I imagine over the years I’ve spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on all that stuff gathering dust in my craft room – but I avoided using it because it was too much work to get it all out; I didn’t want to just have to clean it all up again in order to eat dinner, the kids would get into it and make ‘art’ with $1 sheets of paper… too many excuses. I was working at a scrapbook store, when I realized I hadn’t done any personal scrapping for TWO YEARS!!

Then I went digital! I have always used Photoshop as a retoucher, and had moved into laying out my kids’ school yearbooks – when I had that D’OH! moment… laying out a yearbook is… yes… SCRAPBOOKING!! I started looking around online, and realized lots of other people had already figured out how to scrap digitally, and were doing a WAY better job than I was!

I started learning and scrapping, and was able to tell my story again! (CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of some of my favorites.)

Digiscrapping fits into my new thrifty lifestyle because:

• Once I purchase a page kit (papers and elements), I can use it over and over!
• I can make my own backgrounds (papers) and titles and elements – it’s fun!
• I can stop and start whenever I want – no cleanup! Just hit ‘Save’!
• I can wait for sales or free coupons to print things (just got a free 20 page book from Shutterfly!)
• I don’t HAVE to print – lately I’ve been making slide shows from my layouts and sending them to the grandparents on DVD. Easy for them to view – everyone can see at once, no crowding around the book!
• I actually DO it now!

You can’t put a price on preserving your memories.

One day I was telling my son that we were going to host a couple of high school kids from a choir that was visiting our church. I asked him if he remembered when we did that the year before.

“No, I don’t remember.”

“Sure you do, remember they slept in your room and you bunked with your sister?”

“Nope.”

“Of course you do, remember we took them to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream?”

“Did you take pictures? Can I see them?”

“No honey, I don’t think we took any photos.”

“MOM, if you took PICTURES, I’d REMEMBER!!!”

Out of the mouths of babes.

So, if you’re not crafty, can’t stand the idea of little stickers and glue sticks – try digiscrapping. If you paper-scrap but can’t seem to find the time or space – digiscrap! If you’ve got a story (and we all do) – tell it!

Jennifer White is the owner of ScrappersWorkshop.com, a learning site for digiscrappers. She also designs scrapbooking supplies, catch her blog at http://www.scrapkittydesign.com/blog. If you’re new to digiscrapping, (or even if you’re not!) free samples and tutorials are available at http://www.scrapkittydesign.com/ScrapKittyDesignNewbiePage.html

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1)  Bowling - You don’t have to be a good bowler to go bowling.  Being silly and laughing at yourself are part of the fun.

2)  Parks -  It’s ok to swing on the swings and slide when there’s no kids around.  Plus, it’s dark and you don’t have to worry about looking foolish.

3)  Natural attractions - Just a few weeks ago our family visited my parents.  My husband and I always know we’ll get a date night there.  We went out to eat and then we drove to the water front.  We walked around the pier and then went to the park.  Yes, we climbed on the jungle gym since no one could see us. 

4)  Ice cream – Stopping for ice cream is usually inexpensive.  You can get your ice cream and go to the park to sit and talk.  Or just get your ice cream and sit inside the freezing cold building and talk for a while.

5)  Coffee – Provided you don’t go to “FourBucks”, it won’t cost too much.  Even if you do go to expensive coffee shops, the two of you can probably spend less than $10.  I just have to say . . . you can do some good people watching at coffee shops. Right Kelly? 

6)  Baseball – Going out for a night of baseball can be inexpensive.  Some areas have local teams.  You can usually get seats for less than $10. 

7)  Discount theater – If you’re lucky, your area has a theater for movies that have been out a little longer.  Sometimes you can get tickets for $2-3.  I like going to these because it’s less crowded and going to see a movie as soon as it’s released isn’t a big deal to me.

8)  School musicals – You can find some pretty good talent at school musicals for little cost.

9)  Free attractions – Pretty much every area has free attractions.  It could be a festival in the square, free museum day, a local farm.  The internet is great for finding free entertainment.  Google your city and free attractions.  If you still can’t find anything, then give your chamber of commerce a call. 

10)  Stay at home – Put the kids to bed and make the effort to have a special night together.  Sit on the patio and drink coffee, have dinner on a blanket in the backyard, watch the stars, eat cake, or watch a dvd.  Get creative. 

I know you have some ideas for inexpensive dates.  Please share them with us. 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

If you’re willing to be patient, there are some ways that you can save a lot of money while gardening.

1) Post an ad on freecycle or Craig’s list. Many gardeners are willing to share their excess plants. I am a member of freecycle and I have seen several ads lately for gardening supplies.

