Thrifty Flower Shopping

I don't receive or purchase flowers often, but had a recent occasion where I needed to do so. I was surprised when I found roses for $10/dozen at my local Sam's Club! They were running a special and ended up being less than the grocery store.

If you have a need for flowers or are looking to brighten up your holiday table, check your local warehouse store.

-Julie

Do you have a thirfty idea to share with us? Find our how here.

Thrifty Christmas Gifts

One of my favorite stores to browse around in is Once Upon a Child. You can get many great gifts there for just a fraction of the retail price. When our first daughter was learning to pull up, I wanted to buy her some kind of toy to give her some incentive to stand and play. When I looked at the LeapFrog Learning Table, I thought it was perfect for what we needed. Then, I looked at the price $39.99 was just too much for us to spend, so I went to Once Upon a Child. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Once Upon a Child had the same table for $12! What a great deal!
This Christmas, check out a few resale shops before you make your final purchases! You can save lots of money.

-Robin

What are your Thrifty ideas? To see details about how to share them with us, look here.

Thrifty Thursday: Library Book Sale

For several years, I have been going to the fall and spring book sales at our local library. I have found many great deals there. Usually, books are fifty cent for paperback and one dollar for hard back. The best books I get are for the kids. Just before our first daughter was born, I went to a book sale and bought lots of children’s books including Dr. Seuss and many other children’s favorites. It took her awhile to grow into those books, but they have become our daily go to books for story time. Even though we use the library a lot, it is nice to have a supply of books at home. The girls love to read the same books many times and have some of them memorized.

If you want to get some cheap used books, check out the library book sale at your local library. Sometimes, books are donated to the sale that are like new.

-Robin

What are your Thrifty ideas? To see details about how to share them with us, look here.

Thrifty Thursday - Care For Your Car

We try our best to stay on top of vehicle maintenance. We change the oil regularly (with some guidance from the friendly reminder on our dashboard) and check the tire pressure often. I watch for coupons from out local oil change establishments and they often check tire pressure and fluid levels as well.

I also take care of my vehicle cosmetically. I clean the inside regularly so that it stays as nice as possible with two little people tracking thru the back. With winter approaching, I also have to stay on top of keeping road salt off of the paint so that it stays in nice shape, too.

If you keep us with regular auto maintenance, it can save you a lot in the long run.

-Julie

What are your Thrifty ideas? To see details about how to share them with us, look here.

We hope to see you link up below!

Thrifty Thursday: Fall Used Children’s Clothes Sale

Once again, I am super excited about my purchases at a used children’s clothes sale. I usually attend used clothes sales two to three times per year. Recently, I went to the fall sale and racked up. This year was special because my mom was visiting and she got to share the experience with me. We arrived a few minutes before the sale began, but still had to stand in a long line. We paid a $1 entrance fee and that went to children’s charities, which I thought was a wonderful idea!
We bought several clothes, but our best purchase was a bike that my mom is planning to give to my 3 year old for her birthday next week. The bike was in great shape and I’m sure my daughter will be thrilled to have it. She will never know that it only cost $14 and looks brand new!

You can usually find used clothes sales through your local mom's clubs.

I have written about buying used clothes before. Check out my tips here. Thanks for joining us for Thrifty Thursday!

Look here to see how to join Thrifty Thursday.

-Robin

Thrifty Thursday - Frugal Toy

We recently acquired one of our most frugal fun finds. We got giant bouncy balls for the kids. They were 50 cents each and it has been one of the best dollars I've spent in a long time. They are mandated as outside toys, but the kids and the dog have been chasing these for hours! We've also used them to create other games using hopscotch squares and some very creative rules.

What are your favorite thrifty games? We would love for you to link that, or any other great thrifty ideas below.

Look here to see how to join Thrifty Thursday.

-Julie

Thrifty Thursday: Bulk Basic Red Sauce

Welcome to Thrifty Thursday!


I love making bulk pasta sauce and storing it in my freezer until I need it. Years ago when I started shopping at Costco, I used to pass by the isle of #10 cans of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and wonder who would need those big cans. Then, I found a recipe using these items to make bulk pasta sauce. You can make 40 cups or 2 ½ gallons of pasta sauce for around $8. This is a huge savings from store bought pasta sauce! The recipe that I use is from one of my favorite cookbooks called Fix, Freeze, and Feast. It can be altered in any way your family likes.


