Free Craft Ideas To Do With Your Kids!

If you are looking for (almost) free craft ideas you can do with your kiddos this summer (or anytime really), then all you really have to do is step outside!

 BARK RUBBINGS

This is just as easy as it sounds! All you need is a few pieces of blank paper and some crayons. Then take an “adventure walk” around your neighborhood park (or even your own backyard) and see how many different trees you can find! When you’ve found a new tree, lay your paper on the bark and rub your crayon sideways (back and forth) over the bark until it’s “copied” on your paper! Kids will love comparing the different bark styles they’ve found!

LEAF COLLAGE

Mother Nature has given us the gift of hundreds of different types of leaves and foliage for us to enjoy! Take your little one and see how many different styles you can identify, borrow a few leaves and have fun gluing together a fun leaf collage onto wax paper you can then hang up and enjoy year round! Make sure you only choose plants you know to be safe and not poisonous.

PAINTED ROCKS

This is a favorite for kids of all ages, including teens! Collect rocks that are roughly the size of the palm of your hand, and then have fun painting unique designs on them (anything you want)! Then, hide the rock in plain sight in a public place for someone else to find and enjoy! Just make sure you don’t hide them in the grass where mowers might be damaged. There are even tons of fun websites and Facebook pages where you can find for inspiration for your rock creations or to share pics of rocks you find!

Getting outside and getting creative with your children will build beautiful memories (and crafty treasures) you can cherish for years to come! 

Free Things To Do When Out And About In Most Major Cities

Whichever city you are visiting around the world there are certain things that you will find in all of them. This includes things that are free to do. The next time that you are out and about in a city, try out some of the following free things to do.

Visit A Park

Every major city has an area of parkland where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You may just choose to take a stroll around the park or there may be an option to hire a bike. There may be famous sites to see within the park such as the Bethesda Fountain in New York.

Visit A Museum

Cities will always have museums that offer free entry. You should be able to find information online about the entry prices for any museums that you are interested in visiting. If you get into the museum for free it is recommended that you make a small donation as the museums often rely on these donations to survive.

 Go For A Walk

One of the best things to do for free in a city is just to go for a walk. This is a great way to see the sights of the city and it doesn't cost anything. It is also a great way to see parts of the city that you may not have been aware of before.

Plan Ahead To Find A Free Event

When you know what dates you will be visiting the city you can check to see if there are any free events being held at that time. There are usually free events held in major cities throughout the year and these can range from small events to whole concerts. Examples could include book readings, free plays, free concerts, or even free sporting events like softball games. This is a great way to experience things in the city that you may not have otherwise attended. 

Tips for Saving Money on Cooling or Heating your House

Living in some particular regions may require an extra budget for the sake of regulating room temperatures. Extremes of temperatures can be very uncomfortable, especially when you are in the house. During summer, it gets so hot that someone can hardly put on a vest and a shirt due to the heat. On the other hand, during the winter season it becomes too cold that people feel like spending the entire period in their houses as the drink hot coffee. For such reasons, it is important that every home own an air conditioner to regulate the temperatures. However, this means that there will be an extra budget for the electricity bill which is necessary to run the air conditioners.

Fortunately, there are a few tips on how you can spend little during winter and still stay warm. One of them is to ensure that any worn out weather stripping is fixed. They are found in the windows and doors and when they are not in a good condition, they tend to allow entry of cold air from outside the house. Also check and ensure that there are no spaces between the floor and the door as those too may increase the amount of cold air entering the house. In addition, you should also seal the windows and doors with a plastic film to reduce loss of warm air from the house.

To save on the air conditioning expenses during summer too, you should ensure that your blinds are closed to keep out the sun from penetrating into the house. You can also install a fan on the ceiling and schedule them to run at particular times only when there is too much heat.

Clearly there are so many ways of saving money during both summer and winter and they do not require special skills. 

How to Get the Best Deals on Food and Minimize Your Grocery Budget

Everyone wants to save money when they are buying staples such as food, and it is important for you to know all of the ways that you can cut back on your expenses when you are grocery shopping. You need to know how to get the best deals on food and minimize your grocery budget.

If you are looking to save money on the grocery shopping that you do, always check out the store's sale circulars before you leave home. See what is on sale, where, and then figure out what you will be purchasing. Buy items that are on sale even if you do not need them right away. If they are items that you will be needing at some point in the future, you might as well pick them up while they are cheaper than normal.

Combine coupons with sales to get the best deals on the items that you are purchasing. You can save a lot by mixing coupons with already low prices.

If you are looking to save money on the grocery shopping that you have to do, you should consider buying in bulk. You should figure out the best price you can get per ounce or serving of a specific product and then purchase that item in bulk. You do not want to overspend when you have the chance to get a good price on something.  Also consider using a financial management tool like Mint.

It is important that you cut down on the amount of money that you spend on groceries for your family. You want to minimize your grocery budget and keep more spending money around. With a little bit of planning, you can get all of the food that you need for your family at a cost that is low and affordable and that works out well for your budget, overall. 

Stay tuned...

I am planning on sharing a bunch of my best money-saving homemaking tips on here.  I can't wait to start showing off how you can help your family too!