I came across this wonderful deal at Deal Seeking Mom. Click here (http://dealseekingmom.com/hot-0-55-off-2-any-brand-eggs-printable/) for more details on how to get your coupon to save 55¢ when you buy any 2 one-dozen cartons of eggs! How thrifty!
Happy thrifty Thursday!
A couple of weeks ago we where able to enjoy a fun trip to TMOSAI in Chicago. Aside from paying for parking we got in free since TMOSAI offers free days for homeschoolers, just as they do for public schools!
We had a enjoyable time seeing all the fun activities at the museum. Unfortunately we were only able to visit the 1st floor of TMOSAI so we hope to go back on another free day and see the other two floors. However, our children loved exploring the U5O5 exibit as well as the Farm Exhibit, Science Exhibits, and so many other featured exhibits.
Here are some pictures from our fun day-
Happy Thrifty Thursday!
1. Use coupons- Coupons can save you alot of money and can give you great discounts.
2. Don’t shop hungry- Shopping hungry can lead you to buy more then you need.
3. Use Store Cards- Using store cards whenever possible and using coupons as well as buying the items when they are on sale can lead to finding great deals.
4. Buy cheaper cuts of meat- You don’t always have to buy the big expensive cut of meat to have a good dinner. Buy the cheaper cuts. They make great soups, stirfrys, slow cooker meals and more!
5. Stock up on personal care items- When you see great sales for personal care items such as shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste etc, etc then buy them! These are safe to buy in bulk since you’ll definitely use them. Plus, you’ll save money on other grocery bills since all your personal care items are already bought.
6. Stick To Your Budget- Sticking to your budget can save you alot of money in the long run.
7. Keep a running list of items you need on your fridge this way you will know what you need to buy when you go shopping.
8. Buy Store Brand Items- You don’t always need to buy from General Mills to get good cereal. Store brands are just as good.
9. Cook from scratch, avoid processed foods. Processed foods cost WAYYYY more and fresh is much better for you!
10. Drink water or frozen from concentrate juice instead of pop.
11. Plant a small garden and grow your own herbs.
12. And last (but not least) Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk can save you lots of money and you can store food in the freezer for future use.
Have a great thrifty Thursday!!
Did you know that most of the money people spend is on babies. It’s true babies are expensive! But some ways that you can cut back on baby are below.
Make Your Own Baby Food- Baby food is expensive so making your own baby food will really save you money. All you need is some fruits and veggies, a blender, and antiquate freezing space. Wash, peel and blend the food till there is no chunks in the baby food then freeze the baby food in ice cube trays when frozen you can bag the baby food cubes and keep in the freezer. These will easily defrost in the microwave or in a bowl that’s in a bowl of hot water.
Make Your Own Wipes- Making your own baby wipes can save you alot of money. View a recipe for baby wipes here.
Cloth Diapers- These may be expensive to buy but in the long run these will pay off. Plus you are being good to the environment.
Buy Used- Buy used baby products you can save ALOT of money by shopping at thrift stores and by looking on Freecycyle and Craigslist. Many people are getting rid of high chairs, cribs, and other baby furniture. You can even find baby products at cheaper prices.
Do you have any ways that you save money on your baby?
* Lands End- Great deals at great prices! Plus if you sign up for their e-newsletter you’ll have access to great deals such as free shipping and 75%! Land End Overstocks is a great way to find deals on all items.
* Craigslist-I have mixed opions on Craigslist. Sometimes you can find great deals other times you find over priced items. But you can find some real treasure on here.
* Overstocks- This site has everything at great prices. And they have $2.95 shipping on all orders.
* Zappos- This website also has everything at discounted prices. But beware as some things are on the expensive side.
* Smart Bargains- This site is similar to Overstocks.com but has cheap designer items.
* Handbag Heaven – Cheap yet fashionable bags that look expensive yet are all under $80!!! Every girls dream!
* Fantasy Jewelry Box- Imitation jewelry you can’t even tell is fake! We love their classy jewelry but love the prices EVEN more.
* Drugstore.com- This website has online deals on drugstore items at discount prices. Plus all new customers get 20% all orders if they use the code WELCOME20 at checkout.
Happy Shopping!
Bartering is a age old custom used since 2000 B.C. In China. You can barter for anything now. There are many sorts of barter styles from trade exchanges, internet bartering, and even barter markets. But how exactly can you find people who want to barter? Good question here is a list of websites/places that can help you learn how to barter and how to find items to barter for.
1. Craigslist: Craigslist Barter section is a GREAT way to find barter items. Go to craigslist.com and look for Barter under the for sale tab.
