Getting together with family and friends is a fun way to pass the time. Just because you find yourself on a tight budget doesn’t mean you have to forgo entertaining. With a small tweak here and there, you can learn to host a gathering without breaking the bank.

Start off by jotting down a game plan. If you know what, when and how many ahead of time, the odds are much greater you will be able to bargain shop and get better deals on what you need.

Consider hosting a potluck, or alternating hosting of an ongoing or regular event such as a dinner club. Don’t be shy about asking people to BYOB. Alcohol gets expensive quickly and it is not tacky or rude to ask guests to contribute.

Instead of store bought flowers, use flowers or other greenery from your own yard as centerpieces.

Consider watering down a party. If you normally like to host dinner parties, consider going the route of just dessert and coffee to cut costs. Don’t forget the mantra of keeping things simple. Don’t get too fussy or offer too many choices. Often too much is too much. When you overdo it, it is stressful and taxing on you in addition to being expensive. Simple done well is more than enough.

Check out dollar stores for paper goods, cutlery and thematic decorative and party items. Also, look for these same items at end of season clearance sales at big box retailers or discount stores. Stock up on solids or patterns you can use year round.

Make your own invites or simply send invites via email or with an online service to save on mailing expenses. On the other hand, pick up the phone and call people for a personal touch that costs nothing but a few minutes of your time.

Home décor is something easily nixed from any budget when we need to cut back, as it isn’t an absolute necessity, but it is nice to be able to spruce up now and again, changing up the look of your home. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, many items in your home can quickly and easily be reinvented, creating a completely new environment for free or with very little expense.

The easiest way to really make a big impact and change the whole feel of a room or house is by painting. All you need is a gallon of paint, and you are ready to go. The change will be instant and dramatic, helping you decide which direction you want to head with the room.

Art doesn’t have to be expensive. Children’s artwork looks beautiful framed and hung. Consider framing beautiful greeting cards, postcards, illustrations from books, maps and even pieces of your favorite fabric or a favorite baby outfit of your child’s. Consider hanging plates you pick up from thrift shops, or tack a beautiful quilt or blanket up on the wall.

Use natural items to bring an element of outdoors in and for inexpensive decorations. Pick up seashells, rocks, twigs, plants, flowers or pinecones on strolls. Sit them out in bowls or on tables for beautiful and interesting conversation pieces.

Dress up a shabby couch with a cover, an interesting throw, a pretty sheet, or some fun and funky pillows. Accessories can go a long way to make a worn piece of furniture look fresh and new again and are way less expensive than replacing a sofa.

To freshen up a bathroom, change out the towels and shower curtain for what will look like a whole new remodel.

Shop yard sales, thrift shops and clearance sales for bargain deals. Someone else’s trash may very definitely be your decorating treasure.

Frugal, as defined by the Random House Dictionary is “Economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.”

Now this means to be a frugal homemaker you have to be a person who thinks before they buy something for the house. It also means you are a homemaker who uses what is already on hand for a different purpose than it was originally intended.

Let’s look at some ways you can be a frugal homemaker:

Plastic Store Bags – If you haven’t jumped on the expensive “going green” bags at stores and you still just get the little plastic bags, you probably have a lot of them. Most people just throw them out but you can use them for other jobs. If you have any small trashcans in the house, these are a perfect fit. Got a cat and have to scoop litter? Dump it in one of these bags. They also work great as a pooper-scooper bag for your dog.

Milk Cartons – Just about everyone has these in their house and they can serve a number of other purposes once the milk is gone. You can keep another one in the car full of water in case of emergency. Another way is to use it at a flower watering pot or cut one in half and use it as an actual flowerpot.

Old Clothes – Turn them into new rags with a couple of snips. If you know how to sew, you can take them apart and make new things out of the good fabric.

New Clothes – If you have growing children, get their clothes, (especially pants) a little too long and hem them up. When they get older, let out the hem for continued use.

