Photo by Mr. T in DC

Some of us love to host Thanksgiving dinner and some dread it. Whether you're a lover or a hater, we can always appreciate reducing the cost and stress of turkey day, particularly in these hard economic times.

Since this holiday is all about giving thanks, here are 13 tips I've learned from hosting Thanksgivings past:

1. Don't worry about decorations. Martha Stewart may have an unhealthy fixation on homemade centerpieces, place cards, napkins and such, but that doesn't mean you need to waste time and money on these extras. Your family and friends are sharing a Thanksgiving meal because it's a lovely tradition, not because they want to see your handiwork. Besides, once you get the turkey, various fixings and place settings on the table, there's rarely room left for such fripperies.

2. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Think of yourself as the CEO of Thanksgiving. You're being kind enough to open your house to everyone and  shouldn't have to do all the work by yourself. You're more or less stuck cooking the turkey, but most guests are happy to bring a dish, especially if they have a favorite or signature dish. Unless you have a giant oven or microwave, hot dishes should be brought to your house while still warm. And don't forget to make sure guests supply the wine!

3. Take an early headcount. Ask for definite RSVPs before you begin planning so you don’t end up making too much food and spending extra money. Make only as much food as you need for the people attending.

4. Involve the children. Rather than deal with ironing your best linen tablecloth, ask the children to each make and bring a few hand-decorated placements. This could start a new tradition and make it less stressful when wine and gravy gets dripped all over the table.

5. Get a free turkey. Many supermarkets offer free turkeys to customers who spend a certain amount of money during a promotional period. It's usually not difficult to spend the amount needed to earn a turkey because the shopping period lasts long enough for you to have made several grocery buying trips.

6. Buy a bigger turkey. Larger turkeys are cheaper per pound and make endless leftovers (unless you have a large, ravenous family). Dissect the turkey after dinner into tin-foil packets of white and dark meat and pop them in the freezer. Simmer the bones with chopped carrot, celery, parsley and thyme for a consommée you can use with leftovers. I like to freeze the consommée in ice-cube trays and bag the cubes to be melted as needed. Keep the cubes good and cold, however, or they'll stick together.

7. Buy the turkey early. Grocery stores are already selling turkeys at rock-bottom prices to lure customers into their stores. Make room in the freezer for your early Tom and avoid last-minute prices. Remember, a large turkey requires roughly five days to defrost in the refrigerator, so you'll need room in the fridge as turkey day draws closer. (It's really not safe to defrost a turkey on the counter.)

Photo by mrfink

Growing up, I remember my grandmother swore by cleaning with vinegar for…just about everything.  As with so much other advice she gave me, she was right! For those of you who think cleaning with vinegar is old-fashioned and outdated…think again.  Vinegar is frugal to buy, fabulous to use, and eco-friendly too – what more could you ask for?!  The good news is you can clean and “green” your house – all on a lean budget! Here are our top ten tips for getting your home very clean with vinegar (we’re talking white vinegar, not the apple cider variety!)

1. For sparkling glass and mirrors, just mix a solution of water and vinegar and clean with a crumpled up newspaper – you’ll never waste money on store bought sprays again!

2. You know how coffee pots always say to clean every month or so to keep coffee tasting great?  Seriously, look inside the reservoir and you too will be dashing to clean it out. I ran a solution of vinegar and water through it twice, and then one rinse cycle of plain water  (check your appliance for specific instructions) and I have to say my coffee tastes better than ever.

3. Clean make-up brushes – instead of throwing money away on pricey solutions at the store, just soak brushes in a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water and swish – make sure you rinse well.

4. Air freshener – in my opinion you cannot beat vinegar as an air freshener. No one likes the smell of a lingering cooking odor semi-covered up with a heavy floral scent so if you got inspired to cook a fishy dish at home but don’t feel like living with the smell for the next three days, try this simple, effective idea for air freshener. Simply boil a combo of vinegar and water on the stove, the air will be deodorized in no time, and without smelling like a seafood truck and a fresh cut flower truck had a nasty run in!

