I have some catching up to do....
I am grateful for my animals. Although they shed and make me sneeze, and sometimes they drive me bonkers, they also are so wonderfully cuddly, and they are a constant source of unconditional love, my flaws and mistakes and all.
I am also grateful that we live in an area where I have access to bulk food stores, thrift shops, discount grocery stores, active online yard sale sites, inexpensive local produce/farms, local butchers, reasonably priced organic foods, etc. This area makes it easy to find high quality clothing, furniture, and food for my family at good prices. And if I cannot find what I need, there are multiple resources an hour in any direction.
Showing posts with label bargains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bargains. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Love for Local Business
I am so blessed to live in an area where we are surrounded by friendly, accomodating, and budget-friendly local business who market to those who are striving to maintain a self-reliant, provident, and sustainable lifestyle. This is one of the many advantages of living in a more rural community/region.
I stopped at two of my favorites today. The first is one of many Mennonite-run bulk food stores (which also has a wonderfully fantabulous bakery). I picked up some homemade rolls (heaven on earth, they are), and I also purchased locally made maple mustard (which is divine on pretzels).
The second is a "scratch and dent" discount grocery store. The service is so courteous and helpful (they even take your groceries to the car for you--who does that anymore?). Today was "Frozen Food Wednesday." While there, I bought 5 pounds of pulled beef, 3 pounds Sysco-produced chicken tenders, 4 lbs. of Wendy's chicken nuggets, 4 lbs. Burger King chicken strips, 5 lbs. Burger King onion rings, 3 bags sweet potato fries, and 8 pork sirloin steaks at 8 ounces each (64 ounces total/4 lbs.)...about 28 pounds of frozen food, and a case of the cutest mini Heinz ketchup bottles (8.7 lbs.) for, get this, $55. My freezer is FULL. Before you think, "Holy cow, that's a lot of unhealthy food," while I know some of it was produced by fast food chains and sold to this little grocer, think about it--these are fast food items that are usually cooked in a deep fryer that is loaded with grease, which leaves the food loaded with grease. Whereas, I can take these home and bake them as a somewhat healthier alternative. Could be worse, right? And, when I feel the need to go out to eat fast food....
I encourage you to peruse your own area for wonderful local business that sell whatever you might need--be it pet supplies, food items, emergency preparedness equipment, locally grown produce, whatever. I also want to encourage myself to work harder to move away from shopping at big box stores so often, and to instead develop a preference for buying from small businesses, when pratical and feasible.
I stopped at two of my favorites today. The first is one of many Mennonite-run bulk food stores (which also has a wonderfully fantabulous bakery). I picked up some homemade rolls (heaven on earth, they are), and I also purchased locally made maple mustard (which is divine on pretzels).
The second is a "scratch and dent" discount grocery store. The service is so courteous and helpful (they even take your groceries to the car for you--who does that anymore?). Today was "Frozen Food Wednesday." While there, I bought 5 pounds of pulled beef, 3 pounds Sysco-produced chicken tenders, 4 lbs. of Wendy's chicken nuggets, 4 lbs. Burger King chicken strips, 5 lbs. Burger King onion rings, 3 bags sweet potato fries, and 8 pork sirloin steaks at 8 ounces each (64 ounces total/4 lbs.)...about 28 pounds of frozen food, and a case of the cutest mini Heinz ketchup bottles (8.7 lbs.) for, get this, $55. My freezer is FULL. Before you think, "Holy cow, that's a lot of unhealthy food," while I know some of it was produced by fast food chains and sold to this little grocer, think about it--these are fast food items that are usually cooked in a deep fryer that is loaded with grease, which leaves the food loaded with grease. Whereas, I can take these home and bake them as a somewhat healthier alternative. Could be worse, right? And, when I feel the need to go out to eat fast food....
I encourage you to peruse your own area for wonderful local business that sell whatever you might need--be it pet supplies, food items, emergency preparedness equipment, locally grown produce, whatever. I also want to encourage myself to work harder to move away from shopping at big box stores so often, and to instead develop a preference for buying from small businesses, when pratical and feasible.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Refurbished Products--a Great Steal or a Raw Deal?
The hubby and I have, in general, steered clear of refurbished products. As a rule, we're pretty big fans of full warranties on products. The only used items I love are books (there's something so wonderful about a previously loved book). We even avoided used cars in our marriage, stating for a long time that we would always want a car with a full warranty and known owner history.
That is, until we were in a pinch, needed a larger car, and found the used car of our dreams for the right price.
Suddenly, the savings (and the Carfax report) became worth it, and we amended our used vs. new car statement to allowing used cars where we could validate the previous history and reliability of the vehicle.
As for refurbished items like electrics and such...well, we haven't been as willing to test the waters, so to speak. Between not being able to determine the past record of the item, as well as the shortened warranty, we had trouble justifying the purchase of a refurbished item.
I have, however, decided to try a couple refurbished kitchen appliances, and I'll explain my thought-process, the savings, the concerns I have, and will hopefully be able to update my readers to the long-term result in due times.
I have wanted a full-size Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for some time. I had a $30 food processor that bit the dust on its third use, and had been wanting a replacement for a while. We bought a $20 Ninja Express Chop and LOVED it, but I desperately needed something with more than a 2 cup capacity. However, when you're working on a budget, spending $159.99 just willy-nilly for a food processing system seemed extreme.
