34 Best Family Christmas Movie Favorites of All Time

Author Steve Economides | December 1st, 2023 | Recreation/Fun, Holidays

Christmas Movies that are Family Friendly!

This is our updated (December 2023) list of 34 Christmas Movies that are Family Favorites. They are appropriate for children, some are animated, and some will make you laugh out loud they are that funny!

And remember that many of these are available at your public library or on Amazon Prime or Netflix for “free!”

Do you have some family favorite Christmas movies that you watch every year?

We do! Some of our favorite family Christmas movies are the result of fond memories from our childhoods and others have grown to be Christmas favorites in recent years as they have touched our hearts. Many … Read more »

Fun Family Christmas Traditions: 9 Exciting and Inexpensive Holiday Activities

Author Annette Economides | November 28th, 2023 | Holidays

Family Christmas Traditions for the Holidays. 8 Inexpensive Christmas Activities

Family Christmas Traditions can occur whether your family is large or small, and young or old. Establishing traditions can enhance relationships, evoke warm feelings and create memories that last a lifetime.

Over the years, we’ve read numerous books about the value of family traditions. They add stability to the yearly calendar as the kids and grandkids eagerly anticipate and participate in the preparations for each special event.

Our Christmas Traditions really are a “month-full” of activities and routines that we’ve established over the course of many years. Here are a few of the many we have:

1. Holiday Music / Performances

TABLE OF … Read more »

How to Cook a Turkey Like a Pro: Video & Tutorial

Author Steve Economides | November 21st, 2023 | Grocery--Cooking, Holidays, Recipes

How to Cook a Turkey-Step by Step Directions for Saline Bath, Stuffing & Lacing, Searing & Tenting; and Cooking.

If you want to learn how to cook a turkey that is perfect every time, learn from Annette. She is a pro and has had lots of practice over the past 35 years. Annette has cooked more than 120 turkeys. In this video, she shows you her “secret” process to defrost, stuff, sear and cook a delicious roasted turkey every time.

7 Steps to Cooking a Great Thanksgiving Turkey

Print the .pdf Directions for Cooking a Turkey Here

Cooking a turkey is a simple task if you follow these steps!

In this video, Annette shares her secret method to … Read more »

Grandparent Gift Giving Etiquette? How to Stop Excessive Indulgence

Author Steve Economides | December 20th, 2023 | Holidays, Gifts

When grandparents give too much. A pile of white presents wrapped with red bow.

A reader wonders how to deal with a grandparent who is overly generous. Are there rules for gift-giving etiquette?

How to Deal with An Overly Generous Grandmother

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 How to Deal with An Overly Generous Grandmother 2 Helping Grandparents to be Reasonable in their Generosity 3 Can a Grandparent Entitle their Grandchildren?4 Grandparents Giving Gifts with Strings Attached 5 Other scenarios grandparents may encounter.6 How Should Kids Respond to Their Parents Who Want to Control with Gifts?7 Gift Conclusions

One of our Free Email Newsletter Subscribers poses this question:

How have you had to struggle over … Read more »

How to Host a Beautiful Thanksgiving Potluck … and Save Money.

Author Annette Economides | November 16th, 2023 | Holidays

Are you hosting a Potluck Thanksgiving or attending a large gathering for Thanksgiving? Here are lots of ways to save money and reduce stress when feeding a large group for Thanksgiving Dinner or being a guest at someone else’s event. We will also share menu ideas talk about what to make for a Thanksgiving potluck.

Hosting a successful Potluck Thanksgiving dinner

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Hosting a successful Potluck Thanksgiving dinner 2 How Did the Pilgrims Celebrate Their First Thanksgiving Dinner?3 How You Can Celebrate Thanksgiving with Children 4 The Key to a Successful Potluck Thanksgiving Dinner 5 What to … Read more »

16 Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Adults and Kids

Author Steve Economides | November 14th, 2023 | Holidays

Thanksgiving Activities for Families with Kids can be Fun & Frugal.

Are you looking for some fun Thanksgiving activities for families with kids? A few of these fun activities can really make the day special and memorable.

Even with concerns about Inflation and pandemics, you can still have a fun, safe gathering, without spending a lot of money.

The activities we plan are some of the best ways to keep kids and parents engaged and looking forward to this holiday.

If everyone or most everyone participates, the fun memories created will last a lifetime.

