Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Preventing a High Dental Bill Part 2

Last week I showed you how keeping up on preventative care in the dental office will save you money in the long run. Oh ya and help your teeth and body stay healthy.


Here are some more ideas to cut your dental costs.


Free Dental Days: Give kids a Smile. Every year on the first Friday in February, thousands of our nation's dentists and their dental team members provide free dental care services to uninsured children Kindergarten to 8th grade. The program is called Give Kids a Smile. It is happening Feb 5, 2010. Find a program in your area.


Dental Care by Students: When I was in Dental Hygiene school we did dental cleanings, x-rays and exams all for only $20. It took more time, but the patients got a very thorough cleaning and exam. 
If there is a dental school or dental hygiene school in your area contact them. They are always looking for patients, and their fees are minimal and sometimes FREE.
The ISU Dental School in Boise offers care on a sliding scale based on family income.
Apollo College in Boise offer cleanings call 208-377-8080.


Home care: You can do a lot at home to prevent dental decay and the need for expensive dental fillings, crowns and root canals.

• Floss Daily :) 

Flossing prevents gingivitis and periodontitis (gum disease). Most people have gingivitis, because most people do not floss everyday. Gasp. Plaque builds up every 12 hours and gets beneath the gum line. Plaque is filled with bacteria that break down the gingival fibers around the tooth. If a person does not floss and does not get professional dental cleaning this disease gingivitis progresses to periodontitis. Periodontitis occurs when the bacteria from plaque start to destroy the bone around your teeth. Guess what if you lose enough bone you lose your teeth. Yuk. Remember treating periodontitis costs more than $700 for initial therapy. 


Flossing also prevents dental decay (cavities). Flossing is the only way to clean between the teeth. Toothbrush bristles just can't get in there.

• Brush 2 times a day

Be sure to use a soft or extra soft toothbrush to help prevent recession. No not economic recession, gingival recession. The gum starts to pull back away from the tooth exposing the root. This is often caused by brushing too hard.


Brushing will keep the plaque off the teeth and help prevent dental decay and gingivitis.


Fluoride: Fluoride makes the enamel hard and strong to help prevent cavities. 
Fluoride can be found in water and some foods; bottled water, city water and well water. Sometimes well water does not have it so have your water tested. Not all city's fluoridate their water, contact your water company to find out. If you do not have enough fluoride in your water your children should take fluoride supplements. Children and adults can rinse with fluoride rinse like ACT found in the store. High risk people should brush with a prescription strength fluoride.


Cash Discount: Many dental offices will offer a 10% discount to patients the pay in full for their services. I know a good one that does. :) Always be sure to ask if these services are available.


Sealant Clinics: Sealants are a protective coating placed in deep grooves of permanent teeth to prevent food and plaque from getting trapped and causing cavities. Sometimes free sealants are offered in the schools. Be sure to take advantage of these programs for your children.


Fluoride in the School: Any time your child can get a topical fluoride treatment in school get them involved. This is also usually FREE. This will help prevent cavities.


Eat Healthy: Just because you have a pantry full of fruit snacks you got for .05 a box does not mean you should let your kids eat them as much as they please. Hehe we had to work on this at my house. Sugar is a huge factor in causing tooth decay. Having a good balanced diet and taking vitamin supplements (especially D, B, C, Calcium, magnesium and zinc) will help supply your teeth and gums with the nutrients they need to stay healthy.


Avoid pop/soda: Not only does it contain lots of sugar it also has ACID! So that diet you thought you were safe with is still doing damage to your teeth. Acid and sugar work hard to cause cavities in the teeth. 


Avoid or Stop Using Tobacco: Tobacco causes periodontal disease and can even cause ORAL CANCER.


Next week we will cover how you can save money with dental insurance and dental discount plans.

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Preventing a High Dental Bill

We like to consider ourselves some what a couponing experts, but you know we do not have a licence to talk coupons or a formal education in deal blogging. (Who does?) We just share our opinions and try to help you save money.
Today I am going to talk about something I AM licenced to educated people in, DENTAL HYGIENE.

I have often seen patients that come in for the first time in 10 years!
The reasons are all very similar:

• they were not insured for years
• they put their kids first when it came to their budget and heath care
• they couldn't afford to take time off of work to come in
• or their parents could not afford preventative care when they were growing up.

Do you see the reacuring theme here? MONEY!

