Many of us (or those in our families) are on allergy friendly diets. For one of my children, we need to use almond (or rice) milk in place of “regular” milk for allergy reasons. Making diet adjustments like this doesn’t mean you need to spend big bucks buying specialty milks (drinks). It’s easy and VERY cost effective to make almond or rice milk at home!

To begin you simply need a blender, some almonds (or white rice), a strainer, some cheese cloth and a storage container for your milk. THIS SITE shares instructions on how to make your own rice milk (and chocolate flavor too!). It also tells you how much you will save by making your own versus buying it (I think you’ll be shocked at the savings!). Do you like Vanilla flavored rice milk? No problem! Check out THIS SITE for tips on how to add vanilla.

Almond milk is just as easy (and fun)! I use about 1 cup of almonds to make about 1 gallon of almond milk. Be sure to soak them for a good 6-8 hours before you begin. THIS SITE has a yummy recipe for delectable homemade almond milk. Did you know you can sweeten your almond milk with dates? THIS SITE incorporates the use of dates, take a look!

Have you ever made your own rice or almond milk? What’s your favorite flavor? Vanilla? Chocolate?

Tis the season for vacation planning. . . take a sneak peek into my FRUGAL FAMILY VACATIONS magazine today!

Keeping it All Together: Budget Your Vacation

This magazine’s theme is frugal family vacations, and we’ll be looking at a lot of different ways to save money and still enjoy relaxing time together as a family. This column will help to organize your vacation budget and finances (be sure to check the forms at the end of the magazine)!

Vacations do not have to be expensive, especially if you plan ahead. The most important step is to consider where you will need to spend your money—transportation, food, lodging, etc. I have included a worksheet at the end of this Digest for you to print out and use to help you plan the financial aspect of your vacation. First, you need to set a budget based on the cash you have on hand and whatever you will be willing to put on your credit card. If you are going to pay for part of your vacation with credit, be sure that you have a plan in place to pay off that balance as soon as possible.

One of the best ways to save money is to look for vacation packages that include lodging and entertainment in one price. Usually you have to book a room for a certain number of nights, but you’ll save money on tickets to theme parks and other local attractions. Often it is worth it to use a local travel agent, as they have access to deals that you cannot get on your own. You might want to call a couple of local agents to see if they have any specials available. You can also save money by staying at a campground.

Before you get in the car or plane to travel to your vacation destination, plan activities that will keep the kids busy. If they are busy, you might not hear, “Are we there yet?” as often! Head to the local dollar store, and buy some items for a travel “goody bag” like coloring books and crayons, search-a-words, handheld games, stickers and paper, Mad Libs™, etc. Wrap each item and have a schedule set so that the kids know when they can open up a new “present.” This could include times when you cross state lines, stop for a gas refill, see a certain roadside sign, etc. Make it a fun travel “treasure hunt.” Don’t forget to include some snacks and times to eat them. Hungry children do not make for a good trip!

If you are able to afford to travel this year, here are some more tips for saving money when planning for your vacation. At the end of this magazine, you will also find a vacation checklist to remind you of all of the steps to take to plan the perfect vacation.

For more of this article on planning a frugal vacation, CLICK HERE to purchase Frugal Family Vacations as a single issue.

Molly members already have this magazine in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above, log in, and search out June 2009.

If you’re not a Molly member, check out everything you receive and sign up now on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE! 

I think it’s safe to say we all enjoy a nice smelling house. Carpet can be tricky. . . nice and warm in the cold months but hard to keep clean (and smelling good) year round. I used to buy the carpet freshener and sprinkle all over my carpets before vacuuming. On my quest to chemical-free living, I quickly discovered the store bought carpet freshener was full of chemicals. With a few ingredients (you probably have in your home right now), you can freshen your carpets frugally (and chemical free!).

The basic ingredient is usually baking soda. Did you know you can buy large bags of baking soda at those “big box” stores? When I began cleaning with baking soda I found I was going through it pretty quickly. I stopped buying the little boxes and switched over to the large bags.

