Frugal Gifting with Photographs

by Jessica Sommerfield · 0 comments

Most people won’t leave for vacation without one important item: their camera. Most people would also say their most treasured possessions are their family photos. Photos help us capture special moments and save their memory for a lifetime, but because they’re so easy to take, store, and print, we often take them for granted. We take tons of pictures on our vacations, during family reunions, and in our everyday lives that, unless you’re an avid scrapbooker, tend to end up in a box under the bed. This holiday season, why not take a look in that box and see if there are any special photos you can make into personal and meaningful gifts? Here are a few suggestions on how to make the most of your photos this Christmas.

Look through printed photos for pictures that would be special to someone in your life.

Most of us aren’t professional photographers, so a majority of the pictures we take won’t turn out that well. But every once in a while we capture the perfect smile or expression with the best lighting, and the photo is a keeper. Look through the pictures you’ve already printed to see if there are any forgotten treasures you can make into a gift for someone. For instance, if a beloved family member has passed away, photos of that person are especially meaningful and appropriate as gifts. For grandparents, consider compiling collages of your children’s photos or choosing an especially good family photo.

Look through digital photos that you can enhance or re-size.

The wonder of digital cameras is that you can take 2,000 pictures but only print 20. The downside is that because it’s so easy, you might not get around to printing any of them. If you have digital photos spread across numerous electronic devices, consider using a portable SD card to transfer them to one location, or place them on photo CDs, labeled by date and event. This will make it much easier for you to retrieve specific photos for printing and viewing enjoyment. Look for photos you’ve forgotten about or ones that are only slightly imperfect. Using a simple computer program, you can easily fix red eye, crop, rotate and even change the hue of your photos to make them look their best (maybe even professional).

Save money and get creative by printing at a discount store.

If you’re really concerned about quality, don’t print your own photos. You need a photo printer as well as high quality ink and paper to get the same results as you’ll get from a photo lab. This can get expensive. Crunch the numbers and decide if it’s worth the cost and hassle of printing them at home versus getting them printed professionally. Most discount stores have photo labs that offer incredibly cheap prints. What’s more, most of them offer many photo-gift options such as mugs, jewelry, canvas, afghans, and more.

Stock up on cheap but unique frames or make your own.

You don’t need to spend a lot on a frame for it to be the perfect complement to your photo gifts. Check for clearance sales and stock up on basic frames in various sizes. If they’re too plain, you can always paint them or add craft embellishments to dress them up. If you can’t find the right size frame for your photo, add some scrapbook paper as a background. A great place to find unique or vintage frames are thrift stores and yard sales. You can also make your own using molding and other supplies you can find at crafting stores.

Printing and framing special photos as gifts is incredibly meaningful and inexpensive. If you’re trying to be more frugal with your gift-giving without appearing cheap, this is an excellent choice as we approach the holiday season.

Repurpose Items Instead of Buying New for Big Savings

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

We all know a tremendously creative and crafty person who can take a pile of dryer lint and turn it into a stylish sweater… Let’s be honest, though – most people aren’t that clever when it comes to taking something we consider “nothing” and turning it into “something.” Just because we’re not the Martha Stewart of repurposing and up-cycling, however, doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t appreciate some creative inspiration. This article is for those of us who would love to frugally create treasure from trash, making “something old” new and useful again. There’s a lot that the only moderately creative can do to reimagine and repurpose everyday items to make useful, decorative or fashionable items for very little financial outlay.

Dipping Your Toes into Repurposing and Up-cycling

Honing your eye
The trick to repurposing is to train yourself to see beyond what something is to what it could be. For example, an old stepladder may not be safe to stand on anymore but it does have design elements that may lend themselves to another purpose. Those rungs could make perfectly serviceable curio shelves and when attractively refinished, the ladder could make an eye-catching and useful display shelf. It’s a matter of learning to see potential from what exists. It will take time and practice but it can be done. After a while, you’ll begin to think long and hard about an item’s “repurposing potential” before automatically discarding it.

