Oprah's Debt Diet.

I watched Oprah's Debt Diet from when we were on vacation. I have to say I am so impressed! The families are really starting to get it and seem like they are really working hard.

I like the fact that they added it all up. 25 bras at $20 each! Wow! That's a new bed! That's how much we spent to furnish our entire house excluding our bed.

If you want to change your thinking about how you spend then just start adding things up like the eating out, excess clothes etc. Then see how many hours you have to work to pay for it. My husband would have to work a week to pay for 25 bras. If he knew that he would flip! Especially if they weren't for me. LOL


I have to say that the credit card game was interesting especially since that is how we paid off our debt. We lowered our rates and paid 0% interest for most of the years we were paying it off. I am going to write a booklet on how to get your rates lowered and what to watch out for. It's so easy as long as you just read the terms.

I think that it's wonderful that the families are facing their problems head on and dealing with it!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Garage Sale tip

Thanks for the article, Tawra and Jill.

I hope you had a WONDERFUL time vacationing. Family time is memory time, especially when it is grandparents! (My VERY favorite memories from my childhood!)

I wanted to share with you that it also pays to carry along a box (or boxes) with paper for wrapping if you like to buy glassware or delicate items. We did estate sale purchasing (and some garage sale shopping) for vintage items for our country store. Taking the time to wrap the delicate items and put them into boxes, well paid for the time (as we quickly learned when somethings didn't make it home unbroken!). By going shopping together one could drive on to the next sale while the other wrapped those special items! It was great team work. And speaking of children going, our oldest daughter does Ebay selling and all of the 6 children are trained into what to look for for value and they each scout out possibilities in different areas while Mom looks also! The children also take some of their finds and have made very good money on them on Ebay--sometimes $50-$100 profit! The grandkids run from 4 to 16. The 4 year old is pretty much an expert into Pooh and Bob the Builder, though! If the sale has any of those products he isn't much help with the other items! :-) The family of 8 is able to stay completely wardrobed from garage sales (and a few thrift stores) solely--from church clothes to farm clothes!

Thanks for the articles you both write.

--Linda



www.LivingOnADime.com

Kids Websites

I am looking for some good kids websites. We don't really get around much on the net and I could use some recommendations.

My daughter went to barbie.com and was really enjoying it. Then she clicked on some "American Idol" songs and I about died! They were completely inappropriate for a 7 year old.

My daughter loved the sound of the songs and likes the sound of "older" songs not the Twinkle Star kid type songs.

Can anyone give me any suggestions of music clips for kids or any other good kid websites.

She was really disappointed when we wouldn't let her listen to it and I told I would ask "all my friends" on the net.

She loves music and these were cute videos but I don't really want my daughter going around singing "I'm not that innocent". :-)

Thanks for any suggestions!!

Tawra Jean

lip exfoliator

My lips were really dried out when we got back from Colorado. I really enjoyed using a sample of lip exfoliator that someone had given me. I was desperate and I thought I would try and make my own.

I took a small amount of chapstick, and dipped it in some sugar, rubbed (more like scrubbed) it on my lips and wiped off.

Wow! They were like new! All the dry skin was gone and my lips were really soft.

Just a quick tip to combat dry lips.

Tawra

Out of town.

We are going "home" to Colorado tomorrow. We will be gone until the 24th so I will be back then and tell about having a frugal road trip with 3 kids and Grandma.

Tawra (singing the National Lampoons Vacation theme song)
www.LivingOnADime.com

Cabbage Recipes

Cabbage is .15lb here this week for St. Patricks Day. Here are some recipes from Dining On A Dime to help make the most of this great deal!

***********************************************************************
Dining On A Dime: 1,000 Money Saving Recipes and Tips. (formerly Not
Just Beans) Dining On A Dime will help you shop smarter, by cooking
simpler meals and by making your own basic cleaning products and
beauty aids.
http://www.livingonadime.com/ordering.htm
***********************************************************************

Cole Slaw

½ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing ,
¼ cup sugar
3 carrots, shredded
1 small head cabbage, shredded

Mix mayonnaise or salad dressing in a bowl with the sugar. Mix cabbage and carrots
together. Add sauce to cabbage and carrots just before serving. The dressing can be
made in advance and stored in a separate container in the refrigerator. Serves 8.


