It’s been a busy week getting the kids ready to head back to school. We’ve had fun shopping for school supplies and checking out the store sales to see who has the best prices. I noticed that my local Target has all but cleared out the patio furniture and the clearance sale on the toys is in full swing. On to the weekly roundup.

From the Frugal Blog Network:

Kelly from Almost Frugal launched a new blog, Almost Frugal Food. She’s going to feature an ongoing recipe exchange and is kicking things off with a contest. Looks like fun…..er, I mean yum!

Shanti shares how she bought a motorcycle and is so happy she has learned to buy things with cash…You go girl! Enjoy that bike without letting the feeling of debt drag you down.

Frugal Babe lists the ways her family has been thrifty and green. I haven’t tried using baking soda to wash my hair, but I think I may put that on my list of things to try. We have lots of allergies in our family so fragrance free and chemical free products are greatly welcomed here.

Tight Fisted Miser tells how to see movies cheaply or even free. I especially like his idea of using store promotions to score some cheap tickets.

Not Made of Money participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance this past week with our article, Storing Your Financial Documents: What to Keep and What to Shred. The carnival was hosted at Squawkfox with a theme of “City Slickers”. You have to visit the carnival to read the plethora of personal finance articles as well as to see the fabulous pictures of farm life. Reminds me of the good days back on the farm. Here are my top picks from this week’s carnival:

Cathy at Chief Family Officer provides yet another example of why everyone needs an emergency fund. Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes; it’s better to be prepared for whatever life is going to throw your way.

Michael at Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck answers a reader’s question regarding saving on one income. I agree with his reply 100%. We’ve been living on one income for 12 years now and savings are built right into our budget.

We also participated in the Festival of Frugality hosted on Frugal Homemaker Plus. Our entry “Five Fun Things to do on the Weekend That Don’t Cost a Dime” was included in the festival. Here are my favorites from this week’s festival:

Restoring Your Finances writes about a topic close to my heart: using coupons to save money. Of course, it helps to always have those coupons ready as you never know when a great deal will present itself in the clearance aisle.

Gather Little By Little shares a handy little list of money saving tips. I especially enjoyed the tips on remodeling and home maintenance since we are considering some home improvements here in the NMOM household.