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HomeEconomiser Newsletter Articles

Welcome to the subscriber only newsletter archive — a compilation of every newsletter article that we’ve written since 2003 along with exclusive previews of new book content. We’ve covered every household expense from groceries to housing to pets and more. Have fun searching for money saving ideas —and let us know about your financial victories too!

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05/2006

Address This and More

We regularly receive address labels for free in the mail. Our kids like to write letters and feel really grown up having their own labels too — we buy them at a discount and give labels to them for birthdays and Christmas. But we’ve found (and so have many of you) that these miniature identifiers have so many more uses — don’t leave home without them. Read on.

Article topic: Family / Kids, Free Stuff
05/2006

Calculate This!

Grocers seem to want to make prices confusing. Being able to quickly calculate the actual unit price of multiples is essential to getting a good deal at the store. Take this quiz and see how quickly you can find the unit price for each multiple deal.

And remember, just because it’s Ten for $10 doesn’t mean that you have to buy ten of that item.

Article topic: Budget, Groceries, Research
05/2006

Lost and Found - Keep What You Have

Do you ever get that feeling as you’re leaving someplace that you’re forgetting something? One uncalculated family expense is the cost of losing things. How much does your family lose each year? Is it in the tens, hundreds or thousands of dollars?

Article topic: Organization
05/2006

Reader Recreation Tips

Erin McGever from Phoenix, AZ says, “Try the public library for books about travel, hobbies or home decorating. We’ve learned a lot about each other and the world this way. We also check out local art galleries for free festivals where they even serve free treats. Dollar theaters work well if you don’t mind seeing a movie a few weeks after everyone else has.”

Article topic: Family / Kids, Free Stuff, Recreation
05/2006

Split Pea Soup

Winter is a great time for hot soup. Soup’s are inexpensive to make and very filling. Even in Arizona’s mild winter we have soup once each week. This recipe serves 10 - 12.

Article topic: Cooking, Recipes
05/2006

Success!!!!!!!

Debt Free Count Down

Article topic: Success Story
05/2006

Vacation Pep Talk

Summer is almost here! Many people are thinking about their vacation. Join the growing number of economizers who are making a commitment to do a “Debt Free” vacation this year. There are so many options to consider from camping to visiting and staying on college campuses that you should have no problem having fun and relaxing without the suffocating effects of credit card bills arriving a month later.

Article topic: Vacations
05/2006

Work and Play - In Perspective

The pendulum swings from one extreme to the other, from ceaseless work to endless play. Is either extreme right? According to statistics, Americans logged more work hours and are more productive than most other cultures. But the American family is disintegrating under the crush of heavy debt loads and high divorce rates. It appears that our priorities regarding work and play need evaluation.

Article topic: Attitudes, Budget, Earning, Family / Kids, Home Improvement, Household Expenses
03/2006

Clothing Tidbits

AmericasCheapesyFamily.com readers have a nose for deals and great eyes for finding great styles. We’ve received so many letters about buying and caring for clothes that we’re dedicating an entire page to it. We really do love receiving your ideas!

Article topic: Budget, Clothing
03/2006

I'm A Pecan Nut Too!

Your article about pecans (The Bottom Line) was very interesting. I had the same experience! For many years I have been making pecan pies as Christmas gifts for friends, neighbors and people who have been really nice or helpful to me through the year. It seems that almost everyone likes pecan pies, but not many make them.

Article topic: Attitudes, Gifts, Groceries
03/2006

No Debt Christmas

We are so thankful for how much you have helped us! In December we did not put one gift on a credit card —the 4 kids were happy with their gifts— and we paid off an additional 1000 dollars to our medical bill. We were laughing one night saying who makes extra payments in December? The peace of mind and fun we are having is priceless!
Keep up the good work and Happy New Year!
Conrad & Crystal Zecher — Kempton, PA

Article topic: Success Story
03/2006

Recreation ideas that dont "Rec" the budget

These days it’s easy to spend a significant amount of money on a recreational activity. Families often break their recreation budget, thinking they can’t cut these expenses and still have a good time. But we challenge that notion. There are hundreds of ways to enjoy family time or a date night without dropping $100 to do it.

Article topic: Free Stuff, Organization, Recreation, Research
03/2006

Timeshare Math

What is the real cost per day for a timeshare stay? We did the math to find out. We took an average cost for the unit and maintenance fees to figure the true cost per day.

For our calculations we used the following numbers:

Article topic: Budget, Recreation, Vacations
03/2006

Timeshares- the good, the bad & the ugly

Many readers have asked for input on buying and selling timeshares. Our experience in this area is limited, so we consulted expert sources and combined their views with our financial practices and frugal filter to draw some Economiser conclusions.

Timeshares and how they operate.

Article topic: Budget, Recreation, Research, Vacations
01/2006

Kids' Clothing Wars

Often interviewers ask us how we manage to maintain a thrifty lifestyle and still have happy, well-dressed kids. Our kids do dress well and feel good about the clothes they buy and wear. We believe that the better you dress, the better you’ll be treated. For many families, the battle over kids’ clothing rages on. Faced with peer pressure, movies, TV and ubiquitous ads, how can you dress your kids well while spending less money?

Article topic: Budget, Clothing, Family / Kids, Kids and Money, Organization