We received a gas dryer from our friends. They weren't using it and since we didn't have one, they gladly gave it to us. Well, it doesn't work anymore. I don't know what the issue is, but it won't dry the clothes. It isn't clogged. It is clean. I decided to not get it repaired just yet. I have started line drying our clothes. Let me tell you- it has saved a lot on our utility bills. And since it is so hot outside anyways, it surely helps. Yes, it takes longer to have your clothes ready to wear due to the drying process, but I do our washing all at once so it isn't like we are planning on wearing everything right then and there.
I have dogs so we can't have a line set up in the back yard, and I wouldn't put it out in the front yard because you never know... some neighborhood kids could come along and take them just as a joke. Or I could forget about them. I have set up a line in our garage. I don't turn the light on or anything. It gets so hot outside that it just works for us in the garage.
With the summer ending soon though, I will have to break down and call a repair guy. Hopefully it won't cost me an arm and a leg....
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Saving on Vehicle Expenses
Vehicle Expenses can make or break you. You can go to a car dealership, finance it and walk away. In addition, you get car insurance (which you have to have full coverage since it isn't yours yet since you are making payments), and drive away. Oh wait, don't forget about smog, registration, and the other fun things that come with car ownership. Fun right? Well, if you want to be spending more money than you need to.
I personally think it is smarter to purchase a used car. I will tell you about my personal experience. I bought a car from my brother when I was 17. He had bought it used and had been driving it, but wanted to get something newer. I paid him $500. He said he could have sold it for $1500 to a friend, but he would much rather sell it to me. In addition to paying the $500, it needed some work on it. I paid a mechanic who is a family friend, about $1000.00 to do all the additional work needed. It really needed a lot of work. Truth be told, I can't remember everything it needed, but it took him days to do it. I drove it a while, until it started breaking down. I will admit to all of you that I know nothing about vehicle maintenance. First it was this and then it was that. The tires were done for and I couldn't find the little lock thingy for the wheels. The mechanic friend looked everywhere in the car and couldn't find it. He had to end up breaking the lug locks off. It took him so long. Then something else broke down. The final draw was a New Years Eve. I was driving home and it was raining. The car started smoking and I was stranded somewhere. I had to call my ex and have him come get me, which I was so thankful he did come and get me. Gotta love being friends with your ex still.
After all the money I had put into getting my car functional and with all the upkeep, I talked it over with my mechanic friend. We decided it would be better for me to find a good used car that was a bit newer. My car was a '92. I didn't even get the water pump worked on. I listed it on Craigslist for $500. The first guy that came by to take a look at it bought it with cash right on the spot. He said it definitely needed work and he towed it away.
I looked on Craigslist and in the newspaper for a good used car. I found that so many cars were so overpriced. Some people listed cars for way more than the Kelly Blue Back Value. I lucked out when I found a '03 Dodge Neon for $6800.00 in the local newspaper. This was in 2005 that all of this happened. I had my dad go with me to go take a look at the car. The guy lived downtown. He was afraid that he was going to be losing his job because, as he said, the economy wasn't looking so great here in Vegas and he worked for one of the casinos. He just had a feeling. He just wanted to get rid of the car payment and be done with it. He even showed me how much he owed on it with a statment from his loan. I drove it around and it drove smoothly and nice. It only had 23,000 miles on it. I negotiated with him and he accepted $200 less for the car. I gave him a deposit of $50 to hold the car. I called my credit union and got it financed for a 3 year loan. I called my insurance company and found out how much it would be a month to insure it. They wanted a lot. Then we started talking and my representative found out I was a single mom. She said, " I didn't know you were a mom. If you had told me that before you would have only paid x per month for your insurance." It turned out that since I had a child, I got an additional discount. I never knew that before. Turns out I would be paying less for full coverage than I had been paying just for liability on the car I had. I was so happy when I got my car. It was just perfect. I started paying extra per month on my loan and got it all paid off pretty fast. I have done my regular oil changes and take my car to our mechanic friend who saves us so much money. He is a sweet, retired, Christian guy who doesn't live far from us. I love paying him to tend to my car instead of some company. He doesn't rip me off. He is very honest and upfront about my car needs. Recently I had a busted headlight. He went to the junkyard and couldn't locate one to replace it. In turn, he took some plexiglass and made me a headlight and sealed it with this sealer. I also needed a new motor mount on the car. He charged me less to fix all of this than I would have paid for a brand new headlight. My biggest advice to anyone is find a good mechanic who is honest. I love having an honest mechanic. He does it all at his house. If he can't do it, he tells me.
