Author Archives: Traci Anderson

I am Thankful That I Can Afford to Be Frugal

The other night, I watched an amazing, and touching movie called, “The Pursuit of Happyness” that made me put “frugality” into perspective. Three years ago I was making a fairly good income as a social worker. When my daughter was born, I quit my job to stay home with her. I joined two home-based direct sales companies and earned a surprisingly comfortable income with both. Suddenly, I realized I was still working full time (from home) and my kids weren’t getting the attention I’d intended to give them. So I quit again. Now, I am broke, but happy. Every so … Continue reading →

Do it Yourself Bathtub Finger Paints

I discovered an exciting product the other day. I gave my two preschoolers some bathtub finger paints and they played contently in the bathtub for over an hour. When they got out, they smelled yummy…(like bananas, blueberries and strawberries). Even better, I was able to sit nearby and give myself a much needed pedicure while catching up on the magazines I never thought I would catch up on. Who would have thought that a $3.99 splurge would be so blissful. That being said, while I would love to enjoy a peaceful bath-time every evening, they used an entire tube of … Continue reading →

It’s “That Time of the Month” to Save Money

Last spring I went to a local craft fair. As I perused all of the goodies, I saw a booth that was especially charming. They had darling little baby clothes, purses, cloth diapers and cloth wallets. (Okay, at least that’s what I thought *they* were). I picked up the cute little “wallet”. “This is neat”…I said to the woman who created it. “How does this work?” I asked, thinking it was a unique checkbook holder or makeup purse. “It’s a reusable menstrual pad”, she replied. “Oh…wow.” I set it down quickly. I am too old to be embarrassed by “that … 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 →

Frugal Weddings: Skip the Prime Rib Plate and Try a Pasta Bar Instead

I’ve been told by more than a few people that my wedding was one of the best they’ve ever attended. Trust me, I am not bragging. My wedding will never make the cover of Brides. It wasn’t elaborate, and it wasn’t fancy. In fact, it was quite simple…but fun and meaningful at the same time. Did you know that the average wedding costs $30,000? (Thankfully, ours was 1/10th that amount). One of the biggest expenses at most weddings is the reception. In my last post, I offered a frugal tip for table décor and wedding cakes. This time, I am … Continue reading →

To Save, To Spend, To Share – An Early Lesson in Frugality and Generosity

My daughter is turning four next month. This is the first time that she has really understood the concept of birthdays (and gifts) for that matter. I want to thank the Saturday morning advertisers for all of the begging I’ve been putting up with lately, “mommy, maybe for my birthday I can get a big Dora castle like that one…” (and so on…) As a result, I’ve been trying to teach her about money and how it doesn’t grow on trees – as my own mother once warned. I was trying to come up with a simple way to teach … Continue reading →

Four Frugal Food Gifts for Father’s Day

We all know the popular saying, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Not only is the saying 100% accurate, it is also a great reminder of a few frugal ways that you can use food to celebrate the men in your life on Father’s Day. 1). Monster Cookies – Men love monster trucks and monster movies, wouldn’t it make sense that they would love an over-sized monster cookie too? Grab the kids and make a super-sized version of their dad’s favorite cookie recipe. If you want to be extra creative, shape the dough into a heart … Continue reading →

Save Money by Creating a Custom Perfume

I’ll never forget the day that I’d attended an out of town training for my business. A woman sat next to me. She was my supervisor’s supervisor – a real “big-wig” in the company. Frankly, I was pretty excited that I would have the chance to get to know her better. Maybe she would remember me when there was an opportunity for a promotion. I said, “hello” and instantly gagged. Her perfume almost knocked me over. My eyes started to water. My nose started to run. I could barely breathe. During the meeting, she kept trying to chit-chat with me. … Continue reading →

Frugal Memories: Share Your Child’s Artwork Quickly, Easily and Affordably

My daughter just finished her first year of preschool. I was so proud of her as she walked out of her classroom with an armload of paperwork, photos, pictures and other treasures she’d been creating. As I rifled through the gigantic caterpillar poster, the pudding hand-prints, the cotton ball animal farm and the seemingly endless stack of smiley faces and rainbow drawings I had a mini-panic attack. I can’t keep all of this, can I? I certainly can’t throw it away. There is too much stuff to fill a scrapbook. What now? I grabbed my wrapping paper box and tossed … Continue reading →

How Much is it Really Costing You to Make a Little Extra Money from Home?

Ever since making the decision to become a stay-at-home mom, I’ve tried various ways to make a little extra income from home. I’ve sold items on Ebay. I’ve consigned our clothing and I was a home-based Director for a direct selling company. I recently quit my latest home-based business because I realized that I was not spending as much time with my children as I’d hoped. Initially, my husband and I were quite concerned about the effect my decision to quit would have on our budget. While I am still earning some income from home, it is about one-half what … Continue reading →