Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here photo by ninjapoodles This time of the year, daylight quickly turns to dusk. We crave the warmth of comfort foods. It’s time to showcase one of your winter assets — desserts baked with love. You can create unforgettable memories for your family by baking dessert casseroles [...]
Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here photo by mangpages DEAR SARA: My son has denim jeans that are torn in both knees and a pocket here and there. What do you do with the denim material once they are no longer wearable? Dust rags? I need ideas. I have five pairs that [...]
Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here For years, I’ve applied plastic to our windows, during winter, to keep the draft out. It’s not a fun job, and the plastic kits get costly. I love the first tip below. Plenty of stores and manufacturers throw it away, so you can probably get it [...]
Valentine’s Day can be the most frustrating holiday. I see the tension rise as couples scramble to find the perfect romantic gift idea that isn’t a cliche or cheap and tacky. Most can’t afford luxury gifts, so the pressure is on to express their love within their means. It seems ridiculous. I feel sorry for [...]
Frugal discussions often mention pampering yourself. One way to experience luxury on a shoestring is by investing in a quality set of towels. White sales are approaching, so if your towels are threadbare and scratchy, now is a good time to buy a new set. You have an opportunity to buy high-quality towels that will [...]
Fridge check! When is the last time you cleaned and organized your refrigerator? If you lose food in your refrigerator, shove in food to make it fit or aren’t sure how old food is, it’s time to create a new organizational system. Your goal should be to have all food easily accessible and stored properly [...]
photo by nate DEAR SARA: There is wallpaper in one area of the house, and that is the stairs to the downstairs family room. It’s a small set of stairs, but the paper was peeling, so we want it off. We don’t want to spend the money to rent a steamer, but we don’t know [...]
photo by jswieringa If there isn’t money enough to go around, starting an emergency fund seems impossible. If an emergency happens, like a car breaking down, people pop the repair bill on their credit card. When life’s emergencies continue to happen, the debt increases and this cycle becomes a financial mess. You need money that [...]
photo by rberteig Moving can be overwhelming and chaotic. The process will run more smoothly if you’re well organized, plan ahead and recruit help. Readers share their best tips to save your sanity during a move.
Our family had a walk-in pantry when I was a kid. It was huge. I’ve seen smaller bedrooms. I wish I had a room like that in my home now. I have a floor-to-ceiling pantry, and because of limited space, I need to stay on top of things to keep it neat and organized. A [...]
photo by zachklein DEAR SARA: I’ve heard I can use vinegar in the laundry as a fabric softener, but how much and how? — Megareader, via e-mail DEAR MEGAREADER: Distilled white vinegar can be used as a fabric softener. Simply add approximately 3/4 cup to the final rinse cycle. If you have a liquid-fabric-softener dispenser [...]
Not everyone has an emergency fund to fall back on when tough times hit. It can be emotional and overwhelming to know where to start making changes. Sometimes you can be so accustomed to your current lifestyle that you forget how much you could pare down when faced with an emergency or layoff. Think about [...]
photo by Mike Licht During your quest for frugality, you can overdo it. Extreme frugal living that negatively impacts someone else is one way. But another way is when you get so consumed by saving that you actually waste money in the process. Have you ever had a frugal flop or had good intentions to [...]
photo by Didts Move over, meatloaf. For a change, you can make these budget-friendly ground-beef meals. Some people stretch their ground beef by adding rice, breadcrumbs, ground turkey, textured vegetable protein (TVP), oats or beans. You can mix in grated vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or zucchini, too. Enjoy! Hamburger Calzones 1/2 pound ground beef [...]
photo by antkriz Why buy new if you have something that works just as well? Sometimes, finding a new use for objects is easy such as cutting receiving blankets to make dusting cloths or reusing a juice can as a penholder. Other times, it takes clever creativity. What have you turned from trash to treasure [...]
photo by thetruthabout DEAR SARA: With the economic downturn, what do you think about taking in boarders? — Julie H., Indiana DEAR JULIE H.: As a young woman in my early 20s, I once took in boarders. It was a nightmare. They charged up the phone bill and were late paying rent. I was lucky [...]
photo by uzvards The first tip is a great idea during school vacations or whenever kids get bored. The same concept can be used to create tasks for chores (pick a chore a day) or for journal prompts. If you’re making a journal jar, you can write prompts on slips of paper and have your [...]
