self-sufficiency ALL the time. It’s natural for things to go in waves, just like the natural rhythm of our everyday lives.

The truth is you can be as frugal as you want to be, and never feel guilty! Just give yourself credit for the frugal education you have and the frugal efforts you make, and remember that every once in a while it’s okay to take it easy. you deserve it!

We originally published As Frugal as You Want to Be on November 5, 2009.  This post is linked to Frugal Friday, 11th Heaven, and Works for Me Wednesday.

1. Potato crusted cod (x 4 fillets) $8.00 sale priced: This cod comes ready to cook in the seafood department at Fred Meyer.

2. Green Giant broccoli and potatoes $3.45: Bagged with cheese sauce, you can find these quick veggies in the frozen aisle to cook in the microwave.

3. 1 stalk of fresh broccoli $1.50: This fresh broccoli got chopped up and mixed in with the Green Giant veggies to stretch it even further.

4. Rice (2 cups before cooked) $.25: Our rice costs hardly anything since we buy it in bulk bags at Sam’s Club. Rice is a frugal ingredient that can be added to many meals to stretch it without adding a lot of cost.

Total dinner for 4 = $13.20 or $3.30 per person.

This is by far more expensive than our meals normally are, but 1) fast and convenient is important right now, and 2) we don’t usually eat seafood. Our nightly total for a dinner is usually around $5-$8 for the whole family. Remember also that we live in Alaska where groceries, even bought on sale and combined with coupons, are significantly higher than elsewhere in the United States.

This fast budget meal was quick to cook also: I put the rice in the rice cooker, fish in the oven, and veggies in the microwave, and turned them on. I was able to set the table and feed the baby while dinner cooked itself!

Challenge yourself to put together some fast but more-frugal-than-fast-food dinner meals for nights when you don’t have time to cook. You’ll be glad you did!

(Get more Works for me Wednesday here.)

Never fear!  We’ve got the perfect prep for you before going garage sale shopping with your kids.  The checklist below represents a well-stocked car which is ready to keep your kids fed, entertained, and happy while you scour the yard sales for deals.

Garage Sale Shopping with Kids: The Well-Stocked Car Checklist

• Coffee in travel mugs for mom and dad
• Bug spray (mosquito repellent)
• Sunscreen
• Emergency snack bag
• Baby wipes for sticky hands and faces
• Extra change of clothes for each child
• Diapers / pull ups
• Potty chair (if you have a potty training toddler) and plastic grocery bags for potty liners
• Small portable stroller (for a child too tired to walk)
• Reusable shopping bags (to hold all of your purchases and keep them from rolling all over the car)
• Bottles and formula (if you have babies) or nursing cover if you are breastfeeding
• Sunglasses for each child
• Travel bingo game for the kids to play together
• Neck pillows and baby blankets for quick snoozes
• A mini backpack for each child filled with:
  1. A few small toys
  2. A small book
  3. Crayons and color book (only if you trust them not to lose crayons in the car where they might melt)
  4. 2 snacks and a juice box or water bottle
  5. A few quarters to use as their “shopping allotment” for buying goodies

Print this checklist out and keep it in the garage to make an easy project of stocking up the car for your next garage sale day with the family!

Disclaimer:  HOmeEverAfter.com contains affiliate links and readers may assume that HomeEverAfter.com receives compensation when affiliate links are used.

Click here to get free tips, recipes, and coupons from Right at Home.

Right @ Home by Pledge is a newsletter put out by SC Johnson, and they frequently email out coupons for home and cleaning products.  Best of all- it’s free!

I love to collect after-holiday deals at deep discounts, which is how I found this cute holiday item (pictured at left) for 90% off.

JoAnn Fabrics put all their remaining holiday items on clearance for 90% off, and I was able to get this gingerbread man trivet which I had been looking at during Christmas time.

The trivet was normally priced at $6.99, so at 90% off I paid only 69 cents!  What a steal of a deal.  I can’t wait to use this festive trivet on my holiday table next season.

Wondering what in the world a trivet is anyway?  Read about it here:  What is a Trivet?

Get more Super Saturday Savings at Money Saving Mom!

It’s a joyous thing to hit the craft store a month after Christmas and find their left over holiday items on sale for 90% off!  I found a clearance sale at JoAnn Fabric that allowed me to score all the kids’ craft projects pictured above for clearance prices of 90% off.

You’ll notice that not all of the items were holiday-related either.  Some were just excess that they ordered too many of for Christmas. 

JoAnn normally has their kids’ coloring craft projects like these regularly priced at $1 each.  I keep tons of them on hand at all times to keep my little guys being constructive when they’re bored.

• The projects shown above that have 4 markers in the package were regularly $1, on clearance for 50 cents! 
• The projects shown above that look like Christmas were regularly 99 cents, on clearance for 90% off.  Yes, they were just 9 cents each!

Every frugal parent will want to watch your craft stores after holidays for these fantastic craft project savings.  Get more Super Saturday Savings at Money Saving Mom!

Keep in mind that with our growing family, we desperately needed a bigger place to live several years ago.  However, to make that happen, we would have had to not only take out a mortgage on a house, but borrow the money for the down payment as well and accrue interest on that loan!  That was a financial decision we just weren’t willing to make.

So, we got by in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 parents and 3 kids while we socked that money away for the home down payment.  That’s right – 5 of us in 2 bedrooms and a make-shift nursery!  Once we found out we were pregnant again, we had our down payment saved and were ready to buy a house.  The Lord cleared the way for us and on November 16th, 2010, we closed on our new home. 

