A long week.

Well, this has been a really long week for Mike. He is working on an emergency preparedness video for the local PBS station. He is also doing the book stuff and cleaning trashed out houses for a realtor. Which by the way is an EXCELLENT source of income if someone needs a part time job.

Anyway, we are also going to be trying to do a HUGE Back to School promo next week. We are going to be giving away over $300 worth of free e-books on everything from organizing, saving money and homeschool freebies. We are also going to be having a sale on all our stuff. Mike is working himself ragged but we really need to get a boost in our income. He took off most of July for the move and septic problems and so we lost out on one month's worth of pay.

One thing I wanted to mention that was in his video. I hadn't heard this before but to make sure you car if always half full and keep 2-3 5 gallon gas cans filled all the time. That way if you need to get out in a hurry you won't have to stop at the gas station for gas. It may be closed and there could be huge lines! Also, have some cash on hand! Save back $500 and keep it at home if you can. You probably won't be able to get the banks either!

Just thought I would pass on those tips! Tawra

"Garage Sales aren't worth it."

It's funny I hear that all the time. I was thinking that same thing this morning and then I caught myself. Ok, I wasn't thinking it wasn't worth it like some people do just for me on this particular day because I have a really bad cold, it's Labor day weekend and there were only 2 sales.

But...after thinking for a minute I thought "Tawra, where is your brain! Of course it's worth it!"

Of my "bombing out" at garage sale I got a pet carrier which we needed for the cat for $2 (saving $30), a memory foam bed topper for $5 (saving $60) and 2 portable compost bins $2 (saving $20). We have really been wanting a pet carrier so if there is a natural or otherwise disaster we can get Penny out easily.

So for 30 minutes worth of time and $4 worth of gas (that's a high estimate) I saved $110! I can't work and earn $220/hour!

Even on my worst garage sale days it's always worth it. We still haven't found a couch. I am waiting to try and find one for $200 or less that is new and in excellent shape. It's been 2 months but we are getting along fine with the 2 recliners and the kids in the bean bags.

I am going to keep waiting. Sept. and Oct. are great months for garage sales around here so I'm sure I will find one eventually.

Tawra

Clothes Savings

We had a huge response from our tips on saving on clothes.
I wanted to mention that we didn't use the tip to shop at thrift stores and garage sales because we just assumed that most frugal folks don't buy clothes new that often. I spend about $250 a year on clothes for my family of 5 and I only way I can do that is by yard sales and the DAV!
Tawra


From: Darlene O.
Just a tip. If you hang clothing to wear a
second time, hang it inside out. This will let
you know to wash it after this wearing


From: Kim H.
I just received your email on clothing and ways
to save, and you missed an obvious choice that a
good many people do not know about: Thrift
Stores. You can get good quality clothing for
yourself and kids...and yes, I have found things
that are STILL in style at the local thrift
stores...and the cost of outfitting kids for
school can be cut drastically if you look for
good quality clothing in their size or the next
size up that they can wear; most times, no one
knows where I have gotten my nice clothes that I
have received compliments on...and I don't
volunteer the information unless I'm pressed on
the matter...which is not often...*LOL*...

Also...we have picked up purses, shoes,
backpacks, duffel bags, craft supplies and such
at the local thrift stores...look at those places
FIRST before you go and buy at the the big box
stores...you would be surprised at what you can
find there...most of my kitchen electronic
appliances have come from there; and they have
served me well over the years...*S*...

I almost ALWAYS hit the thrift store several
times BEFORE I buy anything I am specifically
looking for new...9 times out of 10, I will find
either what I am looking for..or find something
that will substitute before I have to pay full
price for that specific item...

Have a GREAT day! -- Kim H.


From: Gina C.
I wanted to suggest to you another way to save
lots of money on clothes....especially for kids:
hand-me-downs. If you have two (or more) children
of the same gender then I would suggest buying
five or so outfits with the highest quality you
can afford for the larger sized child, utilize the
"play clothes" concept, and pass them on to the
smaller sized child when appropriate. You can save
A LOT of money this way. You can also shop
high-quality used clothing shops (I don't know if
you can mention names, but I love The Children's
Orchard).

If you don't have two children of the
same gender, look to cousins, good friends, etc.
and consider talking about doing some type of
cost-splitting (just make sure the whole $$ issue
doesn't get in the way of your friendship!!)
Finally, you can take your child's outgrown
clothing in to the used clothing shops and, if it
is in good shape, get "store credit" for "new"
clothes. Every little bit helps!


From: Kelly H.
Hello! Love your tips and emails.
I buy A LOT of my clothes at Good Will. And I
LOVE brand names. I'm rather shallow that way.
BUT, I can't afford a lot of the names I like
buying them at full price. We have a bunch of
Good Will stores in our city (Richmond, VA), but
we also have one that is considered
the "boutique" of them all (and another one
opened recently that's where all the really high
end names go...I bought a REAL - yes real - Louis
Vuitton purse for $45!!! I had it looked at and
it's a real one.). I love Polo, Hillfiger,
Talbot, etc....and I've gotten stuff with the
tags still on for under $10! I even got a Kate
Spade purse (looked brand new) for $10! They
always have one of the colored tags on for 50%
off every day, so my goal is almost always to try
and find a sale item. I give my kids that goal,
too, and they love it! Never discount these
stores, or consignment stores!


I always love getting your newsletter! I also absolutely ADORE my "Not Just Beans" cookbook.

I have another tip for getting food out of clothes. Keep baby wipes around and use them to daub the stain when it's fresh. (think about what these are designed to clean -- food wastes) My kids are teens, but I almost always have wipes around for this (as well as cleaning my rubber stamps).

Another product I love (sort of hard to find, though) is Fels Naptha laundry soap (made by Dial, usually about a buck or two). It's an old-fashioned laundry bar soap (which will last several years). Just wet the stain and rub the bar into it and let it set for a few minutes before washing. Gets out just about everything from chocolate to grass stains. We also use it to wash body parts that have been exposed to poison ivy.
--Valerie

I always try dish detergent on stains, particular grease or oil stains, first and if that doesn't work I've found that carpet cleaner, such as Resolve, will take out many stains that nothing else will touch. As you say above, spot test first but so far I haven't had any color fabrics damaged with the carpet cleaner.


