So, we had family game night a few weeks back. My oldest daughter loves family game night with our extended family, because our sarcastic and silly comments throughout the night keep everyone in giggles, and we always have a boatload of awesome food. What more do you need for happiness, right? 🙂
However, at the last family game night, I got a good lesson in why we need to be skeptical of what we’re told, weighing comments carefully before submitting to their message. Read more
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, my friends; a mere 5 weeks or so away! You may or may not entertain on Thanksgiving, but if you don’t, you can just forward this post to whoever’s house you go to on turkey day. 🙂
We entertain every year on Thanksgiving. It runs on my father’s side that we love to feed people, and we love to eat. Add that to my love of cooking, and you’re set up for one pretty darn yummy Thanksgiving dinner, but one that can get out of hand real quickly, cost-wise.
Here’s a sample menu from The Frugal Farmer on Thanksgiving Day and what we’d pay out of pocket full price: Read more
Frugal living is almost always associated with cutting back and scaling down. However, thanks to the joy of the internet, savvy savers now have a way to get their hands on (almost) everything they ever needed. From food to furniture, take a look at these fantastic sites that offer all the freebies you could ever want. Read more
Hey friends! Let’s welcome Matt today, from Mom and Dad Money, as our guest author. Thanks for joining us, Matt.
Marriage is something that’s still pretty new for me. My wife and I just celebrated our 2-year anniversary back in September, and while we’ve done a lot of things right and are very happy together, there’s still plenty we’re trying to figure out.
Money is one of the ongoing issues that every couple faces. It’s a big change to go from a life where your money is yours to do with what you please to one where all of a sudden you’re talking about “our money” and “our goals”. It can be a real struggle, but if handled correctly it can also be a source of incredible strength for your family and can bring you even closer to your spouse. So today I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned on how to start your marriage off on the right financial footing. Read more
Tuesday of this week, October 1st, was our one-year anniversary of the day we left our large, newer suburbia home for an old, old farmhouse in the country, in hopes of starting a more self-sufficient life. It’s really been an amazing year. Rick, myself and our 4 kids have all had to cope with all kinds of different feelings, from missing our former home, to dealing with all of the work that comes with owning a hobby farm, to simply enjoying the peace and quiet that comes with living away from it all. We’ve had to deal with intense summer storms, learning how to cut down on energy usage, and preserving our own food. It’s been a boatload of hard work, but a great ride nonetheless this first year. Here is some of what we’ve learned this first year “on the farm”. Read more
Welcome back to Kyle, from Rather-Be-Shopping, for another guest post! Thanks, Kyle, for your always great money-saving tips. 🙂
Two out of three households in the United States have a pet of one species or another, and in total spend a whopping $55 billion per year on them. Whether it be a cat, dog, guinea pig, snake, or tropical fish, the cost to keep them healthy and happy can add up really quickly. Here are some easy to institute tips to help you love your pets, just not at full retail price.
~ Buy in Bulk When Possible
This seems like fairly obvious advice but it amazes me how many people I see buying these tiny little bags of dog food from the pet store and paying an arm and a leg for them. Always try to buy things like dog food, kitty litter, and pet treats from your local warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club. We use to buy the Iams brand dog food from Costco for $45 for a 40-pound bag and last year we switch to Costco’s Super Premium Kirkland brand for $27.95 for the same sized bag and our dog loves it. At the time we switched I did some research and discovered the nutrition level between the two dog foods was very similar. By switching we save over a $100 a year and our golden retriever still gets the nutrition she needs.
~ Going on Vacation? Try DogVacay.com
We have found that one of the most expensive aspects of owning an animal occurs when we go away on a trip. If we can’t take our golden retriever with us we have to find someone to take care of her for us. We use to have her boarded at our veterinarian’s kennel but it was darn near costing us more than our actual trip. That is when I did some research and discovered a website called DogVacay.com which puts you in touch with local pet sitters. Sitters are completely vetted and typically turn their home into a small pet resort. I was able to save 40% when compared to the cost of the kennel and our dog gets much more exercise and attention.
