Many of you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year. It doesn’t take long to figure out that this feast can break your food budget.  Here are some tips to help you to spend less and hang on to that money for upcoming Christmas expenses.

Prepare the foods yourself.  Don’t go out to the ham store and order a precooked ham or turkey.  I’ve heard of some people paying $30-40 for a precooked ham.  Yikes!
Shop the pre-Thanksgiving sales.  Some stores offer tremendous weekly specials to lure you in.  Look for buy 1 get 1 free specials on vegetables, …read more

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

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

With me working part-time from home and having three little kids, my husband and I are looking for ways to save money on dates.  We need some time alone!

Here are few ways to save on babysitting.
1)  Go on a lunch date. This is our newest way to save.  Our three oldest children are in school and our youngest is in preschool part-time.  We finally have a consistent time that we can get out together.
2)  Trade babysitting with others.  If you know of other parents that have kids, offer to trade with them.  Everyone needs some time alone and they would …read more

Last December I moved to a small town.  There were a few stores around, but not the wide variety from which I have become accustomed.  The transition to this lifestyle was very difficult because I shop around for the best bargains on our groceries. 
With only one grocery store in town, I was left with the option of shopping there or driving 30 minutes each way.  My grocery bill had jumped 30% and something needed to be done.  It took me a few months to develop a system for saving money, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.

Here are some tips for saving …read more

It doesn’t take long for the cost of Halloween decorations and costumes to add up.  Although it may not seem like it, Halloween is just around the corner.  Here are some tips to save.

1)  Check out the selection at close out stores.  One year my husband stopped in a close out store and found Spiderman and Backyardigans costumes for only $5 each.  Those costumes would have cost us at least $40. The kids were thrilled!
2)  Borrow from a friend.  Check with your friends to see if anyone has any costume pieces that you can borrow.  Sometimes you can borrow enough for a whole …read more

The 80/20 rule is a great rule that can be applied to all sorts of purchases in order to save you cash each and every day. The 80/20 rule means you spend 80% of your money (or budget) on necessities and 20% on other items that you simply really want or that you don’t need but want to indulge in. Once you start using and thinking about the 80/20 rule as you shop, it’ll start to come more naturally too.

You can use the 80/20 rule on…
Groceries – 80% of your groceries should always be staples like bread, milk, produce, rice, …read more

There are plenty of ways to save money that are a snap to incorporate into your daily life. Such as…

Set aside $20-$40 each month for small eco-friendly home changes. Each month buy some new green gear that will add up to more savings in the long run, like, new CFL light bulbs, reusable water bottles (over plastic disposable water), a water heater wrap, a water efficient shower head, some waterless car wash, and so on. Over time you’ll cut energy and water bills.
Buy larger sizes of food items for kids (huge box of crackers, large block of cheese) instead of …read more

You may remember me posting about the whole Cash for Clunkers program recently. Well, the program was really popular, so popular that President Obama signed a bill Friday morning to extend the program. According to CNN, Obama noted, “Now, more American consumers will have the chance to purchase newer, more fuel efficient cars and the American economy will continue to get a much-needed boost.” Cash for Clunkers ate up an initial $1 billion in funding in its first week (crazy).
So far critics worried that car shoppers would use the program to mainly purchase trucks but in reality, compact cars and …read more