summer fun on a miser's budget...

Ahhh summer...2 1/2 blissful months of not running around constantly for hours to school, practice, dance, etc. But then you realize-What am I going to do with these kids for 2 1/2 months without spending a ton of money??

My children are 5 and 3 years old respectively. They are CONSTANTLY coming up to me asking "Mommy, when are we going to go do something fun?" "Mommy, can we go do this?" They need to be kept busy, or they make me crazy. I sat down today and compiled a list of things that are no-cost or low-cost in our area that we can do to keep busy this summer.

*Make use of your local library-After all, you pay to fund it. You can check out an unlimited number of books, movies, Cd's and more for up to two weeks at a time (just don't be like me and forget to take them back!). Also, check out their activity schedule. Our local library, for example, shows movies, does crafts, offers activities, reading contests, and more that are all free and on a regular basis. They also offer adult gatherings at no charge. Plus, you get the positive point of getting your children interested in reading early!

*Check out your local parks and rec department-In my town they have "movies under the stars" (free outdoor movies), free music every week during the summer, free city-wide play days, summerfest, low-cost recreational sports, and more. You can most likely google your town's parks and rec website to find more information.

*Wading pools and splash parks-Check out the local wading pools or splash parks in your area. Most are free, or free for a certain portion of the day. Our splash park is free from 10am-12pm every day. I know some people are a little iffy about wading pools, and that's understandable and a personal preference, but just throwing that out.

*Check out your local parks and nature areas-Lots of fun to be had hiking through the woods, picnicking in the parks. One of our local parks (Jester Park) offers free backpack rentals that are themed. Each backpack contains lots of activities relating to a certain theme (water, flowers, animals, etc). You can check those out for two weeks at a time.

*Check your local theaters, bowling alleys, zoos, science centers, and more-A lot of the time they offer extremely cheap summer admission packages. For example, a local bowling alley offers unlimited bowling for up to 4 people for $27.98, the movie theater offers kids movies on Tuesday mornings for $1.00 admission, you get the picture.

*Instead of going out to dinner, why not try a community dinner or "potluck"-Instead of going out and spending $50-60 for a family of four, get together with your friends and their kids. Have each person bring one type of dish, and supply your own plates and cutlery. Feed the kids right away, then let them run off and entertain each other while you enjoy some much needed adult conversation and for once, be able to taste your dinner instead of having to eat on the run.

*Take the kids into town-Our downtown area is really starting to shape up! My cousin once told me of something she did with her kids that I would have never thought of. In the downtown area, we have a little trolley that runs a loop around downtown for free. You can park at the capitol and run the loop. On the loop there are all kinds of fun shops, the Capitol building, the Historical Building, a huge sculpture park and more. You can get off every couple of blocks and find something new to check out, and most of it is free or low-cost. Pack a picnic and have a leisurely lunch in the sculpture park.

These are just a few ideas, but if you can be just a little creative, and really check out your resources, you can find unlimited amounts of free or low-cost things to keep them entertained until school starts again this fall.

Hint for the day: No hints really today, just check as many resources as possible in your local area to find all kinds of fun and free/low-cost things to do.

Check this out!: http://tinyurl.com/3ep6o24 For ways to find fun ideas for your kids.

Shutting down the satellite (Cue the horror music!)

Taking a look at our monthly expenses, I decided we needed to figure out a way to cut back somehow on our bills. Our satellite, cell phone, gym, and car insurance expenses were out of control. Those four bills alone totalled almost 15% of our monthly income. We had to find a way to cut back or we just weren't going to make it, because somehow, we also need to find the money for gas and to eat.

I started with the DirectTV. This bill was costing us over $100 per month. Was this something that was truly necessary in our household? I've been feeling for a long time that my family has been watching too much TV. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I will say that I turned to it as a sitter sometimes when I needed my kids to sit still in one spot for a minute so I could clean or take a sanity break. During the winter we used it a lot because there just isn't much to do in the winter. This was a really tough call for me. A lot of the shows I like to watch are harder to find on the net. We looked at the pros and cons, and decided that the best thing to do would be to shut it off.

It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Through the glorious Internet, I was able to find such websites such as HULU, Clicker, and also the channel websites where I can find my shows for free. I may not be able to watch them right away when they're aired, but I can still catch them, and it doesn't cost me any extra. Something you can also do is sign up for Netflix. $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming on your devices or PC. They always add new TV shows, movies, etc. I've noticed now that the TV is not on during the day, my kids are getting better at being creative and finding things to do. Now that the weather is nicer, we can get out and do more as well. So far it's been a positive experience.

