Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Posted by
Your Frugal Friend, Niki |
Shutterfly has many, many idea for photo projects! I decided to use my son's recent Santa picture to create thank you cards, which we will be needing before we know it...
Pictures In Red Holiday Thank You 3x5 folded card
Christmas cards and holiday thank you cards by Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
This tip is one you'll have to keep in the back of your mind until you get your gifts. Save all the shirt boxes you receive, collapse them, and store for next year. Why keep buying those boxes year after year?
Years ago, boxes were no big deal to come by. Stores gave them away for free when you bought things there. Now many of them charge for the boxes. Why pay their prices? The box your brand new sweater from Aunt Grace came in was only used for 1 day. Keep it and put it to work for you again!
If you have never read anything written by author Max Lucado, you should. Seriously. Go visit another website and order a book now. I'll wait.
Lucado's newest book "Outlive Your Life" seeks to prove that people were designed and made to make a difference; to help others. Using the same style he always writes with, (combining neat little stories about life with references to scripture) Lucado inspires his readers to get up and do something. He points out that the book of Acts is full of stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. And it doesn't have to end there. We can do amazing thingstoo, if we just open our eyes and ears. God tries to show us suffering and need and all too often, we are too caught up in our own little world to even notice it, let alone do anything about it.
Not Max Lucado. He's no just another pastor telling people the should's and oughta's--he is making a difference as well. 100% off the money made from his book sales goes to several charities, including World Vision.
Most of us start out in our young life thinking that we really can make a difference. We lost that spark. We get distracted. We lose our way. "Outlive Your Life" will change that. It's like a light for you path.
*Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of the aforementioned book from Thomas Nelson Publishing's Book Sneeze program for bloggers. I was not given any financial compensation for this review and the opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Instead of sending out traditional Christmas cards this year, why not send out holiday post cards? Post cards require a different sort of stamp made just for the smaller greetings and cost less than a first class stamp.
Regular stamps: 44 cents
Post card stamps: 28 cents
So if you send out, say, 50 cards this Christmas it will cost $22.00 to mail them out. If you send out 50 post cards it will only cost $14.00 to mail them out. It adds up, huh?
Breakfasts
English muffins with peanut butter, milk
Cold cereal and milk
Lunches
Tuna sammies on whole wheat, carrots with dip
Snacky lunch
Grilled cheese, soup
PBJ on whole wheat, fruit
Dinners
Movie/Pizza night
Thanksgiving Leftovers
Cheese quesadillas, fiesta corn, salsa and tortilla chips
Dinner at my parents' house
Barbecued chicken, beans, skillet corn
Baked pancakes with eggs (my son's request)
Macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes
Snacks
Plantain chips
Veggies with dip
Hummus with multigrain crackers
Blue corn chips and salsa
Don't forget to head on over to
for hundreds more recipes!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
I've got contentment on the brain this week. So of course this scripture comes to mind...
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Philippians 4:12
I think most people strive toward contentment, don't you? But we must be careful how and with what we try to fill up the whole in our heart. Money and things can never fill the void. If you are a person who shops for entertainment then you might want to take a look at why you are out and about in the stores? Is there something you need in that store? Or are you trying to get rid of that lonely feeling? The boredom? The stress? Things will never replace what your heart is in need of. Remember that the most important things in life aren't things.
And ever since I've been fixing to craft the other matching parts of PB's holiday entryway theme, Santa.
Here's my dollar store rendition of the column garland:
I used 1 pine garland and 3 packs of Christmas balls, $4
While my glue gun was hot and at the ready, I made another garland for my stairway banister:
For this one I used 1 pine garland and 2 packs of ornaments. $3
My next project was the PB oversized outdoor ornaments cluster. Here is my version:
I used 4 oversized Christmas balls and leftover ribbon tails from another project. $4
Pottery Barn thanks for the inspiration!
Dollar Tree, thanks for the supplies!
I love creating new decorations when the seasons change! Here's a peek at some projects I have been working on in my home:
Remember those dollar store hurricanes I made in the fall? Here's a couple of wintery twists on them, using items I had around the house already (tres frugal!)
