Well, yesterday I went to Bank of American and was pre-qualified for a loan. It took about 45 minutes but was a very simple thing. They just ask you for some info. and then wait for your credit report to come back. BOA had a 6.6% interest with no fees for closing so you saved about $2500 in cash that you would need to come up on top of your deposit.

I called Countrywide when I got home and they had 6% but closing costs from them is about $2500. So I spent another 45 minutes on the phone getting pre-qualified with them. She is a reader and was VERY helpful so if you’re in the Wichita area and need a loan let me know.
Thank you, Lisa!

What was surprising about this entire thing is our credit score is 808 out of 850. I couldn’t believe it! We have about $5,000 left in debt from Mike’s video equipment so I thought it would be much lower considering our income was $36,000 last year. It really pays to pay your bills on time. If you are going to be getting a loan in the near future make sure you are current on all your bills so your credit will be good.

The good news is we made $5,000 from our Mother’s Day sale last week so we now have $9,000 down and 1200 less books to move! Thanks everyone for helping us “move”. LOL

We are trying to save up $25,000 by time of the sale of our house. I think we may get $5,000 and maybe $10,000 out of our house so we only need $11,000 more to go at the most.

We are going to have a big e-book sale in a couple of weeks so we should get some $ from it.
We had several people ask to buy 1 Not Just Beans at the sale price and ask for us to run the sale at the beginning of the month when they have the money so next week we are going to put individual books on sale.

I think we might try selling our house ourselves first for a few weeks and then if it doesn’t sell put it with a realtor. We are going to be interviewing realtors next week.

Slowly but surely we are getting things in place to get moved! Yeah!! Tawra

Mom and I spent the morning packing up and cleaning out the garage. Boy I sure hope we find a house!

If you are like us and getting ready to sell your house realize that it is IMPERATIVE that you have it as clean and uncluttered as possible. You will get so much more money and your house will sell so much faster if you have most things packed up and ready before you even put it on the market.
By doing this last time we sold our house in 10 days!

We are dumping a lot of things and have a huge pile for the thrift store already. They are coming by tomorrow to pick it up. This also helps for when it’s time to move because you don’t have to go through everything while you’re moving.

I am off to take a break.

Tawra

Another reader comment on coupons. Thanks everyone for all the input! Tawra

Just a comment about coupons (you’re probably
tired of hearing about them, huh.) Here’s my take
on coupons and rebates. I use coupons like I
approach a strange dog, carefully.

I have a few brands I use mostly because my husband has used
the same brands of deodorant and soap in the
shower for almost thirty years. Think I’m going
to change him? Not! I also have a brand of
antacid I use for my acid reflux, I would like to
use a store brand but it just doesn’t work for
me.

I have tried, and finally came to the
conclusion that trying to use something that
doesn’t work for me wastes money in the long run
because I end up going out to get what does work
and the other bottle or whatever sits unused in
the medicine chest till it expires. In other
words, if I am going to buy a brand anyway
because there’s just no way I can use something
else or there’s no way hubby will use something
else, why not use a coupon and save a buck or
two. I put the money in my piggy and fine and
dandy.

I gave up refunding years ago because
I got tired of having to buy four packages of
something to get a dollar back and then I have to
spend the money for the stamp, and after thinking
about it I had the eureka moment of realizing I
could live fine without the four packages of
whatever anyway.

I agree with you. If it works
for you, fine, if it doesn’t fine too. God gave
us brains to figure these things out for
ourselves, with the help of the skills our
teachers taught us years ago. A lot of people
don’t use coupons and manage to save, and some
people do. A lot just depends on where you live
and what resources are available to you. Sorry I
took so long but had to comment. Thanks for your
input on things! Marcia S. in Maine

From: Kami

Question: TJ - It’s your cousin Kami…I have a gardening
question for you. All of our mulch hardened and
molded, I assume it is from the 3 feet of snow
we had last December plus the area where it is
stays pretty wet. So we are going to have to
pull it all out and replace it. My question is,
if we replace it with bark with that mold too?
We have weed fabric down then mulch right now.
Any other ideas of what I can use for ground
cover? We have junipers, aspens and various
plant/flowers all in the same area. I don’t
want to have to mess with this again and rock
will cost a lot as it is a large area. Any
ideas? Thanks my gardening expert!

Hi!
That’s really unusual for Colorado since it’s so dry. For the most part, no the mulch doesn’t mold in Colorado. Even here it’s rare. The only other thing I can think of is to use the new rubber mulch. It’s mulch that is ground up tires that is dyed to look like real mulch. That stuff is too cool and it never goes away! The only problem is it’s really expensive too. I think about $12 a bag but you wouldn’t have to ever buy it again. I would just replace it with fresh bark. If this is the first time it’s happened in all the years you’ve lived there then it was probably just a one time thing.

