Frugal Friday - Fun Mother's Day Idea

I was looking for a fun idea for my mom and my mother in law for Mother's Day that the kiddos could help with. I did some searching and finally decided to make some coffee filter flowers. I found this great site with some good instructions.


As I was reading the list of needed items I realized that I didn't have everything I needed. What is a frugal person to do? I looked around my storage room and craft supplies and ended up with this:

The only items that I had from the list were the coffee filters, the food coloring, and the clear tape. We ended up using:

1. Floral wire instead of the wooden skewer
2. I used recycled green tissue paper instead of green construction paper
3. I used some recycled mauve tissue paper for the center of some of the flowers.
4. The flowers are placed in a paper cup with 1/2 of a styrofoam ball cut to fit in the bottom.
5. The paper cup is wrapped in recycled yellow tissue paper and tied with a recycled bow that was in my gift wrap box.

I didn't spend a penny and ended up with a cute gift that the kids will give to their Grandmothers on Mother's Day. I will make some cupcakes or sugar cookies and a homemade card to round out this gift.

I share this not necessarily because I think you should make it, but to encourage you to use your imagination to save yourself money. Look at instructions for craft projects and be creative with what you might be able to use instead!

Want to see more Frugal Friday ideas? Go check out Life as Mom!

-Michelle

Frugal Friday - Inexpensive/Free Christmas Gifts

I love Christmas! I love the season where people are little bit more kind, a little bit more generous, and a little bit more loving. Christmas also (unfortunately) has become very commercialized and many people go into debt trying to get the best gifts for their kids and family and friends.

I don't see the point in that. First of all, I can only remember a few Christmas gifts I have received, yet I have fond memories of feelings shared and gifts given from the heart.

I'd like to suggest a few inexpensive or FREE gifts that you can share:

1. Gifts of Service - In my family we draw names for gifts so that each family buys gifts for one other family with a small price limit. This has worked great for us, but I do like to give a small token to the family members that I didn't draw. Last year, I gave each family member a coupon for a special service. I offered my newlywed sister a home cooked dinner, a night of babysitting for my siblings with children, etc. I would prefer a night of FREE babysitting to another pair of slippers anytime!


2. Simple Gift Baskets - Use a Betty Crocker cookie pouch that you got for next to nothing. Add a wooden spoon (I've seen these at the $1.00 store 4 in a package), a tub of frosting (that also cost you next to nothing), some sprinkles, and cookie cutters. Simple, cute, and inexpensive. Look at your stockpile to see what you have - make a pasta gift basket with some Spaghetti Sauce and Pasta, use a colander ($1.00 store) as the basket. Make a gift basket of toiletries for your single brother in college. Be creative!


3. Baked Goods - Everyone loves goodies, give all your friends a plate of assorted goodies.


4. Hand me downs - sort of...give your children treasures from your past. When I was little (I can't remember how old) I received a teddy bear for Christmas that belonged to my mother when she was a little girl. Of all of the Christmas gifts I have received, that is one I always remember. This could work for kids too, they could give a favorite toy or other item to their sibling for Christmas.

These are just a few ideas that cost little to nothing, but would be enjoyed by the receiver. You will also probably enjoy giving them!

How about you? What are some simple/inexpensive things that you do to share Christmas with family and friends?

Christmas Overload!?

I had a conversation the other day with a woman who was talking about purchasing Christmas gifts for her kids. She explained that she always buys them everything they want, but it never "looks" like enough so she always buys filler items so that they have more to open. She went on to say that they usually look at the filler items for a few minutes and forget about them after a few days.

WHAT?

I was shocked and appalled to say the least. Her kids are teenagers and I'm sure they have come to expect many presents under the tree. Obviously this woman does not have a grasp on what Christmas is really all about!

My kids are still very young and I spent less than $20.00 for Christmas presents for both of them. I picked up some great toys on clearance last year at some after Christmas sales and I am satisfied that it is enough.

Why is it that people feel that Christmas has to be so commercialized that it is unrecognizable from what the original intention...celebrating the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ? Maybe it is my frugal lifestyle that won't allow the commercialization of Christmas - but I think it is something more. While the gifts are fun, they are a side note to me. My most treasured memories are not the gifts I received, but the gifts that I gave in love and the time I spent with my family.

