Change Your Think into a Thunk: Stop Giving Your Money to the Rich-Part 2

Yesterday kind of got me on a roll so I decided to make another installment on this topic. Yesterday I demonstrated how most people willingly give their money to the rich every day through interest payments by choosing to buy an everyday coffee or other somewhat frivolous item rather than paying down their debt. In doing so, they are voluntarily giving their money to the rich in interest payments every month rather than choosing to pay down debt. Not only does this make that coffee cost that much more but the money goes to the rich.

But there is another whole aspect to this which is the use of credit cards. I am not talking about credit card debt this time. I am talking about the tiny percentage that goes to the rich every single time you use your credit card. That’s right! Even if you have a 0% interest card and pay it off at the end of every month, the simple fact that Americans use credit cards takes thousands and thousands of dollars out of our communities and puts that money into the hands of the rich every single day.

Here’s how it works. Businesses know that customers want to use credit cards for convenience. This means that businesses pay the credit card companies processing fees and costs. Depending on the credit card company, the cost for processing will be about 1.95%-2.50%. According to instoredoes.com “Although all credit card processors are subject to the same interchange and assessment rates for their issuing bank, the merchant services provider you select can change your costs by thousands each year. On average, however, credit card transaction fees on a $100 charge would amount to between$2.50 and $3.” This is from a 2013 article. http://instoredoes.com/making-cents-of-credit-card-processing-fees/ Credit card processing fees can be very complicated so it’s hard to know actual costs. However, because of the high demand for credit card use among consumers, businesses know that their sales will go up if they take credit cards even though they have to pay these fees to do so but what it means is that thousands and thousands of dollars leave every single community in the Unites States every single day by the choices everyone makes. Even though these fees seem invisible to the consumer, prices rise on everything because of them and so consumers end up paying the costs even though they are not seen. 

Many people complain about the shrinking middle class and so much money going into the pockets of the rich. Especially those who complain about and are concerned about the shrinking middle class should consider controlling what we can control.

Now I am going to be honest. I do use credit cards and I use them to my advantage. Credit card companies pay me to use their credit cards. Why? Because we either pay 0% or pay the cards off at the end of every month. Still, credit card companies want us to use their cards even though they give us rewards like airline miles and cash back. Why would they do this? Because of transaction fees they get from the businesses. However, sometimes I pay in cash because I know that this money goes out of our communities and I just hate that. If we all started paying more often in cash, we would keep a lot more money in our communities.

Have you ever read articles about how only criminals need cash? Boy would credit card companies love for us all to think that! If we all used cash everywhere, it would cause a revolution. A real revolution! We would have thousands more dollars to invest in our communities every single month.

So, my opinion is this: If you want to support your communities pay off consumer debt, car loans and student loans before you support your community by buying from them. After that, you will have much more money to support your communities with. And, when you buy, don’t use credit cards as often or maybe not at all. (There are no hard and fast rules to this-we each need to tailor make how we apply these principles and there is no judgment here!)

But we have so much more power than we think. We are not powerless. We can make a difference.

Stop giving your money to the rich!

Happy Savings!

Change Your Think into a Thunk: Stop Giving Your Money to the Rich!

 We hear a lot these days about the rich and how horrible they are and how they get all the breaks. But today, I want to let you in on a little secret. Most Americans voluntarily give their money to the rich every day. “What???” You might say? “No way! People do not voluntarily give their money to the rich! People struggle! People suffer financially! They don’t choose to do this!” To this I say “Yeah way. Every. Single. Day. People line up and voluntarily give their money to the richest among us.”

“How can this be?” you might ask. First, let me tell you a little about myself. My husband and I got married very young, had a baby right away, had no college educations (still don’t-although I am working to change that) and were dirt poor. We did not rely on our parents to help us out and it was tough. Over thirty years later, after many bumps in the road (lost jobs, cancer etc.), we own a thriving business and are doing well. If we had listened to the people who claimed we were victims of circumstance, with no hope, we never could have gotten to where we are now. Through hard work, smarts, force of will and the blessings of God, we have what we have now.

It is true that you can’t control everything and sometimes things are beyond your control. But there are things you can control and that is what I want to talk about now. What you can control is this: Stop feeling like a victim and stop giving your money to the rich.