Identifying your own resources
When you determine the need for something new, try “shopping” in your attic, closets or basement (or someone else’s) for something to repurpose into what you need before heading to a traditional store to buy something “off the rack.” You may also find items suitable to your purpose at garage sales and thrift shops. Some items people commonly have lying unused around the house, sell off cheaply or donate include:

T-shirts
Fabric, buttons and craft scraps
Recyclables (cat litter containers, milk cartons, paper towel and toilet tissue tubes…)
Garden hose and other implements
Mismatched china
Old silverware
Videotapes
Record albums
Magazines, newspaper, greeting cards…
Old pots and pans
Kitchen utensils
Old clothes, socks, gloves, hats, scarves…
Extra building materials (scrap lumber, doors, windows, bricks, moulding, tile…)
Unused or broken furniture
Tires
Home decor (baskets, vases, ceramics trays…)
Old sports equipment

What can be up-cycled?
It may help stir up latent creative juices to see examples of what people have repurposed into what. Here are some sites that feature a plethora of ideas for almost anything you could imagine repurposing:

Furniture
12 Clever Uses for Old Furniture
Repurposed Furniture
Home Smarts – Repurposed Furniture

Clothing
48 Ways How to Use Your Old T-Shirt
Repurposing Clothes/Ideas
The Ultimate Green Guide to Repurposing Clothes

General items
Repurposing Ideas – Trash2Treasure
30 Creative Ways to Repurpose & Reuse Old Stuff
The recycling and repurposing possibilities are endless!

Be brave!
Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly handy, adopt the attitude that whatever you make, you have something; whereas before, you had nothing and the item was unused anyway. You’ll eventually discover the repurposing skills at which you excel, whether it be refinishing, painting, sewing, building, decoupage, stenciling, embellishing or conceptualizing ideas for someone else to implement…With practice, your repurposing skills and confidence will increase.

In a world that’s overly materialistic, it’s important to remember that not everything of value or usefulness must necessarily be purchased new. With a little imagination and ingenuity, we can create some of the items we need and want to our own specifications and preferences, without having to pay a retail price for them.

What have you repurposed or up-cycled?

Heading to a Conference? How to Save Money on Travel

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

I recently returned from the Financial Blogger Conference. It was held in St. Louis this year, and it was a lot of fun. When I travel for business, I offset some of the cost with tax deductions. However, there are other ways to save money when you travel to a conference. As long as you are willing to reach out to other conference-goers, and engage in a little extra planning, it’s possible to save money as you travel.

Fly at Odd Times

The first rule of getting the best airfares is fly during “off” times. This can mean testing to see which days are cheaper to fly. You might fly in a day early or leave a day late. Perhaps you miss the first part of the conference in order to get a better rate.

Another option is to look for red-eye flights. These are flights that leave early in the morning or late at night. Some of them require overnight travel. They are very inconvenient, but they are also much less expensive. You can save anywhere between $100 and $300 (or more) on your round-trip airfare just by adjusting when you are willing to travel.

Split Your Ground Transportation Costs

Contact other conference-goers and figure out when they are getting in. If there are a few of you coming in at the same time, you can split a cab to the conference location. This worked quite well when I went to FinCon. About six of us arrived within a two-hour timespan, and we all shared a cab. I felt a little bad for the first guy to arrive, since he waited for everyone, but he seemed to be in good spirits. I also split a cab on the way back. This significantly reduced the amount of money I spend on ground transportation to and from the conference venue.

Share a Hotel Room

This is something I will not do. I’m willing to pay for the convenience and privacy of my own hotel room. However, I know several other conference attendees who split rooms. Many conferences offer forums or spreadsheets that provide a place to find roommates. This can be a great way to get to know someone better while you save money. Sharing a hotel room with one other person cuts your cost in half. Share with a third person, and you save even more.

Of course, you have to be willing to put up with others’ quirks, and there has to be a certain amount of trust. I have a hard time sharing because I like my own space, and because I get a little messy. I’ll fling my stuff all over. Plus, it’s rare that I make it back to my room before 2 a.m. when I’m at FinCon. It’s rather inconsiderate to come busting in at that time when you have a roommate.

