Your Local Library

Many of you have probally thought of this already, but for those of you that have not you should get a public library card.  Matt and I have had one for a while for Matthew to check out books but we haven't been using it for ourselves enough.  We have just recently discovered that they have several fairly new movies.  We will now be saving money that we would spend renting a Blockbuster movie by searching our libraries website to see if they have a movie we would like to watch first.  

Triple Coupon Week

Good news for all the couponers out there: Both Bloom and Harris Teeter are having triple coupon events!

Bloom is March 20-22. This Fri - Sun

HT is all next week - March 25 - 31 (Wed-Tues)

You can find "deal matchups" on HotCouponWorld.com (HT forum) and Bloom matchups on CharlotteMommies.com (Domestic Goddess forum)

Happy shopping!

Inexpensive Family Outings!

Right in our own backyard (well, practically). Check out any of the 3 area Nature Centers. McDowell Park and nature center is not far from GAstonia/Belmont. Reedy Creek is near 485 on the North Side near University Area.

We went to Reedy Creek. The Nature Center is FREE. There are snakes, turtles, frogs, and they will take them out for the kids to see! There was also a little "kids corner" play area with hands-on nature experiments. Also at the park are several nature trails (not paved, so grab those jogging strollers or back-pack baby carriers!) that go around ponds, there are pavillions and sports fields, and a great play ground.

The Nature Center has the brochure (for all 3 Nature Centers) and there are a ton of activities for all ages...all free or under $5.

The McDowell one is right on Lake Wylie and has camp grounds!

But if you're looking for a fun and FREE way to spend a weekday morning, picnic lunch, or a weekend family day, we highly recommend one of these parks and Nature Centers!

Fix a Clogged Drain

  Hopefully this can serve as an inexpensive way to fix a clogged drain.  Simply pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible.  Let set for a few minutes, Then pour a kettle of 6 or more cups of boiling water down the drain  to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar breaks down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

 

Lend a Hand

One way to save money is by accomplishing many tasks on your own that you would usually pay a professional to do for you.  For example, changing the oil in your car, rotating your tires or painting.  The hope is that this blog would create a community of stewardship and encourage everyone to lend a hand according to their talents.  So if you know how to rotate your own tires feel free to share that with the group by commenting to this post.  Or if you could use a hand painting please make that known as well so we can work together to help each other out.