Blog Address

I have been having trouble getting my URL renewed.  If you are unable to view this blog on Frugalindy.com please try Frugalindy.blogspot.com.  I hope to have it straightened out soon if that is possible.

Family Update

Since it's been so long since I've posted, I thought you might like to see how our family has grown and changed in the past 3 years. 

This photo was taken at Arlington National Cemetery in July when we attended my great uncle's funeral. 

In the past 3 years we've added another family member!

I am looking forward to making some changes and updates here on the blog and I appreciate the emails that I received from those of you who have endured the 3 years of silence!

Back in Indy

I'm just stopping by here to see if any of my previous blog followers are still out there. About a year ago we returned to Indy and ever since then, I have been considering giving the old Frugal Indy blog a little CPR and seeing if she'll come back to life.

My life is very different now (ready "busy") and I don't have as much time for doing deals as I once did, but I still love to find a good deal.

Moving seems to be a recent habit of ours and so here we go again and in about 2 weeks we are moving house again - but staying in Indy this time. I am looking forward to doing some decorating - Frugalindy style and have been thinking about posting here with some of the ideas and photos.

If you're out there and still getting this feed, I'd love to get a comment from you!

Moving On....

I've been wanting to stop back and write a post for sometime and let you all know why I am no longer writing Frugal Indy. In May, we packed up the moving van and headed 2400 miles north west to British Columbia, Canada.


























I plan to leave the blog up for the time being as there are still those of you who like to visit to get recipes that are posted here.




















I am thankful for those of you who I met though the Frugal Indy website and the Savvy Saving classes! It was a real pleasure meeting so many wonderful Hoosiers!

We are enjoying the beauty of the Northwest! I just wish there was a CVS around here!

Have a Blessed Easter - Sunday Meditations

I hope that you will have a wonderful Easter. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It is the basis of the Christian faith. As we read in I Corinthians, without the resurrection of Christ there is no hope for us. Praise to God that Christ is risen and we celebrate that today!



















I Corinthians 15

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Thrift Store Finds - all for $12

One of my favorite places to shop are the local thrift stores. I was excited when I read in the paper that a new Salvation Army Family Thrift Store just opened at 8310 East Washington Street. I decided to go over and check it out yesterday.

I found that the store was packed with merchandise and that the clothing was well priced. I was able to get all the items pictures below for only $12.

One of the keys to reducing your family's clothing bill is to look for items BEFORE you need them. If you wait until you need the item then you might have to pay full price.

I do not think my son's winter items will fit next year - so I went ahead and got him the next sized coat and snow pants. The blue coat is a very nice Land's End coat that I paid only $3.50 for the yellow coat was only $1.50. It is more worn than the other but will make an excellent play coat. The Snow pants were only $1.75








































































This tie is 100% silk and looks like it was never used. This was only$1.25.

























Our VCR decided to start eating tapes a few weeks ago and so it was time to replace it. I found
one that looked nearly new for only $4. The top was a little dusty - but that was easily fixed. Thankfully it works great!




















Do you have a favorite thrift store here in Indy? Leave a message and let us know about it.

I Did NOT fall off the Planet!

I know you've figured that I fell off the planet right? I've had a few of those weeks where life takes over and blogging has to go on the back burner for awhile.

One of the things I've been doing is massive Spring Cleaning!!! I've also been totally inspired by Thrifty Decor Chick (Sarah) and have done a bit of updating with some paint. I only found her blog awhile ago and I love her ideas.




















Here is an item that I have been working on during the past few weeks. I show you the wonderful new look in a few days. This in an old cabinet that we found in the barn of our first home, it was so dirty and old that it looked like it should go into the trash! I gave it this paint job MANY years ago and am now tired of the look. We use it to hold videos inside and our VCR goes on the top.

Below are some of the pictures that got me motivated to give it an update.

These pictures are from the Thrifty Decor Chick's website and are projects that Sarah did. I LOVE the coffee table. In fact, I bought a coffee table this past week at Goodwill for under $20 and did a redo on it! I'll show you that soon too - I think it looks great!

Thanks Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for the inspiration!

































































The paint color that is used here is called Black Suede from Behr (Home Depot).

Stop back in a few days and I will have the finished project for you to see!

Muncie Children's Museum - Free Saturday!

If you don't have plans for this Saturday - head north of Indy to Muncie Children's Museum. This is a nice, smaller children's museum that is a nice change of pace from the BIG one here in Indy.

This Saturday, March 20th, the Museum is FREE from 10 am to 5 pm! You can check out the information here. And for more information about Muncie Children's Museum go here.

