Inexpensive hobbies are awesome. They help us make good use of our time and provide cheap entertainment. I personally love to travel. Love it. When I was still single I backpacked in foreign countries, staying at hostels and hitchhiking. Now that I have a family, travel is a bit more expensive so I don’t get to do it very often (though extensive travel is part of long term financial goals).

So enter the hobby of learning new languages. One thing I wish I had when I was younger was a rudimentary understanding of the language of the places I visited. I’m making up for lost time. There are tons of free online language sources available, many of them quite good. I am working on Japanese right now, but the following sources have tools for a large range of languages. Even my nine year old son is having fun with some of these.

Livemocha:

Livemocha is very similar to Rosetta Stone in its methodology. It is far and away my favorite resource! It uses pictures, audio and writing exercises to help you absorb the lesson. Setting up an account is free, and both the 101 and 201 levels are also free (beginner and intermediate). Your work is graded by a native speaker, and you grade work for those learning English or another language you are fluent in. There are some paid services also on the site, but they are not necessary.

Smart FM:

Smart FM is an application based site. It isn’t limited to just languages—you can learn geography, run math drills, or anything else you want to learn. You set goals on the site and choose which applications you want to use to reach the goals. Not all the applications are great, but a good many of them are highly useful and it is free to use.

Lang-8:

Lang-8 is for when you are ready to start putting into practice what you have learned. Lang-8 helps you find a native speaker to practice with, then provides a safe platform for your communication with them. I prefer Lang-8 to other penpal style sites, as it weeds out the creepy types and the scammers, staying on task as a language-learning site.

(This is not an affiliate post.)

Share your experience with these language sites or tell us some of your favorite free resources for language learning in the comments!

Today we have a guest post by writer Tanya Nusser. Tanya will be sharing her frugal tips here on Turnip Money every Wednesday.

Coffee filters aren’t just for making coffee. I use them for so many things around my house. Plus, they are super cheap and a pack seems to last forever. I save a lot of money on paper towels by simply substituting a coffee filter for most paper towel jobs. It is amazing the number of tasks these magical circles of paper can do. Below are a few things you can use coffee filters for around the home.

• Instead of using expensive paper towels, use a few coffee filters to clean mirrors and windows for a streak-free finish.

• Don’t bother purchasing furniture polish, just wipe down your furniture with coffee filters and get the same dust free results as you would with costly polishes.

• Cover dishes with coffee filters when you put them in the microwave to avoid splatters.

• Put greasy burgers, tacos or fries in a coffee filter before serving to catch any grease that might drip.

• Coffee filters make the perfect vessel for a serving of popcorn, chips or other snacks.

• When baking, mix dry ingredients such as spices in a coffee filter for easy pouring. No more dirtying bunches of small bowls!

• Clean up spills in a pinch with coffee filters instead of dirtying a dish towel or wasting a paper towel.

Really, the possible uses for coffee filters are endless. Keep them in mind next time you are in a pinch in the kitchen, chances are you will find more uses for them than you would think.

Things have been crazy around my neck of the woods the past few weeks. On top of several projects that Andrew and I are working on for both our business and for scouts, we are also trying to get a house fixed up for my parents. They’ll be here in less than two weeks and there is still so much left to do!

Today we spent the day finishing up the painting. Two rooms painted—including ceilings!—plus the baseboards and trim in the entire place. I ended up spending most of my day laying on my stomach on the hardwood floors so I could paint the baseboards without dripping everywhere.

Needless to say, by the time we finished up this evening we were famished. We were also tired, and that chicken breast I thawed out this morning just seemed like too much work to prepare. We just wanted to go home and veg. Fast food or pizza delivery began sounding mighty nice, and we probably would have indulged but we had already used up one of our eating-out allotments for the month and we didn’t want to use the other one yet. (We budget for two meals out a month. We usually try to space them a couple of weeks apart.)

The grocery store to the rescue! We pulled up to the grocery store planning to grab a couple of frozen pizzas for dinner. Cheaper than delivery but less work than ‘real’ cooking. We marched into the store, a paint-streaked, rag-tag bunch. That’s when the sign caught our eye:

Family Pack

8 piece Fried Chicken

1 side

4 bisquits

$7.99

We rarely buy anything at the food counter, and we were completely unaware of this deal. Sure fried chicken isn’t the healthiest of meals, but as a once in awhile treat that’s okay. (Everything in moderation, you know!) We snatched this deal up quite joyfully.

