Category Archives: Frugal

Learn how to pinch your pennies without giving up the good things in life here at the Families.com Frugal Living Blog.

Where to Find Great Recipes from Kraft

What will you be feeding your family for dinner tonight? There are times when that is a rather difficult question to answer. It helps if you have plenty of recipes to choose from. Fortunately, there are many places to find recipes from Kraft. There was a time when people had to rely on cookbooks, women’s magazines, and the box of handwritten recipes that their mother and grandmother handed down to them for recipe ideas. Today, companies that make food products are very active online. This makes it really easy to find plenty of recipes that include products from your favorite … Continue reading →

Frugal Ways to Entertain Your Kids this Summer

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 Tips for Summer Activities

Summer vacation is a great time for families to go out and do things together. Visiting amusement parks, dining out, and staying in hotels can end up costing a lot of money. Travel expenses can quickly add up, too. Here are some frugal tips that will help your family enjoy summer vacation without having to go into a lot of debt. Pack some snacks. Make use of your child’s lunchbox this summer. It is the perfect container for easy to eat snacks that your family can bring along on car trips. Instead of stopping the car at the nearest fast … Continue reading →

The Most Frugal Cities of 2013

How frugal is the city that you live in? Are you living in a city filled with spendthrifts or savers? Take your best guess as to the answer to those two questions before you read this blog. You might be surprised about which cities Coupons.com found to be the most frugal places in the United States for 2013. Coupons.com is an extremely popular website. It is where coupon clippers go to find awesome coupons for groceries, household items, and more. Using coupons is a great way to cut down on your grocery bill. If you are serious about saving money, … Continue reading →

Swapdom Lets you Swap Kids Clothes with other Parents

Are you looking for used baby items? The traditional way to find them is to ask your friends and neighbors if they are willing to give you the baby items that their children have grown out of. This method is generally “hit or miss” and requires a bit of networking skills. Swapdom.com offers a more efficient method for finding free baby items. There are many different methods that a parent can use if he or she is looking for free baby clothing (and other baby items). You could let your family members, friends, and co-workers know that you are in … Continue reading →

Breakfast Items that Freeze Well

One of the ways to save money is by avoiding the expensive cost of breakfast. You may be overspending on this important meal if you rely on convenience items, such as dry cereal, individual oatmeal packets, and store-bought frozen breakfast items, from sandwiches to pancakes. To reduce your spending in this area, consider preparing your own breakfast items and freezing them for later use. This way, you will always have a ready breakfast at hand, no matter how hectic the morning turns out to be. You can approach preparing freezer breakfast items in at least two different ways. You can … Continue reading →

Christmas is on December 27th this Year

In case you haven’t heard, there has been a change in the calendar for Christmas Day. No longer celebrated on December 25th, as it has been traditionally. This year, Christmas falls on December 27th. News Year Eve will be celebrated on December 30th or on January 3rd. Is this for real? Yes. That is, it is for real for many people who decide to save money, into the hundreds of dollars by celebrating Christmas and New Years on days that most of us don’t. Celebrating the major holidays on off-days is a trend that has been embraced by more and … 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 →

Get Your Family Organized for Fall

Fall is a great time to get organized! The weather is energizing, the routines are back to normal, and the holidays are not too far away. Establish easy routines and tackle problem areas to make your family life a little easier this season. Eliminate School Lunch Chaos This is an especially good tip if you have three or more school-age children at home. Pick up a clear plastic bin meant for your refrigerator and place it on a low shelf where the kids can reach. The night before, fill the bin with portioned out snacks, such as carrots, grapes, cheese … Continue reading →

How to Make Jeans Last Longer

You finally found that perfect pair of jeans, the ones that flatter you in all of the right places, the ones that you just love to wear. Maybe the jeans that are loved are not yours, but belong to one of your children who would probably wear them for two weeks straight if you let her. Either way, great jeans can be an investment, and keeping them in great condition can not only keep you happy but also save you money. Here are some strategies to use. How to Keep Jeans in Good Condition In the Wash To keep those … Continue reading →