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 »
Accumulating debt has become a common occurrence in most families – but paying off debts, even on a low income has become an achievable goal for visitors to our website. If you are looking for ways to destroy debt forever, then this article will encourage, equip and empower you!
Debt Free on a Small Income. On an average household income of less than $45,000, we’ve avoided debt and been able to pay off our home mortgages in record time. To do it, we’ve used many of the methods described in this blog. Follow these 7 Steps and you could be debt-free too!
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.
Money is really tight and with unemployment on the rise, the number of people going to school to “re-tool” is also increasing. This means that students in service industries: hair and nail care, dentists, massage therapy and more, will need people to “practice” on. If you’re willing to take some risk, you can save a lot of dough. You may be surprised about the services they offer.
Here are some ideas from Joy in Topeka, Kansas (our comments are in italics).
Massages Look for a nearby massage or physical therapy school. During finals week, physical therapy assistant students … Read more »
There are lots of “firsts” that are celebrated in life: your first report card, your first kiss, your first job, that first real paycheck, your first car, your first baby, a baby’s first step, your first house. Life is full of great firsts — and some great “lasts.”
Since this is the first month of a new year, many people are thinking of making resolutions so they can accomplish some highly desirable new “firsts.’ Two of the most popular New Years Resolutions are: losing weight and getting out of debt. We’d like to encourage you to make … Read more »
Steve and Annette Economides have five kids and a monthly food bill that totals a mere $350. How do they do it? Among other things, through lots and lots of planning, strategic buying in bulk, utilization of their freezer, pantry, and Ziploc bags, and the occasional purchase of something called a chub.
The Economides, known as America’s Cheapest Family, have a new book out called Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. They answer my questions on smart grocery shopping techniques and economical cooking below.
A lot of people economize by making their own sandwiches to bring to work, typically bought with sliced … Read more »
Saving Money on watching movies & TV, is something every family and household can do. This awesome page has lots of ideas for you to try today!
1. Borrowing from the Library – Physical or Online
Borrow movies and TV shows from your local library for free. All you need is a library card. Many librarys have online streaming services like Hoopla and Kanopy. Many libraries also have the Libby app (by Overdrive) but it just hosts eBooks, Audiobooks and Magazines.
Public libraries in my area now have extensive DVD … Read more »
A college graduate is starting Adulting. She asks what are the best things she can do to start living the adult life in a money smart way. The transition from being a student to becoming an adult can be a shock to the system.
Money Smart Adulting?
Hey there, Economides family:)
I am from Portugal and I love your tips. My birthday is coming soon and I will order your books as a gift.
Here life is a little different than in the U.S., but despite the distance, your concepts of living within your means is a great help!
Experts offer simple ways to save money every month
Michelle McKay likens herself to a hunter, only what she stalks, tracks and brings home are free or nearly free home furnishings and appliances. Washing machine, NordicTrack, antique armoire: free, free, free.
McKay threw her arms open wide in the middle of her Phoenix home and said: “This stuff is my horns on the wall.”
What do you remember most of your childhood family vacations – the places you visited, the things you did or the people you were with? Now think back to your last vacation as an adult.
What are your most lingering memories – the sites and people or the monthly credit-card bills that taint your mailbox? Vacations should be events that build positive interactions and create long-lasting, fun-filled memories, all without breaking the bank.
According to the 2002 American Express Leisure Travel Index, the average American family will spend $2031 on their annual vacation. Some sources would have us believe that the “mouse … Read more »
Budgeting got you stumped? You’re not alone! That’s why we asked our email subscribers, “What’s your biggest budgeting question?“
Now, we’re answering the top 17 questions we received – covering everything from getting started to optimizing your spending.
If you have a budget question, please use our contact form and send it in!
Whether you’re afraid to ask or just need a refresher, this page has the practical solutions you’ve been searching for. Get the budgeting guidance you need to take control of your finances once and for all.
Keep reading to unlock the answers to your most pressing budgeting questions:
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 »
This was a jam-packed appearance on The Talk. We were interviewed by Julie Chen and Guest Host Mary McCormick (The West Wing). We shared ideas from our book, The MoneySmart Family System, including:
Teaching kids to manage money with Toys, Clothes, Cars and College.
The tips spanned ages 3 to 23 and beyond.
We put together a list of tips from the segment with Steve Cunniff. Hope they help you raise MoneySmart Kids.
TALK TAKEAWAY: MONEY WITH STEVE AND ANNETTE ECONOMIDES
Recently, the USDA released a study that says the average kid costs $261,000 to raise — … Read more »
Steve & Annette Economides have done radio interviews from Coast to Coast in America and in several countries around the world. This page contains a list of most of the interviews we’ve done. Many interviews were live and we had no way of getting a recording. Another bunch of radio interviews are only about 3 minutes long, and don’t provide much in the way of practical, measurable information to help you manage your money better. If you want to hear many of our longer, more substantive interviews, visit our podcast page – we regularly post interviews of … Read more »
This Special Occasions Tips Page contains a growing list of money-saving tips from our readers to help you save time and money on special occasion expenses.
We’ve been invited to participate in hundreds of radio and podcast interviews. We’re sharing the longer ones here. These podcast and radio interviews are great to download and listen to while exercising, driving, and working around the house. They’re like a frugal vitamin to remind you that you can Make Frugal Fun!
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This Kid’s Money Saving Tips page is devoted to teaching kids financial independence and life skills. It discusses Kid’s Toys, Life Skills, Allowances, Gifts and everything else. On this page you’ll find a growing list of our favorite money saving tips for Kids!
This Kid’s Money Saving Tips Page has some awesome ideas for your family. The things we could spend money on for our kids is endless, and so are the opportunities to save money. And along with saving money, we have the opportunity to teach our kids to conserve resources, save time and enjoy things that we buy, even if we don’t … Read more »
This Activities & Game Ideas Page contains a growing list of money-saving tips to help you save on Family Recreation & Entertainment!
This Activities & Game Savings page contains a few of our favorite, inexpensive group games including Telephone Pictionary, Dice Madness (aka Mennonite Madness), and the Cup Game. Also a great tip for huge savings on bowling.
This Personal Finance Reviews Page contains a growing list of our favorite Personal Finance Books!
Learning how to improve how you manage your household finances is a great goal for anyone. We’ve been budgeting our money since day one of our marriage and have accomplished some pretty amazing financial feats on a below-average income. This is a list of many of our favorite and most informative household finance books. We hope they enrich your life and your bank account.
The Millionaire Next Door By Thomas Stanley and William Danko
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