Tomato Basil Salad

4 large tomatoes salt and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. oil
1/3 a cup fresh basil leaves, chopped into small pieces

Dice tomatoes and combine with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and basil. Serve.
*You could also add cubes of mozzarella cheese.

Bean Salad

1 can each, whole corn, green beans, wax beans
2 cup celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped (or to taste)
1 cup green and red peppers, diced

Mix together and cover with dressing. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. This gets
better the longer it sits.

Dressing
1 cup sugar 2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup vinegar 2 tsp. salt

Combine and shake well.

Garlic Salad (This is wonderful!)

4 stalks celery 3 tsp. garlic powder
4 carrots 3 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 pint Best Foods’ or Helliman’s mayonnaise (no substitutes)

Place celery and carrots in a blender with a little water. Chop finely, drain and dry between two paper towels. Add garlic powder, garlic salt and mayonnaise. Mix well and chill overnight.

About my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
I get just about as many questions about being disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia as I do saving money. So I thought I would address the questions I get here. I AM NOT A DOCTOR!! This is only my story and what has worked and mostly what hasn’t worked for me. Please check with your doctor before trying anything new.

For those of you feeling discouraged because of lack of belief from family, friends and/or your doctor, don’t worry!!! YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!!!! There really is something wrong with you. Most people like me lead very normal, healthy lives and then one day, bam!, just get sick and don’t get better. I started volunteering when I was 14, working when I was 15 and all through high school, made straight A’s plus worked 20 hours a week plus was in chorus which took another 20-30 hours a week. ( Can you say Type A personality? I had major plans for my life and things I wanted to do. I got sick when I was 16 in 1988. (I started doing better after being in bed for almost 3 months constantly.)

Mom, my brother and I were all diagnosed with it in 1988. We all came down with the flu and just never got well again. We finally diagnosed it ourselves after a friend told us of her friend that had the same symptoms. We had gone to doctor after doctor and they just thought we were nuts or depressed. After going to the Psychiatrists and them telling us weren’t were depressed, it got depressing! LOL

Anyway, this friend of a friend who was sick too with the same symptoms we were able to talk to her about it. Then we talked to our doctor (they had only made a name for it about 6 months earlier). He said that sounded like CFS and that was that. Since then I have been to countless doctors and still they try to diagnose something different. They all try to find something but the tests come back negative. I even had one doctor tell me I had MD even though the tests were all negative!! (What an idiot!) The Centers for Disease Control came to Wichita to conduct a study on CFS in 1990. We were one of the participants. They put us through everything you can imagine and still couldn’t find anything wrong with us. They said we were one of the most classic cases of CFS.

Anyway, I was feeling better my senior year of high school (1989-1990). After high school I went to Sweden to be an exchange student. I left in June 1990 and by then end of August I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed. I had to come home early. They walk almost exclusively there and I am pretty sure that is what triggered my relapse. (exersise makes CFS worse) They eat the most healthy diet you can imagaine so I know it wasn’t my eating habits!

I came home and tried working several times. Each time I would make myself worse and be in bed longer and longer. I finally got to the point where I could barely get out of bed to even comb my hair. I was home from Aug 1990 - Dec. 1991. I finally was able to move out and when I got on disability in April of 1992.

I lived in Springfield, Colorado a town 900 people in my grandparents small farm house that I rented for $100 a month (utilities included). I was able to get by on my $300 a month Social Security by doing that. It was hard. We were 60 miles from the nearest city and I lived with well water that froze up more days than not in the winter plus I had snow drifts that would snow me in for days at a time. It was not easy but I was on my own then so I didn’t have to worry about kids to care for.

I did go to school for Horticulture in 1993-1994 after moving to the Denver area and then Estes Park. I was still trying to at least do “something” so that when I got better I could own a greenhouse. (My dream job! I figured that way I could be getting something done while I was waiting to get well.

That’s how it all started for me. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone! It’s horrible living with constant pain, having no memory of anything and being sick and tired all the time, no matter what you do (or don’t do!) You aren’t lazy, you don’t need to “just get over it”, you need help.

