Winter break.

Hi all! Just a quick note to say The Frugal Townie will be on temporary hiatus for a quick Winter Break. Expect new posts again the 2nd week of January. While I'm away, check out some of these entries you  may have missed:

• How to Organize and Store Your Holiday Stuff
• Free Entertainment in Lawrence, KS
• Thrift and Bargain Stores in Lawrence, KS
• What Should You Pay More For?
• Remember the Library!

See you next year!

photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/917815

Grocery deals round-up: Let's Make Some Soup!

The holidays are over, and I don't know about you, but I am tired of cooking/baking for a while. I'm ready to get out my slow-cooker and make some easy soup, roasts, and casseroles! Frugal tip: make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra for lunches or future dinners. There are some great deals on ingredients this week that will make it worth your while. Frugal tip 2: Don't forget to use up the leftovers in your fridge.

Prices below good until 1/3/12 unless otherwise noted.

Beans (Kidney, Chili, etc.)- $0.59/can @ HyVee & Aldi

Bell Peppers (Red/Yellow/Orange)- $0.88/ea @ Checkers

Cabbage- $0.39/lb @ Dillons // $.038/lb @ HyVee

Carrots (whole)- $1.19/2 lb @ Aldi

Onions- $1.69/3 lb bag @ Aldi

Potatoes- $2.49/ 5 lb bag @ Aldi 

Sweet potatoes- $1.59/ 3 lb bag @ Aldi

Tomatoes (Roma)- $0.68/lb @ Checkers

Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce (large can)- $0.99/29oz @ HyVee

Chicken Breasts (Boneless & Skinless)- $1.58/lb @ Checkers

Chicken Breasts (Bone In)- $0.88/lb @ HyVee

Beef Sirloin Filet Bacon Wrapped- $1.88/5oz @ HyVee (12/29 only)

Beef (Ground 80/20)- $5.97/3 lb roll @ HyVee (12/29 only)

Pork Sirloin Roast or Chops (Bone In)- $1.38/lb @ Checkers

Pork Butt Roast (Bone In)- $1.99/lb @ Aldi // $1.79/lb @ Dillons

Sausage Roll- $1.98/lb @ Checkers

Milk (Half Gallon)- 2/$3.00 @ Dillons

Noodles (Yolk Free)- $0.99/12 oz @ Aldi

Onion Soup Mix- $0.79/2 oz @ Aldi

Salsa (Picante)- $1.98/24oz @ WalMart

Sauerkraut (canned)- $0.65/ea @ Aldi

Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1360604

How to Organize and Store Your Holiday Stuff

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing holiday!

The time is coming soon to pack away the holiday things. I find staying organized to be an important part of living a frugal lifestyle. The "recycle, reduce, reuse" mindset only works if you know what you already have, where it is, and can get to it easily! So here are some tips on how to organize your holiday stuff before you put it away- you'll thank yourself next year!

• How to Pack Away Garlands, Wreaths, Trees, Ornaments Neatly (without buying anything!) from LifeHacker

• How to Store Gift Wrap Rolls (on the ceiling of your closet!) from LifeHacker

• Repurpose a Laundry Hamper or Trash Can for Wrapping Paper Storage  from Coffee With Me

• Album of Gift Wrap Storage Ideas from Better Homes and Gardens

• Use a Large Hook to Store Lots of Gift Bags from Like Merchant Ships

• Top Holiday Storage Tips from BudgetDecorating.About.com (My favorite tip from this page: Remember to store away your non-decoration items too- like dishes, cookie cutters, towels, DVDs, etc and save your everyday storage for stuff you use all year round!)

Frugal holiday sweets

Lots of people make sweet treats for the holidays, but have you considered the expense (especially if you are buying pre-made dough, frosting, etc.)? There are certainly some goodies that are more frugal than others, and here is a list of my favorite "budget friendly" holiday treats! Better yet, they are pretty easy and won't take up too much time.

Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/920495

• Slice & Bake Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies I haven't made these but they sound DELICIOUS and look really easy! 

• Chocolate Butter Cookies  I like these with buttercream-frosting accents, and they are really adaptable.

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Very similar to my grandma's recipe.

• Sugar Cookies This is the same recipe I use. I cut out shapes and decorate with buttercream frosting and/or sprinkles.

• Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies I omit the nuts and add a few drops of green food coloring to make them "mint green". 

• Quick and Easy Gingerbread Classic!

• Betty Crocker's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Easy to make and tastes so much better than store bought!

• Easy Microwave Fudge

• DIY Vanilla Extract!

And remember, homemade treats are a great gift!

