Bathroom Decorating on a Budget

Just because there aren’t thousands of dollars available for decorating doesn’t mean that a bath can’t be unique, dramatic and thoroughly satisfying. Here are a half dozen frugal ways to spice up any bathroom.

1. Collections of inexpensive mirrors add both light and space to any bathroom. They reflect colors, faces and other decorations and add character and interest. Mirrors are much more effective when grouped together rather than being a scattered mass simply hanging on a wall.

2. Pictures or prints can be massed on a wall. For maximum impact hang them closely together rather than separated. Pictures can be striking if they have a ‘theme’, such as:
The frames or photos have a uniqueness in common - oval shapes, women only, pets
This decorating tactic works best in a powder room, rather than a full bathroom, because of the high moisture.

Posted in Money Saving Tips | Comments Off

How Can I Be Frugal?

Buy everyday items you use in bulk. Buy the biggest package you can find, which gives you the most for the money.

Cut out most frozen foods. Some frozen foods make sense, like buying frozen bread dough. It is cheaper to buy three or four unbaked loaves together, than to buy one loaf of bread in the bread section. You can dress up frozen bread dough by rolling it out, brushing it with butter and spreading cinnamon-sugar. Just roll it back up and bake. Voila, you have cinnamon bread. Throw in raisins or pecans for variety.

Buy less convenience foods, and more staples like dry beans, rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, milk and butter (store brand.) Buy food in bulk when possible. Forego the nicely packaged pre-made honey butter, mashed potatoes, or other prepared foods.
Eat out less. If you must eat restaurant food, get the whole meal as a take-out. That saves you from buying pricey mixed drinks, paying gratuities, and buying that fancy dessert you couldn’t live without but didn’t need.

Posted in Money Saving Tips | Comments Off

The Road to a Frugal Life

Know your destination.
You can’t stay on the path towards your goals if you don’t even know what your goals are. Have you ever gone into a grocery store without a list? You wander up and down the aisles, not really knowing if you are getting what you need. This is a lot like your frugal living. You have to know where you are going and what you need in order to follow the correct path.

Step Two: Don’t take every path.
You will quickly find that if you follow every single frugal path that you encounter, you will go crazy! It just isn’t possible. Not everything works for every person. It simply depends on where you are at in your life — and how much you want to take on.

Posted in Money Saving Tips | Comments Off

The Frugal Lunchbox

Go to the Dollar Store and buy a few of those individual serving-size storage containers. These are very inexpensive and they are worth every penny.

You can use them for any number of things–like making your own fruit cups and pudding cups.

And they can also be used to hold dip for carrot or celery sticks or fill with peanut butter and pack a zipper bag of pretzels for dipping.
Also at the Dollar Store or discount store, you can pick up one or two of the small “blue ice” cold packs. They will help keep lunchbox items cold and safe. Sandwiches such as egg salad or tuna salad need to have a cold pack. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, on the other hand, can be packed without one.

Muffins hold up well in a zipper-top bag, as do slices of banana nut bread, or most any other quick bread.

Posted in Money Saving Tips | Comments Off

From Two Incomes to Frugal Living

Many families start living a frugal lifestyle because one partner wants to stay at home with the kids.  If you are going from a two-income household to one, you may be afraid of what all has to be done to live frugally.  Below are several steps you can take to make the transition easier.

Posted in Money Saving Tips | Comments Off