Now that September is come and gone and the kiddies are settled back into school and regular routines, it is time to welcome the fall. Still, there is plenty of good stuff that went on in September, including a bunch of ways to save money.
September 1st
Frugal Living Week in Review: August 25th Through August 31st
Food and back to school are the two things on my mind this week. I e-mailed my son’s teacher ahead of time to ask about additional supplies that she might need for the classroom. She said that she usually asks parents for antibacterial wipes and tissues, two things that I was able to buy in bulk at our last warehouse shopping trip to save money
September 2nd
Frugal Living Month in Review: August 2008
With August passed, it will be hard to hold on to summer, but fortunately, we have a lot of memories of the “dog days.” We also have lots of great articles about saving money, something that is pretty important these days. Take a look at what was posted in August.
September 3rd
Recently I heard about a family that was spending more than $500 a week at the grocery store. The thing is that this was a family of three, and the price didn’t include diapers and some of the other baby-related purchases that can raise the weekly grocery cost, since those were purchased separately. Now, I don’t know the details of their shopping list, but $2,000 a month seems a bit steep for two adults and one toddler.
September 4th
More Creative Ideas for Stockpile Cooking
There are three great reasons for cooking from your stockpile. You may want or have to skip your shopping due to budgetary concerns, you may be moving soon and want to use up the food you have, or you may need to clear out the food that is close to expiring, to avoid waste. I have been concentrating on this third reason for getting creative with the pantry food, but I’ll forgive you if you have one of the other reasons to do it.
September 5th
When it comes to frugal living, some of us have a dirty little secret. Or perhaps it isn’t as secret as we might think. Sometimes people can become so obsessed by living a frugal life style that it completely takes over everything that we do. Sometimes we wind up missing out on life’s wonder because we are too stressed out about saving each little penny.
September 6th
Being frugal is a good thing, no matter what your age. But teens can have a hard time of it, just because of all of the peer pressure to fit in, be cool and have the best “stuff.” With sweet 16 parties costing more than weddings, and celebrity idols sporting seasonal accessories that cost more than a small house, it can be hard for a teen to save money.
September 7th
When You Are Tempted to Eat Out…
One of the things I struggle with in my journey with frugal living is just how easy it is to go out to eat. Going out to eat can be fun, get us out of the house and prevent me from having to cook. Most of the time, we get excited to go out to eat, but by the time we get home, we are disappointed in the experience and the cost, and vow to stay home the next time.
September 8th
When You Are Tempted to Eat Out 2
Would you like to save between $1,400 and $2500 a year? Eliminate eating out just once a week. I feel as though as I am always tempted to eat out. I’m been sharing some ways to overcome that temptation in my previous post: When You Are Tempted to Eat Out. Now, here are some more ideas.
Frugal Living Week in Review: September 1st Through September 7th
Here is the Frugal Living Blog week in review!
September 9th
If you want a great way to save money, try making your own items instead of purchasing them. From growing your own food and making your own mixes to creating your own laundry detergent and sanitizing wipes, there are so many ways to save. Plus, it is nice knowing that you don’t have to rely on expensive commercial products if you don’t want to do so.
September 10th
Most people who chose a frugal lifestyle do so initially out of necessity. Perhaps they decide to have one parent stay home and are reduced to one income, sometimes circumstances require them to cut back, and sometimes they just want to lead a simpler life with less stress and less formal work. Whatever the reason, frugal living can make you always concerned with saving money.
September 11th
Whenever the season of fall begins to peek through, I get a craving for doing some freezer cooking. These past mornings have been a little on the chilly side, and our skin breaks out in goose flesh as we wait for the bus in sweatshirts hastily thrown over t-shirts and shorts (the weather still warms back up during the day).
September 12th
Dealing with School Fundraisers
If you have school-aged children (or even children in pre-school), be prepared for an onslaught of fundraisers coming in to your home this year. From $15 rolls of wrapping paper to $25 tubs of cookie dough, the items for sale are not cheap. And the fundraising companies and schools are making it harder than ever to opt out or get away without paying a small fortune during the year. With diligent use of our resources, we can buy an entire week’s worth of groceries for the cost of one overpriced frozen dinner option.
