Dimes 2 Vines has the directions for homemade baking mix (aka fake “Bisquick”).
I’m going to print this off and put in my cookbook shelf. I knew there were recipes available for this stuff, but hadn’t looked it up. I do occasionally make biscuits with baking mix.

This a a great idea from Trent at the Simple Dollar:
Trent has a Garage Sale and Thrifting Tool Kit so he can find the sale locations, know what sizes he’s looking for in clothing and household items, and has plenty of small bills to make the purchases.

The Domestic Cents blog has this post 50+ Homemade Christmas Gift ideas.
One idea for the men:
Fleece Blanket – There are plenty of new-sew versions to make too. You can buy fleece in a manly print (like camo) or with a favorite sports team logo.

Here are some of the fun but frugal blog posts I’ve seen this week:

ABC Frugality: Decorating for Pennies Part II. She’s got some great tips that work for rental housing.
Wise Bread: 5 Quick Fixes to Salvage a Good Meal. I’ve done that leftover bread trick many times.
Make it From Scratch: A little girl’s headband. This [...]

The Newport Branch Library of the Monroe County Library System in Newport, Mich., and its sponsors put on a fantastic program tonight called “Yule Love It: A Frugal Christmas.”
There were nearly 50 people attending the free program tonight, and a waiting list besides. If you got bumped off the list, or weren’t able to attend, [...]

Brian J. O’Connor, personal finance columnist at the Detroit News, is working on a series called The Grand Experiment. He’s aiming to cut $1,000 a month out of his household budget.
This week’s episode features the utility bills, and he picked up on a tip I hadn’t thought of: Find out whether a cheaper wireless plan [...]

With the increasing popularity of the de-cluttering and eco-friendly movements in recent years, I’m noticing an increased interest in food gifts at Christmas time.
Those who “have everything they want”, who live in a small home or apartment, or who are trying to reduce their physical impact on the environment, are usually not interested in the [...]

Before the Christmas season begins, I want you to think about how your family has been celebrating the holiday.
If the attention has been on Santa Claus bringing a pile of gifts, it’s time to put some “old school” celebrations on your calendar.
As you focus your family’s Christmas celebrations away from the secular, modern and commercial [...]

This post has been featured at Festival of Frugality.
It’s a little harder than it used to be to get a nice Christmas gift for $20 or less.
But that is a reasonable range for families on a budget, or gifts for people outside your immediate family (hostess or teacher gifts, for example). And the typical range [...]

Sara Noel, hostess of Frugal Village, has some great tips on what to buy – and what to avoid – when shopping at the second hand stores.
A snippet from that column, which also appeared in Sunday’s edition of The Monroe Evening News:
You can find seasonal place mats, tablecloths, cloth napkins, bedding, throw rugs, vases, candles [...]