Tag Archives: Frugal Ideas

My Family’s Recent Frugal Deals

Posted by shopaholicsavers on February 11, 2011 None comments

I am very interested in ways that people save money without sacrificing their quality of life, especially when it also saves time and energy, so I decided to list some of the ways that my family and I have saved money recently.

– I bought a huge, beautiful entertainment center that is much nicer than I had even hoped for and it was only $25 at a Habitat thrift store. The money went to a good cause and I have wanted an entertainment center like that for three years. My parents bought the same brand but a slightly less nice model new at a wholesale store for $200. Savings- $175.00

– I use a binder type planner and instead of buying new pages I bought a single hole punch for .99 cents and printed and made my own using PrintablePlanners.net. Click HERE to print your own. – Savings- $12.00

– My sister and I found two matching solid wooden bookshelves being thrown away. I needed bookshelves since my cheap pressboard bookshelf fell apart after my last move (I was still using the three remaining shelves). I priced other cheap pressboard book shelves at $25-35 dollars each but the ones I got for free were much nicer. Savings- Over $70.00

– I recently found a perfect fitting suit jacket at Goodwill for $3.99. The brand is the same as a suit jacket I bought on sale new a year ago for $45 dollars. And I got a 10% discount for showing my student ID. Savings- $45.00

– For a family birthday we went to GatorLand. They are having a sale until the end of Feb. where Florida residents get in for only $9.99 vs. the usual $22.00. Savings- $72.00

– Making huge family breakfasts- eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, and coffee, instead of going out to eat during a family weekend vacation. Savings- $100.00

– Getting 6 small bags of pet food for free in the mail just by signing up for free samples. Click HERE to see a picture. Savings- $12.00

– Getting the books that I have wanted to read recently from the library instead of buying them- Savings- $65.00

– Doing my own nails. Click HERE to learn how to do a 6 Step French Manicure– Savings- $25.00

– Couponing for groceries and other household products (just this month) Click HERE to see where I find my deals. – Savings- Hundreds!

Frugal Reading- What I’m Currently Reading

Posted by shopaholicsavers on February 4, 2011 None comments

I am currently reading The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches by Jeff Yeager and America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money by Steve and Annette Economides. Both of these books have been very interesting and have a lot of good ideas. I recommend getting them from the library if you want to read them. After all, it wouldn’t be very frugal to buy them.

Six Step Tape French Manicure

Posted by shopaholicsavers on February 4, 2011 1 comments

People often compliment me on my nails, yet I have been in a nail salon only twice in my life. I have been doing them myself for years and no one can tell the difference. This is a fun and easy way to give yourself a great French Manicure at home.

What I use-

– a plastic cuticle pusher

– a nail clipper

– tape (yes tape!)

– a rough nail file

– a fine nail file

– Sally Henson Instant Dry White Nail Polish- You don’t need instant dry but I find that this works best because it is dry by the time I apply the topcoat

– Sally Henson Top Coat with Nylon and Retinol- The top coat you use will determine how long your manicure will last so make sure you get a good one

Steps I take-

1. I file my nails to the shape I want.

2. I push back all of my cuticles and trim them.

3. I file down any rough spots on the tops of my nails and then wipe off any nail dust.

4. I use a piece of tape to create the white tips of a French manicure by putting the tape under the lines on my real nails and then paint the tip white.

5. When I have painted the tips of all of my nails I then go back and paint over them with the top coat.

6. Let your nails dry before doing anything else and you’re done.

Bonus: You can also do this for a French Pedicure although it does take longer to get the white tips right.

Note- I have used different products/versions of these products over the years but this is what I am currently using. I have also done slight variations on these steps so I encourage you to figure out what works best for you.

Frugal Gift Bags

Posted by shopaholicsavers on February 2, 2011 2 comments

Has anyone else noticed how expensive gift bags are? I would rather put my money towards the gift than its wrapping. So for my brother and sister’s birthday (they are twins) I decided to get creative. I used my printer to print out Happy Birthday! and attached it to bags I already had. The one on the left (you might have guessed) was a Victoria’s Secret bag I was given with a free pair of underwear and the one on the right I was given free at a UCF Fair. Both came with tissue paper already.

Frugal Reading- The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Posted by shopaholicsavers on February 2, 2011 2 comments

If you are trying to save money or live more frugally I am telling you that you NEED to get the book The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. It is written by Amy who formerly published a famous newsletter about saving money. She shares all of her family’s ideas for saving money whether practical, amusing, or crazy. She has 6 kids and raised them on her husband’s 30,000 per year military salary while saving for and buying a house! Anyone can find ideas for saving money in this book and if nothing else her book is great inspiration and fun to read. I recommend getting it for free from your local library!

Washable Shower Curtain

Posted by shopaholicsavers on January 7, 2011 None comments

My mom gave me a high quality shower curtain about a year ago. It is completely white with a woven pattern. When it got moldy (as all shower curtains eventually do) I was going to throw it away but instead I washed it with bleach and laundry detergent and it looked new. Today I washed it again and it still looks exactly like it did when I got it. This is about the 4^th time I have washed it. If I had been buying the cheapest clear plastic shower curtains that are sold in stores at $2 each I would have paid at least $8 for new ones by now. I like cloth shower curtains better and you don’t have to worry about them containing as many chemicals as plastic ones.

Article- “Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year.”

Posted by shopaholicsavers on December 7, 2010 4 comments

When I was reading news articles on the internet the other day I came across an article written by a woman named Donna Freedman titled “Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year.” For some people this would be unimaginable, but in these current times of economic hardship it is becoming a reality for many Americans. Donna starts by saying “I’ve made my choices, and they include no more husband, a college education and huge changes in the way I spend money.” She goes on to explain that she is living off of alimony and a school grant, about $1,000 a month, while she goes back to school to finish her college education. After her rent and car insurance she has only $382 dollars a month for all other bills and expenses.

In the article, she describes the sometimes extreme lengths she goes to in order to save money/survive. Donna states in her article that her current financial situation is temporary but it made me again wonder how many Americans in today’s world are going to extreme lengths to survive financially. I give her credit for everything she did in order to finish her education. I enjoyed reading her story, which you can find HERE.