Living Frugal and Simple

Firefox Tool To Read Web Articles More Easily

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Have you ever clicked on an article that you wanted to read, perhaps on cnn.com, and been frustrated by how much fluff the meat of the article is surrounded by? Or perhaps you are on a website where the main article is in a really small font and you can only get it to enlarge so much by doing Ctrl +.

Well, if you use the Firefox browser, then you will want to download the Readability tool!

You can take a website that looks like this:

And get it to look like this!

All you have to do is go to the Readability website, choose how you would like webpages to display, and then drag (left click and hold down) the Readability button onto your browser's toolbar. (The toolbar is generally directly under your browser's address bar.) Whenever you come across an article you would like to read, but there is a lot of "extras," all you need to do is click the Readability button on your toolbar!

Have fun!

Going In a New Direction - Jobwise.

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:37:00 +0000

I was laid-off from my job as an administrative assistant at an oil and gas company on February 13, 2009. At that time, I was also working 5 hours or so a week at a gym which was in the same office complex. The day I was let go, I was scheduled to work an evening shift. I called the manager of the gym and let him know what had happened. He very generously made it possible for me to just head over to the gym a few hours earlier, and later on he added more and more hours for me until I had over 30 hours a week.

The job at the gym was truly a good thing. It gave me something to pay the monthly expenses with until the unemployment money finally came through. Then, once I decided to go back to school, it gave me the perfect job for someone going back to school after being out over 10 years.

However, I have moved twice since being laid-off. The first time was from my apartment and into the home of a divorced mom of two teens where I rented a room from her. (This was after a lot of downsizing on my part.) I was still within a reasonable driving distance of the gym, and actually my tolls cost went down. Unfortunately, the living situation deteriorated rapidly after Christmas, and two-weeks ago I moved again. Again, I am renting a room in someone's home. This time, however, the drive to the gym is 45 minutes when leaving at 5:15 a.m. Double that if you leave at 6:30 a.m. 90% highway and tollway miles.

My mom has a tutoring business, and she was getting to the point where she had more clients than she could handle. So, last week, I started tutoring one of her clients. I also interviewed for a possible job teaching 8th grade keyboarding at a school about a ten minute drive from where I live. I didn't get that job, but starting on Monday, I will be working with an ESL student during the school day for 90 minutes a day. Plus, I have a possible third job opportunity working with a high-functioning autistic boy one or two days a week.

Needless to say, I have given my notice at the gym. This Thursday will be my last day there. I am very excited about the possibilities and opportunities that await me with these new jobs, as well as the chance to make a real difference in someone else's life. I will however miss some of the people I've had the chance to know in this past year working at the gym.

Thanks E for letting me work at the gym, and giving as good as you got. :) I look forward to seeing where this new direction leads me.

I'm Still Alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:20:00 +0000

A lot has happened in the world since I last posted here. Most tragically, the earthquake in Haiti.

In my life... Well, I'm in the process of moving again. I'm also just starting my third semester of classes towards becoming a school librarian. I'm really enjoying them. Next week I'm going to have my first tutoring student, which will be quite helpful to my slim student budget.

I've figured out how to make blog posts via email now. So they may not be fancy, but they may be more frequent. :D

Been Awhile --- Leaving Entrecard

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:01:00 +0000

I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to write a quick note to let ya'll know that I still am alive. :)

I've now been in my new home for a bit over a month. I am enjoying getting to walk the two dogs everyday. They have quite interesting personalities. For the most part, not having a whole apartment to myself (i.e. privacy) hasn't been too difficult. Probably the most difficult part is the bathroom I share with the teenage boy and girl (which is located across from the boys room!)

School is going well. There are only about 5 or 6 more weeks left till the semester is over. Then I'll be heading out to California for a few weeks to visit family. I am looking forward to that - especially being picked up at the airport by my brother whom I haven't seen since June, 2008.

---

Entrecard.

I apologize to those who have been attempting to buy adverts on my blogs. I have had very spotty access to the internet where I could access my blogs and the EC site. That is now taken care of. However, I do not care for the direction that EC is heading, and have chosen to remove my EC widgets as of November 1. I will not be accepting any adverts any longer for EC.

I truly do hope that I'll be able to get back into blogging more frequently here, and at my other blogs. (In fact, starting in January, I know that I *will* be blogging more frequently on my Children's Books blog, due to a class requirement. :D )

Don't leave the penny on the ground! :D

Moving Day Is Getting Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:18:00 +0000

I haven't forgotten about posting about my car saga. It doesn't have an ending yet ....

