Check Your Bills

(Photo Credit)
This past month, my little sister was complaining about her cell phone bill. She asked me to take a look to see how she could bring it down some. She knew she had went slightly over her minutes, so that was expected, but what she hadn't caught was a $29 charge for a download that wasn't hers. She called the company and they fixed it plus gave her a credit of $30 for finding a mistake! Wow!!! I also showed her where she had used directory assistance 4X and she could have saved the extra $6 by dialing 1-800-FREE-411. She's also going on a texting plan for $5 extra a month, but it will decrease her bill by $10, since her text usage charges were around $15 every month.

I always fine-tooth-comb our bills. Our cell phone bill is one that I often find mistakes on. Even though it may only seem like a few cents, some companies will offer an extra credit if you find a mistake that was theirs.

It's also a good idea to shop around for better deals with different companies. No, you don't have to switch to take advantage of promotions a company is running. But what you can do is call your current company and see if they will match the promotional offer for the same period of time to keep your business. I've done this with our cable and phone bills.

If your utilities have had an unusual spike lately, call customer service and have them check. My aunt's water bill doubled, but she had received a notice saying that the rate was increasing, so she didn't question it for several months. When she finally did call they figured out that she was paying her neighbor's bill, too. If it's a higher water bill, you may also want to look for leaky toilets or faucets. For a toilet, you can put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, and if the bowl water turns colors, there's a leak. It may not seem like much waste, but it does add up.

Valentine's Day the Frugal Way

Whether you are tight on money, or just tightening up the money belt to save more, being frugal on Holidays can actually be easy. Valentine’s Day is one of the easiest, because so much can be said from something handmade, for kids and adults alike. Make this Valentine’s Day special with some of these ideas, or make your own and share them in the comments!

Recipes:
Make chocolate hearts for dessert with a Chocolate Heart Making Kit (This can be used during different holidays, birthdays, etc. to add a touch of individualism to any gift.)
Make heart shaped cookies for the kiddos and let them join in the fun.
Cherry Cranberry Shakes
Valentine’s Creamy Jigglers
Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Valentine Pancakes
Chocolate & Strawberry filled French Toast
Beef Wellington for Two
Strawberry BBQ Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Kids:
Printable Valentine’s
Coloring Pages
Valentine Barrettes
Friendship Box
Handprint Wall Hanging
Party Games
Sweetheart Candy Wreath

Decorating:
Dollar store finds, silk flowers, ribbon, leftover white Christmas lights, and candles can all go a long way to setting the atmosphere.

Gifts under $10:
Digital Photo Key Chain Fill it with pics of the two of you, so that even when you aren’t together, they can be reminded of special times you’ve had.
Barney: Be My Valentine DVD
How to Love Me: The Lovers' Book of Questions
Massage Oil with a massage by you.

Gifts Handmade:
Print a love poem on decorative paper or handwrite a letter, then mat and frame.
Breakfast in bed is always a winner for me.
“Love Coupons”---use your imagination.
Leave love notes where they can be found.
Make a Valentine Gift Bag,
Picture Frame,
Mixed CD of your favorite love songs, pics or videos, or try an Origami Flower Bouquet.

Dates:
My favorite way to eat out on a budget is through Restaurant.com
. You can get a $25 gift certificate for only $10 to one of your local restaurants! Hubby and I use these quite often on “date night”. Yes, it would be more frugal to cook at home, but not having to do the work or clean up after, is worth the money to me, especially on a special night. If you do eat in, you can make it special with candles, soft music, and your honey’s favorite foods. Dance to a slow song, afterward.
You can also rent a romantic movie like, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sleepless in Seattle, Sabrina or even Lady & the Tramp…lol. Think lights out, candles, wine and lots of snuggling on the couch.
Take a trip down memory lane by visiting somewhere special from your dating days, or maybe even where he proposed.
Or find a local winery and go for a tour while sampling some of their wares.


Having an imagination (or a little help from a good search engine) and using things from around the house or that’s inexpensive is simple and fun. Remember that the greatest gift given or received is love, and it’s free!

Substituting in my Banana Muffins

Aldi had overripe bananas on sale for half price so I bought a bunch thinking I'd make muffins today. Since I hadn't made them for awhile I forgot the recipe called for buttermilk, and when I went to pull out the other ingredients I realized I didn't have enough baking soda. What's a girl to do? Substitute!!!

