Which Dish Soap is Cheapest & Best: Dawn, Ajax or Walmart?

Two bottles of dish soap with a ruler in front of them - Dish Soap Testing

Have you ever wondered which dish soap works best and gives you the best value for the money?

We love saving money and were wondering if we should buy the cheapest dish detergent or a more expensive one. Our curiosity finally got the best of us and we put together this test.

Have you ever thought, โ€œHmm, this name-brand product costs twice as much as the generic; is it twice as good? Oh, itโ€™s all just advertising hype, there canโ€™t be that BIG of a difference โ€” Iโ€™m going to save the money and buy the generic.โ€

Well, when it came to dishwashing … Read more ยป

22 Community Youth Organizations That Build Integrity and Character

Top Club Activities for Teens and Youth

Can community youth organizations and programs help develop character in a child? There are many different types of youth activities that could contribute to your child’s physical, emotional, and vocational development. We’ve been involved in a number of these organizations and have compiled a list of the 20 most popular youth organizations in the US.

If you’re looking for the names of groups where your kids can learn and grow in character and leadership keep reading …

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Discovering the Hidden Potential in a Child2 Selecting an Organization with Good Leaders3 How Much YOU Should Be … Read more ยป

Family Game Night Ideas: 46 Activities and Games That Are Fun & Cheap

Best Family Game Night Games. Games for Kids. Board Games for Kids. Games for Groups.

Are you looking for family game games that are inexpensive, fun and will have your family wanting to play again and again?

Have you ever wondered about what are some of the best family game night games for different age groups? 

Weโ€™ve got answers and videos.

Nothing brings families together like some friendly competition. And it’s even more fun when you pick some fun games to play together on a family game night.

And the games we recommend donโ€™t cost a lot of money. As a matter of fact, some are completely free.

We’ve included an overview of each game, some instructions, and … Read more ยป

12 Interesting Declaration of Independence Facts

12 Declaration of Independence Facts that you may not know!

The Declaration of Independence in the United States is one of the most revered documents in our history. It was a bold statement by oppressed men and women to gain freedom from a tyrannical English government.

No matter your political affiliation or beliefs, we should admire these courageous men who willingly put their lives and fortunes on the line to overcome tyrannical leadership.

12 Declaration of Independence Facts You May Not Know

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 12 Declaration of Independence Facts You May Not Know2 12 Declaration of Independence Facts You May Not Know3 BONUS: Ages of The Founding … Read more ยป

37 Garage Sale Tips and Tricks: A Guide To Hosting Great Yard or Garage Sale

Guide to hosting great garage sales

If you’re looking for Garage Sale Tips and Tricks, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve hosted and participated in dozens of very successful garage sales.

We’ve written this Garage Sale Guide to help you turn your unwanted treasures into cash. There are 37 ideas presented on this page to help you run an efficient and profitable yard sale at your home. Or to host a rummage sale for a charitable organization where you volunteer.

Hosting A Garage Sale – Where to Start

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Hosting A Garage Sale – Where to Start2 Why Host a Garage Sale?3 … Read more ยป

Summer Jobs for Teens: Finding Work & Earning Money

Summer jobs for teens - be a barista.

Is your teen looking for a summer job? There are companies hiring AND lots of out of the box earning opportunities. 

We’ll give you tons of practical ideas to help your teenager find work this summer, and into the rest of the year. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 1. Paying Summer Jobs for Teens2 2. Side Hustles/Self-Employed Opportunities3 3. Summer Jobs That Start with Volunteer/Community Service4 Final Words About Summer Jobs for Teens

1. Paying Summer Jobs for Teens

There are lots of jobs for teens in the restaurant industry and others. Here’s a short list of the types of jobs … Read more ยป

26 Free Online Movie Websites Like Crackle, YouTube and Hulu

17 Free Online Movie Websites Like Crackle, YouTube and Hulu! - Where to watch movies for free online

This list of 26 free movie websites like Crackle, YouTube & Hulu can help you save money by dumping cable or pricey monthly subscriptions. Check out these sites and other Roku/Fire/Smart TV apps.

