Vacations are a wonderful opportunity to reconnect as a family, relax, and reenergize. And if you can do it on a budget? So much the better!

Vacation season is upon us! I know this because we went to Disneyland this week, thinking we would beat the summer rush. No can do. The park was teaming with people by 10 am, a sign that vacations have already begun.

We don’t have too many true vacations under our belt. In past years we were too broke to make them a reality. Now that we are debt free, we have a little more wiggle room to allow for real live vacations (read: those you take just for fun, not to visit family or for work purposes).

Currently, we’ve got one staycation planned as well as scoping out the right time to head back to Mammoth Lakes, a locale that we are slowly getting to know and claim as our own.

While we can finally take vacations, we still like to do it on a budget. Else, we won’t be going on very many. Travel for a family of eight is more expensive than it used to be.

Here are 12 ways to save on vacation:

1. Plan a staycation.

Who says you have to go anywhere? Depending on where you live, planning vacation days at home can be just as fun and a little less expensive than getting out of Dodge.

Check out Amy’s tips for planning a great staycation, including planning for meals out and unplugging. If you live in San Diego (or plan to visit), you’ll definitely want to review all the San Diego fun available. Want to enjoy another city, check out this list of nationwide staycation locations.

2. Buy, rent, or borrow a GPS or download an app.

On our last trip to Mammoth, we missed our turn which took us a couple hours and a million miles out of our way. It cost us both time and money in gas. So, be sure you know where you’re going and have a great map, or better, a great GPS to guide you on your way.

Our GPS was recently stolen, so we’re in the market for something new. Leave your suggestions in the comments, please!

3. Consider the cheapest mode of transportation.

For our family, road trips give us the biggest bang for our buck. Our SUV holds 8 people plus all our stuff. Taking the train or flying would be less convenient and a lot more money.

But, your situation may be different. Maybe you live right by the train station or airport. Maybe you’re a party of two or three. Airfare might just be cheaper than gas, so count the cost before you hit the road.

4. Pack your own food and drinks.

Whether we’re taking a trip to Disneyland or heading for a week at the lake, bringing our own food allows us a number of perks: money savings, healthier eating, and convenience.

At Disneyland this week, we packed plenty of snacks as well as a full lunch for the crowd and bottled water, juices, and chocolate milk. (The security guards saw it all at the checkpoint, so I assume it was cool to bring it in.)

We bought a few treats throughout the park, including a pretzel, onion rings, cotton candy, and a pop. We kinda shared, but those items totaled about $20 and I waited in a horrendously long line for food. Packing our own easily saved us $100 in food as well as allowed us to eat when we wanted.

The same goes for longer trips. I usually pack a number of freezer meals to take on vacation as well as some pantry stable items that come together for quick meals. Not only does this save me time on meal prep, but it saves us a ton of money. This savings allows us to enjoy a meal or two out or to upgrade our accommodations.

5. Take an emergency bag of OTC meds and be sure to pack toiletries.

It wouldn’t be a vacation without someone getting sick or forgetting their toothbrush. A few too many times we’ve paid through the nose for OTC meds or replacement toiletries. Now, I pack extras as well as an emergency kit so that we are prepared for the unexpected.

6. Check for online deals.

If you plan to do site seeing on your trip or visiting a local attraction, be sure to check their website before you go. Often you can find good deals directly through the attraction’s website. For instance, Colonial Williamsburg gives a discount on their 3-day pass if you buy it online. Legoland California offers you 5 days for the price of one!

7. Buy group coupon deals.

If you’re heading out of town or just staying home, consider buying group coupon deals that reflect your family’s interests and tastes in food. I’ve since lost track of how many of these sites are out there. I’ve purchased some Groupons (head’s up! referral link there) with mixed experiences as well as one from Google Offers. There are even more that I’m not even tracking with, like AmazonLocal and Living Social.

Keep your eyes open for something that you were already planning on doing or buying. Do not buy it unless you’re sure you will use it. If it’s not your town, you may be stuck with something you can’t use once you go home.

8. Book your hotel online.

We’ve always made online reservations for hotels and been quite pleased. Many times we’ve found out about deals. While we still need to call the hotel about the fine details (connecting rooms, no feathers, etc), we’ve had great success.