After having posted a bunch of items on Craigslist, I managed to sell just one item. Although I had lots of interested responses, only one person actually followed through in setting up a time to meet. So, tomorrow afternoon a charity van will be coming to take away all the furniture I am letting go of, plus anything else I can have ready to go.

Today I let go of my VCR/DVD combo and an office chair to someone who has been very helpful in my ongoing car saga.

One week from Sunday and I will be living amongst two teenagers, two dogs and two cats. My housing costs will be reduced by at least 60%. And I will actually be able to use my bike again (once I get it tuned up and buy a helmet) because there is a very nice park a very short distance from where I'll be living.

I'd like to suggest a very funny movie. It is kind of like the Indiana Jones movies, but quite a bit less intense. The Librarian: Quest for the Spear of Destiny. It included Noah Wylie (of ER fame - it was hard at first to NOT think "Dr. Carter" when watching him,) Bob Newhart, and Olivia Dukakis. There are two sequels to it (which I haven't seen yet.)

Back From Web Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Ok, ok, it has been awhile. This post still won't have much to do with frugality, but I thought I should post something so those who are interested will know that yes, I am still here. :)

The past 4 days I attended two classes for my library sciences degree. These particular classes you have to spend 4 days on campus. The schedule called for 8 to 5, but reality was more like 8 to 3 or 4, and today, a little bit before 1. All in all, I think the most valuable part of the 4 days spent on campus was meeting and interacting with other library science students. (i.e. networking) Otherwise, I personally could have figured out what needed to be done just with exploring the class site.

My third class will start on Thursday, and I am looking forward to it opening up so I can get my assignment scheduling completed. I'm taking a 1 credit course, a 4 credit course and a 3 credit course. The 1 credit course pretty much has something due once every three weeks.

The 4 credit course every week (starting Thursday) has a lot of reading, several powerpoint lectures, information quests (8 questions you have to find the answers to using a particular source, such as "define clarity using a dictionary" or "using an encyclopedia, what does surrealisim mean in the art world?"), evaluation(s) of source materials, and a two-paragraph discussion question response. There also will be a mid-term paper and an end of semester annotated bibliographic paper (I'm thinking of doing mine on barefoot running.)

So, needless to say, that one 4 credit class is going to require that I keep pretty well on top of everything. (I already have most of the first week's assignments finished. I'd like to get two weeks ahead as a safety measure.)

I've scheduled my move for September 20. I've managed to sell one item on Craigslist, and possibly will sell one or two more items. The rest of the items I'm wanting to downsize, as well as anything that doesn't sell on Craigslist, will be donated to The Family Place. It is a charity that works with domestic violence victims - helps them get a new start.

Oh, while I was at the institute I stayed at a Super 8. The hotel itself was nice enough. They had a great breakfast - make your own waffles, etc. But I was super annoyed because I could never manage to get my netbook to connect to their Wi fi! I used the time wisely of course -- by soaking up Lifetime Network and other cable viewing. :) (I'd only brought one book with me, and that was read the first night.)

For another post I will have to tell you about my lovely car adventures - all the week before the institute.

Preparing To Live The Student Life -- Again

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:04:00 +0000

When I was going to college, I lived in the dormitory. My first two years of college I had the same roommate. We got along great, and have remained good friends ever since. Then I changed to a different college. My Junior and Senior years I had a different roommate - we got along well.

Sharing a dorm room with another person, especially for someone who grew up having a room all to themself, took a lot of adjusting. But, it was a much less expensive way to go than renting an apartment on my own somewhere in the community. So, I adjusted, and in the end made some good friends.

Now here I am 12 years later and getting ready to live the student life again. For the majority of the past 12 years, I have had a one-two bedroom apartment all to myself. But that is going to be changing very soon. My lease on my apartment is up at the end of September. Since I was laid off from my benefits/living wage job in February, I've been working at a gym doing customer service. That gives me enough to *just* pay rent/food/gas/cell, but there is nothing left over for savings.

It really doesn't make a lot of sense for me to keep living like that while going to school, does it?

After thinking about the situation for quite a few months, I realized that I mostly spend my time at home in one room - my bedroom/office. So after some time, I came to the conclusion that I needed to drastically downsize my belongings, and find a room to rent.

For it to be worth it, however, the room rent needed to be at least 50% of what I'm paying now. It was a tall order, because my rent is pretty inexpensive as it is, and it includes utilities. But .. I found a place .. on Craigslist! It is about 60% less than my current rent (including utilities!) The homeowner is a single mom with a 13 and 14 year old, plus two dogs and two cats. I've been by there twice now, and feel quite comfortable with the neighborhood and with the family.

The room is small - smaller than a dorm room. But I can fit a bed, a dresser and my computer table in it. There is a good bit of storage space, plus a living room right off my room which will be mainly for my use.

