Personal Finance Corner: Creating & Meeting Financial Goals

February 6th, 2007

I love reading personal finance blogs and have learned so much through these blogger’s entries. I am not a personal finance guru, but enjoy reading the advice from the experts.

This past month we sat down and evaluated our financial goals for the future. We currently are carrying a mortgage on our house, have two car payments to make, a small amount of credit card debt (from when my husband was unemployed), and a sizable amount of student loans. I am a big fan of Mary Hunt and her website, and for her members she offers a rapid debt repayment calculator, that can help assist you in figuring out how to become debt free. Her idea, like many financial advisors, is to snowball the debt to get rid of it. When we pay off a debt, we simply move our payment over to the next debt and pay that off. Then we move those two payments over to the next debt, and so forth. Using this idea helps you pay your debts down quicker without putting any additional money into it (unless you choose so) and requires little effort on your part.

Once we put all of this information into the calculator, we were able to see that we could potentially own everything that we have and pay off all of our debt by 2014. What an achievement that would be for our family. All of this rides on the fact that our cars hold out that long, that my husband stays employed, and that no major catastrophes occur that could deter us from reaching these goals.

My husband was not too keen on keeping our cars for another seven years (his is a 2000 & mine is a 1999) and he didn’t know if he wanted to stay in our house that long either.

My theory on the housing issue is no matter where we live, we will have to put work into our home in order for us to live within our budget. When we did searches on houses in our area, even the million dollar homes would need to be adapted to our taste. The more updating we do to the house we already live in, the more I love where we are. We have plenty of room and there are always things that we could do to the home we are currently living in that could make it special for us. This is also our first home, as we have previously lived in a townhouse and apartments, and I am proud of the home we have. Think back on your own first home…Was it everything you ever dreamed of? Maybe, but maybe not. This is our first home and being in our twenties, I am proud of what we have.

The cars are not the best cars on the block, but I have never felt the pressures of keeping up with anyone in the car department. In a sea of SUV’s and fancy minivans, my Subaru Outback is different, but it is safe and functional. Aren’t those the most important things about a car? If we care for the cars that we have, doing the routine maintenance of owning a car, they could run for many more years.

Have you set financial goals for yourself? Do you find them achievable?

Just some food for thought, but read this article on a woman who is living on 12,000 a year and struggling to get by. She has some creative ideas for staying within her budget. Likewise, how about a family who is struggling to live on $150,000 a year. What do you think about these two situations? How do they compare to your own?

Finally, just to put it all in perspective, did you realize that if you make $2,200 that you are considered rich according to a global study. I bet many of you never thought you are rich, but after reading this article, it might help you to realize just how blessed you really are.

I hope this offers some food for thought! I will continue to share our progress as we tackle our financial goals and will also continue to share ways (on our site and the blog) that you can reach your own goals!

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Cheap Dry Erase Board

February 5th, 2007

It was time to organize my little corner next to our phone. Receipts, notepads, pens and stationary were scattered all over the top of the table so when I happened upon this cute organizer, I snatched it up at Goodwill (a mere $.75) to reorganize this area in my house. The organizer was certainly a diamond in the rough as it was well worn and coated in a thick layer of dust. A good scrubbing did it well and now it houses all of the craziness that was on top of our table. (Note: By clicking the picture, it will expand it in case you want to see things in more detail!!)

Now I can’t take credit for this idea, as I saw it over at mother-in-law’s house. She had received this dry erase board as a gift and I was so excited to add one of these to our house. All you need is a tile (I had one saved from a past craft project) from the hardware store and a little picture stand. I found this picture stand over at the Dollar Tree. Ta-Da! Instant dry erase board. What could be cuter than that? Perfect for leaving messages to each other without taking up too much space!

I did want to point out that sweet picture to the left of our daughter. This is a picture I took when she was really small and had just discovered her feet. It made the perfect picture to frame and one that I am super proud of. There is nothing better than capturing a moment like this!