My lovely hubby had some spending money set aside, and he willingly purchased a refurbished Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for me for $69.00 at Big Lots. The price was over 50% off of retail, and beyond missing a dough paddle (which we don't need because we mix our dough with the Kitchenaid mixer), it seems to work just fine. As an added bonus, because it is a system of many interworking parts, Ninja offers easy replacement for even the motor, if we end up desperate if something quits on us. So, due to the low cost and easy access to replacement parts, that seemed to justify the purchase, and also the shorter warranty.
When our state tax refund arrived, I ordered a Cuisinart convection toaster oven/broiler, which was a refurbished unit as well. I have yet to receive it, but I felt safe enough doing it because it was through Wal-mart, who offered an extended warranty for it for $6.00. Considering the retail price was originally $175.00, and I paid $69.00 for it, plus the $6.00 extended warranty, I still received a great deal being able to snag an oven with all of the features we had been eyeing, at the cost of a cheap one (which we have already, and which we HATE). So, in this case, the low cost of the unit, plus being able to extend the warranty, and at the same time getting as many of the features as we wanted seemed to justify the "refurbished" label. We shall see whether I still say that once the unit arrives.
So, we're trying something new in an effort to save some money and work within our budget, and I'm curious to see how this new shopping strategy pans out. Right now, if these items work well for us, we will have bought over $300 worth of products for about $140-150 dollars, less than the retail for just one of the items. Have you had luck with refurbished items?
That is, until we were in a pinch, needed a larger car, and found the used car of our dreams for the right price.
Suddenly, the savings (and the Carfax report) became worth it, and we amended our used vs. new car statement to allowing used cars where we could validate the previous history and reliability of the vehicle.
As for refurbished items like electrics and such...well, we haven't been as willing to test the waters, so to speak. Between not being able to determine the past record of the item, as well as the shortened warranty, we had trouble justifying the purchase of a refurbished item.
I have, however, decided to try a couple refurbished kitchen appliances, and I'll explain my thought-process, the savings, the concerns I have, and will hopefully be able to update my readers to the long-term result in due times.
I have wanted a full-size Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for some time. I had a $30 food processor that bit the dust on its third use, and had been wanting a replacement for a while. We bought a $20 Ninja Express Chop and LOVED it, but I desperately needed something with more than a 2 cup capacity. However, when you're working on a budget, spending $159.99 just willy-nilly for a food processing system seemed extreme.
My lovely hubby had some spending money set aside, and he willingly purchased a refurbished Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for me for $69.00 at Big Lots. The price was over 50% off of retail, and beyond missing a dough paddle (which we don't need because we mix our dough with the Kitchenaid mixer), it seems to work just fine. As an added bonus, because it is a system of many interworking parts, Ninja offers easy replacement for even the motor, if we end up desperate if something quits on us. So, due to the low cost and easy access to replacement parts, that seemed to justify the purchase, and also the shorter warranty.
When our state tax refund arrived, I ordered a Cuisinart convection toaster oven/broiler, which was a refurbished unit as well. I have yet to receive it, but I felt safe enough doing it because it was through Wal-mart, who offered an extended warranty for it for $6.00. Considering the retail price was originally $175.00, and I paid $69.00 for it, plus the $6.00 extended warranty, I still received a great deal being able to snag an oven with all of the features we had been eyeing, at the cost of a cheap one (which we have already, and which we HATE). So, in this case, the low cost of the unit, plus being able to extend the warranty, and at the same time getting as many of the features as we wanted seemed to justify the "refurbished" label. We shall see whether I still say that once the unit arrives.
So, we're trying something new in an effort to save some money and work within our budget, and I'm curious to see how this new shopping strategy pans out. Right now, if these items work well for us, we will have bought over $300 worth of products for about $140-150 dollars, less than the retail for just one of the items. Have you had luck with refurbished items?
Friday, April 13, 2012
Adding to My Food Storage
My church counsels us to have a food storage in the event of possible emergencies and financial downturns. They never once told me specifically what I had to store. Easter clearance sales on grocery day are the best!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Randomosity
I feel like blogging, but don't really have any cohesive message to share, so I'm just gonna ramble and see where it takes us.
The other day, I was changing seven month old Bean on the bed in her room. She's rolling now, so I placed her perpendicular to the edge of the bed, thinking that, if she rolled, she'd roll down the bed, and not off of the bed. I took my eyes off of her for two seconds as I reached for some baby blue jeans in her dresser not more than a foot behind me, and I heard a sickening THUNK followed by a wail of epic proportions.
My baby gal fell off the bed.
I snatched her up, and once I calmed her down and checked her out, I called the doctor's office, where the nurse assured me Bean would be just fine, and that this happens to every mother. But, I was sobbing. I never thought it would happen to me because I was "smarter" than that. And yet, no matter the preparations, the good intentions, it happened anyway.
Which got me thinking about just life and motherhood and children in general. Life is like that when you're a parent. You can prepare kids, you can nurture them, you can have the best of intentions, and think you know it all. But, we don't. Parents goof up. Children go off the beaten path. They screw up, too. I think it's just the nature of parenting and growing up. As long as we do our best, and try to make it through slip ups, it'll work out somehow. Kids fall off the bed. Sometimes, stuff happens, and it's what you make of it.
