Planning a Holiday Budget

Being on track with a budget can really ensure that your spending doesn’t get out of hand. This is true whether you have a food budget or an entire household budget. Having a budget for holiday spending can be very important. We all tend to overspend at this time of year. Let’s get started planning out our budgets. It isn’t very hard to do, but there are certain areas that tend to get overlooked. I’ll help you out on getting everything organized if you would like. Let’s start as always with the list. It isn’t simply a list of people … Continue reading

Frugal Month in Review: October 2008

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot October has come and gone, but we can still enjoy fall and the celebration of Thanksgiving and all of the great joys of the season. Take a look back at all of the ways to save money that were featured last month. October 1st Frugal Halloween Costumes It is fall and Halloween is approaching fast, are you ready? What do the kids want to be? You can make some great homemade costumes … Continue reading

Tooth Fairy Generous Despite the Economy

Practically everyone is looking toward frugal living in order to deal with the serious issues in our current economy. One entity, however, that is not tightening her belt is the tooth fairy. Should the Tooth Fairy be more frugal or is her generosity in fact related to the recession? According to Medical News Today, the average price of a tooth left under a pillow has actually increased from 2006 to 2007 by 22 percent. The survey, the Tooth Fairy PollSM was conducted by Securian Dental plans, shows that Tooth Fairy gifts varied widely, from five cents all the way up … Continue reading

Marry Now, Celebrate Later, Save Money and Your Marriage?

Why do we make such a big deal about weddings? More specifically, why do we spend so much on weddings? The Average Price of a Wedding I stumbled across a site called Cost of Wedding that says the average price of a wedding in the United States is between $14,000 and $43,000. (You can also enter your zip code on this site to find out what the average cost of a wedding is in your immediate area.) This figure accounted for everything except: the engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner (if any), bridal shower invitations, gifts from guests, honeymoon, … Continue reading

Wedding Stats

In my last article I mentioned how I had done some research on weddings and engagements. The article gave some engagement stat highlights. The spotlight will now turn more on weddings themselves. As many assume, June is the most popular choice of months for weddings. This was common knowledge with most people. However did you know, the follow up months are August, September, October, and then May? I found it odd that July was skipped in the mist. I wonder if it has anything to do with the hot weather? Each year American weddings total over 2.4 million ceremonies. With … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: December 10th Through December 16th

This past week, we got back to the very practical, from cutting down on waste to stocking your pantry. And there are a few ideas for the holidays, too. Did you miss any of these informative articles? Here they are again in the Frugal Living Blog week in review for December 19th through December 16th. December 10th Ask and Ye Shall Receive Need something? Sure you can go out and spend money for it, but chances are that there is a way to get it for free, just by asking. Here is how. Inexpensive Gifts You Can Make Wow everyone … Continue reading

How Much to Tip?

Frugal people are usually pretty generous with tipping service providers. And now that the holidays are here, it is the prime time to talk about tipping. Here is a quick guide that was recently examined by Consumer Reports Magazine. You may have read my earlier article about saving money on garbage. In that article, I expressed my shock when one of our neighbors told us that the standard tip for the people who pick up the garbage in the neighborhood was $100. I thought I would get a second opinion, and thanks to Consumer Reports magazine, I got it. In … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review for August 20th-26th, 2007

As summer is slowly drawing to a close and school is finally back in session for most children including the homeschooling families, it is the perfect time to take a look at your frugal habits. Evaluate what is going well for your family, and what might not actually be working. Some things you cannot save money on year-round. Some seasons are better than others for certain savings. Just evaluate where you are and look forward into new ways and methods to save money. Look what great ways we showed you how to save money in the frugal living blog this … Continue reading

Frugal Kids Birthday Parties: Ways to Save

Kids Birthday parties can get pretty expensive these days. It is not surprising to hear that the average child’s birthday party costs between $200 and $350! Many spend even more. But you really don’t have to spend a lot to provide a fun and memorable party. Here are some great ways to save. The location of your party can really save money. Forgo the expensive pizza places, the bowling alleys, the game rooms and other commercial theme places. Most of these places never provide enough (if any) of the food, drinks, etc. The least expensive option, of course, is to … Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Offsetting the Financial Squeeze of Parenting

What every parent-to-be needs is a list of inspiring ways to assure them that their new little bundle of joy won’t suck dry the retirement fund. Well, I can assure you that you don’t have to be a millionare to raise a family comfortably. Here are the ways our family does it: Tax Credits The federal government has created ways to ease parents’ burden via a tax bill signed into law in May 2003 that gives parents a larger tax write-off on minor children. The child tax credit is now $1,000 for each child under age 17, as long as … Continue reading