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Welcome to the 121st edition of the Festival of Frugality - Tax Day Edition. I hope you were able to get yours filed on time and moved on with your life! Over 80 entries (gulp, swallow hard) to this edition, very impressive stuff by some excellent writers. So without further-ado, here are my editor’s picks, followed by a whole bunch of quality reading. Thanks to all who participated.

 

Editor’s Picks

RC presents How to Develop a Frugal Mindset posted at Think Your Way to Wealth. RC documents some of the most time proven ways to develop a frugal lifestyle. Well done post, very precise and to the point. 

Jason presents The Ultimate Frugal Weekend: A 48-Hour Spending Fast posted at The Frugal Dad. Frugal Dad has developed the ‘No Spend Weekend’. I love this idea. He says add up your savings Sunday night to see instant results. I am constantly finding fun things to do on weekends with my kids that are free or cost very little. Good stuff.

Chelsy Albertson presents Saving Money During College posted at the Dorm Earning Blog, saying, “Dorm Earning has personal finance advice for college students, including tips to save money.” Wow, I wish I had the fortitude to follow some of this advice when I was in school. Great tips.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Frugal Tips: How To Make 10 Ordinary Things Last Longer posted at The Digerati Life. I really enjoy posts like this that give you real world frugal living advice, no “pie in the sky” sayings or diagrams about money in, money out, just tips you can use. Well done SVB!

Sarah presents Four ways to suck less at vintage & thrift shopping posted at SARAHSPY. There definitely is a science to getting the best deal for the money at vintage and thrift shops. Some excellent tips from Sarah.

Catherine presents Frugality and Luck posted at Frugal Homemaker Plus. OK, now this one of the better articles I have ever read about frugal living. You gotta check it out! Catherine makes the argument that you create your own luck through hard work, making sacrifices, and focusing on goals.

Kris presents The Hour: How 60 Minutes a Week Can Save Hundreds of Dollars on Food posted at Cheap Healthy Good. Kris really put a lot of time and effort into putting this post together to help you save a lot of money on groceries. This is a great read and I found the advice very usable and doable. Well done.

Amanda Milne presents 100 Frugal and Healthy Eating Habits posted at Value For Your Life. I love lists and this one is no exception. Nicely done Amanda.

Madison presents 30 Money Saving Tips posted at My Dollar Plan. Did I mention that I love lists. My favorite from Madison’s list, ‘Wait Before Purchasing’. If I did not follow this advice I would have 3 Go Carts and a big ol’ neon Budweiser sign hanging in my office!

Joe D presents If You Don’t Need It, It’s Not A Great Deal posted at Know The Ledge. My mindset is very similar to Joe’s, I have a hard time passing up a great deal, but fortunately I am getting better at it. Nice post Joe.

Lisa Spinelli presents 25 Life Tips and Tricks posted at Greener Pastures: Personal Finance. Lisa offers some great tips on making like a little bit easier. My favorite that I am going to try: “No More Mosquitoes- Place a dryer sheet (like Bounce I assume) in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.” We have a bunch of skeeters around our house lately so I am going to give it a try. Plus it will make me smell a little bit better!

Flexo presents The Frugal Lifestyle: Are We Missing Out on Life? posted at Consumerism Commentary. Flexo sums it up nicely when he says, “Frugality and making the most of the present are not mutually exclusive.” Amen brother!

The Best Of The Rest!

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg presents Skip the Eco-Fakers: Purge Green Imposters from Our Homes posted at The Frugal Duchess, saying, “Earth Day is this month and many consumers hope to do their spring cleaning with ”green” or nontoxic products. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the environmentally friendly goods from the eco-pretenders.”

Debbie presents How to NOT Live on a Budget posted at Debbie’s Debt Advice. Some solid tips for those who are not big budgeters.

Penny Nickel presents Staying frugal on the road posted at Money and Values. Nice frugal tips from the road.

Joseph presents Save money on groceries posted at penny pinching. I agree with all of Joseph’s tips except for buying Coke and Pepsi when they are on sale. I say skip the soda and stick to water, not only is it free, but much better for ya.

Erik presents Help Me Take Down Paypal by Signing Up For Revolution Money Exchange posted at Money Crashers. Gotta love free money, and Erik makes the point that if sign up by the end of April 15th, you will get $25 free in your new account.

Meg presents Introducing… FruWiki.com! posted at All About Appearances, saying, “Announcing my new project, FruWiki.com, the frugal wiki.”

Paula Wethington presents How to ration out the snack foods posted at Monroe on a Budget.

valereee presents Foraging: hot new foodie trend, or the hottest new foodie trend? posted at Cincinnati Locavore, saying, “Free food is everywhere around us, and more people than ever are realizing it!”

FIRE Getters presents Best Way To Kill Kitchen Sponge Germs! posted at FIRE Finance.

Sheila presents 5 Best Hawaii Vacation Money Saving Tips posted at Hawaii Vacation Blog - GoVisitHawaii.com, saying, “Hawaii can be an expensive vacation destination, but it’s not so bad if you use these money saving tips. These frugal tips to help make your vacation more affordable whether in Hawaii or anywhere else for that matter.”

