Many times we want to give someone a special gift, but our budgets are limited.  Gift baskets can make nice gifts without costing a lot of money.  Of course, you will need to make them yourself.

Here is a gift basket that I recently helped my mom make for a birthday present. Included in this gift basket is a mug with matching plate, two boxes of tea, a devotional book, $10 Target gift card, and some peppermints.

Even making this gift basket yourself, you could easily spend $50 or more on these items. Here are some tips on spending less:

1)  Look for used baskets that are in good condition.  You can find these at yard sales and thrift stores. 

2)  Shop for clearanced items.  Believe it or not, the coffee mug and plate were purchased at Marshall’s for only a few dollars.

3)  Use coupons to purchase food items.  You can combine a sale with a coupon to get boxes of tea or other items very inexpensively.

4)  Check out the selection at your local close-out or dollar store.  Sometimes theses stores get in close-out items that you can get at a fraction of the normal cost. 

5)  Use your prescription promotion coupons to receive gift cards which can be used in the gift basket or to purchase items to include the basket.  The card shown here was free because of a prescription promotion.

6)  Purchase clearanced ribbon or reuse ribbon from gifts you have received.  The ribbon shown here was purchased for about 75% off and only a small portion of the roll was used for this gift.

7)  Shred your own filler paper or purchase it at a dollar store.  You can shred colorful paper to go inside the bottom of your basket or you can purchase some for $1.  You will only need about half of the bag.

8)  Purchase the gift bag at the dollar store.  The dollar store where I shopped had two gift bags in a package for $1 which was half the price of the discount store.

9)  Use craft store coupons.  Your gift recipient may enjoy craft items, but you can purchase other items at craft stores.  Notepads, picture frames, flowers, and decorations are just a few examples.

10)  Add some baked goodies.  Just about everyone enjoys homemade treats.  Add some to a basket for an inexpensive personal touch.

What ways do you save money on gifts?

images (c) Karen Weideman

Turkey Butt has been very sick with the stomach flu. Her doctor gave her a prescription for anti-nausea that has helped but we are still trying to get Gatorade and Pedialite down her. Her favorite drink is strawberry milk and I can’t let her have that on such a queezy stomach until she is better. Our doctor says if she isn’t better by tomorrow, then she iwll have to be hospitalized. Not exactly what I wanted to hear.

So here is what I am trying and I hope it will help you as well to be mindful of keeping fluids in your sick kids:
* Use Pedialite freezer pops. Turkey Butt thinks they are ice pops and I am hoping she will eat them.
* Find a favorite color. Of course, I let Turkey Butt pick out her Gatorade and she picked pink. I’m trying everything.
* My LEAST FAVE IDEA - I let her go to bed with a cup of ice water. I will take any fluid any time I can get it down her.
* Use fun straws and cups they aren’t normally allowed to drink out of.
* Take them shopping for a new cup or water bottle.
* If they like pop cycles, then freeze their favorite juice in ice trays, cover with saran wrap and stick a toothpick in it.
* Make a smoothie with ice instead of milk and add fruit to the juice. This is very healthy and full of water.
* Let her pick out a fun kind of drink package like the healthy juice boxes and bags. Not the best thing to do to your pocket book, but it is very fun for them.
* Save a fun bottle and mix tang. My aunt does this and we call it special juice. My daughter will drink it like it is going out of style because of the packaging. This works great in the summer time for Turkey Butt.
* If they aren’t stomach sick, just not drinking, offer strawberry or chocolate flavoring to their milk. At least it’s fluid down the tummy.

I hope these ideas help you keep your kids hydrated during the summer and when they are sick. I am trying just about all of them right now. Wish us luck! Will update you tomorrow wither from home or the hospital.

For many, money is tight this year.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great Valentine’s Day.  Dismiss your expectations about what Valentine’s Day should be.  This is a day to make your mate feel special and to spend time one another. 