Whether you are a kid, teen or adult, coming up with activities to share on Thanksgiving is a very doable … Read more »

Thanksgiving Grocery Sales & Deals: Discount Food to Stock Up On!

Author Annette Economides | November 9th, 2023 | Groceries

Thanksgiving Stock Ups - A Great Time to Capture Sales on Grocery Food Items!

Are you looking for Thanksgiving Grocery Deals? You’ve come to the right place. It’s time to stock your pantry and freezer!

Even with prices soaring due to inflation and supply chain issues, we’re still seeing some loss leaders and great sales.

Buying up Thanksgiving grocery deals is a great way to save money and make those savings last for several months.

Get Those Holiday Loss Leaders

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Get Those Holiday Loss Leaders 2 Using a Freezer for Thanksgiving Deals 3 Look For Thanksgiving Sale Pricing on These Items 4 Annette’s Thanksgiving Menu for 2022 5 Thanksgiving Savings Video

Grocery retailers … Read more »

The Ultimate Guide to 28 Most Popular Online Outlet Stores

Author Steve Economides | September 30th, 2024 | Budgeting

Ultimate Guide to 28 Great Online Outlet Stores

In today’s inflation-driven economy, finding the best online outlet stores is essential for consumers looking to save money without sacrificing quality.

What sets these outlets apart is not just their remarkable deals but also their commitment to customer satisfaction.

Many of these stores boast return policies that are a breath of fresh air compared to traditional wholesalers or liquidators.

It’s reassuring to know that when you shop at these outlets, you’re not merely taking a chance; you’re buying with confidence. If an item doesn’t meet your expectations or isn’t in great working condition, most of these stores offer a hassle-free return process that … Read more »

How to Prepare Your Car for Winter – Free Winterizing Checklist

Author Steve Economides | November 7th, 2023 | Budgeting, Car Auto

Do you want to prepare your car for winter so you can get where you want to go safely? Do you live in a part of the country with the potential for severe winter weather?

We’ll share some of the best and least expensive ideas for what to keep in your car and how to get your car ready for winter. That way you can go over the hills and through the woods, to whomever’s house you go.

If you winterize your car, despite harsh weather conditions, you’ll still keep yourself safe and you’ll be less likely to be stranded.

Winterizing Your … Read more »

Scratch Marks on Plates? 5 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Knife Marks

Author Steve Economides | November 3rd, 2023 | Crafts / Home Decor, Grocery--Cooking, Holidays

5 ways to get scratch marks off of dishes.

Do you want to get rid of knife marks on plates? If you’re prepping for a party, the holidays or just want your stoneware or dishes to look cleaner and less worn, we’ve got 5 easy solutions for you.

Why Does Silverware Leave Utensil Marks on Plates?

Do you have these gray metal marks on your dishes? We couldn’t find a silverware or ceramics expert who shed light on why silverware, flatware or silverplate leaves metallic marks on dishes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Why Does Silverware Leave Utensil Marks on Plates?2 Five Ways to Get Metallic Knife Marks Off of Plates Read more »

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner on a Budget! 4 Tips to Save Time and Money.

Author Annette Economides | November 3rd, 2023 | Holidays

Hosting my first Thanksgiving Dinner - what should I do?

Here’s a free email newsletter subscriber question about hosting her first Thanksgiving.

I will be cooking my first Thanksgiving Dinner for my Family and I am overwhelmed!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 I will be cooking my first Thanksgiving Dinner for my Family and I am overwhelmed!2 Don’t Fret over Your First Thanksgiving Dinner!3 Keeping the Cost of Thanksgiving Down 4 Ask people to help with your First Thanksgiving 5 Set a Fancy Table for Your First Holiday Meal 6 Reader Suggestion: Cooking The Turkey Ahead of Time 7 How Much Turkey Do You Need?8 How To Cook … Read more »

How to Pay for College With No Money and Without a Trust Fund

Author Steve Economides | November 2nd, 2023 | College & Education

How to Pay for College with no Money - College graduate

A Reader asks How to Pay for College With No Money and without a Trust Fund.

Question: My daughter is a senior in high school and is preparing to head off to college. We have no money saved for her college expenses and feel like loans are the only option we have. What should we do?

MoneySmartFamily: You have more options than you realize. Keep reading to learn about several of the easier ones.