I have been driving my car for 5 and a half years now, and it is still running. Yes, it needs a little work, which I plan on scheduling with my mechanic pretty soon here now that I am working again, but I would much rather have a paid off car and paying for a little maintenance work than having a monthly car payment. I just put a little aside for a car fund in case of maintenance work being needed.
Yeah I could go buy a newer car, but I think it is much smarter to drive this paid for car. :)
I personally think it is smarter to purchase a used car. I will tell you about my personal experience. I bought a car from my brother when I was 17. He had bought it used and had been driving it, but wanted to get something newer. I paid him $500. He said he could have sold it for $1500 to a friend, but he would much rather sell it to me. In addition to paying the $500, it needed some work on it. I paid a mechanic who is a family friend, about $1000.00 to do all the additional work needed. It really needed a lot of work. Truth be told, I can't remember everything it needed, but it took him days to do it. I drove it a while, until it started breaking down. I will admit to all of you that I know nothing about vehicle maintenance. First it was this and then it was that. The tires were done for and I couldn't find the little lock thingy for the wheels. The mechanic friend looked everywhere in the car and couldn't find it. He had to end up breaking the lug locks off. It took him so long. Then something else broke down. The final draw was a New Years Eve. I was driving home and it was raining. The car started smoking and I was stranded somewhere. I had to call my ex and have him come get me, which I was so thankful he did come and get me. Gotta love being friends with your ex still.
After all the money I had put into getting my car functional and with all the upkeep, I talked it over with my mechanic friend. We decided it would be better for me to find a good used car that was a bit newer. My car was a '92. I didn't even get the water pump worked on. I listed it on Craigslist for $500. The first guy that came by to take a look at it bought it with cash right on the spot. He said it definitely needed work and he towed it away.
I looked on Craigslist and in the newspaper for a good used car. I found that so many cars were so overpriced. Some people listed cars for way more than the Kelly Blue Back Value. I lucked out when I found a '03 Dodge Neon for $6800.00 in the local newspaper. This was in 2005 that all of this happened. I had my dad go with me to go take a look at the car. The guy lived downtown. He was afraid that he was going to be losing his job because, as he said, the economy wasn't looking so great here in Vegas and he worked for one of the casinos. He just had a feeling. He just wanted to get rid of the car payment and be done with it. He even showed me how much he owed on it with a statment from his loan. I drove it around and it drove smoothly and nice. It only had 23,000 miles on it. I negotiated with him and he accepted $200 less for the car. I gave him a deposit of $50 to hold the car. I called my credit union and got it financed for a 3 year loan. I called my insurance company and found out how much it would be a month to insure it. They wanted a lot. Then we started talking and my representative found out I was a single mom. She said, " I didn't know you were a mom. If you had told me that before you would have only paid x per month for your insurance." It turned out that since I had a child, I got an additional discount. I never knew that before. Turns out I would be paying less for full coverage than I had been paying just for liability on the car I had. I was so happy when I got my car. It was just perfect. I started paying extra per month on my loan and got it all paid off pretty fast. I have done my regular oil changes and take my car to our mechanic friend who saves us so much money. He is a sweet, retired, Christian guy who doesn't live far from us. I love paying him to tend to my car instead of some company. He doesn't rip me off. He is very honest and upfront about my car needs. Recently I had a busted headlight. He went to the junkyard and couldn't locate one to replace it. In turn, he took some plexiglass and made me a headlight and sealed it with this sealer. I also needed a new motor mount on the car. He charged me less to fix all of this than I would have paid for a brand new headlight. My biggest advice to anyone is find a good mechanic who is honest. I love having an honest mechanic. He does it all at his house. If he can't do it, he tells me.
