September 2018 - I Heart Frugal
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Month: September 2018

Family/Life, Save Money

Unique DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

Unique DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

Unique DIY Kid’s Costumes That Will Save You Money #halloween #DIY #save #frugal
Unique DIY Kid’s Costumes That Will Save You Money

Are you ready for Halloween? Are you looking for unique DIY Halloweens Costume for your child? If you are like me, we participate in Halloween dress up activities in early October so we start looking for costumes in September.

Yet, if you are trying to save money this year you may want to save the sticker price at your local Halloween store and make your own.

My mom is a talented seamstress. She made ALL of our Halloween costumes when we were kids. She was super creative and designed Jeanie costumes, ghosts, clowns, and much more. With four kids, I often wonder when she found the time. Yet, these are now costumes I will never forget.

We had very few pictures back then, but the memories remain. I often forget my parents didn’t have cell phones to annoy their offspring by taking 50 pictures of everything they never want to forget – or post on social media – Sorry Kids! Back then we only remembered the things that made a BIG impact and these homemade costumes my mother created are something I will hold dear.

So this year, consider making your own costume instead of paying a HUGE sticker price. You will save money and it will be a special costume for your little one to remember long into adulthood. Also, the costumes listed below are budget-friendly and easy to make. Check them out and let your kids take a peek. My son already has his eyes on the cardboard boxtume! Also, a few of the costumes can be used for a child or an adult, so you can match your little one, which is my favorite thing to do!

Rent and Save

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Meal Planning

7 Easy Dinners for the Lazy Mom- 10-Minute Prep

7 Easy Dinners for the Lazy Mom

Are you having a hard time getting dinner on the table? It is always nice to have some easy dinners to whip together on those difficult nights.

7 Easy Dinners for the Lazy Girl - 10 Minutes #dinners #recipes #food #frugalmeals
7 Easy Dinners for the Lazy Girl – 10 Minutes

Let me tell you, dinner time used to be one of the most stressful times of day for me. Before I started meal planning, my kids would cry and hang on me as I frantically searched the cupboards for something to make. Sometimes, yes, I fed them chicken nuggets out of necessity. Did I feel great about it? NO!

Would I rather have fed my kids something healthier but also serve something fast and easy? Of course!

The lazy mom is always on the lookout for easier ways to do things. In this case, being lazy means working smarter at dinner time instead of waiting for that next “hangry” tantrum from your kids.

What if you could find seven lazy dinners for the week that took only 10 minutes to prepare and still gave your kids a nutritional punch that they SO need for function, growth, and development?

This post offers seven easy meals for the lazy girl, mom, or in some cases dad – depending on who wears the chef hat in your family. Check them out and be on the lookout for more of these lazy dinner ideas that will make your dinner time a breeze!

After a hard day of working or cleaning and for your kids a long day at school, they probably just want some family time and alone time with you. With these simple meals, you will have that extra cuddle time tonight!

Here are seven easy meals for the lazy mom that will only take around ten minutes to make so you can use your time for something better than cooking.

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Meal Planning

50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu

50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu

50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu - Destress your tailgate morning! #football #tailgate #tailgatemenu
50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu

It’s Tailgating time again! I don’t know about you, but we look forward to the fall season all year long. The weather cools down, we can still be outside and you guessed it, it is football season -GO LIONS! Although tailgating is a fun part of the season, getting your tailgate menu ready can be stressful and make-ahead tailgate foods can help you save time on game day.

Yes, it’s not all beers and bean dips! There is some preparation involved.  However, if you find make-ahead tailgate foods to add to your tailgate menu, your early Saturday (college football) or Sunday (NFL) will be a breeze.

Therefore, I have you covered with my fifty plus tailgate recipes that you can make ahead of time and pop in the cooler or bring your crockpot to the tailgate for some cozy chow.

Let the fun times and food roll as you cheer for your team! I’m a home-team kind of girl, so I will be rooting for the Detroit Lions and Central Michigan Chippewas. – ROOOOAR and GO FIRE UP CHIPS!

Put on those football sweatshirts, pack up the cooler and get ready for the big game with these yummy recipes below!

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Save Money

How to Live Frugally for Beginners and Save More Money

How to Live Frugally for Beginners

How to Live Frugally for Beginners #frugal #budget #debtfree
How to Live Frugally for Beginners

(Updated 12/2021)

You may be asking yourself how to live frugally, especially if you are new to frugal living. If you are trying to be more accountable with your money, frugal living is certainly the way to go. 

Frugality is a means to living a better life. You see, by living below your means, you can begin to pay off debt, build an emergency fund, and also build your savings and retirement accounts. 

Yet, if you are currently spending more than you make, you will want to track spending and determine your deficit. Once you have this number and list of spending splurges, it will be easy to find areas of your budget you can cut. 

In this post, I will cover my top frugal living tips for beginners. Even if you are new to frugal living, this post is sure to help you find practical ways to save more money.

Why Live Frugally?

There are many reasons to live a frugal life; however, saving money would be at the top of my list. I do not believe in paying full price unless I absolutely have to. This way of living has helped my husband and I pay off our student loans, our car, and we are on track to paying off our mortgage too. We are also able to live a comfortable life and take a few vacations per year because we are willing to do the work it takes to live frugally. Reasons to live frugally:

Choose Frugal Over Cheap:

Many times frugal living is often confused with being cheap. yet frugality in 2022 is different than back in the great depression. In fact, it’s fun to save money and you can really do it without anyone noticing. 

You can still buy people gifts and go out to eat, if you learn to do it the frugal way.

Nonetheless, frugal living means being intentional with your money and finding the best deals. Hence, not paying full price for items you can get at a discount or creating spending categories so you can budget better.

Frugality also means buying quality over quantity and using savings tips and tricks to get a good deal for items you use. 

I love living my life the “frugal” way even though I could spend more money if I needed to because  I have learned to save and always have a surplus of money. There is not much money stress in my life because I choose to live frugally.

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