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Disposing of the Disposable Items

February 5th, 2007

Frankly, I am pretty tired of being home. We have been in the house for the entire month of January, due to our entire family being sick, and finally everyone is starting to feel better…and there is a weather advisory today. I had gotten up and gotten the kids ready for the day, made plans to join my grandmother for lunch, and then noticed that my son’s school had been cancelled. Despite our disappointment, this feels like it has been a month of accomplishments, as we have tried to tackle some stuff around the house. Some of the things that I have gotten done are:

1. My laundry is caught up. Everything has been washed and even has been put away (only a mother would know how hard that is to do!) I even did a little ironing while I watched television this weekend. I have been home too long when I am now ironing my dish towels.

2. When I do my laundry, I throw all of our socks into their own basket. Then when I have gotten all of the loads done, I sit and sort socks. Sometimes this never happens. This week…it happened! So sad when there is so much joy over accomplishing that.

3. Organized the area around my phone as I got a “new” organizer from Goodwill and filled it with all of the random junk that had been laying on a table. I made a little message board, which I will share for a future entry, and felt a good sense of accomplishment over that.

4. I made Valentine’s with my son. More on that in a future entry…

5. Ripped out our entire closet and reorganized it. My husband did all of the hard work doing the putting together of everything and then I organized all of the clothes and weeded through everything that needed to be donated to charity. I even pieced together some new outfits for my husband to give him some new ideas. I have a lot of fun doing that kind of thing and sometimes it helps to have another set of eyes to your clothes to make you realize all that you do have. With everything now being accessible without a stool (as I am five-foot-nothing) I now have everything in reach and have found items in my closet that I had even forgot I had.

6. Cleaned out every single one of my purses. Ended up with almost eight dollars in change, three lipsticks, and a pair of sunglasses. I always scoff at people who tell me that they found money lying around their house that they didn’t know they had. Eight dollars of change proves that I was the one who should have been looking!

7. Wrote a new article on frugal storage solutions. I will let everyone know when we post that!

I did want to share one system that we have incoporated into our home, that might be useful to you. One of the biggest questions I get is how we can feed our family of four for only $200 a month (including paper products). There are long and lengthy answers to that, but one of the main things that I have found is to dispose of the disposable items. Now I know not everyone is up for cloth diapering, but there are other disposable items that you might be buying that are wasting precious grocery dollars. Items like paper plates, paper cups, plastic cutlery, paper bags, napkins, & paper towels can drain the budget quickly.

Instead of wasting your money on these items, do an extra load of dishes and just use the dishes you already have in your house. Paper towels can be replaced by microfiber cloths, dish towels, dish rags. Finally, paper napkins can be replaced with cloth napkins.
You can make your own cloth napkins (as my friend Shannon, from Rocks in My Dryer, has suggested) with NO sewing skills required. If you are unmotivated or just love the look of a vintage cloth napkin, check your local thrift store for cloth napkins. I can get my cloth napkins for a quarter each at our thrift store, so it is definitely worth it compared to the amounts we save.

Since I had plenty of time this week, I actually gathered all of the cloth napkins we already had and put them in a basket. The basket is resting on my kitchen counter as a reminder to us all to use these instead of the disposable napkins.

My girlfriend had suggested a brilliant idea, which has helped motivate me further to use the cloth napkins. Underneath your sink, store a basket for all of the baby bibs, dish towels, dish rags (and in our house), cloth napkins. When the basket is full, or when I do a load of towels, I just throw them in the wash. It also makes removing the tablecloth easier, as I can just fold that and throw it in the basket too.

If you are not completely sold on doing the cloth napkins for every meal, start out small and use them for dinner only. You will soon find how easy it is to care for them and the benefits it will provide to your grocery budget.

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Divine Caroline

February 2nd, 2007

Do you enjoy writing short stories about being a mom? Do you have a desire to put pen to paper and share what is on your heart as a woman? I would love to direct all of the aspiring & accomplished women writers out there to submit your story to Divine Caroline.

When I began the blog, I had intended to share a more real side to me as a mother. I love sharing stories about my children and the day-to-day drudgery of motherhood. Unfortunately, privacy has become more of a concern and sharing more about saving money seemed the way to go. I felt as though I had lost a creative outlet for myself so I was so thrilled when the ladies of Divine Caroline contacted me and asked if I would be among their trusted advisors in launching their site. I had agreed, but the concept was very hush-hush at the time and I had no idea what I was actually agreeing to.

