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! 

Guest post by: Midge

We have a mountain of dirty clothes and my washing machine decided to wash the floor instead of the load in its belly. You can always tell when it’s going to be “just one of those days”! It was not a great day for it to break  because my little one is in the midst of potty training.  So, having a washing machine is a DIRE need. Sigh . . .

With the passing of the Mother’s Day holiday, I found myself pondering the plight of potty training mothers everywhere. Some of my friends have remarked that their children potty trained themselves ~ practically overnight! Other friends have suggested that their children struggled until they were five, and some continued past that point with overnight issues. It seems as if everywhere I look someone has an opinion (and sometimes these opinions contradict each other!)

What has really been on my heart is not just the trials of training your child but the COST of all of those fancy products. It appears as if I have to buy half of the diaper aisle in order to confidently lead my child on the road to being a “big kid”. Potty training, from the perspective of the consumer, can be VERY expensive. Today, my guest post is not long but more of a thoughtful inquisition of your opinions.

What has helped you out as a mom on the road to potty training your little ones? What products do you feel are necessary? And which products are more fluff and fun than useful?

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! 

Weed killer(s) don’t have to be toxic. Chances are you’ve got some of these “natural” ingredients around the house to make a frugal yet effective weed killer.

First you’re going to need some kind of spray bottle. Be sure it wasn’t previously filled with some other kind of chemical, you never want to inadvertently mix ingredients.

Vinegar is my personal favorite ingredient to kill weeds. The acedic acid is what allows vinegar to shrivel up those pesky, problem plants! Take a look at the different kinds of vinegar, the one with the largest amount of acedic acid should be the most affective for killing weeds.

*A word of caution* Vinegar is so effective in killing weeds it will also kill your plants! If you are spraying around flowers, plants or even in your yard- spray carefully!

Boiling water is also another great method to kill unwanted vegetation, especially on sidewalks and driveways! You are basically cooking the plant right there in the ground when you pour boiling water over it. Simply put a kettle of tap water on the stove, heat it to boiling and pour on the weeds you wish to kill. *This method also kills good plants so pour with caution!*

Salt is another frugal yet effective choice. You can simply drop a small pinch of table salt at the base of undesirable plants. It will kill the plant and dilute down to harmless in the next few rainfalls. If you happen to have a gravel driveway and there are weeds popping up here and there, simply sprinkle it with salt and the ground will be unsuitable for plant growth (mostly likely for months!).

Natural weed killers work for me! What do you use to kill weeds?

Take a sneak peek into my Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed magazine today!

Are you cleaning out the shed, organizing a garage sale, or mowing the lawn this month? Wouldn’t a tall glass of cold lemonade be the perfect thirst-quenching, pick-me-up treat for any of these outdoor activities?

All lemonade recipes have three main ingredients: a simple syrup made with water and granulated sugar or sugar substitute, lemon juice, and water. Preparing a simple syrup several hours before making a cold beverage such as lemonade or tea is a valuable step. It prevents having a layer of gritty, undissolved sugar that settles to the bottom of the pitcher or glass. A simple syrup is made by dissolving the sugar in hot or boiling water, allowing it to cool, and then refrigerating it before adding it to other ingredients.

Extracting the juice from the lemons is the hardest step in making lemonade. Whether you use a juicer or squeeze the lemons yourself, two methods for preparing the lemons will make the job much easier. The first is to roll each lemon on a hard surface while pressing down on the lemon with the palm of your hand for about 30 to 40 seconds before cutting it to squeeze. The other method is to microwave each lemon for about 30 seconds before cutting and squeezing. The squeezed juice should be strained to remove the seeds and most of the pulp before measuring and using it in a recipe.

There are a variety of lemonade recipes, some sweeter or tarter than others. The amount of sugar or sugar substitute and/or lemon juice in all of them can be adjusted to taste. It would be fun to buy a large bag of lemons at a discount and experiment with making a small portion of each recipe to see which one you and your family like best.

One of the easiest lemonade recipes I’ve used calls for 1 cup of sugar, 5 cups of water, and the juice of 6 lemons (approximately 1 cup). To first make the simple syrup, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pan, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cup of sugar until it is dissolved. After this mixture has cooled, add it to a glass jar or pitcher with the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving over ice.

For more specialized lemonade recipes (such as Mint Lemonade and Cranberry Lemonade), CLICK HERE to purchase Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed 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 2011.

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

Today’s guest post is from: Laurie Bostwick

In an effort to save both time and money, I am gradually going to green cleaners.
But, most of the cleaners that is found in the stores that are “green” cost way too much green.

I’d like to share with you  two cleaners that I make and use quite often in my homekeeping.

The first one is for cleaning the tub and shower. This one actually is the one that won me over to making my own cleaning products.

You see, I don’t love cleaning the tub. (shocker, I know!) My children are older, so I don’t have to keep the tub spic and span for impromptu baths any longer. Most of the time, it’s in and out of the shower (or in the case of my teens, in and out after the hot water is gone!) So, since I don’t keep up on the tub cleaning as often, it tends to get dirty enough to warrant attention before I take the time to clean it. What I used to do was to spray it down with a bleach-type cleaner, let it work, come back and scrub, all the while trying not to breathe. The bleach smell would linger and it was not pleasant. With my homemade cleaner, the smell is a pleasant one and this cleaner really works!