Frugal Christmas Dinner Shopping List & Favorite Recipes

Sample Menu: Cheese Ball & Crackers, Frugal Hot Chocolate, Fruit Salad, Ham w/ Brown Sugar & Pineapple, Roast Turkey & Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Dressing, Rolls, Sweet Potato Pie (or Sweet Potato Casserole).  Click the linked items to see my favorite recipes. And remember, even if a recipe lists a name-brand ingredient (Campbell's Soup), it's always more frugal to substitute the store brand! Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

Shopping List with Best Deals in Lawrence, KS: (prices good until 12/24 unless otherwise noted)

Brown Sugar- $1.49/lb @ Aldi
Butter- $1.78/lb @ Checkers, $1.99 @ Aldi
Clementines (Cuties)- $4.98/5lbs @ Checkers, $4.99/5lbs @ Target
Crackers (gourmet style) $1.19/box @ Aldi
Cream Cheese- $0.99/8oz @ HyVee (until 12/20), $0.89 @ Aldi
Eggs- $1.19/dozen @ HyVee (until 12/20), $1.88/18 eggs @ Dillons (until 12/20)
Green Beans (canned)- $0.44/can @ Checkers, $0.49 @ Target,
Ham (Spiral)- $1.68/lb @ Checkers, $1.69 @ HyVee
Ham (Whole)- $1.19/lb @ Dillons (until 12/20)
Hot Chocolate- Make your own! See recipe here.
Milk- $2.99/gal @ Aldi, $3.19 @ Target
Onions- $1.69/3lb @ Aldi
Onions (French-fried)- $1.99/6oz @ Aldi,
Pie (pumpkin)- $1.48 @ HyVee (until 12/20)
Pie Crust- $1.89 @ Aldi, $1.99 @ Target
Pineapple (canned)- $0.78 @ Walmart
Pineapple (fresh)- $0.99/ea @ Aldi, $1.88/ea @ Checkers
Potatoes- $1.98/10lb @ Checkers, $1.99/10lb @ Dillons (until 12/20)
Rolls $1.00/12ct @ Dillons (until 12/20), $0.99/12ct @ Aldi
Soy Milk- $2.39/64oz @ Aldi
Soup (Cream of Mushroom)- $0.59/10oz @ Target, $0.69 Walgreens
Stuffing/Dressing- $0.99/12oz @ Target, $0.89/12oz @ Aldi
Sugar (granulated) $1.99/4lb @ Dillons & Hyvee (until 12/20), $2.79/5lb @ Aldi
Sweet Potatoes- $0.48/lb @ Checkers, $0.99/3lbs @ Aldi
Turkey- $0.78/lb @ Checkers, $1.09 Aldi
Whipped Topping- $0.69 @ Hyvee, $0.99 @ Target

Don't forget to share this list by clicking the buttons below!

DIY Holiday Decor Papercraft

I'm really into paper crafts this year! These are my favorite easy & beautiful holiday paper crafts. Great paper can be had pretty cheaply- this week at Michael's I got pretty 12"x12" scrapbooking paper for 4 sheets/ $1.00. Click the links for the tutorials!

3D Paper Stars

Mod-style tree ornaments (love these!)

Spiky wrapping paper stars

Easy and great-looking looped-paper wreath

Great selection of paper-wreaths! Love the ones from book pages & sheet music

Grocery Deals Round-Up: Fresh Produce and Nuts!

I can tell by the sales going on that the winter crops are coming in. It is usually the most frugal to buy in-season produce, plus it is the most fresh & tasty! Look here for what is in season now. 



Here are the best prices on fresh produce & nuts this week. (Prices good  through 12/20 unless otherwise noted.)

Apples- Royal Gala $0.99/lb @ Checkers, Washington Jazz $1.18/lb @ HyVee

Avocados- $0.79/ea @ Aldi,  $1.00/ea @ Dillons

Bananas- $0.19/lb @ Checkers on Thursdays! (Not “in season” but a great deal.)

Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow, Orange)- $0.98/each @ Checkers (This is a great price! I got a bunch and cut them up and froze them. Perfect for homemade pizza, stirfry, enchiladas, etc.)