Meals

There are other costs you can split. At dinner one night, I split a dessert with one of my fellow diners. I also saw other attendees splitting entrees and samplers with each other. Not only does that save you money, but it can also save your waistline!

How do you save when you travel to conferences?

2 Ways to Earn Rewards by Shopping Online

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

The Internet can be an all-too-easy means to spend your hard-earned money. You don’t need to go farther than your keyboard to browse, shop – and because of the convenience – spend more than you should. There are ways, however, to be on the receiving end of some cash and rewards to offset the costs of your online shopping. You just need to be willing to share your opinions and shopping habits with online marketers.

Marketers are getting mighty savvy when it comes to their advertising tactics. Technology allows them access to information from consumers (should we offer it) that can make their advertising efforts more effective. Ebates.com and MyPoints.com are two companies that will reward you in exchange for conducting your online shopping through their website. Shopping through them provides them access to your online shopping behavior, which, in turn, enables them to do a better job of marketing on behalf of their clients, who are the merchants who participate in their program.

2 Online Shopping Portals

Ebates
This is a portal that offers cash back to customers who access shopping sites via their website. Here’s how to get rebates on purchases using Ebates:

Create a free Ebates account.
Search for the company from which you want to make a purchase from the 1600 participating merchants listed on the site.
If the company is one that offers a rebate, click to their site via Ebates to make your purchase. You can even get rebates when you purchase the already discounted deals offered by companies like Groupon or Living Social.
Receive a percentage of the amount of your purchases from all shopping through Ebates in the form of a quarterly check, credit to your PayPal account or as a donation to a charity of your choice. The percentage back depends upon the merchant with which you shop and are clearly indicated on Ebates.

Occasionally your Ebates rewards can be higher when the percentage offered is temporarily increased. Be aware that some online stores offer cash back bonuses only on certain items.

MyPoints
Like Ebates, MyPoints is a shopping portal through which you visit shopping sites in order to receive credit for your purchases. The major difference is that there’s an extra step to receiving rewards; first you earn points which you can later redeem for bonuses. MyPoints offers a wider range of ways to earn rewards: You can earn additional points by filling out surveys, booking travel, playing games, printing and redeeming coupons and conducting Internet searches via MyPoints. Here’s the lowdown on receiving points through MyPoints:

Create a free MyPoints account.
Search for the company from which you want to make a purchase from the participating merchants listed on the MyPoints site.
If the company is one that offers points for purchases, click to the site via MyPoints.com to make your purchase.
Receive a pre-determined number of points per dollar spent or for each activity you complete.
Redeem your points for gift cards, cash or donation or travel miles.

Both companies offer rewards for merchandise as well as services. Benefits also include coupons and special offers in addition to a referral component: Refer people who may be interested in shopping via the site and receive bonuses when they accept your invitation and make qualifying purchases.

These sites do track your online shopping behavior and habits as a means of gaining very detailed and targeted marketing intel. In exchange, they pay you for providing this information with the rewards they offer. It’s a pretty fair exchange and ultimately profitable for you as a consumer.

Do you receive rewards through online shopping portals?

3 Ways to Save Money When You Invest

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

While many people are nervous about investing, the reality is that it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, if you can keep your investing plan relatively simple, it’s possible for you to invest at a fairly low cost.

Low-cost investing is important because it allows you to keep more of your money. When you invest at a low cost, most of what you make remains with you – rather than leaking away to pay fees. If you want to save money as you invest, here are 3 ways to do so:

1. Use a Discount Broker

Rather than using an in-person broker, get involved with DIY investing online. An online discount broker can offer you low commissions, including flat commissions. You pay a flat fee when you trade, meaning you pay your small fee and you don’t have to worry about someone taking a cut of your portfolio year after year.

Many discount brokerages will let you trade for between $4.95 and $6.95 per transaction. That’s not bad. There are even some with lower commissions, but many beginning traders might not get the support they need at such sites.

Look for an online discount broker that doesn’t charge annual fees or account maintenance fees. Look for a broker that doesn’t have a minimum requirement, and that has a low (or no) opening requirement. With many discount brokerages, it’s possible to open an account quickly, and begin investing relatively soon.

