Cheap or Free Winter Dates

How is everyone's Christmas season going? Have you gotten all of your presents bought and wrapped already? 

Christmas season has to be one of my favorite times of the year. I love the lights, trees, and music. However, it can also be a stressful time of the year when you begin to factor in the cost of all of the "experiences" that come along in December. My goal today is to give you some ideas of things you can do with you children that won't break the bank. Are you ready? Here it is! 

1. Fresh snowfall? Go sledding; then, sip hot cocoa together by the fire. 

2. Another fun “snow date” is to build a snowman and snow-woman. 

3. Around the holidays, drive around and look at lights while playing Christmas music in the car. 

4. Decorate a tree together with Christmas music playing in the background 

5. Take family photos in front of the Christmas tree 

6. Hand out blessing bags to the needy 

7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter 

8. Make homemade presents together 

9. Donate all old toys 

10. Visit the dollar store together, and put together two shoeboxes full of goodies for Operation Christmas Child.

I hope these give you a few ideas that maybe you had not thought of yet. 

I hope you and your families have a very merry, frugal Christmas season!

Sincerely,

Mrs. James

Picture background from: http://the3amteacher.blogspot.com/

 

Our "Thing"

Everyone has a "thing." This thing is what you are willing to spend an outrageous amounts of money on despite trying to be frugal every other day of the year. For some people this is Starbucks in the morning. Others, it is spending $5k on Christmas. 

For Mr. James and myself, it is Yankee candles.

Photo courtesy of Yankee Candle

I know, I know. You can get great smelling candles from Walmart for a quarter of the price of a Yankee candle. However, we light our candles nearly every day, and no candle can compete with how long it lasts like a Yankee candle. Our autumn smells are nearly out, so it is high time to get some Christmas/winter smells.

Despite our love for Yankee candles, I still cannot stomach spending full-price for them. When we lived in Lewisville, TX, there was a Yankee candle store in our local mall. We would stock up when the had BOGO free sales. However, since moving to Fort Worth, TX, there is not a Yankee candle store near-by. The closet we can get is at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. But, I was still determined to save quite a bit on winter candles!

BBB is having a 25% off sale on their winter smells this week. I bought 1 large candle and 2 medium candles (they were out of the large in the smell I wanted). Each of these were 25% off. BBB is also giving away a small Christmas Wreath smell candle with the purchase of $30 or more valued around $10.99. I also used a 20% off a single item coupon courtesy of RetailMeNot. 

My total cost: $58.75

My savings: $34.69

Whatever your "thing" is, be sure to always attempt to save money and never pay full price. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Mrs. James

Mattress Deal

Up to this point in our lives, Mr. James and I have only slept on hand-me-down mattresses. They were generally hard-ish and made my back constantly hurt due to my wide hips (I am a side-sleeper). We always spent several hundred dollars to buy mattress pads to make the mattresses more comfortable, but we have desired to have a new bed for quite some time.

We agreed, once we had the cash saved up, we wanted to buy a really nice mattress that we hand-picked. With Mr. James now having a full-time job, we were finally able to do that recently.

We went to Mattress Firm several months ago, tried out the bed we really wanted, and began to save up money. When the time came and we had saved up enough, Mr. James called Sleep Experts as eel and price checked. They were almost $300 cheaper! Whhhaat?! Hello, Sleep Experts. Nice to meet you.

The worker at Sleep Experts, Chad, was very helpful and knowledgeable. He explained that Sleep Experts will have mattresses that are put on "clearance" because they have been slightly used and returned. Sleep Experts guarantees that the mattress has passed all state inspections including and bugs or stains. 

Chad showed us a BeautyRest Black mattress that we fell in LOVE with. It was basically a step-up from the one we had picked out. The price for a clearance Black would be the same price as the mattress we originally went in for. BeautyRest also has a 25-year warranty that was too good of a deal to not pass up. If something goes wrong with the bed within the first 15 years, they replace it free of charge. They then prorate the next 10 years on the cost by taking away how much will be covered by 10% per year. Score!

Once we had peace of mind that getting a clearance bed would be worth it, there was no looking back. We paid roughly $2000 for a mattress that is around $6000 at full price. We have never slept as well as we have the last few weeks. That, in and of itself, has been worth the price we paid. I will just leave you with a beautiful picture from BeautyRest's website…

How to have a Debt Free Christmas

Can you believe the end of October is almost here?! I love this time of year: the pumpkins, crisp air, changing leaves, longer nights, and of course, FOOTBALL! There truly is no magical time like the fall.