Cell phones: This is tough because we switched last year to the smart phones. because my husband is a systems administrator, and his phone is also considered a pager and he does do some work from his phone, we had to take the unlimited data plan. However, looking back through our plan, I did notice some extras that had been added on at some point that were not necessary, and took them off. These were things like visual voicemail, vcast music, various insurance plans, etc. Also, because they do so much work from their phones, my husband was able to talk his company into paying part of our cell phone bill every month. Now every month they pay $20 towards our cell bill.

Gym memberships: How many of you have a gym membership and don't use it? The answer? A good majority of us. We sign up for that membership telling ourselves that we are going to actually follow through this time, and go 3-4 nights a week. Oh, we do that...for a little while. Pretty soon we get busy and tell ourselves that "oh, I'll go this weekend". Before you realize it, it's been months since you last went, yet you're spending anywhere from $50-100 a month for something you don't even use. While we had a good rate for a family membership, we quit using it after a while. This was $58 per month going out the door, so we decided to shut it down. We made a promise to become more active outdoors with our children, and so far so good. My hubby goes for walks and bike rides, the kids and I go to the park and walk around the lake, we walk the zoo, hike the nature trails. etc. It's a win-win situation.

Car insurance: Have you had any speeding tickets or moving violations in the past several years? Been in any accidents? Are you a student getting good grades, or a Soldier or Veteran that is serving or has honorably served? If so, you may be entitled to a discount through your car insurance company. I know lately that one company has a monitor you can install into your car to monitor your safe driving habits. Some companies offer multiple policy discounts. Others offer Military discounts. Vanishing deductibles. Accident forgiveness. You see where I'm going with this. Call your insurance company and find out whether you qualify for any discounts. Also, shop around to make sure you're getting the best rates. You'll be surprised that by checking these out every once in a while you may find the same thing, only cheaper.

Hint for the day: Make a list of the bills you pay each month, and then look at your actual bill. Check them periodically to see if you're paying too much, or paying for extras you don't need, etc. Make a list of pros and cons to see if these are things that you absolutely need, or can possibly live without. After looking at these four bills mentioned above, cutting off and cutting back and checking for discounts, we are saving $230 a month.

Check this out!: http://billeater.com/ A great website that shows many different ways to save on household and utility bills.

Speaking of bad habits and keeping up with making better habits...

I'm so freaking horrible about keeping a blog. I always start one and say "ok, this is the one. This is the one that I'm going actually keep up with." Aaaand as always, I never follow through with it. I've been off for a while, enjoying the few weeks between semesters and taking a quick weekend trip up to Chicago.

Clothes. Any one can make something basic if they put a conscious effort into it. Especially nowadays. One of my favorite articles of clothing is something with a smocked top. I'm no skinny b***h (I have nothing against skinny people, this was a reference to the "Skinny Bitch" series), and being pregnant on top of being not-so-thin makes it damn near impossible to find clothes that aren't either parachute moo-moos or trashy-cheap-looking mickey mouse t-shirts. I am big, but give me some credit, I do at least like to dress nice for crying out loud.

I had recently used my friend's sewing machine to make a baby wrap for Catherine when she's born. Instead of spending $50-60 for one, I went and bought the fabric and made it myself for $5. I got to thinking about how incredibly easy that was, and wondered if I could possibly make my own tops and dresses for summer. I was going to just keep using my friend's machine, but when I got to the fabric store, they were having a huge blowout sale. I got a steal on a great little machine for $89.99, and fabric for 40% off. I consider the machine as an investment, not as an extra, being as it is being utilized to create necessary items.

Back to the smocked fabric-Smocked fabric comes from the craft store all ready cinched at the top, and most of the time also all ready has a bottom hem. All you need to do is measure yourself, cut, and sew a side hem. This will make you an instant tube top or tube dress. Make a couple of straps or flutter sleeves if you wish. Out of 1.5 yards of fabric, I was able to make one top or dress for me, and one top AND one dress for my 5-year-old daughter. This means I spent $5 per garment, which would normally cost anywhere from $20-25 each in the stores. I was told the fabric will be on sale all summer, and they get new patterns in all the time. I even used the left over material to make doll clothes for my daughter-more money saved.

Let me throw out there that I am no sewing expert. I can't make fancy things. However, I know how to thread a machine, plug it in, and push the pedal. If you can do that, then you can easily make your own simple garments. You can also make alterations and repairs at home to save even more. My recommendation for today is to go out and buy a machine, be it new or used. get familiar with it. start with scraps of fabric until you are comfortable using the machine. Then go crazy. I just made myself an entire summer maternity wardrobe for the same price of one top from Motherhood maternity.

Hint for the day: Don't be afraid at the thought of using a sewing machine. My southern grandmother was an expert at the sewing machine, and I thought I could never be that good. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it you can make some really great stuff, saving lots of money on things such as home furnishings, blankets, clothing, alterations and repairs, etc.

Check this out!: A great investment for beginners: "Sewing for Dummies". A book that you can usually find for $15 or less at most bookstores.