From: Jennifer K.

I am a big fan of the children's semi annual
consignment sales that we have around here. I
have three children and can purchase a whole
seasons worth of clothes for around $100 to $150
( and that is for all three kids). Some of the
clothes even still have tags. The prices range
from $1 to $6. It also saves time because I
just go one time to get all three clothes and
the sales are twice a year. The clothes look as
though they are never worn or slightly worn. It
has saved us a lot of money!


Hello Tawra,

In response to your clothes article, and cleaning clothes: I got a grease stain on a cotton blouse from a flake of fried fish batter, which I didn’t notice until hours after the fact. I put baby powder on a cotton ball, dabbed the mark front & back, and let the powder set on the garment overnight. The next day I brushed off the powder residue, washed the blouse, and it disappeared. I was very pleased with the results, as there was absolutely no mark left. I’m not sure if a heavy oil stain would come out on other types of fabric, but I will be trying this method with my children’s clothing, as they sometimes wipe greasy fingers on their pants.

Take care,
Carmen from Alberta


From: Patti
JUST WANTED TO SEND YOU AN IDEA THAT I HAVE USED
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN BUYING CLOTHING
FOR MY CHILDREN AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

I LIVE IN MINNESOTA, AND WE HAVE A STORE NAMED
SAVERS. THIS STORE CARRIES USED CLOTHING, MUCH
LIKE GOODWILL, ETC. I HAVE TWO TEENAGE GIRLS,
AND THIS STORE HAS BEEN A GOD-SEND. I CAN GO IN
THERE, AND WALK OUT A COUPLE HOURS LATER WITH
ABOUT $200.00 WORTH OR CLOTHING, AND ONLY HAVE
SPENT MAYBE $50.00!!!!

THE CLOTHING IS IN GOOD SHAPE, THEY HAVE NAME-
BRANDS, AND ALL SIZES. I HAVE EVEN BOUGHT SHIRTS
THERE FOR MY HUSBAND.

THIS STORE ALSO HAS USED TOYS, DISHES, GAMES,
FURNITURE, YOU NAME IT! AT HALLOWEEN, THIS IS
THE PLACE TO GO TO FIND COSTUMES!


Tawra,

This is how my 19 year old son and girlfriend had an ultra frugal prom date last year.

It was their second prom for them to go to together, so they were over trying to impress everyone, somewhat anyway ;-)
She had bought her dress on sale for $25 and had found someone who did flowers on the side as a home business, so all that was taken care of.

He was bemoaning the cost of tux rental, and I mentioned I'd keep my eyes open for formal wear when I did my thrift store shopping. I also mentioned this to my mother-in-law. This reminded her that PaPa owned a tux, and she suggested that he would be happy if his grandson could make use of it. It turned out to be all wool from the 1940s complete with bow tie, cummerbund and cuff links. It fit reasonably well, the pants especially so.

One thing we had to take care of was the white, tucked shirt had what looked like a small spaghetti sauce stain. I had no idea how old the stain was, but there were tickets to the opera from the l970s in one of the pockets!! Thinking it might be an old stain, I bought some stain remover from WalMart which said it was for the toughest stains. (Spray & Wash Dual Power) You put it on & let it sit 5 minutes, then launder. It took it right out. My son really didn't use the coat as it was a bit snug (would have been difficult/impossible to altar), and it was too warm anyway. He looked pretty spiffy in the ruffled shirt, tie and cummerbund, and I have used the stain remover to reclaim some other stained clothing.


I was reading your articles about clothes and how
to save on them. Here's a little FYI. Levi
Strauss jeans (levi's & Levi Strauss) have a
guarantee on them. If the crotch rips or the
pockets rip you can return them to Levi's for a
new pair. My husband is an electrician and he is
forever ripping the crotch out or the back
pockets rip. I was searching Levi's website and
found their guarantee. All you have to do is
print out a consumer form and mail the jeans to
them. We have replaced about 10 pair of jeans.
Levi's are a little more expensive but with this
guarantee we haven't had to buy a new pair in
almost 2 years. It's been great.

I've included the Levi's website,
www.levistrauss.com, from there you click on the
company tab on the left side, then go to FAQ, and
scroll down to Levi Strauss Signature Prod and
click on the question about quality control
returns, from there it will ask you to print off
a consumer form and give you directions on what
to do. I hope this is helpful to you. I know
any money saved is helpful.

Have a great day.

Fran C.


I enjoy your newsletter very much but.... I must
be more frugal than I was aware of since because
very few of the ideas are new to me.
but.....thats ok some have been good reminders.. I
have a clothes care tip. I've had quite good
results removing stains from clothing using carpet
spot and stain remover and also mildew remover. I
figure if the item is already unwearable due to a
stain or spot what have I got to lose right! Have
a safe Labor and thanks for the newsletter Connie



From: Debbie
Just wanted to hopefully add an idea to your
clothing topic.

I have found a great church yardsale that is held
one day a year and it is whatever you can fit in
a bag for a dollar. All the money raised goes to
the food shelf. I find the majority of all our
clothing needs at this sale. This is an upscale
church and everything there is usually in perfect
or near perfect condition.

What I wanted to share in about Fels Naptha. It
is a bar of soap that can remove most all stains
(even old set in ones) for pennies. You can buy
the soap in most stores-it may be in the bar soap
area instead of laundry. I simply wet my stain ,
rub on the wet bar of fels naptha and add the
item to my regular laundry. When I think of all
the stain removal stuff I have bought in the past-
I cringe, when this is so affordable and lasts so
long.


