Hardware projects may not be high on the list of “family activities” for a lot of people, but that shouldn’t stop you from rounding up the family and taking on a few construction tasks. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should start building rooms or houses from scratch, but some minor projects like building a cabinet or chair could be interesting for the family. Think about it. Dad can do the heavy lifting, mom can add designs and finishing touches, and the kids (assuming they’re at the right age) can learn how to use basic tools. Additionally, when something needs to be fixed in the house, consider letting the kids watch and demonstrate how repairs are made. Boys will love learning these types of things, and it wouldn’t hurt to teach girls a few lessons on construction, so that they wouldn’t have to call the handyman for every little thing.

Dads and moms, if you’re not up for building or fixing things with the kids just yet, a good first step in educating them about the basics of hardware and construction is by assembling a toolbox. Give your kids the fundamental knowledge of the basic tools needed to make repairs around the house. This is extremely beneficial, and best of all, it’s simple and affordable too. Finding cheap tools and hardware is quite easy, as home improvement shops like Lowes and Home Depot are always offering deals and having sales. Be sure to grab the following tools below, as these are the items that you will most likely need in the house:

Hammer & Nails – No toolbox is complete without hammers and nails. This is one of the most frequently used items in construction and is used to nail things to walls and other surfaces. Explain to kids that you use hammers to hang frames and paintings in the house, and fix wooden furniture.

Pliers- Another common tool, pliers come in very handy for bending wires and gripping small objects. It’s a great item to have especially when you need to unscrew small nails and the like.

Screwdriver – You deal with screws a lot when you’re handling furniture and electronics. Screwdrivers are used to loosen or tighten the screws of an object.

Wrench – Nuts and bolts are also common around the house, and this tool is the most effective thing that can hold, twist, tighten or loosen them. Wrenches come in various sizes, as nuts and bolts also range from small to big.

Tape Measure – This item may be the lightest one in the bunch, but it’s also one of the first things that you should have before even starting a construction project. Building something, whether it’s a cabinet or a door requires precise measurements. After all, you wouldn’t want to slave over a nice piece of furniture only to find out that there’s not enough space in the living room for it.

Power Hand Drill – This tool may be a little advanced for small kids, so you may want to wait before introducing it to the youngsters. Drills are useful for punching holes into surfaces or creating predrilled holes for nails so that you won’t break the wood when you hammer.

Image credit: LOLren on Flickr

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can skimp on all the fun this coming Cinco de Mayo! Considered as one of the most important holidays in Mexico, the celebration commemorates the Mexicans’ victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5^th, 1862.

Cinco de Mayo gives us a great excuse to kick back and enjoy yummy queso dips and margaritas. And while a lot of people may think that these things can only be enjoyed at Mexican restaurant or bar somewhere, the truth is, you can have just as much Cinco de Mayo fun even if you’re at home. Just round up the right people and cook up amazing dishes, and you’re good to go. Take advantage of all great deals on cheap food and drinks to come up with yummy Mexican dishes and drinks. Thinking you’re no chef or bartender? Below are a few recipes for food and drinks that are bound to be a hit for this coming Cinco de Mayo.

Food:

Menudo Soup

Ingredients:

1 calf’s foot (about 1 to 1½ pounds)

2 pounds honeycomb tripe

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled

6 peppercorns

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

4 quarts of water

3 large chiles anchos

1 large chili poblano, peeled

½ cup canned hominy (1 pound) drained

Salt as necessary

1 scant teaspoon oregano

Cut the calf’s foot into four. Cut the 2 pounds of honeycomb tripe into small squares and toss them into a big pan. Cover this with water and wait for it to boil. Once it’s at its boiling point, lower the heat, then take off the cover and wait until the tripe and foot are tender enough (about 2 hours). Meanwhile, toast the chilies, cut them open and take out the seeds and then take out veins from the chili poblano, then cut into strips. Add these ingredients to meat. Take the pieces of the calf’s foot that are cool to handle then strip off the fleshy parts. Cut them out and toss them to the pan. Mix in the hominy, while still cooking the menudo for two more hours. Add salt to taste, sprinkle with oregano, then serve.