Here’s a simple recipe for carpet freshener using just two ingredients. THIS RECIPE has a few additional ingredients but it is still very simple and affordable! Ohhh, THIS RECIPE is a little different than the others. . . I bet it smells yummy!

If you have carpet you may want to give this kind of freshener a try. You’ll not only have a great smelling home but a happy pocketbook. Natural carpet freshener works for me!

Do you make your own carpet freshener? What ingredients to you use?

Get this FREE 4.5 x 6 Brag Book from Walgreens while it lasts!

Go to the Walgreens website here: http://photo.walgreens.com/walgreens/

At checkout enter:  BRAGABOUTIT

*You will have to pay for shipping which is only $2.99.

Take a sneak peek into my A Light Heart in Dark Times magazine today!

Coping with Job Loss: A Lesson From the Trenches

by Christina Wong

I was completely unprepared for my husband’s job loss. Some people think that the hardest part about losing a job is the financial side of the equation, but there are so many other worries. Most people who lose their source of income don’t plan for it; I know we certainly didn’t. We were not prepared for the financial and emotional consequences of going from a nice income with benefits to having to draw unemployment and doing whatever we could to make ends meet. If you are in a similar situation, you might wonder how to cope. Let me share with you what we did to help keep ourselves afloat.

I had just signed a lease on a bigger, newer apartment that cost about $300 more a month. I was also having some health issues, and the bills were already beginning to stack up. I had anticipated following my husband to wherever the Army sent him, so I had taken the semester off from school and had no paying job. I had started my blog, Youthful Homemaker, and intended for it to one day become a business, but that day was far into the future.

Instead of letting the bills pile up, I found a few easy solutions to help infuse a little income into the budget. The first was through a friend of mine. She has two beautiful twin girls who needed a nanny, and I took the job. She dropped them off at my house four days a week, which meant I could watch them and work on my website at the same time. The other way I added a little more income to our budget was to spend more time working for my family’s business, Wheat-n-Things. My parents were selling their whole grains and homemade bread at one of the local farmers markets and needed an extra hand baking and selling. I also started baking my own specialty breads and made an occasional craft item to sell, bringing in a nice little income that way.

Ways We Saved More Money. . .

For more of this article on coping with job loss, CLICK HERE to purchase A Light Heart in Dark Times as a single issue.

Molly members already have this magazine in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above, log in, and search out May 2012.

If you’re not a Molly member, sign up now on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE! 

Take a sneak peek into my Making Money From Home magazine today!

Enjoy this freebie!

Paleo Kid Snacks: 27 Super Easy Recipes that Kids Can’t Get Enough Of (Primal Gluten Free Kids Cookbook) [Kindle Edition]

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREEBIE!

*As always, Kindle freebies are free at the time of posting. Be sure to check the price before purchasing.*

Take a sneak peek into my Let’s Get Organized for Fiscal Fitness magazine today!

• alphabetically by name of item purchased
• by date of purchase
• by category (appliance, electronics, home décor, jewelry, etc.)
• by store (where you purchased the item)

To get the printable form, CLICK HERE to purchase Let’s Get Organized for Fiscal Fitness as a single issue.

Molly members already have this magazine in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above, log in, and search out January 2009.

If you’re not a Molly member and you would like to take advantage of BIG savings, please visit our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE to sign up now!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about clothing (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my thoughts on the subject. Molly

Dear Midge,

First of all, I must say your muumuu was quite fabulous! As far as making clothing for either the children or myself, I’ve made a couple skirts here and there as well as a “PILLOWCASE DRESS” for my oldest girl. It’s hard to find the time for big sewing projects these days so I’ve been sticking to little projects for now.

One can get quite creative when looking to save money on clothes for either adults or children. Warmer weather also brings with it a plethora of garage/yard sale opportunities. At the beginning of each garage sale season I fill out a notecard for each child with the specific clothing and shoe size. I also make sure to note whether or not that particular child is “growing in” or “growing out” of a certain size. It’s a lot easier to pick up a few items in two sizes than to spend the majority of my money on one size that will likely be outgrown in one growth spurt (and we both know how fast that can happen!). It’s a good idea to do some investigating, not all garage sales are created equal. Some don’t have much to offer, some are priced too high. Don’t be afraid to bargain or ask to “strike a deal” with the seller(s), you may come away with an amazing deal!

