Free Thanksgiving crafts and decorations to print

 I'm a penny pincher who loves holiday entertaining. In order save money, I use free printable decorations and crafts. About Family Crafts has printable Thanksgiving crafts, decorations, table decor and greeting cards. Thanksgiving crafts feature pilgrims, Indian corn, pumpkins and cornucopias. Print gift tags, placemats, napkin rings, cards, coloring pages and more.

Package Tech has free downloads for complete Thanksgiving holiday place settings Themes are snowflake, acorn and petal pink. Each place setting includes placemat, napkin rings, print and fold treat box and decoration. Baby Center has free Thanksgiving printouts and harvest or autumn printouts for holiday decorations.

About Freebies lists a gajillion free printable Thanksgiving decorations. Martha Stewart has a harvest of printable fall paper crafts to decorate your Thanksgiving table. Scroll around the page for harvest and fall table themes, Thanksgiving craft templates and more.

The Toymaker offers vintage holiday decorations and crafts. The Thanksgiving printables feature traditional pilgrims and native American Indians, pumpkins, turkeys and corn. Crafts are beautifully drawn and colored in Dickensian style imagery. There's a 3D stand-up paper turkey centerpiece, a cornucopia nut cup for party favors, napkins rings and old-fashioned Thanksgiving greeting cards.

Print, fold, cut, paste and craft your way to a beautiful Thanksgiving table. Making free printable Thanksgiving crafts provide hours of fun for children, and keeps them happily occupied and out from under your feet. Happy crafting and may you and yours enjoy a Blessed Thanksgiving.

I saved 80% on facial products: money-saving tips on moisturizers, night cream, eye cream

Looking in the mirror while having my hair done, I realized that I'm getting old. To avoid the withered prune look, I'm upping my skin care regimen. Now I'm here to tell you, folks, that moisturizers are not cheap. In fact, one might call it a racket! I love the Lancome night cream for example. After using my sample size, I went looking at Sephora and found it  (are you sitting down?) for $60 for a little pot!!

So I went to my go-to TJ Maxx to find cost-saving alternatives and I wasn't disappointed. I stocked up on cellulite firming cream (another extortion game), retinol cream, collagen oil, day moisturizer and night cream. And the whole arsenal only cost me $30. And I got a huge thing of collagen cream, like professional size for only $7. I found collagen and retinol oil for $5 at Big Lots. So now, bring on the dry skin because this penny pinching mama is ready (and she didn't bust the bank to do it!)

25 tips to save money on college dorm room essentials

As fall approaches, students go back to school or college. And that means time for back to school shopping on college dorm room essentials. Books, tuition, student housing and extra fees are already expensive. Outfitting the dorm room can put parents over the top financially. Here's money-saving mom's budget dorm room shopping guide.

First, focus on dorm room essentials. Skip the funsy-cutsy non-essentials. Stores and colleges would have parents believe college kids need. all kids of junk they don't. Think "need" not want. Get best prices at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Best Buy, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and TJ Maxx. Watch secondhand stores and other store sales. Use Walmart Savings Catcher to make sure your Walmart purchases were the lowest prices available.

Dorm room essentials: (check first to see what furniture dorms provide, typically bed, desk, shelves, closet)
-branched floor lamp (one light for reading in bed and one light for the desk): $10
-microwave oven: talk with roommates about chipping
in on a microwave. Pick one up for $40
-bed set: includes comforter, fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases. Some come with cushioned lap desk: $36. Send sheets and blankets, skip pillow shams and bed skirt.
-pillow: $5-$10 Choose a good comfortable pillow. This is essential for proper rest. Don't allow your college student to use the provided pillow.
-rug or bath mat: $4
-alarm clock: $5
-personal toiletries set in shower caddy or zippered bag. Student should stow supplies in container to prevent spread of germs in shared bathrooms, under $10.
-shower shoes, flip flops or pool shoes for use in shared bathroom
-portable dorm refrigerator: $59. Stock with beverages and food, to prevent temptation to spend big money at the college dining room or cafeteria.
-bath towel set: includes two bath towels, two hand towels, two washcloths: $10 at Wal-mart.
-dorm room appliances: toaster, coffee maker and electric hot pot for heating up soup and canned foods. $7 each at Walmart. Send a hand can opener.
-pop-up clothes hamper and hanging shelf organizer (holds ten pairs of shoes and has three larger shelves for sweaters, tee-shirt, jeans or towels. Hamper zips shut for ease of carrying to laundromat or home. $20 for the set at Walmart.
-back pillow for studying in bed, under $20
-6 plastic totes with lids (18 gallons each): $24 at Wal-mart. Plastic totes are an excellent way to transport and store dorm rooms supplies and clothing. Six should be the perfect amount for supplies.
-dorm chair: don't get a bean bag or orbit dish chair. These are quite uncomfortable for older teens and adults. Get a clearance lawn chair with arms or a plush club chair that folds

