Frugal Friday: Homemade Cloth Napkins

Several years ago, my Mom  spent a lot of time making cloth napkins for us to use on a daily basis. Cloth napkins can be very expensive to purchase so I had an idea. I started collecting fabric from remnant baskets at stores and from Thrift Stores & Garage Sales. This is a great way to get fabric cheap!

 

We now have a variety of cloth napkins to use everyday as well as some for holidays & seasons. There are not any napkin "sets" just a mish mash of fun and decorative prints. The point was not to have all matching napkins but to have enough to use for 3 meals a day. This has helped save money because I will no longer purchase paper disposable napkins and it is good for the environment because we have completely eliminated a disposable product in our house. This idea is not only frugal but fun!

 

 

To make cloth napkins:

1. Cut fabric into squares (any size will work).
   
2. Use a serger or you can hem the edges with a sewing machine.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

 

Frugal Friday: Save Money on Travel

We love to vacation in Branson, MO and typically we go 2-3 times each year.  When we go, we either stay in a vacation home owned by husband's family or my Dad takes care of the travel plans.  I really do not like to book travel plans.  I always wonder if I am making the best possible hotel choice and if I am getting the best rate available.

Last week we made a trip to Branson to attend Homeschool Day at Silver Dollar City and I had to make travel arrangements.  My husband's family vacation home was occupied and my parents were not coming on this trip. 

This made me a nervous wreck and I spent almost an entire day searching multiple travel sites as well as hotel & Branson websites.  I almost purchased a hotel room several times but always ended-up chickening out.  It was so bad, that at one point Connor decided we weren't going on vacation because Mom was too chicken to purchase a hotel room.

I finally found a hotel that I liked at a price that was not bad at Travelocity.com.  Just as I was about to make a purchase, I noticed their "Top Secret Hotels" and there was a 3 star hotel in Branson, MO listed for $36 a night.  WOW!!  That was more than half off the price of the 2 star hotel that I was about to book so I clicked on it.

Everything looked great except you don't get to see the name or address of the hotel until after you book it.  There are also no refunds or exchanges.  There was some basic hotel information that was provided and I was able to see how the hotel rated on things like cleanliness, child friendly, amenities, etc.

So after some debating and lots of encouragement from Connor, I booked it!  Now, I will admit that purchasing a hotel this way is a gamble and I was a bit nauseous while doing it.  You really don't know what you are getting until it is too late.   I was slightly confident booking this way because I am very familiar with the Branson area and I searched through all of the 3 star Branson hotels on the Travelocity website and I did not find any that I would not be comfortable staying in.  I don't think I would choose a "Top Secret" hotel in a city that I was not familiar with or had never visited.

So, do you want to know how it turned out?

Our "Top Secret" hotel was the Westgate Branson Woods Resort and it was wonderful!!  The rooms were basic which is ok with us because we only sleep there.  However, it did have a mini-fridge & microwave.  The room was also in good condition and very clean.  There were a lot of ammenities like an indoor swimming pool, fitness room, playgrounds, shuffleboard & ping pong.  The only thing it did not offer was a free breakfast but I knew that ahead of time so we planned in advance to eat breakfast at McDonalds.

This resort is also a Time Share and so we were offered a free breakfast and some other freebies to attend a time share presentation.  We politely declined and that was the end of it.

This was a great experience for us and we paid less than $90 ($36 a night + fees & taxes) for a hotel room for 2 nights with 3 people (2 adults & 1 child).

Have you ever booked a hotel or a "Top Secret" hotel with a travel site?  What was your experience?  I would love for you to share your experience (good or bad) in the comments!



This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Homemade Play Dough

Here is a simple recipe for Homemade Play Dough. My Mom made this for me when I was a child and I loved it! I now make it for my son. Play Dough is so expensive now and I think the homemade version is much better. This recipe is safe if it is ingested however I would not recommend it. The play dough smells good but does not taste good (don't ask me how I know this).

Play Dough Recipe

• 1 cup Flour
• 1 cup warm Water
• 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup Salt
• Food Coloring
• 1 tablespoon Almond Extract, Vanilla Extract or Mint Extract (other flavors will work too)

Mix together flour, water, cream of tartar, oil and salt in a sauce pan. Slowly add in food coloring. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and add extract (optional). Knead until smooth and the extract is well blended. Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.


