Halloween Candy and the Frugal Shopper

As I walked through the grocery store yesterday, I glanced by the candy in the impulse shopping section right before you get to the cash resisters. It was filled with candy. In the 30 seconds that I glanced I noticed that this year’s Halloween Chocolates were in smaller bags than previous years and that these small bags of chocolate cost $10.00… 10 dollars… TEN DOLLARS!!! There is no way I am ever going to pay $10.00 for a bag of chocolate. I am not even going to pay $5.00 when they put them on buy one get one free sale … Continue reading →

Costume Exchange for Halloween Savings

If your kid doesn’t have their mind set on one specific hard to find costume, or even if they are, you can save a great deal of money if you can find that costume at a costume exchange. A costume exchange works by someone setting up a exchange event or location and anyone who comes in can drop off an old costume (in good condition) and get another free of charge (or inexpensively). If you can’t find a costume exchange in your area, you can throw one by sending out invitations to everyone you know and setting up clothing racks … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Decorations for Less

I just read an article that was sitting in my news feed. It was all about how much we generally spend during the holidays. There is no doubt that spending tends to increase quite a bit around the holidays. After all, there is all of the gifts, all of the food and all of the clothes. One thing that struck me out though, is how much people spend on decorations, from flowers to paper, from ornaments to lawn signs. Of course we want our homes to look good for the holidays, especially if we happen to be the ones who … Continue reading →

Frugal Fall Family Decorating

Why not get everyone together to do some fun and frugal decorating for fall? You don’t have to spend $100 on pumpkins and hay bales, either! Hand print turkeys Nothing is more cute in the fall, I think, then all of those hand print turkeys. I made my first one in school (standard fare), and have since taught this craft to my kids. Basically, you trace a hand on a piece of fall colored construction paper. Make sure to have the fingers splayed out. Then, you turn that hand print into a turkey, using the thumb for the head and … Continue reading →

Frugal Holiday Parties

The Holiday season will be here soon.Are you prepared for the expense of socializing? Here are some frugal tips to get your through it all with both the holiday fun and the budget in tact. I had a nice conversation with my mother-in-law last night. We started discussing what we were going to do about the upcoming holiday season and the Thanksgiving and Christmas get-together events. No one ever really wants to host either because of the work, and well, the expense. That is understandable, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Two words have gotten me through … Continue reading →

Saving on Seasonal Stuff

I admit that I complain quite a bit about how the retail stores are constantly rushing the seasons. For example, when did it make it okay to go ahead and put Christmas trees up in September? The holiday season is still months away, and I haven’t full recovered from the chaos of back to school. Heck, I still haven’t fully realized that summer is over. Do you know what I mean? I’m waiting for the eventual moment when the merchandise is pushed so far back in the year that it wraps all of the way around and becomes timely again. … Continue reading →

Save Money on Fall Decorations 2

In my previous post, I started sharing some ideas that I had for my fall decorating, and ideas about spending no money at all. Of course I recognize that I may need to pick up some additional items. So, in order to stay frugal and keep that money in the bank, there is a bit of smart shopping to do to get what I want and like without too much of the spending involved. Here are some of my favorite stores for fall decorations at a fraction of the cost. The first is Jo-Anns fabrics. If you happen to have … Continue reading →

Save Money on Fall Decorations

I don’t know about you, but I am very ready to start some fall decorating. The cooler air is here, and the leaves are starting to fall. But, like everyone else, I really don’t want to spend money if I don’t have to do so. How will you be doing your fall decorating? Here is my game plan. First of all, I am going to take a trip up to the attic to see what I have available. I have a small tub marked “Fall,” and it contains some decorations, as well as the kids fall stuff. Basing my decoration … Continue reading →

Smart Savings Solutions to Prepare for Winter

Many people tend to be in the deepest financial crisis in the winter months. This may be due to a few different factors and can be different for each family. Here are some common causes of a winter financial crisis as well as some smart savings solutions that you can get started on right now to prepare for winter and protect yourself. Causes of a winter financial crisis Illness With flu and cold season approaching, an illness could cause a financial crisis in more ways than one. Doctor visits, prescriptions and even hospitalization can take a toll on your finances. … Continue reading →

Two Things to Buy Now for Holiday Giving

One wonderful thing that frugal living people can do is to share their bounty with others. Whether it is sharing with friends and family or giving to special charities and families in need, you can take advantage of some opportunities right now. Not only will this give you the ability to give more for less, but also your spending on gifts will get distributed quite nicely instead of occurring over just a few weeks. School Supplies One brilliant mention in our church’s newsletter reminded us to stock up on school supplies. In December, we have a few different giving missions, … Continue reading →