----
We registered the Goob for pre-K today. We tried to prepare him by telling him he was going to take a look at his new school this morning. When we got out of the car, he happily proclaimed that he wanted to hear a school bell, and his excitement made me both happy for him, and a bit misty eyed at the same time. When did he grow up? When did he stop being my little baby? I watched him as he looked around at all of the children, the gymnasium, the playground, and he was enthralled. I sat back as he played with other little kids waiting as their parents signed paperwork, and I knew that I was making the right choice for him and for what he needs at this point in his life, even if it does make me a bit teary-eyed and slightly sad inside. It will be a transition for both of us.
----
In other less emotional news, I snagged some more freebies this week. Some of the haul includes more digital magazine subscriptions (stuff like Kiwi and Harper's Bazaar), three six-ounce tubes of Jason all-natural whitening toothpaste, which retails for just under seven bucks a tube, and I got three for free plus free shipping, a personalized travel mug, a photo calendar for my desk at work with pictures of the children, two more personalized humorous birthday cards, and I sent away for a free sample of body lotion from the Burt's Bees company. One of the lessons I have learned in scoring free stuff is that I don't need everything just because it says it is free, and also, if you want to get free stuff, but have to pay for shipping, it can start adding up fast, and before you know it, it isn't worth it anymore. So, like everything, it's a balance.
Cheers!
The other day, I was changing seven month old Bean on the bed in her room. She's rolling now, so I placed her perpendicular to the edge of the bed, thinking that, if she rolled, she'd roll down the bed, and not off of the bed. I took my eyes off of her for two seconds as I reached for some baby blue jeans in her dresser not more than a foot behind me, and I heard a sickening THUNK followed by a wail of epic proportions.
My baby gal fell off the bed.
I snatched her up, and once I calmed her down and checked her out, I called the doctor's office, where the nurse assured me Bean would be just fine, and that this happens to every mother. But, I was sobbing. I never thought it would happen to me because I was "smarter" than that. And yet, no matter the preparations, the good intentions, it happened anyway.
Which got me thinking about just life and motherhood and children in general. Life is like that when you're a parent. You can prepare kids, you can nurture them, you can have the best of intentions, and think you know it all. But, we don't. Parents goof up. Children go off the beaten path. They screw up, too. I think it's just the nature of parenting and growing up. As long as we do our best, and try to make it through slip ups, it'll work out somehow. Kids fall off the bed. Sometimes, stuff happens, and it's what you make of it.
----
We registered the Goob for pre-K today. We tried to prepare him by telling him he was going to take a look at his new school this morning. When we got out of the car, he happily proclaimed that he wanted to hear a school bell, and his excitement made me both happy for him, and a bit misty eyed at the same time. When did he grow up? When did he stop being my little baby? I watched him as he looked around at all of the children, the gymnasium, the playground, and he was enthralled. I sat back as he played with other little kids waiting as their parents signed paperwork, and I knew that I was making the right choice for him and for what he needs at this point in his life, even if it does make me a bit teary-eyed and slightly sad inside. It will be a transition for both of us.
----
In other less emotional news, I snagged some more freebies this week. Some of the haul includes more digital magazine subscriptions (stuff like Kiwi and Harper's Bazaar), three six-ounce tubes of Jason all-natural whitening toothpaste, which retails for just under seven bucks a tube, and I got three for free plus free shipping, a personalized travel mug, a photo calendar for my desk at work with pictures of the children, two more personalized humorous birthday cards, and I sent away for a free sample of body lotion from the Burt's Bees company. One of the lessons I have learned in scoring free stuff is that I don't need everything just because it says it is free, and also, if you want to get free stuff, but have to pay for shipping, it can start adding up fast, and before you know it, it isn't worth it anymore. So, like everything, it's a balance.
Cheers!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Holy Freebies, Batman!!
Maybe there is something to this freebie thing....
In one day, I scored the following:
In one day, I scored the following:
-2 Bath and Body Works travel sized products worth $10 total--you can find the source for this coupon here. I printed one for me, and one for the hubby so I could get two items. Expires on 2/20/12.
-Purex Ultra Packs sample--found here.
-2 copies of Consumer Action Handbook--this is a government produced publication that tells you filed complaints with product brands...could be useful...I ordered one for me, and one for the hubby. Found here. Order processed.
-Free 12 month subscription to Ladies Home Journal—unknown if I will receive this. You can try it HERE.
-Destination Weddings and Honeymoons subscription, digital, received--from www.valuemags.com
-Parenting: The School Years (12 months digital subscription)—received, from here.
-More magazine 12 month hard copy subscription—processed. The details are here.
-Marie Claire magazine digital—received
-Food Network magazine digital—received
-Nylon digital magazine—received
- Cosmo digital magazine—received
-1 issue Reader’s Digest humor magazine digital—received
(I found the above 5 on SlickDeals' Freebie Forum under "Free Magazines." The site in on my link list.)
-2 humorous birthday cards from cardstore.com. Promo code MCSFC0212. (Expires TODAY.)