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Egg Rolls

½ lb. beef, pork or chicken, cooked and diced small
2 cups cabbage, chopped
½ cup carrots, shredded
3 green onions or ¼ cup onion, chopped or 1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 pkg. egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil
mustard, catsup or sweet and sour sauce

Add 1 Tbsp. oil in a frying pan. Heat pan very hot and add meat. Cook 1-2 minutes until
lightly browned. Add cabbage, carrots and onions and cook 2 minutes. Stir in ginger, salt
and soy sauce. Let cool 5 minutes. Follow the directions on the back of the egg roll
wrappers for wrapping. Use 2 Tbsp. filling for each egg roll. Deep-fry 2-4 egg rolls at a
time at 350 degrees, turning occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve
warm with choice of sauces. Makes 20 egg rolls.
Egg roll wrappers can usually be found in the produce department.

Another Cleaner Tip

Reading your blog page you advise getting cleaning supplies at a janitorial supply store. Great idea, but also at Sam's club there is a product sold there called OdoBan. You can get a gallon for $8.96 (last time it got it) and it comes with a 'free' spray bottle of cleaner too. You dilute this product so it makes 64 gallons of cleaner. It kills 99.99% of germs and is made with eucalyptus and wild flowers..so it is safe to use in my daycare area. It kills strong smells from diapers too. I have not seen it in Walmart. I have used this many years on all surfaces. I have even added some to my wash and it works there too. Roxie



www.LivingOnADime.com

Storm Preparation

Storm Preparation
This tip is for readers living in "hurricane country." Last year, after Hurricane Wilma came through, we dealt with grocery stores not having any food for up to three weeks after the storm. I decided to stock up early this year. Yes, hurricane season doesn't get into full swing until August.

Each week, I check the sale flyers for all the grocery stores in the area. If I see they are having a sale on soup, peanut butter, granola bars, bottled water, etc., I stock up. If there's a coupon, that's even better. I'm not going overboard. I'm just making sure I have enough hurricane food to last at least a month. We use these items even when it's not hurricane season, so I know they are not going to go to waste.

By stocking up slowly, I do not worry about running to the store when there is an approaching storm. And I also don't have to worry about having to "come up with" extra money to cover all of this last minute because I have been including it in my current grocery budget.
Debra in Ft. Lauderdale

Debbie




www.LivingOnADime.com

Oprah's Debt Diet.

I got the nicest thank you note today! I sent a book to all the couples on the debt diet that Oprah is doing and Sally Eggleston sent me a thank you note saying how much she liked it!! I am so glad she will find it useful. For some reason I was thinking she would be the one who would use the most too!

I really do hope all those couples get the help they need and can find freedom in their finances. There's not a lot worse than having that burden hanging over your head.

Good luck! Sally!!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Warming the house.

Yesterday it rained so it was slightly chilly. It was about time it rained after about half the prairie around here burned up! Ok, not quite half the prairie but it was pretty hairy in a small town close to Wichita. They had to evacuate many areas of town including the school!

Anyway back to my tip! It was chilly enough that I wanted to go put on a sweater but then I remembered that I was going to clean my oven with the self cleaning setting. So I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and get it done yesterday. I turned on the oven and started it cleaning. It warmed the house and me and I even got dinner defrosted partially while it was sitting on top! That’s the good news. The bad news was then I was to sick to cook the dinner! Oh well, it’s done for tonight! Yeah!!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Getting Rid of Pet Hair

Another reader tip. Thanks, LadyD!
Tawra
www.livingOnADime.com


The easiest way to get dog or cat hair off of furniture is to take a yellow rubber glove (playtex kind for doing dishes) and rub that on the fabric. Then have your small vacuum cleaner right there after you get the little piles. I tried everything and this trick worked the best.....

Don't have a cat any more. But at one time had dining room chairs that were nappy like cordaroy and they would sit on them all the time and I had a heck of a time till I found that trick. Also worked on my sofa and chairs... LadyD

Yeah! It worked!

My hair turned out great! I went over and my dear, wonderful sweet sister in law helped me put it in. It looks like my "natural" color.

It's funny because my hair used to be this slightly lighter shade but since we've lived in Kansas and I can't garden or be outside as much it's been much darker.

I was always working in the yard or greenhouse when I lived in Colorado and Idaho so I never realized how dark it normally was.

Anyway, I just had to share our great success!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Strawberry Tip!

Tawra,
I love the articles on strawberries. (see www.LivingOnADime.com) One of my favorite berries. I am eating them now. I just sprinkle a little Splenda on them and eat. Did you know you can hull a strawberry with a drinking straw? I do it all the time. Just take the berry and push a straw through the top. (remove the leaves first) you are left with a perfect berry and no tough part.