I have been driving my car for 5 and a half years now, and it is still running. Yes, it needs a little work, which I plan on scheduling with my mechanic pretty soon here now that I am working again, but I would much rather have a paid off car and paying for a little maintenance work than having a monthly car payment. I just put a little aside for a car fund in case of maintenance work being needed.
Yeah I could go buy a newer car, but I think it is much smarter to drive this paid for car. :)
Entertainment
Entertainment is an area that can make or break your budget. Many people just blow their money and look to their next paycheck to fun their entertainment. I have found many ways to stretch your entertainment dollars. If any of you have any other ways to stretch your entertainment dollars, feel free to comment. :)
1) Remember that the library is your friend. You can rent books, magazines and DVDs. Everything is free! Well, not free- you pay for your taxes, so in turn you are paying it. But the way to keep it free is to not be late on returning the items. Late fees are dumb to have to pay. So keep on top of your due date for items. You can request DVDs online.
2) Redbox. For a dollar a night, you can rent a new release DVD. Awesome price if you ask me. Just make sure you remember that you have the movies at your house and return it when needed.
3) The radio shopping show. Many of you don't know of this fun secret. It tickles me to tell you about this. There is a radio shopping show here in Las Vegas. You pay only a small portion of the value of the certificate you buy. I am sure this might come off as a little confusing, but let me try to explain. You call the radio shopping show and buy a certificate. You can put it on your credit card to be mailed out, or you can opt to pick up. I personally pick up. For example I bought a certificate for Bounce U. The value of the certificate was for $14 and I only paid $5. My kids spent an hour and a half there, and they absolutely loved it. For only $5 I was able to entertain my kids and get a work out in by playing with them. I have bought certificates for restaurants, shows, manicures and pedicures, and places like Bounce U. It sure stretches your dollars.
Overall, I have had great experiences with the places I have bought certificates for. If you like a place you go to, just make sure you return without buying a certificate. That is the way it pays them to join the radio show.
I have only had a bad experience twice with the vendors. I went to an Indian place that we actually didn't like the food at, and apparently the server and people on staff didn't know about the show, and they were pretty rude with my friend and I. He and I just chalked it up to bad experiences. Obviously I have never returned there, because the food was really gross. (For any of you who know me well enough, I absolutely LOVE Indian food. It is my favorite food, and I can never get enough of it.) The other bad experience I had was with a really nice Mexican place. I will admit that the food was awesome! The atmosphere was incredible as they had a little area to dance, and they had the music playing. It was seriously a lot of fun. My daughter was out there dancing, and a server came and danced with her. Soooo fun. Honestly, it would be a lot of fun to go there on a date, I would think. I ordered my kids and myself our meals, and went to pay with our certificate. They informed me that they discontinued their service with the show. Meaning we had to pay full price. The price wasn't bad anyways, but still sad that we didn't get to use the certificate. So my only advice is to make sure you ask BEFORE ordering food.
Would I ever return and pay full price at that Mexican restaurant? I personally would if I was planning on going out to eat at a restaurant. I really think it would be a fun place to eat at for a date if you like to dance. Even if you don't like to dance, it would be fun to watch. And it really was a great atmosphere. If any of you want to try this place out, just let me know and I will give the name out for you to try. Mmmmmmmmm thinking of their food makes my mouth water now, and I haven't been there in over a year.
4) Friends and family night in. My friends and I get together and play cards. We each make something to share to eat. It is fun. The only expense we have is the food we all share in. This can be super cheap and a lot of fun. We just let the kids play together in the other room with a movie playing. I love our card nights. My friends love getting together for cards. In fact, if any of my friends are up for joining us, just let me know. Just bring your A Game. :)
5) Potlucks. Who doesn't like a fun potluck? Everyone brings something to share to eat. What better way to enjoy great food and friends? Talk, hang out, eat. Yummy and fun.
