Frugal Living: Gardening for your Budget

Today's guest post comes to us from Stacy over at The Full Circle Gardener.  Right now is the perfect time of year to think about planting your garden, however big or small, to supplement your own grocery  budget.  Thanks Stacy!

Gardening for your Budget
While looking through the grocery store circular this week, I couldn't help think how expensive produce is and how excited I am for summer to come!  I am an avid gardener and use my garden to supplement my grocery budget every summer and even through winter by canning my garden produce.  Not everyone has a lot of extra time, energy or space to plant a huge garden like I do, but most everyone can plant a few key ingredients in a container or a small flower bed for very little money.  There are only 4 things needed to grow a small scale kitchen garden to supplement your grocery budget.

1.  Seeds

A packet of seed will cost $1 - $1.50. (I've seen select seeds as low as $0.25 at Walgreens or $0.11 at Menards during spring sales!)  All vegetable seeds are viable (will sprout) for more than one year so hang onto your seed packets to use for multiple years & spread out the cost, or go in on it with a friend.

2. Container

Be creative with containers.  If it will hold soil & allows for water drainage it will work.  Containers can be as simple as a ice cream bucket or tin can, or as crazy as a shoe.  Sometimes the 'oddest' containers are the cutest yard/deck art!  If you are in need of inspiration, check out this Pinterest page or search homemade garden containers online.

3. Soil

Soil cost will vary depending on how much you need, but I've seen small bags for around $1-2 or I recently saw a 40 quart bag at Sam's Club for under $6!  Also check with your community to see if and when they offer free compost that you can mix in with your soil (both Fargo & Clay County offer free compost to residents in May.)

4. Water

In a backyard garden or flower bed, your plants need the equivalent of about 1 inch of water each week whether that comes as rain or you provide it.  In a container, you will need to check the plants daily to see if they need water.  Consider collecting rainwater in a bucket or barrel to reduce your water costs.  Read more information regarding Garden Watering Basics on my blog, The Full Circle Gardener.

Roughly speaking, you could plant a couple of produce items for less than $10 (plus the cost of city water). 

Don't overwhelm yourself, especially if you have never gardened before, but also don't be afraid to give small scale kitchen gardening a try!  Consider planting one or two of these easy to care for produce items this year and see how it goes.  (Follow the link on each one for more information on when and how to plant.)

•  Spinach
•  Leaf Lettuce
• Basil
• Chives
• Mint

If you have gardened before or want to get into gardening a little deeper, check out other veggie garden favorites in my Plant of theWeek posts and visit me often at The Full Circle Gardener.  Feel free to send me questions via email or Facebook.  

Happy Gardening & Money Saving! :)

Ideas for Coupon Organization

Are you planning on joining me and several others as we “Get-Together + Get Organized” this Friday night? With this event coming up, I thought this would be a good time to talk about how we organize our coupons. I know I’ve used several different systems at different times in my life, and each way of doing it has its pros and cons. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Accordion File

Smead Expandable File

My mom had an accordion file for her coupons, and I’m guessing her mom did as well. This method is an oldie but a goodie. When I started clipping coupons and had a few too many to keep in my wallet, I started with an accordion file. When I started to outgrow it, I kept two; one for food and one for non-food items. The smallest accordion files are very inexpensive, showing up in the Target dollar spot several times a year, or just a few dollars in the office supply section of most any store.

Pros: Accordion files are inexpensive, easy to carry with you or keep in a purse, and don’t take long to set up or maintain. Choose to organize by category (grocery, dairy, meat, etc) or by brand name A-Z.

Cons: Accordion files are generally too small once you start clipping multiples of many coupons and you’re only able to see what you have by flipping through each category.
Alternately, some folks prefer to use a box, shoebox or other small bin that is larger than an accordion file, but still using the same method to organize them.