Bell Peppers (Green)- $0.48/each @ Checkers

Broccoli- $0.99/lb @ Aldi

Cabbage- $0.33/lb @ Checkers, $1.29/head @ Aldi

Carrots (Baby)- $0.88/lb @ Checkers, $0.99 @ Aldi

Clementines (Cuties)- $4.98/5lb @ Checkers,  $3.99 @ Dillons    

Cranberries- $1.49/12oz @ Aldi, $1.69/12oz @ HyVee

Cucumbers- $0.48/each @ Checkers, $0.49 @ Aldi

Grapefruit- $0.33/each @ Checkers, $3.99/10lb @ Dillons

Grapes (Red Seedless) $2.18/lb @ HyVee, $2.99/2lbs @ Aldi

Mangoes- $0.99/each @ HyVee & Aldi

Oranges (Navel)- $1.48/4lb @ Aldi

Pears- $1.99/2lbs @ Aldi, $1.25/lb @ Dillons

Pineapple (whole)- $0.99/each @ Aldi

Potatoes- $1.99/10lb @ Aldi, $1.99/10lb @ Dillons

Sweet Potatoes- $0.99/3lb @ Aldi

Almonds $4.99/16oz @ Dillons, $3.99/12oz @ Aldi

Pecans $6.99/14oz @ Dillons, $3.99/6oz @ Aldi

Walnuts $6.99/14oz @ Dillons, $6.53/16oz @ Target

photo from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1172300

Free entertainment in Lawrence, KS

Lawrence is a great place to live for frugal entertainment. You may be aware of some of these no-cost recurring events, but hopefully you will learn something new too. If you know of other fun, free things to do, please leave a comment!


Free Music: 

• Acoustic Music - Tuesday Nights 7:30p @ Lawrence Arts Center - Free (suggested donation) 
• Lonnie Ray's Open Jam Session- Tuesday Nights 6:00p @ Slow Ride Roadhouse - Free
•  KU School of Music Student Recital Series- varies, see calendar of events @ KU Campus - Free
• Junkyard Jazz - Thursday Nights 7:00p @ American Legion - Free
• Jazz Quintet - Thursday Nights 7:00p @ iBar at Ingredient - Free
• Live Music- Most Friday & Saturday Nights 9:00p @ Slow Ride Roadhouse - Free
• December Music Series - Saturdays in December 1:00p @ Watkins Community Museum - Free
• The Mariachi Band- Every Other Sunday 8:00p @ Cielito Lindo - Free

Free Art:

• Art Exhibition - Daily 9:00a to 9:00p @ Lawrence Arts Center - Free, exhibitions change frequently.
• Kids Programming @ Spencer Museum of Art - Most are Free - see calendar
• Lectures, Gallery Talks & Peformances @ Spencer Museum of Art - Most are Free - see calendar
• Final Fridays Artwalk - Last Friday of the Month 5:00p - 8:00p @ Downtown Lawrence - Free

Other Free Activities:

• Free Kid's Programs - Saturdays 10:00a & Sundays 1:30p @ Prairie Park Nature Center- Free
• Holiday Activites List @ Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau Website- Many free- see list
• Poetry Social - third Wednesday of the Month 7:00p @ Lawrence Public Library Gallery - Free
• Book Signings, Book Talks, Readings- Free Events @ The Raven Bookstore - Free- see list
• Salsa Dancing - Wednesdays 9:00p @ Taste Lounge - Free

I found many of these events at Lawrence.com Events and Visit Lawrence Events - check them out for more ideas! 

Frugal gift-wrapping ideas.

Wrapping paper and gift bags can add what I think of as "hidden costs" to gift giving. You're thinking about how much you are spending on the gift, but did you factor in the cost of wrapping it? For a medium size gift bag and coordinating tissue paper and maybe a ribbon, it is easy to spend $3.00 - $7.00. There have been times where I realized I spent more on the wrapping than I did the gift! I'm here to tell you how to wrap gifts for free or very cheap.

• Brown paper from grocery bags- Free! Check out these great ideas to dress them up, from ApartmentTherapy. I am very excited about these and plan to try some soon.

• Paper, gift bags, and ribbon bought on super-clearance after Christmas in past years. I like to buy solid colored paper or bags in gold, bright green, or blue and use it year round for all occasions. As a rule I don't pay more than $1.00 for a roll of paper/ribbon or $0.50 for a gift bag (less if they're small!) I've found Walgreens and Target to be good places to pick up cheap wrap after Christmas, but most any place will have some good deals. 

• Fabric scraps leftover from projects. I use fabric and wrap it up just like I would with paper. Then I put ribbon or string around it to keep it closed. Sometimes with larger packages you may need to use a few safety pins. Or, you can try these gorgeous ideas, again from ApartmentTherapy. I like to do this method for crafty friends, because I know they'll enjoy having a piece of fun fabric to use. 

• Reusable fabric gift bags. Sew up a bunch of these on a cold dreary afternoon and use them the rest of the year! Lots of ideas and how-to guides on GreenGiftGuide.

• Paper lunch sacks brown or other colors (white looks very nice.) Dollar Tree sells packs of 40 brown bags for $1.00  You can also sometimes find other colors for a little more. They used to carry a wide variety of colors of paper bags at Michael's for something like $2.00 a dozen, but the Lawrence location doesn't anymore. Has anyone seen these elsewhere? Punch holes through the top and weave ribbon through to finish it (from FamilyFun.)

• Pages from old calendars, books, or magazines work great for wrapping small gifts. Or, use the pages to make origami boxes. 

