Frugal Family

Free Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

From donating books, checking tire pressure and free flea markets, here are five ways to conserve and save in honor of Earth Day.

Frugal Family gives you five free ways to conserve energy, reduce and recycle and save a buck while you’re at it.  Using these options, everyone can play a part in celebrating Earth Day (April 22) and become better stewards of our stuff for free. 1. Donate Children’s Books at Woods Church Drop off gently used or new children’s books (any ages) at Woods Church, or contact Janet Williams at janwilliams48@yahoo.com.  They are accepting books from now until Easter to help Native American children at the Baltimore Dakota Learning Camps in South Dakota. Good through:  April 24, 2011 2. Use the Books for Charity Drop Box at Safeway The library is a good bet for other fiction or nonfiction reading in good condition but they do not accept worn …

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Save Big with Homemade Laundry Detergent

Think making your own laundry detergent is intimidating? Not so.

Laundry detergent is a big expense for families.  Larger families feel the pinch, especially when there are sports uniforms, workout clothes, and multiple family members to wash for.  Adding to the mayhem is the huge popularity of high efficiency washing machines.  While they may be great at saving water, most families now spend even more money purchasing specialty soaps formulated for these newer machines. While laundry is a necessary evil, you can make a low cost powdered laundry detergent in a snap.  The best thing is that every ingredient is locally available at both Clement and Rommel's ACE Hardware stores. For details and my personal experience with homemade laundry soap, visit my blog. Here is the recipe, (from Matt Jab's blog post…

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Maribel Ibrahim

3:58 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011

Easier, yes.... feasible for those of us without maids, uh, no.   more ›

Frugal Family

Frugal Family: Consignments, Free Fleas and Fieldtrips

Shop ‘til you drop without spending a dime. Buy something "new for you" or check out a great museum for free.

Even though it’s been too cold to enjoy flea market season, this weekend offers sales and a giveaway to help with spring cleaning, find bargains, help conserve our environment and shop for free.  Want more?  Go to a museum for free.  Read on to find out more about these great deals. 1. Severna Park EP Church – Spring Free Family Flea, 8 am to 11 am Looking to find a few treasures? Go to SPEP’s Annual Spring Free Family Flea Market and shop without spending a cent.  All items, from toys, housewares, clothing and knick-knacks are FREE for the taking.  At 11a.m., the remaining items will be donated to a local mission. If you have treasures that you’d like to donate, feel free to drop them off the night before, Friday, April 1, from 4p.m. to …

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Frugal Family

Save Greenbacks for St. Patrick’s Day

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day locally by wearing green, buying green and saving green.

Get ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with great deals, fun ways to save and live entertainment. 1. Brian Boru’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and $5 Burgers on Monday Nights For March, Brian Boru’s is offering $5 burgers on Monday nights.  The restaurant is also opening up at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day with a full lineup of events, activities and dining specials.  Radio Station RNR will be broadcasting live until local performers begin live music at 11:00a.m. until closing.   2. Bill Bateman’s Corned Beef & Cabbage Special for $7.17 Be sure to join the St. Patrick’s Day Party for reduced price drinks on March 17.  The Wednesday special is half pound jumbo lump crab cake for $10. Expires: Corned Beef Special expires March 19, 2011  3. …

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Amy Leahy

10:27 am on Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Save some green by buying green products - Melaleuca Inc. has $1.00 memberships this month.   more ›

Frugal Family

Consignment Shops Offer 'Like New' Bargains

More deals on March 16 at Moonlight Madness Sale.

Consignment shops are a great way to save money, reuse and recycle and find unique gifts. Here in Severna Park, we are blessed with an abundance of consignment shops to creatively stretch that dollar further.  Read on to learn about the latest promotions, deals and additional savings in the area. 1.      Arundel Antiques – 20 percent furniture discount for Patch Readers Be sure to mention “Severna Park Patch” and owner Paul Mintz will give you a great deal on consigned furniture and antiques from participating dealers.  Not all the antiques dealers connected to the store will be applying this discount, so be sure to check with Paul first. Expires:  March 9, 2011 2.      Twice Around the Park – Winter Clearance Specializing in women’s and …

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Frugal Family

Free Haircuts, Swimming, Dining-Out Coupons and More

Great deals in the neighborhood for toys, food, eyewear, hair care and swimming fun.

This week's Frugal Family is full of great deals. Stock-up on gifts from Franklin Toys, take a free family swim at Big Vanilla and find coupons for dining around town and also bargains on contact lenses and hair cuts. 1. Franklin Toys Clearance Sale Save 30-60 percent off selected items as advertised in the Severna Park Voice.  Good Through: Feb. 28, 2011 2. Romilo’s Restaurant - $20 Gift Certificate for $10 As featured in Clipper Magazine, save 50 percent when you go to www.doubletakedeals.com and buy the online certificate. Expires:  March 4, 2011 3. Peepers Eye Care - $100 Off a Pair of Glasses Look in the Money Mailer for this coupon.  You can also save $40 on all disposable contact lens packages. Expires: March 10, 2011 4. Sport Clips…

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Maribel Ibrahim

3:16 pm on Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Thanks for the note, Terri. You are so right! Don't forget their storytimes on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.! Franklin's Toys is also having a afternoon gaming club for older kids on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. until March 16.   more ›

Frugal Family

Valentine’s Day Gifts Ideas in Severna Park

Take the guesswork out of showering your sweetie with a Valentine and save a few bucks while you’re at it.

This column is dedicated to helping you find the best deals right here in Severna Park.  This week features five great ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts in town.  The gifts are unique and not just a regular box of chocolates.  Save time and money knowing that you can get a wonderful gift for your favorite Valentine at a nice price.   Please be sure to contact the local merchant ahead of time to verify availability. Severna Park Community Center 410-647-5843 Valentine's Day Gift Bags Couples gift bag including a choice of white or red wine, a dozen long-stemmed red roses in a beautiful vase, chocolates and much more for only $75.  Other, smaller gifts are available for young adults, kids and pets. Hurry: order deadline is Thursday, Feb 10th. …

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Frugal Family

Real Meal Deals: 50 percent off Gift Certificates

Read on to find the best family restaurant deals in Severna Park, promo codes and coupons.

We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars. This column will be dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family’s bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money. You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. Many families try to save money by eating out less, but with busy schedules and many events competing for our attention, a dinner out is a quick fix to feed a family on the go…

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Maribel Ibrahim

11:34 pm on Saturday, February 5, 2011

Psst! I couldn't wait to share these other deals because they will expire soon: Kohl's: Hurry, Sunday Feb 6th only - Get $10 cash back for every $50 you spend. The cash can be spent on a return visit during Feb 7-20. Great for Valentine's and Birthday gifts! Bikram Yoga at 836 Ritchie Highway: $25 for One Month of Unlimited Yoga at Bikram Yoga ($150 Value) - that's an 83% savings! Just go to …   more ›