My fall classes start in just a bit over two weeks now - so my main order of business is cleaning, packing, selling and giving away. It is going to take some adjustments on my part to go from living by myself for so long, to living with other people, but I'm up to it. :) The two big bonuses are that I'll be able to put money in savings again, and .... I'll get lots and lots of animal cuddling (with no vet bills or food costs to worry about!) :D

Quick update

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Hi everyone. I just wanted to post a quick update about what's going on in my life right now.

I started my half-marathon training program this past Wednesday. Um.. it's going to be interesting. I'm supposed to run/walk 5 miles this coming weekend. This past weekend I was supposed to do 4, but missed the group run, and only made 3.2 miles. I'll have to see how this weekend goes.

Today was my first day of class for the Graphic Novels and Comics class. I read American Splendor and also watched the movie. Wow! Definitely not appropriate for kids, but maybe 16+ if you can handle a bit of foul language.

I had found all the books I needed for the class at my library ... but one of them hasn't come in yet. Guess which book I have to have read by Sunday? Guess what book got ordered this morning from Amazon with speedy shipping? I really thought the due date on it was July 8 so I'd get it in time, but I guess that was the other main textbook.

The class is going to last exactly three weeks. There is this one huge project that is due at the end, besides all the reading/discussion questions. I have to come up with an idea for some kind of graphic novels/comic book program. Hmm... I remember doing something like this back in 1998 when I took a graduate level class on Communication in the Classroom. If I remember right I came up with the idea of having kids spend a certain amount of time on a farm where they had to journal their experiences. This was before youtube, otherwise I probably would've had them do powerpoint presentations and youtube video blogs. :D

I will really try to update a little more often (with relevant material none the less!)

Sheepish Smile - Starting another blog

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:29:00 +0000

I know, I know. I haven't exactly been great about keeping my current blogs updated recently. Oops.

But ... I do have some exciting news, and in an effort to keep my various blogs somewhat focused, I started a new blog - Run! Laura! Run! - to chronicle my journey towards finishing my first half-marathon.

It's all very much in the beginning stages of being set up .. so not too pretty just yet. But, if you're interested, I hope you check in once in awhile. :D

Journal Your Way To Savings

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Do you have an old notebook lying around that has some unused pages in it? Or perhaps some papers that have printing on only one side? Find whatever scrap paper unused notebook you can, and then keep on reading.

On the first page of your 'journal' make a list of everything you subscribe to. Your list might include: Tivo, Netflix, Cell Phone, Dish TV, Cable, various magazines, gym membership, Audible.com, etc. Essentially anything that is billed and paid automatically each month.

Now, on each following page, put one of your subscription items as a title. For example, your first page may be titled "Netflix." Write down next to it how much your subscription costs you each month. Using our example of Netflix, we'll say $20/month.

For the next two months, keep track of how much you use your Netflix subscription. How many movies do you actually watch via the dvd's they send you, or the ones online?

At the end of the two-months, look back at your journal entries for Netflix. Are you using it often enough to justify the cost? Could you cut back to a cheaper plan? Or, could you eliminate it entirely by borrowing dvd's from the library and getting the free dvd rental codes from Redbox once a month?

Another example may be your gym membership. If I were to ask you how often you use your membership, would you tell me 2-3 times a week? After keeping track in your journal for two-months, how often did you really go? Evaluate how much each gym session is actually costing you. If there is an ala carte option available (buy one session at a time) would that be a less expensive way to go? Could you just join the gym during the winter months and skip the spring/summer months when you can exercise outside for free?

Often times people think that they are getting more use out of various subscription services than they really are. Or, they subscribe to a service and don't really look at what composes it each month, as long as it is the right amount. But if you stop and really evaluate what your money is buying each month, and whether or not it truly is the best deal for you, you may find places you can save a good deal of money.

Don't forget about the website billshrink.com to evaluate your credit card usuage and cell phone plans for savings!

Be sure to check back later this week for an article delving into the Land of The Lost and Land of The Found - Time and Money that is.

Grad School, Here I Come!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:02:00 +0000

I want to apologize for the lack of posting on both of my blogs.

This afternoon I checked my email and found out that I have been accepted to the Master's of Library Sciences program! I will be able to begin in the 2nd Summer Session. On Monday, I'll need to call and find out exactly which session that is! The online course schedule is a bit confusing.

So, hopefully, by the end of 2010, I will have my Master's of Library Sciences with School Librarian certification! And then of course, start off 2011 with a job in a library that pays a lot more than I'm making now, and maybe even has benefits! :D

Have a great weekend everyone!

