Although money may be tight so soon after the holidays, there are great buys in January that are worth the expense. This week Frugal Family features items that are at their rock bottom prices in January. Some are obvious: wrapping paper, Christmas decorations and like seasonal products. Others may surprise you: frozen finger foods, chocolate and linens. Take a look at the following 23 products and see if there’s something you know you will need this year. By thinking ahead a few months, you will actually boost your budget’s bottom line in the long run. Great Buys In January: Fitness Gear and …

This is the time of year for making resolutions to improve our lives. With the best intentions and lots of hope, we usually find ourselves failing miserably and feeling guilty in short order. Most of the time the failure to succeed is because we set our expectations too high. If we can’t save a set amount of money each month for that cruise, how do we expect to turn financial savvy overnight? Just as it took years to develop bad habits like overeating or smoking, it is going to take time to undo them. A much more productive way to reach our goals is by taking small steps in the right …

Holiday decorating can be a very expensive project, especially if you are trying to watch your budget. In the past few weeks, I have seen absolutely gorgeous decorations (many on the Marietta Pilgrimage Tour) and was struck by their simplicity. Check out these free or inexpensive decorating ideas that will be a sure to impress visiting family and friends during the holidays: Magnolia Leaves and Garland – Take cuttings of the leaves and place them strategically around vases, mantle or lamps. You may also bind them with florist wire and make a garland for the mantelpiece. Pine Cones – Place …

This week Frugal Family has the scoop on where to find the best Christmas tree deals around town. Interestingly, the prices of fresh-cut trees have gone down, not up, over the last five years. Whatever the reason, the fresh-cut tree prices allow those who have been pining to have a 7-foot Frazier Fir for under $50 to get their wish. Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart all offer fresh-cut trees. For those who don’t want to deal with a fresh cut tree, there are some good prices on artificial trees at those same stores as well as Target, K-Mart and Big Lots. The biggest surprise in Christmas trees in…

This year, why don’t you consider a new Thanksgiving tradition? Save Mom from slaving over a hot stove for days and take her out! The very suggestion may create emphatic “Nos” from some; but on behalf of Moms everywhere, I am suggesting that for just one big holiday give Mom, as well as the rest of the family, an opportunity to be able to eat and enjoy. I’ll bet her level of gratitude would increase greatly and give her more energy to buy Christmas presents on Black Friday. Wink, wink. There are many tasty ways to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner without Mom’s help and still maintain important …

Georgia’s natural beauty is at its best in the Fall. I remember as a child, a yearly family tradition was to “go see the leaves." Our family made it a day; we would stop at one of the many state parks to eat a picnic lunch and enjoy the view. That usually meant driving anywhere north of Marietta. This week, we have five mountain getaways the whole family will enjoy without busting the budget. Among the package activities included are horseback trail riding, apple picking, theme parks and gold mining. Here are just a few of the special family activities being offered right now for day trips or…

Halloween is synonymous with “treats." This week Frugal Family offers spooky recipes your child can create with you. A Witches Brew, Rats Baked in Blood and Eyeball cookies are just a few of the recipes that will probably gross you out, but your kids will love. Putrid Punch  A big bowl of punch is the perfect prop for gory and ghastly Halloween trickery. There are lots of ways to make your party punch extra eerie! Make a slime ring from green punch. Freeze green punch in a gelatin mold along with plastic bugs, spiders and eyeballs. And place a few small glow sticks underneath the punch bowl: …

I love Halloween. From childhood on, I spent hours (sometimes weeks) each year planning and assembling the perfect costume. In college, I was in Halloween heaven when I majored in Television and Theater—I had access to an entire costume warehouse of handmade creations of every genre and category. When I became a mother, I channeled that creative interest into my son’s costume. Then I had an incident that forever changed my view of Halloween costumes. I spent $125 to make my then five-year-old son a horse costume complete with faux fur, a tiny leather saddle. He wore it for about 30 seconds …

Trying to prepare healthy meals on a hectic schedule can be a serious challenge for the best of cooks. Too often, a trip to the nearest fast food place is a quick solution to a time crunch. It’s time to learn the joy of slow cooker meals. You probably associate a slow cooker meal with something like pot roast. Forget that. There are all kinds of tasty dishes that can be whipped up in a slow cooker. This week Frugal Family presents five great dishes that take hours to cook, but very little time on your part. From breakfast through dessert, we have you covered. There’s even a great vegetarian …

Fall provides many opportunities for family bonding. Yes, there are the traditional fairs and festivals in just about every county in the state, but there are other weekend events that aren’t so traditional and offer more than arts and crafts, funnel cake and a parade (although these are fun, too). Take advantage of lowering winter gas prices to make a day trip out of an activity listed below. Wander through a corn maze, see how a real dairy farm operates or test your courage at The Haunted Barn—all at Cagle‘s Dairy Farm. Celebrate The Official Day Of A Cowboy or plan a campout at The Rock …

