Tag Archives: thrifty

The Cream of Soup Budget

Isn’t it funny how even someone who has been practicing living frugally for a while now can still learn new things? Times can change making certain practices that were once very frugal only moderately so. Also, new information pops up all of the time, or at least our awareness of that information does. Both of these factors came on to play with what I am going to talk about next, my use of those canned “cream of…” soups. Previously, I used a lot of canned cream soups in my cooking for a few reasons. The first was that these soups … Continue reading →

A New Way to Save Money on Milk

Milk may do a body good (if you believe those old commercials), but it does a wallet bad these days. Organic milk it especially high in price. We just paid $7 for a gallon of Horizon Organic skim milk in the store. Regular store brand milk was priced at $4. Since we go through about 2 and a half gallons of milk here per week, that equals $70 worth of organic milk in a month, or $40 for non organic milk. I remember the days when I could get a whole month’s worth of groceries for less than that. Whew! … Continue reading →

More Places to Find Money

Who couldn’t use a little found money? The next time you are out on a walk, out shopping, or just out on an errand, look around. You may just find some spare change or even a $20 bill if you keep your eyes open. Previously, I talked about two great places to hunt up some money. Now, let us continue with some more ideas for places to find money. If you missed the previous article, click here: Where to Find Money. 3. Coin counters. Do you know those coin machines that you can usually find in supermarkets? CoinStar is the … Continue reading →

Where to Find Money

If you want to have a little frugal fun, why not hunt for money? People are constantly dropping money, especially coins, and if you know where to look, you just might find some. I remember the first time I ever found money on the ground. I was around eight years old and out playing in a parking lot with a friend. We found a $20 bill, which was probably the equivalent of $40 or so today. We split the money, giving us $10 each. How we handled our money was quite different. I elected to save mine, while my friend … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Review: May 26th Through June 1st

Garage sale shopping has got to be one of the fun and frugal events that I look forward to experiencing when the weather turns warmer. Unfortunately, circumstances this weekend have prevented me from yard sale shopping, such as a rainy Saturday and the flu hitting our household. So, I have to live vicariously through you! Check out this past week’s articles for garage sale shopping tips, outlet shopping tips and the rest of the frugal week. May 26th Frugal Living Review: May 19th Through May 25th Did you have a good week? Ours was pretty good as far as being … Continue reading →

Save on Home Cooling

When I take a look at our home energy bill, namely the electric bill through the last year, I can see a sharp spike in the months of June, July and August. Of course, you can guess that this rise in energy usage was due to running air conditioners. Home cooling can really rob your wallet. My goal this year is to reduce my cooling costs further than they were last year. Here are some ways that you can reduce that cost. I’ll cover everything from natural ways to cool your home to ways to adapt. This is a two-part … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Review: May 19th Through May 25th

Did you have a good week? Ours was pretty good as far as being frugal. It was raining during the week days, so that probably helped, since we didn’t go anywhere. On Friday, out came the sun and the yard sales. Here is the Frugal Living week in review for May 19th though May 25th May 19th Frugal Living Week in Review: May 12th Through May 18th I sometimes get asked the question, where do you come up with your frugal ideas?!? I love this question, because it really humbles me. I am by no means someone who comes to … Continue reading →

Loving Less Expensive (and Junky) Food

Are the rising food prices killing your budget? Why not make some changes to adapt your family to more home cooked meals. They are generally less expensive and offer better nutrition. This is the third article in a series today in which I talk about how our food palate can influence our food choices and our budget. By training your pallet, to less expensive food, you can seriously reduce your food bill. If you missed the two earlier articles, click here: The Frugal Palate Phenomena and Training the Frugal Palate. Let’s continue. My own kids tend to prefer home cooked … Continue reading →

The Frugal Palate Phenomena

Developing a taste for home cooked food and a frugal lifestyle is a wonderful thing, and it is easier than you might think. The more we practice our frugal lifestyle, including home cooked meals, the more we develop our frugal palate. This is not only a pallet for the taste of food but also one for the taste of life. We have come to expect the things that are frugal and usually have no taste for those that that are not. Let me give you one example related to food. Back when my third child was an infant, my second … Continue reading →

Frugal Memorial Day Ideas

Let’s take a little break from Paperback Swap to talk about fun weekend plans. Are you ready to celebrate Memorial Day? Face it, food is getting expensive, but you can still have a great BBQ or other fun time to celebrate without spending a fortune! Here are some ideas. Take advantage of local celebrations. Just doing a little bit of research in my area, I’ve located three Memorial Day parades, two free carnivals, a free cook out for town residents, two Memorial Day events at veterans cemeteries, and numerous pancake breakfasts. There are also other celebrations, such as a children’s … Continue reading →