Basic Red Sauce


1 (111-oz) can tomato paste halved
8 cups hot water
½ cup dried parsley
½ minced onion
¼ cup minced garlic (about 36 cloves)
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 (106-oz) can tomato sauce
1 (102-oz) can diced tomatoes
Several one gallon and quart size freezer bags


-Freeze the other half of the tomato paste and use it next time


Mix tomato paste and hot water in a large stockpot until smooth. Stir in parsley, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, and thyme. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and mix well. DO NOT COOK. Measure the sauce into appropriate portions for immediate use. Divide remaining sauce evenly among freezer bags, seal, and label each bag with the amount of sauce inside and freeze.


*I put a chopping board on one of my freezer shelves and lay the bags flat to save space. If you do not use something hard and flat, the sauce will freeze through the shelf if you have a wire rack shelf.

Remove chopping board after the sauce is frozen.


To use:


Completely thaw one bag in the refrigerator.
Use in a recipe calling for tomato sauce, or simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes and pour over your favorite pasta.
To use in a meat sauce, brown and drain 1 pound lean ground beef for every 8 cups of sauce; add cooked beef to sauce and gently reheat.


This is a great frugal pasta sauce that is nice to have on hand for a quick meal!

A special thanks to Lindsay, one of the authors of Fix, Freeze, and Feast, for allowing us to share your great recipe!

-Robin


Do you have a tip to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details here. We hope you'll join us! Put your links below!

Thrifty Thursday-Freezer Chicken Mix

I am so excited to share this Thrifty Thursday with you. My family has been practicing low cost eating now for a while. We have found that sometimes it is cheaper if you find a sale on chicken breasts and stock up or buy them in bulk. My favorite is boneless skinless chicken breast. I know they actually cost more, but sometimes I find that I am in a rush during food preparation. At times, I have found bones in my chicken while eating if I buy whole chicken or bone-in chicken breasts. For this reason, it is actually worth buying boneless skinless chicken breasts for us. My children are very small and will choke easily if I accidently miss a small bone.

Our children start to get restless about an hour before dinner time. It is sometimes hard to keep them entertained and make dinner at the same time. So, I buy chicken breasts on sale and boil about 14 chicken breasts at one time. I got this idea from my Make-A-Mix book. It has a recipe for “Chicken Mix.” You can follow their recipe or boil chicken with the spices you like. After the chicken is boiled, pull the meat apart, wait for it to cool and then place it in labeled quart size freezer bags. If you need a quick meal like chicken tacos, chicken and dumplings, chicken casserole, etc. just thaw the chicken and you can have a quick meal in no time.
One of the best things about making a “chicken mix” is that you can save all of the chicken stock. I strain the chicken stock and put it in the refrigerator to let it cool. Then, skim any fat off the top and save the stock in labeled freezer bags. This is a great money saving technique as canned chicken stock is expensive.

Here is a list of suggestions to add to your boiling chicken for great chicken and tasty stock.

Chicken Mix

14 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Carrots
Parsley
Garlic
Dried Basil
Salt and pepper

Stock up while chicken breasts are on sale and do some meal preparation ahead of time.

-Robin

Do you have a tip to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details here. We hope you'll join us! Put your links below!

Thrifty Magazine Rack Makeover

I was recently able to make a very thrifty makeover. I was looking for something to hold our library books so that the kids have easy access to them. I wanted it to be functional, but to look nice, too.

I found this magazine rack at a local thrift store for $2.00! Even the sales clerk was shocked at the steal I got. It is solid wood, but the color wasn't going to work for me. I had a free paint sample at home just waiting to be used (the recent Glidden giveaway that is unfortunatly now closed, but how many of us have extra paint sitting around!). I lightly sanded the wood and gave it two

coats of green paint. I added some little felt stickers to the bottom so that it can slide on the wood floor. We think it makes a wonderful temporary home for our library finds!

What thrifty things do you have to share? You can find guidelines on how to participate here.

-Julie

Thrifty Thursday- Buying in Bulk

One of the things I love most about being a homemaker, other than the family, is balancing the budget. We run a pretty tight budget around our house when it comes to material things and supplies. I have found that we save a lot of money by buying in bulk.


The last time I went to Costco, I saved money on bread, cereal, light bulbs, coffee, and milk. We have found that if you go to Costco and buy their generic brand you save the most money. Costco also puts out coupons about once a month for special deals. Here is my bulk buying, money saving techniques:


Bread is bought in double loaves. We freeze one loaf and use one loaf.


Milk is $1.00 cheaper per gallon than at our grocery store. We buy all that we will need in a 2 week time period. Some people freeze milk, but we do not.


Meat is bought in large trays, so we bring it home and repack it using our food saver.