Life as MOM contributor, Amy recently shared some great tips for saving money by booking your hotel online. Be sure to read through those. She is an expert globe trotter.

9. Go in the off season.

Even though summer just beckons you to go someplace else, often the off-season is a better time to go to get the best deals. Hotels will dramatically reduce their rates if the alternative is to have a host of empty rooms.

Think outside the box. Visit a ski area or the desert in the summer time; head to the beach in winter. If you’re flexible about your travel times, you can save a boatload of money.

10. Rent a condo instead of a hotel room.

Since we are such a large party, we have a choice between renting two rooms or finding a condo. We’ve found the condo to be more beneficial in many ways. We save money – a condo is typically less money per night than two rooms. We have more space – condos include living space and kitchen areas. We eat better – we can more easily cook our own meals in a condo.

Many time share resorts will rent empty units to regular folk. You can get great deals this way with all the amenities.

11. Rethink your souvenir purchases.

On a recent trip to an historical site, I came across all kinds of cool things that perfectly suited the time period. They were also cool things that I could buy online for less.

You know you can buy that Disneyland sweatshirt for much cheaper online; why buy it at the park? Princess tshirts (above) on clearance at Walmart for three bucks, bought the day before we went to the Happiest Place on Earth. My girls are happy to have Princess shirts, they don’t care where they were purchased.

We tend to confuse souvenirs with experiences. You don’t have to buy the thing while you’re having the experience. Buy it before or after and pocket the change!

If your kids really want something from the trip, consider those flattened pennies. For $0.51 that’s the cheapest souvenir money can buy.

12. Pay cash.

I know, you don’t like to hear that. But paying cash is a better way. We feel so good on our vacations knowing that we really are enjoying the fruit of our labor — and not money we don’t have.

Research shows that you spend less if you hand over real money as opposed to swiping a card. You’re also more careful to track your purchases if you will eventually run out.

Granted, this does mean you need to be more careful about loss or theft. Using a travel money pouch can help you store your cash, cards, or traveler’s checks more securely.

Vacationing can be a wonderful family adventure. And if you don’t bite off more than you can chew — or pay for, you will all have a wonderful time!

Other related vacation ideas:

• Preparing the House Before Vacation
• Using the Internet to Book a Hotel and Save Money
• Take Food with You
• Vacation: A Favorite Fall Tradition
• Don’t Be Afraid to Travel with Children
• Making Road Trips More Enjoyable
• Be Ready for that Next Road Trip
• An Amusement Park Survival Guide
• Taking Freezer Meals on the Road
• How to Vacation with Children without Losing Your Mind
• Tips for Traveling with Kids
• Traveling with a Baby
• Keeping the Joy in Family Travel

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

12 Ways to Save on Vacation (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

It is better to give than receive — unless it puts you in hock! Avoid debt and overspending by giving gifts wisely and economically.

1. Bake something.

Bake someone happy with homemade breads, cookies, cakes, and pies. Homemade is always better than storebought. And the ingredients can often be less expensive that a fancy bakery. Package them nicely in a cloth lined basket or paper box. Deliver with a smile.

2. Give a gift card.

It is the thought that counts! A lower value gift card to a fun splurge like Starbucks or iTunes is often more welcome than an expensive doodah that will eventually end up in the donations pile. It doesn’t need to be high priced to be fun.

3. Package some cash.

Likewise, a creative cash present will bring a huge smile to the honored friend. When Aunt Cass sent us our “box of chocolates”, I was bowled over by her creativity. I haven’t even spent any of it ($43.15 to be exact) since it’s just too cute for words. It’s a little emergency fund, perfect for teens, college students, and, ahem, grown-ups.

4. Shop the clearance.

You will be amazed what great things you can find on clearance, especially if you start looking early. I have found great culinary gifts on clearance including a French press for $5! Keep an eye on the clearance section in your favorite stores for great deals.

5. Give an experience.

Sometimes time doing an activity together is worth more than any gift. Think picnic, a day at the beach, a trip to an amusement park, a movie night with popcorn and large boxes of candy. Consider your birthday person, graduate or other honoree to be the guest of honor and treat him or her like royalty.