Simple Sustenance: Quinoa - A Feast Food for Vegetarians and Gluten Free Eaters

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Quinoa was a sustaining food of the Inca's. They considered it to be such a valuable food source that they would plant the first crop each year using a golden shovel!

Quinoa (Kween-ah) is a grain-like food, but is not a true grain. It actually is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. But because of it's characteristics when cooked, it is used as a grain.

For vegetarians and vegans, Quinoa is an easy way to add complete proteins and fiber into their diet without having to resort to high-sodium and high-fat meat substitutes. And for those who have gluten allergies, Quinoa is a gluten-free food.

There are over 120 varieties of Quinoa, but only 3 main kinds which are cultivated today. The most common type is pale in color and resembles millet, the other two types are the Red and Black Quinoas. When cooked, a funny thing happens to the Quinoa seeds. The outer shell breaks off and forms a spiral.

Quinoa has a nutty flavor to it. When purchased at a bulk food store, it will more than likely still have it's Sapoinin covering. The Sapoinin is a protective layer which tastes quite bitter, thus protecting the Quinoa from birds and other predators. In order to remove the Sapoinin covering, you need to thoroughly rinse and drain the Quinoa before cooking.

Or, you can do what I do, and order it through Amazon.com's grocery department, once you find that you like it well enough. I order the Bob's Red Mill Organic Grain Quinoa which is pre-washed and pre-sorted to take out any rocks or other debris. It comes in 4 26 ounce packages, which is plenty to last a few months for a single person. To obtain the best price, be sure to sign up for the Subscribe and Save feature - you can set it to the every 6-months option. If you find that you aren't ready for your next shipment, you can always postpone it for a month.

What are some things you can do with Quinoa? The possibilities really are endless. My personal favorite recipe with Quinoa is this:

1/2 cup washed Quinoa
1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/2 cup - 1 cup some vegetable

Once the water is boiling, add the Nutritional Yeast (cheese flavoring for vegans/B-12). Then slowly pour in the Quinoa. Cover and maintain heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Turn off heat and keep cover on for another 8 minutes or so. Remove cover and pour/scoop into serving dish. Add veggies and mix. (For those who prefer more kick, you may want to add your own spices, etc.)

Sometimes instead of doing 1/2 cup Quinoa, I will do just 1/4 cup Quinoa + 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Red Lentils.

Quinoa can be eaten hot right off the stove as a hot cereal (add brown sugar and honey!) Or it can be eaten cold as part of a salad. It can also be used as part of a "flour" mixture to make pancakes and waffles and breads! Uncooked seeds can be added to soups or casseroles.

Quinoa seeds can also be roasted or cooked in fruit juice and then used as a cold breakfast cereal. Or you can even sprout the seeds and eat them!

Nutritionally speaking, Quinoa is one of the best foods available. It is high in protein, calcium, and in iron. It is also relatively high in Vitamin E and a number of the B vitamins. Quinoa also boasts an almost perfect balance of 8 essential amino acids which are necessary for tissue development in humans. You also will find high levels of lysine, cystine and methoinine-amino acids which normally are quite low in other grains. Quinoa is considered to constitute a complete protein due to containing 8 essential amino acids.

Just 1/2 cup of Quinoa provides a full day's protein needs for a child! Quinoa is very low in sodium, but does have a fairly high calorie content. But all of those calories are nutrient packed!

The best way to store Quinoa is in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to a year. If you grind the seeds into a flour, that can be kept for up to 3 months in the fridge.

Other places to find Quinoa would be at your local health food store. Sometimes you will be able to find a 12 - 16 oz box of pre-washed Quinoa, or you may find that your store has it available in bulk. Once you have tried it, and find that you like it, I would suggest that the least expensive place to keep a good supply of it is ordering through Amazon's Subscribe and Save program.

Photo Credit 1: net_efekt
Photo Credit 2: Rusvaapaluke

Summer Entertainment for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:07:00 +0000

School's out! What to do with the kids without breaking the budget is probably a question you're pondering. If so, then you may want to check out the Kids Bowl Free program.

Participating bowling alley's will allow children to bowl up to two games per day for free. The age limit is determined by each individual bowling alley. Parents or older siblings can get in on the deal - Just $23.95 for up to 4 adults to play two games per day all summer long.

What a great way to have a little bit of inexpensive fun this summer while staying out of the heat! So grab a pair of socks and head on out to a participating bowling alley!

Photo Credit: Todd Baker

Ten Free Or Inexpensive Ways To Stay Cool This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Has the temperature been rising? Are you wondering how to keep cool this summer without turning the AC on full blast? Here are some ideas on how you can keep the AC off while still staying cool.