Binder Method

I love the binder method, because I love to see all of my coupons as I flip through. It's a great choice for organizing though it typically costs more and is more time and labor intensive to get set up. Using baseball card pages or other clear sheets (full or divided), individually cut coupons can be displayed singly so that you can see each coupon.

Pros: You are able to see each coupon individually and quickly access them. Easily store multiples of single coupons. It is also fast and easy to pull coupons that have expired.

Cons: Initially, this method can cost more if you have to purchase all the supplies. Filing coupons take more time, since you file each coupon individually. Binder usually needs to be carried separately or in its own bag.

No Cut Method
Many people prefer not to cut their coupons at all until they need them. You can do this by keeping your inserts whole, marking the date on the front and filing them by date. You can file them by date in file folders, folders in a binder, or even in zip top bags stored in a tote bag. There is very little time involved in filing your coupons, but more time involved in preparing for each shopping trip. When you’re ready to shop, use my weekly store deals posts to help you know what week to go to for the coupons you need. Otherwise, use a coupon database like the one at Money Saving Mom or Coupon Mom to find what week’s inserts you need for a certain coupon.

Pros: Easy, and fast to maintain. Inexpensive (depending on how you choose to file them), and possibly portable if you buy only one or a few inserts each week.

Cons: More time to prep for each shopping trip and clip coupons. Can be heavy or difficult to carry all the coupons with you to the store if you prefer to have them with you, and takes up even more space if you store several inserts for each week

What Works For Me... A Bag, A Binder and a Small Accordion File


When I started using coupons, the small accordion file was the best method for me, then I moved into a small box when I outgrew it.  My current method of organizing is the binder method, but I've downgraded from a huge 3" binder to a 1", which is working better for this season of life where I'm not using coupons as intensely.

My coupon binder and any uncut inserts all find a home in my coupon bag, which goes with me when I'm headed to the store.  My binder has tabbed dividers for each store, where store specific coupons are filed.  I also use full page sheet protectors for rebate forms.  Behind those, I have my coupons filed by category: produce, canned and boxed, breakfast, baking, dairy, etc.  The bag also has a pair of scissors and this week's sale flyers.

When I'm getting ready to shop, I clip any uncut coupons and pull coupons that I need from my binder.  I have a small accordion file (yes, it has seen better days :) with tabs for each store, and I keep all the coupons I plan to use for that shopping trip in that folder.  When I'm at the store, these are all the coupons I will need unless I come across an unadvertised sale or clearance item, which is why my coupon bag almost always comes along as well.

If I'm cutting or printing coupons and know that I'll want to use a specific coupon at a certain store, I just go ahead and file it there so I'll have it ready,  If I have to request a raincheck while I'm shopping, I keep it in that store's file with the coupon so it is ready to go next time I'm at that store.

What about you?  What is your favorite system for keeping track of your coupons and why?

Pantry Challenge: A How To Guide

It's that time of year again, time for another Pantry Challenge!  I'm joining with Jessica over at Good Cheap Eats for a month long Pantry Challenge.  Intentionally eating from your pantry or freezer for a period of time is a great way to use up what you have in the pantry or freezer, try new recipes, save money in your grocery budget and make the most of the grocery money you've already spent. Convinced? Maybe, but how does go about starting a Pantry Challenge?

Decide the length of time
A week, a month, even one meal per week from your pantry will help you use up odds and ends items and save money in the process.

Inventory the Pantry (or Freezer)
What ingredients do you have on hand to use up? What is laying on the bottom of your chest freezer that you completely forgot about? I keep a small whiteboard on the side of my fridge with a list of the items in the basement chest freezer. I try to write things on it before I take them down to the freezer and erase them when I bring them up to use. This helps me immensely when it comes to pantry cooking, because the list is already made.

Check the Sale Ads and Coupon Match ups
What fresh items are on sale? If you know that you're one ingredient shy of a batch of chili, is that ingredient on sale this week? Eating from the pantry doesn't mean I stop buying altogether during that time period. Not only will I still buy milk and fresh produce, I'll still stock up on items that are at their lowest prices. I still manage to spend less overall than other times because I'm planning meals around items I already have on hand.