However, the fall season also means that the holiday season is just around the corner. And if your family is like mine has been the past couple of years, it also means stress about money. December rolls around and you have zero money in order to buy gifts, food, and gas for travel. So what happens? It all got put on credit cards which, subsequently, took several months into the new year to pay off. After another round of "how are going to pay for…" last year, Mr. James and I decided that we needed to tackle the Christmas beast head on from day 1. Hence, our new "Debt Free Christmas" plan began.

It is quite simple really. We opened a new savings account at the end of December 2013 that we dedicated strictly for saving up money to put toward Christmas 2014. We set up a direct draft for the end of the month every month of $50. By doing this, when December 2014 came around, ideally we would have $600 to put toward Christmas expenses. $50 x 12 = $600

I know for some families, this many not seem to be very much. However, this is directly in line with our attempt to get out of debt and live a frugal life. If you need and can put more away each month, by all means do so!! This is just where we are at currently in our life. 

Using the $600, Mr. James and I have already bought all of our Christmas presents for family and friends. What is left over, we will be using for decorations and travel. Once the money is gone, it's gone, and we will not spend any more for Christmas unless it is an emergency. It has been very freeing to know exactly where we are at and that we will not be stressed in December like we have been the past 3 years. 

Debt free is truly the best way to go!

Happy October!!

Sincerely,

Mrs. James

Finally getting some room...

Things have been crazy here at 2014 James Place. After a lot of praying and hard work, we have officially moved to the Fort Worth side of the DFW metroplex! Mr. James and I could not be more excited about this new adventure of ours. It has been a dream of ours to live near Fort Worth for many years now. We were almost scared it wasn't going to happen! But God heard our hearts and provided an opportunity in the form of Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD by getting me back into the classroom as opposed to being an educational diagnostician. 

The majority of our time this past month has been spent packing and unpacking our apartment. One of the added bonuses of the new place….we have room for an office space! We are so lucky and blessed to have this since we are working toward Mr. James owning his own business one day. One step closer!

And a BIG thanks to IKEA for providing this beautiful desk and chair for a fairly good price. If you are ever in need of some new furniture and don't want to spend big buck, always check IKEA first. Their products are dirt cheap and last fairly well considering what you pay. Go IKEA!

P.S. We most definitely have a Sharpie problem in this household.

Sincerely, 

Mrs. James

Date Night Jars

Mr. James and I have always loved watching movies, but it seems to be our go-to activity for a date or relaxing time. We are determined to change that with 108 Cheap or Free Date Night Ideas. We had the what, now we needed to figure out how we would determine a date night idea. If Mr. James and I do not have a plan, our movie nights would definitely continue. 

What better way to organize our date nights and make sure they were random/not repeated than with a Date Night Jar!!

Mason jars are pretty popular in our household. We love the vintage-y feel of them. 

I also used scrapbooking paper to keep our categories of dates separate.

Use the lids of the mason jars to cut out the correct size circle from the scrapbook paper.

Now you have a beautiful jar to put all of your date night ideas in!

I am also enjoying getting to separate the date nights to fall, winter, and spring/summer so that they are appropriate for the current weather at the time.

Word to the wise, make the date night ideas a smaller font when you print them. We definitely ran out of room in the jar to put them in. Once all of the date nights are in the jar, all you have to do is randomly draw one out of the jar. No more arguing about what to do for date night!

If you are trying out the 108 Cheap or Free Date Night Ideas  in what way will you and your significant other determine what date to experience?

Let me know with a comment below!

Sincerely,

Mrs. James

108 Cheap or Free Date Night Ideas

How many couples have ever had this conversation?: 

"What do you want to do tonight/today?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Wanna watch a DVD?"

"Ok. That works."

This conversation is pretty common in the James household. Truly, this has occurred way more often than I care to admit. Something had to give! 

I have been saving date night ideas on Pinterest for awhile now, and I decided to create my own list from those. Here are our favorites:

1.  Plan a trilogy movie marathon.  Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, Mighty Ducks…some of the greats.