Step one: Stop throwing your money away on things that are not necessary. Let’s pretend that you don’t spend $5.00 (Starbucks) a day on coffee but just $1.00 a day. You might even think you are being frugal! That $1.00 cup of coffee you get from the convenience store every morning is unnecessary. ($30.00 a month! Brew your own at home!) That $5.00 lunch you get 6 times a month is unnecessary. ($30.00 a month! Pack it from home) Whatever and wherever you spend money on unnecessary things, figure it out and change your routine. Then comes step two.

Step two: So, let’s say you didn’t buy that coffee or that lunch this month. You just saved $60.00 a month! Now, let’s say you have a credit card balance. 

According to Money “On average, an American between the ages of 18 and 65 has $4,717 of credit card debt. According to CreditCards.com, the average credit card’s interest rate is 15%. At the minimum payment of $189, it’ll take 10 years and a month to pay off that $4,717. The total payments would amount to $22,869. That’s a $18,155 cost for a very small loan.” http://time.com/money/4213757/average-american-credit-card-debt/This is talking about the average American. That is a singular person, not a family. According to CNN, the average American family owes $8377 in credit card debt alone. So, if you as a single person, had a credit card debt of $4717 at 15% interest rate and paid the minimum every month, you would pay an extra $18,155 for the privilege of having that debt. This is how millions of Americans give money to the rich every single day. By choice! “But it’s not a choice!” you say! And I say “It is a choice when you continue to buy that $1.00 coffee every day instead of brewing your own. Instead, you could be paying off that debt ahead of schedule and it is very important that you do not charge anything else!”

Americans give money to the rich every day with interest on house payments, car payments, student loan payments, credit card debt etc. etc. Admittedly *some* of that is necessary. But Americans give money away like floats throw candy away at parades and then complain about the rich having all the money.

The way to get ahead is to change your think into a thunk. Instead of *thinking* the way most Americans do, say “I thunk that”. Past tense.

Americans are rich beyond measure. We are rich beyond many societies of the past and present. Our problem is less one of not having enough than managing it well. Yes, there are some who truly struggle. I know. I did too. But giving your money to the rich is not a way to win this game. Once you tighten your belt and learn to stop giving your money away and get your debt paid down, you will see how fast it can grow. Then….

Step three: Once you stop giving your money away to the rich, you can invest your expendable income and your money can grow!

I hope with the new tax bill breaks coming up that people will not give their extra money to the rich and instead invest it into themselves. I hope instead of taking that extra vacation, buying those extra clothes, buying that TV etc. that Americans will instead to choose to get rid of debt and make wise choices for themselves.

Change your think into a thunk and stop giving to the rich!

Happy Savings!

Kitchen Facelift for $2.29!

I had these gray plastic handles on my kitchen cabinets. They were there when we moved in. Menards often has some awesome rebates and they had some oak/brass handles for free after rebate. 

Here is a "before" photo of my kitchen drawers:

I am very pleased with the "after" outcome! 

 My husband had to buy a few extra screws for the handles because the screws were too short. Those came to $2.29!

I am very pleased with the kitchen face lift for next to nothing! I wish I had a "before" snapshot of this view but you will have to use your imagination with the first photo. I love the nice face lift for next to free!

Happy Savings! 

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Using Your Leftovers

Do you throw out your leftovers? If so, here is a great way to begin saving some money. You might look in the bottom of this pan at these few bits of rice and chicken and say "That's not enough for my family of four!" and dump it into the trash. Oh! It hurt me to even write that! The thought of people throwing out good food and wasting money gives me a pain in my heart. What can you do with what is in this pan? Read on!

I have used our leftovers for many years. For me, it was a necessity. But not only is it a necessity for many, it's very important that as a society we move to be less wasteful. This bit of food would make a great lunch for one. It could be eaten right away or put into a freezer container as an easy to grab lunch. 

Another option: Cook more rice and add it to the mix. You could add some more frozen broccoli and stretch it out for a full meal.

One of the greatest advantages to leftovers, besides saving money, is saving time. It's so easy to throw some leftovers on the table.

I read this article today and was shocked! The article is called "Why Americans Have Stopped Eating Leftovers". https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/31/why-americans-have-stopped-eating-leftovers/?utm_term=.a1739936bd7d People are throwing out so much food! People complain so often about not having enough money to go around but I see these pennies, pennies everywhere! 

