Using Libraries Outside of Your Area

We visited a town "on the other side" of the water today. They have a historic old town area with antique shops, quaint cafes, and historical sites. After visiting the courtyard of a very old Episcopal church with head stones from the Revolutionary War, we stumbled upon a nice library. It was a very old library, located in a historical building, and stocked with great children's books. It had a mix of great older sophisticated books that our local library has long since discarded, books homeschoolers love; and newer high quality books probably donated by the well traveled hip families who have gentrified the area. Anyway, I was happy to learn that as residents of the nearby town, we could check out library books.So now I have a new source of books!

Sadly, inter-library loan is a pain in our area and costs money. For whatever reason, they don't like to do it, and it is greatly discouraged. It is all right with me because I enjoy getting out of town, and depending on how they are set up, children's areas at libraries can be fun places. The one we were at today had lots of toys, games, and some freebie books and local historical printables. We used one in the martitime museum for a scavenger search.

Grades K-2 Dental Hygiene Free Mini-narrated Book

Henry and the Sugar Bugs...helps children understand why it is important to brush their teeth.

Silent "E" Rule Children's Free Learning Videos

I found this auto-generated channel(list) on YouTube today for learning the silent "e" rule. We've been working on the silent "e" families this past week, and some of these videos were very helpful for introducing and remembering this rule. And of course, they are free, so a great addition to a frugal homeschooling arsenal of learning tools.

A cute one, Magic E song with a Caribbean flavor.

Our favorites are at the end of my early learning favorites at YouTube.

Mother's Love Good for Children's Brains

School-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus, a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. 

The new research, by child psychiatrists and neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the first to show that changes in this critical region of children’s brain anatomy are linked to a mother’s nurturing.

Their research is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

“This study validates something that seems to be intuitive, which is just how important nurturing parents are to creating adaptive human beings,” says lead author Joan L. Luby, MD, professor of child psychiatry. “I think the public health implications suggest that we should pay more attention to parents’ nurturing, and we should do what we can as a society to foster these skills because clearly nurturing has a very, very big impact on later development.”

Read more here.

 10 Ways to Nurture Your Child

Frugal Housekeeping - Fuller String Mop

Fuller Brush Wet Mop Complete

Sometimes old fashioned is the best. I just bought a Fuller string mop for my hard surface floors. As advertised, this mop catches the dirt and cleans off easily. I use a string mop, but this one is built to last with all metal parts, and a sturdy mop head with tough non-shedding twisted string. The entire mop is about $14.00, and the mop head is replaceable.

More about the Fuller Brush Company, established in 1906.

Underutilized Community Centers?!!

We pay a whopping $20.00 a year per person to use our community center indoor pools, open gyms, and fitness centers. A better bargain I have not found! Oddly, we are the only family using the pool this summer. Summer youth camps come through, but after that we have the pool to ourselves. It has been nice, but I wonder why more people don't take the opportunity for such a bargain.

We'll be using the pool and fitness center for homeschool P.E. high school credit in the coming years. My teenage son will need 240 hours of physical education for his degree, and we just got approval to use the center for credit.

I'm trying to use the pool at least three times a week for my own physical fitness as well, and I'm teaching my daughter to swim. I feel so much better after having fit in an hour of swimming a few times a week this summer. I have more energy now and unlike other work-outs, I'm not drained afterwards.

Check out your community center resources. It's much less expensive than a private fitness center/pool membership. You might have the center all to yourself during the week!

We still have our little above ground pool, but it's no good for laps. I do get in a little exercise in it like stretching and stationary leg and arm work.

Rebate Directory For New Energy Star Items

If you've purchased an Energy Star product recently, a rebate may be due to you. Check here by zip code to view government rebates for Energy Star purchases. Federal tax credits for energy saving home improvements here.

Think Washing

Source: homeschoolhomefrontier.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Summer Fun: Paper Doll Collection

Source: thestrong.org via Alexandra on Pinterest

I've been collecting paper dolls to print out for my daughter at Pinterest. Many are super for homeschool social studies and literature arts. See here. I've collected over 200.

Pinching Pennies: Foaming Soap Dispenser

I finally bought a foaming soap dispenser. This eleven ounce dispenser is sturdy and should last. All that is needed is 10% liquid soap and 90% water. If you use dollar store liquid soap, this really stretches a dollar.

Umbra Birdie Foaming Soap Pump, White

Free Teaching Downloads

From Teachers Paying Teachers, free and low cost educational packets for all grades created by teachers for teachers(includes homeschoolers). See here.

Monthly Grocery Sale Cycle & When to Stockpile

We all know that produce is seasonal and that if you decide to make a huge batch of strawberry preserves the best time of year to do so would be during the summer when strawberries are in season. 

A savvy shopper waits until a product is on sale and then buys lots of it to get it at its lowest price! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-9 months or until the product goes back on sale and can be bought at its lowest price. Packaged foods are seasonal, just like produce. Check out the list below and find out when your favorite foods will more than likely be at their cheapest. Read more here.  

