This Debt-Free Living & Frugal Living Inspiring Stories Page contains a growing list (17) of success stories from our readers on how they avoid debt and live life joyfully!
If you’re looking for encouragement to keep going, you’re going to love reading these frugal living success stories from real people. Some struggle with debt, others are finding joy in living within their means. Keep reading and get stoked about the possibilities!
1. Frugality Helps You Sleep
I want to let you know how much your book and website have helped my family during this past year. I have had ongoing health issues … Read more »
If you’re looking for DIY Carpet Cleaning tips and recipes this is the place. On this page, we’ll share how we spot and clean our carpets. We’ll give you the formulas for our DIY carpet spotting solution and our Rug Doctor copycat solution. We’ll also tell you about the equipment we use to keep our carpets looking brand new.
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer you’re going to love the information on this page.
How Much Does It Cost to Clean A Carpet
We’ve all heard carpet cleaning ads on the radio or TV. You know those ads where they say they’ll clean 3 standard-sized … Read more »
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 7 categories:
INEXPENSIVE SOUVENIR IDEAS
These cheaper souvenir ideas can be found at almost any vacation destination you visit.
Keychains
A keychain with a special design or representing the place you visited can be a nice souvenir. It can be a useful reminder of your trip every time you use your keys.
Chris Hammond from Phoenix Arizona collects keychains from his … Read more »
The Walmart EverStart Maxx car battery warranty can be confusing. We’ve been buying these batteries for our cars since 2003. On this page, we will share the official warranty information for Everstart Maxx batteries, we share info we received from Walmart Auto Department managers, and document our purchases.
We also summarize what we’ve learned about the Walmart warranty policy for all four of their car battery brands.
Our History of Purchasing Walmart Everstart Maxx Batteries
Our daughter Becky drives a Toyota Tacoma. In 2018, the day before taking a trip into the White Mountains in northern Arizona, she noticed her 4-year-old Toyota … Read more »
This page is full of links to some of our favorite thrifty friends’ websites & frugal Resources!
When you hang out with thrifty friends you’ll pick up new and better ways to save money. We love hanging out, sharing and learning from the people on this page and hope you will too!
This Valentines Day Decorations, Crafts & DIY Projects Page contains a growing list of decor and craft projects. Scroll to the bottom of the page for 10 additional Valentine’s Day Decor ideas.
Valentine Wall Decor Craft
This is one of the simple and fun Valentine’s Day Decorations – DIY projects for the wall. We started with a picture frame that we picked up at a rummage sale for $.50. Our silvery/gold frame measured 14 inches x 17 inches. We took out the piece of cardboard backing from the inside of the frame and cut a piece of red foil wrapping paper … Read more »
Discover the amazing world of Restaurant Hacks. You’ll find lots of awesome tips and tricks to save money when eating out or getting takeout! Treat yourself to scrumptious meals without breaking the bank by using these insider secrets.
We love eating meals at home, but once in a while, a meal out at a restaurant is a wonderful treat. And what makes it even more special is when you can get the same meal for a discounted price.
Please, if you do get something for free or discounted, remember to be generous in the tipping of your server.
Learn a bunch of tricks from frugal friends for saving money on stuff around your house. If you have a secret way to save that’s not listed on this page, please leave it in the comments and we’ll include it.
1. Reuse Zippered Bag and Save
Wash out your plastic zip lock bags and use them over and over again instead of throwing them away after using them only once. They last a really long time. Sandy L. – Phoenix, AZ
2. Trash Bags Stashed Nearby
Save time by storing a roll of plastic kitchen trash bags in your garbage can under the trash … Read more »
This Halloween Tips & Ideas Page contains a growing number of ideas such as frugal ways to buy costumes, activities for parties, and tricks for finding discounted Halloween decor.
We do celebrate Halloween, but not the ghoulish, horrifying aspects of the holiday. We encouraged our kids to plan their costumes months in advance. And also to be creative, fun and frugal in their dressing-up ideas.
Since we loved walking our neighborhood and talking with our neighbors, many would wait for us to get to their homes before turning out the lights and calling it a night. Halloween is a great time for building … Read more »
Our Best Family Dessert Recipes Page contains Tasty, Delicious and Easy to Make dessert recipes!
These are family favorite dessert recipes that Annette has gathered from family and friends. All have been taste-tested and pass with flying colors. We think you will enjoy them too.
Annette had a bunch of cranberries that were purchased on sale and wanted to find a recipe for a cranberry orange cake. She reviewed several Bundt cake recipes, but didn’t find any for a cranberry orange cake . . . so created one herself.
Inexpensive recreation activities are easier to find than you might think.
Recreation doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun! How much are you willing to pay for fun and entertainment?
Where we live there seems to be an endless list of things we do, and most of them cost quite a bit. There often seems to be an attitude that if you’re going to have fun, you’ve got to spend money, and the more money you spend, the more fun you’ll have.
We want to challenge that notion. You can have fun, lots of fun with inexpensive recreation. And lots of laughter … Read more »
If you’re planning a wedding or helping with one, we’ve got dozens of frugal wedding ideas to help you make your wedding day fabulous, frugal and fun! Read what readers from all over the country have done to save tons of money.
Finding Deals on The Rings
Buy New
Go to several jewelers and get competitive prices. This will also give you an education on what the different stones, metals, and settings cost. In the process, you may stumble upon a jeweler who gives you a bargain price or has a used ring. You may also find online coupons or discounts for the … Read more »
If you want to ensure that you get the best prices on groceries try this free Grocery Price Tracker Sheet that we’ve developed.
We first started using a Price Tracker Sheet when we were learning our prices (we got the idea from Amy Dacyczyn’s Tightwad Gazette newsletter and modified it for us).