I got the opportunity to meet one of their founding ladies and she was just as genuine and lovely in person as she was through email. She shared with me that they wanted to start a site where EVERY woman could share their story. Every woman has a story- heartbreak, love lost, love gained, children born, struggles and triumphs…this site offers the type of format where you can freely share these types of stories.

If you are interested in sharing your story, or reading the story of other great writers, please visit DivineCaroline.com for more information. We thank Divine Caroline for giving us the opportunity to share & contribute towards the launching of their new site!

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Freebie Friday: February 2, 2007

February 2nd, 2007

Before I start with this week’s freebies, I just wanted to direct your attention towards our latest article on our site. If you are stumped for frugal gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day season, please head over to my article where we share ways to show your love on a budget. I hope you will enjoy this new addition to our site!

Now it is time for me to show you guys some love and share this week’s freebies!

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Car & Driver Magazine. As with most freebie subscriptions, the form is long and tedious. You can, however, answer, “No” to any of the offers listed.

Try the new Luna Tea Cakes for free. Good only while supplies last and please allow eight to ten weeks for delivery.

Get a free download of H&R; Block’s Deduction Pro software.

Get a free two week VIP Membership to Gold’s Gym, sponsored through Self Magazine & Gold’s Gym.

Download a coupon for a free Auntie Anne’s Pretzel (not to be confused with past offers, this is good for a Valentine’s Day freebie).

Sign up today and receive a free sample of Member’s Mark Soy Infant Formula.

Pantene is offering free samples of their new Pantene Pro-V Restoratives. They offer three different types of samples to choose from. This sample should arrive within six to eight weeks. I was getting a server busy message, but you can try connecting to this one.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Dove Pro-Age. They are offering three different types of samples in this freebie.

Kmart has started a site called, “New Day Your Way.” They are offering incentives and rewards for meeting your weight loss goals this year. Visit their site to sign up and get more information.

Sign up to receive a one-year subscription to Games for Windows Magazine.

Enter for a chance to win the Livin’ Lodge Xperiment and receive a free Schick Quattro Titanium Razor for your own experiement. Please allow eight to twelve weeks for delivery. This offer expires on 02/28/2007.

Sign up today for First Look Kids and read and review books before they are available in stores! Each month, HarperCollins Children’s Books will offer Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) of great books that you will have the chance to read and review before they are available in stores. Reviewers are selected at random but you must be a member of the program to be eligible. And, best of all, First Look is completely free!

In celebration of Babies Online’s 10 year anniversary we are giving away free pregnancy wristbands to all expectant mommies in the U.S! This trendy bracelet can also alert emergency personnel to your pregnancy status if you are not able to communicate after an accident. Help us celebrate 10 wonderful years by requesting your free wristband today!

Sutter Home Winery is offering a free corkscrew to anyone who votes for their favorite blush wine. Good only while supplies last. Click on enter. Then click on “Vote now” at the bottom of the next page. Fill out the form and vote for your favorite Sutter Home blush wine. You will be shown the corkscrew that you will receive after submitting the form.

This offer has been posted before, but just in case you haven’t gotten it, I am posting it again. Fill out the request form below to receive a Free Meeting Solutions Sampler Kit which includes…- Post-it Pop-Up Notes- Post-it Super Sticky Notes- Post-it Flags- Post-it Durable Tabs- Post-it Wall Pad samples. This freebie is good through March 31, 2007.

If you have an ULTA cosmetics (which I am wildly jealous if you do!) this freebie is amazing. Simply print out the gift certificate and redeem in stores. You will receive a free gift from Smashbox which includes stunning lip gloss shades and a palette of their best-selling Photo Finish Foundation primer in a carrying pouch. This gift is available February 2-4, 2007. Basically, you will need to head over there after your husband gets home for work or before picking up the kids!