1)  Make a romantic dinner at home.  I don’t know about you, but in the past few years, I have given up on going out on Valentine’s Day.  It is not fun to go to your favorite restaurant and wait an hour or more to be seated.  It’s not romantic at all!  Instead, make a special meal at home.

2)  Create a romantic ambiance. Dim the lights, light some candles, and play soft music.  You probably already have the candles in your home.  If not, you can pick up some for just a few dollars.  If you don’t have the music, set up a free playlist at youtube or borrow some music from your friends.

3)  Make your own Valentine’s cards.  A store bought card that says, “Love you” isn’t very special.  What makes a card special is that someone took the time to write something meaningful inside the card.  A handmade card also shows sincerity.  There are websites out there with free clip art or you could make a card and put a picture of the two of you on the cover. 

4)  Swap babysitting with a friend.  Offer to watch her kids on February 14 if she’ll watch your kids on February 15.  Remember, you don’t want to go out on the 14th anyway.  You could also wait until the kids are in bed to celebrate.

5)  Enjoy a movie at home. Last year, my hubby and I did not have a sitter, so I made a special dinner and after the kids were in bed, we enjoyed the silence in our home and watched a movie together.  I bought some sparkling grape juice for just a few dollars and some strawberries.  It was fun just to spend time together.

6)  Make your own decorations.  The internet is full of crafts, garland, and the sweetest decorating ideas.  Many of them aren’t time consuming.  For a fun activity, get the kids involved.

7)  Make your own fabulous desserts.  Enjoy a special treat together such as the famous frozen hot chocolate.  No Fuss Fabulous has a recipe that sounds pretty simple and they show you how to make it as a gift for friends.  Or use your left over candy canes to makes the cutest heart lollipops and cupcakes or make heart shaped cheesecakes from Skip to My Lou.

8)  Forget the store bought gift and give your spouse something special from you.  You know your spouse and you know what he/she likes (or at least you should!).  If your husband is always begging you to go to the car show with him, then tell him you’re taking him to the car show.  If you husband’s love language is touch, then give him a 30 minute massage.  If your husband’s love language is words of affirmation, then make individual hearts for him with special sayings on them or things you appreciate about him and place them in random places throughout the house, or you could tape them to the door for a heart collage.

9)  If you want to buy something for your special someone, begin shopping ahead of time and looking for something that doesn’t cost a lot.  If your honey likes cars, then maybe you could buy a magazine subscription.  If your significant other likes coffee or chocolates, then you could make them a basket of homemade treats with a few favorite store bought items.  Get creative and stay within your budget.

10)  Let the kids be thrifty too.  My kids love to make things.  Get the kids involved by letting them make their own valentines this year.  Family Fun has some really cute Valentine card ideas.  Of course, you can search the web for printable Valentines too.

11)  I know I said 10 ways. Consider this a bonus.  :)   Try not to send flowers this year.  The mark up at Valentine’s Day is insane.  If you do want to give flowers, consider buying them from your local grocery store or supermarket.  They actually have some nice fresh flowers and arrangements for a fraction of the cost.

Also consider checking out 50 Thrifty Links for Valentine’s Day.

What ways can you save this Valentine’s Day?

images used with permission of SkipToMyLou

The air is getting crisp and things just seem a little more pleasant.  Well, in my opinion anyway.  You know what this means.  The county and state fairs are coming!!!!

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words county fair I think of nauseating rides, weird smelling food, and money.  Of course, the reason I think of money is because you can really spend a lot of money at the fair. 

Here are some ways to help you keep from spending so much money at the fair:

1.  Set a budget and stick to it.  There’s nothing wrong with having fun, but there needs to be a limit.  Whether it be $20 or $75, you need to have a set amount that you won’t go over.  You don’t want to get wrapped up into spending more than you planned on some food that’s going to make you feel queasy anyway.

2.  Check to see if the fair has a free day or a time that’s free to get in.  When we lived in Virginia, the entry to the fair was free.  It was great because I only wanted to walk around anyway.  Some fairs offer free admission before a certain time.  It’s worth looking into, especially if you have a large family or are on a tight budget.

