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!

More Recipe Sites

Here are some more recipe sites to check out:
Mine (aka mr. & mrs. smith)
Blog Chef
Delish
The Sisters Dish
Stacey's
Cheeky Kitchen

Diets

Don't bother spending money on the latest diet book, pill, whatever. There is no quick fix to losing weight-you know that and I know that! We all want quick fix, but losing weight takes work! Just eat right, and exercise! Make sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet. You should never have to forgo eating something, because a real diet is all you can eat...in moderation. Here is one of the best free free free sites to help with that. MyPyramid.gov

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!

Recipe sites

Need a new idea for dinner? Can't find that one recipe in all of your cookbooks? Check any of these websites and blogs for some fresh recipes and all different styles. These are just a few that are out there that I've used. Have fun!

• Hillbillyhousewife.com
• AllRecipes.com
• Lorraine's Family Recipes
• Cook Like your Grandma
• Fashionably Foodie
• Recipe Zaar
• Food Fit.com
  

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.

Money saving sites

These sites either have great ideas on saving money, or they are great money saving sites!

• Gasbuddy.com and gaspricewatch.com
• Bookingbuddy.com and other travel sites
• Goodhousekeepingrewards.com
• Goodhousekeeping.com
• How-to-go-Green websites: Treehugger.com; Worldwatch.org; Thegreenguide.com
• Stop junk mail delivery (free and safe site): 41pounds.org

Did you know?!

• Watching TV doesn't have to cost you $30 a month. It can be FREE. Visit hulu.com or youtube.com to see if your favorite show is on.
• Listening to music doesn't have to cost you $15.99 per CD. It too can be FREE. Visit pandora.com or go to download (free) iTunes and listen to the radio.
• iTunes has every week free downloads. And the songs are usually not that bad.
• Not only can you check out magazines from a library, but you can go to most all magazine websites and read what's in them in the comfort of your own home.
• Talking and seeing people doesn't have to cost a thing either. Download this free Skype and talk to your family far far away for free free free!
  

Entertainment

Need some cheap or free entertainment? Use some of these ideas and save some mula!

• Check the local high school, college etc. for events going on. Depending on your location, prices are incredibly cheap for community members for some amazing entertainment. Some events would include: plays, concerts, art exhibits...
• Check your community's website calendar for local events. There might be a Saturday night outdoor movie theater you didn't know about for free or a low cost.
• Look for historic sites nearby you and take a morning drive and learn more about where you live.
• Go online and find promotional codes for renting movies, like Redbox.
• Find the nearest park, and go.
  

The Library

Libraries are awesome! There are so many tools that you can use in the library, and they want you to come and use them. Here is a list of things that your local library most definitely has that you can check out, for FREE! And there are plenty of other things that your library may have that I have not listed.

1. Books, of course. (children, teen, adult, political, tax help books, you name it!)
2. CD's (music, books, self-helps...etc)
3. DVD's (that's right, newer ones too)
4. Need a computer? They have them there too! (not to check out)
5. Paid resources (like ancestory.com, auto repair reference center etc)
6. Newspapers, Magazines
7. You can even use the library online.