It’s a great tool to track prices between stores and price increases over time. Use one page for each item you want to track. You can fill in prices from the grocery ads or as you walk the aisles of the store.
This Home Decor Money Saving Tips Page contains several Home Decor Ideas that are frugal and easy to make !
Antique Auction Deals
I have several antique furniture pieces that I bought at a wholesale antique furniture auction on New Year’s day a couple of years ago. Most of the people that were there buying furniture were retail shop owners with tax I.D’s. Because these shop owners are in the business of making a profit, I was able to get the furniture pieces I wanted by bidding just a little bit more than they would.
I still paid a lot less than retail for … Read more »
This Needlework, Crocheting & Knitting Page contains lots of money saving tips and easy crafting ideas.
Red Cross Knitting Stripes
I do a lot of volunteer knitting for the Red Cross. Whenever we receive small balls of yarn that cannot be made into a blanket or sweater, I use them to make colorful stripes in a blanket. I pick one yarn color for the overall blanket theme and then make different color stripes. It always looks great. Angela Guastella – Chester, VA
Needlework Needles Sharpened
I thought I was the only one who pinched pennies the way you all do. I’m always looking for … Read more »
This “Craft & Sewing Projects for Everyone” money saving tips page contains lots of frugal and easy Crafting & Sewing Ideas.
Free Craft Projects for Kids at Lowe’s – Program Cancelled
Lowe’s offers a workshop for children and their parents. It is called Build and Grow. The best part is that it is Free; Lowe’s supplies each child with the materials. Tammy Baker – Virginia
Editor’s Note: Lowes canceled their Build & Grow program in 2016. We recommend checking your local Home Depot for their Kids Workshops
Pinecone Basket Firestarters
Step by step instructions on how to make wax dipped pine … Read more »
This Sewing Clothes Money Savings Tip page contains a number of ideas for saving money and time!
Repurposed Sewing for Clothes
If you have some skill with a sewing machine, this is a fun way to have the clothes you want at very little cost. I like to get larger sized clothing from thrift shops and ‘repurpose’ them. You can find colors and prints that you like and cut them down or totally redesign a different item. For example, a dress becomes a cute top… It’s frugal and fun! Wendy D. – Alamogordo, NM
This Miscellaneous Clothing Tip page contains a number of money-saving ideas for cutting costs when you’re buying or caring for clothes and accessories!
Cashmere and Wool in the Freezer?
Sometimes you do frugal things for so long you forget how good they are. For years I’ve been chilling my woolen and cashmere clothes before storing them for the summer. I do this to eliminate moth eggs and larvae. I put the clothing in a plastic bag and then stick it in the freezer for 24 hours. Then I take it out and transfer the clothes to an airtight plastic storage bag. The clothes … Read more »
If you want to find kids’ clothes cheap, our Used Clothing Tips for Kids Page will help.
Check out this growing list of money-saving tips from Steve & Annette and our readers to help you save on clothing for your children!
25+ Winning Quick Tips for Saving Money on Kids’ Clothes
1. Shop during off-season sales:
Purchase clothes for the next season during end-of-season sales when prices are heavily discounted. Annette was really good at this. As a result, we spent very little on kids’ clothes.
2. Buy second-hand clothes:
Explore thrift stores, consignment shops, or online platforms for gently used kids’ clothing at … Read more »
Our Used Clothing Tips for Adults contains a growing number of money-saving ideas for cutting costs when you’re buying clothes!
Big Fluffy Frugal Robe
I really wanted a big fluffy robe this winter, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So I headed to Kmart, where stuff is cheap. I was in luck: they had robes 50% off, yippy! Unfortunately, the robes were priced at $34 each. What?
So I took a chance and headed to a new Goodwill store in our neighborhood. I was in luck! I got a like-new, big fluffy Nautica robe for $5.99! Now the kids … Read more »
This New Clothing Money Saving Tips page contains a number of ideas for cutting costs when you’re buying clothes!
New Dress Shoes for Extraordinary Prices
Good quality new dress shoes are expensive. I have problem feet and need extremely comfortable shoes for work but I must also follow a strict dress code. Finding good shoes at a thrift store is almost impossible for me, but I’ve discovered Nordstrom’s Rack (clearance center). I’ve found great comfortable designer shoes at extraordinary prices. Now my clothes and shoes last much longer than lower quality items purchased at local discount stores Aimee … Read more »
This Making Money Page contains a growing list of tips from our readers on ways they make money and save money on everyday expenses!
This page includes ideas for making money such as checking contracts for things purchased or rented; selling on Swip Swap; checking household bills for accuracy & unneeded items; IRS deductions to take; employment that offers discounts, perks or free services and earning gift cards with Swagbucks!
Retail Arbitrage? Is it a legal way to make money?
We have met a number of people at Goodwill, Garage Sales and rummage sales who search for deals and then resell the things they … Read more »
This Budget Success Stories Page contains a growing list of Budgeting Ideas from readers like you!
If you want some encouragement about how a budget can revolutionize your personal finances, you’ve come to the right place. We love hearing stories of budgeting success – going from debt to equity, desperation to determination and seeing the joy of families who have learned to make their money do what they want it to do. Read these stories and be encouraged!
This Banking, Taxes & Charitable Giving Tips Page contains a growing list of money-saving tips from our readers to help you deal with bank fees, tax preparation, and charitable giving!
25x the Interest – FDIC Online Bank
If you need a bank that pays a high-interest rate and has very low fees consider CIT Bank. They are an FDIC insured bank that pays 25x the national average in interest (1.55% APY).
You can open an account with a minimum balance of $100. Get details from CIT Bank.
We know that it’s a lot of work to change banks, but at the very … Read more »
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