Shred Fest!

Since moving this past week I've come across some paperwork, documents, etc. that have important information on them. Such information needs to be discarded appropriately and for good reason. We all know it takes a while to actually "move in" and since moving I've found there are boxes of information that is no longer needed and needs to be shredded. I called a shredding company last week to get prices on what they charge and what they told me I thought was reasonable, considering the amount of papers and boxes that have been sitting around for um, let's just say years! So while I was glancing through the local newspaper this morning I came across a bank that is having a Shred Fest this Saturday. The most wonderful thing about it is it's FREE. Yes I said free as in don't have to pay a dime to have outdated paperwork turn into garbage, safely. Talk about frugality! Yep, so that's where I'm headed to on Saturday.

3 Things That Need To Be Done Before Moving

We finally sold our house! Read my post A House For Sale to read about that adventure. Anyway when it comes down to it, there are only a few items that I think really need to be done before moving, besides the changing of addresses, etc.

Pack up the small stuff ahead of time. I started moving the small stuff out of the house way back when I originally moved out. My situation was different though and that helped a whole lot! This would include extra linens, books, etc. Leave the bigger items to be moved out such as beds, dressers, etc. at a later date, the day you actually need to sleep in your new house. Get your drawers and closets cleaned out so that nothing is left behind. I've left "stuff" before in closets that I thought I cleaned out.

Rent a truck, hire some help, or do it yourself. I don't always advocate renting a truck or hiring help but at this juncture of my move, but that may be a possibility this time around. It seems that everyone is busy that I normally could count on. So that means other means. I can't believe that a 30 day time frame has almost come and gone! Maybe I will have to consider renting that truck. Does it come with helpers?

Clean for the next tenants. This may be obvious but I've actually moved into a place before that wasn't ready for us to move in. It was gross! When I moved into another house, not only did I have to clean after the previous owners, but after moving in, I felt like I needed to clean again after we moved in. That was not efficient to say the least. Save this job for the very last, after everything has been moved out.

A Salt Solution

Here's a gardening tip I found at householdhintsandtips.com that can come in hand when dealing with that unwanted grass in sidewalk cracks. So unsightly! The solution is an easy one. Pour a good amount of regular table salt directly on the areas and the grass will eventually die off.

Decorating With Gourds

When I think of Fall, I think of its warm rich colors of red, orange, yellow and brown. It's no mystery where the classic earthy colors of the season come from; just look out the window at the natural world around you. Leaves are changing color to intense reds, oranges and yellows become vivid, to more subdued browns.

The produce of the season crops up in all kinds of rich tones as well; the deep orange of the pumpkin, lively apple reds and greens, gourds and squash in all sorts of shades and patterns of deep greens and buttery neutrals. Go to any farmer's market and you'll find decorative Indian corn with its pale yellow and dark red, brown, and black kernels. Simply adding a variety of any of these items to the interior as well as the exterior of your home will immediately give it a splash of Fall.



Wicker or paper mache cornucopias are just a couple of items that may be used for decorations around the home as well. Some of these even look like the real thing! You can group them in three's of varying sizes or simply place one here and there around the house for a splash of color. You can find real gourds at the grocery store or at a vegetable/farmer's market. The decoration possibilities are endless.


Let’s not forget the pumpkin. It is a kind of gourd but more traditional. Pumpkins are, perhaps, the stars of Fall decor with their orange flair. Here are some ideas: Simply adding various sizes of pumpkins to a window sill can provide seasonal appeal. From jack-o-lanterns to hollowed-out pumpkins filled with potpourri, pumpkins are a simple way to add Autumn accents to any room of the home as well as the patio and porch. Trade your regular planters for a few iron plant cages; fill them with small pumpkins and colorful ornamental gourds for a great new look beside the front door.

Put large pumpkins in flower beds or along side them. Buy more than 1 pumpkin and arrange them along the driveway or around the front porch. You don't have to carve them, just place them outside. Why not “plant” your Fall flowers in a pumpkin? Just clean out the pumpkin, place a potted Fall flower arrangement inside the pumpkin. This looks so cute.

Any way you choose to use your gourd, they are sure to add that touch of Fall to your outside decorations as well as for your inside decor.



Image of gourds:
url:http://www.umassvegetable.org/images/soils_crops_pest_mgt/crop/pumpkin1.jpg


Image of pumpkin:
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

National Coupon Month

September is National Coupon Month.