5. Ever get weirded out by wondering what sort of chemicals they put in your dishwasher rinse agent?  If Jet Dry is freaking you out, just try vinegar instead!  A ½ cup of vinegar in the dishwasher will leave your glasses spotless and sparkling – without the need for adding any neon blue solution to your machine.

6. Add some vinegar to your laundry to deodorize and also help remove soap residue from within the machine! Really helps keep your workout clothes smelling fresh and clean.

Photo by dsearls

I'm sick of paying $45 for a trim.  If that isn't a rip off, I don't know what is.  And I'm the low maintenance kind of gal who doesn't color, highlight, or whatever else.  Because I'm so cheap I only get my haircut once every four months and opt for styles that grow out well.  Every time I leave the salon I ask my stylist when I should come back--inevitably she laughs at me, knowing that I'd never return within the "recommended" eight weeks.  All men have to do is waltz into a barber shop (no appointment necessary) and walk out twenty minutes later for just $15.  

Ladies, if you can't resist being a diva about the quaff, just know that average prices will run you over $600 each year for highlights, cuts, and product.  There are several ways to chop your hair budget and still retain your sheik, shaggy bangs.

• Find a beauty school nearby.
Students need practice before stepping into a salon as a certified stylist.  While this may make you nervous, think about it for a minute--students will take the most care and time in giving you a great cut.  They are more willing to pay attention and focus than many stylists who've been in the business a long time.  The Paul Mitchell School near me offers $10 haircuts and others offer free open houses throughout the year.  Be ready to spend extra time, though.  Students and their instructors are meticulous about getting the style right.


• Get trims from discount stylists.
Before you snub your nose at Super Cuts, take note that even beauty magazine editors will visit the discount stylist in between major style changes.  As long as you have a good cut working already, ask for a 1/2" trim of the exact same style.  They already have a good "map" to follow.


• Preserve the quality of your hair.
Wash your hair every other day, even if you work out.  Most shampoos have chemicals that strip many of your natural oils and leave your hair dry and brittle when used every day.  Your hair doesn't need that much processing on a regular basis.  You'll save money on shampoos and haircuts, as the quality of your hair will stay healthier longer.  Also use heat treatment sparingly.  Allow your hair to air dry for as long as you can before apply intense heat from the blow dryer and straightener.  


• Choose styles that grow well.
I agree with you; short hair is cute, but cute costs.  Longer styles don't need as much maintenance.  Select a stylist who can give you a good cut that won't need a six-week check up.  Go for mid to long styles with layers.


• Opt for "half-head" highlights.
If you must alter your natural color (which you absolutely don't need to do) then ask for half-head highlights if you have medium or long length hair.  No one cares if you highlighted the bottom half and you'll get a much better deal just doing the top.  

Photo by Snap®

Water is an incredibly plentiful resource, but it's none to cheap these days. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy use for the average house breaks down as follows:

   * Heating and cooling 45%
   * Water heater 11%
   * Clothes washer and dryer 10%
   * Lighting 7%
   * Refrigerator 6%
   * Dishwasher 2%
   * TV/DVD 2%
   * Computer and monitor 2%
   * Other 15%

In short, heating, cooling and using water adds up to nearly a quarter of your energy fees. In addition, water-supply planners estimate that a typical household needs approximately 150,000 gallons per year to satisfy the demands of a home and landscape. Implementing the following tips can help substantially reduce your energy bill without visibly reducing your quality of life.

1. Use a low-flow showerhead
No doubt you've heard this one before, but the fact is that a standard showerhead sprays you with up to 8 gallons per minute of warm water. Replace it with a low-flow showerhead and you'll use only 1 to 2 gallons of water per minute. Most people hardly notice a difference, except in their utility bill. Check with your local utility office as many now offer free or inexpensive low-flows to residents.

