this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

Decorating on a budget seems to be a popular topic in magazines and on morning shows. But that budget is usually a few hundred dollars as opposed to a few thousand.

I'm at a point again when I'm ready to spruce up my home a bit - but I don't have a super large budget to work with. Here are three of my favorite ways to decorate without spending much

Re-arrange. Switching up the furniture can bring a whole new look to a room - and you'll only be using furniture that you already have!

Put up Pictures. I love collage picture frames because I can change out the pictures and get a whole new look. When I start to get antsy for a new look in my home, replacing the frames on the wall (or even moving them to a different spot) is usually my go-to solution

Create Something. I never realize how many random craft supplies I have until I set out to create something. Like this elephant collage that will now live in the baby's room. The idea came from here about a year ago and after entering a craft challenge at ChristyNelson.net, I used the craft challenge materials (some fabric, patterned paper, hardware bits, and beads) along with things I already had to finally cross that off my to-do list.

In case you didn't click through the above link and figure it out on your own, this whole craft challenge is a contest, and if you click through to Christy's site to vote for my project, I'd very much appreciate it!

How do you redecorate on a super small budget?

Sometimes I forget that my oldest son listens to what my husband and I say and understands it (or at least he thinks he does). Since very frequent (and sometimes large) medical bills became our reality, my husband and I have been joking about having no money. I first realized that my son was taking this literally when I took him to buy some new school clothes. He wondered how we could buy him new clothes if we had no money! I explained to him that we did have money for clothes for him, plus I had a gift card to use. Other times, when my husband and I talk about buying things, he's offered up his money. We try to explain to him that we have plenty of money for all our needs, just maybe not enough for some of our wants. And mostly I try to watch what I say around him!

It all makes me realize what a complicated statement "having enough money" really is. I'm not exactly certain what it means to my son. To me, it's usually about priorities. Right now our financial priority is beefing up our savings. I just have to help my son understand that that doesn't mean he will miss out on things and that we certainly don't need to borrow money from him!

Over the weekend, we got two new chickens to add to our coop. Tonight we found that one of those chickens had died. My six-year-old, who is clearly too practical for his own good, said that at least it wasn't one of the chickens that was already laying so we still won't have to buy eggs. My three-year-old suggested that perhaps a monster got in and "made the chicken get died".

We're sad to loose our "easter egger" but such is life.

His lunch is packed, the supplies are purchased, and he has his first day of school outfit ready to go. Tomorrow is my son's first day as a first-grader. The nation seems to be a buzz in all things back to school. You'll be happy to know that even my local spa and billiard store is currently having a back-to-school sale. I've seen reports stating that the average family spends around $600 per kid to get their children ready for school. Seriously? I spent perhaps 10% of that amount, but I just have a young one to prep. I suppose a new computer here and there could up that average, but that still seems like an awful lot to pay for some kleenex and pencils (if you can find the pencils, that is, just like last year, pencils were the hardest thing for me to find).

Sure the school supply list is extensive and for some reason graphing calculators are just as expensive as they were fifteen years ago, but I think the real cost comes when people feel the need to revamp their kids' wardrobes just in time for back to school. I think it's fun to have a few new items for the occasion, but if last year's shoes still fit, why buy new? If it's not going to cool down for several more weeks, why stock up on jeans now? In all honesty, I don't really even think I've seen many fabulous clothing sales in recent weeks.

What are your thoughts on back-to-school shopping? How close did you come to that $600 number?

Remember the old commercials for Geico (maybe?) where someone tells some sob story about how horrible something is but then ends it with "but the good news is I just saved hundreds of dollars by switching to Geico" (or am I just making this up?). I used to think those commercials were silly, as if saving money on insurance could really brighten someone's day.

Oh, but let me tell you, it can. I didn't switch to Geico, but we did just recently switch both our auto and homeowner's policies and will be saving some money. It totally made my day. I guess when it seems like every news you're getting is less than stellar, it doesn't take a whole lot.

Switching insurance carriers can be a really simple way to save money. Just because your company was the cheapest when you started with them, does not mean they will always be the best bet for you. It can be very much worth it to take a few minutes to do a few online quotes.

Has your day been recently brightened by some wonderful news? Did you save by switching insurance companies?