I Heart Frugal - Page 27 of 52 - Spend Less. Live More

50 Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Your Thanksgiving Menu

50 Frugal Thanksgiving Side Dishes You Must Try #Thanksgiving #Thanksgivingsidedishes #Thanksgivingmenu
50 Frugal Thanksgiving Side Dishes You Must Try

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Are you and your wallet ready for the big day? -Turkey day that is. Hosting Thanksgiving is expensive and stressful. Coming up with your Thanksgiving menu takes time, especially if you are on a budget. However, with anything in life, a solid plan will help you nail your Thanksgiving dinner on the big day. We already know the main course, but what about your Thanksgiving side dishes? 

You want something that will wow your guests, but also Thanksgiving side dishes that are affordable and yummy.

Hosting Thanksgiving is not an easy task. Trust me, I’ve done it three times and we have a big family. – Like 8 brothers and sisters on my husband’s side big! Planning out the meal, grocery list, and devising a cooking timeline for the turkey saved my sanity!

Another thing that helped was sticking to a budget when buying the food. No one needs more money stress around the Holidays. Furthermore, it is great to check your local flyers and find the best price per pound on your turkey which is easy because most grocery stores have sales just to stay in the grocery game that week. But let’s face it, hosting any holiday including Thanksgiving is expensive and the Thanksgiving side dishes need to be taken into account within your budget.

So if you are on a budget, like me, you will want to find good deals on side dishes too while still awe-ing your guests with your cooking abilities and unique recipe ideas. 

With that in mind, I’ve created a roundup post with the help of my fellow food blogger’s including 50 plus side dishes that are delicious and still budget-friendly. Just pick a few and plan them out on your shopping list to keep track of your cooking expenses. 

Pro tip: Find a few recipes that share the same spices or ingredients to help cut your costs even more. For example. two recipes may use sage. You can save by only buying one spice pack.

Thanksgiving is usually stressful for the host, so don’t make it even more stressful by going over budget on food. Try some of these amazing recipes and enjoy your time with your family! You deserve it!

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Best Affordable Blogging Classes to Create a Successful Blog

Best Affordable Blogging Classes to Create a Successful Blog

Best Affordable Blogging Classes to Take Now #blogger #blog #bloggerslife
Best Affordable Blogging Classes to Take Now

Are you thinking of starting a blog but aren’t quite sure how? Or did you already start your blog but are finding it difficult to increase traffic and monetize? If this is the case then blogging classes are the way to go. Yet, it is not always easy to find affordable blogging classes when you aren’t making any money. Let’s face it, most beginning bloggers do not have a budget for training or ads.

So if you are in the above blogging situation then this post will help you find some affordable blogging classes to amp up your blogging skills, especially if you are on a budget like me.

You could literally spend thousands a year on blogging books, classes, and conferences. But in actuality, there is no need to spend so much, when there are affordable options that still give the same information.  

You don’t have to break the bank to start a blog or learn more about blogging. 

If you are pondering starting a blog, then you will want to check out my step-by-step blogging guide here. But if you are already up and running you will need to learn as much as you can to survive and flourish in this blogging world. Why? You are up against millions of other bloggers and if you want to stand out, you will want to know your craft.

Also, it is easy to give up if you aren’t seeing the results you want. Blogging can become frustrating and you are left wondering why you started a blog in the first place. However, if you get the proper training you can avoid this scenario and streamline your blogging goals.

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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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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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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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