10 Steps to Conquering Back-to-School Spending- With the price of everyday necessities burning a hole in your wallet, you will be relieved to know that there are many effective ways to cut the cost of those expensive school purchases. From sneakers to scissors, these 10 steps will help you stretch your school supply budget and still send your kids off to school in style.
10 Tips to Help You Save on Gasoline- Gas prices continue to be near all time highs meaning that car travel is taking a larger portion out of each of your paychecks. AAA estimates that the cost of driving a car including all direct and indirect costs has surpassed 50 cents a gallon with that price expected to rise.
10 Ways to Save on School Gear- How many more days until school starts? If you are a parent, most likely you can answer that question without even looking at a calendar. Summer has been fun but by now, most kids and their parents are ready to settle back into the school routine.
Back to School Gear for Less- Now comes the tricky part - getting the kids ready to go back
to school without paying a king's ransom. Here are some ways
to get the most for your money.
Back to School Wardrobes for Less- Does your child's wardrobe needs seem to break the bank?
Getting kids ready to go back to school in style does not have
to cost an arm and a leg. Here are some ideas for saving big
money on that "back to school" wardrobe that your child just
has to have.
Consignment Shopping Pays Off- Is your closet full of clothes you never wear? You
can bet there are a lot of people who have a closet
or dressers full of clothes they never wear. I did too,
until I started consignment shopping.
Consignment Shopping Teaches More than Saving Money- An outing to the mall may stimulate your child and, debatably, the economy, but there are real rewards that reach beyond financial when you shop consignment or resale. Typically, a family goal is to stretch their hard earned dollars when buying used items, but I have seen bigger rewards that serve children for a lifetime and beyond when parents form their child's character through experiences inherent to the world of consignment/resale shopping.
Cut Your Future Holiday Bills in Half- Most of us have a certain number of holidays that we celebrate each and every year. That means quite a number of extra "gifts" will need to be purchased for family and friends.
Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half: 8 Essential Techniques for Every Shopper- Want to Buy Much More for Less? Imagine filling your cart with your favorite groceries, but only paying a fraction of the total cost. By mastering the eight essential techniques, every shopper who buys groceries can get the most out of their hard-earned money.
Dress Better For Less- Style. That elusive characteristic that helps define who you are. Some people have it in great abundance. Some people spend their lives searching for it. Whole magazines are dedicated to the subject. In fact, whole industries are dedicated to making money from style. We're even encouraged to 'dress for success'!
Dress Your Child For Less- Summer is winding down and school will be starting in a couple of weeks. Our children have outgrown most of their fall and winter clothes and sometimes they can look too worn. Trying on old clothes is a hassle, especially if you have younger children and buying a new wardrobe each year can hurt the wallet. Try these helpful tips on for size.
Frugal Fashion for Teens- One of the most popular questions I receive in my mail
is "How can I have clothes that are in style without
going broke?" Being the frugal person I am, I thought
I'd share a few of my tips on how to keep your closet
full of fashionable clothes without paying a fortune.
Garage Sale Survival Tips- Spring cleaning fever has hit, and you know what that means: garage sale time! Don't let those boxes stacked in the corner overwhelm you. Garage sales don't have to be a hassle.
How to Avoid Yard Sale Junk- I am a yard sale fanatic. I go every weekend and usually
hold a few each year. I just love them but have been
known to make a buying mistake here or there along
the way. Here are some tips on how to avoid the junk
and just buy the good stuff:
How to Get Your Children Brand Free- Certainly, we as parents want to make our children happy and not deprive them of a delightful childhood, but who's to say that you must give in to every one of your child's requests.
Is Warehouse Shopping Wearing Out Your Wallet?- After waiting in line and waiting in line and waiting in line you push your agonizingly heavy and overloaded baskets out to the car. Getting everything into the trunk of the car makes putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle a breeze, but finally home you go. After you lug everything into the house, it's time to spend the next few hours repackaging things for the freezer. You double wrap your 20 chickens (they could be in that freezer for quite awhile) and frantically try to find places for everything else in your cupboards and pantry. By the time you are done, you are so exhausted that you couldn't begin to lift a finger to cook, so you all go out to eat.
Make the Most of After-Christmas Sales- Wouldn’t it be great if the good things of Christmas could last all year long? Well, we may not be able to enjoy a cheery fire and eggnog in July, but after-Christmas clearance sales can make your wallet jolly month after month. Here’s how to take advantage of the year’s best sales:
My Junk, Your Treasure- Yard sales, or in some parts of the country 'tag' or 'garage' sales, can be a lot of fun whether you're the buyer or the seller. But, a successful sale is more than taking stuff out of your garage and putting up a few signs.