Clinique is currently offering three types of in-store events that include free samples:

Offer One: Indulge in colour and receive two free deluxe gifts at Clinique’s Colour Cravings makeup event where the Clinique Consultant will create a new fall look just for you in luscious tones of red, pink, violet and nude. Come to Clinique’s Colour Cravings makeup workshop and get step-by-step instructions from the expert, plus free gifts:
Your choice of Glosswear for Lips in Nudey, Mystic or Cabana Crush plus
Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips
One per customer. While supplies last. Call or stop by the Clinique counter nearest you to book your appointment today and get the look just perfect for you! To find the nearest “Colour Cravings” workshops click here.

Offer Two: Learn all you need to glow at Clinique’s Get Radiant event. Let the Clinique expert show you how to get fresh, glowing skin and play it up with luminous makeup. You’ll leave with a radiant new look plus free gifts:
Your choice of a full-size Long Last Lipstick in Glow Bronze, Berry Freeze or Pink Spice plus
Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer
One per customer. While supplies last. Call or stop by the Clinique counter nearest you to book your appointment today and get the look just perfect for you! To find the nearest “Get Radiant” workshops click here.

Offer Three: A little makeup know how can do wonders. Come to Clinique’s Artist Eyes event and choose a new eye look created by Clinique’s top makeup Consultants then learn how to do it yourself with help from the expert. Plus, take home two free gifts:
Your choice of Colour Surge Eye Shadow in Taupestry or Lucky Penny plus
All About Eyes or Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream
One per customer. While supplies last. To learn even more and watch the Artist Eyes Video, click here. Call or stop by the Clinique counter nearest you to book your appointment today and get the look just perfect for you! To find the nearest “Artist Eyes” workshops click here.

P.B. Loco Cafes are offering free stuff on their website. In the right-hand corner is a link to sign up for free stuff from the company. The coupon they will send you is not technically free, but if you purchase
five or more jars of peanut butter, the sixth jar will be free. This offer will expire on March 15, 2007.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (in New York) is offering free passes to their museum, good for the month of February. You can bring up to six people using this pass.

Get 5 issues free of Experience Life Magazine(this is a fitness magazine).

Did you get your free bag of cat or dog food from Purina One? Make sure to sign up for this freebie. They will send you a coupon in the mail.

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Mommy Inventor Interview: Dwink Drink Holder

February 1st, 2007

I always find mommy inventors so inspiring and am amazed by their creativity. That is why it brings me great joy to feature this mommy inventor and her ingenious product- the “dwink box holder.”

Yvonne Huang decided to launch her own business marketing a juice box holder that could fit all juice boxes, not just the standard size. For any mom who has battled with squirting juice boxes and hasn’t been able to find a product that could accommodate their odd sizes, this product is for you.

At first glance, this juice box holder (although much cuter than most) appears to be the same as any other juice box holder. When held in your hand though, you begin to notice the flexibility of the container (to accommodate all drink box sizes) and the thoughtful details in it, like the no slip bottom and soft handles of the holder. It is just the type of invention that you think, “A mom must have thought of that!”

We got the opportunity to speak with Yvonne and learn more about herself and her product!

How many children do you have and where are you located?
I have 2 boys. Joshua (5 yrs old) and Jacob (4 yrs old). We live in Southern California.

How did you get the idea for your product?
My kids were squeezing their juice boxes and Capri Suns all over the place. I bought several different juice box holders but none of them could fit all of the different juice boxes and pouches. I didn’t want to limit myself to buying only one kind of juice box, and I didn’t want to keep track of which holder could fit which type of drink. So I decided to design my own “universal” drink box holder.

What would be your advice to someone just starting out?
Make sure you are fully committed and prepared – emotionally and financially – to go through with it. Because it’s going to take a lot longer and it’s going to be a lot harder than you thought. I also have a very supportive and encouraging husband.

What do you think makes your product unique versus your competitors?
It’s the only holder that fits all drink boxes and pouches SNUGGLY, including soy milk boxes and extra-small juice boxes… AND I think it’s super cute!

How do you juggle your children and your business?
I make my kids work for me- they are the ones who pack up the dwink boxes. Just kidding! My 2 boys are more work than a full-time job, even with the help of my husband. But they are in school every day from 9am-2pm so those hours are “my” time. I try to do what I need to do during those hours. If I have to do something work-related while the kids are home, I take them with me or ask my mother-in-law to help me for a little while. I often do work in the evenings when my husband is back from work. Basically, we take it a day at a time and help each other where we can.