Tawra

www.LivingOnADime.com

Update:
Hello again. So the Extension Office said we can turn the mulch and it will dry out. It was definitely caused from the extra snowfall we had this year. She also said the weed fabric wouldn’t be an issue if we wanted to leave it. They do recommend bark over mulch as it doesn’t break down and decompose as much.

Thanks again for your help and the info.

Kami

Yes, turning it over works well. You’ve had your mulch for a while so I figured it was mostly decomposed. For our readers buying “Bark” instead of chopped mulch does take a few more years to break down.

Tawra

Hi Tawra:

I was reading your budget newsletter today. I have one question, where do you live that you’re paying a mortgage of $273.00 a month?? And what is: Mike Rent/Commute $400.00?? These things caught my eye. I’m currently on disability and have to count every penny, pay my bills, mortgage, etc., until I can return to work (I was laid off days prior to my surgery).

Lydia

We lived in no man’s land in Idaho in a town of 400 called Nezperce. (Great town but no jobs) Our house was $27,000 for 900 sq. ft. A great deal we thought until we went to sell it 4 years later and lost $12,000 on it. We had to pay a check to someone for $8,000 to take it! The difference is from the amount of equity we had in it.

During that time we Mike worked 100 miles from home. He rented a place up in Washington for his stay 3 nights a week and then it was extra gas money.

Tawra

Well, we’ve started packing. I am trying to get everything I can packed up before we put the house on the market so it will show well. I am working on getting all the “little” stuff done like paint touch ups, bushes trimmed etc. I’ve been really sick (what else is new? so I am trying to just get one or two things done a day. Mom helped me get started on the garage today so that will help.

We are going to call a few realtors in 2 weeks and see how much we can get out of this place. We would really like to have 22K for a down payment on a 125K house so we don’t have to pay PMI insurance and still keep our house payments almost the same.

So far we have $4,000 back from our taxes and about $3,000 from our Mother’s Day sale. (It ends today if anyone wants to get in on it!)

So.. so far we have 7K and only need 15K more to go. I honestly have no clue how we are going to raise that much money but I know God is going work it out for us. So far the houses we have looked at haven’t been that great but I’m holding out hope. It’s early in the house hunting season and we haven’t started working with a realtor yet.

We are going to be putting all our e-books on sale in the next couple of weeks so we make get a little money from that. We should be able to get at least a few thousands out of the sale of this one too so I think we will make our goal.

I am going to hopefully be blogging daily. I got behind with this sale but I should be able to catch up now!

Tawra

People are so funny. I don’t know what it is about coupons that makes people react so much. I don’t personally use coupons that much. Maybe one a month. I know that it can save a lot of money and if you have the time and enjoy doing it then I say go for it but I personally don’t have the time to mess with it. I prefer to save other ways buy shopping at Aldi’s and using sales. We spend about $250 on groceries a month for 5 of us so I don’t think that’s too bad. I could get it lower by gardening and such but I don’t have time right now so I am satisfied with what we are doing.

We ran an article from a lady who used coupons to give help to others who like to use them. Wow, the response was crazy!!

I got people who were mad at me because I don’t use them and I “loose out on so many savings” and then I had people who are mad because we ran story about someone using them and “they are just poisoning their family’s with unhealthy food”.

I don’t know why people have to get in a uproar over coupons! If you want to use them, go for it, if you don’t, then don’t use them! It’s not that big of a deal.

Here are a few of the nicer comments and questions. If you have some ideas to help our readers please post, I would love to hear your tips!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

********
Where does Debra get her coupons? How does she keep them organized and use them before they expire? I would love to pick her brain.

I love getting your newsletter. I am really determined to save and live on a dime. Thanks for helping me with my new way of life.

Have a blessed day!

Lora C.
********

It must be nice to have stores that double or triple coupons. In the small town I live in there is a Brookshire and a WalMart. Neither one of them double coupons. With only those two stores you pay full price for everything. The nearest stores that run good sales and double coupons is 56 miles away making it impossible to shop anywhere other than the two stores in my town. I am trying to feed 2 aadults, 2 teenagers, and 2 younger children on one salary. Can you offer any suggestions? Almost all our money is going for food and gas for the car. Thanks , TW

********

Hi Tawra,

This is in regard to the coupon lady from Wichita. I have been living/espousing the frugal life since my children were babies in the 1980’s. I have had lots of experience testing saving by using coupons vs. saving by cooking from scratch, gardening, not using coupons, etc. I always lived in areas where there is a store that double coupons and has weekly “lost leaders”. Here are some conclusions on her letter.