I wonder how we have gone to being a frugal and thrifty people to being so wasteful? I don't want to sound moralizing here but our mantra should be Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without. We used to be a country of immigrants who understood want. Now people complain about not having enough money while throwing good food in the trash. Inexcusable!

Okay. You got my feelings on that issue. ;) I feel really good when I save money. And eating leftovers and saving money and time makes me feel really good. Over the years, those pennies add up and they make a nice cushion so you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. We can all be more free when we make freeing choices. 

Happy Savings!

Gluten Free Mississippi Mud Cake: Guest Blog

This is a guest blog. I recently had a birthday and my daughter made me this gluten free cake! It tastes great. I have recently started eating gluten free and I feel much better. Eating gluten free is not cheap though, so we make a lot from scratch. Purchasing a gluten free cake like this would be very pricey!

Gluten Free Mississippi Mud Cake
16 servings
Begin making this cake early in the day, and allow plenty of time for cooling.

To make this cake, I merged two recipes together, and modified them a bit to suit the cake. The original Mississippi Mud cake recipe is found in The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts. (Their recipes are not even a little bit gluten free. Shame on them! :P)

Credit for the chocolate cake recipe goes to Sarah at www.sarahbakesgfree.com. Her blog is full of delicious looking gluten free recipes, so feel free to check them out too!

The recipe looks a bit intimidating, but don't let it fool you. Each step is quite easy, and there isn't a whole lot to mess up. Making this cake will take up a good chunk of your day, though. So make sure to budget some time. (I believe it took me about 3 hours the first time I made it, not counting cooling time.)

It's totally worth it though! This cake is super rich and can only be described as decadent. I've been making the gluten version of this cake for years, and it is always super popular wherever I take it. This gluten free version is actually better than the original in many ways!

Full Ingredient List:

* 1/2 cup butter, plus 3 tablespoons
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup oat flour
* 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour blend
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cups pure dark cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup buttermilk (or you can use 1 cup milk and mix with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.)
* 1/2 cup oil
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, plus another 1 1/2 teaspoons
* 2/3 cup hot water
* 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows (check label to ensure it is gluten free)
* 8 oz semi-sweet melting chocolate (check label to ensure it is gluten free)
* 3 tablespoons water
* 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (check label to ensure it is gluten free)

Step One: Walnut-Mixture

* 1/2 cup butter (save the extra 3 tablespoons for later)
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup oat flour

Grease two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with waxed paper.
Over low heat, melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in the walnuts, brown sugar, and oat flour.
Divide mixture evenly between your prepared cake pans and pat to evenly cover the bottom. Set aside.

Step Two: Chocolate cake

* 2 cups gluten free flour blend
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cups cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup buttermilk (or you can use 1 cup milk and mix with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before adding to the batter.)
* 1/2 cup oil
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 2/3 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the flour blend, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Drizzle in hot water slowly, scraping the bowl while beating on low. Batter will be thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and gently tap pans until the batter is evenly spread.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. [I did find that Sarah's estimate on baking in cake pans was a bit off. My cakes were in the oven for about 35 minutes. Just keep an eye on it, and remove when the toothpick comes out clean.]
Cool in pan until just cool enough to handle.

Step Three: Assembly


* 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows (I was out of mini marshmallows, so I sliced regular sized marshmallows into fourths.)

While still hot, carefully place one cake layer, with the walnut-mixture side up, on a cake plate.
Top with a single layer of marshmallows.
Immediately place second cake layer, walnut-mixture side down, on top of the marshmallows so they will melt. (I used a dinner plate to flip the cake out of the pan, and then flip again on top of the marshmallows.)
Insert long skewer in center of the cake to keep the top layer from sliding.
Allow cake to sit, or refrigerate, until completely cool.

Step Four: Glaze

* 8 oz semi-sweet melting chocolate
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Once the cake has fully cooled, begin making the glaze. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, 3 tablespoons butter, and water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth.
Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
Let chocolate mixture cool to room temperature.
Add the powdered sugar, beating with a spoon until well blended and a thick spreading consistency. (If your mixture is a grainy texture, add a bit more water.)
Remove the skewer from the cake. Spread glaze over the top and allow it to drip down the sides of the cake.
Garnish as desired. (I used chocolate chips and dusted a bit of powdered sugar on top.)

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Save Your Pumpkin Seeds and Toast Them!