We took the whole family to the title company!  My husband and I both thought it was important that the kids be with us when we purchased our first home.  Below, we posed for our realtor after signing the title paperwork.  Left to right, the Ice-Simmons clan: Seven, Michael, Hannah, Truett, and me (Danelle).

Looking back on our decision, I’m glad we waited and saved the money for the down payment on our own.  These days, it is so tempting to find a way to make a purchase happen since credit is so readily available.  However, that can more often than not end you up in a financial predicament that is much harder to get out of than it was to get into.

Frugal Home Buying: We Saved Cash For Our Down Payment is linked to Frugal Friday – go check it out!

Even though it’s winter time, that doesn’t mean you have to stop practicing our frugal laundry tips to save money on laundry.  It may be too cold or snowy to line dry clothes outside, but you can still line dry clothes inside your house.  How can you line dry clothes if you have no clothesline or clothes drying racks?

Line drying will not only save you money on energy by reducing the need to run your dryer, but it also extends the life of cloth diapers and other clothes.  The high heat and tumbling actually speeds up the rate at which fabric fibers break down.  What this means: your cloth diapers and clothes wear out faster, costing you even more money when you have to replace them.

I tested out my latest frugal laundry tip with our BumGenius cloth diapers.  I needed to be able to line dry our diapers inside since it’s snowy and below zero temperatures outside here in Fairbanks, Alaska.  However, I have very limited space and nowhere to put up a clothesline or drying racks in the house.  The solution: improvise!  You can line dry cloth diapers and other clothes indoors with our creative solutions!

Be Frugal Today: Line Dry Cloth Diapers Inside

Nearly everyone has a shower curtain rod and towel racks in their bathroom.  Try this tip for line drying cloth diapers or other clothes in your house.  First, remove all the towels from the racks and push the shower curtain all the way over.  For cloth diapers, hang the diaper covers and doublers (inserts) right over the racks. 

If you have other clothes to dry (or just need more room for drying diapers), use the hanger trick shown at right.  One hanger can go sideways on a shower curtain rod and can dry about 3 cloth diapers at a time. 

The hanger method is a great way to maximize indoor line drying space.  You can also hang the hangers on door knobs or dresser drawer knobs if you need even more room.

Try hang drying your clothes at night when everyone is in bed to minimize interference and bother.  Microfiber diaper covers dry very fast (within about an hour), although doublers take longer to air dry.  No matter what clothes you’re line drying, they should be dry by morning if you hang them up before bed. 

Be frugal today and use your creative side to find places to line dry your clothes indoors!  Save money and energy with this great frugal laundry tip!

Read more of our frugal articles before you go.  Photo by Danelle Ice / copyright 2010 IS World Media.  Be Frugal Today: Line Dry Cloth Diapers is linked to Frugal Friday, Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

Today’s money saving tip is a collection of small, but very effective, frugal methods for cutting down on household and grocery expenses:  how to save money by getting almost everything for free, including freebies and free samples.

You’ll want to start thinking of freebies as items on a 100% off sale!  We’d all grab up as much as possible if this sale was at a store, wouldn’t we?

Everyone loves getting things for free, and freebies and free items require very little effort to get a HUGE return.  Below, I’ve compiled a strategic list of frugal ways to save money using freebies, free items, free samples, free software, free coupons, free magazines, etc.

How to Save Money by Getting (Almost) Everything for Free

• Get news of freebies and free items before everyone else.  And Freebies For All brings you the best money saving free samples and freebie alerts regularly.  We offer a free subscription to our updates, and we’ll send you the newest info as soon as it’s published.  This means you get our VIP alerts and can request free items before they run out.

Action: Get our freebies RSS feed or freebies email updates now.  Need more info?

• Request freebies and free samples at AndFreebiesForAll.com.  Daily we bring you the best lists of free samples and free items to request in the mail.  No shipping charges, no credit card numbers, no fees; you request, and companies send you free stuff in the mail. New ones come out all the time and don’t last long. Readers write me frequently asking, “Do you really get anything good?”  In response I wrote a post called Does Free Stuff Really Ever Come in the Mail?, in which I listed out and took pictures of about half of the free stuff I got in the mail for 6 weeks.

Action: View our freebies and free samples here and start requesting now.

• Pick up free food and other items at stores by combining our printable coupons with store sales. It’s time to get good at watching for store matchups, when you buy things for free by using a manufacturer coupon together with a store coupon or store sale.  In some cases, the store will even OWE YOU money (called overage)! 

Action:  Print out our newest printable grocery coupons weekly, or use our handy coupon printer in the right sidebar at And Freebies For All.

• Put away your full size products and replace them with samples.  You might laugh about this and think it sounds silly, but let me tell you that I didn’t buy toothpaste from the summer of 2008 to July 2009!  My family has been using up the free samples and toothpaste I “bought” for free at the grocery store all this time.  The fact is that if samples are out where your family will use them, they’ll get used up (instead of getting lost in a drawer or closet somewhere).  And using these free items means you’ll be buying products less frequently, saving you money in the process.  See how I replaced all shower items with free samples here.

Action: Once you start receiving freebies, put your full sized products in the pantry and replace them with samples. Once the samples are used, put the full sized bottles back.

• Get free magazines to score free coupons for other products.  Magazines often have valuable health, beauty, and grocery coupons inside.  But you don’t have to buy magazines to get them- just request our free magazine subscriptions to start receiving more magazines than you ever thought possible!

Action: Request free magazine subscriptions whenever they become available.