Pine cones and faux cranberries with a couple of glass candlesticks sideled up to it
Filled with starlight mints (yum!) and wrapped up with some extra ribbon and a candy cane
(I have a whole candy theme going on in my living room)
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Holiday stamps.
You can send out your Christmas cards without having holiday stamps on them. Any old stamps you already have at home will do. I promise no one is going to call you up and ask why there isn't an angel or snowman on their stamp. People are looking at your card (especially if it features a nice family photo showing off your adorable kids, puppies, etc.)
Why go out and spend an extra $8.80 per book if you don't have to?
Better yet, if you DON'T have any stamps at home, pick up some Forever stamps. They cost whatever the going rate is (44 cents as I write this post) and are good forever---even when the price of stamps goes up again! If there are any leftover then you at least have stamps that are good for as long as they sit around in your drawer.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Did I help you save any money this week? If I did, tell a friend to subscribe to F2BF.
Help a girlfriend out!
"Mooooom!!! Can we get those fuzzy whatchmacallits? They look sooooo cool! Please, Mom?!"
Kids can use Fuzzoodles to build whimsical creatures to play with, or decorate favorite items such as pencils, watches, and headphones. Each kit is chock full of oodles and oodles of pieces to create unique characters. They even make cool bracelets. The best part is that they are reusable. We buy a whole lot of arts and craft kits in our family and they are great while they last, but after an hour they lose their luster. The fun runs out too fast! Fuzzoodles can be disassembled and unbent and used to create creatures all over again.
You can find Fuzzoodles in 3 different sized kits sold at stores such as Walmart, Toys 'R Us, A.C. Moore, and online at www.buyfuzzoodles.com Suggested retail for the kits are $6.99, $9.99, and $19.99 and they are available in styles geared toward both boys and girls, ages 5-7.
At the suggestion of House PartyPalooza, we prepared our fiesta with a Mexican theme. Take a look at the behind the scenes.
Pineapple and Goya Wafer Cookies (Yum!) in Mango, Chocolate, and Guava
Fiesta Corn Dip
Cheese Quesadillas
Tortilla chips with salsa and sour cream
Festive handmade paper decorations
Setting up shop...imagine the possibilities!
Stay tuned for a look at some of the wacky monsters our Partypalooza guests came up with...
Stay connected with Fuzzoodles
*Disclosure: I was given enough kits and activity booklets for my child and up to 10 of his playmates to explore and create with Fuzzoodles (and tote bags to take them home in) in exchange for our feedback. House Partypalooza also supplied us with a $10 Toys 'R Us gift card to raffle off at our fiesta. The opinions are expressed here are 100% my own and completely honest, as always. My affiliation with Childsplay Communications made us eligible to host this house party.
The food table has been reduced to crumbs and the kids are wired. Most of them; mine is exhausted. He got a little over the top silly creating Fuzoodles with all his friends (plus yesterday was a holiday and a looong day).
Cody, King of the Aliens
Even some parents got in on the action! Mrs. D made a funky fuzzy pen.
Here is a look at what we made (Note: More pictures to come shortly...my camera was having technical difficulties halfway through, so a playmate's mommy took some on her digital.)
Cody, King of the Aliens
Cody's Kooky Cutie
Madison's Fancy Freaky Girl
Nicholas's Naughty Night Monster
Michael's Poofy Puppy bracelet
Matthew's Very Violet Vampire
Mark's Mr. Nosey
Jake's Fuzzy Family
Even some parents got in on the action! Mrs. D made a funky fuzzy pen.
My hubby Tony made some goofy goober glasses!
Everyone had a grand time and took home a nice tote full of Fuzzoodles
goodies so they can keep on creating at home!
There is some great online shopping to be done for ladies shopping for plus sized clothing! Here are 2 of my very favorite stores' deals for Black Friday:
-Lane Bryant is featuring a B1G1 FREE sale on everything, including clearance items. And you simply choose to have your purchase shipped to your local shop and pay nothing for the handling (use code 006955779). Sweet deal!
-Old Navy has FREE shipping on order over $50 and everything is on sale. They are featuring knit tops and camis for only $5 each. Comfy yoga pants and jammie bottoms are only $15.
