Today’s post is from Kyle at Rather Be Shopping. His site features online coupons and discounts. If you enjoy this post I hope you’ll consider subscribing to his RSS Feed. ~Nicki

On Sunday we returned from a weekend camping trip with the kids and another family. We have the dirt to prove it. Oh, do we have the dirt to prove it! There were times on the trip when I could only spot my kids when they smiled. Good thing we have them brush their teeth twice a day. But if you have a family camping trip planned this summer here are 5 easy ways to save both time and money:

1. Bring Frozen Meals From Home

Not only do you save money on your food bill but they double as great ice blocks in the ice chest.

2. Bring Your Own Firewood

No camping trip is complete without S’mores around the campfire, but the state park we stayed at wanted $7 for a small bag of firewood. Rip-off!! Bring your own.

3. Find Free Entertainment

Again, the state park we stayed at had a bunch of free activities for the kids. We participated in Junior Rangers and the campfire program and they were both free with your admission. Ask about what they have going on and be sure to take advantage.

4. Stay Close To Home If Possible

The park we stayed at was about 70 miles away from our home. With the price of gas, this was about as far as I wanted to travel. Ask around about nice camping spots close to home. They surely exist.

5. Improvise With Stuff you Already Have

If you are tent camping, you don’t need to invest in sleeping bags as well, just bring blankets from home. Try to bring as much camping stuff and food that you already have and avoid the big expensive trip to the grocery store or Wal-Mart.

Please add your suggestion or tip. I look forward to any new ideas. Happy Camping! Now on to some online coupons that can help save you money!

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photo credit: jon_a_ross

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3. How To Find Extra Money In Your Life

Need something to do with your family? Try some of these ideas for warm weather. Great for quality time and great for your budget because they all cost little or nothing.

1. Go for a walk after supper every night.
2. Or a family bike ride.
3. Make a kite together – and then go fly it.
4. Go for a scavenger hunt. (4 stones, 6 leaves, 3 pine cones, etc.)
5. Make a hopscotch with sidewalk chalk.
6. Teach your kids to play 4 Square.
7. See if you can figure out double-dutch jump rope. You’ll need 3 people for that. Need a goofy rhyme? Here’s one: Cinderella, dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss her fellow, made a mistake, kissed a snake, how many doctors will it take? 1,2,3 … etc. <– A real gem from my childhood
8. Go for a hike. Find trails in your area.
9. Make a daisy chain necklace – or a dandelion one if you haven’t mowed your lawn recently.
10. Play catch. Baseball, softball, football … you get the idea. Throw something to someone and have them catch it
11. Teach your kids how to throw a Frisbee. I am still really bad at this.
12. Then, teach them Frisbee Golf. (also called disk golf) Very fun and you can play it in your yard! <– This suggestion from Twitter by @moneycrush
13. Go to the beach. Almost anywhere you go you can find a free beach – whether it be a pond, lake or the ocean.
14. Go outside and read together. Under a tree if it’s hot outside, in the sun if it’s early Spring.
15. Go for a picnic.
16. Climb a tree. OK, maybe not the adults. I used to spend hours climbing trees as a kid. It never once occurred to me that it could be dangerous.
17. Plant a flower garden. This will require some money but can be done very inexpensively. Also, watch Freecycle for people giving away plants or bulbs.
18. Plant a vegetable garden. Let your kids pick out a specific thing to grow and allow them to tend those plants for the entire season.
19. Go kayaking or boating. For this to be free, you need to know someone that owns these things. Otherwise, many places will also rent them.
20. Play a game! Again, for this to be free you need to own the games. Classics like Uno and Rummy can be fun for a wide range of ages. Another idea – make up some fun “family rules” for a traditional game.
21. Star gaze. Bundle up in warm clothes and lay on blankets in your yard. If you live in a city or a bright area, drive a few miles out of town and lay in a field.
22. Have a camp fire. Be sure to get a burn permit if your town requires one (I think that most do) and build a fire pit in your backyard. Make a ring out of sturdy rocks and be sure it’s in a safe place. Don’t forget to make s’mores. I could sit for hours around a camp fire …
23. Or better yet – have a camp out in your back yard. Set up a tent and drag sleeping bags, flashlights and all that stuff outside.
24. Cuddle up in the corner of your favorite bookstore or attend story hour there.
25. Browse the library together.
26. Go for a car ride and sight-see.
27. Build something together. Many families have scrap supplies from home repair or remodeling. See if you can come up with enough supplies to make a bird house or a step stool.
28. Make a movie together. If you own a video camera this is a really fun thing to do. My husband and I did this when we were dating. We made a movie giving a walking tour.
29. Go tubing down a river. Of course, be sure your kids are good swimmers and wearing life jackets. When I was a kid I remember getting the giant tubes from the local tire store. They would loan them to us for the day – great fun.