The universal “dwink” box holders can be purchased for $4.99. Please visit www.mydwinkbox.com for more information on how to purchase this product.

We wish Yvonne and her company much success!

*If you are a mommy inventor and would like to see your product showcased on our blog, please email me at amy@momadvice.com*

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Save Money On Printing

January 30th, 2007

My husband is my web guy so he knows a few things about computers. Through his experience, we have been able to save ourselves some money by doing these things every day. Now if you know a few things about computers these ideas might not be mind-blowing, but I still think they are worth mentioning for the novices out there.

– When we print documents (unless they are needed for something important) we always use the “Draft” mode and the “Black & White” mode for printing. When you go to print, you can select, “Options” and you will select the black & white mode (should you have a color printer) and the draft mode. This will cut down on your usage of your ink considerably.

– If you work somewhere where you do a lot of printing, bring home your recycled paper for the kids or even for yourself. My husband brings home his paper for our son and it doubles as great paper for coloring for him.

– When you are home printing, use both sides of the paper to do your printing instead of just one side. You will use much less paper. You can save paper from junk mail, school announcements, fliers, etc.. and use these as paper for printing on too. Anything with one blank side is fair game in our house for printing or coloring on. This paper is basically free so it works well for a tightwad like me!

– Don’t pay full price for inkjet replacements. There are great sites out there that you can get your ink through without spending an arm or a leg. Websites like 123 Inkjets, offer up to eighty-five percent off of the regular price on these cartridges. Companies like these use remanufactured cartridges and refill them (often times with more ink than you would have gotten in the original cartridge). Consumer Reports tested remanufactured ink cartridges versus their brand name counterparts and felt that the brand name ink cartridges did perform slightly better, but using these would only be preferable in situations where the quality of your printing is of the utmost importance. For the regular old computer user, it usually does not matter.

– When printing from another web page, sometimes you are printing extra pages of advertisements or printing items on the page that you don’t need. I like to highlight what I need and plop it into a Word document so that I don’t end up with the extra cost of ink & paper. If you want to avoid opening Word, you can highlight what you are wanting to print you can select the File button at the top of your web browser. Next select Print. Then go under Print Range option and choose the Selection button. Only the area that you would have selected will be printed.

For those of you who are more technical than the average Joe, check LifeHacker out, as they have featured a free download that you can add as an extension to Firefox that allows you to customize pages and change their color, dimensions, or remove selections completely.

– Before making a printer purchase, always compare rates on the ink cartridges first. Even if the printer you are looking at is dirt cheap, you might be putting yourself in a worse financial position over time as the cartridges need to be replaced.

– Empty cartridges can be taken to your local office supplies stores for recycling. Call around in your area and see if they recycle the cartridge and if they offer anything in return. Some office supplies stores will give you money off of your next purchase or they will give you free paper for dropping your cartridges off at their location.

– If you have a large print job, it is usually cheaper to do these print jobs at copy centers. Ask if they offer any types of paper that are cheaper than others or how to reduce the cost on your job. Doing the printing yourself at a self-service copier is cheaper than having them print it for you.

If you have ideas that you would like to share with the readers, feel free to share under the Comments section.

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Budget-Friendly Ideas for Kid’s Rooms

January 29th, 2007

First, do not be intimidated by the bright colors on our son’s walls. What appeared to be a cheery Granny Smith apple shade assaulted us with its fluorescent glow instead when applied to the walls. Although the color is a bit brighter than I had hoped, where else except our children’s rooms could we be so bold?

I had been looking for some cute artwork for his room since we had tons of empty wall space, begging to be filled with cute artwork. We did not have the budget though to go out and blow tons of money on artwork so when I happened upon this clever idea in my Real Simple Magazine, I jumped right on it and was so pleased with the results.