I was reading you newsletter (which I look
forward to getting) on saving money on clothes. I
have three boys ages 9 months to 4 1/2 years and
I as they get older they are going through their
clothes faster. Last spring I bought more
clothes for my boys than I normally would. But
the wonderful thing is that I where I live
(Montana) our K-mart is very small so there a
incredible sales to clean out the store at the
end of each season to make room for next season.
I waited until the last minute and ended up
getting a full wardrobe of winter clothes for my
oldest son for this coming winter. All of which
were 50% off their clearance price, so know I am
always checking for clearances. Thank you for
all you do and your wonderful cookbooks. Shine
for the Lord, Sara


I loved the clothes article. One thing I learned (I was a home economics major) is before you buy anything, make sure you have three things you can wear with it. Example: can those black slacks go with three of the tops you already have; that dress, can you wear it with another sweater or jacket to change the look. I have appreciated and used this idea ever since I heard of it.

Melodie S.


Hi Tawra and Jill, Love your book and
newsletters..I had a comment and tips on the
saving money on clothes category. I have just in
the past 11 months dropped 70 pounds and 6 pants
sizes. So you can imagine the clothes I have
been through. Thankfully enough I work inside
the home and don't need special work clothes.
But this is what I did. Every time my clothes
went down a size I would take them to Good will
(tax write off!!) and dump them off and then shop
Good will for new ones. You can really find some
great stuff there. I do live in a larger
community in AZ and there are about 7 Good Will
locations within about 15 minutes. But it is all
about patience. You never know what you will
find in those places. I got a brand new skirt
for 1.50, with the tag still on!! I am also
going to school to get my Master's in Education
and it does require me to do some classroom
observations so now I do need clothes to wear
outside the home. I am telling you, do not be
ashamed to go in those places... I once read your
blog or something you wrote about your hubby
needing a suit coat and you just kept checking and
checking and finally you found one. That is what
I do...I buy most of our clothes there or off the
clearance racks. Thanks again for all that you
and Jill do.

Marcie in AZ


From: Georgie
Actually I just wanted to tell you about a stain
fighter that I learned of from an older friend of
mine. She told me to use pine sol. I thought
she was crazy but for 99% of the stains (even set
in stains & grease stains) it worked! It
rejuvenated a blouse I had retired and my
husbands incessant ring-around the collar! I even
used the generic version you get from the Dollar
Tree and it worked!! Try it you will definitely
like it! Use directly on the stain, let sit for
a little bit and launder. I even add pine sol to
the laundry machine now!!


From: Mary Beth

Our children's school requires uniforms to be
worn. This can be costly when you also have to
have regular every day clothes. Instead of
spending hundreds of dollars like other Moms, I
took last year's uniform slacks, and cut them off
for longer shorts, which the kids can wear for
the first 2 months, and that gives me time to
save up for long pants, (1 pair per week) to have
by the time the weather gets cooler. I also cut
off the sleeves from last year's winter polos,
and make this year's short sleeve shirts to begin
the school year, since they will not fit again
come spring. I really did not have to spend all
that much on clothing, recycling last years
winter items. It pays to learn to sew !!
Also, when drapes begin to show wear, cut them
off and hem for "toppers". Recycle bed sheets as
the same, trim, and hem!!

Refinishing Furniture.

Well, we got a ton of reader tips on refinishing furniture. I do it all the time and just love it!

I am in the middle of doing my "new" dining room table and will post the results later this week.
Here are a few tips that I wanted to pass along from readers.

This is the method I used. Tawra

In my experience, when polyurethaning a wood table
top, there are three things you MUST do to keep the
finish nice and a few suggestions.
First, you HAVE to keep your coats of polyurethane
thin or light.
Second, you HAVE to let it dry completely between
coats. This can take as little as 12 hours to as
much as a week, depending on the humidity of where
you are refinishing your piece. You will know it is
dry when it is no longer tacky to the touch - if it
seems at all sticky, let it dry longer. Fans can
help speed up this process, but you have to be
careful not to blow dirt at your piece!
Third, you HAVE to sand between coats. This isn't
power sanding mind you. 400 grit sand paper on an
orbital sander (being careful to move lightly and
quickly) or some steel wool. You are accomplishing
two things with the sanding - removing any air
bubbles that may have developed and 'scuffing' the
surface to better take the next coat of
polyurethane.
I typically do four coats of poly on a table top,
because they have to endure so much. I also
hand-rub my poly on. Meaning I use a rag (or
heavy-duty paper towel) to literally rub the poly
onto the table top. It helps me keep the layers of
polyurethane thin. I get my pieces to dry within
12-24 hours between coats by polyurethaning in an
air conditioned room (that I can shut off from the
rest of the house) when it is humid outside. I
prefer oil-based polyurethane and I am a fan of
Minwax, because I feel it gives the smoothest
finish. However, if the piece will get sunlight, be
aware that all oil-based polyurethanes will yellow
over time if sitting in the sun.
If you don't like to polyurethane and want a
one-coat option, you could always do a resin finish
on top. Only comes in high gloss finish, very very
durable (like 100 coats of poly), but it is tricky
to put on without any air bubbles and requires
pretty constant baby sitting in the first 12 hours.
But, then you're done!
Good luck with your piece!


For your tabletop, may I recommend foregoing the urethane? Sand, wipe with denatured alcohol, stain if desired, then put linseed oil on it. It will take a day or two for the linseed oil to dry.

This is how furniture artisans do a hand rub. I think you will like the result, and it is easy to repair the little damages that occur with kids.

The other thing you can do if you do not want to use linseed oil is just to use a hard wax. You can hard wax the top about once a month and have a beautiful piece. Hard wax is actually what Baker furniture recommends for its fine bench-made items.

In any case, do NOT use a water based urethane. It will not last; is poisonous, and generally a pain.

Good luck,
Sharon W.


From: Sheila R.

I am happy to hear the hints about doing your
table , I am currently trying to re-do our
kitchen table. With 3 boys in the family , it has
taken quite a beaten over the years and was
looking so sad. So instead of replacing it I
decided to re-do it.