• Make origami boxes from inexpensive paper. The photo above shows some tiny boxes I made a few years ago when I was giving earrings and pins as gifts. Easy instructions here from Origami-Instructions.com .  I love their tagline "spreading joy one fold at a time".

Please share your frugal gift-wrapping ideas, I know there are lots more!

Birthday freebies in Lawrence, KS

Mr. Townie's birthday was this week, which reminded me to share about all the birthday freebies in Lawrence.  In 2010 the LJWorld did a nice write-up of birthday freebies. By far my favorite Lawrence birthday freebie is going to Liberty Hall to see a movie for free, plus free popcorn and soda, plus a free movie rental.

A couple could easily have a night out for a birthday in Lawrence for $20 (buy one dinner and one full price movie ticket), perhaps as little as $6 (share the free dinner, and buy one student rate movie ticket.)

Here are a few more birthday freebies not on the LJWorld list (most require you join their email list, so click the links!):
Free cookie dough from Papa Johns
Free milkshake at Arbys
Free bagel and schmear with drink purchase at Einstein Bros.
Free burger at Dempsey's Burger Pub
$10.00 off coupon at World Market

UPDATE: I updated this 7/19/12 with some new links, etc. Click here for the new entry: Birthday Freebies Update

DIY Vanilla Extract, and Easy Fudge Recipe

Two of my favorite frugal (and easy!) holiday recipes:


Make your own vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is expensive! Make your own for way less money and use it for your holiday baking, or give it away as gifts! There is a great DIY vanilla tutorial on JoytheBaker.com.

Easy microwave fudge: I used this recipe after I tried to make fudge the not-easy way that involves candy thermometers and soft balls (?). I ended up with chocolate soup. This recipes from Cooks.com is much, much easier, and IS DELICIOUS.

Image from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1360809

My Frugal Holiday Baking shopping list

Hi all! I've researched the best deals on baking supplies in Lawrence (prices good through 12/3 unless otherwise noted.) I have not gotten to Checkers to get their baking goods prices yet- please let me know if you go before I do and see some deals that beat these. Their ad did show a lot of good deals on fresh produce this week. Also, I did check Target, but they did not make the list on any item. Happy shopping!

My Holiday Baking List:

• Butter Quarter- Aldi 16oz $1.99
• Candy Canes - Walgreens 32 pk Mini $0.99 (with in-ad coupon)
• Chocolate Chips-  HyVee 10oz. $1.38 // Aldi 12 oz. $1.69
• Corn Bread Mix- Walgreens $0.34 (with in-ad coupon)
• Eggs dzn - Aldi $1.59
• Flour 5lbs- Hy-Vee $0.88 (12/1 &12/2 only, limit 2) // Aldi $0.94
• Icing, Betty Crocker cookie squeeze icing, 7oz.- Aldi $1.99 // Walmart $2.98
• Icing, Spreadable- Aldi 16 oz. $1.29
• Oil, Cooking Spray 5 oz- Aldi. $1.29
• Oil, Vegetable - Aldi 48oz $2.49
• Oil, Olive - Aldi 16oz $3.49 // Walgreens 17oz $3.49 ($2.99 w/coupon)
• Pie Crust (2pk) - Walmart $2.46 Pilsbury ($2.21 w/coupon) // Aldi $1.89
• Pumpkin, canned- Aldi 15oz $0.99
• Sandwich or Storage bags - Walgreens $1.19 (with in-ad coupon)
• Sugar, Granulated- HyVee 4lb $1.49 (limit 1) // Aldi 5lbs $2.49
• Sugar, Brown- WalMart (Dixie Crystals brand) 1lb/ $1.18 ($0.63 w/coupon) // Aldi 2lb/ $1.49
• Sugar, Powdered- WalMart (Dixie Crystals brand) 1lb/ $1.18 ($0.63 w/coupon) // Aldi 2lb/ $1.49
• Whipped Topping- Aldi (regular or lite) $0.89
• Vanilla Extract- Didn't spot any deals, but you can make your own!

See this weeks ads here: Aldi Weekly Ad, Dillons Weekly Ad, HyVee Weekly Ad, Target Weekly Ad, Walgreens Weekly Ad, Walmart Weekly Ad. As always, Couponmom.com was a great help in my research!

Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/591704

Ask and you shall receive. Really.

I have a theory that if you wait long enough and you tell enough people, you can get almost anything you need. I've been wanting two bulletin boards for diy Christmas gifts. I found a large one almost right away for $2 at an estate auction (would have been at least $20 new), but I've been struggling to find a second board.