2) Buy perennials instead of annuals. Perennials come back each year and they usually need to be divided every 3-5 years. When you divide them, you’ll have more plants to put some place else.

3) Swap bulbs with neighbors and friends. One year we dug up our flower bed and found hundreds of daffodil bulbs. Needless the say, the previous owner hadn’t separated them in many years. It’s nice to give away extra bulbs to friends, family, and neighbors. If people know that you’re interested in gardening, many times they will offer you their extra bulbs or cuttings from their plants.

4) Use seeds instead of buying plants. You can get a lot of plants from an inexpensive package of seeds, where as plants can costs a few dollars each. Plant the seeds indoors a few months before you need them. An egg carton, dirt, and pan are all you need to get started.

5) Be on the look out for volunteers. One year we dug up the volunteer bushes in my parents’ yard and planted them in our flower beds. We saved a lot of money and the bushes did very well. Sometimes you can even find plants in your yard that are offsprings of your neighbor’s plants. You can dig those up and put them in places where you need plants.

6) Purchase low maintenance plants. One year I bought some impatiens and they needed to be watered every day. If I didn’t water them every day, then they would start to shrivel up. Forget going on vacation. Some plants require special fertilizer and pesticides. Buy something that isn’t going to cost you a lot of money to maintain.

7) Get creative with planters. You could spend hundreds of dollars just on planters and pots. Search around your house for items you could use as planters. Some people use old boots, wooden boxes, wheel barrows, tea pots, tea cups, wagons, baskets, and baskets.

Get reference information from the library or internet. There’s no sense in buying expensive books and “how-to” guides when you have free references at your tips. There is a wealth of information that can be gotten without having to spend money. There are also online gardening forums where you can ask others questions. Gardeners are usually helpful people.

9) Get seeds from flowers and foods you already have. I have a lemon tree in my house that came from lemon seeds. Save your apple, plum, watermelon, and flower seeds.

10) Check out clearance sales. Sometimes you can find some deals on plants that haven’t received proper care. Sometimes all they need is a little TLC. Also, at the end of the season is when you can find potting supplies, edging, hoses, tools, etc on clearance. Target is good for putting those items on clearance quickly.

11) Save old coffee and tea grounds for fertilizer. Sometimes Starbucks will have free bags of used coffee by the entrance of their store. I’ve put coffee grounds on my new shrubs twice this week.

12) Water your plants at night. This will allow the plants to get the water before it evaporates.

13) Collect your rain water to water your plants. You can also save your bath water or install a rain barrel. This is especially helpful if there are water restrictions.

14) Make a compost pile. Fill it with yard and kitchen waste. The compost will condition and fertilize your plants.

15) Join a gardening club or plant swap. You’ll probably learn tips for plants which grow well in your area and you can swap seeds, bulbs, volunteers, and clippings.

What thrifty tips can you add to this list?

image: Me 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1)  I get the raincheck and I don’t use it until I absolutely need that item.  This saves room in my cabinets and allows me to stockpile other sale items.

2)  If the item is at a really good price, I’ll use the raincheck once I have some room and buy several while it is at a rock bottom price.

3)  I’ll get the RC and then go back to the store later in the week.  When I go back, if they have the item I’ll purchase it and then save the RC for later when I need the item again.

4) Sometimes you can keep the RC until you have a coupon to go with it.  This way you can maximize your savings.

The picture shown is of some juice I got a few weeks ago.  They were on sale for only $1 per container.  The store was out, so I got a RC and used it a few weeks later. 

Be sure to read the raincheck when you get it to see if there is an expiration date or limit of how many of that item you can get. 

Do you get rainchecks when your store is out of a sale item?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

When playing The Grocery Game (TGG), you do not clip the coupons until you need them.  It is such a time saver.  Each week, I take the inserts out of the paper, write the date on the front of each packet, and file a week’s worth into a section of my expandable file folder.

Another option is to use a notebook with plastic sleeves or folders and file the coupons that way.

You simply go to TGG and subscribe to the store of your choice.  I chose Lowe’s Foods because they double coupons.  Other stores that double coupons are Harris Teeter and Kroger.  You can subscribe to more stores.  The extra fee is only $5 every 8 weeks.

Each week, Teri’s list gives you a nice chart to help you shop.  As you can see from the chart above, the list gives you which item is on sale, the regular price, the sale price, which coupon it is that you should use, the date, which section the coupon comes from (Smart Source, Valassis, Proctor & Gamble, etc.), the final price you’ll pay after your coupon, and the percentage you save.  I love buying things that are 50% off or more!

