It’s been estimated that it can take $284,000 to raise a baby to adult hood. That’s a pretty flipping high number. I’m betting you can lower it with some planning. Here are some general tips…

Never tell anyone your baby’s gender-to-be.
Start an emergency fund asap, I mean the second you find out your expecting, if you haven’t already.
Borrow most of your baby items. Regardless of what you may hear, it’s safe to do so.
Talk with an expert about the big issues. A good tax accountant should be able to help you plan for college, get the most tax returns on that …read more

I love a recipe that I can fix in 20 minutes and even kids eat it. Taco Pasta Salad is even better when reheated. It fixes a ton although it doesn’t look like it so make sure you mix it in at least a 6 qt stockpot. Otherwise you won’t have room to stir. Depending on where you shop, the whole meal shouldn’t cost you more than $10 and iwll easily feed 6+ people.

I love hand made crafts that you can do with your kids.  Noreen over at Hankering For Yarn has put up a great post that shows you all kinds of frugal ways to make books, journals, and scrapbooks.  You should take a look and I will promise you that you will find a great selection of ideas on how to save money on crafts for you or to do with your kids.  Enjoy and tell Noreen hi for me.

Washington DC is a great place to visit.  There is so much to do that we can’t do at home.  My family is here for a business trip.  But let me tell you what I have found to be my favorite things to do so far.

We are staying at my BIL’s house so watching my little girl play with her cousin that she doesn’t get to see very often has lifted my heart.
Sidewalks!  We live on the side of a mountain so walking on a somewhat flat surface with sidewalks has been awesome.
Hanging out with my daughter.  I don’t have …read more

I just love Dawn over at Frugal for Life. She is so crafty without seeming so cheap. I have been thinking about what to do about my nasty paper towel cup holder soaker upper. And then I came across Dawn’s post on her cheap car coaster alternative. SPONGES! Imagine that. Just cut them to the size of your cup holder and it will soak up all the excess spillage from your cups. Come on, you know you need something. Look in your cup holder and find all the grunge in your car …read more

I just found a great site from the US government, if you can overlook that, which gives some great menus and meal plans for the thrifty AND healthy.  They include a lot of recipes that you can fix easily and with just a little money.  Hope you enjoy it.  It has a menu for 2 weeks.  I actually like most of the ideas and will be trying them soon.
Thanks, frugal families for the tip.

I am so excited to announce that Pat, formerly from About, is now going to be helping out at the Dollar Stretcher! I have recently been talking with her about her thrifty lifestyle and here is what she has to say about life, saving money, and life after About.

If you have read Thrifty Mommy for any length of time,  you know I love the advice that Pat Veretto from frugal living.  She just always seems to have it all together.  Well I was crushed to hear that she was thinking about retiring and then even more so when she announced that she wasn’t going to be writing for About.com anymore.
Well be sad no more my friends.  She has arisen with frugal fervor at her own frugal living blogsite and I want to let her know how much I love her stuff!  So Pat, welcome to the individual’s world …read more

I found a great post at Best Homes in Broward, a real estate site in Broward County Florida that reminds us why it is better to buy a home and enjoy the fruits of building up equity rather than rent for a long period of time and waste your money.  INHO, you work too hard to earn your money than to waste it on renting for the long term.  Renting is fine when you are learning the area.  But once you have figured out what you want and where you want to live, I recommend buying.  You build up equity …read more

   
Five young and thrifty Vancouver women were chosen to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show for their money saving habits.
After seeing Oprah’s Debt Diet show, Katie Dunsworth decided it was time for her and her friends to stop spending, start saving, and get richer. The show motivated Katie and four of her friends to start a money group and get smart about their spending, saving and investing.
These four women call themselves the Smart Cookies.  They meet weekly to confess their debt, make plans to pay it off, and start investing.  Their group serves as a way for them to hold one another …read more