Anna’s Budget Tips

Anna’s Budget Tips-Spring Break on a Budget

March 1, 2013 by Kathryn 1 Comment

School-aged children around the country are eagerly anticipating the long awaited Spring Break or Spring Vacation. Most districts put school on pause for a week or even two some time in March or April giving students (and their teachers!) some much needed R&R. This time of year can also be a cause for concern among families on a budget – you know…those of us who can’t hop on a jet bound for the Maldives for a week of fun in the sun!

But don’t worry! It is entirely possible to create a fun-filled vacation without breaking the bank. Here are some tips and tricks to help, whether your plans involve being home with the little ones, some low cost travel or mom and dad working over the break.

tips for enjoying spring break on a budget [Read more…]

Anna’s Budget Tips-Low Cost Cleaning

February 1, 2013 by Kathryn 19 Comments

I am a sucker for fancy cleaning products. I am easily drawn in by pretty packaging, intriguing scents, and claims such as “all natural,” “eco-friendly” and “non-toxic.” Of course it’s not necessary to drop big bucks just to get your home sparkling clean. In fact, some of the most natural and environmentally friendly products are also the least expensive. Here are a few tips to keep your cleaning costs way down:

Make Your Own Cleaning Products

To make your own All Purpose Spray, mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. If you’d rather not have the strong vinegar smell try adding a few drops of essential oil. You can find essential oils at most health food stores – choose peppermint, orange, tea tree, or lavender. Use this spray to clean just about anything including counter tops, sinks, kids’ toys, and windows.

Need a little extra scrubbing power to accompany your elbow grease? Make a gentle scrub out of baking soda mixed with a little water and use to clean soap residue and hard water stains, polish metal fixtures and clean stubborn messes on counter tops. As an added bonus, baking soda also deodorizes while it cleans.

Clean a cast iron pan with kosher salt and a non-abrasive sponge. The salt will clean off food residue without removing the pan’s prized seasoning.

Kosher salt can also report for cleaning duty for your wooden cutting boards. Rub the salt over the boards with a cut lemon and then rinse off the lemon juice/salt mixture. The acidity of the lemon juice will disinfect and the abrasive salt rub will get the surface nice and clean. [Read more…]

Anna’s Budget Tips-Budgeting for the New Year

January 1, 2013 by Kathryn 14 Comments

Happy 2013! There’s nothing quite like the start of a new year to give you a renewed sense of hope, purpose and motivation to accomplish just about anything. Tap into the power of this season and get your family budget in shape for the new year. A little effort now could really pay off by the time we’re saying hello to 2014.

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Anna’s Budget Tips-Keeping the Holiday Gift Giving Under Control

December 1, 2012 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

christmas presents It’s the most wonderful time…but also that time of year that might just make you want to grab your cash and credit cards, crawl into a hole and not come out until after New Year’s. Between parties, decorating, travelling or hosting out of town guests, requests for year-end charitable donations and, of course, gift giving, the holidays can throw even the most disciplined budgeter for a loop.

Tackling the gift list is a great way to trim the holiday budget…and cutting costs doesn’t have to mean feeling like Scrooge! Here are a few ideas to get the holiday gift giving (and spending) under control. [Read more…]

Anna’s Budget Tips-Have a Super Spooky Halloween on a Budget

October 2, 2012 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

There’s a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to change in many parts of the country. You can almost hear the witches cackling, ghosts wailing and skeleton bones rattling…Halloween is just around the corner!

Because Halloween is only the beginning of the holiday season, it’s easy to go overboard on spending – a costume here, a few bags of candy there…it can add up quickly.

It’s important to remember that the holidays really start to ramp up on the heels of Halloween. There is the cost of travelling, hosting guests, large holiday meals, decorating, parties, and gifts that come along with Thanksgiving and Christmas or Hanukkah.

I certainly don’t bring this up to stress you out, but just to remind you to keep a close eye on your holiday budget, starting with Halloween.

Here are a few ways to have a low-cost Halloween without skipping any of the fun!

Save on Costumes

A popular money-saving tip for a low-cost Halloween is to make your own costume. I think this is a great idea but I don’t suggest immediately heading to the fabric store. My talented friends who sew costumes for their children tend to spend more than those who grab something at the local superstore.

Of course, the homemade outfits are often works of art that are lovingly created and last for years in the dress-up box, so if you love to sew, then go for it! Just don’t force yourself to wrestle with fabric and thread because you think it’s the cheapest way to go.

For a truly inexpensive costume, head to your closet. You can likely make your own costume using mainly items you already have. Look for inspiration on Pinterest, Etsy and online costume stores, then create your own version at home.

My daughter wants to be a witch this year, and I found some great ideas online. A black shirt, black and white striped leggings, purple boots and a purple tutu she already has will be the base of the costume. I’ll add a witch hat tied with a purple ribbon and some black tulle to the tutu. Just like that, I’ll have a great costume for well under $10! [Read more…]