What can you add? Do you have any great ideas for free, fun things to do with your family?

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was eating some oyster crackers today. She hadn’t eaten them in a long time and had forgotten what they taste like. After eating one she said, “You know what these taste like Mom – sausage.”

photo credit: eyeliam

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I have been at it for a couple weeks now – spring cleaning. Where I live, we ordinarily have a snow-covered ground well into April but this winter we didn’t get much snow, so when the weather crept above freezing I was thrilled to see bare ground and very little mud (as a result of very little snow). We’ve had lots of sunny days in a row and it just feels wonderful. Mind you – what I consider spring is probably not what you consider spring. It’s been in the 40s here and it is wonderful! It makes me want to get moving and clean!

Are you feeling a little sluggish about spring? Let me share some of my momentum with you!

1. Spring Cleaning Is Good Exercise

I have felt GREAT for the past couple weeks, being outside and busy doing things all day keeps my body moving. The winter is so sedentary (for me) that I welcome the movement that comes with the change in season.

If you’re at work all day, don’t immediately flop on the couch when you get home. Do a little sprucing and then flop on the couch. Get your body moving a little – it’ll feel good, I promise.

2. Spring Cleaning Puts Your Energy To Good Use

Feeling antsy? When I feel antsy, like I want to do something but I don’t know what, I go shopping. It’s a bad habit and believe me, I’m much better now but it still lures me.

Putting my energy toward something productive gives me that feel-good boost I’m looking for without having to shell out any money. It keeps me home and it keeps me busy – good things.

3. Spring Cleaning Makes Your Home Feel New Again

This is my favorite part. I pack away the snowman things and swap them with things that are light colored and airy. I change a room around, organize a little and just like that my home feels new and fresh – without costing a cent. It feels so good to come home to. One of my favorite feelings is to walk in my front door and be greeted by a clean home that smells fresh. I feel like that hasn’t happened since last summer – sprucing was long overdue.

4. Spring Cleaning Helps You Know What You Actually Need

I can’t believe how much I’ve been throwing out and how many times I’ve said out loud – Why do we even have this? I constantly have to fight my consumerist mentality that wants more things – and I have no idea why because I am finding I already have WAY TOO MANY THINGS.

5. Clutter Is Contagious

I talk a lot on this blog about being money-conscious, spending less, living frugal and doing things intentionally. Here’s the thing – all of that requires discipline and organization. As soon as you let one area slip, you’ll notice that the others follow. Has your home become cluttered? Do you have mail, bills and receipts all over the place? The clutter likes to spread. Spring clean your home – and you’ll find yourself wanting to clean off your desk, organize the stuff on your dresser, redo your budget and clean out your cupboards. It’s motivating.

Many times the reason we don’t do things is because we can’t muster the resolve (or the energy) to take the first step. Once you get going, you’re fine, it’s just the beginning that gets you (not just you – me too). Sometimes we just need a little nudge to get started. So here it is – I challenge you to begin. Start today – do something extra today. Mopping the kitchen doesn’t count. Clean out a drawer that’s been bugging you – just start.