(Recipe taken from World Food and Wine)

Chunky Salsa

Ingredients:

1 Serrano chile (or Jalapeno), seeds removed, chopped fine (wear gloves)

6 medium fresh tomatoes chopped into 1/4-inch chunks

1 medium red onion or sweet onion, chopped

3 green onions sliced thin with green tops included

1/8 cup loosely-packed fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed between your palms

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild green chiles

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and leave overnight to let the flavors blend. Once the salsa is ready, serve it with tortilla chips. It can also be used as a condiment for other dishes.

(Recipe taken from About.com)

Drinks:

Mexitini

This Cinco de Mayo-themed martini is easy enough to make with only 4 ingredients. Just combine 1 ox of Van Gogh Oranje Vodka with equal parts tequila and ½ oz of organe juice into a cocktail shaker and then add crushed ice. Shake vigorously, then garnish with a slice of orange.

(Recipe taken from About.com)

Margarita

Combine 6 ounces of limeade concentrate, 6 fluid ounces of tequila, and 2 fluid ounces triple sec into a blender with crushed ice. Then hit “blend” until mixture is smooth. Enjoy.

(Recipe taken from allrecipes.com)

Image credit:  Serge Melki onf Flickr

Giving your home a makeover can be a fun project for you and the family. Cooking up ways to spice up the house and change things up a bit can really get your creative juices flowing. The living room is actually a great place to start, because it’s an area in your home that the whole family can enjoy.

And don’t worry too much about the cost. Contrary to popular belief, you can actually re-decorate your home (or at least a room in your house) even when you’re on a budget. As long as you know what you want, and you know where to look, finding high-quality yet cheap home furnishings is absolutely doable.

Check out a few of our tips below:

Do measurements ahead of time – Getting the things and furnishings that you want starts with actually knowing what you want and what you can get. Measure the dimensions of your living room to see which types of couches will fit. Be sure to leave some leg room and extra space for family activities such as playing video games or having some friends over.

Be sure to take down all the necessary measurements and take those numbers with you when shopping. Having your living room’s measurements at hand will help keep you focused so that you won’t waste time looking at things that aren’t right for your home.

Check out IKEA – This Swedish company is known for providing quality products at low prices. If you don’t mind assembling furniture yourself, be sure to check out their wide selection.  IKEA is perfect for practical families that want to make the most out of their buck. Most of the things that they sell are light and easy to move and are ideal for those living in apartments or people who are just starting out.

Go to warehouse stores – Sam’s Club, Costco, and other warehouse stores aren’t just great for buying items in bulk; they also offer affordable furniture. They even have ready-made living room sets that could just be the perfect fit for your home. Warehouse stores may not be your first instinct when you’re furniture shopping, but they’re definitely worth checking out.

Find sales in your neighborhood – Can’t find what you’re looking for in IKEA or Costco? Then swing by your local furniture store and see if they have a sale going on. Furniture shops regularly slash prices to make way for new ones. Also keep an eye out for deals that offer financing at 0% for a certain amount of time. Just be sure to pay it off by the given deadline, as the post-promotion interest rate could kill your budget.

Sign up for Daily Deals – Think daily deal sites are just for restaurants and spas? Think again. More and more businesses are embracing the models of daily deals, and the furniture industry is no exception. Bloomspot.com is a great daily deal site that occasionally puts out promos for furniture stores. These types of deals may not come as often as deals for food and entertainment, but it wouldn’t hurt to check them out anyway.

Car dealerships aren’t called stealerships for nothing. Dealerships are notorious for their high priced parts and services. If you’re looking cheap automotive parts and services, it’s best to look beyond the dealership. There are plenty of local mechanics that can do a great job with your car for a fraction of the dealership cost.