This makes a great Birthday gift. Simply put the play dough in a plastic container and add some cookie cutters or other accessories from the Dollar Store or Thrift Store. For an added touch you can put it all together in a gift basket. I love buying gift baskets at garage sales and thrift stores, they are usually priced around $.25-$.50 each.

This post is linked to:

• Happy Family Times

Save Money on Home Improvement Projects by Thinking Outside the Box

We have a faucet on the wall in our garage.  It can be very convenient to have this faucet but it is in a very awkward location and there was nothing to protect the dry wall from water splashes.  We needed a solution to protect the wall but all of our options were expensive and/or complicated. 

I really wanted to tile the wall but that is not one of our home improvement skills.  The faucet is located in a corner so 2 walls would need to be tiled in order to protect the dry wall.  This would make the project of tile expensive (supply costs add up fast!), time consuming and difficult (at least for us). 

So after a lot of thought, I came up with a frugal solution to protect the wall!  We purchased 30 Vinyl Peel & Stick Floor Tiles for $.69 each.  We then used liquid nails construction adhesive and applied them to the wall.  We then sealed the corner edge with caulk so that water cannot get behind the tiles. 

The result is a beautiful, water resistant, easy to clean wall and it cost less than $25 for the entire project!

How do you save money on Home Improvement Projects?

Share with us in the comments.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Frugal Friday: Six Items that I Will Not Buy New

1.  Children's Dress Clothes & Shoes

It seems like Connor is growing non-stop and every year he needs 2 new sets of dress clothes (1 for Christmas time & 1 for Spring time).  It is so frustrating to purchase expensive dress clothes and shoes that are only going to be worn maybe 3-4 times.   I quickly realized that if my child only wears his dress clothes a few times then other people's children probably only wear them 3-4 times too so I started searching thrift stores. 

This does take some time and a little planning ahead but the savings are definitely worth it.  I usually pay $2-$3 for a pair of boys dress shoes that are like new (probably worn 3-4 times or less),  around $5-$7 for a designer (The Children's Place, Ralph Lauren, Carters, Gymboree, etc.) dress shirt & sweater vest and $2-$8 for designer dress pants.  This would easily cost $50+ new. 

 I don't have a daughter so I have never really looked at girl's clothing at the thrift stores but I am guessing that "like new" girl's dress clothes would also be abundantly available.

2.  Coffee Makers (& Iced Tea Makers)

I think I might have a coffee maker obsession.  Yes, I currently own every coffee & tea maker in the picture above.  We use the single-cup maker most of the time but I keep the 6-cup maker for when my parents are visiting, the 12-cup maker for when we have dinner guests and the large percolator for when we have a large party & the iced tea maker is for when it is too hot for coffee. 

I have used each one of these at least twice within the last year so to me it is worth it to keep them.  I also paid less than $25 for all of them at thrift stores and/or garage sales!  Most thrift stores have a large selection and wide variety of coffee makers for $5 or less.

3.  Baskets (Especially Easter Baskets!)

Almost every thrift store has an abundance of baskets with most of them priced under $1 and because of this I never buy baskets new! 

If you want seasonal or special occasion baskets (Easter, Christmas, Flower Girl, etc.) this may require a little advanced planning.  It is easier to find seasonal or special occasion baskets in their off season.  For example, it would probably be difficult (but not impossible) to find Flower Girl baskets in May or June.  However, there will probably be an abundance of them in October or November.

4.  Storage Shelves

I used to purchase those big plastic shelves to use for storage in the basement.  You know, the ones that start at $50 and quickly go up from there.  I found the cabinet pictured above at a thrift store for $50.  It is perfect for storing my small appliances that I don't use on a regular basis and it also has cabinets and drawers for storage. 

Sometimes, if you just think outside of the box you can come up with a storage solution that meets your storage needs and costs significantly less than new products designed for storage.  I am currently scouring the thrift stores for a large dresser to store old towels (used for cleaning).

I don't just buy basement storage at thrift stores.  I purchased the cabinet pictured above for $20 at a local thrift store plus about $10 worth of paint and voila I turned it into this:

I use this cabinet to store my good china & stemware in our dining room.

5.  Large Plastic Children's Toys

All of my son Connor's large (& most of the small too) have come from thrift stores or garage sales.  These items are outrageously expensive new and there is an abundance of them available second hand.  It does take some patience and searching but it is definitely worth it for the money saved.  The Little Tikes Car pictured above retails for around $60 (oh yes $60, that is not a typo) and I found this one at a thrift store (in very good condition) for $5!!

