The Frugal Home

Five Tips to Get Picky Eaters to Eat

2010-03-09T03:05:49Z

It is sometimes hard to be frugal when someone in your house refuses to eat what you put in front of them, or at the least, complains throughout the meal about how much they don’t care for beans. Your picky eater may be your kids, your husband, or even yourself.

Food preferences change over time so it is important to realize that what may not have been touched a year ago may be the best thing ever now. Use these tips to help get your picky eater to try new foods.

* Slowly introduce new foods. Give a small amount with the regular foods you know they like. For instance, instead of giving green beans as the only side, add a small amount of green beans with the corn you know they will eat.
* No drinking at first. Don’t give a picky eater a drink until they have eaten over half the meal so that they don’t fill up on liquid.
* Just ask them. Asking the picky eater what they like may surprise you. My husband says he doesn’t like vegetables but he actually likes green beans, corn, broccoli, and carrots. That’s enough of a variety for me to get food on the table.
* Find out how they like things cooked. Some picky eaters will eat raw veggies all day long but won’t touch the cooked versions. As long as their getting their vegetables, let them eat them any way they want.
* Have the picky eater help with the meal. Often, especially with children, the picky eater is more apt to try something new if they helped cook it up.

Try these tips on your picky eater and you just may find the types of food you can serve growing by leaps and bounds.

Dental Insurance

2010-03-09T02:57:21Z

Teeth are important. Very important. Important because they sure make eating a much easier experience and because we look better when we smile if we have a mouthful of clean teeth. For some people though, it either isn’t important or they don’t have the money to take care of their teeth as they would like.

Taking care of our teeth doesn’t end with brushing and flossing. Everyone has to visit a dentist to keep our teeth at their best and to prevent tooth decay and infections. Those without dental insurance can put off going to the dentist because of the high cost.

Everyone talks about how many people who do not have health insurance but there are even more people who do not have dental insurance as it is not always included with the health insurance plan.

There is cheap dental insurance available if you shop around.

* Search the web for cheap dental insurance. Make sure that you research the coverage and rates available as they vary greatly. Read all of the fine print, especially if you currently are having dental problems.
* Call up your insurance agent. The same person who give you your car, home, or health insurance may also have access to cheap dental insurance.
* Ask the dentist. The dentist may have a list of cheap dental insurers that they already work with.
* Check any clubs or associations, such as AAA, that you are a member of to see if they offer cheap dental insurance to their members.

It may seem overwhelming when you begin to search for cheap dental insurance but you can sometimes find coverage for as little as $25 a month. Your teeth are important so spend the money on them to keep them in good health. It will cost you even more money in the long run if you don’t take care of them now.

Using Online Surveys to Make Money from Home

2010-03-01T20:53:22Z

Online surveys are a popular way to make money from home, but they are not the most reliable, nor do you get the most money for your time. It is important to look at online surveys and realize the pros and cons before you take them on.

Online surveys can be fun and they are often give with a reward for your time of points, cash, or entries into sweepstakes. It is possible to make about cash with surveys but it is impossible to say just how much cash that may be. The only definite thing that can be said about taking online surveys is that they won’t make you rich and you can’t rely on them to pay a monthly bill.

Online surveys can give you a bit of extra spending cash or items you may wish to use.

Times on Online Surveys

Online surveys will often give approximate times to complete the survey such as 5 minutes, 30 minutes, even an hour. Realize that these are usually a great deal longer than you will need, especially if you are a fast reader. 30 minute surveys may only take 15 or 20 minutes.

Types of Rewards for Online Surveys

Cash – Cash is always the best option when searching for online surveys to complete. They allow you to know exactly how much you will be making for your time. For instance, if a survey offers you a dollar and states that the survey will take an hour of your time, you may want to look at doing something else with your time.

Points – Points is another popular option for online survey rewards. Points can be turned in for different items. Items may include anything from music downloads, jewelry, gift certificates, or electronics. Some sites will even let you make charitable donations with the points earned.

Sweepstakes Entries – The third most common reward for online surveys are sweepstakes entries. This is the least of the rewards because your chances of actually making anything are very low.

How to Choose Which Online Surveys to Take

When you find an online survey company, do a search on it to make sure it isn’t a scam.
Look at the minimum pay out for the company to send you your reward. You may have to make up to a certain amount of cash before they will pay you any money or you may have to build up points to earn a prize. Try out each company as you may find that you don’t fit their needs, don’t qualify for many surveys or are not making enough points or cash.

When an online survey is received it is best to look at the time the survey may take to complete and what the reward is that is being offered. Sweepstakes entries are best ignored and cash and points must be considered based on the time it will take to complete the survey.

While online surveys can be a fun way to pass some time, they are not the best work at home job. There are many other opportunities that will make you more money in less time. See our list of legitimate work at home opportunites!