One of the biggest budget busters is overspending on recreation. We recently did a “dinner and a movie” date night. If we hadn’t had movie gift cards and a restaurant coupon we would have spent $60. There has to be a better way to spend time together without spending a fortune.

We love cocooning at home after a long day of work. After selecting a good movie, we … Read more ยป

Best Car Rental Hacks: 8 Unusual Ways to Save on Renting a Vehicle

These Rental Car Hacks will save you hundreds of dollars on your vacation!

Want to save money on your next rental car? You’re going to love these 12 cheap and clever car rental hacks. We’ve tried most of these and they really work to cut the cost of your trip.

First, we’ll tell you a story about our BIGGEST savings. Then we’ll give you 11 other tips!

How these Rental Car Hacks saved us $200+! 

We were traveling to Richmond, Virginia to speak at a conference and to spend a few days vacationing with family and friends.

There were six of us traveling, plus luggage for one week … and 24 cases of our books.

Keep reading … Read more ยป

Plastic Surgery for Paying off Debt: 9 Steps to Being Debt Free!

How to Destroy Debt forever - You can be debt free

Do you want to get out of Debt? Have you been trying to pay off what you owe, but keep getting hit with unexpected emergencies.

Keep reading – we have 9 things you can do to kill your debt. And several things you can start applying today.

How is Debt Like Being in a Car Crash?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 How is Debt Like Being in a Car Crash?2 How To Start A Debt Recovery Plan3 9. The Payoff  4 Debt Freedom Wrap-Up

Have you ever come across an auto accident where a battered, bloody victim was walking around … Read more ยป

Vacation Meals on a Budget: 11 Ways to Save on Food While Traveling

Save Money with Vacation Meals on a Budget!

Vacation meals can be expensive! But with vacation meals on a budget and a little planning and creativity, you can enjoy awesome food. Even while you travel, you can spend much less than the average person doing it. We’ve got lots of ideas for having a great vacation on a budget and it all starts with saving on vacation meals.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 1) Eat out Selectively2 2) Restaurant Savings3 3) Keeping Your Food Cold on Vacation4 4) Vacation Meals on a Budget with a Crockpot5 5) Stopping for Treats6 6) Picnic Lunches and All-You-Can-Eat … Read more ยป

Should You Buy Your Teenager a Car? This Dad Gave a 1965 Mustang!

Have you wondered if you should give your teen a car?

Are other parents in your area doing it and you’re getting pressure from your child?

Should Parents Give A Car to a Teen?

Is it MoneySmart to give your kids a car and a computer?

One dad thinks so.

We didn’t give any of our kids a car. But we did help them save and shop and buy their first cars for cash.

When we heard about this dad who gave his teenager a 1965 Mustang, we thought he’d lost his mind.

Why We Think This Dad is MoneySmart

The dad of the family wrote the … Read more ยป

23 Fun & Frugal Family Vacation Ideas!

Frugal Fun Vacation Ideas

Frugal Family Vacations don’t have to be boring. And fun vacations don’t have to be expensive to be memorable.

We’ve compiled a list of ways for you to have fun and frugal family vacations. This list comes from friends and our own experiences. We’ll share more than two dozen money-saving vacation tips for meals, lodging, and activities. You’ll make great memories on a budget.

23 Fun Ideas for Frugal Vacations

Our Facebook Friends asked, “Can you share one of your tips for saving money while on vacation?” Our first book, America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money, … Read more ยป

Inexpensive Summer Activities for Kids Families Too!

Looking for inexpensive fun for kids and families this summer?

If you need Inexpensive Summer Activities for kids and families this year, we’ve got 13 great recreation ideas you’ll love. Most of these activities are perfect for kids and adults.

As Covid restrictions ease you should be able to find some safe and fun activities for your kids this year.

