Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009 | Posted by
Your Frugal Friend, Niki |
It's Frugal Friday!
I had been mourning the loss of my bread machine for several years. Yes, I said years. I baked bread 'til it died, folks. I loved that bread maker. Someone bought it for us for my bridal shower (yes, I did register for one!) which was fab because I never would have put out all that dough for one.
Okay, bad puns aside, I was really missing mine. Especially when some of my fellow preschool teachers brought theirs in to show the kids how bread is made. When I smelled the sweet yeasty aroma of fresh bread baking I just KNEW that it was time for one to grace my kitchen counter once again.
Of course appliances of that caliber are not to be had cheaply. Or are they? A little bird told me (oh how I wish I could remember who so I could thank them) that thrift shops often sell small appliances. Hers had shelves and shelves of bread machines, long abandoned. And the manual/recipe booklets? You can download them online. Did you know that?
I waltzed into my favorite local Goodwill and checked out the situation. They were all $10. But what if they didn't work? My thrift haven has a strict no returns/exchanges policy. I waited until green tags went 50% off (I am very patient when it comes to scouting out a deal) and finally nabbed one for $5.
Ahhhh, sweet victory. And fresh baked bread daily at our home now.
Wanna check out some other Frugal Friday tips?
Head on over to Life As Mom for more!
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Have you tried Swag Bucks out yet? All you have to do is use them like you would any other search engine and certain search terms earn you rewards! Happen upon them randomly, or find them out through the grapevine.
What do you do with all these rewards? Well, you redeem them for gift cards and more. Just for searching the world wide web. How easy is that? I love that doing something I already do every day can earn me FREE gift cards and prizes.
Lately I've been saving up all my 'Bucks for Amazon gift cards to do my Christmas shopping online. How great is that?
To sign up click the banner above!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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In times like these there just isn't money for entertainment. Am I right? Our family has said goodbye to concerts, nights at the theatre, and afternoons at the movies.
Sounds boring, huh?
It was until we started sharing our gripes with family and friends. And then we recalled an old fashioned favorite...game night. Here are some tips for holding a fun game night at your home:
- Make a dinner that stretches well and is hearty and filling. Think chilis, stews, soups, etc. Line your counter with toppings, breads, and crackers and let guests help themselves. Cheap and easy.
- Or...skip dinner altogether. Invites guests over after dinnertime and serve desserts or snacks and drinks. Ask everyone to bring something along.
- Break out the games! I'll bet everyone has some collecting dust in a remote closet or basement. No games? Really? Start collecting! As Christmas nears watch for great sales on games. This is the best time of year to buy them.
- Or check the Goodwill and other thrift stores. You'd be surprised how often they get them, fully intact and barely used. At rock bottom prices. Like $1.99, I kid you not.
- Buy card games. These are much cheaper than board games. Walmart, for instance has classics like Uno and Phase 10 for under $5.
- Make it a regular thing! Plan to meet up weekly or monthly with your family. My brother-in-law and his clan come over one night a month, at least. My friends from church are starting up a Ladies' Bunco night after the holidays.
Moms give the best tips ever, no?
Head on over to We Are THAT Family for more tips
that will save you money, time, & your sanity!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Welcome to The Teacher Feature! If you are an educator, either a teacher or homeschooler, then you know how much supplies and resources can cost. Here at Free2BeFrugal you will learn how to acquire materials frugally or better yet, free!
Do you have a Mardel near you? I wish I did! Why? On Halloween they are having a FREE Lamination Day! Up to 50 feet free!
No Mardel near you? No worries! I have some teacher freebies to share with everyone:
Monday, October 26, 2009
I sincerely hope that we get to some of these yummy fall comfort foods this week. But with a house full of flu sufferers I am not so sure...
| DATE | BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | |
| FRIDAY | 10/23 | English muffin with creamed cheese, tomato juice | Soup with crackers, fruit | Soupa Avgolemono in bread bowls, fruit |
| SATURDAY | 10/24 | Peanut butter baked oatmeal | No Cooking (funeral luncheon) | Whole wheat mac & cheese, stewed tomatoes |
| SUNDAY | 10/25 | Peanut butter baked oatmeal | Hummus with crackers, carrots, tomato juice | Family Movie Night (homemade pizza, see pg. 47) |
| MONDAY | 10/26 | Homemade yogurt with homemade granola | Sunflower butter and fruit spread sandwich, carrots | Daddy's Sausage & Peppers, garlic bread |
| TUESDAY | 10/27 | English muffin with creamed cheese, tomato juice | Hummus with crackers, carrots, tomato juice | Waynes boroughs, OJ |
| WEDNESDAY | 10/28 | Homemade yogurt with homemade granola | Pizza Day at School! | White Chili, Corn Bread (see pg. 36) |
| THURSDAY | 10/29 | English muffin with creamed cheese | Tuna sandwich, pickles, fruit | Pumpkin Carving Party here! Pasta e Fagioli |
Snacks/Baking
Sugar Cookies
Don't forget to head on over to
for hundreds more menu plans!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
I love a good blog series. Do you like blog series? Of course you do!