I am not going to turn this blog into a site purely on deals and freebies. That's not the point. My point, however, is this.... We live in a "I want this now" kind of society. We want what we want, when we want it, doesn't always matter the cost to ourselves, our financial peace, our families, etc. And even when we attempt to be frugal, we occasionally want to splurge. I know I do. But, I am learning a few things:
1) I DON'T have to have "it" right now, whatever "it" might be. "It" is just stuff. Things aren't important. It's not worth it to spend the rest of my life in debt and losing sleep at night because I just HAD to have this or that.
2) Splurge. Everyone needs to once in a while. But, look to find ways to spend little on those splurges, and see if you can find them for free. Case in point--I LOVE magazines, but I hate paying money for something that is predominantly advertising. I never knew how many free mags I could get online, without giving them info about accounts, and without getting a bill. Sure, maybe some are digital, but it's FREE, and it's a SPLURGE, whether or not you physically spend money. I got $10 of Bath and Body Works stuff today for FREE--just by doing a few minutes of research online.
Find new frugal ways to have fun.......you never know, it might just be free!
Freebies--Too Good to Be True?
I discovered, about a month or two ago, that with a little work, you can snag a fair amount of "freebies" online. It takes a fair amount of research, planning, checking of websites, and time filling out information, but it is doable. There are inherent pros and cons, such as needing to create a junk mail account for "special offers," etc., but I'm experimenting to see if this "Freebie Quest" is really a good idea/use of my time, or whether it is more trouble than it is worth.
So, I'm using some blog space to keep track of what I snag on an occasional basis, mainly for my benefit, but to see whether or not my skills improve, whether or not I abandon this idea, and if it does improve, whether or not others have any interest in this along with me.
So, what I snagged for free this week/will be arriving at my door soon (hopefully)....
-2 free years of Better Homes and Gardens magazine (hard copy--offer expired, no auto renewal)
-9 months of digital Saveur magazine (a digital subscription, no auto renewal)--RECEIVED
-a free sample of Quaker Oat Squares cereal--offer expired
-American Baby magazine subscription (hard copy)--always available
-BabyTalk magazine subscription (hard copy)--always available
-a hard copy issue of Bridal Guide magazine (hey, why not...no fees, no renewal, no bills...will be fun to see how trends have changed since I got hitched)
-100 free business cards from Ink Garden, and a $16.98 promo code due to an order error (offer expired)--ORDER SHIPPED
-supposedly, a subscription to Fitness magazine (I'm a little skeptical of this ever arriving)
-2 textbooks for my teaching job, thanks to an awesome book rep--SHIPPED
-a free $49.99 scarf from Sneekpeeq (expired)
So...we'll see what arrives (and what doesn't.) I might give up on this if I don't see results, but if nothing else, it should be interesting to see whether or not I can make anything of this practice, and at the very least, you, my dear reader, will get a first-hand review of the art of snagging freebies. (I will never, ever, attempt to get something for free that asks for my bank/credit info--never, EVER--and neither should you!!)
**Interested in snagging freebies? Most of my info comes from some of the links I have on my sidebar, like Raining Hot Coupons, the Freebie forum, Free Magazines, etc.
So, I'm using some blog space to keep track of what I snag on an occasional basis, mainly for my benefit, but to see whether or not my skills improve, whether or not I abandon this idea, and if it does improve, whether or not others have any interest in this along with me.
So, what I snagged for free this week/will be arriving at my door soon (hopefully)....
-2 free years of Better Homes and Gardens magazine (hard copy--offer expired, no auto renewal)
-9 months of digital Saveur magazine (a digital subscription, no auto renewal)--RECEIVED
-a free sample of Quaker Oat Squares cereal--offer expired
-American Baby magazine subscription (hard copy)--always available
-BabyTalk magazine subscription (hard copy)--always available
-a hard copy issue of Bridal Guide magazine (hey, why not...no fees, no renewal, no bills...will be fun to see how trends have changed since I got hitched)
-100 free business cards from Ink Garden, and a $16.98 promo code due to an order error (offer expired)--ORDER SHIPPED
-supposedly, a subscription to Fitness magazine (I'm a little skeptical of this ever arriving)
-2 textbooks for my teaching job, thanks to an awesome book rep--SHIPPED
-a free $49.99 scarf from Sneekpeeq (expired)
So...we'll see what arrives (and what doesn't.) I might give up on this if I don't see results, but if nothing else, it should be interesting to see whether or not I can make anything of this practice, and at the very least, you, my dear reader, will get a first-hand review of the art of snagging freebies. (I will never, ever, attempt to get something for free that asks for my bank/credit info--never, EVER--and neither should you!!)
**Interested in snagging freebies? Most of my info comes from some of the links I have on my sidebar, like Raining Hot Coupons, the Freebie forum, Free Magazines, etc.
Monday, February 13, 2012
I Heart Ink Garden
So, I am contemplating starting a super small business, and I wanted to get some business cards to be able to market it, but didn't want to spend a lot of cash (who does)?
I saw a promo code today for 100 free business cards, either one or two sided, on Raining Hot Coupons, and found the cards I was drooling for--I had looked on VistaPrint, which I have heard oodles about, and really didn't find the right thing that struck my fancy (plus, their free cards carry ads...lame).
