Alameda Frugal Family: India Palace, Back-to-School Sales and Recycling Crayons

Has watching the stock market in free fall freaked you out? Fear not, frugal friends! Here are some ideas to make the most of what you have and stretch your hard-earned dollars just a little farther this week.

New life for old crayons – If you have young children, chances are there’s a shoe box full of broken crayons somewhere in the house. Why not take those old crayon stubs and make them brand new? All it takes is peeling off the paper wrappers and melting in the oven and voila! Follow these easy step-by-step directions.

Back to School Sales – Looking for the best deals for back-to-school gear? Before you hit the stores with children in tow, check out backtoschoolsales.com. This site lists the latest deals from major retailers such as Macy’s, Old Navy, Staples, Target and more.

– This neat, clean new store in the sells everything for — you got it — one dollar. There are a few exceptions such as greeting cards which are two for a dollar.

Free compost from – Yes, our favorite four-letter word beginning with F. Free! Peet’s puts out neatly packaged coffee grounds for customers to take. If you don’t see any out, just ask one of the store clerks and they will happily help you.

– Get a 25 percent discount on meals by purchasing a certificate through Yelp. Thirty dollars gets you a $40 certificate good for 1 year from the date of purchase. (Warning: the reduction is only to your tab, not total calories ingested!)