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Today Show Costumes for Halloween – Appearance #5

Christmas on The Today Show #1

The Today Show Producers Titled this Segment – Spooky Savings!

We called it a lot of fun to see what kinds of Today Show costumes we could put together for just a few pennies. We took the challenge seriously and applied our thriftiest skills to put together some fun costumes without spending a chestful of gold.

How we Ended up on the Today Show wearing Halloween Costumes

At the end of our third appearance on the Today Show (October 1), senior producer Jackie Levin invited us to come back on the show at the end of October. The only problem was that the … Read more »

The Today Show #8 – Getting Back on Budget

Christmas on The Today Show #1

Steve, Annette, Becky, and Abbey Economides appeared on NBC’s Today Show to share how their budgeting system has enabled us to accomplish some remarkable financial accomplishments in the past 28 years. They also shared loads of money-saving tips for reducing expenses in your entire house.

As usual, we had so much material to cover that we didn’t quite get to it all. Below is a list of the questions we were supposed to cover and some more detailed answers on how you can make your money go further than ever before.

Questions from Today Show Producers

YOU INSIST THAT MAKING A BUDGET … Read more »

Magazine Articles with Steve & Annette Economides

We’ve done hundreds of Magazine Articles over the last 15 years. Here’s a list of some of them.

Magazines Based in the USA

AARP Bulletin – Do You Save Money Shopping at a Warehouse Club?
All You Magazine – 10 Surprising Ways to Save at the Supermarket
All You Magazine – Steal Money Saving Secrets from America’s Cheapest Family
American Profile Magazine – One Frugal Family
AZ Magazine – The Valley’s 10 Most Fascinating People
Bottom Line Personal – How America’s Cheapest Family Eats for $12 a Day
Bottom Line Personal – Buy Organic for … Read more »

Website Interviews & Articles with Steve & Annette Economides

We’ve done hundreds of website interviews on all kinds of websites

Hope you find these blogs/ Articles helpful.

BadCredit – Review of Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half Book #2

Bankrate – 6 Easy Ways to Become a Frugal Car OwnerBankrate – 10 Grocery Saving Secrets from Supermarket InsidersBankrate – 11 ideas for Frugal EntertainmentBankrate – Downsize Your Costs in 4 Weeks

DivineCaroline.com – Grocery Shopping for the Frugal Family

Dollar Stretcher – An Introduction to Cooking with SpicesDollar Stretcher –Be a … Read more »

Arizona Republic Articles about America’s Cheapest Family

Annette Economides with Brahm Resnik on Channel 12 KPNX TV

Steve and Annette Economides have lived in the Phoenix area since 1982. The Arizona Republic is their home town newspaper. Several different reporters have written articles about the Economides family and their frugal lifestyle. This page contains several of those articles starting with the first one from 2003.

Arizona Republic — The Cheapest Family In The Valley (2003)

They may be the cheapest family in the Valley but in the best way possible.

Steve and Annette Economides and their five children have mastered the art of living virtually debt free.
The family has lived off Steve’s take-home pay averaging $40,000 a year for the … Read more »

KTVK Phoenix – Good Morning Arizona

This was an interesting interview. It’s always fun to watch the interviewer’s face

(Marty Valasco Hames) as they ask what they think is a normal question such as, “Annette, what would you do if Steve came home one day with a new TV?” Annette’s reply was, “He just wouldn’t do it.” “We talk about everything.” Steve added, “We’ve set a $20 limit, anything over that we talk about.”

Marty couldn’t believe that a marriage could survive within those parameters. Her words were, “It just wouldn’t work at my house.”

We had prepared the following four points for this interview and hit them in … Read more »

KOTV, Tulsa — Living Debt Free

KOTV Tulsa Logo

News Anchor Craig Day contacted us in the fall of 2007, wanting to come to Phoenix to do a special report on how our family saves money. Craig may be a television anchor, but he is also a dad, husband and truly gentle and inquisitive individual.

We spent the whole day together and even had Craig and his cameraman, Michael Blair, stay for dinner. Afterward, they played a few rounds of “spoons” with us — when we play spoons it can get intense.

Left to right: John, Becky, Roy, Abbey, Joe, Craig Day, Annette, Michael Blair, … Read more »

Grocery Shopping with Ron Hoon – Fox News AZ Morning Host

The day our book launched (January 16, 2007) we were guests on the Fox morning show with Ron Hoon.

After our segment was done, he looked at Annette and said, “You know what I’d really like to do? — I’d like to go grocery shopping with you guys! When can we do it?”