It’s a simple recipe-

Dawn dish detergent (or generic equivalent- I normally use the Great Value brand)
White vinegar
Empty spray bottle

You need equal parts dish detergent to vinegar. For enough to clean the tub area, I generally stick to 1 cup of each. Heat the vinegar in the microwave for 90 seconds or so, just to warm it. Pour this into the spray bottle, then add a cup of detergent. Screw on the lid, give the bottle a good shake, and it’s ready to use. (Note- you don’t have to heat it each time you use it, that’s just to combine the two ingredients). Spray on the surface to be cleaned, let sit to work its magic, then wipe away. For really tough soap scum, you may need a brush to remove it, but it will come off easily.

Seriously, try this one!

My second cleaner is equally as simple.

White vinegar
Citrus peels (orange or lemon are my favorites)
Plastic jar with lid (no metal lids as they will corrode from the vinegar)

The next time you peel and orange, save those peelings! Fill a plastic jar with white vinegar, then add in the citrus peelings. Cover and let sit for a few days. The citrus peelings will make the vinegar smell much more pleasant. This is an excellent all purpose cleaner.

What about you? Do you use green cleaners? What are your favorite “recipes”?

Laurie blogs at Our Abundant Blessings. She lives on a small farm with her husband and four children, along with a menagerie of animals. Life is never dull or boring, and she is truly abundantly blessed!

Take a sneak peek into my THE COUPON CRAZE: Chaos or Common Cents magazine today!

Do you have a small space, small budget and desire a BIG stockpile? No problem! Alayna Cann tells you how in this comprehensive yet captivating article.

“If you are anything like me, you have just a teensy bit of envy for those moms who seem to have it all together and have all the space in the world to store all the stockpile they could ever dream possible! But hey, let’s face it: Most of us are not like “those” moms! We don’t have it all together and we have a small to  average-size home, lacking all of that extra storage space for that dream stockpile.

I always wanted to make it possible, so one day I decided to turn that possibility into a reality. I realized that, no, I may not have a garage, attic, or basement for storage, so I would have to get creative! I needed to turn a space into my stockpile storage area without taking up any precious living space, all the while making it both functional and creative.

In the kitchen, you may not have a ton of extra space, but don’t forget to use your cabinet space to its full capacity, especially when storing canned goods. I always stack mine by size and according to how many can be stacked per shelf. By doing so, you will be amazed not only how much space you will save, but how many canned goods you can store in just one cabinet! You can also use this method with boxed foods. In organizing your food items, if you plan to store them for a long time, you may want to write the date on them somewhere with a Sharpie so that down the road you will know how long you have had them. If you don’t think you will use something relatively soon, consider taking a donation box to a food pantry or sharing with family and friends. This is a great idea when you have limited space, so that you can rotate items and nothing is wasted.

Now let’s move on to the seemingly endless cycle in the laundry room. Many of us don’t think of it as storage space for stockpiling, but it is an area where, even with limited space, functional storage can be created. When I moved to my house out West a few years ago, I faced the problem of absolutely no storage space in my laundry room. It was actually a mud room at one of the entries into the house that became the dumping ground for everyone’s shoes. So between the shoes, a stacked washer and dryer, an extra refrigerator, and a folding table, there was little room for anything else. I decided to get creative. . .”

To get the rest of this article and more stockpiling tips, CLICK HERE to purchase THE COUPON CRAZE: Chaos or Common Centsas 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 April 2012.

If you’re not a Molly member, take advantage of our TAX SPECIAL! You’ll find all the details over on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE, this special ends TOMORROW!

I don’t think there’s one among us that enjoys weeds in our gardens or flower beds.  Weeds seem to be the topic of discussion and how to get rid of them.  Mulching is a super simple way to not only keep your plants healthy but cut down on weeding time as well.  Mulching benefits your gardens by:

• inhibiting the grown of weeds from the very beginning.  Not only do weeds look bad, they steal nutrients away from the plants.
• holding moisture in the soil.  The hot sun wont’ dry out your plants as quickly.
• keeping your plants cooler.
• protecting the plant from harsh winter weather.  Fall mulching is important to protect the plant’s roots from extreme frost.
• possibly adding a little nutrition back into the soil (depending on the type of mulch you use).

There are many types of mulches, see which kind works for you and works well in your geographic location.  A little research goes a long way.  Some are free, some are more costly. Some are colorful, others are nature friendly.  Whatever mulch you decide to use, your plants will thank you!

Here’s a list of possible mulching options:

• grass clippings
• wood/bark chips
• decaying leaves
• compost
• peat moss
• straw
• hay
• pebbles, gravel or stone
• landscape fabric
• coffee bean shell

Mulching works for me! What kinds of mulch work for you, do you have a favorite?

Mulching flowerbeds works for me! For more Works For Me tips, visit: WE ARE THAT FAMILY.

