Archive for Archive for March, 2009

Reader Hack: an Ebay method for frugality

Kelly outlines some great ideas and examples for using Ebay as a Household Tool.  Many years ago, Hubby and I used Ebay to raise the cash to pay off an impetuous auto loan.  Can you add your own ideas?

Posted by: kimc on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Cheerful Frugality Refinances

If your family owns a home, you’re either: happy that you just refinanced at historic low rates in the middle of refinancing at historic low rates worried that you can’t take refinance due to closing costs and/or appraisals. snug and unconcerned in your paid-for home. Though I’d love that last option, we’re in the middle [...]

Posted by: MerchantShips on Monday, March 30th, 2009

Hot tip: free office supplies

Office Supplies Shoplet.com is offering coupons for free merchandise if you add their badge to your blog.  Coupon value is based on your page rank.  You can earn from $5-400!  Details are here. ht to Ship Full of Pirates

Posted by: kimc on Friday, March 27th, 2009

Improvised Supper

For quite some time now, we have had a schedule whereby my older girls do all the cooking. But this is the last semester for our oldest girl at college, and she’s got a lot on her plate, so I told her I would pick up the three meals she makes each week. The first [...]

Posted by: DeputyHeadmistress on Friday, March 27th, 2009

Reader hack: Get paid to try free diapers

Madsow at Engineer a Debt Free Life has a hot tip: you can get paid to try free diapers.  The diapers themselves get mixed reviews, but when they’re free and you’re getting paid $10 to answer questions for 2 minutes, are you really going to complain? We use cloth diapers now, but I wouldn’t mind [...]

Posted by: kimc on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Cheerful Frugality Explores Extremes

As frugality bumps into mainstream media, I’m hearing more backlash from both sides. Basic magazine tips are laughable to serious tightwads; meanwhile, new money savers recoil at the thought of day-old bread. How should frugal writers approach the situation? Do you feel, as I do, that you might be missing the mark? When it comes to sharing what’s too frugal [...]

Posted by: MerchantShips on Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Reader Hack: save on baby formula

Charlene has quite a few ideas, even for those of us who choose to breastfeed.

Posted by: kimc on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Before I share today’s idea, let me remind you that sometimes it just doesn’t matter how much you prepare. You may be well prepared, but when a flash flood suddenly sweeps your home out from under you, you might very well find youself washed out of one window while your carefully laid up supplies float [...]

Posted by: DeputyHeadmistress on Friday, March 20th, 2009

Decluttering with a camera

Noah at Noprobo has some great tips on how to get the most out of Ebay while uncluttering your life and your home. He suggests you start decluttering by making 4 piles of everything you don’t regularly use: sell, give away, trash and memories.  So far, so good.  I’ve seen this advice and I think [...]

Posted by: kimc on Thursday, March 19th, 2009

How many positive articles have you seen on the recession?

Here’s one worth reading: 7 Reasons Why The Recession Is Good For You It’s short and sweet.  Quite honestly you probably already knew all 7 reasons, but would you have thought of them yourself?  It never hurts to be reminded to look for the silver lining when you’re facing down a thunderstorm.

Posted by: kimc on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

How to Cut Costs, Even With Children Around

If you belong to the DINK (double income, no kids for those in the dark) category, you’re likely to be envied by those parents with kids who’re trying really hard to provide a good life for themselves and their offspring. It’s an uphill task, no doubt, one that’s not made any easier with the rising [...]

Posted by: guest on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Magazine savings for frugal people

edited to clarify price, below I don’t read many magazines and I certainly don’t pay for most of them, but both of these seemed like deals worth passing along to the frugal reader. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll just mention that I get a small smackeral of credit (not cash) each time one [...]

Posted by: kimc on Monday, March 16th, 2009

Cheerful Frugality Hits The Road

With gas under $2/gal, frugal families may be traveling again for Spring Break.  Here are a few money-saving resources I found helpful. New frugal blog Laptop Road Trip tells moms to ignore the stares in the hotel lobby:  “Before checking in, find a grocery store and stock up.” Author Michelle Lamar adds that shopping Piggly Wiggly in Georgia can [...]

Posted by: MerchantShips on Monday, March 16th, 2009

Are Mobile Homes a Frugal Alternative?

By way of introduction, I am a Texas transplant from the east coast, seeking to live a debt free life.  Although not the impetus for my family’s frugal journey, Dave Ramsey has been an encouragement to our continued progress.  However, I do violate one of his more emphatic points:  I live in a double wide mobile home.  Dave sees mobile homes as a [...]

Posted by: DL on Saturday, March 14th, 2009

Frugal Disaster Preparation With Bean Flours

We spent five years on a small island which had several typhoons a year.  We spent two or three years in a house on well water in an area prone to blizzards. In April.  We have been without running water for days at a time.  We’ve been without power for days at a time.  Everybody [...]

Posted by: DeputyHeadmistress on Friday, March 13th, 2009