Why I do what I do ~ Our furnace died last night so our house was very cold this morning while waiting for it to be regular business hours to call the repairman. Chloe wanted answers – Why is it cold in here? Why doesn’t the heat work? Can I fix it? OK Mom, just go get Daddy’s tools and fix the heat so it can be warm. Sorry honey, Mama doesn’t know how to fix the furnace. She laughs. Yes you do Mom. Clearly if my kisses can heal boo-boos then a broken furnace should be a cinch!

window photo credit: Ana_Cotta | clothesline photo credit: Dan..

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I’ve already mentioned several times that I love Fall (which I prefer to call Autumn, but Frugal Fall has better alliteration ). I’ve combined my love of Fall with my need to nest in my home and this week I’m going to share some ideas with you. My ideas are neither ground-breaking nor awe-inspiring. They are simple, frugal and fun.

For me, the kick-off event for Fall is apple-picking. We went a few weeks ago and picked half a bushel of apples for $15. My half-bushel weighed in at 23 pounds which means I spent around $.62/pound. A deal on crisp, fresh apples. We picked MacIntosh and Cortlands for versatility. More on that soon. We had a terrific day and took some great photos. A very fun family outing and a great beginning to Fall.

Have you gone on any Fall family outings? How have you kicked-off Fall in your home?

Why I do what I do ~ I didn’t have a rocking chair or glider when Chloe was an infant. Just a couple days ago I ended up with one. It’s old and it creaks and squeaks when you rock. I took it hoping to fix it up so it glides nicely again. Every time I sit in it Chloe comes over and asks if she can sit with me. Then we rock. It’s like she missed it too

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Hey everyone. I’m typing up a quick post for you all from a hospital. My dad is here having some heart trouble, far from home. I’ve left town to be with my parents and I anticipate being here for a few days. I know that many of my readers are people that pray. I covet your prayers and thank you all for your understanding of my absence.

Nicki

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This post was originally published on December 12, 2009 (hence the snow and Christmas references) but I think the basic point of it applies all year ’round – at least it does for me. ~Nicki

photo credit: tuchodi

I’m having one today. Nothing terrible has happened and there wasn’t any one thing that really set me off, I’m just in a really lousy mood. The weather is gray and cold and my mood is a perfect match. I don’t feel motivated to do much and I’m not feeling all that pleasant (yes, I usually am).

Sometimes, for no reason at all, we feel crummy. Life still goes on though. My daughter will still wake from her nap (probably also grouchy) and need some love and attention. She’ll want a snack and a drink and probably to play a little. I still need to start supper and do the whole routine.

I have a choice to make. I can go through the motions and do what I need to do, attempting to hold my foul mood at bay, or I can change it. This isn’t always possible for me (like when I have ‘one of those days’ for a legitimately awful reason), but on days like today when my mood comes from outer space, I have a little more control. So I’m choosing to change it. I made myself a cup of hot cocoa (with a big plop of Fluff in it), changed into some comfy pants, put on my really warm slippers and sat down to write. After I write I’m going to turn on some instrumental Christmas music, light a few candles and work on some Christmas projects. I’m going to kick my mood out of the way and choose to put a smile on my face … not a fake one, those are ridiculous … a real one, because my life is too good to have a lousy day for no reason. My baby girl deserves a happy Momma and my hubby deserves a wife beyond what I could be on my best days. So, I’m making the switch … crummy mood all morning, refreshed this afternoon (p.s. I’ve told my husband at least 300 times that I can’t just flip the switch on my mood, so I’d appreciate it if this was our little secret).

As I sit here waiting for the forecasted foot of snow to arrive, I’m thinking … I really should sit down to write whenever I feel crummy because I’m feeling pretty good already.

What picks you up out of your lousy mood and helps you make the switch?

Why I do what I do ~ I just called my husband at work and chatted with him for a bit, after which he suggested that I should just relax and not worry about supper tonight … I’m a lucky girl.

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This post was originally published on November 25, 2008. ~Nicki

Everywhere I look I see a new poll, a new quiz or a new survey asking if you can afford to stay home with your children. Can you afford not to work? The question is plastered all over every parenting magazine and website I encounter. I’ve experienced being both a work-away-from-home mom and a stay-at-home mom, so this topic interests me.

