This tip of the day is gonna make you think I am losin' my mind!

NOW is the perfect time to plan Christmas 2011. Seriously. I know, I know. It's 90+ degrees outside and you are enjoying lotsa lazy days poolside. But this calm time of year is just right for starting to think about the holidays. Once the kiddos go back to school it is all hurry, hustle, and bustle! Back to school leads to Halloween, which gives way to Thanksgiving, and then, well...you know what comes next.

Take advantage of this leisurely time and start making that holiday shopping list. Brainstorm some gift ideas for each person. Start looking for good deals. If you like giving homemade presents, start craftin'!

Tip of the day, comin' your way!

Got fruit that's about to go "off"? Don't toss it--save it! I keep a few freezer bags on the ready in the door of my freezer for such random pieces of fruit (just cut them up a little first). When I want to whip up a fresh smoothie in the blender I am always set. And, no more wasted fruit in the trash.

Tip of the day time!

Birthday parties for the kiddos are expensive. Even doing it at home instead of renting some bouncy place/playland/karate/gymnastics/dance place can add up quick! There's the cake, decorations, goodie bags, food, entertainment, etc. The list goes on and on. And so does the receipt for all that stuff! How about negotiating on the whole big birthday bash thing? Try throwing a big ole soiree every other year for the kiddos.

That's what my frugal friend Brynn does, and her girls don't seem to mind one bit.

Here comes the frugal tip of the day!

What is running up the electric bill in your house? Is it your fridge? Your computer? Your HDtv?

Nope, nope, and nope. Surprisingly it is your cable box. Think about it. It runs 24 hours a day and had components that run at full-speed all the time, even when your tv is turned off. It is estimated that Americans racked up around $3 million in energy from cable boxes alone.

Solution? Turn it off when you are done watching tv and you could save around ten bucks a month, which adds up to $120 a year. Or you could roll like us and cancel the premium cable, thus eliminating the need for a box in the first place.

Twitter is buzzing about the upcoming Women of Faith conferences! Is it coming to your neck of the woods? I sure hope so!

Frugal friend, here's your money-savin' tip of the day!

Trying to pay off debt is no easy feat. It can get mighty discouraging when you are in the middle of a mess that could possibly take years to recover from. Take away that hopeless feeling by setting smaller, more attainable goals. Your goal should not be "to pay off all my debt" or "fully fund an emergency fund".

That is way overwhelming!

Instead, try making goals like "to pay off the card with the smallest balance" or "save $500 for our emergency fund" (or $200 or $100 even). You will feel a great reward as you are able to meet these milestones, and when you do you can set another goal and forge ahead!

Tip of the day for ya, my frugal friends!

Making the decision to begin living a frugal life is pretty heavy. It can feel like the end of the world. You can feel suffocated and deprived. My advice? Start small. Lots of people will tell you to start cutting things completely out. This is HARD for lots of people. Right or wrong, it is difficult to cut yourself off from things you have come to enjoy and reward yourself with regularly. Why not pick one of these things that adds up (daily lattes, weekly lunches out, etc.) and start spreading them out a bit more?

Trade your daily latte at the coffee shop in for a once a week treat.

Or how about trading in a weekly lunch date with a friend or colleague in for a once a month luncheon?

Wouldn't it be nice to have that to look forward to?

It's never too early to stock up and save! Back-to-School sales are poppin' up left and right. Here's a look at some of the hot deals to be had on school supplies this week:

Money Saving Mom found free backpacks and more over at Office Max.

Surviving a Teacher's Salary found 19 cent composition books and more at Walgreens.

My Frugal Adventures scoped out penny pencil sharpeners and more over at Office Depot.

Centsable Mama found Mead spiral notebooks at 3/$0.99 at Rite Aid.

Savings Lifestyle found quarter Sharpies and more over at Staples.

Tip of the day time is here!

Back to college sales are THE time to stock up on new pillows, sheets, mattress pads, etc. All that bedroom gear is much cheaper when the kids are headed off to the universities and need to stock up on dorm and apartment goodies.

I've had lots of luck at Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath and Beyond for great prices on these items!

Tip of the day time is here!

Ready to buy a new lawn mower blade? Stop! Before you shell out that kind of cash, try searching in your local area for a place that sharpens lawn mower blades. It is much cheaper than replacing it. And while you're at it, try these tips to keep the blade from dulling down so quickly:

-Do not mow a wet lawn.

-Refrain from letting too much time pass between cuttings.

-Be sure to scan the whole yard for good-sized rocks, sticks, toys, or other debris before mowing.

Remember, using a mower with a dull blade uses up more time and energy AND uses up to 20% more fuel than a mower with a nicely sharpened blade. Also, cutting with a dull blade shreds the grass instead of giving it a nice, clean cut and this damages your grass. So take care of your equipment!

Tip of the day!

