Are You Holding any BlockBuster Gift Cards?

BlockBuster is honoring gift cards until 4/6/11. Use them or lose them!

From BlockBuster.com/gifts :

"NOTICE EFFECTIVE 3/23/11: On 8/23/10, Blockbuster Inc. ("Blockbuster") filed for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Bankruptcy Court"). On 2/21/11, Blockbuster filed a motion with the Bankruptcy Court requesting authority to sell its assets (the "Sale Motion"). A copy of the Sale Motion is available at http://www.kccllc.net/blockbuster. On 3/11/11, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order authorizing Blockbuster to proceed with certain procedures related to the Sale Motion. In connection with this sale process, effective as of 4/7/11, BLOCKBUSTER GiftCards® ("GiftCards") WILL NO LONGER BE HONORED. Blockbuster intends to honor GiftCards presented by consumers through 4/6/11."

Christmas Classic DVD set only $16.99

Treat your kids to all your favorite Christmas Classic movies from your childhood.

DVD set  includes :                                                                                       
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol/Little Drummer Boy/Cricket on the Hearth

Black Friday Ads available

If you are one of those people that insist on shopping the day after Thanksgiving, then at least start preparing now! You can view Black Friday ads for ToysRUs, Best Buy, Macys, Lowes, Radio Shack, Target, J C Penney and more at Black-Friday.net

Just remember, not all the best deals are on Black Friday.  If you have made your list, start checking out and comparing prices.  Check in store and online pricing.  With free shipping from sites like Toys R Us, you might get to sleep in on Friday morning!

FREE MP3 Holiday Song Downloads

Check out these FREE MP3 downloads of Christmas music! Two are singles, two are entire albums. Load up your kids MP3's with great Veggie Tales music and know they are listening to good wholesome music.

Stick to your budget and still eat Healthy

For many people, a limited food budget can be a real roadblock to healthy eating. It is an unfortunate fact of life that some of the lowest priced foods, from fast food value menus to cheap potato chips, are also some of the least healthy. It is possible, however, to create excellent tasting, nutritious meals, even on a tight budget.

The key to planning and creating healthy meals on a limited budget is good forward planning and solid nutritional knowledge.

Not every "Frugal" idea is for everyone

Frugal living is something that you undertake for the long haul. It isn't something you can pick and choose to do one day and not the next-that is, not if you expect to see progress toward your goal. You do have a goal, don't you? If not, read the final tip here first. Below are several things you need to keep in mind if you are considering a frugal lifestyle. 

Great Diaper Deal, FREE SHIPPING!

Check out the diaper and wipes deal going on at Amazon right now. Diapers and wipes are 15% off and if you sign up to have diapers, wipes or a variety of other items delivered automatically every month with their subscription service, you get another 15% off for a limited time.

Frugal Birthday Parties

We have six kids and it seems like it is always somebody's birthday. While we all enjoy a great celebration, we have had to scale back. Here are the things we do that still let us celebrate without going broke:

We go out to Lunch with our immediate family. Lunch costs much less than dinner and since we don't eat out very often it is a big treat. The typical choice is a Chinese Buffet close to us.

Invite the family over, but make sure they know you are only serving dessert. Same if it is a kids party.

Make cupcakes or your own cake instead of purchasing a decorated sheet cake. That alone saves us $15-18 dollars. Serve with ice cream and no one will care.

Don't forget the candles, but remember to keep them for the next birthday!

Buy small gifts. If your child wants a large gift, get some of the family to pitch in by giving money or gift cards.

Most of all, have fun!

Make Valentines Day Special for the Whole Family

Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year, lending itself to be a "Family" day. Exchange homemade valentines and make cutout heart cookies together for dessert. Plan a special meal that everyone will love, set the table with your best dishes, get out the candles. Maybe even have everyone get dressed up! Kids love to be treated to out of the ordinary experiences, especially when they know it is a "grown up" tradition. Let everyone say something nice about a sibling or the family. Families experience love everyday, we just don't always talk about it! Celebrate your family!

Making the Most of Holiday Sales by Planning Ahead

The holidays are quickly approaching, and it's never too soon to start shopping!

Make sure your sale price is truly a sale price. Check around on line for typical pricing, even if you are going to shop at a local store.

Do You Shop at Aldi ?

When the Aldi grocery chain first came to our area many years ago, my mom shopped there and kept telling me to try them out, they had great prices.  I was very skeptical and kept putting it off.  Finally, I gave in after reading posts by a caterer on a cooking forum who claimed she used food from Aldi in her business and that she saw no difference than purchasing elsewhere.  Other people chimed in with nothing but praise and offering their own testimonials as to how much they were able to save by shopping there.  I bought a few items and have been a loyal Aldi shopper ever since. I love saving money on groceries.

Don't Wait Another Day to Save for a Family Vacation

If your family lives on a tight budget, the idea of a memorable and fun-filled vacation may seem out of reach.  With some planning you CAN make it happen! There are many places to go and things to do while there that won't require you to sacrifice fun due to lack of money. There is a vacation for every budget.

Is that 2nd Refrigerator really saving you money?

That six-pack of soda in the garage refrigerator could be costing you a lot more than you think!  People tend to think having a second fridge is going to be a great idea. 

Do you have an old refrigerator in your garage or basement, maybe a hand-me-down from the kitchen? These older refrigerators may still run, but can consume twice the amount of energy of a new energy-efficient model. You may be spending as much as $125 a year to keep a few sodas or beers cold and that's not very frugal!

Use Store Layaway Plans Instead of Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping

There's nothing worse than facing those credit card bills after the holidays when it's too late to decide you went "over" your holiday budget.  There are great deals to be had early in the shopping season, but maybe you don't have quite enough cash on hand to take advantage of the savings.  Some stores offer a "Layaway" option that work to your advantadge as long as you know all the rules. 

Tips for Cutting Home Energy Costs Today!

Here are some easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy.  Make them habits and no one in your house will even notice after awhile!

•  Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
•  Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.