3.  Eat a meal before you go.  Then you’ll only need to buy that funnel cake you’ve been craving.

4. Check to see if you can purchase advance tickets at a local grocery store, bank, or at the fair’s website.  Sometimes you can save several dollars per ticket.

5.  Maximize the cost of your admission by staying the entire day.  Get there early and leave late.   

6.  Take a backpack with you.  We always carry a thermos of water with us or some bottled water.  It’s ok to buy some treats at the fair, but if you’ll be there for long, you’ll need to keep hydrated.  Drinks at the fair can cost a lot of money.

7.  Research different transportation options.  Some fairgrounds charge $10 or more for parking.  See if they offer a free lot to park in.  You’ll probably have to walk a little farther though. 

8.  While at the fair, scope out different food booths and then decide where you want to eat.  Otherwise, you might be disappointed with the choice you’ve made and you’ll find yourself buying from another booth.  This has happened to me before.

9.  Preplan your day.  Look at the schedule of events for that day.  Choose the activities you want to see and plan your route.  Better yet, check out the events for the week and choose the best day.  Get the most bang for your buck.  You can probably find the activities listed on the fair’s website.

10.   Look for freebies.  Most fairs have an exhibit hall where vendors can promote their products and many times you can find lots of freebies.

I know there are more ways to save money at the fair. What ways can you recommend?

School has only been in session for a few weeks and my little kindergartener has already come home with TWO fundraisers!!! 

I’ll admit, one of the fundraisers was decent.  There were some things that I would not mind buying.   The other fundraiser was asking us to put the names and addresses of family and friends onto postcards so that they could ask for money for computers or something like that.  My little girl came home telling me that I needed to fill out her paperwork and send it back the next day so that she could get a t-shirt.  I thought it was a form to purchase a school t-shirt.  The form said that if two of the people on her list responded, then she would get a t-shirt.  Imagine me trying to explain to my 5-year-old child that she wasn’t going to get a t-shirt the next day and that it was a sales tactic.  Thankfully, she’s well beyond her years and she understood, but still she was heartbroken.

For the most part though, I feel that these fundraisers are inappropriate.  Here are some of the reasons why I don’t like school fundraisers.

1.  The stuff is overpriced.

2.  It’s usually crap that I can’t use. 

3.  Kids are made to feel left out or unaccepted if they don’t participate or do well.

4.  I don’t like being stalked at church, outside Wal-Mart or anywhere else by children trying to raise money.

5.  You get little bang for the buck.  I mean, really, $8 for 25 square feet of wrapping paper?  Are they serious?

6.  There’s little to nothing you can do if the item doesn’t work.  Well, you could take it back to the school and demand a refund, but that would just make you look like a cheapskate that doesn’t care about children.

7.  I feel guilty if I don’t participate.

8.  I don’t feel right asking others to buy overpriced stuff.

9.  I get frustrated and annoyed every time I see the product that I paid too much money for.

10.  Many times the parents are the ones that do the selling which causes them to sell these things at work.

Before you start casting stones, please understand that I am an educator.  I know the importance of these fundraisers.  Honestly though, I think there’s a better way.  I’ve seen some pretty creative fundraising tactics at some of the schools I’ve worked at.  One school did a Coca-Cola sale.  The soda was just as inexpensive as if I had bought it at Wal-Mart, but they received a lot of proceeds from it.  What about a spaghetti dinner?  My daughter’s preschool did several fundraisers where the kids could bring in $1 and earn a special privilege such as wearing a hat to school.  Schools could even ask parents to send in a tax deductible donation at the beginning of the school year and then decide how much more money they should try to raise after the donations were brought in.  Some people would rather just give money anyway.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way.  How do you feel about school fundraisers?  Please leave your comments below and participate in our poll in the sidebar.  Thanks!

image: Discovery Education

I have always wanted to loose weight and get into shape but I refuse to pay for a gym membership.  So I started looking around my home to see what we could use to exercise with and found some really easy ideas to exercise for free.

