23 Fun & Frugal Family Vacation Ideas!

Author | June 8th, 2023 | Vacation/Travel
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 »

Inexpensive Summer Activities for Kids Families Too!

Author | June 6th, 2023 | Recreation/Fun
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 …what 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 »

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

Author | June 2nd, 2008 | Recreation/Fun
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 »

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

Author | June 1st, 2023 | Groceries, Grocery--Cooking
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 — 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 »

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

Author | January 18th, 2024 | Clothes
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, we’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 »

How to Save on Lunchmeat: Slicing A Shank Ham!

Author | May 25th, 2023 | Groceries
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 “deal” 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 »

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

Author | May 24th, 2023 | Pets
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 doesn’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 »

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

Author | May 23rd, 2023 | Shopping, Miscellaneous
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 »

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

Author | May 18th, 2023 | Medical / Health
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 Lactaid® 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 »

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

Author | May 17th, 2023 | Pets
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 »

30+ Creative Crockpot Recipes, Ideas & Uses—Crazy! (Soap?)

Author | May 16th, 2023 | Grocery--Cooking
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 »

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

Author | May 11th, 2025 | Budgeting, Make Money
How we found $140,000 in Missing Money

Do you know anyone who has received a cash windfall from MissingMoney.com? We have …because 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 – … Read more »

11 ways to Save Energy for Kids and Your Electric Bill

Author | May 12th, 2023 | Utilities / Phone, Kids & Money
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 »

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

Author | May 10th, 2023 | Budgeting, Free Stuff
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 »

Creative Vacation Souvenir Ideas That Are Clever, Cheap, and Fun

Author | May 6th, 2023 | Recreation/Fun, Vacation/Travel
Vacation Souvenirs that are clever and frugal! Cheap Travel Souvenir Ideas!

Discover unique and inexpensive vacation souvenir ideas to help you remember your travels in style. From classic keepsakes to quirky finds, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and explore the world of vacation travel souvenirs and mementos!

We’ve broken this list into the following categories:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INEXPENSIVE SOUVENIR IDEAS2 COLLECTABLE SOUVENIRS3 SOUVENIR FOOD IDEAS4 LOCAL ART AND ARTIST SOUVENIRS5 WEARABLE SOUVENIRS6 CHRISTMAS SOUVENIR IDEAS7 BOOKS AND ALBUMS SOUVENIR IDEAS8 MISCELLANEOUS SOUVENIR IDEAS9 UNIQUE PLACES TO FIND COOL SOUVENIRS10 CONCLUSION ABOUT VACATION SOUVENIRS

INEXPENSIVE SOUVENIR IDEAS

These cheaper souvenir ideas can … Read more »

54 Productive Things To Do When You’re Bored

Author | October 4th, 2023 | Recreation/Fun, Budgeting, Miscellaneous
Productive Things to Do When You're Bored

There are LOTS of blogs written about fun things to do when you’re bored.  So, we wanted to put a new twist on that, and offer you a list of productive things to accomplish in this season of staying home more than normal.

We’ve broken this list of productive activities into 9 categories:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 1) Money Activities (5 ideas)2 2) Outdoor Activities (6 ideas)3 3) Organizing Activities (13 ideas)4 4) Things to do with Your Computer (5 ideas)5 5) Cleaning Activities to do When Bored (7 ideas)6 6) Kitchen Activities (5 ideas)7 … Read more »

Easy! How to Save Money Cutting Glass at Home DIY

Author | May 3rd, 2023 | Housing, Crafts / Home Decor
How to Cut Glass and Save Money - A glass cutter, cutting a piece of glass.

Do you know how much it costs to have a piece of glass Cut?

Do you think that cutting glass at home is too hard, or dangerous?

Getting a piece of glass cut from a hardware store has become harder and much more expensive than 20 years ago.

Years Ago: We had 6 small pieces of glass cut for the outside lights/lanterns on our garage. We bought a large piece of glass for about $15 at Home Depot and they cut it for free.

Things have really changed since then.  We were looking at a $20 charge for 3 small pieces of glass.

Keep reading to learn … Read more »

Use a Crockpot for a Year and Save $3400!