I worked (frequently long hours) from the time my daughter was 2 months old until she was 19 months old. It wasn’t for me at all. I was miserable. My husband was miserable. My daughter was so cranky every night. We wanted out. We tried all of those calculators that tell you if you can afford to stay home and they all said absolutely not. We were devestated.

However, we could not have been more convinced that we needed the change. So, in faith, we went for it. It’s been over a year and a half now. We’re still here and we are unbelievably happier. My marriage is stronger than ever and my daughter is so much happier. For us, the change was radical and marked. Our family life improved at least 3-fold. All of our needs are better met, and that makes happier people.

This nice, long intro is to say this. The cost for me to go back to work and make more money for us to have more stuff is FAR greater than the cost for me to stay home. We’ve made a choice to invest in what is lasting.

If you are a working mom/parent, this is not a scolding for you at all. We need women in the workforce. Some are meant to do it and some are not. I was not. I’d like to give you some questions to think about if you are considering the switch.  By “the switch” I am speaking of switching from stay-at-home to working OR from working to stay-at-home. I have no equations or calculators adding your income and expenses. If you are reading this then you posses at least some intelligence. You can do that yourself.

1. Is our current family situation starving the needs of any family member or relationship? Would making “the switch” change that? I don’t mean starving for food. I mean starving for attention and quality time. When I was working, my husband and I would fight about trivial things and we had so little time to invest in our relationship that instead of being supportive it was tense. My daughter would cry for me during the day and was so cranky when I got home that my quality time with her was frequently stressed. Being at my job was not worth the sacrifice of these relationships to me.

2. Does the thought of staying home feel like a dead end or like entrapment or is the thought of it freeing? If you are staying home or you are thinking about it and you have a sinking feeling like you are losing your dreams and your indentity, then it is probably not for you. You should not stay home at the cost of your own self-fulfillment. It’s true … if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. However, if you have that aching longing to be home within your heart that no career is satisfying then your time in the workplace is probably coming to a close or at least a pause.

3. Do you posses the motivation to be productive at home? This is a tough one. If you answer no, but you are really dying to stay home this can be learned, but it’s going to take a lot of self will. The reason to stay home is to better care for your home and family, not to watch tv in your pj’s all day. I believe that the key to feeling satisfied as a stay-at-home mom is having attainable goals and then meeting them. It’s like you’re self-employed.

4. Is there something you can do as a Side Hustle to boost your income? Frugal Dad has some good ideas for this one. The basic idea is that you make some money on the side doing something that you initiate, as opposed to getting a part-time job. Currently my side hustles include babysitting, a homemade bread business, and most recently blogging (not really making me any money … yet). Also consider opening a shop on Etsy.

5. What would going back to work do to the quality of life for your family? If your kids are all in school it may not make that big of a difference for you, but in some cases it’s going to turn your family life upside down.

6. Will the trade-off of a tighter income for a better home life create more stress in your home/marriage? Many marriages end as a result of money fights. It’s not worth it. Don’t do it. For my marriage staying home brought us closer together. If  you don’t think this will happen, then think hard about your decision. You have to be in it to win it … together.

These are some tough and touchy topics and questions. I feel like our society is so geared toward the dual-income and affording everything we could possibly want that we’re missing out on what a lot of us really want. If you’re a stay-at-home mom and you are down because money is tight and you don’t feel like you are contributing enough then ask yourself, “Can I afford to work?” There are so many ways to cut back and so many ways to get by that it would be tragic to give up something you love out of guilt. Scaling back our already-modest lifestyle so that I could stay home with our family is one of the best decisions we ever made.

Why I do what I do ~ I’ve been teaching my daughter to identify whether people are boys or girls lately (which is humorous in and of itself). Yesterday I said , “Chloe are you happy?” And she replied, “No I’m not happy, I’m a girl.” I know, I know … every man is smirking right now.

