Erin Turner

Managing Screen Time For Kids

By ERIN TURNER - The tech world is here and it’s going to stay--despite thoughts from parents that it might just be passing fad. So how do you manage electronic devices for kids?... more

The Great Debate: School Bedtime During the Summer

By ERIN TURNER-There's a debate amongst parents about how to handle the last days of summer with their school aged children. What time is bed time?... more

Expectations of Parenthood

By ERIN TURNER - This summer my oldest child turns 16 yrs old. Where did the time go? I'm reminiscing about that first pregnancy--which seems like only a moment ago.... more

By ERIN TURNER - We had friends visiting and their son has Juvenile Diabetes so I wanted to be sure I had appropriate food and snacks for him. Here's one that fits the bill and beats the heat:... more

Somewhere Beyond Lewistown

By ERIN TURNER - Somewhere beyond Lewistown, MT is the heart of “Nowhere” in a quaint little town called Winnett, Montana.... more

Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation

By ERIN TURNER - Here are some tips for making lifelong memories on your summer vacation without breaking the bank.... more

Organizing Gift Cards in a Binder

By ERIN TURNER - I love gift cards, but I hate when I unexpectedly find myself in a restaurant and realize I've left the gift card for that restaurant at home in the drawer. ... more

Recipes to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

By ERIN TURNER - Despite not having a drop of Mexican heritage in my blood, I still love celebrating Cinco De Mayo. Here are 5 of my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes.... more

Frugal and Delicious: Homemade Refried Beans

By ERIN TURNER - With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, why not some try my recipe for simple, delicious, homemade refried beans. ... more

How To Save Money While Stocking Your Pantry

By ERIN TURNER - People ask us all the time for advice on how to stock up on essential pantry items. They assume we have a Costco membership and buy everything in bulk.... more

Kid Approved, Homemade Cheese Crackers Recipe

By ERIN TURNER - In today's world of overly processed food, I love showing the kids how to make homemade and healthy snacks. Here's my recipe for homemade Cheese-Its Crackers.... more

Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day with Homemade Irish Pasties

By ERIN TURNER- As the great granddaughter of an Irish immigrant, I have to admit my own love of Irish Pasties. It is the perfect meal…meat, potatoes all wrapped up in a flaky crust. ... more

Frugal Gardening Tips

By ERIN TURNER-Planting a garden is one of the best frugal methods of saving money. For just a few dollars, you can raise entire bed of produce which would cost you hundreds in the grocery store. ... more

Another Successful Pantry Challenge

By ERIN TURNER-It’s March. What's that mean? If you ask most, they'll say "March Madness" or St. Paddy's Day. If you ask our boys, they'll exclaim it's the "end of the pantry challenge". YEEHAW!... more

The Best Way to Clean a Kitchen Sink

By ERIN TURNER-My kitchen sink is a work horse. It takes a beating almost every day. So I rely on a super dependable, result-guaranteed method of cleaning my porcelain sink.... more

DIY Pantry: Homemade Condiments are Healthy and Frugal

By ERIN TURNER- I recently taught a class called “Homemade Instead” where we talked about making things at home instead of purchasing them commercially--including condiments.... more

Soup: The Frugal Friendly Meal

By ERIN TURNER- Soup is one of those dishes which I don’t think receives enough credit. It's easy, frugal, freezes well and is nutritious. And, it's perfect for the pantry challenge.... more

Benefits of a Pantry Challenge

By ERIN TURNER- If the idea of cleaning up and eating up your pantry appeals to you then you are ready for a Pantry Challenge! ... more

Frugal Diamond Ring Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER- Here is a quick, easy and frugal way to clean diamond rings at home!... more

Restoring Household Order

By ERIN TURNER- This last week I spent packing up the Christmas decorations, cleaning the house after all the holiday parties and of course, hitting all the after Christmas clearance sales.... more

Couponing in 2015

By ERIN TURNER- While I still am passionate about saving money and getting the very best deal available, how I save money looks different than it did 5 years ago. ... more

