I am very excited! CVS has a jewelry armoire on sale, and I'm combining my ECB and a $5 off $25 coupon to get it even cheaper than the regular price. I can't wait to get it on Friday!
Because of that, I decided to FINALLY figure out how to clean some of my tarnished silver jewelry. They are some of my favorite pieces, and I've not been wearing them since they didn't look pretty at all.
After some research online, I found that it's relatively easy to clean tarnished jewelry. All you need is a bowl or casserole dish, hot water, and baking soda. Check out this link for the instructions on how to do it. Not only does it explain how to do it, but it even explains how it works, if you're interested in that kind of thing.
All my tarnished pieces are now looking beautiful and wearable again! They are ready for that armoire!!
Are any of you going Black Friday shopping? Let us know the good deals you get!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
On This Day in Christian History by Robert J. Morgan
Compliments of BookSneeze.com, I was able to read On This Day in Christian History by Robert J. Morgan. I was very excited to be able to read and review this book because Christian History is one of my favorite subjects to study. The book is, as the title tells, a year’s worth of events from Christian history.
This book is a faith builder, bringing to the reader’s attention those that came before, in a similar way as Hebrews 11 does. Each day gets one page, so the stories are not overly detailed, but it is perfect for someone who wants to start learning about the history of the church. You can get a sample of people and events in different time periods and if you find something interesting, there are plenty of other resources that will help you dig deeper. I would absolutely recommend this book to others.
My apologies for not making this one available as a giveaway. I'm going to be a bit selfish and keep it for myself! If it sounds interesting to you, you should be able to find it in your local Christian bookstore or at Amazon.com.
Yummy Steamed Vegetables!
Are you loving all the frozen vegetables that come in the steamer bags? I sure am! Though, I have to say, they are a little expensive. I checked the unit prices today in comparison to the store brand frozen vegetables without the steamer bag, and really I wasn't surprised. Some items were twice as expensive as the store brand. I really don't want to try to steam the vegetables by myself. I am a big fan of quick and easy.
ZipLoc and Glad have both recently come out with steamer bags. I bought a package today. It came with 10 medium sized bags (appropriate for 2-4 servings; there is a larger version as well). The price on the shelf was $2.47. I had a ZipLoc coupon for $.55 off any ZipLoc bag. That brought the bags down to about $.20 each. They are intended for vegetables of course, but you can use meat in them as well. The package suggests that you not reuse the bags because of the risk of cross-contamination, but I don't plan on using any meat in mine, so I plan on reusing them. So now I can buy a large, economical (make sure to check those unit prices!) bag of frozen broccoli or whatever, and portion out however much I want for dinner into one of those steamer bags. Also, you can make your own mixed vegetable combinations. Today I bought broccoli, yellow squash, peas and carrots all in separate bags. And I can mix them as I wish and season them and have some great steamed vegetables at less cost than using the more expensive vegetables already packaged and seasoned for steaming.
The most fun ways to save money are to be able to do what you did before but still save some of your hard-earned cash. What's your best tip for doing/fixing the same thing differently in order to save some money? Post it here on the blog or on the Facebook page, and let everyone else know your great tip.
ZipLoc and Glad have both recently come out with steamer bags. I bought a package today. It came with 10 medium sized bags (appropriate for 2-4 servings; there is a larger version as well). The price on the shelf was $2.47. I had a ZipLoc coupon for $.55 off any ZipLoc bag. That brought the bags down to about $.20 each. They are intended for vegetables of course, but you can use meat in them as well. The package suggests that you not reuse the bags because of the risk of cross-contamination, but I don't plan on using any meat in mine, so I plan on reusing them. So now I can buy a large, economical (make sure to check those unit prices!) bag of frozen broccoli or whatever, and portion out however much I want for dinner into one of those steamer bags. Also, you can make your own mixed vegetable combinations. Today I bought broccoli, yellow squash, peas and carrots all in separate bags. And I can mix them as I wish and season them and have some great steamed vegetables at less cost than using the more expensive vegetables already packaged and seasoned for steaming.
The most fun ways to save money are to be able to do what you did before but still save some of your hard-earned cash. What's your best tip for doing/fixing the same thing differently in order to save some money? Post it here on the blog or on the Facebook page, and let everyone else know your great tip.