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Would you indulge me with a little trip back into my childhood? If so, read on. If not, see ya tomorrow

As a girl in grade school I remember making up all sorts of clapping, handshake songs. Did you memorize the McDonalds Menu song and learn all the clapping that went along with it? We had all sorts of songs that we sang to see how long we could jump rope too. One went like this: “Cinderella, dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss her fellow, made a mistake, kissed a snake, how many doctors will it take? 1, 2, 3, …” I still remember jumping a ridiculous amount of times to that song. I also rememeber a game we called “Cat’s Cradle” that we played with string looped around our fingers. That would occupy me for hours. How about MASH? Who can risist finding out if you’ll live in a Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House; knowing exactly who you’ll marry and how many children you’ll have? I also learned a very exclusive language as a kid. I’m sure my parents never figured it out. Or-yay ey-thay ere-way ood-gay at-yay ooling-fay e-may. I forced my brother, sister and friends to sample my concoctions made from things I found in my yard. My very own organic “soup.” The main toys in my back yard? Black walnuts and prickly cucumbers.

Fast-forward to present.

Gone are the days of tree-climbing, fort-building, hide-and-seek and playing in the creek. Jump ropes, marbles and treehouses have been replaced with cell phones, Facebook, and PSPs. I know I’m being a little extreme. These things aren’t gone but they don’t seem to be as valued anymore. It makes me sad to think that Chloe (and any other children added to our family) might miss out on some of these memories I hold so dear. Will she think back to her first cell phone like I remember my first Walkman? Maybe. I still feel like something is being missed out on though.

So many people don’t know how to cook anymore. Others think it’s weird that I sew or find time to make bread. I’m not saying these things are better or worse than anything else I’m just saying I think it’s sad that they’ve become strange. It seems like the simple things in life are fading, becoming distant memories of a time that’s almost gone. There are so many things that do everything for us that we don’t need to do anything anymore.

It’s a strange spot I find myself in as a parent. I want my kids to be well-adjusted to the society they are living in but still place value in things that encourage creativity and imagination. I want Chloe to be fluent with computers and modern software but I also want her to know how to pretend and make believe without a single toy around her. I want her to enjoy nature and God’s fantastic creation and learn that there’s so much more lasting value in paddling a kayak across a lake than there is in sending more texts than all of her BFFs. I want her to know how to prepare meals, sew and play the piano but also be able to use her IPhone (or whatever the “it” thing is in 10 years). I want to raise a daughter that knows how to use all the latest gadgets but finds that she’s frequently better off without them.

How do you balance the electronic allure of our culture with the simpler pleasures that kids don’t realize they are missing out on? How do I raise children that place their value in things that are lasting as opposed to things that are expensive?

I don’t really have answers to these questions. I’ve only been a parent for 3 years. I know that I’m doing the best I can to model these same behaviors in my life – to turn off the tv and play a game, to close my laptop and read a book, to take the kids exploring in the yard to see what we can find. I feel a sense of responsibility in being a parent. It’s a beautiful gift to be able to invest in a person’s life in such an intimate way, to have a part in shaping who they will become.

tree photo credit: Shaury

Why I do what I do ~ My daughter had her face painted for the first time this past weekend. She requested a rainbow on her forehead.

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2. Growing Up In My Kitchen
3. There’s No Glamour In This

My daughter turned three this past week. This year I wanted it to be a little more fun for the girls so I thought I’d plan a few games. I didn’t want to spend a lot of any money on them, which meant I had to get creative. Now, there are plenty of free games that require no props such as Tag, Hide-And-Seek, or Duck Duck Goose, but I wanted to play something completely different for them so here’s what I decided.

Bean Bag Toss

For whatever reason, we don’t have any little bean bags, so this was a completely new thing for them.

Here’s what you’ll  need:

• Scrap fabric
• Sewing Machine (optional)
• Thread
• Bag of dried split peas or any dreid bean
• Medium-sized box
• Wrapping paper (optional)
• Utility Knife
• Packaging tape
• Scotch tape

Here’s what  you do: I cut the fabric into (10) 5-inch squares to make 5 bean bags. I placed two squares facing and sewed them together leaving a 2-inch opening. Then I snipped the corners (this helps them be pointy) and turned it right-side out. I ironed it, filled it with 1/2 cup dried peas and then top-stitched (being sure to close the opening). That’s it. For the box, I just wrapped it in extra wrapping paper to make it look pretty, cut a shape out of the top and then reinforced the edges of the shape with packaging tape so that it wouldn’t come ‘unwrapped’ right away. It held up really well.  We used a box that held computer paper, so it also had a removable lid.