Getting Diagnosed
There aren’t tests that they have to diagnose it. Basically they test you for everything from Lupus to MS to thyroid problems and everything comes back negative. Then they tell you you have CFS. There is a list of symptoms on the CDC site ( http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/ ) and you can look at them and see if they sound like you. Print it out and then take it to your doctor. If you doctor doesn’t work with you, if you can change doctors, do it until you find one that will work with you.

I KNOW that is much easier said than done. Mom is still on state medical and she can’t find a decent doctor. I’m not on state medical now and I can’t find a decent doctor. I think doctor’s in general just don’t listen. They are just too busy to really try and help now. You really have to be firm and even a dork sometimes to get them to listen to you. Keep insisting on trying something new. You shouldn’t have to be agonizing pain 24/7. You can get at least a little relief with some drugs.

Sites for information on CFS and FM.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/
http://www.immunesupport.com/healthwatch/ - This site does sell supplements and vitamins. A portion of their proceeds go to CFS research. They do have many good articles on CFS and FM.
http://www.raacademy.com/understanding_ra/Fibromyalgia.jsp?id=248
http://www.hamline.edu/lupus/articles/Fibromyalgia.html
http://www.fibrohugs.com/tenderpoints.html
(This is a good chart to show the tender point areas.)

I personally believe CFS and FM are 2 different illness. Why? I have CFS and FM but my mom and brother only have CFS. They don’t have any of the FM muscle pain. I also think it’s two different things because when I am pregnant I can hardly move my FM is so bad. (from not using your muscles, which helps with the pain some.) But, my CFS (which is made worse with exersise) was much better because I was on bed-rest ( for high blood pressure) resting all the time. I don’t have swollen lymph nodes or a sore throat etc. I really can tell a difference which is worse from one day to the next.

Here are some notes of things that I have the worst time with and what has helped.
FM Symptoms
Tender Points - when these areas are pressed they hurt VERY badly. (For me it makes me sick to my stomach) It hurts to even have my husband give me a hug. The main places are the base of the head, shoulders, back on the shoulder blades, the insides of your arms by your elbows, the backs of your knees, lower back on each side right above your buns. The pain is so severe it puts you into tears sometimes. http://www.fibrohugs.com/tenderpoints.html (This is a good chart to show the tender point areas.)

Muscle Weakness- You feel like your going to drop something. If you hold something like a heavy purse “the wrong way” for an extended period it can feel like you have damaged that muscle.

Mental Confusion - You feel like you have Alzheimer’s or are “losing your mind”. (This is the thing I hate the worst!)

Trouble Sleeping and Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and incapacitating in oth
ers.

Flu-Like Symptoms
General Malaise (Malaise is a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being that can be associated with a disease state. It can be accompanied by a sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.)

Increased Thirst

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
( Alternating constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal gas.)

Morning Stiffness

Things that make my FM worse:
Lack of Sleep
Stress
To much exercise such as climbing stairs in our new bi-level house. (BIG MISTAKE!!!)

Things that seem to help FM
Taking a regular Alka- Seltzer, not cold
Sleep
Air Bed may help. It did for me for a while but now I’m sleeping on my $20 garage sale couch because it’s easier on my muscles.
Pain medications (over the counter or prescription)
Stretching
Reducing stress (Ok, I know MUCH easier said than done but do what you can.)
Massage ( I am lucky that my husband has learned how to do it for me so I don’t have to pay $80 a week to go once a week!)
Hot Baths ( I have to take one almost nightly to ease the pain enough for me to sleep)
Ben Gay Cream
Heating Pads
Resting, just sitting and reading or watching TV.

CFS Symptoms
This is the definition of CFS from the Centers For Disease Control website. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/ )
Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis, and
Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, headaches of a new type, pattern or severity, unrefreshing sleep, and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and incapacitating in others. Even after you have slept a good nights sleep you wake up tired.
Mental Confusion
Flu-Like Symptoms
Frequent Urination
General Malaise
(Malaise is a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being that can be associated with a disease state. It can be accompanied by a sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.)
Hair Loss
Increased Thirst
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
(Alternating constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal gas.)
Low Grade Fever
Morning Stiffness
Night Sweats
Shortness of Breath
Sore Throat
Temperature Sensitivity Feeling hot or cold no matter what the temperature is. Extreme hot or cold weather can worsen symptoms. Also sensitivity to cold, damp or humid conditions.
Tender and Swollen Lymph Nodes - In the neck or armpit.
Headaches

Things that trigger CFS and make me sick:
Noise - dogs continually barking, continually having someone talk to me, trying to listen to the radio while someone is talking to me, fans running, baby crying, loud music, computer fan, a/c heat fan running, trains etc.