6. Stock up on seasonal sales.

If you’re looking for token or hostess gifts, then keep your eyes open at back to school time, the holidays, Valentine’s Day and Easter. Candy, chocolates, candles, dishes, other small gift items, and school supplies often go on great sales at these times. Stock up on these items and save them to repackage as gifts.

Yes, you can even transform humble school supplies into gifts.

7. Use Swagbucks.

Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you with “Swagbucks” for searching online, participating in surveys or in other actions. You can redeem your Swagbucks for a number of prizes including Amazon and Starbucks gift cards. We have used the Amazon cards to offset gift giving costs at Christmas and birthdays.

Plus, Swagbucks will also award you points when you refer friends. For instance, if you signed up with this link, I would get some Swagbucks for sharing the love with you.

8. Pre-order new releases on Amazon.

Amazon offers a number of great services including Prime free shipping, a lending library, and free streaming movies. But, many folks don’t understand their pre-order policy. If you pre-order a new release (ie. before it hits the stores), you will be guaranteed the lowest price on that item between the time you pre-order and the release date.

Since Amazon prices fluctuate so frequently, this can save you a lot of money — as well as time spent checking the price.

9. Make a meal to deliver.

Who doesn’t like a home cooked meal? Everyone from busy moms to starving students to hungry bachelors will appreciate a home cooked meal. Take a few extra minutes to package it in a fancy manner and deliver with a smile.

For new parents or other busy folk, consider stashing several meals in their freezer so that they can enjoy your gift for several days into the future.

10. Order online to save money on gas and to use cash-back programs.

Shopping online has been a real blessing to me, especially in the days when all the kids had to be latched into carseats. Not only did it save me money to shop from home, but it also saved me from endless errands and dragging more poor kids into a myriad of stores when we couldn’t find what we were looking for.

I can also use cash-back services like Ebates to get cash back on my purchases when I initiate my shopping session through their portal. I can maximize my rewards by using Ebates’ tell-a-friend referral program. Whenever a friend signs up with my link, we both win.

Plus, it’s nice to shop in my pajamas.

11. Request free samples.

There are so many wonderful free samples available out there. One year, I planned ahead and saved up enough free granola bars to stuff the kids’ stockings at Christmas! And now that I think about it, some samples are very generous, making it easy for you to put together a fun gift basket — for FREE!

12. Give a memory.

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Some of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever given have been of the photographic variety. Whether it takes the shape of a video slideshow, a photo album, or even just a framed picture, photo gifts are fun, meaningful, and typically quite frugal.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

12 Ways to Save on Gifts (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Decorating a cake you’ve baked at home is not difficult. In fact, it’s a great way to customize it for taste and birthday party theme — without paying a high price. You CAN have your cake and eat it, too!

If I can decorate a home baked cake, so can you! I am not all that gifted in this area, but my kids are always happy. And that is what counts!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

• A Cake Decorating Tutorial
• Decorating Cakes with Playmobil
• Cake Decorating for Normal People

Sports Cakes

LA Kings Cake

Disc Golf

Surfer Cake

Movie Cakes

Indiana Jones

and another Indiana Jones

Cars 2 Cake

Captain Jack, Pirates of the Caribbean

Death Star, Star Wars

Rapunzel, Tangled Cake

Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

A Drive-in Movie Theatre

Book Cakes

Narnia – Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Fancy Nancy

Character Cakes

Dora the Explorer

Bob the Builder

Sonic the Hedgehog

Lego Bionicle Thornax

Pokeball and Pikachu

Shamu

Cakes for Grownups

Dave Ramsey

What’s your favorite out of all your birthday cakes, past or present?

Easy Cakes You Can Decorate Yourself is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

It is possible to host a beautiful wedding without spending a million dollars. Here’s how we did it on a “smaller” budget.

Eighteen years ago this weekend we got hitched after only four months’ engagement. Yes, it was short. We had dated for two years, though, and once you find the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, well, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. (Name that movie.)