1. Get Government Grants

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 1. Get Government Grants 2 2. Find Scholarships That She Can Win 3 3. Learn from A Scholarship Winner 4 … Read more »

Medical Cost Sharing? The Complete Guide to Health Share Plans to Save Money

Author Steve Economides | November 1st, 2023 | Medical / Health

Mom holding a baby's hand - medical cost sharing.

Many people have asked what the difference is between Health Share Plans and traditional Health Insurance. We’ll answer many questions about the medical cost-sharing industry in this article.

Things like:

What’s the Difference Between Medical Cost Sharing and Traditional Insurance?

How Long Has Medical Cost Sharing been around?

What types of things do cost-sharing programs cover and not cover?

How much can you save with Medical Cost Sharing programs?

Who are the biggest players in Medical Cost Sharing?

See an example of what a large medical expense would cost you with a cost-sharing account.

Problems with Affordable Care Act Insurance

It happens over and over again. People crying at … Read more »

Free Scholarships & Grants: Find Gold on the College Scholarship Rainbow!

Author Steve Economides | October 26th, 2023 | College & Education, Free Stuff

How to find college scholarships - Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Are you looking for free college scholarships and grants? We have tips and tricks to land tons of college money.

This blog presents lots of proven ways to find more scholarship hacks. It shares how to prepare for them and how to win more awards. It’s time to start gathering in scholarship winnings!

What if there really was a pot of scholarship gold waiting for you at the end of the scholarship rainbow.

And what if you KNEW that with some effort, discipline and organizational skills you could find the path that leads to that pile of money. And then, of course, take … Read more »

Inexpensive Ways to Beat a Cold Fast? Here’s How to Get Healthy Quickly!

Author Steve Economides | January 2nd, 2024 | Medical / Health

16 ways to cure a cold a one or two days.

Do you want to prevent or cure a cold faster? Finding the cure for the common cold has been mankind’s pursuit for hundreds of years.

While we haven’t found THE cure, we have found many ways to prevent illness or regain your health quicker.

With today’s Coronavirus concerns this Cold & Flu season is horrible and tricky. Catching a cold or the flu could be almost inevitable and dangerous.

How to cure a cold and beat sickness is a game everyone wants to win.

If you leave your house at all or have a large family, you’ll be surrounded by people. And those people … Read more »

Fun Family Tradition Examples: For the Holidays and The Whole Year

Author Annette Economides | October 24th, 2023 | Holidays, Recreation/Fun

Fun Family Traditions for Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Halloween and more.

Are you looking for some new and fun family traditions?

Whether your family is large or small, young or old, establishing traditions can cement relationships. It can also evoke warm feelings and create memories that last a lifetime.

Over the years, we’ve read numerous books about the value of family traditions.

These habits and rituals add stability to the yearly calendar as the kids eagerly anticipate and participate in the preparations for each special event. Traditions don’t need to be expensive or elaborate to be memorable.

We hope our most enjoyable ideas will provide the impetus for you to create your own family traditions. … Read more »

Free Stickers! 190 Tested & Easy Ways to Get Stickers Mailed To You

Author Steve Economides | October 1st, 2024 | Free Stuff

Are you looking for free stickers? Do you want name-brand stickers from companies you, or your kids love? We do!

At MoneySmartFamily we love free stuff. Especially free things that our kids love or that can be given as gifts.

We’ve researched hundreds of companies and created this easy-to-use list. We update it every few weeks to keep it current and to make sure all of the sites still offer free stickers.

108 Companies with sticker request forms on site. (page 1)

28 places to send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) (page 2)

19 places with a … Read more »

How to Get The Most FAFSA Money and Pell Grant Awards

Author Steve Economides | October 19th, 2023 | College & Education

If you want to legitimately get the most FAFSA money for your college education, follow these tips and tricks. You’ll get maximum federal student aid in Pell Grants by following our research when you fill out your FAFSA application.

Debt-Free College Series # 4 – FAFSA and Financial Aid

We have 5 kids who have attended college, and we have filled out FAFSA applications with every single one of them.

As a matter of fact, we’ve filled out the FAFSA application several times with each of them.

In the process, we’ve learned several tips from our own experience and from financial aid experts.