Annette looked at Steve and smiled . . . “Oh if Ron only knew how many times the TV cameras have asked to follow us into the store.” We delayed a few months to get past the frenzy that accompanies a new book launch. We finally settled on a … Read more »

SheKnowsTV.com – 5 MoneySmart Saving Videos

We did a series of 5 videos with the Kathy Rankin and the crew at SheKnows.com covering a range of money-saving topics including:

Top Money Saving Tips from each of our three books
10 Things Parents Should Never Pay For
Holiday Savings: Clothes, Food and Gifts
Black Friday Strategies to Keep your bank account from going in the Red!
Kids and the Holidays!

Video 1) Introduction – Why we’re not America’s Cheapest Family

Video 2) 10 Things Parents Should Never Pay For

Video 3) Holiday Savings: Clothes, Food and Gifts

Video 4) Black Friday Strategies to Keep your bank account from going in the Red!

Video 5) … Read more »

Real Simple Magazine — A Frugal Little Christmas

real simple logo

Have Yourself a Frugal Little Christmas

How Steve and Annette Economides, publishers of the MoneySmartFamily website and authors of the book America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money, celebrate the holidays.

Save all year long.

“In January we set an amount to spend on gifts, divide it by 12, and set aside that much money every month.”

Shop eBay.

“Each of our five children gets a book, a movie, and a CD, plus one big gift that we find on eBay. We found a first-edition copy of John Hersey’s book Hiroshima for $10, including shipping, and a mint-condition JanSport backpack worth $150 for … Read more »

Newspaper Article Listing

Steve & Annette have been interviewed by newspaper reporters all over the USA and internationally around the world.

Below is a list of some of the publications and articles where they have been interviewed.

Newspapers Based in the USA

Archie Richard Columnist Syndicated Column: Don’t Like Risk? Pay Off That Mortgage Early
Argus Leader Sioux Falls: A Frugal Lifestyle Pays Off in Freedom to Reach Dreams
Arizona Republic: 5 principles for frugal family living
Arizona Republic: Budgeting pro takes bite out of food costs
Arizona Republic: Early payoff of mortgage takes patience, sacrifice
Arizona Republic: Economy the name of game for family
Arizona Republic: Financial Hope Conference – Recap
Arizona … Read more »

Good Morning America with America’s Cheapest Family

Good Morning America was our first national TV interview. It was a wonderful experience for the kids – four of them came with us (John – our eldest had to work).

Charlie Gibson conducted the interview, Claire Alpert was our wonderful hostess /producer and Mary Pflum produced the video segment.

Below is the article that appeared on ABC’s website – we’ve edited it to correct some minor inaccuracies and mis-spellings.

One Frugal Family — How the CheapestFamily in America Saves Cash

With gas and grocery prices soaring, Americans could learn from one Arizona family that has been beating the high cost of living for … Read more »

ABC’s 20/20 – America’s Cheapest Family Lives Debt Free

ABC’s 20/20 profiled our family right as our first book was being published. Within one month we became NY Times Bestselling Authors. Our segment on this show was first broadcast in January and then rebroadcast in August.

The story below is from the ABC website and was posted there in August. It did not appear in January.

America’s Cheapest Family Lives Debt Free
The Economides Wrote the Book on Debt-Free Living

Credit card debt in the U.S. is soaring — almost tripling since 1989, according to the Federal Reserve Board. Today, American consumer debt is over a trillion dollars.

More than half of all … Read more »

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet was an American syndicated morning talk show. Produced by Fox, the show first aired on January 22, 2007. It was hosted by Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy, the program consisted of celebrity interviews, audience participation, and segments relating to viewers. The last live show aired on June 12, 2009.

In February 2007, right before we appeared on it, the show was syndicated to many ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates.

Economides Family on The Mike and Juliet Show

We appeared on the 16th episode of the first season of the Mike & Juliet Show on February 13, … Read more »

The Montel Williams Show – How to Live Like A Millionaire

Montel Williams TV Show Logo

The Montel Williams Show was one of our more unusual media appearances. The producers originally told us that Montel wanted to help viewers save money and that we were appearing with a friend of his who was going to do just that.

The Millionaire Maker

It turned out to be a show about becoming a millionaire . . . not our idea of saving money. His guest was a long-time friend Marshall Sylver.

He is called the millionaire maker and brought four of his “students” with him to profile how the turned their lives around by applying his money principals.

We talked with many … Read more »

Christmas on The Today Show #1

Christmas on The Today Show #1

Christmas on The Today Show

Christmas on The Today Show was the first of 9 appearances we made on the Today Show.

After an article entitled “The Frugals” ran in People Magazine, we were contacted by a producer from the Today show. They wanted to see how America’s Cheapest Family lived and specifically how we shopped for Christmas presents.

Christmas Shopping  with America’s Cheapest Family

Honestly, we don’t just go out on one day and shop for presents. We start our Christmas shopping in January and are always looking for discounts and deals on items that our family members … Read more »

The Dr. Phil Show — Financial Tips and Tricks

The Dr. Phil Show called us and we were amazed. It was an awesome opportunity to help families around the country to get more for their money and learn how to make frugal living fun.

