Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN (East Memphis)
• Memphis, TN (West TN)
• Murfreesboro, TN
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Seattle, WA & Portland, OR (Northwest)
• St. Augustine, FL

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN (East Memphis)
• Memphis, TN (West TN)
• Murfreesboro, TN
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Seattle, WA & Portland, OR (Northwest)
• St. Augustine, FL

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

I love personal finance books, so I always download them when they are free! Today you can download, Saving for Retirement without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery for free on Amazon.

I haven’t read this one yet, but there should be at least a few nuggets of great information, right?

Also, today’s special on Amazon is Mary Hunt’s book, 7 Money Rules for Life®, on sale for only $1.99. I like Mary Hunt’s books, so this one might be worth getting too.

If you don’t have a Kindle, then you can still download these free eBooks to your smart phone or computer. All you need to do is download one of Amazon’s free reading apps.

Remember that Amazon prices fluctuate constantly, so verify the price before purchasing.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

National Activities

• Free Museum Admissions this weekend with Bank of America card

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN (East Memphis)
• Memphis, TN (West TN)
• Murfreesboro, TN
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Seattle, WA & Portland, OR (Northwest)
• St. Augustine, FL

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN (East Memphis)
• Memphis, TN (West TN)
• Murfreesboro, TN
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Seattle, WA & Portland, OR (Northwest)
• St. Augustine, FL

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN (West TN)
• Murfreesboro, TN
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Seattle, WA & Portland, OR (Northwest)
• St. Augustine, FL

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington State (NW)

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.

The following is a guest post from Mike Cushing.

Whether you’re a hobby gardener or growing all your own food, composting should be an integral part of your garden and lawn care activities for the sole reason to save you money.

Compost, the “black gold” mix of recycled food, vegetable and yard scraps, is full of nutrients. You can then take the end product and use it for your garden’s soil, reducing your costs for adding topsoil ($2-3/bag) or fertilizer ($10-$15/bag).

And as the first warm days of spring roll in, starting your compost pile will never be easier.

Grab a Rake

Your lawn or garden is covered with compostable material. If there’s a nice carpet of leaves to be raked or is still waiting for the first touch of the lawn mower after winter, there’s your first layer.

Pro tip: Fallen leaves are high in carbon and will provide a lot of the “brown” material necessary to get your compost pile going.

Don’t Throw That Out

The path to a successful compost pile starts in the home. On average, up to 40% of garbage thrown out could be composted. That allows you to lower your garbage removal cost since you’ll be reusing what they would haul away.

Everything from vegetable waste and fruit rinds to shredded newspaper and pet hair can be added to your compost pile. If you peel a carrot or a potato, hold onto the skin. Keep that apple core and your coffee grounds: It’s all a part of gardening black gold.

Pro tip: Avoid adding meat or bones to your compost pile. Meats decompose in a different way and may attract unwelcome pests.

Pile On

For the low-cost composter with a yard, you can easily make a 3 – 4 foot circular cage of chicken wire to contain your pile. Place the pile in the corner of your garden, slightly elevated, so rainwater can carry nutrients to your garden.

If you live in the city, grab a 20-gallon trashcan with a lid for less than $10. Prep the bin by poking holes to allow airflow, and then find a spot where the bin will get some indirect sunlight to heat it up.

Whether you decide on a compost pile or a compost bin, the process is largely similar:

1. Start with a layer of those dead leaves and some shredded newspaper. Add a layer of food waste and grass clippings, then toss in a few handfuls of good gardening soil. This will introduce additional nutrients and bacteria to help the compost process.

2. Alternate these layers until you have a 3 foot pile. Pro Tip: Strike a balance between brown materials and green materials like grass clippings or food waste. GardenWeb.com can help you find the right ratio.

3. It will take 4 – 6 weeks to compost. Keep it damp, but not wet, and make sure it stays warm. Pro tip: Once a week, gently turn the material in your pile with a pitchfork or a gardening fork.

Soon, you’ll be able to harvest good compost from the bottom of your pile. Every few months, add this to your garden for optimal growing. As you get more experienced, you’ll be able to tinker with your compost ingredients to find the perfect solution for your garden needs.

Mike Cushing is an avid gardener and freelance writer for Road Rat Motors. When he’s not writing, he’s scouring sources to find new ways to live frugally, including starting a compost pile and growing fresh herbs.

The following is a guest post from Stacy.

I am a lover of books…a complete and total bookworm. My mom says I’ve always been that way.

These days my list of books is aimed more toward Dr. Sears and Christian parenting books than my former life of Christian fiction…but that’s a moot point. I also used to listen to more “adult” music and now I find myself humming Veggie Tales all day long.

But a book habit can be an expensive habit. And my life is about bucking the expensive things in life. It’s pretty easy to feed your bookworm self…and do it cheaply. And today I’m going to give you five easy ways to save on books.

1. Use the library. For the most part, the library is free. I’ve heard from several readers that their library actually charges. If mine started charging, I’d probably fall down in the floor and go into convulsions. For my entire life, all the libraries around here have been free. Free is good. But even if your library charges a fee, it’s likely cheaper than buying the book yourself.

I usually like to “test” a book at the library before I consider buying it. If I check a book out and enjoy it, then I might decide to add it to my collection. If I check it out and it’s stinky, then I’m sure glad I didn’t buy it.

2. Use half.com.  Half.com is an eBay owned website. When I was in college, I always used half.com for my textbooks…when I could. Sometimes the textbooks just aren’t on there.

I’ve found that half.com is also cheaper than eBay on most books. You are just buying a used book from another seller. You get to choose the condition and the shipping is usually pretty low since it’s mailed via Media Mail.

3. Buy used from Amazon. Almost all books at Amazon offer a “used” option.  A couple lines down, under “Want it delivered…” you’ll see options for used books.   Just like half.com, you’re also buying these used books from another seller – not directly from Amazon.

4. Join a book swap. There are several different book swap sites on the internet. The gist of the program is that you sign up, sometimes for a fee, sometimes not, and then you list your books. Someone can request those books for free and then you mail them out. In return, you get to choose new books for free. Your cost is in shipping only – and perhaps a fee.

One such book swap I’ve heard about is Paperback Swap. It’s something to consider if you do a lot of reading.

5. Buy books at yard sales. This is my favorite way to get books, but it’s not the best way if you’re looking for something specific. To buy books at yard sales, you have to just be looking for a category and not something specific.

How do YOU save money on books?

Stacy is a stay-at-home mom to her first child, Annie (2) and she is pregnant with her second. After an “awakening” in March, her family switched to a more natural, whole foods diet. She likes to blog about how to live on less than you make and how to eat good food while doing it. Living totally debt free, she and her husband share their passion by teaching others how to save money. At Stacy Makes Cents, you’ll find information on how to save money in the kitchen, how to have fun with your kids, and how to be thrifty in all areas of life. Make sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with her daily antics.

Each week I’ll post links with fun and inexpensive (or free) things to do in your local area.

Local Activities

• Chicago, IL (West)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA, Fort Benning, GA & Phenix City, AL
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• East Valley-Phoenix Area, AZ
• Harrisburg & West Shore, PA
• LaGrange, Westpoint, Hogansville, Pine Mountain, Warm Springs, GA
• Lebanon, PA
• Houston, TX (North)
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Madison, WI
• Nashville, TN (All of middle TN)
• Orlando, FL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington State (NW)

If you are a blogger who posts a local round-up of family activities, then feel free to fill out this form to be considered for future posts.