6) Swimming. In this Vegas heat, swimming is always a blast. We have a friend who has a pool and they gladly have us over. We love it. If we didn't have this friend who shared her pool willingly, we could pay a local recreation center a couple dollars a person if we really wanted to.
7) Movie nights in. Rent a movie and have some friends over. If someone wants to bring a snack then awesome.
8) Going to the movies. In our area, if you are a stay at home mommy, they have certain days you can go to the movies for free. Just type in a google search for it.
If you really want to see a new movie, check out a matinee. And be smart, and bring snacks in your purse ;) We stop at the dollar store and it works out great for us. Fun!
9) Local parks. If I let them, my kids would stay at the park all day. Free entertainment is always awesome. Play with the kids and get some extra exercise is. It can count as your work out for the day.
1) Remember that the library is your friend. You can rent books, magazines and DVDs. Everything is free! Well, not free- you pay for your taxes, so in turn you are paying it. But the way to keep it free is to not be late on returning the items. Late fees are dumb to have to pay. So keep on top of your due date for items. You can request DVDs online.
2) Redbox. For a dollar a night, you can rent a new release DVD. Awesome price if you ask me. Just make sure you remember that you have the movies at your house and return it when needed.
3) The radio shopping show. Many of you don't know of this fun secret. It tickles me to tell you about this. There is a radio shopping show here in Las Vegas. You pay only a small portion of the value of the certificate you buy. I am sure this might come off as a little confusing, but let me try to explain. You call the radio shopping show and buy a certificate. You can put it on your credit card to be mailed out, or you can opt to pick up. I personally pick up. For example I bought a certificate for Bounce U. The value of the certificate was for $14 and I only paid $5. My kids spent an hour and a half there, and they absolutely loved it. For only $5 I was able to entertain my kids and get a work out in by playing with them. I have bought certificates for restaurants, shows, manicures and pedicures, and places like Bounce U. It sure stretches your dollars.
Overall, I have had great experiences with the places I have bought certificates for. If you like a place you go to, just make sure you return without buying a certificate. That is the way it pays them to join the radio show.
I have only had a bad experience twice with the vendors. I went to an Indian place that we actually didn't like the food at, and apparently the server and people on staff didn't know about the show, and they were pretty rude with my friend and I. He and I just chalked it up to bad experiences. Obviously I have never returned there, because the food was really gross. (For any of you who know me well enough, I absolutely LOVE Indian food. It is my favorite food, and I can never get enough of it.) The other bad experience I had was with a really nice Mexican place. I will admit that the food was awesome! The atmosphere was incredible as they had a little area to dance, and they had the music playing. It was seriously a lot of fun. My daughter was out there dancing, and a server came and danced with her. Soooo fun. Honestly, it would be a lot of fun to go there on a date, I would think. I ordered my kids and myself our meals, and went to pay with our certificate. They informed me that they discontinued their service with the show. Meaning we had to pay full price. The price wasn't bad anyways, but still sad that we didn't get to use the certificate. So my only advice is to make sure you ask BEFORE ordering food.
Would I ever return and pay full price at that Mexican restaurant? I personally would if I was planning on going out to eat at a restaurant. I really think it would be a fun place to eat at for a date if you like to dance. Even if you don't like to dance, it would be fun to watch. And it really was a great atmosphere. If any of you want to try this place out, just let me know and I will give the name out for you to try. Mmmmmmmmm thinking of their food makes my mouth water now, and I haven't been there in over a year.
4) Friends and family night in. My friends and I get together and play cards. We each make something to share to eat. It is fun. The only expense we have is the food we all share in. This can be super cheap and a lot of fun. We just let the kids play together in the other room with a movie playing. I love our card nights. My friends love getting together for cards. In fact, if any of my friends are up for joining us, just let me know. Just bring your A Game. :)
5) Potlucks. Who doesn't like a fun potluck? Everyone brings something to share to eat. What better way to enjoy great food and friends? Talk, hang out, eat. Yummy and fun.
6) Swimming. In this Vegas heat, swimming is always a blast. We have a friend who has a pool and they gladly have us over. We love it. If we didn't have this friend who shared her pool willingly, we could pay a local recreation center a couple dollars a person if we really wanted to.
7) Movie nights in. Rent a movie and have some friends over. If someone wants to bring a snack then awesome.
8) Going to the movies. In our area, if you are a stay at home mommy, they have certain days you can go to the movies for free. Just type in a google search for it.
If you really want to see a new movie, check out a matinee. And be smart, and bring snacks in your purse ;) We stop at the dollar store and it works out great for us. Fun!
9) Local parks. If I let them, my kids would stay at the park all day. Free entertainment is always awesome. Play with the kids and get some extra exercise is. It can count as your work out for the day.
When Enough is Enough
When you frequent yard sales and thrift stores, you can find incredible deals. With the low prices, you can't help yourself by justifying buying everything. But when you start to buy so much stuff, your house can become too full. Yes, way too full. As a single mom, I like to stretch my dollars. It isn't easy when you have to do it all alone. For me getting stuff at great deals made me so happy. I would hold onto the stuff because I was afraid of spending the money later on if I needed/wanted it again. It wasn't like an episode of Hoarders, but when you get a bit too cluttered, you know you need to start getting rid of stuff. So I have been going through things and getting them ready to donate.
Yes, I could have a yard sale and sell the stuff, but for me it is better to donate to a thrift store. First, I don't want to spend all day outside selling stuff. I am a single mom and I don't have all this extra time. I haev to do it all. Second, the tax write off is easier for me. Also, I don't want to deal with people.
On top of going through things, I don't let myself buy stuff that we don't really need lately. If I go to Deseret Industries for one thing, I would come out with all these other things. (There are certain things I will allow myself to buy, like books because I value cute, hardcover, picture storybooks to read to the kids. But I don't just buy any old book. I have to really look through it and make sure it is worth the time and space. And the pictures and story has to be really cute.)
But I don't buy toys anymore from Deseret Industries because, let's face it, we have enough. They get toys for birthdays and Christmas from friends and family, as well as Santa at Christmas. If there is something I really think they would love and will play with I might buy it, clean it up and give it to them from Santa, but I try not to even go down that aisle.
And with holidays comes a limit on toys. I will admit that I used to go all out on toy buying for holidays. In a sense, it felt like I was allowed to because of the holiday. My daughter's first Christmas, I went all out at Big Lots and bought so many toys because she didn't have many toys. How many toys does a one year old need??? I'll admit that it was a total waste of money buying so much because I didn't get high end and quality toys. I wanted her to have lots. They all got donated later on. I still would buy lots of gifts when I would get really good deals.
But this year, I am not buying as many gifts. They have plenty of toys that they actually play with and love. Buying a lot more will result in them not playing with them.
So far I have found my daughter a VW Van for her Barbies, which I will admit I was shocked to have found for only $5. It is in great condition. She will be so happy when she opens that. I also found a baby high chair for her Barbies and a white Barbie horse. She loves Barbie and horses. If there is something she really wants for Christmas that she begs Santa for, I will look into buying that. Other than that, I think that is enough for her.
For my son, I have found a bucket of legos for $2 at a yard sale, which I was so happy to have found since I have been looking for legos. When my kids' grandma and grandpa were moving, they brought up another bucket of legos they said the kids could have. I immediately saved them and put them aside for Christmas. So he'll be getting two buckets of legos, which he will be happy about. I also found some really cool toy cars. He loves playing with his toy cars that he has, and I didn't go overboard with the toy cars I found. I think there are about 10 cars. I also found a bag of toy soldiers with tanks, guns and whatnot.
