Penny Pinching Peach

For the semi crunchy, homeschool friendly and totally frugal!

Category Archives: Frugal Family

Ways to save, scrimp & creatively stretch a family’s budget.


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Powerful Princesses

I have updated my list of princesses who encourage girls to grow up to be strong women! If you know any little girls, this is for them!

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powerful princesses role models for todays little girls

Does it bother anyone else for their little girls to aspire to be a princess in the classic “I’m so helpless! Please rescue me and cater to my unrealistic whims, oh, obscurely perfect man of my insanely romanticized fairytale dreams!”?

I love letting my daughter play dress up, be girly, and pretend to be a princess, but the helpless and hopeless romantic version grates on my nerves more than a wee bit. That’s why I’m an enthusiastic fan of the spunky and sassy princess types! They make the point that you can be a pretty princess simultaneously with being strong, intelligent and perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and that’s a message I can get behind. 🙂

Want some princesses for your little girls to learn about who are far from wilting weaklings? These are powerful women our girls can look up to! Check these rockin’ royals out, y’all! 😉

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Strange Tricks For Saving Money

strange save

Frugal! Penny pincher! Cheapskate! Prepper! Weirdo! If you have been called any of these, welcome to your tribe! This list is for you…

  • Wash aluminum foil and plastic baggies. If nothing gets majorly stuck to them, clean up and use them again.
  • If you have chickens, dry and crush their own egg shells to mix into their feed instead of buying them a calcium supplement.
  • Reuse plastic water bottles. Rinse and refill those babies! I don’t really use water bottles much, but my husband likes to take them with him to the fire department so it doesn’t matter if he loses the container he’s drinking from. We use them over and over.
  • Use the rewards program My Reader Rewards to get free books, stickers and CDs.
  • Water down whole milk instead of buying lower fat milks. I used to buy 1% or 2%, but have started buying whole milk and water it down with about a quarter to a third water. My kids don’t know the difference, and our milk lasts longer.
  • Use plastic gas station cups with straws and lids instead of fancy cups with lids. Occasionally I get one of those fountain drinks from the gas station. I love cups with lids and straws. My kids are very active and always up under me, I’m always thirsty and don’t particularly like my drinks spilled or nice cups broken. These cheap cups will last quite awhile, even ran through the dishwasher.
  • Cut dryer sheets in half, if you use them at all. You don’t need the whole thing to get the effects you want. Trust me!
  • Vinegar makes a great rinse agent in the dishwasher, and is super inexpensive compared to those expensive kinds you can buy.
  • Those styrofoam plates you buy to save on dish washing? If they don’t get too messy, just wipe them down and use them again! this adds up quick when you’re mostly using them for things like sandwiches, anyway.
  • For one of my favorite ways to save, look at How to get a free trial of Amazon Prime

Have any strange savings tips of your own? Share them, and they may be featured in a future list of strange ways to save! 😉


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Clean Trick For Dirty Grease

clean greaseI’ve always hated cleaning the bowl I use to catch the grease drained from hamburger after it has been browned.

It seems like the grease never really scrubs off. I feel the slippery sliminess even after repeated scrubbings. Well, one day I was cooking my ground beef and thinking in distaste of the greasy task ahead when I had an AHA!! moment.

What if I used a plastic grocery sack to line the bowl before I poured the grease into it? It worked!!

As long as there are no real holes in the bag, it keeps most or all of the grease from touching the bowl. After it has been poured out and the bag discarded, the bowl simply needs rinsed with hot soapy water and it is ready to go. Soooooo much better than the former slimy horror!! This is a trick I wish I’d thought of years ago!!!

Anyone else have a simple, frugal, wonderful trick like this? Is there any annoying task you wish you could find a quick solution for?

Check out how I managed to declutter my closet!


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Kids Skate Free

Kids Skate Free

Looking for a free summer activity for your kids? Try free skating!

