Take advantage of all the free events in your town. We live in a suburb of a medium sized city and there are so many free events every weekend - there is no excuse to have nothing to do. Pack a lunch or snack and head out. If you don't know how to find something, look on the internet, in your local paper or visit the tourism bureau.
We have several free events this weekend to pick from - not sure which one we'll attend, but it will be fun.
Check out all the other Frugal Friday ideas at Biblical Womanhood
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Travel Thursdays - Real life examples
I thought it be fun to wrap up this series with the details of some of our recent trips:
Ski vacation on the cheap!
Our daughter was almost four and so we decided to get her on skis this year. Flying to one of the big resorts out West seemed like a waste of money for such a beginning skier, so we decided to drive up to the Boyne, MI area - it's about a seven hour drive for us - very doable. Skiing can be a VERY expensive vacation, but I think we did pretty well.
We knew we would need someone to help us watch our daughter while we skied, so we enlisted the Grandparents to come along - a free trip for them in exchange for some childcare! On the agenda was skiing, a little shopping and a waterpark day - this was based upon what we knew was available in the area from previous trips and a little internet research.
We took one vehicle so gas (at the time) cost us about $55 each way. We used one of our timeshares - trading in a measly 42K points got us a two bedroom slopeside. Cost of 1/3 of our points and the RCI trade in was $347.00.
With transportation and lodging covered, we needed to get down to activities and food. We are lucky in that we have our own skis, but my daughter did not. Rental skis for her were $15. We decided we would ski two days, sign up for one lesson for her and take her ourselves one day. Luckily the resort we went to had some nice deals. The beginner lift (which had two nice runs) was free if you asked for a lift ticket the day before. Sundays there was a ski special $22 if you ski 12:30 - 4:30. Finally, you could purchase half day tickets (any four hours) for $33. We found out all this info by checking out the site before we left home.
Food was covered by packing our own breakfast, lunch and snack foods - this was easy since we were driving. Once we arrived, we picked up all the dining guides and entertainment guides and spent some time looking through them. We found some great deals and coupons this way!
Here's how it panned out:
Friday - we left afterschool and arrive late night. We stopped at Ruby Tuesday's on the way for dinner - we all got salad bars and one kids meal for the kids to split. A little pricey at $50 for the 6 of us.
Saturday - breakfast at the condo then we walked over, signed dd up for ski school (very pricey at $60) and bought ourselves two half day lift tickets ($66). I bought a large pizza at the resort with a 10% off coupon for $20. This was lunch for all of us today along with our drinks at the condo. We skied all afternoon, then came back and went exploring for dinner. I actually can't remember where we ended up for dinner, but I'm sure it was reasonable - no more than $40 for all of us.
Sunday - relaxed at the condo in the morning, then hubby and I skied the afternoon session $44 - a great deal! My parents took advantage of the kids program at the timeshare and the kids did free activities all afternoon. We ate leftover pizza and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was a local whitefish place (the area is known for whitefish) we found in one of the dining guide - it was fantastic and inexpensive. We purchased one dinner and one kids meal for the four of us and my parents split one meal. $30 including drinks for all of us.
Monday - we got up early and did the timeshare presentation - both my husband and I first and got three free waterpark passes, and then my parents did it and got $100 in gift cards. Breakfast was also included. It was interesting to see the other resorts as we really liked this place. The kids participated in activites in the morning while we took turns doing the presentations. After a lunch in the condo we went to the waterpark while my parents relaxed and did some sightseeing. The kids had a blast and we spent the entire afternoon there. We spent $4 on a pretzel and drink for a snack. For dinner that evening we tried a local Mexican place that had a happy hour special of $2 for any taco or enchilada. With free chips and salsa, a side of rice and beans for our kids and even a few drinks the price was an amazing $20 for all of us - and the food was FANTASTIC!!!! That night, the kids stayed at the condo with my parents and we took my dad to the local casino. They had quarter roulette and $3 tables - we gambled $20 each and spent several hours there.
Tuesday - we had gotten the free lift tickets so took my daughter skiing on the beginners runs - it was a blast and cost $15 for her rental - what a bargain!!!! In the afternoon we went to downtown Petosky and shopped around. At the timeshare presentation yesterday we had also received coupon books so we had a couple of buy one get one free lattes at the local coffee shop. Total cost was $5.00 for 3 lattes and one hot chocolate. YUM! Dinner was another local spot - decent food, but nothing spectacular. We used some of my parents gift cards from Monday, so the cost was $20 out of pocket for all of us. We went back to the casino for a few hours and my dad ended up winning $1500 - good bonus for him.