We received the boat pictured above for FREE from friends at church. The retail price for this is around $200!!!!  Their children had outgrown it and they wanted it out of their yard.  Don't be afraid to ask friends or neighbors for large plastic toys when their children are done with them.  Most parents can't wait to get them out of their yard and are happy to give them away or sell them very cheap.

If you are in the market for a large plastic toy (car, kitchen set, table & chairs, tool workshop, sandboxes, water tables, baby doll furniture, etc.) I definitely recommend doing some searching at thrift stores and/or garage sales.  You can save a ton of money with just a little bit of work & patience!

6.  Bread Machines

My very first bread machine was a wedding gift and it sat in a cabinet collecting dust before I was brave enough to try using it.  Bread making can be very intimidating in the beginning.  I soon became confident with bread making and now I could not live without my bread machine. 

My first bread machine was a gift so it was new but for many years I had seen lots of "new" and "like new" bread machines at thrift stores and garage sales so when my bread machine died I decided to hit the thrift stores.  I really wanted one with double paddles but I just wasn't able to find one.  Then, one day my Mom called to tell me that she found a double paddle Wolfgang Puck bread machine at their church rummage sale for $20!!  I absolutely love this bread machine (pictured above) and it is something that I would not have been able to afford new at a retail store.

What items do you only buy second hand? 

Share with us in the comments!

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom
  
  

Two Tips for Saving Money on Washing Dishes (Dishwasher & Hand Washing)

Make your own Dishwasher Detergent:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1 cup Water
• 2-3 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Mix baking soda, borax & water until dissolved and then mix in essential oil. Store in a glass jar or squeeze bottle. Use 2-3 tablespoons per load.

 

Make Your own Foamy Dish Soap:
I make my own Homemade Foamy Hand Soap so why not do the same with dish soap!

Here is the recipe I use:


Add 1/3 cup Liquid Dish Soap of your choice (I used the basic blue Dawn but you could use whatever you have on hand) to the foamy dish soap bottle and then fill with water. Gently shake. That's it!! This will make your bottle of dish soap last twice as long and it cleans just as well.

Watch the CVS and Walgreens ads for dish soap to go on sale. You can usually get it for FREE or really cheap with coupons and/or Extra Bucks!

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

 

 

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money and to go green!

Lemon Lavender All Purpose Cleaner

• 2 cups Water
• 1 teaspoon Borax
• 1/4 cup White Vinegar
• 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 15 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and add the borax. Stir until completely dissolved. Add the vinegar and allow the mixture to cool completely. Pour mixture into a clean & empty spray bottle. Add the essential oil. Shake gently to mix.

Here are some of my other Homemade Cleaning Product Recipes that I have posted:

• Automatic Shower Cleaner
• Microwave Cleaner
• Carpet Steamer Shampoo
• Basic Kitchen Sink Cleaner
• Mirror Bright Cleaner
• Laundry Soap
• Fabric Softener
• Dishwasher Detergent

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Homemade Automatic Shower Cleaner

 

I love my Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner!! I don't love the cost of refills. I found a recipe for Homemade Automatic Shower Cleaner. This recipe seems to be working very well in our Automatic Shower Cleaners. It smells just like the refills you buy at the store.

 

This solution can also be used in a regular spray bottle if you do not have a Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner.

 

 

Here is what you will need:

• Empty Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Bottle
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Dishwasher Rinse Aid
• Dish Soap
• Water

First, remove the cap from the bottle. This is a little tricky and requires a small pair of plyers. Place the plyers around the cap of the bottle and gently squeeze and twist the cap off. Add 1/2 cup Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 cup Rubbing Alcohol, 6-8 drops Dish Soap and 2 tablespoons Dishwasher Rinse Aid to the bottle. Fill the bottle with water. Replace the cap (it just twists back on) and gently shake. It is now ready to use!

 

 

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Christmas Traditions: A Birthday Party for Jesus

One of our Christmas Eve Traditions is to have a Birthday party for Jesus. This is a great way to help young children understand the true meaning of Christmas. We do not open or exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, we celebrate Jesus' Birthday!

