Frugal Family

Frugal Resolutions in the New Year

Don't let thoughts of spending too much stand in the way of meeting those resolutions this year.

New Year resolutions offer people the chance to start over, start fresh. Most joke that they’ll never actually keep them, but if you keep goals simple and have support (a friend who’s joining you in resolution), you can easily meet those goals. And the best part is -- you can do it frugally. * If you resolve to save money, start small. A simple coin bank or empty peanut can where you throw pocket change can be the start of something big. If you increase your deposit to $10 a week, you’ll have $250 by mid-June! If you're saving up for something in particular, keep a photo of it next to the coin bank for motivation. * If you resolve to eat healthy, take advantage of deals and coupons.   Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean spending more at …

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Senior Savings

With age comes wisdom -- and also savings -- as many local retailers offer special discounts to those older and financially wiser.

Most people now-a-days will agree that times are financially hard.  If you're 55 and older, you can take advantage of savings offered by local retailers to those not only older -- but financially wiser. When dining out, look for early bird/senior specials, but many chains also have special deals: * Applebee’s offers a 10 percent discount with their Golden Apple Card, and Arby’s and IHOP also offers those 55 and older a 10 percent discount. * Wendy’s and McDonald’s offer free or discounted beverages and Perkins has a special 55-plus menu that’s good for all day, not just dinner. Planning an evening out? * The AMC Tilghman 8 Theatres has Senior Day on Tuesdays. Movies are only $4 for those 60 and older. * If you're a card carrying member of …

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family Thanksgiving

Give thanks for savings this Thanksgiving holiday by following a few easy tips.

The holiday season is almost upon us, and with that, spending season. The two need not go hand in hand, however, even when planning Thanksgiving dinner with your extended family. Here's a few simple tips to help you spend less: 1. Accept help. If Aunt Margie wants to bring something, let her. Even if she’s just bringing glazed carrots or sweet potato pie, it’s one less dish for you to buy ingredients for and cook. 2. Check sales flyers. Redners has two, five-pound bags of Russet potatoes  for $4, and two Pepsi cubes for $11 this week. Weis has frozen turkey breasts for $1.89 per pound, if you don’t feel like dealing with carving; sweet potatoes for 99 cents per pound, two packages of Pepperidge Farms stuffing for $5, and four jars of …

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Patricia Ziegler-Boccadoro

3:26 pm on Thursday, November 10, 2011

Save 20% at The Christmas Tree Shop! http://www.christmastreeshops.com/ctscoupon.pdf   more ›

Frugal Family

Frugal Family Halloween

Halloween doesn’t have to be a scary time for spending. Take a trip to the local craft store to create inexpensive and unique costumes for yourself or your little ones.

One of the best tips for Halloween is to be creative. Anything can be a costume, and if you use your imagination, you can create something unique while being frugal.  * Boxes are a great start in creating a costume. You can paint them to make just about anything, from a carton of milk (to go with someone else dressed as a cookie) to an iPod. Head to Home Depot or Kmart for paint and various accessories. What about a robot or a haunted house? * Duct tape is another versatile item. For Halloween you can use it to make stripes on your little one’s sweat suit and voila! – a tiger! Make the stripes horizontal and you have an inmate. * The attic, or wherever you store old clothes, can be a treasure trove. An old prom gown or bridesmaid dress can…

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Patricia Ziegler-Boccadoro

12:57 pm on Friday, October 21, 2011

I was at Rite Aid earlier and all of their costumes are 50% off! It's a good time to pick up accessories or costume make-up.   more ›

Frugal Family

A Frugal Family Fall

Fall means cooler temperatures, changing colors and apple picking and pumpkins.