It’s June and school’s out โ€ฆwhat do you do to help your kids have healthy fun in the summer? Is it an afternoon at the movies, a visit to an amusement park, or an afternoon at the mall? How much will that cost you?

Perhaps you might want to consider tackling a large … Read more ยป

Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich Weight: Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth?

Get your money's worth at Arbys. #rip-off, #sandwich weight

If you want to know how much an Arby’s Roast Beef sandwich is supposed to weigh, just read our story.

What would you do if you got 30% less than you paid for?

We got “ripped off,” but got it resolved quickly.

We had just completed a Once-A-Month cooking day (read more here) where Annette (with help from the rest of us) prepares between 10 and 17 dinner meals which we store in the freezer for use later in the month.

On our “Once-A-Month” cooking day, Annette gets the night off from preparing dinner (after preparing so many meals, she deserves a … Read more ยป

Home Meat Slicer Uses that will Save you $500 or More

Save $500 each year by slicing the cost of lunchmeat. Find out how

There are dozens of uses for a home meat slicer and the savings you can bank are amazing. In this article, we’ll talk mainly about how much money you can save using a meat slicer to cut your own lunch meat.

With food prices soaring, we’ve got to use every strategy possible to save money!

And we’ll also share other things that we use a meat slicer for โ€” you may be surprised.

Plus we’ll tell you how much our meat slicer cost and what you can expect to pay for a new one.

This is the fourth article of a 5 Kitchen Tools … Read more ยป

How to Get Dried Blood Out of Sheets: 11 Tested Solutions to Remove Stains

11 Ways to Get Blood out of Clothes & Sheets. We tested several different solutions and found 2 that worked amazingly well. #blood #laundry #cleaningproducts

Are you wondering how to get blood stains out of sheets?

Blood can find its way onto your sheets, clothes, carpets, and furniture in a variety of ways. Whether you’ve cut your finger, had a bloody nose or had a period mishap, we’ve got solutions.

The blood on your fabric may seem like it’s there to stay. Especially if it’s dried or been washed.

Instead of just giving up the item as a lost cause, weโ€™ll show you how to get the stain out.

We tested 11 different methods to get dried blood out of sheet fabric.

We’ll share several different common household items that … Read more ยป

How to Save on Lunchmeat: Slicing A Shank Ham!

A shank ham on a cutting board.

Are you looking for ways to save money on lunch meat?

Steve wanted to see what kind of โ€œdealโ€ we could get on ham lunch meat if we sliced up a smoked, shank ham for our sandwiches. Could we get quality sandwich slices for less?

We bought our shank ham on sale for 97 cents a pound. Because the Smithfield ham we bought was smoked, it was ready to eat (no need to cook it.) So we’ll show you how we sliced it and let you know what our final cost was after removing the bone and fat.

In this article we’ve also … Read more ยป

Should You Adopt a Pet or Buy One? Pet Costs & Finding One

Should You Adopt a Pet Rather than Buy One? here's costs of pet ownership and where to adopt one!

We think you should adopt a pet rather than buy one for several reasons. Learn how to find the best pet and get the best deal when you adopt it.

Are your kids asking you to adopt a pet for your family? Or are your kids grown and you want a furry friend as a companion?

Many people think pet adoption is an expensive luxury. But don’t panic! Actually, getting and keeping a pet doesnโ€™t have to cost as much as you think!

You could go to Craigslist or OfferUp. But whatever you do, stay as far away from breeding mills as possible! … Read more ยป

Wholesale Clubs: What’s A Warehouse Club? Do They Really Save Money?

What is a Warehouse club and do they save you money?

The concept of shopping in a wholesale club or warehouse and buying directly from a distributor is an appealing idea for money-saving-minded people. But do today’s warehouse clubs really save you money or are they merely a carefully marketed retail store that has lots of stuff in it, designed to separate you from your money?

