Category: Holidays and Special Occasions

58

How I Take My Own Holiday Family Photos (And Make Them Look Good!)

It’s holiday time, which for many of us means it’s holiday card time, which for many of us means it’s holiday photo-taking time! Who doesn’t relish the thought of matching reindeer sweaters, antlers on dogs, and babies doing everything but smiling at the camera?! Fun, right??? I actually do love taking our annual holiday photo (although I’m pretty sure the rest of my family does not share this sentiment… ) and making our annual holiday...

74

No Turkey, No Problem! How We Celebrate Thanksgiving Our Way

The glorious Thanksgiving season is upon us and, to all of my US readers, I hope you have a wonderfully festive week. Even if you’re not celebrating T-day this week, keep reading because I’m convinced that Thanksgiving is, in fact, the perfect frugal holiday. I mean, the whole day is centered around a cornerstone of successful frugality: cooking at home! Unlike nearly every other holiday we mark throughout the year, there’s essentially nothing to buy...

103

Reader Suggestions Of Frugal, Fun, Inexpensive, and Festive Holiday Gifts

Welcome to my monthly Reader Suggestions feature! Every month I post a question to our Frugalwoods Facebook group and share the best responses here. The questions are topics I’ve received multiple queries on and my hope is that by leveraging the braintrust of Frugalwoods nation, you’ll find helpful advice and insight. Join the Frugalwoods Facebook group to participate in next month’s Reader Suggestions! It’s holiday time! Also known as my excuse to write about the holidays with fervor and spam you with...

55

Reader Suggestions On How To Have A Frugal Halloween

Welcome to my monthly Reader Suggestions feature! Every month I post a question to our Frugalwoods Facebook group and share the best responses here. The questions are topics I’ve received multiple queries on and my hope is that by leveraging the braintrust of Frugalwoods nation, you’ll find helpful advice and insight. Join the Frugalwoods Facebook group to participate in next month’s Reader Suggestions! Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays! Well, that plus Thanksgiving and Christmas… I’m basically in a state of...

148

Our Thrifty And Simple Baby’s First Birthday Party

Babywoods is a year old! Ok actually she’s almost 15 months old, but sometimes Mommywoods doesn’t get around to writing articles exactly on time…. At any rate, our bebe crested her first annual milestone in late November and we feted her in style. Frugal style. Once again, I’m here to divest everyone of the commonly clung-to assumption that child-rearin’ is expensive. A Photographer For A First Birthday Party?! I have heard–and seen–tell of some lusciously...

71

Crowdsourced Ideas For A Unique And Thrifty Valentine’s Day

The intersection of money and romantic relationships represents one of the most volatile combinations. Furthermore, disagreements over money are a leading cause of divorce in the United States. Clearly, we have unresolved issues over not just our money, but how we spend our money in service of our relationships. And into this fray enters Valentine’s Day, the ultimate consumer binge on useless clutter designed to be generically, thoughtlessly romantic. Wait, wait, you say! Valentine’s Day is cute! It’s fun!...

109

Our Festive, Frugal, and Merry Holiday Traditions

On the heels of our mega Uber Frugal Month download on Monday (you can still sign-up to join the Challenge!), I thought we could use a bit of festive frivolity and cheer. Plus, you all know I’m a rampant holiday lover, so really I just wanted an excuse to wax about the season. I firmly believe that celebrating frugally isn’t merely possible, it’s preferable. It removes stress over gift giving, highlights the actual reason for...

113

How To Give Frugal Gifts With Joy And Generosity

It’s time for the annual Frugalwoods frugal holiday gifts run down (check out the 2014 and 2015 lists too)! Although the mere phrase “holiday gifts” is anathema to many a frugalyte, there are ways to maintain one’s frugal predilections while celebrating all things festive and jolly. Chiefly, I wish to point out that the holidays should not come as a surprise to anyone or their budget. Indeed, we’re graced with this merry season every single year. Without...

134

How I Fight Food Waste At Thanksgiving And Beyond

October to January is easily my favorite time of year. It’s fall, it’s gorgeous, and it’s when all the best holidays happen. Nestled in the middle is Thanksgiving, which I consider a uniquely frugal occasion. Thanksgiving doesn’t encourage excessive spending, it traditionally has no gifts, there’s little commercialism associated with it (aside from the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which I got so fired up about last year that I wrote this), and it enjoys a cult of personality around leftovers. What...

92

The Patented Frugalwoods Cheap Christmas Card Hack

This could be a super short post. I could simply say: “don’t send holiday cards because they are expensive and decidedly un-frugal.” But, as those of you who’ve been reading for a few years know, I’m a holiday junkie. I can’t get enough of festive tidings and yuletide trimmings and hall decking. And so, this post is not short. Don’t Skip The Holidays… Frugalize Them! Obviously the ultimate frugal approach is to skip the holidays. To...