A trip with the family to Strawberry Acres in Coplay over the weekend was successful on many frugal levels. First, there were kids' activities: animals to feed (50 cents), unlimited time on turbo tube slide ($1); and pony rides ($3). For less than $5, our little guy had a fun afternoon. Then, the apple picking. Jonagold apples were 25 cents a pound, and Bosc pears, 35 cents a pound. Family entertainment and frugal food shopping in one trip - bonus.  The bus ride to the orchard is always one of the high points for the little man. He chose to sit over the wheel because I told him it was the bumpiest stop. And, of course no trip to any farm this time of year is complete without a pumpkin or two (or four in our case). Thanks to a coupon from …

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Frugal Family: Make The Most Of Dryer Sheets

They're not just for the laundry.

You can skip on dryer sheets by using a fabric softener in the wash or ball of aluminum foil in the dryer, or by just skipping the dryer altogether. But, if you do use dryer sheets, are you getting your money’s worth? First, some people suggest cutting the sheets in half -- they work just as well and you get twice as much for your money. This will also clean your scissors, keeping them cutting smooth. Then, once you’re done with the dryer, use the sheets elsewhere in your home: Walgreens and Rite-Aid both have Bounce 80 count dryer sheets for $3.99 this week.  Your best bet is probably Weis though. Weis currently has Arm and Hammer Dryer sheets on sale (buy one get one free) with your preferred shoppers card. That’s 200 sheets for the …

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Decorating

Give a room (or two) a new look with these simple and inexpensive tips.

Giving a room a makeover doesn’t have to mean new furniture. Painting the molding, putting up molding or painting one wall an accent color can make a nice change to a room for little money. Those containers of paint they sell as testers may be just enough to paint a little here and there. Curtains can change a room, and they don't have to be an expensive purchase. You can even make your own. Head to the local Salvation Army, and if you find a cute tablecloth, you can sew that into cute and inexpensive new kitchen curtains. Children’s flat sheets are a fast and easy way to personalize their window space with their favorite characters for less. You just need to hem the bottom of the sheet and do the same to the top so that the curtain can …

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Preserving Fruits, Vegetables

While canning is a great way to utilize the abundance of foods your garden provides, another option is to dehydrate.

By dehydrating foods, you remove most of their moisture, thus making the foods less likely to spoil over time, and you reduce their volume so they take up less storage space. I have nine tomato plants that survived the heat, humidity and rains of the summer, and slowly they’re ripening. What can be done with the weekly crop besides using them in salads and sandwiches. With a dehydrator you can make your own sun-dried tomatoes, and it’s simple! Zucchini’s can grow to amazing proportions in home gardens and with a dehydrator you can make tasty and healthy zucchini chips. Cut them into thin slices, sprinkle with salt and dry. There are quite a few brands and styles of dehydrators available. Wal*Mart and Target both sell the one that I own (…

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Back To School Savings

Heading back to school doesn't have to trigger a huge shopping spree.

Having homeschooled my son for preschool last year, this is the first time we’re being sucked into the joy of back-to-school shopping. We haven’t received our list of necessary supplies but headed to the store the other night for the obvious backpack, folders, pencils and erasers. It’s easy to see how parents can end up spending hundreds of dollars this time of year, so what’s a frugalista to do? * The first thing is the back-to-school wardrobe. My parents were fortunate enough not to have to worry about this part because I was in Catholic school and wore uniforms. Why do kids need a new wardrobe? Because everyone else is getting one, and it’s just what’s done? I admit – I got sucked in and did some online shopping BUT I used a coupon, …

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Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Pick your Savings

This week the frugalista offers suggestions on how to combine some family time with saving money on produce.

One of the best parts of summer is fresh produce, and you can’t get much fresher than picking it yourself. Our area has quite a few pick-your-own farms, each offering a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables at prices lower than what you would find in stores. Even better – it gets the kids out of the house, so it’s not only saving money on food but it's also something fun for the family to do together. Grab a bucket or basket and head out. Most people in the area have heard of Strawberry Acres, which keeps its website updated with information on what’s available. It has a market where you can get fresh baked goodies as well as a deli. Unfortunately, cherry season didn’t go well and all the cherries were picked within a few days, but …

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