Your home is where you can relax and be comfortable. And if your home isn’t decorated to reflect yourself and your tastes, it can be hard to fully feel at home. Home decor is a great way to add your personality into your home, but it can be expensive.

My ultimate goal is to make my home the place we all want to be (especially since we’re spending so much time there now)! And I’ve learned a few frugal tips for refreshing home decor on a budget.

These tips are more than “paint and buy new curtains” - they’ll help you identify how you want to update your home, what will make the most impact, and clever ways to shop for it so you can refresh your home decor on a budget and still have it look good and like you.

Determine Your Goals and Budget

It can be so easy to get caught up in comparison, especially when you see a perfectly decorated home on Pinterest or HGTV. It’s important to remember that you have unique tastes and your family's needs will...

Summer 2020 will go down in the books as one of the oddest times since my kids can’t do the summer activities they usually do. I’m getting refunds for my kids’ camp programs that I signed them up for. It breaks my heart because these things they enjoy and that enrich their lives have been canceled. And, selfishly, I want to stop making all these meals every day!

Instead of wallowing in my 11,000th grilled cheese, I’ve decided to invest that camp money back into my family’s summer activities. Since we’ve already budgeted that money for the kids, I’m going to spend it on them. They can still have a fun summer, even if it’s at home.

Although my husband and I did budget for this expense, we don’t want to go over that set amount. There’s a good chance it could happen as we have a long summer to fill! As I’m considering how to keep the kids busy and happy at home, I came up with four financially-friendly ideas to entertain...

Many people have switched to online bill pay, and most of them do it for the convenience factor. Did you know, though, that paying your bills online could actually save you time and money? 

What is Online Bill Pay?

Online bill pay is, most simply stated – an online and/or automated way of paying your bills online. You can set it up with your bank to pay all of your bills or with each individual merchant by adding your credit, debit or bank account to a payment processor.

In addition to the convenience, online payment processors typically send regular reminders about payment due dates! That means, no more late payments and no more late fees. 

Get Discounts Online 

Many online payment processors offer discounts for automatic or online payments. Why? Because online payments are immediately applied to the account, meaning that the company spends less money on manpower. 

More common than getting a discount for paying online is getting a discount for...

Buying a home is an important decision and a major life-changing event. As such, it needs to be carefully thought about. The process can be long and requires a substantial amount of your savings. It will be worth it in the end. 

To be able to buy the house of your dreams, there are a few prerequisites: a good credit score, a steady job, and a savvy strategy to save money for a down payment.

Determine How Much Down Payment You Need

It’s always nice to know exactly how much you need to save. To do so, you’ll need to figure out the total mortgage you qualify for, based on your income and credit score. As a rule of thumb, the price you pay for the house should be no more than 25% of your total income.

Once you know that number, it’s time to estimate the percentage of down payment you will need. Generally, a 20% down payment is considered a good practice as it allows you to get the lowest interest rate and monthly payment. Having a 20% down payment...

You have one of the best money-saving devices known to man sitting in your kitchen right now: your freezer. If it is yet to be chock-full of homemade, already prepared, frozen meals, you can begin now to save your time, energy, and especially your money by putting your freezer to good use.

How much food do you waste by throwing away leftovers after they’ve sat in the fridge for a few days? From now on, you can freeze what’s leftover and make another tasty meal from it.

Related post: How an Organized Pantry Can Help You Save on Groceries

Start Saving Money on Groceries 

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Keep a supply of quart- and gallon-size freezer bags and plastic containers in your cupboard. Ensure the plastic containers you select are freezer safe. Then, when you cook soups and stews for dinner, either double the recipe or use the leftovers for the next step.
• Fill the containers to near the top with your soup and put on the lid tightly, ensuring...

There are so many options for affordable gift ideas for Valentine's Day ideas while still making your celebration special. Valentine's Day is a time to show others that you care by giving thoughtful gifts from the heart.

Many commercially-available gift ideas can be expensive, putting people off from being able to buy the gifts they want for this special occasion. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to save money on meaningful Valentine’s Day gifts.

Here are five tips to keep Valentine's Day gifts within your budget:

Spend quality time together.

Most things that you and your loved one can do on  Valentine's Day can be relatively inexpensive. Rather than going out for a night on the town, consider a quiet homemade dinner at home and a movie. Sometimes low-key Valentine's Day celebrations are the most romantic and memorable. Listen to music, talk to one another about your dreams, and just enjoy each other’s company. Good conversation and company are...

Most people only dabble in coupon usage. They might check out the circulars in their Sunday paper, clip one or two items that look good, and probably forget to use them when they’re at the checkout stand.

Couponing is a well-planned method of shopping and saving, so you’re going to get a guide on how to achieve significant financial results from your efforts! It can be enjoyable once you get the hang of it, each trip to the grocery store becoming somewhat of a challenge you engage in.

Not everything you see on the Extreme Couponing show is real, so before you think that from now on, all of your groceries will be 100% free, think again. For instance, Frys caught heat from the public when they allowed for special coupon doubling that the public didn’t get – it was for promotional purposes just for the show’s taping.

But still, that doesn’t mean that with some smart planning, you can’t get some incredibly good deals that will save you plenty of...

Have you participated in a pantry challenge? A pantry challenge is an attempt to spend as little money as possible on groceries and to eat what you already have in your home. I've seen a lot of people sharing their experiences on social media with some going as much as a month without purchasing groceries. Are you regularly using the food stored in your pantry? If not, why not? Is it a lack of organization? Getting organized can actually help you save on groceries.

Organize Your Pantry to Save on Groceries

One of the areas that families have a lot of control over their budget is food costs. Your mortgage is set in stone, there are few opportunities to reduce your utility bills, but your food bill is well under your control. One of the best ways to minimize your food bill is by keeping an organized pantry. Being able to easily see what’s in your pantry and keep it well-stocked makes meal prep easier and reduces or eliminates the need for spur of the moment take-out. ...

Most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck so if you are, you’re in good company. Some studies report as many as 75% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck. The majority of people cannot deal with a $400 emergency expense without borrowing money. What’s worse is that according to CNBC.com, less than 30% of Americans has at least six months of living expenses saved. All these facts are to let you know that you’re not alone.

While most people live paycheck-to-paycheck, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can break the cycle once you identify the problem, set a budget, and learn how to spend less. It’s all about living within your means, while also identifying the things that will make your life a little bit easier and happier without a significant financial impact.

Related post: Financial Resolutions for the New Year

Figure Out Why You're Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck

The very first thing to do to fix the problem is to identify...

Are you making financial resolutions for the new year?

I'll be honest. As you begin to establish new financial habits, staying on track financially will feel hard at first. However, if your goals are important enough and you believe that you can stick to a budget, saving money, and living the way you want and need to live, you’ll be able to do it, and it’ll feel great — even fun.

Financial Resolutions - 10 Tips for Staying on Track 

Set Clear Financial Resolutions

The most important thing to remember about staying on track is to start with realistic financial resolutions. After all, you cannot live in a mansion if you don’t make that kind of money. Even if your goals are modest due to a modest income, if you set your financial resolutions realistically then you can still reach them.

Automate Bill Payment & Savings

Late payment fees can add up very quickly and throw you off course. When you pay even one bill late, the interest rate on your other...