Yesterday, I gave a small introduction to stockpiling basics.  You can expect more of these money saving tips in upcoming posts.  Some of you may be wondering what I am stockpiling this week.  This week, I am stockpiling ground chuck.

Food Lion has their ground chuck on sale this week for only $1.69/lb.  Normally, you would pay $3.50 or more per pound for ground chuck.  You certainly don’t want to pay that price when you can stockpile it now on sale for later use.  By the way, if you plan on heading out to Food Lion, you’ll want to check this Food Lion sale and coupon match-up from A Full Cup.

By the way, I am in desperate need of a freezer.  I sold ours when we moved and I’m hoping to find a good deal on one before the ground chuck sale ends on Tuesday. If I have the freezer space, I plan to buy 15-20 lbs of the meat.  A freezer is essential for stockpiling sales on meats and frozen foods. 

Are you taking advantage of the Memorial Day sales?

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Guest post by Linette Gerlach

You can plant a garden even on a shoestring budget. For very little money you can grow enough food to help feed your family through the winter.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

• Start your plants in recycled pots, or containers you make yourself. You can make your own plant pots out of newspaper, or egg cartons.
• Buy your seeds at the local farm store. There you can buy as much or as little of each type of seed as you want, and you’re paying by the weight. You don’t have to buy extra if you only want a few watermelon seeds, and the seeds are usually cheaper than purchasing pre packaged seeds.
• Swap seeds and plants with neighbors. If you have extra tomato plants, or chives trade them with your neighbor for peppers, or thyme.
• Save your own seeds. You can save your own seeds from many plants for next years crop. Before you save a particular seed do a little research to make sure the plant will grow back true from seeds.
• Start a compost pile, and make your own fertilizer for your garden. This is a huge money saver, and you’re also recycling your waste at the same time.
• Make your own potting soil, by mixing about half regular soil, with half compost. You may have to play around with the mixture a little to suit your soil.

If you have tips for saving money in the garden, feel free to share them in the comment section.

Linette shares more gardening advice at Mother Earth’s Garden, and cooking and gardening advice at The Home and Garden Cafe.

Image L Gerlach

The following is a guest post.

As a mother that is always trying to figure out the budget I sometimes look for “thrifty” ways of getting stuff. What are some of your thrifty ways?

1)  The kids are always asking me for popsicles that you can see going down in the ice cream truck or at the store. Instead I decided to let them experiment a bit and grabbed a bunch of kool-aid mixes (to get cheaper you can buy the no name types), ice cube tray and sticks.
The kids mixed the kool-aid, poured it in the ice cube tray and dropped in their sticks. After several hours they were ready to be attacked. The kids loved it and I not only had a drink from them but popsicles as well.

2)  After we got out of the military we were hit with many “changes” that we weren’t ready for. For instance our electric bill, so instead of using the AC all the time we would turn it off and use fans instead. We also learned that by opening the windows first thing in the morning with the fans blowing it brings in the fresh cool air, shut the windows as it gets hotter and you’ll still have the air circulating. As the sun goes down, bring out those fans again. It beats $200-300 a month electric bills.

3)  We used to go to the store at any hour of the day just to beat the crowd, but sometimes this meant going while hungry. We’d purchase anything that looked good, here are two tips to avoid over-shopping.
-make a shopping list and stick to it
- eat before going so you aren’t hungry

4)  Don’t be late on payments. If a person is late on a payment they do have charges that will effect you. Keep current and you’ll never have to worry.

5)  Many people tend to eat out a lot more these days, probably because it is quick and easy. No one has time anymore. Instead make time, prepare the night before or do it all at the beginning of the week (on a weekend) and freeze it. This way it’ll just need to be re-heated.

I sure hope these 5 tips will help you become a bit thrifty around the house. I know they’ve helped me out.

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Eliza is a wife and stay-at-home mother to four children that range from 11 years to 1. When she isn’t busy playing video games with them or changing diapers, she enjoys blogging and reading books.  For a more personal view of her life, you can find her blogging about motherhood at Babylune or The Life of a Home Mom.

The following is a guest post. 

Showers. Wedding or baby, these gatherings of friends and family are bevies of grub, games, and gifts. For the guest(s) of honor, they are a moment to celebrate a milestone; for the hosts, such get-togethers can be well-organized and well-executed or chaotic and stressful. I think I have found a way to make any shower fun and easy to organize whether you have two hosts or twenty.