On the other hand, if you’re thinking of trading in your car or buying another one, consider looking through used car inventories. A lot of people may feel iffy about buying a previously owned car bcause they think that they’ll be buying a car with a lot of problems, but the truth is certified used vehicles are thoroughly checked and usually come with a warranty.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to bring someone who knows a lot about cars when you’re shopping around for a used vehicle. Also choose the dealership wisely. There are a lot of shady used car businesses out there, so make sure that you shop at a place with a good track record.

Can’t find a good used car dealership in your area? Let the World Wide Web help you out! Below are a few websites that can greatly assist you in finding your next car.

1. Carsabi – Dubbed as “The Used Car Search Engine”, Carsabi searches through every online car sale listing and lists numerous car deals for just about any make and model you can find. It’s a fairly new website, having been launched early this year, but it has a wide database and can ad over 50,000 vehicles per day. It also lets your sort deals, not just by price but also by biggest savings. On top of that, Carsabi has some social features that allow people conveniently to ask friends for advice.

2. TrueCar – This site connects buyers with certified TrueCar dealerships and provides a smooth channel of communication for both parties. The site helps you get the best price of a vehicle by letting you check the price that other people paid. TrueCar provides “unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealers and consumers can communicate with each other. TrueCar’s market-based information provides both consumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally.”

3. CarMax – Considered as one of the most established used car buying services out there, CarMax prides itself with its “no haggle” prices. They give you the price up-front, no more, no less, allowing you to make decisions faster and easier. CarMax offers flexible financing options, as well as a limited 30-Day Warranty (60-Day in CT, 90-Day in MA).

4. AuctionDirectUSA – Whether you’re looking buy a vehicle or thinking of selling one, you should definitely check out AuctionDirectUSA. If you’re buying a car, simply submit a request for the type of vehicle that you want to buy, and AuctionDirect will find and buy it for you. If you’re selling,  get in touch with them, and have your vehicle inspected and appraised. AuctionDirect will then give an offer based on the results of their inspection.

Image credit: aldenjewell on Flickr

Taking care of a pet is one of the most rewarding things that a family can do. Pets not only bring joy and entertainment to people, but they also teach a lot of lessons in responsibility and—as cheesy at it sounds—love.

That’s why it’s extremely important to shower your pets with attention, give them what they need, and maybe even spoil them a little (not too much, though!). Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should start buying your pet diamond collars or Louis Vuitton accessories. Showering your pet with love doesn’t necessarily involve expensive things. It’s more about really getting to know your pets, and zeroing on the things that they need and the people that can provide those needs.

Not sure where to start? Check out the tips below:

Find Bargains – Step 1: Determine the needs of your pets (i.e. food, toys, etc.) Step 2: Don’t buy them yet. Do your research and find cheap pet supply stores in your area. You can check your local paper for coupons that can save you a lot of money. You might even find great bargains online. Websites like CheapPetStore.com, GetPetSavvy.com, and the TheBarksMeow.com offer deals on pet supplies from time to time.

Introduce Them to Other Animals – Why buy your pets some fancy toys that they’re only going to destroy and get tired of? Sometimes, the best thing you can give them is the company of another animal. Ask around your neighborhood and someone has pets that are willing to make friends. Of course, not all animals go well together, so do some research before pairing up your pets with others. Also make sure that someone is always around to supervise, in case things don’t go as planned.

Turn to Your Friends – Need to go out of town but don’t want to leave your pets all alone? Before hitting the yellow pages for house and pet-sitters, try to contact the animal-lovers in your network first. Chances are, you’ll have a friend or acquaintance who would love to watch over your pet for cheap or maybe even for free!

Groom ‘Em Yourself – Want to give your pets a makeover? Instead of going to the salon, see if you can do it yourself. There are plenty of How-To videos on the web that can effectively demonstrate how to groom your pets. Not only will you save a ton of money, but you’ll even learn a new skill in the process!