You can also watch your local (or chain) second hand stores. They almost always have “tag sales.” This is when a certain tag color is sold for a discounted price on a certain day. Bring your notecards with you and see what you can find. Remember, if it’s not a good deal. . . don’t buy it! There will be more sale days or garage/yard sales all summer long (and sometimes into the fall!). Usually in the case of maternity clothes, it seems to be hit or miss. Here again, you don’t need a lot of clothing items during this season. Pregnancy constantly changes the shape and size of one’s body so choosing a few items that fit for a few months is better than spending all of your money on something you’ll most likely outgrow 3 months down the road. Friends are another great resource during pregnancies, you may have a friend who wears the same size clothing as you and may be willing to loan you her maternity clothes. Remember, pregnancies only last for a certain length of time. . . you’ll need regular clothes after it’s over (along with some cute baby outfits!).

Each spring I am most always faced with many pairs of boy’s pants that have large holes in the knees. During the winter I do my best to keep the knees patched (iron-on is the easiest!) for those “at home” or “play” clothes. My boys usually have between 2-3 pairs of good pants that they only wear when we leave the house or have an appointment. This method has saved me a lot of money over time! When winter is over and I have a pile of boys pants that just can’t be patched one more time, I cut them off at the knees and make shorts. This is SO easy and provided the top part of the jeans/pants still fit, it’s VERY economical as well. I simply cut the pants off above the knee and use a simple zig-zag stitch and sew a simple hem. Voila! Instant shorts- for free!

I hope this helps give you some ideas. Thanks for reminding me, I’m going to hunt for some notecards now. . . it’s getting to be about that time!

Love ya, Molly

P.S. I think you should have kept that muumuu and we should have made a throw pillow from that material. What memories!

Today’s guest post is brought to us by: Annabelle Smyth

Teach Your Kids To Cut Energy Costs At Home

Are you looking for ways your family can save energy around the home? Wouldn’t it be great to see a significant savings on your monthly electricity bill? The whole family can contribute to becoming more eco-friendly in their own home. There are numerous ways we can teach our kids about how to make small changes that will result in saving energy.

Depending on the age of the child, they may not understand what saving energy is all about. We all know that kids learn by the examples of what they see their parents do. Giving them examples of why it is so important will help them understand the importance of energy conservation. Make a conscious effort to make sure they see you making positive changes so they will follow you and do the same. With older children, money is the biggest motivator. An increase in their allowance will get and keep them excited to do whatever it takes to contribute to being more eco-friendly.

Videos, cartoons and books are the best resources to help kids understand what saving energy is all about. Internet sites such as http://www.texaselectricityproviders.com will also be helpful. Teach them what they can do to help their parents save money around the house. Incentives for them could be a fun reward at the end of the month when the bill arrives. This could be in the form of a trip to a favorite location, restaurant, or store. Another reward may be telling them that the money saved will be given to them so they can buy a favorite toy. If the child is very young, a simple star on a chart posted on the refrigerator may be all that is needed to get a child excited about the jobs you give them. You can also make it into a contest or game with something special for the winner. Be creative and the kids will be excited to help in any way they can. The idea is to get kids motivated to being more conscious of the small things they can do around the house that will save energy.

Keep in mind that kids will not become instant energy conservationists overnight. It will take time for them to learn, understand and implement energy saving concepts. Be patient with them and don’t give up. The more they see you do, the more they will understand and want to do it also. It should be a collaborative effort from the entire family. Start teaching them today.

Annabelle is currently a loving and caring mother of two children. She lives outside of Milwaukee, WI and loves cheering for the Bucks and Badgers. She is a blog enthusiast and loves writing, if she is not writing she is cleaning up after her two lovely angels.