I put 1 tsp. lemon juice in a cup of milk and let it stand for 5 minutes for the buttermilk. And I just doubled the baking powder instead of using soda. The muffins were fantastic and no one could tell a difference!

Banana Muffins

1 c. Sugar
1 Stick Butter (softened)
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Med. Bananas (mashed)
2 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 c. Buttermilk

Cream sugar and butter together, add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and bananas. Mix until smooth. Mix flour, soda, and powder in another bowl, until well blended. Add to buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet mixture, until just blended. Don't overblend or the muffins will be tough. Spoon into muffin cups, and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until browned and pulling away from sides.

The original recipe said this makes 12, but I always get 18 by filling muffin cups only 2/3 of the way full.

Enjoy!

A Few Online Money Makers

Cash4Books is a great way to sell your used books, textbooks, cookbooks, crafting books, etc. Enter the book's ISBN # to see exactly how much they will give you for it. They even pay the shipping, you just print it out and tape it to your package. You also get a 3% bonus for electing to be paid by PayPal. I have worked with them for over a year and love the great way they are able and willing to help with any questions I have had. They also have an awesome incentive of $5 per person that you refer who sales them something!

These next companies are the survey companies that I have had success with. When I started doing the whole survey thing a couple of years ago, I signed up with every company I came across. These are a few that made the cut after the test of time. Some I get paid through PayPal, others by check and some with great prizes or Gift Cards. Check them out for yourself!

Opinion Outpost This is one of my favorites, as I tend to make more from it. They give me several surveys a week, and it doesn't take much time to work up to their payout of only $10. I get the checks about two weeks after requesting the payout.

Survey Savvy usually sends me a few surveys a month and promptly send checks when I request payment. They do not have a minimum payout amount, so I can request any amount, no matter if it's even $1.

Dollar Surveys is SUPER EASY. They send you a daily email, and sometimes all you have to do is click on a link and sign up for a newsletter. You get $1 for each of these surveys, and sometimes it can take up to 4 weeks to post to your account. That was why I was a little leary of this one at first, but it does work! They paid straight to my PayPal. You can earn around $30 a month for something that takes 2 min. a day.

Mindfield Online is another one of my favorites. Their surveys are generally short and easy. You earn around $1-5 average per survey that you qualify for. The payout is only $10, so it's very easy to meet! I usually get their checks within 2 weeks of my payout request.

Synovate
Earn points toward checks mailed to you. I don't get as many surveys per week, but they are short and do eventually add up.

Focus Forward Online's surveys are usually fun and right to the point. They also have great focus groups you might be eligible for. The payout is only $10, so it's easy to get there. You tend to get paid a little more if you are invited to do a focus group vs. a regular survey. They email you the invitations right to your mailbox, so no need of having to check their website everyday.

American Consumer Opinion is also really easy to use. They to are emailed to you, so no having to check the site. They offer different cash incentives for the surveys you qualify for, and payout threshold is only $4. If you don't qualify for their survey they enter you into their $10,000 sweepstakes!



Send Earnings is a paid to read email site, it only takes a few seconds to click on these email and they can really add up. You can also take one survey a day and get paid. There are other ways to earn money through this site, like doing free trials (just don't forget to cancel before the time is up!), and signing up for things, but email and surveys are the two main ways that I use. It takes a while to earn that way, but for a couple minutes a day, it does eventually pay off.




Inbox Dollars is very similar to Send Earnings.

Opinion Square I get a few surveys a month and earn points toward merchandise or gift cards. I usually request the Starbucks card because I am an addict...lol.

Just Kids is a survey group focused on children's products and quite often asks for the child themself to take the survey. You earn points toward getting a $10 check mailed to you. I have to send a referral email, so if you send me your name and email address I will send it out to you.

Greenfield Online is a survey group that I get numerous surveys through. I get paid through PayPal or entries into sweepstakes. They let you know up front what your incentive is, so I tend to usually only do the ones that have a payment for it and not an entry. I can send you a referral for this if you send me your name and email.

Zoom Panel is another one that I can send you an email for. You earn points toward merchandise, and get 50 points for just signing up!

No, these amounts don't seem like much, but they do add up. For just a few minutes a day, I can get my PayPal account to grow and get a collection of gift cards to use for birthdays, Christmas or special occassions. We paid for 70% of this past Christmas with money that I earned online. Hubby was amazed!

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Easy Breakfast Idea!

Mmmm...I made this this morning and it was a hit! Hubby didn't think it was quite sweet enough (I decreased the sugar and substituted applesauce for the butter), so I sprinkled sugar on top of his.

Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Stir in raisins. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Drizzle Lite maple syrup on top when done.

Even tastes good cold for a snack or in a lunch box!

Kathryn Sansone for Rice-A-Roni

Kathryn Sansone is a mother of ten, wife to one for 21 years, an established author, fitness trainer and all around inspiring woman.
I was privileged to be able to join in on a webinar she did for Rice-A-Roni. She offered great money and time saving tips for in the kitchen. You can check out an excerpt from the webinar HERE.


Want to try the recipe in her video? Answer these quick questions and get a coupon for $.50 off a Rice-A-Roni product. Wait for a sale at your local grocery, and pair it with this coupon for even bigger savings!

One of Rice-A-Roni's best website features is their "Dinner Wizard". Check the items you have on hand and it will bring up multiple recipes using your ingredients. My ingredients brought up a Garden Skillet-Chicken recipe that looks delicious...yum!

Sign up for Rice-A-Roni's E-Recipe and get a new recipe by email every month!

Happy Cooking!
Jami

Crowd Pleasing Recipe

I made this yummy recipe to take to one of our Holiday get togethers and it was a hit! It was so simple and easy that I wanted to share it with you all. I got the recipe from Pillsbury.com and used one of their coupons (available for printing off the green coupon bar on the right side of my blog) for great savings. I also tweaked the recipe a bit to go with what I had on hand, so I ended up with an appetizer that looked and tasted great, but was low cost to make! No the pic isn’t mine, it’s off the site, but mine was just as pretty! ~Note to self: remember to take pics for when I blog about them!~

Pizza Bubble Ring

INGREDIENTS
6 to 8 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (12-oz.) cans Pillsbury® Golden Layers® Refrigerated Flaky Biscuits
40 small slices pepperoni (about 3 oz.)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups pizza sauce, heated



DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix melted butter, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
2. Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits; press or roll each into 3-inch round. Place 2 pepperoni slices in center of each biscuit round. Top each with piece of mozzarella cheese. Bring dough up around filling; press edge to seal and shape each into ball. Roll in butter mixture; place 10 balls in sprayed pan.
3. Sprinkle dough balls with Parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining can of biscuits, placing balls over balls in pan. Pour remaining butter mixture over top.
4. Bake at 350°F. for 33 to 38 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Gently loosen bread from sides of pan. Place large heatproof plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Serve warm with warm pizza sauce for dipping



First, I didn’t have pizza sauce, so I just used mushroom flavored spaghetti sauce. I also put a dab of sauce on the biscuit round before adding the pepperoni. I didn’t want to go out and buy a block of mozzarella, and didn’t have any shredded on hand, but I did have mozzarella string cheese! I cut each stick into ½ inch slices and it was easy to roll the dough into a ball around it! I used the jumbo biscuits instead of the regular, but when I make this again I will make sure to get the regular ones. The jumbo sized was a little to much dough for my taste. The butter helps these brown faster, so make sure that they are completely done before taking them out, or you might end up with doughy biscuits in the center. I placed the warmed marinara in a small bowl that fit in the center of the ring. Oh, and I just used a regular old cookie sheet to bake it on. I’m not even sure I know what a 12-cup fluted tube pan is…lol. I like to cook, but I’m definitely no chef!

Gifts in a Jar

I talked a little bit about Gifts in a Jar HERE, but I want to go back to it before Christmas. These are great for last minute gifts, hostess gifts, teacher gifts, etc. They are quick, easy, and inexpensive. You can find all kinds of recipes on the internet, along with downloads of the recipes to print out on tags. The tops of the jars can be covered with scrap fabric, raffia, buttons, beads, shells, etc. You can add a miniature wooden spoon or spatula, measuring spoons, or cookie cutters to dress it up. Don’t just stop with baking recipes, either. Try drink mixes, bath salts, soup mixes, almost anything that has several dry ingredients. They all look pretty layered, so use your imagination!

I have a book that I bought when my son’s school was doing a fundraiser, you know the ones where you pick something out and try to get something useful or cheap, but everything in there you already have, don’t need, or “cheap” is still $10. I was amazed that I found this since I knew I would actually use it this year. It’s called Gifts in a Jar, Cookies, Brownies & Bars. It even comes with precut fabric circles, tear out recipe tags and raffia for bows. It’s great, but I wouldn’t have bought it on my own, since the same information can be gotten for free from library books and the good ol’ web.