 Every year I grow pumpkins. Mostly, I grow them because I like how they look on my deck in the fall of the year. (I did not grow all of these in this photo!) I also take the cornstalks I grew, tie them in a bundle, and use them for fall decoration. One bonus to growing pumpkins is toasted pumpkin seeds! When you cut open the pumpkin there will be a gooey glop of pumpkin seeds in the middle of the pumpkin. These need to be scooped out. 

Then comes the fun part, pulling all the glop off the pumpkin seeds! 

 Here is a recipe for toasting pumpkin seeds: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/salty-roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe.html There are a few different ones out there. Some of them have a Cajun flair if you like that. In short order, you will have some yummy toasted pumpkin seeds that are mostly free to you, since you probably otherwise would have thrown them out! 

I had a small pumpkin this time and I am cooking it just for scooping and eating. You can also make pies or bread with pumpkin. 

Happy Savings!

Make $71.00 an Hour Tax Free! Or How I Purchased $286.07 of Stuff for $72.40 Today in Three Hours!

I haven't done too much writing this summer but I have been consistently saving money. This is how I live my life! For me, frugality isn't something I do once in a while but it is a lifestyle. I love to save money! Today, I went out shopping and here are some of the deals I got.

I love fall mums. These had been $3.94 but they were marked down to $2.76. I placed them on a table (that I got brand new for $1.99 a few years ago) with a pumpkin from my garden. (My garden has only given me this one pumpkin so far this year!)

My husband asked me to look on the "Oops shelf" for paint to see what I could find. He has been building a tree stand (with mostly scraps!) He said he wanted an exterior flat paint in either brown or gray or dark green. You can find paint that someone else rejected pretty inexpensively, usually in a corner somewhere in the paint section. I found this. However, it was tan. I asked them if they could make it more brownish. The man at the counter tried but I don't think he knew too much about mixing colors without a chart to go by. The first time, it turned out exactly the same color. The second try, he got it closer to a brownish gray and so I took it! This was normally $17.77 and I got it for $8.88.

The tan color is the original color and the grayish is the end result, which my husband was happy with!

Here is a photo of the tree stand in progress. All the lumber my husband had as scraps in his shed. He did have to buy some roof and side parts. I bought the carpet from a garage sale for $5.00. 

I found this beautiful oak rustic table at a garage sale today. They were originally asking $45.00 for it but had marked it down to $25.00 since it was getting late in the day. I didn't ask them to take any less since they had already marked it down. I love it! 

I got a lot of deals at some stores today. I have a photo of them below. Here are some of the deals. I will mark them as normal price/sale price:

Cranberry drinks: $4.95/$2.50
Sandals: $9.99/$1.09
Collagen Gummies: $14.99/$5.99
Let Freedom Ring Block: $3.99/.40
4th of July Window Decals: $1.99/.20 x 5= $9.95/$1.00
Christmas Present: $9.99/$1.59
Excipial Cream: $14.70/$3.49
Heart rate monitor: $29.99/$2.99
2 Folders .79/.08=$1.58/.16
Men's Shorts $13.93/$1.00
Women's Shorts $12.00/$1.00
Greens $18.99/$13.49
Pecans $4.98/$1.00 x 10=$49.80/$10.00
Almonds $4.98/$1.00 x 5= $24.90/$5.00
Christmas Present $19.96/$2.00
Erasers .97/.10
Toilet Brushes $4.98/$3.00 x 2 = $9.96/$6.00
Grapes $5.96/$1.96
Sunscreen $7.76/$1.00

I am only going to add up the regular cost and the clearance costs on the items I purchased today. I am not including sale costs on things I purchased such as cereal etc. There are a number of sale items I bought but it's just too much work to include it all! I am also not including garage sale items or items like the pair of Lee Jeans I found for my husband at Goodwill today. 

The clearance items were a total of $286.07 at regular price. I paid $72.40 for a difference of  $213.67. It took me about three hours to shop for these items. That works out to about $71.00 an hour tax free! 

Some people don't understand why someone would shop like this. They would rather buy things when they need them, one at a time. I understand that. It's easy and convenient. The reason for shopping like this is in the numbers. If you don't mind some inconvenience, shopping like this can really pay. And when you do it week after week, month after month and year after year, it all adds up! We all have to make our choices. For me, this lifestyle makes me happy! I would rather have some financial freedom and a little inconvenience. 

