Cozy Coffee Cup Holders.

 

I found this little idea over at Little Lonni's Crafty Kits. The kits sells for 30 dollars but it makes at least a dozen of these cute coffee cup holders. The price is horrible but one might be able to buy a pattern and use their own material for cheaper. Either way they are a cute little item.

 

Just a Note: On Fridays I will share either a Frigal Friday idea or a Friday Find (which might be anything froma dollar store find to a great new recipe) I hope you'll enjoy my finds!

 

 

Frugal Friday: Create a Blog Planner

DIY projects almost always save you money.  Here you can create a blog planner for just the cost of some sheets of paper and ink. I like that there's not a lot of color on the pages but the flowers add enough to make these pages not only practical but fun to use.  You can find the free printable set at: Mama Jenn  If you find that some of the pages aren't for you, you can always just print the monthly calendars and monthly planning pages.  Thanks Mama Jenn for a great resource to keep me organized this year! (in blog land)

There are four distinct pages for each month and each month features a different colored flower. So cute! You get a calendar page, a monthly planning page, giveaways/reviews page and a blog posts notes page.

I didn't discover this little gem until over half way through the month but I am sure it will be a joy to use the rest of the year!  If you need a blog planner....check it out! 

Frugal Friday

I'm anxioius to get back to sharing some things with you here at Month by Month. So I'm starting with a Frugal Friday post...there's nothing like finding ways to save money!  I can't believe how much groceries have went up in the past few weeks. So it's time to get a little better organized and plan plan plan...so that I can stay within our budget!

 

 

I'm not sure where it originated but have you seen the 52 weeks savings challenge. It's pretty basic.. each week you save the amount of money for the week....so Week One you save one dollar, Week Two you add two more dollars, Week Three you add three dollars etc.



 

I wanted to start this Week One but I got distracted and so now we are on Week Three.....so this week I will need to put six dollars in the jar to catch up.

Look at how it adds up. Here's a blog to join the challenge if you want:

 

Pinch This Stretch That! 

Frugal Friday: The Casino Party

Hosting a party can be a costly adventure but it doesn't HAVE to be! You can have some awesome decorations and great food with a little advanced planning. Today I want to share some of the pcitures from our recent Casino/Vegas party!

Sometimes the little details can make a party "pop". Since the party was casino/Vegas I used lots of cards (Dollar Tree ...two packs for a buck)  I used them in a variety of ways and places. Above you see a couple framed cards. (Dollar Tree frames...a dollar each....and I can just reuse them! Or remove pics from some you have and replace them with cards!)

You really can't get the full effect of this decoration from this picture. We used red and black curling ribbon and huing dozens of cards from the ceiling. It looked neat when you were standing in the room under all of them.

Here's another use for the cards....We created a backdrop for our table. Paper money (one package from Dollar Tree was more than enough. The bills were very large and in different denominations) and cards played a central role in our garland.

Another view of the table...(without any food). I used a basic black and red theme. Table cloth, napkins plates and plasticwear...all in red and black from the Dollar Tree. The tiered plates are something I already have. I like to use the tiered holder and add whatever colored plates work for the event I'm hosting! This adds a little height to the table and can double as a centerpiece.

To add some varying height to the table I created this "big money" dish using a roll of toilet paper and taping the big money around it! Add a plate and viola....a cute seriving dish!  The mints are wrapped in dollar bill like wrappers. (Dollar store...a dollar a bag!)

I also used dice from the dollar store but I forgot to toss them on the table before taking a picture.  I bought tickets from Dollar Tree also so everyone got a ticket entered into the drawing when they arrived. We drew for prizes through out the night. Some of them came from Dollar Tree and I also purchased lottery tickets that people could roll dice and try to win!

The BIG MONEY glasses were one of the prizes from the ticket drawings.....bought at the Dollar Tree for a dollar.....aren't they funny!

My grandson Evan wore this white t shirt with SECURITY printed across the back!

So there you have it ....my Dollar Tree decor for the casino party...We also set up poker and black jack tables. We had a betting jar for people to pay a dollar and try to guess how many rocks were in the jar...closest one won....all of 12 dollars....but it was still fun, easy, and cheap to set up. I printed the little tickets (where they wrote their guess) off the computer!

Entertaining is so much fun and doesn't have to bust your budget!

It's Frugal Friday: Halloween Countdown

It's A Halloween Countdown made with Hershey's kisses!  Cute and affordable!  Details over at Infarrantly Creative.

Frugal Friday: Grocery Printables

Super cute way to organize menus and grocery lists. Free printable lists over at Design Sponge.

Frugal Friday: A Recipe

Here's a frugal recipe for you...coming in at about a dollar a serving!

These are Migas featured over at All About You. This yummy dish features eggs!

Frugal Friday: Use an Old Book

Isn't this wall storage adorable?  It's made from a book. Thanks to the wonderfully creative idea and steps for creating it from: Gingerbread and Snowflakes.

Frugal Friday: Free Cinco de Mayo Subway Printable

I love the bright colors and simple style of this subway art. You can print it HERE.

Frugral Friday: Tips

I've been posting some Frugral Friday Ideas. Now I would like to take the time to hear from all of you. What kinds of things do you do to save money?

Do you have recipes, cooking tips, gift ideas etc that help you stay on track budget wise? Do you coupon or barter? 

Please take a minute to post a frugal tip in the comments section of this post!

Frugal Friday: Coupons

Couponing has become the "in" thing right now, with extreme shopping. I have used coupons well before that show! In fact, I don't even watch the show. It's not real...stores don't let you take advantage of their coupon policies the way they do when they are taping the show. I also do not want to set up a huge storage area in my home for all this "stock". I know me. I'm not organized enough to use it all by the expiration dates etc. However last year I started couponing a bit more diligently and it has certainly paid off.