After Christmas Savings Ideas

By ERIN TURNER- Afraid you've missed all post-Christmas sales? Not to worry. There are still many good sales opportunities and over the next two weeks the sales will get better and better.... more

Roundup of Christmas Savings Ideas

By ERIN TURNER- I’ve compiled a list of various blogs/websites which provide some fantastic ideas on how to be frugal while still getting the most out of the holidays! ... more

Simple Homemade Caramel Sauce

By ERIN TURNER- Every Christmas I like to make homemade gifts for family and friends. This year I am excited to be making up batches of Homemade Caramel Sauce. It's Heavenly!... more

New Money Saving App–FAVADO!

By ERIN TURNER- I recently discovered FAVADO--an app that can save you both TIME and MONEY--and just in time for the holiday shopping season! ... more

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

By ERIN TURNER- If you have kids, then you know that Ranch Dip has far surpassed ketchup in the world of condiments. Here's my recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.... more

Reconditioning and Re-Purposing Old Shoes

By ERIN TURNER- Imagine my delight recently when I discovered this adorable pair of Converse tennis shoes in my son’s size at a Missoula Thrift Store. I paid $3 bucks, and check em out!... more

Homesteading Basics: How to Make Your Own Lard

By ERIN TURNER- Thinking about adding lard to your baking regimen? Consider making your own. With the help of a crockpot, it's super easy and it's perfect for melt-in-your-mouth pie crusts, cookies, and and mor... more

Early Preparation for Christmas is the key to Savings

By ERIN TURNER- There are only EIGHT Saturdays left before Christmas? Take a deep breath and relax because if you start your planning now, you’ll be the most relaxed, calm person come December!... more

What Are You Cookin’ up for Crocktober Fest?

By ERIN TURNER- Time to pull out the crockpot for 'CROCKTOBER Fest'. Cooking in a crockpot offers the benefits of convenience and ease. Here are a couple of 'must make' crockpot recipes. ... more

Harvest Season Means Savings

By ERIN TURNER-I dedicate this week’s blog to this beautiful season we call “The Harvest”. Anyone who claims they are frugal loves this season. This is what we frugalites live for--ABUNDANCE!... more

Ice Cube Trays–a Frugal Gadget for Every Kitchen

By ERIN TURNER-Ever wonder what to do with leftover wine, buttermilk and other liquid items? Hate the thought of throwing them out? HELLO ice cube trays. It's a no-brainer and frugal way to save!... more

Save Money at Missoula’s TJ Maxx and Ross

By ERIN TURNER-This past week I was reminded of two stores that aren't always on my "Deal Radar" but they're practically next door to one and other and this week they offered up some one-stop- savings!... more

Easy, Healthy, and Homemade Chocolate Sauce

By ERIN TURNER-Yesterday was my son’s birthday and when I asked him what menu he wanted for his birthday dinner, he requested ice cream--and that means chocolate sauce! Here's an easy, healthy and frugal reci... more

Fresh, Frugal, Back to School Lunch Ideas

By ERIN TURNER-Are you ready to dust off the lunch box as your kids head back to school this week? Here are some for packing fresh, healthy and frugal lunches for your kids!... more

Stuffed Zucchini–A Frugal Seasonal Meal

By ERIN TURNER-The season of zucchini jokes has arrived. The gardens are knocking out zucchini like crazy and people are finding them on their doorsteps.... more

Homemade Pie Crust

By ERIN TURNER- It's western Montana Fair Time and with raspberries, huckleberries and strawberries all in season right now, it seems the perfect time for a pie! ... more

Save Money With DIY Haircuts

By ERIN TURNER- With 3 boys, haircuts occur quite frequently around our house. Even if we just went to Cost Cutters we'd spend a fortune every month. Instead, here's a frugal, DIY haircut option. ... more

Budget Friendly Fruit Fly Killer

By ERIN TURNER-Love having the fruit sitting out for a quick walk-by snack for the kids but hate the the fruit flies? Here's a sure-fire and frugal way of killing them:... more