Even if we had gone with frozen pizza, we would have spent less than $10. If we ordered pizza it would have run around $25 after tipping, and the drive-thru would be closer to $30. With the chicken, we also have a few leftover chicken pieces and some of the potato salad that came with it, so lunches for two or three people tomorrow are covered for that $8 as well. A good deal for a fast-food style meal.

The lesson here? Some days you aren’t going to want to cook. Normally, you plan ahead for these days by having some freezer meals ready or by throwing something in the crockpot in the morning. But on those days when the best laid plans go awry, stop at the grocery store instead of the golden arches for dinner. Chances are you can get better food at just a fraction of the price of fast food. It doesn’t really take any longer to run into the grocery store than to sit in your car at the drive-up window. Even if it takes an extra 10 minutes, the savings are well worth it.

As I’ve mentioned, the past couple of weeks have been insane around here. In fact, I’m squeezing this post in between painting a couple rooms at my parent’s house and picking up candy bars for a Cub Scout candy sale I’m in charge of. When things get hectic, I am tempted to eat out or grab something quick and prepackaged at the grocery store. But I don’t, and our wallet thanks us. Our health probably does, too, since restaurant and prepackaged food is usually fatty, salty or both. Here is a sample of our dinner menus from last week.

Monday

Meatball stroganoff

Steamed green beans

Rolls

I wasn’t actually swamped last Monday, so I took the time to cook. I made a double batch of meatballs and whipped up a bowl of refrigerator dough for the rolls. Refrigerator dough is awesome because you can store it in the fridge for a week, pulling off what you need each day. This alleviates the need for daily mixing and kneading but you still get fresh bread. I’ll post up a recipe soon!

Tuesday

Chicken stir-fry

Rice

Tuesday was one of the insane days. I worked all morning then had to be out all afternoon and into the evening. I pre-cut the veggies the night before to save time, but even if I cut them right before cooking it still would have been quick. I also like stir-fry because a single chicken breast sliced thin feeds four people. The veggies and the rice is what fills you up, the chicken is just a condiment for flavor.

Wednesday

Veggie soup

We had a Cub Scout banquet that night, so I knew we would be fed. I also knew the boys would be hungry again by the time we got home several hours later. I threw the leftovers from the stir-fry, mainly veggies and a handful rice, in a crockpot before we left and added some chicken stock from the freezer. It finished filling their bellies before bed and supplied lunch the next day.

Thursday

Beef fried rice

Steamed broccoli

When I make stir-fry I make a huge batch of rice in my rice cooker. I used a handful of it in the soup but there was still a mountain left over. Day or two old rice is perfect for fried rice. I diced up a carrot and a quarter-onion fine, threw in some frozen peas, and added about a ¼ pound ground beef. I used a little bit of chicken stock, some soy sauce and a few drops of oyster sauce to flavor it.

Friday

Meatball subs

Oven fries

Remember those extra meatballs from Monday? I made some large rolls from the refrigerator dough and warmed up the meatballs in spaghetti sauce for the subs. My oven fries are just thinly sliced potatoes coated in olive oil and whatever seasoning grabs me that day, then baked for about 20 minutes at 350 F.

Saturday

Pizza

Breadsticks

I used the remaining meatballs broken up on a homemade pizza. I cheated this weak and instead of make our normal crust I used the refrigerator dough for the crust. It is a little too airy for a good pizza crust but works in a pinch when you are tired and pressed for time. I also used some of the dough and rolled it into breadsticks.

Sunday

Leftover soup

Clover rolls

All the rest of the veggies and meatballs went into the crockpot Sunday morning. We were painting all day, so there was no way I was cooking when we got back. I also used up the last of the dough and made clover rolls in a muffin tin (three small balls of dough per muffin cup). I stuck these in the fridge while were gone all day so they didn’t over-rise. This dinner was on the table in 20 minutes with next to no hands on time.

You may have noticed the copious use of planned leftovers last week. Each time I had a little time to cook, I made extra. But we never once ate the same thing twice, instead we used the leftovers in completely new dishes. This is the trick that works for my family. We tend not to eat leftovers as is, but we will eat them if they are used as an ingredient in a new dish.

What are some of your quick recipes? Let us know in the comments!

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I have been busy cleaning all week. My parents are moving to my hometown in a few weeks. While their new home is nice, the previous residents did not clean often, if ever. There is at least a years worth of grime on every surface. The white baseboards were particularly dingy and I was afraid I would have to repaint all of them! Thankfully, I was able to clean them up and get them sparkling again with a diluted solution of white vinegar.

Most of us have probably heard of cleaning with white vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar cuts through grease and grime but is mild enough that it doesn’t damage paint, tile or woodwork. Vinegar is cheap, too. In my area a gallon of the stuff sells for less than $1. Much cheaper than most commercial cleaners, and better on your skin and the environment. Here are a few ideas for vinegar cleaning in your home:

• Mix 1 part white vinegar with 1 part water in a spray bottle. Use this solution to wipe away soap scum in the bathroom or grease in the kitchen.
• Use undiluted white vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of nasty rings. It works just as good as commercial toilet bowl cleaners without all the chemicals or odd blue coloring. You can also use it to get rid of scum rings in the tub.
• Wipe down shower heads, faucets and other chrome work with pure vinegar to get rid of lime and hard water deposits. It unclogs the shower head quickly and easily. It is also great for getting rid of lime scale in kettles.
• Add a cup of white vinegar to your laundry during the rinse cycle. It works as a natural fabric softener and help get the soap out of the clothing. It also helps towels become fluffy again, especially those that have been coated with laundry softener scum.
• Run vinegar through your coffee pot to get rid of all the build-up. Run a few cycles of clear water through after the vinegar to get rid of any residue. The next cup you brew will taste excellent after this treatment!
• Mix up a paste of 1 part vinegar and 1 part table salt. Polish brass, pewter and copper to a shine with this concoction.
• Soak a cloth in white vinegar then use it to remove the sticky residue from stickers or price tags. Works in seconds and doesn’t damage the surface underneath.
• Pour white vinegar between paving stones or in the cracks of a driveway to kill weeds and wayward grass.

These are just a few of the things white vinegar is capable of. What are some of your favorite uses for vinegar. I’d also love to hear about some of your favorite homemade cleaners. Let me know in the comments!

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Happy Friday! Today is the final installment in the Cheap Birthday series, I hope you have all found some tips to inspire you next time one of the kiddos decides to get a year older.

Birthday invitations and favors fall into a single category in my mind, because neither is really necessary but both help set the mood for the party. You can always call and invite people, and favors are always optional. But I enjoy supplying both to our guests.

Invitations

Once again, you want to focus on the theme of the party when doing invites. Often dollar stores have packs of theme appropriate invitations available, but sometimes you may be out of luck or you may be trying to trim your party budget. A pair of scissors, some glue and some colored paper allows you to quickly throw together some invites. I usually cut the construction paper in half then fold each half in half to make a card. Decorate the front with stickers or glue on construction paper shapes. I once cut out a white and a red half circle and put them together to make a Pokeball (from the cartoon Pokemon). This was a simple invitation but it got the theme across well, so the guests knew what to expect at the party. Another option is to print invitations on your computer. There are many free templates available online plus some photo software comes with invitation options.

Gift Favors

Gift favors are the ones you hand out at the end of the party. Avoid expensive themed items. I purchase favors all year long when I see them on sale after the holidays. Gold and green kaleidoscopes from the Christmas section work well as telescopes for a pirate theme. Red-heart shaped candy is suitable for a princess party. Collect small items throughout the year. A handful of candy and one or two small toys are all that is required. You can also bypass the toys completely and instead make lollipop covers out of cardstock. Decorate a small piece of cardstock to match the theme, then fold it over the candy party of the lollipop. Staple the layers together on either side of the stick to secure it.

Activity Favors

These are the favors the kids make themselves. It could be a craft item or the leftovers from a craft activity. For example, the kids may paint with watercolors for one of the activities. Instead of one water color set and several brushes, give each child their own watercolor set that they get to take home after the party. Another option is to make a small costume item for the guests to wear at the party that they get to keep—princess hats, pirate eye patches, and magic wands are examples.

Favor Bags

Steer clear of the little plastic bags featuring licensed characters. Use plain brown or colored lunch sacks instead. I usually decorate the outside of the bag with stickers or I glue on cut-outs. For example, at the pirate party I cut squares out of old maps and glued them to the front of each bag then wrote each boy’s name in the square. Fold over the top of the bag then punch two holes through the front of the fold. Thread a ribbon through and tie in a bow to secure closed.