As a young girl, I absolutely loved to go skating. We went frequently, and it was a fun way to exercise and spend time with friends. I felt like I was flying, and even toe length oversized skirts couldn’t stop me from whizzing around the rink! 🙂 What better way to enjoy skate time than to go for free?:)

Just head on over to the link below, type in your zip code, and see which rinks in your area are participating in this promotion. It appears that there are a few in all of the states I checked out, although I only investigated a few of them. Click  the green “Register for This Skating Center” banner. Once you’ve filled out the form, you’ll receive an email to verify your email address. Once you’ve done that you’ll be a registered member of Kids Skate Free. Just be aware that your first set of passes won’t be ready until Sunday of that week.

Anyone ready to take their kids skating for free??

http://kidsskatefree.com/index.php

For my favorite tips for traveling with children, check out Traveling With Little Riders!


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Mom’s Night Out

Moms Night Out

Looking for a fun and yet totally relatable movie for moms? You need to watch Moms Night Out!

This movie features a stay at home mom who is drowning in the exact life she always dreamed of and desperately needs a night out. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there? Me neither!  She plans a relaxing evening with her pastor’s wife and long time best friend.  What follows is utter chaos and craziness!

I don’t watch a ton of movies anymore, and most of the ones I do watch are cartoons, so this was a refreshing change of pace. This movie actually has some great messages in it, and I very much enjoyed it. It wasn’t without flaw, but it was overall a movie worth watching!

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Want to watch to get this movie for yourself? Head over and purchase it here: Moms’ Night Out!

For another favorite funny movie with a strong positive message, read all about it in Acts of Random Kindness!


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Easter Egg Filler Ideas For a Sugar Free Easter

Easter Egg Filler Ideas For a Sugar Free Allergy Safe Easter

Need some sugar free Easter egg filler ideas that are alternatives to candy?

I find myself wishing for Easter egg ideas that are sugar free, since my kids get really hyper on holidays where they consume too much sugar. My children are also dye sensitive, so I find myself cringing a lot over things like jelly beans, since certain dyes can turn my sweet energetic children into miniature versions of wall bouncing Hulks! I don’t even have to worry about any serious allergies, so I can only imagine the parents who do! I was thinking that I am not alone in wanting my kids to have all the fun of an Easter egg hunt with less of the sugar, so I got together my ideas and am sharing them in hopes of helping y’all out.

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Below is the link to plenty of fresh options from Amazon for an allergy safe, sugar high (and crash) free Easter egg hunt!

Easter Egg Filler Ideas Not Candy

For one of my kids’ favorite Easter books, check out Bunny Trouble!


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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Happy Dr. Seuss Day!

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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2, we decided to read his whimsical books in a nook with a look for ideas to cook up for activities to do that go along with the stories. Today we read “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”. That is one of my munchkins ‘ favorites! I didn’t want to do a bunch of printing and searching activities yesterday, so I just free styled it. Maybe it will give someone else some inspiration.

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com” 

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is a favorite read at our house!

One fish, two fish was simple. I drew a large one and a…

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12 Things I Have Learned From the Mom Life

12 Things

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would discover things like…

Parenting is smelly.

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

The inside stuffing of a wet diaper is like yellow snow. Cold, wet, smelly and impossible to clean up every speck when your toddler shreds said diaper all over the house.

I know which child dealt it as soon as I have smelt it.

Small children especially love to serenade you when you’re sitting on the toilet. Must be the great acoustics in the bathroom, you think? It’s like Singing Toilet Paper on steroids!

Parenthood is dirty work!

Dirty dishes multiply at the speed of light,  especially right before unexpected company drops in.

Cleaning with kids in the house seems pointless…until you go on bedrest and realize what it would look like if you actually quit cleaning! I still need a Cleaning while children growing like shoveling while still snowing sign, though!

Daily showers aren’t necessary for survival. Taking a shower with 3 small children in the house takes planning and luck, especially when your husband is on a 72 hour shift.

Parenting is amazing!