The Big Surprise

When we found out that the entire show they were putting together was going to center around our book and our family we were astounded. And when Robin McGraw leaned over to her husband (Dr. Phil) and quietly said, “That was a really good show,” as they walked off the set, we were astonished!

It was a great show, but unfortunately, we can’t yet post … Read more »

The Today Show #2, 3 & 4 – Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half

Christmas on The Today Show #1

Today Show  – groceries. We appeared on the Today Show the three days in a row: Sept 29, 2010, Sept 30 and October 1. This was in conjunction with the launch of our book Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. You can watch the videos below and find some great deals at the bottom of the page.

List of Interview Topics

Day 1: We shared how we use planning, smart shopping and bulk cooking. This kept our grocery bill at less than half of the national average.
Day 2: On the … Read more »

The Talk—Shopping Groceries Smarter

CBS The Talk

Our visit to CBS studios and The Talk was one of the nicest we’ve ever had. The entire crew behind the scenes were super helpful, professional and a lot of fun.
Our hosts were Gina and super-producer Lauren Danza. Even the stage manager Matt (who is a Bob Saget look-alike) and the director EK were awesome.

We were interviewed by Julie Chen and Holly Robinson Peete. They asked some great questions and had a little fun too.

In the “Green Room” at The Talk with (left to right) Gina, Abbey Economides, Lauren Danza (producer), Annette and Steve

Topics we covered about Saving Money on … Read more »

Weekend Today Show #6 – America’s Cheapest Family

Christmas on The Today Show #1

We came into town to do a spot on the Today Show regarding Halloween Costumes. Weekend Today Show heard we were coming and asked if had time to come on their show as well. Of course we said yes! This was a fun interview with Weekend Today Show co-host Lester Holt where we discussed how to save money on groceries.

Unlike many hosts, Lester seemed very curious and genuinely interested in our lifestyle. It’s very expensive to live in New York City and we think he was looking to save some money.

Interview Topics We Covered

We teased Lester a little and he … Read more »

Today Show #7—Holiday Savings Ideas

Christmas on The Today Show #1

Today Show – Holiday Savings #7. We were asked to come back to The Today Show again on December 9, 2010. This time we were asked to share how we save money at Christmas time.

How we Save Money on Christmas Gifts and Wrappings

We shared how we use cast off items like plastic grocery bags, old candles, sponges and pine cones. These items can be used to make great holiday decorations and gifts.

We shopped at one of our favorite thrift stores in Phoenix, Family Attic.  Here we found some great cast-off candle wax for pine cone … Read more »

The Talk #2 – Getting on Budget

CBS The Talk logo

This was our second appearance on The Talk. In the first appearance, we shared about saving money on groceries. In this two-segment appearance, Steve & Annette talk about their household budgeting system and how to save money in almost every room of your home.

Topics we Covered in the Interview

We talked about saving money by using a freezer to stock up on sale items. Then we “walked around the house” and shared money-saving tips for saving money in the bathroom by reducing water usage; saving on prescription drugs; reducing heating and cooling costs and improving gas mileage on your … Read more »

Fox & Friends Weekend – 5 easy ways to cut your grocery bill

fox and friends logo

A fast-paced interview with Fox & Friends host, Clayton Morris. He runs Steve, Annette, Becky and Abbey Economides through five quick tips that will save you money each week at the grocery store.

Spend less time shopping
Avoid impulse buys
Save 50 percent on lunch meat
Save with seasonal produce
Include your kids in your grocery savings

Get our Free Shopping List here

Watch the video here

You can learn more about our book, Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half here.

Fox & Friends Weekend

We did an interview with Steve Doocy from Fox and Friends Weekend on … Read more »

Today Show #9 Thrift/Consignment Challenge

Christmas on The Today Show #1

At The Today Show Thrift Store & Consignment Store Challenge, producers gave us $50 each. With this, we had to purchase two outfits—one dressy and one casual.

Steve went over budget, but the rest of the family was so far under budget that we spent less than half of what was allotted. Get our 8 Tips for Finding Bargains at Thrift Stores and Consignment Stores and Watch the TV Interview at the bottom of this page.

Jeri Watson – Co-Owner of A Second Look with Steve & Annette Economides

Where We Shopped for The Clothing Challenge

We shopped at two of our … Read more »

FoxNews—Happening Now—Dealing with Rising Costs

We had a great time with Fox News hosts Jon Scott and Jenna Lee. We were on Happening Now to share tips from our book, “Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half.”

Joking About our Lifestyle

While they were intrigued with our lifestyle, they did joke around with us about being too frugal. We guess that’s to be expected from people who live in one of the more expensive cities in the US. Things are costly in NYC, and to live there or near there requires you to be a higher wage earner. And there seems to be a mentality in NYC that … Read more »