Yesterday the kids and I took a little field trip to our county animal shelter. We had to renew our dog’s license, and while we were there we just had to visit the dogs and cats at the shelter! There weren’t too many dogs, though we we were able to play with some baby pit bulls. I’m not a huge pit bull fan, but those puppies were sure cute! ...

My husband and I have been living an actively frugal lifestyle for almost three years. I recently had an experience that showed me how much my thought process has been changed by frugality. We saw a television commercial for a folder-type organizing system touted as a “portable workstation”, and it looked interesting. As most commercials do, this one illustrated the various ways the system could be used, and I ...

You’ve seen the ads. Soap Savers to help you use every last sliver of soap. Pants Extenders to help your pants fit, even after you gain weight. Soda Pop Lids to keep your soda fresh, in the event you can’t drink the whole can. Green Bags to keep your produce fresh longer. The list is never ending. On the surface, these ideas seem good. After all, it’s more frugal ...

This post has been written by Mike from Green Panda Treehouse . He is a financial planner and run s several finance blogs within his online company. I must admit it right away: I’m not frugal . I actually hate to save my pennies. I do however, totally understand people who pursue their quest to live frugally and strive to cut their expenses. Most of the time, they are ...

I learned a hard lesson at BlogHer last year. To my credit, it was my first BlogHer conference, and I really had no clue what to expect. I didn’t pack well for the trip, though. First, I took too many clothes. I have a bad habit of overpacking, if I don’t know what to wear. I pack my entire closet. Maybe not the entire closet, but I filled a ...

Part of being frugal is constantly re-evaluating your bills to make sure the services you pay for are serving your needs. Up next for re-evaluation in our house is our Phone/TV/Internet service. When we moved here two years ago, we signed a contract with Qwest/DirecTV for phone and satellite television. That contract will be up in September, and we’re looking to make some changes. Where We Stand Now As ...

I’ve been consciously avoiding the news all summer, as I was on news overload at the beginning of June. But this week I read my local online newspaper for the first time in weeks, and I saw an article that made me sad. With the unemployment rate in our county hovering around 12% (and around 14% in the next county up), unemployment benefits are starting to run out . ...

Camping is a favorite summertime activity for kids. Even if you don’t have the time, money, or inclination to load up the camping equipment and head to the woods, your kids can still experience the joy of a campout…in the backyard! Here’s a recipe to make it work! Ingredients 1 Tent (improvise with sheets and a tree, if you have to) Sleeping Bags Pillows Air mattress (optional, but recommended, ...

After suffering from debt issues, you may want to start rebuilding your credit as soon as possible. However, you are likely to find a combination of cold shoulders and vultures – some put you down, and some want to bleed you dry. Unfortunately, filing too many (rejected) applications can also have a negative impact on your credit score. Since your bad credit history has proven you to be a ...

Independence Day is coming quickly, and many communities celebrate by holding a parade. Most kids love attending parades, but to keep them frugal and fun, you need to do a little advanced planning. Here are some tips to make your outing to the Fourth of July Parade a smashing success! Reserve Your Spot Early. Fourth of July parades are popular events, and if you don’t arrive early, you risk ...