Christmas LightsTrade In/Discount

You can trade in your old Christmas 

LIGHTS for a discount on new ones!

Home Depot's Light Deal

Christmas truly is right around the corner!

Let's save every way we can!

Taking care of Lincoln, so Washington will take care of me ;-))

50% off Payless COUPON good through 10/31

Don't MISS OUT~

Take advantage of HUGE savings!

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20091016-tows-payless

Print the Coupon AND Head on over and get yourself some shoes! Whoohoo!

Square Foot Gardening Post

If you are short on yard, but long on desire for a garden this coming growing season, here is a link Square Foot Gardening to show just how it is done.  We had a traditional garden in the yard kind of garden, along with a raised bed in an old car-top carrier for our leaf lettuce, spinach, celery and basil.  This kept the bunny out of our patch because it was up high away from his reach . . . and hubby had strung some wire about ear height to prevent him from WANTING to come into the patch to get the tomatoes, peppers, squash and pumpkins. 

Enjoy planning NEXT year's harvest~

Making Dirt

I've posted a good deal about our garden and our wonderful tomato harvest this year and some of our methods for growing in the garden in our back yard.  I want to discuss composting as a great way of making soil for enriching the earth for growing medium in the garden.

There are many ideas on composting, but I like cheap...uh...oh...well, I think frugal sounds better~so it's frugal and easy!

I am going to list some links with good methods with summaries of how they are done so at a glance you can take a look to see what will work for your space for composting.

EPA on composting
I found this site to have a lot of information that was even geared geographically.  There is a list of publications and also FAQs.

EPA on Organics for Composting
Very informative about what makes great compost!

Composting 101
Nice website that is informative~has bins to chose from and loads of information.  This writer is in MT so growing is an issue and this is discussed.  How Composting Works is very informative on how to create the place and how it's done. 

OK~here are just a few good sites.  Remember to prepare the garden will require some prep.  Composting 101 suggested putting the compost pile or bin or receptacle near the garden~makes sense to me!

We have a friend who gardens who has prepared his garden for spring by spreading manure for it to 'set' all winter.  This will enrich the soil as well.  But my FIRST recommendation before adding these is to have the soil tested by your county extension agent.  You will want to know what your soil needs FIRST!

Getting READY for a full harvest after a full season of growing which is AWESOME for my budget!

TRACK those Expenses!

I seem to say a lot about how to be cheap and frugal to save all we can so we have all we can, but along with all the thrifty measures you can take, it's soooooo wise to keep track of all of your money by tracking where your money is going.  I have encouraged keeping a list of shopping prices in that handy dandy notebook, but what about tracking where the money is actually going each day, week, month and year? It's essential to know where a "leak" is occurring before it can be fixed.  When we know where our money goes, then we are more prepared to make the decisions needed to either slow or stop the money going out of our lives...

Several Choices to TRACK $
I can think of several ways to track your spending. There are several computer programs designed to track the trends for you in the form of spread sheets and IF you already own one,,,go right on a head and USE it! But if you don't have Quicken or another one...then you can use Excel to create your own spread sheet, OR purchase a ledger style tablet to put in a notebook...but I have an even more economical idea:

Notebook paper or spiral bound notebook. You will want to track over the next month and year even...so a notebook, or a way to keep up with each month is essential.  KEEP up with the papers! I like a notebook. For less than $1 you can economically have a way to keep up with the "bills" and expenses~everywhere money is spent.  A stapler is handy too.  Staple receipts to the back of the page.  A stapler is multi purpose, so it's a good investment. 

• Set your pages up for each month. 

• Begin NOW~start the month you are reading my post.

• Write the name of the month on the top line. To the right put the year.  

• Skip down a line.

• Take a ruler or straight edge and make a line so that you have five (5) columns.

Column 1; DUE DATE
Column 2: ITEM
Column 3: AMOUNT DUE
Column 4: DATE PAID
Column 5: CATEGORY

The column are useful to track the money going out of the home.  The most important column is CATEGORY.  These can be as you set them up in your budget: Mortgage, Rent, Utilities, Food, Clothing, Fun...you can list these any way you want.  Be sure that you cover even such things as Fuel, Insurance (health, life and auto), Care Maintence, and Gifts.  Don't make separate columns for each of these, but devise a code for them, and WRITE IT DOWN in the notebook, just in case you forget...It's essential to track all the spending so you can see just where the funds are going. 