I made my card, looked at it a bajillion times, and I submitted my order. Then, I looked at it for the bajillion and one-th time. I realized, somehow, my English professor self missed a typo.
Ever though it was only $4.99, I panicked. We are rationing money, and I didn't want $4.99 going into business cards that weren't going to work. Their policy online states that they don't allow order changes once submitted, so I thought I was doomed--and called Customer Service anyway.
I was surprised to get a human--not an answering service--on the first ring, and Angela settled everything for me, and she says the order is canceled. It's still listed on my bank's online information, but it takes the bank a long time to fix errors on cards, so we'll see. If that goes through OK (which I think it will), I will be singing Ink Garden's praises even more--I will sing them anyway, seeing as it was my fault, and they still attempted to fix the issue anyway.
I think the offer for the business cards is for a limited time, so hurry over to Ink Garden, with my blessing!
(This post is NOT sponsored by them...I just was majorly impressed today.)
UPDATE: Even though the typo was may fault, they are giving me a $16.98 gift certificate, when my original order was only $4.99!! FABULOUS!!!!
I saw a promo code today for 100 free business cards, either one or two sided, on Raining Hot Coupons, and found the cards I was drooling for--I had looked on VistaPrint, which I have heard oodles about, and really didn't find the right thing that struck my fancy (plus, their free cards carry ads...lame).
I made my card, looked at it a bajillion times, and I submitted my order. Then, I looked at it for the bajillion and one-th time. I realized, somehow, my English professor self missed a typo.
Ever though it was only $4.99, I panicked. We are rationing money, and I didn't want $4.99 going into business cards that weren't going to work. Their policy online states that they don't allow order changes once submitted, so I thought I was doomed--and called Customer Service anyway.
I was surprised to get a human--not an answering service--on the first ring, and Angela settled everything for me, and she says the order is canceled. It's still listed on my bank's online information, but it takes the bank a long time to fix errors on cards, so we'll see. If that goes through OK (which I think it will), I will be singing Ink Garden's praises even more--I will sing them anyway, seeing as it was my fault, and they still attempted to fix the issue anyway.
I think the offer for the business cards is for a limited time, so hurry over to Ink Garden, with my blessing!
(This post is NOT sponsored by them...I just was majorly impressed today.)
UPDATE: Even though the typo was may fault, they are giving me a $16.98 gift certificate, when my original order was only $4.99!! FABULOUS!!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
How My New Year's Resolutions Are Going....
I figured I would take some time and assess how my resolutions are going, resolution by resolution:
1. Spend less money on things that can be avoided. This means eating out less (and cooking in more), looking for gently used clothing or items when I can, working my food storage to my advantage/buying in bulk, avoiding buying "stuff" on credit cards, and focusing less on "wants" and more on "needs." I don't have to buy things to make me happy. I'm doing "better" in this category. I would not, however, say I am doing perfectly. I can't quite squelch all of my impulses just yet, but I've turned down opportunities to shop or spend excess money at times, though I admit I have spent money on some fun things. I tend to find myself saying, "OK, money is tight, so I won't spend anything," and I don't think that is practical. I need to find a balance. But do I honestly feel like some of my attitudes are staring to change? Yes. I hope I can keep it up. We are also doing a great job at buying food in bulk and snagging great deals on needed items like clothing and shoes. We have been trying to focus more on what we need as opposed to what we want.
2. Get out of credit card debt as much as we can. Use as much of MY income as we can to do so. Pay even a few dollars more than the minimum payment every month. This is going to be a long road. We will struggle making more than the minimum payments while we are behind on some of our bills. I also have not started back to work yet. So, another work in progress.
3. Work harder to get bills out on time. I am a lazy and ineffective bill payer, and sometimes juggle bills around intentionally. Another item that will take time. The hubby and I are working on trying to communicate better and come up with game plans, though, and for us, communicating is a big key to this. So, we're trying.
4. Be a more loving and compassionate wife to my husband. I can be a contrary butt sometimes. Trying. I will be brutally honest and admit that my hormones have affected my libido levels, as did depression. But, I think we are rediscovering each other as husband and wife, and not just pals, and it's been good for us. I think the hubby agrees. I'm just not an affectionate soul physically, so this is really hard for me, but I'm also enjoying it.
5. Be more patient and loving toward my children. Appreciate them more. React with love more than anger when I am frustrated. This is hard sometimes. I have a four year old who isn't pottytrained yet. And I have a new baby. But, I'm trying to learn to pick my battles, and appreciate them for who they are, and learn to focus on their needs instead of my wants.
6. Work harder to get my grading done on time and my classes more organized this year. I'm always grading papers at the very last minute. Same thing with grade calculations. Not anymore. My syllabus is due to my boss in five days. I haven't started it yet. I fail at this one.
7. Buy more locally grown and produced foods. I love fresh produce and homegrown yummies. And I'm lucky to live somewhere where they are accessible to me and within our budget. I'm going good here! Over the weekend, we went to a bulk foods grocer in our region, a new place to check out, and I was able to buy local bulk foods, produce, baked goods, meats, and cheeses. I even used this store to snag some of the supplies for The Goob's birthday party.