Chicken- Fresh chicken is usually not cheaper. This is more of a convience item for us. The grocery store sales are much better. Frozen chicken is cheaper or about the same price as the grocery store.


Salmon is a great deal if you buy a large tray and repack it in portion sizes.


Cereal is cheaper unless you go to the grocery store with a handful of coupons.


#10 gallon cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes are much cheaper. I make my own spaghetti sauce with these and freeze it.


Oatmeal is usually cheaper in bulk.


Baking goods are usually cheaper- powdered sugar, brown sugar, flour, and chocolate chips. These are all easy to store and great if you buy them just before the holiday season. Then, you can use some and store some.


Spices are cheaper in bulk.


When you shop wholesale you will usually get a good deal. The best thing to do is compare prices and sale prices at your grocery to your wholesale store. You will probably find that some things are cheaper and some things are not worth the addition space that is needed to store your items. What items do you find are cheaper in wholesale stores?


-Robin

What idea do you have to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details on how to participate here.

Thrifty Craft - Beads

A very thrifty craft idea is an inexpensive bag of plastic beads. They can be found at your local craft store and come in many designs and colors. You can string them on shoelaces, yarn, pipe cleaners or plastic laces. You can make jewelry, bookmarks, crazy animals or endless other possibilities. We tend to display our creations for a while and then remove the beads to make a new craft! Even more thrifty!!

What idea do you have to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details on how to participate here.

Thrifty Thursday- Economical Pizza Sauce

I have been using the Super Baby Food book since my first child was four months old. We went through the entire baby food making process and now I use it for the great recipes in the back of the book. One of my favorite recipes is for pizza sauce.

Pizza Seasoning

2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon of garlic powder

Add about a teaspoon of this mixture to each cup of the pizza sauce recipe below.

Economical Pizza Sauce

Mix a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce with a 5-ounce can of tomato paste and add flavorings above.
I love this recipe. It is super cheap compared to premade sauces and it is very easy to make. I use the sauce on our homemade pizzas. With cheese and toppings included, my guess is that we make a large pizza for under $2. Even if you use a premade crust, try this pizza sauce. It is very tasty!

A special thanks to Ruth Yaron, the author of Super Baby Food, who gave me permission to use this recipe on our blog.

-Robin

What thrifty idea can you share today for Thrifty Thursday? Add them below! Details on how to participate can be found here.

Thrifty Thursday - Kids' Clothing

How does my son do this to every pair of his jeans? Honestly? It is amazing, but each pair starts to burst on the left side (whatever it is must be dominant on that side - in the beginning). Then, it spreads.

Since I am a Thrifty Mom, I make him wait it out. Once both knees are out of control, I store them away until warmer weather. Now that summer is here, we have cut the legs off and made him some great denim shorts! Not a new idea, but one that definitely works for mothers of little boys. We even go so far as to recycle the denim that we cut off for our craft projects.

What thrifty idea can you share today for Thrifty Thursday? Add them below! Details on how to participate can be found here.

-Julie

Thrifty Thursday-Hand Push Reel Mower

We have been waiting a few years to have a yard of our own again. Recently, we moved into a house that has a small yard. My husband is the grass mower in our family and he decided to try a hand push reel mower. The mower is perfect for our yard. It takes my husband about 30 minutes to mow the entire lawn. He also gets his exercise and we will save money on his gym membership! We have also gotten to know our new neighbors . They have all came out of their houses to offer my husband to use their mowers!

Not only does the mower not need gasoline, but it cuts down on noise pollution in the neighborhood. This brand of mower has excellent reviews on-line and by my husband. It's light-weight and cuts a wide strip at 18". While still possible, accidents are less likely with this mower.

If you have a small yard, you should look into buying a hand push reel lawn mower. You will save money on the cost of the mower, the cost of gas, and you will help preserve the environment.


-Robin

Do you have a tip to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details here. We hope you'll join us! Put your links below!

Altering Bargain Clothing

When we find a good clothing deal, we try to snag it. I purchase up to one size ahead for my kids. We often find great deals at end-of-season sales, resale shops and Goodwill. I will not let a slight alteration or a missing button stop me from snagging a great deal! If you find an item in a store with an imperfection, you can often get an even greater discount.

I have learned to do minor alterations, but I tend to sew by hand. I can hem. I can reattach buttons. I can put a tuck in the waistband of a skirt or pair of pants to tighten the fit. We also recently found this tank top for our daughter. We got it for an incredible deal, but it was a little low in the front. We are strict about modesty with her, so we needed to make an alteration. I chose to sew the straps together in the back, making a sort of X on the back of the tank. Now, it is a perfect fit, and a one-of-a-kind item!