Anyway, I do want to share a few recipes and pics I found to get you started so you can see how easy and cute these are.


Courtesy of FamilyFun.com:
Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate-covered candy (such as holiday M&M's or Hershey's Holiday Candy Coated Bits)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup cocoa crisped-rice cereal (or regular flavor)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
In a 1-quart wide mouthed jar, add the ingredients in the order listed. Pack them down firmly after each addition (use the blunt end of a table knife or a wooden spoon to level and tamp down each layer). Screw on the cover and prepare a gift tag with the following instructions:
"To make your holiday cookies, cream together 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg in a large bowl. Add the contents of the jar and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen."


Courtesy of find.myrecipes.com:
Classic Cocoa

Yield:
Makes 1 quart mix or 12 servings hot cocoa
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
Layer sugar, cocoa powder, powdered milk, salt, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.
On the back of the tag, write: "Mix contents in a large bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup boiling water. Store remaining mix in airtight container."


Courtesy of doit101.com:
Spiced Mocha Mix

Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered coffee cream
1/2 cup cocoa mix
1/3 cup instant coffee
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add mixture to pint sized jelly jars and add a Gift Tag.
Directions for Use: Add 2 Tablespoons of Mixture for every 1 cup of hot water.


Courtesy of Allrecipes.com:
Friendship Soup Mix

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry split peas
1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup uncooked alphabet pasta
Directions:
In a 1 1/2 pint jar, layer the split peas, bouillon, barley, lentils, onion flakes, Italian seasoning, rice, and bay leaves. Wrap the pasta in plastic wrap, and place in the jar. Seal tightly.
Attach a label to the jar with the following instructions: Friendship Soup ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: 1 pound ground beef, black pepper to taste, garlic powder to taste, 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes - undrained, 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste, and 3 quarts water. TO PREPARE SOUP: Remove pasta from top of jar, and set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, brown beef with pepper and garlic; drain excess fat. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and soup mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the pasta, cover, and simmer 15 to 20minutes, or until the pasta, peas, lentils and barley are tender.


Courtesy of LadiesBlend.com:
Bath Salts

This recipe will make one 4 ounce jar, it is easy to double, triple etc., to make a larger batch.
Ingredients:
4 ounces Salt - either Epsom Salt or Sea Salt or a blend of the two, both found at grocery & drugstores.
1-2 drops of either Lavender (relaxing), Orange or Lemon (both uplifting) Essential Oil, found at natural/health food stores, herb shops and spa/massage therapy establishments
Directions:
In a mixing bowl (not plastic), add the salts and essential oils, combining them well and mashing with the bottom of the spoon to press out any lumps.
OR:
First add salts to a heavy duty large Ziploc freezer bag, add the essential oil to the salts and close the bag. Mush the ingredients around with your hands, gently squeezing the outside of the bag until well mixed.
Carefully fill a clean and well dried container with the mixture, cap and attach gift tag/product instructions.
Product Instructions:
Use a few handfuls for each warm bath, soak and relax.


Let me know if you try any of these or if you have any recipes of your own. I would love to see some pics!

Gift Wrapping the Frugal Way

Well, I haven’t been making all of the posts that I had planned this past week. Once we got out of the craziness of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, I started having computer trouble. Hopefully, everything is fixed now. I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving and got some great deals on Black Friday. You can read a bit about my Black Friday HERE. We had a fun Thanksgiving with my wonderfully dysfunctional family. It was the first time in a long time that we only had to go to one place, and not three. That in itself was something to be thankful for.

Ok, so last week I wrote some ideas to give you for Heartfelt Gift Giving. This week, I wanted us to look into ways to frugally wrap those gifts. With just a little creativity, you can come up with a beautiful package that others will hate to open because the wrapping is a gift in itself. Remember, these ideas aren't just for Christmas, they can be used year round.


First, we’ve all heard of wrapping our gifts in the Sunday comics. Not only do these colorful cartoons delight the recipients, and bring smiles to their faces, but it’s a great way to recycle. I only have one problem with this type of wrapping. The one time I tried it, black ink was rubbing off the gift and got everywhere. I have racked my brain and can’t come up with a solution, so if anyone out there knows one, send it my way because these gift do look adorable!


