frugal living – Mom Life in the PNW

Jenn

How to Host an Inexpensive Super Bowl Party

Last year we hosted a super bowl party because our Seahawks went. We’ll probably be doing it again since they’ve made it yet again! The first team in 10 years to do a back to back super bowl. So Awesome! The game was so stressful, yet so exciting. I think my husband and I went through every emotion imaginable yesterday.

How to Host an Inexpensive Super Bowl Party

When I did my Seahawks themed super bowl party, I pretty much avoided the expensive NFL licensed products. I did end up picking up a set of plates that said Seahawks on them just for the hell of it at Walmart, which wasn’t too overly priced (under $3) But for the most part, I grabbed green and blue plates, napkins and silverware at Walmart which were $1 each.

We had the party be potluck style, so people brought a little something to help lessen the costs, but honestly, it ended up being too much food anyways. Make sure you’re not over doing it with however many people you have invited. Some examples of what we had: Chips and dips, mini weenies, pinwheel sandwiches, deviled eggs, cupcakes, crackers-cheese-salami tray, brownies, cookies, jello shots, skittles vodka, beer, soda etc. Go for more simple snack items, it will lessen the costs. Also, don’t be afraid to use coupons! You should be able to find sales and stack your coupons with them during the first week before Superbowl.

DIY decorations: I wasn’t about to spend a fortune on NFL themed decor, so I opted to do some myself. I bought a few poster boards at the Dollar Tree and printed out photos and glued them on. I also had a bunch of construction paper so I cut out some bubble letters to stick on the Feed the Beast board and then borrowed my friends hot glue gun and glued skittles onto the board since that is Lynch’s game day power booster. I had mostly everything on hand to decorate the boards with: crayons, markers, glue, scissors, paper, printer, picmonkey app etc.

Evites: Send invites out on Facebook or through email. Don’t waste money on mail invites when most if not all of you are on Facebook anyways. And who doesn’t have an email address?

Don’t worry about brand name products. Buy off brand if that means a significant savings. Your guests won’t care and everyone’s happy.

Do you have any other tips for how to host an inexpensive super bowl party?

And who are you going to be rooting for!?

Jenn

10 Frugal Wedding Decorations

If you haven’t already gathered by the numerous wedding invitations you have received; summer is wedding season. We have 2 to go to and one happening this weekend, so it seemed fitting that I do a post on frugal wedding decorations, you know, for the slackers who wait til the last minute to get their wedding decor figured out.

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Pom Poms

These are the easiest, cheapest things you could make to decorate your wedding, depending on what color you need, how many you plan on making, and what size. You can get a packet of tissue paper at the Dollar Store which is as cheap as you’re going to get it, but unfortunately, there are limited color options. But white always goes with everything and it gives it a classic and elegant look. Head on over to the Exclusively Weddings Blog for a step-by-step tutorial.

Photo copyright: Exclusively Weddings

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Submerged Flowers in Vases

We all know flowers aren’t cheap. You could potentially use fake flowers at any craft store or dollar tree and get it looking pretty darn close to the real thing. Look for the 40% off coupon at JoAnn’s for maximum savings or purchase your flowers at a local grocery store; usually, they will clearance them down after they’ve been sitting a little while. Buy the clear vases, votives, and beads at the Dollar Tree. You’ll have yourself a pretty, yet inexpensive table setting. Add food coloring to the water in your choice of color if you want to skip the flowers.

Photo copyright: Chloe Atnip photography

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Paper Rosettes

These are another simple and cute idea that makes pretty inexpensive decor, especially if you already have construction or scrap paper lying around that will go with the theme. Broke-Ass Bride provides an easy step-by-step tutorial over on her blog, go check it out.

PaperPartyDecorTutorial__Luminaire_Images_GoodAffair1016_low

photo copyright: luminaire images

Frugal Wedding Decorations: DIY Cakestand

You probably wouldn’t guess you could make this for $2, would you? That’s right, only $2! You’ll probably pay around $20+ for this at any department store. An Exercise in Frugality shows you how she created this by purchasing the 2 items at the dollar tree.

photo copyright: TonySouPhotography

Frugal Wedding Decorations: DIY Cake Crown Topper & Paper Towel Garland

If you want to get super creative with paper towels and tissue paper again, head on over to Wedding Chicks and check out their tutorial. This would probably work best for those having an early 1900s themed wedding.

photo copyright: weddingchicks

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Bride & Groom Chair Sign

WeddingChicks have another great decor piece for the back of the bride and groom’s chair, AND it is 100% free! You can even change the colors to match the ones similar to your color scheme. Download and print on to card stock or photo paper, your choice!

photo copyright: weddingchicks

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Chalkboard Sign

Have an old frame laying around the house that you have no purpose for? Buy some chalk spray paint (around $4 a can) and spray the glass. You’ll have your very own unique entrance piece. Photo from TheSavannahWeddingPlanner.