Train ‘Em Yourself – The same goes for training your pets. If you want to teach your dog (or cat) some tricks, your best bet is to find videos online on how to train pets. Again, this is a huge money-saver as compared to hiring someone else to do it. Additionally, you’ll get more bonding time with your furry friends!

Prevention is Better Than Cure – Treatment and medication for sick pets can really put a dent on your budget. The best way to avoid these costs is to prevent causes of harm to your pets. Keep your home clean and take out any objects that can be swallowed (i.e. loose change, toys, etc). Doing the little things to keep your house clean and safe will save you a fortune as well as time and unnecessary stress.

Image credit: Piez on Flickr

Spring is arguably the most refreshing time of the year. Plants are starting to bloom again, and the weather is almost always just right. With that said, it’s best to spend this beautiful time of year with none other than your family. Take the kids, and spend time outside of the house. You’re not really going to have any trouble finding things to do. It’s the great outdoors after all,and the possibilities are endless!

What’s great about bonding moments outside is that you can do a lot of them even when you’re on a budget. There are a lot of cheap Kids and Family activities outdoors that you can get into without spending a lot of money.

Miniature Golf – Exercise your hand-eye coordination with mini golf! This is a great activity that both kids and adults can enjoy. Team up amongst yourselves and have a friendly competition with the family; who knows, your kids just might discover a new hobby. Affordable miniature golf courses are pretty widespread, and chances are, there’s one in your area. In the off chance that you can’t find a mini golf course near your place, you can always purchase one to put in the house.

Head to the Playground – Nothing gets the kids going better than swings, slides, and see-saws. Spring is too great of a season to stay indoors, so if you’re looking for some fun and FREE activities with the family, the playground is a good place to visit. You can also take this opportunity to make friends with other parents, and give your kids the chance to hit it off. Maybe even a play date is in order?

Carwash – Consider washing your own car a triple win situation: You get to enjoy the weather outside, you get to be productive, AND you save cash while you’re at it. Invite the kids to help you, and use this to teach them how to properly wash a vehicle. Don’t be afraid to let them play with a little (repeat: a little) water; it’s part of the fun.

Sidewalk Chalk – Pick up some colored chalks from the store, and take your kids to the pavement! Let them draw on the sidewalk and come up with their best works of art. Be sure to bring a camera so that you can capture their wonderful artworks. You can even get glow in the dark chalks so that the kids can see their drawings at night.

Picnic – Of course “activities” don’t always have to be “active”. If you just want to chill out and relax, why not go to a local park and have a picnic? There are no fees for hanging out in the park, so you’ll just have to spend a little cash on food.

If You Don’t Want to Leave the House – If you have a backyard, patio, or outdoor space, then consider the various additions that you can add to make your home more fun for you and the children! A basketball hoop for dad and the kids (or even mom) would really get your athletic juices going, and since it’s in your property, you can play games whenever you want.

Not the athletic type? Why not add a hammock in your backyard or patio instead? Consider it as something to turn to when you just want to chill and relax with the family. It can also serve as something to look forward to whenever you’re having a rough day. Hammocks come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, so you’re definitely going to find one that fits in perfectly into your home.

Image credit: MASB Desenvolvimento Imobiliário on Flickr

Recently, I came across the website for a new, innovative sports watch by Deuce Brand. I was very impressed by what I saw so I contacted them and decided to do a review on one of their products and what I have discovered is it stays true to form.

First, I want to stress that this watch is extremely comfortable. It is designed very well to form a fit that is not too tight, but not too loose either to allow for exactly what it is made for: sports. The watch is easily placed on the wrist, just sliding it on over your hand with no problem, almost identical to a normal rubber bracelet.

In terms of setup, the watch is very easy to get set up and comes with the instructions to get it ready in just a snap of the fingers. It’s got the different modes to show time and date, perfect for a normal sports watch.

