Frugal families cut their budgets to the bone. Many budget busters, such as eating out too often or being wasteful with electricity, are easy to identify. Sometimes it might seem like you can’t find any new ways to save. Readers on my forums share updates with an ongoing discussion on their most recent ways they’ve [...]
Baby oil is cheap and has a light and pleasant scent. Its gentleness makes it a wonderful product to use in the bath or shower as a skin moisturizer, cuticle softener or an alternative to shaving cream or gel. Many people use it on a baby’s skin or for cradle’s cap, but it has a [...]
Dry skin is common during winter. Not only is it unsightly, but it can be itchy and painful, too. There are plenty of expensive products available, but you can manage your dry skin on a frugal budget. Start with eating well, getting plenty of rest and de-stressing. I recommend you see a doctor if your [...]
Frugal consumers stock their homes with versatile products. 20 Mule Team Borax is a staple product that makes the list. It can be found easily at major retailers and local supermarkets. Visit www.20muleteamlaundry.com for a coupon for your next shopping trip. Many people use it as a laundry booster (used in addition to their regular [...]
Frugal families sometimes splurge on technology. For example, it might seem odd for a family on a budget to have a landline phone and multiple cell phones. But there are plenty of valid reasons to have both phone services. If you’re considering dropping your landline, think it through. You might want to cut back in [...]
Hear the words “head lice” and you probably start itching. Parents dread to discover their child has lice. They’re contagious, and, while they don’t jump or fly, they travel from head to head easily. With kids close together at school, this becomes a likely place for kids to get lice. Here are a few ways [...]
Frugality includes reusing items. Maybe you have an abundance of T-shirts that you can’t bring yourself to throw away. Some were probably free, and others might be mementos from school, vacations or sports. Instead of purging them or letting them take up precious storage space, you can reuse them in more practical ways. How have [...]
Frugality often leads to simplicity. For some people it comes naturally, but others struggle with small details, redefining luxuries and shiny-object syndrome. I was in a “make it pretty” industry as a career, so that really stuck with me at home, too. But when it came down to prioritizing, many details were sucking the life [...]
Frugality can be integrated into your daily routine. It can become second nature. The potential annual savings from some frugal tips might not be enough to buy a new car or pay off a large debt, but it’s money you normally wouldn’t have, and you can choose the best place to spend it or save [...]
Young newlyweds want to start their marriage on the right track, but maybe money is already tight. As a loved one, you shouldn’t bail them out financially right away. This situation may be the only way they get the gravity of their plight and learn from it. Or maybe you have a friend who is [...]
Summer is a good time to set some frugal goals. It’s easy to get trapped into overspending, but if you arm yourself with a game plan, you can save some money or at least avoid adding to your debt. How do you save money during summer? Here are a few tips for putting your best [...]
Frugality can seem like a lot of work. Some people have decided that it’s simply not worth the effort. Maybe they haven’t thought it through. Those of you who are frugal, know that you’re not deprived and that it doesn’t require a lot of extra time. The benefits of frugal living outweigh the sacrifices and [...]
Staying motivated and focused on long-term money-saving goals is a common challenge. The daily grind of making positive choices that work toward your goals can be frustrating, especially if your goals aren’t recreational or fun. The thrill of spending money you don’t have or splurging senselessly can seem more fulfilling than experiencing a sense of [...]
Cool weather brings cravings for comfort-food favorites. One of my favorite autumn flavors is pumpkin. Pureed pumpkin is versatile and can be mixed into a variety of foods, such as chili, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, oatmeal and applesauce. Add small amounts, from a tablespoon to 1 cup or more, until it suits your taste. To [...]
photo by bucklava DEAR SARA: We buy Super Pretzels in bulk. Each box comes with a huge cinnamon/sugar pack that we never use on our pretzels. Now I have about three pounds of it and no idea what to do with it. Plus, as long as we keep buying the pretzels, we will keep getting [...]
photo by toofarnorth DEAR SARA: I have started to hang up a couple of loads each week on a clothesline rather than throwing them in the dryer. I was wondering how much money I save by doing this. Do you have any idea how much money it costs per hour to run an electric dryer? [...]
photo by guccibear My kids go through a ton of frozen juice pops during summer. Sometimes I buy them, and other times I make my own. I really like the first tip that uses silicone muffin cups as a mold. It’s much more practical than using an ice-cube tray and easier to manage than using [...]