• Use free alternatives before buying ANYTHING.  I wrote about this before in Top 13 Free Things to Stop Paying For Now.  From toothbrushes to envelopes, there is so much free stuff available to us that we often take these things for granted.

Action: Make a list of current items you pay for, then brainstorm ways for getting the same things free.  Read our reminder list of free things to stop paying for.

• Get kids’ clothes and shoes for free by trading them on Swap Mamas. This free community allows you to post and trade just about anything – making it a great way to get all the kids’ items you’ll ever need for free (while getting rid of outgrown clothes yourself).  If you can’t find what you need there, check Craigslist for free clothes people are giving away.  Still no luck?  Read our tips for how to save 90% on kids clothes and get them nearly free.

Action: Create a free profile at Swap Mamas and start trading for free clothes and other items.

• Don’t pay to rent movies anymore – get them from Redbox for FREE or borrow from the library.   Redbox kiosks offer free new release movies constantly. There are free codes all the time, frequently for special events and holidays and some codes that are particular to certain stores.

Action: Visit AndFreebiesForAll.com regularly to get Redbox promo codes for free movie rentals.

• Cancel your cable and watch TV online.  YouTube and Hulu have made it ridiculous to pay for cable services.  Watch your favorite TV series online at those video sharing sites or directly from the networks’ sites (Fox on Demand, CBS, and more). 

Action: Call the cable company and cancel your subscription as soon as possible.

• Stop paying for long distance on your phone; switch to free voice over IP services like Skype.  Talk to anybody anywhere for free using your computer.  How could you justify paying the phone company for long distance now?!

Action: Cancel your long distance phone package (if you have one).

• Use free video conferencing on Windows Live Messenger.  Stop spending money to print and mail pictures, videos, and long letters to your relatives!  You might not have known that Live Messenger has free video conferencing built in right from your chat window, but it does.  Now Grandma and Grandpa can see and talk to the grandkids for free as often as they want, without spending an extra penny.

Action: Download Windows Live Messenger here for free.

In a recession, we’re all concerned about keeping our expenses as low as possible and finding all the ways to save money on household items.  Print out this list or bookmark this page and work your way through the frugal tips to get you on the road to saving money and getting almost everything for free!

Check out Frugal Friday  at Life as Mom and Super Saturday Savings at Money Saving Mom . “Oh yes it’s free” sign by koka_sexton. How to Save Money By Getting Almost Everything For Free was originally published on HomeEverAfter.com on April 9, 2009.

Sometimes I think I’ve gone off the deep end of frugal living and that my husband is going to tease me.  Sometimes I’m right!  Then there are the other times, like this week when I wanted to figure out how to save money on trash bags…

After a recent grocery shopping trip, I told my husband how much our box of kitchen trash bags cost.  I usually buy the Great Value brand of trash bags at Walmart, which also happen to be the cheapest price for the most trash bags.  Best value or not, that didn’t keep me from noticing that our box of trash bags cost $13!  I had just spent $13 on something to intentionally throw away. 

As a frugal mom, this disturbed me, and it bounced back and forth in my head all day.  How can I save money on trash bags?  It seemed like such a waste to spend so much money on something to hold our trash and then go to the landfill.  Then I looked over at my overflowing container of plastic grocery shopping bags… 

Even using reusable shopping bags most of the time, we still accumulate tons of plastic grocery shopping bags in my house.  You probably do too.  If only there was a way to use those little bags for kitchen trash like I do in the small trash cans in every other room of the house, I thought. 

Then the light bulb started to flicker above my head, and I realized the solution to my money wasting trash bag problem! 

The Frugal Tip: Save Money on Trash Bags with a 2nd Trash Can

As you can see in the picture at left, we now have TWO trash cans in the kitchen: a tall one and a small one!  I found an extra small trash can in the kids’ room that rarely gets used, and moved it to the kitchen next to the tall trash can. 

The family now has instructions to put all trash in the small trash can unless it won’t fit.  Bigger items go in the bigger trash can. 

Having this smaller trash can may not seem like a big money saving system, until you consider the data:

• We normally take out 2-3 large trash bags per day.
• Since we started this new system on September 26th, we’ve taken out 9 small trash bags but only ONE large trash bag.
• This means in 4 days, we saved between $1.36 and $2.04 on trash bags.  That’s between $10.20 and $15.30 a month, just on trash bags!  That extra $122.40 to $183.60 savings per year sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

In 4 days that we would have thrown away 8-12 large trash bags, we threw away only 1!  The free plastic bags that we’re trying to get rid of have been the ones going out the door, not the large trash bags that cost 17 cents each.

Of course, I don’t intend to let it go on as long as a year, because hopefully I’ll run down my stockpile of plastic shopping bags by then (and I use reusable shopping bags most of the time).  But for right now, using this second trash can is using up my extra free resource and saving my family money.

Now I realize this double trash can system may seem a little strange.  Remember that frugal living is all about using your money and your resources wisely, and don’t be afraid to try out new home systems that might seem a little strange or unconventional.  Keep thinking of creative frugal solutions for your home!

Read more of our frugal articles before you go.  Photo by IS World Media.  Be Frugal Today: Save Money on Trash Bags is linked to Frugal Friday, Works for Me Wednesday and 11th Heaven.

I thought you might be curious to see just how much a family can save by making a few small deliberate changes and trimming a few dollars off of each budget item per month.  Below is the actual Frugal Plan for New House I made two days ago for my husband and I to work from. 

In our case, the money we save will go into repairing the damage done to the house by the previous owners.  All estimates in, our budget for the interior of the house (nothing fancy- just frugal replacing of floors, carpets, fixtures, etc.) is $8,500!  We’re going to need to save as much as possible to make those repairs happen without incurring any debt.