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Magic Reindeer Food

 

Every year we make Magic Reindeer Food to sprinkle on the front lawn on Christmas Eve. The recipe calls for oats but I have made many substitutions over the years including cheerios & crushed Ritz crackers. Just make sure that all the ingredients are safe for reindeers and other wildlife. Do not use glitter in this recipe, it is very dangerous for reindeer and birds : )

Magic Reindeer Food

• Oats
• Sugar
• Red and/or Green Sugar Sprinkles (or any Christmas Sprinkles)

Reindeer Poem:

Sprinkle on the lawn on Christmas Eve night.
The moon will make it sparkle bright.
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
This will guide them to your home.

 

This can be made in layers in a baby food jar and makes a fun gift or you can just mix it up in a ziploc bag (or bowl) for your family.

 

This is a great activity for the little ones too!

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

Frugal Friday: Fun & Cheap Halloween Decorations

Several years ago I bought some Halloween spider webs and plastic spiders on clearance ($.10 a package) and so we decided to use them and do a little spooky decorating this year.

Connor and I had a lot of fun stretching out the spider web and spreading it around the house. I have a funny feeling that it will be like Easter grass and I will still be vacuuming it up in July! 

We also made a Spider Tree. I used a topiary that I already had and then we covered it with spider web and plastic spiders.

We purchased an old glass juice jar at a garage sale for $.10 and used spray paint to make the lid black. Then we did a search on Swagbucks for free printable Halloween labels and found this Fur of Werewolf label. We printed it on old yellowed paper and distressed it. Can you guess what we put in the jar? It is the contents of my vacuum canister! I know, it's disgusting. We have a cat and therefore a lot of cat fur. Hey, it was FREE and it's recycling right??

We printed a few other Halloween labels and put them on jars and bottles I found in the basement.

We also put a few labels on wine bottles.

My favorite project was the Spooky Black Curtains we made for the dining room. Can you guess what they are made of? Crepe paper & black paper napkins! I got the idea from a video at MarthaStewart.com.

Martha Stewart made these from a kit that you can purchase at Michael's. I did not use the kit instead I purchased 2 rolls of black crepe paper at Hobby Lobby ($.60 each after a 40% coupon). I cut crepe strips the length of my regular dining room curtains and then attached the strips to the curtain rods. I distressed the crepe paper strips for a spooky, weathered look. Then I took black cocktail napkins (purchased at Wal-Mart for $.99), distressed them and hung them over the curtain rod as a valance.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

Birthday FREEBIES!

(That's me on my first birthday!)

Monday is my Birthday & so I have been enjoying a week of Birthday FREEBIES! 

In fact, I have received so many FREEBIES that it has been overwhelming!  I have put together a list of all the Birthday FREEBIES that I received this week with links so that you can get them on your birthday too.

Don't forget to sign-up everyone in your Family. These are a great way to celebrate Birthdays without blowing your budget.

Lone Star - FREE Appetizer


Sephora - FREE Philosophy Vanilla Cupcake Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath


Noodles & Company - FREE Meal


Baskin Robbins - FREE Single Ice Cream Scoop


Sheridan's - FREE Single Topping Sundae, Concrete or Shake


Einstein Bros. Bagels - FREE Bagel & Shmear


First Watch - FREE Entree


Victoria's Secret - $10 off any purchase coupon (comes snail mail)


TGI Fridays - FREE Dessert


Hallmark - $5 off a $25 purchase (scroll down to the bottom of the page)


Houlihans - FREE Entree


Subway - B1G1 FREE 6-inch Fresh Value Meal


Coldstone Creamery - FREE Ice Cream + 1 Mix-in


On the Border - FREE Dip Trio or Brownie Sundae with the purchase of an entree


Culvers - FREE One-Scoop Sundae


Caribou Coffee - FREE Drink


Taco Bueno - FREE Cheesecake Chimichangas with the purchase of any platter or combo


Orange Julius - B1G1 FREE 20oz. Premium Fruit Smoothie


Pretzel Maker - FREE Small Pretzel Bites


Smoothie King - B1G1 FREE 20oz. Smoothie


Chili's - FREE Dessert with the purchase of any entree


Arby's - FREE Swirl Shake with any Purchase


Fazoli's (click on e-family)  - FREE Dessert


Red Robin - FREE Gourmet Burger


MiMi's Cafe - B1G1 FREE Entree (with the purchase of 2 beverages)


