Tightwad Tuesday: Save on Shipping

Many of us are shopping online this year for Christmas. I try as much as possible to avoid paying shipping costs or at least find a coupon code with a discount enough to cover the costs. I found a new site that has many of these wonderful codes - Deal Blabs. Always check for a code or special offer before you finish your purchase.

Also, it has been awhile since I mentioned this so I thought I would remind everyone to search using SwagBucks. You can earn free gift cards for places such as Amazon.com and Starbucks simply for searching on the internet. I save mine and use them to buy gifts throughout the year.

Tightwad Tuesday: Christmas Shopping

Retailers know that this is going to be a slim Christmas season so they are throwing sale after sale at us early this year. It is very tempting to give in to so many sales since items are at rock bottom prices. My suggestion is to make a list of everyone you need to buy a gift for, write down what you hope to buy each person, and set a dollar amount for each person. When the temptation strikes, consult your list.

I've already seen some items practically free and it is tempting to go overboard with buying them but in reality, my family does not need more toys and items in our house. My strategy for those items that are just too good to pass up (I'm talking free or just a few dollars) is to buy them and donate to those less fortunate. Here is an example of a wonderful deal on games that I plan on purchasing. I was wanting to buy Candy Land for my son's birthday anyway so this is an easy way to take advantage of a sale and bless others also.

Tightwad Tuesday: Gift Baskets

With the holidays just around the corner, I thought I would bring back this post regarding gift baskets. They are a frugal way to provide a great gift for someone. Here are a few more ideas:

For her. Gather all of the random lotion, perfume, shampoo, coffee, tea etc samples that are hanging out around your house. Add in an inexpensive bottle of nail polish and treat someone to a great girls night in.

For him. Back to the samples - gather some of the food samples add in a gift card for a movie rental and you have a great guys night in.

New business: If you have a friend who is hanging out their shingle, give them a starter basket full of office supplies. By watching deals at Staples, Office Max, and other office supply stores you can pick up inexpensive office supplies for next to nothing. Feel free to add in some of your coupons to those stores too. I like to house all of this in a nice trash can or desk organizer.

Tightwad Tuesday: Preschool Activities

As my long time readers know, I have an extremely active preschooler. I have to constantly plan projects and outings for him to keep him from running around like crazy and getting in trouble. He began preschool a little over a month ago so I've been trying to find projects that correlate with what he is learning in school. I've found some great online resources with printable crafts and coloring pages. For most, you only need markers or crayons, glue, scissors and possibly some construction paper. There are some more elaborate activities on some of these sites, but I find the simple ones are pretty fun to put together.

First School Offers crafts and activities by theme. This makes it easy to work on a theme for a week at a time because there are usually many ideas for each theme.

Enchanted Learning Offers a several things for K-3 also but has some good printables and games for the younger crowd too.

Free Kid Crafts Written from the heart of a mother, includes some recipes too.

DLTK I've used this site for years to find good Bible crafts for when I was teaching Sunday School and VBS. They have more than just biblical crafts though and you can even search through their craft pages by materials needed.

If you have any great sites you use, feel free to leave a comment - I'm always looking for new ways to entertain my oldest child.

Also, today is the last day to enter my Ecostore USA giveaway. Click on the link and head on over to enter before it is too late.

Tightwad Tuesday: Soap Scum Remover

I've shared this tip before, but Lynnae over at Being Frugal shared her favorite frugal cleaning products today so I thought I would share one of mine: shampoo. Shampoo is a great soap scum remover and the cheap stuff actually works the best. Simply rub it on your shower doors and watch the soap scum rub off. This is a great way to use old shampoo that has just been taking up space in your bathroom.

Tightwad Tuesday: Pay at the Pump

I have a slight addiction to trying new snack foods. I learned many years ago that gas stations tend to have all the new snack foods and drinks available and they are usually by the door or the cash register. Once I caught on to this, I began always paying at the pump. It saves me a lot of money and calories by not having that temptation staring me down every time I go in to pay. This past weekend I stepped foot into a gas station for the first time in ages and a wave of excitement came over me. I quickly grabbed the Diet Coke I came in for, paid, and got out of there before I bought more than I came in for.