When you put off dental care for years you comprimise your health. Almost every patient that puts it off this long develops periodontal disease. (Your gums get infected and disease moves down to the bone around your teeth destroying the bone that holds your teeth in.) Teeth decay and break causing the need for root-canals, crowns and fillings.

COST COMPARISON:
I have put together an example of how much it may cost to restore your teeth after waiting 10 years. This is a pretty conservative example. It could cost less, but very likely would cost more if you had more than 5 cavities or more than one broken tooth.

Prospective Treatment Plan: *Based on national fees
4-Quad Scaling and Root Planing: $720 (to treat periodontal disease)
1 Crown and build up: $900 (to fix a broken tooth)
1 Root Canal: $700 (to fix the tooth ache from the broken tooth)
5 Fillings @ $150 each : $750 (to fix five cavities)
Total: $3070 or $307/year based on 10 years of missed treatment

If you only did your preventative basics and got a cleaning a check up once a year it would cost you.....

Once a year plan: $140 per year, or less than $12 a month
Adult Prophylaxis $65 (teeth cleaning)
4 Bite-wing x-rays $45
Periodic Exam: $30

If you got your teeth cleaned twice a year which is recomended it would cost you..........

Twice a year plan: $205 per year or $17 a month
Adult Prophylaxis every 6 months $130 (recomended)
4 Bite-wing x-rays $45
Periodic Exam: $30

I only put the once a year plan in because some people that really take care of their teeth at home (that means flossing every day :) can get by with a cleaning only once a year.

So if you can just find it in the budget to keep up on your dental care it will help you stay disease free and cost you LESS in the long run. Plus you will love going to the dentist because you will have easy cleanings and less dental work needed.

Ok I have more to say! But I will have you wait until next week to learn more about what you can do to prevent a high dental bill!

*In your area it could be more or less!


ps - Cathy here... just wanted to remind you about the FREE offer running right now for our FABULOUS readers with Dr. Brandon Taylor. You can read all about it in my review post here.

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: The Creative Crate

Hi Everyone!!!

I am Stacie…the crazy woman behind The Creative Crate, and I can’t believe it…but Monica has asked me to guest post on her FaBuLouS blog today!
To start off...here are a FeW things about me:

I am a SAHM mom of 4 fun and awesome kiddos (2boys & 2girls)…and 1 very patient husband! :)
I LoVe living in the country! ! Heeee-Haw! (just kidding)
I LoVe to craft! (of course) (when I have a few spare minutes! :) )
I LoVe to figure out ways to make the cute things that I see in the stores…but for cheaper!
I LoVe to yard sale!
I LoVe looking in antique shops!
I LoVe clogging!
I LoVe to eat my husbands homemade chocolate chip cookie dough! (Yum!)
OK...OK...enough about me :)

Since Christmas is around the corner...and money is {always} tight this time of year...I thought I would share a few thrifty Christmas decor and gift ideas...that I've been working on...that were FuN to make...and didn't break the bank!

Popsicle Stick Sled

Log Snowman

{I used a Dollar Store hat and scarf...buttons for face and chest...and cut a foam nose. Then...drilled holes in sides and stuck sticks in for the arms...and attached it all with wood glue.}

Personalized Bath Towel

Washer Necklaces

Old Window Re-do

Monica...Thanks so much for featuring me on your *FaBuLouS* blog!! I had a blast!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

FABULESSLY FRUGAL FRIDAY - Thrify Decorating!!

In my (very rare lately) moments of blog jogging, I came across this FAB site called Creations by Kara. Kara is a Utah wife and mother and super (creative) woman who is decorating her home in a frugal way! I was blown away by her talent (and so very much inspired!), so I begged her to do a guest post for our Fabulessly Frugal Friday Series!!


So without further adieu...

I am so thrilled that Cathy asked me to do a guest post. As a quick introduction, I am a stay at home mom of four boys with an amazingly supportive hubbie. We are in the process of trying to adopt a baby girl.

I have always been a frugal shopper, but I just recently discovered the fun and addictive world of thrifty decorating. I love shopping at thrift stores and transforming someone else's trash into a treasure for my home. It is so satisfying!!!

Before you start to say, "Oh, I could never do that, I am not creative at all", let me assure you that you absolutely can. Until March of this year, I was completely afraid to decorate my own home. Seriously! Never bought home decor at a thrift store. Had never re-finished a single piece of furniture. If I can learn, you can too. Really. I promise!