The magazine had suggested using book cover jackets as art for your walls. As my son has received wonderful hardcover books from his grandparents, I had been removing the jackets and putting them on a shelf in his closet (for fear that they might be damaged or torn). Two of the jacket covers were for two of his favorite books, “How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight” & “How do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food.” The artwork on them was just perfect for framing.
I went to the Dollar Store and purchased two frames. I then used the cardboard insert to map out how I would frame the pictures to size them and then cut them out. For one of the pictures, I just used the picture that was on the front of the jacket. I used the back of the other cover because it contained some of the story within the picture.

My son was so pleased with his new pictures on his wall as were we! What a great way to really bring to life and share your children’s favorite stories.

The linens on his bed were also in need of being replaced. My son suffers from very bad bloody noses and I could not remove the stain no matter how many times I washed it. My mom had suggested contacting the lady over at MomAdvice to find out how to fix this (obviously I get a lot of jokes about that one!), but apparently she had no idea either.

When I hit a local thrift sale in the area though, I hit the jackpot. Tucked away in a corner was an entire Pottery Barn Kids comforter set. The set included sheets, pillow cases, comforter, shams, bed skirt, and curtains. The total price on the whole thing was only $25. The colors matched perfectly with the theme we already had so these worked wonderfully.

As a side note, you will notice that our son has his bed backwards. One of the truly great things about daybeds is that you don’t have to purchase bedrails to keep them secure in bed. Simply switching the bed around (with headboard on the opposite side) and scooting it next to the wall keeps him safe in his bed without making a bed around bedrails. We will be purchasing this same type of bed for our daughter because it has worked so great. If you are worried about when they have friends come to stay the night, you can invest in a trundle bed that can be tucked underneath and can be popped up when needed. It is an ideal space saver.

I hope these ideas inspire you in creating a special space for your little ones. Feel free to share some of your own ideas by leaving a comment!

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Freebie Friday: January 26, 2007

January 26th, 2007
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Is it Friday already? This week has flown by and I am excited to share all of these great freebies with you. It happens to be a good week for freebies this week so I hope that you really enjoy these.

As I was sitting at the dentist’s office this morning, I noticed that they had a big stack of the new Michiana Family Magazines out. My dear friend Betsy is running this magazine and she is doing such an outstanding job with it. We are honored to be included among her writers and to have the opportunity to share more ways to save money with some of the local residents. Welcome to all of our new readers. Please be sure to introduce yourself or just leave a comment and let me know that you are out there. It helps to have the community support in our efforts here at MomAdvice.com. Please be sure to be looking for the March issue of the magazine. We will be including frugal ideas for organizing all of the clutter in your house. Don’t worry if you don’t live in this area! These articles will be appearing on our site too in the months ahead.

Now here is this week’s round of freebies:

Receive a coupon for a free jar of Prego Spaghetti Sauce. There is a printable form to print out to receive this freebie. You will need Adobe Acrobat to print out this form. This offer expires 03/31/2007 or while supplies last.

Fill out the form to receive a free sample of Advil Pain Reliever and a coupon for $2 off your next purchase. The coupon will come to you as a free downloadable coupon after completing their form.

Receive a complimentary subscription to Boating Magazine. You can answer, “No, Thank You” to all of their offers. This is good for a one-year subscription.

This freebie seems almost too cool to be true. If you register on this site, you will receive a free Chinese Hand Painting Silk Handkerchief. This should be mailed to you within two to three business days.

You will need to go to a dealership for this freebie, but this site is offering free tickets to the Chicago Auto Show (great freebie for the local residents here!)

Receive a complimentary subscription to Vacations Magazine. Simply answer, “No, Thank You” to all of their offers. This is good for a one-year subscription.

Nature’s Bounty is offering a free sample of their Omega-3 Fish Oil Caplets. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Kenmore Appliances is having a free House Party on Saturday March 10, 2007. It is a play date of sorts that they are sponsoring. They suggest getting dirty doing fun science experiments, let the kids watch “Grossology” (a new Discovery Kids cartoon) and relaxing with your friends while your washer cleans up the mess. You will receive a free DVD featuring three episodes of Grossology, enter to win a contest for new laundry products & a new washer and dryer, sample new Spray & Wash Products, and use their new free website tools.