Labels:
black friday,
clothing,
Frugal Deals,
lane bryant,
old navy,
plus size
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Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Giving thanks isn't just for Thanksgiving.
Why not add one of these practices to your daily routine? Doing so might be just the thing you need to remind yourself that you are very blessed by having all the things you need, as well as some of the things you want! And contentment keeps you on track for a frugal lifestyle.
-Keep a gratitude journal. Write down 3 things you are grateful for in your life on a daily basis.
-List something you are grateful for in your morning or evening prayers.
-Have everyone share something they are grateful for before eating dinner.
This post has been linked to Frugal Friday.
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Before you head out for the biggest shopping day of the year, here are a few tips to remember. You should be used to employing these every single day of the year, however, I understand that the temptation is great on such a frenzied day of deal-seeking.
1. Make sure you are at your best. Hopefully you are rested, fed, and hydrated. Shopping in any other condition is going to make you feel stressed. Stress leads to buying stuff you don't need. I also recommend some good coffee, but that's just me. I like to be at mymost alert while I scout out deals.
2. Devise a plan. Stick to your plan like glue. Check the ads. Or Black Friday.net Make a list. Do whatever will help you determine what you are going to buy. This will help you avoid tossing other stuff into the cart just because they are good deals.
3. Bring your ads with you. Many stores will price match for you. Yes, even on Black Friday. But you must have the proof of the better sale in hand. It never hurts to ask before you pay whether they employ this practice. What's the worst they could say?
Be safe and don't get too caught up in the hype!
Did you know that on Friday's you have a much higher chance to win big? You can win 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000 or even 5,000 Swagbucks on any given search. You just never know what search term or phrase will be a winner.
New to Swagbucks? Read more about it here and sign up today to start earning!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Think outside the box when Christmas shopping. Why not try a craft store for gift hunting? Even if you are not crafty and don't make your presents, there are plenty of things to buy that would make fabulous gifts.
They have art supplies and craft kits and playdough and much more that children would love! Many craft store sell model car and plane kits for the boys, and some even sell wooden Thomas and Friends trains. They have beautiful frames and candle holders and other household pretties for the adults on your list. How about a pretty wreath or other holiday decoration? Or some new baking pans? Craft stores sell more than craft supplies.
And the best part is that most craft stores (A.C. Moore, Michael's, etc.) feature weekly coupons for 40 or 50% off one regular priced item. Check the latest ads or look online for the coupons weekly.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
It's time for a giveaway!
I love reusable shopping bags. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Many of the ones I have acquired over the past few years have been freebies, but my very favorite ones are the Breast Cancer bags I bought from Save-a-Lot. They are pink, as you would imagine, and feature the pink awareness ribbons and the best part is that when you buy the bags you are supporting the reach for the cure. Save-a-Lot, already my favorite grocery store, is a longtime supporter of the Susan G. Komen foundation.
Several women in my family have suffered through this disease, one losing her life. This cause is near and dear to my heart. So now I am giving away 5 of these pink beauties!
To enter please "Like" Free 2 Be Frugal on Facebook if you haven't already and leave a comment here on this post telling me you did it. This entry is mandatory.
For additional entries you may:
-Follow F2BF on Twitter.
-Leave an additional comment here telling me the name of your favorite charity or cause.
One lucky reader will be randomly selected and posted here on November 29th. Good luck!
*Disclosure: Save-a-Lot did not compensate me for this post, nor did they ask me to do this giveaway. I decided to sponsor it on my own because I love these bags and supporting a wonderful cause.
Did you know that Dollar Tree is hosting a crafting contest? To enter, create something under $20 that will help deck your halls this holiday season. Then register to submit it to Dollar Tree between December 1s-14th and tell your family and friends to vote for you (during voting period December 17th-28th!
There are some fabulous prizes for winners so get craftin'!
Time for your money saving tip of the day!
Babies have the right idea. They wear onesies under all their clothes. Why doesn't anyone else wear undershirts? Extra coverings on the torso keep you warm and toasty all day long. Why not buy undershirts for the whole family. Actually, you might not need to buy them for everyone. Got cami tops from summertime? Pull those on under a sweater.
You won't need to crank that heat up nearly as high if everyone is wearing a couple of layers of clothing this winter.
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