2. Wash clothes with cold water
Despite what laundry-detergent advertisements insist, most clothes clean just as well in cold as hot water, with the exception of diapers and stained clothes. Since water heating accounts for about 90 percent of the energy used by washing machines, cleaning in hot water is costing you 20 to 40 cents per load. That adds up. When possible, you can save even more by hanging wet clothes on an indoor or outdoor clothes line to save dryer electricity.

3. Clothes washer efficiency
Run the washing machine only when you have a full load of clothes. Use the shortest wash cycle for lightly soiled loads and select the minimum water volume per load if your washer has a variable water-volume setting. Regularly check all hoses for leaks.

4. Insulate your water heater
Wrap your water heater tank in a fiberglass-insulation blanket and reduce heat loss by 25 to 45 percent, resulting in a 4 to 9 percent savings on your water heating bill. You can purchase these blankets for $20 to $30 at your local hardware store or through your utility company. It's particularly important to avoid blocking air intakes and exhaust vents on gas models and thermostat-access panels on electric heaters. Newer models may not require blankets as they already are well insulated, so check your water heater manual first.

5. Lower your water temperature
Your hot-water heater is probably turned higher than necessary. Most heaters are set at 140 F, which you only really need if you have a dishwasher without a booster heater. Turn the temp down to 120 F (the medium setting on a gas-heater dial) and you'll reduce your water-heating costs 6 to 10 percent. Remember that many electric water heaters have both an upper and lower thermostat to adjust. Also, be sure to turn the electricity off at the circuit break before making adjustments.

Times are hard. Many people have lost their jobs. Many more will lose their jobs before the green shoots turn into sustained economic recovery. And many more of us live in dread that current economic conditions might catch up with them.

Now is the time to learn the art of frugal living.

This is not about living a miserable life. It is about how to spend and shop sensibly. It is about cutting out waste. It is about looking after the pennies to look after the pounds.

Here are my top ten tips to start frugal living.

1. Start collecting small coins. Deposit all your change in a big jar and by the end of the year you'll be surprised at how much you end up with.

2. Stop buying fancy coffee from Starbucks. Buy a small thermos flask and make it yourself. $4 day a spent on a frothy cup of coffee is $20 a week, over $1,000 a year.

3. Do your supermarket shopping at end of week just before closing time. You will be amazed how much prices are reduced as `sell by dates` expire. The food is still ok to eat but you have saved money.

4. Go through your bank statements and check out all your regular payments and subscriptions. Are you still paying for stuff you no longer need? Are you paying for satellite channels you no longer watch?

5. Switch off all your power appliances at the wall before going to bed at night. Many electrical items still use electricity even when off but still connected at the wall. Do you really need to use both the oven and microwave as a clock?

6. If you like reading, stop buying books even if you think you`re saving money by buying all your books online. Instead make full use of your local library. Its free, you can have as many books as you like and you can also order any book you want to read.

7. Stop buying newspapers, you can probably read it online for free.

8. Cut out the gym subscription. You don`t need to pay money to stay in shape. Resolve instead to go for a walk or take up running and if you have a bike get out on it.

Photo by MRBECK

Have you ever wondered about the cost of running your home? From your appliances to your heat pump and your air conditioning, the energy spent adds up to dollars on your monthly electric bill. For example, running a hair dryer costs approximately .09 an hour. A clock costs .14 a month to run. A pool or lawn pump costs a little more than .06 an hour. Here’s a breakdown of some costs in your home from Progress Energy and ways to trim your daily usage.


REFRIGERATORS
When you shop for new appliances, do you stop to think about the cost of running them in your home? When it comes to refrigerators, models that are larger or include auto-defrost cost significantly more to run than smaller or manual. Here’s a breakdown:

• Freezer (16 cu. ft. man. defrost): .30/ day
• Freezer (16 cu. ft. auto defrost): .37/ day

• Refrigerator/Freezer (18 cu. ft. auto defrost): .56/ day
• Refrigerator/Freezer (24 cu. ft. auto defrost): .77/ day

COOKING
When you cook, the appliances that you choose to use run the gamut in terms of energy usage. Here’s a comparison. Think smaller appliances for small jobs, like toaster oven for toasting and quick baking.

• Oven: .25/ hour
• Range-top burner: .09/ hour
• Toaster: .09/ hour
• Toaster oven: .04/ hour

COOLING
Most folks don’t realize how cheap it is to run their ceiling fans. Keeping these fans running will also keep your expense air conditioning circulating, meaning you won’t feel the need to run it as often.

• Central air conditioning: $2.80-$3.76 per day (1200-1600 sq. ft.)
• Room air unit: $1.46 per day (1 ton, 12,000 BTU)
• Ceiling or portable fans: ½ cent per hour

CLEANING
When it comes to doing the laundry, cold is best. Hot water can double the cost of each load. Dry your clothes just long enough to get the wrinkles out, then line dry indoors or out.

Washer
• hot water: .53/ load
• warm wash/cold rinse: .12/ load
• cold water: .04/ load

Dryer: .25/ load

The dishwasher costs .29 a load, and the iron and the vacuum .07/ hour.

Photo by splityarn

These days cookies and cupcakes have gone gourmet, and it’s not uncommon to shell out $1-2 (or more!) on one from a specialty shop. While those might be a sweet treat every once in a while, cookies made from scratch are still a delicious, economical way to enjoy sweets anytime. Cookies are easy to make, allowing toddlers and kids to help. And by steering clear of more expensive ingredients, like nuts, cookies will be kinder to your wallet than they are on your waistline.

One of my favorite cookie recipes of all time is the old-fashioned Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. These cookies are no-bake, saving time and energy, and they’re made with economical ingredients I always seem to have on-hand.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

½ c. milk
2 c. sugar
1 stick margarine
2 Tbsp. cocoa
3 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ or ½ c. peanut butter (the family recipe calls for ½ cup but I find that this is too much and it makes the cookies crumbly.)

Mix first four ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Let stand for several minutes. Drop as individual size cookies on wax paper.

Keep the Green in Your Pocket
Kids birthday parties don’t have to be expensive to be a hit!! Have an “eco-friendly” kids party – it will leave you with more green in your pocket!  By creatively reusing items you already have and focusing on earth friendly activities, you can save money, teach valuable lessons and – most importantly – HAVE FUN!

No Need To Print Invitations
Just use Evite to save paper … and money!

Create A Recycled Craft Center
Create your own recycled craft center, and let the kids’ imaginations run wild.  Gather up cardboard paper towel rolls, old milk cartons and paper shopping bags – with some crayons and glue and stickers (you probably have these laying around the house) you’ll be amazed at how quickly your recycling bin can be turned into light sabers, toy houses and silly costumes.  And the children can take their creations home, so it can also be their party favor!

You Can Plant a Party Favor
Why not invest in some inexpensive plants (less than 50 cents a piece) and cardboard cups.  The kids can decorate the “planters” and then re-plant the plants – a lesson in green living that is also so much fun!  And the kids can take home their plant as their party favor, and continue to watch it grow.

Turn Your Backyard into an Obstacle Course
The answer to a great party activity might be right in your backyard – literally.  As I looked around my own boring backyard, I saw how it (or the park) could be transformed into a full on adventure course!  For example: Run to the tree, do 5 jumping jacks, hop through a hula hoop maze, try to make a basket – while standing backwards – draw a chalk picture on the patio, and run around the picnic table before crossing the finish line.  Bonus: the kids will be exhausted by the end of the party!

Learning the kitchen ropes for the first time?  Gathering all ingredients, following the recipe, and avoiding a grease fire is all you can handle.  And you seem to find recipes that require obscure necessities like capers and kalamata olives.  What you need, newbie cook, is to stock your pantry with the most common ingredients and work within those parameters.

1. Cooking Oils
If you plan on making anything stovetop, oil is essential.  You'll want to use virgin olive oil as much as possible--since it's a healthier option--but many things don't taste right cooked in olive oil.  Keep some vegetable and peanut oil on hand to broaden your cooking options.

