16 Great Ways To Save Money
Saving money is something we all like to do. Here’s 16 great ways to not only save money, but in some instances, to not spend any.
1) Go shopping in your closet. Take the clothes you wear, and mix them to create a new outfit
2) Instead of buying a new book or magazine, dust off one of your old ones and re-read it
3) If you’re planting flowers in large pots, fill the pot 1/3 to 1/2 way up with rocks or Styrofoam peanuts, thus saving on the amount of soil you use
4) Wash and reuse the plastic containers or jars that food comes in. Small plastic containers work great as “paint pots”.
5) Save your egg shells. Let them dry out, put them in a plastic bag and crush them by using a rolling pin. Use the crushed egg shells in your garden as a way of adding organic amendments to the soil.
6) Save your coffee grounds for a garden amendment as well. If you’re not going to use them in the garden right away, dry them in the oven. I’ve tried to stored coffee grounds without drying them, but they get moldy.
7) Save on gas by running more than one errand at a time. Plan your route so you’re not backtracking.
8.) Save on your cell phone bill by having your cellular company review your bill and get you into the most economical plan based on your calling pattern. My cellular company lets me switch plans even though I am still under contract.
9) Buy store brands instead of the national brands of cereal and/or canned goods. These brands are often stocked on the lower levels of the shelves. If you’re in doubt if they will taste as good, buy small quantities so you can do a taste comparison.
10) If you live near a warehouse type of store, i.e. Sam’s or Costco, buy in bulk. If the quantities are too large for you, ask a friend or family member if they want to split the “case” with you.
11) Use online banking and bill paying. Your bank will be more than happy to teach you how it works.
12) Use the telephone to find out store hours, or to see if they have the product(s) you’re looking for, before you drive there (and find out they’re either closed or sold out of the product).
13) Try home composting. It’s a great way to decrease the amount of garbage you have (or put down the disposal), it teaches children about recycling, and the end product is a great planting soil or top dressing for your lawn. (Remember not to put any meat products in your composter).
14) Instead of eating out, plan family nights for cooking a new recipe or barbecue on the grill. Children love to help in the kitchen. It would be a great time to teach them how to follow a recipe. Teaching them measurements is also going to help with their math, plus cooking together is a great way to make memories.
15) If you can’t live without your lattes, mochas, and ice coffees, learn how to make them. There are many great websites with recipes for them, and they’re actually very easy and inexpensive to make. If the time to make them is an issue, once you find a great recipe, multiply the recipe and store it in the refrigerator for future use.
16) Got stale bread? Make bread pudding or dry it out and make your own bread crumbs or seasoned croûtons.
These are just a few ways to save money. I will continue to give more hints as time passes. Stay posted by bookmarking this site. No tags for this post.
Best Accounting Software – QuickBooks Pro
For many years I’ve used the accounting software, QuickBooks Pro for our construction business. From the first day, I was amazed at how easy QuickBooks Pro was to set up and use. As the invoices arrive, I enter the data, and it’s all laid out for me when I get ready to pay the bills.
I also use the QuickBooks Pro time card and invoicing features, which not only lets me do time and expense tracking, but payroll, as well. Since we don’t have any inventory, I haven’t tried the inventory tracking feature, but it looks very simple to use.
QuickBooks Pro is a great accounting software program for almost any type of business. Whether you’re an accounting professional, contractor, manufacturer, wholesaler, non-profit organization, retailer, or offer professional services, Intuit (the parent company of QuickBooks, Quicken and Turbo Tax) has applicable accounting software for you. Currently, you can Get 15 % Off QuickBooks Pro Small Business Accounting Software + Free Shipping
I like the fact that you can :
Get Started with QuickBooks Payroll Software
Get Free Shipping on QuickBooks Point of Sale Software
Accept Credit Cards
Do all of your Invoicing
Do Online banking
Use the Bill Pay Service
Plus use the training feature
Buy QuickBooks Checks & Forms and Save 10% + Free Shipping
For personal accounting, Intuit offers Quicken products, which also appears to be a great accounting software. Quicken Premier Home & Business – Save 20% + Free Shipping
If you’re in the market for accounting software, QuickBooks and Quicken are definitely worth checking out. Just click on any of the links in this article for more information. Currently , you can Get 15 % Off QuickBooks Pro Small Business Accounting Software + Free Shipping or you can Save up to 36% Off Quicken 2007 Downloadable Products
No tags for this post.“Super Nanny”, A Great Reality Show About Families
Last night “Super Nanny” was on the ABC Network. “Super Nanny” is a reality show that has a professional nanny come into a home, and help the parents address issues that arise with parenting. Last nights’ show was about a family with unruly children, and a couple who had different views on parenting. The “Super Nanny” (Jo Frost) did amazing things with them.