2. Invest in Low-Cost Funds

Rather than trading frequently (which can cost you as transaction fees add up), consider investing in low-cost funds that you don’t need to trade very often. Investing in individual stocks can get tricky, since you have to be able to identify a good deal and then hope that it doesn’t lose a lot of value.

Funds, on the other hand, follow the performances of a group of assets. That means if one asset struggles, you are instantly diversified so that your entire portfolio isn’t brought down.

There are funds that are expensive, though. Actively traded mutual funds might have a variety of fees, and expense ratios can cut into your returns. Choose index funds and ETFs that have low expense ratios. You will pay a percentage of your holdings each year, but you can usually find funds that charge 0.25 percent or less.

Choose a few funds that meet your asset allocation needs, and then invest in them over time. No need for active trading.

3. Use Automatic Reinvestment Plans

There are some investments that pay dividends. Some individual stocks, REITs, and some dividend and income funds offer regular payouts. These payouts can help you increase your portfolio without buying more shares. If you decide to invest in these types of assets, see if there is a no-cost reinvestment plan.

This plan will take what you receive in payouts, and reinvest them, without charging you extra for the transaction. This can be a great way to set your portfolio on automatic and boost your nest egg. Plus, it is a very low-cost way to improve your investing situation.

As long as you keep things simple, you should have no problem investing at a low cost.

Four Tips for Dealing with Spending Guilt

by Jessica Sommerfield · 0 comments

We’ve all done it. We were convinced we needed something, bought it, and then felt guilty about it (sometimes even before leaving the store!) Just this weekend I made a purchase I felt was justified because I needed it. But it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, so I ended up finding and purchasing the correct item a few days later. I still have the first item and don’t plan to return it for various reasons, but I still feel guilty for spending more than I needed to because I bought something I wasn’t 100% satisfied with. While my purchase wasn’t an impulse buy, as most shopping guilt is associated with, it still carried the same effect because I’m an extremely frugal shopper and a minimalist and it really bothers me. Since spending guilt a common problem, I’d like to share a few tips on how to deal with it.

Don’t suffer from false guilt.
I tend to be hard on myself (I’ve heard it’s a trait common of firstborns), and that includes my spending. While having a budget and savings goals is important, don’t be a Scrooge. Sometimes the best use of money is in purchasing something we can enjoy, no matter what the lasting value. Don’t deprive yourself just because you don’t feel like you’ve earned it or deserve it. Have a logical reason for depriving yourself (such as debt elimination or a savings goal), and plan in a reward after a ‘spending fast.’

Don’t punish yourself.
It’s human nature to want to punish ourselves when we feel guilty, whether that be physical or mental. If you overeat, you might punish yourself by severely restricting your calories the next day or pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion at the gym. With spending, we often ‘punish’ ourselves by telling ourselves we are either (a) stuck with the item, even if it doesn’t meet our needs, (b) required to return it, no matter how much we like or need it, or (c) restricted from future non-essential spending. While these reaction are an attempt to regain control, they are often unnecessary and even harmful to our spending mentality and habits. By forcing yourself to keep something you don’t need or even want anymore, you are encouraging the build up of clutter, making yourself unhappy, and possibly becoming a pack rat. Conversely, forcing yourself to return something you need or just want can lay the groundwork for feelings of deprivation, which can lead to binge spending. That’s not to say if you have to choose between paying the electric bill or keeping your $100 shoes, you should keep the shoes, but if, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not going to hurt anything, allow yourself the mistake. You also shouldn’t tell yourself you’re not allowed to have blow money anymore. Everyone needs a splurge now and then to relieve stress and enjoy simple pleasures.

Learn from your mistakes.
While you shouldn’t grind yourself into the dust over a spending mistake, you also shouldn’t ignore it. If nothing else, mistakes are useful for the learning experience they provide. Study the scenario to determine what triggered you to overspend or impulse spend. Was it pressure from friends? Was it because deprived yourself too long? Were you in a setting or store where you have a particularly hard time retaining self control? Once you’ve determined why you overspent, make a plan of action to avoid it in the future. One simple thing might be to enlist a friend to shop with you and help you stay accountable.