Here are a few of my favorite thrifty decorating tips:

Tip#1
Spray paint is your very best friend.

You can transform just about anything with spray paint. And it is soooo easy!

I bought these frames at the thrift store for less than a dollar each:

After a couple coats of black spray paint, they now hang in my entry way:
I have even used spray paint to transform my cabinet hardware from this: to this:

Tip #2
Don't be afraid to think outside the box.

Just about any item can be used in a way other than what the manufacturer had in mind. Use your imagination!

When I couldn't find a towel rack anywhere that would fit in the space I had, I came up with my own solution: I just hung a frame around a set of robe hooks. It's totally unconventional, but it works for us, and I love it!

We had an old entertainment center that we were going to get rid of:

Then I decided to re-purpose it. Now it is an organization center in my laundry room. And it was basically FREE!


Tip #3
Use catalogs, magazines, and the internet for inspiration.

I order Pottery Barn and other catalogs just to get decorating ideas. Don't forget the web, it is chock full of great inspiration!

I saw these hurricane lamps at Ballard Designs for $59. Ouch!


I made my own for $4 using a vase and candle from the thrift store, a $1 bag of leaves from Walmart, and acorns I picked up at the park.


I loved those moss spheres, but didn't want to pay $50-$100 for one. I made my own for under $5.

You will not believe what I used for the sphere! ;) I did a tutorial here if you want to make your own.

Tip #4
Don't give up if a project doesn't work the first time.

I bought a plate rack and some plates at the thrift store. Got everything all spray painted and ready to hang. Then discovered that the plates I bought didn't fit in the rack. Doh! I still wanted to use the plate rack, so I just came up with another idea.

And I love it even better!!


Tip #5
When you are looking for furniture to re-finish, pay attention to shape and construction. Color doesn't matter!

I bought this table for $25 off of Craigslist. It was my very first furniture re-finishing project ever.
It had some water damage and the finish was darn ugly, but it was solidly built and I loved the shape and curves it had. I did a tutorial on my refinishing process here.

This is what the table looks like all spruced up and decorated for fall.


Who woulda thought?

Tip #6
If you're really nervous like I was starting out, start will small rooms first.

One of the first rooms I transformed was my laundry room. Since it is in the back of the house, I knew that if I totally messed up, at least not very many people would see it. When it turned out absolutely fabulous, it really built my confidence. You can see the total transformation here.

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Frugal Gift Idea's

We have recently come across a Fabulous blog that we would love to share with you! We love to learn from the other amazing women out there in the blogosphere and so do they!

In their own words this is what the site is based on:

"We are awe struck by all the things amazing women around us do. From balancing a healthy lifestyle, to throwing the perfect party, to implementing creative ideas with family. We always seem to be asking, “How Does She do this, or How Does She do that”? While none of us is perfect, we all seem to be striving to become better. Better mothers, better wives, better women. HowDoesShe.com."

So this weeks Fabulously Frugal Friday is brought to you by HowDoesShe.com They are featuring Christmas gift ideas for your friends and neighbors. This one is great for couponers!

This could be done with items from your stockpile: Brownies, cookie mixes, refrigerated cookies, cake mixes with frosting! I have all of these in my stockpile and I bought them for .45 or less!

Attach a wooden spoon to a box of brownies, cake mix, muffins, etc.

Attach a cute Christmas tag…

‘Christmas is Jolly, Christmas is sweet. I’m stressed out so make your own darn treat!

P.S. Don't forget the cake mix, cookie mix and frostings are all on sale this week at Albertsons! Great time to start stocking up!

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Save an Extra $50 a Month Week 5

It is the last week of our 50 ways to save $50 and month. I hope you have enjoyed it and incorporated some of Robert Allen's tips.
Just think if you did each thing to save $50 a month you could potentially save $2500 a month, or $30,000 a year! That is like a teachers salary not spent!

If you missed our first week #1-10 check it out here!
Wanna catch up on week 2 #11-20?
Here is week 3 #21-30 .
Check out week 4 #31-40!


41. Don't touch that thermostat, put on a sweater instead.
I have friends who wear wool socks, beanies and sweaters in their house during the winter. If I knew that it really saved a lot of money I would try it too. Maybe we should do an experiment this winter and find out!

42. Take a shower instead of a bath.
Another idea is to bathe your kids together, or one after the other in the same water. Does that gross you out? Sorry if it does.

