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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Adventures in Couponing: Third (and final) Trip of the Great 3-Day Couponing Weekend

Final run to the last few sales I wanted to catch, before everything rose back to pre-Memorial Day prices.

First Stop:  PETCO
I worked in pet retail for 3 years, so I know some of the tricks.  The best deal is if you can find a clearance item to stack with a manufacturer's coupon.  And PETCO, with its ever-changing product lines and planograms, always has a ton of clearance.

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Adventures in Couponing: First Trip

I decided to try to go small after my first experimental couponing trip to Harris Teeter (where I got $50 worth of groceries for $20).  So I made a list of just a few things I wanted to go at each store, organized my coupons into envelopes (stacking manufacturer and store, where I had both), made a shopping list, grabbed some circulars, and hit the road.

For a beginner couponer, I am very pleased with the results.  See for yourself.

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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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