It’s not just about the things you purchase and how you reuse them; it’s also about using what you already have on hand instead of buying the same thing repeatedly:

Mixes – You can make pancake mix at home and it’s super easy. It takes about 5 minutes and can last months in your cabinet. You probably have all the ingredients to make the dry mix already, saving you even more money.

Food – Only cook what you plan to eat during the sitting. Don’t make food for six if you are only feeding four. People forget about leftovers all the time and they end up in the trash.

Energy – Turn the thermostat down, for every degree below 72, you can save 2%-4% on your heating bills. Turn off lights you don’t need, get energy saving bulbs and make sure you windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air being lost.

Washing Clothes – Only wash clothes when you have a full load for the washer. Don’t wash half-full loads, because you will use more electricity, water and detergent per item in the wash the fewer things you have in a load.

Those are just a few ways to get you started being a frugal homemaker and to help you save a little money in everything you do.

An easy way to cut costs every month is by reducing your own personal overhead in the form of your electricity bill. By using less energy, you not only put money back into your pocket, but also help the Earth. It’s a win-win situation.

During the summer months, set your thermostat as high as you are able to tolerate comfortably. Reverse this in the winter, setting it as low as you can go. Install a programmable thermostat that allows for multiple temperature settings throughout the day. This will help you to reduce your costs when you are not at home and don’t need it as cool or warm, depending on the season.

Install and use ceiling fans to help cool the air temperature by approximately 4 degrees. Thanks to this cooling effect, you can raise your thermostat, saving you money on air conditioning. The movement provided by a fan makes the air feel much cooler.

Use florescent or LED bulbs for greater lighting energy efficiency. These bulbs last up to ten times longer than regular light bulbs and use 75% less energy. Be sure to turn lights off when not in use.

Find energy efficient appliances. The refrigerator is typically the biggest energy hog, so if you must choose only one appliance to be Energy Star rated for efficiency, start with the fridge.

Only wash full loads of laundry or dishes to make the most out of each wash. Lower the water heater temperature to 120 degrees, which is plenty warm, and can even prevent burns while saving you money. Look into purchasing a water heater jacket, which only runs about $10- $20, but can save you money by helping insulate your water heater.

Unplug appliances when not in use. Forgo using your dryer and allow clothes to line dry.

In light of the declining economy, many people are facing losing their home because of job loss and other things that factor into the economy. There are, however, some things you can do to help ensure you don’t lose your home. 

Call your mortgage company right away. Or answer your phone when they call you. Talk to them. With the stimulus package, many mortgage companies are able to help out those in need and are willing to help. Tell them your situation. They may have you fill out some forms to send in with your proof of income and other bills, but it’s worth the little bit of time and effort it takes to fill those out quickly and get them back in the mail. Then a week after you’ve sent the papers in, call your mortgage lender to be sure they received the documents. 

Once they’ve received the documentation, they may ask some further questions and you may have to send in more documentation, but don’t let it discourage you. Show them you are willing to work with them and you want to keep your home; you simply cannot afford the payments right now. Be sure to use the words “I want to make my payments; I simply cannot at this time” when speaking with your lender.

Give your lender some time to process your hardship request, but if you haven’t heard from them in a week or so, give them a call again. 

Once your hardship request is processed, your lender should be calling to let you know a reduced amount you can pay for a short amount of time. Your mortgage payment could be reduced by almost $300 a month for a 4-month period. Every situation is different, but you may be pleasantly surprised by the help you can receive.

You do have to plan ahead for when the reduced rate period is up and you have to start making regular monthly payments again. Hopefully with the stimulus package jobs will start opening up again and the economy will be a little better. 

In the meantime, you may be able to refinance your mortgage to get a lower interest rate which will also lower your monthly payment. You will need to discuss this with your lender. Most experts recommend refinancing only if the interest rate is more than 1% lower than the current rate, but speak with your lender.

So, with a little planning, some effort and diligence, you can save your home from foreclosure.