We’ll discuss the pros and cons of shopping at the warehouse clubs AND we’ll tell you how you can do it without buying a pricey membership.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 What is a Warehouse Club?2 The History of Warehouse Clubs3 Warehouse Clubs in the … Read more ยป

Save on Lactose Intolerance: Costco vs Sams vs Lactaidยฎ which is Best?

Kirkland Lactase - lactaid package

Are You searching for the best lactose intolerance pills? Are you wanting a cheaper option that really works?

Have you tried different solutions for your digestive issues?

The National Institute of Health estimates that about 68 percent of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption issues. That’s a lot of people who need help digesting lactose.

We’ve tried a number of natural and pill solutions for lactose intolerance.

We also did an in-depth comparison with Costco Lactase (Kirkland) or Lactaidยฎ brand pills. You’ll be surprised by what we found.

If you have lactose intolerance, finding a solution so you can enjoy dairy is not an easy … Read more ยป

Pets on a Budget: Ultimate Guide to Caring For Pets for Less

Pets on a budget - Why you should have them & how much they cost. #PetsBudget #PetsSick #PetsTime

Do you need to have your family pets on a budget?

We are talking about the family pet.

Pets are viewed as best friends, companions, family necessities, nuisances, and trainers for children. Do economizers have them, and if so, do they think of them differently than other people do?

Our Pet History

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Our Pet History2 Pets Bring Companionship3 The Reason for Having a Pet4 Pets Can Bring Security5 Where to Get a Pet When You’re on a Budget6 The Real Cost of Pets7 Pets Need Time8 Sick Pets and a Budget

We … Read more ยป

30+ Creative Crockpot Recipes, Ideas & Usesโ€”Crazy! (Soap?)

An amazing collection of creative uses for your crockpot - making soap . . . really?

If you’re looking for creative crockpot recipes and cooking ideas we’ve got answers. If you want lots of delicious and favorite recipes and some really outrageous uses for a slow cooker, you’ve also come to the right place!

The slow cooker or Crockpot is one of the most versatile time and money-saving tools we have in our kitchen. We use them so much that, over time, we now have three of them. They help us on our once-month cooking day and for other daily needs.

Related Article: $3400 in CrockPot Savings A Year

Traveling with a Crockpot?

Years ago … Read more ยป

Unclaimed Money Secrets: How We Found $142K in Missing Money

How we found $140,000 in Missing Money

Do you know anyone who has received a cash windfall from MissingMoney.com? We have โ€ฆbecause it was us!

Have you ever wondered if there’s money out there with your name on it? It turns out that more than $49 billion in unclaimed funds are being held by state governments and treasuries across the United States. Even more surprising, approximately 1 in 7 people have money waiting to be claimed!

After Steve’s father passed away in 2019, the family went through the difficult process of settling his estate. While researching an article he was writing in 2020, Steve stumbled upon something unexpected โ€“ … Read more ยป

11 ways to Save Energy for Kids and Your Electric Bill

Hand holding a light bulb trying to save electricity.

We taught our kids to save money on electricity … and everything else. When we received this question from a website visitor from Australia, we thought we’d put our ideas in writing so you could learn to save energy for kids too.

Question about how to get my kids on board with saving money

Do your kids save electricity? How do you get your kids to appreciate ever-increasing electricity costs and to turn off lights and appliances? Mine just seem to walk away and have no care that Australian electricity costs are rising and rising and we now pay a carbon tax … Read more ยป

How to Manage a Financial Windfall: What to Do with Sudden Money

Financial Windfalls - How to manage them.

What is a financial windfall?  Is managing a windfall something you are prepared to do?

Winning the lottery, a TV game show, a large inheritance or sweepstakes are all windfalls. What about smaller windfalls – like a tax refund? Have you ever been faced with managing sudden money?

How could this money help you? How would you manage it?

Have you ever thought of creating a plan for a financial windfall?

Will a Windfall be Coming Your Way?

What if you won the lottery? What would you do if you have $50 million dumped in your lap? Many of us would be able to quickly … Read more ยป