1. Arms and shoulders- I play “superbaby” with my son and lift him above my head with repetitions.
2. Shoulders - Shake out your shirts and pants several times before you put them in your dryer while they are still wet (for extra weight).
3. Forearms - Fill an empty milk jug with water and hold it out straight to strengthen your forearm and wrists.
4. Abs - Play horse with your kids by placing them on your legs and lift them while pulling your stomach in.
5. Abs - Have your kids sit on your feet and play peak-a-boo as you do a sit up and hide from them when you go down and BOO them when you come up.
6. Butt - Peak - a -Boo is a great game here too as you can do squats behind the couch or counter to play with them.
7. Thighs - Walk up your stairs several times while carrying your kids.
8. Calves - Have your kids ride on your shoulders as you lift up on your toes.
9. Legs and Butt - Do lunges around a corner to surprise your kids and hear them laugh.  Little Man loves this game.
10. Walk/Bike ride - Just get out and play with your kids.  They will remember the time, not that you were exercising.

We as a society need to be more active and including our kids in this is how to teach them without them realizing you are exercising.  And I love the free part.

I love honey.  It is an all natural food that is pure and can be eaten straight out of the comb.  I will add not to give it to your infants less than 1 year due to the pollens in the honey.  But did you know there are tons of healthy benefits from honey?  And it’s cheap!  Here are a few that I found are great.

1. Hot Totties for a cold and cough - 1/3 lemon juice, 1/3 whiskey, and 1/3 honey; heat it and drink a shot every 6 hours
2. Cough - 1 tsp when needed
3. Laxative - Put some in your drink to cleanse your colon
4. Protectant - Bug bites and small cuts can be protected by putting honey directly on the wound to keep dirt and germs out until you can treat it.
5. Calcium - Some studies have shown that honey can help you retain calcium.
6. Sedative -Ok this is a stretch but put some honey in a cup of warm milk helps you sleep.
7. Hangover Helper - Put a few tablespoons on bread to help speed up the metabolism of alcohol.
8. Eczema - Use honey soap to reduce eczema
9. Fights bacteria - Honey evidently inhibits bacterial growth
10. Healthy - Great source of Antioxidants

So enjoy eating honey every day, multiple times a day with no worries.  Use it instead of sugar to sweeten your drinks.  It has fewer calories and more benefits than sugar.  AND it’s cheaper.

Ok, so the biggest time spender of my time can be on my computer. I love it and am very addicted. But when you get a virus on your computer, it can be a nightmare. On my laptop, we have Avast and it scares me every time I check my email and it pops up that an email has a virus on it. So I got to thinking about the top 10 Anti-virus software out there and I thought I would let you know what I found.

Here are the top free anti-virus software downloads.

1. AVG
2. Avast
3. PC Tools

Also, here are the top 10 most commonly bragged about antivirus software packages that you do have to pay for. There is a common theme so I put up the top 10 most recommended antivirus software out there for 2008 (not in any particular order).

1. Shield Deluxe
2. Norton Anti Virus
3. CA Anti Virus
4. BitDefender
5. Kapersky
6. NOD32
7. Panda
8. McAfee
9. Trend Micro
10. F-Secure Anti Virus

This should hopefully save you time. I intentionally did not put in links for each software package but for review sites so that you can compare and find what works best for you and your needs. So here are links for some comparisons

• Anti Virus Review
• 2008 Anti Virus Review
• Blog Review
• All Internet Security

It doesn’t take long for pet owners to figure out just how expensive animals can be.  Sometimes it’s like owning a child.  Some of the expenses you may incur are shots, neutering or spaying, an invisible fence, litter box, cat litter, food, leashes, toys, chew toys, cage or home, travel carrier, and more.  Although these things can be expensive, there are some ways to help you save.

1)  Sign up for a freecycle account.  Just last week I gave away a 3-tier cage.  There are others giving away pet accessories and some freecycle groups will allow pet listings.