Wednesday - we had to get back to school, so we had to forgo the last few days of vacation. We drove home, stopped at Subway for lunch $25 but used a gift card so $15 out of pocket.
It was a fantastic trip - we all had a blast and agreed it will have to become an annual vacation.
Gas: $110
Lodging: $347
Food: $214 for 4 adults and 2 kids (15 meals) I packed food from home, didn't buy anything special.
Skiing: $200 - 2 half days, 1 day ski school and 3 hours "free" skiing on one lift
Waterpark: $0 (included the snack in food)
Other: activities at the condo were free; gambling ended up free as we won back all our money plus some (and we started out with their money signing up for the awards card)
Total cost: $871 for a ski vacation for six - pretty darn good as our old trips out West were easily $2500 for the two of us!!!
Lessons learned: hit the Mexican place twice - it was THAT good; don't bother with the ski lesson; get our hands on a coupon book earlier in the trip`
Sorry this was so long, based upon that I think I'll wait until next week to review our recent trip to Disney! Hope this was interesting - it was fun for me to re-live our fun time!
Ski vacation on the cheap!
Our daughter was almost four and so we decided to get her on skis this year. Flying to one of the big resorts out West seemed like a waste of money for such a beginning skier, so we decided to drive up to the Boyne, MI area - it's about a seven hour drive for us - very doable. Skiing can be a VERY expensive vacation, but I think we did pretty well.
We knew we would need someone to help us watch our daughter while we skied, so we enlisted the Grandparents to come along - a free trip for them in exchange for some childcare! On the agenda was skiing, a little shopping and a waterpark day - this was based upon what we knew was available in the area from previous trips and a little internet research.
We took one vehicle so gas (at the time) cost us about $55 each way. We used one of our timeshares - trading in a measly 42K points got us a two bedroom slopeside. Cost of 1/3 of our points and the RCI trade in was $347.00.
With transportation and lodging covered, we needed to get down to activities and food. We are lucky in that we have our own skis, but my daughter did not. Rental skis for her were $15. We decided we would ski two days, sign up for one lesson for her and take her ourselves one day. Luckily the resort we went to had some nice deals. The beginner lift (which had two nice runs) was free if you asked for a lift ticket the day before. Sundays there was a ski special $22 if you ski 12:30 - 4:30. Finally, you could purchase half day tickets (any four hours) for $33. We found out all this info by checking out the site before we left home.
Food was covered by packing our own breakfast, lunch and snack foods - this was easy since we were driving. Once we arrived, we picked up all the dining guides and entertainment guides and spent some time looking through them. We found some great deals and coupons this way!
Here's how it panned out:
Friday - we left afterschool and arrive late night. We stopped at Ruby Tuesday's on the way for dinner - we all got salad bars and one kids meal for the kids to split. A little pricey at $50 for the 6 of us.
Saturday - breakfast at the condo then we walked over, signed dd up for ski school (very pricey at $60) and bought ourselves two half day lift tickets ($66). I bought a large pizza at the resort with a 10% off coupon for $20. This was lunch for all of us today along with our drinks at the condo. We skied all afternoon, then came back and went exploring for dinner. I actually can't remember where we ended up for dinner, but I'm sure it was reasonable - no more than $40 for all of us.
Sunday - relaxed at the condo in the morning, then hubby and I skied the afternoon session $44 - a great deal! My parents took advantage of the kids program at the timeshare and the kids did free activities all afternoon. We ate leftover pizza and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was a local whitefish place (the area is known for whitefish) we found in one of the dining guide - it was fantastic and inexpensive. We purchased one dinner and one kids meal for the four of us and my parents split one meal. $30 including drinks for all of us.
Monday - we got up early and did the timeshare presentation - both my husband and I first and got three free waterpark passes, and then my parents did it and got $100 in gift cards. Breakfast was also included. It was interesting to see the other resorts as we really liked this place. The kids participated in activites in the morning while we took turns doing the presentations. After a lunch in the condo we went to the waterpark while my parents relaxed and did some sightseeing. The kids had a blast and we spent the entire afternoon there. We spent $4 on a pretzel and drink for a snack. For dinner that evening we tried a local Mexican place that had a happy hour special of $2 for any taco or enchilada. With free chips and salsa, a side of rice and beans for our kids and even a few drinks the price was an amazing $20 for all of us - and the food was FANTASTIC!!!! That night, the kids stayed at the condo with my parents and we took my dad to the local casino. They had quarter roulette and $3 tables - we gambled $20 each and spent several hours there.