Artscow - Get 8 Free 7 x 5, 30 page Photobooks

Artscow has a great deal right now. You can get 8- 7 x 5 photobooks for only the price of shipping, which is only $3.99.

I have ordered several photobooks and other items from Artscow and have been very pleased with the quality of the product.

To get your Free Photobooks sign into your Artscow account or sign up for a free account here. Then go to Credit and Discounts, enter the code 75BKSFEB10 and click the validate button.

This coupon must be validated before 3/3/2010 and you will have 30 days to use your free credit.

If you would like to see an example of a book I did for a present for a grandparent go here. When you click on the link give it a minute to open so that the pictures will be clear. It was easy to make and Grandpa LOVED it!

Backing up Photos and Saving Money on Electronics or other Large Purchases

Yesterday started with my computer informing me that it had indeed recovered from "A serious error". This is not the way to start a day off right! When I tried to sign on, the mouse was not working, and then I noticed that the computer was not recognizing my battery back up which was plugged in - even though the computer said it was not.

I called the tech support and thankfully got a tech who knew how to help - not all techs are created equal! After a few tests we determined that most likely part of the mother board had stopped working - the part that runs the USB ports. The computer was not recognizing any USB port.

Off to Staples I went and got a $30.00 USB card for the PCI expansion slot. I am not a high tech person, but installing it was an easy 5 minute job. Thankfully the computer loaded the 5 new USB ports and worked once again - but now the screen was PURPLE. Ugh. I guess the computer is trying to tell me that it is on life support and hasn't much longer to boot up.

I decided to then go and do something the cheap gene in me has been resisting. I would go and finally buy an external hard drive to back up the 3 years of my family's pictures and the countless documents that are housed on my computer.

I say it is the cheap gene - because it is not frugal - just plain cheap to put your precious photos at risk buy refusing to spend $100 to back them up!

I looked and found what I would buy on the Best Buy website. I checked the store inventory online and it was in stock. So, off to Best Buy I went to get the hard drive. When I got there, I found the external hard drive was priced $20 above the online price. Double Ugh!

I asked an associate about the discrepancy and was told to just go to Customer Service and they would honor the online price. So, I was very thankful I had taken a few minutes to check the item online before coming to the store and that I had asked for the lower price.

I learned a valuable lesson. Before going to a store to make a larger purchase - check the online price and even competitor's prices to make sure you get the best price. If the store price is higher ask for a reduction. I have gotten price matches from competitor's prices at Best Buy in the past also.






A note about backing up photos. I also recommend backing up all your photos to a site out of your home - like Artscow. If your home was to have a fire and your PC and external hard drive were lost you would then still have your photos. It is not hard to do and well worth the peace of mind knowing that your memories are safe.

Kids Sales this Weekend

I recently received an email from a reader to let us know about a great kid's sale this weekend. I love going to big kid's sales. It is nice to have a big selection to choose from! Here is the information from their sale advertisement:

Saturday, February 27, 2010
9am-1pm

Please join us for our CUMNS KIDS “Something New, Something Used” Rummage Sale and Boutique on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Our rummage sale will feature children’s items and an assortment of household goods. Our boutique will feature approximately 30-35 vendors with a variety of products.

CUMNS KIDS is a non-profit daycare ministry at the corner of 71st and Shadeland Avenue serving approximately 200 families. We are raising money for our school and are providing an opportunity for families to have a fun-filled day of shopping!

7101 N. Shadeland Ave (corner of 71st and Shadeland)

At Noon- Everything at the Rummage Sale will be half price!

At Noon- Everything at the Rummage Sale will be half price!

If you have some items that you would like to donate to the sale they are accepting donations through Thursday the 25th. Here is some information from the school:

Clean out those closets and basements! We will collect gently used children’s items and other household goods beginning Monday, February 22 -25 from 8:00 to 5pm. It’s so simple to donate things you no longer use to help our school raise money! Receipts will be provided for tax purposes. Please make sure items are clean and in good condition (no rips, stains, tears in clothing and only working toys and household items).

If you have a sale you would like me to post here just email me (take out spaces) at: Frugal indy @ gmail .com


Contact Amy Hogan at cumnsboard@gmail.com for more info. regarding the sale.

Walgreens - Free Men's Dove Body Wash

Did you get your free Dove Men Care body wash this week at Walgreens? Saturday will be the last day. You can't beat free! Go here to Money Saving Mom to get the details and print a coupon that will make it better than free!

Don't forget the Register Rewards expire pretty quick. I bought the body wash and then used the RR to buy the Scott's tissue on sale for $6.99.