Frugal Plan for New House

Fuel & wood. Budgeted = $175. Target = $150. Savings = $25/mo, $300/yr.

• Buy warmer blankets for beds.
• Buy warmer pajamas for kids.
• Burn all paper/cardboard trash in wood stove.

Electric. Budgeted = $120. Target = $100. Savings = $20/mo, $240/yr.

• Switch all bulbs to CFLs.
• Energy hog pushups for kids. (We make our kids do 5 pushups when they leave the lights on – it works!)
• Don’t plug in either car- keep them both in the garage.
• Economize and cut down the number of exterior Halloween & Christmas lights this year.

Water & sewer. Budgeted = $120. Target = $100. Savings = $20/mo, $240/yr.

• 2 baths/wk for kids. 15 minute showers max.
• No clean clothes can be thrown in laundry baskets. Kids wear jeans, pants, bras, and jammies more than once before washing.
• Combine laundry baskets for full loads.
• Install motion sensor faucet in kids’ bathroom to save water.
• Use disposable plates, bowls, & cups from Sam’s Club. (Large family=lots of dirty dishes = 2-3 loads in dishwasher per day.  That’s too much.)

Dipes/wipes/formula. Budgeted = $140. Target = $100. Savings = $40/mo, $480/yr.

• Use cloth diapers as much as possible. Use disposable diapers only for when away from home and at church.
• Buy pull-ups in bulk at Sam’s Club.
• Buy only Parent’s Choice diapers and wipes.

Groceries/household. Budgeted = $600. Target = $500. Savings = $100/mo, $1200/yr.

• Cut out all restaurant eating, except next item.
• Go to Denny’s for dinner on kids eat free night for treat night.
• Keep fully stocked snack/lunch cooler in car at all times to avoid fast food expenses.
• No juice boxes for school – fill up reusable water bottles with juice from home.
• Combine coupons with sale items to stock up pantry.
• Menu plan around weekly sales.
• Only 1 trip to the store per week – no exceptions.

Fuel – vehicles. Budgeted = $200. Target = $150. Savings = $50/mo, $600/yr.

• Use smaller car whenever possible (not minivan).
• Park both cars in the garage in winter.
• Husband checks post office on the way home only twice a week – Monday and Friday.
• Combine errands into 1 circuit per week.
• 1 grocery shopping trip per week.

Total budgeted= $1355.  New target = $1100.

Total savings possible/month= $255.

Total savings possible/year= $3060.

We can save over $3,000 a year!  That’s a spectacular savings from just these few budget items.  I think we can do better than this, and we’ll have to wait for the spending to come in for month 1 before we can evaluate how well the plan is working.  Whatever your frugal goals are (family vacation, home remodel, new car), have you made your frugal plan yet to make them a reality?

Get more Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to have a great party. By investing your time and being creative, you can cut costs and plan a fun frugal party that doesn’t leave you broke.  Just follow our tips below for party planning on a budget!

Budget Party Planning: Location

The first step in successful budget party planning is choosing a location for your event. When selecting a location, avoid costly catering facilities and restaurants. If possible, host the event in your own home or backyard.

If you live in an apartment, see if they have a community clubhouse or gazebo that they rent out for the day. Some even keep a supply of tables and chair on hand for such occasions that they include in the rental fee or offer at a reasonable rate.

Budget Party Planning: Food

When it comes to food, make as much as you can yourself. Catering costs can really add up, especially since many places charge on a per person rate. Buy as much as you can in bulk quantities.

Enlist the help of friends to prepare food or depending on the formality of the party, ask each family member to bring a prepared dish.

For children’s parties, avoid individual juice boxes and opt for larger juice containers and paper cups.

Budget Party Planning: Decorating

If you plan on decorating with a lot of balloons, you can save money by renting a helium tank and purchasing packages of balloons rather than ordering balloon bundles at a party store. Just be sure to blow up the balloons within 4 hours of the event because they will fall within 12 hours.

If you need to rent tables and chairs, check out your local church, school or community center. These places often rent out their equipment in exchange for a small donation fee, significantly less than regular party supply rental stores.

Budget Party Planning: Timing

By hosting your party during lunch hours rather than dinnertime, you can save a decent amount of money. Lunch menus are lighter fare, and guests will not expect an elaborate meal during afternoon hours.

If you are having an evening event, serve food in buffet style rather than planning out sit down dinner entrees. This will save you both time and money.

Party planning does not have to be stressful and expensive. By starting early and developing a clear cut plan that you stick to, you can prepare ahead of time, reduce expenses and avoid frustration.

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography.  Get more Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

8 Easy, Simple and Frugal Home Improvements

The average American’s budget doesn’t allow for extensive remodeling projects; even when budgets do, by now, most Americans have caught on to the importance of saving and putting away any spendable income.

However, there are some simple and inexpensive ways that you can give your home a little lift without spending thousands of dollars. You’ll be surprised at how small, simple changes can improve the look and feel of your home.

1. Switch Plates

A switch plate can be made out of numerous materials and is used to cover the area around an electric switch. There’s a huge selection of switch plates, from decorative glass to ceramic, antique brass, wood and more. This small addition can add so much to a room. Consider making your own switch plate, or simply painting your existing ones. Check Switchhits.com for an amazing collection of switch plates.

2. Pulls and Knobs

Pulls and knobs may not seem like a significant part of your kitchen décor, but they actually have a profound impact on your kitchen. Changing the pulls and knobs on your cabinets can completely change the look and feel of your kitchen. Most pulls and knobs are at eye-level and attract attention.