A few weeks ago I posted a "Wanted" ad for a bulletin board on Lawrence Freecycle (if you don't know about this, check it out!). I hadn't heard anything, and started feeling desperate because I want to start on the project. Last night when I was at Wal-Mart I was thisclose to buying a bulletin board. I actually put it in my cart and took it back out again a few seconds later, because it had a plastic frame and I really wanted one with a wooden frame. Plus I really did not want to fork over $10 to Wal-Mart if I didn't have to.

Then just a few minutes ago, I got a reply to my Freecycle post, and someone is offering me two bulletin boards that they no longer need after moving. Thanks fellow Freecyclers! This, my friends, is a WIN, and not the first time this type of thing has happened to me. Do you have any tales of finding the exact thing you need for free or super cheap?

Image from http://groups.freecycle.org/lawrencefreecycle

$0.00: Talking myself out of buying a video game.

With all the focus of getting “great deals” on all kinds of things over the Black Friday weekend, I’ve been thinking about one of the most important tenets of frugality: No matter how great of a deal something was, you still spent money. You used to have that money, and now it is gone forever. The most frugal action is to not spend ANY money.

Here is my example: I really really really really want The Sims 3: Pets game. (I know, I’m a nerd.) I was thrilled to see that this game was 50% off today through EA’s Origin, making it $19.99 (regular $39.99). Wow, that is a great deal, I’m thinking. I'm going to buy it! Then I’m thinking some more... in my budget this month, I certainly did NOT include $20 for a new video game for myself. As a matter of fact, I’m more than $30 over my grocery budget for the month,  and besides that, Mr. Townie and I are taking our belated honeymoon trip in January and need to put any extra funds we’ve got towards that.

Sooo... even though finding the game that I have been wanting for months at half off is a great stroke of luck and it is a great deal, I made the most frugal choice and spent $0.00.  This is not to say that I will forever be a martyr and never ever get a video game again. I’m looking at this as delayed gratification- maybe I will get this game for Christmas.  Maybe I will get a giftcard for Christmas and buy the game. Maybe if I don’t get this game for Christmas, one of my friends will and I can borrow it.  Maybe if I still haven’t gotten my hands on this game after we get home from our trip in January, I can use money we have leftover to buy it.

Here’s the thing- I don’t have to buy that game today. That game will be available for years to come- why don’t I wait to buy it until I have extra money (and time to play it, for that matter?) I’ll just let Origin hold on to my game for me until I’m ready. Maybe it won’t be on sale then- but here’s another thought: video games and many other electronic toys continually go down in price the older they get. It could very well be that by the time I buy this game, it will have come down in price to the “sale price” of today. Or maybe by then I can find a used copy for much less than the price of a new copy.


If I would have bought this game today, you might think I would have "saved" $20 because that's how much it was marked down. But really, I would have saved $0.00 and spent $19.99 that I could have kept. So today, I saved $19.99 and spent $0.00


Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Dollar Tree: goldmine!

I have recently been reminded of the glory of Dollar Tree (27th & Iowa) after a visit last weekend. I found a lot of great stuff there, including dried & fake flower bundles (lookit my centerpiece!), nice crackers, gourmet hot sauce, and great-looking metallic fabric placemats. All priced at $1! So I was able to get a dozen great placemats for Thanksgiving for $12 (cheaper than making them myself), plus 3 bundles of dried and fake flowers that I used for my centerpiece. (The vase is one I inherited from my Grandma Velma.)

Today I visited the Dollar Tree website and found that they have weekly ads! Here are some things I saw that are definitely worth checking out in the week to come, primarily holiday craft/decorating items.

15" and 18" wreaths
Wreath hangers
15' pine garland
6' extension cords
So many ornaments
Ribbon
Gift bags/boxes/wrapping
Indoor light strings

Black Friday and local Lawrence holiday sales

My conclusion is that a lot of "deals" on Black Friday are really not good deals, and I prefer to avoid the whole mess. That said, if you really want to do Black Friday, at least read this article from Lifehacker first.
How to Quickly Tell if a Deal is Really a Deal on Black Friday.

If you want to do some fun holiday shopping, I would recommend trying these local Lawrence holiday sales: 


Fair Trade Holiday Market is 11/25 – 11/27 from 8am – 7pm, 11/28 – 12/1 from 11am – 6pm, 12/2 from 11 am-7pm, 12/3 from 8am – 7pm at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. 
The market will feature the same great selection of handcrafted art, crafts, home décor, jewelry, clothing, personal accessories, toys and games that has made it so popular in years past, but this year Lawrence Fair Trade is hosting several fun events and educational activities in conjunction with the market.


Wonder Fair Holiday Market is Fri. Nov. 25 from 6p to 10p at Wonder Fair. 
Beginning Final Friday, November 25th, Wonder Fair transforms into a magical marketplace for your holiday gift-buying needs. All year we specialize in cleverly-designed functional art and original prints, and carry a carefully curated selection of affordable handmade goods. This special month, however, the Wonder Fair will host an expanded group of artists, and a greater variety of their thoughtfully handmade prints, jewelry, home goods, stationery, and unique art objects.