Money Saving Mom also has a great deal for some free laundry detergent at Kroger go here to see the deal.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis - Free Day - Presidents Day 2010

You can enjoy The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for free on President's Day, February 15, 2010.




















I am not aware of any other free activities in the Indianapolis area - if you know of any please leave a message in the comments section.

IMCPL Book Sale 2/11-13/10

This weekend is the IMCPL Book Sale. They have added a new Thursday sale day. The sale will be open 2-7:30 on Thursday. I think that it would not be busy right at 2 because most people are working or at school.

Friday from 12-7:30 is the 1/2 price day and Saturday is the $5.00 a bag sale! The sale will be from 10 -4 on Saturday. Expect it to be busy in the morning!

Take your biggest bag and have some fun!



Go here for more information.

Go here for the location of the Library Service Center.

You cannot take strollers or carts into the center, so keep this in mind. I suggest taking a heavy duty canvass bag. I have a bag with wheels, that is not a "cart" so I use that when I go.

The US Presidents Song - Video and Words

If you have been a reader of the Frugal Indy website for more than a year than you might recognize this video - but since President's day is coming up, I thought I would repost it.

This video is of my son singing the names of the Presidents. If you would like to have your kids learn them - it was actually pretty easy and fun! I've included the works at the bottom of the page for you.

The 44 Presidents Song


Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, Adams, Jackson, VanBuren,
William Henry Harrison, Tyler, Polk and Taylor,
Filmore, Pierce, Buchanan.


Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes,
Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison,
Cleveland, McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt,
Taft and Woodrow Wilson.


Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, FDR,
Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ,
Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan,
Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama.


If you would like some free coloring sheets for President's Day check out my posts here and here.

IMCPL Book Sale 2/5-7/2010

This weekend there is a Library Booksale at the Library Services Center. This is a great place to find books for yourself or your children.

I like to have books available for the kids to look at, and if I've only paid .50 or $1.00 for the book, I don't feel bad if a page or two gets ripped while they develop a love for books.

As you see, we love books!

Here is more info. about the book sale:

Where?

Library Services Center
2450 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208

When?

February 5 - 7 2/05/10 5:30 - 7:30 pm - Friends Night 2/06/09 10 am - 5 pm 2/07/09 12 - 4 pm Pricing for the books: Adult Hardbacks $2.00 Juvenile Hardbacks $1.00 Oversized Paperback Books $1.00 Paperback Books $.50 Juvenile Paperbacks $.25 Records, Tapes & CDs $.50 - 1.00 DVD's $1.00 - $3.00

You can find out more here.

Also - you cannot take strollers or carts into the center, so keep this in mind. I suggest taking a heavy duty canvass bag. I have a bag with wheels, that is not a "cart" so I use that when I go.

First thing Saturday it is quite a crazy zoo! It thins out a bit as you get toward lunch time. Several times, I have dropped Hubby and kids off right up the street at the Children's Museum
and went down to do my looking and then come back to join them when I was finished.

Muncie Children's Museum - Free Family Night

Just about an hour North East of Indianapolis is the Muncie Children's Museum. This is a fun, small, family friendly museum. It is a nice change from the very large Children's Museum of Indianapolis where we normally go. My son loves it and asks often when we can go again!

On February 5th, 2010, the Muncie Children's Museum is FREE from 3-7 pm! If you live North of Indianapolis, this might be a fun evening for your family!

If you are not able to go then check these coupons good for other times.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis - Free Family Night -2/4/10

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will have a Free Family Night on Thursday, February 4th, 2010. The Museum will be free from 4-8 pm. You can go here to the museum's website for directions and more information about the museum
.























Mark your calendars ahead for another free day on Presidents Day, February 15th, 2010.

Once Upon a Child - Grab Bag Sale - Saturday

This Saturday at select Once Upon a Child stores, you can fill a bag with clearance items for only $15.

Here are the locations that are participating:

86th & Ditch 846-7011

71st and Binford 842-0533

U.S. 31 South 888-7013

Stores are open from 10 am - 8 pm.

Disney Store Closing - Greenwood Park Mall

The Disney Store at the Greenwood Park Mall is closing on or before 2/20/10. Currently all items are 25% off the lowest marked price.

























I was able to get this pretty little dress for only $15.00. The retail price is $49.50. As you can see, my little girl was very pleased with her "Princess" dress. If you get one of these dresses - they seem to run a bit small. My daughter wears a 24 months and this dress is a 2/3.

























She was very excited that it matched her dolly's dress!

An added bonus is that our floor is now "sparkly" - even without mopping =).