6. Free Cycle.com (not a bartering place exactly but you can save money)
9. People Trading Services.com
10. Swap Hog.com
Happy Bartering!
So we all love free stuff right? Well how about free food? We found out that each month you can get free food cool eh?
February- Free IHOP pancakes.
March- Free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Rita’s Italian Ice, and a Starbucks Pastry. ( bring a cup in from Starbucks and get a FREE cup of coffee read our post on that here)
April- Free Pretzel Time pretzels and a Cinnabon treat.
May- Free Haagen Daas ice cream.
June- Free Krispy Kreme doughnut, Sonic root-beer float and TCBY frozen yogurt.
July- Free Chick-Fil-A meal in July
Google free food each month to find more!
Since alot of us love Starbucks we thought that you might like some tips to save money at Starbucks. And since Starbucks is SO expensive these days maybe some of these tips will help you save some money.
Get a free Starbucks card that earns you free drink customization, free coffee and tea refills, and a free drink on your birthday.
Keep your old Starbucks cups and bring it back anytime and get $.50 refills.
If you bring your own reusable cup Starbucks will nick 10 cents off the price in recognition of your eco-consciousness. And as regulars learned long ago if you order a tall drink and bring a very big reusable cup, you get some extra beverage for free. Cool eh?
You can get up to two hours of WIFI free at starbucks to check you e-mail, surf the internet, and work online.
Here are three other things that Starbucks doesn’t want you to know that can help you save money:
Cheap Latte’s- If you like iced latte’s but you don’t want to spend $3.00 on one you can your espresso over ice in a big cup then you can walk right over to the condiment bar and use the whole milk, half and half, and nonfat. You can save money, and it’s WAY cheaper. And plus you won’t get into trouble with Starbucks.
Be Careful What You Eat- So, the coffee is brewed fresh but what about all the pastries? Well a Starbucks worker tells us “The food gets delivered to us every morning, frozen from the factory the seasonal pastries are really good — pumpkin cream cheese muffins at Halloween and peppermint brownies at Christmas.” But, the bananas and bagels are cheaper at other vendors and they taste better. Some vendors set up their stands by Starbucks so look for fruit and bagels there.
If you follow these four rules and you won’t get in trouble for using the wifi for longer than 2 hours.
Go to the same Starbucks and tip the baristas well.
Get more coffee every couple hours. (You can get it free or you can get a $.50 refill but still leave a good tip)
Don’t take business calls in the restaurant.
Don’t take the best chairs and tables.
Have a great Thursday, now go and get a latte and enjoy some free wifi!
In this economic time many people are trying to find ways to cut back on spending, one way to do so is to cut back on how much food you buy and by the way you cook.
For example if a recipe for mac and cheese calls for two cups of cheese for the cheese sauce you could use one and it will still work out. And you can cut butter in half when baking and use half butter and half apple sauce. Usually sugar can be cut back by half as well, after all we don’t need all that sugar anyway. Here’s a list of great tips:
~ You can cut butter in half when baking and use half butter and half apple sauce.
~ Cut back on cheese, use half.
~ Instead of serving meat every night use beans – they are high in protein, taste yummy and can be used in a variety of ways!
~ Instead of serving junk food for snacks buy fruit and veggies in bulk and serve those. It will also save on doctor visits in the future because you and your family will be healthier.
~ Bake your own baked goods instead of buying them. That will often cut the cost down by 75%!
~ Cook your own meals instead of buying them or eating out.
~ Eat out less.
~ Buy locally.
~ Use coupons.
~ Don’t shop when you are hungry.
Happy Shopping and Cooking! Come back next Thursday for more Thrifty Thursday ideas! In the meantime check out our great giveaways! Win a clutch: http://faithandfamilyreviews.com/2010/09/11/ffr-giveaway-chambers-maroon-studded-clutch-100-value/
Thrift stores and resale shops are REALLY great stores! They often have everything from books to clothing, and most of the time at great prices. They are as good as garage sales! (read my post on those here) We have found some really great things at thrift stores including: clothing, furniture, books, kitchen supplies, houseware, electronics, childrens items, bedding, sewing items and lots more! They have so much to offer.
Thrift store items are usually reasonably priced and they usually have some sort of charity they support with the profits made.
I’ve found only 3 cons about thrift stores and two of them really are not cons.
1. Most of the time thrift store items are used and not brand new, but if you don’t mind that then it’s really not a con.
2. Some of the things at thrift stores is just junk, so just beware when you take children in with you as you may come across items that they may want that you don’t want! 
3. You can’t use coupons at thrift stores but everything is SO MUCH cheaper than most stores. I don’t really think this is neccassarily a con though.
Shopping at thrift stores is yet another way you can be thrifty!