Social activity including church functions, going to friends house etc.

Talking - on the phone or in person.

Shopping

Heat and humidity

Adrenalin Rush such as being scared or laughing

Exercise; anything that causes me to exert myself.

Lack of Sleep

Stress - emotional, financial, physical

Standing for long periods

Holding my arms up for long periods, like painting a ceiling.

There are times when I litterally can’t lift my head off the couch. Usually it’s on a day when I have done too much and made myself sick. If you ever hear me talk about laying down on the floor and not having the strength to get up, that’s what I’m talking about.

Things that help my CFS
Taking regular Alka- Seltzer, not cold

Taking NADA - This is a supplement sold though http://www.immunesupport.com . This is the only thing that I have found helps me. It did not at all help my mom or brother. It did give me more energy and made me feel a little better. It is fairly expensive ($40 a month) but worth it if it works. If it doesn’t work after a month or so, stop taking it, it’s probably not going to work for you. It DID NOT cure me. Only made it so that I have more energy and my CFS wasn’t quite so bad.

Cutting all social activities (I keep it very limited. I have one friend and we see her and her husband every 2-3 months for a few hours)

Limiting phone calls

Reducing Stress

Getting Sleep (with 3 kids under 7 that’s the same as impossible even with my husband getting up with them at night)

Cool, dry climate - I felt much better in Colorado and Idaho than I did/do in Texas and Kansas. So people report also feeling better in places like Arizona and Nevada.

Running the Air Conditioner- Removing the humidity from the air helps a lot

Eating on Time - I get very sick if I don’t eat on a regular basis. I really go downhill fast. My husband usually can tell and forces me to eat something even if I’m not hungry. It helps a lot to eat every two or three hours.

I have recently cut out most of the sugar. It has helped a lot. Especially with brain fog and low energy. It was NOT easy at all to do, but I felt it was something I had to do. I am still working on not back sliding.

Wearing all cotton clothes - I feel like I’m going to “crawl out of my skin” if I don’t wear cotton. I don’t know why but I think it’s because I get hot in anything else.

Bee Pollen, Vitamins, Anti-depressants, Fish Oil, etc. have not helped me one bit. So please don’t send me info. on them. The bee pollen even made mom worse!

How I Cope
You first have to realize that you are sick. Once I stopped fighting being sick and started using my energy and working with it instead of against it I started doing much better! Not healed but I went from being flat in bed to at least doing the dishes during TV commercials.

I cut out almost all social activity. I am an introvert (I get my energy by being alone) not an extravert (like my husband, a person who gets energy from being around people) so social things really make me sick. If you like being around people and it helps you feel better then do more social things.

I stopped gardening (my favorite thing to do) when I moved to Kansas. It just makes me to sick to work in the heat. Now I am do small amounts as I can.

My kids can do 1 outside the house activity at time and that’s it. Swimming lesson, karate, music only one.

I have cable TV. Now I don’t normally advocate cable if you can’t afford it BUT in this case I think it really helps. When you are chronically ill it really helps to take your mind off the pain. Sometimes you get so overwhelmed that you need a break and this helps. I don’t watch things like Soap Operas. I watch HGTV and Discovery etc. I try to be careful though. I really enjoy doing home improvement stuff so it can get discouraging if you watch to much and can’t physically do it. Don’t watch junk. You don’t need to filling your mind watching what other people (who aren’t real anyways) are doing.

My husband does a lot of the hard things like scrub the tub and shower, and vacuum.

I clean in spurts. I do something for a few minutes, quit and do something else. My house is never spotless but it is mostly picked up and neat.