8. Take an active interest in cooking meals for my family and enjoy it even more. Working on this. Gathering recipes, planning fun desserts for our family this week...it's been fun.
9. Exercise for a half an hour at least three times a week. Today was the first day I even attempted exercise. I exercised for ten minutes and thought I was going to die. I suck at this. I'm pitiful.
10. Work to keep a cleaner, more organized home. Between getting new things for the holidays/birthdays, mess from said celebrations, etc., my house is a disaster. I plan on fixing that, ASAP. I'm using Pinterest for organizational inspiration. And I have been purging out old stuff, and I got The Goob's closet cleaned out, for the most part, and purged a ton of The Bean's clothing.
11. I will make/do a project at least once a month. Use Pinterest for inspiration. I totally have rocked at this resolution. Yay for me! The blog is proof!!
12. Be more charitable. We have been donating to our local animal shelter every pay check. I'll be taking bags of stuff to Goodwill soon. I've been trying to give things we don't want anymore to some people in need. I have done a few charitable projects at church. But, I could do better. I don't always take advantage of opportunities.
13. Give more homemade gifts this year. I bought the supplies to make homemade gifts for my mother's birthday, AND I have plans for Valentine's gifts this year that are handmade! I'm so proud of myself in this department, because it is SOOO not my forte.
14. Work harder to celebrate holidays and enjoy them more than I usually do. I'm doing this! I enjoy holidays, but find myself becoming depressed because holidays have so many requirements, so much stress, and I haven't had the best of experiences with them over the years. But, I am working to change this. We had a great celebration for The Goob's 4th birthday, and The Engineer and I had a great date night at home on New Year's Eve. I also have plans for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. This is another area where I am proud of myself.
I encourage you, if you have made resolutions, to assess them every now and again, and see how you are doing. Obviously, some of mine are broken already, but I'm trying to dust myself off and start again. Each new day is a brand new start!!
1. Spend less money on things that can be avoided. This means eating out less (and cooking in more), looking for gently used clothing or items when I can, working my food storage to my advantage/buying in bulk, avoiding buying "stuff" on credit cards, and focusing less on "wants" and more on "needs." I don't have to buy things to make me happy. I'm doing "better" in this category. I would not, however, say I am doing perfectly. I can't quite squelch all of my impulses just yet, but I've turned down opportunities to shop or spend excess money at times, though I admit I have spent money on some fun things. I tend to find myself saying, "OK, money is tight, so I won't spend anything," and I don't think that is practical. I need to find a balance. But do I honestly feel like some of my attitudes are staring to change? Yes. I hope I can keep it up. We are also doing a great job at buying food in bulk and snagging great deals on needed items like clothing and shoes. We have been trying to focus more on what we need as opposed to what we want.
2. Get out of credit card debt as much as we can. Use as much of MY income as we can to do so. Pay even a few dollars more than the minimum payment every month. This is going to be a long road. We will struggle making more than the minimum payments while we are behind on some of our bills. I also have not started back to work yet. So, another work in progress.
3. Work harder to get bills out on time. I am a lazy and ineffective bill payer, and sometimes juggle bills around intentionally. Another item that will take time. The hubby and I are working on trying to communicate better and come up with game plans, though, and for us, communicating is a big key to this. So, we're trying.
4. Be a more loving and compassionate wife to my husband. I can be a contrary butt sometimes. Trying. I will be brutally honest and admit that my hormones have affected my libido levels, as did depression. But, I think we are rediscovering each other as husband and wife, and not just pals, and it's been good for us. I think the hubby agrees. I'm just not an affectionate soul physically, so this is really hard for me, but I'm also enjoying it.
5. Be more patient and loving toward my children. Appreciate them more. React with love more than anger when I am frustrated. This is hard sometimes. I have a four year old who isn't pottytrained yet. And I have a new baby. But, I'm trying to learn to pick my battles, and appreciate them for who they are, and learn to focus on their needs instead of my wants.
6. Work harder to get my grading done on time and my classes more organized this year. I'm always grading papers at the very last minute. Same thing with grade calculations. Not anymore. My syllabus is due to my boss in five days. I haven't started it yet. I fail at this one.
7. Buy more locally grown and produced foods. I love fresh produce and homegrown yummies. And I'm lucky to live somewhere where they are accessible to me and within our budget. I'm going good here! Over the weekend, we went to a bulk foods grocer in our region, a new place to check out, and I was able to buy local bulk foods, produce, baked goods, meats, and cheeses. I even used this store to snag some of the supplies for The Goob's birthday party.
8. Take an active interest in cooking meals for my family and enjoy it even more. Working on this. Gathering recipes, planning fun desserts for our family this week...it's been fun.
9. Exercise for a half an hour at least three times a week. Today was the first day I even attempted exercise. I exercised for ten minutes and thought I was going to die. I suck at this. I'm pitiful.
10. Work to keep a cleaner, more organized home. Between getting new things for the holidays/birthdays, mess from said celebrations, etc., my house is a disaster. I plan on fixing that, ASAP. I'm using Pinterest for organizational inspiration. And I have been purging out old stuff, and I got The Goob's closet cleaned out, for the most part, and purged a ton of The Bean's clothing.
