1. DIY costumes
This past week, my children took part in a local theatre’s production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. During the Q & A session following a school showing, an audience member asked how each cast member found their costumes and the director explained that a lot of the costumes (and props) were either homemade or found at the thrift store. Everyone was impressed that so many things could be found at thrift stores, so that made me happy. Hopefully more people will explore that thrifty option in the future:)
Our costumes were about 50/50 new vs homemade/thrifted. My son was Snoopy and I made his costume for a fraction of what it would have cost to buy it ready made. My daughter was Violet and we did choose to buy her dress new, but the coat and shoes were found at the local thrift store for really great prices. **If you ever need knock off saddle shoes, using a sharpie on used Keds works out brilliantly:)
2. Essential oils
Amazon was running a deal on a really nice essential oils set, so I used some reward points to buy one while the deal was still running. **I plan on making a new batch a thieves’ oil this week, which is good news because we have all came down with colds.
3. Plant cuttings
My daughter accidentally knocked over my pothos plant and three stems broke off. Luckily, all three of them had buds, so I simply submerged them in water and in a few weeks, I should have three new plants. **If you have a black thumb try growing pothos…they are very forgiving.
4. Reward points
Our television died last week, but luckily ’tis the season for electronics to go on sale, so I found a great deal at Target. To make it even better, I remembered that I had $133 in Chase reward points on my credit card, so my total out of pocket cost was less than half of what it would have been. That was a definite blessing!
5. BBQ takeout vs. dining out
I know that it is always cheaper to cook at home, but sometimes you just do not have the time or inclination. This past weekend, I chose to push the easy button and bought some barbecue from our favorite restaurant. Compared to going out to eat at a restaurant, this was a way cheaper option and everyone loved it.
The Thrifty Educator 