Firehouse Subs - FREE Sub


Texas Roadhouse - FREE Appetizer


IHOP - FREE Rooty, Tooty Fresh & Fruity Meal


Dairy Queen - B1G1 FREE Blizzard


Joe's Crab Shack - FREE Appetizer w/ Purchase


Hometown Buffet - B1G1 FREE Buffet


Red Lobster - $5 off 2 Adult Entrees


Sweet Tomatoes - FREE Meal


Ace Hardware - $5 off a $20 Purchase


Jason's Deli -  $5 Gift Card


Just for Kids:


K-Mart Birthday Club - $5 Birthday Bucks


Toys R Us - Geoffrey's Birthday Club


The Children's Place - Special Gift Coupon


Bob Evans - FREE Kid's Meal


Sonic - FREE Wacky Pack Kid's Meal


Chuck E. Cheese - FREE Tokens with Coupon


Burger King - FREE Kid's Meal


California Pizza Kitchen - FREE Kid's Meal


This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

Frugal Friday: Homemade Carpet Steamer Shampoo

 

Since we have been dog sitting this summer, I have been using a lot of Homemade Febreeze & using my Dirt Devil Carpet Steamer a lot more than usual. 

The carpet shampoo for the steamer is very expensive. I have never seen this product on sale or coupons for this product. Even the generic ones cost around $10 a bottle at Wal-Mart. 

I found a recipe for Homemade Carpet Steamer Shampoo in "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier.   If you like to make or are interested in learning how to make homemade cleaning supplies this is a great book.

 

Homemade Carpet Steamer Shampoo

• 3/4 cup very hot Water
• 1/2 cup White Vinegar*
• 1 Tablespoon liquid Castille Soap (available at most health food stores)
• 30 drops Thyme Essential Oil (also available at health food stores)- this provides antibacterial properties and a very refreshing scent

Pour all ingredients into a container with a pour spout (or you can use a funnel) and blend well. Add the formula to the appropriate compartment on your steam cleaner and clean your carpet according to the manufacturers directions.

*Vinegar can sometimes slightly bleach dark-colored carpets.  Test this formula on an inconspicuous area first.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday

 

Frugal Friday: 5 Tips for Building a Stockpile ( & a few pictures of my personal stockpile)

1.  Allocate some money from your grocery budget each week to purchase items at rock bottom prices for your stockpile. 

This does not have to be a lot of money.  It can be as little as $1.00 because the stockpile items should be at their rock bottom price or maybe even FREE after sale & coupon.  Never pay full price for a stockpile item & do not go over budget to purchase stockpile items.  You are not saving money if you are over budget!

2.  Take advantage of seasonal sales and stock-up! 

I like to budget extra money for stockpiling on major holidays when there are lots of great sales. 

For example, Labor Day is coming soon and this is a great time to stock-up on hot dogs, brats, ground beef, buns (for the freezer), ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, pickles, soda, etc.  All of these items will be on sale at great prices over the next couple of weeks. 

Here are some Seasonal Sale Examples:

• Thanksgiving & Christmas (The BEST stockpiling holidays!):  Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Potatoes, Cool Whip, Canned & Frozen Veggies, Butter, Gelatin, Pudding  Baking Supplies, Cake Mix
• Lent:  Fish/Seafood
• Easter:  Baking Supplies, Cake Mixes, Ham, Stuffing, Potaotes, Cool Whip, Gelatin, Pudding, Canned & Frozen Veggies
• Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day & Super Bowl:  Soda, Ground Beef & other Grilling Meats, Hot Dogs, Brats, Chips, Condiments, Ice Cream, Popsicles

3.  Do not buy more than your family can consume by the expiration date.

Food is not a bargain if it ends up in the trash!  I use a sharpie and write the expiration date on the top of the package so it is easy to find.  I also put the oldest items in front & newer items in the back.

4.  Do not buy more than you have room to store.

I have a large freezer and lots of storage in our basement so I have a fairly large stockpile.  I have also purchased under the bed storage boxes to take advantage of unused (except by the cat) space.  If you live in a small home, have limited storage or move frequently, take this into account when deciding on a size for your stockpile.  It is a good idea to determine how much storage space you have first and take a break from stockpiling when it is full.

 

5.  Always think ahead! 

 When I was pregnant with my son, I knew that we would need lots of diapers when he was born so I spent 9 months stocking-up.  

Look for the items that you use on a regular basis at rock bottom prices & stock-up! 

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday