julielaviolette - Profile | Pictures | Blog - Talk About Cheap
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User: julielaviolette
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Joined: Mar 11 2009 - 11:25:41 AM
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Save $$ on your holiday meals | Moms Miami Save $$ on your holiday meals
‘Tis the season to count more than calories. Now is the time to start counting your pennies if you want to get through the holidays without busting your budget or descending into debt. Here are some tips from to keep spending in check, starting with your Turkey Day feast: - Buy two turkeys when Thanksgiving turkeys go on sale. Freeze one for a December holiday meal or to use for soups and casseroles. - Figure out how...read more...Posted on: Nov 18 2009 - 06:30:00 AMBlack Friday deals | Moms Miami Black Friday deals
Black Friday is no longer just a day – it has grown into a season. And with retailers competing fiercely for your dollars this holiday gift-buying season, bargains are everywhere. Walmart, Toys R Us, Kmart, Target and others are already putting advertising fliers in the Sunday newspaper offering deep discounts on holiday faves, such as electronics and toys. Here’s how to get a good start to finding the best...read more...Posted on: Nov 11 2009 - 08:30:00 AMSave for college now and save $$ | Moms Miami Save for college now and save $$
If you want your kids to go to college someday, even if that someday is years away, you need to start planning now for the financial hit. Because mama, you are about to be tackled. Right now, Florida’s tuition is cheap, cheap, cheap compared to the rates at public universities in other states. The Sunshine State’s average tuition rate is still nearly half of what students pay nationwide for attending a...read more...Posted on: Nov 4 2009 - 06:30:00 AMFabulous free facials | Moms Miami Fabulous free facials
Feeling like your complexion is a little drab or a little dry? Help is as close as your pantry! With a little planning and the right ingredients, you and a friend can whip up a do-it-yourself spa day for just pennies with items from your very own kitchen. So invite a pal over, pour a glass of vino and get mixing – a glowing complexion awaits those willing to be a little adventurous. Set the right mood with...read more...Posted on: Oct 28 2009 - 06:30:00 AMGreen tips that will save you $$ | Moms Miami Green tips that will save you $$
Cutting out some excess and making small changes in your routine can be good for the environment and for your wallet, too. Here are some quick and easy tips to do both: - Drink tap water instead of bottled water. If you do drink bottled, discard the cap before tossing the bottle into the recycling bin. The caps are made using a different process and cannot be recycled. - Skip the paper towels. Use microfiber cloths to clean...read more...Posted on: Oct 21 2009 - 06:30:00 AMBudget browsing: Money-saving websites | Moms Miami Budget browsing: Money-saving websites
Here's a new way to let your fingers do the walking: right over your computer keys, to find the latest, greatest bargains. Here are three websites that can be useful additions to your money-saving toolbox: Bargainist.com: This site does the searching for you. It looks for the best online bargains, and posts them on the site several times a day. Look for sale items, free shipping offers and cheap deals...read more...Posted on: Oct 14 2009 - 06:30:00 AMWallet-friendly ways to watch your waistline | Moms Miami Wallet-friendly ways to watch your waistline
I’ve been gaining and losing the same 10 pounds for 20 years. And unlike Marie Osmond, I just don’t have the money to blow on a diet plan that’s going to deliver me neat squares of calorie-controlled food portions every week. So, sigh, I have to budget my calories and my dollars if I want to tighten up any belts around here. Here are some wallet-friendly tips if you’re watching what you eat: -...read more...Posted on: Oct 7 2009 - 06:30:00 AMDIY cheap fall decor for your home | Moms Miami DIY cheap fall decor for your home
The calendar says fall has begun, but if you look around, it sure looks like perpetual summer. Forget about changing leaves and a landscape of warm autumn hues, we’re still in the midst of our year-round tropical beach party. But if you’re missing the traditional colors of fall, there are a few easy, inexpensive ways to bring that feeling into your home. All it takes is a little creativity. -...read more...Posted on: Sep 30 2009 - 06:30:00 AMHow to: 10 cheap (and easy) chocolate treats | Moms Miami How to: 10 cheap (and easy) chocolate treats
