Frugal Mania

With Father’s Day waiting in the wings just around the next bend, I thought it would be nice for me to share a few frugal Father’s Day gift ideas in the hopes that you can see to it that Dad enjoys a day full of enjoyment that makes him feel so appreciated that he will never forget it.

Let me say this now before you make the worst mistake of your life. Don’t waste the first cent on another tie, pair of socks or anything whatsoever that says “#1 Dad” on it. A good Father’s Day gift is one for which he won’t feel it necessary to lie by tell you how much he loves the thing that will be forever banished to the dark recesses of his closet.

Start the day with a special Father’s Day breakfast in bed. With help from the kids (if possible), prepare all of Dad’s favorite breakfast treats and serve them to him in bed, along with the morning newspaper or a collection of the latest issue of his favorite magazines.

Spend an hour or so with the kids behind closed doors while Dad relaxes into his day, helping them to design and create their own Father’s Day cards. A supply of construction paper, old magazines, crayons, watercolors and washable markers is all that it takes.

As for gifts, give it some serious thought before you go off half-cocked. What about some snazzy new BBQ accessories? A gift card for his favorite store? Whatever it is, make sure that the meaning behind the gift is worth more than the gift itself and you are sure to have a winning Father’s Day that will be hard to beat.

I am happy to announce that the first Frugal Mania coupon train is not only rolling but it has reached and departed from the first stop. We have quite a few people signed up but there is always going to be room for more - in fact, the more stops on this train the better!

To read all the details and to learn how to sign up and maybe even win a special prize to boot, click here to visit the original coupon train post.

If you are new to coupon trains the premise is really simple. Everyone has coupons for items they don’t use and most people just throw them in the trash, right? I know I used to. Coupon trains work because I clip all of the coupons (even the ones for things I don’t buy). I started this train will my own collection of current (in-date) coupons that are for items I don’t want for whatever reason.

I send those coupons to the next person in the train who takes what they want, adds some of their own, removes the ones that are out of date (or about to be out of date) and sends it to the next person.

The great thing about coupon trains is that they can continue for as long as there are people who want to register as stops. The more people who participate, the richer and more diverse the collection of coupons that are circulating.

Don’t ever forget that coupons are basically free money, so the next time you find yourself debating whether or not to spend the five minutes it takes to clip a few, ask if you would just toss a few dollars in the trash can, because that is exactly what you’re doing when you toss those unclipped coupons!

Saving Big on Produce

With the price of everything skyrocketing these days, saving money on food is something most of us can’t afford not to do. Here are a few ways you can save big bucks on your produce:

• Grow it Yourself
  This is common sense, really. Spending a few dollars on seedlings can amount to huge savings over the growing season. Susan Walsh at Earthly Garden offered some great information on growing your own vegetables and fruits and yes, you can grow just about any of them in containers. Are you a beginner? There’s a great series on growing that starts at the beginning - seed starting.
• Farmer’s Markets
  Almost every community has a local farmer’s market where you can get fantastic locally grown produce for a fraction of what you’d pay at the supermarket. It tastes better, too.
• Freeze It
  Many produce items will freeze impeccably well. Tomatoes for example, can be cut up and placed in a zipper bag (juice and all) for later use in your soups, stews and sauces. Peppers and onions can be chopped and bagged (together or separately), as can corn, green beans, and quite a few other produce items that you plan to cook with.

You know all that stuff sitting in your garage that you don’t use, don’t want to throw away but just can’t seem to get around to taking to a local charity’s donation center?

I’ve got the perfect solution for you – Freecycle it!

Freecycle is one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in ages, and as a member myself I can personally attest to how great it works. The entire premise is perfect for frugal types like me. When you visit the website, you can search for the mailing list of the group in your area.

If you need something, you post to the mailing list in your area telling the other members what you need. Likewise if you have something to give away, you can post about that too. The only hard and fast rule is that all items have to be free, though the specific rules for posting to the list may vary depending on your local area, so be sure to read the details that you’ll receive in your welcome email!

If you’re anything like AntiChristy over at Urban Ecoist, you have tons of stuff that would be perfect for Freecycling!