You will need a company name for this freebie, but this company is offering a free 128 MB USB flash drive.

RogerOger is offering a free full size bottle of Windex Multi Task Sparkling Lime. Please allow four to eight weeks for delivery.

Dawn is offering a free Kid-Friendly Sponge. This will be available while supplies last. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Get your free 2007 Dessert Calendar from Mrs. Smith. Supplies are limited- order today. Your order will arrive in two weeks.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Garnier Nutrioniste of Ultra-Lift or Skin Renew.

Receive a complimentary subscription to ReadyMade Magazine. This is good for a one-year subscription while supplies last.

This one was posted before, but just in case you missed it….Banquet is offering refunds on their Banquet Wings, Drumsticks, or Crock Pot meals. You can receive a refund or a coupon booklet by visiting their site.

In appreciation of all the great teachers across the United States & Canada, AMC & Paramount Pictures is offering an exclusive opportunity to see the new Freedom Writers movie for free between January 26th to February 1st. You must present a school-issued ID or pay stub and a valid photo ID. Visit their site for more information.

Purina is offering a free print publication of the Dog’s Life Magazine for free.

Enjoy your freebies, everyone!

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Getting the Silent Treatment

January 25th, 2007

Have you felt like I have been giving you the silent treatment on my blog? I feel like my blogging hasn’t been at its best, but all of those things that you put off because they cost money or time, seemed to demand my attention these past couple of weeks so I have been busy doing those things instead of my normal socializing. The things that I had to accomplish these past two weeks:

– Going to get my eyes examined. It had been since 2004 since my last visit and I had a baby between now and then. Did you know that your prescription can change just from that alone? I needed to get in and get this taken care of for quite some time now and they happened to have an opening that day so I got this done. Unfortunately, it took an hour and a half for this visit. I needed my eyes dilated and this required some waiting time. Imagine a baby screaming every time the doctor looks at her or talks to her. Imagine even louder screaming when the doctor tries to check my eyes. Yes, that visit was most unpleasant, but it is finally done. All that time and effort only to discover that my prescription is exactly the same. Well, I guess it will save on glasses then!

– My daughter needed new cloth diapers. It was evident that she was outgrowing them because she was wetting up her back and soaking through them because they were too small. Although cloth diapering saves us a lot of money, the initial investment is a bit of a sticker shock when you move up sizes or when you begin the first time. I bought my diapers off of another cloth-diapering momma and was able to save quite a bit of money. I am now trying to unload our last round of diapers to hopefully help us break even. Imagine diapering your baby for free? That is basically what we are doing by buying used and selling them back.

– I have an oil change scheduled for tomorrow. I called around and priced out who could offer us the best price and found it at Bittersweet Automotive (the only competitor being Wal-Mart) in Granger. Although changing our oil costs us some money, the results have been great for keeping our cars running longer. I always try and be very prompt about scheduling these. I would hate for my car not to run because I was too lazy to make it over for the oil change. I have had experience with this, as I was not very responsible when I got my first car, and my cars never lasted very long.

– I also have a dental appointment scheduled for tomorrow. I hate getting my teeth cleaned, but would hate getting them filled or replaced more. Hopefully there will be no cavities and I will be able to enjoy some time away from the dentist for a few months.

– Grocery shopping and menu planning. Although this happens every couple of weeks, I was trying to incorporate many more recipes to our plan this month so that I could share them with all of you through my blog. That takes a bit of planning, but hopefully we will have lots of new dishes to share with you.

– I had to write an article for the site and it is done. Be looking for that in the next week! I am sharing some frugal ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without totally busting your budget.

– Tonight I will begin working on this week’s Freebie Friday. I don’t get to do this until late in the evening or on Friday itself because the offers come and go so quickly. I apply to each of these myself to make sure you don’t get error messages or find out that the offer wasn’t available in the first place. Besides, who loves a freebie more than me?

I still have laundry, house cleaning, and bill paying to do…but, it’s a start in the right direction.

I am looking for feedback from our readers and am asking for suggestions on future article topics. What are you interested in reading about? What free downloads would you like to see added to our Downloads section? Please let us know so that we can improve the site for 2007!

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