43. Only run a full dishwasher.
Washing dishes by hand will save you even more. It saves you on water and electricity. I am okay with going the full dishwasher route though. I am a little too busy or lazy to wash by hand.

44. Have an energy audit done on your home - some companies do them for FREE.
You can even do one yourself! Check it out.

45. Never pay extra for car rental insurance - you're probably already covered by your credit card or regular car insurance.

46. DON'T PLAY THE LOTTERY - the odds of getting hit by lightning are better than your chances of winning.
Buying lottery tickets not only wastes your money, but it entices you to pick up other items at convenient store prices.

47. Time to refinance your home? Keep an eye on interest rates.
1% point on your interest rate will save you about $100 a month on your mortgage for every $100,000. If you have a $200,000 mortgage 1% will save you $2.400 a year. If you have that mortgage for 10 years you will save $24,000 during that loan period. Keep it for 30 years save $72,000.

48. Pay yourself first - set aside a dollar a day.
If you put that $1 a day into a fund that earns 10% you will earn $25,000 in 20 years. If you do the same thing for 54 years you will grow 1 million dollars. We invest $10 a day and in 20 years will have $250,000. We will have our million in about 33 years. Now that is assuming we can earn an average of 10% interest. Right now we are not earning that but are buying our stocks at a discount because the market is down. We started investing almost 7 years ago so it will actually be sooner than that. The younger you are when you get in the market, the younger you will be when you accumulate your million. So start now. Robert will tell you how in his book.

49. Buy a "piggy bank" for all the spare change you keep finding in your couch.
I love to use my change for garage sales and doubles coupon shopping at Albertsons.

50. Don't spend your next pay raise - INVEST THAT MONEY INSTEAD.
That is a great time to start investing. Your budget will not miss the money! We invest the maximum allowed in our 401K plans.

All 50 of these tips plus more great advice from Robert Allen can be yours for just $2.95! Hehe that sounds like an infomercial. But REALLY You can purchase Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth! Second Edition at Amazon.com

Sorry the FREE book offer is no longer available.

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Save an Extra $50 a Month Week 4

I told you about this Fabulous book by Robert G Allen, "Multiple Streams of Income."In his book he highlights 50 Ways to Save $50 a Month. For the next few weeks on Fab Frug Friday we are going to share all 50 ways and give you our two cents about each one!
This is week 4, numbers 31-40.
If you missed our first week #1-10 check it out here!
Wanna catch up on week 2 #11-20?
Here is week 3 #21-30 .

31. Join a warehouse club.
We love Costco! I shopped there frequently before I couponed. I do not need to shop there much anymore. It is still great for furniture, electronics and gifts, but I save more on my groceries sticking to couponing and my PYP shopping list!

32. Scan those scanners and receipts, mistakes do happen.
When I shop I carefully watch the screen. There have been many times when a coupon has beeped but not actually affected my total. Sometimes you I have been double charged for items. Always pay attention and check your receipt because mistakes do happen!

33. Avoid pricey specialty stores.

34. Comparison shop "on-line."
Perfect, I do not have to waste gas running all over town?

35. Gotta trunk? Buy in BULK.
We call this building your stockpile. When you find and item on a good price buy 3. If you find and item on a great price buy 10! You will save money in the long run if you do not have to pay full price for the item later. If you stockpile you will not have to run to the store and pay full price for a cake mix, because you will have 5 in your pantry when ever you need to bake a cake.

36. Premium gas for your car? Most run fine with out it. Check your manual to be sure.

37. Forget the words "automatic car wash", do it yourself and get some fresh air.
It is also a great way to get a tan!

38. Use that quick-change oil and lube service on the corner instead of a full service garage.
If you have a DIY guy like I do you can just have him take care of it for even less!

39. Never pay extra for service contracts or extended warranties, the manufactures warranty is usually sufficient.

40. Cancel that premium channel you never watch, or cancel cable TV all together.
My husband always begs me to get cable when BSU football season approaches. Anyone what to have us over for the game when it is on ESPN? We really save money with out it, and we really do not need it. I grew up with it because my dad worked for the cable company and I really do not miss it much.

You can get your own FREE copy of "Multiple Streams of Income"

OR you can purchase Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth! Second Edition at Amazon.com

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Save an Extra $50 a Month Week 3

I told you about this Fabulous book by Robert G Allen, "Multiple Streams of Income."


I told you about this Fabulous book by Robert G Allen, "Multiple Streams of Income."In his book he highlights 50 Ways to Save $50 a Month. For the next few weeks on Fab Frug Friday we are going to share all 50 ways and give you our two cents about each one!
This is week 3, numbers 21-30. If you missed last weeks #1-10 check it out here! Wanna catch up on #11-20?

21. Free up space in your mailbox, cancel that magazine subscription you never read.
Check out our freebie section on the blog to get FREE magazines instead.
Here are a couple:
COVER Magazine - America's Source for Wholesale Merchandise, is the leading business magazine for independent retail store owners, wholesalers, distributors and closeout buyers.Click Here
Total Landscape Care - an industry news magazine for green industry and landscaping professionals.Click Here


22. Watch a parade or have a picnic, free entertainment is often the best.
The newspaper is a great source to find out about local free events!

23. Turn your car into a "chat room." Carpool to work.
Traveling is always more fun with friends, plus you can cut coupons when it is your friends turn to drive. :)

24. Join the "bus crowd" and avoid cab fare.
Cabs are very expensive and bus fares are really inexpensive!

25. Buy airline tickets in advance, and always stay through Saturday. You'll have more fun and it's a lot cheaper, too!

26. Quit that health club, join the local gym instead.
If you want to work out at home your library is a great source for work out videos.

27. "COUPONS" & "DOUBLE COUPON DAYS." Enough said.
Do I really need to say anything? Check out some of our shopping trips if you need a little more convincing.

28. What is in a name? Buy generic instead.
I used to mostly buy generic because it is less expensive. Since couponing though I find that my stockpile is full of brand name things I got for Free or cheap. When I do not have a coupon deal, I go for the generic brand though!

29. Skip the paper towels, wash your cloth ones instead!
Unless you can get them for FREE with a coupon of course!

30. Watch out for "convenience" foods, they're expensive and not as healthy for you anyway.
Stock up on convenience food when they are on a great coupons deal and them hide them away for SPECIAL occasions. IE parities, road trips ect!


You can get your own FREE copy of "Multiple Streams of Income"

OR you can purchase Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth! Second Edition at Amazon.com

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Save an Extra $50 a Month Week 2

I told you about this Fabulous book by Robert G Allen, "Multiple Streams of Income."In his book he highlights 50 Ways to Save $50 a Month. For the next few weeks on Fab Frug Friday we are going to share all 50 ways and give you our two cents about each one!
This is week 2, numbers 11-20. If you missed last weeks #1-10 check it out here!

Many of this weeks tips include topics we have blogged about before. I will include links to those posts in case you would like to read them!

11. Check all medical and hospital bills for errors....many insurance companies offer rewards. I have never heard about rewards, but I have had many, many times when I have found that I have been over charged or my insurance payments were not credited. Computers and people make mistakes so check your bills carefully for them to avoid being over charged.

12. Rent, never buy, something you'll only use a few times.
We love to snowmobile, but we do not own our own. We would much rather pay a couple hundred dollars a year to rent instead of thousands of dollars to buy them and then have to pay to maintain and store them.

13. Turn your yard into a department store - have a rummage sale.
We have a little experience in selling used items to earn money. You can do it too! You can even list your sale on our site if you are a Boise local. See also: Tips for Hosting a Garage Sale and Garage Sale Power Shopping

14. Switch long-distance carriers, then switch again.
Many phone companies offer incentives to switch to them. I really want to try out Magic Jack. It is only $19.95/YEAR!

15. Call waiting? Not usually? Cancel those add-on phone services you don't need.
Those little charges can really add up. Consider getting a less expensive cell phone plan if you really are not needing all of those minutes.

16. E-mail your friends instead of calling.
Have you ever tried Skype? You can have a live video call through your PC for FREE! My parents love to see their grand kids on Skype.

17. Skip the movies, rent a video instead.
We love to use Redbox! It is only $1 a day and you can often get free codes. Find FREE codes here!

18. Dine out? Eat in.
Eating at home is much less than going out. Especially if you bought your food with coupons. But if you must have a break and dine out be sure to use Restaurant.com Gift Certificates and get $25 off your $35 meal!

19. Lunch is "in the bag", or it should be.
I have talked about this before. Do you want to know how much this can save you in a year? Check out my Free Lunch Post for the answer.