As far as performance goes, I wanted to test this sports watch as such and decided to play some sports with it one. The first test was on the baseball diamond in which it held up perfectly, allowing for perfect wrist movement with no strain and actually showed durability on a slide into second base. The next try was to throw a football around and again, no limitations on the wrist and no problems with the watch itself.

As you can see, the watch has a unique design that conforms to your wrist very well when bent for any reason. It is also a very reasonable price.

Just as the website says, the product is waterproof, durable and holds up very well in all conditions.

I’d definitely give this product my highest recommendation for a sports watch and would suggest that anyone looking for comfort and a new-age style check out this watch. It’ll become your favorite watch.

Be sure to ‘Like’ Deuce Brand on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for all the news on upcoming watches!

Here’s a statement that a lot of women can relate to: You have a closet full of clothes but have nothing to wear. It could because of rapid weight losses/gains, outdated styles, or you’re simply not in the mood to wear anything in your closet. Either way, having nothing to wear is a common dilemma for women. And if you’re on a budget, going on a shopping spree every time you have “nothing to wear” is clearly out of the question.  Thankfully, a new startup has found a way for women to get rid of the pre-loved clothes in their closets, while finding great clothing and apparel deals at the same time.

Introducing 99dresses.com, a website that gives women “access to an infinite closet of free fashion.” Simply upload photos of your unwanted (but quality) clothes in to the 99dresses database, and sell them to other girls.

There’s a virtual currency in the infinite closet called “buttons” and you can use them purchase clothes. When someone buys a dress that you uploaded, you’ll have the buttons credited to your 99dresses account. If you don’t have enough buttons to purchase the items that you want, you can buy buttons for a dollar each.

Selling Items

Before snapping photos of the clothes that you wish to sell, make sure that your items are in good condition. Think of it this way: If you’d be embarrassed to lend it to your friends, then it probably doesn’t belong in the infinite closet. When you do take pictures of your clothes, hang the items or take a photo with someone wearing them so that users can clearly see the details of the clothes. Don’t worry about the background; the 99dresses staff will remove the background before adding it to the store.

When uploading an item, you’ll be asked to provide some details, including the brand, size, color, and retail price of the item. 99dresses will suggest a price in buttons based on the above-mentioned details, but you can always manually set the price if you don’t agree with the suggestion.

When a girl purchases an item that you’re selling, 99dresses will give you the address to mail it to, and once it’s posted, you’ll get the buttons credited to your account. Take note that the seller is in charge of postage fees when mailing them to the buyer.

Buying Items

You can buy clothes using the buttons that you have in your account. Simply head to the shop, select a fabulous item, and click “Buy it now”. You’ll have to provide your address to be given to the seller, and once you receive your shipment, you’ll be asked to leave feedback and rate the seller as well as the clothes.

Of course, when buying clothing online, there’s always the possibility that the actual items are not in the size or condition that you expected them to be. If you receive an item that is in poor condition, touch base with the seller and the staff at 99dresses to sort out the situation and hopefully get the buttons back into your account. According to 99dresses, on the event that you receive an item that doesn’t fit, you can simply “re-list the dress in the Infinite Closet in a click to sell on to another girl who will enjoy it. Hopefully it will fit her better and you can spend the buttons on something new!”

Image credit: Rubbermaid Products on Flicrk

Spring is finally here which means that it’s once again high time to bring out the active side in you and go outside to smell the fresh flowers. Hibernation time is over folks, it’s the perfect season to enjoy the great outdoors. Speaking of outdoors, if you have a garden in your home, spring is a great season to start some planting and cultivating activities.

Gardening brings a lot of benefits to the table. For one thing, it’s a nice and relaxing activity that can help cut the stress and negativities in your life. For another, growing your own fruits and vegetables can save you a ton of money in grocery expenses.

If you need to cut your grocery bill, below is a list of plants that you can grow right from your back yard:

1. Lettuce – Instead of spending up to 4 dollars or more per week for a pack of lettuce, why not just pick up a package of seeds for 2 bucks and reap the benefits for months to come? Just mix in some lettuce and mesclun seeds and you’ll be enjoying your 100% homemade salad in less than two months. Additionally, lettuce doesn’t take up that much space in your garden, so you won’t have to dig up your other plants just to accommodate them.