Okay, am I the last to hear of CouponSherpa? Their site boasts that they have printable coupons and coupon codes (for the very convenient online shopping) for over 5,000 stores. That is a lot of stores, my friends.

And they have a handy app that helps you find coupons as you shop. Yep, while you are out and about! I love a good app that helps me save money, don't you? Mobile coupons are a new entity to me, but I am learning to love them!

One more reason to love Dollar Tree!

Since I have been been buying up their 2/$1 greeting cards for the past couple of years I have pretty much sent every card from there already. I was getting a little worried. Would I have to defect back to the greeting card shops? Nope!

Dollar Tree has come through with a new line of cards there. They now carry American Greeting cards for just $1 a piece. But these are cards that normally retail around $3.99 in other stores. Dollar Tree save the day, once again!

Are you dying to see for yourself what all the hype is about over Women of Faith, but just don't have the money for a ticket this time around? Why not volunteer? An event this large takes lots of volunteers--and they are "paid" with free registration to the city's event where they lend a helping hand.

Click here to check out the positions Women of Faith still needs help with!

As a Weight Watchers gal, I like to have a quick and easy go-to meal for lunch. It takes the guesswork out of one meal a day for me. And I want choices. Enter Lean Cuisine. There are more than 120 varieties AND they print how many Weight Watchers Points Plus each entree is right on the box! How great is that?

And Lean Cuisine has a loyalty program called Delicious Rewards. All you do is buy up some Lean Cuisine products and enter the special code (printed inside the box in red) online. Each code is worth 20 points, plus you earn points by taking surveys right on their site. Once you rack up some points you can shop for the reward of your choice, be it a snazzy new lunch bag or a free entree! All Lean Cuisine products are eligible for Delicious Rewards, with the exception of Market Creations.

Tip of the day time is here again!

Today's tip is a little gem of advice that is common sense: slow down. People are in such a hurry nowadays. Where are you going that is worth the risk of getting a speeding ticket (or worse, in an accident)? Taking the kiddo to soccer practice? Running a little late for work?

Here in NJ a speeding ticket (depending on how much over the speed limit you are) might run you anywhere from $50-200. And you could get points on your license, which will cost you. And there will likely be motor vehicle fees, which will cost you. And your insurance could go up, which will cost you.

Slow down and save.

Thanks to Book Sneeze, I will be attending the Women of Faith conference when it hits Philly this fall! I will be scooping up one of my best girlfriends and spending the weekend re-energizing. I hope all my local readers can join me for this amazing worship experience.

Take a sneak peek at what this year's event has to offer:

Tip of the day, comin' your way!

Are your ceiling fans running at optimum performance?

In the summer they should spin counter-clockwise, to be sure that the blades are making the most air movement in the center of the room and blowing a breeze. Any other time of year, you'll want them to spin clockwise. This will help mix up the cool air and warm air, keeping a steadier temperature.

Running a ceiling fan all day long (in addition to the air conditioner) will decrease the amount of energy used to cool the room. Ceiling fans use a much lower wattage to run!

Time for your money-saving tip of the day!

You may not even have gone away on vacation yet, but the back to school sales are gearing up. Yep, it's way early if you're a Jersey girl like me. But don't miss out! Lots of stores have sales and coupons that add up to free-YES-FREE school supplies.

And keep an eye out for sales at the office stores, too. Lots of cheapies and freebies will be had for school supplies long before the school bells ring!

Tip of the day, coming your way!

Got a nasty stain in your toilet? Pour in a can of Coke, brush, and flush! The citric acid will eat away at the yuck inside the ole porcelain throne. No need for pricey cleaners!

Summertime outdoor got you burnt to a crisp? No need to run out to the drugstore to buy pricey sunburn aids. Take a tea bath! Run a lukewarm bath in your tub and drop in some tea bags. The tannins in the tea will soothe the burn away.

Have you heard about Bottom Dollar Food yet?

It seems like they are popping up everywhere, because three showed up in NJ this year!

Bottom Dollar Food is an edited grocery store (think Save-A-Lot and Aldi) owned by Food Lion. Their everyday low prices are much cheaper than your other supermarkets, such as ShopRite or Acme. They are home not to just an abundance of store-brand foods but ALSO to a large selection of brand named goodies that your family knows and loves!

And they take coupons, which is pretty huge for a discount store. You can even link your savings card to Ecoupons, which means you don't have to clip to save money. Sweet, huh? Plus they price match, so simply bring in the ad if you find a product cheaper elsewhere and they will adjust the price for you.

If you haven't been to an edited grocery store like this before, you should know that :

1) you have to bring your own grocery bags (or buy them there for 5 cents a piece, with savings card)

AND

2) you have to bag your own groceries.

But the savings are totally worth it!

Money saving tip of the day here!