Make Your Meal Plan
When I do this step, I'm often surprised by how many meals I can plan without much effort based on what I already have! I try to plan meals around ingredients I already have on hand, thus using it up and saving money on my grocery list. I'll then buy only the fresh items I need or that one or two last ingredients to make the meal I have chosen. I have found Allrecipe's Ingredient Search to be particularly helpful with this. You can type in several search terms of ingredients you have on hand and it will give you lists of recipes with those items!

Add meals to the Calendar
Assigning meals to calendar days is the last step of the planning process. On a day that you'll be out, choose a meal that can go in the crockpot. If you have a short dinner time on a certain day of the week, don't plan an elaborate meal. Don't plan a meal on birthday or days you plan to eat out. The calendar can be a guide, but with room for last minute switches if needed!

Here are links to some more resources on Pantry Challenges, Meal Planning and more:
Good Cheap Eats explains more on what a Pantry Challenge is and why it can be worthwhile
Good Cheap Eats also has information on month long meal planning and links to lots of recipes
No Ordinary Moments has an editable month long meal planning calendar for your personal use (Thanks, Stacy!)

Plus, just for fun check out this sweet Magnetic Menu Planning Board that I pinned on Pinterest!  I'd love to make one of these one day!

Guest Post: Free Book Deals for the Summer!

Today's Guest Post comes to us from Jenna Kahly, youth librarian at the Moorhead Library. She has plenty of ideas to share for getting your hands on more books for the kiddos this summer!  

Looking for some free books for your kids this Summer?  Look no further than your library.  Not only can you check out books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books for free, but all of the Libraries in the area have a Summer Reading Program which offers free, fun, family-friendly events all summer long!

Local Library Reading Programs

Here are some links to the local library pages with info about their Reading Programs:

• Moorhead Library Reading Program
• Fargo Public Library Reading Program
• West Fargo Public Library Reading Program

Both the Moorhead Library and Fargo Libraries are offering a free book as a prize for completing a reading log with your child!  To complete the Moorhead library’s requirements, log 15 books or hours of reading and to complete the Fargo Library's requirements, log 30 hours to get your free book.

Want to double dip? The three library systems have an agreement where you can use all of the libraries as long as you have a library card from the system you live in.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Journal

Pick up a Barnes & Noble Reading Journal (available to download here, or pick one up at Barnes and Noble or the Moorhead Library) to read 8 books to get another free book when you turn the journal in at your local Barnes and Noble!

More incentives to Get Kids Reading!

The Red River Valley Fair has a program called "Read & Win" for 6-11 year olds.  After completing 10 books each child gets a ribbon, gate entry to the fair and free popcorn!  The deadline for this program is 6/24, so hurry to complete and send in your form!

{FM Cheapskate here...  Now, Jenna is an FM Cheapskate reader and deal seeker herself, so she's put together a "Deal Idea" for you just like I do in the grocery lists!}

Deal Idea for the Summer:
Read 15 books or more totaling 30 hours of reading time
Fill out the Moorhead and Fargo library Reading logs and turn them in to get two free books for each child!
While at the Moorhead Library, pick up the forms for the RRV Fair and Barnes & Noble Programs. Turn those in and get another free book and gate admission and treats at the Fair this Summer!
Final tally: 3 FREE Books per child, plus FREE gate admission and treats at the fair this summer!

For the Younger Kiddos

If you have a child under 5, make sure you are signed up for the Imagination Library which sends an age appropriate book each month to your child until their 5th birthday.  Forms available at your library or online here!

--

Thanks so much for all the great ideas, Jenna!  We have always particpated in the Imagination Library and I would encourage anyone to sign up.  I am excited to get started on some of the summer reading programs, too!  Thanks again Jenna!  Say hi to her at many of the youth events at the Moorhead Library!

