Happy President’s Day! Emily and I had an exciting morning over at The 10! Show’s studio in Philadelphia to talk about frugal family activities for winter. They featured several of the crafts and activities I have posted about on this blog. In case you missed the show, here is a clip of our segment. A […]
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2009 by
Happy Valentine’s Day! How frugal are we? We celebrate Valentine’s Day the day after. There are some real advantages to this, including: Restaurants are less crowded. Valentine chocolates/flowers, etc can be found for 50-75% off. Better babysitter availability. This morning we prepared a special breakfast of Apple Cinnamon French Toast with bacon, and enjoyed some […]
Save Money on Your Phone Bill
February 13, 2009 by
A great way to save money without really feeling the pinch is to find ways to lower your phone bill. There are many options available, so how can you find the one that is right for you? Here are some things to consider when trying to save money on your phone bill. Limit your long […]
Spring Baskets
February 11, 2009 by
This was such a simple, easy project and it made Emily and I feel a little closer to Spring. This afternoon we worked on Spring baskets made from strawberry cartons, ribbon, and pipe cleaners — all found in our Invention Kit. We filled them with some tissue paper and a bunch of Hershey’s kisses — […]
What Valentine’s Day Is Really About…
February 10, 2009 by
This afternoon I took the girls to a retirement community to give the residents there some much needed company this time of year. In return, Emily and Clara received TONS of attention. Emily made a Valentine placemat with some construction paper and stickers, and then proudly showed it off to the residents while they were […]
Tissue Paper Bouquet
February 9, 2009 by
Can’t wait any longer for Spring to arrive? We had a great time creating this flower bouquet from tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Don’t they look beautiful? So simple to make and extremely frugal! Spray with a little perfume and they will smell fabulous too. These tissue paper flowers are so colorful and are sure […]
Frugal Generosity
February 8, 2009 by
Do you want to continue with charitable giving while still saving money? If you are low on funds, there are plenty of other creative ways to be generous to those who are less fortunate. Here are some of the best resources that allow our family to give more while spending less cash: Click to Give […]
Frugal Fun Outdoors – Snow Painting
February 6, 2009 by
This afternoon, Emily and I took some spray bottles filled with a few drops of food coloring and some water to do snow painting. This was a big hit! I had to bribe her with some hot cocoa to get her to come back inside. I helped her spell her name out in the snow… […]
Frugal Valentine Mobile Project
February 5, 2009 by
I spent some time with Emily yesterday creating this Valentine Mobile for our dining room. It is so simple and easy to make (and extremely frugal). To make your own mobile all you will need is some tissue paper, white glue, a paintbrush, embroidery floss or ribbon, scissors, a marker, and a zipper storage bag. […]
The Secrets to Once a Month Grocery Shopping
February 4, 2009 by
If you have never tried once a month grocery shopping, February is the perfect month to start! With just 28 days, if you are already accustomed to shopping every other week, once a month shopping for this month will not feel like much of a stretch. Here are some tips to get started: Leave the […]
Valentine Book Making
February 3, 2009 by
Emily and I made these adorable little books from empty cereal boxes and deeply discounted craft supplies from Big Lots. The decorative paper, brads, and a complete Valentine rubber stamp set cost less than $5 combined. We will probably make several crafts from these materials combined with items from our Invention Kit. What better time […]
Stained Glass Snowflakes
February 2, 2009 by
A friend of mine recently hosted a Royal Snowflake Ball and it was the inspiration for this twist on classic paper snowflakes using white paper and colored tissue paper. For the Ball, she had story time for all the princes and princesses by reading snow-themed stories, and the kids decorated their own snowmen out of […]
Frugal Family Fun — Super Bowl Edition
February 1, 2009 by
Mark is originally from Pittsburgh, so we have been busy preparing for the Super Bowl at the Deneen household! We created these cute puffed rice cereal treats: Made this awesome sun-catcher with construction paper, tissue paper, and some tape: And whipped up a batch of some frugal snacks including: air-popped popcorn, homemade pizza, and loaded […]
Super Bowl Frugal Snack — Make Your Own Pizza
January 31, 2009 by
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday! I thought it would be fun to post this easy (and very frugal) recipe. Our family enjoys making homemade pizza together so much that we hardly ever order delivery anymore. A bread machine takes all of the labor out of kneading the dough, and I have frequently seen […]
Garden Planning
January 30, 2009 by
Even if you have never planned a garden before, now may be a terrific time to start. Our family just signed up for a garden plot through the local community center, and I think Emily will benefit from watching and caring for all our vegetables, herbs, and flowers. If you do not have the space […]
Fun with Felt – Play Valentine Mail Set
January 29, 2009 by
Emily does not know it yet, but I am going to surprise her with this homemade felt play mail set for Valentine’s Day! Isn’t it cute? I know, I know, 25 cent postage… those were the days, right? As a learning tool, the address labels and stamps can be moved around. She can practice placing […]
6 Tips for Handling Picky Eaters
January 28, 2009 by
Are your kids picky eaters? Are you preparing several dinners each night? Finding ways to handle picky eaters can be a huge help towards keeping a low food budget. Here are some tips that worked with our little picky one (who is not so picky any more!). Do not keep junk food in the house. […]
Preparing for Special Guests
January 27, 2009 by
Since we have made the decision to eat out less, we have been entertaining at home more often. Yesterday afternoon was spent preparing to get together with friends from college to celebrate Chinese New Year! We planned to get Chinese take out, eat with chopsticks, and spend some time getting caught up with one another. […]