In general I save between 30-40% a week. Some good weeks or good items I save 50-100% on! The ebb and flow of my couponing is the same as life. During the hectic weeks between October-December I couponed less. Clipping coupons and organizing them takes time. The best deals can be found when you visit the couponing blogs...they do the work for you but reading blogs also take time. It's worth it BUT I'm just explaining why there are times I am off track! LOL

I have an organized coupon book and try to use it weekly. I get two Sunday papers and clip coupons through out the week while watching TV so I am all ready for my weekly shopping trip.  The internet is also a great source of coupons. My printer was down for a couple months so I got out of the habit of printing them but need to start doing so because here are some great deals out there! 

I've quite a stockpile of health and beauty products like shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste etc but it is dwindling. I haven't bought any of those items in MONTHS...so I need to be watching for some great sales and stock up again!

I wanted to share with you a couple GREAT sites to learn about couponing, to search coupon databases, and just read some good tips for getting the most for your money!

First my fave....from my neighbor (ok she lives three towns over from me but still on the interstate it's only about twenty minutes..lol)



I love her for several reasons. Number one since she is from my state and also quite close, most of the prices and deals she posts about are available to me! Number two she has a great coupon database. Number three she goes out and "tries" deals in the stores so she can report how it is all working. This couponing can get confusing so she's like a reference book for me!  And last but not least, she has saved me a boatload of money. I have gotten many FREE items using her advice, coupon and sale combo suggestions etc!

Find her site HERE and she also has a Facebook page so if you are on Facebook a lot like me the deals just pop up in you news feed!

The Krazy Coupon Lady is another good site. It's a little more commericalized with more ads etc but still she does alert me to a lot of great deals. She is not from my general area though so sometimes the prices or items are not available to me. Worth checking out though!

Another site: Coupon Divas offers great tips and alerts you to deals and weekly sales etc.

Ok, those are my favorite sites, I'm sure there are some others out there. My best advice would be to try and find one that is written by someone in your general area!

Happy Couponing!

Frugal Friday: FREE Easter Printables

You can't get more frugal than FREE....


Printable Vintage Easter Treaty Bags....or use these as lunch bags from now until Easter....so cute. Find them HERE.

 

Here's a button printable....YES printable that looks just like buttons are really being used. Find it HERE.

A sweet treat: Free party printables from: Pizzazzerie.

And while you are there check out all the super sweet orange and green party ideas...

Frugal Friday: Buttons

Create a Christmas Tree

I love this framed button art using an old frame....HERE  You could make a set or tri....so cute!

A different version from: Stitch a Wish.  So many different possiblities.

 

Or button bouquets from: The Pretty Blog

Button Topiary from Fave Crafts.com

Frugal Friday: Gifts in a Jar

Gifts in a jar are an old tried and true method to give a thoughtful and simple gift without spending a fortune. Pictured above we have chocolate sauce. Won't it be yummy spooned over brownies or ice cream!  This is from Apron Strings.

 

Cowgirl Cookies from Bakerella  These are great because there are FREE printable labels to go with the recipe. They look so pretty!

Cinnamon Honey Butter from Tidy Mom.

 

A Sewing Kit in a Jar from Chica Circle.

Easter Baking Kit.....I also thought you could give this with some playdough as a child's gift....cookie cutters + play dough= FUN!  Easter Baking Kit Idea from: A Spoonful of Sugar.

This Jar of Thanks includes cute little thank you cards and notecards. Isn't it a sweet idea....the cards are of course handmade!  Remember to get a jar with a big enough opening so the cards fit inside!  Idea from: Sunflower Stamping

I hope you enjoyed my Frugal Friday finds....I'll see you again on Move It Out Monday!!

It's Frugal Friday: Easter Ideas

So isn't this a GREAT Easter Basket idea I saw over at For the Mommas.  By creating a basket with a beach towel...you get a "practical useful" basket that becomes part of the gift. Too cute!

Or how about creating personalized Easter totes to use. This idea from: Nature Loving Mom.  There are so many uses for them AFTER Easter...

A Bunny Survival Kit....such FUN!! Check it out at: My Creative Stirrings.

This post at Frugal Upstate has a lot of Easter basket ideas!!

I hope you have enjoyed Frugal Friday. Please leave a comment if you are interested in certain "frugal" topics and let me know. Then I will be sure to try and find some tips for you!!

Frugal Friday: Easter Centerpiece Idea

It's Thrifty Friday and today I'm featuring a centerpiece idea from over at: BaerHome Design.
This is just one of them, there are several over on the blog so be sure to hop over and take a look!  I love the little peeps in this one....and the wonderful colors...who knew...some jellybeans, peeps, and flowers could transform a glass bowl into a pretty display! 

Frugal Friday: Little Sweet Treats in a Jar!

Cakes in a jar....perfect gifts for teachers and co workers. Sweet and yummy. Check it out: HERE.

Also Pies in a jar....hmmmm.....HERE.

So that's it for Frugal Friday....some more cute and inexpensive gift ideas!!  You could make them holiday related based on colors and ribbon etc or you could do them for any occasion!!

Framed Gifts for $1.20

So it's Frugal Friday and I wanted to start with a quick and thrifty little gift. You can put this together in a snap for pennies and it would make a nice little Valentine's Day gift.

You can find the printable for FREE at It Works for Bobbi  It comes in several sizes. I made mine 4 x 6. I saved it to my computer and sent it to Walgreens to print. Then I headed to the dollar store to pick up a frame.

Cost:  Walgreens print 19 cents

           Dollar Tree Frame $1.00

Total Cost= $1.19 (plus a few cents tax on the frame.)

I hope you enjoy this little freebie....and use it wisely!  I'll be back next Friday with another Frugal Friday find or tip!