We’ve covered a wide range of money saving subjects and frugal ideas this week. From summer travel to organizing your pantry, you’re sure to find some practical tips that will have you saving money right away!
Missed an article or two or want to review? No problem. Here is your frugal living week in review for July 23rd through July 29th.
July 23rd
I love it when I come across ideas for reusing unusual things. For example, this summer, I posted an article about reusing inflatable toys. I think it is so inspiring when these types of reuse ideas come up. It shows how creative people can be with what they have.
5 Great New Uses for Bandannas
That’s bandanas or bandannas folks, not bananas. I suddenly have a ton of them. After cleaning out some old containers in the basement along with two dresser drawers I counted 32 of the little fabric squares. And I know we have more in our dress up box, in my drawer and the children have a few in their drawers. While I might not know how we acquired so many of them, I know some great things to do with them.
Curb shopping is a practice that is followed by many people who want to be frugal. But what is it? Read below to find out everything that you always wanted to know about curb shopping.
Uses for Return Address Labels
I enjoy supporting Paralyzed Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars. I’m never able to contribute a whole lot, but for my small offerings, they keep me well supplied with return address labels. I also receive them from The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation(those are gorgeous – they have roses all over them) and from various other charities. These, added to the roll I ordered when we moved, combine to make a huge pile of return address labels that I’ll never get fully used up – especially when I do most of my communicating online.
Frugal Living Week in Review for July 15th to July 22nd, 2007
Back to school has hit at our house already, as my three youngest have ventured back to school last week in our year-round school district. I still have two at home with me, but they are the oldest and are easily entertaining themselves. I get a lot more done with children gone, though I have been missing them terribly.
July 24th
Do you wake up sometimes with tired puffy eyes? It happens frequently here for me when the kids have slept well. Allergy season is another time when puffy eyes seems to make a frequent appearance.
5 More Frugal Uses for Bandannas
After yesterdays Five New Uses for Bandannas, I couldn’t stop dreaming up more uses for these little colorful squares of fabric. I have piles of them, and we keep laughing about how many more we keep finding. Oh, and if you don’t have any bandannas, the same results can be found from fabric squares.
July 25th
If you want to save money on shoes, you can start with doing things to make them last longer. The less often you have to replace your shoes, the less money you will spend.
Have your heard of FlyLady? She is a very popular woman who teaches and supports others on how to keep a clean, clutter-free home. Through her books, tools and website, she promises to help keep you on track.
July 26th
Meal Planning, Saving Food and Cluttered Pantries (1)
Today I spent four hours cleaning our pantry out. We’ve always had a spare large portable pantry in our kitchen, along with the built in pantry closet. We stored mostly snacks in it at the beginning, but in the past year it has expanded to hold canned goods, boxed items and much more. It was time to get the second pantry out of the kitchen and condense the items into one.
5 Ways to Save on Summer Travel Accommodations
Travel Accommodations, or staying over, can be one of the biggest budget breakers when taking a vacation. Fortunately, summer is full of possibilities for frugal travel accommodations.
Meal Planning, Saving Food and Cluttered Pantries (2)
After spending all that time cleaning out my cluttered pantry yesterday, I was absolutely amazed by what I found. More than enough meals to cover several weeks without more than a $10 grocery bill to boot! Since I had so many items I had forgotten about, and found a need to incorporate them into meals in the upcoming weeks, I set out to create a good meal plan.
Breakfast is known as the most important part of the day, so striving to make it healthier, yet frugal friendly in our household has been a major goal. With five kids and a daily challenge of finding the most frugal alternatives to start their day of right, we have gathered together, what we consider some really great and frugal breakfast ideas.
Save Money on Breakfast – Some Frugal and Healthy Ideas
As I mentioned in an earlier article, my children and I set out on a quest about two months ago, to find the most frugal, yet healthy breakfast ideas that work for our large family. We wanted healthy foods, that could be stretched and considered frugal. So after some research, and some trial and error – some of which worked and some of which failed, we have come up with some great frugal and healthy alternatives to the standard breakfasts offered.
July 27th
Toys may not seem like a big expense at first, but they can certainly add up. And, I’m not even talking about those expensive “it” toys. If you have been keeping track and recording your expenses, have you seen any everyday spending going toward toys? What about birthdays and holidays? Summer pool toys and outdoor toys? Books at the grocery store and dollar store items? Let’s face it, the amount a family can spend on toys can cost a good chunk of money. With three young children of my own, I can certainly testify to this
In a previous article, Saving Money on Toys, I talked a little bit about how toys expenses can really add up. In our effort to give everything we can to our children, we tend to spend a lot on toys. I offered a few tips on how to save money in this area, mostly by taking advantage of what you already have.
The way you load and set your washer can save you at least 50 percent a load.