Summer is a great time to sign up for gym memberships!

For some reasons I have noticed gym memberships are cheapest when you sign up in the summer months.  Or at least that is what I discovered with a women's fitness center 2 minutes from my home.  I am very excited. 

They were running a teacher special (and really a special for just about anyone signing up in July).  Also the registration fee is 1/2 off.  So I got to sign up for $25 and $19.99/month with a year contract.  They have aerobics classes (cardio dance, zumba, etc...) and weight and workout machines And free childcare!!! ding ding ding!!  :-)

I decided I needed to do something for myself and my health and this is what I chose.  I will be careful with all other spending to make up for another monthly bill.  I feel really good about the place, location and price.  I also feel I will really take part in the classes and even the machines.

Happy Day to Me!
Take care!

Learning to Coupon? I am!

Yes, I am a newbie and this is my newest form (for myself and family) of being Thrifty!  This also allows me not to toss those coupons..but use them and recycle the rest.  Also, "every penny saved is a penny earned!"

I discovered this wonderful site to help me learn and it is 100% free information.  Some folks are shamelessly selling this exact information but I am here to let you know that it is FREE here at: We Use Coupons !   This is an excellent resource for a newbie or someone experienced....all can come together and share tips.  It is an online community forum!  All couponers can benefit!  They have free tips, virtual classes (all levels) and articles to get you started.  You can find them on Facebook also.

If you are interested in coupons...this is a superior starting point! Don't PAY for what you can get for FREE!  :-)

Extreme Couponing

I am really excited about "Extreme Couponing!"  I just started watching this show last night.  Now I have it DVRed to learn more about it!

I hope to give updates in the coming months on what I figure out from this show on couponing.  I will be honest, I do not think I have the time and patience it takes to plan out a shopping trip, but I am willing to learn all I can to pass it on!

I am excited!  It comes on TLC channel if you don't already watch it.  Check it out!

Have a great rest of May!  :-)

Trash DIY Update: and the winner is....

After researching and asking questions....the winner is The Local Dump!  (aka: Convenience Center)

It is only $65 per Year and even covers yard waste to the local landfill for half truck load once per week.  My husband was excited about that because even paying $76 per quarter...we still had to pay to take our own yard waste to the landfill at $5.00 per trip. This adds up in the summer months when mowing is at least once per week.
Oh yeah...on the Green Side, they also recycle almost everything at no addtional charge..super awesome...so $65 per year is exactly what it means! 

We will have to purchase a new trash can $30 from Lowe's Home Improvement and Large Trash Bags ($27 and will be enough for the whole year).  The trash can is of course a "one time purchase."   The savings more than makes up for the purchases above and will pay for themselves in the first three months of savings!  Yay!

First Thrifty Move of the Year: DIY Trash!

What do I mean?  Well, we are going to attempt to take our own trash and recyclables to the local "dump site."  We do love our service of having it picked up at the house and they have done nothing wrong.  I am just always looking to cut down on spending (especially bills..so we can spend in other places we would like or pay down something else with it).

What I have learned:
We pay $76 per quarter (includes recycling) with our current company.  (I think it is pretty good already)
There is another local company that is $45 per quarter (does not include recycling, but I can take it to work most of it...Art teacher here, I can reuse just about anything).  (This is really REALLY great for a pick up service)
And some friends pointed out to me that hauling your own trash and recyclables to our local convenience center is $40 per half a year...$80 per YEAR and you can take about anything there (whereas pick up services sometimes won't take certain things and you end up paying to go to the landfill anyways).
This tough to beat and at least not try. So we are up for the challenge. The closest "convenience" center to us is seriously 5 minutes or less away.  Really can't complain about gas to travel there etc...it is more like..are we willing.  We are going to take a look in the next couple days and make a final decision of "Convenience Center" or the $45 a quarter company.  I think we are definitely saving either way we go on that one!

Just thought I would share!  :-)
Happy New Year 2011!

Tip: Open all mail as soon as you get it!

Lesson Learned:  don't let mail sit around unopened.  I almost let my children's insurance lapse due to this.  I had no idea I was suppose to send documents in to verify they were my dependants and was about to be dropped and by questioning folks that I work with on Facebook...they explained what my phone calls was about...and by the Grace of God...I got my stuff faxed before they started dropping people!

Talk about scary and an easy  money saver...uhhhh....need to have insurance!!!!  Don't ignore mail.  I had it under a pile of what I thought was junk...embarrassingly enough for months!!!!  I got lucky!  Don't make the same mistake...may not be as lucky with this wild economy. 

Just thought I should report that simple tip that I will start following from now on myself.

Have a great day!
MELANIE (SORRY MY COMPUTER GETS STUCK IN CAPS SOMETIMES)>ANNOYING! 