Happy Savings! 

Back to School Savings!!

Back to School! This can be a really challenging time for parents who are trying to budget. There are supplies, clothes, school fees. It can seem never ending! I haven't needed to do back to school shopping for a number of years now, but I remember how it was. For me, the biggie was the school fees because there wasn't any way to scrimp and save on those, so I just concentrated on scrimping and saving on everything else!

The way I saved on clothing was that I bought clothes off the clearance racks at the end of every season and saved them until the next year. I don't think there was ever a year that the next size up didn't work for either one of my kids. I supplemented with the thrift store. That way, they had new clothes but they also had a decent amount of them. I don't remember them ever complaining.

I also bought a lot of school supplies the year before whenever I was at a store that had certain things for next to nothing, so I never had to spend a ton on supplies.

What can you do if you haven't shopped ahead and need things now? Here are some tips:

1. Look at the flyers of stores you regularly go to (and maybe some you don't) and find different things they have on sale. You can find crayons and markers at one, folders and tablets at another. This does take some running around, and you have to decide if the gas and time spent are worth it, but if you are taking a day for back to school shopping anyway and these stores are close to each other, it may be well worth your time. 

2. If your kids are fussy and/or you simply want to provide them with new clothes, you may have to get the new things at an inexpensive place like Wal-Mart. Then, after you purchase a modest amount, just so they can have something new, you could go around to a number of thrift stores. Some people are afraid of thrift stores but I am not by any means! You can find amazing things there, better quality than Wal-mart and sometimes even brand new!  If your kids don't want to go and browse, I would suggest doing it yourself. You can buy a few things you think they will like and return them if they don't. 

3. Garage sales are still going on and you might find a few things there. 

All in all, back to school doesn't have to cost a fortune. It always will take a bit of a bite, especially with the school fees. A good thing to remember too, is when you are buying those great deals from store to store to pick up enough for next year too, if you can, and know you have planned well ahead. If you do this every year, and get ahead of the curve, even if you have a very skinny year financially, you will know ahead of time your kids will be well stocked.

Happy Savings! 

How a Concert and Dinner for Two Cost Less Than $35 Including Gas!

It's been a very busy summer so I haven't been doing a lot of posting but I can say I've been having a lot of fun! One of those fun things is this Three Dog Night concert. The whole thing, two tickets, two dinners and gas to get there cost about $35.00.

When I am looking through papers and emails, I am always scanning for opportunities. My husband mentioned earlier that he would like to find some concerts to go to. I like going to concerts too but I always cough at the price tag-anywhere from around $35-$70 per person for a ticket. 

 When I saw Three Dog Night was playing at a festival not too far from our home and that they started at 6:00 PM (another bonus!) and it was only $10.00 a person, I jumped at the opportunity!

 They had bubble blowing and a balloon raising and a lot of other fun things going on too.

When we are out and about and we (mostly me) don't feel like spending a lot on dinner, we will go to McDonalds or some other fast food place and do my cheapy buy. This time, we each got a McDouble (always less than a double cheeseburger, but more than a regular cheeseburger), one small french fry that we split and a side salad that we also split. We order water to drink. I take the cover from the side salad and divide it into two and get an extra fork. This was $7.24.

This time, we wanted sundaes afterwards. We got one hot fudge and one caramel. This came to $3.14. 

So a total of $10.38 for food and $20.00 for tickets. That equals $30.38 and it probably cost less than $4.62 for gas. 

All in all this was a very inexpensive way to have dinner for two and a concert on top of it!

Happy Savings!

Lifetime Pass for National Parks for Seniors $10.00 until Aug 27th!

Lifetime passes for seniors to National Parks is jumping from $10.00 to $80.00 on August 28th! Get your lifetime pass before this opportunity passes! Here is an article from the AARP on this:

http://travel.aarp.org/articles-tips/articles/info-2016/national-parks-lifetime-pass-cost-increase.html

Walgreens Savings: All this for $6.17

Today I started garage sale season and I found an office chair for my son for $5.00 but that isn't what I'm going to write about! I needed to stop at Walgreens and pick up a magnifying glass and while I was there, I found some great clearance deals!