Adornment is Sat Nov. 26 from 7p to 10p at Van Go, Inc.
Let’s set the scene: wildly decorated warehouse and gallery….tons of unique art pieces made by JAMS artists…..200(at least) guests……food and drink…….what is it? Adornment! Van Go’s ‘Adornment’ art show has become their biggest sale all year. With the ever rotating inventory, every year is a must see! Always held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, ‘Adornment’ celebrates Van Go’s young artists and invites the community to join! Free event, open to the public! Prices start at $3.

Bizarre Bazaar is on Sat. Nov. 26 from 9 to 5 at the Lawrence Arts Center.
Bizarre Bazaar is held annually on Thanksgiving weekend. It is located at the Lawrence Art Center at 940 New Hampshire. Come and enjoy all the Bizarre artwork!


Lawrence Art Guild's Holiday Art Fair is on Sat. Dec. 3 at the Lawrence Arts Center.
Join the Lawrence Art Guild  for the 17th annual Holiday Art Fair on December 3, 2011.  This annual art fair is held at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire and features over 50 artists.  Held on the same day as the downtown holiday parade this is a wonderful opportunity to purchase your Holiday gifts!


Lola Giant is Fri/Sat Dec. 10/11 10 to 4 and 12 to 4 at Van Go, Inc. 
Ladies of Lawrence Artwork (LOLA) hosts shows, featuring the handiwork of Lawrence, Kansas women. The participants provide an intimate boutique style shopping experience for the community to browse & interact with the creators themselves. 


Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

Two Frugal Recipes (sweet potato pie and hot chocolate!)

Frugal Hot Chocolate from The Complete Tightwad Gazette (p 81) by Amy Dacyczyn

1/3c dry milk

1tsp cocoa

1c hot water

Marshmallows to taste.

How easy is that? And it only costs about 10 cents per serving. Mixed up in a pretty jar this would be a nice gift as well. 

This recipe is from my friend George. He brought this pie to our staff picnic and it knocked my socks off. I'm now completely obsessed and making it for Thanksgiving, plus a few extra to freeze. I asked if it is a secret family recipe, he says its from The California Cookbook from LA Times.

George's Sweet Potato Pie

1 ½ c mashed cooked sweet potatoes

½ c butter or margarine, softened

4 eggs

1 c granulated or brown sugar (I used brown)

1 ½ t nutmeg

1 ½ t vanilla

½ c milk

1 -9 inch unbaked pie shell

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours.

Photo courtesy http://www.sxc.hu/

Thanksgiving leftovers, bulk buys, and recipes

There are some amazing grocery deals this week, as I noted here.

For example, boy are those potatoes at Checkers and Aldi cheap! But I find that when I buy a big bag of potatoes, they almost always go bad before we can use them all. So, I've done a little research, and I'm going to freeze them! GoodCheapEats has the info here: How To Freeze Potatoes.

Good deals on sweet potatoes also abound. (I got a 3# bag at Aldi for $0.75!) A good way to save these is to bake sweet potato pies and then freeze them. Great recipe from my friend George here!

If I had more room in my freezer, I'd buy an extra turkey or two. But I'll just have to hope for some nice leftovers. What to do with turkey? Obviously, you can freeze it, but you can also make a stock for soups. Also from GoodCheapEats, a How to Cook at Turkey has good info about leftovers. Some ideas:

Easy Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Enchiladas
Shredded BBQ Turkey Sandwiches

Grandma Betty's Thanksgiving Casserole:
Chop up leftover turkey, layer in a casserole dish with leftover stuffing, vegetables, gravy, whatever, top with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes to re-heat. You can sprinkle the top with shredded cheese before baking to make it extra-delicious.

Have I mentioned how much I love my Grandma Betty? She called me yesterday and had a whole list of "Tips & Tricks" she'd written down for my first Thanksgiving. This "recipe" was one of her tips. Sounds delicious!

Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

Frugal Thanksgiving table- DIY placemats.

It just occurred to me that besides getting the food together for my Thanksgiving meal, I'm going to want my table to look nice. I am fortunate to have nice dishes from wedding gifts, but beyond that my table is looking a little sparse.  To start, what will cover my table?

Tablecloth v. Placemats
For my Thanksgiving, I'm going to go with placemats, for a few reasons. 1. I do not have a tablecloth that is big enough for my table when it is extended. 2. I might have to use more than one table, and I certainly do not have 2 tablecloths. 3. My meal is going to be pretty casual and I think cute placemats will work better for my style.