Coupons and Baby

Since my baby is now on Formula (first month...went natural)...you know that stuff is expensive.  I used Facebook to my advantage by putting my status update to ask anyone for Formula (our brand we like) coupons.  I had one person hand me a $6.00 off coupon at work and another mailed me a coupon and I had one.  I plan to use all three on cases of formula at BJ's where it is the best deal for us.  I sent one of the ladies back a diaper and wipes coupon.

Lesson from this..don't be afraid to let others know what coupons you need.  Hey, form a small group on Facebook for coupon exchanges...how cool is that?  We all need coupons from time to time and when you need them, half the time, they are not there.  This is a great way to get them when you do need them...ask for them!

Going to "Snowflake" the Medical and Hospital Bills

We have 6 different medical and hospital bills.  I am having to get "creative" with paying these off.  I hate debt and thought how are we going to do this.  Paying a little bit on each....adds up to a lot per month AND nothing is getting paid off.  Luckily one can be a bit more flexible with medical bills than most that like to threaten you or charge high interest fees and late fees and so forth.  So here is what I am going to do, in order to get out of this medical/hospital bill mountain.

I decided to grab the three smallest amounts and pay them off...with our regular money and with a credit union very low interest credit card (this is to consolidate and pay more towards the amount of all three.)

With the three  remaining large amounts...going to pay $100 per month on each of them and the third will be paid off when I get my end of year supplement (teacher) in June (I still sent $50 to show them I am paying and wrote a note I would be paying off next month).  That leaves me with two medical bills instead of 6!!!  to focus on!  Which will allow me to pay MORE than a small amount each because I only have to think of those two.  Now, are you wondering about the charged ones?  Well...that is a bill we ALREADY pay with a very  low balance because I have set amount I already pay and will pay extra and often each week if need to be to get rid of that one (not much concerned about that one anymore). 

It feels great to know I can eliminate this debt fairly quickly.  Anytime I get extra cash (from sales on ebay or etsy)..this will go towards one of the two large bills. 
Sounds like a simple end solution but it took a lot of playing with numbers and careful consideration as to what to do with those three small bills (considering I decided to put it on the card).  It is the best solution because otherwise, nothing was getting paid off.  Stressful each month sitting down to so many envelopes...all wanting money! 

Taking  a deep breath and going to get this week started!  :-)
Have a good one!

Christmas in July...check out this site and "Green" ornaments!

This morning I was just checking around for Christmas ideas and ran across this site and great ides for "green" "eco-friendly" ornaments! I love them! They look awesome! A great inspiration for the season (5 months away is it?).

From EcoSalon.com:
Cute Ornaments made from recycled or "green" materials!

Enjoy! I just couldn't resist sharing the site and ideas. I know it is early, but I will not remember several months from now. :-)

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Summer Fun with my son....Use the Library!

I got the idea from my mother who watches her other grandchild (my niece). She takes my niece to the local library once or twice a week for a children's book reading (story time). This way my niece gets to be around other children, they both get out of the house, and it is educational and fun for both! Oh yes, and it is Free!

I am home for five weeks (my summer vacation) with my son and thought, why didn't I think of that before? I sure didn't, but I will take advantage now. I love the idea.

If you are also interested...check out your local library...do a google search for your public library system and then narrow down to your location. There you go...each individual library many times has its own website and you can see the story times, etc....

I also noticed for older children...some libraries have other programs in the summer as well. I saw a science program for school age children. Also, book studies for 2nd grade and up!
Don't miss out on what your local library has to offer you and your child(ren)!

Recipe on the Cheap "Asian Salad" with an Inexpensive Noodle

I had to share this Recipe as it is inexpensive and SOOO tasty! You may have read other variations of this or this one itself. If you haven't tried this recipe...now is your chance. Not only is it SUPER EASY and SUPER CHEAP...it is a LARGE QUANTITY and will last for several meals as a side! I am getting hungry for this Ramen Noodles (c) Asian Salad just typing about it. The following directions comes from a co-worker whom wrote it out for me to try. Everyone went ga ga at work over it. She brings this for our staff "Fat Fridays."


Ramen Noodles Asian Salad Recipe:

Here it is:
1 lb. bag of cole slaw
1 c. slivered almonds
1c sunflower seeds
1 pkg. Chicken flavor Ramen Noodle Soup
1 pkg. Oriental flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

To make the dressing DRESSING:
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
2 pkgs. of seasoning from the Ramen Noodles

The Instructions to put it all together:
Brown almonds and seeds in dry skillet.
Combine coleslaw, almonds, sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
Break up Ramen noodles into small pieces; add to slaw mix.
Toss all of this together.
Make dressing using reserved packets of ramen seasoning. and pour onto the salad.
Toss again.
Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.
Toss well before serving.

Let me know if you have done this before or try this one and how you like it!

