Fun Items for Frugal Dress Up Play

There is a quick and easy way to entertain your preschooler for at least half an hour or so. Let him or her play dress up! Preschoolers tend to love this activity because it lets them “become” someone else for a while. Dress up is a great opportunity for using one’s imagination. Here are some frugal ideas for dress up play. Frugal Dress Up Ideas for Preschoolers Old Costumes Previously worn Halloween costumes are great for playing dress up in. Your child can become a princess, a superhero, or both in the same day. Reuse the Halloween costumes that your … Continue reading

8 Frugal Ideas for the Easter Basket

Pack those Easter baskets for less this year. Here is a list of frugal ideas you can use. Homemade Treats How about some easy-to-make homemade peanut butter cups or bunny-shaped homemade chewy granola bars. These recipes and more can easily be found on Pinterest. Homemade treats are not only less expensive, but they are also free from all of the chemicals that store-bought treats have. Coloring Books Coloring books are so inexpensive, and there are many Easter themed ones out there. The provide a nice foundation for any Easter basket and can be had for a dollar or less. Stuffed … Continue reading

Frugal and Free Homeschooling {part 5}

Is it possible to homeschool for free or inexpensively?  Yes, it is. I remember lamenting that I was so low I didn’t have enough money to send my kids to school.  At the time, I felt like I had failed entirely.  Then, I realized what a blessing to know I had no way to go but up and that I could not send my kids to school.  I did not have a car nor money to buy clothes, shoes, and materials just to go to school.  I was forced to see the true cost of homeschooling.  The cost is very … Continue reading

Extra Expenses of Caring for an Elderly Parent in Your Home

If you will be caring for an elderly parent in your home, you may need to budget for some extra expenses. Even if your parent has his or her own income to pay for items such as prescription medication, you still may have additional costs that creep up and raise your bills at the end of the month. Make sure to put a little extra aside in the following categories of your budget. Electricity With an extra person in your home, you may see an increase in your electric bill. Many elderly people can’t get around and tend to watch … Continue reading

Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money? {Part 2}

In part 1 of, Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money?, I covered how to create a blog posts that attract readers.  Creating good content is the first step to creating a quality blog.  I cover this in Blogging Tips and Tricks as well.  Today, I want to cover a few more background areas before discussing opportunities, so hang in there.  When I say profitable with regards to your homeschool, I do not simply mean financially. Let’s start by exploring what makes a good homeschool blog. The competition is fierce.  While you need to be aware of what your competitors are … Continue reading

Fall Home Bargains

I love the fall. It has to be my favorite season of all. The weather is crisp but summer, the afternoon sun has that warm glow reflecting off the colorful leaves, the fall festivals, hay rides and farmers markets are in full swing, and you expect the smells of apples and cinnamon every where you turn. Getting our home ready for fall is one of my favorite things to do. It just seems to warm up the whole place and makes me feel like snuggling my kids and trying out a new recipe, such as pumpkin whoopie pies. It also … Continue reading

Back to School Frugal Fun and a Free Owl

Two of the kids are back in school starting today, and my Kindergartener starts on Thursday. It is hard to believe that the summer vacation is already at an end. If I still had any doubts, though, the early morning alarm shocked me back into reality. Back to school is a celebration, not only for the parents, who may be experiencing a mix of excitement that may be able to visit the bathroom without five separate interruptions, and a little sadness to see their babies one year older and off to adventures without them. Many parents plan a celebration for … Continue reading

Last Minute Summer Fun the Frugal Way

It seemed as though we woke up one day and realized that summer vacation was almost over. My husband finally got some time off, so we planned some vacation time. Of course, we tried to do it as frugally as we could. Here are some of the ways that we saved. We chose local attractions, within two hours drive. This way, we wouldn’t have to spend money on accommodations, which can be a significant cost when you a family of five. Most hotels will not accommodate families of more than four in a regular hotel room, which means you either … Continue reading

Need to Furnish Your Home? Act Now

If you are looking to furnish your home any time soon, whether that means rooms of furniture or a few art and decor pieces, you may want to keep reading. That is because now is the time for great bargains from antiques to durable family-friendly pieces. Why is it the right time to furnish your home? There are a number of reasons. First, right now there are a lot of younger baby boomers going into retirement who are ready to downsize their living space. At the same time, older baby boomers are moving into retirement homes or with family. They … Continue reading

The Frugal Way to Save at the Farmer’s Market

I love farmer’s markets, but I confess that there was a period of time when I avoided them. I always seemed to spend too much money when I shopped at them. For the sake of our budget, the best thing to do seemed to be to stop shopping at them, which was a shame, since we missed out on fresh items grown or crafted locally. The problem had to be solved. How could we still enjoy the farmer’s market while keeping on task with our budget? Here are the strategies that I started to employ. I saw a difference in … Continue reading