1. Men's Multi-vitamins for .79 for 65 count AND they were buy one get one free! They had five so I picked them all up. Expiration date: 10/18

2. Fish, Flax and Borage Oils 120 count $2.19! Expiration date: 11/18

3. Emergen-C superfruit 30 count for $1.29! Expiration date: 1/18

The total for the supplements was $5.85 and then .32 tax. (There is extra on the receipt for the magnifying glass). What a deal! Every time I am in a store, I scan the clearance area and it's amazing what you can find!

Happy savings!

Bathroom Face-lift: Total Cost About $6.00!

I've been wanting to re-do my bathroom for quite some time. It had this ugly purple striped wallpaper in it. The wallpaper probably looked pretty good at one time, but it was old, stained in spots and the edges where the wallpaper was put together was getting a black edge from the moisture and there were areas I had to wipe down with bleach a couple of times a year because mold was growing there. It was time to do something! 

 Taking the wallpaper off itself wasn't that hard. It took about a half an hour.

 It was scraping this that took so long. Ugh! Just looking at it makes me feel pained! It took a couple of days to painstakingly squirt this old paper-backing/glue with a hot water and soap mixture and scrape and peel it all off. 

 Here are the walls partially prepped! I also sanded some areas. 

 I got out my supplies. These were all free from rebates! I have an area in my basement that I store freebies like this and I get them out when I need them! 

 When I was looking for paint to do the project with, I decided to check the clearance area. Often, people don't like the paint color they chose and then they return the paint and you can get it for next to nothing. This time, they had a gallon of Glidden paint on sale for $5.00 AND it was just the base so I got to choose the color too! I love good, high quality paint and I will pay more for that if I have to, but I did not have to! This is a paint and primer which was perfect. Glidden is a good brand too. I chose "Summer Sandcastle" for a color. 

Here are the walls prepped and ready to go. I put masking tape around everything and my husband removed the towel holders. 

And here is the final product! I want to replace the register on the floor still as it's peeling. I would also like to replace the switch plate covers to something nicer and the window blind. I have not done that yet. 

So, this paint face-lift cost about $6.00! $5.00 for the paint and about $1.00 for the masking tape! Other than that, it was a lot of hard work and elbow grease! I thought about painting the register with the same color paint but it is really rusty so I thought better of it. So, it will cost a few more dollars for the completed project but I feel very good about what I paid for this! The project took about 3/4 of a gallon and will give me some left for touch-ups later on. 

Happy Savings! 

Springtime Dandelion Greens! Food From Your Yard

Here's a springtime money and health hack for you! Eat dandelion greens! Dandelion greens in early spring are good and good for you. Here is an article on how to find and use dandelion greens:

http://www.moneycrashers.com/eating-dandelions-health-benefits-leaves-greens-roots-flowers/

 Dandelions have calcium, iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin A and Vitamin K.  Here are some dandelion green nutrition facts: http://foodfacts.mercola.com/dandelion-greens.html Dandelions are great for your eyes, containing both zeaxanthin and lutein.

A couple of rules:

• Make sure you know what you are picking! Use online resources so you can compare and know for sure. If you are not certain of what you are picking, take them to your local extension office for verification before consuming.
• Make sure they are not covered with pesticides or other pollutants. 
• Remember you are responsible for what you eat. Safety first! Never put anything into your mouth when foraging unless you are sure you know what you have. This goes for all foods you pick. 

You can cook dandelion greens in a few ways. You can saute them in a pan like in this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222744/dandelion-greens-with-a-kick/

I like to take a few like this, and just throw them into a smoothie!

Food right from your yard! Now that is frugality!

Happy Savings!

Work From Home! Hilton Hotel Is Hiring!

Apparently Hilton Hotels is looking for people to work from home! I don't know anything about this personally but am just passing on what I read, so I can't vouch for any of the information given here. Some of you may be interested and it would be great if you could get a good work from home job because of it! So, if you apply~Good luck!

Here is the link: http://www.dontwasteyourmoney.com/hilton-jobs-hotel-hiring-work-home-reservation-reps/?partner=scripps&partner-sub=WFTS&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=scripps&utm_content=WFTS

Giving While You're Getting

This week, I found a great deal on a Sunbeam Humidifier. It was originally $129.00 and it was on clearance for $45.00. The old humidifier works but it wasn't a whole house humidifier like the new one and I just wanted one that worked better.

After I got home and set the new humidifier up, I rolled the old one out to the end of the driveway and put a free sign on it. It was gone in short order!

