By Heather from Domestic Extraordinaire

I’m not sure when I hit my first thrift store, I think it was probably when my oldest was a toddler.  I was amazed at all of the stuff and the prices!  I love shopping and finding a good deal and in my mind I had hit the jackpot!

90% of my wardrobe has come from thrift stores and resale shops.  The other 10% has come from clearance racks.  I hardly ever pay full price for an outfit and truth be told, I have a hard time paying full price at the thrift stores.  My teenage girls mock me unmercifully about this fact.

Many people compliment me on my outfits and are very surprised when I tell them either where I got it or how much the outfit cost.  They always proclaim that they never find anything worth while anytime they decided to pop into a thrift store or resale shop.  So today, I will share my thrifty secrets with you, so you too can have a killer wardrobe at a fraction of the cost.

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By Elizabeth from Kamloops Parents

It rolls around every school year; the season of gifts. Actually, for some of us it comes a little more often with the celebration of Christmas and sometimes other holidays, too. It’s always nice to be able to thank those people that love on our kids when we aren’t the ones with them. I like to think that I am a good gift-giver. I like giving gifts. I like trying to think of that perfect little something that my child’s teacher or other care giver might enjoy. I want to let them know that I appreciate them.

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By Zoeyjane from Raising Zoeyjane, EverythingMom & MamaPop

I’m lucky (I realized once I got past the initial concern) in the sense that I have one of those toddlers that just doesn’t grow. I mean, yeah, she grows, and if you’ve ever met her or followed my twitter feed, there’s no concern about whether she’s happy, energetic or otherwise healthy. In other words, the kid is thriving. But she doesn’t grown much, and it’s completely predictable when she does.

I admit that I’ve saved a butt-load of money when compared to other parents for two main reasons: I never have to run out to buy something because she magically shot up an inch, and pretty much every friend she’s ever had has lapped her in size - even one of her besties, almost two years younger, is presently sharing the same sizes as her. Know what that means? Hand-me-downs. More than I can store.

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By Amber from Moose In The Kitchen

Money tends to be an issue for people – in this economy, in yesterday’s economy, back when three clam shells scored you a quarter pounder with cheese. You simply can’t live without it, which is really quite annoying. As a true reprobate in the art of cash, I have the same money worries whether I’m making $50,000 a year or no dollars a year. I don’t understand how that works either. Suffice it to say, I have many tricks that keep me from being bundled up into a straightjacket after a few entirely-justified episodes of rabid shrieking at the innocent, dewy screen of Mint.com.

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By Ali Martell from Cheaper Than Therapy

We recently introduced ALLOWANCE at Casa de Martell.

Now, I know that this is one of those. A controversial one. There are people who are in the YES! Allowances are the best, yo! They are great for kids! camp. There are people who are in the NO! Allowances are bad news. Kids shouldn’t be paid for doing things they should already do.

I will admit, until this past year, I was just sort of “meh” about allowances. But, I made the decision to do it. And my reasoning is three-fold.

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From Well-Heeled

1. Bury your head in the sand. Given the doom and gloom of the news lately, it’s hard to blame anyone who wants to turn off the TV and just tune out the news for the next 12 months. But while hibernation works for a bear, it won’t work in this bear market. Now is not the time to be blissfully ignorant of what’s going on. Right now IS the time to stick to the boring basics of personal finance: get out of high-interest debt, refrain from taking on new debt, and start, or add to, your emergency fund.

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by Sara from Selfmademom

It’s easy to lose track of the trends when you’re watching your pennies. The last thing I feel like doing now is buying the latest issue of In Style only to realize I really can’t afford, and don’t really need the hottest pair of shoes.

But there are many ways to stay stylish without breaking the bank, or feeling guilty.

• Shop your closet.  Look back through the years and you’re sure to find some hidden treasures.  I recently dug up an old Bohemian skirt from a few years back, rolled down the waist, and voila! A now-trendy maxi skirt.  Don’t underestimate your savvy self back before you became a recessionista.

• Skip the salon. I know- it’s like saying skip lunch. But drastic times call for drastic measures and sometimes you have to do it yourself.  It’s near impossible to give yourself your own haircut. (Bang trim, maybe if you have a steady hand.) However, when it comes to coloring your locks, there are many do-it-yourself techniques available at an affordable price. (Frederic Fekkai, anyone?) Julyne Derrick of About.com has a great how-to on the ins and outs of coloring your hair.

• Host a clothing swap party. A friend of mine recently invited a bunch of her friends over for a clothes swap party. Bring stuff that you don’t wear, or doesn’t fit you any longer and swap it for someone else’s duds. It’s brilliant, and you’ll walk away with some new pieces from a reputable source.
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By Heather B. of NoPasaNada

When I graduated from college my mother presented me not with a hefty envelope filled with cash or the keys to a brand new CR-V and definitely not Happy Graduation Jewelry. Instead she presented me with Suze Orman’s The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke. I had just returned - literally 36 hours prior - from a six month trip abroad where I spent every single cent to my name plus God knows how much provided by both of my parents up until the last night I was there when I was begging for more euros so I could end my trip in style: table service at a club in Madrid. So I was feeling less than fabulous, really freaking broke but less than young since I was being allowed to enter the real world without any sort of adult supervision. The only guidance provided was Suze Orman’s book and a threat to pull every single hair out of my head if I didn’t get a job.
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By Brandon Rogers

My professional background concerns the whys and wherefores of sending your babies to college, which, let’s be honest, makes for pretty dull barstool conversation, and well, as an INSIDER, I’m not really supposed to share the REAL loopholes because how embarrassing would it be to get a beat down at the hands of some vengeful financial aid advisors ‘cause I let loose their trade secrets? It’s not like they lift weights.

Still, were I to travel back in time with no knowledge of lottery numbers or professional sporting outcomes, I might consider:

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By Josie at OrganizedMommy

How often do you go to the grocery store? Target? Warehouse stores? Some people I know visit the grocery store up to three times per week! That seems like a huge time-sink and a waste of gas.

Could you save yourself time by going less frequently?

In our family we have managed to get our shopping down to one trip per week. Every other week, we shop at Trader Joe’s for groceries, and  at Target for everything else. Going on alternating weeks means that we only go shopping once per week. This is a huge time saver.

If you run to the store several times per week, consider why. Are you constantly running out of a particular item (milk)? Are you running out to get a few items for that night’s dinner? Do you travel to multiple different stores to do your weekly grocery shopping?

What would it really take to get your number of trips down to one per week, or even once per two weeks? For us, there were several things we changed in order to reduce the shopping trips:
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