We also love our community library and its wide offerings of story times, videos, and other resources for free use! Some other free or low-cost activities for families & kids: get a free or low-cost bus pass and tour your own city, or a nearby one - take a sack lunch, and get off the bus at a park or plaza, then get back on and choose your stops according to what parts of the city you would like to see. If you live near a capital city, as we do, the tours and exhibits are free. Also try an area college or university - search their web site for children/family/outreach activities, usually free to all. Often, a TV station will give small groups a free tour, which is fascinating to all ages, fun and different! When our kids got a bit older, we started volunteering occasionally to serve lunch or dinner at a downtown shelter - really opened their eyes to the meaning of "disadvantaged." Do a web search on your own city or a nearby one, to see what companies may offer family stuff, such as touring their corporation, or viewing the city from atop their skyscraper, etc. Cheapie shopping fun for a family? Give, or have them save up, a couple of dollars per child and go to a dollar store - see who can find the most fun item/most unusual/etc, for just a dollar! Go on an evening "camp-out" in your own back yard - sing, look at stars, sleep on sleeping bags, roast hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner, even on a barbeque grill if necessary. Let each kid have his own water canteen or something individualized - do an inexpensive craft if time/money allow, or just see who can find the most different kinds of leaves, rocks, etc., then relax and enjoy the night!

There are tons of great free things to do with young kids. We have a mall near our house that has a free climb/play area for young children. My daughter loves it and it tires her out! Also, Pottery Barn Kids has weekly book club where they read to the kids and a concert series in which a musician/singer/songwriter comes and has a mini-concert for the kids. It is free and great fun. It really brings my somewhat shy 3 year old out of her shell.

I just discovered that our local library has a summer reading program - knew one existed but thought it was for older kids and didn't know that it included adults as well. Tomorrow I am going to take DS over to get his own library card and get him started. He will be able to work his way toward a bug themed prized - perfect for him and the adult program is geared at going green and you can get a tote. I so wish I had realized they included the really young and the adults as we would have already recieved our first prizes and been in a couple of drawings. What a great program.

This thread is awesome! One of my biggest faults is that I don't cook and it looks like that's the best way to save money. Everyone here has great ideas! One time last year I started cleaning my floor with vinegar and water, but DH couldn't stand the smell! Any suggestions on floor cleaner?
Also the newspaper idea for windows....seems strange to me I guess I'll just have to try it some time!
Any other ideas on how to save money without DH really knowing? If we have any money at all he likes to spend it and the truth is we really can't afford it.

1-live near a grocery outlet? check out their website to find out. They are the big lots of groceries and have amazing deals on toiletries and food.The gourmet and regular cheese I have found there is amazing. The staples and produce are always cheaper and you won't believe what you find there!
2-There is a chain called 99Cents Only. The closest one to me is 30 miles away and across a toll bridge but if I need to be in that area for work or to see friends, I make sure to schedule time to go there. Some produce and frozen and canned and snacks the rest is all household items. I have found $15 toiletry items for 99cents. So worth your trouble if you live near one. They also have a website to locate one.
3-Thrift stores and especially the non goodwill or salvation army ones, just the regular ones. They are a hassle so you have to psyche up but most have one day per week where all one color price tag is only 99 cents and during the rest of the week a color that is half price. If a goodwill is not a goodwill boutique but is near a more expensive residential area you are going to find better things. Go early for the best stuff.
4-freecyle.org You join via a yahoo account, it is free and people post things they no longer want. Not only have I gotten rid of things I have gotten things like a new vcr, new large Oster toaster oven, lots of cat food and kitty litter, books, movies, etc.
5-the church thrift stores are cheap and usually have one day per month when everything is half price.
6-stock up on tomato sauce, canned fruit, your nonperishable staples on sale. Our local drugstore chain(Longs) has great sales on that stuff so I never pay more than a quarter for tomato sauce as they have it on sale so often I always buy four when it is on sale. Then find recipes that use these things. You can put a handful of ingredients followed by the word recipe into a google search and find tons of recipes for what you have on hand. Happy Frugaling!
It is an art, a science, a craft, a passion!

Replace disposable items with cloth - cloth napkins, towels instead of paper towels, microfiber towels with plain water does a great job on windows - I was amazed with this one - much cleaner than windex and paper towels.

[quote=Lilbranches;534866]I am an avid coupon user- so I just started this money saving idea this month. Whenever I get a receipt (grocery store/dept store/warehouse store etc.) I look at the bottom of the receipt to see how much I saved using coupons etc. I then take half that amount and place into our savings account.

I really like that idea!

[quote=VibrantBlueDaisy;719685]This thread is awesome! One of my biggest faults is that I don't cook and it looks like that's the best way to save money. Everyone here has great ideas! One time last year I started cleaning my floor with vinegar and water, but DH couldn't stand the smell! Any suggestions on floor cleaner?

Add a few drops of lavender or another potpourri oil that you like to the water. works a treat. Does anyone use vinegar in their rinse cycle instead of softener? I do. It removes the soap residue, and softens the clothes naturally. Plus, its much, much cheaper...

Thank you for sharing your good ideas. Im glad these were helpful.

you can use the last couple drops of shampoo as floor cleaner. the ph level is almost the same as other floor cleaners so it will still cut the grease/dirt, and the smell may be more appealing to your husband.