What can I do with Cereal Boxes and other Thin Boxes?

I thought this would be a great way to gather ideas for myself, my classroom, and I assume many of you would be interested as well. I know folks that drop by my blog here are looking to save money in creative ways. Now, I also know that these same types of folks are like me in that Recycling and Being Green is a way of life for them (and you do save money by doing so as well).

We can all still be creative with how we recycle instead of the norm.

Sooooo....What I want to do every now and again is open up the "floor" to you guys...give me some ideas of how to use something in a creative way.

Today...I want to know...what are some creative uses for Cereal/Food/Thin Cardboard Boxes?

I will get us started:

1. Bookmarks
2. Artist Trading Cards
3. Bound with Recycled Backs of Paper = Autograph Books (these are things I have already done in my classroom).

Any other ideas? Share by dropping a line or two in the Comment Jar!

Happy Tuesday!

It's getting warmer! Turned the A/C on yet? What Temp?

I am just curious at what temperature most people keep their thermostats in the summer months?

We start off with 80 degrees F and then we eventually have to put it on 78 at some point and that is the lowest we turn it and it does allow us to save on our summer months electric bill.

It is the summer months we do best as we are cold nature people so we like it warm and that helps us on our bills as a result. We always (in the summer months) shoot for $100 or less bill per month. We'll see if we can do it this year.

Things we have done to help to get this bill and be able to stand the "heat."
Ceiling fans in many rooms. And this helps the temperature to feel better by having that cool breeze.
Thick curtains over windows to not allow the house to "heat up" in the first place.

Where we need to go next to continue improvement:
We want to insulate the garage (this will improve the bonus room above's temp which tends to be a very warm room in the summer.)
We also have a few rooms upstairs that still need thick curtains...and since heat rises...yep...long overdue for the upstairs. We still want two more nice ceiling fans: One for the kitchen and one for the guest room. I have debated the kitchen one over and over again...still uncertain.

What temperature do you leave your thermostat in the summer months?

Thrifty Tip Thursday: Make your own Kite!

Want to make your own kite nearly free? Read below the pictures!

The picture below is of one of three kites I made last night for my sitter's house today. I made one for each of the three that stay with her during the day. I used a toy magazine to make them rather than tossing the magazine. (Green) The rest of the magazine will go to work with me for collage purposes for my students.

The picture below is of all three. I did not use tissue tubes on these because I didn't have enough. I just chopped up a dryer sheet box and punched a hole to tie the string on and wrapped it around the rectangle cardboard.

I love Thursdays!

That is right...Make your Own Kite out of simple "around the house" materials:

*String (yarn, whatever you have)
*Regular sheet of paper
*Bamboo Skewer Stick
*Crayons (for decoration, etc...I am thinking for kids)
*Masking Tape
*Tissue Tube (I use this to hold the string by hole punching one end and tieing the string to it and wrap around the tube. Easy for kids to hold and let the string out.)
*Hole Punchers...nice but not necessary...just jab a hole with the skewer works also.

I know...this isn't complete instructions...that is why I have THIS LINK that tells you step by step on how to fold the kite and attach the stick. I could type all of that out, but in blog world...we love new sites and clicking on stuff.

By the way: I have made these kites with my Kindergartners and some older children as well over the past 5-6 years. Trust me...they FLY as good as any store bought one. Maybe not as cute, but the kids get to say they made it and can decorate them. They are always amazed by how well they fly! Adults are amazed too. :-) You don't even need a lot of wind to make them fly. Cool little kites! Kids love 'em, and so do adults...very little if any cash out of pocket. I make about 100+ a year and it costs me only a few dollars for tape and sticks. I usually have everything else.

Thrifty Thursday Finds: Found 2 Great Sites that use/make their own Natural Cleaning Products!

Now, I realize many folks may do this, but I will be honest, this is something I have not tried myself. I now am convinced to do so, thanks to these two fine bloggers that make it exciting and something you really want to try!

These bloggers use Lemon Juice, Vinegar and other "natural" cleaning products (self-created)! I love Do-It-Yourself ideas, and am definitely going to give this a go. I like how these bloggers explain their reasoning for using natural items for cleaning...

Without further delay, here are the natural cleaning posts:
(The link on the blog title is their homepage):

Budget Hippies: "Cleaning My Kitchen with Food"

BeCentsAble: "Works for Me Wednesday: Cleaning Your Whole House Naturally and Frugally"

Enjoy! Happy Thrifty Thursday!

Got another natural cleaning supply idea? Drop it in the comment jar! :-)

Thrifty Tip Thursday: Low Maintenance Hairstyle!

