Tag: frugal

Frugal Living: Tips for a Happy Halloween on a Budget

Life on a budget means making choices about spending, even when it comes to holidays. Without a plan, holidays and special days can become total budget busters. Did you know that in 2014, Americans spent an estimated $7.4 BILLION on Halloween. With only about 67% of the country celebrating the holiday, that number becomes even scarier. I love celebrating Halloween with my little monsters, and with a little planning and a few smart choices we can have a happy Halloween on a budget. Today I’m sharing my favorite tips for saving money on costumes, treats, decorations, and party supplies so you can have a spooky celebration that doesn’t bust your budget.

Tips for a Happy Halloween on a Budget

 

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Pottery Barn Inspired Tulle Tutu Easter Basket DIY Tutorial {Fabulously Frugal}

DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Tulle Tutu Easter Basket

Last spring I fell in love with a gorgeous white Easter basket from Pottery Barn Kids that came with a pink tulle skirt around it. I was *this close* to paying way too much money for it, justifying the purchase with thoughts of the Pearl Girl’s first Easter holiday. Thankfully I came to my senses and decided to make one myself. It was so easy to put together and cost less than $10 to make. Read on to find out how to make your own tutu Easter basket DIY and be sure to link up your latest frugal post to our Fabulously Frugal Link Party.

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Why Should I Spend Money on Essential Oils?

Why Should I Spend Money on Essential Oils The Skeptic's Guide to Essential OilsWhy did I spend money on essential oils? If you follow me on Facebook you’ll know that I’ve been asking lots of questions about essential oils, and after months of research finally decided to buy in a few weeks ago. Quality essential oils aren’t cheap, and we are on a tight budget. It took quite a while for me to decide to take the plunge, so today I’m sharing why I decided to spend money on essential oils. I’m joining with my fellow Oil Explorers as part of the Skeptic’s Guide to Essential Oils series. Each of us is tackling a different topic that we’ve wrestled with in a very real, raw series perfect for those of us who are intrigued but still a little skeptical about this whole oil craze.

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Five Free Field Trips for Kids Under 5 + Fabulously Frugal

5 fun free field trips for kids under 5Sometimes you just need to get the kids out of the house, right?! With 2 little ones, cabin fever set in with this winter weather and our usual neighborhood walks and nature hikes become slightly less appealing. We have to get creative to get the kids out and doing something fun without the budget taking a hit. Here are five of our favorite free field trips for kids under 5 to give you some inspiration and get you out of the house. Bonus: If you are a blogger, link up your latest frugal post to the Fabulously Frugal Link Party at the bottom of this page. You can find more of our frugal living ideas here, and our fun for preschool kids here.

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Four Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with a Cardboard Box

Four Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with a Cardboard BoxIt is a parenting truth almost universally acknowledged that kids prefer empty boxes to almost any toy. All those expensive and beautifully designed toys we so lovingly picked out for our children have all been tossed to the wayside in favor of a giant empty box that once held our new toilet. We are revamping our bathroom, and after installing the toilet Christmas came all over again for my kids. They have been playing with the large empty box for DAYS. This is nothing out of the ordinary at our house. Any time a package arrives, the Bear asks if he can have the box. Use their interest to your advantage and try these four easy ways to entertain kids with a cardboard box.

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Five Ways to Simplify the Holiday Season & the Festive Family Holiday Giveaway {$1800+ in Prizes}

5 Ways to Simplify the Holiday SeasonThanksgiving, Christmas, Hanakkuh, Kwanzaa, Pancha Ganapati, New Year’s Eve… whatever you are celebrating during the November and December holiday season it is a busy time that can be taken over by stress, social engagements, financial worry, and anxiety. This year I want to have a festive family holiday full of joy without stress. I’m sharing 5 ways we can all simplify the holiday season so we can focus on the joy and share it with others. I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers from around the world for our Festive Family Holiday Hop and Gift Guide Giveaway. At the bottom of this post you’ll find a HUGE giveaway with 4 prize packages to take care of everyone on your shopping list plus links to find out how the other bloggers are sharing the joy of the season.

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Super Easy & Delicious DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

simple diy pumpkin spice latte

Fall is so close I can almost taste it. Oh wait, that’s the delicious DIY pumpkin spice latte I whipped up this morning. I love a coffee shop treat as much as the next girl, but a daily splurge would wreck havoc on our budget. Instead of spending $5 a day on my favorite fall treat I’m making my own this year. There are quite a few of these recipes floating around Pinterest, and I’ve tried several but not found one I just loved until now. The main difference is that I don’t add any type of sweetener, because I don’t like super sweet coffee. I normally drink my coffee with just a touch of flavored creamer, so most pumpkin spice latte recipes are far too sweet for me. Mine keeps it simple and you can sweeten it up to your taste. Best of all, in under ten minutes you can make enough for a work week’s full of frugal  treats.

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Simple and Frugal First Birthday Party Ideas

simplebirthdaypartyideas

We like to keep our birthday parties simple and frugal around here, but we always want our kids to feel celebrated on their special day. Obviously they won’t remember their first birthdays, but we have photos for their baby books and traditions to build on. Today I’m sharing a few of our simple and festive birthday party ideas as well as some of the best from my fellow Ultimate Baby bloggers.

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Make a DIY Baby Book with a Handwritten Style Font with Free Printables {2nd Edition}

free printable DIY baby book with handwritten font

free printable DIY baby book with handwritten font

My sweet Pearl Girl is already one, and I just now finished her baby book. I am the Queen of Procrastination. I found a handwriting style font I love and recreated my DIY baby book I made for the Bear with the new font. You can find my original DIY Baby Book with free printables post here. I ordered an 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook album off Amazon and printed the pages at home on colored 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock.  I am happy to share these free printables with you, for personal use only. See below for more information.

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All I’ve Learned About Cloth Diapers {After Three Years}

clothdiaperwisdom

After almost three years using cloth diapers on two children, I’ve learned a lot. We’ve tried 14 different kinds of cloth diapers and found our very favorites. You can read my post about what I learned the first two years here, and my great cloth diaper trials here. Read about our cloth laundry routine here. Our cloth diaper preferences and routines have evolved as we’ve adjusted to two kids, potty trained the Bear, and moved in to a new house. Today I’m sharing our favorite diapers, our simple laundry process, and my favorite things about cloth diapers.

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