Scrapbooking can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very expensive. One easy way to cut down your costs is by doing digital scrapbooking instead of the traditional form. Not only can it be extremely low cost to buy reusable supplies from places like ComputerScrapbook.com, but often times you can find FREE supplies to use as well. The best part about digital scrapbooking is you aren’t limited by your tools and supplies. It’s easier, quicker, and if you want a traditional scrapbook you can print at any time. Digital scrapbooking supplies are usually very inexpensive, only costing you a $1 or less per item. To see all the items available, click on the banner at the top of this post, or visit TheScrapbookingSource.com for more details on traditional and digital scrapbooking supplies. Read More →
Since earlier this week we took some time and organized our bills, today I thought we’d work on lowering your bills a bit. Yes it IS possible! First take a look at your finances and all the things you are currently paying for. Are there things you really don’t need? Sometimes we get carried away with those cheap memberships for various things thinking “it’s just a few dollars, why not?”. When I added up all my “just a few dollars” memberships I realized that added up it is NOT just a few dollars. Cancel what you really don’t need or aren’t really using to shave a bit off your monthly budget. Next, take a look at your credit cards. If you are one of the lucky few who have always paid off your credit cards every month, congrats to you! I use to be one of them until forced into a bad financial...
Do you subscribe to premium movie channels? If so, you may be able to cut your movie bill in half with this one quick tip. First off, take a look at how often you actually watch those channels. Is it daily, weekly, or rarely? How often do you watch movies on other channels? How about renting – do you rent movies more than you watch them on TV? Before we made the switch from HBO to Netflix.com, I realized we were hardly ever watching movies on TV and renting all the time. Our total bill was well over $20 a month for both our movie channel subscriptions and our cost for renting. That didn’t make much sense now did it? Since we don’t live anywhere close to a Blockbuster and still have to drive 20 miles to the nearest rental store, we decided Netflix was our best option. Currently we use their 1 DVD at a time option, which...
If you are like me, you tend to spend quite a bit of money on fabric for various projects. Although I hardly ever pay more than $5 a yard for fabric. And really there’s no reason to unless you absolutely need something specific. Instead of paying full price for fabric, I always watch the discounts on stores like Fabric.com. Right now they’ve got an anniversary special running until April 30th. To celebrate their 9 year anniversary, you can take 15% off your entire order (no minimum required) by using the code Anniversary15. Just click on the banner above to see all the items they’ve got in stock right now (I just love that site). Remember to make it worth your shipping cost! I always make sure to buy at least 5 or 6 yards at a time when ordering online. Read More →
With the gas prices on the rise, it’s time to brainstorm some ways we can all save money on gas. 1. Car Pool If you drive to work like millions do, try to car pool to cut down on the amount of gas you would all use separately. Often times finding someone in the same town as you to drive to the city can make a huge difference. Even friends that work close by can ride in together. 2. Take Turns for School How many trips a day do you make taking the kids to school and picking them up? You’d be surprised how fast those miles add up even if you only live a short distance from the school. We don’t even live a mile away, and we drive about 30-40 miles a week (sometimes more, depending on the day and who needs picked up at what time). Even in a car that gets at least 20 MPG, that’s still $5-6 spent a week on gas. That’s...
This is one of those money saving tips that usually we don’t have to mention. Of course you can save money by clipping coupons! The real trick here is not just cutting out coupons to get x amount off a name brand product, but paying LESS than you would for the product regardless of the brand. Generic brands usually are just as good as the name brand. In some cases, it IS the name brand in a different package. So always do a price comparison in the store. Is the product you are about to buy LESS than the generic brand with the coupon? If so, you are good to go. If not, PASS! Also, you can get quite a few coupons online to print (See the banner above for Coupons.com). I know we don’t have any other option here since we don’t get the Sunday paper. Just not something we read, and isn’t worth to buy just for the coupons...
Are you the type of person who makes sure to send greeting cards to all your family and friends for every holiday? If so, today’s Frugal Friday tip may be perfect for you. The point of a greeting card is to show you care, and that you are thinking about that person. Plus a greeting card can brighten a person’s day, and make them feel loved. However, the cost of greeting cards can really add up over time. Depending on the type of cards you send, you could easily be spending a few hundred dollars over the year buying and sending cards. If you figure even $1.50 cards sent to 10 people for 5 holidays, that’s $75 a year without including postage! It may not seem like too much, but what if your list is bigger or you send for more than just 5 holidays? Don’t forget birthdays, Mother’s day, and those other days special...
Before I dive in, let me first state this is my personal opinion only. I don’t claim to be a specialist in anything, but I AM a parent. Based on how I was raised, and how my children are, I can give you an honest opinion on the subject. Do be sure to seek out opinions of others as well. Personally I believe that yes, children should get paid for some chores one way or another. I believe we are setting them up for the real world, where their hard work is paid for with a job. I also believe by making them do certain chores, we are also creating independent adults who will take care of their own house. I think when you reward them for good deeds it keeps things in balance. Most don’t hesitate to punish bad behavior, but we often forget to reward when they behave. Paying them for good behavior (doing their chores) IS a reward. Some...
Need a few last minute Valentine’s day cards for friends and family? You can find ecards or print out some unique cards for free at AmericanGreetings.com. Now is a perfect time to try out their 30 day free trial, since sending out all your Valentine’s day cards won’t cost a thing! What’s so great about this particular site? Well for one, you don’t have to worry about getting spyware on your computer from a free site. Plus this site gives you a lot of options for personalizing cards, and even printing them too! (You know, for those friends and family who don’t have computers, and probably don’t care about ecards). The full membership isn’t expensive at all, and probably a LOT less than what you’d spend on buying cards all year round. There’s a few different options too based on what...
As promised the survey is now available! For your time and feedback we are giving you a free $5 gift certificate to be used with any ebook at Idea Queen. Since ebooks are $5 or less, this means you get one or two ebooks completely free. All questions must be answered in order to get your gift certificate. Be sure to take your time and give us some honest feedback. Remember YOU are deciding what will change and what will stay the same on the site! For details on the survey and gift certificate, please click here. Read More →