Sometimes it's going to be tough in catagorizing the expenditures.  When going out to eat, is this necessary so it would be food, which it is, or is it fun, which it is?  IF you are trying to lower your expenses because there is not enough to cover each month, then categorize it under fun and keep that category on a strict "budget" meaning you a lot just a certain amount either weekly or monthly so you can pick and chose what you want to spend your FUN MONEY on~it might be eating out or you might want a movie rented or at the theater...THIS method gives you choices~AND the money is there...in the budget for such, not stolen from the essentials.

I will talk more about budgeting and categories next time.  For now, hunt up and repurpose a notebook not already used UP! This is a great way to save, even if it's just the $1 start up cost!

Using It UP!~Prescription Bottles

Anybody got any of those laying around? Admittedly we have several that come in the house each month, so I can really get overloaded with them, but I've found a couple of ways to either use them or prevent MORE from coming into my life... 
less is MORE, right?

My pharmacy will take my "used bottle" for my refill.  They will "relabel" and refill...hey, while it's only a few cents to them, as my wonderful pharmacist once told me, it also keeps them out of the landfill.  Please don't confuse ME with the recyclers who are not throwing anything away, but I try VERY hard to use UP what I have. . . It's just plain smart this way...and any money my pharmacy saves just MIGHT be a penny they can pass on to ME!  Rising costs for everyone, literally means rising costs for everyone!

Another use:

I use them to store itty-bitty stuff...like:

• beads
• screws
•  dried seeds
•  sewing needles
•  earings
•  tiny parts to stuff we are repairing or "tinkering" with~this is educational for the kids...have 'em take a part something to try to learn to "fix" it...it might work AND save some $$!
•  I've seen them used in crafts for kids, but I really don't recommend this as I feel that over familiarity with medical bottles for young children can cause trouble in that they might think the pills are game just like the item in the craft was... Some will make "fun~pills" as a gag gift...I say not for kids! But if you want to share a funny with an adult...go get some pretty colored jelly beans and make up your own label...BE SURE to wash out the bottle first so if there is any residual medication, it won't be in there! ewww...be careful here!!
• beebees for air guns
• lead for mechanical pencils
• buttons
• wind up any stored ribbons and lace...
• rubber bands
• board game pieces~dice and tokens...WHO doesn't need this kind of help when it rolls around in the box!
• pennies~My daughter says that a medical bottle can hold about 100 pennies...
• paper clips
• tacs
• small rocks~the tiny nuggets can be kept nice
• store broken chains or other jewelery waiting to be fixed
• glitter storage~who wants THAT floating around the house...when it's poured off the page, it is easier to go into a prescription bottle with its wide mouth than the original container...
  

How are you making use to Use It UP!~Prescription Bottles??

All about thrift,

Busting a MOVE on Debt~

Here's a GREAT strategy~pay off the small things first. 

Pay them as fast as you can beginning with the smallest debt first.  When you get that smaller debt gone, throw the money you would have paid on it toward the next lowest debt.  As you roll the money into bigger amounts as the smaller bills are paid off, there is money available to put on the larger debts. 

If you have a vehicle payment, try paying it off early~paying off ANYTHING early that has interest will potentially save you bunches in future interest!

Remember that busting debt comes in small steps~if you do too much all at once, it could become overwhelming and cause burn out! Take it one little bit, as much as you can, when you can, how you can at a time!

Bust THAT debt~roll up the payments smallest to largest...then you will find

DEBT FREE!

Kids Eat FREE Here!

Search this site http://www.kidseatfree.com/ with your location to see what restaurants are listed for FREE kids meals~

Thanks Cathy for this tip!

Eating out on a budget can be better when adding up the SAVINGS! 

FREE Craft Patterns~all kinds!

Crafting can save us money, and now is the time to think about getting together some thoughtful items for friends and family! Christmas is counting down~but hey, it's anytime we need a gift that something thrifty and thoughtful will do the trick! Thanks Choyster Cash and MoneySaving Mom for this link
http://www.favecrafts.com/
where all kinds of crafts ideas and patterns are FREE!

Working away debt by spending less~

Fashion Cent$

Keeping children clothed is a challenge on a budget.  Items are pricy and keeping up with growth spurts can be a nightmare.  There are some ways to clothe kids that are less expensive than others...I will give a list of ideas where to find bargains for clothing and then rate them in order of Most Frugal Method~

1. Given free.
2. Thrift store.
3. Consignment shop.
4. Home made/handmade.
5. Sales
6. Discounted
7. Swaps.
8. Garage/Yard sales.
9. Coupon or other money off prices.
10. End of season discounts.
11. Hand me downs.
12. Auction

Did I miss any ways?? Give me a holler if I did and tell me where to put it in this next list! ;-))

MOST Frugal to Least. . .
1. Free  We can't beat free.  Free can be in the form of somebody sharing with us or just handing down our used items to our next child, but FREE is FREE! It beats all the deals! Free can be a swap too~as long as no money is exchanged~it's free right?