That said, I only have 4 placemats, and I'm expecting 10-12 guests. I've always meant to get more placemats... it just somehow always fell to the bottom of my list. :)  So, with a few days left, what to do for more placemats? I could buy some, but that wouldn't be very frugal.  I could probably buy some super cheap ones for the same cost as I can make them, but I'd rather have placemats that are exactly what I want and can use for many years to come. After trolling the internet for an embarrassingly long time, here are the best (easiest & cheapest but still cute) placemats to make.

1. Double-sided fabric placemats. by Centsational Girl

2. Easy no-sew paper placemats. (I would highly recommend laminating them, and you could also use pieces of fabric instead of paper, which could also be laminated.), by Thoughtfully Simple






I think I'm going to opt for the double-sided fabric ones. I won't have to buy much fabric because I've got a lot of it already, and I like the idea of getting two different placemats in one. I think I'm going to do one side a solid neutral color- ivory or taupe perhaps, and the other side printed fabric. I'll post pictures and final costs once I make some!

What are you putting on your table? Anything DIY?

My frugal Thanksgiving shopping list

Here is a shopping list for Thanksgiving (plus a few staples). I've researched the lowest prices in town (most good until 11/24).

• sweet potatoes, per lb   Hyvee $0.59, Walmart $0.28, Checkers $0.44
• white potatoes               Dillons 10lbs/ $1.88, Aldi 10lbs/$1.79
• frozen vegetables          Dillons Kroger brand $1.00
• green beans (canned)   HyVee brand green beans $0.39, Aldi $0.59
• stuffing                           Target Kraft Stove Top Stuffing $0.89
• rolls                                Checkers $0.99/dozen, Aldi $0.99/dozen
• cranberry jelly/sauce     Hyvee $0.95, Aldi $0.89
• butter                             Checkers 1lb $1.98, Aldi 1lb/$1.99
• sugar (granulated)         Dillons 4lb/$1.99, Checkers 4lb/$1.99
• sugar (powdered)    Checkers 2lb/$1.25
• flour                               Dillons 5lb/ $2.49 (but I suspect Aldi or Checkers will be cheaper)
• cream soup                   HyVee $0.67, Checkers $0.60
• french fried onions        Walgreens $1.50
• pie crust                        Aldi $1.89
• cream cheese              Aldi $0.89
• snack crackers    Checkers 2/$3.00
• egg nog    Checkers 1qt/$1.88
• pineapple, whole    Aldi $0.99
• Don't forget the turkey! My turkey entry.

To get my prices, I look at couponmom.com (you do have to create a free account), which is great except it does not include Checkers or ALDI. So I look at those weekly fliers separately: Checkers and ALDI. I also look at the price book I keep for non-advertised regular prices. (When the price book is a bit more complete you can bet I'll post it!)


My Totals:
I'm not buying everything on this list, because I already have some of it, and guests are bringing some things ( green bean casserole, stuffing, rolls, mac’n’cheese, a dessert, wine) but here are my totals:

Dinner for 10: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, cheesy corn, cranberry jelly, plus guest contributions.

Appetizers/snacks: egg nog, crackers/cheese ball, pineapple.

My total cost = $27.53 (or $2.75 per person!)

Photo courtesy http://www.stockfreeimages.com/

Turkey deals round-up for Lawrence, KS

Readers, I confess that I bought a turkey yesterday without doing my research, but I was so convinced it was a great deal I just went for it. Now I'll do my due diligence and do the research, for you all! (I wonder if I can return the turkey I bought if I find a better deal... ?)




WalMart:
$0.74/lb for frozen turkey
$0.98/lb for frozen Honeysuckle White turkey

Aldi:
$1.08/lb for frozen Butterball

Dillons: (with card)
$0.79/lb for frozen Jennie-O
$0.99/lb for Jennie-O (fresh not frozen)
$0.99/lb for frozen Private Selection or Honeysuckle White

Hy-Vee:
"Buy a Hormel Cure 81 Whole Boneless Ham at $2.99lb., Get a Honeysuckle or Jennie-O Frozen Turkey 10 to 12 lb. average weight free." See coupon in ad.


Checkers:
$0.68/lb frozen turkey (with $40 purchase, regular price $1.18)
$0.98/lb frozen Honeysuckle White
$1.28/lb frozen Butterball

The final score: 
Well, looks like if you're buying groceries anyway, Checkers has the best deal. I bought the $0.74/lb (12lb turkey) at WalMart, so I could have saved $0.72 total if I'd gotten it at Checkers. I'm not sure I'll try to return the one I got for that savings.... I'm not sure I can dig it back out of the freezer. :)

If only a Butterball turkey will do, looks like Aldi has the best price on that one. The Hy-Vee deal is worth looking into if you also want a ham, but definitely check it out, it may be cheaper to buy them separately.

Did I miss any good deals??