Guest Post: Not-So-Extreme Couponing

Today's Guest Post comes to us from MS Simplicity, Melissa Schmalenberger, from I did it with MS. Simplicity. She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found here.  I find great value in her blog posts and FREE tips shared over on MS. Simplicity's Facebook page!


Melissa and I met recently to talk about hosting these lunch and learn classes.  She, like many of you had questions about the real benefits of using coupons.  It is worth the time?  Can you buy healthy foods?  Do you have to be an "extreme couponer" to see the savings?  How can I stay organized while saving money?  I'll let her post say the rest...  And, we hope to see you soon at one of our one of our upcoming classes!

Have you seen the show Extreme Couponing yet? I have not but boy have I been hearing a lot of buzz around town about it. I go through phases of clipping coupons but I have some preconceived notions on clipping coupons. 


So two weeks ago I sat down with local coupon diva FM Cheapskate and I talked with her about some of my concerns. Because of my concerns or misconceptions I decided we needed to hold some lunch and learns to educate more in our area on the ways to save money, and this is where I come in....and to help them stay organized. Here are some of the things that we will be discussing during our scheduled lunch and learns on June 4 and June 9.

1. It is too much work: Reality, spend the time doing it and practice and you will start to be faster at it. Figure out how much time it takes you and how much per hour you save. If it takes you 2 hours to save $100 would it be worth it? But really, if I could save $100 off my grocery bill I would be thrilled!
2. Our local grocery stores don't triple coupons here: If you are smart there are still ways to take advantage of the coupons when combining them with the local adds and markdowns in the store.
3. I don't have time to go to every local store to find the best deals: Did you know that there are local facebook pages dedicated to the deals in your area? They do the leg work for you and then tell you where to shop for the best deal.
4. I don't want to buy crap: Did you know that there are sites that are dedicated to organic food coupons? I didn't know that either. I am going to learn how to buy organic milk or dairy free alternatives at a discount as I have 3 boys who need their own proverbial cow in our backyard.
5. What about organic beef? Did you know that you can buy from local farmers and pay less by cutting out the middle man, aka the grocery store?
6. How do I keep all the coupons organized and use them before they expire? I think we can show you a thing or two about staying organized while saving money!
7. What about trading services? Could you mow someone's yard for them to babysit your kids. Could you write a your hair salons newsletter for getting free haircuts for your family? Find ways to think outside of the box when trying to save money.

So grab your sister, mother, girlfriend, spouse and get ready to learn how to save money. Click on the links below for more details! Hope to see you saving money with us!

Did I mention that the cost of the class includes a delicious lunch from Mosaic Catering?

Did I mention that their are door prizes valued at $115?

June 4: Not-So-Extreme Couponing 

June 9: Not-So-Extreme Couponing 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings!  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.   Contact her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  Thanks for sharing with us today Melissa!

Guest Post: Frugal Gardening

Today's guest post comes to use from Stacy who blogs over at The Full Circle Gardener. In addition to being a fabulous frugalista, she is one of my great friends.  I taught her how to coupon and now she is returning the favor by teaching me how to garden.  Thanks, Stacy!

There are so many benefits to backyard gardening.   But all of them aside, I garden because I love gardening.  I love that my children can eat peas, cucumber, carrots and other produce as they play in the backyard all summer long.  I love what I can teach my children right in my backyard, and... the list goes on and on.

So, how does one be a frugal gardener and keep it as economical as possible?  Here are a few things that I have learned in my adventure as a 'full circle gardener'.

Be a scavenger!

Always be on the lookout for free or nearly free items that can replace items purchased at retail prices.  Right now I am in the process of starting seedlings.  Instead of going to the local garden store for containers, I am using kitchen plastic (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream containers), aluminum baking tins, and plant cells from my friends, family and neighbors.  One can be very creative with decorative containers for flowers and landscaping as well.  One year I came across a child's riding tractor wagon that was my husband's when he was a kid. It was old, rusty and no longer usable as a toy, but sure made a cute rustic planter!