Tuesday - we had gotten the free lift tickets so took my daughter skiing on the beginners runs - it was a blast and cost $15 for her rental - what a bargain!!!! In the afternoon we went to downtown Petosky and shopped around. At the timeshare presentation yesterday we had also received coupon books so we had a couple of buy one get one free lattes at the local coffee shop. Total cost was $5.00 for 3 lattes and one hot chocolate. YUM! Dinner was another local spot - decent food, but nothing spectacular. We used some of my parents gift cards from Monday, so the cost was $20 out of pocket for all of us. We went back to the casino for a few hours and my dad ended up winning $1500 - good bonus for him.
Wednesday - we had to get back to school, so we had to forgo the last few days of vacation. We drove home, stopped at Subway for lunch $25 but used a gift card so $15 out of pocket.
It was a fantastic trip - we all had a blast and agreed it will have to become an annual vacation.
Gas: $110
Lodging: $347
Food: $214 for 4 adults and 2 kids (15 meals) I packed food from home, didn't buy anything special.
Skiing: $200 - 2 half days, 1 day ski school and 3 hours "free" skiing on one lift
Waterpark: $0 (included the snack in food)
Other: activities at the condo were free; gambling ended up free as we won back all our money plus some (and we started out with their money signing up for the awards card)
Total cost: $871 for a ski vacation for six - pretty darn good as our old trips out West were easily $2500 for the two of us!!!
Lessons learned: hit the Mexican place twice - it was THAT good; don't bother with the ski lesson; get our hands on a coupon book earlier in the trip`
Sorry this was so long, based upon that I think I'll wait until next week to review our recent trip to Disney! Hope this was interesting - it was fun for me to re-live our fun time!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
August Goals update
Well, I didn't accomplish everything (but it was pretty ambitious) mostly because my job got out of control - I logged an actual 63 hours last week - that means any free time was strictly spent with my family. Hopefully things will slow down next month. But, regardless, here are my goals and an update:
1. Office:
Find a chair - there is a perfect spot in the front of my office for a nice big chair and a half. This would be a great spot to take a quick work break, read late at night without bothering my DH or for my kids to read books while I work. We found one, just waiting for it to go on sale!
Rearrange furniture - I have a floorplan, just need to take the time to do it. I moved most of it, but I haven't flipped the desk yet - I'm not sure I want to actually.
Clean up the piles - there are about four or five "piles" that need sorted, put away, etc. As I look around, I only see two piles left - so definite progress!
Sort and purge files - didn't get to this one
2. Scrapbooking:
Put all old pictures in albums (not scrapbook, just put them in photo albums) Halfway done!
Sort & purge supplies Progress, but not finished
Finish organizing supplies in the credenza in the office - this is where I am currently keeping the bulk of my supplies and I'd like to get them all in there Progress, but not finished
Buy plastic page protectors, pages and put together all the finished pages in an album Purchased two sets, need to buy two more - waiting for more coupons!
Create space on the bookshelf for an "idea book/ files/ etc." Haven't done this one yet.
Actually, not bad overall - based on how busy I've been, I'm pretty pleased. I'm still very happy with my monthly focus plan Monthly Focus - it has been nice to really focus on one area of my life each month. September is deep cleaning and organizing the house and that couldn't come at a better time - things are way out of control!!!
1. Office:
Find a chair - there is a perfect spot in the front of my office for a nice big chair and a half. This would be a great spot to take a quick work break, read late at night without bothering my DH or for my kids to read books while I work. We found one, just waiting for it to go on sale!
Rearrange furniture - I have a floorplan, just need to take the time to do it. I moved most of it, but I haven't flipped the desk yet - I'm not sure I want to actually.
Clean up the piles - there are about four or five "piles" that need sorted, put away, etc. As I look around, I only see two piles left - so definite progress!
Sort and purge files - didn't get to this one
2. Scrapbooking:
Put all old pictures in albums (not scrapbook, just put them in photo albums) Halfway done!
Sort & purge supplies Progress, but not finished
Finish organizing supplies in the credenza in the office - this is where I am currently keeping the bulk of my supplies and I'd like to get them all in there Progress, but not finished
Buy plastic page protectors, pages and put together all the finished pages in an album Purchased two sets, need to buy two more - waiting for more coupons!
Create space on the bookshelf for an "idea book/ files/ etc." Haven't done this one yet.
Actually, not bad overall - based on how busy I've been, I'm pretty pleased. I'm still very happy with my monthly focus plan Monthly Focus - it has been nice to really focus on one area of my life each month. September is deep cleaning and organizing the house and that couldn't come at a better time - things are way out of control!!!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Greeting Cakes
You may have noticed the link on the side of my blog to the Greeting Card Cakes - I thought I'd take a quick moment to explain. These are little microwave cakes (like Warm Delights) that you can send in place of a card - they come complete with cake mix, icing, sprinkles, a tiny spoon and a candle. It's a fun way to brighten someone's day and you can order them with a ton of different designs. They would also be a great fundraiser.