Also we were short chairs
because one had broken and having 5 in the family
there of course were not enough. I looked at
getting the same kind , however they could be as
much as $150 a piece , so I held off for a
while . I am now working part-time at a scratch
and dent and new used furniture store. We had some
really nice chairs come in that were new. I got
the 6 of them for $185 plus tax. I felt that was
really good. Now I will have a whole new look for
a much lesser cost. Thanks again. Have a great
day.


Hi Tawra, it is me, sheila from back int he old Frugal Friends days, remember me? I saw on your blog that you got a dinning room table. I can tell you what I did. i have awful luck with poly urethane... so it depends on the table style, but mine is kind of rustic looking so this worked- I just put antiquing oil on it, several coats. It gives a shine and protects it but you don't have to strip it to add more, you can just add more whenever you want. Gee I hope that makes sense.

Sheila Pierson

Defending eating out

From: Eleanor L.
I agree with many of your ideas. But, we are in
our eighties and would like to defend "eating
out'. My husband enjoy this practice a few times
a week. I eat very little meat so he orders the
entree, shares a few bites with me and I order
sides. This is a more than adequate meal for the
two of us, at a cost of less than $20, and no
leftovers to throw away later.. We also enjoy
eating breakfast at a local restaurant a few
times a week and enjoy meeting other friends and
neighbors. I recently went through my staples
and ended up throwing a number of boxes away
because they were out-dated. Even though I use a
standard mix mix, I don't use it up before it
becomes out-dated. I think companies are
shortening their shelf lives. HaHa.

We eat a lot
of fruit which can be expensive, but I am
conscious of the food pyramid. I enjoy your tips
on frugality but just had to state my view. I
know many seniors are with me on this and we
still enjoy your tips for families. Thanks
for "listening" El.


Actually I agree totally with this. Sometimes mom will go to Denny's and buy their Buy one Get One Free Senior Meals. Even though she is alone they will give her the other meal. She will eat one or part of one and take the other home to eat later that week. For $5 -$6 she can get 2-4 meals! That's a great deal! Do what works for your situation.
Tawra

Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day is the first Sunday after Labor Day, which falls on September 9th this year. Here are two special Grandparents Day activities you can plan ahead for from Melanie at www.uniqueholidaygiftideas.com


Invite the family to come together on Grandparents Day for a special work day at Grandpa and Grandma's house. Clear up the garden, put away summer supplies, paint, trim bushes or trees, clean the basement or garage - you name it...or maybe let them! Ask specifically what your grandparents would appreciate being done and tackle it together.


Take your grandparents for a trip somewhere that is apart of their past. It might be for a tour of an old workplace, a picnic on the grounds of the school they attended or a car tour of the town where they were born. Get ready ahead of time with a few questions to spark conversations about the past...and the future.

Reader's Tips on Back to School Savings

Dear Tawra,

I really enjoy your articles. I was reading today's article about the custom lunch boxes and thought that was an interesting idea. I do the same thing with pencil boxes, folders, and binders. My daughter wanted a Tinkerbelle 3 ring binder but it cost $5.15 just for that one binder. I purchased a white binder for $0.97 and then had her help find a Tinkerbelle picture on the Internet. We printed the picture on the card stock and then we attached it to the front of the binder (or you can slide the picture into the front of some binders that have those clear covers). We covered it with contact paper and she loves it. She even used some glitter glue to add a little extra to it.

We did the same thing to a plain pencil box...she wanted a character one but we improvised by adding stickers and pictures and glitter glue decorations to a cheap plain one.


Thanks again,
Christie L.


Regarding school lunches - I am a lunch lady and see what the kids discard (sandwiches, box juices, granola bars) without having even opened them. I know how expensive some of these items are! My suggestion is to tell your kids to bring home everything they don't eat. If the item is still good, they can then be eaten as their afternoon snack or used the next day. Also, be sure to tell your kids to let you know what they don't like! If they don't like it they are not going to eat it, thus it is wasted money. Be sure to pack what they like!!!


From. A. L.
Just a quick note about back to school expenses.
My mother-in-law and I found back backs on sale in
November at The Children's Place for $3.99 each.
My mother-in-law bought them for us and used them
as "Easter Baskets" the following spring. We even
found them in toddler sizes for my daughter. My
sons are still using the back packs (going on two
years). My sons are now 6 and 5 years old.
Needless to say that the backpacks have taken a
lot of wear and tear.

I have also found that it is useful to purchase
school supplies (like glue, crayons, markers,
etc.) from stores like Target or Walmart at the
end of September when they are on sale. The
supplies, which are deeply discounted, are useful
when the teacher asks for additional supplies
during the school year, for the following year, or
even to use at home for homework or crafts.

God is so good...once again!

Sorry I've been MIA. Our internet was down since Thursday and we just go it fixed yesterday.

Well, we just got back from the mediation. We didn't get the $4,000 we asked for which was half but we got $3,000 and we were willing to just let the other $1,000 go to get this done and over with. We also found out that we will be getting a small inheritance from Mike's grandmother, who died 2 weeks ago and that will cover the rest in 4-6 months.

So it looks like the septic tank will be taken care of! He was also protecting our business. We are so close to having the Best of Living On A Dime and mom's tips on living on $500 a month done and ready for the printers. Well I called the printer we normally use to get things set up and she said they had gone bankrupt! If we would have turned them in 2 months ago when I had planned on them being done we would have lost 4-6K in deposits on the book! I was feeling badly because we are so far behind on those two books but once again God meant it for good!

Then.... we overpaid on our insurance and received $850 back from our house insurance and $250 back from our car insurance! Mike is also doing real estate clean-up right now making $37 an hour! He only is doing about one a week but that's another $150.

He is working to death right now. He is working 40 hours a week doing a documentary on emergency preparedness for the PBS station here, doing the book stuff and cleaning trashed out houses and applying for jobs! There is a job opening here at the university that he is going to apply for. He is more than qualified so we hope he will get it. If he does please pray that God will send someone to help us with the book stuff because mom and I just can't do it alone.