September 15th
Frugal Living Week in Review: September 8th Through September 14th
Now that we are settled in the school routine, we can sit back and take a look at how we are doing in terms of managing our money with all of the little expenses that will come up throughout the rest of the year. There are the school fundraisers, Halloween, the cold weather and of course the holidays. Check back every day to see what is new as we cover these topics and more.
September 16th
When you reach into that pantry to plan out dinner, you might want to consider pasta. Pasta can be a great source of a filling meal. And with pasta, there are so many inexpensive options. Shopping carefully, you can get 16 ounces of pasta for less than $1. Add a few inexpensive ingredients, or even a small amount of expensive ingredients, and you still have a meal to feed the entire family for less than $5.
September 17th
Going High Tech for a Low Cost
For the truly frugal, staying away from high-tech devices can be one great way to save a lot of money. Think of the thousands you can save in a year by cutting out cell phones, DVDs, MP3 players, flat-screen televisions, cable television, computers, and more?
September 18th
Saving Money on Dairy Products
Milk, eggs and yogurt are all what I consider staples in my house. Unfortunately, they are also food items that have seen huge price increases in the last two years. So, how can we save on dairy items without doing without? Here is a round up on some ideas.
September 19th
Saving Money on a Special Diet
When you discover that you need a special diet, you might start to panic. Not only do you have to figure out new ways of cooking and eating, but you may also see a spike in your grocery bill. Special foods sometimes can cost a lot more than what you usually buy.
September 22nd
Creating a Rich Environment for Kids
Since we have moved to our new area, we run into families that are what I would consider affluent. The kids live in large, new homes and are surrounded with plenty of the latest toys, clothes, vacations and possessions. Each home has an expensive outdoor play systems, trampolines, pools, a number of current video game systems, etc.
Frugal Living Week in Review: September 15th Through September 21st
Here is the Frugal Living week in review for September 15th through September 21st.
September 23rd
Appreciating the Little Things
After a long day for both of us yesterday, my husband came home, and we talked about what happened in each of our lives while we were apart. He shared a story about how he excitedly told a co-worker about a new purchase that we recently made. This purchase was something that we wanted, not needed. And although we got a good deal on it and researched the purchase for more than a year, it was extravagant by our standards. The co-worker sort of looked at him a little bit funny, and he came to realize that this great new thing was a standard item in the homes of pretty much every “normal” household. The co-worker must have thought it strange for my husband to have been so excited.
September 25th
Want to get quality furniture for less or even for free? If so, you’ll want to read this post!
September 26th
Yes or No? Answer These Frugal Questions
When it comes to frugal living, there is sometimes a fine line between being smart about saving and being a miser. Here are some practices that many frugal people use. Are they common sense or going to far. See what your responses might be, yes or no, to each of these questions.
September 28
Stretch Out Your Kids Clothing
In the Home Blog, I’ve been discussing how I am in the middle of switching out sizes and seasons for my kids clothing during this weekend. But did you know that there are some items that you can actually stretch out or remake to get an extra year or two? And if you have too much of one kind of item, such as a zillion onsies, make them over into something you can use. Whether the clothing is too small, too worn or two stained, don’t throw it out. Instead, create a new wardrobe and save on the cost of new.
Traditional methods of furnishing a home can get quite expensive. But of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. Fall is a great time to start thinking about furnishing your home, and you may find some great deals out there, as people are ready to nest down for the winter.
September 29th
Frugal Living Week in Review: September 22nd Through September 28th
Here is the Frugal Living Blog week in review for September 22nd through September 28th.
Beware of “Aspirational” Marketing
Frugal shoppers are usually savvy shoppers, but even we can become a victim of some well-researched marketing techniques. We find that we “need” things just to survive, but if we really examine those needs, I mean really examine them, we may find that the need is not something directly related to our survival or even happiness.
September 30th
Five Little Grocery Shopping Tricks: The Limit Sale
Have you been wondering why your grocery bill seems to be increasing every month? Maybe it is because you don’t know about these five little grocery shopping tricks. Grocery stores often use different marketing techniques to get you to spend more than than you planned to spend. don’t be sucked in to the madness. Know ahead of time just what the store is trying to do so you would stay from your budget.
Are Frugal People More Emotionally Mature?