My daughter really likes them (she's a big baker already at 4!) so I signed up to "sell" them, just to get a ready supply for her to give to her friends as part of their birthday gifts. I thought they were so cool I figured I'd add a link to my blog in case anyone out there needs an unusual (and inexpensive) gift. So, take a look if you are interested!
Tomorrow I'll share my progress on the August goals - I didn't accomplish them all, but I did make a difference! Thursday will be the last of the Travel Thursday series and Friday I think I'll share my goals and plans for September.
My daughter really likes them (she's a big baker already at 4!) so I signed up to "sell" them, just to get a ready supply for her to give to her friends as part of their birthday gifts. I thought they were so cool I figured I'd add a link to my blog in case anyone out there needs an unusual (and inexpensive) gift. So, take a look if you are interested!
Tomorrow I'll share my progress on the August goals - I didn't accomplish them all, but I did make a difference! Thursday will be the last of the Travel Thursday series and Friday I think I'll share my goals and plans for September.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Lots of tomatoes from the garden this week - we are using as many as we can and drying what we can't!
Monday - Shrimp Diablo; fresh bread
Tuesday - Red beans & Rice with sausage
Wednesday - Salmon on the grill with cucumber salsa
Thursday - Fresh tomato sauce with pasta; fresh bread
Friday - Grilled Shrimp cocktails
Saturday - Onion soup and grilled cheese
Sunday - Balsamic Chicken over spinach salad
Sounds yummy doesn't it? I have a few packs of shrimp in the freezer so that's why we are having it twice this week - also a pretty light menu (except for Saturday) as it's very hot outside!!!
For lunches: Gazpacho (YUMMY!), BLT's, leftovers
Breakfasts: Whole wheat blueberry muffins, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal
I'm also going to make some snacks this week - oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and I'm going to try a recipe I've had for a while for baked "fried" chickpeas.
Monday - Shrimp Diablo; fresh bread
Tuesday - Red beans & Rice with sausage
Wednesday - Salmon on the grill with cucumber salsa
Thursday - Fresh tomato sauce with pasta; fresh bread
Friday - Grilled Shrimp cocktails
Saturday - Onion soup and grilled cheese
Sunday - Balsamic Chicken over spinach salad
Sounds yummy doesn't it? I have a few packs of shrimp in the freezer so that's why we are having it twice this week - also a pretty light menu (except for Saturday) as it's very hot outside!!!
For lunches: Gazpacho (YUMMY!), BLT's, leftovers
Breakfasts: Whole wheat blueberry muffins, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal
I'm also going to make some snacks this week - oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and I'm going to try a recipe I've had for a while for baked "fried" chickpeas.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Notebook Experiment
Amy over at MomAdvice has a fun weekly post called notebook experiments Notebook they are great ideas that would be fun to try. This week she has opened them up to her readers and so I thought I'd join in. This week I've been busy working on a price book. Here's the link to the original post: http://joannal.blogspot.com/2007/10/finally-price-book.html.
And here's my start of a pricebook - this is something I've been wanting to do for a while, so thanks for the kickstart Amy!
Give this a shot - it's a lot of fun!!!
Travel Thursdays - Miscellaneous Tips
This has been a fun series to write - one of my favorite topics. We are nearing the end - next week I'll showcase a few examples of some of our recent trips. Today I thought I'd share some miscellaneous tips.
1. Read guide books - this is a great way to get ideas of things to do, places to go, etc. Don't buy them however, get them from the library. They are typically updated annually, so why spend money on something that will be out of date in less than a year.
2. Keep a file for future trips. Whenever I find an article about a place I'd like to go, I rip it out and put it in my vacation file. Then, when it's time to plan a trip I pull out the file and see if there is anything useful. I do clean this file out annually to keep it from getting too big!
3. Involve the whole family. If the kids (and spouse) are involved in the planning, they will be more excited about the trip. This also takes the burden off of you as sole entertainment provider!
4. Go with the flow. It's good to have some things scheduled, but it's also fun to just go with the flow sometimes. Often the best memories are unplanned - and a little flexibility can make for less stress and sometimes more fun!
5. Ask the locals. I know I've mentioned this in past weeks, but I can't emphasize it enough - you can get such great tips on everything from where to eat to what to do - information you could never find on your own. Plus, you will meet some interesting people along the way.