2. To rate these next ones, I must admit that attitudes and beliefs will come into play as well as our budget.  Is lightly used or used as good as new, but may cost a little more?  You decide your values, but for me when I had little children I paid as much as $10 and $20 per churchy dress outfit per child because they were sometimes hundreds of dollars and were not hurt by the original owner! So here's my list from #2 on:

Garage/Yard sales~I've found often that people having these  generally know what to ask to move their merchandise quick.  The rule of selling is to be sold out as quick as possible by pricing accurately because the longer the day the less the money.  Many will go for less quicker in order to move items quicker, but then I also have 'shopped' later and found items that while earlier in the day folks were not dickering obviously by what was STILL there, so I found great stuff for less~jeans generally $1; tops $.50-$1 depending! But anyway you look at it, the next two on my list gain their merchandise from the yard sales and they are out to make something...so...

3. Thrift stores.  I have found these to be a little pricier than the garage/yard sales, but sometimes you can find some real jems! My daughter got two brand new items today for $9 that either would have been three times as much! Both had the tags still on them! Whoohoo!

4.  Consignment Shops.  Now this again depends upon philosophy, because often you will pay a good bit more than the thrift store or garage/yard sale for items, but if you are thinking discounted new, then you will want to compare the prices here.  I have found discounted items to be about a less as consignment shop prices for new verses old or used stuff! So take your pick here! I just want to enourage you to shop until you find what you need at a GREAT price and doing this means you KNOW what an item will go for regularly...

5. Discouted retail: Can be out of season items or marked down, but these compete in price often with consignments...

6. Auctions are a toss up...I've never bought clothing this way, so I am unsure...except on eBay.  So I'd say know your prices because you can end of paying too much!

7. Home/handmade: Frabric prices have driven me away from my sewing machine! I was shocked when I shopped for plain ole cotton-poly blend for some curtains. . .gone are the $1 a yard or less days! My mother made all my formals when I was in high school and college from the fifty-cents a yard tables at the local fabric store~no more! So this is really an investment when you consider materials and your time...there are too many clothes begging for homes on the cheap!

This prioritized list is MY own ideas of values and value for my clothing budget.  Notice I said NOTHING about name brands or the like? They don't enter into this equation for me because I can find some of these at our most inexpensive places.  For growing kids, this can be a challenge to keep them clothed. We are so blessed!

It makes sense to have a value for values in fashion cent$

How Low Can You Go?

Remember the Limbo Game? It's a ton of fun to see who can scoot under the pole and shimmy without touching at the lowest point...Everybody who's playing is usually excited and laughing to see the players contort to get below the mark~to get the lowest to go lower and lower...and lower...

I want to ask you, if you were facing financial ruin or hardship would you make any changes before it hit to prevent or minimize the effects? What strategy would you employ to minimize the situation in your family's livelihood?

We all would do what it would take to keep our families safe and sound. I know that thinking about these economic times with all the fear and uncertainty is not the mindset many of us want to have, nor should we live in fear and anxiety. But we would be better to think in terms of strategy and methods for doing what we can to lower our outgo so that if we should face these kinds of issues we are more prepared. I don't want to be presumed to be negative or a "dooms day" prophet, but I do want to offer a honest evaluation of the economy and situations for many in our communities and even some of us...we are looking for ways to cut expenses, make do, thrive and survive so that we live...and how low we are willing to go can just like the game~and we know life is NO GAME, but like that game...how low we are willing to go can make the difference in our staying in the economic playing field or even winning~staying viable!

I have been practicing methods of thrift for sometime, years actually because of economic conditions long before the recession. I had to ask myself that question too~how low was I personally willing to go? Each person has to do this for themselves, and it's a personal decision for each of us. But I want to encourage everyone to begin making changes small, bigger, huge, whatever changes you can to lower the outgo so you can sustain any changes that are necessary.

Almost anything you can do will help, and I've read so many times that it is the small amounts of money that add up to huge amounts...that sounds silly doesn't it? But it's really true!

If you are in a situation where the mortgage is threatened with foreclosure the situation will demand greater efforts to go forward. Cutting expenses won't have to equal cutting satisfaction and pleasure out of life. Unfortunately our society places great importance in the value of the things here on earth, but remembering that the simplest pleasures offer the greatest fulfillment will make the choices made easier to bare. It's making up one's mind that thrifty living is a priority and that nothing will surpass this effort.

I received a link, THANKS Marla for http://www.truthinforeclosure.com/ to help us who are in the trench over our homes.

