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

Author | December 5th, 2019 | Recreation/Fun
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 »

Family Christmas Traditions: 8 Inexpensive, Fun Holiday Activities

Author | December 4th, 2019 | 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 Family 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:

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Stores Open On Thanksgiving Day – Black Friday Shopping [2018]

Author | November 27th, 2019 | Holidays
Thanksgiving Day Shopping Stores open and closed.

Are you wondering whether your favorite stores are opened or closed on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, check out the list below.

How does the commercialization of the holidays make you feel?

You know we love getting deals and saving money, but where do you draw the line? When Black Friday was on the Friday after Thanksgiving we thrilled in getting up early to catch the sales. As retailers strategically moved their opening times earlier and earlier in the morning we cringed.

Then when the midnight opening started, we cringed some more, yet we were still attracted by some of the great … Read more »

7 Black Friday Secrets & Strategies

Author | November 21st, 2019 | Holidays
Black Friday Secrets & Strategies!

Are you looking for Black Friday Secrets and Strategies to jumpstart your Christmas shopping and savings?

Are you looking for the Ultimate Black Friday Cheat Sheet of Sales?

If so, keep reading – we’ve got lots to share with you.

it’s time to put our gift planning into high gear. One great way to do that is to make a list of all of the people you are planning on buying gifts for.

To find the Best Black Friday Secrets you’ll need to start researching early using sites like BlackFriday.info, BFads.net, BradsDeals, Hip2Save and Fabulously Frugal.com. Get the links below.

Then check some of … Read more »

Student Loan Forgiveness Programs: Get Loans Discharged Legally

Author | November 20th, 2019 | College
Student Loan Forgiveness - Get Rid of College Debt Forever!

Do you have college loans? Are you looking for a list of student loan forgiveness programs? Are you wondering if you can get loan forgiveness?

Student loan forgiveness isn’t available to everyone, but it is a great way to pay off student loans that have already been accrued!

We’ve scoured the loan forgiveness landscape and found 9 different programs that might benefit you.

College Prices Have Skyrocketed:

Over the past 40 years, gas prices have increased by about 300% and Gold has risen more than 1200%. However, the cost of college has outpaced them both, skyrocketing more than 1600% higher than it was in … Read more »

Thanksgiving Activities for Families with Kids

Author | November 19th, 2019 | 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.

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 undertaking.

Thanksgiving is a tradition-rich holiday for many families, but it doesn’t just have to center around delicious food only. As … Read more »

Paying for College With No Money or a Trust Fund

Author | November 15th, 2019 | College
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.

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1. Get Government Grants2. Find Scholarships That She Can Win3. … Read more »

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

Author | November 14th, 2019 | Grocery--Cooking, Holidays
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 »

What to Make for a Thanksgiving Potluck with Children

Author | November 12th, 2019 | Holidays
What to Make for a Thanksgiving Potluck with Children & Hosting it!

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 talk about what to make for a Thanksgiving potluck.

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Hosting a successful Potluck Thanksgiving dinnerHow Did the Pilgrims Celebrate Their First Thanksgiving Dinner?How You Can … Read more »

Thanksgiving Food Deals to Stock Up On!

Author | November 8th, 2019 | Groceries
Thanksgiving Stock Ups - A Great Time to Capture Sales on Grocery Food Items!

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It’s time to stock your pantry and freezer!Get Those Loss LeadersUsing a Freezer for Thanksgiving Stock UpsLook for discount pricing on the following itemsAnnette’s Thanksgiving Menu for 2019
It’s time to stock your pantry and freezer!

Buying up Thanksgiving food deals is a great way to stock your freezer and pantry for several months.

Get Those Loss Leaders

Grocery … Read more »

College Savings: 10 Out of the Box Ways Cut the Cost of Education

Author | November 6th, 2019 | College
10 Out of the Box Ways for BigTime College Savings!

Are you’re looking for college savings when trying to get a university education? This blog will give you plenty of out of the box and unconventional options for college savings.

If you take to heart just a few of these ideas it could save you $10,000 or more.

The college landscape is changing so rapidly that savings can be found in the most unusual places. Especially if you’re willing to research and question conventional thinking and dig a little deeper.

This is blog #5 in our College Savings Series. Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to the entire series.

College Prices … Read more »

What Are Health Share Plans? Is Medical Cost Sharing for You?

Author | November 1st, 2019 | 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.

It happens over and over again. People crying at appointments as they sit … Read more »

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

Author | October 31st, 2019 | College, Free Stuff
How to find college scholarships/ Scholarship Hacks/ University Scholarships

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 »

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

Author | October 25th, 2019 | 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 »

How to Get The Most FAFSA Money and Pell Grant Awards (2019)

Author | October 23rd, 2019 | College
Maximize FAFSA and Pell Grant Money.

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 from 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 »

Top 25 Sites Like Craigslist: Alternatives for Buying or Selling FAST!

Author | October 22nd, 2019 | Housing
Sites Like Craigslist. #SellUsedItems #SellSafelyCraigslist #FlipUsedItems #SellStuffMakeMoney

If you like buying and selling things online, you need to know about other sites like CraigsList. There are a growing number of websites that are Craigslist alternatives for listing items for sale, classified ads, freebies, and advertising services.

Craigslist offers great opportunities to buy and sell your stuff. Back in 1995 the platform started as a classified advertisements website and has remained one of the best ways to buy and sell things.

Although Craigslist may have been the first site to connect buyers and sellers in a community-centered way, it is no longer the only way that you can buy and … Read more »

Homemade Halloween Party Games, Crafts and Food for a Harvest Festival Party

Author | October 17th, 2019 | Holidays
Homemade Halloween Fun & Games for Families!

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 Halloween 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 »

Soup from Leftovers: Garbage Soup – A Frugal Recipe that Failed

Author | October 16th, 2019 | Grocery--Cooking
Tapioca Garbage Soup - an attempt at frugality that failed miserably.

Soup from Leftovers and Garbage Soup are usually really delicious. Out of the thousands of meals Annette has prepared over the years, fewer than five have gone uneaten.

This is the story of an infamous one that has become a family legend.

The Concept of Soup from Leftovers / Garbage Soup

That’s right, Garbage Soup. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but in reality, it can be.

Several years ago, Annette read about the concept of saving small portions of leftovers to make soup and decided to incorporate the practice into her money-saving habits.

Whenever she had less than one serving of green beans, corn, mixed veggies, … Read more »

How Can You Afford to Pay Cash for a New Cell Phone?

Author | October 15th, 2019 | Utilities / Phone

These days a cell phone is an absolute necessity. But the price of some phones is enough to make you crazy.

And having monthly lease payments on a cell phone is simply something we’re not willing to consider.

We only pay cash for quality used cell phones. If you want to live debt-free, you might want to consider doing the same thing.

People who know us, know that we simply don’t pay retail for much of anything. So we’re asked regularly, where are the best places to buy used cell phones online or in-person.

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Grocery Store Sales Cycles for Holidays/ Stocking up on Groceries/ Our Grocery Stockpile List

Author | October 10th, 2019 | 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 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 on various food items each month and on each holiday to entice shoppers to come to their store. 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 on sale. That … Read more »

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

Author | October 9th, 2019 | College
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 … Read more »

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

Author | October 8th, 2019 | Holidays
10 Non-Scary Halloween Costumes - Cheap, Fast & Easy!

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 »