Jinger Duggar Vuolo millionaire: Duggars' 'Counting On' reality TV earnings wow

Without a career or college education, Jinger Duggar Vuolo earns a salary that will shock you. Her net worth, as a homeschooled, jobless pastor's wife is more than some doctors. Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo have generated independent income but it all essentially revolves around or is an off-shoot of associations with the Duggar family "19 Kids and Counting" reality TV show. The couple just recently purchased a $1.9 million home. Not bad for a family supposedly committed to frugality and debt-free simple living. 

It proves how lucrative "19 Kids and Counting" was for the Duggar family. It shows why they were so anxious to get the "Counting On" reality television gig after Josh Duggar's pedophilia, pornography, and adultery scandal. That show has since been pulled over CSA charges. Jinger Vuolo's multi-million dollar assets demonstrate why Josh and now brother Joseph Duggar, another Duggar son caught in child sexual assault are so eager to remain in the public eye. 

According to a memoir by Jill Duggar Dillard "Counting the Cost", the Duggar family company (Mad Family Inc.) was paid approximately $50,000 to $73,000 per episode by TLC for 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. Jim Bob Duggar controlled the money, totaling roughly $8 million over several years, with individual adult children reportedly receiving no direct payment for years. 

Contracts showed payments of $50,000 for half-hour episodes and $65,000 for hour-long episodes, increasing to $58,000/$73,000 after four seasons. Jill estimates that Jim Bob was paid a total of $8 million between 2014 and 2018. And she and her siblings never say a dime, even when being "forced" onto the show when they were married. Jill received $175,000 for years of work only after hiring a lawyer).

Now I don't defend Big Daddy Duggar keeping all the proceeds or shackling his kids to a reality TV contract. He's nothing more than a mob boss if you ask me. Of course his "19 Kids and Counting"  deserve payment. They are the reason he got the contract in the first place. They were actors and under the Jackie Coogan law, are entitled to their own earnings. And seriously what kind of "good Christian" dad doesn't at least put their earnings into a trust fund? 

And I certainly don't defend the sheltering of pedophilia. For that alone they deserve compensation. Because no it won't erase the shame. But it will hopefully give them the means to get out of that sick Duggar cult. And they do deserve it. 

I'm just having a little trouble being sympathetic to the financial woes of any of the kids who are still living off the show with their books and podcasts. Get real jobs and then you'll see what real financial woes are. But then, I get it. There's money to be made in tell-all exposes on your parents. Might as well get their piece of the pie one way or another. Where I draw the line is juxtaposing crass materialism with a Godly "simple life." Pick a lane. 

Inexpensive DIY Closet Organizer, Shelves and Storage from Rubbermaid

Hello my fru-gals and guys! Having raised a family of four kids in a 14 X 70 mobile home has taught me a great deal about creating space and organization. Here's an easy, inexpensive DIY guide to making the most of your closets, cupboards and storage spaces. Make the most of storage with some easy tricks.

Turn a shallow wall closet into a shelved storage space. There are hundreds of expensive systems, but you can create your own by installing a closet shelving system like Rubbermaid Fasttrack Rail Storage.  The set is a little over $100 on Amazon and is available at  most any home improvement center. This simple, durable closet organizer system is completely adjustable to your available space.

