Recently I went to a Marshall’s store to look at clothing items and do some early Christmas shopping – they have a GREAT selection of children’s books and toys at discounted prices. There I found a women’s pajama set by some unfamiliar designer for $19.99, originally priced at $80. Eighty dollars! It looked nice on the hanger – black […]
Garage Sales! It’s that time again!
Here are three great ways to find out about garage sales in the Twin Cities. Twin Cities Frugal Mom Map 2. The Pioneer Press newspaper has a new email newsletter you can sign up for, to find out about larger, group sales. 3. The Star Tribune has a yard […]
40 Ways to Survive the Recession
When the economy is in a recession and things like job security become uncertain, we need whatever control we can get over our lives. In order to survive the recession, we must think differently because we can’t control the job market, declining home values or increasing prices, but we can control how we spend money […]
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe- Homemade
This is my variation of a Betty Crocker recipe for Homemade Chicken Pot Pie: Ingredients 2 ready-made pie crusts (cheapest at ALDI) 1 1/2 cups of peas + carrots & potatoes cut up in small pieces 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup chopped onion pinch of salt and pepper can of chicken broth (14 oz) […]
Cream Soup Substitute
Emailed to me from a reader as a great Cream Soup Substitute in your recipes: This is a recipe that has worked for me. I add left-over chicken, for cream of chicken soup, a can of mushrooms for cream of mushroom, a few shrimp for cream of shrimp soup., etc. It is designed for a […]
Homemade Veggie-Sausage Soup
Soup is filling, healthy, and has limitless variations. It’s even better when it’s Homemade Soup! My German grandparents eat it almost every day and they make it from scratch – even the broth. And it’s always delicious! They came to America 50 years ago with two children and nothing to start with so they had […]
Frugal Gift Ideas Great for Any Occasion
I love gift baskets and frugal gift ideas – who doesn’t? (Well, maybe somebody who has too many baskets.) They can be a great way to make a gift both creative and personal. How to start? Go to your local thrift store, where basket selection is usually pretty good (there are plenty in the Twin Cities – […]
Best places to buy…
Based on my several years’ of shopping experience in the Twin Cities, I’ve come up with this list of “Best places to buy…” in regard to various items often shopped for in our household. Here’s what I’ve got so far. (I started with baby items as lately that’s been consistently at the top of my […]
Unique Thrift Stores
Great advice from my money-smart friend Marilyn on Unique Thrift Stores: Bargains galore await the thrifty shopper at Unique Thrift Stores, located in New Hope, Burnsville, St. Paul and Columbia Heights. The huge inventory of new and gently used items will attract those who are willing to comb the many racks and shelves for the […]
Unique Thrift Store is a GREAT place to shop!
I’ve newly discovered the “Unique Thrift Stores” (+ one “Valu Thrift Store)” in the area. There are five that I know of (New Hope, Burnsville, Columbia Heights, and two in St. Paul). OH MY GOODNESS…I got a whole bunch of good clothes there for cheap…well, cheap enough to consider them good deals. Brand name clothing […]