Magnetic Fishing Game

The girls have never played anything like this and really got a kick out of the fish ‘jumping’ onto their pole.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Card stock or posterboard
• Large paper clips
• Long sticks
• Yarn or string
• Strong magnets
• Tape

Here’s what you do: Draw a simple fish shape or find one to print out. Then trace and cut out the number of fish you’d like. Place a paperclip on the ‘mouth’ of each fish. Then tie a long string to each stick and tape a magnet to the end of it. You can put the fish in a plastic kiddie pool, a large bowl or just all over the living room floor. Whatever you do, don’t use a metal bowl ( Yup, we had the fish in a metal bowl. It was funny.)

Why I do what I do ~ On Mothers Day I had Chloe give a homemade card to my mother. She handed it to her and said, “Happy Easter Nana!”

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1. Frugal-Minded Holidays

My daughter turned three this past week, making this her third birthday party. Each year we’ve had a big family party, which would be the frugal option for most people, but not for us. Much of our family lives 2-3 hours from here so I also serve lunch at her party. We usually have around 20 people attend and only 3 of them are kids. Our family is important to us so cutting our guest list isn’t an option. Instead, we have to be creative with our budget and planning.

We have to balance keeping things easy with keeping them frugal because one of the costs of living a frugal lifestyle is that there is often more work involved. So, in favor of keeping my sanity AND my budget here’s what we did.

To keep things easy …

• We grill out, which saves pots and pans and the oven running.
• We use disposable products (plates, napkins, cups, utensils), which we generally try to avoid for environmental reasons, but I make an exception here.

To keep things inexpensive …

• I make the cake.
• We make lemonade (or punch) and coffee instead of buying sodas (no alcohol either).
• I make all the props for our games (more on this soon).
• We have the party at our house instead of renting a place.

Today I’m going to give you an overview of some tips I use to have a big, frugal birthday party.

1. Plan Ahead. Most things can be affordable with enough planning. If I decided on Wednesday to have a party on Saturday I would end up spending MUCH more money than if I had been working on it for a month (which is what I do). I send out invitations and I confirm who will be attending so I have a good idea of how many people to plan on. I plan the menu and the activities also, so nothing is a surprise (unless, of course, your grill runs out of propane like ours did last year ).
2. Count ALL The Costs. If you only budget money to purchase a birthday gift then you will be in trouble when it comes time to pay for everything else. Think of the cost of: food, drinks, paper products and utensils, decorations, party favors, games, cake, ice cream, house guests, etc. It really adds up.
3. Buy Ahead. There were several things that I purchased way ahead of time. Whenever I saw something on sale that I thought I would need I’d pick it up. A few dollars here and there isn’t as big of a hit as purchasing it all at once. For her party we usually grill hamburgers and hot dogs. Every time I saw hot dogs and ground beef on sale I picked up a little extra so that by the time the party rolled around I had plenty stored up in my freezer. I was able to absorb that cost into my weekly grocery budget. I also did this with party supplies; I purchased them when I saw them on sale.
4. Make Things Yourself. Make the cake. Make the food. Make the games. Whatever you can do yourself, as opposed to purchasing pre-made, will generally save you a good amount of money. Cake is VERY inexpensive to make yourself in comparison to spending $15-20 on one at the last minute.
5. Enlist Help. My mother offered to help so I took her up on it. She made a salad to go with our meal. She also let me use her house (which is much bigger than mine) for the party.

When it comes down to it, not everything that’s frugal has to be minimal. You can do big things on a tight budget too. You just have to be willing to plan for it.

Why I do what I do ~ How do I rate on the emotional mom scale? I don’t know, ummm, I nearly cried real tears when we belted out “Happy Birthday Dear Chloe …” What do you think?

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Related posts:

1. How I Keep Our Laundry Frugal