I would much rather buy only a few things that I know the kids will love and play with than buy them a lot of toys that they won't have time to play with since there are too many. I also save money because I don't buy as much, and no waste. Going through their toys now is enlightening. I see what they aren't playing with. If they don't play with it, GET IT OUT! Enough is enough. :)
Yes, I could have a yard sale and sell the stuff, but for me it is better to donate to a thrift store. First, I don't want to spend all day outside selling stuff. I am a single mom and I don't have all this extra time. I haev to do it all. Second, the tax write off is easier for me. Also, I don't want to deal with people.
On top of going through things, I don't let myself buy stuff that we don't really need lately. If I go to Deseret Industries for one thing, I would come out with all these other things. (There are certain things I will allow myself to buy, like books because I value cute, hardcover, picture storybooks to read to the kids. But I don't just buy any old book. I have to really look through it and make sure it is worth the time and space. And the pictures and story has to be really cute.)
But I don't buy toys anymore from Deseret Industries because, let's face it, we have enough. They get toys for birthdays and Christmas from friends and family, as well as Santa at Christmas. If there is something I really think they would love and will play with I might buy it, clean it up and give it to them from Santa, but I try not to even go down that aisle.
And with holidays comes a limit on toys. I will admit that I used to go all out on toy buying for holidays. In a sense, it felt like I was allowed to because of the holiday. My daughter's first Christmas, I went all out at Big Lots and bought so many toys because she didn't have many toys. How many toys does a one year old need??? I'll admit that it was a total waste of money buying so much because I didn't get high end and quality toys. I wanted her to have lots. They all got donated later on. I still would buy lots of gifts when I would get really good deals.
But this year, I am not buying as many gifts. They have plenty of toys that they actually play with and love. Buying a lot more will result in them not playing with them.
So far I have found my daughter a VW Van for her Barbies, which I will admit I was shocked to have found for only $5. It is in great condition. She will be so happy when she opens that. I also found a baby high chair for her Barbies and a white Barbie horse. She loves Barbie and horses. If there is something she really wants for Christmas that she begs Santa for, I will look into buying that. Other than that, I think that is enough for her.
For my son, I have found a bucket of legos for $2 at a yard sale, which I was so happy to have found since I have been looking for legos. When my kids' grandma and grandpa were moving, they brought up another bucket of legos they said the kids could have. I immediately saved them and put them aside for Christmas. So he'll be getting two buckets of legos, which he will be happy about. I also found some really cool toy cars. He loves playing with his toy cars that he has, and I didn't go overboard with the toy cars I found. I think there are about 10 cars. I also found a bag of toy soldiers with tanks, guns and whatnot.
I would much rather buy only a few things that I know the kids will love and play with than buy them a lot of toys that they won't have time to play with since there are too many. I also save money because I don't buy as much, and no waste. Going through their toys now is enlightening. I see what they aren't playing with. If they don't play with it, GET IT OUT! Enough is enough. :)
Another Christmas Post
My dad likes black licorice. That is where I must have gotten the liking for that yummy licorice. I was at work about two weeks before Christmas (two Christmases ago) and one of the vendors brought in a gift basket for the company. We shared in the yummy treats. There was a candy in a wrapper and I popped it into my mouth. Oh my gosh, it was the best thing ever. It was black licorice caramel. I wondered where they had gotten it. I immediately thought of my dad and his love for black licorice. I thought it would be the perfect gift for him. So I looked online and was astonished to find that it wasn't a typical item that candy stores held. I looked high and low. The best price I found for this yummy treat was $30 a pound PLUS SHIPPING! I couldn't believe it. I will be honest and tell you the truth here. I was going to pay that. I decided it was worth it because it would be the perfect gift for my dad. And isn't Christmas about giving?
Well I was talking to my friend about it and asked if she knew of any upscale candy shops here that would carry it. She said she would do some research and see what she could find since she was on track break and had the time. She called me the next day and told me she found the recipe for it online and it looked super easy. I said, " I guess you don't know me that well after all. I am not a baker." She laughed and told me that she would help me make it. She wanted to make it as well for her dad so we split the supply list and made a huge batch of them. It was super easy and yummy. Definitely worth the time and effort we put into it.