20. Don't buy that book! Exercise your library card.
We love the library! The library has so many wonderful FREE programs, books, movies, music and much more. Check out what our local libraries have to offer!

You can get your own FREE copy of "Multiple Streams of Income"


OR you can purchase Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth! Second Edition at Amazon.com

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Save an Extra $50 a Month

I told you about this Fabulous book by Robert G Allen, "Multiple Streams of Income."In his book he highlights 50 Ways to Save $50 a Month. For the next few weeks on Fab Frug Friday we are going to share all 50 ways and give you our two cents about each one!

1. Shop with a list and Stick to it!
This is why we love PYP shopping lists. We often speak about Albies, when we shop there we only buy what is on the list. Regular priced items are priced high at Albies and are not worth buying!
Gone are the days of going to Walmart or Costco and picking up random clothing items or movies that are cheap. When we shop we stick to our list, essentially keeping us from spending more money!
When shopping Walgreens, Target, Rite Aid, Fred Meyer or other stores we blog about feel free to copy and paste our post to a word document to make your own list to stick to while shopping. Just be sure to tell people where you got the fab info when they are soooo impressed with your money saving skills! ;)

2. Just say NO to ATM's with fees....plan ahead for your cash needs.
You can always get a fee free transaction if you use an ATM at your personal bank. Also remember that many stores will give you cash back on an ATM card purchase and that if FEE FREE!

3. Does your bank charge high fees? MOVE YOUR ACCOUNT.
There are plenty of banks that have FREE checking accounts. Don't pay for yours! We moved our savings to a money market account that gets a much higher return than our banks savings account.

4. Pay off that credit card balance!
We pay off our credit card each month. We don't ever charge more on the card than we have cash for in the bank. If you are stuck with a balance Robert can show you how to get rid of it in his book. He will also show you how throwing away that card will save you 30% on your expenses.

5. If you must carry a credit card balance, shop around for a card with a lower rate. Credit card companies want you and are willing to negotiate if you are willing to walk away if they don't give you the rate you want.

6. Look for lower premiums on your insurance policies.
Even if you got a low rate when you origianlly got the policy, you may find a lower rate if you check into it once every year or two.

7. Consider higher deductibles for your home and auto insurance.
You may have to pay a higher deducatble, but it will most likely be worth the money you saved paying a lower monthly payment! Our old truck only has liability insurance because if we crash it, it would likely cost us more to fix it than it is worth.

8. Do you have private mortgage insurance? If you have built up 20% equity in your home, you can cancel it.
Private Mortgage insurance runs about $100-$300 a month depending on the amount of your loan. It would sure be nice to knock that off your bill. You can if you have 20% equity!

9. Use a mail-order pharmacy for long-term prescriptions.
They tend to be less expensive and will save you the gas, hassle and potential of buying other things in the drug store.

10. "Doc, can I get that as a generic drug?"
Most perscriptions have generics that are the excact same drug just less expensive. You are not getting a higher quality if you choose Vicodin over hydrocodone + acetaminophen. They are the exact same chemical compound. One just has a brand name on it and a higher price tag.

Also when buying over the counter meds look for generics. Ex: Tylenol=Acetopminophen, Bayer=Asprin, Advil/Motrin=Ibuprofen, Aleve=Naproxen Sodium.

You can get your own FREE copy of "Multiple Streams of Income"



OR you can purchase Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth! Second Edition at Amazon.com

FABULESS FRUGAL FRIDAY: How to Survive a Road Trip WITH the KIDS!

ARE WE THERE YET????

note the green and brown car that coordinates with our blog colors... ha ha!

Doesn't this remind you of the good ol days, when you'd pack em in tight, sing songs, and travel with your family? I love it!

So you want to take a trip with your family, hu?

Here are some of my fave bloggers and their FAB ideas about packing for, organizing, and entertaining your kidlets while taking a road trip!

In the past I would purchase a new toy from Walmart and maybe stop by the dollar store with hopes that my children would be entertained the entire ride. Never really worked though! Here is a FAB article of Ten Great Travel Toys You Already Own. #1 on the list? Blue Painters Tape!! Now seriously, they could have a lot of fun with that!! (Hint: I have NO PROBLEM spending a quarter on a new box of crayons to add to my contraband!)

From Tip Junkie, a slew of ideas from other bloggers about games to do in the car!

