frugality

The following is a guest post from Lisa at The Spot to Save:

It’s that time of year again!

According to KidsConsignmentSales.com, “Seasonal consignment shopping is a fast growing trend, especially for baby and children’s items. Kids grow so fast, and items like clothes, strollers, car seats, cribs and toys many times seem barely used. Seasonal consignment sales offer a unique venue for both sellers and shoppers. These sales set up shop for a weekend or a few days more in the spring and fall. Some sales also offer a holiday sale around December that specializes in toys and holiday clothes.”

I have participated in a seasonal consignment sale for several years now and have found it to be instrumental in helping me tackle the clothing budget for the kids. At the sale I participate in, I receive 70% of the selling price minus a $5 registration fee and the remaining 30% goes to the charity involved. As an added bonus, sellers are granted early access to the sale prior to the public. I value that opportunity greatly because these days, if you are not there early, you miss the good stuff!

Shopping at Consignment Sales

I recommend participating as a shopper at a seasonal sale to get “your feet wet” first. See how things are run and check out the items for sale. Did you like what you saw and did you enjoy your experience? Most consignment sales accept only cash or check. Bring a laundry basket for your loot! I made the mistake of bringing a paper shopping bag – the bag could not handle the amount of items I found. It is exciting to stumble on a really nice outfit for a fraction of the cost. My kids get excited because they know Mom is coming home with loads of “new” clothes.

Selling at Consignment Sales

After you find a sale you like, become a seller! The perks are numerous. At each sale I usually make approximately $150-200 and spend $100-$125. Participating as a seller does take time but knowing I am recycling what doesn’t fit anymore into clothes that do is SO worth the extra effort to me.

Tips for sellers in a consignment sale:

• Place a storage tub in each child’s closet and toss outgrown clothing in it year round for review closer to sale time.

• Register early for your preferred sale and get all the rules/guidelines for a seller – pick one sale and learn it!

• Pick a convenient location in the house to work on your items to sell and work on it a little everyday.

• Invest in an inexpensive clothes hanging rack.

• Save safety pins and wire hangers from the drycleaner all year for your sale.

Where are the sales in your area?? Check out The Bargain Watcher to find your local seasonal consignment sales. I bet there are PLENTY around you. Good luck and happy consignment sale shopping!

Have you bought or sold children’s clothing at a consignment sale?

Lisa works full time, is married to a Marine and has two awesome kids. She is an organizational junkie who loves coffee, making lists, entertaining friends and family, teaching others how easy it can be to save, and finding the best deals to share on her blog www.thespottosave.com.

The following is a guest post from Shaina of Food for My Family:

Photo by Shaina @ Food for My Family

stay·ca·tion: a vacation spent at home or nearby

Proven with Merriam-Webster’s recent addition of “staycation” to its 2009 collegiate dictionary, staycations are increasingly becoming the vacation of choice for many families, for obvious reasons. They are the frugal alternative to the traditional getaway vacation, and if you find you just can’t take the days off work this year, a long weekend at home may need to take the place of your yearly week-long jaunt to (your vacation destination of choice here).

The back-to-school season is in full effect, with its bright red sale signs sounding summer’s end and marking the way to yellow school buses and lunchboxes packed with sandwiches and juice, but there’s still time to sit back, relax and enjoy the waning days of summer. Even if you only have a three-day weekend, a staycation can maximize fun and relaxation and minimize the end-of-summer blues. Here are a few tips to help you plan and execute the perfect staycation:

Getting Prepared

::Become a tourist
Most major cities have travel guides available online that list area attractions, and they can be a wonderful insight into what your city has to offer. You can also check out the calendar at sites like Go City Kids to search for events going on in your neighborhood or in the neighboring cities and towns. My family recently attended an ice cream flavor contest for a local ice cream shop by way of Go City Kids.

:: Clean your house
Having chores to do all around you can ruin your ability to sit back and take it easy. Prepare for your vacation by taking care of the cleaning and the laundry beforehand. Do as much or as little as you need to to feel comfortable in your house and not be tempted by the dishes in the sink or the pile of papers you’ve been meaning to go through and organize. Something as simple as unloading the dishwasher beforehand makes life easier so that all you need to do is load dishes as you go.

:: Pack
This is a vacation; treat it as one. Plan your clothing for yourself and kids ahead of time and set them out on the dresser or in a basket so you don’t waste time rummaging through drawers deciding what to wear each morning. Prepare make-ahead breakfasts like a french toast bake a day or two before so breakfast is heat and eat. Simply roll out of bed to your alarm, stick it in the oven and snuggle back in bed for the duration of the cooking time and breakfast will be hot and warm on your plate with very little effort or cleanup needed on your part. Prep for your other meals so you aren’t slicing tomatoes for burgers inside when everyone else is outside, and then store them in the fridge until you’re ready for them and make both meal preparation and clean-up less of a chore.

Photo by Shaina @ Food for My Family

Execution

:: Turn off the computer
I understand if you must check your email, but try stepping away from your computer and turning it off for the day after you do. It’s very easy to lose track of time browsing, reading blogs and updating your Facebook page, and those are minutes and hours that could be spent at the beach, outside next to the kiddie pool, at a local museum or walking the trails at the nearest state park.

:: Take pictures and mail a postcard
Just as you would for any vacation, bring your camera along and take lots of pictures. Some of my favorite pictures of my children are from our day trips to the art museum or state parks. While we were only there for one day, we made that day count with pictures to remember them by, and my kids still remember those single days years later. Have kids pick out postcards to mail to grandparents and cousins while you’re there as well.

:: Pick one thing to splurge on
If you’re on a budget for your staycation, try to choose one thing to spend money on. Whether it’s tickets to a sporting event or concert, dinner at that fancy restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or passes to a water park, pick something that would be memorable and fun for you and your family and enjoy every minute of doing it.

So get out there and plan a relaxing staycation for your last days of summer. Explore your neighborhood, enjoy your own backyard or find a new favorite picnic spot in the nearest park. Budget-friendly, time-conscious and with the ability to provide something for all members of your family, a staycation may be just what your summer has been lacking.

Has your family enjoyed a staycation this year? Do you have any staycations tips, tricks or things to remember?

Shaina is the home cook and wannabe photographer behind Food for My Family, where she shares recipes, tips, opinions and her philosophy on food as she wades through the process of feeding her family, her friends and anyone else who will let her.

The following is a guest post from Frances at Frugal Fairhope.

Photo by Andres Rueda

We all know that we should cut up those credit cards and close the accounts. Who needs credit anyway when you pay as you go, right? Well, this doesn’t work for everyone. Besides, maybe the credit cards are not the issue, but you are using your debit card for stuff that you really shouldn’t be buying. You can cut those credit cards all day long but until you stop the spending, you are not going to reach your financial goals.

How do you stop the spending?

Some of us have self-control, while others not so much. You know who you are and you know what you are capable of spending on Saturday. You know those Saturdays when the weather is beautiful outside and you are “window shopping” with your girlfriends. Between lunch and the “great deals” at the stores, you can go through a couple hundred bucks.

Here are a few fun ideas to stop yourself from spending. No, we are not going to tell you to put your cards in the freezer; you need the room in your freezer for stockpiling.

1. Write down your financial goals and place them on the fridge or your bathroom mirror. This will be a constant reminder. Get creative, do a scrapbook page and place it in a magnet frame. You will be looking at this every day.

2. Attach your goals to your cards. Tape photos of your kids or your house with paid for written on the front of your card as a friendly reminder to put that card back into the wallet.

3. Piggy banks worked when we were kids, but not now. Are you saving up for a big purchase like a new computer or a piece of furniture? Each pay day buy gift cards from that store. You can buy the gift cards online and have them mailed to you. This keeps the money out of your account so you can save for that purchase.

4. Create a house rule; no one can spend over $150 without consulting the other person face to face (groceries not included). You both have to sit down and agree that this is something for the family. The house rule should be specifically $150 per day and not on one item (this tip is for the die hard stop the spending fanatic).

5. Leave the debit card at home or in the car when you are shopping. Use the envelope system and carry cash. Cash has a weird control over people, once you see it disappear out of that envelope and it will make you stop and think about what you are spending it on.

6. Create a “what to buy me” list. These are items like a new iPod, purse, or pocket notebook. Once you create this list and it keeps getting longer and longer, you might just find out that these are not things you need in your life. You may even find that you can live without these things.

7. Think about what it really costs you. We do this for our kids by giving them an allowance to save up for that new game system. The kids learn what it takes (more importantly how much work) to get that new toy. Do this for yourself. If you make $20 an hour, think about how many hours you have to work in order to get that blouse. Is it worth the work? Does your husband have to stay at the office a couple more hours to afford that new pair of shoes?

8. The Waiting Rule. This one is our favorite. We found out that because we have been doing this for years, we use this without even thinking about it. Create a house rule that all big purchases must be thought about for at least 30 days before the purchase.

9. Don’t spend for two days. Don’t spend any money for two days out of every week for six months. We don’t mean sit at home so you are not using gas. Don’t charge or use cash for two days out of every week.

Deal Seeking Mom here: What tactics have you used to curb your spending and meet your financial goals?

Frances holds a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Mobile. She has a keen interest and ability in keeping every penny she and her husband earn and enjoys helping others do the same, and she offers money saving coupons, tips, and tricks through her web site at www.frugalfairhope.com.

Photo by nkzs

Summer is a great time to spend hours and hours just reading. You can read a novel by the pool. You can read aloud as a family before bedtime. You can set aside a quiet reading time for the kids each day. Unfortunately, books can get pricey if you aren’t careful.

Here is a look at the best places to get free books for this year’s summer reading:

• The library. The library has long been a favorite summer standby for many families and it continues to be one of the best places to get free books. Make sure to return books on time in order to avoid any late fees! You can use a system like LibraryElf to help you with that.

• Online book swaps. You can get great books online and keep them for as long as you want by using book swaps. You list the books that you have available for trade. Each time that someone requests that book from you, you mail it to them and get a credit for sending it. You use your credits to get free books from others using the site. Top sites for online book swaps are Paperback Swap, Frugal Reader and Title Trader. Note that you do typically pay a small shipping fee to send your books to others but the cost is minimal if you use media mail shipping.

• Local book swaps. You can also swap books with others locally to avoid shipping fees. There are book swap meetups advertised online but you can also create your own book trading circle with friends and families in your area. If someone in the group has some basic computer skills then it’s fairly easy to set up a website where everyone can list their books and request them from one another. Otherwise you could simply meet up weekly with some books for trade and everyone can pick what they want.

• Yard sales. Many yard sales these days offer a “free box” which typically has books in it. If you enjoy going to yard sales then look for these books. If you go to yard sales late in the day then you may also be able to ask the sellers if they’d be willing to give their remaining books away for free or cheap.

• Thrift shops and used book stores. Many of the local used item stores also keep a free section that you can rummage through when you stop in.

• Offer to donate others’ books for them. A lot of people keep books lying around that they no longer want. If you offer to haul people’s books away for them then you can have your pick of the titles for free before you drop them off.

• Get involved with BookCrossing. This is a group in which members randomly leave books for others all around town. It’s kind of a fun experience and a good way to get interesting new titles to read.

• Check book blogs for giveaways. Many blogs that reviews books or write about writing will have regular book giveaways. If you like reading these blogs anyway then start commenting to get those free books.

• Become a book reviewer. You could actually even make some money off of reading books if you wanted to try that this summer. You can set up your own blog that reviews books. Once established, you can start requesting books for free in exchange for review. The easiest way to start getting such books is to attend local literary readings and to meet the authors directly. They’ll often gladly let you walk away from the reading with a free book. If your blog gets popular enough then you might even earn some ad revenue for the reviews but either way you get a free book.

• Read online. There are tons of sites that let you read books and ebooks online for free. Google Book Search is the most well known for classic books and Project Gutenberg is known for ebooks. It’s not quite the same as cracking open a book by the pool but it’s another option for free summer reading.

Reading is a great way to spend the summer both on your own and with your family. Just don’t spend a lot of money to enjoy this summer activity since there are so many ways of getting free books instead.