The solution lies in three steps: 1) determining what the guest(s) of honor want; 2) discussing specifics with all hosts involved; and 3) converting plans to tasks via a spreadsheet. These three steps are great because they are flexible; you can do all of this whenever works best for you and usually will have help in doing any of it.

The first step gives all who are involved a chance to talk about basics, like time, date, and location, and specifics, like themes, colors, and menus. Though some honorees might be reluctant to spell out what they want lest they look demanding, a get-together of some sort, be it dinner or quick conversations over email, can let you know what the honorees would like to see. Read more

As I shared earlier this week, we made $2953 at our yard sale last weekend.  Prior to that, the most we had ever made was $580.  I can’t guarantee that you’ll do as well as we have, but here are some tips to help you get started. 

1)  Go through closets, dressers, toys, cupboards, cabinets, bookcases, etc before the yard sale.  Take out items that you no longer want and add them to your yard sale pile.  It’s good to do this at least once a year.  You may want to wait until spring when you’re doing your spring cleaning.

2)  Find a decluttering buddy.  I don’t know about you, but it is easier for me to get rid of things when I have some moral support.  It helps to have someone that can honestly say, “That doesn’t look good on you.  That’s out of style.  You haven’t used that in years.”  Sometimes a little nudge is all we need.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a decluttering buddy.   

3)  Price as you go.  As you find things in your home that you want to add to your yard sale, go ahead and take the few seconds to put a price on it.  This will save a lot of time and aggravation on yard sale day. 

3)  Spread the word.  I’m having a moving sale soon and I’ve already begun telling friends, people from church, and others about the sale.  I have people saying, “email me and let me know when it will be”. 

4)  If possible, post signs.  We like to use the fluorescent poster board and thick black permanent markers for our signs.  We have found that we do better with signs than with advertising.  People stop by and say that they saw our signs.

5)  Put your signs up the day before the sale so that people see them on their way home from work. Then they’ll think, “I’m going there tomorrow.” Otherwise, they might not be out and about the day of the sale.

6)  Let friends and neighbors be a part.  You can advertise the yard sale as a multi-family yard sale.  This will let customers know that there will be more things and a bigger selection to choose from.  Participants can also share in the advertising expenses.

7)  Put a price on everything.  Some people will walk away rather than asking the prices for things.  Even if the item is 25 cents, you need a price on it.  All those 25 cent items add up.

8)  To save time, buy the premade price stickers.  You can purchase these in the office supply departments at most stores.  Recently, I even saw these in Dollar Tree.

Read more

April is Spring Cleaning Month!  Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, so here are tips to get you started and to help you not feel so overwhelmed.

1)  Go to each room and make a list of the jobs that need to be done.   

2)  Take one job at a time.  If you look around, you’ll likely freak out and become discouraged.  Instead of thinking about all the things in the room that need to be cleaned, refer to your list (see #1).  This will help you to tackle one job at a time.  As you complete that job, just cross it off your list.

3)   Clean one room each week. 

4)  Make a list of all the supplies you’ll need.  Whether it’s cleaning supplies, boxes, trash bags, or storage containers, you’ll need a list.  Go to the store and get the things that you need so that you don’t have another excuse to procrastinate.

5)  Set a deadline.  This sometimes helps for me.  Sometimes I will even schedule an event at my house so that I stay motivated to get it done before people come over.

6)  Make out a schedule.  Here’s an example:  Monday you could write on your schedule to go through all the dressers in the kids’ room. Tuesday you could clean out their closets. Wednesday you could take down the curtains and blinds and clean those, as well as wipe down window sills with bleach (to kill any mold).  Thursday you could move the furniture in their rooms and clean behind the furniture and wash the baseboards. Friday you could wash all the bedding (including the mattress covers), vacuum the mattresses, and spray dust mite remover on the mattresses.  On Saturday you could dust, paint, or whatever else needs to be done.  It makes it easier to stay on task when you have a schedule or goal for each day.

7)  Have a pile for things that you no longer want.  You’ll probably want this stuff to be in plastic bags or boxes so that the kids don’t see it and pull it back out.

8)  Pump up the volume!  Nothing gets us moving like a good beat.  I have some of my favorite cds downloaded onto my computer so that I can make my own playlist.  Perhaps you could make a cd with good tunes to get you moving.

9) Set the timer.  If tackling a room each week still seems like too much, try setting the timer for 20 minutes at a time.  See how much you can get done in those 20 minutes and then stop and spend some time with the kids.  A little break with them will help them to be more understanding about your cleaning schedule.