Frugal Wedding Decorations: DIY Photo Backdrop Stand

You’ve probably seen these at your friend’s/families wedding at one point or another and thought it was a good idea. Well, how about I tell you that you can make this PVC pipe photo backdrop for only $10. Use a white sheet you have at home or any other inexpensive fabric and wa-la, your very own photography stand to take goofy photos in front of. You could probably find a decent amount of props at the Dollar Tree or even at Target in the 1 dollar bins. Go check it out over at Happiness is Homemade.

Easy-DIY-Photo-Booth-Backdrop-Frame-for-10

photo copyright: happiness is homemade

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Funny Comic Bubble Photo Props

These are on Etsy for $13.95 for a pack of 16 for the image files, which may or may not be worth it to you. But don’t worry, you can easily make these over at PicMonkey with your creativity, and print the images on 8×10 card stock paper or print them on regular paper and glue them onto thicker paper. After that is all done, attach some sticks or foam board to them.

photo copyright: redline studio wedding designs

Frugal Wedding Decorations: Wedding Favor: For Richer, For Poorer

How cute is this idea of having a card with a coin attached and a lottery ticket inserted? And it’s not too expensive depending upon however many guests you have.

photo credit: Laurel McConell Photography, post by MyWedding

And if you need creative templates or mockups that you can design and do yourself for decorations, check out pixelied.com.

Plus, you can even create a wedding quote, print it off, and stick it in a fancy frame and the couple will love it! I did that for quite a few weddings using the pixelied website.

There you have it guys, 10 Frugal Wedding Decorations to help make your day super special. I hope at least some of these ideas have helped steer you in the right direction or gave you some inspiration.

If you have any other ideas you’d like to recommend or share, leave us a comment below and if you liked this post, share the wealth. Thanks! 🙂

Jenn

Entertain Yourself with Budget-Friendly Options

Nearly every consumer has a different idea about what makes up a good time, so there is no single approach to saving money on entertainment. On the contrary, individuals strive to assemble their own brand of fun, paying attention to the cost of entertainment as they set themselves up for a good time. Music events, dining, and other cultural exposures each represent go-to leisure activities, representing life’s finer pleasures. Unfortunately, each of these pastimes also carries its own cost – sometimes challenging fun-loving adults from enjoying the good times they seek. When in need, payday loans online can help.

Luckily, there are savings to be had in the entertainment industry, including discounted ticket prices and admission fees, as well as dining deals that save money for food lovers. Regardless of your tastes and pleasures, advanced planning and attention to your options are all that’s required to share the recreational delights you desire without wrecking your entertainment budget along the way.

Food Savings Help keep Entertainment Costs Low

Restaurant expenses add-up; even when your tastes don’t run to gourmet dining. Simple meals out; especially when multiple family members are present, can be significant expenses for families operating on limited food budgets. Thankfully, even the most popular restaurants need to fill the greatest number of seats possible, so they offer dining deals that help trim entertainment spending.

To stay informed about discounts and other special promotions at your favorite restaurants, sign up for email notifications and other preferred customer programs. Commonly, restaurants reward their frequent customers by extending savings opportunities directly tied to the money spent in their establishments. As a result, frequent diner loyalty programs can be a significant source of savings for those who tend to frequent the same favorite spots.

Dining in remains a budget-friendly source of entertainment for those keeping costs down, as well. Instead of going out to eat, plan cooking events with friends – the overall cost is significantly less and good times do not suffer. Plan your home-inspired foodie events in the ways that make most sense for you and your friends. For some, that means having potluck affairs where guests each bring a dish to be shared. In other cases, a revolving gourmet experience, moved from host to host, is a more realistic approach.

Local attractions Furnish Budget Outings

We often take our surroundings for granted, but the truth is; there are abundant opportunities for low-budget fun available in most locales. Parks and other attractions, for example, furnish inexpensive alternatives to clubs and other expensive outings. Whether it is a walk in a nature park, or a stroll through a local neighborhood, fun found close to home can be rewarding without a high price tag.

National museums and art galleries can also be explored for a relatively low price. Those which are not free to the public offer low admission fees and the extensive collections are enough to keep you busy for hours. Smaller exhibits are also shared by private and public galleries, so a little research is all it takes to open new vistas to the art world. Weather permitting, outdoor art fairs and other regional festivals are prime sources of budget entertainment, and they usually include food options, so inexpensive meals can also be secured at these local events.

Major concerts are expensive, so music lovers working with limited budgets find significant money savings by attending performances by locally known acts. Concerts, theater and other forms of regional entertainment furnish the same levels of enjoyment, but lesser-known acts and theater companies do not command premium prices for their performances. Themed, guided tours are also available in some areas, undertaken on foot or by bus. These low-cost entertainment options provide insight into your neighborhood and surrounding areas, highlighting features you may not even be aware of.