“Super Nanny” worked with this family (for what appeared to be a short amount of time), and helped to bring harmony to the household, plus brought a closeness to the relationship between the parents.
What stuck out in my mind was, how important consistency is in discipline, how vital it is to spend one-on-one time with each child, and how “time outs” teach children that their behavior is unacceptable. Granted, it’s not always easy to practice these methods on a daily basis, but it appears that if you can teach a child early on, the chances of having major problems later, will be minimized.
Another idea the “Super Nanny” uses, is a “time chart”. Since I believe in time management, this is a great tool to implement in order to be accountable for your time. I would imagine after utilizing this chart for a short period of time, it becomes second nature, and you can do away with the actual chart. Or, you may find that with children being out of school for the summer, the chart can easily be tweaked to fit their schedule.
I think it’s also good, when children know that they’re so important in your life, that you schedule a set period of alone time with them. This would also teach the other children respect for your time with others. They would know it’s now “Joey’s” time, and later in the day, it’ll be their time. When the time comes for you to have your own alone time, the children will understand and respect that as well.
Most importantly, once the parents get a set bedtime for their children, this gives them time to spend quality time with each other and reconnect. Having both parents on the “same page” when it comes to discipline, sure eliminates the battle of children “playing both sides”.
Since all parents can’t have their own “Super Nanny”, this show is definitely one worth watching. It’s filled with great hints and tips for managing unruly children, plus giving parents more time as a couple. And, we all know that teaching children early on about respect, actions and consequences, helping with chores, learning to say they’re “sorry”, etc…definitely aids in the rearing of responsible young adults.
Check out the show. For parents, it’s an hour well spent. Or, go on the website at abc.go.com and search for “Super Nanny”, read Jo Frost’s bio, or apply for the show.
Tags: young adultsProduct Review: Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker
I was very skeptical about the Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker. I thought, why would someone buy one of those? Another appliance
Well, last summer I was making a lot of ice tea, by boiling water and steeping the tea bags. Then one day I was in a store and saw the Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker. I decided to give it a try.
I must say, the Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker, is so slick. You fill the reservoir with water, fill the carafe with ice, add your tea bags to the basket, hit the button, and in minutes, you have fresh ice tea. I love it.
I also like the fact you can pre-sweeten your tea, make decaffeinated tea, or choose a favorite flavor. Raspberry tea is a favorite of mine.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend the Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker.
If you’ld like to order one online, just click on the following link to Shop.com and search for Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Makers.
Online Dating Services – Be Safe
In my earlier article, Online Dating – Does It Work? I wrote about relationship issues. In this article, I want to alert anyone who is going to participate in online dating, to be safe.
While researching for this article, I found a great website www.datesafely.com. These safety tips not only apply to online dating, but dating in general.
Online dating doesn’t have to be a scary experience, but it’s always smart to take precautions. Remember, you’re going to be meeting a stranger. If you have children, you teach them to beware of strangers. Use that same advice for yourself.
With online dating, I think it’s best to have spent an ample amount of time communicating with the other person. I wouldn’t only rely on emails or text messages. They may not be the one actually writing this information. When you talk to them on the telephone, make a note if they speak the same way as they’ve written. If they use different verbiage, chances are, they weren’t the author of the emails or text messages. It’s not uncommon to have someone who’s well versed in the language of “love, to write “scripts” for a friend.
When you’re talking on the telephone, take notes. Are their stories consistent? If someone is a perpetual liar, they can’t remember what lies they told, but with notes, you’ll know. If they tell you that they’re 29 years old, and worked for NASA for seven years, graduated from MIT with their doctorate, plus traveled Europe for three years after college…Do the math. It doesn’t add up. RED FLAG!
Another thing you may consider when meeting someone for the first time. Have a friend or another couple “conveniently” be at the same meeting spot. While being incognito, they can watch from a distance, and after the date they can give you an unbiased opinion based on what they “saw” transpiring between you and your blind date. If something were to go “a rye”, they would be your “safety net”.
If anyone you’re interested in has a problem with probing questions, that’s a RED FLAG! What are they trying to hide?
Also, remember, if the other person sounds too good to be true, they probably are. RED FLAG!!!!
With that being said, take the necessary precautions, but don’t give up on love. Online dating can work and lead to a happy marriage, but, like with any relationship, it needs time. Enjoy the journey.
No tags for this post.Teach Children Basic Math With Cribbage
Children can learn basic math very easily by learning how to play cribbage. All it takes is a deck of cards, a cribbage board, and a little bit of your time.
The game of cribbage is all about adding numbers from one to ten, combining numbers to add up to 15, and learning very basic rules (and later some strategy). If you’re playing a game of cribbage with a child, it’s a great way to spend some one-on-one time with them, plus gets a conversation going. Just think of the memories you could create for them.
