Shopping Inexpensively

One of my favorite online freebies are custom printable products. Tote bags, photo books, labels, business cards — they're all available from VistaPrint for FREE on any given day. You can also find amazing deals on albums through photo printing sites and daily deal offers. There are so many offers, I just can't use them fast enough. After all, one can only use so many tote bags. And, I don't think I'll ever get through all the return address labels the Humane Society sends me. But with a little creativity, free print products can become fabulous keepsakes, amazing gifts or simple tools for your everyday life. Check out 10 fun ways to use free custom products on Babble.com...

The Scan Right Guarantee

The latest issue of All You magazine has arrived, and you may have noticed my mug on page 19, spilling the beans on one of my favorite tricks for free groceries—the Scan Right Guarantee. (You may also have noticed another familiar face!) Kroger stores and affiliates offer a Scan Right Guarantee, to protect you from [...]


{The New Home Ec} Tax Day Freebies and Deals

It’s Tax Day!. You’ve had an extra two days to file, thanks to an obscure rule that delays the tax deadline for Washington, D.C. holidays. After you’ve spent the weekend finishing up your tax forms, check out the freebies available on April 17th! Retailers and restaurants have created Tax Day promotions to ease your financial [...]


{The New Home Ec} Teen & Tween Fashions for Less

Gone are the days of Target fashions and generic clothing. The teen and tween want Justice, Aeropostale, and whatever hot fashion happens to appear in Seventeen magazine this month. And, I get it. I remember desperately trying to fit in during my own a…


The Grocery Shrink Ray Strikes Again

And, this time, it’s personal! I noticed a little Grocery Shrink Ray action in the candy aisle a few weeks ago. This refers to the practice of reducing the package size of grocery products—without lowering the price. And, it’s so. not. cool. The idea is that you won’t notice a slightly smaller package, but you [...]


{The New Home Ec} The Gift Closet: Always Ready for Last-minute Gifts

Last week, the girls were invited to a spur-of-the-moment birthday party. It’s been so unseasonably warm that they decided to have a last-minute outdoor event. It’s our 5th birthday party so far this school year, and we found ourselves head…


{The New Home Ec} The Play Clothes Drawer

Now that spring is here, the grass is green, the flowers are blooming, and the weather has been completely perfect. My girls have been playing outside practically nonstop for weeks. That means grass stains, muddy hands, and dirty clothes. Every day. Wh…


Comparing Apples to Apples, Literally

We eat a lot of fruit in our house. The girls can go through an entire bag of apples in a single day. We have oranges, bananas, strawberries and grapes in the house right now. Which means I have to do everything in my power to keep the produce budget under control. Apples are our [...]


{The New Home Ec} 8 Places to Buy & Sell Kids’ Sports Equipment

Softball season has officially begun. With two girls playing this season, we have practices 4 days per week and will have 2-3 games each week, starting in April. This is on top of their Scout meetings and activities, but two each is where I draw the li…


{The New Home Ec} Grocery Shopping with Kids Made Easy

Grocery shopping with kids can be a tricky — and expensive — outing. There are a lot of advantages to shopping with kids — teaching kids about money, colors, and food, for starters. I personally prefer to go it alone, but sometimes it…