1. Wet a towel with cold water and place it around your neck.

2. Become a kid again - Get out those water guns and squirt away. :)

3. Use the toaster oven or crockpot to cook rather than the oven.

4. Open windows to create a cross breeze --
-- even better, place a wet towel in front of the windows to add to the cooling effects.
-- or, place a fan in front of one of the windows and hang a wet towel partway over the other open window.

5. Turn off and unplug any electric appliances that you're not using. Not only do they use electrical energy, often they also will emit heat.

6. Place a bowl of ice or cold water behind a fan.

7. Indulge in a fruit smoothie with lots of ice, or even a bowl of ice cream. :D

8. Cool your bed off at night by filling a standard hot water bottle with cold water - use it to cool your ankles or the backs of your knees.

9. Cool your pulse points by running cold water over your wrists.

10. Fill a large pan with cool water and place your feet in it - it will cool your whole body!

Photo Credit: BigAlTaz

Save Money on Getting Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

It's almost that time of year again. Swimsuit season. Are you ready? Many people may still be feeling the effects of the winter doldrums and the weight gain often associated with it. Are you one of them? Or perhaps you may feel like you want to do something to feel more healthy, and you don't really care about looking good in a swimsuit.

If any of the above fits you, and you don't want to spend a lot of money on becoming more healthy, then you may want to check out Sparkpeople.com.

Sparkpeople is a one stop place for information on good nutrition, motivation, support and information on anything to do with healthy living. Best of all, it is totally and completely free!

Chris Downie "SparkGuy" started Sparkpeole in the late 1990's. He had previously worked at Proctor and Gamble where he helped to inspire a woman to lose 50 lbs. This motivated him to start a business of his own, which was later bought out by Ebay. After working for Ebay for awhile and meeting his wife, he decided to take his motivational ideas and start a new company ... Sparkpeople!

Sparkpeople's Mission (First State of the Spark Address):

SparkPeople's mission is to help millions of people reach their goals using health and fitness as a springboard to success. We also want to create one of the best company cultures in the world by living our brand. For example, we pay employees a significant bonus for following a consistent fitness & nutrition program year-round.

We help our members reach their goals by showing them how to truly make a healthy lifestyle change. This helps them keep the weight off AND helps them in other areas of life—from relationships to career and finances.

On Sparkpeople you can find:

Motivation: Through numerous Success stories and other articles, Earning Sparkpoints and Earning Trophies (virtual),

Support: Through the forums where members can ask questions, through the wide variety of SparkTeams, via blogging and by finding people to be a SparkBuddy.

Nutritional Help: Through numerous articles, SparkTeams, Forums and through the Meal Plan Diary.

Exercise Plans: A great many exercise routines have been produced and put on YouTube, as well as short video demos of quite a few strength training moves.

And so much more!

If you haven't had the chance to check out Sparkpeople before, then what are you waiting for? :)

May Appreciation Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:57:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that it already is the end of May! How the time is flying. Today I would like to step back from my usual routine and give some shout outs to my readers and to those who drop by consistently.

May's Top Commentators

Ms Terri of Lost For a Reason - Even if you aren't a fan of Lost, I still think it's worth a drop by to read her insightful commentary on the show.

Roz Andrews of Roz is great at coming up with the niftiest crafts that don't take a lot of money to create.

Marilynne Smith of Marilynne's World - Marilynne shares stories of her life. Recently she wrote about some of her experiences raising kids with not very much disposable income.

Lady Java of (amongst numerous other blogs!) recently completed a fantastic blog makeover of both of my blogs!

Slcolman of Stephanie talks about her journey of finding out what is going on with her medically and also about her two adorable Huskies Rebel and Suzie.

Poetic Shutterbug of Joda Poet talks about her San Francisco as well as waxing eloquently on various poems.

Sheri of , and - Sheri is taking care of her mother who has Alzheimer's.

SRP of Melange - Writes about the "Medley of Life." Recently she wrote about the numerous cookbooks she has, as well as a wonderfully thoughtful gift she made for her daughter's 16th birthday.

Now I would like to offer my thanks to those of who from Entrecard who have dropped your card on me consistently this past month:

May's Top Droppers
JoeTaxpayer
Everyday Living
Daisy the Curly Cat
Retro Yakking
Back to School for Grownups
Duck and Wheel With String
Searching for me
Balance Your Budget Today
Free Stuff in Las Vegas Baby
My Financial Recovery

P.S. If anyone can drop me a hint about how to link a picture on blogger, I'd greatly appreciate it! (My appreciation posts would look much nicer too displaying the blogs badges!)

