Search Results for: blog how i got my home gym for free

Would Mystery Shopping Work for Your Family?

Through mystery shopping, you and your family can enjoy free restaurants, shopping outings, movies, bowling, and more. Plus, you often get paid for the privilege as well! Here is what you need to know about mystery shopping and how to determine if it is the right fit for your family. 1. Understand mystery shopping Understanding what mystery shopping is all about is important before you embark on this adventure. Basically, you pose as a customer for the company and will need to fill out a report of your experience. The different shops have different requirements. You may be asked to … Continue reading →

The Shamrock Shimmy

Just when I thought my daughter could only bust a move to Flo Rida and his request to “Put yo hands up! Put yo hands up! Put yo hands up!” she shocks me by requesting that I enroll her in Irish stepdance classes. The Trinity Irish Dancers paid a visit to her school today for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day party in the gym. Apparently, they called some of the students up on stage to perform with them and my daughter held her own with the pros. After the show a few of the dancers invited her to their studio for … Continue reading →

How I Got My Home Gym For Free

The fact that I’m frugal spreads over into every part of my life, from my diet and clothing, to my health routines. Of course, I wouldn’t sacrifice my health just to save a buck, but I do look for free ways to work out. A lot of doctors recommend walking, but since I live in Tucson, Arizona, walking outdoors any time between the hours of 6am and 9pm isn’t going to happen, especially during the summer. I don’t like being uncomfortable, and trudging around in the heat kills any of my good intentions to exercise. Staying indoors where the temperature … Continue reading →

A Night of Taking My Own Advice

I experienced a handful of my previous Family Fun posts all in one evening and it was not premeditated; my night just morphed into a living, breathing family fun blog. It was superb! Before my workday came to a close (yes, a real desk job) I finally remembered to visit the websites of Gustafer Yellowgold and Justin Roberts and printed off about a dozen coloring pages for my daughter to enjoy. These are two of my gal’s favorites right now and I knew that each musical act had a sizable freebie section of their web pages. Problem is, I kept … Continue reading →

Striking the Balance Between Healthy and Cheap

As a mom, I have to strike a balance between making healthy choices for my family and making financially sound ones. That word, “balance” is key. While I want the best for my family, the best is sometimes out of financial reach. In order to stay health but be cheap, we employ the following strategies in our household. Know the Priorities There are some things that you can compromise on and some things that you can’t. Making sure that the kids get regular medical and dental care is top of the list, organic produce is good, a gym membership can … Continue reading →

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse

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I need free and low cost activities to do with the children this summer. School’s almost out and we’re going to need to do something. As much as I love to sit around the house, watch TV, and work on my computer, the toddler will go stir crazy. Daddy works from home and he needs some quiet to be able to do his job. Having the toddler in school has really gone a long way toward some quiet time in the house. We just got a family membership to the YMCA. That’s taking the place of Gymboree Play and Music … Continue reading →

Countdown to Summer Vacation

My first grader is so over first grade… and I’m right there with her, as is more than half the parents I hang with at the school pick-up/drop-off line. Today marked the second day in a row that my kid has exited her class at the end of the day in tears. Yesterday the class bully decided she hadn’t picked on my daughter in a while, so she got in some end of the school year jabs. Then, today, there was drama in gym regarding a “final” which was reformatted at the last minute. First of all, who gives a … Continue reading →

Will Having a Baby Enhance Your Social Life?

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In my recent article, A Baby Does Change Your Life, I discussed some ways that becoming a Mom will change you forever. Having a baby will change your life, but those changes are not all negative. Have you ever thought about how becoming a first time Mom might affect your social life? Perhaps you are worried that your child free friends won’t want to hang out anymore, or maybe you think that you won’t have the time, energy, or desire to have much of a social life anymore. Well, if you are thinking about your nights on the town hitting … Continue reading →

Great Frugal New Year Resolutions

What are your New Year resolutions? The number one resolution overall, according to most of the poles is to get fit. While I do need to work on that one as well, most of my resolutions are centered around living frugally. Here are some great frugal resolutions that anyone can keep! Stop Paying for Things We Don’t Use From extra channels on the cable bill to seldom-used gym memberships to extra bank fees, there are a number of things that we pay for out of habit or because we don’t even think about them. One of my resolutions is to … Continue reading →

Holiday Rewards Programs

Stores want shoppers back. Stores are starting new programs to lure shoppers to their doors. I love to shop but with a toddler, an infant, two cats (know anyone who wants two cats?), and a husband, I need to be careful with how I spend my money. I appreciate anything stores do to help me save while still getting the things I need to keep my home running. Target is offering its REDCard customers 5% cash back on purchases. The next time I’m at Target I’m going to get a Target REDCard debit card so I can take advantage of … Continue reading →