Getting Flowers on a Budget

Recently, I was asked to help coordinating the decorating of our church’s main hall for the big Christmas festivities. We are going to have a local outreach featuring a live nativity, a bonfire, a Christmas Tree raffle, lots of food, live music programs and more. We would love to have plenty of Christmas plants and flowers, however, our budget isn’t very large. So, I have been gathering all of the ideas I can get in order to save money. Here are some of the ways, you too can get flowers on a budget, whether it is for the holidays or … Continue reading →

Budgeting for the Holiday Meal

This year, it looks like we will be hosting Thanksgiving again. It is a preemptive strike on our part to avoid the arguments and indecision about who is hosting and where and when. Plus, we would rather trade the extra work for the travel and knowing that we can just zip our kids into their beds at the end of the day. Another reason that I am looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving this year is that we have our brand new (used) cherry dining room table that we picked up at a yard sale. We can finally seat 10 people … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on Your Wedding 2

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! No doubt that you are looking forward to a special day. But with the cost of everything these days, how can you afford the wedding of your dreams? It is all about priorities and money saving tips. If you missed the first post in this series, you can click here: How to Save Money on Your Wedding. Now let us continue. Do it Yourself There are many areas of a wedding that can be done yourself with fabulous, professional-looking results. Take the invitations, for example, are a good do it yourself project. You can buy … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on Your Wedding

Despite the economy, you still want a fabulous wedding, right? Well, with a few ideas, you can have a great wedding without settling for a backyard barbecue while wearing jeans and a veil (unless that is your dream wedding–then go for it!). Decide what is most important The best way to start with saving money on your wedding is to decide what means the most to you. This way, you’ll know where to concentrate your energy. Have your dreamt of a fabulous designer dress? Is the quality of the photography most important? How about the food or the bar? There … Continue reading →

Frugal Party Food

How do you feed 14 kids and 12 adults cheaply without being stingy? Here is how I made the most of the resources on hand to serve all of these people for very little money with a combination of store bought and homemade food (and I had a nice amount of leftovers). This past Saturday, we threw a nice-sized birthday party for my daughter, who by the way, insisted that we call her princess the entire time. Originally, we were going to pick up some pre-made food at our local pizza restaurant. The restaurant is a favorite one of ours … Continue reading →

Spend Less on Your BBQ

Are you ready for the Fourth of July or summer BBQ? You might be discouraged from having your party this year because of the high food prices, but don’t worry. There are still ways to reduce your spending for your BBQ without making your guest feel as though they are deprived. Know what to grill Fortunately for us, cheaper cuts of meat actually do better on the grill than do more expensive ones. For example, chicken thighs stay nice and juicy and hold up to a lot of rubs and seasoning, more so than do the more expensive chicken breasts … Continue reading →

Frugal SuperBowl

Want to celebrate the Superbowl but not spend a lot of money? From hosting parties to getting in on official events, here are some ideas that will help you have a great time and stay on budget. Your guests will hope that you host it every year! One idea to have a frugal Superbowl is to host a potluck party. Ask your guests to bring food or a beverage. You can provide the paper plates, cups, napkins, etc. Purchase them at the dollar store instead of the party store to save a lot of money. You can also make inexpensive … Continue reading →

Frugal Ideas for Wedding Flowers

Flowers can be a big expense at a wedding, but you don’t really want to do without them. Here are some easy, fun ideas to be frugal about your wedding flowers but still make your big day extra special. In an earlier wedding article, I talked about how friends and relatives can pitch in to help with your wedding, and that will help your budget. A great way to have some frugal flowers for your wedding is to ask others to help grow them. Depending on the type of flowers that you want to have, and the preparation time for … Continue reading →

Frugal Wedding Ideas: Hiring People

Weddings can be outlandishly expensive, and it is not unusual to spend $20,000 or more for the big day. But, there are some easy ways to save. You can try one idea or all, depending on what your expenses are and where you want to save. The nice thing about these ideas is that they are pretty flexible, so you can incorporate what works for you. Keep reading for the first tip on my list. “Hire” your friends and relatives. This is a time-honored tradition when budgeting for weddings. It is sort of the “it takes a village” mindset. Ask … Continue reading →

Frugal Wedding Idea: A Cake that Doubles as a Centerpiece

I married my college sweetheart a few years after we graduated. We were still paying our student loans and money was tight. Since we both had started our careers, we didn’t feel comfortable asking our parents to help fund a lavish wedding. Thankfully, my husband and I both treat frugality as a sport and our wedding was the first (and biggest) challenge of all. I love decorating and I’ve always had an eye for design. That’s why finding affordable (yet attractive) table decor at my wedding became so frustrating. As I priced candles, vases and florals for dozens of tables, … Continue reading →