2. White Flour and Sugar
From baking to soup thickening, you'll need to have a bag of flour handy.  If you need to brown a chicken breast, dip the chicken in egg then in flour before cooking stovetop.  Far too many recipes call for flour, so don't venture into a cookbook without it.  Sugar is used in much more than just desserts--keep a pound sealed in the pantry for a dash of sweet.

3. Cream of Soups    
The cooking soups I use most often are cream of mushroom, cream of celery, and cream of chicken.  Add these to tuna casseroles, pot roasts, and anything that needs a creamy punch.  Purchase the low sodium/low fat varieties to cut back on the calories.  

4. Apples and Oranges
These seem to last forever.  Go for the mixed fruit bag that includes red apples, green apples, and oranges and you'll have a great selection of fruit that won't turn mushy soon after purchasing.  

5. Noodles
Keep a bag of egg noodles (for stroganoff or casseroles) and some basic wheat spirals.  Paired with some cooked ground beef and Prego sauce, you'll whip up a cheap tasty meal for pennies.  I sometimes cook more noodles than I need for a recipe and use leftovers to make cold pasta and mini-tuna casseroles later in the week.

6. Breadcrumbs
From toppings to meat filler, a simple box of breadcrumbs goes the distance.  Steer clear of the Italian seasoned variety--put your own oregano, basil, garlic, and parsley in to save money.

7. Spices
The seasonings I need most often are sea salt, garlic powder (or minced garlic, but not garlic salt), onion powder, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, Lowry's seasoned salt, chili powder, and crushed red pepper.  On the sweet shelf you can always find vanilla extract, almond extract, nutmeg, honey, and cinnamon.  I also combine baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar in with the sweets since you'll add them to baked goods.

Even the most savvy, budget conscious money pincher may be missing potential savings on the morning commute. Perhaps you've detailed every mile of your week, including grocery trips, and allot a certain amount of gas money accordingly.

Even more essential than your quantity of driving is your quality of driving. Believe it or not, driving is an art that can be improved upon--for safety and for financial gain. Going the extra mile doesn't have to mean a budget strain. You may just need to evaluate some driving habits that keep you filling up the gas tank more frequently:

1. Downsize to a one-car family.
Don't groan just yet. After being rear-ended several months ago, our family of 3.5 was reduced to one car for a long period of time. We also lived in a small two-bedroom apartment on the third floor in an area not conducive to foot traffic. It was a huge sacrifice and I'd be lying if I said every moment was an obvious learning opportunity. Being homebound with small children during sweltering heat was a true test of patience.

What I did notice was a huge deficit in spending over those months. Not only the obvious ones--gas, oil change, random repairs--but also overall spending on fast food lunches, mall purchases, and other quick buys that impaired mobility affects. Our monthly reduction during the one-car family months was $300 cheaper than with a second mode of transportation. If your situation allows you to take a spouse to a stationary job (which we did not have), you can easily make it work.

2. Make a list of outings and stick to it.
The "oops I forgot" trips really take a toll on your gas bill. Become a dedicated list taker and make a plan for all the trips you intend to take during the week. Include grocery shopping, meetups with friends, commute to work, church happenings, and everything else to have a clear idea of your weekly mileage. Even keep a chart to hold yourself accountable to the list.

3. Head to the gas station at the 1/4 tank mark, no more or less.
If you always run on empty, you can quickly shorten the lifespan of your electric fuel pump as it has to work overtime to pressurize a small amount of fuel. If you always drive around with a full tank you'll be toting a lot of extra weight around with you, increasing your usage of gas.

4. Fill up on Wednesdays and a few days before the holidays.
While the petroleum industry is heavily regulated, there is still plenty of room for supply and demand. Think about when you fill up before heading out of town on a holiday weekend. Usually Friday after the bags are loaded in the car. The folks running the pumps know this and prices are historically higher 2-3 days before holidays. Also, Wednesdays tend to trend lower than other days, but this isn't a steadfast rule every week.