My children can make me feel more frustrated than I could ever have imagined, then turn around and fill my world with more joy and love than I could have thought to ask for.

Kiddos see differences in their own beautiful way. My oldest daughter saw an interracial couple with an adorable baby girl. My loud, outgoing, unfiltered little miss squealed delightedly at them “Awwwww! Daddy is chocolate, mommy is vanilla,  and your baby is such a pretty caramel! That is so cool! “. (Thankfully,  they took it in the sweet spirit it was meant.)

Mommy kisses can really cure most booboos instantly. You just have to Kiss Baby’s Boo-Boo to make it all better!

Parenthood is full of surprises!

A human can survive indefinitely on hugs, slobbery kisses, sweet tea and hastily gobbled scraps of food!

There are times when I can’t figure out where my kids got some crazy trait, and then there are times when I look in the mirror and say “Ohhh…you did this to me!!”. Of course, when they do something completely crazy, I look at my firefighter paramedic daredevil of a hubby and say they are Just Like Daddy!

Kids have a mind of their own from birth. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Sometimes it keeps me sane.

I have learned so many unexpected things from the mom life. This is just a few of many. What are some things you’ve learned since you became a parent?

Feeling alone? Struggling with the balance between mother and child? Click HERE to see why you are not alone!

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My Letter To the Craigslist Scam Artist…

craigslist meme

Dear Craigslist Scammer,

I listed items on Craigslist because I am broke and was hoping to sell a few things I don’t need to be able to pay for things I actually do need. Instead, I get you. You and your bogus excuses for why you need to pay with a check, why you can’t meet in person and why you are more than happy to buy my items sight unseen.

You know what? I’m sick of you! Your daughter didn’t just give birth to a bouncing baby boy. Your adopted son is not helping you wire money to my account from who-cares-where. Your associates are not going to pick it up via a freight company after you send a bogus check to me. You are a lying piece of doodoo!

I’ve heard from you under many names. Sometimes multiple names supposedly from the same person. You can’t even keep up with your own lies! If it weren’t so disgusting, it would be funny.

I hope you enjoyed my note. It provided me a small amount of giggles in sending you something even more bizarre than the fairy tales you seem to think I’ll believe. I’m still broke, though, you jerk!!

Signed,

A Frustrated Attempted Craigslist Seller

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

So, I really wrote the note in the picture in response to the latest of many Craigslist scam emails. The other is what I’d like to say to all of the slime balls taking advantage of people who are less aware of their games than I am. The people who need to study books like this Book on Protecting Yourself From Social Media Scams and Scamming 101: 22 Scams Explained to protect themselves.

Is anyone else sick to death of Craigslist and all other internet scam artists?? What would you like to say to these jerks? (No expletives, please!) Feel free to share mine on social media! For more of my randomness, check out God Used Couponing To Answer My Prayers! or Struggling? You Are Not Alone!


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What Are You Looking For Here?

Penny Pincher in Training

Penny Pinching Peach

It’s your turn to talk!

Periodically, I like to touch base with my readers. I don’t want to continuously post things you aren’t interested in. Sometimes I’m wavering between what to post, and knowing what you’re interested in could make the difference. If you don’t see the options you want listed (i.e. parenting, coping with grief, encouraging messages, etc.), feel free to mention those to me. I’m very open to suggestions, and enjoy writing about a wide variety of topics. I’m just doing my check in with y’all to see which topics you would most like to see here.

Want to see what some of my most popular posts last year were?

Check out My Top Posts of 2015 and my brief review of the excitement of last year!

I am gearing up to launch my weekly newsletter with exclusive coupons and savings for my mailing list!

Please head over to my Mailing List Sign-Up Form so you won’t miss out on that! Feel free to suggest in the comments here what type of extra special coupon codes and bargains you’d like me to drop in there for you!

Please fill out the poll below!

You can select however many answers you want, and leave any comments or suggestions you may have. Thank you in advance and have a fantastic day!!