Made with similar styling to the Rubbermaid dish rack, with study rubberized plastic coated metal, this shelf unit is ideal. What I like best about the Rubbermaid closet organizers is that the shelves are open rack shelves with an over-hanging slotted edge. This doubles beautifully as a place to hang clothing. The Rubbermaid Free Slide closet organize can be configured in limitless ways to create spaces that work for your individual needs.

Hang shelves according the length you'll need for your hanging garments. Shorter garments like blouses, shirts and half folded slacks can be hung from lower shelves or between shelves. Longer garments can be hung from higher shelves. This works so much better than traditional closet hanging arrangements in which all the clothing, regardless of length is hung from the same level, wasting a good deal of space. It also helps to organize clothing by season, style and purpose.

By adding baskets for accessories and folded clothing, and placing shoes on a rack or in boxes on the floor, you eliminate the need for a cumbersome dresser. Affix hooks on the wall for jewelry, ties, belts and other accessories.

When we were finished hanging our Rubbermaid Free Slide Closet organizer, everything looked so neat that we decided to replace our bulky, heavy closet doors with decorative curtains on a shower rod. Actually, we could have left the curtain off and the closet open to the room, as the closet in the above link is shown. 

Where to Buy Cute Prom Dresses Under $50-$100: Yes it's Possible!

Where to Buy Great Inexpensive Prom Dresses Under $100 Want to buy a kick-ass prom dress, but don't want to pay through the nose? Here's your one-stop Penny Pincher Post shopping guide to looking like a million bucks at prom for less than $100. If you start early and watch the sales you can usually get that show-stopping dress for under $50. 

High school prom can get be a really pricey affair. I know; I've footed the prom bill four times and face my fifth prom next month. Is there any way to find cute prom dresses under $100? Absolutely! Follow this guideline. 

To get the best prices on prom dresses, start shopping early. Familiarize yourself with styles and prices. Watch for sales. Subscribe to email coupons from favorite stores. Use coupon code finder apps like Retail Me Not. And submit receipts for rebates to Rakuten. Install Honey in your browser to access rebates and find best deals.  Here are my top picks for cute inexpensive stylish prom dresses under $100.

ASOS is an online-only retailer featuring a nice selection of affordable prom dresses under $100. Great for trendy, unique styles. Their "ASOS DESIGN" line often features maxi dresses and formal wear in the $45–$80 range.

Etsy sells formalwear prom dresses under $100 and some under $50. Check out this beautiful floor length dress priced at $44 with a coupon. 

Lulus: Known for modern, sleek designs, Lulus has a dedicated prom section with many floor-length prom dress priced under $100. There are gowns and sequins priced between $70 and $99.under $100. Lulus carries A-line, cut away, empire, halter, strapless, formal length, tea length, just about any style that your prom goer might want. 

Windsor: A go-to for many students, Windsor offers a huge variety of satin and corset-style dresses. While some are pricier, they maintain a large selection of formal midi and maxi dresses under $100.

J.C.Penney: Our daughter was inclined to scoff at J.C. Penney thinking that it was an old lady's' store. We were pleasantly surprised to find a nice assortment of lovely prom dresses, in unique styles, sale priced well under $100, many in the F$50 to $70 range. J.C. Penney prom dresses are well made with lovely detailing.

Consignment and secondhand stores: Don't over-look second hand and resale venues for lovely prom dresses. Since most prom dresses are worn only once or twice, they are generally in near perfect condition. Needless to say prices on second hand dresses are often remarkably cheaper. Depending upon the area in which you live, second hand prom dresses run between $15- $40. Second hand prom dresses are also the ideal choice for the young woman who favors green, eco-friendly shopping.

Prom dress swaps: Share, trade, swap and borrow dresses within your circle of friends who are of a similar size. Prom dresses aren't as seasonal as most people imagine. The basic dress styles remain constant over the years, and every high school prom features an assortment of dress styles. When choosing your prom dress, I advise that you select a dress based on how it's color, cut and design look on you, rather than what dress may be in vogue.