August: 

Back to school supplies: erasers, pens, crayons, paper, binders, backpacks, notebooks, markers, note cards 
School lunch items: pudding cups, lunch meat, single serve juices, lunchables 
Disinfectants: Clorox and Lysol wipes & sprays 
Seasonal Produce: Avocados, beans, berries, cherries, corn on the cob, cucumbers, eggplants, figs, seedless grapes, melons, onions, peaches, pears (Bartlett), peppers (sweet bell), plums, summer squash, tomatillos, and tomatoes 
Clearance: insect repellent, sunscreen, charcoal, swim suits, gardening supplies and seeds, fans, camping gear

Frugal Fast Food (Tight Fisted Miser)

Stretch your ‘go-to’ money. Coupons, especially BOGOs, will let you go twice as often. Choose the sale items: Subway’s monthly specials often let you choose a foot-long sub for $5 — or less! Many restaurants, including McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and even Kentucky Fried Chicken, offer a ‘dollar menu.’ Most of those items are now more than a buck — but not much more. 

... Choose carefully — and share. Order large fries for the family, instead of a small packet per person. Or set half your meal aside for tomorrow’s lunch. (Put it in a box, out of sight.) ... A large sandwich can feed two adults. Drink water — and you save not only on calories, but price. 

Healthy fast food is out there! Do what Helpguide.org calls “undressing” your food: skip the mayo or sour cream (substitute mustard, salsa or ketchup), or eat your sandwich open-face. Taco Bell offers a ‘fresco’ menu that automatically gives you healthier choices, as part of their “drive-thru diet.” 

Choose whole-grain bread, lower-calorie cheeses like Swiss or mozzarella, and load your pizza or sub with veggies, to ramp up the food value even more. Look for the words “grilled” instead of “fried;” skip “breaded” and “super–.” And don’t assume a salad means low-calorie, unless you’re willing to minimize ingredients like bacon or fatty salad dressing. Kids’ meals have gotten healthier, too. Burger King now offers apple juice, fat-free milk and apple slices on its children’s menu…and other chains have followed suit. 

... Don’t waste a thing. Extra napkins come in handy tucked in the glove compartment, along with that ‘spork’ you didn’t use. Add some zip to chicken noodle soup with a couple of salsa packets, or use your dipping sauce as a marinade for chicken or pork. (They’re great in stir-fries, too.) In their bookThe Phony Gourmet, Pam Young and Peggy Jones wrap leftover burgers in pastry, and serve these ‘pot pies,’ crunchy and bubbling, with special sauce!

Read more here.

Sewing Frugality

"...The key to saving money through sewing is to be resourceful: Thrift stores are wonderful sources for fabric. Menswear is currently a huge trend in home décor. With a couple very simple straight stitches, a pinstripe or plaid men's Oxford shirt for $2 to $3 at a thrift store can be made into a great throw pillow. I saw a fun "Believe Memphis" blanket that someone had fashioned from the Grizzlies' yellow giveaway growl towels. My first sofa was an $80 yellow velour vintage find, for which I fashioned a white canvas slipcover. Buttons and zippers can be pilfered from old clothing being thrown out to save on the cost of notions. Sheets can be used for pattern making. If you go to estate sales or yard sales, bags of fabric or notions can often be picked up for next to nothing." Read more.

Free Homeschool Deals

Source: freehomeschooldeals.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Savings on Eyeglasses

We ordered from Zenni Optical again this year for eyeglasses. I needed readers and my son needed a new prescription. They are super fast and very inexpensive. My son's glasses were $23.95(including shipping) for silver wire rimmed glasses with a mid-range prescription. I ordered them on 7/2/12, and they arrived today. The only thing you need to make sure to have is the pupillary distance, which your doctor can measure for you, or you can take a stab at it yourself with directions at the site. They offer glasses for as low as $6.95. I ordered my readers from this price range. They have consistently delivered good value for us in the past few years.

Household Savings:Free Telephone Service

We just cancelled our land line after our downtown area began offering free wifi, and we found Google Voice, a  free local and long distance telephone service(USA and Canada only). It has worked well so far with very clear reception. Google voice allows you to forward calls to another phone, takes messages(voice and text), offers call waiting, and screens your calls.The download was easy, and all we needed to purchase was a microphone for the computer.

The only downside is needing your computer up on Google Voice or Gmail in order to know when you are being called. If you forward calls to your cell, you'll know, but this method charges mobile minutes on the cell.  We'll use it for out calling, and scheduled call backs. It would be nice if there was a pop-up when you are online, or at least a ring when you are surfing and don't have the Gmail or Google Voice window up, but the service is free, so I'm not complaining(too much)!

As long as calls are made on Google Voice or from Gmail, cell phone minutes are not counted against your mobile account. In order for it to be free, you must call only from Google Voice or your Gmail , and not from your mobile. If you forward calls to your mobile, airtime minutes apply.  I think this applies to android phones as well. It cannot be connected to a cell in order to be free. See here. 

We'll be saving close to $700 a year with the cancellation of our land line and dial-up service. We also cancelled Netflix because we can see movies online. That will save us another $14.95 a month. We still have our pre-paid cell phones for calls on the road.

My next experiment will be to try Google Voice with an unlocked Android phone with no wireless service. I wonder if it will work? I'll let you know. I know a tablet or mini-PC/netbook would work, but I was looking for something less bulky to use.  I saw a simple netbook online(see below) with good customer ratings for only $99.00 at Amazon. This might be good for traveling and making calls.


WolVol LIME GREEN 7" Mini Netbook Laptop Notebook Netbook WIFI Internet Android 2.2 Flash Player Tons Apps Games YouTube Facebook 3 USB Ports 4gb HD 256mb Ram (INCLUDES: Velvet Pouch Case, Charger, Mini Optical Mouse)