To change your pulls and knobs, first decide what kind of material will best complement your current kitchen design. Popular pull and knob materials include: wood, ceramic, stone, glass, brushed nickel, polished brass, antique brass, antique copper, stainless steel and more. Additionally, you can make your own cabinet pulls.

The web is full of simple tutorials, which even most beginner DIYers can follow. A few tips: Make sure your pulls and knobs are functional as well as attractive. If you have a family with young children, you may want to skip the glass art-deco pulls and knobs. Visit myknobs.com for some great ideas and discounted products.

3. Reface or Paint Cabinets

Refacing or painting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets is a budgeted way to give your kitchen a new look. Aside from saving you money, it will save you time and allow you to be more creative than installing new, pre-fabricated cabinets. If you are a do-it-yourselfer with an average-sized kitchen, you can pull off this project for under $100.

4. Paint

There’s no faster or cheaper way to improve a room than a fresh coat of paint. To give a complete new look to a room, you don’t even need to paint the entire room. Paint just one wall as an accent wall. For new wall décor, hang a few newly framed pictures of your family. Be sure to select frames that complement the new wall color.

If you can’t do it yourself, hire a neighborhood painter to do it for you. During these challenging economic times, many painters offer discounts and are willing to take on smaller jobs. Visit the website of Benjamin Moore for some great accent wall color ideas.

5. Wall Decals

Wall decals are very popular nowadays, as they provide a quick, affordable and quality way to update the walls of any room in a home. Look for vinyl wall decals, as they have the best reputation for the longest lifespan.

Many homeowners equate wall decals with children’s room décor. However, the wall decal market is huge, and wall decals are available in some very elegant patterns for even the most formally styled dining rooms. For one of the best selections on the web, check Wallies.com.

6. Area Rugs

An area rug can add warmth and style to any room in your home. Think out-of-the-box when selecting an area rug, and consider the various shapes, sizes and colors. One of the best places to look for discounted area rugs is overstock.com. You’ll find great quality rugs steeply discounted.

Alternatively, check into carpet tiles. Carpet tiles are very popular, as they are a cost-effective way to carpet a small room or small space. Check Flor.com, the leader in modular carpet tiles.

7. Mini-Bathroom Makeover

If you are trying to give your bathroom a new identity, then replacing your soap dispenser or shower curtain won’t do the trick. However, the good news is that replacing your soap dispenser AND shower curtain (along with a few other accessories) can make your bathroom feel fresh and fun.

For the most significant change, consider adding or replacing the following: window treatments, light fixtures, wall colors, framed art, pulls, knobs or the towel rack.

8. Address Sign and Mailbox

The address sign and mailbox are the most common porch items that homeowners let go. Updating yours will surely bring a smile to your face as you pull up to your home each day. This subtle and simple update will likely get noticed by neighbors and visitors. Mailboxes4less.com is a great place to start to get ideas for mailbox styles and address plaques.

Love home improvement and home DIYs?  Next, read 14 Home DIYs Every Homemaker Needs to Know.

Saturday we weren’t so lucky.  The weather shut us down before we even got our yard sale set up Saturday!  At least we made enough money on Friday morning to pay for the newspaper ad.

However, I’m a trooper with a mountain of decluttered items I must get rid of, and so – the garage sale round 2 is coming up next weekend.  I’m hoping the weather will cooperate and there will be no rain.  Please cross your fingers for all of us garage sale-holders in Fairbanks for some sunshine and warm temperatures next Saturday!

Special thanks to my friend, Barb, from the Forever Neighbor for sitting with me and occupying Truett during the garage sale on Friday.  She’s the best!

In our country’s state of financial uncertainty, it’s hard to imagine our states’ governments shutting down.  What if the money to operate our states just isn’t there anymore?  On a state-by-state basis, state workers have been facing spending freezes and potential layoffs. 

So what happens if your state government shuts down?  CNN Money talks about it here:

“State budgets are so squeezed that some governors are threatening to shut down state operations if lawmakers can’t address massive spending shortfalls. States are facing shutdowns because of the dismal condition of their finances.

Governors and lawmakers have been reluctant to make deep and unappealing cuts, particularly to education, health and social services, but have also been loathe to raise taxes.”

-Read the rest of What happens if your state government shuts down?

What to Do if You are a State Worker Facing Layoff

No amount of great job performance can counteract the funding for your job not being available anymore.  If you can’t be paid, you don’t have a job – plain and simple.  It won’t matter if you’re the best worker in the office, you’ll be looking for a new job.

There are some important steps you can take now if you’re afraid that your state government may be shutting down and your job may be in jeopardy. 

1.  Prepare to look for a job in the public sector.

• Education:  Go back to school, take college classes to refresh your skills, or get certifications that will help you get a new job.
• Resume:  Update your resume with any skills you have that might give you an edge over other applicants.
• Recommendation:  Get letters of recommendation from managers, supervisors, and coworkers.

2.  Get your finances in order.

• Emergency Fund:  If you don’t have an emergency fund in place already, put one together as fast as possible.  Make sure you stash enough to cover living expenses for 6-9 months, in the event you can’t find a new job before then.
• Get Frugal:  Cut out the frills and spending on non-essentials.  Transform Yourself from a Money Waster into a Money Saver – A Complete Frugal Makeover

Lucky for me, my friend Barb from The Forever Neighbor will be joining me to sell some of her garage sale clutter as well.  There’s nothing like making a day of it with a good friend!