Healthy, Frugal Spinach Smoothies

By ERIN TURNER-I’ve had lots of people asking me for my recipe for Green Smoothies. Since spinach season is at its peak right now, I thought I'd share my recipe.... more

Staying Motivated And Avoiding Coupon Burnout

By ERIN TURNER- Have you hit burn out in your couponing? Does the thought of clipping another coupon cause you to have a melt down? ... more

Easy Batch Eggs

By ERIN TURNER- Here's my new favorite way to cook a large batch of eggs. It's quick and easy!... more

Quick and Easy Shower Cleaning

By ERIN TURNER- I have a secret weapon that helps me maintain a sparkling clean shower--it involves one small tool and two ingredients you'll find around the house.... more

Inexpensive Heat Mat for Seedlings

By ERIN TURNER- Soil temperature is critical for the sprouting of any seeds. If it is too cold, seeds will sit dormant and eventually rot. Here's a frugal alternative to a seedling heat mats: ... more

Safe, Easy and Inexpensive Toilet Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER- Missoula's hard water has left deposits, lime scale and the occasional mineral/rust stains in my toilets. Here's a safe, easy, and frugal way to clean your toilets:... more

My Deal of the Week: Chick Days

By ERIN TURNER-I always like to look back over my week and determine my best deal. This week, hands down, it had to be Chick Days at the local feed store--60% off ducks and 2-for-1 geese. ... more

Dessert for Breakfast: Dutch Babies

By ERIN TURNER- Tonight I made this recipe for Dutch Babies, nope not as “breakfast for dinner” but I made it for dessert. Yup, it is that good and that versatile. Here's how:... more

My Favorite List of Frugal Spring Cleaning Methods

By ERIN TURNER- It's spring cleaning time. Here is a list of some of my favorite ways to clean and refresh the house without breaking the bank this spring: ... more

How to Remove Pilling and Make Sweaters New Again

By ERIN TURNER- Here's an easy, do-it-yourself way of removing pilling from sweaters and fleece coats. ... more

Budget Friendly Overnight Oatmeal

By ERIN TURNER- I am always searching for fun, healthy and frugal breakfast foods so when a friend mentioned a no-cook oatmeal made with various fruits, nuts and seeds I had to try it!... more

Frugal Living: Using Amazon to Save Money

By ERIN TURNER- Want to save money and living frugally, but not necessarily a fan of coupons? Here are some tips on saving money using Amazon.com... more

40 Days of Decluttering

By ERIN TURNER- This new challenge tackles all the “stuff” that seems to accumulate around the house. Clutter gets in the way emotionally and spiritually and binds us to those "things".... more

4 Ways to Save Big Bucks at Target

By ERIN TURNER- Okay you smart shoppers--today I’m going to share with you why I love Target and four ways how you can save big bucks when you shop there!... more

Frugal Living: The Freezer Challenge Continues

By ERIN TURNER- We're waiting for a major winter snow storm to hit here in Missoula. But you won't see me running out to stock-up...we're in the middle of a Freezer Challenge!... more

The Freezer Challenge

By ERIN TURNER- This year we decided to shake things up a bit from our traditional Pantry Challenge and we're doing a Freezer Challenge instead. Here's what it entails: ... more

A Rice Cooker Makes Healthy, Frugal Meals

By ERIN TURNER-So I didn't own a rice cooker--what's the big deal? Answer: rice cookers are a super time and money saving gadget for your kitchen! So now I own one. You should too.... more

Turn Down The Thermostat And Save

By ERIN TURNER - During a recent cold-snap in Montana, we moved our thermostat down to a “balmy” 64 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night and saved!... more

Seasonal Fruit Plus Juicing Adds Up To Healthy and Frugal Living

By ERIN TURNER - I can, freeze and dry seasonal fresh produce, but lately my family and I are into juicing--it's a frugal, healthy and delicious way to enjoy this season's citrus fruits.... more

Are You Up For the 52-Week Savings Challenge?

