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Deborah Taylor-Hough - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Nearly two decades ago, our family bucked the tide of late-20th Century American life. We became a one income family in a two income world. We set out on a journey toward frugal living and simplicity that quickly became an education in itself—and a rewarding, joy-filled lifestyle.
Through hard work and determination, our family:
*paid off outstanding consumer debt and medical bills
*radically reduced spending in every area of our lives
*and most importantly, lived to tell about ... [More]
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- What is Frugal Living?
[Finance:Personal-Finance] If I want to know what a word means, I usually run to my dictionary or do a quick search online. Keeping true to my normal mode of operation, here's what I found in my first search for the meaning of "frugality." According to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), frugality is "the quality of being frugal; prudent economy; that careful management of anything valuable which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; thrift; -- opposed to extravagance.
- Frightfully Frugal Halloween Costume Ideas
[Home-and-Family] Halloween costumes don't have to scare the living daylights out of your budget. Even a simple homemade gypsy or hobo costume can be loads of frightening fun, especially if the children design it themselves.
- Make-Ahead Apple Pie Filling
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] A friend of mine shared this recipe for make-ahead apple pie filling that I plan on using when the apples ripen later this year. You might want to keep it in your recipe files until apple season, too!
- Frugal Easter Basket Ideas
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] If you look forward to giving Easter baskets to your children each year but don't enjoy the high price of expensive pre-made baskets, here are some simple ideas for saving money on this fun holiday tradition. Like anything else you buy, it helps to set a spending limit - maybe $5 per Easter basket. Then have fun being creative and trying to keep within your basket budget.
- Dusting Off the Old Crockery Cooker
[Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] If you like the experience of walking in the door and smelling dinner cooking without you slaving away in the kitchen preparing the meal, you'll love the convenience of a crockery cooker. Take a few minutes in the morning before work or school to throw some ingredients into the pot, set it, and forget it. When you come home at dinnertime, you'll be greeted by the heavenly aroma of an easy dinner. What could be better than that?
- Saving Money on Winter Home Energy Costs
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Approximately 40% of winter home energy bills involves heating. Here are some simple tips for cutting back on your home energy costs this winter.
- Saving Money With Mix-n-Match Skillet Meals
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] This recipe is one I prepare regularly to use up leftovers or clear out the cupboards. I keep a copy of this taped to the inside of my pantry door at all times. With Mix-n-Match Recipes, I'm always amazed at the meals I can create from simple, basic formulas. I also save money by choosing ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I even surprise myself with a delicious nearly-gourmet combination or two!
- Inexpensive Meat Substitute
[Food-and-Drink] What if I told you I'd found a food you can use like meat that's not only dirt cheap, but also healthier than many other food items on the market? You'd probably think I also had some swamp land in Florida to sell you cheap.
- 12 Things to Do to Keep Your Summertime Organized
[Self-Improvement:Organizing] Just because life is a bit more relaxed during the lazy days of summer doesn't change the fact that we still need to know where things are and keep them handy. Here are some simple tips to keep your summertime activities and supplies running smoothly.
- Top Ten Tips To Building A Better Burger
[Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Summer's almost here and if you're anything like me, you've already made that annual trip to the store to refill the propane tank on your backyard grill. In honor of the hallowed summertime tradition of outdoor cooking, here are some of my favorite tips for finding your way to Hamburger Heaven in your own backyard.
- Trash To Treasures - 10 Tips For A Successful Garage Sale
[Home-and-Family] Spring cleaning is a wonderful accomplishment. Everythings fresh and clean. Doesn't it feel great? But what do you do with all those odds and ends unearthed from your closets and the back recesses of the garage? Making a few extra pennies by holding a Garage/Yard Sale could be just the ticket. After a number of successful sales over the years, here are some of my favorite tips for making the most of your time and effort.
- Celebrating Valentine's Day On a Shoestring
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Here's a list of inexpensive -- and often free -- ideas for spending some quality romantic time with your Valentine.