Tightwad Tuesday: 15 Minutes to a Clean House

Does it feel like your house is never clean and organized? One of the best tips I learned years ago is to set a timer for 15 minutes and clean as much as you can in that time. In our house, we set the timer once dinner is cleaned up and everyone is involved. It is so easy to tell my oldest to go play in his room so we can clean, but that is not teaching him anything. I usually pick an easy task for him such as picking up his trains and then if he gets done before the timer goes off, I will find something else for him to do.

You will be amazed how much you can accomplish with as little as 15 minutes. On good days, I will set the timer of a morning too but that doesn't always happen. I also find that sometimes I get in the groove and just keep going once the timer goes off. On days I do not want to pick up the house or get out the cleaning supplies, I remind myself that 15 minutes is such a small portion of my day and I will feel so much better when it is over because I have accomplished something.

This week, try to dedicate 15 minutes every day towards cleaning your house. Come back next week as I am starting a new mini series on organizing your house and life. Early in the week each week, I will post a new tip and challenge you to implement that tip that week.

Organizing Series

First of all, I apologize for a very quiet week around here last week. I was sick with a nasty cold all week. I was feeling better this weekend and planned on catching up but my husband hijacked the computer in order to get some homework done. He went to bed early tonight so I've reclaimed the computer for now.

I've decided to start a mini series on organization. For those of you who know me, you may be wondering why I'm qualified to write on this topic. My house is a wreck most days thanks to my wild and crazy preschooler. I know the concepts to get the house in order and some days work hard to get it there, but most days our house very much has the lived in look. If you will look close though, you can see where I've been trying hard to stay organized.

In the first few weeks our youngest was around, I had a lot of time on my hands while feeding him. I picked up a few organization books and I learned a few new tips, along with being reminded of some oldies but goodies. I plan on posting one tip a week that either I've been using or I've recently come across and plan to implement. Some will be quick and easy and some will require a little more effort.

I challenge you to work on the tip that week and eventually, we will all have a more organized home and life. Along the way, feel free to share your tips and tricks so we can all learn from each other. Stayed tuned as the first tip will be in tomorrow's Tightwad Tuesday post.

Tightwad Tuesday: Coffee Tip

Since having kids, I have come to rely on my morning cup of coffee to get me going. To be honest, it isn't the caffeine that gets me going, it is the 5 minutes I take to sit and enjoy my coffee before tackling the day. I actually usually make half caff but I look forward to that cup every morning.

I get compliments all the time on my coffee and it is because of a little secret - I add cinnamon to the grounds before I brew it. Just a shake or two on top of the grounds adds such a wonderful flavor. A relative who used to own a coffee shop once told me to add a dash of Sweet n Low too and it would cut the acidity.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee and five minutes of rest before tackling your next project.

Tightwad Tuesday: Coupon Organization Tip

People tell me all the time that they would like to start using coupons but it is just too much work for them. The best tip I can give is to organize your coupons weekly, instead of letting them pile up. When I do this weekly, it usually takes less than 30 minutes to clip the coupons, organize them, and pull together my grocery list. The times I put off my coupon organization for a week or two, I really regret it because it takes a lot longer.

Also, once a month I clean out my coupon binder and get rid of anything that has expired. It is much easier to find what I need when I'm not searching through a bunch of expired coupons.

Tightwad Tuesday: Back to School Clothes

The best way to save on back to school clothes is to not buy them (at least not now). I know, that sounds strange, but we never bought a whole new wardrobe for school when I was growing up. My mom would let us pick out one new reasonably priced outfit for the first day and that was it. Around here, it is still very warm when school starts and summer clothes are perfectly fine. Mom would then wait until the temperature actually cooled and then we would get what we needed. By that time, fall clothes were on clearance and we were able to pick up a lot more for the money. Our son starts preschool next week and I haven't bought him a single item of clothing for school yet. I picked up some clearance items at the end of the season last year so that he has a few things that fit when it starts cooling and I will get the rest as we need it.