Make something good out of it.
Although they cause us grief at the time, epic spending blunders can provide great material for stories and laughter for years to come. If you can’t stand to look at the guilty purchase, return it or gift it to a family member or friend who will appreciate it. Whatever you do, don’t wallow in spending guilt. It’s just money…get over it.

Get Crafting to Make Thoughtful and Inexpensive Holiday Gifts

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

It’s early enough in the year to consider making some of your holiday gifts. Especially if you’re the crafty sort, it’s a great way to exercise your creative muscles while treating recipients to something unique and custom-made. Additionally, homemade gifts can pack a big impact for a small cost.

When I go the route of homemade gifts, I always feel that I’ve given of myself and my talents rather than just spending money for the sake of spending. I love the way making the gifts myself allows me to personalize each one to its recipient. Even if I make a dozen of something, each one can fit the recipient’s interests, preferences, decor or lifestyle. I feel very proud to present a gift I’ve put thought and care into creating.

Holiday-themed gifts

Sometimes, a holiday-themed gift is just the ticket. When I was twelve years old, my mom and I worked together to make Christmas tree skirts for my five older sisters who each had their own home that year. They were made of felt and edged with shiny gold rickrack. We decorated them all the way around with holiday shapes cut out of felt, like a Santa Claus face, Christmas tree, star, snowman, candles, snowflakes and the like. We created a festive, useful keepsake that they proudly used for years.

The Internet abounds with creative crafts for the holidays, many of which would make lovely, thoughtful gifts. Many of them require very simple materials that a crafty person may already have on hand. Craft stores and second-hand shops are also excellent places to find both materials and inspiration for your own creative gift ideas. Here are some holiday crafts I thought were particularly nice, and easy, too:

Also remember, if you’re comfortable in the kitchen, homemade holiday goodies are always a hit! Gifts of fresh-baked breads, cakes and cookies are tremendously popular gifts, especially among those who don’t – or don’t care to – cook. Homemade candy makes a particularly special treat, if you’re so inclined.

Gifts for year ’round enjoyment

Handmade gifts for use or enjoyment throughout the year are also appreciated. They can be a personal item, home decor or something tasty. Here are some ideas from the web for simple-to-make gifts that pack a huge “Wow” factor:

No matter the craft, the gift of your talents and time increase the gift’s value to the recipient immensely. Here are a couple real-life examples of the perfect gift from the perfect giver:

My mother-in-law makes personalized note cards and stationery as gifts. She’s a talented calligrapher who incorporates the recipient’s name or initials with some decorative stamping on high-quality paper to create a lovely gift.
A friend of mine is an extremely talented cook who gives the gift of her recipes and their ingredients, to enable the recipient to cook up something wonderful on their own. Baking mixes, spice blends and dry soup ingredients are particularly suited to this presentation.

The best thing about crafting handmade gifts is that you need not have any particular talents (like knitting or painting) to make them – just the desire to make something creative. If that sounds like you, do your holiday budget – and those on your gift list – the favor of making holiday gifts with your own two creative hands this year!

How have you used your creativity to make much-appreciated gifts?

Cruise in the Fall and Save

by Jessica Sommerfield · 0 comments

There are a number of great deals you can take advantage of as the leaves change and the weather cools. The changing of the seasons is always a great time to buy previous season merchandise at a huge discount, and that goes for services and luxuries, as well. While you might already be aware that fall is a great time to purchase summer furniture, sports gear, and perennial foliage; there’s another savings category that goes largely unnoticed: vacation packages.

Summer is, of course, peak vacation season for obvious reasons — ideal weather, lighter work loads, and school breaks. But if you want to snag the best deals, summer usually isn’t the best time. Package vacation deals offered by resorts and cruise lines are the most expensive in the summer since they are in high demand and people are willing to pay the price. Cruises that run from $700-$900 in the summer may be as low as $400-$500 just a few months later. If you’ve been wanting to go on a cruise but haven’t been able to afford it, you may want to consider changing your vacation plans to the fall season. Here are some tips for finding the best cruise deals this fall.