2)  Consider adopting an animal from a rescue organization.  A few years ago, we adopted a cat for $80.  She was spayed, declawed, and had all of her shots.  The $80 adoption fee was much less expensive than paying the vet bills for a kitten.

3)  Find an older veterinarian.  When I was growing up, my family always took our animals to an older veterinarian because he was less expensive.  He had been out of school for years and he did not have the expenses that younger vets have so he was able to offer cheaper rates.  I was fortunate to find an older veterinarian where we live now which is good because we adopted a kitten last year.  The vet that we use does not charge for office visits.  He only charges for the cost of his supplies.  I was able to save over $60 on my kitten’s first round of shots.  (Some people may not agree with going to older veterinarians.  I am trying to save money.  It is not my goal to put someone else through college.)

4)  Consider using a veterinary school for care.  Some veterinary schools offer services to the public.  Of course, you’re not seeing someone with experience, but these students are supervised by their instructor.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you may just consider using their services for basic needs such as vaccinations.

5) Groom your pet at home.  Trim their nails, wash them, give them flea treatments, and cut their hair.  All of these expenses can really add up quickly. 

6)  Keep your dog in a fenced-in yard and keep your cat inside.  When animals leave your yard, they are more susceptible to parasites, injury, and other dangers.

7) Research, research, research.  If you’re thinking about getting a new pet, then I strongly urge you to research price of the pet and the needs that they have.  Because of our research, we have kept ourselves from purchasing a chinchilla, a hedgehog, and I’m sure some other critters as well.  We simply found that these pets were not for us.

8)  Research the different brands of food.  Most expensive doesn’t always mean best.  For a while, we were able to buy an equivalent generic of the brand we wanted to use. 

9) If you are brand loyal to the pet food you purchase, then visit the company’s website. Sign up for their newsletter and special promotions.  Many companies will email you coupons and special offers. 

10) Check your local veterinarian’s bulletin board.  I can’t tell you the number of animal postings I’ve seen on vet’s bulletin boards.  I guess if you have an animal that needs a home, a vet’s office would be the place to post the ad because those people are likely to care about animals.  Many people will give their animals away if they know they’re going to a good home.

Well, that’s my list of 10 ways to save money with pets and animals.  I can think of a few more ways, but I want to hear from you too.  Can you add something to this list?

image by Karen

I confess.  Within the past few years, I have become a coffee snob.  Honestly, it wasn’t intentional.  I promise.  I wish that my palette craved regular coffee because it’s a lot cheaper.  Unfortunately, that is not the case so I have learned to be frugal and save some money along the way.

1)  Brew your own coffee.  Uh huh.  Cut out the expensive $5 trips to Starbucks. 

2)  Look online for recipes.  You may think that you can’t make coffee like the pros, but you can.  It’s really not that hard.  You just need the right ingredients.  Thrifty Mommy has some coffee recipes from Dunkin’ Donuts.

3)  Splurge on the more expensive syrups.  If you buy the cheap, nasty tasting syrups, then you’re not going to be motivated to make your own.  Some coffee shops sell the same syrups that they use.

4)  Use coupons to purchase coffee beans and grounds.  Some coffee manufacturer’s put coupons in the Sunday paper.  Otherwise, check online at their website and sign up for their promotions and newsletters.  When all else fails, call the company and ask for the coupons.

5)  Look at the warehouse clubs for discounted rates on beans. 

6)  Check local papers, freecycle, and the internet for equipment. Coffee equipment can be very expensive.  Check around and compare prices, equipment quality, look for sales, etc.  I am thankful that we found a display model espresso machine for $20!  It brews coffee and espresso and has a frother.

7)  Store coffee properly.  Only buy what you can use within a short amount of time.  Some people say to only buy what you can use in a week.  I can keep mine for several more weeks just by storing it in an airtight container.  You might even consider vacuum sealing the beans.

8)  Buy beans instead of grounds.  Grounds lose their flavor quicker than beans.  This year I purchased a coffee grinder and started buying beans.  The flavor is so much better.

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