6. Try something new. Just because you haven't done it, eaten it, etc. doesn't mean it's not fun. Vacations are a great time to step outside your comfort zone - your kids will love it!
7. Don't overpack. If we are gone for more than a week, I'll still only pack a week's worth of clothing (or less). It is easy to find a laundromat (if your lodging doesn't have one) and it only takes an hour to do laundry. I send the kids off with hubby, get a coffee and read a book while the clothes are being washed. It's relaxing and so much easier to have less stuff to lug around.
8. Take pictures. These are the best souvenirs. We will usually buy each child one item on the trip - we encourage them to look at everything and think about what they want - it's often a $5 stuffed animal versus the $50 lego set - lol!!! Then we take lots of pictures. When we get home I'll scrapbook some and sometimes make a photo book at CVS or Meijer with the rest.
9. Speaking of souvenirs, buy ahead. On our last few trips to Disney, I've shopped the Disney store for clearance items in the months before the trip. I'll also pick up a few new DVD's or CD's on clearance here or there. Then, I wrap them up and pack them in my bag. The kids get a nice little surprise and I'm not paying an outrageous price for it.
10. Check out the outlet mall. When we go to Orlando, we always visit the outlet mall - there is a Disney outlet located there and we often find great gifts for the kids, Christmas presents, etc.
11. Do the unexpected. Have ice cream for breakfast, pack a picnic lunch, let the kids stay up late for fireworks, say yes when they ask for that $1 treat at the gas station, go to McDonald's if that's where the kids really want to eat. Vacation is a great time to break the routine and do things you would never consider at home - it's fun, the kids love it and it creates great memories.
12. Just go! Even if you can't afford a long trip, try to create something close to home. There are deals out there - camp at a nearby State Park, stay overnight at a local budget motel with a pool, whatever you can do, just do it - the memories will be priceless.
1. Read guide books - this is a great way to get ideas of things to do, places to go, etc. Don't buy them however, get them from the library. They are typically updated annually, so why spend money on something that will be out of date in less than a year.
2. Keep a file for future trips. Whenever I find an article about a place I'd like to go, I rip it out and put it in my vacation file. Then, when it's time to plan a trip I pull out the file and see if there is anything useful. I do clean this file out annually to keep it from getting too big!
3. Involve the whole family. If the kids (and spouse) are involved in the planning, they will be more excited about the trip. This also takes the burden off of you as sole entertainment provider!
4. Go with the flow. It's good to have some things scheduled, but it's also fun to just go with the flow sometimes. Often the best memories are unplanned - and a little flexibility can make for less stress and sometimes more fun!
5. Ask the locals. I know I've mentioned this in past weeks, but I can't emphasize it enough - you can get such great tips on everything from where to eat to what to do - information you could never find on your own. Plus, you will meet some interesting people along the way.
6. Try something new. Just because you haven't done it, eaten it, etc. doesn't mean it's not fun. Vacations are a great time to step outside your comfort zone - your kids will love it!
7. Don't overpack. If we are gone for more than a week, I'll still only pack a week's worth of clothing (or less). It is easy to find a laundromat (if your lodging doesn't have one) and it only takes an hour to do laundry. I send the kids off with hubby, get a coffee and read a book while the clothes are being washed. It's relaxing and so much easier to have less stuff to lug around.
8. Take pictures. These are the best souvenirs. We will usually buy each child one item on the trip - we encourage them to look at everything and think about what they want - it's often a $5 stuffed animal versus the $50 lego set - lol!!! Then we take lots of pictures. When we get home I'll scrapbook some and sometimes make a photo book at CVS or Meijer with the rest.
9. Speaking of souvenirs, buy ahead. On our last few trips to Disney, I've shopped the Disney store for clearance items in the months before the trip. I'll also pick up a few new DVD's or CD's on clearance here or there. Then, I wrap them up and pack them in my bag. The kids get a nice little surprise and I'm not paying an outrageous price for it.
10. Check out the outlet mall. When we go to Orlando, we always visit the outlet mall - there is a Disney outlet located there and we often find great gifts for the kids, Christmas presents, etc.
11. Do the unexpected. Have ice cream for breakfast, pack a picnic lunch, let the kids stay up late for fireworks, say yes when they ask for that $1 treat at the gas station, go to McDonald's if that's where the kids really want to eat. Vacation is a great time to break the routine and do things you would never consider at home - it's fun, the kids love it and it creates great memories.
12. Just go! Even if you can't afford a long trip, try to create something close to home. There are deals out there - camp at a nearby State Park, stay overnight at a local budget motel with a pool, whatever you can do, just do it - the memories will be priceless.
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