~ Always Use a Coupon
When buying pet supplies, toys, food, and preventative medicine like HeartGard and Frontline, always take advantage of a money saving coupon. I learned several years ago to NOT buy our dog’s Frontline and HeartGard from our vet as they markup the costs. Be sure to shop around and try and find it cheaper online with a coupon. I typically buy from 1-800-Petmeds and have been very happy with their service. Here are some good coupons available for October.
~ Find The Right Veterinarian
When my wife and I first brought home our golden retriever puppy 10 years ago, we took her to the veterinarian nearest our home and didn’t really ask around about vets. We simply opted for convenience and ended up paying the price as the vet was very expensive and offered a luxury type service that just didn’t mesh with our wants or needs. Within a few months we started asking our friends about the vet they used and found a vet who looks just like Wilford Brimley and we absolutely love. He explains things vey well, never makes you feel guilty for declining a service or optional test, is reasonably priced, and is very down to earth about pet care. I really feel that finding a veterinarian who is on the same page as you is incredibly important and should be done well before you bring a pet into your live.
~ There’s An App For That
Check out the free smartphone app, Pet Care Services, to quickly do price comparisons of pet services in your area. This is a great way to save money on dog groomers, pet sitters, dog trainers, and pet food and supplies. The app will quickly put you in touch with local services that fit your budget and allow you to start slashing some of your monthly costs.
~ Become a DIY’er
The next time your dog needs a haircut or minor medical attention figure out how to do it yourself. Use YouTube and online resources like VetStreet.com to learn how to groom your dog and take care of them yourself. At least once a year, despite our best efforts, our dog would get a tick attached to her belly from running around our 3 acres. I finally took to the Internet and learned how to remove the tick myself and avoided a hefty vet bill in the process. The secret? Never attempt to pull the tick off your animal as the head of the tick can remain attached and cause an infection. Instead, cover the tick with a liberal amount of Vaseline, it will not be able to breathe, and within a few minutes it will release itself cleanly from the skin. It works like a charm.
What do you do to reduce the expenses associated with having a pet? Anyone make their own dog treats or chew toys?
About The Author: Kyle James operates Rather-Be-Shopping and spends his day adding new coupons to over 900 stores and writing about creative ways to save money.
Have you ever taken the time to analyze some of the underlying reasons you’re in debt? We like to assume, in our denial, that it’s because we don’t make enough money, but as many PF gurus have shown us, it’s not what you make, it’s how you spend it. So if that’s the case, why are you in debt? I’m the type of person that needs to know why:
Why people behave like they do.
Why things work (or don’t work).
Why things happen (or don’t happen).
This insatiable curiosity can be annoying sometimes, I’m sure, but it also is a huge benefit in the area of problem-solving. When you know “why” you have more power to do something about it. I figured out this year as I analyzed our prior spending habits to the death that, for many years, we were afraid of being debt free, and now I’d like to share some of what I found out about fear and money. Read more
Happy Monday, friends! This is a subject that’s been on my heart lately. As I prepared to write, I realized that after almost a full year of our super frugal living, I might have a different idea now than most people do of what a luxury is. 🙂 We made a commitment on January 1, 2013, that we were going to go seriously back to basics in our lifestyle and in our spending. What that means for us is only buying what we need: no professional haircuts brow waxes or highlights (WAAAA! 🙁 ), clothes on an as-needed – and I mean really “needed”, as in We Will Only Replace Socks and Underwear That Have Holes too Big to Allow Them to Qualify as Socks and Underwear – basis only, limited entertainment monies, etc., etc. So, as I share ways to save on luxuries and splurges today, bear with me as my view may be a little skewed after 10 months of no highlights in my hair. :-). Read more
Happy Friday, my friends! So, we canned salsa this week, and let me tell you, as a first time salsa-canner, that it is a HUGE P-I-T-A. The first time I did everything by myself (the kids were sick and tired of the “game” after we finished the pickles. 🙂 ), and it took roughly 4 hours for me to dice, cook and can my 2- 16-oz. and 4 8-oz. jars of salsa. For the second batch I insisted on the kids’ help. Things went much faster (2 hrs. or so of work for 7 – 16oz. jars) and we had a ton of giggles in the process.
But even with the kids’ help, it really is a lot of work. I figured out that we each made about $1 an hour when we worked together as a group. Worth it? Read more