In that 3.5 months’, pre-internet, pre-pinterest time period, we planned a beautiful wedding. It was by far, the best day of my life, featuring the best wedding food I think I’ve ever eaten, and definitely the best cake.

And we did it on a budget.

Weddings are expensive.

My dad was willing to pay for a wedding for his eldest of three daughters, but he wasn’t going to be extravagant. I groaned with dismay when he set the limit at $5000.

To give you perspective on that number, the average wedding expenditure today is $27,000. The average wedding cost in 1990 was $15,000. So, even though plenty of people have tied the knot for less than $5K, Dad’s number was still pretty low for the time, 1994.

Quite honestly, I was fit to be tied, but there was little I could do about it — unless I wanted to wait and save up more cash. Which I didn’t. Hehe.

Instead, a few years later I lobbied for my youngest sister to get a COLA on her wedding budget. Her budget was $8000 in 2001. And my sister Jamie spent only $3000 on her recent wedding reception. Dad got like three weddings for the price of one!

That said…. today I’m thankful that I wasn’t allowed free reign to spend more than we needed to on a beautiful wedding day. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject, almost twenty years later.

You might already be married, but chances are you have siblings, children, or nieces and nephews that aren’t.

How to plan a budget wedding:

1. Keep perspective.

One thing that I wish I had remembered and am now passing on to others is that this shindig is not all about you. This is a hard thing for brides to come to terms with. We imagine the day all our lives as the day we get to shine like a princess. And while I’ve been there, I also think it’s important to keep things in perspective.

A wedding is a celebration of a new life, a blending of two families, and a transition of roles. While the bride is a princess, she is also not the only who cares about this special day.

So, brides, don’t be a spoiled brat. Be prepared to compromise and consider the needs, wants, and personalities of both families. Keep in mind the sheer amount of money that’s at stake, also. My sister Janel now says she’d rather have that cash to spend on a really nice vacation!

Enough is as good as a feast.

2. Enlist friends to help.

Canvas your friends to find out who is willing and able to help with your wedding event. Guess what? You don’t need a wedding planner. Really. Instead draw from the wealth of skills and talents among those close to you. An older, married friend served as my coordinator. Since I lived with her and her family, she was right there to make me get things done, too.

We were blessed by friends who baked and decorated the cake, arranged the flowers, acted as DJ, served as shuttle drivers, as well as those who set tables and cleaned house in preparation of the Big Day. Andy’s parents even provided their home and garden as the reception location.

3. Do it yourself.

There are an amazing number of things that you can do and make yourself, even moreso now than there were 18 years ago. The trick is not to overdo. (See tips 1 & 2.)

From invitations to party favors to place settings, you can pull together pretty things simply and affordably. Don’t go overboard, but consider what special touches are just fine homemade. Instead of a bar, bartender, etc, we went to Costco and bought cases of bottled water, pop, beer, and champagne and made our own serve-yourself bar.

4. Splurge on the things that matter.

I really wanted good food, nice invitations and quality photographs so we splurged on those items. Today I have friends who would have done those things for me. But, I was content to fill the gap, knowing I was getting my druthers in a few key areas.

As it was, we priced things out and still bargain shopped. We chose the same caterers I had worked for in college and since they knew me, they gave us a great deal and superb service. (It pays to know people, sometimes!) The food was absolutely fantastic!

5. Let go of the things you don’t care about.

We didn’t have a wedding planner, a videographer, or professional hair and make-up people. It didn’t bother me in the slightest that a driveway was our dance floor. I only just now noticed the basketball hoop in the photographs!

Our “live music” was a wanna-be jazz singer who literally crashed the party! He wasn’t even invited to the wedding, but wrote a song for us spontaneously at the reception.

None of this bothered me. They just didn’t matter that much in light of the big picture and small budget.

6. Just smile.

What makes a wedding a beautiful one is the happy couple. Keep smiling — even if things don’t go the way you expect them to. In fact, be ready to laugh — at losing the rings right before the ceremony, at the party-crashing jazz singer, at the dead altar flowers from a previous event catching fire during your vows. (True stories.)

There will be plenty of things to go “wrong”.

A wedding doesn’t make a marriage. A good attitude and a lot of love and grace do. 

