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This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure and privacy policy for more information. Oftentimes, the problem with being frugal is that you inevitably need to spend money on something. When you know you need to spend money, it then become imperative to understand when it is worth spending more to purchase something of quality or when you should cheap out and spend as little as possible (or not even buy it at all). This handy-dandy cheat sheet will help you to decide when you should be splurging on a quality item and when you should be cheap, super cheap, so you can save your hard earned dollars. Buy Quality Items You Use Everyday If you use it every day (be honest with yourself here), then it should be a quality item. Examples of quality items you use a lot may include towels; kitchenware like pans, plates, silverware; professional attire like suits; shoes you wear daily like dress shoes, sneakers; clothes you wear frequently like exercise clothes. Be ...

Have a Birthday party coming up?  Need to feed a lot of people?  Think it's going to cost you an arm and a leg?  Think again.  Here is how I pulled off a birthday party for under $100 for 20 people.  Follow these tips for a fun and surprisingly cheap birthday party extravaganza. Keep the Menu Simple You don't need to have a million items to have a full birthday party.  I like to have a couple of appetizers, a main course, and cake, of course.  I've hosted enough birthday parties to know keeping it simple is the way to go.  I dialed it back on a lot of items because I routinely was over spending and the excess menu items weren't eaten or there were ungodly amounts of leftovers.  This menu still left us with leftovers, but I can use it for dinners later in the week and I know the kiddos will eat it. The Menu Here is the menu I used for this party.   Appetizer 1 Chips and Salsa Appetizer 2 Crudites (veggies and dip) M...

Everyone wants to enjoy a fun and plentiful Christmas, but you certainly do not want to have day after Christmas buyer's remorse.  Especially when there are little kids in the mix, there is a lot of pressure to "keep up with the Joneses" and have an over the top Christmas.  While Christmas is an important tradition and holiday in our family, it is also important to keep expectations in check.  It really is only a single day and is not worth going into debt over.  There are plenty of experiences and material possessions that can make the season and day special without sacrificing your personal financial goals for the year. Set a Budget This may seem obvious, but if you don't set a budget you will definitely spend more than you want to.  I like to set a budget for the total amount as well as a value for each person on my list.  More likely than not, you spend for the same people every year.  Therefore, make a list of the people you buy presents for...