GP presents The Big O posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn, saying, “Having an on-site greenhouse has allowed us to grow organic veggies. Fresh and frugal both”

Kelly presents I’m an idiot. posted at View Along the Way, saying, “Sometimes bargain hunting pays off. Other times…not so much!”

Kevin presents How We Saved $175 on Window Treatments posted at No Debt Plan, saying, “Window film is a cheap alternative to blinds, etc. This is a how-to article (how to install it) and shows how much money we saved, too.”

FMF presents How to Have Half a Million Dollars at Retirement by Controlling Wedding Costs posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Save on your wedding now and have a big amount left at retirement.”

ChristianPF presents How to watch HD TV on your computer posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “A quick how-to of how I turned my PC into my HDTV for under $70.”

Jim presents Consider Generic Drugs Instead of Brand Name posted at Daily Money Hack.

Kyle presents Broke? Bad Credit? Yes It Is Your Fault! posted at Amateur Asset Allocator.

Penelope Pince presents 7 Cost-Cutting and Safer Alternative Household Tips posted at Our Fourpence Worth, saying, “A few tips for saving money around the house by using alternatives for cleaning and home decorating.”

Dorian Wales presents How to Successfully Navigate Your Way through Home Renovations: 10 Practical Tips posted at Personal Financier, saying, “Renovating can be a nightmare. My personal experience has taught me these tips for navigating through it successfuly.”

Fitz Villafuerte presents Little Known Ways To Save Money When Eating Out posted at Ready To Be Rich, saying, “A fresh look on how to save money when eating out with colleagues and friends.”

savingadvice presents Free (Or Nearly Free) Entertainment For Every Week of the Year posted at SavingAdvice.com Blog, saying, “Something frugal to do every single week of the year”

MoneyNing presents Combine Forces and Buy in Bulk posted at Money Ning, saying, “Sometimes you can still buy in bulk even if you can’t use it all! Share the load and save more money!”

Pinyo presents CVS, ExtraCare Rewards, and Store Brand posted at Moolanomy. Nice post by Pinyo detailing some savings he is getting from CVS. I gotta agree with your wife on the diaper thing, we are big Pampers fans around here as well. They seem to be able to hold a ton of “stuff”, if you catch my drift….

Four Pillars presents Emergency Funds and Tax-Free Savings Account posted at Quest For Four Pillars.

vh presents Twelve Ways to Save Money on Your Dog posted at Funny about Money. As an owner of a couple dogs I found these tips very helpful.

Margaret presents An Argument For VHS posted at You Might As Well Burn $5!. Margaret makes a strong argument for VHS movies and the good ol’ VCR. I agree that buying DVD’s for $15 and watching it once is a bad move.

Lightening presents Are You A Tightwad???? posted at Lightening Online, saying, “What sort of image does the word “tightwad” conjure up in your mind? Do you have a prefered title for being “frugal”? We’ve been having an interesting discussion on that very topic. This is the first in a series of discussion posts surrounding The Complete Tightwad Gazette.”

Trent presents Inspired By Carrie, Our Experiments in Disposable Diapering posted at The Simple Dollar. Good post for parents considering using cloth diapers. My wife and I used cloth on our first child but found it was to much work with our second baby.

paidtwice presents The Tailor ~ A Frugal Unskilled Person’s Best Friend posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…. This is something I never considered, but she says “find a good tailor, and use them instead of replacing clothing if you can.” Interesting post.

Aryn presents My $14 Kitchen Makeover posted at Sound Money Matters, saying, “Now that I’ve “remodeled” my kitchen to add more space, food prep is much, much easier.”

Livingalmostlarge presents Downgrading your lifestyle? posted at LivingAlmostLarge, saying, “Is it so easy to downgrade from a lifestyle you’ve become used to?”

Steward presents Money Poetry - How I Lost Hundreds By Being a Scaredy Cat posted at My Family’s Money, saying, “How being too tight fisted can loose you money”

Raymond presents Always Pay By Credit Card To Protect Against Airline Bankruptcy Loss posted at Money Blue Book.

Heather Johnson presents 12 Tips for Saving Money in College posted at Clever Dude.

The Financial Blogger presents 8 Easy Ways To Spend Less posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “As the North America population is buried by debts, I thought I would give simple advices on how to stop dollars bleeding away from your wallet.”

NtJS presents How To: Water Your Garden For Free posted at not the jet set, saying, “Drought-prone area? City water shortages? Tired of paying to water your lawn and garden, just to douse it in chlorine and other junk from the city? Fear not. The answer is above you.”

MoneyKing (Tim) presents $5 Sandwiches At Subway—How You’re Finally Getting Some Respect. posted at The Money Kings - RULE your money at home, at work, and at play!, saying, “The real reason why we’re hating Subway today deals not with the $5 foot long sandwich promotion. The real reason why we’re hating Subway today is because Subway’s been ripping us off for a while, and not many people seem to care.”

