Pinterest

Have you ever heard of Pinterest? Well you should! Get yourself an invite, and get ready to be amazed. There are so many ideas out there with how too's and cheap to free solutions! I've seen recipes for laundry detergent and weed killer, DIY home projects from supplies you get at the dollar store, kid activities to keep them busy for hours...the list goes on. Follow my board: here and  you can find all of the things I've enjoyed. Then you can start pinning onto your own. It's a great (freeeeeee) site to get creative and start dreaming. One of my top things to check out right now is the gardening pins to get ideas for our new garden next year!

College Town

If you are lucky enough to live near a college town, you should know this: Take advantage of what the university has to offer! As a student pretty much everything is for free. (The gym, work-out classes, tutoring, most performances, art galleries...) As a community member, things are dirt cheap for you too. At least at my school. But at any college if you get on their site and check out their events calendar, there is plenty to do at a lower cost. Find their outdoor/activity resource center and rent equipment for cheap. Ultimately, take advantage of the resources around you. Don't get annoyed by the college students, join them in their merriment!

TV commercials

This would be a love/hate for me, TV commercials. Right when I'm watching one of my favorite shows and then boom. Commercials! However, I do like them when they give me free stuff. You've heard of promotions and might have read my thing on free food. But within 2 sessions of commercials, I got 2 free things. I logged onto my computer which was sitting next to me and got a free sample of laundry soap stuff and a free taco (which my husband used happily). If you just keep your eyes and ears open, it's amazing the free things you can get!

Skype

This has got to be posted for something that both my husband and I love. Since we are away at school, our family is not as close as we'd like them. However, with Skype it's like they're in the same room! It's free, and you can talk to just about anybody. And they do not have to have a webcam! We've talked to family on either coasts and even my friend while she was in Australia for a few months! It helps that we have a webcam built-in to our laptop.

Free Food

If you've driven down main street in your city, I'm sure you've seen the signs saying "text blah blah to this number for promotions". Well, you should do it! It's one of the modern ways advertising is heading, and you should join it. In emails I've received free burgers, free drinks, and free fries. I'm no fan to fast food, but if it's free, why not?! Watch for promotional coupons or sales. Did you know that Sonic has a happy hour? Half off drinks between 2-4! Heck yes!

Left-Overs

This is one of my husband's favorites. He can take left-overs for lunch to work or school. Don't be afraid to make a little extra than what you and your family will eat all at once. The key thing with left overs, is that you do not to buy tuber ware. We use containers that used to have yogurt or sour cream in them for example. The nice thing about using those is that if someone forgot their leftovers at work and it is disgusting by the time it gets home, you don't feel bad about throwing the entire thing away!

Canning

I think canning is a love hate relationship with me. It can be sooooo time consuming. But extremely rewarding. This past summer I canned green beans with my mom from our garden. I picked them, washed and cleaned them, and learned the art of canning. We made I think 18 cans of Dilly Beans. They are yummy for yourself or as a present to someone.

Gardens

We currently live in an apartment and do not have a yard of our own to do a garden. However our school started a married student garden club. We have a plot of land and all help plant, maintain, and collect produce. Gardens save you on several things. They save on your money, health (by getting out and doing something), relationships (you can talk to your kids as you weed or pick), and many other things. Gardens have been helpful to people mentally too. They can be very relaxing and rewarding.

Air Sucker

For Christmas we got a Kenmore Seal N Save. Woo! We love it. We've been going crazy vacuum sealing everything. We love the efficiency of it. And they are great for food storage and letting your food last longer in the freezer. This is a great thing to have in your food storage!

Recycling

Recycling does not just mean separating your things and putting them into bins. This is a good thing. But in this case when I am talking about recycling, it's about your clothes! If you haven't discovered Plato's Closet you must find the nearest one. There are also places to recycle your baby clothes that your baby doesn't fit anymore. Websites like Gently-Used or local places you might not have known about.

Dumpster Diving

Now, this may not be feasible for everyone, but if you live near a college than it is! Over a year ago we had the crazy idea to go dumpster diving at the end of the school semester. It's amazing the things that you find student's throwing away. We learned after a semester or two of us doing this that we were not the only ones! There were people from the community who came in trucks with trailers to collect their finds. Here is an list of some of the things we have found: boxes of canned food, desktop computer, clothes, cleaning supplies, full size mirrors, storage buckets, baskets, suite cases, bedding, perfumes and other beauty supplies, couches, desks, tables, book shelves, books, spiral notebooks that are barely used... The list goes on. We've also started asking students before they leave what they are doing with their food and then we pick it up before they go.

Family Cookbooks

I think one of our favorite cookbooks is one from my sister-in-law Shirley. We got it our first Christmas married. The book includes their family favorites, and recipes from my mother-in-law. So if you ever want to give a meaningful gift, give the gift of food...or at least how to make it! It allows us to bond with each other, plus we are adding our favorites to the book to make the ultimate cook book!

Gamma Seal Lids

Okay, this is really something my husband loves most. I do enjoy the fact that I am not breaking a finger every time I get into a bucket. These Gamma Seal lids are awesome. We swear by it. The purpose of them is to replace those nasty lids that your gallon buckets come with. The Gamma lids have the necessary seals to them to keep your food fresh, without the pain of removing them. I hope you enjoy this product as much as we do!