By ERIN TURNER - Wanna save $1,378 by this time next year? Why not Join me and my family in the 52-week Challenge? It's easy and fairly painless. Here's how it works: ... more

New Year’s Food Rituals

By ERIN TURNER - Ever wonder why certain foods grace our tables for certain holidays? Here's a rundown of some our New Year's Food Rituals.... more

A Collection of Frugal Christmas Ideas

By ERIN TURNER - Since I've been writing this blog for 3 years now, I thought it would be nice to put together a collection of blogs with ideas for the holidays...so here they are!... more

5 Tools for Saving Money Online This Christmas

By ERIN TURNER - All week I’ve had people asking me for tips on saving money while Christmas shopping online so here are my top 5 tools and tips for saving money online this season.... more

Tips for Cleaning and Staying Organized This Holiday Season

By ERIN TURNER -The holiday season has a huge impact on our houses and schedules. Here are some tips for maintaining our schedules, entertaining and managing the unexpected drop-bys from family and friends.... more

Bountiful Basket Food Co-Op Provides Fresh Produce at a Frugal Cost

By ERIN TURNER - When a student from my couponing class told me about Bountiful Baskets, I had to try them for myself...and I'm glad I did!... more

Healthy, Frugal Homemade Sauerkraut

By ERIN TURNER - Here is the recipe and step-by-step instructions on how to make your own healthy and frugal homemade sauerkraut.... more

Homemade Instant Oatmeal: It’s What’s For Breakfast

By ERIN TURNER - Here's an inexpensive, do-it-yourself method of making your own flavors of instant oatmeal. It's a fraction of the cost of buying the packets, and it's better for you!... more

The Family Food Budget as Compared to the USDA Food Plan

By ERIN TURNER - Many of us who are frugal have budgets for all aspects of our money. So for fun I thought I'd compare our budget to the USDA's recommended "Food Plan". ... more

Winter Squash: A Budget Friendly Delight

By ERIN TURNER - Nothing compares to good winter squash! Where else can you pack loads of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants in it own serving dish for just a couple of bucks? ... more

It’s Time for Garlic

By ERIN TURNER - You can spend a lot of money on garlic in the grocery store--especially compared to organic garlic. So plant now (this fall), and enjoy freshly grown delicious garlic next summer! Here's how.... more

October Savings

By ERIN TURNER -October has a long list of “celebrations”. That means “celebration” items will be on sale and NOW is when you will want to stock up & save! ... more

Homemade Cup of Soup: It’s What’s for Lunch at Hunting Camp

By ERIN TURNER - We are always trying to invent healthy, packable and good-tasting meals to enjoy during a hunting weekend and my son came up with the idea of homemade Cup O' Soup. ... more

Homemade Lunchbox Cookies

By ERIN TURNER - I always like to include a special treat when my kids take their lunch to school. This recipe for homemade Chocolate Cookies is made with a twist...... more

Frugal School Lunches for Kids

By ERIN TURNER - What I have noticed in my research for frugal and healthy kids’ lunches is that parents are going back to what many of us grew up with…homemade! ... more

CHORES – It Doesn’t Have to be a Dirty Word

By ERIN TURNER - Kids doing chores is a win-win for everyone. So as you slide back into your school year routine be sure to include daily chores as part of it. Start slow but be consistent.... more

Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Your Frugal Kitchen

By ERIN TURNER -If you want to save money and eat healthier then homemade is the best option! To that end, here are my list of MUST-HAVE kitchen gadgets for any frugal kitchen.... more

Back to School Savings Tips

By ERIN TURNER - It’s that time of year which we can’t avoid…Back to School. But if you're smart and follow a few of these tips, you won't bust the budget.... more

Homemade Pasta

By ERIN TURNER - Recently while I was treasure-hunting at a thrift store, I came upon a pasta maker just like my mom’s. I knew my next culinary adventure was going to entail homemade pasta!... more

DIY Window Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER - We are mid-summer right now and you know what I can’t avoid at this point? My dirty windows. Here's my simple and frugal DIY recipe for window cleaner:... more