2. Create a playlist of some of your favorite music, and dance to it under the stars.

3. Draw each other’s portraits…wait for it…with your non-dominant hand!  Laugh at the results.  Then frame ‘em!

4. Sit down together and write postcards to some of your favorite people.

5. Go kayaking together.  For extra fun working on teamwork, double-kayak!

6. Visit a pet store and play with the puppies and kittens!  (Beware, you might bring one home.)

7. Food Crawl: enjoy an appetizer at one place, the main course at another, and the dessert at a third place!

8. Don your favorite 80s outfits, and hit the roller rink!

9. Write a list of 101 things you two are thankful for.

10. YouTube video marathon; share some of your favorites with each other.

11. Hit up the bowling alley…lowest score wins! 

12. Create a marriage bucket list together, and set a date for your first item.

13. DIY Duo: scour Pinterest for a project you’re both excited to work on.  Then, execute!

14. Go to a local orchard or farm and load up some bushels of fruit to bring home!

15. Visit a coffee shop together for some conversation over hot drinks.

16. Visit a “paint-your-own-pottery” place and create something for each other.

17. Enjoy some wine and cheese together as you watch the sunset.

18. Get up early to watch the sunrise; then, make a hot breakfast together and eat it in bed.

19. Attend a poetry or book reading together.  (Check what your local Barnes & Noble has to offer.)

20. Take a trip to the park and draw up blueprints of your dream home together!

21. Make homemade pizzas with wild toppings.

22. Build a fire in the firepit (or fireplace), and roast s’mores. 

23. Read aloud to each other from one of your favorite books.

24. Take a free factory tour.

25. Put on your bathing suits and have a water balloon fight.  Why not?

26. Prepare and enjoy a special fondue dinner together…followed by fondue dessert!

27. Tackle a volunteer project together through your local church, community center, or an organization like Habitat for Humanity.

28. Game Night!  Enjoy a tourney with some of your favorite board games. 

29. Create an audio recording of you each interviewing each other, a la Story Corps.

30. Bust out a deck of cards and play a game!  Poker, Go Fish…you get the picture.

31. Go Geo-Caching!  (What’s Geo-Caching?  Find out HERE.)

32. Sign up for a walk, run, or bike race together.  Enjoy several “date days” preparing for the big day! 

33. Go camping!  Borrow equipment from a friend if you don’t have your own, roast hot dogs over a fire for dinner, and completely unplug from technology.  Even if it just for a night.  Even if in your own backyard!

34. Hop in the car together and hit the open road for a memorable day trip.   

35. Visit your local frozen yogurt spot, and go topping crazy.

36. Childhood movie night!  Watch each of your favorite childhood movies while snacking on popcorn.

37. Mini-golf never gets old.  Especially Glow-Golf.

38. Recreate a memorable meal together from a special event or past anniversary.

39. Go to a thrift store together, set a budget, and choose outfits for each other!

40. Get up early on a Saturday and hit the garage sales together early for some new finds! 

41. Take an evening stroll together around your neighborhood and dream about your future.

42. Choose a new TV series to dive into together!  Watch way more episodes in a row than you probably should.

43. Create a mall scavenger hunt for yourselves.

44. Create an ice cream sundae bar at home for kicks.

45. Go to the nearest jungle-gym and swing on the swings like you did in days of old.  It’ll keep you young.  

46. Spa Night!  Give each other massages and exfoliate with face masques.

47. Research and then visit some of your town’s historic sites!

48. Pack a picnic dinner and enjoy an outdoor movie…even if it’s on a laptop in your backyard! 

49. Choose a meal you’ve never made before, go on a grocery run, and then cook dinner together back at home.

50. Visit your local library or bookstore together, find some good books, and then cozy up in a corner reading side by side.

51. Have a cookie bake-off!

52. Dye eggs together.

53. Go paddle-boating.

54. Go for an evening swim at your local pool or gym pool.

55. Browse Craigslist together for some amazing local deals.

56. Pick up some water-guns at your local toy store, and have a water-gun fight!  You can even invite neighborhood friends in on the date.

57. Toss around a frisbee in the backyard.

58. Research inexpensive ways to enjoy your city.  

59. Support the arts!  Get dolled up for a night of live theatre.  (You can often get discounts to see dress rehearsals, matinees, or rush tickets the day of!)

60. 10 Things I Love About You: set a timer for 10 minutes and each write a list of 10 things you love about the other person…then read them to each other.  Prepare for plenty of “Awwww” moments.

