Scrapbooking on a Budget

I am a devoted scrapbooker. Every moment I get to myself I hide in my little corner of the house and work on the endless pictures and momentos that never stop accumulating. Lately, I have been working on our wedding album which has over 300 pictures. Because I am constantly scrapping and have zero room in my budget for a hobby, I do the best with what I have by frugally scrapbooking:

• My little corner of the house, in the office, set up with a craft table and enough room to lay everything out. It is so much easier to make a plan when you can come and go as you please to your scrapping area. You're more likely to take your time and make good decisions.
• Pick up supplies at garage sales and thrift stores. I always find tons of rubber stamps, whether they are name brand or children's sets from the toy store. I have a lovely Harry Potter set that was never meant to be used for scrapbooking. REPURPOSE!
• The Dollar Tree is a goldmine for frugalness. You can get packs of paper, punch-outs, stamps, scissors, and stickers, all $1 a piece. My scrapbooks have even survived the dollar store glue.
• Momentos are great substitutes for stickers and embellishments. For our wedding album, I saved the ribbon and tags from the favors, the silk flowers from the decorations, the menus, and greeting cards. I made a Cinderella page with a Happily Ever After card someone gave us. Think in 3-D!



silk flower used on a wedding page

• Buy on sale, ALWAYS! Michael's always has sales on paper and stickers. They put coupons in the Sunday paper and I never shop without these. I know how low I can get paper, etc. and never shop until that price comes up.
• Scrap with friends! I sometimes attend "Crop Night" at a local scrapbook store. You pay $10, get dinner and full access to the store's supply room such as the Cricut machine, paints, and cutters. You also get to see other scrapbooks and chatting time!Save all of your scrap paper! Leftovers are great for tags and mounting pictures. A bunch of small squares can be used to make a checkerboard design.

If I left the house to purchase specific items for every scrapbook layout I would be very behind and in debt. I make do with what I have because my goal is to show off my family and friends, not how much I spent on the album.

Frugal Camping

This past weekend we went camping at Riverside Park in Bay City, Texas. This place is near my mother's house so it is a nice place for all of us to meet up and enjoy some time. It costs $18 a night for full hookups, so we usually have someone's RV and a couple of tents. When you divide the price by everyone it is quite cheap, and cheaper than a hotel! Now mind you that our normal way of camping is not exactly "roughing it"! Here are a few pics of the place and some frugal camping tips to go along with them.



- Stay away from ice in the coolers. Everything will be soggy by the end of your trip. Invest in some ice packs instead.

- Omelets in a bag - put all omelet ingredients into a Ziploc bag. Remove air and seal. Place in a pot of boiling water until package floats to the top. (thanks Mom)

- Cook canned foods directly on the grill. Open the lid slightly and you have a little oven in there!

-Use what nature gave you: wood for fire and roasting marshmallow, rivers and lakes for washing clothes, and fish for eating!

- Bring dishes and silverware that you can reuse. Keep down the waste by not using paper products.

- Invest in a decent-sized tent. Not only will you have room for your family but also for the rest of your belongings in case it rains. Our tent has enough room for us and a table in case we have to spend more time in there.

- Aluminum foil! You can cook on it, or in it, or wrap potatoes in it, or deflect the sun with it! Bring it!