What ways are you lowering your outgo each month? Are you practicing thrift to save each Lincoln so you will thrive in this economy? I'd love to hear what you are doing.

Remember we can do this! Simple and FREE is best!

TELL ME!!

I know I'm preaching to the choir~if you are following me, you are likely someone who is really thinking a lot about ways to save money and either build wealth or get by in this economy, but I want to KNOW what you are doing!

This thing of thrift is a mindset~a thinking which lends to actions becoming a way of life which is an asset.

The asset of thrift is a huge benefit for life, and the lifestyle is a process. It's been a series of years in learning how to do some of these things and even milestones that we've overcome...Everyone is on their own path~we all learn at our own rate! The idea is to start learning!

So what are you doing to save money on the everyday necessities of life and those wants we all have? Where are you on the journey?

Thanks for sharing!

Staying Well~Swine Flu Info

I wrote my "tips" for staying well during the upcoming colds, viruses, flu and winter seasons : http://sistertipstersthriving.blogspot.com/2009/08/ways-to-avoid-getting-sick.html but got to thinking about the media publicizing the possible and probable outbreak of swine flu or H1N1 virus. Let's go to the source on this; the Center for Disease Control or CDC has a few links concerning this outbreak that I think we all need to read. I'm not a fear monger, but I do believe in being prepared and as wise as possible. As a former practicing nurse, I can appreciate the CDC's authoritative recommendations to keep us all healthy. CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatyoushouldknow.htm

Stay WELL AND SAFE! This is a huge budget booster!! ;-))

Ways to AVOID Getting Sick~

I have a few tricks that really work for reducing germs from spreading around the home. Some are just plain common sense, and that's about a frugal as it gets! Others are less obvious, so follow along and think about these as school is starting back and loads of those nasty viruses are looming ready to jump on you or your family!

1. Avoid touching your face with your hands unless they are freshly washed.

2. NEVER drink from a water fountain. Bring your own water or bottled water from home. When my son was in school, I sent two water bottles to school for him to drink from, and he was rarely sick.

3. Wipe phones, door knobs, and other frequently touched surfaces in the home with a light solution of bleach water daily (if someone is sick, more often.)

4. Avoid eating a food bars. Have you EVER watched how people get their food off of those things? And there is constant hand contact with the serving utencils...ick!

5. When using a public restroom, IF YOU HAVE TO USE IT, in the first place, cleanse the seat or squat over it, then when hand washing, do this well, get paper towels to dry and ALSO to open the door when you leave. Imagine that someone did not wash their hands and touched the door knob~yuck!

6. Close the lid on the potty before flushing~there have been experiments proving that there is a spray of germs just from flushing~THIS IS TOO DISGUSTING, isn't it??

7. Wash your hands frequently~I keep a pump container of antibacterial soap on each sink (kitchen included) for frequent hand washing. Yes, the soap is costly or an added expense, but doctor bills are much higher!

8. Cover foods in the fridge for many reasons, but contamination is a good reason!

9. Change your pillow cases on your bed pillows frequently IF you are sick. Wash in warm soapy water and hot dry~do this as often as you can, to remove the germs as you are recovering and not to reinfect yourself or others (your spouse or anyone who might grab your pillow ;-))

10. If you are already sick, clean your toothbrush which is economical. I have boiled ours, but this can destroy them. You can use a bleach solution too, which will kill germs to sanitize it instead. Be sure to rinse it well and clean the container or holder well. If your budget allows, replace it instead of cleaning. There are recommendations for replacement anyway, but I use them until they are worn out first before replacing. . .

11. Be sure to change out hand towels frequently. OR use paper towels if someone is ill. To save, you could have the ill person in the family use paper and the rest of the family the less costly hand towel. Either way, be sure to keep it clean!

12. When shaking hands of greeting others, be sure to avoid touching your face and wash hands well afterward.

13. Use the hot dry on the dishwasher to sanitize dishes if someone is ill. Use the dryer to dry clothing too.

14. Wipe all surfaces well if contaminated.

15. For colds and congestion, run a cool mist vaporizer in the room to provide moisture. Be sure to clean well and handle in a clean manner.

16. Proper disposal of tissues~I like to use plastic grocery sacks to line small trash cans. They can in expensively and easily be disposed of without a worry!

17. I keep tissues readily available for the sick person for their use. It becomes THEIR box until the illness subsides.

18. Plenty of healthy fluids before flu season to keep the body strong.

19. Eating healthy with lots of fresh fruits and veggies keeps the body strong!

20. If temperatures allow, I like to air out our home and will spray with Lysol in corners IF we have a virus like cough and congestion that won't leave. I will also damp mop with vinegar water solution or hot water with a 1/4 cu of bleach. I prefer the vinegar, but if your floors will allow, the bleach will kill off many germs.