Thanks to Shydub I now know how to do this (at least for EC!)

P.S.S. Is anyone else not getting emails from Entrecard when someone has bought an advertisement? I checked both of my dashboards today and had 6 advertisements waiting for approval, but no emails!

Photo Hunt: Books

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:00:00 +0000

This is part of one of my three bookshelves. I reserve the top two shelves of this bookshelf for library books. Do you see all the little papers sticking out? Those are the papers that the library inserts for books that are on hold for a patron. I love my library's reservation system, although sometimes it is nice to just spend some time browsing the shelves.

Frugal Friday Links

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Fri, 29 May 2009 07:00:00 +0000

It's that time again! Time for some reading around the frugal blogosphere.

First we have a giveaway! Roz Andrews at Crafts On A Budget has made a beautiful handmade card which she will be giving away to some lucky reader. (Hope it's me!)

Next, Rick Vaughn of The Truth About Credit talks about the Name of "the Game" which deals with how everyone is indebted to someone else at some point.

Corrie, at "Cents"able Mama lets us know that if you want to get a good deal on the "All You" magazine, you only have until this coming Sunday the 31st.

Rebecca, at Freaky Frugalite discusses whether or not the Roomba is really worth the money or not.

Megan, at Counting My Pennies talks about the summer dress code at her office and how she feels it is still important to Dress The Part.

Dusty, at Passive Income Stream gives advice on how to avoid being bored at work.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Find The Best Deals On Your Cell Phone Plan, Credit Card and Even Gas Prices!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 27 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what cell phone plan offers you the best deal for your needs? Perhaps you are not completely happy with your current credit card, and wonder if there is something else out there which might be a better fit? Are you discouraged with the cost of gas rising yet again, and wish there was an easy way to find the best prices?

I would like to suggest the site Billshrink.com. I first learned about it through a radio ad, and then not very long after that I read an article about it on J Money's site Budgets Are Sexy.

What is Billshrink.com? Billshrink is a website which collects information about all the various plans and options available for both cell phones and credit cards.

How does Billshrink work?
You answer a few questions regarding the cell phone plan or credit card which you are currently using, as well as your typical usage.

That information is then matched with their database to find out if there is a different plan or credit card which would save you money.

You are then told which plan or credit card would save you the most money (if any.) If there are any new programs which may save you more money later, you can receive an email alerting you to that fact.

It will also help you to find the best price for gas in your area based on your driving habits and typical routes.

Related Posts:
Save Money on Your Cell Phone
Save Money on Your Home Phone

Photo Credit: 00OJasonO00

Save Money on Your Home Phone By Asking These 6 Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

More and more people are moving away from using their home phones, and relying on their cell phones. However, there are still many reasons why a home phone can be useful, but if you're not careful, it can end up costing you more than you bargained for.

You may be able to save money on your home phone by asking these six questions:

1. Am I being charged for inside phone line insurance?

Inside Line Insurance is a protection plan the phone company charges you so that if something were to go wrong with the telephone wires inside your home, they would repair it for free.

Do you need it? More than likely, the answer is no. Most homes never have any repairs needed. A typical monthly charge for the service is $5. So if you had the insurance for 10 years, it would cost you $600. In that same ten-year period, if a problem were to occur, it may cost you at most a service call charge - typically less than $100.

The other thing to consider is that even if something were to go wrong with your inside lines, the insurance may not cover pre-existing conditions. So you just might not be covered anyway.

So, I'd suggest that this is an easy $5+ to cut from your monthly phone bill.

2. What extra services are you using?

Are you paying for services that you don't even use, or that you could find a free work around? Do you use call waiting? Personally, I find call waiting to be very rude, but, your mileage may vary.

Do you use caller id? If the main reason you're using it is to screen calls, could you just use your answering machine?

Take a very close look at any other charges on your bill. Make sure that you are truly using each and every one of them, and that there are no other alternatives which may be less expensive.

3. Am I getting the best deal on Long Distance?

If you are someone who mainly uses their cell phone, then you more than likely never use the long distance on your home phone. Are you being charged a monthly fee for long distance anyway? Most likely, the answer is yes. If so, call your phone provider and tell them you want to remove it from your phone. You will have to be very persistent to convince them that you do not want long distance service anymore.

However, if you do not use a cell phone for your long distance calling, you should then look closely at the plan you have. How many minutes do you typically use? How many minutes does your plan include? You may want to call your long distance provider's customer service and ask them to help you find the best plan for your usage rate.

A word of caution. You may be offered a bundle plan, which may include unlimited long distance, call waiting, etc. It may be a good deal. Before you decide to go for such a plan, be sure to ask for the total cost of any fees and taxes. Now compare to your current bill.