Book from late September through mid-December. September signals the end of cruise lines’ busiest season, prompting them to offer the best rates in hopes of luring vacationers to continue booking through the end of the season. While some passengers are leery of cruising later into the fall with the onset of storm season, cruise lines claim they are easily able to avoid or outrun them. And, since most Caribbean cruises take you to warmer waters, the weather will still be enjoyable. Not all fall cruises are cheap, however. Some fall color-tour cruises are just as expensive as summer cruises since their highlight is catching all of the best fall color, especially on the East Coast and Canada. If you want to take an Atlantic color cruise, take it later in the fall, after the leaves have stopped turning.

Take longer cruises. Cruise ships have to move from one seasonal port to another anyway, so they make package deals that include longer routes, such as across the Atlantic. There isn’t as great a demand for these longer trips since they require more time away from home, but if you want to see more of the world, you’re in business.

Take a mini-cruise. In addition to long, change-of-port cruises, many lines are now offering 1-2 day mini cruises. These are designed to introduce people to cruising without requiring them to commit to a longer trip. Some of these out-and-back trips are available for less than $200 per person, a rate comparative to staying one night in a luxury hotel with a much better view.

Take advantage of special offers. During National Cruise Vacation Week, from October 20th-27th this year, cruise lines offer some of the deepest discounts of the year as they compete for business and try to revive slumping sales. When cruise lines open up new ports, they also typically offer special introductory deals to launch their business. If you live near a popular port city, stay abreast of new cruise lines coming to your area so you can get in on the deals, since they won’t last for long. Sometimes cruises have a difficult time filling the last handful of cabins and will advertise these at a discounted rate. Check websites such as Expedia.com (especially the coupons we have listed for them here), Cruisebrothers.com and others where you can compare prices and snag limited-time offers. If you’re using a travel agency, shop around for the best prices and use competition to your advantage.

Who said you can’t have an amazing cruise vacation in October? With a little bit of planning ahead, flexibility in scheduling, and shopping for the best deal, you can afford the vacation of your dreams.

Frugal Party Activities That Provide Halloween Goodies

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

Halloween has so many components: Costumes, treats, decor, activities, parties… Before long, the costs of celebrating the holiday are not “treating” your budget very well. Fortunately, there are ways to have a fun-filled Halloween while being frugal with both your money and your time. Consider hosting a Halloween party with activities that actually create something that can be utilized on Halloween. Think of it: Halloween fun AND decor made, costume created or treat prepared.

Depending upon the activity, the item(s) made at the party could be taken home by the attendees or a drawing or contest could be held to determine a winner.

Party Activities That Yield Halloween Goodies

Here are some fun-for-all ages Halloween party activities that can yield items for your holiday celebration:

Decor

Pumpkin decorating party – Pumpkins are the definitive symbol of Halloween; there are so many creative ways to carve and decorate them, a pumpkin decorating party is sure to make for a fun-filled gathering. Littler folks may enjoy decorating their pumpkins with markers, paint and glitter while saving the sharp instruments for the adults. If you’re of the competitive sort, you can make it a competition for the best-decorated pumpkin in a variety of classes.

For the die-hard pumpkin carver, check out this site with a plethora of pumpkin carving templates.

Make your own luminaries – This activity utilizes lunch-sized paper bags, scissors, pebbles or cat litter and a votive candle or glow stick. Simple Halloween shapes are cut out of the bag (like a pumpkin, cat, witch hat, bats, spider…). Pour the pebbles or cat litter into the bottom of the bag to weigh it down and place the candle or glow stick inside. Set these luminaries outdoors after dark; they cast an inviting glow along a driveway or walkway or up the side of a staircase.

Make your own scarecrow – This is a fun group party activity. Each invitee is asked to bring a particular component to assemble a scarecrow, like an old pair of jeans, flannel shirt, length of rope for a belt, a pumpkin for the head, straw for hair, work gloves, bandana, a straw hat, boots, miscellaneous items for facial features and stuffing material. Working together, party-goers assemble the parts into a scarecrow.