Another good thing about the list is that it’s color coded.  The things listed in blue are items to stock up on and the green items are free.  To save on ink and paper, you click on the items that you want printed, or if you choose you can print out the entire list. (BTW, the list here is expired, so I think it’s ok if I put a clip from it.)

One thing I don’t like about the list is that the new list isn’t released until Sunday.  As you know, most stores start their ads on Wednesdays so you only have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to use the list before the new sale starts.

Here’s my printed list with my coupons clipped to the top.  I also take along a few extra coupons to the store each week.  These are either things I need right away, coupons that I want to use before they expire, or just good deals that I’m trying to find. 

Other tips:

1)  Watch your cashier ring up your coupons!  I hate to be a jerk, but I only give them about 3-4 coupons at a time.  I give them the ones that will double first.  The reason for this is because some cashiers don’t care and others get in such a hurry that if the coupon doesn’t scan, they keep on going.  If I give them only 3-4 coupons, then I can watch and make sure they get doubled.

2)  Know your store’s coupon rules.  Lowe’s Foods will double 20 coupons that have a face value of .99 or less.

3)  The first introductory month for TGG is only $1.  After that, I think it’s $10 every 8 weeks for one store. 

4)  Getting referrals at The Grocery Game can earn you free weeks.  For every 3 referrals, you can get 8 free weeks.  Your referrals need to enter your email address for you to get credit.  So, if you do decide to join, please use my email address knowhimwell at hotmail dot com.  Thanks!

5)  If you have a large family, then subscribe to two papers so that you can get more coupons.  Or ask your neighbor if they need their coupons.

Now you can relish in the fact that you’re spending less, saving more, and getting more groceries for the same amount you were paying before.

Well, I hope this clears up some questions that you all have.  Let me know if you have more questions.  Now get to saving!  

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

 1.  Go out for lunch instead of dinner.  Lunch prices are usually much lower.

 2.  Check to see if your restaurant has promotional evenings.  Some restaurants have nights where kids eat free.  This alone can save you at least $10 if you have 2 children.

 3.  See if the restaurant offers frequent visitor cards.  This may sound cheesy, but some Mexican and Chinese restaurants offer punch cards for their frequent customers.  Each time you go in, you can get your card punched and earn free dinner.

 4.  Order water.  Sodas, tea, and alcohol can really spike your bill. 

 5.  Purchase an Entertainment or Attractions Book.  Each year, we buy at least one or two Attractions books.  Most of the coupons are for buy 1 meal get 1 free.  Not only does this save money, but this allows to you try new restaurants without feeling bad about the prices.

 6.  Check your mail and newspaper for coupons.  On Wednesdays, we receive the new sales papers for the week and there are usually some coupons inside.  Yesterday I received coupons for Golden Corral, Ryans, Hardees, and more.

 7.  Buy certificates from Restaurant.com.  You click on their site, enter your zip code, and see which gift certificates are available in your area.  You can usually buy a $25 certificate for $10.  The great thing is, after you buy your first certificate, they send you emails offering them to you at discounted rates (such as 50% off).

 8.  If possible, avoid ordering kids’ meals.  Kids’ meals are very pricey.  Usually the adult meals have more than we can eat, so we share with our kids.  Sometimes we’ll order a side item if we need it stretch a little further. 

 9.  Skip the appetizers.  We rarely order appetizers when eating out.  If we do, we make this part of our meal.  Sometimes hubby and I will order 1 meal and 1 appetizer.  It’s more than we need.

10.  Visit coupon websites.  I just found out about these and I have already found coupons for places in my area!!!!    Try Hot Coupons and Valpak.  These would also be great when traveling, since you won’t have a newspaper or coupon book that you purchased.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

We have all this stuff sitting around my house – clothes the kids have outgrown, toys they no longer play with, things we no longer use.  Yard sales are a ton of work and sometimes bear little reward for their labors.  I do take a lot of clothes and toys to the consignment store, but you have to split your earnings.  Sometimes I want to get more for certain items and consigning the things doesn’t seem like a good idea.  So, what do you do with all your stuff? 

Trust me, I’m all for helping someone and an organization.  I just donated a bunch of stuff that was left from our last yard sale.  Sometimes it’s nice to try to get a little money out of your stuff before you donate the extras. 

After being incredibly annoyed with back breaking yard sales and ridiculous Ebay fees, I decided to try the Iwanna.  It’s a classifieds paper that’s distributed in our area.  Most things are free to list in their paper.  Local stores sell the paper for $1.