Lucky for me again… one of the best ways to get more people to come to your garage sale is to advertise that your yard sale is a multi-family venture.  Potential shoppers will realize that 2 families have more junk to sell than one! 

Here in Fairbanks, Alaska, the fashionable garage sale trend is to have an early morning Friday sale, and then a day-long sale on Saturday.  Our garage sale will be from 8am to noon on Friday, and we’re sure to have tons of early birds.  Wouldn’t it be nice to sell everything Friday morning and have all day Saturday for fun and games with the family?!  If not, we’ll be peddling our goodies Saturday from 8am to 3pm too.

With three bloggers, lots of blogs, twitter, and wi-fi, I don’t think we’ll be bored if the garage sale crowds don’t show up.  I’ll have to take some pictures to post, and might even have time to share my tips for having the best (most profitable) garage sale.  Wish us luck!

I’d love him even if he weren’t frugal, you know, but yesterday I found reason number 1,000,001 that I love my husband so much.

Even though sometimes I call him a frugal heckler, he’s secretly almost as frugal as I am.  Of course, he would deny that to anyone if confronted, just like a child sneaking cookies between meals. 

But I know he’s frugal.  How do I know?  I have proof.  Incontrovertible proof…

Last night, Michael was sitting on the couch and spotted the All You magazine lying on my desk (which we all know is packed with coupons).  He grabbed it and said, I think I’ll just look through this for a few minutes…”

I wondered what he was up to, but later that night I found out.  When getting in the shower, he told me he was almost out of bodywash.  “No problem”, I said, and brought him a full bottle of Axe shower gel out of my stockpile.  That’s when I found my proof of his frugalness:

Just as he was closing the sliding shower door, he peeked around  and said, “You know, there’s a coupon for Dove’s new manly bodywash in this month’s All You magazine.  Just so you know.” 

With a smile, I let him close the shower door.  That’s my frugal husband!

Get more Frugal Friday here.

If you have not heard these yet, you won’t be disappointed.  They are never far away in my MP3 or CD changer.  Each one you’re able to listen to over and again. If it seems silly to listen to the same audiobook over and over again, consider how many times in your life you’ve heard that song on the radio. Without further ado -

 1.  Richest Man in Babylon, By George Clason – This is one that my Dad bought for me (the paperback, not the audio) 30 years ago, and it was already a classic at that time. 

I was just a kid then, and while I didn’t fully understand all of the teachings – you might think that the lessons would be lost on an 8 year old, it turned out to be a more life altering book than, say… my X-Men comics that I liked so much. You know, Wolverine is cool too – but he’s no Arkad. 

2.  Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t, By Jim Collins – Jim Collins and his team of researchers poured their hearts into a 5 year project analyzing what makes a good company great.  Statistics. Logic. Analysis. I actually became sad half-way through the final disk because I knew it was almost over.  (It’s okay – I started it again!)

3.  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey – Taking initiative and working WITH people. Setting your goals.  Aligning your goals with your personal values.  Setting up mission statements for yourself, your family, and your business.  He discusses delegation, leadership, and Dr. Covey encourages personal growth that really helps to develop your professional skillset.

4.  Think BIG and Kick Ass in Business and Life, by Donald Trump – Donald Trump is the Gangsta Rap of Personal Development.  I say that because listening to him, it’s kind of like listening to a rap where the whole song is only about how amazing the rapper is – how much money, and fame, and women are constantly around and how much “bling” the rapper has and how everything he touches turns to gold. 

That’s true for The Donald, much like it’s true for the rappers that sing it, and sing it, and sing it, until it becomes true.  Everyone loves a winner and in this book Donald tells it like it is – “Fake it until you make it”, and keep singing the song you want to come true.  Not bad advice, and he really opens your eyes to opportunities that you might have overlooked previously by having a too-limited view of possibilities. 

5.  How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie – What an incredible listen.  Not only is the information still completely relevant – it is just awesome listening to the stories of a man that interviewed Roosevelt, studied Lincoln the way Jim Collins studies corporations and developed the body of work on personal development and interpersonal relationships in a way that up until then had just not been done. 

This is a true masterpiece.  This title should replace a book in our high school curriculum.  It should be required reading. 

6.  Awaken The Giant Within, by Tony Robbins – Tony Robbins is larger than life.  The man is 6’7” and he has more energy than what can fit into that frame.  He is so fired up and his energy is contagious. 

He challenges you to really dig deep – to get personal with yourself and to get very real.  What do you want out of your life – your relationships, your money, your work, and what do you decide to accept as your values?

7.  Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki – Rich Dad, Poor Dad was so influential in my life, I just HAVE to pass it on.  Influential in more ways than you might suspect.  While all of the things that Robert Kiyosaki teaches are GREAT insight into money, cash flow, what is an asset versus what is a liability – it taught me more than that. 

Robert Kiyosaki is rich by selling information that he got from his “Rich Dad” – and if the information came from “Rich Dad” but Kiyosaki can get rich selling it, than I can cetainly take information I bought from Kiyosaki and teach others about the information for free. 

It was from this realization that FreeToGetRich.com was born.  So a big thank you from all of us, Mr. Kiyosaki.

• What are you listening to that is worth mentioning? 
• How many of these have you listened to? 
• Have any of these audiobooks been a benefit to you?
• Tweet an invitation to Join the conversation
• Tweet that you’ve enjoyed reading this roundup

Is your bank account overdrawn and your debt piling up?  Do you feel helpless but know that you need to turn around your finances?  Maybe you’re at the end of the line and about to start losing your assets because of poor money management.  Do your kids think money grows on trees and demand the latest gadgets?