About a week ago, I shared with you (on FACEBOOK) that the children and I were beginning a new project. A science experiment, really. This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a LONG time but it seemed like too big of a project. Alas, this is the year we begin our journey and learn how to make maple syrup!

Before I begin showing you what we’ve been up to, let me tell you that you don’t need acres and acres of land to make your own syrup. We are beginning this year by tapping just 3 trees. They happen to be large enough that we can get more than one tap per tree. I quickly found out that it’s hard to identify maple trees when there are no leaves. Upon researching syrup making, I also quickly learned there are different kinds of maples that result in different grades/types of syrup. Hmmm, time to call in the reinforcements.

A family friend stopped by and helped us take a look at the maple trees that just so happened to be right in our yard. We ended up having 2 soft maples and 1 hard maple tree (much to my surprise)! I also learned that the hard maple trees produce the best sap with the highest sugar content, they make the yummiest syrup.

This is just after drilling the hole(s), inserting the tap and waiting to see if it would begin “dripping.” This is a HUGE tree, one of our soft maples.

Here comes the sap! I can almost see (and taste) the syrup now…almost.

We went in search of some BIG buckets! When the days warm up and especially when the sun hits the trees, watch the sap flow!

Have you ever tried making your own syrup?

Be sure to come back next Wednesday to see all about the cooking process!

Today’s guest post is brought to us by: Maria Wells

Thanks to the show Extreme Couponing, more consumers are gaining an interest in saving money by clipping truckloads of coupons. At the same time, the coupon landscape has changed at many stores due to the program’s popularity and consumers’ zeal. Even though things have changed, you can still manage to save quite a bit of money by taking your couponing to another level. If you are considering extreme couponing, these are ten of the rules you should keep in mind.

1. Be Patient – How much time it takes will completely depend on you. If you live by the saying, “time is money,” then you may not want to devote several hours to finding and clipping coupons. Be reasonable in your time allotment. It doesn’t do much good to take a lot of time away from your family to find bargains. Be prepared to spend around four or five hours a week clipping coupns, organizing them and shopping for your bargains.
2. Be Ethical – Fraudulent use of coupons can get you in big trouble, so don’t decode your coupons. If you read the small print, you will find that using the coupon for something other than what it is meant to be used for is committing fraud. Some coupon classes will teach you how to decode your coupons, but it is unethical and illegal.
3. Be Fair – Some extreme couponers will clear the stock of an item in the store. That’s a pretty selfish thing to do, since bargains usually come around at least every quarter or so. Even though you may be able to clear the shelf with your coupons, think twice about doing so. Is it really necessary?
4. Get Organized – Extreme couponing calls for extreme organization, or at least a reasonably organized system. There are a wide variety of coupon organization systems available. Find one that works for you, then keep your coupons categorized and up to date. One thing you want to avoid is getting to the check-out with all of your items, only to find that some of your coupons are out of date.
5. Think Outside of the Print-Ad Box – It’s not just a matter of looking at the ads in the Sunday paper anymore. With extreme couponing, you may find yourself going to extreme measures to get your coupons. You can ask friends and family members to give you their extra coupons, you can enlist the help of coupon clipping services or you can buy coupons for a few dollars. Coupons are also available online at manufacturers’ and stores’ websites. You will often find coupons on their Facebook pages, too.
6. Stock Up – Extreme couponing is all about saving money, and one way to do this is to stock up on a good deal until it comes around again. If your store allows you to purchase more than one item with the coupon, by all means stock up on what you need. Keep in mind, though, that unless there are only a few items on the shelf to begin with, you probably don’t need to clear it to get what you need for your family. You don’t have to stock up for years or decades – only until the next good deal comes around. As an extreme couponer, you should have an idea how long that will be; usually four to six weeks.
7. Shop During Off-Peak Hours – Since you are doing more than the average shopper, you will most likely take more time at the cashier’s stand. Rather than ending up in a frustrated bundle of nerves or watching others impatiently waiting in line for you to finish with your business, shop during slower hours. That way, you and the clerk will have plenty of time to work through the transaction.
8. Be Familiar With Store Policy – You don’t want to come up to the check-out counter with a cart load of goods, only to find out that store policy limits coupon use to one item per customer. Oftentimes, cashiers aren’t totally familiar with the policies and will not bother to check if you are right or wrong. If you have a copy of the store policy with you and a problem comes up with the cashier, you can politely show that you are in compliance. You can usually obtain a copy of the policy online or you can ask the manager for a copy.
9. Use Original Coupons – Stores will most likely not accept photocopied coupons, so don’t even try it. It isn’t worth the embarrassment. Keep in mind that if your coupons even look photocopied, the store may not accept them.
10. Be Realistic – Extreme couponing can certainly be a lot of fun for those who enjoy bargain hunting. With that being said, keep in mind that your main purpose is saving money. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Take everything into consideration. Very few people will manage to save 90% off their grocery bill when buying things they actually use on a regular basis. If you’re savvy and diligent, consider yourself fortunate if you cut your grocery bill in half.

Now, gather those coupons together and start racking up the savings!

Maria works on the site www.housekeeping.org and she’s shared today’s article with us. Thank you, Maria!

Do you use coupons?