Containers are the easiest thing to scavenge, but also keep your eyes open for a friend or neighbor who has cows or horses... they are probably looking for somewhere to get rid of manure.  Talk about great, free fertilizer!  Do you have a neighbor who doesn't use lawn chemicals that would be willing to let you take the lawn clippings off their hands?  You have just found free mulch and composting material!  Get the idea?  Be a scavenger!

Compost!

Composting is one of the simplest and most frugal garden adventures one can take on since you can do it without purchasing anything!  It reduces your landfill input and provides you with free nutrient rich organic matter!  What could be better?

All of your uncooked veggie scraps, egg shells, shredded paper (newspaper, office paper, napkins, paper towels), hair (human or pet), untreated lawn clippings, etc. are compost-able. A compost “bin” can be as simple as an uncontained pile in a back corner of the yard, a pile contained by a circle of chicken wire, or a pre-made, designed composter. I purchased an Earth Machine Composter from the City of Fargo at a reduced rate a few years ago.  It is a great deal for those who want to keep that pile contained, hidden from the view of neighbors and decrease the time it take to get a good usable product!

Share or exchange seeds with friends and neighbors or attend a local seed exchange!

For most urban gardeners, there are more seeds in one package than they will plant in one year.  Here is a great opportunity to split the cost with a friend.  Or, save the seed and use it again next year.  All seed packages are dated and the viability reduces with age, but I have used seed from packages that are 3-4 years old and had good germination.

The Full Circle Gardener is hosting a Seed Exchange event next Saturday, March 26 at West Acres Mall in the Food Court from 10 -11:30 AM.  It will be an informal way to meet other local gardeners, receive seed you can plant and share your extra seed with others!

Collect and save your own seeds!

This is especially easy with flowers, but can be done with heirloom veggies as well.  The trick is being sure the seeds are fully mature, dried and labeled so that you know what you have when you're ready to plant the next season.

Mulch!

Use untreated lawn clipping, leaves, dry manure or chipped wood to mulch your flower beds and veggie garden.  This will reduce your need to water. Water, for the urban gardener, can be the most expensive part of home gardening, so any way you can reduce this expense is very helpful!  In Fargo, free wood chips are available to residents during clean-up week and again in the fall.

Gardening may not be the absolute most inexpensive way to obtain produce for your family, but these are some easy ways to reduce your expenses and provide yourself and your family with the benefits and adventure of backyard gardening!  Be sure to check out The Full Circle Gardener if you are looking for a step-by-step guide to backyard gardening.  I'd love to share the adventure as a “full circle gardener" with you!

Happy Gardening!

FM Cheapskate here: Fargo offers free compost as well as wood chips to Fargo residents.  See the City of Fargo's website for more info and dates.  Clay County and Moorhead residents may pick up free compost and wood chips any day at the City of Moorhead Compost Facility.

Thanks Stacy!  Be sure to visit her over at The Full Circle Gardener!

Guest Post: Frugal Allergen-Free Shopping: Part 2

Jenelle from Frugal Family Feasts shared some great tips with us last week for dealing with food allergies from a frugal perspective.  If you missed it, read Part 1 of the article here.

Shopping & Living with Allergies: Part 2

• Coupon Swaps. You are the best buddy in the world to trade coupons with when you shop allergen-free. There are plenty of great coupons you can’t use and your friends can print lots for you and pull out newspaper ones you can use. My friends keep me more than stocked in almond milk coupons when they become available.

• Start with a Limited Diet.  After over-reacting, I started over with a slow rotation of a few things I knew we could eat and repeated often until we could spread it out with more options. This gives you time to research, find, and not spend a fortune like I did.