Well that's an update on us. I think I have the flu so I think I'm going to take it easy for a little while.

Tawra

Paying for school.

We had a question below about paying to go to school.

Here in Kansas you have to pay a "textbook rental" fee, fees for field trips and fees for band, etc.

It's $75 for each student textbook fees. Last year it was about $50 for field trips for each kid and then it was $3 for magazine subscription. I have to admit that really irked me since my kids never looked at the thing. The silly part was that it was the environmental education school they went to and here they were wasting money and resources. Go figure!

It costs me around $250 to put the kids in school with no extra activities.

I would love to see more parents take a stand and "no way" am I paying for extra stupid stuff!

My best friend had to buy a her son 35 glue sticks (no that's not a typo) for kindergarten. EACH child was required to buy that many. I'm sorry but that is just crazy and just plain wasteful.

In my son's preschool class they are going to start making breakfast each morning and want each of the parents to donate food one morning a month. Well, that's all nice and good but it seems like the teachers are just making more work for themselves. Just doesn't make sense to me!

Tawra

Help needed with "new" table.

I purchased a new dining room table and chairs at a yard sale for $65 this weekend. I need to finish the top, but it won't be much to sand it down and put a coat of polyurethane on it.

I will try and put pictures on the blog as I get it done. The only bad part, according to the paint store, is that I have to let it set for 2 weeks! I haven't had much success in the past with polyurethane curing correctly so I hope this one goes better. I've only let it set a couple days before so I hope the 2 weeks will work better. Anyone have success refinishing your wood table top? If so please send me tips and what product you used!
Tawra
editor@livingonadime.com

3 in school.

Well all three kids are in school today! Yeah! I wish i could say I was doing the happy dance but I woke up really sick today. Oh well, I guess it's God's way of telling me to take a break. :-)

Mom and I cleaned up and organized the garage yesterday. Wow! It's wonderful being able to walk through it again. It's also nice to be able to find stuff when I need to fix something in the house. It's amazing how the little stuff drives you crazy! We can even park 2 cars in there now if we needed to in a hailstorm. Of course the "white car" is worth less than the riding lawn mower so I think we will keep it in there instead! LOL

I am still on a the sugar free diet. I am going to try and follow the plan in "you on a diet" by Dr. OZ. He is the most "normal" sounding doctor I've heard in a long time about getting your body in shape. He's a good "moderate" doctor which is nice for a change. He tells you to eat well but knows that we are human and will mess up now and then. Some of these people who want no wheat, no corn, no milk, no red meat, no yeast etc. just make it so hard that it's unrealistic.

Maybe if I follow his plan, which is simple, normal food, instead of just eating what I want that will help me stay with it better.

Well I better run for now! Have a good day!
Tawra

School Expenses

From: norma

I noticed in your budgets there was no allowances
for school expenses,such as lunch money,activity
fees,book rental,field trips,school pictures etc.



First those budgets were made before Tawra had children in school but even now that she does have them in school and when I had mine in school we haven't found that we have enough school expenses to even really have to budget them in. For example kids are going to eat a lunch whether they are at home or in school so that just goes into general food expense.

If you find school lunches are more then just send them a sack lunch.

Activities are limited. The kids can pick 2-3 activities a year that we pay for and anything more they need to earn the money for it themselves. This may seem harsh or unfair to some but what is interesting is most of the time what happens is that the kids find they didn't want to go to the activity as much as they thought they did if they have to pay for it.

Things like field trips can get out of hand sometimes so if possible talk to the teacher and find out which ones are required or not. Often a lot of them the teacher just mentions but they aren't required.

School pictures, if you really must get them buy the smallest amount. I'm a grandma now and as much as I love getting pictures of my grandkids I really don't care if they are school pictures or something sent to me over the Internet so don't feel that you have to buy enough pictures for every Tom, Dick and Harry or even grandma. If grandma really wants them just say we can't afford them and if they want them that bad they can buy them. I just recently found packets and packets of school pictures of my kids packed away. I thought why am I keeping 40 pictures of the same pose and they weren't even very good pictures of my kids in the first place.

I guess part of what I'm saying is if you just don't have the money for these things there usually is a way around them. You need to just say no to your kids or talk to the teacher to see if there is some other alternative. Jill


Visit us for money saving tips and free recipes!
www.LivingOnADime.com

Leg Waxing Ouch!

From: Sandra

So in an effort to stop spending so much money, I
decided to learn to wax myself. YIKES! So after
several failed and painful attempts I still
refuse to go back to spending as much as I used
to (which was about $100 per month with tip). Do
you have any ideas for successful and less
painful waxing?



No pain, no gain. HA! HA! Seriously, I shave or use something like Nair because that saves me money and causes less pain. If you have to wax because you can't shave etc., you might try a more high end wax which is more expensive but still is less expensive than going to have it done. Hope this helps, Jill


Visit us for money saving tips and free recipes!
www.LivingOnADime.com

School Has Started!

Yeah!!

Well BJ and Elly started school yesterday. It went really well and they just love it. David starts pre-school on Tuesday. We met his teacher today and she is really nice. I think he's going to love it to. My kids are so social. You would never know they came from me!! LOL Mike is a social butterfly too so you know they get it from him!

Mom took David yesterday morning for me so I could have the house all to myself. Wow! I got all the dishes done, the entire house vacuumed, everything picked up and two loads of laundry done in 30 minutes! I didn't count the drying time on the laundry.

It was so wonderful to have a completely clean house for 3 hours! :-)

The only bad part is as soon as the kids came home I got so sick was on the couch and could hardly move. I have no idea why but everyday about 3:00p.m. my CFS gets really bad. Everyone said it was a blood sugar problem but I haven't been on sugar for over 2 weeks now so that can't be. (which by the way isn't going well at all) It's the strangest feeling because you can just sort of feel it "wash" over you. It's like someone is taking a bucket of water and pouring it over your head and you entire body just goes limp. It's the strangest thing.

