While many people consider the priciest holiday of the season to be Christmas, Thanksgiving can get really expensive, as well. Even though turkey and pumpkin pies can run up your holiday spending bills, there are a few things you can do to host Thanksgiving on a budget.

Related post: Budgeting for the Holiday Season

9 Tips to Host Thanksgiving on a Budget

Make It a Potluck 

Having a potluck to keep your Thanksgiving on a budget is a win-win. Your critical cousins won’t have a chance to compare their sweet potato recipe to yours if they bring their own, and you’ll save some money by not needing to provide everyone’s Thanksgiving favorites. A great way to arrange a Thanksgiving potluck is to simply by assigning each person something to bring. 

For example, you could mention to grandma that the whole family adores her deviled eggs and ask her to bring them. If your brother-in-law can’t live without that green bean casserole, then he’ll be...

I am so grateful to my children's teachers and love showing my gratitude during the holidays. I started as a teacher very early in my career and found it to be incredibly stressful, so I hold an extra special place in my heart for teachers.

Unfortunately, with three kids and each kid having multiple teachers, I have to be pretty frugal when it comes to gift-giving or it would blow my whole holiday budget. I would love to do something crafty or homemade but time is way too limited these days.

That's why I wanted to share this list of ten great gift ideas for teachers that won't break the bank. All of these items can be found on Amazon for less than $10 and you can get them with free shipping in just two days with Amazon Prime.

Teacher Gifts for Under $10

Coffee Mug  

There's a wide selection of coffee mugs that make great teacher gifts under $10 - you don't have to get one specifically designed for teachers. Last year, I did holiday mugs with packets of hot chocolate tucked...

I never fully appreciated the stress of the holiday season until l had kids. I remember our first Christmas together very well - mostly because I was so unprepared for everything. For those who don't know, I adopted all three of my children at the same time, so I went from a low-key Christmas with no children to creating Christmas traditions for a family of 5. 

I waited until the last minute to shop, and the stores were sold out of a lot of stuff. I was worried that if I ordered gifts online, they wouldn't come in time. We got through it, but it definitely was not one of our more graceful holiday seasons. That's a picture of my three kids from our first Christmas together below.

Related post: Why This Busy Mom Loves Amazon Prime & How to Get It Discounted

The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year with family pressures and financial pressures. Between the gift-giving, entertaining, travel, and the regular monthly expenses, it all adds up to...

Afraid to talk to your spouse about money problems? Money is a common argument amongst couples, and unfortunately, it often gets so bad that it leads to divorce. The earlier you can address financial stress in your relationship, the more likely you can resolve it. The best thing you can do for your relationship is to work together to solve your financial problems.

Premarital counseling can prevent a lot of problems. The theory is that talking about significant issues before getting married can reduce the friction caused by different beliefs and behaviors. Discussing topics like child-rearing, managing conflict, and managing money are essential before getting married. Waiting to sort out the differences after the honeymoon period can be hard.

If you've been married a while and now realize that you and your spouse don't agree on finances, it's important to get a handle on things before they affect your relationship. Money can create a great deal of strain in a relationship.

Entertaining for Halloween can be fun, but between the costumes, the spooky decorations, and the candy for all of your neighbors’ kids, the cost can add up quickly! Save some money this year with these frugal Halloween finger foods. Bonus: because they are finger foods, you won’t need to provide all of those plastic utensils. See, we are saving money already!

“Finger” Food

Serve your guests hot dogs with a few notches cut out of them for a literal take on frugal Halloween finger foods. Hot dogs are inexpensive, kid-friendly food, and easy to serve. To turn your average hot dogs into fingers, cut a small square out of the top portion of the hot dog for a nailbed look. Cut three lines underneath that and three more about halfway down the hot dog. Serve the hotdogs with some ketchup on them for a bloody look. 

Web Pizza

Pizza is a fan favorite and is so affordable when you make it yourself. Purchase premade dough and coat it in pizza sauce. Then,...