My favorite wrapping is plain brown paper. It’s cheaper than gift wrap, and you can usually find it in bigger rolls. If you live next to a paper bag making plant (International Paper, Exopack, etc.) you can usually get these for free. They can only run the rolls on the machine to a certain point and then they have to pitch the roll, even though there is several yards of paper still on it. You can decorate this plain paper to your heart’s content; use stamps, markers, stickers, scrap booking materials, anything you can get your hands on. One year, I let the kids color on them, and the grandparents loved it! Tie these up with anything. I like using dark green or red yarn, it can be cheaper than ribbon, and lasts a long time. I love the kind with gold or silver flecks in it. I’ve tied small bells, beads and even toys on the ends, or you could try pine cones, mistle toe, etc. If you have a gift for a girl, try tying it with a ribbon that she can use for her hair later.


The ribbon brings up another way to wrap---wrapping a gift with a gift. If you have a gift for a new baby, try wrapping it in a receiving blanket. Wrap a gift for the kitchen in a new dish towel, or a child’s toy in a new bath towel or t-shirt. Use your imagination. I always get the kids new socks at Christmas. Instead of wrapping their stocking stuffers, I think I am going to push them into the toes of the new socks before putting them in the stocking, saves on paper, tape and time!


I’ve never personally tried this next one, but I think I might try it this year. Put a cloth over your ironing board and lay out a piece of waxed paper. Sprinkle it with flower petals, dried leaves, confetti, etc., lay another piece of waxed paper on top and cover with another cloth. Iron on low heat to seal the edges. The flower petals would be perfect for Mother’s Day gifts!


So you don’t use wrapping paper, you bag ‘em, right? For small gifts you can use brown lunch bags, fold over the tops, punch out two holes, tie ribbon through the holes, and add accessories. Decorate as you would the brown wrapping paper. At the very least you can buy the plain solid color paper gift bags at Wal-Mart. These go for around $.50, and can be decorated with cutouts, stickers, etc.

When giving gift bags, tissue paper is the one thing I splurge on because it does not recycle well for future gifts. It tears, crinkles and generally just doesn’t hold up well, no matter how carefully I try to fold and store it. Does anyone have a way that they organize theirs to get the most re-use? Let me know!



Instead of tissue paper try using cloth napkins or dish towels in gift baskets, especially if you are giving baked goods.

Since I am one of those goofy people that don’t wrap their gifts until Christmas Eve, I didn’t have any pics I could show you, so I did an image search on the net for “homemade gift wrap”, and found some more really cute ideas to help get you going. I would love to hear any other ideas you might have, or even see some of your pics, so feel free to leave comments!

Heartfelt Gift Giving

Holiday gift giving doesn’t have to break your pocketbook. With all the commercialism this time of year, we can make someone’s day by giving a gift from the heart. Worried because you aren’t a master seamstress, artist, or knitist (ok, so knitist isn’t a word, I just got on a roll there for a second)? No need to be intimidated! Following are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

For the avid cook, or someone who is always raving about the dishes you bring to the neighborhood potluck, a homemade cookbook would be perfect. Create your own recipe template, or download a free one HERE. Print them off, put them in sheet protectors and file them by category in a binder. You can decorate the outside of the binder by “modge podging” old recipe cards, food labels, or whatever strikes your fancy. You could also let your inner scrapbooker break out and get really involved with decorating the binder and pages. Midwest Living will also let you create your own online cookbook, even personalizing it with your own photos, and then let you download it into a PDF format.

For the “sweet tooth” on your Christmas list you can fill a basket with homemade breads, cookies and candies. A great way to store the cookies in the basket is in an old Pringles can, decorating the outside with contact paper. You could also try putting in a jar of homemade hot cocoa mix.

How many of us who work during the day, would love to come home to a supper that we can pull out of the freezer, pop right in the oven, and be confident that it is nutritious and homemade? Sound like Heaven? That’s what the recipient of a weeks worth of frozen home cooked meals would think, too.

All new moms wish they could find time to relax, but don’t always allow themselves the luxury. Try tempting them with these aromatic bath fizzies. (Citric Acid can be bought for $2-3 per pound.)

And of course, we always have the old standby that I myself still love getting. Gifts in a jar, can be a really quick and easy gift for teachers, neighbors, the mailman, etc. HERE are some really great recipes I found. I bet the Peaches and Cream bath salts smell as lovely as they look!

Others will appreciate the time and effort you put into their gift, and know that you were truly thinking of them.

Have more homemade gift ideas, you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!