The no sugar diet isn't going well at all. I lost 6 lbs. the first week but then gained it back this week eating stuff like almonds. I am just sort of eating stuff that has no carbs or good carbs which is only oatmeal right now. I have to admit that I am about to go crazy. I was going to make some of those cookies a reader suggested below but ran out of oatmeal. I know that cutting out the sugar is helping some but it's not helping that much to make it worth it!

David tripped and fell and cut his lip on the inside on their bunk bed last night. He's ok but we did take him to the emergency room to make sure he didn't need stitches. He has a fat lip now and it's hurting him but he will be ok.

We found out they put in a new emergency room here last year so we don't have to drive 20 miles to go when we need it, which seems frequently in our family! :-)

Well I will run for now. I will try and take some pictures of my garage sale find this week an put it on here later.


Have a good weekend! Tawra

High EfficiencyWashers

I have to say that this is on my list to get as soon as we can save up! Tawra


From: Jeannie W.
I just discovered your site/newsletter a few
months ago and I wanted to thank you for all the
great info & tips. I also wanted to share my
washing machine story with you. It's a bit
long - I apologize for that. Our washer died
suddenly & we bought another from Lowe's
scratch & dent.

While at Lowes, my husband & I
discussed my "hatred" of the front loading
machines. They are ridiculously expensive, just
a fad, look like a laundry mat... We got home
with our "new" washer & discovered it had no
plumbing inside it! What a mess it made and
back to the store it went.

My husband returned
it without me and came home all excited because
he had bought us "A Machine!". Yes - the
dreaded front loading type! I was furious! It
was expensive, bla bla bla and I went on ranting
& raving about how much I didn't like that
type. Well, I am eating some crow now!! It is
the best invention ever!! It easily washes 2 or
3 times as much as our old washer.

We were concerned about our old dryer keeping up because
it barely dried the old smaller loads, but the
new front loader washer spins the clothes so
much dryer, I am now able to dry twice as many
clothes in 20 minutes less time! It also uses
only a fraction of the water the old machine
used. We were having problems with our
drain field because of our old washer, but it's
no longer a concern. (I feel for Tawra on that
one!! LOL)

It does require special detergent,
and while it is a little more expensive than
what we'd been using, it works out to be cheaper
because I'm using less. It also requires a
fraction of the fabric softener and bleach. So,
now, instead of doing 2 or 3 loads of wash every
day, I'm averaging 5 loads a week. I can't
believe how excited I am about a washing
machine, but I am. I imagine it will pay for
itself in a year with what we save on electricity
alone.

Sorry this was so long winded, but I wanted to
pass on my story in case someone else out there
is in need of a new washer. The front loader is
SO worth the cost. Specially if you get a
scratch & dent model. Ours was originally $999
and we got it for $500.

Thanks for letting me ramble on about washing
machines... LOL

Jeannie

No sugar cookies.

Here's the recipe. Emily, how long do you bake them? I'm assuming 10 minutes or so but wanted to make sure. Thanks! Tawra


Oh, the refined carbs and white sugar are so bad for your blood sugar and your hormones! I hope that cutting them out helps you to get your health to where you want it.

One of my favorite "cookies" uses unsweetened applesauce (1/3 c.), bananas (3), oatmeal (2 c.), milk (1/4 c.), raisins, vanilla (1 tsp) and cinnamon (1 tsp). Chewy, but great for a "quick" breakfast with no unnatural sugars. I'll buy up the clearance bananas and make a huge batch to freeze some.

Storing Blankets.

I have a ton of blankets. We probably have 30 of them all over the place. The thing is we really need to keep them in case the heat goes out in winter. We lost electricity in an ice storm for a week once. Fortunately we were able to stay at my brothers house but you never know when the entire city will be out and I don't want to have 5 of us stuck in -20 weather in Kansas in the middle of winter.

We love the idea of the Space Bags where you can suck the air out of a bag with your stuff in it and then it flattens. When I got some they didn't work worth anything so I took them back.

Well mom and I decided to make our own so we could put them up in the attic.

We got some large construction grade garbage bags and put the blankets in.










Then we wrapped the opening around the vacuum cleaner and sucked the air out.







Then we duct taped the end shut. It didn't do to bad. Now all my blankets are in the attic, free from bugs and dust just waiting for winter. :-)

Tawra

Saving the "white car".

I'm trying to figure out how to put pictures on here. So far it seems really complicated but I'm going to forge on and try and figure it out.

Mike drives the "white car". It's a 91 Buick Skylark that has seen better days. We paid $2500 for it in 1998 so we got our money out it.

Well we just don't have the cash right now to buy a new one so we fired up the "white car" again. It's been parked for 1 1/2 years so we had all the fluids changed and the brakes fixed. It cost around $350 but that's much cheaper than a new car.

Well, Mike hated it because it had started to rust out. We decided to do a paint job ourselves with a can of white rustoleum we found in the paint box in the garage.

Well, it didn't turn out to bad, if you look at it from 30 feet away without your glasses on! LOL

What's funny is my grandfather paints cars professionally. Poor guy almost had a heart attack when I told him what we did!

Tawra

Back to school party.

Yesterday we had a back to school party for the kids. I put some temporary color in my hair and it took out the orange somewhat so the kids weren't totally embarrassed by mom's hair. LOL

The kids didn't get to say good-bye to their friends before we moved so we had a short party for them. I wanted to share one of the games we played.

You put a blindfold on the kids. Then you put a bowl on their head and fill another bowl on the floor with cotton balls. Then they have 30 seconds to spoon as many cotton balls into the bowl on their head.


They just loved it! It was an easy party game. We did several others but that and bingo were the biggest hits.


Tawra

No sugar cookies.

Emily posted a recipe on some oatmeal cookies below that sounded great even without sugar. Can you tell me how long you bake them? Thanks! Tawra

My hair is orange.