The Power of Online Classifieds

2010-03-01T19:26:23Z

The power of online classifieds is great. We have bought and sold items online before, on sites such as Craigslist, but never have I seen the response we got just the other day.

My husband and I are getting ready for a big change in our life and needed to make room in our home by getting rid of unwanted and unneeded items. We also needed to come up with some extra money to purchase two twin mattresses and box springs, which I thought we could pick up from the used furniture store.

I placed several items, from an old wash stand to a recumbent bike on our local craigslist. Within minutes of posting, the phone calls and emails began! We sold every item we posted within just a few hours.

This experience made me realize just how powerful online classifieds are. With nothing more than a few clicks we posted ads that netted us $130 just a few hours later. Not only did we earn some cash to go towards the mattresses we needed but we also cleaned out our home of some rather large pieces that were uselessly taking up a large amount of space.

We got what we needed and others got a great deal on items they wanted or needed. It only took about five hours of our time, and that included taking the pictures and posting the classified. Use online classifieds if you need some extra cash. It is worth it and is much better than throwing items away or packing your home with items you no longer need.

As you can see from the image, we were able to get our mattresses but we didn’t get them from the used furniture store. As frugal as I may be, I just couldn’t buy a dirty looking mattress. We got two sets at an outlet for only $180. Considering, the cheapest I saw otherwise was $220 for one set, we were pretty thrilled!

The Worst : Ignoring Your Debt

2010-02-05T00:27:30Z

Stop ignoring your bills – they won’t go away

It isn’t uncommon for people to ignore the bills that come in when they become overwhelmed with the financial situation they find themselves in. You may find yourself in a situation where you just don’t have the money to pay the bills or where there are so many and with such high balances that you begin to feel as if there is no way out.

Face your bills instead of ignoring them

Start with being honest with yourself. And if you are one half of a couple then it is important both of you are honest with each other. List each bill you owe, the total amount due, and the minimum monthly payment. You will probably not like what you see but the first step in fixing it, is knowing where exactly you stand. Ignoring how much you owe does not make the numbers lessen, and will most likely create bigger problems and more debt.

Cope with your bills and create solutions

Instead of getting upset and placing blame, look at ways in which you can begin to dig yourself out of debt. Perhaps you already know areas in which you overspend and can easily cut back, perhaps you need to visit a non-profit debt counseling service, or can get a part-time job to help pay down the debt.

Whatever you do, doing something, no matter how little, will be better than ignoring your bills. Once you know how much you owe you may even find yourself relieved and excited about moving forward and finding a better financial future for you and your family.

Save Money with Your Windows in Cold Weather

2010-02-05T00:24:54Z

By now we’ve all had several heating bills for this winter and, most of us, are cringing at the bill. The windows are one of the biggest areas in which we lose heat from our homes, so if you can reduce the amount of money escaping out your windows, you can save money on your electric bill.

Sunshine

How many times have you opened a curtain in the winter and found your pet curled up directly in the sun beams? Your pets are using the sun to get warm and you can use it to warm your home as well. During the day save money with your windows, let the sun into your rooms by opening your curtains or blinds and closing them once the sun has passed that window.

Keep the curtains shut

Keeping the curtains shut keeps the heat inside your home and blocks it from escaping out your windows. To save money with your windows, you should use dark shades or curtains in the winter, and use thermal curtains wherever you can.

Add weather stripping

Weather stripping is a very cheap way to help insulate your windows. Do all of the windows in your house, including places like the basement, garage door windows, and in the attic.

Replace your windows

While it may not seem like saving money on your windows when you first decide to replace them, it can save you a great deal in the long run. Some windows are just too old or energy inefficient to try to fix and replacing them would have the biggest impact.

Storm windows

Storm windows are a great addition if you cannot afford to replace all the windows in your home. Storm windows are made for indoors or out but if you only want them up in the winter then you should opt for the indoor version. If you are really on a budget then opt for plastic storm windows and attach with weather stripping.

All of these steps add up to help winterize and save money on your windows and conserve heat, thus saving you money this winter and making you more comfortable.

Create More Money For Your Life

2010-02-05T00:22:26Z

There are really only three ways you can create more money in your life, you can earn it, save it, or borrow it.

Earning more money involves work of some kind from you. You can take on a second job (or a first job!), sell items you no longer need, or sell items or information that you create. Earning money requires you put forth an effort for the things you want but it is also a great way to keep yourself from getting into debt.

Saving money also involves work, often working on the willpower to not spend everything in your check. You can save money by reducing the amount of your bills, shopping around for better rates, reducing the amount of your debt, or giving up luxuries you do not need. You should be saving money. If you aren’t already then start putting money back, even $5 a week will add up!

Borrowing money is the most difficult of the three ways you can create more money. Borrowing money does create more money, but it is a short term fix that can have long term consequences. This is often the easiest and quickest ways to create money but only if you use it responsibly. Borrowing money is often the reason people need to create more money in their life, to pay off the money they borrowed.