P. Sycamore presents The Joy (and Savings) of Homemade Bread posted at She Laughs at the Days to Come.

Seb presents Budgeting for everyday people posted at Pinching Copper, saying, “Let’s face it, making a budget and sticking to it is hard work. After all, keeping a constant eye on your spending habits can be nerve racking and stressful. But, if you decide to plan out a budget, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: savings.”

Stephanie presents Yard Sale Shopping posted at Stop the Ride!, saying, “Get ready for yard sale season!”

Jeremy Zongker presents All I Really Needed to Know About Managing Money I Learned From Music posted at Destroy Debt.

Amy Hobbs presents Dinner and Lunch for Two for $2.89 posted at My Daily Dollars, saying, “A story about a great, inexpensive meal!”

Will presents Frugality Is Often Plain Old Common Sense posted at Your Finish Rich Plan, saying, “Inspired by SavingAdvice.com’s post “Free (Or Nearly Free) Entertainment For Every Week of the Year”

Ryan Suenaga presents Hunting for Discounts: Other Online Offers posted at Uncommon Cents. Nice post about finding deals and coupons when shopping online. Ryan gives some great tips on where to look.

Bryce presents Free Is Almost Never Free posted at Save and Conquer, saying, “Free is one of the the biggest enticements there is. It is pretty common to hear, “And free with your order…”"

Jason Isbell presents New High Efficiency Front Loading Washer and Dryer | Tired Garden posted at Tired Garden.

GBlogger presents Frugality King: Living in San Francisco On $14,600 AGI A Year posted at CAN I GET RICH ON A SALARY, saying, “The story of a motivated gentleman who manages to live in an expensive area of the country on very little income”

Sarah presents Tips To Save Money On Vacations posted at Tips To Save Money. Learn To Be Frugal, saying, “The Sexy Secretary presents her top tips for planning a great, cheap vacation.”

CindyS presents Containers for Vegetables | Oh My Aching Debts posted at Oh My Aching Debts, saying, “Growing your own food defines frugality for me. It is better quality than what you can buy and less expensive. It enriches your life in so many ways.”

Frugal Babe presents Is There Anything You Can’t Do With Caulk? posted at FrugalBabe.

hank presents Jump Start Your Frugality | My Investing Blog posted at My Investing Blog.

The Happy Rock presents Don’t Let Verizon Wireless Take Your Money When Canceling Service posted at The Happy Rock.

The Dough Roller presents 20 Inexpensive Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills posted at The Dough Roller, saying, “Here are 20 easy ways to lower your utility bills.”

Jim presents Cut Just One Cup a Week posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Andy presents Forced Frugality posted at Tight Fisted Miser.

Jeremy Zongker presents Are Low Interest Credit Cards Really a Good Deal? posted at Creditor Web.

Mark Runta presents The Magic of Marketing posted at Smart Investing & Money Management, saying, “Save money by not falling for these marketing gimmicks!”

Joe Manausa presents Selling Your Home - Single Most Import Fact You Must Know posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, “If you are thinking about selling your Tallahassee home, I would encourage you to understand how your home value is determined in the Tallahassee real estate market. It is not enough to worry about advertising and marketing coverage, as your valuation is the most important issue for you before you enter the market.”

Ted Reimers presents Renting Textbooks posted at CampusGrotto.

BeThisWay presents Self Storage Part 1 - When Paying to Store Your Stuff Is a Good Idea « Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You? posted at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You?, saying, “Part 1 of a three part series on Self-Storage”

Mr Credit Card presents 10 Ways to Reduce Spending (Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog) posted at Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog.

Meg presents Frugal healthcare. . . . posted at Finally Frugal, saying, “7 ways to save money on health insurance.”

Peter presents Buying a new house is not cheap: Expenses not to forget when buying a new house posted at Bible Money Matters, saying, “Buying a new house isn’t cheap. Here’s a quick look at some of the expenses you can expect to have at the closing.”

New Old-Fashioned Gal presents Why Did I Start This Consumption “Diet”? posted at Diary of a New Old-Fashioned Gal, saying, “My thoughts after 60 days of no consumer spending.”

Shanti presents The Power of Snowflakes posted at Antishay Ventenne, talking about “how living frugally and snowflaking extra money can help you achieve your financial goals.” Ain’t that the truth, nice post!

Finance Girl presents A Guilt-Free Way to Reduce the Gift Budget and Snowflake the Difference posted at Finance Gets Personal.

Terry presents The Birth of Frugality posted at Savvy Frugality.

Fabulously Broke presents True Cost of Watching & Owning a TV posted at Fabulously Broke in the City , talking about what she has saved from not watching TV (a lifetime calculation).

Andy presents 5 Useful Money Formulas posted at Saving to Invest. 5 quick formulas to help you answer some common money and investing related questions.

Financial Learn presents Frugal Tip of the Day: Dress for Success for Less posted at Financial Learn.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of festival of frugality using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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