Archive for Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday – Free Samples

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We all love free stuff right? Well some of the best ways to get free stuff is by signing up to get free samples in your e-mail, or mailbox. Through free sample offers I have received free snack items, free cosmetics, free lotion, tons of free shampoo conditioner, coupons, and lots more! You can do the same.

Usually the samples take well over a month to get to your door. These samples are usually just sample packets, although I have gotten a free full pack of gum to test. To get these free sample offers you don’t need anything other than a mail box and a few good free sample sources.

Here are three great free sample sources:

The Deal Seeking Mom ( I subscribe to her e-mail list so I get free samples.)

Faith and Family Freebies (I really need to update this!)

Walmart Free Samples (They have the BEST samples!)

Happy Sampling!


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Thrifty Thursday- Local Beaches

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We recently found a local beach in our small town five minutes from us! And best of all it’s free! The beach is only a couple years old. Normally the beaches in our area were to disgusting and dirty for my liking. And the other beach right across from us required us to pay. So we were excited when we visited it that it was clean excepting some geese that left their mark on the grass and path. (shudder) It’s really nice as the area that is designated for swimming is under 5 ft. So all of my children are relatively safe. (excepting the younger two) They have set up a nice picnic area and a pavilion, with a men’s and woman’s bathroom. The pavilion is air conditioned and complete with a indoor rest area, and men and woman’s showers. I thought that I would show you some pictures from our fun day! We will defiantly be going back. My children would LOVE to go every day. ;)

Family Pictures August 2010, Some from July, 2010 111

Family Pictures August 2010, Some from July, 2010 109

Family Pictures August 2010, Some from July, 2010 122

Family Pictures August 2010, Some from July, 2010 133

Although not all local beaches will be free it’s worth a shot to check them out!


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Thrifty Thursday – $5.00 Mini Golf Night

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This week’s Thrifty Thursday is about the weekly mini golf deal we found near to us, so maybe you could check out your local miniature golf courses in your area to see what kind of deals they offer during the week.

If you remember from my anniversary post, we went mini golfing and guess what? It was $5.00 for each of us. This is a Tuesday and a Friday special at this particular miniature golf course. They run this special from 5 pm to 9 pm. We thought it made for a cheap date night!

This is also the same place we had hoped to take the children to as a surprise last night, but it never happened. Lord willing, next week! With all of us, it won’t necessarily be cheap, but it’s still affordable for a rare treat. None of the children have ever been mini golfing, so it will be interesting to see all their reactions. Plus it will make a wonderfully fun memory for all of us!


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Thrifty Thursdays: Some Frugal Living Tips

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Here are just a few frugal living tips:

  • Save On Your Water Bill: Save your rainwater for your garden by using a rain-barrel (or use a plastic trash can). Use the collected water for plants, flowers, vegetables and washing your car or truck.
  • Shop at garage sales, Walmart, clearance racks, and thrift stores instead of department stores for clothing and household items. You can find some good buys at outlet stores too.
  • Shop for bread and bakery items at outlet stores to save money as well.
  • Make your own birthday cakes instead of buying store bought ones.
  • Get rid of carpet stains:  Using one part white vinegar to four parts hot water, pour the mixture on a carpet stain. Take several white paper towels folding them over each other and lay them over the area, then press with a hot iron. (You will want to work on small areas at a time — at least no bigger than your paper towels.) The vinegar and heat will lift the dye out of the carpet and into the paper towel. Your paper towels will turn the color of the dye you are lifting out so you can SEE it working. Keep pouring the cleaner on the areas and change your towels when soiled. Just keep this process up until your paper towels are no longer turning color. This method works for Kool Aid & other impossible to get rid of stains.
  • Dilute It: You can dilute your dish detergent and still get the same results. This is especially helpful if you have others helping you wash the dishes, and they aren’t as thrifty-minded as yourself.
  • Draw the shades or blinds to block the thermal heat of the sun through your windows. This will help keep you cooler, so you won’t need to use your fan or air conditioner, which will save you money on your electric bill.
  • Plant shrubs and trees so that they will shade your house during summer months. Doing this will help you to not use your fans and air conditioning as much, hence saving on your electric bill.

Have fun being frugal!


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Thrifty Thursdays: Garage Sales

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Garage sales are yet another way to get the most out of your money. You can find alot of great deals at these little (or big) sales. Over the years we have found alot of great bargains at garage sales. You can find everything from tables, clothing, toys, and alot more!

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But, one thing to be careful of is not to overspend at these sales! Some garage sales are dirt cheap but others are over hyped and expensive. So, beware not to overspend and not to over buy things “that you might need someday”. Sometimes garage sales have alot of junk that we don’t need so beware of the “junky” ones! Garage sale-ing with your kids can be fun but I know from experience that if the garage sale has alot of toys it might just be best to skip that one or leave them at home!

Our family has a lot of fun and fond memories of garage sale-ing with Robert’s mom we have done this every year (well more like 10 times a year! :)) With her and it is alot of fun for the children as Grandma can go “shopping” with them without spending a lot of money on them. And plus you can find items that you actually need that are cheaper and more thrifty than department store items!

Have a happy summer and stay cool!


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Thrifty Thursdays: Free Cycle

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Friends of ours recently told us about Free Cycle, and how you can get free stuff from it. But what is Free Cycle you ask? Well Free Cycle is a online group (they have ones in China, Canada, all over the world really!) where you put in where you live to find a group near you and sign up! Soon free offers will come into your e-mail. We have gotten doors for our house, clothing, books,organizing cabinets and more.  We have seen electronics, household items, clothing and much more listed for free in your area! Their is nothing wrong with these things, the owners just don’t want them. And they don’t want to throw them out so, they pass them along to a new owner.

The one bad thing about Free Cycle is that you have to RESPOND QUICKLY! These things go fast! That is the one disadvantage. Also, do be careful about going to peoples houses and letting people in your home. But, most people just leave their items by their mail box or on their porch.

All in all Free Cycle is a great place to get items for free that you normally would not get for no money.

Happy cycling!


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Thrifty Thursday – Money Saving Tip – Buying Used

Better late than never, right? In light of what I shared on Tuesday about the two greenhouses, I thought that I would just share one money saving tip that can save a huge amount of money – buying used.

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Craigslist (be very careful though, we have had some bad experiences, but we’ve also had some good ones too.)

Recently, we have been blessed to have found a freezer, a refrigerator, a nearly new dishwasher, the greenhouses and a canopy tent. We keep our eyes open to many other things as well, especially farm related. I like to see how different people price things and get a feel for what we’d like to pay for things. It pays to research. I know when I don’t, I regret it.

By purchasing used items, you can cut your cost by half or even 75% which is a significant savings. I like new looking things as much as anybody, but with a bit of elbow grease most things can come clean relatively easily.


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