• Grill. It’s an easy way to prepare food without needing to add much in the way of flavors or sauces. Simple seasoning and herbs along with some citrus juice and oil is really all you need. I stock up on the meat clearance section and we grill all year long. Yes, we are the crazy ones in negative 15-degree weather with our grill, cooking in the garage.

• Use Alternative Food Sources: Try a Garden, Shop the Farmer's Market, join a CSA.  Stock up on fruits and veggies in season from your own garden or someone else’s. Most veggies and fruits can be frozen (usable for most cooked forms) and save you a ton of money out of season.

• Rethink food. Think of quality foods as medicine. It does the body good to eat healthy and natural. If removing allergen foods from your diet makes you feel better, then the payoff comes in productivity or decreased medical costs. Think of food as hospitality.  Food is a gift to your family and those that you share it with. Open your home and heart to others. A starving college student, elderly friend, another family you’d like to get to know better, and your extended family will be blessed by your gift.  Think of food as a process. You are on a journey for the long haul. Saving money and eating well isn’t about being perfect, it’s about health and happiness.

Thanks so much Jenelle for sharing your insight in this area to encourage others.  Be sure to check out her recipes and other ideas over at Frugal Family Feasts.  If you have additional ideas or advice for others, please leave a comment!

Guest Post: Frugal Allergen Free Shopping

Today's guest post comes to us from a reader and dear friend of mine, Jenelle from Frugal Family Feasts.  I know this is an issue that many out there are facing, and I hope this article is encouraging to those of you who might be up against some "frugal" challenges, like shopping allergen-free on a budget.  Jenelle offers some practical money and sanity savings tips in this 2 Part article on Allergen-Free Shopping. Watch for Part 2 next week!

Shopping & Living with Allergies

Good food is one of the best parts of living. It ranks right up there with love, sleep, and peace. But what do you do when the foods you love are making you sick? What do you do with the surge in your grocery budget trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

About 9 months ago, my food world came to a crashing halt when my 6-year-old son was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. Imagine trying to eat/grocery shop gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and peanut-free. Not only was it intensive label reading and researching new ways to cook and eat, it was a huge sticker shock.

In my emotional need to find food replacements for all the things he couldn’t have, I rushed out to the store and started buying everything I could find to try that would fit the bill. And it was a bill. I spent an extra $400 in one month. A lot of it was awful and my son wouldn’t eat it (and sometimes his parents too.)

Now that I’m more emotionally stable about things, I’ve tweaked our budget by about $10-15 each week to accommodate needed changes.  Here are a few of the tips I’ve figured out along the way that are beneficial for allergen-free shopping, but especially apply to anyone trying save money:

• Don't Try to Conquer the World in One Shopping Trip.  Trying to save money (allergen-free or standard grocery shopping) is a time intensive process at first and can be overwhelming. It will take a while to figure it out. If you can have someone watch your children (spouse, friend, family, etc), do it.  It will free you up so that you can closely read labels and compare prices. It’s not a natural process at first. I cried after every shopping trip for 3 weeks. It’s hard. It’s emotional. It’s complicated. It’s completely possible. It gets better. It becomes second nature.

• We (mostly) Quit Buying Junk.  Quick fix snacks, meal kits, junk foods, etc can add up quickly. While it may take time to pop some non microwave popcorn, bake up a batch of cookies or brownies for a snack, I know what is in them is much more substantive.  This means we eat less.  My boys could throw back a dozen packs of fruit snacks and not be satisfied. We eat less in quantity because of the value of what we are eating.  Note: We have not given up chips.

• Eat Naturally Allergen-Free Foods.  This means a mostly “whole food” diet for us. That refers to foods that are not processed from their original form. We eat mainly fruits, veggies, and meats. Other naturally allergen-free great buys include rice, potato, carrots, in-season fruit, applesauce, tomato products, and beans.