4. Do you have an extra telephone line? Maybe at one time you had a business you ran out of your home, and so you needed a separate line. Is that still true? Is an extra line a true necessity any longer? If not, then cancel it.

5. Could you manage with a Measured Service Line? If you have a cell phone that you generally use for everything, but need the land line for the home alarm system or DSL, then you may want to consider reducing your plan to a Measured Service Line. What that typically means is that for $5 - $7/month you keep your land line and are able to receive unlimited calls, but can only make 25 outgoing local calls each month. If you make more than the 25 calls, you get charged a small amount for each extra call (pennies.) However, the fees and taxes will cause even this to cost roughly $18 - 20/month. Still, it is less than a normal phone line.

6. The big question: Could you completely cut out your home phone?

Possibly Yes:

I use my cell phone for everything.
I don't have small children in my home nor elderly adults.
I don't have a home alarm system which needs to be connected to a home phone.
I don't use Dish Network, etc.
DryLoop DSL is available in my area.

Probably No:

If any of the above conditions are not true.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a great website which can help you find the best deals on cell phone plans, credit cards and even gas prices!

Related Articles:

Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill

Photo Credit: Free Digital Images

Save Money On Your Cell Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Would you like to find ways to reduce your cell phone bill?

When contemplating what costs can be cut from our monthly expenses, one item which may be expendable is the cell phone. While eliminating the cell phone from your life may not be right for everyone, you may want to ask yourself some hard questions to find out if there are ways to cut down on the costs.

1. Do I really need a month-to-month contract cell phone?

Take a close look at how many minutes you are using each month. How often do you turn it on? Are you someone who is constantly making and receiving calls? Or are you someone who may have put it in their glove compartment box in the car and only uses it once in a great while?

Generally speaking:

If you are using the cell phone as your main phone

If you make more than 100 minutes worth of calls per month,

Then you more than likely need to stick with a normal monthly contract cell phone plan.

However, if you use less than 100 minutes per month and you have a land line as your primary phone, then you may want to consider an option similar to this:

Purchase a Tracphone for $19.99. With it you receive a camera phone, 60 minutes airtime, and Double Minutes for life. What Double Minutes means is that every time you refill your minutes, you get twice as many as you purchase. You do have to make a new purchase once every 90 days to keep the phone activated. Or you can purchase a 1-year service card for 800 minutes for $124.99. (Which, if used in an 8-month time frame, works out to about $16/month.)

If you just don't like being tied to a monthly contract, but know that you will use more than 100 minutes in a months time, you may want to check out the following option:

Boost offers unlimited voice and data minutes for a monthly fee of $49.99. It is based off of the Sprint/Nextel network. Using this plan, you can text to your heart's content, as well as roam the internet for hours on end, for no extra charge. No contract and no credit check.

2. Do I understand what all the charges are for on my monthly bill?

Are you being charged for phone insurance? This is generally a very unnecessary expense, unless you tend to purchase the more expensive phone ($200+) and have a tendency to use and abuse your phone, thus shortening its lifespan. Otherwise, it is money better kept in your wallet, or better yet, your savings account.
Did you sign up for free ringtones from a website? Check your bill carefully to make sure that you are not being charged a monthly fee for the "free" service.

3. Am I going over my allotted minutes frequently?

Exceeding your monthly minutes can be a very expensive lesson. However, there are at least two things you can do to help the problem to not occur again.

Call your cell phone provider's customer service. Ask them to conduct a minutes usage audit. If you have consistently been cutting it close for several months, then they may suggest a plan upgrade.
If you would prefer to stick with your current plan, then you need to keep an eye on your minutes usage. Most carriers have a number you can call to find out your usage, or a website that you can check. However, if you worry that you may not remember to do either of those things, you can sign up for a minute reminder service which will send you an alert when you reach a certain level of usage.

4. How do I use text messaging?

If you are someone who never has sent a text nor received one, and don't see it ever happening, then you may want to call your cell phone provider and ask them to block all incoming and outgoing text messages from your phone. This way you will not incur charges for incoming text messages. If things change, and you decide that you do want to be able to use text messaging, you can always call and have the service unblocked.
Perhaps you are an infrequent texter. You may only send a text message once a month or less, and receive even less. If your texting adds less than $5/month to your bill, then I would not worry about it.
Or you might be a frequent texter. At least a few times a week you receive or send messages. You may want to consider getting a small texting plan, perhaps enough for 200 texts per month.
Then of course there are the avid texters. Sending and receivng 10 texts per day or more is nothing to the avid texter. You may want to consider an unlimited texting plan.