Here are a few that caught my fancy:
The Nester has been busy crankin' out posts for 31 Days to a Better Dressed Nest. I love that so many of the tips are free or really frugal. 'Cause..you know me....
Kimba from over at A Soft Place to Land is running a Make Your Home More Welcoming Challenge. Who among us could not afford to be a better hostess?
And Brittany from over at Dalomba Days hosts a weekly carnival every Wednesday called Goodwill Goodies. Oh, Goodwill, how I adore thee!
Friday, October 23, 2009
One of my money-saving tips was featured in the November 20th issue (#11) of ALL YOU magazine! Although I was disappointed that the writer edited out the name of my blog, they did at least use my name.
Check it out to see what I have to say about when to best find Manager's Specials at the grocer!
My son and I are sick. Again.
This is gonna be one tough cold and flu season.
Typically we do pizza on Friday nights. But today just calls out for soup. I have been stowing away this simple recipe for Greek Avgolemono for some time now. It is time.
The best part is that I did manage to make it out to my MOPS meeting earlier this week and picked up some leftover Panera bread. They donate their day-olds for our breakfast meeting. And I just happened to snag some bread bowls. Mmmmmm....
It's Frugal Friday!
One of the biggest ways you can save money on your groceries is to cut back on meat. Let's face it---meat is pricey. But don't you need that protein in your diet? Of course you do, but there are other ways to get it.
Do you know about incomplete proteins? Many foods like whole grains, legumes/beans, and seeds are incomplete proteins. When you put them together in combinations of two or more you get complete proteins. Just as good as meat! Also you can combine any one of these foods with a small amount of animal protein (meat, egg, milk, cheese) and make a meal with a complete protein.
I like to reference this chart to plan meals.
Wanna check out some other Frugal Friday tips?
Head on over to Life As Mom for more!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The randomly selected winner of the Cheerios Spoonful of Stories giveaway is...
Winning Readings
Congrats!
Several months ago I learned about Swagbucks from Money Saving Mom. All you do is register (it's free) and use their search engine for all your internet searching. Certain searches can win you some Swagbucks, in demoninations of 1-5, 10, 20, 50, or 100. Swagbucks can be traded in for gift cards to great places.
In the past few months I have earned over $300 in gift cards! As a frugal gal I had to give up my guilty pleasure of overpriced java, but with free gifts I can indulge at Starbucks. I also like to redeem my 'bucks for Amazon gift cards to score cheap books. Whoo-hoo!
Click here to sign up today. And once you join up you can refer friends and earn even more Swagbucks. How great is that?
Target has some new coupons crop up on their site and they are ripe for the pickin'! For all my local South Jersey girls, did you know that all the Targets around these parts have been remodeling to become SuperTargets with grocery sections. Yay!
You know what works for me?
Delicious muffins! I am a sucker for buying muffins at coffee shops and such places where the muffins are BIG and have yummy toppings. But I don't love paying the price it would cost to make a whole batch for one measly muffin, catch my drift?
Here are my two not-so-top-secret tips for bakery quality muffins.
- Strive to make less muffins. Over-fill those muffin tins! You will have less muffins, but the ones yielded will be big and fluffy.
- After muffins are baked and cooled mix up some melted butter or butter-substitute mixed with brown sugar. Dip muffin tops in mixture. Allow to harden on a plate or cookie sheet. This leaves a delicious and sparkly topping on your muffins. You won't be sorry!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Welcome to The Teacher Feature! If you are an educator, either a teacher or homeschooler, then you know how much supplies and resources can cost. Here at Free2BeFrugal you will learn how to acquire materials frugally or better yet, free!
Above all else, teachers need books. I mean, you can get by without your school buying a fancy curriculum with glossy texts and complementary big books, CDs, workbooks, and the whole shebang. You don't need it.
But with a good collection of books you will go far. There are books written on every topic you can imagine (fiction and non-fiction). They sure can add up, but not if you scout out what's available first:
- Check your county library for their semi-annual book sales. Most have sales several times a year of books that have ripped dust jackets, are old, or are out of circulation. These are usually hardcover and can be picked up for cheap. My local library has a Friends of the Library sale twice a year. Donated books aplenty are sold for crazy prices like 3/$1.
- Paperback traders are small shops that will take your old stash and give you credit to get new books.
- PaperBackSwap.com is another great source for swapping out the old for the new.
- Thrift shops (especially St. Vincent de Paul) sell books for next to nothing.
- Don't forget Craigslist. I know I am forever talking up this site, but I can't help it. It is a treasure trove for used stuff, ya know, like books by the box.
- And of course there is always FreeCycle. I have gotten more books from this site than anywhere else! You can't beat free!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Time for another giveaway!
