FRUGAL CREATIVE LIVING

We are Out With Family Till After The New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:57:00 +0000

From Everyone At Frugal Creative Living Wishing You and Yours a Very Merry Christmas and A Great New Year!

Christmas Tree Fake Vs. Real

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Do you prefer a Christmas tree that's real or fake? Actually I was alittle shocked that there are some things to consider when making the choice. Check this article out for pro's and con's to fake and Real Christmas Trees!

FAKE CHRISTMAS TREE VS. REAL CHRISTMAS TREE...http://www.ehow.com/how_5713553_decide-tree-real-christmas-tree.html

Frugal Christmas- Near FREE Christmas Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Check out great article to save money on ideas for Christmas gift giving. This year our families budget is extremely low we are getting back to the real meaning of Christmas. Holidays can be a time for family and friends even on a frugal budget. We will continue to pass on any original ideas for this Christmas season.

NEAR FREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS: http://www.ehow.com/how_5696429_give-near-christmas-gifts.html

Cheap Sweet Potatoe Casserole Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:23:00 +0000

This time the year sweet potatoes are in abundance and hit record low prices around the holiday time. Ever get tired of the just standard candied sweet potato dish found on most Thanksgiving dinner tables ? Here's a twist to snazzle up that sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving

INGREDIENTS

4 cups sweet potato, cubed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Black Friday Deals...How Good Are They?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Will you be one of thousands of Black Friday Shoppers? Are you Going to snag the best deals?
Chances are you are not going to be one to get the best bargain! Its a sad reality that major companies play on peoples minds. Actually it makes me alittle angry!
Years ago I fell to the Black Friday Syndrome. You stalk the paperboy the day the sale ads come out. Waiting Waiting Waiting............ Yeah hes on time this morning! You greet him at the porch to get the hefty sized newspaper you've been longing for! A mad dash rush to the coffee pot pour your favorite special cup of java and to the kitchen table you go! Tossing aside the local news, classifieds and obit sections........ Buried deep in the middle............ YES the mother of all sale ads! BLACK FRIDAY DOOR BUSTERS!!! Target..... Kmart......Walmart......Best Buy......Sears........Toys R Us....... the list is endless!
Organizing the stack of ads according to your favorite stores....................... grab pen and paper making a list of everyone naughty or nice boy or girl on your Christmas shopping list..........Aunts .....Uncles...... kids........teacher gifts........grandparents........in laws you cant stand LOL they get the cheapest of all the door busters !
Does it sound familiar? You fill every spot something for everyone. Add up the total and thing WOW awesome we are gonna save a butt load for Christmas!
You call and arrange for your 3AM wake up call from local store. Mine has been typically Target lol. You set your alarm just in case you don't hear the phone ringing.
BUT HONESTLY WILL YOU BE THE ONE TO SNAG THE DEAL?
Chances are no! Stores use these deals Door Busters to get you in there. They know you are doomed to shop who don't shop at Christmas. They know its a fact of life .....paying taxes and buying Christmas presents are just facts of life everyone does it.
Be smart don't go into this thinking you are going to be the first in line for that Plasma TV or a washer / dryer pair marked down half the price for Black Friday. Stores limit the amount they sell at these crazy prices. "while supplies last" "no rain checks" "limited quantities"
The bottom line is what are the chances you are going to be the one to get something at super low price if theres only two in the whole store and theres 500 plus people standing in line at 4am!!!
For me personally I'm not playing these major retailers games anymore. I'm not feeding their need to trick me into the store with fake deals like this. We as customers have to play the game fair and so should they.
Whats your opinion???

Christmas Crafts Frugal Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:19:00 +0000

Holiday season is fast approaching. With Thanksgiving being only a week away we are switching into Christmas gear at Frugal Creative Living. Not only can this be a stressful time of the year but also very expensive. One thing that tends to take money away from your budget is decorating for the Christmas Season. Ornaments for the tree can be very high priced why not get the free imagination out and gather the kids to make some!

8 ideas how to use old puzzle pieces to make ornaments....