Tightwad Tuesday: Meat Marinate Tip

We do a lot of marinating throughout the year, especially throughout grill season. One of my favorite, easy tips is to use a fork to poke a few holes in your meat before you marinate it. It allows the flavor to soak in to the middle of the meat instead of just coating the meat.

Tightwad Tuesday: Giving Back Through Stockpiling

Since money has been tight around here, I've been frustrated that I can't give as much as I would like to some of my favorite charities or causes. I've learned many other ways I can give though besides just writing a check. One of my favorite ways is pick up items when they are free or next to nothing and pass them on to the appropriate place or person.

* Right now, back to school supplies are cheap and sometimes even free. I pick up what I can and give some to a few teachers I know. We also collect supplies at church to give to needy children and I take some of my deals there.

* Multiple times a year there are pleas for food drives. Instead of running out and buying canned goods, I simply go to my pantry and give from my stockpile. Many times I pick up items at the store that I know I will never use but they were free and I know one of the local food pantry's would love to have them. I keep items like this in a certain area of my pantry so I can quickly grab the items as needed.

* Stockpiles can make great just because gifts too. For instance, take band aids, Tylenol, etc and make a very inexpensive first aid kit for someone. Put together tea bags, soup, and crackers for a friend who is sick. Look at what you have and get creative. Just because gifts can really brighten the day of your friends and family and they do not have to cost you much.

I challenge you this week to go through your stockpile and see how you can bless others through it.

Tightwad Tuesday: Baby Clothes

I've learned an important lesson since having a preemie - you do not need a million clothes for a baby. We were expecting a fairly large, full term baby so I only had 0-3 month clothes on hand. His big brother barely fit into newborn clothes so I didn't bother picking any up. Surprise!, little brother decided to come early and newborn clothes are still a little big on him. My mom ran out and bought us 5 sleepers and several onesies. Since we tend to do laundry very often with a newborn, this has been plenty. Yes, it does get old dressing him in the same thing everyday but he is actually getting some use out of his clothes rather than getting to wear them once or twice before growing out of them.

Tightwad Tuesday: Time Management

Do you always feel like there are more projects to do than hours in the day? I know I do often but what works for me is detailed to do lists. I've always been a huge fan of the to do list, but recently I've been putting every little detail on the list. I find I can get twice as much done if I write it down. It clears that space from my head which allows me to focus on other things. I also tend to write a day or time of the week next to it so I can plan my week. Things do not always get done on that day, but it helps to somewhat organize the chaos.

My other time management tip is to just do it. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started. My son does not play on his own for long, but I can usually get a few 10 minute stretches at a time each day. I try to tackle one thing from my list at that time. It always feels so good once I get something marked off the list and sometimes he even offers to help out once he is done playing.

What are your favorite time management tips?

Tightwad Tuesday: Menu Planning

Menu planning can be overwhelming at times, but I find when I don't plan, we don't eat well. I wind up relying on fast food or we eat too much junk unless I plan. Everyone has a different planning style but here is what works for me:

1. Ask the family if there is anything they are hungry for or anything they do not want that week. Sometimes this will fill the majority of my week with little effort, sometimes it doesn't help a bit.

2. Dig through my cabinets and freezer and see what I need to use up then search the internet for a recipe.

3. Go through my recipe binder and see what appeals to me. This one works the best when I'm in a rut. I have a 3-ring binder where I stash all of the recipes I print off the internet or find in a magazine. Most of the recipes are stuffed in the pockets and then every few months I sort them by category and put them in the appropriate section of the binder. I did that this weekend and I was amazed at how many yummy recipes I wanted to put on the menu in the next few weeks. In fact, I was able to plan for more than one week so that was nice.

How do you plan your meals?