Homemade Strawberry Jam

By ERIN TURNER - Yesterday I created some memories with my kids when we visited a nearby U-Pick strawberry patch and made homemade strawberry jam--pure magic!... more

The Easy and Frugal Way to Clean Your Shower Floor

By ERIN TURNER - With three boys who like to go barefoot in the summer, I struggle keeping the shower floor clean. Here's a little secret that is both easy and frugal.... more

Save Money by Knowing Your Usage Patterns

By ERIN TURNER - It seems one of the most frequent questions I get is: “How do you know how much to stock up on an item?” It's pretty simple: know how much you use of that item.... more

Family-Friendly, Frugal Camping

By ERIN TURNER - Every year for the last 6 years, we have gone on a camping trip with our kids when school gets out. We stayed a variety of campgrounds during the week. Every one had its pros and cons. ... more

Frugal and Natural Weed Killer

By ERIN TURNER - On our farm weeds are the bane of our existence. Here are some tips for making your own natural weed killer that won't break the bank.... more

Easy German Chocolate Frosting

By ERIN TURNER - Here's a super yummy and super easy German Chocolate Cake Frosting recipe using coconut milk for the German Chocolate Cake lover in your family!... more

Being Frugal Versus Cheap: There’s a Difference

By ERIN TURNER - I astounded some folks when I paid $80 for a gallon of maple syrup. "What happened to the "Coupon Queen” you ask? My response: there's a difference between being frugal and being cheap.... more

Beans, Beans the Frugal Fruit

By ERIN TURNER - I admit I am a canned bean user and lover, but I've discovered they're not that frugal. I was stunned to do the math on the cost of canned versus dried beans.... more

The Secrets to Growing Healthy Hair Fast and Naturally

By ERIN TURNER - I'm trying to grow my hair out. After much research, I've discovered some tips and recipes that are alternatives to shampooing--oh and I'm saving money too! ... more

Homemade Pizza: It’s Yummy, Healthy and Frugal

By ERIN TURNER - Here's a Healthy, inexpensive and YUMMY recipe for homemade pizza. Not only is the clean-up a breeze, but it makes me a hero in the eyes of my kids!... more

Frugal, Healthy, DIY Air Fresheners

By ERIN TURNER - Our homes are places where good memories are created and smells play an important role in that. Here is a frugal, healthy and DIY idea for creating air fresheners.... more

Polishing Silver the Modern, Frugal Way

By ERIN TURNER - Here's a quick, easy and frugal way to polish tarnished silver using a sink, tinfoil, hot tap water and 1/4 cup of salt. Viola! The Silver lining!... more

Homemade Household Cleaners

By ERIN TURNER -In preparation for spring cleaning, I've come up with three different recipes for a natural and inexpensive glass and household cleaner. It's Green Cleaning at its best!... more

Preserving Your Greens

By ERIN TURNER - Do you hate when lettuce goes bad? Here's a tip on avoiding a bag full of stinky, blackish-green slime, and preserving lettuce using a food sealer and mason jars. ... more

Homemade Nutella

By ERIN TURNER - Nutella, a yummy chocolate spread, is sweeping the nation. Here's my yummy recipe for Nutella--without the sugar and "iffy" artificial flavors--and at a fraction of the cost of store-bought Nut... more

Spare Change for Milk Money

By ERIN TURNER - Milk money. Remember it? Usually taped inside your lunchbox or tucked carefully into your backpack so you could buy one of those little cardboard cartons of white or chocolate milk in the ca... more

A Successful 2013 Pantry Challenge

By ERIN TURNER - How much did we spend this month during our Annual Pantry Challenge? Drum roll please!....our family of five spent at total of $94.43 this month on grocery and drug store items! ... more

Thrifty Recycled Gift Holder

By ERIN TURNER - Our family is into our 3rd week of our Pantry Challenge and next week’s blog post will recap the entire month and I’ll reveal our savings! But this week I’m sharing a super cute and thri... more

Thinking Outside the Food Box for the Pantry Challenge

By ERIN TURNER - A month-long Pantry Challenge really forces a person to be creative. It's pushed me to think outside of the box and break food habits I'd fallen into. ... more

Tips For NOT Eating Out

By ERIN TURNER - Eating out is expensive! Here are some tips for how to avoid the "eating out trap" and why a little planning can pay big dividends with your household budget.... more

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Are You Up for the Annual Pantry Challenge?