You can have a beautiful wedding on a budget — just remember what’s important.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

How to Plan a Budget Wedding (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Setting goals and dreaming big dreams can be just the right motivation to help you save money and accomplish great things.

This is my bedside table. Most are books that I’ve read before. A few I’m still finishing off for the first time. Most of them are books that I’m revisiting.

See a theme?

In 1994 we spent our honeymoon (and my 22nd birthday) in France, less than a year after I came home from living a year in Bordeaux. Having spent two consecutive birthdays in France, I was hopeful — and naive — that it would become a yearly tradition.

We haven’t been back in eighteen years!

Life happened. Babies, and houses, and debts. Life.

Dreaming a Big Dream

Over the last month or two, however, hubs and I have decided to dream a big dream: to take our family of eight to France for our 20th wedding anniversary. Our hope is to spend a minimum of four weeks in France in 2014.

• Ambitious? Yes. It will cost a very pretty penny.
• A little bit crazy? Yes. Six children on a European vacation is like the Griswolds on steroids.
• Impossible? Never say die.

We realized that while it will take some time to save up the cash (yes, we’re going to pay cash) and brush up on my language skills, research and plan, it will be a wonderful experience for our kids who will be 16, 13, 11, 9, 7, and 5. The kids will all be young enough to still be at home, old enough to not need a potty every hour.

Plus, we’re just itching to go back.

We also know that saving and economizing is easier — and more fulfilling — if you have a goal in mind. 

To save just for the sake of saving ends up feeling rather empty and boring after a time. It’s harder to keep at it if it’s just a few more dollars in the bank. But, if you have something to work for, you have motivation.

So, we’re adding a little fun to our future, we’re planning a HUGE family memory, and we’re adding fuel to the fire of our frugality.

Certainly, it’s a plan to spend money, but it’s also an impetus to save, which is always a good thing.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

PS. I apologize in advance for any excessive postings about France.

Dream a Big Dream (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Save money with Amazon‘s Pre-order Policy and get the guaranteed lowest price on the product between now and when it releases.

As an Amazon affiliate, I am paid a small advertising fee when folks buy something that I link to. However, I would sing Amazon’s praises and those of those products even if that were not the case.

Amazon is a fabulous money-saving resource.

First there were low prices and free shipping. Then there was Amazon Prime with free 2-day shipping. Then there was Amazon Prime with free shipping, free streaming videos, and a free lending library. There’s Amazon Mom and Amazon Student that offer similar benefits.

These are awesome ways to save money on things you would buy anyway — all from the comfort of your home.

(Plus if you use Swagbucks, you can redeem them for Amazon giftcards, saving even more money.)

Save Money with Amazon Pre-Order

Another way to save with Amazon is their preorder policy. I didn’t really explore this until last Christmas season when I had my eye on a DVD to buy for the family. Previously, I would put an item in my cart and check periodically to see how the price fluctuated.

Frequent Amazon shoppers know that prices can change in the blink of an eye, often bobbing up and down for weeks. The same is true for new releases.

Well, I sweated up a storm last summer waiting for the release of The Lord of the Rings extended edition to come out on Blu-Ray. I gave it to FishPapa for Father’s Day and got a great deal. But, I had to check often and take my chances when it hit a low point.

Silly me. If only I had preordered it….

You see if you preorder something on Amazon (like this cookbook, for example, ahem) then Amazon guarantees you the lowest price between now and when the item is released. This means that you don’t have to watch and wait and take your chances. You’re guaranteed the best deal possible.

(Some restrictions do apply to Amazon Preorder and obviously, it doesn’t work on items that have already been released.)

I tested this out when ordering Kung Fu Panda 2 last winter. Instead of sweating it, I preordered. I wasn’t charged until it shipped. And I was even refunded some money after it shipped because they shipped it prior to the release date and the price went down after the movie was loaded on the truck. Cool!

Is it saving you money?

One caveat: It’s not “saving money” if you don’t have it to spend in the first place. And if you weren’t going to buy the thing until you heard there was a “deal,” that’s probably not saving money, either.