• We Rarely Eat Out.  This saves us lots of money that I can sink back into quality groceries. Since there aren’t many places/things my son can eat, this has become a rarity and a big treat. 

• Use Coupons.  I first mourned the loss of mainstream coupons and rarity of ones that apply to us. However, the internet has changed the coupon business. Specialty retailers can now reach their target audience on their websites without losing a ton of money for newspaper inserts. It takes a bit of time to search the sites, but sign up for their lists (I keep a separate gmail account so promotions don’t over-run import messages) to get coupons and deals.

Thanks, Jenelle!  Stay tuned for the second part of the article next week!

Guest Post: Stretching Christmas Bargains All Year Long

This article comes to us from reader and frugal hostess Janene Wittmayer. I hope you find it helpful as you bargain hunt through Christmas clearance sections this time of year!

Stretching After Christmas Bargains All Year Long

Christmas bargains don’t have to be just for next Christmas. When looking for deals after Christmas keep in mind the events on your personal calendar for the year. Do you have a kids Valentine’s Party to plan? Are you going to a wedding this spring or summer? Do you host St. Patrick’s Day at your house? Do your kids go to several birthday parties throughout the year? Do you need to bake for your small group once a month? Try these tips to stretch your bargains all year long.

• Pickup items such as tablecloths, napkins, tableware, ribbon, and bags as well as all wrapping items in the color red.   It is a color that can be used for several holidays throughout the year: Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and birthdays. Red stars work well for the 4th of July as red hearts for Valentine’s Day (I found some stuffed heart ornaments that would work to embellish a gift).

• Check out the white or silver ribbon, wrapping paper, tissue, bows and even non-Christmas ornaments (can be used for embellishing a gift) to use for weddings and wedding showers. For winter weddings use white or silver snowflakes. (Snowflakes can be used for any winter party). Brides can use white ribbon and white lights for decorating. White dishes match any holiday or event and can be mixed with other dishes.

• Green items work for St. Patrick’s Day.  Irish mint candy (saw Hershey Kisses this year and green and white mints), or Irish mint flavored coffee. (Freeze items to keep them fresh) Green mint ice cream is a tradition on St. Patrick’s Day in our house but I don’t know if it could make it until then :). Also green is a great color for birthdays and Father’s Day.  Any non-traditional color items like blue or purple in things like bows, ribbon, tissue, wrapping paper, whatever you can find that doesn’t scream Christmas can be used for gifts throughout the year.

• Crafting items such as tape, ribbon, bags, snow batting (good for making your own pillows, stuffed toys and small quilts), paper, and holiday craft kits (not just Christmas specific for other times of the year) can be used for crafting all year long. These also can be used for kid’s parties.

• And don't forget cheap toys for the birthday parties that your kids get invited to all year, nieces and nephews, and Easter baskets.  Also look for favors and gifts for birthday parties you will host during the year. Stick with timeless toys that would appeal to most boys or girls such as Starwars, Spiderman, Batman, and Legos for boys or baby dolls and Barbies for girls. Also, classic board games and puzzles are good to pick up for either sex.

• Look for food and baking items that aren’t decorated just for Christmas.  One example is the deal posted by Sheila right here at FM Cheapskate for Pepperidge Farm cookies at Cashwise.  Stock up on the ones that aren’t decorated for Christmas and freeze.  Pull out for an unexpected guest, a party, Easter brunch, or just for fun during the year. They would also make a nice hostess gift taken out of the bag, put in a jar or clear bag and tied with a ribbon.

• Use baking goods such as cookie cutters (snowmen, stars, snowflakes, etc), plain colored cupcake liners, white frosting, chocolate chips, chocolate candy, nuts, even flour and sugar to make some delicious treats on the cheap. (Put the chips, candy, nuts, flour and sugar in the freezer.)  Chocolate Christmas candies can be unwrapped and used for cookies or desserts.  

Enjoy the year for less.

Thanks, Janene!