These are great too dipped into chocolate. What a treat. Keep in fridge for about 3 days but the never last that long... Roxie

Save on Cleaners

Wow! It sure feels like spring here! We had our first humid day yesterday and I was
reminded of why I consider myself a missionary to Kansas from Colorado! LOL

We have been working over 2 months full time re-designing the website. We are hoping
it will be more user friendly and bit more professional looking. Please take a look and
let us know what you think! We don't have all the pages updated yet but we should soon.

I was just so I excited I had to share it. Unfortunately it has taken about 4 times the
amount
of time we thought it would to get done so we haven't put much new material on yet but
that will be coming soon.

Check it out!
Tawra


http://www.livingonadime.com/

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Check out the new entries on the blog!
http://livingonadime.blogspot.com/

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Household Tips

~Save on cleanser. Spray cleanser on the rag to save money and time. This way the extra
cleanser is not wasted and you save time by not having to rinse the extra cleanser off.

~Buy cleaning supplies at a janitorial supply store. There you can buy concentrated
enzyme cleaners to remove odors for $16.00 per gallon which works out to only ¼ the
price of cleaners at discount stores.

~Purchase them at estate and garage sales.

~Use a fine tooth dog brush to remove dog hair from furniture, carpet and bed comforters.

~Clean the bathroom sink and toilet while the kids are taking a bath.

~If you are late getting dinner started, set the table first. Then your kids and husband
think dinner is on the way and they won't get impatient.

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~Disinfect and clean your telephone. It spreads germs easily.

~To help kids make their beds easier, buy a sleeping bag to match the decor in their
bedroom. Then they only have to straighten the sleeping bag instead of a lot of blankets.
Also when they need a sleeping bag, they have one.

~Use terry cloth tablecloths. They are attractive and they absorb spills so that there is less
mess.

~If stuffed animals are dirty, throw them in the washer on the gentle cycle. They come out
looking great.

~Spray your ironing with water instead of spray starch to make it look starched.

~Make a box with each child's name on it. Put each child's clean laundry in the respective
box and then have them put away their own laundry.


Dining On A Dime: 1,000 Money Saving Recipes and Tips. (formerly NotJust Beans) Dining On A Dime will help you shop smarter, by cooking simpler meals and by making your own basic cleaning products and beauty aids.
http://www.livingonadime.com/ordering.htm

Oprah's Debt Diet.

I got this "Ask Tawra and Jill" question the I just had to answer now before we put it on the website.


Hi Tawra and Jill,
My name is Kim H. I'm from Nanaimo, BC, and I'm just wondering what do you two think about Oprah's Debt Diet? Pt. 3 is airing on Friday if you didn't catch the first 2 parts of this series. I guess the best way for you to answer me and everybody else who wants to know is to put it in your blog. Thanks, Kim


Kim,

I've been watching Oprah's Debt Diet for the last 2 shows and have to say I feel so much better about our financial situation!

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING! Ok, I know that I'm a tightwad but still these people have got to get a grip. They are acting like rebellious little kids. The problem has nothing to with money and I am disappointed that the advisors are working on the money part but do not appear to be addressing the problems with their attitudes. They may just be starting with finances as a crisis management strategy, so I'll be patient... I know they don't show the entire story but until those people get some deep counseling, nothing will change.

It's funny because people don't think about what exactly will happen if I sell my things, tell my kids "no" and just don't buy the stuff. What is the worse thing that will happen?


Nothing.


But what will happen if they keep spending and spending? They will have spoiled brats for kids that won't be able to take care of themselves when they grow up. They will get divorced, go bankrupt, feel worthless for "failing", possibly have a hard time getting a new job in the future because of their bad credit and so on.


I was shocked when the dad in last show wanted to sell some of the daughter's clothes and the mom said she wouldn't dare take the clothes off her daughter's back. Then the dad pointed out that the daughter says she only wears 4 pairs of the 350 pairs of jeans she has!

Why didn't the other couple get a $20 keyboard instead of a piano for their kid to practice on? I give them credit for returning the expensive piano, but considering that their life is completely falling apart financially, is it really worth trading it for a smaller one rather than returning it all together?

Why is it so horrible to make the daughter pay for her own car? Hello! How in the world is that child abuse?

I also wonder why it is that no one mentioned the fact that on these incomes, these people could retire or greatly reduce the hours they would have to work when in their mid 40's if they would have chosen not to waste all that money on junk.

It's funny because if they can change their attitudes, everything else will change because they genuinely want help and are willing to make the decisions necessary to make it happen. It all boils down to that!

