Search Results for: blog the pack rat

Travel Savings Strategies

Choosing to fly during the off-season is an easy way to save money; however, there are many other ways you can pad your wallet when your travel plans take you to the airport.  The key to saving big is a little pre-flight strategizing. For example, if you only fly on commercial airlines a few times a year, you may have a hard time justifying the costs associated with an airport lounge membership.  Still, it’s hard to resist the comforts and services provided at these luxurious airport hangouts. Some of the perks of lounge membership include: Peace and quiet:  Most airport … Continue reading →

5 Things to Make From Scratch to Save Money

Homemade is usually best, especially when it comes to saving money. Here are five things you can make from scratch to save money. They include homemade cleaners, food prepared from scratch, baby items and more. Pizza Pizza dough is quick and easy when you make it in a bread machine. Even with loads of toppings, two large (restaurant large, not supermarket large) thin-crust pizzas will cost you around $4. For a little more money, you can buy prepared dough, but of course making your pizza completely from scratch means a lower cost as well as a lack of preservatives and … Continue reading →

Money-Saving Packing Strategies

I took a crash course in efficient packing shortly after I was forced to fork over $100 to United Airlines for failing to keep my bags under 50 pounds. For an extra $150, I could have purchased my bag a seat and let it ride next to me on my flight. I kicked myself for months following that debacle.  It was a costly mistake that should have never happened. With holiday travel peaking in a few days, consider the following packing tips so that you won’t be forced to shell out extra dough on your flight to grandma’s house: Make … Continue reading →

Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money? {Part 3}

In, Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money?, Part 1 and Part 2, I discussed the background information you need before starting a blog that has the potential of earning you a profit.  If you missed those two posts, please take time to read them as blogs without a proper foundation do not earn profits. Not all profits can strictly financial but we all want to know now to earn cold hard cash.  There is no easy answer but there are avenues you can take to drive your blog to the bank. Here are some of the most popular ways to … Continue reading →

Your Back to School Savings Strategy

The average parent spends $600 to get just one child ready for school in the fall. You can greatly reduce this cost if you follow our step-by-step back to school savings strategy. 1. Make a list Most schools post their school supply lists online to make it easy for parents to shop ahead. If yours doesn’t contact other parents to get an idea of what your child will need to bring to school in terms of pencils, notebooks, crayons, etc. Do the same with clothing. How many shirts, dresses, pants, socks, shoes and other clothing items will your child need … Continue reading →

Christmas Decorating

It’s the tradition in my home. The day after Thanksgiving I start pulling out the Christmas decorations. Then I take the rest of the day off and save the actual decorating for Saturday. I absolutely love the day of Christmas decorating. A hot mug of coffee, Christmas music playing and my living room is transformed. This is also the perfect opportunity to get in some cleaning. Because I have to move furniture in my living room to fit the Christmas tree, I take advantage of this by wiping down the baseboards and getting on my hands and knees to scrub … Continue reading →

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

Guess what today is? It is National “Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.” And the timing couldn’t be more perfect, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. If you are hosting the Thanksgiving meal, you want to make sure everything is spotless. And you definitely want to make room for the food, so why not take advantage of this National event? Personally, I will be saving this job for the weekend. If you can do it today, go for it. But remember, this isn’t just about taking out the stuff that’s growing mold (oh, I hope that isn’t happening in your fridge—talk … Continue reading →

Winter Packages That Won’t Bust Your Budget

Our city’s Christmas parade takes place on Thursday. This Thursday. As in a mere two weeks after Halloween and more than a month before Santa makes his trip around the world delivering presents to good little boys and girls. Consequently, I am not at all surprised to see an onslaught of advertisements for Christmas-themed travel packages. The bundled accommodations and activities are a cost-effective way to enjoy holiday festivities with your family. Some popular choices being offered for winter 2012 include: West Virginia: White Sulphur Springs is home to the stunning Greenbrier Resort which is featuring a winter package dubbed … Continue reading →

Decorate for Halloween Without Going Overboard or Over Budget

Have you seen how much realistic-looking severed heads and limbs dripping with fake blood cost these days? Gore can really add up. If you are looking for ways to keep your Halloween decor and spending on the conservative side, you’re not alone. Millions of people across the country prefer embellishing their homes and offices with subtle holiday touches, such as: Leaf Garlands: Show your love for the season by purchasing inexpensive fall leaf garlands from discount stores. The vibrantly colored strands are an easy way to show your love for the season without going overboard. Simply drape the garland around … Continue reading →

Genealogy Inspiration And Information On Pinterest

Pinterest is a fun and somewhat addictive website where users create online pinboards with images of things that they like. I like to visit the site a couple of times a week to get ideas for meals and for ideas for fun things to do with the kids. Today, I looked around on Pinterest and found that it can be a great site to visit when you need inspiration for your genealogy. Beautiful ideas for family photos, family photo displays, and other projects can be found there, as well as links to interesting genealogy blogs. There are also beautiful ideas … Continue reading →