By ERIN TURNER - On February 1, we'll start a month of trying to use what we have on hand and not buy groceries. It's called the Pantry Challenge. Are you up for it?... more

How to Use Coupons to Create a Wad of Pseudo-Cash

By ERIN TURNER - Once the clerk rang in all the coupons and Extra Bucks, I heard the words that make any couponer jump for joy…”Oh, maam your total is negative 14 cents, so you need to buy something else.�... more

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

By ERIN TURNER - Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup...it's not only food for the soul, it's cheap and it's a whole lot healthier for you and your family.... more

A New Year, a Fresh, Frugal Start

By ERIN TURNER - 2013 is here, the resolutions have been written, and it's time put those resolutions into action! Here’s my plan to accomplish my frugal yearly goals.... more

Last-Minute Christmas Gift: Homemade Coffee Creamer

By ERIN TURNER - Need a last-minute Christmas gift idea? I have the perfect thing: Homemade coffee creamer! It's an easy, inexpensive gift for your favorite gourmand.... more

The Frugal Cure-All: Homemade Chicken Broth

By ERIN TURNER - Grandma was right to chase away colds with chicken soup! Here's my recipe for homemade chicken bone broth, Nature’s All-Purpose Medicine.... more

Discovering Thred Up–A New Online Thrift Store

By ERIN TURNER - If your kids have gone through a growth spurt and need new digs or you are cleaning out their closets in preparation for new clothing at Christmas, check out Thred UP--an online consignment sto... more

Fantastically Festive Pinterest Christmas Projects

By ERIN TURNER - It’s Christmas season and Pinterest is alive with an endless world of ideas, inspirations, recipes, and whatever else you can imagine for the holidays. ... more

Tips for Smart, Thrifty Holiday Shopping

By ERIN TURNER - Just because Black Friday's over doesn’t mean you missed all the deals! They may not be as obvious, but if you do your homework you'll find them.... more

Eleven Tricks to Keep Holiday Guests Happy

By ERIN TURNER - This week marks the beginning of holiday guest season. Here are a few of my favorite tips to make guests happy and keep your stress to a minimum.... more

Save Money with Seven Savvy Shopping Strategies

By ERIN TURNER - If you don’t adopt new attitudes towards shopping, you’ll never see any couponing success. Here are my Seven Savvy Shopping Strategies to save money.... more

Homemade Hot Sauce

By ERIN TURNER - Some like it hot and our family is no exception. When it comes to hot sauce we love it hot and use it on everything! Here's a homemade recipe for hot sauce. ... more

Little Grizzly Football: Much More Than Just a Sport

By ERIN TURNER - If you were a boy growing up in Missoula in the last 30 or 40 years, you may remember Little Grizzly Football. Our boys have learned more than a sport... more

Save Money by Reducing Wasted Food

By ERIN TURNER - Since October is National Unprocessed Food month, it may be helpful for you to explore how to save money by reducing the food waste in your house.... more

Take the No-Processed-Foods Challenge

By ERIN TURNER - October is national “Unprocessed Food” month. Take the Challenge: consume less processed/packaged food and more whole/real food. ... more

Frugal Living: Super Easy, Super Cheap Carpet Stain Remover

By ERIN TURNER - Last week, I found the "Miracle Carpet Stain Remover” technique on Pinterest. I'm happy to say that it definitely lives up to its name!... more

Frugal Living: Figuring Out Walgreens’ New Coupon Rewards Program

By ERIN TURNER - I've done some footwork to figure out Walgreens' new customer rewards program. It may seem confusing, but the Coupon Queen is here to help!... more

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