5. Am I eligible for any discounts?

Many companies today have made deals with various cell phone providers. Check with your company's Human Resource department to find out if there are any available discounts offered.

6. How much phone do I really need?

For me personally, all I want in a phone is something that will make phone calls and receive them. The alarm clock is a nice little bonus. Beyond that, I could care less about what my phone looks like, or what it can do. Not everyone is so nonchalant about their phone. To find out what might be the best phone for your personality and needs, take this quiz at about.com.

Stay tuned for an article on saving money on your land line this week!

Simple Pleasures: Kindergarten Graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I remember in October of 2002 getting called several different times to come and watch my two friends son because my friend thought she was about to go into labor with their daughter. Finally, the third time was the charm, and the beautiful DRC was born.

Through the years I've had the fantastic opportunity to watch her grow and mature, becoming the person God means her to be. I've celebrated most of her birthdays, except for one-year when I was too far away to come. Twice now I've watched her in a dance recital, and saw so much growth in confidence and skill from the first to the second.

I've babysat her and her brother, raking leaves in the backyard for fun, being asked to push the swing higher and higher, pretending to cook with her in the kitchen, playing dress up, watching "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and even helping sort out pumpkin seeds for roasting.

Then this past Wednesday night I had the opportunity to watch as she went from being a little girl and into a not so little girl. Gone now are naps and playtime during school hours. Soon to come will be learning how to read better and do harder and harder sums.

My heart was happy for her reaching this milestone, but also a little sad to see how fast the years have passed.

Photo Hunt: Plastic

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

If you have this kind of plastic:

And you owe a balance on it, then you need these:

So then you will have a pile of plastic like this:

Frugal Friday Links

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

This week while reading various financial blogs, there were a lot of good articles to choose from.

Several different blogs had some good budgeting articles:

Northern Cheapskate is running a Budgeting 101 series. One of her suggestions is to cut expenses.

No Credit Needed wrote about ten things you need to do before starting a budget.

Harvesting Dollars wrote an insightful article about prioritizing, or bucketizing your life.

Sense To Save discusses the difficulties of finding yourself with extra money again once your debt is paid off: Fighting the Urge to Spend.

Budgets Are Sexy wrote a humorous piece talking about missing shopping at Target and other stores.

Find 10 resources for free or cheap things to do this summer at The Simple Dollar.

Have you heard about the new credit card regulations? If you're wondering about just what they mean to you, check out Wisebread's article: How will the New Credit Card Rules Affect Consumers?

Baking Soda: 13 Bathroom Uses

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

13 Tips on Using Baking Soda in the Bathroom

1 To clean bathroom tiles: Mix together ¼ cup baking soda, ½ cup vinegar, 1 cup ammonia and 1 gallon of warm water.

2. Get rid of mold with a paste of baking soda and warm water. If the mold is particularly bad, add a bit of chlorine bleach to the paste.

3. Make your old bathtub sparkle! Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit for awhile, and then scrub.

4. Want to get rid of stains on your non-skid appliqués? Just rinse with water, sprinkle liberally with baking soda, and let it set for awhile. Scrub and rinse again to see stain free skid stoppers!

5. No elbow power needed! Saturate a cloth with vinegar before sprinkling baking soda on the fiberglass tub. Then simply wipe the tub with the washcloth, rinse and dry!

6. Take a bath without leaving behind a ring! Simply add 2 Tablespoons of baking powder in to your bath water, and no more ring-around-the-tub.

7. Showerhead looking scummy? Pour ¼ cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar into a plastic sandwich bag. Tie it onto and over the scummy showerhead. Let it sit for about an hour, remove the bag, and turn on the water. The scum is gone!

8. Dingy shower doors got you down? Clean them by spraying with clear vinegar, then using a sponge sprinkled with baking soda, scour the dinginess away.

9. Do your shower curtains need cleaning? Wash them in your washing machine on the gentle cycle with two bath towels. During the wash cycle, add ½ cup baking soda and your detergent. Then, during the rinse cycle add 1 cup vinegar. Let them drip dry.

10. Add this to your shower routine to keep the tiles nice and clean: Sprinkle baking soda on the surfaces before scrubbing with a nylon netting sponge and some inexpensive shampoo.

11. Freshen your toilet bowl easy peasy! Sprinkle ½ a box of baking soda into the toilet tank once a month. Let it be overnight and then flush in the morning. The tank and the bowl will both be clean and fresh.

12. Toilet bowl stains scrub away with a bubbling paste of baking soda and vinegar on your toilet brush.

13. Make an effective air freshener by mixing equal parts baking soda and your favorite perfumed bath salts.

Photo Credit: Anna Sattler