Did you know that over the past eight years, Cheerios has given away more than 40 million children´s books? They have also donated $3.2 million to First Book, their non-profit partner, which provides books to children from low-income families. The program is part of Cheerios´ ongoing commitment to helping parents provide their children with a healthy, nutritional and educational foundation.
Beginning this month, Cheerios is again bringing books to the breakfast table, by providing six million children´s books free inside Cheerios boxes. The books are for children ages 3 to 8 years old, and include a brand new book in the popular "Trucktown" series, available only inside Cheerios boxes. And for the first time, all five books have been specially printed in both English and Spanish.
What does this mean for you, my frugal friends? Well, Cheerios (and the folks over at MyBlogSparkTM) very generously gave our family a Spoonful of Stories gift pack (a big ole box of Cheerios, 5 fabulous storybooks, and a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble bookstore). And now they want to give one to 1 LUCKY READER, too!
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post answering this question: If you could be a character from a kid's story who would you be? And of course put your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.
Easy peasy!
The winner will be randomly chosen on Thursday, October 22nd. Good luck!
I never did get around to making that Peanut Butter Popcorn last week, much to my son's dismay. Since he cannot have caramel-anything due to his milk allergy we love trying peanut butter recipes! So this week I swear I will get to it!
| DATE | BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | |
| FRIDAY | 10/16 | Oatmeal, milk | Tuna sandwich, pickles, fruit | Weenie Roast at SIL's house |
| SATURDAY | 10/17 | Rice cakes with peanut butter | No Cooking (Friend's Birthday Party) | No Cooking (Family Party) |
| SUNDAY | 10/18 | Oatmeal, milk | Bean and cheese burrito, salsa-ranch salad, fruit | Family Movie Night (homemade pizza, see pg. 47) |
| MONDAY | 10/19 | Yogurt with granola | Sunflower butter and fruit spread sandwich, carrots | Whole wheat mac & cheese, stewed tomatoes |
| TUESDAY | 10/20 | MOPS meeting, no cooking! | Sunflower butter and fruit spread sandwich, carrots | Eggs, sausage, whole wheat toast, OJ |
| WEDNESDAY | 10/21 | Yogurt with granola | Pizza Day at School! | Soup & Sandwich Night (School Open House) |
| THURSDAY | 10/22 | Rice cakes with peanut butter | Grilled cheese, tomato soup, fruit | Calico beans over rice |
Snacks/Baking
Sugar Cookies
Don't forget to head on over to
for hundreds more menu plans!
Friday, October 16, 2009
It's Frugal Friday!
This tip I am about to share makes my hubby think I am nutty as a fruitcake but I don't care--it saves.
Don't toss the crumbles at the bottom of those bags! Save them up and use them up, I say. Here is what I save up for later use:
- Crushed tortilla chips for topping Mexican-inspired soups, stews, and chilis
- Broken pretzel pieces for Rachel Ray's pretzel crusted chicken (a new family fave)
- Busted up graham crackers for homemade pie and cheesecake crusts
- Captain Crunch, corn flakes, and other cereal crumbs for yummy chicken recipes
Wanna check out some other Frugal Friday tips?
Head on over to Life As Mom for more!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Did you know you can get a FREE hardcover photo book from Shutterfly? Well, the book is free and you pay shipping. But considering you can grab one for $7.99 instead of the usual $29.99, it would make a sweet Christmas gift.
Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom for sharing this!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
You know what works for me?
Buying items that are on Manager's Special.
Every store has 'em, you'll notice them by their bright orange stickers (color may vary by grocer). Only trouble is, I am so busy checking my list and double-checking prices, and telling my little guy to sit down in the cart for the hundredth time that I often miss out. What to do?
Make it a game! I have started challenging my son to keep his eyes peeled to find all the orange stickers he sees. Sorta like I Spy for the frugal.
That works for this mommy.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Welcome to The Teacher Feature! If you are an educator, either a teacher or homeschooler, then you know how much supplies and resources can cost. Here at Free2BeFrugal you will learn how to acquire materials frugally or better yet, free!
Last week I shared some cheap alternatives to buying blackboards and dry erase boards. And you all gave me some really good feedback. I loved some of the tips I got from fellow educators and just had to share:
- Homeschooler Kim from West Virginia says, "The best eraser you can use on either a whiteboard or blackboard is an old sock. Everyone has old socks!"
- Preschool teacher Shawna from Philly shares, "IKEA is the cheapest source for dry erase markers. You get a whole back of assorted colors for under two bucks."
- Second grade teacher Debra from Illinois says, "FYI: If someone mistakenly uses a regular or permanent parker on your white board you can easily remove it! Just scribble over top of the marks with a dry erase marker and then erase. Repeat if necessary. This really works."
- Kindergarten teacher Lisa from Texas shares, "Kids love making their own chalk. I learned how on Enchanted Learning."
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