Are you posting a New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day party at home and don’t have a huge budget? We’ll share with you what we make to eat, the games we play, and the fun we have.

We’ve hosted a New Year’s Eve Party full of Family Fun each year for the past 20 years of so. Recently we switched to hosting a New Year’s Day Open House. 

This party tradition started years ago and doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon. Even though our kids are grown, they love inviting their friends and helping put on a great event.

When … Read more »

Are you wondering how to set up a Christmas Budget for Gift Giving? We’ll share that and some other tips for saving on gift-giving so that your holidays will Jingle with Joy.

Christmas is coming, and it seems to get here faster and faster each year. And for many families what accompanies the approach of the holiday is the accumulation of lots of presents and . . . lots of bills or credit card debt.

Is there a way to break the cycle of obligatory gift-giving and the weight of January’s debt regret?

Our Christmas Budget Doesn’t Include A lot of Gifts

Sixty-six percent … Read more »

Holiday Entertaining on a budget does not have to be boring! But does the cost of hosting a fund holiday party overwhelm you? These days with smaller groups of people getting together, you can save some money, and still put on a great event.

Here are 4 inexpensive ways to host holiday parties this year that are fun, frugal, and full of holiday cheer.

We just attended a holiday party at a friend’s home. It was a pot-luck (of sorts)—some people brought nothing. The hostess provided a small turkey, drinks, and some dessert.

Annette cooked up a huge pot of turkey barley soup. … Read more »

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

There are many … Read more »

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 »

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 »

Are you looking for some cute Valentine’s Day Date Ideas that don’t cost a lot of money? We love the idea of celebrating Valentine’s Day and those precious relationships that you have in your life. But we look at Valentine Recreation a little differently . . . are you surprised?

Valentine’s Day falls on a different day each year, but it’s a good time to get your husband to do something more romantic . . . especially after watching the Super Bowl last week.

Valentine Recreation with Thought

Love is not based on how much we spend, but how much we spend time … Read more »