Friday, November 5, 2010
how can i help others who are struggling when i am struggling myself?
We all know from the news and conversations with people around us that the economy is making things tight for everyone. Maybe for some people it was tight even before things got bad. We look around and want to help, but how do you help people when you’re not doing so well yourself?
I have a few tips for you. First of all, as you continue learning couponing strategies and other ways of saving money, share them! Even just teaching someone the simple trick of combining coupons with sales will start giving them a little wiggle room in their grocery budget.
You might also consider coupon sharing. At a place you often frequent, set up a bin of some sort (maybe an index card box or shoebox) for people to put coupons they aren’t using and to look for coupons they need. You don’t have a cat, but you have a dog, so put your cat food coupons in, and find some extra dog food coupons for that great sale this week. Just make sure you ask permission from whoever’s in charge before you place the box. You could also try out a “coupon-train.” Basically this is a group of people who all share coupons by mailing coupons to each other, taking out what they want and putting in what they don’t need. This is a little more complicated because it takes a little more organization and people need to be on the ball so that coupons don’t set on someone’s counter too long.
When you go to the store with your coupons and find that your coupon for “X” didn’t match up like you expected or wasn’t a good enough deal to compete with another brand, maybe you could leave the coupon there next to the product. Chances are, someone who is brand-specific on that item will be excited to find that $.50 off their Cheerios or whatever.
Another great tip: when you shop at the drug stores like Walgreens and CVS, there are sometimes some really good deals on toothpaste and other hygiene items. If you find a particular brand of toothpaste is waiting on the shelf for you to take it away for nothing, or at least way cheaper than you ever expected to see toothpaste, but it’s not your brand, get it anyway. Start a tub or box for those cheap or free items that you won’t make use of. When it fills up, take it by a homeless shelter, domestic abuse shelter, or church food bank. People need all kinds of things when there is no money, not just food. You can help, and you’re really not hurting your own budget. Just keep an eye out for those really good deals, even if you’re not going to use them, and give them to those who can.
And one last tip: sometimes military bases will take expired coupons. What does that mean for you, oh ye civilian? Tell me, how many expired coupons do you throw away at the end of the month?!? Check out the Overseas Coupon Program and this E-How article to learn how to mail your expired or nearly expired coupons to a military base.
Even when money is tight, we can still find ways to join together and help each other weather the financial storm. It just takes a little time and creativity.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How to Beat Debt
I had a small victory with my credit card company yesterday that brought me down to 0% interest until the card is paid off. The account is effectively closed, so I can't use it anymore, which is just fine because I wasn't planning on it anyway. :-D In honor of my triumph, here are some tips on how to save money by managing and paying down your debt.
Paying off debt, especially high-interest debt, is an important way you can save money. Dave Ramsey suggests saving a small emergency fund of around $1000 and then throw any extra money you have toward your debt. A savings account with .almost-nothing% interest is okay, but paying off that 15, 20, 30% credit card is going to save you a lot of payments in interest.
If you've never checked out what Dave Ramsey has to say or never gone through his Financial Peace University, you really ought to. That's a great place to start learning a new attitude toward money. And that's not just debt but savings as well. His program really educated me on how to manage the money you have. And if you're using those good coupons, maybe there's a little extra around to put to that credit card, above the minimum payment.
Until you are able to go through the Financial Peace University, here are a few tips to start with: Start putting every extra dollar toward you debt. Be more frugal in your spending so that there's more money paying off that credit card or student loan. The faster you're able to pay off those debts, the faster you're going to free up your money to work for you instead of Visa and Mastercard. And if you have more than one debt, focus on one at a time. Pay the minimum on everything but one. When you get that one paid off, close the account (GET DOCUMENTATION), and start paying off the next one in line.
Avoid consolidation plans or debt settlement programs. They may be a few that are solid and trustworthy, but in general, you end up worse than you started. Just buckle down and start paying them off. And for goodness' sake, if you're trying to pay off your debt, don't tack more on!
Pay attention to due dates. Credit card companies sometimes shift due dates around in order to add more fees to your account. You don't want your payment to be late simply because the credit card company altered the due date.
