On Sunday I shared a glimpse into my day of batch cooking on my Facebook Page. Batch cooking allows me to fill my freezer with “homemade convenience food” and speeds up dinner prep on busy nights. For me, batch cooking is different than once a month cooking because I am not actually assembling meals. InsteadRead More

We travel quite a bit and sometimes for lengthy periods of time. Eating out 3 meals a day when you are out of town can be expensive, unhealthy, and quite difficult if you have food intolerances. I can avoid all of those problems by preparing some of our meals in our hotel room. This requiresRead More

It’s Wednesday night—mid week; zero hour: five PM. Dinner is at six, and you know you’ve got nothing but the last weeks remnants of meals-past waiting in the fridge. Fact: leftovers are all you have, but you also know there is a reason they are still waiting in your fridge a full week after inception.Read More

Use the Staycation tips to view your hometown as a tourist. Have you still not seen all the great spots in your region despite living there for years? If yes, you may want to stay in town for your next vacation! Many people advocate staycations because they are frugal. And they are frugal! You don’tRead More

Every time I do laundry, I think: “Good hygiene is overrated!” I haven’t been able to convince my family to become nudists, but I have found a few tips to make laundry a little easier. Use Vinegar to Remove Mildew from Laundry: It is summer and in our house that means mildew. Somebody forgets aRead More

Over the years, I have occasionally written posts on personal finance including articles on Managing Investments, Saving Money on College Expenses, and Renting vs. Buying. But they don’t include chocolate, so I end up putting a lot of energy into posts that don’t generate much traffic. Although I devote most of my time to sharing recipes, personal finance is still aRead More

If you aren’t careful, the cost of souvenirs can really add up when you take a vacation. Here are a few ways that we keep souvenirs from ruining our travel budget. First, make a budget! Discuss your budget with your children before you leave. This may mean that you have no money set aside forRead More

I love the idea of taking mason jars and turning them into spill-proof cups . Visit The Chick n Coop, where you will find a comprehensive tutorial showing you how to make your own Mason Jar Spill-Proof Cups. The only change that I would make to this system is to use Stainless Steel Straws because I prefer to useRead More

Sarah from Spoon Fed Baby is sharing tips for making homemade baby food: I am so honored that Alea is allowing me to invade her blogosphere space and do a little guest posting!  How awesome is she?  Spreading the love for sure (smile).  Confession: I have decided that I am an “Alea wanna-be”;  gardening organically,Read More

Normally, I wouldn’t share something so mundane. However, in this new world of technology where we are exposed to so many clever ideas, I think there is more pressure on us to take a simple concept and make it more involved than it needs to be. Don’t get me wrong, I like pretty things andRead More

The following article was written by Andrew of Appliance Helps Appliance Parts: Let’s imagine your fridge. If it’s anything like mine, it’s pristine on the outside and horribly confused on the inside. It’s probably full of things that shouldn’t be there (old tofu? Gross!), and that are so well-hidden that they won’t be found untilRead More

  My husband takes a picture of every step as he takes apart an item that he is repairing. Then he just has to look at the pictures in reverse order to remember how to put it back together again. It is a fast and easy tool to help with repairs and it doesn’t cost aRead More

Coasters are easy to make and they cost very little to create, but they do take time. Usually you make coasters in sets of four. I bought six tiles, planning on ruining at least two. I’m a positive thinker that way. Actually, I ruined five and my son ruined the one perfect one (Note to self: don’tRead More

Making Sugar Bowl Candles and Tea Cup Candles is an easy, frugal, do-it-yourself gift.  They can be elegant or playful depending ont the containers you choose to use. You can also create a touching  sentimental gift by repurposing chipped family china to make your candles. Tips for Saving Money on this Project: Buy sugar bowls orRead More

In the early ’90’s I made the switch from bar soap to liquid soap. Since replacing the disposable soap dispensers was expensive and wasteful, I bought ceramic soap dispensers and bought large refill bottles of liquid soap. I continued doing this for 18 years, but last summer as I was buying a refill bottle I spiedRead More

When my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said a gym membership. I found a gym that had a monthly fee of $12.95, free daycare, and no long term commitments. I have really enjoyed the Pilates and yoga classes. I occasionally go to a zumba class, even though I am not entirelyRead More