61. Attend a local sports game.

62. Explore a state park by car, by foot, or by canoe.  

63. Stroll through a farmer’s market together.  Buy fresh ingredients for your next few meals.

64. Visit the zoo, petting farm, or aquarium on discount / free days!

65. Fun in the sun: hang out at the beach or the harbor or the lake together for the day.

66. Build a fort out of blankets in the living room, and cuddle up to watch a romantic movie together.

67. Learn a new sport together!  Croquet, badminton, tennis…heck, you can event invent a sport together.

68. Take a class together: dancing, painting, cooking….

69. Go to an arcade!

70. Get a Groupon for a special night out on the town together.  You can usually nab some pretty sweet deals!

71. Visit your local science center, planetarium, conservatory, or botanical gardens.

72. Go to a community hall and play BINGO.

73. On a windy day, fly a kite together at the park.

74. Get in the car and just drive to get lost.  It’ll be an adventure!  (Just make sure you have plenty of gas, so it doesn’t turn into a misadventure.)

75. Plan out a dream trip for one of your upcoming anniversaries.

76. Visit a local festival together.  Many of them are free!  Just check out your town’s website for their calendar of events.

77. Bring your own lawn chairs for an evening of outdoor theatre or music.

78. Write letters to each other that you’ll open 20 years from now.

79. Challenge each other to a Wii/Kinect tournament.

80. Go to a coffee shop with a book or game.

81. Get together with another couple for a simple meal or dessert.

82. Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range. 

83. Test drive a car just for fun.

84. Go through all those old papers, clean-up your computer’s hard-drive, and find a place for all the errant items in your house.

85. Tackle a nagging task-This is one of Gretchen Rubin’s (author of The Happiness Project) super tips for happiness. The shower needs caulking, the windows need sealing so scratch those pesky tasks off the To-Do list once and for all.

86. Play putt-putt golf. Winner buys ice cream!

87. Take a cooking class together at a local parks and rec or community college. Have a friend who loves to cook? Ask them to teach you.

88. Go to a drive in movie.

89. Grab a few laughs at a comedy club or rent a funny movie.

90. Love Languages. Take The 5 Love Languages Test to see how to improve your relationship. End the evening with our Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!

91. Reread a book you own.

92. Rearrange your furniture.

93. Try a new hairstyle at home-or give each other a temporary makeover

94. Plant some flowers in your garden.

95. Photograph local sights.

96. Pick out a new bottle of wine to try. Or go to a wine tasting!

97. Go frisbee golfing

98. Attend an offbeat happy hour.
Most workweek happy hours can become crowded super quickly, so head to a local watering hole on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for less elbowing and shorter lines.

99. Host a foreign movie night (with a twist). 
Pop in an international film but skip the subtitles. Instead, try guessing what’s going on just by watching the plot unfold (bonus points for narration).

100. Play bartender.
Skip the bars one evening and play cocktail master at home. Whip up seasonal beverages like apple cider margaritas or old favorites like mojitos and battle it out to see who makes the best drink.

101. Go to a trivia night. 
Is one of you an avid fan of Arrested Development or The Simpsons? Flaunt it! Many bars hold friendly competitions that focus on a specific genre or TV series, or just pop culture in general. Some even offer cash prizes.

102. Walmart bingo

103. Play "Would You Rather?" You will learn a lot about a person that you never knew when they are faced with a crazy question . . . you can find a lot of questions here.

104. Forget Wine and Cheese . . . how about a Chocolate Tasting night?

105. Have a "finger foods only" dinner and feed each other.

106. Invest in an ice cream maker or a bread maker (you can actually get some pretty decent ones for really cheap at a local thrift store or consignment store) and invent your own concoctions.

107. Take some personality tests and compare your results. Here are some good ones: Jung, True Colors, The 5 Love Languages, and The Color Code.

108. Go dancing

If you are stuck in a date night rut,  try out something on this list. There is plenty to choose from!

Sincerely,

Mrs. James

P.S. All sources for these ideas are listed here:

http://www.thinkingcloset.com/2014/01/31/101-creative-date-nights-on-a-dime/

http://www.4tunate.net/2013/07/30-cheap-date-ideas-for-married-couples/

http://www.stayathomesusie.com/77-super-fun-date-ideas/

http://andthenwesaved.com/things-to-do-instead-of-spending-money/

http://emmalinebride.com/planning/50-best-cheap-date-ideas/

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/01/32-stay-at-home-date-ideas-plus-links.html

http://www.organizinglifewithlittles.com/2013/09/11/date-ideas-on-15-or-less/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182576501099/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182573974753/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182577400554/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182573233325/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182578207903/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182578042087/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/59180182577799970/