21. IF you are coughing and sneezing, the recommendation is to either sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow...the reasoning is that hands carry MORE germs than any other source!

These are just some economical ways to preventing or in some cases dealing with cough and colds season! Of course, if you are ill and need to see your family doctor, do so!!! AND if you are allergic to any of the cleaning agents or supplies I have mentioned, do not use them, but use another well trusted, tried and true product that will kill the germs that you are not allergic to.

I'm linking to the Clorox site for some info on prevention. I personally don't do the vaccines because the one time I did it was my sickest year EVER with flu! But you do as you feel comfortable and able to do ;-)) Also I wouldn't necessarily use the brand name product either. Often, store brands are the same with different labeling and marketing~so here's the site: http://www.clorox.com/healthier_lives/cold_flu/ Remember that you can use bleach on rags instead of their higher prices "wipes." WHATEVER did WE DO without such products?? Ha! Also paper towels work well too if it NEEDS to be disposable! Just some more cost saving thoughts!

Here's to staying WELL this season of colds and flu!
WHICH helps keep $$ in my pocket~plus I FEEL a whole lot better!! ;-))
SisterTipster

Pedicure Pampering~Simply!

There's nothing better than getting a pedicure for beautiful feet in swanky open toe shoes! I LOVE this kind of pampering~have had my share of "pro" done~but hey, in this economy, WHY deny myself such lux if I can do it in a budget boosting manner? Here's how:

The thought is that showering is less costly in time and money than tub bathing right?
PLUG the tub while you shower~it's an instant foot soak SAVING you money and time! Then right out of the bath, use your handy-dandy foot scrubber or even if you don't own one~here's an idea: get a kitchen plastic scrubbie~you know, the rolled round plastic mesh circle kind that comes in colors! It's about the same thing as an expensive foot scrubber and will cost less! Use this to go over your heels and any rough spots; then because you were thinking a head, rub your feet with baby oil. If you don't have baby oil, you can use olive or veggie oil~AND HERE'S THE BOMB...a doctor once told my brother to use veg shortening for his very very dry cracked heels...Of course IF you already have any of the expensive stuff, use it up...but otherwise...go for less~it really is MORE! Be sure to use an old towel to wipe off the excess and to wear a "designated" old pair of socks to keep the oils/grease (I know it sounds awful! ) on your feet for a luxurious moisturizing treatment ;-)) THAT saved money and time!

Supplies:

• Something to moisturize with: baby oil, cooking oil, olive oil, veg shortening, (or WHATEVER you already own!)
• Scrubber: IF you already own it, use it! If not, get a plastic veggie scrubbie (firmer and smaller than shower variety (costs less too!)
• Old "designated" socks just for foot care~they will be stained, so a pair of cotton socks will work best to give the "treatment" a chance to soak in.
• Warm water from your shower~just plug and let your feet naturally soak while you shower!
• Towel for drying!

OK..off to work on the garden produce~MORE later!
SisterTipster<3

The Fried Egg Told It All~

In http://sistertipstersthriving.blogspot.com/2009/08/ways-to-leave-your-debts-behind.html#links I suggested for easy cleaning which saves TIME and money, not to mention ELBOW grease, that either you rinse dishes as they are dirtied OR you soak them or wash them right up. Now I have to tell you that today was a perfect example of just this kind of thing I am talking about. I got up this morning and hubby had fried himself some eggs~now I have no problem with this. But I share this so you can see the REAL LIFE example of what can happen if someone does NOT take care of the plates, utensils and fry pan. I found these little goodies about four hours later, and you can imagine what it was like, right? So I thought that in order to save on my time, effort and money, I'd soak them all in the hottest water I have out of the tap for about an hour. THIS SHOULD DO THE TRICK I was thinking. NOT! I got over to my sink and had to really really REALLY hunker down on that fried egg all stuck to the skillet. It was obviously not a nonstick, but a stainless steel fry pan (Revere Ware) which are great pots and pans. This fried egg mess took not only an hour of soaking, but also took about 30 minutes of my scrubbing with a green Scotch Bright pad for non stick and no scratching. I was just about ready to get out my fine steel wool which I do hold out for messes that won't release, when it all came off. But whew! THAT fried egg almost had me~So remember to rinse, soak or wash right away to save your last nerve, your efforts, and your money. That pan took way too much effort and hot water/soap not to mention the use of my scrubby.

LESSON LEARNED~now can I convince. . .
Taking Care of my money so it won't leave me!
SisterTipster <3

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