I hope that as you are picking up gifts for friends and family and dealing with the hustle and bustle - that you take time to enjoy the season and special time with your family! After all, that is what Christmas is all about!

Thanksgiving - the Frugal Way!

Thanksgiving is just a week away! Can you believe it? This year I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house. I love to play hostess and make great food and have activities for the kiddos. Even Thanksgiving for a host of family and friends doesn't have to be a budget buster or a stressful day. Here are some ways to save on your Thanksgiving feast and stay organized in the process:

1. Make a menu - decide what you want to serve. I love to stick with the traditional dishes (green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls, etc.).
2. Make a plan - scope out the best deals on the ingredients that you will need (French Fried onions are $2.50 this week at Walmart, use the $.50 coupon from recent inserts to get these for $1.00!, canned veggies are 3 for $1.00 at Fred Meyer this week, stock up on some green beans!).
3. Make assignments - that's right, make your Thanksgiving meal a potluck! Assign a dish or two to each family. This will take the stress of cooking and paying for the food off of one person.
4. Make items ahead - This will also save a ton of time, try Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, putting together your green been casserole the night before, use your slow cooker, etc.
5. Make it fun! - This year I am going to make Turkey Cookies with my nephews and nieces using candy corn I got for $.19 per bag at Walgreen's last week.
6. Make it about family - and all the things you are thankful for. After all, isn't that the reason for Thanksgiving?

How about you? What are some of your strategies for saving money and time at Thanksgiving?

Christmas is coming...

While I was at Walgreen's recently, they were consolidating the Halloween aisle to put up Christmas stuff on the other side. Crazy! Christmas can be a time of stress for many families trying to fulfill all of their gift giving criteria and make Christmas memorable for their families all while not going into debt. There are so many ways to save money while turning the focus back on the meaning of the holiday itself - the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Here are just a few of the things that we have done to accomplish this:

1. Shop Early - I mean really early, as in after Christmas sales! I know it is too late for this now, but plan for next year. Toys always go on sale after Christmas, so I purchase toys for my kids a year ahead of time. I always buy extras for Birthday gifts throughout the year as well. In fact, I was done with the shopping for my kids in January! You can also pick up awesome deals on Christmas decorations, sometimes up to 90% off. I always pick up a few things to give as gifts the following Christmas, or to have on hand for an unexpected guest who happens to bring by a gift...


2. Celebrate Traditions - We have a lot of Christmas traditions in our family and it fosters a spirit of unity and love. When we have Christmas Eve with my husband's side, we go caroling on Christmas Eve (I used to hate this when we first go married, but it is growing on me :)). My side of the family has someone memorize the Christmas Story in Luke each year and repeat it at our Christmas Eve get together. The person who does it then challenges someone for the following year.


3. Minimize Gifts - For the last few years, we have started gift exchanges on both sides of the family. We are given a $50.00 limit and draw the name of one family (now that there are no kids at home) to purchase gifts for. It is fun to see how creative we can be with our $50.00. We also usually draw early, so we have a long time to shop. This limits all the craziness of trying to shop for my 5 brother and sisters and their spouses and kids as well as my husband's 3 brothers and sisters and their spouses and kids. I just get cross eyed thinking about shopping for that many people!


4. Be Creative - Look at your stockpile! Is there anything you can give as a gift? Make a fun gift basket of toiletries for a newlywed couple still in school. Put together a gift basket of pasta, spaghetti sauce, and put it in a colander that you get from the $1.00 store add other fun things like garlic, etc. Put together a coupon book for family members, offer a free home cooked meal, free babysitting, run errands for a day for them, take their kids overnight, etc., etc., etc. Match the coupon to what the recipient would want most. A little creativity goes a long way!


5. Realize you can't do everything! I'm serious, you can't and it's okay. Choose the things that are most important to you and your family and focus on those. So what if you don't make 4 kinds of fudge or every kind of candy or goody. Your family will love you anyway!

These are just a few ideas of ways to make the season special, while being frugal. What about you? What do you do? Please leave a comment!