Clipping and organizing coupons for as little as 20 minutes per week can save 20% off your grocery bill. Over the course of a year, this can add up -- with $1000 extra dollars in your pocket you can off-set rising food and gasoline prices.

Here are some interesting 2007 coupon facts according to the PMA Coupon Council:

• 89% of the United States population uses coupons.
  
• Shoppers saved approximately $2.6 billion last year by using coupons.
  
• The typical coupon was worth $1.25 savings in 2007.
  
• Coupon users report an average of 7% savings on their grocery bill with coupons.
  
• The typical family saves between $5.20 and $9.60 per week using coupons.
  
• Manufacturers offered more than approximately $350 billion in coupon savings in 2007.
  

Since January, I've been tracking my grocery spending totals. I've spent over $3,000 on groceries and saved just under $2,000. That's a savings of 61%. If you break it down even further, that's spending only $83.00 per week for just 2 people. Can't beat that kind of savings!

Don't make just September be National Coupon Month. You can have that kind of savings last all year long!

70+ Uses For Vinegar

Did you know that there are over 70 uses for vinegar besides cooking? Yes, the vinegar that we all have in our cupboards. Along with using vinegar for cleaning or cooking, I will point out a few under each category, sparing you the other 65+ for now.



For Cleaning:

• Cleans glass- Mixed with water or simply sprayed full-strength on glass and mirrors, vinegar does a great job quickly and easily. Simply wipe windows dry with crumpled-up newspapers . Your windows sparkle!


• Clean and deodorize a garbage disposal -Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through. Vinegar ice cubes? Be careful not to offer your guests a drink with those ice cubes.

For Hair and Bath:

• Cracked, dry skin- Smooth a little vinegar on dried skin to help it heal.


• Bathwater-Add ½ cup of vinegar or so to warm bath water when bathing and get double benefits... softer skin and a cleaner bathtub with less work!

For Food and Cooking:

• Fluffier meringues- Add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every three egg whites and you'll have fluffier meringues.


• Boiling eggs -Add a bit of white vinegar to the water you're boiling your eggs in, and the shells won't crack.

For Gardening and Yard:

• Kills grass-Undiluted vinegar will kill grass between bricks and sidewalk cracks.


• Keep cats away- Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching on. This one would be interesting.
  

For Health:

• Mosquito bites- Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Heinz Vinegar straight from the bottle.


• Sinus infections and head colds- Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.

For Pets:

• Fish bowl cleaner- Eliminate that ugly deposit in the gold fish tank by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in vinegar and rinsing well.


• Pet's drinking water- Add a teaspoon of vinegar to your pet's drinking water to encourage a shinier coat, and reduce odor. Haven't tried this one for fear of the cat killing over.

Another Use for Dove Candy

The other day I was looking for something chocolate to go over my ice cream. And we all know ladies, that chocolate is a craving that will not go away! I proceeded to find the chocolate syrup that I thought I had in the house. I was out! It was Sunday and I didn't want to go to the store so the only alternative was to make it myself out of something else. But what? I saw that I had a bag of Dove chocolate candy and went to work.



I opened up all of the chocolate pieces and put them in a bowl so that I could melt them in the microwave for about 1 minute, stirring until melted. That'll do the trick! It worked. Yeah...



After all the chocolates have melted, I drizzled it over my ice cream. Oh my goodness, gracious me!! It was sooo delicious! Because the chocolate was now this hot and yummy sweetness, it became hardened and crackled almost instantly when drizzled on the cold ice cream. It's amazing what you can come up with in a chocolate emergency plus also without spending more money at the store.

Used Book Stores

Do you love to read but can't stand to pay full price for new book? Try a used book store. Not only can you buy books, CD's, DVD's, magazines, comic books, etc., you can even sell your used items to them. That's right. Need some extra cash? I went around the house and gathered up books that I no longer need or want, dusted them off, went to a used bookstore to have them buy them from me and voila! Instant cash! Now mind you , it's not all that much but enough, say maybe... lunch with the hubby or for some other use...another book? We all know that we can always find uses for extra cash. There's always some treasure when I shop at a used book store. Selling to them can be addicting too. Try it, you may get hooked!

Many Uses For...

I found some interesting items around the house that can be used for other uses besides what they were intended for. For example, did you know that there are a million (well, maybe not a million) uses for baby wipes? Check out my other finds.