Once you have created more money, the key is to do good things with it. If you have saved it for a vacation, take and enjoy that vacation, if your car needs brakes, get them put on, or if you have more debt than you need, then pay it off. If you have extra cash but don’t know where to put it, then invest it and continue to create more money!

Tips for Saving Time and Money When Grocery Shopping

2010-01-22T16:10:11Z

How many of you thought grocery shopping was fun when you were a kid? How many of you thought the same thing when you became an adult? You probably don’t think it is as fun as it used to be, once it became a chore and you had to put your own time and money into it. With just a few tips you can save time and money grocery shopping and perhaps saving time and money will up the fun factor for you a bit!

Use coupons to save money grocery shopping

Coupons are a big help and can save you a large amount of money if used correctly. Only use coupons for items you would purchase anyway and look for stores that offer double or triple coupons. Don’t use coupons just to get a deal on something or if buying the generic is cheaper all around, especially if you like the generic!

Save time and money grocery shopping by creating a grocery list

Planning your meals before you leave for the store and creating a list from those meals are huge time and money savers. Making a list saves you money grocery shopping because you won’t just be purchasing whatever looks good at the time and the list saves you time because you only have to go in and get what you need instead of looking over each aisle trying to remember what you need to get.

Do your grocery shopping early in the morning

This is the best time saver for grocery shopping because the majority of people are at work, giving you the run of the store. The stores will often stock their shelves early in the mornings which will give you first pick of the freshest products.

Stock up to save time and money grocery shopping

Stock your pantry and cabinets with things you use all the time. Buy in bulk when it will help (don’t buy in bulk if you have to throw our half the products because they go bad before you use them).

Don’t stress over the grocery store. Just follow these tips so you can save your minutes and save the cash in your pocket.

Nature – Free Entertainment

2010-01-13T23:13:44Z

How much do you spend on toys and games for your kids? And how many of those get thrown in the back of the closet after a couple weeks, never to be seen again? Not to say that toys and games are not fun, educational or are not needed but don’t forget about the largest free entertainment and playground you have, nature!

Nature is not just free entertainment, it is also very educational and many kids will learn all about plants and animals and insects by exploring the world outside their back door. Even if you live in an apartment building in the city, chances are there is a park nearby that you can take your child to, or visit nature centers, zoos, or state parks in your area. If you are looking for something educational, many of these places offer free educational tours.

Borrow a book on local flora and spend time walking around with your child, learning about the environment that you live in.

Teach your child about how important the environment we live in is. Explain why it is important that the park is there and that it gives many plants and animals a place to live. Bring a trash bag with you to pick up any trash you may see. (Make sure your kids don’t pick up anything dangerous like needles!)

Sometimes the best part of nature is just running around in the yard or lying in the grass and looking up at the sky. Let your kids use their imaginations and learn to love the world around them.

If you don’t have easy access to a yard or park, grow plants indoors and let your kids help take care of them. You could even try an ant house!

Whether your kids is tending a basil plant in your kitchen or exploring a creek on your party, nature is a way to entertain your kids that is not only free but will help them learn to love and respect their world.

Set Your Goals to Make Your Home Business Successful This Year

2010-01-13T23:09:21Z

With the start of the New Year it is important to look at where you were at this time last year, how far you have come, and what you hope to achieve to make your home business successful.

Whether you made ten bucks or ten thousand dollars last year it is vital that you look at realistic goals. While everyone wants to get rich off their job, this isn’t always what will happen. If you are selling homemade ornaments but you only make one a month then chances are you are not going to get rich off of them. Look at what you can do. Perhaps you can do two ornaments a month but no more. Maybe you write online content, set a goal to write a set amount of articles a week but don’t set your goal to high, make it realistic. If you do more then that is just gravy.

Research. Research. Reasearch. If you want your home business to be successful then you need all the info. If you are online then you need to research SEO and keywords and all that goes into selling your product or idea on the internet. This is especially important for those that are going from a brick and mortar store to online retail as they are two very different mediums. If you make and sell crafts then look at all the craft fairs and shows in your area. Learn what items go and what items are not good sellers.

Look at what you may have done wrong in the last year. This could be as simple as being unorganized to creating to much of a product that others don’t want to purchase. See where you can make changes and how to keep from making the same mistakes again to push toward the success of your home business.

Don’t become obsessed just to make your home business successful. It is normal for you to be passionate about your home business but no one wants it to be successful at the cost of your family. Make sure that you set up a balance between your work and your home. This can be hard when working from home but set up evenings or weekends where you just walk away.

Everyone wants their home business to be successful but it doesn’t just fall into your lap (usually!). You have to work hard to get what you want but planning it out will help you achieve your goals quicker and easier.