I really do hope they can get their finances in order. It is so sad to see the anger, screaming and bitterness all over money. If they could just get it under control, they would have so much freedom that it would change their lives!

By the way, I did send two of the experts my book to give to the couples to try and help them eat at home more. I don't know if they will get it but I figured it was worth a shot!

I can't wait to see the next show!

Tawra Jean
www.LivingOnADime.com

Pray for me!

Ok, I'm going to take the plunge. I'm going to try and highlight my hair myself. I got a kit that was $10 with a brush that you just brush it on. I have dark brown hair with some gray so I'm starting to look kind of salt and peppery. ;-) It doesn't really look that bad but I would like a change. I've colored my hair before and I had success with it working as far as staying colored but it never does turn out the right shade.

I was going to have my hairdresser do it but I just can't bring myself to pay $55 right now. We are getting new pictures taken in two weeks for the website so I hope this isn't a mistake! If you see my picture and I have orange or green hair you will know what happened! LOL

Tawra (who is hair styling impaired so she hopes she isn't hair coloring impaired too! :-)

http://www.livingonadime.com/

While the water is boiling.

Things to do while your waiting for water boil.

Clean out a shelf or two in the fridge.
Do up some dishes
Clean out a drawer
Clean out a shelf
Cut up some veggies for another meal.
Plan another meal
Wipe down the fronts of the dishwasher, fridge and stove
Clean out the toaster


Use the small minutes to get big things accomplished!
Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Potty Training is Done!

Ok, that's it we quit! I know that most kids go to kindergarten totally potty trained so I'm not going to worry about it any more.

What a mess! We have been trying to get David to poop in the toilet. Tried everything we can think of. Well, last night he was doing this high pitched screaming for an hour because he had to go but didn't want to. I left for Bible Study and left poor Mike to take over. Well, after another hour of screaming all over the house Mike went into the kitchen to get David some juice. He sat him on the toilet and said "stay there until I get back". Well, not 30 seconds later Mike heard the loud wailing like he was being killed. Mike runs in there and here he is running all over the place and flinging diarrhea as he's going! All over the walls, carpet, floor, toilet everywhere!

What a gross mess! When I came home he told me and we decided that was it for now. I think kids should be able to be trained by the time they are 3 but obviously we haven't figured out the secret for that one!

I just thought I would share the rest of the story! :-)

Tawra ( who hopes you aren't reading this during lunch. :-)

www.LivingOnADime.com

Household Tips

Money Saving Household Tips
www.LivingOnADime.com

~Don’t let the kids watch TV or eat breakfast until they are dressed, their rooms are cleaned and they are ready for school.

~De junk, De junk, De junk. Remove all excess items from your home. If you are unsure about something, put it in a box and date it. If you don’t use it in a year, get rid of it.

~When you find a gift item on clearance or other sale, buy it. Keep a box going all year for good finds on gifts. The end of January and February is a great time to find good bargains on everything from clothes to toys.

~Two weeks before Christmas and birthdays, go through and remove several of your children’s toys, since they will soon be replaced. Let the kids play with only half of the new toys each holiday and save the other half for them to play with later.

~Save the greeting cards you receive. Cut out the fronts and use them to decorate the front of packages wrapped in tissue paper.

~If an old porcelain sink is marked with metal scratches, use 400 grit wet/dry sand paper and lightly sand the markings out.

~In a small, inexpensive notebook, keep a list every day of Things to Do, People to Call, Appointments and Bills to Pay. Keep it simple but organized. Also keep a running list of gift ideas for friends and family so that when you need a gift, you already have an idea of what to get.

~Save brown paper bags and use for trash sacks, wrapping paper, drawing paper for the kids, oil leaks under cars, etc.

Washing the couch.

Today I am washing the couch. Our living/family room, and dining room are the same room. Our couch is about 10 ft. from the table. The good news is I don't have far to set the table, the bad news is that David (2 yrs.) will jump up from the table with sticky hands and face and flop himself on the couch.

Well, needless to say my couch covers have finger stuff all over them! Today was such a beautiful day (almost 80) that I decided to wash the cushion covers and the pillows. I took them off, put stain stuff on threw them in the washer.

Now, before I knew better I would just take the cushions outside and hose them down and scrub. Of course they didn't always dry real well and I had one set mold on me. YUCK!

Now I take off the cushions, wash and then put them back on to let them dry so they don't shrink. You can't do this will all couch material but if you do decide to do it at least you can learn from my mistake! :-)

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com