We regularly put free things at the end of our driveway. I hate to throw anything out and you would not believe the things people take when they are free! Last year, we took some old stairs off the back of our house so my husband could build a deck. I talked him into putting a free sign on them. He didn't think anyone would take them. They were gone within a couple hours! I love the idea that someone was hopefully able to re-purpose the wood. 

When you get things for next to nothing, (I bought the old humidifier at a garage sale for $5.00) it is easier to put a free sign on it and give it to someone else. You really feel like you got your money's worth out of it already and it's great to give while you're getting! Not to mention the fact that you don't have to spend the effort (and money) hauling it to the dump! Win/Win!!

Happy Savings! 

Free Cone Day Today at Dairy Queen March 20th 2017

Stealing The Legal Way! Make $205.85 in An Hour: How $238.61 Worth of Items Cost $32.76

As I mentioned in my last blog, many stores are having great clearance sales right now because they are getting rid of excess inventory before they count their inventory for taxes. "Tis the season! 

All the items seen here on my Amish bench I picked up today for a total of $32.76 and that includes tax! Some of this will be used right away, some will be stored for later use. 

Here is a rundown of what I purchased and next to it, the regular price:

Wal-Mart:

3 packs of a 2 pack of culinary dish towels for .75 each/ regularly $4.88

2 packs of kitchen set (oven mitt, pot holders, kitchen towels). $1.00 each/regularly $4.97

Pioneer Woman 2 pack dish drying mat. $1.00/regularly $9.96

3 piece BBQ tool set $1.00/regularly $4.96

2 2 pair packs men's work gloves $1.00 each/regularly $5.94

2 pair women's gloves $1.00 each/regularly $9.97

1 pack Fish Crisp Coating Mix $1.00/regularly $4.96

Hair Polisher Heat Protector $1.00/regularly $7.27

2 Pure Silk Shaving Cream .50/ regularly $1.98

6 CocoLopez Cream of Coconut Cans $1.00 each/regularly $2.49

3 60 inch black grill cover $1.00 each/regularly $14.96

Men's Hanes Camo Pants $1.00/regularly $9.97
4 Placemats $1.00 each/regularly $2.00

Goodwill (brand new, never used)

3 Real Tree Men's Shirts .49 each/regularly $9.99

Tru-Fit Fleece Jacket $1.99/regularly $24.99

Men's Tru-Fit Button Down Shirt .49/ regularly $6.99

Totals $32.76 vs $238.61

 These items will all be used one way or another. I try not to buy anything I don't think I will use. I just *know* someone will read this and say "Why did you buy three, count them, three BBQ covers??" So, I will answer before anyone gets the chance! Last summer, I bought a BBQ cover. I bought it for full price and it's a nice one. However, after only one year of being on the deck, it's faded and I can see that, in the wind etc., it will be no time and it will need to be replaced. I figure that these three will last me a number of years just like the outdoor flags I got for free. I got about 6 free flags one time and, year after year, I have a fresh nice new flag outside my house. Fortunately, I do have space to store them. 

Here are some more examples of the items I picked up today. 

 It took me about an hour (if that) to look over the clearance aisles and choose these items for purchase. One thing I like to do after buying clearance is to consider in hours how much time it would have taken me to work and make the same amount of money saved. This only counts if you will actually use the items and would have purchased them (or something similar) anyway. 

 The total saved is $205.85. At my rate of pay, it would have taken a number of hours to make this up! These kind of sales are more likely to happen this time of year. See what you can find! See what you can save.

Happy Savings! 

Clearance Sales: How I Saved $92.75 in 10 Minutes

Many stores are clearancing items before they count their inventory. This is a great time of year to find some great bargains! I have been finding (and not reporting here) things weekly. I thought I would share this because it was such a phenomenal deal!

First, we have decks that need waterproofing every couple of years. I have been using some free waterproofer I got previously on rebate but that is starting to run out. Thompson's is a great brand. This 5 gallon sealer was $85.00 marked down to $21.00! That is a savings of $64.00.

I also got this ice melt, which was $8.97, on sale for $1.00. I bought three bags for a savings of $23.91.

With tax, the total savings comes to $92.75!! All that for walking down the clearance aisle and buying when there is a deal! If I were getting paid by the hour, that would be $556.50 per hour! Great to get while the getting is good!

Happy Savings!