The spooky season is finally here! Get ready to bump into Halloween décor in almost every store you visit. From food ideas, Halloween-themed décor to various crafts, it can be difficult to stay on track with your budget and yet still enjoy the season. Check out these 9 inexpensive Halloween party ideas that can be created (or purchased) without breaking your budget.

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One my Favorite DIY Halloween Decorations

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Our Favorite Budget-Friendly Halloween Costume Tips

1. Turn Your Toilet Paper Rolls into Bats.

Turning your empty toilet paper rolls into bats is arguably one of the easiest Halloween DIY’s you’ll ever try. Just collect a couple of rolls and paint them black. From that point on – it’s all about your creativity. You can add paper wings and googly eyes, or simply use whatever other materials you have lying around the home. Make a “bat family” or add it as an activity for your...

It's easy to spend a small fortune on decorations for holidays. However, between Halloween costumes and pumpkins, going all out on decorations might be outside your budget. You can still have fun without spending a lot. One of my favorites to make is a homemade scarecrow.

I think the scarecrow has got to be the most common DIY Halloween Decoration. I've been making them since I was a kid. AND, it's a great way to get the kids to rake and think it's fun. Not only that, you can do it with materials lying around your house.

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20 Cheap Non-Candy Halloween Treats

Our Favorite Budget-Friendly Halloween Costume Tips

9 Cheap Halloween Party Ideas

There are lots of different versions of scarecrows. Encourage your kids to get creative with the materials. Here's one version.

Related post: 50 Ideas for Free Family Fun This Fall

Materials:

• Old button-down shirt
• Old jeans
• Pair of old pantyhose
• String (or twine)
• Leaves (or straw)
• Lawnchair
• Milk jug (to make the...

My kids love Halloween. More than the candy, they thrive on having the opportunity to wear their “dress-up” clothes out of the home. There’s nothing quite like pretending to be someone you idolize. Unfortunately, the budget doesn’t always accommodate the expensive costumes they’d prefer, which is why I’m always searching for new, inexpensive ideas. A single post on Facebook netted a bunch, so I thought I’d share a few with you. 

#1: Gum Stuck to Shoe

If you have a pink shirt (and possibly pink pants as well) this is an easy costume to put together. Just attach the bottom of a shoe to the top of your head and you are immediately transformed into the gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe. While your costume will be more identifiable with pink “gum”, you may want to mix it up and go as a wintergreen version.

#2: A Ghost

Have an old white sheet lying around? Place it over the head, cut two holes for eyes and ta-da! You are a ghost.

I was reluctant to become an Amazon shopper for years, and now, I can't imagine life without it. More than anything else, I use it to keep us stocked with necessities like toilet paper, tissues, and laundry detergent. It may not always be the cheapest option, but there is enormous value in knowing we have those things stocked, and I don't have to worry about them.

Haven't tried Amazon Prime? Use this link for a free 30-day trial.

5 Reasons I Love Amazon Prime

1. Never running out of necessities

Subscribe & Save has indeed been a lifesaver for me. It means never running out of essential items like soap and toothpaste. I use Subscribe & Save for most of our household goods. You get a discount for subscribing, but more importantly, we don't run out of the things we need when I'm too busy to go to the store. However, if I still need something that I didn't subscribe to, I can order it through Amazon Prime and have it two days with no extra shipping cost.

2. Saves...

Wondering how to save money while raising a family? You are not alone. I can't tell you how many moms have told me they can't save money because their kids always need something. I can relate. I have three kids that are continually growing out of clothes and shoes, wearing a hole in their backpack, or any number of other things. With that said, it's absolutely possible to save money while raising a family.

Related post: How to Create an Annual Household Budget

10 Tips on How to Save Money While Raising a Family

Commit to saving

First and foremost, successful saving starts with commitment. Saving consistently and automatically is essential to reaching your financial goals, but you won't be successful without a goal. Consider the following:

• What are you saving for?
• How much money do you need or want to save?
• What's the timeframe?

Once you have your goal in place, automate those savings deposits. You can do this in a couple of ways:

1. Set up automatic transfers from your spending...