- One Habit at a Time - A Key to Successful New Year's Goals and Resolutions
[Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] I've been told it takes four to six weeks for any action to become a habit. So, keeping that in mind, one way I'm going to insure my success at keeping my New Year's resolutions this year is by working on only one new habit at a time each month. Then, every time I turn to a new calendar page, I'll work on developing a different good habit.
- Winter Educational Activities for Preschoolers
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] It's always fun to use things in our children's everyday lives to spark discussion and easy educational activities. Since many of us are currently in the midst of winter, this season can be a great topic of "study" for our littlest ones.
- Twaddle-Free Holidays
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] Simple ways to apply the concept of avoiding "twaddle" (or what we might call "dumbed down" literature or activities) in our holiday celebrations, family times and Christmas reading materials. Ordinarily twaddle refers to literature written down to children.
- A Secret to a Relaxed Holiday Dinner
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] Can you imagine a relaxed Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without needing to actually cook your turkey on the big day? You'd be able to enjoy the festivities as much as your friends and family! Believe it or not, it's possible to roast your turkey ahead of time and store the cooked meat in the freezer to reheat and serve on the big day. If this sounds a bit too much like eating leftovers, let me assure you that by following these simple freezing and reheating instructions, you'll have moist, delicious turkey -- and not one of your guests will suspect you didn't spend the entire holiday slaving away in the kitchen keeping watch over a hot oven.
- Let's Play "Hide-and-Sneak" with Veggies!
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] Playing a little "Hide-and-Sneak" with fruits and veggies could be just what the doctor ordered for a simple way to help your child eat healthier ... even if their picky little taste buds haven't quite matured enough for a full serving of cooked Brussel sprouts.
- Grocery Money Savers For Everyone
[Finance:Personal-Finance] Groceries are one of the few flexible items in a family budget, but it can sometimes be challenging to find creative ways to save on regular family food costs. The following are some simple tips for reducing your grocery expenses.
- Meatball Mania! A Simple Mealtime Solution
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Cooking up a large batch of meatballs in advance to store in the freezer goes a long way toward establishing a supply of quick and easy meals. And if you take advantage of sales on ground beef and stock up, this can be a tremendous boon to your family budget too!
- Cooking Ahead For the Freezer - Frequently Asked Questions
[Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] The idea of cooking a month's worth of meals to store ahead in the freezer is becoming increasingly popular in this modern world of two incomes, daycare, sports, skyrocketing costs, and busy families.
- Frugal Family Field Trip Ideas
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] Family field trips are a simple, fun and fairly inexpensive educational enrichment activity you can enjoy regularly with your children.
- Ten Simple Steps to Conquer Problem Debt
[Finance:Personal-Finance] If you’ve identified a problem in the area of personal debt, you’ll need to set about remedying the situation. Here are easy steps to regaining financial control.
- Teacher Appreciation Ideas
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] There's a fine line between showing appreciation and going broke. Finding just the right gift - at just the right price - can be challenging at best. And besides, how many apple-decorated key chains or coffee mugs can one teacher use? Remember, this isn’t a competition to see which child or parent gives the teacher the best or most expensive gift. Showing appreciation to assorted teachers should be an expression of heart-felt thanks to the dedicated people who have touched our lives and given of themselves to our children.
- Avoiding Mosquito Bites
[Home-and-Family] One of the best ways to keep mosquitoes from getting the bite on you is to avoid being the main attraction at your local mosquito theme park in the first place. Understanding a bit about mosquito behavior can help avoid calling unnecessary attention to yourself.
- Cheap Thrills - Family Entertainment on a Budget
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] Having fun as a family doesn't have to break the bank. With a little thought and creativity, family fun can equal frugal fun. Here are a dozen easy ideas to get you started.
- Simple Autumn Ideas
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Autumn is the perfect time for gathering the family together for some fun and simple seasonal activities. Here you'll find an easy recipe for hot spiced cider and a number of crafts, decorations and activities to bring joy to your family this Fall.
- Contentment Robbers
[Finance:Personal-Finance] Someone asked me how to afford luxury items on a limited budget. Here's some of what I discovered about learning to live frugally without feeling deprived.
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