If you are new to couponing, you might be wondering, "where do I get all these coupons?" I get emails asking that very same question A LOT! But in an effort not to reinvent the wheel, here is a fabulous post on the topic from Econobusters.

Happy Couponing!

Here's your tip of the day:

Beware those daily deal websites. It is often very tempting to make impulse purchases because a deal is "hot". Exercise some serious restraint and avoid buying the deals just because they are good deals. Sure, a $50 purchase for 4 tickets to your local family fun spot might be a fabulous deal, but if it wasn't in the budget you just spent $50 more than you could afford this week.

Tip of the day time is here!

Got furry friends? No need to overspend for flea and tick prevention. Did you know that there is a generic version of Frontline now? Yep, it has the very same active ingredient fipronil. Ask your vet or groomer about getting some for your pet and save!

Money-saving tip of the day comin' at ya!

Our family doesn't have digital cable. Or a Tivo. Or a satellite dish.

Gasp!

I know, I know. But before you start feeling bad for us, I should tell you that we did invest in something that gives us tons of stuff to watch on tv, anytime we like. We bought a BluRay player on rollback. Now I never thought I would transition from a DVD player to the BluRay because let's be honest, the discs for those are awfully spendy. BUT--the device allows you to stream movies and shows through your internet connection and a cheap-o subscription to Netflix. There are a gazillion choices of shows (whole seasons, even!) and movies available to watch instantly, and they are ever-changing. And you can rent discs, unlimited. All for a mere $9.99 per month. Much more inexpensive than premium cable, my friends.

And for my listening pleasure I can also stream my custom internet radio stations through the BluRay via Pandora. I've been using the site on my computer for years to create a station for my every mood! But now I can use it through my tv, which has a much better sound quality. And the best part is that it doesn't cost me a penny.

Tip of the day time!

Need to heat something up on the stove or do some quick cooking? Make sure you use the right size pot/pan for the job AND the right size burner, too. Smaller burners mean smaller gas or electricity bills.

My six year old and I spent the afternoon designing some cow costumes. Yep, cow costumes. For Cow Appreciation Day. When we finished we got dressed and walked out the front door just in time for the sky to crack open with the biggest storm of the summer thus far. We ran to the car like maniacs, laughing hysterically. Once we got our soggy, spotted selves in the car I asked the kiddo, "Aren't we always doing goofy stuff together?" to which he responded, "But Mom, it's not goofy. It's tradition!"

Yes, yes it is.

Here we are getting our FREE Chick-fil-A on. We even picked up Daddy from work and made him dress up like a cow. Proving that, yes, we will do just about anything for a freebie:

Here's your money-savin' tip of the day:

Stop watering your lawn during the day! Seriously. It is so hot that a good portion of that water evaporates. Instead, turn on those sprinklers at night.

Tip of the day time!

Grab a file folder and gather up all those warranties and owner's manuals for all your appliances, large and small. Next time something stops working you'll be able to whip out the manual and try to troubleshoot. Most manuals these days even have charts with the most common causes of faulty machinery and suggestions on what to try to "fix" the problem. Don't assume it is done for before you give it a fair chance! Replacing appliances is spendy!

Here's your frugal tip of the day:

Headed to the pool, lake, or beach?

Pick up one of those plastic pencil boxes and toss it in your bag. This way you'll have a good spot to keep your cell phone and digital camera dry. Nothing ruins a nice day of swimming like finding out you ruined your electronic device and need to replace it! Heck, I even like to stash my wallet in there because wet dollar bills are no picnic either.

It's time for your daily money-saving tip of the day!

If you haven't already planned a summer vacation (frankly, who has the money this year?), you might still be considering a weekend getaway. Don't forget to consider all the miscellaneous costs for the trip. Trips aren't just about fuel and hotel stays. It can also mean buying new bathing suits for the whole family, paying a pet-sitter, developing film/printing pics, etc.

Tip of the day!

I am assuming if you live in the U.S. and are reading this right now, you are trying to figure out where you are gonna go watch some fireworks. What would 4th of July weekend be without 'em? But if you're not careful, that "free" event could end up costing a small fortune. So be like a boy scout and be prepared!

Here's some things you are gonna want to pack up before you head out for the grand display:

-folding chairs or blankets to sit on (I like this kind, that folds up into a bag)

-a small cooler filled with bottled water, and juice boxes if you have kiddos

-snacks! (and make sure some are junk food because there WILL be concession stands...temping)

-glow in the dark novelties (I buy 'em from Dollar Tree so we need not pay $7-10 for them there)

-bug spray (self-explanatory, right?)

Here's your tip of the day:

Low on extra funds for a vacation this summer? Yeah, a lot of us are this year! How about a staycation?

Check out this neat site to get some ideas to plan one near you.

Tip of the day, coming your way!

Do you count your pills when picking up your prescription? You should! The people who fill your scripts are, well, people, and they make mistakes just like everyone else.