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Welcome Frugalistas!

What exactly does frugal lifestyle mean?  I believe it’s being smart and savvy in your choices. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you and you will come out ahead.

This blog and website offers frugal tips and money saving ideas to help you live a richer life. Save money on everyday living. Start living the "Frugal Lifestyle" today.

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Frugal Picnic Tips & Ideas

5/25/2016

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​Summer is almost here and it's the perfect season for picnics - whether you are heading out to a park, the beach, an outdoor concert, at a game, even your own backyard. 

Picnics are not only a fun way to spend the day, but it's more frugal than eating at a restaurant. A good rule of thumb when packing your picnic basket - the easier to eat the better... like appetizers and finger foods. Drinks are of course essential to any summer picnic, make sure to bring plastic drink cups or glasses!

My friends and I went to the Hollywood Bowl this week to see a concert. Each couple brought food to nosh on and to share with others before and during the show. I wanted to make something that was easy to prepare and easy to pass around to share. The best way to save money is make most everything yourself at home.

Here are 10 essential tips and ideas of what to pack in your picnic basket. Watch out for Yogi Bear!!

PICNIC BASKET OR BAG - Depending on your preference, pack your goodies in either a basket or bag. Although I love the look of picnic baskets (especially vintage ones), I prefer an insulated bag to keep the drinks colder. Some people also use a big cooler or just recycled bags.

PICNIC SUPPLIES - Essential to any picnic basket whether you opt for paper or plastic goods are: plates, utensils, cups, napkins. Pick some up at your local dollar store or grocery warehouse store. Make sure to also bring a separate bag(s) for trash.

BLANKET - If you are heading out to the park or beach where they don't have picnic benches, make sure to bring a picnic blanket or tablecloth to spread out on the grass or sand. Bring an extra blanket if it's gets cooler to bundle up in. You may also bring pillows to sit on if you will be sitting on a hard surface, like we were at the Hollywood Bowl.

MINI SANDWICHES - You can make mini sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese. I used Kings Hawaiian Bread rolls (yum!) and ready made chicken salads from Trader Joe's. I used curry chicken salad and cranberry chicken salad inside the rolls. I brought these at the Bowl and they were a big hit with everyone. You can make 24 mini sandwiches for less than $15... very frugal.

FINGER FOODS - Easy to eat appetizers that you can pass around to the gang is key. Great examples of finger foods are: chicken poppers, cheese varieties, wraps, etc.. For a fancier option - how about sushi.

CHIPS AND DIP - A simple, frugal yet delicious dip to make is guacamole! All you need are avocados, lime and tomatoes. Or, you can opt for ready made inexpensive dips from stores like Trader Joe's. Pick up a bag (or two) of your favorite dipping chips too.

SALADS - Make the classic potato salad or macaroni salad. These are simple and inexpensive to make at home. Other easy salad options are pasta salads or herb salads (possibly picked from your herb garden).

DRINKS - Pack sodas, water and whatever favorite drink you like from a discount grocery or big box store. Several of us brought bottles of wine to the concert - just make sure you pack the bottles securely or in a separate wine cooler or bag - don't forget the corkscrew!

FRUITS -  Pack easy to eat fruits like grapes, strawberries, bananas, cherries, blueberries or pre-cut fruits such as pineapple and the classic picnic fruit - watermelon. 

DESSERT - Select easy to eat pick-up desserts such as cookies (I brought Snookies Cookies - yum!) and brownies or cupcakes.
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    What does living frugally mean to me? Well, it does NOT mean being cheap, quite the contrary, I believe it’s being smart in your choices, such as how you spend your money everyday. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you. I always strive to spend less on almost everything.

    In this challenging economy, some of us have had to cut back on our expenses. Wouldn't it be nice to still have the things or services you want and need but not have to pay full price or even better, get them for free? 

    Choose value and quality over quantity or fads and you will come out ahead. The great benefit of being frugal is that it eliminates waste and clutter which in turn helps our environment.  By doing simple changes towards more “green” and frugal ways, together we can make an impact on our planet. 
        

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     Hi, my name is Marissa Winfrey and I have been living the frugal life ever since I can remember. I have always looked for great bargains and getting the best value for my money without compromising style and quality.

    My background is in visual display and interior decorating. It’s always been my objective to recommend cost effective solutions to my clients. I, of course, practice what I preach! I have furnished my own homes mostly with furnishings and decor items from my own little vintage boutique, estate sales, discount stores, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and even curbside discarded furniture!

    My frugal practice goes beyond the home. I offer money saving tips on just about everything, from shopping to travel and everything in between. I hope my blog and website will inspire everyone to be their own Frugalista.
        
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Read and learn about useful tips and tricks from experts on how to live "the frugal lifestyle" everyday!  Check out the books below, to see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.
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Living The Savvy Life:
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living
​

It's Not About Being Cheap.  Living the Savvy Life isn't about being a cheapskate, a miser or a tightwad.  It's about having security and peace of mind by spending less than you make.  It's about knowing where you stand financially on a daily basis so you can make intelligent fiscal decisions. 

​It's about being penny-wise on the things that are less important to you so you can spend money on the things that are important to you. It's about choosing to purchase only the things that you love and make you happy.  
It's about finding, attaining and maintaining balance.  Are you ready to start Living the Savvy Life?

   
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​Thrifty: 
Living the Frugal Life with Style


Best-selling author Marjorie Harris offers a timely and entertaining guide to living the richly frugal life. From tips on how to haggle to becoming a frugal fashionista, maintaining your home on a budget, and thrifty gardening, travel, and entertainment, Harris provides essential guidelines to living a quality life on less. Written in her trademark witty, engaging, and accessible style, Thrifty is packed with simple and savvy tips drawn from Harris' own fulfilled, thrifty experience. Bonus tips come from renowned experts such as best-selling author Margaret Atwood, chef Jamie Kennedy, actor R. H. Thomson, travel writer Sylvia Fraser, and The Globe and Mail's style columnists.
  
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How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: 
Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor
​

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life -- interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support. 

What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books.
   
To see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.

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