Dollar Store Shopping Strategies

Dollar stores are wonderful for saving money, but they can also be money pits, depending on how you shop. Maximize your savings on dollar store shopping when you employ some dollar store shopping strategies. Be diligent and selective when shopping for toys at a dollar store. There are some real treasures here, from classic army men, sports and play balls, puzzles, books, coloring books and more. But there are also plenty of cheap toys that won’t last past the first hour, or cost more here than elsewhere. Some toys to especially avoid if possible are: crayons (I used to advocate … Continue reading

7 Frugal Reasons I Won’t Be Going Shopping on Black Friday (2)

In yesterday’s post, I shared two of the major reasons why shopping on Black Friday isn’t very frugal for me. If you missed that post, you can click here: 7 Frugal Reasons I Won’t Be Going Shopping on Black Friday Now. I’ll share some more reasons that the Black Friday craze could actually cost me money not save me money. 3. The danger of overbuying things on Black Friday is high. We can all get caught up on snagging the deals and “winning” the bargains before everyone else gets a chance. But saving $100 off of a high-end-computer is still … Continue reading

Getting Free Gift Wrap

Whether you are wrapping presents for a birthday party or for the holidays, gift wrap can be expensive. Why spend as much on the wrap as you do on the present? There are some strategies that you can use to get some absolutely free gift wrap. Put that extra money toward buying more gifts, or just save it. Take a look at the following ways to get free gift wrap. Around the holidays, most department stores will offer free gift wrapping with a purchase. You just have to head over to customer service. There may be some long lines, so … 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

Favorite Sources for Frugal Holiday Gifts (They aren’t thrift stores)

Have you started thinking about getting those holiday gifts? A friend of mine is already finished with her gift shopping. Ugh. I am just not that organized, although I have the best intentions. When shopping for holiday gifts, it is important to shop smart. This way, you can make your money stretch well, and you won’t be faced with high credit card bills in January. Here are some of my favorite places to pick up holiday gifts. Five Below This retail store has a mix of items, many of which make great gifts. For example, I usually find current software … Continue reading

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. August 1st Frugal Living Month in Review: July 2008 July went by so quickly for us! There were so many fun and frugal activities and events for us to explore, from a science camp to free movies and sand sculpting. I hope your July was equally fun and frugal. Summer … Continue reading

July 2008 Preparedness Goals

This month the focus of the food storage goals will be more on your three month supply. It is important to have this in place. I am amazed at the number of wards that I know of that have covered this topic very recently. It is important to think about your food storage and do what you can. Remember you don’t have to do everything all at once, but that bit by bit you can store what you need to. Also a three month supply is much easier to find room for than a year’s supply. 1) Make out your … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: April 21st Through April 27th

This week it is all about shopping and spending, from the upcoming rice increase to going green. We’ve included a lot of tips on saving, too. Here is the Frugal Living Week in Review for April 21st through April 27th. April 21st Gas Saving Roundup Will you curb your vacation plans this summer because of gas prices? I’ve already cut back on driving here and there now that gas prices have reached the mid $3 range, but analysts say that things will only get worse. Gas prices predicted to rise to $4 a gallon this summer, just in time for … Continue reading

Scrapbooking Week in Review For April 14-20, 2008

With the sunshine replacing many of the rainy days we have been having, I have been trying to enjoy the weather whenever I can. This means I don’t have as much time to scrapbook, but it does mean I have a bit more time to write as I bring my laptop to the park or wherever I am planning on going. This is what I wrote while I was out and about this week. Adding a Bit of Flair on Layouts With Chalk Chalks, also known as pastels are so much fun to use on your scrapbook layouts. The vast … Continue reading

Getting Free Design Ideas

It is always exciting when you have the opportunity to decorate or redesign a room. We are slowly making our way through repairs here at our house and are almost ready to decorate our family room. And, we have three sets of friends who are making big moves to new homes and will need to think about designing their spaces. So short of hiring an interior decorator, how can you get some design ideas? Look to the following places for free design ideas. Catalogues Catalogues of home items are filled with pages of professionally designed spaces. Naturally, the companies that … Continue reading