When I tell people that we are participating in The Compact this year, I find that they mistake “not buying anything new” with “not spending money” and even equate it with a year of depravation. Both notions are completely false. And we are not trying to destroy the economy by not spending money. Instead, weRead More
Our Last Shopping Trip of 2009
I first broached the subject of joining The Compact and not buying anything new for an entire year with my family on December 26th. We were all excited for a day or two and then panic set in. On December 29th, I remembered that I was planning on redecorating the main bathroom. My husband observedRead More
Resolution – Buy Nothing New in 2010
When I first heard about The Compact, I was intrigued by the concept of not buying anything new for an entire year. However, I did not think that I could join on my own and did not think I could convince the rest of my family to join with me. I have since learned thatRead More
The Staycation
When you live in a winter wonderland it would be crazy to go on vacation elsewhere in December. Today we went spent the afternoon sledding on a hill near our house. I picked up the sleds for $1.00 each at a local thrift store a couple years back. Lots of frugal fun was had byRead More
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is celebrated quite differently in my house than it is in the United Kingdom. December 26th is the day I inventory and organize the Christmas windfall: the boxes, ribbons, bags, and cards. I am a connoisseur of fine boxes. I was able to rescue the the prewrapped gold boxes from a slow deathRead More
Use Kids Art to Make Note Card Sets
Here is a semi-handmade gift idea that is popular with grandmothers: take your kids artwork and turn it into custom sets of note cards. The picture above is of note cards I created using some of my children’s art work for the grandmothers and aunts. I rummaged through my kids’ artwork and found a coupleRead More
Outdoor Wednesday
We have already had several snow storms this year. I think the desert is so much prettier when covered by a layer of snow! Andrew’s first snow shoes. He is only two, but he is a natural. We finally got a snow that was wet enough to make a snowman. Rew convinced his big brother toRead More
Green Gift Wrap Ideas And A Badly Photographed Bow Tutorial
There have been several great posts on frugal, eco-friendly gift wrap solutions, so I have really debated whether another post on the subject was needed. However, I realized that I do a couple things that I haven’t yet seen so I have decided to go ahead and share some of my gift wrap solutions. IRead More
Putting A Little More Green in Your Christmas
A Few Gift Ideas That are Both Frugal and Eco-Friendly. Quick Dry Towels can be found in almost every department store. They are made of 100% cotton, but have a special twist which reduces the amount of time it takes them to dry by 20 – 33%, depending on the brand. They are also veryRead More
Frugal Christmas Crafts
I always try to have craft projects lined up for Christmas break. I find that my children have a difficult time transitioning from having hours of school work to hours of free time. Crafts this year will be a little simpler, but even more fun, because Rew is finally old enough to join in. TheRead More
Fickle Toddlers and Food Waste
This week my toddler decided that he no longer likes peaches or corn. Unfortunately, the rest of us did not get the memo in time to eat up his leftovers. How I Minimize Food Waste with my Finicky Toddler: 1. I give him small servings initially and then follow up with seconds and thirds. ItRead More
Cleaning Silver with Toothpaste
The holiday season is right around the corner. I like to inventory (and inspect) linens and polish the serving dishes early, so I don’t end up rushing around at the last minute doing tedious tasks. Because a relaxed hostess is the most important ingredient to a successful party. Frugal Silver Polish All you need toRead More
Frugal Fun: Fall Art Projects
Have you read Lois Ehlert’s book, Leaf Man? It is filled with pictures created with leaves and served as the inspiration for Andrew’s masterpiece: The Turtle. We went on a walk around the property and collected leaves, twigs, and dried flowers. When we came inside, he used a glue stick to create a picture withRead More
When is Food Waste Not Waste?
When it provides hours of entertainment for my little apple thief! Caught in the act of stealing apples. I lost 5 cooking apples to an invented bowling game last week. This week, I lost 6 to Rew’s interpretation of marbles. Here are 8 apples that I was able to salvage, because they were just usedRead More
A Free Day at Disneyland Just for Volunteering
Disney’s new campaign “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program will provide certified volunteers with a one-day ticket to any park at Disneyland or Walt Disney World in 2010. The volunteer work must be certified through HandsOn Network, a clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities, which helps connect people with projects. You can read the entireRead More
Frugal Fun: Part 1
I put fun in the title, but I am going to start off by telling you about a disaster. We lived in Virginia Beach when it was hit by hurricane Isabel. We did not suffer any damage in the storm, but rain had blown in under the door and soaked the carpet and we wereRead More
Something From Nothing
I did not have any food waste this week! I wish I could say this was due to meticulous planning, but I have to admit that it is actually quite the reverse. Since I have been canning , I haven’t felt like cooking dinner. This week I have only cooked three dinners: white chili, vegetableRead More
Reusing Tea Bags
Yesterday, when I wrote about making my husband’s lunches, I mentioned that I made him tea. Not only is tea healthier than soda, it is a lot less expensive. I stretch our grocery dollars a little further by reusing the tea bags. I reuse each tea bag three times. I just steep it a coupleRead More
Salvaging Tortillas
My family enjoys corn tortillas. I like them because they are gluten free and have a longer shelf life than flour tortillas, my husband likes them because they have half the calories of flour tortillas, and my kids like them because “they are flavorful”. Oh, and they are also inexpensive. I can buy a bagRead More
Thrift Store Challenge
I challenged my daughter and her friend to see how much they could buy with $20.00 at our local thrift store. My daughter is naturally frugal, so I knew she would do well, but I was still surprised with all that she was able to purchase. My daughter came home with 2 pairs of pants,Read More