Author | April 27th, 2023 | Groceries, Grocery--Cooking
Crockpot Savings - Use a Slow Cooker for a year and Save $3400

Using a crockpot for a year could save you a ton of money. But even if you used it just a few days each week, it could still save you more money than you ever imagined.  We’ll show you how this works and give you some other tips too.

This is the third of a 5-part Kitchen Tools series that will empower you to save thousands of dollars on your food budget.

What’s at stake when it comes to feeding a family?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 What’s at stake when it comes to feeding a family?2 The Savings from a Year … Read more »

10 Student Loan Forgiveness Programs: Get Debt Eliminated Legally

Author | April 26th, 2023 | College & Education, Debt Reduction
9 career choices that could result in student loan forgiveness.

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 10 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 »

11 Airbnb Hosting Tips & Secrets From a $30k Super Host

Author | March 3rd, 2024 | Make Money
Airbnb hosting tips from a super host.

Are you thinking of becoming an Airbnb host? Are you looking for expert Airbnb Hosting tips? Do you want to earn an extra $10,000 this year?

We’ve been Airbnb Hosts for 9 years. We are on track to earn $30,000 this year by renting out three extra bedrooms in our house.

Even though the travel industry struggled through Covid in 2020, we’ve had some of our best years ever as a host family. So if you’ve ever considered home-sharing, this is a great time to get started.

In this article, we’re sharing our top Airbnb hosting tips. We hope that you can turn … Read more »

Pack a Lunch in Glass Bowls: How I Saved $40,000 Bringing My Lunch

Author | April 20th, 2023 | Groceries
Here's a lunch time hack that could save you $1000 per year?

If you pack a lunch consistently you’ll be surprised how much money you can save.

Glass Bowls Provide Lunch Values

Having Glass Bowls so you can bring leftovers for lunch, is the second of our Kitchen Tools series. It will empower you to save thousands of dollars on your food budget.

Why glass bowls?  When it comes to feeding a family, there is a lot of money at stake. The average family spends $270 per person each month on groceries. That means that a family of four will spend nearly $13,000 on food this year! And using glass bowls for lunch can help … Read more »

Why We Love Junk Mail? Here are 3 Things You Can Do With Free Paper!

Author | April 19th, 2023 | Office/Computer
Why do we love junk mail? Find out how we save the planet and stretch our budget all at the same time.

We love junk mail. How ’bout you?

We love junk mail, especially insurance agents who send us unsolicited quotes on white paper printed only on one side.

Why? It’s simple.

They’ve just provided us with free paper for our printer.

How we use Free Junk Mail to Save Money

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 How we use Free Junk Mail to Save Money2  A Funny Story about the Junk Mail Brother Printer3 Bottom Line for Recycling & Resourcefulness4 More Strategies for Dealing with Junk Mail5 What’s the value of all this effort?

We have a Read more »

29 Free or Cheap Places to Get Copies Made (Near Me)

Author | April 18th, 2023 | Office/Computer
Copies Near Me: Over 20 free or inexpensive options to choose from.

Copies Near Me is a popular Google Search! You never know when you might need to make a Black & White or Color copy. And finding a place to do that inexpensively, especially if you don’t have your own printer can be challenging!

Even though the world is increasingly paperless, there are going to be times when you’ll need a crisp, clean paper document in your hands.

If you find yourself in need of a copier, then browse this list of 29 different places (in 4 categories) for the best free or cheap copies that will make your life easier!

TABLE OF … Read more »

What is a Spoonula and How Can It Save You Money? Kitchen Tool #1

Author | April 13th, 2023 | Groceries, Grocery--Cooking
Clean up in your kitchen by using SpoonULas, they save time and money.

If you’ve never heard of a spoonula, hang on because you’re going to love it. In this article, we’ll tell you what a spoonula is and how it can save you money and we’ll introduce our kitchen tool series.

5 Kitchen Tools That Will Save $6000 #1 Spoonula

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 5 Kitchen Tools That Will Save $6000 #1 Spoonula2 What’s at stake with Kitchen Savings?3 What is a Spoonula? How Spoonulas Help to Scoop It Out:4 How Much Can You Save Using a Spoonula?

Saving money on groceries could revolutionize your family budget! Really, it’s no hype. … Read more »