New Mom, New Baby, New Debt?- Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along with your expanding waistline comes the ever growing list of products for you and your new bundle of joy. Preparing for a new baby can be a costly experience, especially in the areas of clothing and nursery furniture. The good news is that it does not have to be!
Odyssey Into Frugality- Parenthood brings about many changes -- but frugality was not one that I expected. My husband and I had a pleasant lifestyle. Adding a child made it even more pleasant. But, as the years went by, I could see that I had to make a choice. What was best for my child?
Organize a Clothing Swap- We, along with about a half-dozen other friends, are clothes swappers. We meet every so often with our bags of unwanted clothing after a spring (or fall) cleaning frenzy to, well, swap clothing. I'm not sure when this ritual started - I was invited to a clothes swap two years ago after a friend (who probably realized we were about the same dress size) invited me to a clothes swap she organized at her house.
Save Money On Clothing- The amount that you spend on clothing. Do you know how much that is? One hundred, two hundred, maybe even three hundred a month?
Is it really necessary to spend that much money on clothes? Maybe not!
Save Money On Clothing- The amount that you spend on clothing. Do you know how much that is? One hundred, two hundred, maybe even three hundred a month? Is it really necessary to spend that much money on clothes? Maybe not!
Save Yourself 10% on Gas- Recent gas price increases have many people complaining. There are many reasons given for rising prices. But, let's look at what the average driver can do all by himself to control what he spends on gasoline. In most cases with very easy, practical steps he can reduce the amount he spends by 10% or more!
Saving Money With Baby- Here are five money saving tactics that can really come in handy if you have newborns or young children and would like to save money off a few of the many expenses that you have.
Shopping At Aldi- Aldi is a small discount warehouse store, not an outlet store. They do not sell outdated or rejected products. They offer a double your money back guarantee for all of their products. I spend $250-$300 a month on groceries for my family of five.
The Art of Asking- One of the most potent saving tools you possess as a consumer is the ability to ask. This ability can easily save you thousands of dollars a year, yet the majority of people fail to use it. Most of us are used to walking into an establishment and handing over the amount of money indicated for the item or service we want to purchase.
The Fine Art of Grocery Shopping- Grocery shopping is one of the first places you can learn how to be frugal. I am amazed when I go to the grocery store how many times people are spending so much more money than myself and getting half the amount of stuff I have within my cart. Here are just a few ways you can learn to cut back on your grocery bill.
The Ultimate Yard Sale Guide for Home Decorators- It's Saturday morning and its time to decorate! And as all creative designers do, we are going yard-sale-ing! Visiting yard sales is one of the most inexpensive ways (and fun!) to add new life to your home decorating style.
To Coupon or Not to Coupon- Grocery coupons have been around since 1894 when Asa Candler handed out handwritten tickets for a free Coca-Cola drink. Over 100 years later, in 2002, shoppers saved $3 billion by redeeming 3.8 billion coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association. People of every age and income use coupons and couponing can make a real difference for a family's bottom line. The question is: Can it make a difference for you?
Did you know that FamilyCorner has its own photo gallery? Did you know that YOU can upload your own photos to it? That's right, and it's completely free!
Here are some of the fun benefits of sharing your photos in our FC Gallery:
Send your own photos as an e-card
Watch slide shows
See beautiful sunsets and other great scenic shots
Brag about and share pictures of your loving pets
Share photos of your children and grandchildren
Create your own individual album and post in category albums
Keep your favorite pictures organized online
Rate images of other members
...more!
Join us in the FC Photo Gallery. It's completely free to use, just another fabulous reason to be a FamilyCorner subscriber.
Family Matters Radio
Hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. Choose a segment below to begin listening!
Secrets of Happily Married Women Do you feel like you are constantly on overdrive? Juggling career and family, attending to everyone's needs but your own, and all the while struggling to maintain a sense of balance and harmony in your marriage? You can actually start getting more out of your relationship by doing less and we'll tell you how with Dr. Scott Haltzman, author of Secrets of Happily Married Women. Hear part 2
When Mars and Venus Collide It's a common scenario: a husband returns home from work stressed out and eager to kick back on the couch and watch TV. A wife returns home from work stressed out and wants to talk about it with her husband. What happens? Neither is on the same page, anger and resentment set in. We're going to find out how stress is impacting marriages today and what you can do about it when we talk with bestselling author John Gray Hear part 2