If you're using a bill pay program through your bank, keep an eye on those minimum payments. A while back, my credit card company did not send the correct total to my bank. It was . . . $.13 less than the actual minimum payment. They slapped me with a late fee and raised my interest rate several percent higher than it had been. You can call and complain to the credit card company if that happens, and hopefully they'll do something about it, but it's just better to be watchful. And who pays just minimum payments these days anyway?
If you have a high interest rate, call your credit card company and ask them to lower your rate. Seems simple. But why would the credit card company do that? If you suggest that you are going to transfer your balance to another card with a lower rate, they may be more than willing to drop it for you. It's hard to say how many percent they might drop it, but even a percent or two equals some savings. If the person you get on the phone refuses, ask for their manager. Be a little persistent about it. The worst they can do is say no.
Avoid consolidation plans or debt settlement programs. They may be a few that are solid and trustworthy, but in general, you end up worse than you started. Just buckle down and start paying them off. And for goodness' sake, if you're trying to pay off your debt, don't tack more on!
That's just a few tips for you. If you have any debt questions, ask me and I'll try to help. Better yet, go check out Dave Ramsey's site (see above).
Put those coupon savings to good use!!
Paying off debt, especially high-interest debt, is an important way you can save money. Dave Ramsey suggests saving a small emergency fund of around $1000 and then throw any extra money you have toward your debt. A savings account with .almost-nothing% interest is okay, but paying off that 15, 20, 30% credit card is going to save you a lot of payments in interest.
If you've never checked out what Dave Ramsey has to say or never gone through his Financial Peace University, you really ought to. That's a great place to start learning a new attitude toward money. And that's not just debt but savings as well. His program really educated me on how to manage the money you have. And if you're using those good coupons, maybe there's a little extra around to put to that credit card, above the minimum payment.
Until you are able to go through the Financial Peace University, here are a few tips to start with: Start putting every extra dollar toward you debt. Be more frugal in your spending so that there's more money paying off that credit card or student loan. The faster you're able to pay off those debts, the faster you're going to free up your money to work for you instead of Visa and Mastercard. And if you have more than one debt, focus on one at a time. Pay the minimum on everything but one. When you get that one paid off, close the account (GET DOCUMENTATION), and start paying off the next one in line.
Avoid consolidation plans or debt settlement programs. They may be a few that are solid and trustworthy, but in general, you end up worse than you started. Just buckle down and start paying them off. And for goodness' sake, if you're trying to pay off your debt, don't tack more on!
Pay attention to due dates. Credit card companies sometimes shift due dates around in order to add more fees to your account. You don't want your payment to be late simply because the credit card company altered the due date.
If you're using a bill pay program through your bank, keep an eye on those minimum payments. A while back, my credit card company did not send the correct total to my bank. It was . . . $.13 less than the actual minimum payment. They slapped me with a late fee and raised my interest rate several percent higher than it had been. You can call and complain to the credit card company if that happens, and hopefully they'll do something about it, but it's just better to be watchful. And who pays just minimum payments these days anyway?
If you have a high interest rate, call your credit card company and ask them to lower your rate. Seems simple. But why would the credit card company do that? If you suggest that you are going to transfer your balance to another card with a lower rate, they may be more than willing to drop it for you. It's hard to say how many percent they might drop it, but even a percent or two equals some savings. If the person you get on the phone refuses, ask for their manager. Be a little persistent about it. The worst they can do is say no.
Avoid consolidation plans or debt settlement programs. They may be a few that are solid and trustworthy, but in general, you end up worse than you started. Just buckle down and start paying them off. And for goodness' sake, if you're trying to pay off your debt, don't tack more on!
That's just a few tips for you. If you have any debt questions, ask me and I'll try to help. Better yet, go check out Dave Ramsey's site (see above).
Put those coupon savings to good use!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Birthdays!!!
My birthday was Saturday, and it was a great reminder of an extra perk that comes with birthdays. I got a coupon for a free meal at IHOP, extra points on Swagbucks, and a $3 off anything coupon from CVS. Really, how great is that? And I'm sure I could have had more if I were signed up at the right websites. Kids get even more deals! Keep an eye out for birthday clubs and similar promotions. It might be a "with purchase" deal or something similar, but it could be worth it. Maybe you can make it a birthday tradition in your family to go to a particular restaurant.
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