2. Tomatoes – Here’s another one that doesn’t need a lot of space; you can actually grow some healthy tomatoes even if your garden is just the patio type. At maturity, patio tomatoes grow less than two feet, and you can choose from a wide variety, including cherry tomatoes, Big Beef, or Sun Gold.

3. Eggplants – When the weather starts getting warmer, be sure to add some eggplants to your garden! To grow a crop, you may need about 2 or 3 months of warm weather and it’s best to start with nursery grown pants rather than seeds. If you don’t have a huge garden, you can try the “Fairy Tale” a hybrid of the eggplant that grows less than two feet tall.

Aside from growing your own food, why not add in some flowers and nice plants to beautify the place? Potted plants may not be as cheap as seeds, but follow the tips below and you’re bound to find a good deal.

Finding cheap garden supplies and plants is pretty easy, as home and gardening stores regularly hold sales on plants. There are also some “end of the season” sales where you can catch great deals on plants and flowers that are about to go out of season.

You can also try turning to the World Wide Web for free plants. Websites like FreeCycle actually lets users request for free plants. Additionally, scout around for online gardening forums. These websites have a lot of active members that can really give you the scoop on where and how to get plants for cheap.

If you’ve already built up your garden, consider trading some of your plants for new ones with other gardeners. If you have any extra plants, find a fellow garden-owner and see if you can do a barter trade with them. Moreover, if you know any gardeners or homeowners who are about to move out, volunteer to take some plants off their hands.

Image credit: celesteh on Flickr

You can’t really put a price on the safety and well-being of you and your family, but if you’re watching your spending habits, there are a few things that you can do to increase your home security without breaking the bank.

Below are a few practical tips that can save you money while ramping up the security in your home at the same time. Check them out and see which ones you can apply at your house.

1. Strike a Deal with Home Security Companies – If you can afford an electronic home security system such as ADT, then it wouldn’t hurt to get one. For a few bucks day, you get an alarm, a direct line to emergency response, and a sign outside your door that can get burglars to back off. Of course, just because you can afford to pay for the service full price, doesn’t mean you can’t attempt to strike a good deal on home security, right? When you’re talking to the home security rep, be sure to ask if you can customize your security package. Only include the features that you actually need, and get rid of the ones that you don’t in order to save money. Also, see if you can get them to install it for free. Installation costs can add up to hundreds of dollars, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask to get it for free, especially if you’re signing up for a contract with them.

2. Install Automatic Lights – Don’t want to spend monthly fees on a home security service? Then motion sensor lights could be a good option for you. These devices light up automatically when they sense movement, and can be great additions to your back yard or front lawn. Activate them at night, and whenever someone walks into your property, they’ll light up to either scare the intruders away, or alert you that someone’s on your lawn or backyard.

3. Get a Dog – Dogs (the big kinds) are really effective in providing security in your home. They can delay or even stop burglars from entering your home and then can also bark loud enough to alert you when something is wrong. Plus as a bonus, aside from a security guard, you get a loyal companion in your home as well!

4. Effective Use of Signs – Even if you don’t have a dog, consider putting up a “Beware of Dog” sign outside your home, anyway. Visible signage can get burglars or intruders to pass over your home. Other signs that could work include a “Camera” signage or something from a home security company.

5. Make it Hard for Them to Enter – Invest in effective locks and bolts to make it difficult for intruders to enter you home. Sure, it may take a little more time and effort on your part to deal with extra locks on the door, but this additional hassle can actually save your life.

6. Pay Attention to Your Home’s Weak Points – Don’t neglect your back door and garage, as these are usually the vulnerable parts of your home that burglars could take advantage of. Double check that these points of entry are closed and secure every night and each time you leave the house.

Image credit: Vectorportal on Flickr