Search Results for: blog three things you could stop buying

Buying A New Roof

When I bought my house the inspector said the roof was leaking. Being the optimist I am, I thought a little roof tar and I would be good. That just shows how little I knew about roofs. After waking up to a steady stream of water entering my attic I found I had a lot to learn. Once the rain stopped I patched the roof but knew I had to do something about this aging roof. I did some research online and since the roof was the original one on the house, it was time to replace it. Asphalt roofs … Continue reading →

The Frugal Way to Save at the Farmer’s Market

I love farmer’s markets, but I confess that there was a period of time when I avoided them. I always seemed to spend too much money when I shopped at them. For the sake of our budget, the best thing to do seemed to be to stop shopping at them, which was a shame, since we missed out on fresh items grown or crafted locally. The problem had to be solved. How could we still enjoy the farmer’s market while keeping on task with our budget? Here are the strategies that I started to employ. I saw a difference in … Continue reading →

Dog Treats Causing Kidney Failure

What is it with the same horrible stories recurring again? First all the dog food recalls and now those chicken jerky treats I first posted about in November are in the news again. Late last year the FDA issued a warning that they’d been receiving reports that chicken jerky treats manufactured in China were making some dogs sick. The details were muddied: no one brand could be identified as causing problems, the FDA had been receiving reports on and off for years about illness related to these types of treats, and only issued warnings when the number got high enough. … Continue reading →

Thrifty Tips for College Students

Whether you are a parent of a college student or you are a student yourself, you know that college is expensive. What you may not know, and what I wish that I knew when I was in college a few years ago, is that there are some things that you can save money on while you are in college which can add up to significant savings. That’s right, you can have more cash left in your pocket or less money borrowed from student loans and other sources if you do a few things a little differently. For example, when you … Continue reading →

You May Not Want To Buy That Gift Just Yet

Did you know that there are a few things that you would be better off waiting until after Christmas to purchase? Even if you plan to give the items as gifts, the sale prices on these items after the holidays are likely to make you think twice before choosing to grab the item now instead of giving a gift card. For example, if you plan to give someone a television this year and you were unable to score one of the super amazing deals that happened on Black Friday, you can give a gift card in the approximate amount that … Continue reading →

It’s Always About Money

This time of year is always stressful financially. It is especially stressful when you are a single parent, you have to make that dollar you are stretching go even farther. Striving to be financially responsible is something you should do all year round. As a single parent it is doubly important that you do your best to manage your money. *Don’t keep secrets about money, talk to your kids. I remember when I was a child and my mother would tell me we couldn’t afford something and I would be resentful because I knew she had money. Because we never … Continue reading →

Three Things You Could Stop Buying

Did you know that there are a few things that many people buy that are, for the most part, pretty useless? Okay, so there probably more than a few useless things out there but I have decided to focus on just a handful of common items that are simply not worth the money that you spend on them. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion – you might agree with some of the things on this list and disagree with others, or you may disagree with the whole thing. Many people do not need unlimited cell phone … Continue reading →

Success Habits For Business

Have you ever wondered why some people are successful and others are not? While there is no one magic answer to this question that people have been pondering for ages, there are certain things that successful people do that other people do not. The behaviors of successful people are a popular topic for research, perhaps because researchers know that people are always looking for suggestions as to how they might become more successful. I came across a few observations regarding the habits of successful business people that I think could be useful for home-based professionals. Successful people plan ahead. Many … Continue reading →

Helpful Hints For Surviving Tax Season

It’s that time of year when I start to get a little itchy. No, I am not talking about dry winter skin here; I am talking about filing my tax return. There are a few different attitudes that people take when it comes to filing their tax returns. My personal take on taxes is that I like to file them as soon as I have all of the documents that I need to prepare them. That way, I get it done and over with and, more importantly, get my refund check. There are others who prefer to put it off … Continue reading →

5 Things You Won’t Find in My Grocery Cart

Why pay for overpriced groceries that don’t add to your quality of life? You’ll save significant money by eliminating these common items from your grocery cart. 1. Soda Look at food and drink in terms of how much money you spend for nutrition. Soda contains no nutrition at all, so why pay for it? Even some candy is better in nutrition than soda. 2. Paper products Why buy something to throw it away? Paper products can easily be replaced with regular products to save money (and be better for the environment). Use dish cloths and wash cloths for spills and … Continue reading →