11. I will make/do a project at least once a month. Use Pinterest for inspiration. I totally have rocked at this resolution. Yay for me! The blog is proof!!
12. Be more charitable. We have been donating to our local animal shelter every pay check. I'll be taking bags of stuff to Goodwill soon. I've been trying to give things we don't want anymore to some people in need. I have done a few charitable projects at church. But, I could do better. I don't always take advantage of opportunities.
13. Give more homemade gifts this year. I bought the supplies to make homemade gifts for my mother's birthday, AND I have plans for Valentine's gifts this year that are handmade! I'm so proud of myself in this department, because it is SOOO not my forte.
14. Work harder to celebrate holidays and enjoy them more than I usually do. I'm doing this! I enjoy holidays, but find myself becoming depressed because holidays have so many requirements, so much stress, and I haven't had the best of experiences with them over the years. But, I am working to change this. We had a great celebration for The Goob's 4th birthday, and The Engineer and I had a great date night at home on New Year's Eve. I also have plans for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. This is another area where I am proud of myself.
I encourage you, if you have made resolutions, to assess them every now and again, and see how you are doing. Obviously, some of mine are broken already, but I'm trying to dust myself off and start again. Each new day is a brand new start!!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Bulk Food Locator
For anyone as hooked on buying bulk foods as I am:
Discover Bulk Foods
This is a search site that allows you to look for bulk food suppliers in your area. Check it out!
Discover Bulk Foods
This is a search site that allows you to look for bulk food suppliers in your area. Check it out!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Why I am Grateful, #11, 12, 13, and 14
I'm a few days behind with my gratitude entries, so here we go:
--I am grateful today for the fact that, between grocery store reward points, the hubby winning a contest, and the yearly free turkeys at work, we will have three turkeys for the holiday season that we didn't have to pay for. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I am grateful we have a bounty this year to celebrate.
-I am grateful for my health. I have been struggling with some minor health issues, and they can get me down at times, but I have it so much better than countless millions of people in this world, and I am thankful I have my health so I can be productive, play with my children, and enjoy the world around me.
-I am grateful for hand-me-downs and the giving nature of others, because that is less money that I have to spend when the budget is a little bit tight. My family has been able to snag some of the nicest clothing, furniture, etc. for free due to others' generosity.
-I am grateful for laughter, for things that make me laugh, for the sound of my happy children laughing, and for the ability to bring joy to others through said laughter. Can you imagine how boring and dreadful life would be without a little bit of fun?
--I am grateful today for the fact that, between grocery store reward points, the hubby winning a contest, and the yearly free turkeys at work, we will have three turkeys for the holiday season that we didn't have to pay for. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I am grateful we have a bounty this year to celebrate.
-I am grateful for my health. I have been struggling with some minor health issues, and they can get me down at times, but I have it so much better than countless millions of people in this world, and I am thankful I have my health so I can be productive, play with my children, and enjoy the world around me.
-I am grateful for hand-me-downs and the giving nature of others, because that is less money that I have to spend when the budget is a little bit tight. My family has been able to snag some of the nicest clothing, furniture, etc. for free due to others' generosity.
-I am grateful for laughter, for things that make me laugh, for the sound of my happy children laughing, and for the ability to bring joy to others through said laughter. Can you imagine how boring and dreadful life would be without a little bit of fun?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Trendy Babies and Broke Mamas
Some friends of mine (who also have baby girls) have recently become enamored with the pettiskirt/tutu/headband trend, and are snatching up these items right and left on places like Etsy and boutiques that women run from Facebook pages. The pieces can often cost a pretty penny, and I found myself wistfully looking at these multicolored, posh accessories for babies and wishing that I could buy them endlessly for my little one. The items look like creations perfect for a princess, and I was positively drooling over them.
Thanks to more thrifty pals, I discovered wholesale websites like Halo Heaven (mentioned in a previous entry) that sell pre-made pettiskirts, tutus, headbands, barrettes, bows, etc. for practically pennies, and I have been in, well, Halo Heaven. The other day, I bought The Bean nine pairs of crib shoes...NINE...for $18.00 total. Designer headbands for $1.50 a piece.
I have been reveling a little bit in my purchases. Hey, what mom wouldn't? I think most moms with little gals love dressing them up in fab stuff, and if you're anything like me, I like saving serious $$$ while I'm at it.
However, I noticed today that the same shoes I purchased for my baby for $2.00 a pair wholesale are being sold by these "online boutiques" out of crafty moms' houses for $10 to $15 a PAIR, unaltered, not enhanced, nothing. I wasn't overly surprised because I saw the same exact pettiskirts and tutus that I purchased for $2.00 to $4.50 a piece going for up to $35.00 unaltered at these same sites. And in some ways, I'm envious. I wish I had the business sense to buy up loads of items wholesale and to market and sell them for hefty profits. I mean, think how fun it would be to buy and sell cute little girls' accessories for a living? (I'd probably lose some profit keeping things for ourselves.)