10)  Get the kids involved.  We have a small rechargable vacuum cleaner that I let my son vacuum with when I’m cleaning.  Find small tasks that they can do while you’re cleaning.  Otherwise, have a few other options on hand. 

Here’s a few suggestions for the little ones:

Nick Jr printables
Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center
Bingo Dauber Printables
Online Fun for Kids

Sometimes at Thrifty Mommy we give you tips on sales and other things that are only relevant to that week.  But then there are times that we have lists of ways to save time and money that can be helpful for years to come.

I decided to surf around the archives and pull together some of our helpful articles.  Most of these articles are relevant to men and women, whether or not you’re married with children. 

I hope you will enjoy these articles.  Let us know which ones are your favorite or if there are some other Thrifty Mommy articles that should have been included.

Happy browsing! 

Housekeeping

25 Ways to Clean with Vinegar

4 Thrifty Stain Removers

More Help with Common Stains

10 Tips for Saving Money While Doing Laundry

Quick Cleaning Tips

10 Organizing and Decluttering Tips

A Frugal and Time Saving Dishwasher Detergent

25 Tips for Freezing Food

Recipes

Easy Cubed Steak

Tomato Casserole Recipe

My Favorite Slow Cook Recipes

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

You will need to click on “Read More” to see the rest of this article.

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I am posting the Frugal Friday article tonight, as promised on The Cooper Lawrence Show. 

For many, Christmas is a favorite time of the year.  Unfortunately, many times it can be the most stressful.  Here are 30 ways to help you save time and money, and avoid unnecessary stress. 

Gift Giving and Shopping Tips: 

1.  Let friends and family know things you’re shopping for.  When I do this, other people let me know when they spot a good deal on something I need.

2.  Be specific in your requests.  If someone asks what to get your child, try to be as specific as possible.  Tell them the exact name of the toy or their specific pants size.

3.  Ask friends and family what they want.  Hopefully, this will avoid countless hours shopping, racking your brain, wasted gas, extra unwanted products in the environment, and the hassle of returns. 

4.  Try gift cards.  Some people may think this is inappropriate, but I think it’s a great solution.  Gift cards save time, wrapping paper, shipping expenses, and help avoid unwanted gifts.  Let the person buy what they want.

5.  Save your receipts.  Get an envelope for your purse or have a special file folder in your filing cabinet.  You never know when you’ll have bought the wrong size or something that didn’t work. 

6.  See if your store offers a gift receipt.  I think it’s nice when someone includes a gift receipt in the box.  This avoids the uncomfortable situation of asking where they bought it or if they still have the receipt.  I’ll admit that many times I’ve been left with things I couldn’t use or return.  Gift receipts are great!

7.  Consider drawing names with co-workers or family.  We did this with my husband’s family for several years.  To make it more fun, we kept the names we drew a secret and were surprised when we exchanged gifts.

8.  Buy just for the children.  This is becoming a common practice in our families.  We buy for our parents and the children.  This has really cut down on spending and getting unusable gifts.

9.  Consider playing a game instead.  Try a white elephant or dirty Santa game.  Some games involve bringing a nice gift or a funny joke-style gift.  It’s funny to see other’s reactions when they get the gift you brought and it’s interesting to see the things others chose.

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If you’re hosting this year’s Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, then you should look at these tips from A Healthy Balance.  These tips will help you to plan ahead and avoid being stressed.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out my recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole.  Thanksgiving and Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Other Links:
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Thanksgiving Children’s Activities
Easy Homemade Brown Sugar
What Do You Do With Turkey Leftovers?
What to Do with Leftover Turkey

I don’t know about you, but we rarely hire someone to do work around our house.  We mow our yard and trim our hedges.  We fix our sheetrock, paint our walls, install flooring and do other things to our home. 

When someone tells me they paid someone thousands of dollars to paint their home I can hardly fathom it.  Personally, I don’t have thousands of dollars to pay someone.  Just a few weeks ago my husband and I were talking about getting our roof shingled.  We got an estimate for $4200.  Ouch!  I told hubby he should just take a week off from work and hire someone to help him do it.  We could probably get it done ourselves for 1/3 of the price.

I found a helpful site today, Hometime.com, that offers How-to Project Help such as drywall, ceramic tile, plumbing, decks, bathrooms, and more.  Each cateory is even broken down for specific help.  For example, if you choose help on ceramic tile, there is help on choosing a ceramic tile, choosing the right adhesive, tiling tools, countertop layout, and more. 

Take advantage of building sweat equity in your home by doing-it-yourself and take advantage of this site for free tips.  Good luck!

Do you do your own work around your house?