Ask the Readers

In response to last week’s question about frugal summer activities for toddlers, today’s question is from Heather:

I seem to see lots of free and discounted activities for younger kids (parks, zoos, kids eat free nights, etc) but I would love to know about any creative and frugal ideas for OLDER kids — ages 8-13.

We try to take advantage of BOGO food coupons and discounted movies, but we’re past the swinging-in-the-park days. I can only afford 1 week of camp for each kid so any suggestions would be awesome!

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 100 comments }

Today’s question is from Jill:

What are your favorite free/inexpensive ideas to keep young children busy during the long summer days (I have a 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter)? -Jill

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 95 comments }

Today’s question is from Amber:

Is a Vita-Mix blender worth the money? If you have a Vita-Mix, what do you use it for? -Amber

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 156 comments }

Today’s question is from Emily:

Is there an all-natural, do-it-yourself pre-treater that works well for small-children’s stains? -Emily

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 50 comments }

Today’s question is from Vicki:

I commute to my college and need some ideas easy, cheap, and healthful ideas for me to bring for sack lunches. I don’t have access to a fridge/freezer or microwave. Also I’m getting bored of PB&J and lunch meat wraps. Any suggestions? -Vicki

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 81 comments }

Today’s question is from Julie:

Is an Amazon Prime membership worth the cost?

I live in an extremely rural community and initially decided not to purchase it the membership after my one-year free trial expired. But, I now really miss the two-day free shipping (with no minimum purchase), along with some of the deals available with Subscribe & Save.

I know these aren’t comparable to some deals other readers find, but for someone living in a rural area, the deals are great (especially when you factor in the increasing cost of gas).

What do you think — is it worth the $6.58 a month to purchase an Amazon Prime membership? -Julie

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 187 comments }

Today’s question is from Linden:

Do you have any recipes for a gel or liquid dishwashing soap to use for hand washing dishes in the sink? -Linden

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 25 comments }

Today’s question is from Julie:

What bread machine would you recommend?

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 121 comments }

Today’s question is from Amy:

We’ve never spent much on kid’s clothing before since we were blessed with lots of hand-me-downs. However, we are planning to purchase some clothing for our two-year-old daughter at local consignment stores and I’m wondering: what is a reasonable budget for a couple of seasons’ worth of children’s clothing?

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

{ 94 comments }