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. Ours’ was blessed and we had a wonderful day together. Of course, my inner frugalista is still shuddering because I spent more than I wanted to, but I did shop smart for things that my family had to have on the table to make their Thanksgiving feel just right. I hope that all of you had an equally blessed Thanksgiving day.

So, it’s on to Hanukkah and Christmas. I’ve already posted a bit about my frugal Christmas gift ideas. When you are shopping, remember that frugal and cheap aren’t the same thing. Frugal brings to mind positive connotation of someone who avoids excess and waste. Cheap incites a negative vibe and is often synonymous with a lack of quality. Don’t buy cheap gifts for your friends and family. In fact, I would so far as to suggest that you not buy gifts at all if you do not have the money to buy or the time to make quality gifts. Quality is not always expensive, however.

You probably already know if you are a smart, frugal person or simply cheap. If you are not sure, however, ask yourself these questions: What do I feel in my heart about spending money on other people? Am I motivated by fear to hold on to money tightly? Do I feel shame for spending money on things that are “wants” instead of needs? Does my thriftiness negatively affect my family?

Spending money is not a bad thing. It is a necessary thing. Being wasteful or buying to excess or spending money on items that are not worth their cost is not smart. The frugal person knows there is a time to spend and a time to save and they do both with a level head.

This week is budget week on the The View. Each day the ladies will be wearing outfits that cost less than $100. *yawn* Wake me up when you find one for less than $40, shoes and other accessories included. Oh, no, I’m not kidding.

Now I realize that they record the show in New York City and the cost of living is much higher there than here in the South East or other parts of the country, but don’t they have Target there? eBay? Overstock?

I know some of you are thinking, “Buying new? No way! Not when there is a thrift store near!” And I see your point. You can get brand name clothes for pennies at your local thrift store. I have to admit, though, that I have trouble with buying secondhand clothing from people I don’t know. While I would accept hand me down clothes from family members or close friends, I don’t like clothes from the thrift store.

So, I keep it frugal at Target, Goody’s, Overstock, and, yes, even Walmart if I see something cute. I *heart* Old Navy (as you might have guessed if you’ve been reading here long) and the clothes filling my children’s closets are more than half Old Navy brand clothing.

But back to budget week at The View! I can fill my closet with a whole season’s worth of brand new outfits, including shoes (I don’t do jewelry and won’t until my children are older as my toddler loves all things shiny.) for $200. Naturally I am unimpressed with one outfit for under $100.

‘Tis the season to spend money, fa la la la la . . . or not! For frugal folks this time of year is both scary and exhilarating. While it’s fun to find great gifts for next to nothing, there is always the fear that it won’t work out. Let’s be honest, buying all of your gifts from the local dollar store is cheap. Of course, it’s doable, but many of the items are just not gift material. I believe in giving gifts that show good taste and are of good quality. Sure, you find add-ins and supplements to a great gift at the dollar stores, but a nice Christmas present does not consist of two glittery teddy-bear-in-a-Santa-hat figurines and a lavender scented candle from the Dollar Tree.

Still, Christmas gift giving does not have to be costly. Check out some of these ideas for inexpensive Christmas gifts.

1. Give food. For co-workers, teachers, the mail man, etc. try a gift of raw honey in a pretty, decorated jar. Homemade hot cocoa mix in a nicely decorated air-tight container is also a great gift. Cookie mix, pancake mix, a bag of gourmet coffee, a box of nice herbal tea, or a small box of good quality chocolates are also great Christmas gifts.

2. Give books. Remember my post about online book buying clubs? Now would be a good time to join and get several books for a very, very low price. When you are choosing your free or low priced books keep your friends and family in mind and pick books that they would enjoy. Remember to allow time for shipping. When buying Christmas gifts for your children remember that books should be an important part of a child’s life. Children can never have too many books, in my opinion.

3. Make a photo album. This is a great gift idea for grandparents. I made a scrapbook for my mother in law’s birthday one year. I included pictures of my boys alone, together and with her. Print pictures on card stock if this is an otherwise too pricey project.

That’s all I’ve got for today, but I’m keeping my eyes open for more frugal gift giving tips! Feel free to comment with your own.