Costumes

Costume potpourri – This party activity is like playing “dress up.” It’s fun and may – or may not – result in a creative and unique costume for each of your friends. Instruct your guests to raid that bag of clothes sitting in their closet that they haven’t yet gotten around to donating and bring six of the most “interesting” items to the party. Combine all the clothes brought by guests into a pile. Each guest takes a turn choosing one piece of clothing until all the items are taken. Guests then trade items until they feel they’ve got a “cohesive” costume to take home.

Click here for some additional costume creativity.

Treats

Make your own Halloween edibles – If you love to cook, host a Halloween food/treats party. Cooking can be a fun activity with friends, whether they’re youngsters or adults. These festive foods can be enjoyed at the party and extras sent home as “treats.”

Here’s a collection of pumpkin foods, featuring actual pumpkin or pumpkin-shaped foods.

Additional Resources

Click for many more frugal and clever Halloween decor ideas.
Click for a plethora of Halloween ideas.

It’s as smart to be frugal with your time as it is with your money. These ideas will help you save both while enjoying a fun and festive Halloween.

How do you save money – and time – when celebrating Halloween?

Make the Most of Your Freezer

by Jessica Sommerfield · 0 comments

Most people’s freezers are under-utilized. Far more than just a place for frozen dinners, ice cream, and the ice maker, your freezer can be a money and time-saving tool that helps you waste less of your food each week and enjoy seasonal items all year long. Here are some tips on how to best utilize your freezer and start saving money now.

Keep it neat, keep it clean
An overly frosty freezer isn’t just a waste of energy, it’s a waste of space, so defrost and clean out your freezer regularly. If your freezer has limited shelving, consider adding shelves of your own. If you have enough space, use plastic baskets to separate items into categories. When hand-freezing leftovers, be sure to label and date them with a permanent marker so there are no more mysteries. Rotate older items to the front and newer items to the back so you’re less likely to have to throw anything out.

Freeze Properly
Freezing is pretty basic, right? Beyond throwing something in a container and hoping it tastes all right when you thaw it out in a few weeks, there are a few ways to ensure optimal preservation. First of all, use freezer-friendly bags and containers. You can sometimes get away with using other containers, but will lose more food to frost burn and funky odors. Save space by flash freezing, the method of laying items out flat on a baking sheet or other surface and placing them in the freezer until they’re frozen individually. This way items lay and stack better and are easier to retrieve in smaller portions.

Freeze instead of throw

If you get smart about freezing items in peril of spoiling, you’ll save a ton of money. Even a small amount of something can come in handy for recipes or one-person meals at a later time, so don’t discredit anything. Produce of all kinds freezes incredibly well. Most is best stored by chopping and flash freezing, although bananas can be frozen right in the skin, microwaved to thaw, and squeezed into a smoothie or sweet bread recipe. You may be surprised at the following list of items you can safely freeze:

Milk, eggs, cheese, rice, pasta, sauces, salty snacks (to preserve freshness), flour, dough, breads, herbs, pie, fruits and vegetables

…and more! If you’re not sure if you can freeze something, look it up on the Internet. There’s sure to be a a how-to article or video somewhere.

Freeze Creatively
The freezer can not only save you from wasting food; it can save you time. Have you ever considered marinating meat ahead of time and placing it in the freezer, or freezing sandwiches for work? A few other ideas are to save vegetable scraps and meat drippings to throw in soups, prepare herbs and pesto in ice cube trays, and freeze batches of cookie dough. Freezing is a great way to save preparation time during the busy work week; it just requires thinking ahead. If you’re really serious, there are even classes available where people can spend a day cooking and freezing weeks worth of meals for their family.

Freeze to Take Advantage of Sales
We’ve all had moments we’ve spotted a good sale but didn’t think we could use that much before it spoiled. Freezing food allows you more freedom to take advantage of sales without being wasteful. This in turn will allow you to utilize your coupons and sales ads to their maximum advantage. And, since a full freezer allows it to work more efficiently, you’ll save even more money on your energy bill.

Take a look at your freezer. If it’s not organized and full, you might not be using it to its best advantage.

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