The 80th annual North Georgia State Fair is in town, and there are many ways to enjoy it at a discount or for free. Once you’ve paid the admission price, there are shows, concerts and children’s activities that are free of charge. Local businesses are featuring discount tickets, and the fair itself offers great discounts on certain days and times. Here is a “need-to-know” list that will help your family get the most out of your experience at the fair. The great James H. Drew exposition carnival midway is a cornerstone of the fair, featuring over 40 rides. North Georgia State Fair Sept. 20 …

There are certain aromas that tell us it’s Fall. Spicy cinnamon, apples, pumpkin, the smell of leather, freshly cooked popcorn and barbeque seem to reach the nostrils in a special way. They let us know the season is changing, leaves will be falling soon and the holidays are coming. This week Frugal Family searched for bargains on all things that smell like Fall; here are some of the best deals on products with a Fall fragrance: Kohl’s Merchants Walk: 1289 Johnson Ferry Rd., Marietta 30064. (678) 560-1296. kohls.com Kohl’s 50th Anniversary Sale Online Exclusive: Nostalgia Electrics Old-…

As football season kicks off, so do local Fall sales. Great deals are offered this week on floral/arts/crafts, home and garden items, groceries, televisions and cable with NFL packages. Here are five categories and the stores offering some of the very best deals: Floral, Arts and Crafts: Michael’s: 425 Barrett Pkwy Nw, Kennesaw. (770) 424-2344. michaels.com Prices good through Sept. 15, 2012. 50% Off: Ashland Fall bushes, vegetables, birds, trees, basic greenery and craft pumpkins, handcrafted floral arrangements, stickers and embellishments, photo albums, tabletop frames, display boxes, and …

It’s hard to believe that Christmas merchandise is already on the shelves and along with them, big Christmas sales. The meaning of the holidays seems to get lost in the hustle and bustle of buying. For the past few years I have implemented certain activities to make sure my family and I don’t depend on gifts to have a rewarding holiday. In fact, our holidays our much more meaningful and rewarding than they use to be. When I was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, I decided to make every Christmas and Birthday as if it were my last. I didn’t want to celebrate me; I wanted to do something for…

 For someone shopping for the best family cell phone plan, the choices can be mind boggling. It’s easy to choose a plan you think will work for your family and then get many unexpected add-on charges on your monthly bill for things like extra minutes, roaming charges, internet usage messaging, pictures and videos. When choosing a cell phone plan, it’s important to calculate how many minutes you’ll use and how much data you will need (pictures, video, internet). Check several of your previous cell phone bills to get an idea of who in your family uses what. If you have a teen at home, chances …

This weekend offers a great selection of family entertainment and activities at very reasonable prices. Choose from the Cobb County Classic Rodeo, Mama Mia! and The Wizard Of Oz at The Earl Strand Theater, Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival (in Kennesaw) and a Johnny Cash Tribute. Check out the details and pricing below for these five activities: 1) The Cobb County Classic Rodeo at Jim R. Miller Park.. Friday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. Admission: Adults $15, Children $12, Children Under 5 Free. http://cobbcountyrodeo.com/ Presented by H & W Rodeo Productions and South 107. …

This week it seems like everybody has a sale! From groceries to electronics, Marietta retailers are hoping you have forgotten some of those items on your back-to-school list and are making it easy to pick them up. Staples, Target, Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens have some especially good deals and are listed below: Staples: 2535B Dallas Highway, W. Marietta 30064. 678-354-1415. Valid through August 18. Staples composition book, 100 sheets, black & white wide ruled. 10¢ each, with $5 minimum purchase. Reg. price $1. Item: 674330. Limit 3 total per customer. While supplies last. Assortment varies…

As school starts, most parents are gearing up for the countless trips they will be making to sports practices, classes and school events. There will be nights that cooking is out of the question and the easiest alternative is usually fast food. No matter what you eat, it gets expensive to feed a family with a hectic schedule. After scouring local resources we have discovered five local restaurants where kids eat free or super cheap. Piccadilly Restaurants: 536 Cobb Parkway SE, Marietta 30060. 770-422-7121. $0.99 Kid's Meals All Day Thursday and from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. 0n Saturdays (Dine-in only…

If you have a child going way to school this fall, chances are you are up to your eyeballs in preparations. From over-the-counter medications to bedding ensembles, creating a “home away from home” for your child is no simple task. Thankfully, your local retailers are making it a little easier by offering significant savings on household goods—many designed just for the school traveler. This week Frugal Family features some great bargains and tips on shopping for off-to-school home goods PLUS an “Off To College” checklist to help you organize your efforts and avoid last minute buying. …

This week Frugal Family scoured our resources and found great deals on school supplies. Walmart had the best bargains of all, with required supply lists for area schools conveniently located on kiosks at each entrance. Target, CVS, Walgreen and Staples are also offering great bargains this week.  Walmart Stores: Online and in Store. walmart.com. While supplies last. Walmart has partnered with local schools to provide required school supply lists. They are located on kiosks as you enter the store and at Walmart School Supply Lists. The best bargains are bundles; there is a customizable bundle …