A Frugal Thanksgiving

I think I might be doing that thing where I decide to do a huge thing and then later when I'm actually doing the huge thing, I'm like, why did I decide to do this huge thing?

That being said, I've decided to host a "mini-Thanksgiving" at my house the day after Thanksgiving Day for my close relatives that I won't see on Thanksgiving Day (since I will be seeing other relatives). I would like to publicly thank my husband for agreeing to this most exciting and possibly disastrous undertaking. This will be our first Thanksgiving as married people, and what could be more grand than hosting our own (mini) Thanksgiving meal at our own house?




Here's what I'm thinking for a menu:

-Turkey (something like a 12-pounder?)
-Dressing (hoping someone else can be talked into bringing this)
-Mashed potatoes (I am a master potato masher)
-Turkey gravy
-Green bean casserole (hoping my Mom will make this)
-Cheesy corn (don't actually know what this is called, but Grandma Gish makes it and its delicious. I'll post a recipe later.)
-Rolls
-Sweet potato pie (never made this before but had some recently and it was SO TASTY.)
-Cheesecake (certain I can get my Dad to bring this)
-Wine!

I think I can do this meal really frugally (I'll tally it up and report!), especially since guests will bring things. With one expception- I don't know where to get a good deal on a turkey! This is where I ask for HELP! Am I missing anything really important? And where can I get a good deal on a turkey?

**NOTE: I later did the research on turkey and Thanksgiving foods! Check out this entry: 

Photo courtesy of http://www.everystockphoto.com/

What is worth a higher price tag?

Get Rich Slowly  made a post Spend on the Things You Do Every Day  yesterday on a topic I've been thinking a lot about. The topic being, what should you spend your money on? It is unrealistic (and maybe not even smart) to say that everyone should just spend as little as possible on everything. Some exceptions I make are healthy food, quality shoes, beds/mattresses, and tools of all sorts. Both of these articles did a great job of explaining this principle, and are definitely worth a read.

Lifehacker also recently did a post on this The Comfort Principle: Spend Money Where You Spend Your Time. I was particularly pleased with the mention of the desk chair (I know I spend 8+ hours a day in mine!)

What items do you think are worth spending more money on?

Meaningful (and frugal) gifts: photos!

My number one go-to most favorite best gift is a framed photograph. (How'd you like that sentence?) I find that close friends and family almost always love a framed photograph of you, them, you and them, or what have you. This year everyone in my family is getting framed wedding photos, and they're going to like it. (I hope!)

How do you do this frugally? Well, the main two things you need are photo prints and frames.

Step 1. For a great deal on photo prints, I almost always use snapfish.com.  I have gotten 4x6 prints here for as little as $0.01 each, or about $0.03 each with shipping. THAT IS SO CHEAP! We're talking 100 prints for as little as $3.00. Their regular price per 4x6 is $0.09 but I have found they are almost always offering some kind of special. I have signed up on their site, so they send me deals and coupons all the time. You can also get coupon codes from retailmenot.com . (Also if you do any other shopping online, you should really check there to see if there is a coupon available before you buy.)

Or, if you'd rather get your prints in-person somewhere, Walgreens does 4x6 photos for $0.19 each. (Not nearly so frugal... but still an inexpensive gift.)

Step 2. So now you've got your prints, and you need inexpensive frames. You could go to Michael's or Target or somewhere, and buy cheap $5.00 frames. However, these frames will look like cheap $5.00 frames.  My tactic is to buy used high quality frames for cheap at a local Lawrence thrift store. I don't believe I've ever paid more than $1.00 for a frame, and often much less. Also check for frames at rummage sales and the like- I frequently find brand-new frames at garage sales for $0.50. Sometimes used frames are perfect just the way they are, but sometimes they have chipped finish, or are generally banged-up.  So long as the glass is not damaged, and the frame is still structurally sound, it is easy to fix up an old frame. Just take out the glass and spray-paint it!  (That link goes to a really great tutorial, if you need guidance.)  I usually go with classic black or gold when I paint them, but you can  go wild and do any kind of crazy color you want.

Bonus Step. If you really want to get fancy, you could use a mat. Getting mats cut at a frame-shop or craft store is pretty expensive, so I would not recommend that. The best solutions I've found for mats (besides cutting my own mats... I'm not quite there yet) is to buy pre-cut mats in bulk online, or to do what I call a "modern mat" (best for smaller pictures/frames) and use a solid piece of matting or paper and tape the photo on top of it. The example I've included is a picture of my grandma and her dog, in a frame I bought at a thrift store and painted, and did a "modern mat" on light blue paper that I had in my paper scraps.

The mats have been the most tricky part for me. Anyone have a good source for inexpensive mats in Lawrence? Anyone else the "picture giver" in their family?