My kids take a nap whether they are tired or not. They play in there room quietly for at least 1 1/2 hours after lunch. They also go to bed at 7:00 p.m. I really need
the break and by that time of night I am just too tired to do anything anymore. They usually play quietly (or not so quietly sometimes! for an hour before going to sleep. This isn’t just for me. I my opinion kids stay up way to late now days!! Except for special occasions kids under 12 should go to bed no later than 8:30p.m. Kids are grouchy and have bad behavior because they are tired a lot. (of track but my .02)

Getting on Disability
A word about disability. I got on disability when I was 20. I got on my own Social Security because had I worked since I was 15 and had enough credits. If I would have gone on my dad’s I could have gotten $700 a month instead of $300 because I was under 21. Another big mistake but we didn’t know at the time.

Anyway, I got on in 1991 when no one believed in CFS let alone in a 19 year old having it. IT WAS A MIRACLE I even got on! I DID NOT want to go on disability. I felt like I was giving up by doing it but I really had no choice. I had no medical insurance, couldn’t work even though I had tried to “force myself” to work, so I really needed help.

Now in 2005 it is much easier to get on disability. I would say if you can, start applying as soon as you realize you can’t work any longer. You can always go off if you start feeling better. It still takes a long time to get on, you will be denied several times and have to appeal. It can take 2-3 years to get on sometimes. I have tried many times (at least 10 different jobs) in the last 15 years to work and I just haven’t been able to do it. Even with the book, I only do it about 5-10 hours a week now, which is why we haven’t made an income from it yet. It is work like anything else.

I hope this helps with some insight on CFS. There is a lot of info. on the Internet. Be careful what you believe and REALLY read up on some remedy before you give it a try. Not everything will work for everyone and not everyone will want to deal with the side affects of some things they try. Good luck.

If you would like to email me please feel free. I will answer as I can.
Tawra

editor@livingonadime.com

This came from Roxie. Thanks! TJ

In the second bathroom used by my two young grandsons, who don’t take showers, I put an extra shower curtain rod in the middle of the tub. I use it to dry T-shirts, and other things from hangers. I use the other rod (the one on the out side) for the same thing. I can hang the boys jeans, shirts, and under ware there and it is not in the way when the kids use the bathroom.
I also found a really large drying rack at an Amish Craft show. It is huge. I spent $30.00 on it, but to me it is worth every penny. I can hang a huge load of towels, wash cloths, and under ware and socks on this rack and leave it under a ceiling fan and it is dry over night. (I do this when we have rain, other wise everything goes outside on the big clothes line)
I do always hang T-shirts on a hanger with a small clothes pin on the arm hole seam to keep them from getting that funny bump on the shoulder. I leave these ‘nice’ T-shirts in side as I don’t want sun fading.

When Mike worked at the university one day he found a Little Tykes playhouse sitting by the dumpster. The daycare got a new one and was throwing it out. The kids used it 3 years and then we sold it for $15! Not bad! TJ

We are working on the new oranzing and cleaning book. I was reminded of something we do from the Dollar Stretcher newsletter.

Put your dishsoap in a bottle with a pump. I have one made out of pottery that I like. Instead of just squirting the soap in the sink, you can just pump one or two squirts in the sink and your dishsoap will last up to 75% longer.

We have done this for years. I buy a small (16oz. I think) of dishsoap ever 2-3 months and that is using it everyday 6-7 times a day.

TJ

We normally use a clothesline or clothes rack to dry our clothes. I don’t have a clothesline because we weren’t planning on staying here so I use a rack in the utility room. Well, it’s been so humid that the clothes aren’t drying very fast and getting mildewy (is that word? :-).

I have had to use the dryer the last couple of weeks so the clothes get dry. Even though it’s sunny we can’t set it outside because the wind blows it over and I have to clean it all over again.

Here’s an article we wrote a while back about drying clothes on a rack if you don’t have a clothesline. TJ

Air Drying Clothes Without A Clothesline
By Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/

We all know that if we don’t dry our clothes in the dryer we save on electricity, but many of us don=t think about how the dryer reduces the life of our clothes. For a long time I couldn’t understand why so many people were buying scads of socks and underwear for their families every few months. When my children were growing up, they almost never wore out their underwear and socks and we owned only about a quarter as many pair as most people. No I didn’t buy some name brand known for its child proof quality. I usually bought the least expensive ones I could find.
Fast forward a couple decades. One day after folding my grandson’s new underwear, I noticed that the waistband was terribly rippled. After doing some research, I discovered the answer: The dryer was destroying the rubber elastic in the socks and underwear. I rarely dried my family’s clothes in the dryer, so the elastic never broke down. It doesn’t just happen with underwear B Have you ever noticed pilling (those little fabric balls) on your clothes and linens and the resulting lint in the dryer? That is the result of the fibers being rubbed thin. The dryer also shrinks clothes and sets in stains.

