My Daughter's Well Deserved GraduationMy daughter has put in 13 years of hard work in school and received many awards. I'm very proud of my daughter in all that she has done. All she has asked of me was to let her have a graduation party with my family. Yet I couldn't afford to do this.
Keep Expenses Low And Pocket The SavingsWhen my husband and I got married almost 5 years ago, I was halfway through college and he was making $8.50 an hour as an airplane mechanic. We had no idea what little money that was (about $1000 per month after taxes) but we ended up learning to live on it successfully.
Income Tax Payment Is A Wake Up CallA year ago, I owed an unexpected $900 on my federal income tax return. I juggled a few financial responsibilities, cut some costs and was able to pay my tax bill by April 15.
Finding a Blessing from a DisasterSix weeks ago, I slipped on some melting snow and broke my leg but good! After emergency surgery with lots of pins and plates, I also had a two-day hospital stay.
Nickel and Diming My Way to a New KitchenMy refrigerator door is dotted with colorful magnets holding coupons, business cards, photos, appointment reminders, and my grandson's art work. Prominently displayed in the center of the collection is a quarter-sized chip from a cabinet door in my outdated, 1980's kitchen.
My Mom's "Lid" DrawerMy Mom has always had a drawer in the kitchen that all of us kids called the "lid drawer." There are always more lids than containers to match and it is always the one drawer that you have to yank open.
My Frugal Life: Save and Use EverythingHi, I went through a divorce several years ago, due to not being emotionally mature. I turned to drugs and, in a matter of 8 months, I found myself in a homeless shelter. I had lost my children, my home and myself
My Frugal Life: Bake For Special DaysThis is how I give my dad a much anticipated gift for his birthday and also for Father's day. My dad loves to talk about the goodies that his mother used to make for her family.
My Frugal Life - Road TripAutumn is my favorite time of the year. Funny how joyful everything looks bursting with color, fruits and vibrant leaves on the trees, sunshine orange pumpkins ready for the picking.
My Frugal Life - My Favorite BirthdayMy uncle Al sent everyone on his Christmas card list, the story of his favorite Christmas. In turn, I wanted to do the same back, yet I couldn't come up with one that stood out. A birthday did stand out though, it could be frugal depending on the two people involved, for us it was.
My Frugal Life - We Have It AllI guess since my hubby was in the Navy, I learned to be frugal. I save money to this day and am proud of it. I have seen my friends struggle ...
My Frugal Life - I'm Protective of My MoneyMy first line of defense to frugal living is to stay out of stores! If I go into a store, it is inevitable that I will buy unnecessary things that are a bargain or "cute".
My Frugal Life - Getting ByMy frugal life began when I married young against my parent's wishes. I dropped out of high school and made my way in life without a lot of help from anyone so learning to do without or making it myself became a life-long thing.
My Frugal Life - Lessons From The AmishI am going to start this by saying that I believe I was born in the wrong era or else I was given up for adoption by an Amish family! I truly believe that being frugal helps simplify my life. Go figure, when some of the things I do to save a dime are more time consuming!
My Frugal Life - A Week Of Frugal Summer FunThe week never cost more than $7.50. The public library has a program to encourage reading. They have story time and a craft to go along with it. We would then pick out the books for the week.
My Frugal Life - My Frugal GardenThrifty is my middle name, just ask my kids. I blame it on the fact that my parents were raised during the depression, though there's really no cause for blame. Thrift has served me well over the years.
My Frugal Life - A Homemade ChristmasAs a teenager without a lot of money, I made potholders that I wove with jersey loops. We also made candles with leftover candles and paraffin and poured them in orange juice cans or Pringles chip cans and added a drop of scent from the hobby store.
My Frugal Life - A Fun AdventureFor 21 years, I've lived the "frugal life" so, I guess it's really a way of life for us now. I've done all the classic frugal things. Most people say I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, but I think it's really about being aware of what's going on.
My Frugal Life - Coupons, Contests, Freebies and RebatesI've used coupons and have done rebates and sweepstakes for years, even before my husband and I got together 20 years ago, this next month. I got started by seeing a show on TV and thinking, I could do that, too. I did, even when I was single and still living with my parents.
My Frugal Life - My Scottish AncestorsBeing frugal probably started with my Scottish ancestors. I wasn't married long when I discovered that my husband's paychecks were much smaller in the winter. He drove through the Okanagan and brought me a lot of produce.
My Frugal Life - Comfortable and FrugalI grew up with frugal parents who did well by watching how they spent their money but saved for luxury items. We were taught to be careful with our money and to watch the cost of utilities.