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/treeornaments/tp/PuzzleOrns.htm

Recycle old scratched CDs to make custom ornaments...

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/cdcrafts/a/CDPhotoOrnament.htm

Light Bulb Reindeer ornament....

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/lightbulbcrafts/a/LightBulbReindeer.htm

Light Bulb Snowman Ornament...

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/snowpeople/ss/lbsnowman.htm

Small Appliances that Save Money!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:44:00 +0000

With the increase cost of food and energy to cook the meals everyone is looking for money saving ideas. We looked at the facts around some of the more common small kitchen appliances

1. Crock Pot or Slow Cooker..... You can really save some time, money and energy with one of these. Crock Pot cooking has always been a less expensive form of cooking. Soups and stews are common recipes with low cost ingredients. To run a Crock Pot vs. heating up a full sized oven save energy costs. Purchasing lower grades of say beef or pork.....cooking them in a crock pot makes them as tender as higher priced cuts. Wow and a time savor too, throw the ingredients in it in the morning set to low or medium when you return from work you dinner is done and waiting to be served!

2.Bread Machine.... Making your own breads, rolls, pizza crust and much more can save dollars on the food budget. Many of us know this but lack the time to prepare such things for our families. Bread machines have become a no fuss way to make homemade without all the preparation times.

3. Coffee Maker......How many of us stop every morning on our way to work for a quick wake up cup of coffee. Brewing your own can save you lots of money. Don't have time to wait im the morning? Many coffee makers have a timer for automatic brewing. Make you coffee the night before set your auto brew timer for 15 minutes before your alarm clock and your brew is ready and steamy hot when you crawl out of bed in the morning. Huge saving over coffee shop prices!

4.Toaster Ovens...... These are not your teeny tiny toaster ovens of the past! Counter top models have greatly improved the user ability for these. Still saving income from energy costs when compared to full sized ovens. Perfect for heating up smaller sized left overs, making snacks, frozen pizza and alot more!

5.Make your own soda pop from your tap water! Soda pop is a million dollar a year industry. In our house we have greatly cut back but the cost for these drinks still cuts into our food budget. This is a great idea for people that tend to regularly purchase these drinks and its fun too!
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/32/make-your-own-soda-it-s-easy-fun-and-good-for-the-planet.html

FREE DOVE SHAMPOO!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:42:00 +0000

http://content.dove.us/dovehairmsn/free_sample.aspx?product=heat_defense

Get your FREE SAMPLE of Dove Heat Defense Shampoo!

MIDWEST AIRLINES FARE SALE!! DONT MISS THIS!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Book now to get cheap airfare rates threw midwest airlines...... check terms and conditions to see if you can take advantage of this frugal travel deal! HURRY must book by Nov 10th!

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS49014+01-Nov-2009+BW20091101

5 Ways to Use Leftover Oatmeal!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:27:00 +0000

Dont throw away the leftover oatmeal! Save money re-use and get creative with this healthy food. Check this out surprising ways to use it up and be healthy while your at it! Fun idea for crafting with oatmeal that kids will love too!

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/151/five-surprising-uses-for-leftover-oatmeal.html

How to get the Most out of your Linens!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:21:00 +0000

We all know linens can be very expensive....from towels, washclothes, sheets, comforters, pillows and more! Get the most out of them check this out for some helpful hints to make then last longer and re-use ideas for when they have out worn their welcome in your life.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/99/sleep-better-in-your-own-bed.html

Remodel Your home for less

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:15:00 +0000

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/cheap-home-renovations-that-pay-off.html

FREE TACOS AT TACO BELL on HALLOWEEN!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Now this is FRUGAL HALLOWEEN at its best! Go into any TacoBell on Halloween between 6pm and midnight and get one free Black Jack Taco absolutely free!

Oprah Show offers viewers %50 off Playless Shoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:12:00 +0000

This is a really good deal!! It was announced that all viewers of Oprah Show today receive %50 off their entire purchase at Playless Shows. So if you are planning on purchasing new shoes or snow boots for your children this is huge savings! Yeah to Oprah helping America stay frugal and save money!