If you’ve been a poor steward of your finances so far, take heart in knowing that it’s never to late to learn the basics.  The rules of frugal money saving are simple.  

Reset the Way You Think About Saving Money

If the problem with saving money is in your mind, you’ll need to reset your thinking about spending.  Saving money isn’t for cheap or poor people.  Saving money is for everyone!  Some things to remember:

1. Saving money is cool.
2. Having a great life for less shows that you’re smart and care about your financial future.
3. Finding the best deals and bargains can be like a game for your family.
4. Saving money lets you help others when they need it the most.
5. Spend TIME on people to show them love – don’t spend MONEY on people to show you love them.
6. Teaching your kids to save up money for something teaches them to value money and hard work, and to respect their parents who provide for them.

Say goodbye to buying things that cost a lot that show your status to other people. (Think expensive cars, high end brand names of clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.)  If you are reading this article, it shows that you care enough about your finances to get them into healthy shape instead of putting on a show with money you don’t really have. 

Say goodbye to conveniences that cost a lot.  Instead, I’ll show you below how to substitute time savers that save you money as well.

Transform Yourself from a Money Waster into a Frugal Money Saver

First of all, subscribe to Home Ever After for free to get money saving frugal tips sent to you daily.  Next, subscribe to And Freebies For All for free to get freebies and coupons sent to you.  Then, print out this article and circle the items below that you can commit to making changes within your life.

Won’t My Family Be Mad?

If you’ve been a big spender for a long time, you may be worried that your children, husband, or wife might not like the new frugal plans you’re putting into action.  Saving money does take the participation of the whole family, after all.  They might feel like they’re going to be giving up a lot of the things they like unless you show them that being frugal doesn’t mean missing out.  You can still do fun activities and have nice things without spending top dollar.

It is time to be real with your kids and let them know that spending changes ARE going to happen in your family.  How much info you choose to share with them about the financial situation is up to you.  Older kids can handle more details, and will also be more committed to being part of the solution. 

As the parent, you set the tone for how they’ll feel about being frugal.  If you’re excited, they will be too.  If you are acting sad, depressed, or complaining about saving money, they will too.

Here is a great way to get kids involved with frugal money saving:  Make a money savings chart and hang it on the refrigerator.  Whenever you save on something, fill in the amount you saved (e.g. Getting a $20 DVD for $2 at a garage sale – fill in $18 of savings).  At the end of the chart should be an item the family is saving for (e.g. paying off the car, going on a camping trip, saving to buy a new game, etc.)  Attaching a tangible item to your savings efforts can give kids and incentive to get involved and help the family save money.

Making the Switch From Spender to Saver

Did you see a trend when reading that list of 20 frugal money saving methods?  We’re not talking about little tricks here and there.  I’m asking you to identify the ways you spend money, and always think about if there is a cheaper way FIRST.  If there is a free or less expensive way to meet the same need, do it!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21)  Our consumer culture teaches us that we need to earn more to buy more to be a better, more complete person.  This simply isn’t true.  When we die, we certainly won’t take those brand name clothes with us! 

Saving money on unimportant things means you’ll have more money to use for helping others.  Whether you help by giving to your church, donating to charities, donating extra food you got on coupon deals to a local food bank, or helping people in need with your time or knowledge, this change of mentality will lead you to do great things. 

Always put the focus on people and time first, then things and money second. 

This transformation is one that will affect not only your bank account, but also the quality of your relationships, your family time, your priorities, and your outlook on life.  Congratulations on starting your frugal money savings makeover!     

• Research the grocery store fliers and plan your shopping trips.
• Find, print, and clip coupons.
• Create and maintain a pantry system that lets you use up the oldest food first.
• Cook healthy meals from scratch.
• Keep leftovers properly stored and labeled so they get eaten instead of thrown away. (Find out my secret for how to use up refrigerator leftovers.)
• Watch clearance sales for kids’ clothes and have a good storage system in place for keeping clothes to be grown into.  Here’s my guide to buying cheap kids’ clothes on clearance.
• Train your kids about and keep on them to conserve energy in your house.
• Use cloth diapers to save on disposable diaper costs.
• Make homemade baby food.
• Hit thrift stores and garage sales to look for things you need before buying them retail.

… the list goes on and on.  Who knew it took so much energy to be hardcore frugal?!  My frugal savings dropped dramatically during the end of my pregnancy and post-delivery.  Now, I’m slowly getting back on the frugal wagon with one thing at a time.  If you’ve lost your way, you can get back on the right track too!

Sometimes life interferes with the best frugal plans and other things just have to come first.  A few perfect examples are getting sleep for a new mom or quick cooking for time when you’re packing for vacation.  No matter how much or how little energy you have, you can manage to be as frugal as you have time for.  Next, read As Frugal as You Want to Be. 

“Who Knew it Took Energy to Be Frugal?” is linked to Frugal Fridays.

Here are a few lines from the article:

“Your frugality is personal and you’ll never be the same as anyone else, so give yourself a break and stop comparing!  Even when it seems that all the other frugal bloggers are making everything homemade (homemade bread, dishwashing detergent, baby food), I remember that not everyone can maintain the same level of frugality ALL the time.  It’s natural for things to go in waves, just like the natural rhythm of our everyday lives.”

Feel free to read the rest of the article As Frugal as You Want to Be and leave your words of wisdom in the comments.  Happy frugalizing!

This article is linked to Frugal Fridays.

While we can’t eliminate laundry from your list of necessary housework items, we can help you save money on laundry with these frugal laundry tips.