Budget Thanksgiving Decor

We are all getting ready for Christmas and most of us don’t want to spend any extra money on decorations for Thanksgiving, but you probably already have a lot that could be used, without even knowing it.

The first place to check---your yard. Do you still have pumpkins from Halloween? If they haven’t been carved, they should still be in great condition. What about piles of leaves? Nothing says autumn like the red, gold and orange that’s already on the ground. You can also check with your local farmers to get great deals on hay bales and decorative corn. Some of these may already be on markdown from Halloween, too. My Wal-Mart had their pumpkins marked down to $1. You can make a really pretty set up with just a few of these items. What a perfect way to welcome Thanksgiving guests.

Do you have an autumn colored flat sheet? Cut a table runner from it, sew or use fabric glue to make a hem, then decorate with fabric paint. Or don’t cut the sheet and use it as a table cloth. Don’t have a sheet in the color you need? Check your local thrift shops.

Need a centerpiece? Again leaves can work well, scattered down the middle of the table with a few acorns, seed pods or hickory nuts. You can also try buying some seasonal fruits and vegetables (think apples, gourds, squash, etc.) and clustering these in the middle of the leaves. Or try making your own large candle by melting down your used up stubs in a coffee can and mixing in small twigs, berries, cinnamon sticks and acorns or hickory nuts then pour in a container that can be cut away when it‘s dry. Take down a framed mirror, place in the middle of the leaves, set the large candle on top with some tea lights around it.

For a mantle, hollow out some apples and place tea lights inside. Set these in a line and sprinkle leaves, acorns, etc. around them. For side tables or entry tables, place some long branches with berries on them in a rust or gold colored vase (be careful with small children and berries), and scatter a few leaves around the base. You can also try filling a glass jar with decorative corn and stand a candle inside, then tie a seasonal ribbon around the top.

Want a seasonal aroma in the house? Simmer cinnamon sticks and apple or citrus peels in a small pot on the stove, add a splash of vanilla and you have homemade potpourri that will scent your whole home. Just make sure you keep adding water so that it doesn’t scorch!

Let me know if you have any other great frugal decorating ideas for Thanksgiving. Now, I’m off to hollow out my own apples!


(Photo not mine)

Recipe Rescue

My family loves when I make spaghetti. “Spaghetti”, you ask, “that old standby?” Yep, but it’s not the spaghetti they love. It’s what I do with the leftovers. Introducing (drum roll please) PIZZghetti. I know, I know, very original, but the fact that I can get the whole family to eat leftovers is enough to make it a staple in our monthly menu. All you do is make extra sauce (I do not double the meat, since I add pepperoni the second night) and spaghetti the first night, then take whatever is left over and mix together. Pour it into a casserole dish, top with your favorite pizza toppings, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until warmed through and the cheese is melted. Don’t want something so similar the very next night? Hold the cheese and freeze. Cheap, yummy, and quick! What more could a girl ask for?
(pic courtesy of myrecipes.com)

Discount Healthcare

Well, Americans voted and now we have a new President Elect. I am personally hoping that he can accomplish what he has promised about making healthcare affordable for everyone. This time of year, causes worries about flu and colds, and it’s no wonder with the prices of doctor’s care and medications, not to mention if one would have to miss a day of work. We should all practice preventative care, but if we do get sick, have a cavity, or (eek!) need glasses how do we get frugal deals on these things? Ideally, most of us would have health insurance, but that isn’t always the case, and some of those who do, have gigantic deductibles and co-pay.
CNN.com has an excellent article HERE with a lot of tips on just what to do if these problems pop up.

Here are some tips that I wanted to add.

1. The article mentions going to a dental school for work to be done on your teeth, but don’t stop there. If you have a local optometry school, get your eye exams there for a huge discounted rate. (This is where I’m lucky, my baby sis works in an optometrist’s office and we get big discounts!)
2. Ask your doctor for samples! Drug reps leave the samples for patients to try before buying, and on some medications doctors have more than one rep so they can get an overflowing supply (I use to work in a medical office.). So don’t hesitate to ask as most doctors and nurses are glad to grab some for you, even if you’ve been on the medicine before.
3. Places like Planned Parenthood offer services on a sliding scale for things like your yearly Pap/Pelvic, and they offer birth control at a hugely discounted rate.
4. Your local health department can give your kids their vaccines without the cost of a pediatric visit, you only have to pay for the shot and the administration fee, which can be as low as $5.

Hopefully, we will all be healthy this winter season, but if we do get sick, at least we’ll know where to start!