But, if it’s something you were planning to purchase, Amazon pre-order is a great way to save money.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

Disclosure: If you make a purchase through any Amazon links up there, I do receive a small percentage of the sale. And yes, yes, I did write that cookbook.

Save Money with Amazon Pre-Order (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Over the last years our eating — and shopping — habits have evolved. Despite an economic downturn and a desire to source better foods, we’re still eating well and spending less.

As you may know, I am a total grocery geek. I love to shop for food — and cook and eat. And I love to do it all the while staying in the black.

Many years ago, when our budget really couldn’t stomach it, I tried to “go all healthy,” purchasing only organic products without any real knowledge — or financial backing — to guide my purchases. Not only did that end in miserable failure, but I also added to our family’s debt by spending money we didn’t have.

That was 2007. Later that same year, we realized just how much debt we were in (16K, to be exact) and made some drastic shifts in our spending. Yeah, eating organic foods was the least of my worries. Having food was priority #1.

In that journey toward paying down our debt, establishing an emergency fund, and learning to live without credit cards and consumer debt, I also trimmed our grocery budget to an all-time low: $400/month to feed 7 of us. Couponing and learning to build a stockpile played a huge part in that. We ate well; the bills got paid; and we even saved some money.

It’s hard to prepare for tough economic times, but so worth it.

My children ate more boxed cereal in that 18 months than they ever did in their lives. This was in the “couponing heyday” of 2008 and 2009 when I could pick up 30 boxes a week for less than fifty cents each!

While we ate more processed foods than I ever dreamed possible, I was hoping that it would be a means to an end. Perhaps someday, Lord willing, we’d be able to afford more of those healthier foods that I wanted to serve my kids.

Today our debts our gone, our emergency fund is fully funded, and we no longer spend money we don’t have. Praise God! Our family has grown in number and in size. We have since moved back to our home state of California.

While my grocery budget is higher than $400/month and couponing has taken a back seat in how I shop, we’re dedicated more than ever to eating well and spending less.

Earlier this week, I shared my journey over the last year and how the Eat Well Spend Less series got its beginning. Here’s a round-up of how other families’ shopping and eating habits have changed over the last 12 months:

• The Life Cycle of a Couponer :: Denver Bargains

• 12 Months of Eat Well, Spend Less :: Good Life Eats

• You Can Afford a Natural Life: How to Prioritize :: Kitchen Stewardship

Today’s Frugal Friday! Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

How Others are Eating Well and Spending Less (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Yesterday I shared some easy ways to live a “greener” lifestyle. Today, contributing writer, Prerna Malik shares tips on how green living can save you time and money.

Does going green mean tossing out all the plastic in the house and replacing it with glass or steel? Does ‘eco-friendly’  imply expensive? Will green living eat into your limited time?

Read on to find out how going green is actually easy when you’re on a shoestring budget and in fact, can end up saving you money AND time:

DIY Does Save Money and the Planet

Yes, going the DIY route is not only eco-friendly but also economical. From making your own homemade all-purpose cleaner to washing dishes by hand, you’ll end up saving money and protecting the planet. Plus, most eco-friendly activities don’t need a LOT of time or money. In fact, some, such as organic gardening, can become fun family activities as well and be a good substitute for too much television or inactivity.

Reusing is Easy and Economical

Like DIY, reusing is another great way to go green and save some green too. From reusing sheets of paper to turning old t-shirts into art smocks or cleaning rags, you can find a way to reuse just about anything. It doesn’t cost you anything and hardly takes any time. I, personally, am a big fan of reusing glass jars and random small containers to store craft and office supplies and jewelry.

Take Green Baby Steps

Going green does not mean taking giant steps, everyday. Baby steps work. Wonderfully. Here are a few baby steps that you can start taking today to save the environment and your hard-earned money:

• Switch off the lights each time you leave the room.
• Unplug the laptop and other electrical appliances when not in use.
• Encourage kids to turn off the faucet when brushing their teeth.
• Switch to e-versions of bank and credit card statements as well as other notifications. Feeling ambitious? Stop buying paper magazines and read them online instead! I do it and love it.
• Walk to the grocery store instead of driving, at least once a week, if not more.
• Use cloth to clean spills and kitchen countertops instead of paper towels.
• Spend an hour a day outdoors, away from the television, laptop and other gadgets. Give them a rest and get yourself some exercise.
• Line dry your laundry.
• Get Jessica’s eBook and save paper on your homemaking binder!