In this blog, … Read more »

DIY Halloween Party Games, Crafts & Food Ideas for Fun Harvest Festival

Author Annette Economides | October 17th, 2023 | Holidays

DIY Homemade halloween. A scarecrow, a jar of candy corn and a pumpkin shaped cookie.

Are you looking for some Fun Homemade Halloween party games? We’ve assembled a great list to make your party a frugal and fun success. We started with 13 games, but the list keeps growing. We’ve also added some crafts and fun food ideas.

Halloween and the Fall can make for some really fun homemade Harvest party games. We know some people are squeamish about taking their kids out “Trick-or-Treating” so why not borrow some of these ideas. We’ve used variations of some of these for our kids’ birthday parties.

They work great as carnival-type booths or as party games for a small … Read more »

Reduce College Costs: Things to do in High School to Prepare for College

Author Steve Economides | October 12th, 2023 | College & Education

6 Things High School students can do that will crush the cost of college.

There are six things a teen can do in high school that will help to reduce the cost of a college education. We’ve done many of these with our 5 kids and they graduated college without any student loans!

How can a high schooler start to reduce college costs?

College is a monumental expense for parents and students alike. Who among us is prepared for paying out tens of thousands of dollars over a 4 or 5-year period? However, with any large expense, the more you and your child prepare, the more manageable the expense can be.

We have helped five of our own … Read more »

Money Gifts for Kids: Should You Give Cash Presents to Your Adult Children?

Author Steve Economides | December 2nd, 2023 | Kids & Money, Gifts

Do Money Gifts to Adult Kids really help them?

Will money gifts to Adult Kids really help them? Do financial bailouts enable our children and make them dependent on us as parents? Here are 8 ways to help without enabling them.

Money Gifts for Adult Kids — What Should We Do?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Money Gifts for Adult Kids — What Should We Do?2 A Retiree/ Senior Mom Helping out Adult Children 3 Twelve Tips for Giving Money Gifts to Adult Kids.4 12. Consider putting it in an Annuity or other Investment 5 When money gifts to adult kids need to stop!

A website visitor asked:

We have three grown … Read more »

10 DIY Non-Scary Halloween Costumes that are Easy, Cheap & Fast

Author Annette Economides | October 10th, 2023 | Holidays

10 non-scary, cheap, family friendly halloween costumes.

We’ve got tons of ideas for non-scary Halloween costumes that are easy and cheap to make.

Have you thought about Halloween costumes for you or your kids yet? Does the cost of costumes scare the fun out of Halloween for your family?

Planning for Halloween Takes the Cost out of Costumes

Halloween will be here before you know it. And costume-loving families know that putting together a unique and inexpensive costume takes some planning and some time.

The earlier you start, the more complete and creative your outfit will be—plus you’ll have more time to find great deals.

We know it may sound strange, but … Read more »

Grocery Store Sales Cycles: How to Save a Ton Of Money Stocking up with Holiday and Monthly Deals

Author Annette Economides | October 5th, 2023 | Groceries

Grocery Store Sales Cycles - brown grocery bags stacked on the floor and counter full of sale items.

Knowing the Grocery Store Sales Cycles by month and for each holiday is a great way to save tons of money on food and to fill your pantry and freezer with bargain-priced groceries.

One of our best money-saving grocery strategies is to stock up on loss leaders around the holidays. Grocery stores drop the price of various food items each month and on each holiday to entice shoppers to come to their stores. That’s the time we swoop in and pick up deals to last several months.

Every holiday brings an opportunity to find great bargains because most grocers put traditional foods … Read more »

Is Swagbucks Legit, or is it a Scam? Our Review [Earnings Reveal]

Author Steve Economides | September 29th, 2022 | Recreation/Fun, Make Money, Shopping

Is Swagbucks Legit? It is a survey company, search engine, shopping portal, movie previews, playing online games, and trivia contests online!, and something for everyone!

When we first heard about the Swagbucks website, we had to ask ourselves, “Is Swagbucks legit? Or is it a scam?”

We had tried some of the other survey sites and were really disappointed. So we started researching this site to find out.

A blogger friend mentioned how she earned hundreds of dollars in gift cards through Swagbucks. We really doubted the validity of her claim.

We Googled “Is Swagbucks Legit or a scam?” and found some very interesting blogs. Some people didn’t like this website, but others praised it. The positive reviews also claimed to have earned gift cards and cashback through … Read more »