One way we save money in our household is Low Maintenance Hairstyles for everyone! "Wash and Go" styling! Thank goodness, pretty much, that is the going fashion or at least one that never seems to disappear. I wear my hair below my shoulders with no bangs "hippie like" if you will. You can see me in the picture to left of my blog here. Now that isn't the best hair day. The great thing about just regular, no style-style hair is if you want to "dress it up," you can! Take a curling iron to it, add clips, etc.... Many ways to dress it up for "dressy" occasions! There are, of course, many ways to get expensive with my plain hairstyle...like foil highlights (which I do want this summer for our trip...waiting for a coupon), etc... During the school-year....I just don't worry about it..."Wash and Go" and "Dress up" when needed!

Now my husband (being a dude, not wanting long hair), gets his hair cut like every 3 weeks or so. He goes to Great Clips and most of the time...even has a coupon. For my husband, Great Clips is just fine.

For my son, (2 1/2)...my husband trims his hair when needed and does a decent job, as we don't even have any kind of trendy hairstyle for our son either. I like him better with the baby look anywho. I am sure when he has a say-so in the matter of his hair, he will want something else. But for now...a $9.00 pair of hair cutting scissors from Wal-Mart is just fine for him! (Nothing more to spend) :-)

The GREEN Effect: we do NOT use a hair blow dryer on any of our hair!!!! "Once in a blue moon" I might blow dry my hair for church or some event that is early in the day! That is RARE! Church, many times, my hair is dry before we go, if we get up early like we normally do!

Happy Hairstyling and Thrifty Tip Thursday!

What is your Thrifty Tip? Drop it in the "Comment Jar!"

Thrifty Tip Thursday! Coupon sites!

I wanted to find some interesting Coupon sites to direct you all to that I found to be interesting. I found two I had not seen before. One is a "mom" type of site that has an area in the top left devoted to tons and tons of coupons (of all kinds, stores, online, and not!):
This one is called Moms View

And then I found another for strictly online shopping but the entire site is loaded with coupons for nearly any store or item you can imagine! This site is called Only Coupons!

2/21/08: I would like to add another coupon site that is quite impressive from one of our visitors here to Thrifty and Creative:
Rather Be Shopping

Check them out...let me know if you know of another coupon site that I should let others know about!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Thrifty Celebrations!

I have two "Thrifty Celebrations" to share with you all!

#1) I am excited to share that my new sitter for my son (he started today) went very very well! I am so excited he is staying with this new sitter. She is awesome! My son took right to her and the other two kids and when I picked him up, he wasn't yet ready to go! That is a fantastic sign! He loved the Child Care Center too; however, was always ready to go when I got there! This is a "Thrifty Celebration" because as I mentioned in an earlier post, it is pay by the day, not the week and it is less expensive even if I had to pay for the entire week. It is a huge blessing!
You can read my original post here about this: Thrifty Hooray

#2) Not as big as the first; however, still a celebration "Thrifty Style!" I received my first "FREE SAMPLE" from walmart.com. I also had blogged earlier about the coupons you can find on Walmart.com under "In Stores Now!"
Read this post again at: Thrifty Tip Thursday: Free Samples!

Have a wonderful rest of your Monday!

Storm Door: Great addition for heating and cooling savings!

This is my newest suggestion on saving money on your electric bill (however, can not speak from personal experience but from a neighbors!)

This is something I really want and wanted before talking to the neighbors; however, didn't realize the great effect it can have on heating and cooling!

*Get Storm Door for your doors. (We do not have one on the front of the house and you can feel a tiny draft in the bottom corner)...our back door has one already but not the front when we bought this house a little over a year ago. Our friends/neighbors down the street didn't have one either but just bought a storm door recently (nice thick pretty glass one on the front) and said that their house felt like it was getting 80 degrees due to having the storm door...simply put...no heat escaping and no tiny little drafts coming through a crack around the door anywhere!

Summer time..these doors also insulate (keep them closed off with your other door as you don't want a "green house" effect in the summer..yikes). On the flip side in the winter: you could during peak sun hours (brightest and hottest) leave the other door open using only your all thick glassed storm door allowing the "green house" effect to take place and then shut off when the sun is no longer shining through.

The storm door is in addition to all the other items you can do to winterize your home. There are many other suggestions (that we personally do or know someone that does) throughout this blog! Take time to surf here!

Have a Happy Holidays!

Christmas Giveaway Contests: 5 Minutes for Mom

What is thriftier (word?) than winning something for FREE? Now, you can argue, well...I MAY not win! True! But what do you have to lose other than a few minutes of your time for some comments and a link or so! Costs you Nothing! Now that is MY price range for possibly winning something for free! Hey, if I win any of their great prizes...they will definitely become great gifts and save me money in the end! Or, the prizes could be an ADD on gift to make your current gift Even Better!

Okay, you say: "Enough Melanie...tell us how to get there!" Request Granted:

Here it is:

HURRY UP! You have FIVE (5) days left to enter!

Let me know if you win!

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays!!!!