My Frugal Life - "Time is Money"I was raised in a frugal household so I learned from the masters. I am a very organized person who believes "Time is Money" so I have learned to budget my time very wisely.
My Frugal Life - My Frugal GrandfatherThis isn't actually a story of my life but one of my grandfather who passed away 4 years ago. I still miss him.
My Frugal Life - The Kids Think We're RichI, too, have been living very frugally. My husband and I have been married 15 years. We have 4 kids. Needless to say, some times have been rougher than others financially. I have done just about everything to make sure that my family's needs have been met.
My Frugal Life - It's for the kids!I am a stay at home mom of two little boys. It was not a hard choice, given my mother stayed at home for as long as she could with her four children.
My Frugal Life - Watering My Flowers With Recycled WaterWater is a precious resource. I re-use the wash and rinse cycles of my washing machine to water my garden. No government agency has hassled me yet over putting gray water on flower beds.
My Frugal Life - More Time Spent With Your ChildrenHow can you measure the worth of spending time with your child? In time? Money spent on activities? Neither! It is in their eyes when it is you they see when they wake up. It is in the way they say, "Momma", their voice so sweet and true.
My Frugal Life: Lessons Learned by a Single MomIn my early thirties, I went through a divorce and suddenly found myself as a single mother of three small children. Fortunately, I was able to still manage to buy a small home with a backyard and continue working full time.
My Frugal Life - An Active, Frugal FamilyI am 43 years old and my husband is 40. He has just recently completed nursing school so, for the last 2 years, money has been extremely tight. We have 3 children, two teenagers and a five year old. Prior to my husband's schooling, we both worked extra to pay off all outstanding debts.
My Frugal Life - Tips from a Single MomI am a single mother of three and a teacher at Head Start. We don't make much money (think fast food restaurants) and we get laid off for the summer so I must live frugally throughout the year.
My Frugal Life - Outsmart The PricesI am a 54 year old married lady who has chosen to be as frugal as I possibly can be. My dear hubby has retired in the last month, so this is even more important to me than ever, as money will be limited from here on in. I cook almost everything from scratch, which I love doing. I use all the "great" sites that are listed online.
My Frugal Life: Save Everywhere I CanHere goes my life. I try to save everywhere I can. I shop at thrift stores for necessary items. I give a lot to thrift stores, because clutter will increase your cleaning by 50%.
My Frugal Life: Country LivingI began my quest for frugality when my husband had been laid off from his job and we were in a financial bind. It isn't something that you want to do, I don't think, in the beginning. But realizing the benefits from just changing a few things can really have an impact on your life.
My Frugal Life: Always Something To EnjoyI grew up in a wonderful family. Mom and Dad brought we four children up with dignity and love. Sometimes you realize life is good but you eventually realize it is very special
My Frugal Life - One Proud Mom!For the last year our daughter has done many fundraising events. Her school concert band wanted to attend Disney World in Florida over spring break and she needed to earn her own way.
My Frugal Life - Fixing It YourselfMy husband has built and renovated houses, rebuilt car wrecks to exceed safety standards, fixed burnt out ovens and replaced parts on washers, etc.
Still FrugalI came from a family of 10 kids. With 12 people in the house, we had to be frugal - that's all we knew. My Mom, never bought anything that she couldn't make. She made fabulous meals that stretched with enough for leftovers.
My Frugal Life - Reflecting on the Lean YearsWhen my husband and I were married years ago, we both made minimum wage and lived from paycheck to paycheck. After the birth of our first child, we thought he was so wonderful and decided we wanted a dozen like him. I quit my job to stay home with him and my husband worked two jobs.
My Frugal Life: Tips from a Save-o-holicI honestly don't know where or how to begin telling everyone how I save money, because it's natural for me. It's an everything day thing. I love to teach others how to save. Saving money is a "rush" for me.
My Frugal Life - Research, Research, Research.Having been one of 5 kids of depression era parents, I had a good idea how to live frugally. Those times reappeared when I lost my job. I tackled this problem with research, research, and more research.
My Frugal Life: You Can Have It AllWhen I was about twelve I had a talk with my Dad about money. He looked at me and said. "You can have anything you want as long as you pay for it." Wow the possibilities!
My Frugal Life - Buying Ingredients Has Saved Me MoneyAt the age of 33 I became disabled. I had just gotten married to a man who had been disabled for years, and retired from the army, he came with a teenage son. I had always lived alone and did a lot of eating fast meals, I never cooked.
My Frugal Life: Dealing With Big BillsI have been hit with many big bills lately. I have disconnected my caller ID, saving me $7.00 per month. When I drink milk or juice, I add water to the glass first.