However, part of me has been really saddened in thinking about this. I have friends that I shared this with--some were as excited as I was, and some (who won't read this blog...more acquaintances than anything) were actually very defensive and answered it by ordering more from these "specialty shops" rather than considering the possibility that they could get a better deal elsewhere. While the idea of playing with flowers and bows as a business sounds like so much fun, I feel like loving moms are being taken advantage of, or essentially, that they are allowing themselves to be taken advantage of when they are presented with another option and refuse to see it. People are making a killing off of moms who will stop at nothing to make sure their kids are dressed to the nines. Moms who want to say they "custom ordered" something that could have cost $3.00 off of a non-swanky wholesale website.
The profit margin here is insane. And I'm torn between wanting to have fun and sell these items, too, so I can totally stay at home with my kiddos, and wondering sometimes how much I too overpay or the lengths I am willing to go sometimes to make sure my family "fits in." How often do I crush my family's progress, say, to add another debt to a credit card in order to "have something special?" There are people out there eager and willing to take advantage of us when we are desperate to fit in, to look perfect, to have "nice things," and how often do we overspend and give what we don't have in order to keep up with the Joneses? How much do we pay, both literally and figuratively, for things that don't matter or happiness that we can find elsewhere? On one hand, I have to admit, there's a drooling part of me that thinks it would be fabulously fun to buy tutus, headbands, and pettiskirts, accent them with cute things, and resell them for profit. But, a part of me wonders if I would be contributing to something that, in the end, isn't good for anyone. Would I be contributing to something that has often caused my family pain, i.e. when I have focused more on what I want rather than what is best for my family, or overspent in order to focus on material things, rather than what is good for us in the long run? We, as mothers, need to refocus on what is truly important for our families, our spouses, our children, instead of constantly focusing on our wants and our desires. I include myself in this. If we let it, the world will take advantage of our envy, our wallets, our wants, our petty desires, our weaknesses, and our doubts, just like these "crafters" take advantage of Mommies who don't understand how much they are overspending on an item. It's more important to have a happy baby with a grounded, focused mother than a trendy tot with a debt-laden, unhappy, self-conscious mama who is never happy and always wanting more.
Thanks to more thrifty pals, I discovered wholesale websites like Halo Heaven (mentioned in a previous entry) that sell pre-made pettiskirts, tutus, headbands, barrettes, bows, etc. for practically pennies, and I have been in, well, Halo Heaven. The other day, I bought The Bean nine pairs of crib shoes...NINE...for $18.00 total. Designer headbands for $1.50 a piece.
I have been reveling a little bit in my purchases. Hey, what mom wouldn't? I think most moms with little gals love dressing them up in fab stuff, and if you're anything like me, I like saving serious $$$ while I'm at it.
However, I noticed today that the same shoes I purchased for my baby for $2.00 a pair wholesale are being sold by these "online boutiques" out of crafty moms' houses for $10 to $15 a PAIR, unaltered, not enhanced, nothing. I wasn't overly surprised because I saw the same exact pettiskirts and tutus that I purchased for $2.00 to $4.50 a piece going for up to $35.00 unaltered at these same sites. And in some ways, I'm envious. I wish I had the business sense to buy up loads of items wholesale and to market and sell them for hefty profits. I mean, think how fun it would be to buy and sell cute little girls' accessories for a living? (I'd probably lose some profit keeping things for ourselves.)
However, part of me has been really saddened in thinking about this. I have friends that I shared this with--some were as excited as I was, and some (who won't read this blog...more acquaintances than anything) were actually very defensive and answered it by ordering more from these "specialty shops" rather than considering the possibility that they could get a better deal elsewhere. While the idea of playing with flowers and bows as a business sounds like so much fun, I feel like loving moms are being taken advantage of, or essentially, that they are allowing themselves to be taken advantage of when they are presented with another option and refuse to see it. People are making a killing off of moms who will stop at nothing to make sure their kids are dressed to the nines. Moms who want to say they "custom ordered" something that could have cost $3.00 off of a non-swanky wholesale website.
The profit margin here is insane. And I'm torn between wanting to have fun and sell these items, too, so I can totally stay at home with my kiddos, and wondering sometimes how much I too overpay or the lengths I am willing to go sometimes to make sure my family "fits in." How often do I crush my family's progress, say, to add another debt to a credit card in order to "have something special?" There are people out there eager and willing to take advantage of us when we are desperate to fit in, to look perfect, to have "nice things," and how often do we overspend and give what we don't have in order to keep up with the Joneses? How much do we pay, both literally and figuratively, for things that don't matter or happiness that we can find elsewhere? On one hand, I have to admit, there's a drooling part of me that thinks it would be fabulously fun to buy tutus, headbands, and pettiskirts, accent them with cute things, and resell them for profit. But, a part of me wonders if I would be contributing to something that, in the end, isn't good for anyone. Would I be contributing to something that has often caused my family pain, i.e. when I have focused more on what I want rather than what is best for my family, or overspent in order to focus on material things, rather than what is good for us in the long run? We, as mothers, need to refocus on what is truly important for our families, our spouses, our children, instead of constantly focusing on our wants and our desires. I include myself in this. If we let it, the world will take advantage of our envy, our wallets, our wants, our petty desires, our weaknesses, and our doubts, just like these "crafters" take advantage of Mommies who don't understand how much they are overspending on an item. It's more important to have a happy baby with a grounded, focused mother than a trendy tot with a debt-laden, unhappy, self-conscious mama who is never happy and always wanting more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)