If you're able to complete simple alterations, don't forget to look at what a garment CAN be when you find a good deal!

Share your Thrifty Thursday tips with us! Details on how to join can be found here. And, don't forget to enter our current giveaway from Easy Daysies here.

-Julie

Washable Training Pants

We are going through the process of potty training our two year old. Before we started potty training, I bought her some washable training pants to help save money and the environment. I have been very pleased with my selection on washable training pants. My daughter has mostly been using Kushies training pants. They are lined with cotton and have a plastic, waterproof exterior to help prevent leaks. One of my favorite things about the training pants is she can feel if she is wet. When using pull-ups, it seems like it is hard for the child to notice that they are wet.

Many people are afraid of cloth diapers and training pants because you have to wash them. Training pants are easy to wash. Just rinse them out when they are soiled and wash them with my next load of laundry. I put vinegar in my downy ball to help take out any odors.

If you are potty training, I hope you will find some washable training pants that work for your child!

-Robin

Do you have a tip to share for Thrifty Thursday? You can find details here. We hope you'll join us! Put your links below!

Thrifty Thursday - Home Haircuts

Welcome to another Thrifty Thursday! We hope you are enjoying our ideas and will come and share yours as well!

Another way we save money at our home is by cutting the boys' hair at home. A one time investment in shears (and we purchased additional combs at the local beauty supply store to allow for longer cuts), and haircuts are then free! These are pretty much fool proof if you use a guide. We cut our son's hair and I help my husband when he changes to his "summer cut." That saves us more than $20 per month since short hair needs to be cut pretty often!

I used to trim my daughter's hair as well, until it thickened up on me. I haven't become brave enough yet to attempt cutting the mass of hair she has now, but who knows what the future might hold?

Do you cut your children's hair? Share your thrifty tips with us! Details to join can be found here.

-Julie

Thrifty Thursday- Kids Eat Free

We recently moved to another state. The move required us to be away from our home for several days. During this time, we ate out alot. Eating out can be expensive. Before the move, I researched restaurants where the kids could eat free. This made a huge savings in the cost of our move.
When thinking about this blog post, I came across an MSN story that listed restaurants where kids could eat free, at a reduce price, or get something, like an ice cream sundae, for free! We ate at a few of these restaurants during our move.
My family does not eat out alot, but when we do eat out we usually go where the kids can eat free. If you know of other restaurants where kids can eat free, please add it to the comments.

-Robin

And, what could be more thrifty than a giveaway? Don't forget to enter our current one here!

What can you share with us for Thrifty Thursday? Link your blog posts below. Guidelines can be found here.

Thrifty Thursday - Simple Art Project

Welcome to our first Thrifty Thursday! Join us here each week to see our favorite "thrifty" ideas and please play along on your own blog and link with us!

I do consider myself to be quite thrifty when it comes to children's art. I like to use things around the house when it comes to our creative time. I recently brought the kids some of my husband's coffee filters. We pulled out some craft sticks and other various "bits" and created some beautiful butterflies! They chose to color some of the filters, and others were left plain. They were crumpled and glued to the back of the craft sticks. Then, they were "accessorized" with google eyes, pom poms and whatever else struck them that day.

A very fun craft for pennies! I hope you can make some of these with your creative kids!

-Julie

What can you share with us for Thrifty Thursday? Link your blog posts below. Guidelines can be found here.

Thrifty Thursday Guidelines

Next week we will begin a new adventure called Thrifty Thursday! Would you like to join us for Thrifty Thursday? Here are some guidelines for you to follow when participating.

Thrifty Thursday is a blog carnival where we all write a post about a thrifty idea and post them here together on the Brilliant Moms blog. It’s a wonderful way to share ideas and make new blog friends!

Feel free to write about any thrifty ideas. They can be ideas about saving money around the home, ways to buy children's clothing at discounted prices, yard sale tips or countless other ideas. We only ask that you keep things positive and family friendly. And don’t forget that we like pictures if you have them.

Anyone is welcome to join. Just write your post and come here on Thursday to leave the link in Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post.

Please include Thrifty Thursday in your post and link back here so your readers can join in on the fun!

Link to your individual Thrifty Thursday post NOT your home page or your link may be deleted. If you need help linking to an individual post, try this: click on the title of the post you want to link to on your blog and click “Copy Shortcut” and then paste it into Mr. Linky.

Enter a short description of your post, in parentheses, after your name. Give us a hint about what you're writing about and we'll come visit!

And, feel free to grab this logo if you would like! We would love if you would link it back to our blog!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Thanks for joining in the fun!