Oh man did I mess up! I started turning gray about 10 years ago but about 2 years ago when I started a new medication it really started turning gray. I have pretty much been coloring it since then. I've always done it myself and haven't had any problems....until now. I decided to highlight it yesterday instead of color it. It's summer and the kids and I have been going to the pool a lot so I thought I would just do that instead.

It looked great! I was so glad it turned out since I don't normally highlight it. Well we went to the pool yesterday afternoon and when I got home it was ORANGE! AUGH!!!!!! I look like a dork now. Tomorrow we are going to a new church and we are having a party in the afternoon for the kids. They didn't get to say good-bye to the their friends from school so I told them we would have a "going back to school party" for them. I have no clue what to do with it now. Oh well, I guess it's almost fall so I'll blend right in. Mike said to add that he's wondering if I'm going to break out in a chorus of Time after Time. hehehe. I guess I'm doing a Cyndi Lauper impression right now.

We had a pretty cool thing happen to us yesterday. With all the moving we have put a bunch of stuff on our credit card. We always pay it off each month but this month it got up to $1800. We had the money in the bank but had to use it because Mike hasn't work hardly at all in June and July because of the move. Well, we had enough to pay $1100 of it. We really wanted to pay it off and thought we might be able to scrape up enough to pay it off next week online before it was due but we weren't sure. Well it was mildly stressing us out. We hate carrying balances and have never carried a balance that we didn't transfer to a 0% card. I hated to transfer just $700.

Would you believe that we got an $800 check in the mail yesterday!!!! God is so good! We just couldn't believe it. Apparently when we bought the house we paid the insurance twice and didn't know it! We were so excited! Now if he would just send me a Snickers bar in the mail I will be set! hehehe (Can you tell the no sugar isn't going very well. :-)

I don't know what to eat. It's been 12 days and it's not getting easier. If anything it's getting harder. I don't know if I will be able to make until October 30! I got the You, On A Diet book by Dr. Oz and am going to see if he has any good suggestions. I'm about to go crazy trying to figure it out. I might try the cookies below that a reader sent. They sound good and I love oatmeal.

Another good deal is that I've been going to Lowe's almost everyday on the way to and from swim lessons. They mark down their mulch and compost to .50 and $1 a bag if they are broken open. I've been collecting a bunch for when I start gardening this fall. They also have had plants that are on the way to being dead marked down. I've gotten over $300 worth of plants for about $20!! I am so excited! A couple did die but I only lost $1.50 so it's not a big deal. I got some plants that I've always wanted like hydrangeas and crape myrtles! Yeah!! I can't wait to start gardening in a few weeks. It's in the 100's right now so there's no way I can do it now but I'm getting my garden gloves ready! hehehe

Well, that's all for now. I better run. Have a good rest of the weekend! Tawra

Pickle Popsicles.

Ok, I admit this is a new one to me but hey it might be worth a try. Thanks Roxie! Tawra


Reading your newsletter a few moments ago I was
amused to see the tip to re-use pickle juice.
This past week in the Austin American Statesman
newspaper was a huge article about the 'newest'
favorite flavor of frozen pops. Take a wild guess
what that flavor was...Yep, pickle juice pops.
Both sweet and sour. I think I will pass on this
one, but you might consider passing it on. Some
people might like it.

I like fried dill pickles, never in a million years did I think about frying
pickles. But after I tasted them I had to admit
they taste good. But then to me anything that is
dipped in a batter and fried in fat has a good
taste...

You are doing a great job with the newsletter.
Hope the home side of life is getting easier.
Roxie

Easy Potato Salad

Ladies, I love all the helpful recipes and money
saving ideas. I was reading how to make your
potato salad and thought you might like to hear
about mine. I think it might be at least as
frugal as yours.

Aldi's canned white potatoes - 2 or 3 cans
open and drain each can, then rinse each can
under cold water at least 3 times. It is
important to get the the water from the cans
rinsed off.

1/2 medium onion
4 ribs of celery
4 sweet pickles
3 boiled eggs

about 1 large tsp. yellow mustard
about 4 heaping tabs. Miracle Whip (bought on
sale of course)

Chop up your potatoes, dice up everything else.
Mix in mustard and Miracle Whip.
Chill over night or all day. I usually cover
with aluminum foil to keep all the odors from
mixing with the ice cubes or pudding.

Anyway, just wanted to share this with you.
Sometimes you run out of fresh potatoes and
sometimes you're snowed in. We all love this.
Hope you will too.

Linda C, Ohio

Backpacks

I had several readers write in about backpacks and their warranties and other ideas. I thought I would pass on their tips.
One thing we do is look all year long for backpacks in new or near new condition at the thrift store and yard sales. This we didn't find any so I did buy them some new ones but I always keep my eye out.
Tawra

I had to share the rule when I was growing up. My mom would provide the first backpack, lunch box etc, but if I needed another one due to neglect, abuse, etc, it was my responsibility to replace it. I learned very early to take care of my possessions.


From:Rhonda
I know this may sound "expensive" but I bought
each of my 3 children a backpack from LLBean.
They were $45.00 each. The beauty of all of this
is that , LLBean replaces the backpack if
anything happens to it. My daughter is now a
college grad and still has the back packet , it
was replaced 3 different times, without question
by the company.
I felt it ws a very wise buy.
P.S.I mailed it back, but they reimbursed for the S/H costs. Quite a Deal

I am new to the web site and love the ideas. Just
a thought after reading the most recent
newsletter re: school supplies. I bought my son a
Jansport backpack in 3rd grade. Pricey I know,
but he is a senior this year and still uses this
pack. It will easily get through this year an
into college next year(if he wants!) It cost $26
back then. I just found a new one online for
24.95. And i am sure yard sales offer them MUCH
cheaper. Oh, and I think they have a 100%
lifetime warranty, so you can replace a broken
bag. Thanks for helping me make the most of what
I make!

No Sugar!!??? Now What????

Just shoot me now! Well, I'm sorry I've been missing for awhile. Things have been rough here getting ready for back to school shopping, the kids in swim lessons and trying to get unpacked. To top it off I went to the hormone doctor last Tuesday after waiting four months to get in.