Tightwad Tuesday: Cell Phone Accessories

We finally caved in two weeks ago and upgraded our cell phones. It had been two and a half years since new phones and I never liked the one I had. My husband found a free one at Best Buy that he liked so we took the plunge. Free phones aren't really free though - there are fees for upgrading and new accessories will need to be purchased. It is still cheaper than paying for a phone though. In order to save some money, we went to Amazon.com and searched for accessories. Instead of paying $24.95 for the travel charger our cell company offered, we paid a penny plus $2.98 shipping for a generic version. We also found similarly priced cases, screen savers, etc. If you are in the market for a new phone, I suggest looking online before buying the expensive accessories from the store.

Tightwad Tuesday: Preparing for a Baby

It is hard to believe, but my second child will be here in 10 weeks or less. Although I was late with my first child, this one is on the large side and they are not letting me go past my due date with him. Last week my friends told me they decided to throw me a shower so we went and registered last night at Babies r Us. While creating my short registry, I was reminded of how much excess the baby industry tries to sell us. I bought in to some of this with the first child but I tried to keep it minimal. With this one, we need to replace a few things that didn't survive or we simply did not like the version we bought. Most of these items I've already replaced thanks to Craigslist and garage sales.

Here are the essentials for a newborn:

* Diapers (disposable or cloth)
* Wipes
* Bottles
* Crib
* Crib sheets
* Clothes - be careful to not go overboard here
* Diaper bag
* Infant bath soap
* Infant Tylenol

Here are a few of the splurges I want or already have:

* Sling
* Swing
* Bouncy seat
* Boppy
* Stroller of various types
* Electric breast pump (if working and breastfeeding, this becomes a necessity)

While registering, I could have added hundreds of items to this list, but I kept it minimal. With our first, we did not even buy the swing until he was a few months old. Some babies love them, some hate them. When we discovered he really liked it and it was lifesaver for us, we splurged. With this child, my big splurge is a sling. I know it will be hard to chase a toddler around while holding a baby and I think a sling would be handy. I already have a front pack carrier but I like the concept of the sling better.

Another word of warning is to not go overboard on the necessities either. Do you really need the most expensive diaper bag? I wound up using the free one from the hospital because I liked it better than the one I bought. Do you need excessive amounts of bottles? No, a few will be fine and it is ok to only buy the larger ones as the baby will eventually need them anyway.

I see nothing wrong with splurging on a few items as long as there is room in the budget, but my point is to pick and choose wisely.

Tightwad Tuesday: Stay Away from the Stores

People often ask me for my top tips on how to Live on Less. I would have to say one of the top tips on how to save money is to stay away from the stores. Too often we run out to get one needed item and come home with a ton of junk that just happened to jump into our cart. My biggest weakness is Target so when my husband first had his hours reduced, this is one of the first things I cut. Sometimes I would head there just to get out of the house with my son. I went six months without stepping foot in a Target and I'm sure I saved hundreds by skipping that one store.

I also began limiting shopping to only necessities. I grocery shop on Monday and very rarely go to the store again throughout the week unless I am making something for a special occasion. I switched my grocery shopping to Dillons in order to take advantage of double coupons matched with sales. I quickly noticed that I was not only saving money on groceries, but I was saving a ton on non-essential items I picked up every time I did my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.

My tip this week is to find a few stores that are your downfall and have a fast from them.

Tightwad Tuesday: YouTube for Kids

One rainy day while trying to entertain my child, I decided to check out You Tube. Much to my amazement, there are hundreds of kids videos on there. Some are snippets of actual shows, some are home videos people have made of their favorite shows. You do have to be careful as there are some not so clean home versions though. At least once a week, I sit down with my child and we watch videos for awhile. I usually ask him to pick a topic (his current favorites are Cars, Roary the Racing Car, and Mickey Mouse) and then we try to find videos to go along with it. I set up the laptop on the dining room table and for the longer videos, I work on cleaning the kitchen while he watches. I'm nearby so I can make sure he doesn't destroy the computer. Sometimes, I use this time to cut and organize my coupons as I can sit right next to him while doing this.