A great uncle of mine taught me and my siblings the game of cribbage when I was about seven years old. It took a little bit of patience on his part, but very shortly, we were spending quality time over the cribbage board. My parents often played cribbage with family and friends, usually men against the women, and many laughs and memories were created. If one of the grown ups needed to leave the game for a short time, us kids were often asked to “sit in” and play their hand. We thought we were pretty special.
I’ve always liked math, but I think by learning how to play cribbage, my math skills were enhanced. To this day, I still enjoy a mean game of cribbage…..provided I don’t get “skunked”.
So, get some cards, and a cribbage board, and let the games and memories begin.
Update: I’ve written a second article pertaining to cribbage. It’s titled Learn The Rules Of Cribbage. In that article, I give you a link to a great website that has well written rules for cribbage.
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Positive Thinking – Daily Devotional Book
Filed under: Archives, Great Books, Product Reviews
One of my favorite daily devotional books for maintaining positive thinking is: Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential
This is a book I like to read in the morning to get my day off to a positive start. The book follows Scripture, includes interesting stories, and it reminds me to stay focused. It teaches me to not to be judgmental, and to see the best in others. It’s a book that helps me remain optimistic. knowing every day is a blessing.
Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential
This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to retain or develop a Scripture based positive attitude.
No tags for this post.Another Shopping Feature Added
I’ve been busy all day, creating a new shopping site. I’ve named it “Sidebar Shopping”. Eventually I will combine my “Let’s Go Shopping” page and “Sidebar Shopping” into one shopping page.
Click on the link under “Pages” and check out the new shopping site. It’s pretty easy to navigate, plus I’ve added some new advertisers. It will continue to be updated, so check back often.
I hope you enjoy your shopping experience. Remember, the links will open in a new browser window.
Happy Shopping!
No tags for this post.Time Saving Tip – Storage Of Garbage Bags
Doesn’t it seem like we never have enough time? So, to me, a time saving tip becomes pretty valuable. Here’s one I learned from a good friend of mine.
Store about six to ten clean garbage bags in the bottom of your garbage can. When you empty the garbage, your clean bags are right at your finger tips. No more wasting time, searching for that box of bags.
If you use the large 55 gallon garbage cans, as they do in large commercial sites, you could store even more bags in the bottom of the can.
There’s nothing worse than having someone throw something into the garbage can before you have a chance to put a new bag in it. With this time saving tip, that problem can be avoided.
Now…..you just need to find someone who wants to take the garbage out. Sorry, but I can’t help you with that one 
Photography – Making Memories
It is said, a picture is worth a thousand words. How true.
Photography is a great hobby, but it’s the pictures you take of loved ones, that create a lasting memory.
In my life, I’ve experienced the death of many loved ones. All I have left of them are the memories that remain in my heart, and pictures. The pictures are priceless. I can look at the pictures and they bring back wonderful memories, funny stories, or just give me the warm fuzzies.
When I visit friends and relatives, I always try to take pictures. I know many of them won’t turn out, so if I take a lot. I know by taking “extras”, I’m bound to get a handful of good ones. We have a saying, in our family, when we take pictures, “If one’s good, two’s better”. After all, doesn’t it seem like someone will have their eyes closed, or have a goofy look on their face, and you wish you had a chance to redo that photo?
Last year a favorite uncle of mine passed away. I knew between other family members and myself, we had a lot of photos of him. We gathered all of the photos, and made an album for his wife, our aunt. We were well aware that the album would be hard for her to look at so soon after his death, but we also knew, when the time was right, the photos would be priceless. Time has passed, and she has told me that she now looks at that album almost daily. It brings her comfort, reminds her of great times, and she has now added more pictures to her “memory album”.
If I hadn’t been taking pictures during these family gatherings, that album wouldn’t have been possible. And, since we all know, our time on this earth is limited, why not document it with photos?
Photography doesn’t need to be expensive. There are inexpensive film cameras, and now, even the digital ones are reasonably prices. I like the digital cameras, as I can download the pictures to my computer, delete the ones that didn’t turn out, crop and chop, and have the ones I want to frame or share, printed.
If you use a digital camera and store your photos on your computer, and are concerned about how much space they use, or the possibility of losing your photos due to a computer crash or fire, there are two companies I know of that offer online storage.
The first is Kodak,
and the second one is Smugmug:
Both of these companies also offer sharing capabilities, creative editing tools, plus much more.
Remember: The next time you’re taking pictures, “If one’s good, two’s better.” …and 
P.S. Don’t forget to use some of those photos and send a personalized e-card. Read my previous article: Free Personalized E-Cards – Smilebox
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