How can you go green on  a budget and without spending too much time?

– Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in parenting with love, being postively productive, and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her simple tips and easy-to-do ideas at The Mom Writes or follow her on Twitter.

How to Go Green on a Shoestring Budget is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Want to eat well and spend less? Me, too! Here’s how I’m working to improve our diet and stay in the black.

Exactly a year ago I found myself in the grocery store with a huge case of sticker shock. I could not believe what the stores were charging for simple groceries. I almost broke into tears over a package of overpriced tortillas.

The idea stayed with me that night and into the morning:

I will not go quietly.

On a whim, I dashed off an email to several bloggers from different areas of the continent. WHAT are we going to do about this? Surely, we are not alone in wanting to feed our families healthy food without spending too much coin?

What resulted was a wonderful collaboration of nine blogs working together to brainstorm new and creative ways to eat well and spend less. Over the last year, we’ve covered a range of topics, including:

• Avoid Expensive Ingredients to Eat Well and Spend Less
• 45+ Frugal Meals to Help You Eat Well and Spend Less
• Eat Well and Spend Less in the US and Canada
• Food Storage and Saving Money on Groceries
• Back to School Recipes and Meal Ideas
• Make Food More Fun on a Budget

It’s been a year now since the Eat Well, Spend Less girls and I got together. I’ve learned so much from Aimee, Amy, Carrie, Katie, Katie, Mandi, Shaina, Tammy. And we’ve grown a lot over the last year. Not only have several of us made a change to increase the nutrition in our diets and our kids have grown in size and age, but we’ve also added a few more babies to the mix. A couple of us have written books, and one is relocating to a new area where she’ll be learning how to source great food in her new locale.

We’re celebrating a Year of Eating Well and Spending Less!

This week we’re each sharing an update on how we shop and cook in order to eat well and spend less. While I didn’t have a baby in the recent past, my family is growing by leaps and bounds. My teenage son towers over me and consumes calories at a great rate. His younger brothers are not too far behind. Neither are his sisters, for that matter.

Combine that with my desire to buy more organics and fewer processed foods, and it’s been a challenge to keep our food budget in check. In 2011, my grocery spending averaged $715 per month. While my average is higher for this year to date, it’s still well below the national average for a family of 8.

Here are some ways that I’ve changed my habits over the last year:

1. I’m pickier about what we’re eating.

Over the last year or two, I’ve done some food reading that has made me think twice about the food my kids eat. Without getting into big discussions or freaking anyone out, I’ll just say that my research has made me work toward the following changes in our diet.

• organic produce where possible, and definitely for the Dirty Dozen
• no GMO’s
• hormone-free milk and dairy products
• a reduction in our processed sweeteners
• no pink slime
• no unfermented soy

In no way would I enforce these restrictions on other people. It’s just where I’ve found my comfort zone. These are weighty goals and fairly difficult at the moment. I’m learning where to source the items that fit these categories. And some are harder to pull off than others.

2. I kissed coupons goodbye.

Gasp?! Well, not exactly. But, I use far fewer coupons than I did in previous years. As I move our family away from processed foods, I found that I was using fewer and fewer coupons. The amount I might save was not commensurate with the time I would spend to hunt for good coupons.

Yes, coupons are available for healthier products and plain old “ingredients”, but I’ve found the selection to be fairly slim — or simply not worth the time investment. My coupon bag is a slim addition to my purse.

3. I subscribe to an organic produce co-op.

Reader Bethany told me about Abundant Harvest Organics last summer and what a blessing! I subscribe to a weekly delivery of organic produce that is indeed, abundant. (I post my haul every week on Grocery Geek.) For $37 I get a huge box full of fresh from the farm, California grown fruits and vegetables.

Not only am I feeding my family more fruits and veggies, but we’re also learning to like a larger variety of produce, including some weird things, like Pea Tendrils.