Baby wipes have their typical use but did you know that they are especially good for carpet stains? Rub a baby wipe on a stain and see the results!



How about Kool Aid? Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint. You can also put Kool Aid in some plain yogurt and make finger paint with your kids. Swirl in different flavors. Use a cookie sheet to let them experiment with this new paint. Your kids will love it! I think I'll have to try this one with my grandson.



Kool Aid also can be used to make a tie dyed t-shirt. Cool huh? Just mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the t-shirt and soak until it is the shade you want.



Toothpaste can be used to fill nail holes in walls instead of using the expensive wall patch. I've tried it and it works.



How about body paint made out of Crisco? Crisco mixed with food coloring can be used as body paint. Who knew? Heat the Crisco in the microwave (be very careful here), pour into an empty container (a film container works good) and mix with the food color your choice. Let this cool down. I'm thinking this could be used for Halloween face painting.



Broken crayons can be recycled into fun different shapes by sorting by color, melting in an old can, then pouring into molds that come with Jello gigglers. Then kids have new crayons in all sorts of shapes. How fun is that?



And speaking of old crayons. Why not make a crayon suncatcher? Just use a pencil sharpener and shave crayons onto a sheet of wax paper. Fold the wax paper in half, covering all the shavings. Press with a warm iron until the crayon shavings melt. You can cut the wax paper into a shape when cool, then thread string through the top of the wax paper and hang in a window. If I can remember doing this in grade school (and that has been ions ago), imagine what your kids will remember if you do this with them at home.

Freebies-Week of August 25th

They say some things in life are free. I found a website that proves just that. Everything from entertainment to financial planning to junk mail control. We all need that now don't we? It's called Kiplinger.com and they have 30 absolutely free goods and services that they found that don't cost a thing! Just click on the Fabulous Freebies 2008 slideshow to see what's free!

Plus on Labor Day, September 1st, anyone that comes into any Chick-Fil-A store wearing anything related to football will receive a three piece chicken strip for free. So grab your favorite football team's hat and head on over to Chick–Fil-A. To find out more details go to their website http://www.cheerforchicken.com/.

My Birthday Kitchen Guests

With today being my birthday(I've been counting backwards since 30), I decided that I wanted to do something special for ME. I turned on the television and Martha Stewart just happened to be making goat cheese with one of her guests. I wanted to make SOMETHING from the kitchen too, but not goat cheese. I decided I was going to make a cake, except in my kitchen MY guest was Betty Crocker with special guest appearance by Duncan Hines. Yup, that'll do the trick. And with that being said, I quickly went to work.

1. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients that the recipe calls for. I did and I didn't have to run to the store. Yeah!



2. Plan enough time for the cake to bake before you frost it. Leave it on the counter to cool-down.



3. Tell others in the house that this cake is off limits, until I cut it of course.

There, now I've had my Martha-esque cooking moment without all the hassle of cooking a cake from scratch! Now that's what I call sweet!

My Color-Coordinated Hang Ups!

I finally went through my basket of clothes to be ironed, and believe me, it was a stack to be reckoned with. So after tackling the Mt. Everest of a pile, I hung my clothes by like colors. It is now a pastel-filled collection of summer wear. It's a beautiful thing! I also am going to go through my shoes. "Out with the old and in with the new" I say. And speaking of shoes, there is a new store on my website called Endless.com where you can buy beautiful shoes and handbags providing the best prices, selection, and an overall shopping experience. There is free overnight shipping, free return shipping, 100% price guarantee, and 365-day returns window. Endless is THE destination for shoe lovers. Can't go wrong with this site. Check it out below!

The Business of Paperwork

So I got down to business today. The business of filing that is. It has been about two weeks since I filed all the paperwork that was sitting in a basket, in its respective folders. These are papers such as bills, receipts, letters, and other documents. I usually do this on a weekly basis, however, time just slipped away from me this past week and it was starting to become out of hand. So here I've listed my usual 3 rules for filing:

• File your papers on a weekly basis

If you do this, paperwork will not start to pile up making it harder to just sit down and file them.

• Have a "home" for each piece of paper

Create folders for each bill, subject, etc. in a file cabinet.

• See if it's tax deductible.

If it's tax deductible, file right away in that folder so you will be ready come tax season. I make a tax deductible file in January.

Keeping your papers organized, you will feel a sense of relief knowing that you can go to where it's filed and it will be there when you need it.

Where's That Bill?