Love chocolate? Who doesn’t, right? Here are some fabulous cheap and easy ways to make the sweetest little chocolate treats. These make great gifts, party favors or special sweets for your family. And there’s a bonus – these “recipes,” and I use the term loosely, are so easy that you and your kids can do them together. The secret is Wilton Candy Melts, which can be found at craft stores such as...read more...Posted on: Sep 23 2009 - 06:30:00 AMCheap deals for Orlando and Disney | Moms Miami Cheap deals for Orlando and Disney
How about a hotel room for a penny? If you were in Orlando in August, you could have scooped up a room at the Red Roof Inn across the street from the Orange County Convention Center for one measly cent. If you wanted something classier, The Monumental Hotel — a former Crowne Plaza on International Drive south of Sea World — was offering a one-night promotion for $10. The fact is, travel is down and...read more...Posted on: Sep 16 2009 - 06:30:00 AMCheap, fast school night dinners | Moms Miami Cheap, fast school night dinners
I f you got excited when Kraft Macaroni & Cheese introduced a whole-grain version, then keep reading. That’s one of my emergency go-to dinners when I’m strapped for time and my kids are hungry. I add a veggie or fruit and we’re good to go. Now that the kids are back in school, I find time to be at a premium once more. I like to keep a list of easy, fast dinners on hand, things that I can assemble quickly...read more...Posted on: Sep 7 2009 - 06:45:00 AMCheap family night out - high school football | Moms Miami Cheap family night out - high school football
It was a very High School Musical moment – walking into the stadium at Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines. The band was playing, cheerleaders were chanting and a masked young man in a cape and tights was rousing up the crowd. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This past weekend my husband, two kids and I participated in a longstanding Friday night tradition – a high school football game – my...read more...Posted on: Aug 31 2009 - 06:45:00 AMLove, honor and ebay | Moms Miami Love, honor and ebay
An online auction site like ebay can sound really scary to the uninitiated, but bidding on items can actually be a lot of fun and save you a wad of moola, if you can keep your spending in check. I was always timid about trying ebay because of an embarrassing experience with a live charity auction and too much complimentary champagne. By the end of that night, my husband and I had “won” about $500 worth of...read more...Posted on: Aug 24 2009 - 06:45:00 AMWii Fit kicked my butt | Moms Miami Wii Fit kicked my butt
Man! My butt looks big. Not the round and perky big like Jennifer Lopez, but the flat, square big that Jessica Simpson made famous in her mom jeans at the chili cookoff in Pembroke Pines. That’s what I’m thinking when I catch the rear view in my bathroom mirror, as I try on jeans for the first time this summer. I have been safely hiding in my oversized shorts the past couple of months, a size larger than I really...read more...Posted on: Aug 17 2009 - 06:45:00 AMI got clunked | Moms Miami I got clunked
Forgive me if I’m not cheering the additional cash infusion of my tax dollars into the “Cash for Clunkers” program. The way I see it, cost-conscious car owners like me are the ones getting “clunked” by this payback. I have never owned an SUV, a Cadillac or a BMW, or many of the other eligible cars on the eligible Cash for Clunkers list. I’ve always been a research nerd when it comes to...read more...Posted on: Aug 10 2009 - 06:45:00 AMBounce these ideas around | Moms Miami Bounce these ideas around
Who knew fabric softener sheets were so versatile? I’ve stuck them under my car seats before to freshen up my car’s interior, but apparently there’s plenty to do with them besides stick them in a dryer. Here’s a few ideas: Stick them in your pockets when you’re outside to keep insects away. Apparently they repell mosquitoes and even bees. Use them to repel mice (yikes!) Stick them in musty...read more...Posted on: Aug 3 2009 - 06:45:00 AMBack 2 school for less $ | Moms Miami Back 2 school for less $
You can get a box of crayons for a penny at OfficeMax, which can only mean one thing: it's back-to-school buying season. For a parent, this can be a budget-busting exercise. The list can seem endless – uniforms, backpacks, school supplies, lunchboxes, etc. Here are a few tips to make it easier on your wallet: Shop at home. Check in your...read more...Posted on: Jul 27 2009 - 11:20:00 AMCut your FPL bill | Moms Miami Cut your FPL bill
People freak when I tell them I keep my thermostat at 80 degrees. They think my house must be a sweatbox. But think about it for a minute. When it’s 97 degrees outside, coming into an 80-degree house feels pretty good, right? I’m conservative by nature, and also a little cold-natured, so the higher temp suits me fine. The upside is it saves me a few bucks on my electric bill each month. Did you know every degree you...read more...Posted on: Jul 20 2009 - 06:45:00 AMPlaytime for pennies | Moms Miami Playtime for pennies
I’m at my Mom’s house, about 1,000 miles from my own, and my daughter, Chloe, 7, wants to be entertained. But she’s not the only one – cousins Madison, 7, Mackenzie, 6, and Emma, 6, are over visiting, and they’re looking at me expectantly, too. So what’s a mom to do? Thankfully, my own Mom has had the foresight (she did raise five kids, after all) to stock up on some basic kiddie...read more...Posted on: Jul 13 2009 - 06:45:00 AM
Emma, Mackenzie, Chloe and Madison show off the butterflies they made out of coffee filters and pipe cleaners.Road trip tips | Moms Miami Road trip tips
Driving 12 hours in a 2000 Toyota Camry with a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old calls for some serious creative planning. I’m thinking food, toys, diversions – and those are just my needs. How would I keep my kids occupied for a full day in a nine-year-old four-door sedan without a built-in DVD player in sight? Luckily, I’ve had a little practice. I enjoy schlepping my kids halfway across the country each...read more...Posted on: Jul 6 2009 - 06:45:00 AMCheaper sports and exercise equipment | Moms Miami Cheaper sports and exercise equipment
Getting into a new sport can be hazardous to your wallet. But there’s a way smart mommies and daddies can outfit their athletes at a fraction of the cost. I’m not big into sports, but when my daughter, Chloe, said she wanted to try skateboarding, we headed to a consignment shop that specializes in sports equipment. Play It Again Sports is a nationwide franchise with local shops in Coral Springs and...read more...Posted on: Jun 15 2009 - 06:45:00 AMSummer plan + happy kids = sane Mom | Moms Miami Summer plan + happy kids = sane Mom
Now that my free babysitter – meaning Broward County Public Schools – is on hiatus for summer, I have to put my creative forces in gear. My biggest challenge, like my fellow stay-at-home and work-at-home parents, is how to keep my kids occupied for nearly three months without having a nervous breakdown. That, plus, all the pressure from the schools to keep their skills up over the break so they don’t have to...read more...Posted on: Jun 8 2009 - 06:45:00 AMBIG birthday bash - little price | Moms Miami BIG birthday bash - little price
Pink roses set in cut glass vases. Tables swathed in a hue of soft rose petals. Fresh strawberries and croissants. It was quite the to-do for a 7-year-old’s birthday party. But, hey, it was MY 7-year-old’s birthday party, and we wanted to do it up right. I always liked having the kids’ birthday parties at home, ever since they were babies. I like this for several reasons: I like to feed people, I like to...read more...Posted on: Jun 1 2009 - 06:45:00 AMDon't trash these treasures | Moms Miami Don't trash these treasures
My mother-in-law, Merle, never throws anything away. Seriously. A box of garbage bags must last her decades. Eight years ago, when we were potty-training my son, she produced the original wooden potty used by my husband some 30 years earlier. Who keeps things like that? Way before it was trendy to waste less and reuse more in the interest of putting more dollars in your pocket, Merle had already elevated it to an art form....read more...Posted on: May 25 2009 - 06:45:00 AMThe best $12 haircut EVER | Moms Miami The best $12 haircut EVER
A $12 haircut shouldn’t be this sinful. But from the industrial, loft-like feel of the salon, to the sleek, black-clad stylists to the scalp massage with essential oils – you read that right - it was pure pampering, baby. D id I mention it was $12? I headed over to The Aveda Institute in Davie for my second visit last week. My first haircut there was a couple of months ago, when the school was offering...read more...How cheap is too cheap? | Moms Miami How cheap is too cheap?
I ask myself that some days, when my kids turn their pleading eyes on me, wanting that Nintendo DS or Hannah Montana CD or something as insignificant as a candy bar in the checkout line. My standard answer is “no,” but some days, I wonder if I am frugal to a fault. My two kids, a third-grader and a first-grader, are at the ages where their friends are getting things that I refuse to buy, on the principle...read more...Hot tween/teen fashions for a song | Moms Miami Hot tween/teen fashions for a song
Being guilted into buying designer fashions for your teen is one painful parental rite of passage. Anne Drake of Davie knows it firsthand. When her daughter, Kelsey, 12, was finishing up her fifth-grade year, she started asking for Hollister clothing. So Anne hit the mall, and was shocked at the thought of paying $36 for a T-shirt or $50 for a sweatshirt. “I thought, ‘This is insane,’” she said....read more...Free TV and movies online | Moms Miami Free TV and movies online
Hooking up with a cable or satellite television provider is like getting a new boyfriend – at first. In the beginning, they shower you with gifts – Here’s a free DVR! Enjoy three months of Showtime, on us! How about complimentary installation? Then you get into a relationship, it’s three years later, and they are so over you. If one of your receivers breaks, they’ll send you a new one...read more...Dollar store deals | Moms Miami Dollar store deals
I lived in New Orleans until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina turned my house into a swimming pool. After the eight feet of water subsided from my neighborhood, let’s just say there wasn’t a lot to pack up and move to our next house. After the storm, we moved to South Florida to live with my brother, Adam, and sister-in-law, Courtney, until we got back on our feet. Then we bought our own place, and prepared to move....read more...Saving cash on a cruise | Moms Miami Saving cash on a cruise
A cruise can be a fab family vacation – pizza and parties for the kids, lobster and dancing for the adults – but it can also be a budget buster. While cruise rates have dipped recently, offering fantastic deals for families looking for a great getaway, extras such as shore excursions and wine with dinner can really put a hurting on your wallet. My husband and I have taken our two kids, ages 8 and 6,...read more...The $5 family dinner | Moms Miami The $5 family dinner
I’m more a Semi-Homemade Sandra Lee than a Barefoot Contessa, and if you don’t get that Food Network reference, let me put it this way: Many of my recipes start with “throw in a can of this with a can of that.” So as I write this blog about how to make a cheap family dinner, the roar you’re hearing is the thunderous laughter of my old friends who are hysterical at the thought of my giving...read more...How to save on prescription drugs | Moms Miami How to save on prescription drugs
I have one husband, two kids and 42 prescriptions to fill each month. Ok, maybe it’s not quite that many, but it sure feels like I do my time at the pharmacy counter. With kids, somebody’s always got an ear infection, strep throat, pink eye – you know the drill. And with every new prescription, I find myself at the drugstore, sending telepathic messages to the pharmacy technician: “Please let it be the...read more...Posted on: Mar 30 2009 - 07:00:00 AMDisney on a Dime | Moms Miami Disney on a Dime
Now, who doesn’t love Disney? Even before I moved to Florida, it was a favorite vacation spot. Now that we live some three hours away, we visit as often as possible. I’ve researched Disney discounts for years, for travel stories I’ve written and for trips I’ve made. Here are some tips I’ve picked up: Visit www.mousesavers.com . I t’s my favorite website for all things Disney....read more...Cheapskate 101: Living better on less | Moms Miami Cheapskate 101: Living better on less
Mamas, I was born to be cheap. My Dad worked in an oil refinery and my Mom stayed home and raised five kids, which means we weren’t at the country club every weekend, if you know what I mean. Still, my parents, by being thrifty, managed to pay off their house in four years and take the family on several fab vacations, including places like the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C. and the Bahamas. How did they do it? Simple....read more...
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