Click here for your %50 coupon or code! Hurry offer ends at store closing time on October 30th:
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20091016-tows-payless

MOM Feeds family of 6 on about $4 per week!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Check out this incredible story of a mom that can feed a family of 6 on about $4 per week!

Lots of great tips to saving you money on groceries and every day items. Now i have to confess I'm not very good at saving loads of money with coupons. I think one of the important factors here is that you must research your local stores policies on coupon use and sale items.

Click here to find out this moms tricks to huge savings:http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/mom-feeds-family-week/story?id=8463295

WalMart Jumps into the funeral business! NEW casket line!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Well I guess this proves it frugal isn't just for the breathing anymore. Walmart has just entered the funeral business with a series of caskets and urns available online! Its reported that have 15 different caskets and a large variety of urns! Prices for casket starting as low as $999! Hmmm just wondering how this is going to go over with funeral homes? Are grieving families really going to think Walmart when it come to selecting a casket? Time will tell!

Black Friday Preview ads!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Its incredible how many people we know that do the Black Friday Shopping Event every year! This year I'm sure will prove to be no different considering the poor economy and families don't have the income to spare for Christmas. Its all amount saving every penny you can at all expense! Now you can start to preview ads that will be in this years biggest shopping event!

http://bfads.net/

Southwest Airlines FARE SALE $25 tickets!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:02:00 +0000

AWESOME DEAL FOR TRAVELING!!!!!!!!!!

South West Airlines has gone Frugal!!! Hurry offer ends at 2Am Minnisota time. One way tickets are $25 for up to 374 miles

$50 for 375 to 549 miles

$75 for 550 to 999 miles

$100 for 1000 plus miles!

http://www.examiner.com/x-12585-Minneapolis-AirlinesAirport-Examiner~y2009m10d27-Southwest-Airlines-25-fare-sale

Boston Market Dollar Meal! Get yours HERE!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Get your coupon for a one dollar meal! Boston Market has gone TOTALLY FRUGAL! Who said going out to eat needs to be expensive! Print your coupons here:http://www.bostonmarket.com/restaurant?page=coupons

Top Great Pet Costumes 2009 Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:38:00 +0000

We found some great pet costume ideas at amazon very low price when compared to shopping in your local store. Check out the links here at Frugal Creative Living to save some cash. Costumes as low as $4.00!

Frugal recipe choices save money in the kitchen cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

A grocery saving tip that most people may not think about is exchanging higher priced ingredients for lower or sale priced items. One of the reasons we have found is most common for not exchanging ingredients in a recipe is home cooks may not know which ingredients will blend well together. We have a great solution for this its the cooks thesaurus, packed with information!

http://www.switcheroo.com/

Free Fall Activity- Fall Foliage Hot Spots

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

One thing we do as a family in the Fall is to take a foliage trip. Looking at all the leaves changing color , getting out and enjoying nature is mostly a free activity aside from the gas it takes to go. We enjoy walking the trails at the parks seeing all the changes nature is making before winter. The weather is cool sometimes with a slight chill. My person favorite time of the year. Check out the USDA Forest Service for your area to see where the best changes are happening in your area http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/

Save Money on Holiday travel!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0000

Do you have a college student? Military son or daughter? Need to get family together for the holidays? Travel can be very expensive this time of year. Look at some common simple tips to save on your travel this holiday season. http://www.ehow.com/how_5523973_save-money-christmas-traveling.html

Free Samples! Retail Giant Gives Multiple Samples!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Now you can go to one page and get multiple free samples from Walmart. Products change so its a good one to bookmark and return frequently. http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

Save Money on Groceries Check it out!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy Tenk) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Another great article on money saving tips from yahoo this morning. Lady claiming to have spent 42 cents on 211 dollars worth of groceries.
Well Ive never been able to shop this cheap but there is some great tips in this article! Many tricks that I use to save 20....30....and sometimes as much at 40 per grocery trip.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/slash-your-grocery-bill-in-half-520173/