The Frugal Life Bio – Stephanie Kelley

Stephanie Kelley is a public speaker and owner of Queen-O-Q, a blog featuring coupon match-ups, freebies, samples and information on frugal living.

Stephanie is married and has two children and lives in Washington State.

www.queenoq.blogspot.com
queenoq@gmail.com

 

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Welcome to Dreary January

I’m sorry, but January is just a dumb month. Aside from the three day weekend for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there really isn’t anything all that exciting about it. No reason to celebrate and nothing to look forward to. The weather is dreary and the world is trying to financially recover from December. You could celebrate some of the lesser known January holidays, such as Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend’s Day (January 11) or Dress-up Your Pet Day (January 14). But if it‘s not raining and you don‘t have any pets, there‘s very little reason to celebrate. Sure, you could take your kids to Disneyland. That would be sure to take away the winter blahs, but seriously folks, this is the FRUGAL LIFE and expensive vacations just aren’t going to be discussed. So, I have a proposal to make to all of you. Create your holiday! Let’s create some family fun, the Frugal Life Way.

1) Scrub-A-Dub Day: Don’t wait for spring to start cleaning! This is the perfect month to organize and clean your home. Gather the family together and make it fun! Turn on your favorite music and work together as a team. Tackle those ominous junk drawers (or junk rooms, depending on your situation). Have a pizza party afterwards and enjoy your new, clean space.

2) Give Away Day: Now that you’ve cleaned, you have undoubtedly created a “give-away” box or two. If you haven’t, this would be a great day to start. Traditionally, food banks are teaming with food and donations in November and December, but many forget to donate after the holidays. Go through your surplus (if you are a coupon queen, you should have a surplus) and gather some donations for those who are less fortunate. Gather the book you told your mom about, the bag of used clothes you promised to your friend’s daughter and the box of miscellaneous items for the Salvation Army and pack them safely away in your vehicle. Grab the kids and start distributing all those goodies. It will show your kids the power of giving and will help de-clutter your house.

3) Be a Blessing Day: If January is dreary for you, imagine how dreary it might be for the widow next door or the less fortunate family in your church. Think of all the people you know who may be having a worse time than you and set a date to be a blessing. Supply the kids with some art items and have them draw pictures for the elderly in your church, create a basket of bath goodies for the young mother who is stressed with life or simply volunteer at your favorite ministry. It’s surprising how blessed you are when you set out to bless others.

4) Game Night: It’s an old and simple plan, but in this technically advanced age, the old-fashioned family game night has been all but forgotten. Dust off the old board games and pop some popcorn to start a fun January tradition. Make sure you choose games that are age appropriate for all members of the family and allow everyone to have their turn “winning” the game.

5) Award Ceremony Day: Pull out the red carpet (or red table cloth or red construction paper) and get ready for a fun night on the red carpet, Frugal Life style. Have your kids been cleaning their room without being asked? Did you husband fold the laundry for you? Why not reward your family with a great big thank you day! Cut starts out of aluminum foil or cover cardboard with sparkle to hang around the room to give a glamorous look. Ask your guests to dress in their best attire and setup the video camera. A paper towel roll can easily be turned into a microphone and a flashlight makes an excellent spot light. Create some “awards” with your home computer and then present your family members with awards of appreciation for the wonderful things they do and the people they are. Awards could include: The Cleanest Room , The Best Daughter, The Best Son, The Fastest Bad Maker and many other awards.

Although January is traditionally my least favorite month, I plan to find reason to celebrate the blessings of the Lord this year.