4. I shop at fewer stores.

Since I have new picky guidelines (see point #1), it’s easier to shop at stores that I know carry those items. This means that Trader Joe’s and Costco are my friends. Trader Joe’s guarantee promises no GMO’s in their store-brand products. This makes it easier to shop without having to read every picking label. And both Costco and Trader Joe’s sell hormone-free dairy products at great prices as well as ground beef without the slime.

However, those stores don’t carry every ingredient I might need, I also shop at Ralphs and Sprouts on a regular basis. These two offer the specialty items I might want for recipe testing or better coffees that we prefer.

5. I still hunt down the loss leaders.

Although, I’m no longer doing big couponing, I still stock up when I see a great price. I love my stockpile!

Recently, Ralphs had our favorite Starbucks blend on sale for $5.88 a package. You have to buy a lot at that price! I bought six packages that should last about six weeks, when I hope there will be another sale.

6. I cook from scratch.

One of the biggest ways that I save money AND eat better is to cook or bake my own. Having regular freezer cooking sessions helps this. And recently I’ve started to keep a batch of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes dough on hand. I crunched the numbers and found out that the ingredients cost per loaf was $0.25! This is an easy way for me to shave a few dollars off our grocery bill.

7. I am doing a regular grocery audit.

Recently I shared on Good Cheap Eats about how I went over budget last month and have been revisiting some strategies to help bring down our average food costs. I need to have a realistic view of who I’m feeding, how we’re eating and what our needs are. And with a mess o’ kids, this reality is often changing. Doing a grocery audit helps me do this.

This post is part of an ongoing series about how to eat well and spend less. Along with some fabulous foodies, organizers, and frugalistas, I’ve been bringing you suggestions on how to eat like a king without becoming a pauper to do it.

This month we’re sharing updates as to how our eating and spending have changed over the last year.Be sure to check out what the other ladies are sharing this week or browse their archives:

• Aimee from Simple Bites
• Amy from Kingdom First Mom
• Carrie from Denver Bargains
• Katie from Good Life Eats
• Katie from Kitchen Stewardship
• Mandi from Life Your Way
• Shaina from Food for My Family
• Tammy from Tammy’s Recipes

How are YOU eating well and spending less?

Another Year of Eating Well and Spending Less is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Ask for a discount and you might be surprised at a lower price.

Despite my inner desires to be a globe-trotter, we don’t really travel that much. We take a few big road trips each year, but flying isn’t something we do very often. In fact, I’ve been on six plane trips in the fifteen years I’ve been a mom.

However, I have two fun getaways planned for May. (More on that later!) And to celebrate, I decided that my 20-year old luggage set was a little too old school. Big, honking garment bag and ginormous suitcase were a little too large for the way I live, travel, and think about extra baggage fees. And the itty bitty Jeep duffel bag that hubs and I share is a little too small.

So, I’ve been shopping.

I looked at luggage at Kohls and almost choked on the prices. Luggage has gotten smaller in 20 years, but it certainly hasn’t gotten any cheaper! I knew that I wanted something small. I don’t like checking baggage — or waiting at the baggage claim. So, I wanted something that met air travel specifications.

NOT that I travel much. But, still….

I looked at luggage on Amazon and was thinking about this. I could choke down that price.

Earlier this week, however, I was at Target, picking up a couple things, and I decided to cruise their luggage aisle. I was NOT optimistic. The price tags I saw ranged from $49 to $109. Ick. The girls and I went up and down and around that aisle a few times until we saw this:

It’s a 4-piece set. But, wait! It’s missing the 4th piece, a package of travel bottles. I looked at the tag. The set was normally priced $65, and had been clearanced to $45. $45 didn’t sound horrible for three pieces. But, then I got a brain storm.

I would ask for a bigger markdown! I went to the fitting counter where they make price adjustments. The woman at the counter got out her fancy Target gun and guess what?!

It was already marked lower than $45. They just hadn’t gotten around to retagging it…. AND she marked it lower still! See?

I paid $13.61 plus tax for three pieces of luggage! Oh happy day!

So, next time you see something that isn’t in pristine condition or is missing a piece, go ask for the discount. You might be pleasantly surprised!

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

Ask for that Discount (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.