I purchase many things online out of convenience and thriftiness. Last week I was browsing, looking for an external DVD/CD drive for the kids’ laptop because they seem to have broken the internal one on their laptop. After much looking, reading, and researching (a must when you are purchasing electronics online), I finally found one that was reasonably priced and should have worked on their computer.
Well, it came and guess what…doesn’t work! Not only this, but the retailer is inaccessible – will not answer phones or emails. So…I contacted Amazon and thankfully I have recourse and protection from having purchased it through Amazon.
Moral of the story: Purchase from reputable dealers or through a website like Amazon that will enable you to recover your money in the event that something goes wrong with your transaction.
I unexpectedly found myself wandering around in the library the other day. After checking out, I walked past the cart where they invariably have a selection of books for sale. Suddenly, my eye caught something and I screeched my brakes to a halt. The entire 15-volume set of 1967 Childcraft Books for sale! $10!!!!! Unbelievable! I thumbed through them and they are in perfect condition…hardly even used!
I hurriedly scooped up my treasure and trotted back to the circulation desk to pay for these beauties before they slipped through my hands. Ah…what a find!
They are now home and my project for the day is finding the perfect home for these – probably right next to our World Book set.
Made my week!
I have a newly-acquired friend who is Amish. Although we have some fundamental differences in beliefs, it’s interesting and enjoyable how many similarities we have. We seem to be two of those “kindred spirits” that can finish each other’s sentences and each time we visit we find new things we have in common. Although, obviously I am not Amish…I definitely gravitate toward the simpler lifestyle and there is a common thread that we have to share.
Every time I enter my friend’s home during cold weather, her wood-burning Amish fireplace is crackling away in her kitchen. Actually, it is a cook stove that they use successfully to heat their entire home. One day I even had to bring my husband to her home so he could see and feel for himself how toasty their home is just by burning wood in their cook stove.
Some day…we are going to make the transition to wood heat.
Hey…have you seen any good sales on outdoor furniture? If you are like me…you start looking at all of the end-of-the-season sales for outdoor items right now. There are some beautiful things out there right now, too.
My wicker furniture is still in good shape, so I’m good there. I would really like a pair of new chaise lounges, though. Hubby and I love to sit out under the stars on autumn evenings with a cozy fire going in the fire pit. Chaise lounges would make this ideal, I think.
End of the summer sales are the perfect time to shop for new outdoor furniture.
I am trying to teach my children some of the basics about natural skin care. Along with this goes teaching them techniques for making our own products whenever possible.
The kids and I had fun this afternoon creating a batch of lip balm created with all natural ingredients. They were fascinated by the concoction of natural ingredients that we melted. After it was all melted and everyone had poured at least one thing into the sauce pan, we flavored it with natural almond flavoring and poured it into the lip balm tubes. Absolutely neat!
We now have a sizable supply of all natural lip balm that should last us a long time. Not only is it all natural, it was an economical process also. Lip balm…at least the good stuff…isn’t cheap!
Transportation, that is…
Yup…how is this for a diet pill that works. I’m talking about walking and biking to get us where we need to go. Instead of cars how hard would it be for us to start choosing human power to get us to at least some of our destinations? I am striving to use human power more this summer. When I have errands around town, I now put a backpack on my back and take off on my brand new bike. The bike was a way of motivating myself to use it more and it’s working. besides…I realized I hadn’t had a new bike for 18 years so I was due for a new one.
Anyway, the benefits are many. Calories burned, exercise, save money on gas, reduce your carbon output….plus it will just plain make you feel good. I promise!
Americans are finally catching up in the kitchen.
The recession is pushing people to curb their eating-out habit. However…Americans have grown used to eating in style and are not willing to give that up when they eat at home. That means…cooking lessons! Interest in cooking has been growing due to the many reality cooking programs and celebrity chefs.
Grocery stores are reporting a sales increase because people are cooking more and eating out less.
Cooking courses can be very expensive, however this cost can be absorbed by the money saved by cooking and eating in.
Restaurant visits fell 3 percent in 2008 from 2007.
Have you changed your cooking and eating out habits yet? Do you plan to at some time? Is there a point financially where you will feel compelled to make some changes? My family has never been big in to eating out and I have focused myself on equipping a kitchen that is capable of creating all of the meals that we love to eat. When you have a well-equipped kitchen full of nice cookware and gadgets it becomes not only possible, but pleasant to cook.
Visit your library and look at their cooking section if you need cheap inspiration! You might be amazed at some of the newer cookbooks that are out there nowadays. The internet is also a great source for inspiration and information.