Ok, so I made a goal, if you will, to write about finance tips on Fridays, but since this Friday is a holiday, I will post finance tips this Thursday instead. Have you ever gone to pay a bill and found that you cannot find where you put it, let alone when it's due? I may have a solution for you. I've organized a system dedicated to opening, paying my bills, and organizing them. Here's what I do. When I get a bill in the mail, I immediately open it up, glance over it for any suspicious activity on the account, then I jot the due date down on my calendar. My calendar happens to be inside my "Bills Due" folder, so it's effortless. I then file it away in a 3-ring binder under that bills' title. For example, if my electricity bill from SRP is due on July 7th, I note that down on my calendar, then file the bill under SRP in my notebook. Do this with all of your bills so you know when they are due. I also have my bill categories in alphabetical order so I know where to easily find the bill.
So, here's the rundown:

• Receive bill
• Look over for unauthorized charges
• Write down the due date on a calendar
• Immediately file the bill away

This simple process of opening and scanning your bills as they come in is how you start controlling your money so it doesn't control you. It also takes very little effort if you stay on top of this every day. Nothing lost, nothing overlooked.

Financial Friday: Cash Basis Only

I've learned over the years that in order to secure a stable checkbook scenario, I've had to put my husband on a "cash basis" only. That means that he has no access to the checkbook, nor does he have a debit card that he can use for that account. The reason behind this dual budget system is simple. I needed to know how much money is in the family account-exactly, to use for the bills without tracking miscellaneous expenditures. This creates two fixed budgets that are much easier to manage. Cash is king!!

This Makes Sense-Coupons That Is!

It's summer, it's hot and I don't know what to cook!! What is a girl to do? Well, the first solution to this heated debate is to go through my Wednesday paper and look for the grocery store ads. Therein lies the solution. Sale items listed for every store! First I look in each stores' paper to see if there is a coupon that I could use. Then I log on to CouponSense where as a member, I can look to see what's on sale at each store by browsing and taking advantage of those items and use them against my coupons, thereby reducing my grocery bill. This week Fry's has 1 gallon milk on sale for $1.99 I will take advantage of this sale and buy the limit and possibly freeze the rest. I do not have a coupon for this but this is a good deal nonetheless. Another good deal this week is to take advantage of the $5 off your grocery bill. Albertson's has a mix and match promotion, meaning you can buy 10 items from any of the price and the $5 will come off instantly! They are limiting this to 2 $5 rewards per transaction; thus, you can buy 20 items and get $10 off in a single transaction! A simple meal plan for a family of 4 would be:

1. Totino's Pizza
2. Suddenly Salad
3. Alberton's croutons
4. Gatorade
5. Snack Pudding for dessert

Final cost = $2.50

Next meal plan with this sale could be:

1. Spaghetti
2. Prego Spaghetti sauce
3. Seasoned summer vegetables
4. Water
5. Popsicles for dessert

Total cost = $5.00

Of course if you have other coupons you could use along with the sale items, that will drastically reduce the total cost. This is called stackable couponing. Coupons and I have gotten along rather well over the past. When you take the time to have your coupons organized, you really can take advantage of any sale items that may come along. It all makes perfect sense, CouponSense!

If it's Tuesday or Friday it must be...

Laundry day! Yes, the piles seem to creep up ever so slowly throughout the week. With white peaks of socks topping a giant mound looking like a snow-capped mountain, it's no wonder we as women hate laundry. Somebody has to do it. So I "climb" this dreaded mountain by always setting Tuesdays and Friday mornings for this particular job. Make it easy on yourself by having a central laundry basket in the laundry room. That way, all can contribute during the week so you don't have to go around looking for everyone's dirty clothes. Also let family members know when laundry days are so that they may gather their own clothes beforehand. My philosophy is if it's not in the laundry basket by Tuesday or Friday mornings, you are on your own! I start early in the morning sorting by like colors. Then after putting the first load in, I do other chores around the house. After the first load is done, start the next load right away. When the first load has dried you can hang up cotton shirts or anything that shouldn't be shrunk up on a hanger to dry naturally, and fold the clothes. Start the next load. Keep this routine up until all the clothes have been ran through the washer and dryer. After I've completed this chore, I've "Gain"ed cleaner smelling clothes, am full of "Cheer" for having clean clothes, and most of all, it will "Tide" me over until that next dreaded Tuesday and Friday.