So far, this week I’ve made $235 from selling my stuff!  I sold my old Filter Queen vacuum cleaner to a lady that wanted one for her daughter.  One item I listed was my daughter’s Dora house and accessories that she no longer plays with.  The lady that contacted me about the Dora house was also interested in my daughter’s other toys that we no longer need.  I ended up selling her $105 worth of stuff.  I was so excited to sell the stuff and she was thrilled to get the items at a good used price.  Now . . . if I could just sell that pink jacuzzi.  lol

People are looking for Christmas gifts and now seems like a good time to sell your stuff.   What do you think?  Are you considering selling some of your stuff?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1.  Ask for gift suggestions.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking the person, the try asking their friends or family members.

2.  Go shopping with a list.  Have each person’s name on the list and some gift ideas.

3.  Avoid shopping during mealtimes.  This will only cost you more time and money, plus the wait time in the restaurants from all the extra business.

4.  Delegate.  If possible, give some of the responsibilities to someone else.  Have your husband be in charge of buying for his parents or have him go pick up the Nintendo game system your child has been wanting.  There’s no reason that you have to do it all yourself.

5.  Shop during off-peak hours.  Right now it seems like there are no off-peak hours, but you know the stores are going to be busier on the weekends.

6.  Get a sitter.  I know that I can get a whole lot more shopping done when I don’t have my kids with me.  It takes time to get them in and out of their carseats and bring all the extra things to help keep them entertained.  There’s the extra time of taking them to the bathroom, watching after them, worrying about inappropriate behavior from a child that needs a nap . . . you get the idea.  If you can’t get a sitter, then talk to your kids before you go into the store.  Tell them your expectations and why it’s important.

7.  Consider gift cards.  These are an easy, time saving gift to buy.  Some grocery stores are even selling other stores’ gift cards.  Our Lowe’s Foods grocery store has gift cards for at least 25 other stores.

8.  Pack a lunch box.  I try to pack a lunch box with water, crackers, or any other snacks that will be quick and easy.  Sometimes I will carry a granola bar in my purse to get me by until I can get to the car and my lunch box.  This avoids the insanely long lines in the food courts, plus the extra calories and fat.

9.  Shop online.  Right now is the perfect time to shop online.  Stores want your business and many of them are offering free shipping.

10.  Use gift bags.  This will definitely save you time since you won’t have to find a box or wrap anything.  I try to get my gift bags after Christmas when they’re on clearance.

Do you have any tips to share?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• free magazine subscriptions
• coupons for free or nearly free food
• opportunities to make extra income
• free entertainment
• free movie screenings
• coupon codes
• rebate offers
• home studies
• medical studies
• other free items

I also subscribed to iMommies.  I want to be informed of the free offers before the companies run out.  So far, my favorite deal has been the $5 Polly Pocket coupon.  I checked the Mattel site and it is a legitimate offer.   Our family has been to the store several times to use our coupons.  We have gotten about 10 free Polly Pocket items.  These were great to use in the shoeboxes and they’ll work well for stocking stuffers too! 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Each year, our family donates 5-11 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child.  You’re probably wondering how in the world we afford to do this.  I’m going to share my secrets and tell you how. 

Here are pictures of 2 shoeboxes.  As you can see, there is a lot of stuff in the shoebox.  I make sure I pack the boxes full of stuff.  After all, this may be the first and only gift this child ever receives.  Believe it or not, I have about $10 in all these things!

Picture 1 – Here’s what we have:

• coloring book – I got this at a yard sale for 10 cents.  Yes, it’s new.
• inflatable ball - 37 cents on clearance
• stationary set – 25 cents on clearance
• purse – free
• 2 pairs of socks – about 25 cents, yep on clearance
• hair bow – free (recycled gift, sorry)
• crayons – .15
• play doh – free (from my mom)
• toothbrush - .38
• toothpaste – $1.00 (had coupon)
• soap – .33
• candy – .50?
• hair kit – .50 (after Christmas clearance)
• pencil box – .10 (after school clearance)
• pencil sharpener – .55
• pens and pencils – .35?

To get all these things, I shop all year long.  The day after Christmas, I pick up the hair kits at Wal-Mart for 50% off.  As you can see, I got one for .50.  During the back-to-school sale I get my composition notebooks (if they’ll fit in the box), pens, pencils, crayons, etc.  I also admit that I recycle gifts such as stuffed animals.  So long as they’re new, I can use them in the shoebox. 

When I’m putting together my shoeboxes, I usually just have to buy some extra soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.  Sometimes I have enough of those already from using my coupons.

I keep a large tote in my basement garage and put the things in it thoughout the year.  When it’s time to make the shoeboxes, I just pull out my tote, and start assembling.

National Collection Week is November 12-19.  That’s next week.  It’s not too late to participate.  To find a collection center near you, go to the Samaritan’s Purse website and type in your zip code.

Do you participate in this event?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy