A baby nursery for less than $260!

Remember my post from October about looking for a pregnant Halloween costume? Well, the time has *almost* come. Here are nine ways I’ve saved money in preparation for parenthood.

• We compared the prices of popular baby gear on Amazon, Babies R Us, and Target to make sure we got the best deal on a car seat and other items we wanted to buy new. You’d be surprised which retailer was the cheapest!

• I stalked craigslist, Freecycle, and my local Mommy & Me consignment store to furnish our nursery, pictured above, for less than $260. I can’t believe how much used baby stuff is free or extremely cheap. Here are more places to look to avoid paying retail for baby clothesand gear.

• We cooked five dinners ahead of time and froze them, including turkey spaghetti, chicken corn chowder, and pork and hominy stew. I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, which freezes really well for up to a month. Everything but the turkey spaghetti recipe came from my favorite cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

• We considered using disposable diapers but the environmental and dollar cost convinced us to go with washable cloth diapers. We’re using the Gdiaper system and were lucky to find a huge stash of them at a garage sale for $.50 a piece!

• We planned family visits to get extra help cooking and cleaning, reducing our take out bill and sleep deprivation. Not sure if this will save us that much, but it will certainly be nice to have the company!

• We updated our budget to live on one salary, nixing a lot of luxuries we used to enjoy.

• We skipped a lot of baby gear money traps. It’s obnoxious how many manufacturers use parents’ fear to sell worthless crap.

• I bought most of my maternity clothes second hand from a local consignment shop, and found hot deals at Sears for new items. In one trip, I paid $133 for two pairs of pants, two sweaters, two bras, and three tops. That averages to $14.78 per item.

• We fully stocked our kitchen pantry and toiletry closet so we won’t have to pay full price if something runs out.

Anything else we should do before baby arrives?

Soda bottle lantern/Things Deb Loves

I LOVE holiday crafts! They are so sparkly and fun to make with kids of all ages.

Here is a list of 8 of my favorite holiday crafts.

1. Soda bottle lanterns. Cut the top off a 2-liter soda bottle. Take off label. Decorate with tissue paper put on with watered down Elmer’s glue. Punch two holes on top and string wire or string for a handle. Put a battery operated tea light or glo-stick inside. This is more beautiful than you can image.
   
   
2. Tongue depressor/Popsicle stick snowflakes. Buy the sticks from a Dollar Store or craft supply store. Paint them white. Let dry. Glue together in a star shape. Decorate. Can be used as a unique party invitation or decoration.
3. Recycled wreaths. You can make a wreath out of just about anything from an old bicycle tire wrapped in garland and lights to red buttons glued onto a round piece of cardboard.
4. Hang tags. Repurpose last year’s holiday cards into this year’s name tags for your presents. Just cut off the side with the message and put a hole into the picture side. Tape to present to use ribbon through a hole to hang.
5. Heart house ornament. Another use for last year’s cards. Make a beautiful house shaped tree ornament. Clever idea.
6. Victorian Christmas crackers.  These aren’t the crackers that you eat. These are the crackers that make a popping noise with a toy inside. Make these delightful small gifts out of toilet paper rolls and tissue paper.
7. Paper bag Santa. This is a super easy and cheap craft that kids love. Just takes a paper bag, crayons, scissors, glue and a cotton ball.
8. Paper chains. Cut some red and green construction paper into strips and start connecting those circles. Kids love making paper chains and it is a cheap project. I found a nice paper cutter at a yard sale several years ago and I love it and use it all the time.

These craft ideas along with my earlier Frugal and homemade holiday gifts should keep you all busy making all sorts of holiday creations. Have I forgotten something that you love to make during the holidays?

This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Any other site posting this content is violating the DMCA.

Keng Susumpow/Flickr

I love presents! I love waking up on Christmas morning to a tree drowning in presents. My family spends the day opening presents, watching movies, eating good food and talking to friends and relatives on the phone. Heavenly.

However, creating that pile of presents without breaking the budget and without gathering ANY credit card debt is a trick. A trick that I have pulled off for many years, by the way.

Here are my top 8 No Debt Santa Claus secrets:

1. Shop all year long. Yep, you start shopping the day after Christmas. Grab up those very last 90% off clearance wrapping paper and store it for next year. Christmas DOES come once a year whether you plan for it or not.
2. Determine a “secret hiding place” for gifts that you collect throughout the year. When my kids were little, I kept boxes in the attic. Now, everyone knows where the secret place is and agrees not to look.
3. Buy gifts for yourself and give them to someone else to hold onto until the holidays. I don’t know about you, but I really am the best person to buy gifts for myself. I know what I want and I am out shopping for everyone else. When I see something that I like that is a great buy, I snatch it up and give it to my daughter to store for me. Then, I “forget” about it until I open my gift. One of the advantages of this tip is that I don’t have to return my gift because it is already the perfect present.
4. Buy gifts at yard sales. I have gotten some of the very best gifts at yard sales. I bought a $200 beaded lamp for $20. My daughter and I were both there and so we both “forgot” about it.
5. Redeem credit card points for gift cards. I do not have credit card debt, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t use my credit cards. I pay off my cards in full when I get the bill every month and I use the points for gift cards. My family particularly likes the movie passes and book store gift cards.
6. Make homemade goodies to give as gifts. It is well known that I make chocolate covered pretzels during the holidays. My hubby’s co-workers have been asking for them all year. These are a great way to give a little something to many people without breaking the bank. I purchase the necessary ingredients throughout the year when I see them on sale.
7. Learn how to create unique gift wrapping. The fact is that you can get gift wrap and tags super cheap at the 99 cent store. I use gift bags with tissue paper quite a lot. However, along with keeping to one’s budget, you also want to have the holidays be a time of creating beauty and memories with your family. Making handmade gift tags is a wonderful activity to do with your kids. Teaching them how to wrap a beautiful present is a lifelong skill.
8. Find out what your friends REALLY want as a gift. Perhaps what you mom really wants from you is a mother-daughter day of baking, shopping or just taking a long walk. Maybe your best friend would love to have you coming and help her reorganize her closet. Perhaps you co-worker would like to have a lunch together to talk about something other than work. Many times the very best gift is just your time and attention. Don’t under estimate the value of YOU as the best gift.

What do you think? Did I miss something important?

This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Other sites posting this content are violating the DMCA.

Zager Family / Flickr

Halloween is behind us and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I love Thanksgiving because it is a time for family, reflection and thanks. The following activities can help you create a special day.

1. Make a Thanksgiving scrapbook. Every year, take a picture of who you sit down with. Note who is the oldest and who is the youngest. Enter in any special relationships (Aunt Josie just got engaged to Fred) and where people are currently living. Over time, this will become a treasured family album.
2. A variation on a scrapbook is a yearly
   
   video. Have everyone say their name and age and what they are thankful for. These will be precious memories in the years to come.
3. Find a story book that is representative of how you feel about family. Read that story to the youngest kids each year. Ten years down the road, you will find everyone sitting around waiting to hear you read the story.
4. Schedule an activity that gets everyone up and moving. If you are in a warm weather environment, you can take a jog or have a flag football game. If you are in the colder climates, check out these 39 indoor games from Family Fun or try Bargain Babe’s three family games that involve quick thinking. You will have a much more pleasant and memorable day if you have thought about planned appropriate activities that you can do. Consider the age, interests and abilities of your guests in order to have ideas that won’t fall flat.
5. Tell everyone that you are going to be going around the table and asking what people are thankful for. This will give everyone a chance to think about it and talk to the younger kids. I suggest that you don’t delay eating for this, but have this be the dinner conversation.
6. Make place tags. There are many great ideas for making Thanksgiving place cards. This is a fun activity for kids to do ahead of time.
7. If you happen to be in the Boston area, go to Plimoth Plantation. This is a very interesting field trip that gives you and your family a good picture of what it must have been like during the early years for the European settlers and their interaction with the Native people. You can even eat your Thanksgiving dinner there. But hurry, the seats are selling out fast.
8. Make individual salt and pepper cellars out of walnut shells. Certainly a different idea from Martha Stewart.
9. If you are having a potluck dinner, have everyone bring recipe cards of their dish and exchange cards. You can even take pictures and upload them to this fall recipe template.
10. Make a Give Thanks center piece. This is a print, cut and fold project that I love! I’m going to make this one for sure.
11. Learn the art of napkin folding. If you have kids, teach them to fold the napkins prior to the day of the event. Then on Thanksgiving, have them create napkin art. This will give them something to feel that they have contributed to the dinner. It is also a skill that they will have for life. I still know how to make pretty napkins folds that my mom taught me many years ago.
12. Plan to watch at least one of these 21 movies about Thanksgiving. Many of these can be found for free online or for cheap download. You can also find these movies at thrift stores and yard sales – especially if you still have a VHS player.

I love the potential of Thanksgiving. Use it wisely as a time to say “I love and appreciate you” to those special people in your life.

Taking your kids to a baseball game doesn't have to be pricey! Credit: kkinjo/Flickr

There are 5 1/2 weeks before the World Series begins on Oct. 19 – plenty of time to go to a baseball game on the cheap with deals found by guest writer Andrew Kardon of JoeShopping.com.

It’s a summertime rite of passage: pack up the kids, trek to the ballpark and show your family why baseball is America’s Pastime. With ticket prices dropping along with game attendance, it’s easier than ever to have a great time at the ballpark and leave with money in your wallet. Use these 10 tips for great deals on tickets, souvenirs, concessions and more.

Save the Date – When shopping for tickets, remember that night games, weekend games and games held over the summer will all be more expensive than weekday games or games held in the spring or fall. Also pay attention to who your home team is playing–rival teams will be a big draw, and ticket prices increase accordingly.

DON’T Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack – Skip the expensive concessions and pack sandwiches, if your stadium allows. Policies vary widely. SafecoField, home of the Seattle Mariners, allows outside food but no drinks. YankeeStadium in New York lets you bring in food, drink cartons and water bottles, but no cooler. NationalsPark in Washington allows small coolers but limits outside drinks to one bottle of water per person.

Freebies – You may not catch a home run ball from your favorite player, but there are plenty of other freebies to be had at baseball games. Many teams allow fans to line up for autographs from the players before the game. (Check your team’s website for details.) And many give free sodas for designated drivers–just ask at guest services.

You Had Me at Bobblehead – Buy tickets for your favorite team’s souvenir day, usually available to the first several thousand fans: free bags, bats, banners, even teddy bears and bobbleheads.

Even Ty Cobb Would “Like” This Idea – Subscribe to your team’s Facebook and Twitter pages. You’ll hear about special discounts and cheap deals all season long.

It’s Out of the Park(ing Lot) – Parking at the stadium lot can run you 10 to 35 bucks or more! Save on parking by taking mass transit, or consider parking farther away from the stadium. Walk 10 minutes and you can easily save a pretty penny on parking.

Buy Direct – Avoid Ticketmaster and other fees by going directly to the stadium to purchase your tickets. “Convenience” and handling charges really add up when you’re buying tickets for the entire family.

Buy Indirect – Don’t forget to check out third-party ticket resellers, like Stubhub.com. These resellers offer tickets significantly below face value. Sometimes the prices are cheaper the closer you get to game day, so check often.

Root Root Root for the Home Team – It pays to check out the special promotions for your hometown team and take advantage of their budget-friendly deals. The Atlanta Braves sell $5 tickets for lower-level seating on Monday games; you save almost 80%. The Washington Nationals have family fun days for Saturday and Sunday games; the family package starts at $14 a ticket and includes a hot dog, chips and a drink.

Think Local - Instead of going to the majors, check out a minor league game. The games are very kid-oriented and fun for the family. You’ll have the chance to get up close and personal with some of the sport’s rising stars, or watch a pro or two coming back after injury.

Andrew Kardon is the president and co-founder ofJoeShopping.com, a social shopping site dedicated to saving money through coupons, hot deals, price comparisons, product reviews, shopping blogs and more.

alancleaver_2000/flickr

I welcome back to school supply sales because each year I run an arts and crafts tent at Children’s Day 2011 in Woodley Park, Los Angeles. This is an enormous free fair for families that tens of thousands of people attend. I expect to have around 7,000 craft projects made in my tent during the day.

That is a lot of craft supplies! I work all year to gather supplies at rock bottom prices from estate sales, clearance racks, and on freecycle.

Today when I entered Walmart and saw bins of deeply discounted school supplies I was really excited. I told my daughter, “Go grab a cart. We’re going shopping.”

The main items I wanted to get were glue sticks. I needed about 200. Walmart had packages of two sticks for 40 cents. Around the corner there were packages of 12 sticks of the exact same size and brand for $3.88.

At first glance and with some rough calculations, I thought, humm, 12 sticks for $3.88. That means each one is around 33 cents. Oh, that is less than 40 cents. But, something seemed wrong. I pulled out my phone and calculated that each of the sticks in the 12-pack was 32 cents.

But wait…the pack that was 40 cents had TWO sticks. So, each of them was only 20 cents! Much less than 32 cents. My mind didn’t want to believe that a package of two glue sticks could be a better deal than a package of 12 glue sticks. Apparently, I was not the only person who was taken in with this marketing ploy. The shelf where the 12-packs were displayed was littered with abandoned 2-packs.

I ended up buying 89 2-packs for $35.60. That got me 178 glue sticks. I would have had to purchase 15 12-stick packages at a total of $58.20 to have as many glue sticks. I saved $22.60 by buying the smaller packages, a 39% savings.

I’m pleased that I saved the money, but I am sad that I had to purchase all the extra packaging that went with it. I know that it isn’t always a bargain to buy in bulk, but I didn’t realize that I could save so much by NOT buying in bulk.

I never would have figured out the math in my head. Dividing 12 into 3.88 is not easy.

Make sure you take a calculator with you, even if it is on your cell phone. Androids and iPhones have lots of shopping apps, many of them free. Calculating what is really the best deal can save you lots of money, just like I did.

Are you a coupon clipper? Test your skills to win a $300 gourmet gift basket!

Today’s cookbook giveaway is for “Money Saving Recipes,” which you can also nab as a door prize at Frugal Festival Food! this Saturday in LA if you get there early (doors open at 11 a.m.)

The winners of Friday’s giveaway of “Wildly Affordable Organic” have been announced!

Test your coupon know-how in the Albertsons and Shortcuts Coupon Challenge at the Festival! Guess what the prize is?

Get your tickets now!

A picture of one of my salads with sliced baby squash.

I love a good salad. I’ve been told by many that I make FABULOUS salads. I tell people that it is easy. Just open the fridge, chop up whatever is in there and, ta-da, you have a salad. Let me be more specific.

Grab a large container. Get out your cutting board and your best knife for cutting veggies into small pieces. I like my salad pieces to be smallish so I can combine different flavors for the perfect bite.

Here are the ingredients I used for the last awesome salad I made.

I used these ingredients because they were in my fridge and I thought they would taste good together.

1. Hard boiled egg – cut into cubes
2. Carrots – long thin shreds using the veggie peeler
3. Celery – small “c” shapes
4. Baby spinach
5. Chopped pecans – put halved pecans in a sandwich bag and smash with the back of a big spoon
6. Raisins – nice juicy ones, not old dried up raisins
7. Chicken – I had some left over fried chicken that I cut into squares after tossing the skin
8. Feta cheese – get a chunk from Trader Joe’s and crumble by hand for the best price
9. Black olives – cut into fourths
10. Tomatoes – heirloom from farmer’s market cut into cubes
11. Red onion – fresh and thinly sliced
12. Mushrooms – fresh and thickly sliced
13. Pasta with garlic sauce – happened to have some left over with the sauce I got from a food swap
14. Baby spring salad greens – I get these weekly at the farmer’s market. Put a crumpled paper towel in the bag to keep the greens from wilting so fast
15. Dill – just a bit, too much will be overwhelming
16. Fresh lemon juice – a grabbed a nice fresh lemon off my neighbor’s tree and squeezed the juice over the salad. I like my salad a little soggy, so I put on the lemon juice when I make the salad, but you can put the lemon and the oil on when you are ready to eat.
17. Salt and pepper – use pink Himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper for the best flavor
18. Olive oil – the best you can afford. Don’t put this on until you are ready to eat.

Chopping all of this up takes a bit of time. But, if you invite over a friend to chat or watch a movie or listen to a book on tape, the time goes by fast.

By the time you are done, your salad will feed four people for a meal. If you are eating solo, you will want to save it. I make my salads in a large shallow rectangular container that has a lid. It gives me a large surface area to work with while creating my masterpiece, yet I can easily pop on a lid when done.

As long as your ingredients are fresh, your salad will last for at least a couple days in the fridge, perhaps longer. I prepare salads ahead of time and put into smaller containers to take with me for lunch. I toss a few crackers in a sandwich bag for extra crunch.

If you want some more inspiration for great salad ideas check out these farmer’s salad recipes.

Win a $100 Target gift card in the 11:30 am raffle on June 25 at Frugal Festival Food! Credit: Mattastic!/Flickr

Door prizes are first come first serve starting at 11 a.m. on June 25 at Frugal Festival Food! For a timeline of important Festival events, like the 11:30 a.m. $100 Target gift card raffle, go here.

I totally want to win the cookbook in today’s giveaway! Here’s your chance to win “Wildly Affordable Organic.”

The winners of “Gluten-free on a Shoestring” have been announced!

Get your tickets now!

Bring your homemade jam, bread, herbs, and other goodies to swap! Credit: jeffreyw/Flickr

We are super psyched to announce there will be a food swap at Frugal Festival Food on June 25!!! Make sure to reserve a spot now.

Tips on preserving summer fruit at the Festival!

Want to learn how to preserve summer produce that is ridiculously low-priced? Albertsons specialist Heidi Diller will show you how at Frugal Festival Food! on June 25 in LA.

Today’s book giveaway is for “Vegan on the Cheap.” Contest ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST so make sure to comment today for a chance to win.

Comments poured in for yesterday’s contest to win “Poor Girl Gourmet.” The five winners have been announced!

Don’t miss the first ever festival to save money on food! Frugal Festival Food! is June 25 in LA and supports the LA Regional Food Bank. Get your tickets now!

Win one of 100 books at Frugal Festival Food!

We have 100 amazing books to give out at Frugal Festival Food!

• 80 are door prizes for the event June 25 in Canoga Park
• 20 are recipe raffle prizes for the ONLINE event June 13-24

Plus, we’d really like to borrow your megaphone and/or two large water cooler/dispensers (like the ones you see at sporting events) so we can serve free water and lemonade.

Get your tickets now!

Frugal Festival Food! is coming to you…ONLINE!

Details on the Frugal Festival blog!

Free Yozen Frogurt at Frugal Festival Food!

Big news! The Frugal Festival Food! raffle includes a whopping $300 Albertsons gift card. That would feed my family for an entire month!

Plus, the amazing Yozen Frogurt will be handing out FREE samples!!!

Get your tickets now!

Abri_Beluga/Flickr

Start saving your coupons! We’re going to have a coupon exchange at Frugal Festival Food! on June 25 in LA.

Plus, Homestead Hardware is going to demonstrate how a solar oven works.

Other activities include a coupon class, a recipe exchange, free face painting, fresh fruit samples, a canned good drive for the LA Regional Food Bank, a nutrition IQ class, and a free raffle with 136 prizes worth almost $3,000! Plus, lots more to come!

Get your tickets now!