The two reasons I think most people don’t line dry their clothes are that they think it is inconvenient or they=re just not sure how to do it. Here are some of the best tips I have found to air dry clothes without a clothes line.

Though I don=t use the dryer to dry my clothes, I do use it for five minutes or so with some loads (just long enough to fluff the clothes). I put one load in the dryer and only leave then there as long as it takes me to load the washer with the next load.

If you have no clothesline, you live in an apartment or your homeowners association won=t allow clotheslines, here are a few ways to dry without a clothesline.

You need at least one drying rack and some type of clothes rod. You can buy drying racks at most discount stores or hardware stores. You might locate a clothes rod in your laundry room above the dryer, use a sturdy shower curtain rod in the bathroom or get a metal clothes racks that hooks over the back of a door. You don’t need much. I can hang two loads of laundry on one drying rack and 2 feet of clothes rod.

Hanging on a Clothes Rod
Hang as many items as you can on clothes hangers, beginning with the obvious things like dresses, dress shirts and blouses and hang the hangers on a clothes rod to dry. Be sure not to put the hangers too close together or the clothes will not dry. You can also hang things like pajama tops, t-shirts, small kids shirts and one piece outfits. Lightweight pants, pajama bottoms, skirts and sweats can be pinned on clothes hangers and even sheets can be folded and hung on them. If you are really short of drying rack space, you can hang socks, underwear, wash rags, hand towels and towels on hangers and add them to your clothes rod, too.

Hanging on a Clothes Rack

When hanging clothes on a drying rack, I start at the bottom with socks and underwear, wash rags and baby clothes. Young children=s clothes and hand towels go on the middle layer and the top rack is for towels, jeans, pillow cases, sweaters, sweats, pajama bottoms and t-shirts. I try to use every inch of space, so if I put a pillow case on the rack and there are a couple of inches left next to it I put a sock there. I even hook bras on the corners of the rack.
Drying racks are handy because they can be moved to speed up the drying process. Place them outside on a sunny (but not windy) day. Inside the house, try putting them over a vent and the heat or air conditioner will dry them faster. If you don’t have central heat or air then you can place them in front of your heater or a fan. Don’t place clothes close enough to heaters to be a fire hazard.

If you are short on space and don’t want to look at a drying rack in the middle of the room, do the laundry before bed, hang it and in most cases it will be dry by morning (especially if you set it above an air vent).

Try hanging large king sized sheets or blankets over your shower rod, over the rail of your deck, between two lawn chairs or folded in half or quarters over your clothes rack. When you fold large items, you must flip and turn them every 5-10 hours so that each side gets dry.

Sometimes it is useful to hang a clothesline in the basement or attic. Be sure to check out your department stores and hardware stores for other ideas. They have many clever items like retractable clotheslines, things to hang over doors and some not so new ideas like extra large drying racks that can hold two loads of laundry each.

Even though this may sound complicated at first, once you do it a few times it becomes second nature to you. Pretty quickly, you will discover the most efficient way to hang your clothes on the rack. I know automatically that three wash rags fit across the bottom bar of my rack and the two socks will fit next the that particular t-shirt. It’s like putting a puzzle together- the first time takes you longer than the times after that because you know where the pieces fit.

Jill Cooper raised two teenagers alone on $500 a month income after becoming disabled with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She is the author of the frugal cookbook
Dining On A Dime, Eat Better Spend Less. To read more of Jill’s articles and for free
tips and recipes visit www.LivingOnADime.com.

Lisa in TN sent this and I thought it was a wonderful idea! I am going to use it this summer with the my kids. TJ

Excellent garage sale tips!

We go regularly and the kids almost always go with us. They’re actually an asset because people who are trying to get rid of things will usually just give each child something. In fact, I have to limit the amount of things they get for free or we’d come home with all kinds of trash.