I was never so encouraged and discouraged at the same time. I was discouraged because I spent $185 for her to tell me that to start she wants me to keep a PMS Chart, cut out all sugar, corn and white carbs, exercise and take some over the counter vitamins from the compounding pharmacy and then come back in 10 weeks! Augh!!! Why didn't they just tell me that when I called 4 months ago and we could have been to step two by now. I have been so sick and I am sure it's my hormones and thyroid making my CFS and FM worse and another 10 weeks seems like an eternity.

I just wanted to cry when I left. I went to the pharmacy and got the mega vitamins and primrose oil ($60!!). I told him that I was going to see a doc in TX and he asked who. I told him the name and he said that he's one of the best. I asked if I should have gone to him instead and he said "no your doctor is just as good as he is". So I feel much better that she does know what she's doing and just starting by eliminating stuff. I just wish they would have told me that 4 months ago! Oh well it's at least a start. Now I'm just trying to figure out what to eat. The good news is I've lost 6lbs. already.

I did get David in Pre-school. I am so excited! He will go 4 mornings a week. He is such a social butterfly that I think he will just love it. Mike will be working this month on a special show for the TV station so I will have the house all to myself in 10 days and 12 hours but who's counting. :-)

Well, that's the short version. I will try and write more later. Hopefully I can keep up better in a few days! Tawra

Depriving Kids Comment

When I found your website, I was relieved to find
people who think like me!

I am a single mother of two who does not get any
child support or government subsidies...I am
literally a "sole support parent."

Do I think my children are financially deprived?
Heck, no! If anything, my financial situation
has been a blessing to the three of us because it
has taught us resourcefulness, creativity and
prioritizing. God has used this situation to
bring out qualities and strengths in me that I
was unaware of back in my pre-children life.

My children and I make the Christmas presents
that we give to people, we don't buy what we
don't need, and we have really put "reduce, reuse
and recycle" into practice. We shop at thrift
stores and yard sales and I have become "the
resource queen" (as my friends call me) about any
free activities going on in a 25-km. radius.

My 14-year old babysits my younger one when I go
out once a week to my support group (that's
pretty much it for a regular social life) and I
pay him. His job is to give his little sister
his undivided attention by listening to her,
playing what she wants to play, reading to her
and then putting her to bed. This way, I get out
and get the support I need (which helps me to be
a better parent), my son gets $$$$, and my
daughter gets special quality time during which
she chooses the activity, toys, etc. My son
feels responsible and proud of the $$$ he has
earned and the job he has done, and he has become
very competent at saving his $$$.

I have taught my children that before buying they
need to ask themselves:

- Will I use it? How often?
- Am I willing to pay this price? Is there a
better price?
- Will I tire of this thing quickly?

Anyway, I could go on and on.

I love your website...I visit it frequently and I
love the newsletter. I have given your website
address to a number of people at my church.
Livingonadime.com has been a real blessing to me
and my kids.

Keep up the great work and God bless!
Theresa O

Back to school savings.

Hi,

I wanted to let everyone know that the Dollar
General Stores have a rebate catalog that runs
till 9/9/07. The best buys I found were the
Fruit of the Loom packaged underclothes with
$1.00 rebate on each package up to 5 packages.
Also the Gildan/Bobbie Brooks Socks 8pk for
$4.00 plus $1.00 rebate on each package up to 5
packages. And, my personal favorite Dove
products buy 2 and get $2.50 rebate. Dollar
General also takes manufacturer's coupons as
well. For school supplies, check the sale
circulars on Sunday for Target, Kmart, Wal-mart
and the office supply stores. Or go on-line to
their websites to view the weekly circulars for
your area. I've gotten folders for a penny a
piece, packs of pencils for 5 cents at Staples.
Enjoy the savings!

Marlene
(CT native, now in SC)

Save on School Supplies

I am just giving a hint about school suplies.
Last year I looked up what my boys needed for
the basics for the next year on our school
system. I had already bought last years basics
as clearance after school started. Then I bought
everything that they needed as clearance for
this year. Especially manilla paper and
construction paper. We did change schools this
year and needed different things but I can now
give the extra to our church who gives them out
to people who really can't buy them.
I love your Web site and have given it out to
several of my friends.
Thanks
Dianne

Great Housewashing Tip!

Thank you! Tawra


Just wanted to pass along this little tip. Today my husband and I
decided to pressure wash the exterior of our home. It was fairly
dirty and it seems the spiders are really out-doing themselves
this year. We used a pesticide spayer (the kind you purchase for
spraying chemicals on weeds etc- the pump kind) and mixed a
solution of 2/3 water to 1/3 bleach. This was a very inexpensive
cleaner and did a fabulous job. We sprayed on the bleach
solution and then let it sit a few minutes then we made sure to
rinse everything throughly so no bleach was left behind. Just
wanted to pass the money saver along because I looked at siding
washing solutions and they were outrageous.

Signed Clean inside and now out :)
Malynda from Indiana

Teaching Kids about money.

A great reader tip!
Thanks, Christy L.


I have to agree with Jill's articles. I am only
31 and I saw my friends grow up spoiled. My
parents didn't make me get a job in high school,
but neither did they hand me a car or let me run
all over spending money. When I was 12, my
father gave me a $10/wk. allowance with certain
conditions. I had a choice actually. I could
keep my $3/wk. and let my parents buy my clothes
and everything else or I could take the $10 and
pay for my own clothes and stuff I wanted. (The
necessities were covered :)

I took the $10 and
have never been sorry. I never felt deprived.
In fact, I felt very fortunate. My mother was
able to be home and take care of us. My parents
paid for my college and I knew then that was a
gift. I know how to be thrifty and I know the
difference between want and need.

I SO agree that teens need something to do with
their time. That's why we see a lot of crime;
they are bored with everything. Too bad folks
can't pick up on that value again soon. This
country would turn around quick!