Outrageous(ly Frugal) Kid Parties

So, I've been talking some about this new TLC show, "Outrageous Kid Parties".  There's a picture of one on the left.  That little girl is 6, and she's sitting on a throne while she opens presents.  She also got mad that her $2,100 cake had a purple bird on it instead of a blue one.  The whole party ran her parents about $32K.

But, hey, what's the cost of a college tuition in exchange for being the most popular kid in 1st grade?

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The 1920s called. They want this generation back.

Taking time off work, but can't afford to go anywhere?  That's a staycation.  Salvaging used goods thrown away by others is no longer dumpster-diving, it's "free-cycling".  And books and books of clipped coupons are no longer the domain of grandmas, but of twenty-somethings.

Things that haven't been in vogue since the Great Depression are now skyrocketing back into popularity.  Don't believe me?  Take a visit to Google and see how many people now raise chickens at home (even in urban dwellings).

Frugality is my generation's new hobby.  "Sure," you might be thinking.  "Times are tight."  But it's my belief that there are several issues beyond the Great Recession contributing to this widespread penny-pinching.

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How to be a cheap date

My husband and I are actually going out this weekend.  Yay!

Of course, pre-baby, we would sometimes go out multiple times in the same week.  Movies, restaurants, concerts, whatever we felt like doing.  No need to budget, or plan in advance.

Now, we have to consider expenses, whether we can find a sitter, or if we're going somewhere kid-friendly.

Not that I would ever want to go back to not being a mommy, but for comparison's sake, let's look at a typical date with my husband before, and after we became parents.

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"I want to live in America, where even the poor are fat." ~ source unknown

Last Sunday, the sermon was on wealth and materialism. My pastor compared American definitions of wealth and poverty to those of people in 3rd-world countries. And, just like any other American churchgoer, I hate those sermons.

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I would be happy for $75,000.

You may have heard about the recent study published stating that a $75K annual salary is the threshold at which money can buy you happiness; any money on top of that doesn't contribute to your day-to-day mood.

And, of course, all I can think of reading that study is, "I'd be freaking ecstatic for $75,000!"

I could go into all the bills I could pay, the car I could buy, etc., but I figured it'd be easier if I put it into mommy units of money. Here's what $75,000 could buy a mom.

353,120 size 5 Luvs diapers

4,033 pounds of Enfamil AR formula

63,613 Circo colored bibs

3,302,358 Luvs Ultra-Clean baby wipes

17,061 pounds of Gerber baby food

5,361 Fisher Price Light-and-Glow Seahorses

8 years + 4 months of childcare (at my son's preschool)

I'd love to hear some other moms chime in here. What could you buy with $75,000?

Feature Interview: Exclusive after-hours look at Kid to Kid in Cary!

The very lovely Loretta, a Kid to Kid full-timer, was kind enough to grant me an interview and a behind-the-scenes look around the store this past Sunday after-hours. Considering how this is one of my absolutely favorite stores (my sisters can attest that 90% of the kids' Christmas presents came from here), I was obviously excited.

The first thing that impressed me was how clean and well-organized the store is. The employees are clearly very diligent in maintaining the store's appearance. The shoes you see on the left? That's how the shoe aisle looked at the end of the weekend. Anyone who's worked retail knows how impressive that is.

Being that I am an amateur journalist (well, blogger), I couldn't just ooh and aah. I had to get down to business, in this case, the interview:

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Great news for the frugal and caffeine-addicted!

For those who know me personally, it's no secret that I have a great love affair with Dunkin Donuts coffee. Though I drink black coffee by the pot at home, there is something that's such a special little treat about grabbing a paperback and dropping in the Dunkin' Donuts near my house to sip on an extra-large Toasted Almond coffee w/ cream and sugar. For me, it beats Starbucks taste-wise any day of the week, and nothing can compare to that $2.39 price tag for the largest size (which is much, much larger than a, ahem, venti).

So, my caffeine-fueled heart was crushed when I discovered my local DD closed down for renovations. But I did a bit of digging, and a wonderful new dawn is on the horizon! Dunkin' Donuts is going WiFi!

So when my beloved DD finally reopens, I'mma ask hubby to watch dear son for about an hour, and I'm going to jet off to the coffee shop to enjoy tasty fresh-brewed while I work on this blog...and all for under $3.

Who are you reading?

One of the many things that's a lot of fun about writing a blog is that you get to read a lot of other, better, blogs and pretend you're doing research, and not just killing time. The following are some of the best ones I've found in my scouring of the internet's murky waters.

http://nolongerquivering.com Vyckie Garrison, along with others with similar experiences, writes a heartbreakingly hopeful (and often very funny) blog of her time in, and eventual escape from an abusive Christian cult. Her strength and insight is amazing, and I can't begin to fathom the number of hours I've spent poring over hers and other women's stories. This lady is simply amazing, and any time I feel overwhelmed with my one kid (well, two, if you count hubby), I just remind myself that whatever I'm going through, Vyckie Garrison is doing it seven times over.

http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/kid-cooking-blog.html I love this blog full of easy recipes intended for kids. Not that my son's old enough to help in the kitchen, or that he's a picky eater. It's just that I'm such an awful cook that I can only manage things intended for gradeschoolers (and even then I still have to ask my husband to turn on the oven for me).

http://www.thenewfrugalmom.com/ Okay, so I'm not a spendthrift, but I'm not exactly "frugal" either. (It's more that, I typically care so little about material things, on the rare occassion when I find something I really want, I don't mind splurging a little.) And I hate most "frugal living" blogs because their authors are insane. (No, I will not be unravelling my two-ply toilet paper, thank you.) But this blog actually has really cool tips on where to get good deals, not just recommendations to resole old shoes with leather from dead pets. (Seriously, some of those frugal bloggers are crazy.)

If you've got any great blog recommendations for me, hook'em up in the comments, or on our Facebook page. I read like the Tasmanian Devil with hyper-literacy, so I can promise you I'll check 'em out.