Also, remember to always set a budget for your party before hand. We have a budget of $25 for home/park parties and $50 for pizza place parties. Splurge on the parts your child enjoys most and cut back everywhere else.

I’d love to hear what you thought of this series. Would you like to see more series like this? Let me know in the comments!

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We’ve already covered location, food and decorations. Now it is time to entertain those little munchkins. There are two schools of thought on entertaining children. The first is to fill up every moment of the party with an activity so the kids don’t have a chance to get bored or out of control. The other school says to only choose one or two fun activities and let the kids have free play time for the rest of the party. I’m personally in the second school of thought, as I don’t think kids enjoy being herded from one game to the next for the entire party. If you have a lot of guests I guess you may need to supply entertainment to keep the kids busy, but we don’t throw big parties. A happy medium is to stage one or two games and have a couple of easy ones waiting in the wings just in case the kids get bored.

Crafts

Young children especially love getting messy but even older boys and girls enjoy crafts. Craft making doubles as both an entertaining activity and the finished item is the favor. Finger painting, making jewelry, slime, painting wooden cars and a large range of other craft projects are inexpensive for a group of kids. Choose a craft that matches the theme if at all possible. Encourage the kids to wear old clothes to the party or make art smocks by cutting holes for the head and the arms in garbage bags.

Pin-the-what?!

Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey is a classic party game. So classic that most kids have played it a thousand times by the time they are five. Instead of the traditional donkey, make your own version of the game to fit the party theme. You could pin crowns on princess or pin wheels on trucks. While older kids may not enjoy it, younger kids will.

A version we have played with older kids that they have more fun with is draw-the-tail (or whatever). We made a posterboard up for each guest with the basic shape of a pirate head (it was a pirate theme). The kids were blindfolded then had to draw the face on the pirate with no peeking. The results were hilarious and the boys had a ball.

Pinata

I love pinatas. I make simple ones for our parties around here. You stuff them with the some toys and inexpensive toys then make the kids earn their party favors by whacking it with a stick. What could be more fun? The simplest way to make a pinata is to blow up a large balloon. Mix equal parts water and flour in a bowl, then tear newspaper into strips. Soak the strips in the flour mixture then stick them to the balloon. Build up a layer over the entire balloon that is at least 6 strips deep. Let it dry for three or four days then pop the balloon. Decorate with paint or crepe paper. With practice, you can soon be making pinatas that rival the fancy store bought ones!

Outdoor Activities

Send the kids outdoor after cake so you can clean up the party mess without screaming banshees under foot. In summer, a large supply of water balloons sitting pre-filled by the back door is enough to get the party really started. In winter, snow ball fights are an option if you have snow on the ground. In any weather, a homemade obstacle course entertains the kids for the last leg of the party. Use old tires and other items laying around the house. The kids take turns running the course. If you have a stopwatch that adds even more fun and authenticity to the course.

There are plenty of activities to entertain kids with. Use your party theme as inspiration when deciding what to do. Tomorrow we’ll wrap up this series by covering both invitations and favors.

What are some forms of entertainment you’ve found to be successful? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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This part three of a five part series on throwing a cheap child’s birthday party. Today, I want to look at the food options. Personally, this is my favorite part of the party. I like to cook and I especially enjoy creative cooking. Food is also where I am most likely to go over budget if I’m not careful. If you are throwing your party at a pizza place, the only ways to save on food is to use coupons and handle the cake on your own. But parties at home and at parks allow you to up the wow factor without spending a ton.

Cake and Ice cream

One way to save on food is to throw an early afternoon party—the guests have already had lunch and they’ll go home before dinner. All you have to serve is cake and ice cream. The only sure-fire way I know to save on ice cream is to buy it on sale and keep it hidden in the freezer until party day.

With cake, on the other hand, it is simple to make your own. Frosting is the tricky part, but here is a tip that many home cooks are unaware of. You actually have to frost the cake twice. Place the cake in the fridge for a couple of hours once it has cooled. Then coat the entire thing in frosting. It will like have crumbs in it and will look like a rough job, that’s perfectly okay. After frosting it, return it to the fridge for another hour or so. Then, frost it a second time. This second coat of frost will go on smoothly, all the crumbs are already caught in the first coat. If you aren’t that artistic, use some dollar store toys or sprinkles to decorate it. Kids aren’t too picky as long as the cake matches the theme of the party in some way.