I don’t doubt that she can save & stockpile, but I feel that when we shop with coupons like that, there is a tendancy to purchase more unnecessary & unhealthy food, which in the long run is detrimental to our lifestyle. I do watch (when it isn’t farmer’s market or gardening season) weekly lost leaders on fruit & vegetables to be able to get the highest quality nourishment for my family for the lowest price (our King Sooper–a Kroger affiliate–often runs 10/$10 on potatoes, onions, etc.–so, for example, I can get 5 lb. bags of potatoes for @ one bag for $1.00–and you don’t have to buy 10 bags!) but don’t spend a lot of time on other coupons.

I truly feel that over the years, I have saved more, spent less time shopping/cutting coupons and nourished my family better having NOT been dedicated to coupon cutting. I fed a family of 5, a dog, a cat (along with various other fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits…) on $35.00 week from about 1985 to 1995–that included paper, cleaning/laundry & personal hygiene products (shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc.).

I don’t know what that would project into today’s figures…but I think it should be reasonable still. I never went above $50/wk. even when my kids were in high school…my last graduated high school in 2001(2 of our 3 were boys with huge appetites–a lot of time they had friends over to eat!). Of course, we ate more than “Just Beans”! Bravo to you for your books…I love them, and even though it is just me & my husband at home now…I still cook the same way(neither one of us has any health problems at all…no cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, arthritis & I credit much of that to healthy living, healthy eating, exercising our bodies –God has truly blessed us in our journey!) . Hope you appreciate the input…Have a blessed day in the Lord! Vicki T.

********

From: Yvonne

Hi Tawra, I’m curious, do many other LOAD
subscribers use coupons or use lots of pre-made,
brand name, preserved type foods? I like the
idea of the coupon person benefitting from the
discounts on meats (those are always expensive
and I’m sure lots of us try to stretch it as far
as we can). But I’m wondering if the use of
Procter & Gamble, Pillsbury, etc. for family
menus isn’t nutritious…your frugal recipes and
such don’t cost a lot and are quite nutritious.
I haven’t needed to break out coupons and we eat
well! Thanks for reading this and all the work
you put into creating such an informative and
well done publication. Yvonne

Check out our Mother’s Day, Save Mike’s Back from Moving so many books Sale!!

We are giving a great deal on all the remaining Not Just Beans. We want to get rid of them so we don’t have to move them so we are selling them at OUR COST! We are even giving FREE SHIPPING!

Check it out and save!!

Tawra

I’ve never tried this since I don’t drink coffee but I hear it works well. Tawra

Everybody knows to put coffee grounds on their plants. But do you know, I put my old brewed coffee on plants as well. I swear by it!

Beverly B.

Ideas For After Easter Sales
by Jill Cooper
www.LivingOnADime.com

Buy the Easter buckets and baskets for storing the kids toys in. They come in different colors and sizes and are perfect to store little toys like hot wheels, crayons, markers, dish sets, etc. They have handles on them so the kids love to carry them from one place to other. They also are great for the kids to use as a sand box bucket . You can also use them in baby’s room (especially if it is done in pastels ) to store socks, shoes, bath things, diaper changing things, again the handle and can be carried from room to room.

The shredded colored Easter grass(which I got for $.25) is great to use in place of tissue paper on some things for ex. stuffing in the top of gift bags or inside small packages for cushioning,
Use egg dyes at different times of the year for festive hard cooked eggs. Use red and blue dyes on your hard boiled eggs for your 4th of July picnic.

They have so many things that make great baby, birthday, Christmas, or anytime gifts. For ex. they have dog, rabbit, duck etc washrag puppets, resin knick-knacks of different animals that would be so cute in a baby’s or toddlers room. Even a lot of young girls have collections of rabbits or ducks etc. and these would be great for them.

Especially good are the stuffed animals. They are great for babies gifts, young children or teenage girls. You can also use them for the elderly in nursing homes. My children even buy me a stuffed something once in awhile–no I’m not in a nursing home although they think I’m old enough to be ~:-). Another use that I think is great is to buy a huge bunch of them and take them to your women’s shelter. So many times the women and children there have to quickly leave their homes leaving everything behind them including family pets and favorite toys or stuffed dolls and animals. Sometimes we get so busy comforting their stomachs we forget that their hearts too need to be comforted.