I would like to challenge you to cut your eating out/ordering out habit and begin to prepare more meals at home. Your family will not only benefit financially, but your health will improve because what you cook at home is almost always more nutritionally sound.
Technorati Tags: cooking lessons, eating in, recession
There are two basic schools of philosophy out there. One is to delay gratification and save for future abundance. The second is to enjoy life now while you can. Which do you subscribe to? Which do you pursue? I have always tried to find a balance between the two because I firmly believe that it is possible to live frugally and simply AND enjoy it by living your life to the fullest.
Here’s how:
- Learn to be creative. Find ways to have fun that don’t cost a lot of money. Have a picnic, go to the beach, learn an inexpensive craft, play board games, bake cookies. Make a list of simple activities and enjoy them often!
- Simplify and make it a goal to create a simple lifestyle and have fun doing it!
- Step back and consider what is important to you. Get rid of the extra stuff (that is typically the expensive stuff) and focus on what is really important. Family, friends, exercising, volunteering, quiet time. These things are important yet cost nothing. Items like gadgets, nice furniture, nice clothes, jewelry…when you pursue these things you will need to focus a great deal of time and money doing so. Making people a priority will pay YOU back in dividends that are priceless.
- Make time every day to spend time alone. This practice is instrumental in enhancing meaning and enjoyment in everyday life. Instead of rushing through life with no time to think, spend time in solitude.
- Buy yourself something special from time to time to prevent feelings of deprivation. These things don’t have be extraordinarily expensive in order to be a treat. It won’t always be something like a San Diego California hotel, but whatever you decide to splurge on, make sure you enjoy it to the fullest. Take the time to enjoy it and appreciate it.
- Track your everyday successes and celebrate them.
- Volunteer…and get your entire family involved as well. Volunteering doesn’t cost you anything and you will find it extremely rewarding. It’s good for the whole family!
- Learn to think about the present. This is a key to enjoying life. For example, instead of eating out at an expensive restaurant and perhaps not even being able to enjoy the entire experience, make a delicious meal at home and make an effort to make it special in ways that cannot be done at a restaurant.
- Try slowing down the pace of your everyday life to make your life more enjoyable and less stressful.
- Find the joy of shopping at thrift stores. There are unbelievably cool things there and the deals are amazing. Rummage sales are just as good.
Technorati Tags: delay gratification, future abundance, simple lifestyle, solitude, Volunteer
Have you read about how some people save incredible amounts of money using coupons and shopping weekly sales? Unfortunately, this method of saving money does not fit my family’s lifestyle because we do not eat a lot of processed foods and so most of the coupons are for food items that I do not buy. However, because there are many people who could benefit from this money-saving strategy, I wanted to share some tips. Some are applicable for all, and some are mostly just applicable for coupon shoppers.
1. Plan your shopping trip prior to leaving home.
Look at store circulars for featured entre sale items (like meats). Plan some meals for the week around these sale items and buy extra for the freezer to avoid paying full price next week.
Make a complete list of everything you need for the week’s meals so that you don’t have to make any mid-week trips to the store.
2. Use websites that list weekly deals
Find these websites and look for and coupon bargains for your store each week. Select and print the deals you like for your store.
Google the name of your store and then add the term “deals” to find local web sites that list deals for your store.
3. Use a ‘no clip’ system
Most grocery coupons come from the Sunday newspaper coupon circulars. Instead of clipping these coupons, however, consider using a “no clip” system instead. Save the newspaper circulars and write that day’s date on the front. Keep them in a plastic shoe box. Save the entire circular instead of cutting out a few coupons and throwing the rest away. You never know which items will go on sale in future weeks so this way you may have a coupon you need.
Buy 2-3 copies of the Sunday paper to increase your savings during weeks that the circulars have many coupons you would use. Print coupons and use electronic coupons as well.
4. Wait until items go on sale to use coupons
Wait and use coupons until the item goes on sale for half price and you may end up getting it free. Many “coupon items” do not hit their lowest sale price until a few weeks after the coupon came out.
5. Know how store promotion and coupon policies work
Sign up for loyalty cards. Always give your complete mailing address because you often receive personalized coupons for items you purchase.
Pay attention to special promotions so that you can combine them with coupons.
Technorati Tags: bargains, coupons, no-clip, weekly sales
I have many little bodies (and bigger bodies) to clothe. Because of this, I have been forced to get creative in how and when I purchase clothing. One thing I look at frequently are resources for purchasing wholesale clothes online. I have found that I can generally save a significant percentage when I find deals from liquidation sales.
Do you have any sources for liquidation sales that you like?
Technorati Tags: liquidation, sales