Pizza

If you do plan on serving a meal, pizza is the standard in kid party food. Make up a few home-made pizzas the day before the party and stick them in the fridge. Just toss them in the oven to cook on the day of the party. Another option is to make small pizza crust and pre-cook them the day before. Let the kids top them then heat and serve. Yet another way to make personal pizzas is with English muffins. Purchase them on sale or at a day-old bread store. Top with sauce, cheese and the desired topping then pop them in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Either make these yourself or let the kids top them.

Sandwiches

Most kids love sandwiches, and they are quick and easy to make. Make a selection of PB&J, turkey and cheese, or whatever else you fancy. Cut them into triangles and arrange them attractively on a trays. A twist on this is the roll-up. Coat a tortilla with mayo then top with meat and cheese (you can also use peanut butter and jelly). Roll it up then slice the roll into 1 inch pieces. You can hold the rolls together with a toothpick if you want, but I find they stick together pretty well on their own. Arrange prettily then serve.

Hot dogs

There are few meat products cheaper than the hot dog. Kids love them and they are quick and easy to make. Serve hot dogs on a bun, if you desire, or dress them up a little bit by making pigs in a blanket. Make a batch of biscuit dough and cut into rounds. Roll out each round slightly, top with cheese, then wrap it around the hot dog, pinching the edges of the dough together to secure it. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes.

Hopefully these give you some great ideas for your own party. Tomorrow we’ll be looking at ways to entertain your guest for free or nearly free.

What are some of your favorite inexpensive party foods? Let me know in the comments!

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Welcome to part two of the Cheap Birthdays series (or birthdays on a budget of you prefer something that sounds less miserly ). Yesterday I threw out a couple of ideas or party location. Now let’s look at some inexpensive decorating ideas, which are especially necessary if your location lacks some of the wow factor. If your child wants a theme party, try and steer them to themes such as monster trucks as opposed to Transformers. Licensed goods always cost an arm and a leg. If they insist on a specific theme, think of ways to recreate it with your printer, artistic skills and their existing toys. Also talk to other parents, they may just have that Transformers plastic tablecloth left over from a party they hosted in past.

Balloons

Kids love balloons, especially the under-five crowd. Helium can get expensive, whether you buy a ‘party-tank’ or pay someone to inflate them. If you must have helium filled balloons, consider getting enough to give each guest and the birthday child one balloon. Tie them to the chairs or use them in a centerpiece, which you later disassemble to give the guests their balloons. Another option in balloons on sticks. Blow up balloons the old-fashioned way then tape them to the end of a wooden skewer or straw. While they don’t float like helium balloons, kids still enjoy them and they are less likely to loose them outside. You can also get large bags of balloons inexpensively. Cover the floor with them and the kids won’t care if they float or not!

Streamers

Call me old-school, but nothing says let’s get this party started like colorful crepe paper streamers. A single roll is enough to decorate most rooms, but with the rolls costing around 50 cents each at party stores grab two or three theme appropriate colors. A standard design is to twist two colors of crepe together and make swags reaching from the center of the room to each corner. You can also tape a balloon to one end of crepe and tape the other end to the ceiling so the balloon dangles over the guests. You can swag it on the walls, drape it over chairs or decorate door ways with it. Streamers are the ultimate tightwad festive decoration.

Bunting

Bunting is much more attractive than streamers, but it does require more work then just plunking down some change at the store. The simplest way to may bunting is to cut small pennant-shed triangles from colorful paper with decorative-edge scissors or pinking shears. Staple the short sides of the triangles to a length of ribbon and drape the bunting around the room the same way you do streamers.

Tablecloths

You can make any room say party with a theme-appropriate table cloth. For an alien or space theme use aluminum foil to cover the table (and doors, walls, etc). Cheap sheets from the thrift store can be used with a variety of themes. Paint roads on the sheet for a car or truck party or paint castles or fairies for princess party. Another option is to use butcher paper to cover the table then present the guests with a few crayons. They can decorate the table covering themselves between actvities.

What are some ways you have decorated a party room inexpensively? Let us know in the comments!

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