From Small Notebook, a guide to Quick Trip Packing and Organized Trip Packing for Kids

Marie over at Makes and Takes shares her pictorial of Packing for a trip with the Kids. I love her rule of, "Whatever fits can come on the trip and if it doesn’t, too bad so sad." Then don't miss her article, Traveling with Kids in the Car. The pictures are a hoot!

Over at Simple Mom she has a post entitled, Tips for Holiday Traveling with Kids... although this is geared toward the end of the year holidays, I find many of the points relate to summer travel as well!

Does your trip involve flying? Read Flying with Small Children, The Beauty of Packing Light (this one's for you), and Packing Light with Small Children. Don't miss Ten Tips for Keeping a Toddler Busy on a Plane (although I wouldn't do #5 myself, for fear that my kidlet wouldn't leave said "neighbor" alone!).

And don't miss this one titled, Organized Car Travels. I think having a clean and organized car makes a long road trip MUCH easier!!

What things do you do to make your road trip with kidlets easier??

FABULESSLY FRUGAL FRIDAY: Dave Ramsey "MTMM" - 1 month Free

I've told you how much I LOVE Dave Ramsey, haven't I?

One of the things that I first "learned about" when I started getting into the whole blogging world, just over a year ago, was Dave Ramsey. And let me tell you, he has changed my whole mindset about money. I finally decided to read his book The Total Money Makeover. And it changed who we are. For the better.

Many of you are aware that we are one of the nations "unemployed" as of April 3rd. If this had happened a year ago, we wouldn't have had any savings, and would have used credit cards to supplement our unemployment income.

Thanks to Dave Ramsey, when this DID happen 3 months ago, we had 2 months of savings in the bank. I haven't even THOUGHT about using credit cards. We've simply cut our spending back.


So here is your FabuLESS Frgual Friday tip:

Let Dave Ramsey indoctrinate your mind about money. It's no "get out of debt quick" scheme. It's good old fashioned money sense. Something I think Americans in general forgot about, but are coming to realize.

YOU can join MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com for one month free. Just follow the instructions on this coupon.

What will you find at MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com?

• access to all three hours (commercial free) of his daily radio show
• a slew of articles to "indoctrinate" you
  
• forums
• software to help you create your budget
• web based "Baby Step" tracking
• and a whole lot more

If you think you "get" money. I encourage you to check out Dave Ramsey.

If you are living paycheck to paycheck and have no financial future in sight, I encourage you to check out Dave Ramsey.

If you want to "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else", I encourage you to check out Dave Ramsey.

ps - I ♥ Dave Ramsey

Fabulessly Frugal Friday: Hair Cuts

Most people need a hair cut about every 6 weeks. The fee for a hair cut can range between $10-$70+. So let's say the average fee is $30. (I am not including color here ladies) For one person the amount spent on hair cuts per year would be $210. If you are a family of four you are looking at $840 per year.

So why not do it yourself, at least for the kidlets. I have never been to beauty school, but I have paid attention when in the salon.

Here is what you will need:

• Clippers (can be purchased for around $20 or less)


• Scissors (may come in your clipper kit)


• Comb


• Spray bottle (I got mine and the Dollar Store)
  
  
  If my husband does the hair cut he just takes the clippers to their head and cuts their hair all one length with about a 1/2 comb. This is a great summer hair cut, but I like their hair to be a little longer so this is how I do it.
  

1. Starting with the one inch comb I trim the back and the sides of the hair. If you want it shorter you can always go smaller with your comb, but it is better to start out with a bigger comb so you don't get it too short.

2. Then I spray the hair with water and using my fingers, a comb and a pair of scissors I cut the top.

I like to do the hair cuts outside with shirts off. It makes clean up soooo much easier. Then I plop them in the tub afterward.

Alternative Ways to Trim Hair Cut Costs:

1. Make appointments at beauty schools rather than professional salons for discounted rates.

2. Choose a hair style that requires less frequent trims.

3. Find a friend that cuts hair at home. Many hair stylists cut hair out of their home and are able to keep their fees low because they do not have any overhead.

4. Try out a one of the chains like Great Clips or Fantastic Sams instead of a spendy salon. You are not going to get that Salon feel or environment, but you will likely get a decent hair cut for a good price.

5. Instead of every 6 weeks for appointments try every 8 or 10.


Here is a great video I have used to help me with hair cuts! You Tube has 1000's of videos you can use to learn styles and hair cutting techniques.

Do you have any other ideas for saving on hair cuts? Feel free to share in the comments!