Here is a suggestion I have for taking kids along (I had to learn the hard way): I have taught mine that sometimes people’s prices are too high and you can tell right off the bat if they’re willing to come down. If one of them asks me if they can purchase an item and I don’t agree with the price, I have a key phrase that I tell them. It’s something like, “I don’t think we need to get that today.” Then they know NOT to ask and beg over and over. They just put the item back and we go on to the next place. Every time this has happened they always have found a better and cheaper item at another sale.

Yard-saling (as we call it) is a form of entertainment for us. We always pack snacks and water (as you suggested), the kids have their own money, and we drive around for a few hours and see what we can find. People give away the most amazing things. We spend much less than our peers and we have all the modern necessities!

Also, thanks for what you said in the other article about pricing your items low enough when having your own sale. I have been to some places that try to get way too much out of their things! It’s quite irksome. Also, some of the best finds for us have been at the yucky looking places that look like they just have a bunch of old junk. Often we find a buried treasure at these places!

Keep up the good work,

Lisa in TN

I have been really sick the last several days. I think it’s the heat and humidity, it always makes my CFS go crazy. I have been so bad that I one day I went in to Davids room to help him get something under his changing table. I laid down to get it and then ended up staying there for 15 or 20 minutes trying to get enough strength to get up again.

I have pretty much be dead on the couch from 3-8 p.m everyday. The rest of the day I’m not getting much done because I am just so worn out it’s hard to function.

I say all that to say even when you are sick or have an illness there are ways to be frugal and keep things going. Here are a few things we do. (Before I pass out again! LOL)

1- The kids can pick up most of the house with direction. Ex. Elly, pick up 5 of David’s toys and put them in his room. Pick up 4 cups off the floor. (Some how the plastic kids cups always end up on our floor.)

BJ, empty all the trash cans and the dishwasher. Let the kids do as much as possible.

2- keep meals simple. Tonight it was frozen pizza and cut up veggies we already had. Another night it was chicken with a bottle of hot and sour sauce dumped over the top with rice.
Another it was taco salad made with bagged lettuce, browned hamburger with taco seasoning and sour cream, salsa and olives. We didn’t use chips because we are trying to lose weight.

Use paper plates. They are cheap, use them!

Use a piece of tape and mark everyone’s name on a glass so you can keep the germs separated! (Ok, I know that it’s almost impossible to keep everyone from getting sick but I can dream! LOL) This saves you from getting a new glass every time because you forgot which one was yours.

3- try to do at least one load of laundry a day. That way you won’t get overwhelmed or behind.
Forget about doing sheets etc. During this time.

4- Let it go! Ignore the dust, the dirty windows etc. I know that’s really hard to do but don’t worry about those things. If you are laying on the couch and it looks right out a dirty window then have your kids or hubby clean it but otherwise forget it!

5- If it’s something like a cold or the flu, keep an empty tissue box to put all the used tissues in. You can then just throw the whole thing away when your done. Keep all the caught drops, phone, remote etc. in a small basket so that it’s contained and not falling all over the place. You can also take it with you to bed or if you want to move to a different spot.

Those are a few of them. As I think of more I will add them but my brain is shutting down now. Anyway, try to do the least amount possible but still keep things going.

Tawra

The last day of school is on Thursday. (Pray for me! LOL)

Last Christmas I found some really nice bath gift sets on clearance for $4 each. They had scrubbies, body wash, lotion and a couple of other things. They will make great teacher gifts.

Elly’s teacher also said how she loves tissue paper. I found some really pretty bright stuff at the dollar store so I will add that in too.

Listen to what people like. Sometimes gifts don’t have to be large or expensive to be meaningful.

Tawra

Since I ship everyday I have gotten to know the post office people really well.

One day I went in to ship and I said “send this the cheapest way.” They listed me a quote of $23 for express mail then $16 for Priority for a package that should have been around $3-$4.

I said “isn’t there anything cheaper like parcel post?” She grinned and said “yes, but we can’t say anything but express mail and priority mail now. If you want to know parcel post and the media mail rates you have to ask for it specifically.” Of course the package cost $4 parcel post.

Don’t assume what they tell you is the cheapest way to go. Ask for parcel post or media if it’s books etc.

Tawra