Laundry can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want it to be, depending on what measures you take to cut the costs.  Not all tips are right for every family; just choose the ones you can work into your current system today and enjoy lower utility and laundry supply bills!

Here are 13 different ways to save on the cost of doing laundry, ranging from quick and easy to long-term solutions. 

13 Ways to Save Money on Laundry Costs

1. Buy Energy Star rated appliances.  That Energy Star emblem means they use less energy in a more efficient manner and will cost you less to  use.  When replacing old or worn out appliances, check first for the Energy Star on your replacement choices.

2. Cut dryer sheets in half.  One box lasts twice as long when you cut the sheets in half.  As soon as you open the box, break out the scissors and enjoy cutting your dryer sheet expenses by 50%!

3. Dilute laundry detergent in the bottle with water.  Save your empty laundry detergent bottles.  When you open a fresh one, pour half into the empty bottle.  You now have 2 bottles half full of detergent waiting to be filled with water.  You can fill water all the way to the top or 2/3 full, depending on the savings you want.  Diluted detergent will get your clothing just as clean, and if you’re used to filling the cap (or your family members are), this trick will save you.  Most of us use more detergent than recommended or necessary anyway.

4. Use less detergent and liquid fabric softener.  Are you strong enough to skip the diluting and just use less?  More power to you!

5. Clean the lint trap before every load of laundry.  A clean lint trap lets your dryer work more efficiently and dry clothes faster.  Spend the extra 20 seconds and empty it before you start the dryer.  Plus, a clean lint trap cuts down the risk of a dryer fire – how about that! 

6. Line dry your clothes.  String up a line, buy some cheap wooden clothes pins, and you’re in business.  Zero energy use and it costs exactly $0 to use.

7. Create a hybrid drying routine.  Maybe you don’t like line drying because of the possible clothing stiffness.  Maybe you can’t use a clothesline because of space limitations, like living in an apartment with no yard.  If you can’t convert wholly to the clothesline method for whatever reason, create a hybrid routine that still has you using your electric dryer, but only half as much.  Hang items to dry over shower curtain rods, hang from ceiling fans, or clotheslines for part of the time, dryer for the rest.  Get soft clothes with half the energy use.

8. Do less laundry. Wear jeans more than once, use bath towels more than once.  Sweaters and jackets can also be worn more than once if you wear them layered with a shirt underneath.  Make sure you hang up clothes that can be worn again so that they’re not washed by mistake.

9. Double up 1/2 loads of laundry and only dry full loads.  Put your half load of washed whites in the dryer and let them wait until your next half load is complete.  Dry as one full load and cut the energy cost in half.

10. Dry loads back to back if possible to keep the dryer from heating up again (save time and energy).

11. Double spin clothes in the washer.  After your washing machine is done, turn the knob to “Spin only” and spin the clothes a second time.  The centrifugal motion (spinning) helps to get extra water out of the clothes, which in turn take less time to dry in the dryer.

12. Use vinegar in the wash instead of fabric softener (1/4 cup).  Smaller loads need smaller amounts, unless you want to smell vinegar on your clean clothes!  This cheap alternative to liquid fabric softener will save money on your laundry supply budget for certain.

13. Wash in the coldest temperature recommended for your clothes.  Save your water heater from firing up to heat the water when possible.  Cold wash temperatures will also help to preserve the fibers in the material of your clothing, meaning it won’t wear out as fast.

Frugal challenge:  Choose a few of these great money-saving frugal laundry tips today, and see how much you can drive down your laundry expenses!  Subscribe today to get more money-saving articles delivered to your for free.

Originally published June 26, 2008.  Photos courtesy of MorgueFile.

Welcome to our summer series on Family Vacation Road Trip Planning with the best travel tips from a mom of four!  If you missed the last two family vacation articles, you can check them out here:

• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Departure Time
• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Kids’ Entertainment

Road Trip Breaks & Stops

Road trip bathroom break detours are inevitable, but you can decrease the number of times you need to pull over for food by packing a cooler before you leave. In addition to filling it with juice boxes, water, some sandwiches and the kids favorite snacks, you may want to add in a few specialty snacks that are normally off limits.

My children always follow a healthy diet and have come to appreciate the ‘vacation food’ they are allowed to eat whenever we travel. With that said, be careful not to overdo it. A car full of kids in sugar overload will definitely back fire.

Plan on stopping for one full meal during the road trip. If possible, opt for a nice rest area that offers outdoor space for the kids to run around and stretch their legs.  Making a detour from the highway is also a good idea if you are not pressed for time. Once off the main interstate you should be able to find a full service family restaurant where you can all unwind and enjoy a decent meal.

Hotels

If you will be making an overnight stop during the road trip, try to plan for it in advance. If you know you will be traveling for 30 hours and stopping halfway through, you can go online, map out your route and locate kid-friendly hotels along the way. Check availability the day before you leave and if there are ample rooms left then you can just wing it without a reservation. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to reserve a room in advance.

If possible, stay in a hotel that offers a pool for some midway relaxation and family fun time. If you can coordinate your arrival to be around dinner time, you may all be able to enjoy a nice swim after dinner, a good night’s sleep and a nice breakfast before you hit the road.

Try to take advantage of specialty perks offered by hotels to attract families, such as kids stay free, kids eat free and free continental breakfast. This is a great money saver and if planned correctly, can even serve as a little mini-vacation before the vacation!

What are your best tips for breaks and stops during family vacation road trips? Let us know in the comments below!

Family Friday: Time to Share!

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