We’ve officially been in our new home for two months now.  We’re pretty settled and it feels like home, however, we’re still working on finding a place for everything.  Today I tweeted saying, “Putting away more stuff and organizing a little more.  Will we ever be totally unpacked?”.
Finding a place for everything is definitely a challenge.  Another challenge we have faced is affording the organization supplies that we need. Here are some tips for saving.

1)  Plan out your purchases.  This month we bought closet organizers.  Next month, I’m hoping to purchase some shelving for one of the closets.  An extra …read more

We’re all looking to include more vegetables into our meals. Here are some ways to help you save.

1)  Grow your own.  Growing your own can help to drastically cut your food bill.  As an added bonus, you get to control the use of fertilizers and pesticides. 
2)  Can and freeze for the winter months.  Many people plan a large garden so that they will have enough to can and freeze for future months.  These come in handy for soups, casseroles and crock pot meals.
3)  Buy in-season produce.  I am more likely to buy cucumbers, tomatoes, and other produce when they’re at …read more

I’ve never been one to spend a bunch of money on books. I might spend $50 per year. I know there are some of you that spend hundreds or maybe even thousands. Hopefully you will find a few tips from this list that you can try to save money on books.

1.  Borrow books from friends. Of course, be willing to let them borrow your books too.
2.  Shop yard sales and thrift stores. Sometimes you can find some great deals in those stores.  Once while shopping at Good Will, I found a bunch of Scholastic books and some curriculum.  It was …read more

Let the parties begin! With several holidays so close together, this is the time of year when folks begin planning their parties. Entertaining doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. Here are some money saving tips to get you started.

1) Shop sales and use coupons. During this time of year, you might see holidays items on sale. If you see the cocktail weenies on sale buy 1 get 1 free, go ahead and purchase enough for your party rather than paying full price later. Of course, make sure they’ll still be in date.
2) Have a potluck or cook …read more

As Thanksgiving is coming near, stores are looking to lure you in.  One way that they do that is through rebates.  Promises of good savings from rebates is enough to get us in the stores.  The problem is that many times we forget to send in the rebates or the rebate has too many hoops to jump through.
There are some ways to make sure you get your rebate money.

1)  Make copies of everything before you send it in. My husband and I always make a copy of all of the paperwork.  This includes the papers we filled out, the receipt, …read more

Penny Saving Household Helper: Five Hundred Little Ways to Save Big by Rebecca DiLiberto, Chronicle Books (2009), will make a great tiny stocking stuffer this year for any pal or family member who needs some tips about saving and budgeting.

Penny Saving Household Helper: Five Hundred Little Ways to Save Big is just a tiny little hardcover book;  4-1/2 x 6 in (it’ll fit right in a stocking!) but is packed full with over 500 tips for saving money throughout the home and garden all year long. There are many nice tips for saving money when cooking, stocking the pantry, cleaning, …read more

The other day, I was at the library and the children’s librarian asked me to sort out the crayon bins and throw away any broken bits. I immediately pointed out all the uses for broken crayon bits. She knows I’m thrifty, but someone who doesn’t would have thought I was a bit nuts.
To be fair, the things you can do with broken crayons are pretty cool. One of my favorites is to put the bits into a muffin tin and cook them in the oven to make crayon cupcakes, which are super easy for young children to use. However, collecting …read more

When it comes to giving or taking loans from family members or friends how can you manage without causing an issue down the line?
It’s simple. Write it down. When a pal or say, my sister needs money, and I have it, I’ve sometimes given it, and then later I don’t always remember exactly how much, I more so remember my friend or sis needed some help. This is where things can get really screwed up. Friends and family members tend to give or take loans and not always remember the terms of said loan because other issues matter more at …read more

You know the problem with having many blogs that sort of interrelate? You write stuff at one that would be just as useful at another.
In thinking about what I’d like to write about here, I realized that I write a lot about saving money elsewhere. In case you’re interested, here’s a run down of some of the better money saving posts I’ve done on other blogs. This is also sort of selfish, because I’m trying not to repeat myself here, so now I’ll know not to write much more about stuff like…

11 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food
Top 10 …read more

This morning, I did a post over at Guerrilla Parenting about my disgust at the fly problem we’ve had around here, lately. I forgot to mention the annoyingly itchy mosquito bite I have on my cheek, or the ant invasion, in the post. I asked Marye, my very knowledgeable, fellow mother of a large brood, for some advice. Here is a great tip that, I think, fits nicely here at Simply Thrifty. “…try planting pots of basil around your doors…flies HATE it.” Thanks Marye! I was inspired by her suggestion and decided to do a little research on natural and cost …read more