I decided to give some to my dad and my ex's dad, since both love black licorice. They both LOVED them. I told my dad the truth about how we made them instead of paying $30 a pound. He was happy.
My friend and I got together this past Christmas to make it again. My dad loved it again, and I was smart this time. I saved half of it and put it in a box for him for later (a few months later). Something he wasn't expecting. When I showed up and gave him his second box of candies, he said how he had been savoring the pieces of candy and had only a couple pieces left.
Look around for recipes if you find something you are willing to pay major money for. (For me $30 is a lot for a pound of candy, but yes I was justifying that price for Christmas.) Try different recipes and enjoy the time spent making them. My friend and I love getting together, making this, talking and having fun. I am just so thankful that she was smart and found the recipe for it and pushed me to make it.
Do I plan on making it again this year? Yes, but this time we will do it at my house since her daughter is so allergic to milk that she had an allergic reaction afterward with the milk in the house. :( I will invite my friend here to do it if she is up for it.
Well I was talking to my friend about it and asked if she knew of any upscale candy shops here that would carry it. She said she would do some research and see what she could find since she was on track break and had the time. She called me the next day and told me she found the recipe for it online and it looked super easy. I said, " I guess you don't know me that well after all. I am not a baker." She laughed and told me that she would help me make it. She wanted to make it as well for her dad so we split the supply list and made a huge batch of them. It was super easy and yummy. Definitely worth the time and effort we put into it.
I decided to give some to my dad and my ex's dad, since both love black licorice. They both LOVED them. I told my dad the truth about how we made them instead of paying $30 a pound. He was happy.
My friend and I got together this past Christmas to make it again. My dad loved it again, and I was smart this time. I saved half of it and put it in a box for him for later (a few months later). Something he wasn't expecting. When I showed up and gave him his second box of candies, he said how he had been savoring the pieces of candy and had only a couple pieces left.
Look around for recipes if you find something you are willing to pay major money for. (For me $30 is a lot for a pound of candy, but yes I was justifying that price for Christmas.) Try different recipes and enjoy the time spent making them. My friend and I love getting together, making this, talking and having fun. I am just so thankful that she was smart and found the recipe for it and pushed me to make it.
Do I plan on making it again this year? Yes, but this time we will do it at my house since her daughter is so allergic to milk that she had an allergic reaction afterward with the milk in the house. :( I will invite my friend here to do it if she is up for it.
Christmas
Yes, it is only August but before you know it, Christmas will be right around the corner. I don't know about you, but for me it seems that the holiday just creeps up on me. Even though we all know it is in December, some people wait til the very last minute. I, on the other hand, shop throughout the year. It is much easier and less stressful for me. If I find something that I know someone will love and I find it at a great price, I snatch it up and save it for Christmas.
As I mentioned in another post, I like to make scrapbooks for really close family members or friends. I like giving something from the heart instead of just something picked up at the store that doesn't mean too much. Yes, it takes less time to buy something, but time is the best gift you can give, in my opinion.
After my brother was married, that next Christmas he had a nice scrapbook that I compiled and gave him and his wife for Christmas. They were happy to receive it.
I surprised my little sister and made her a scrapbook, and she was so happy. She told me it was the best gift she had ever received. I kind of cheated with getting pictures for it though. I took her memory card from her camera, used pictures I had and talked to a friend of hers about getting pictures she had. When my sister opened it, she was in complete shock. You should have seen her reaction. She brought it to work and was showing everyone. In turn, I made another scrapbook for her the next year with recent pictures of the yaer.
I made my stepmom a scrapbook, and she told me it was also the best gift she had ever received. As funny as it might sound hearing this on Christmas, she told me when she dies she wants the scrapbook to go back to me since she knew how much time I had put into it. She proudly brought it to work and showed it off to everyone. Her coworkers loved it so much that some asked if I was up for hire to compile books for them. No, I didn't take anyone up on it. The next year I made more pages for her to add to her book. They were recent pictures of my parents and the kids.
I have given my mom scrapbooks. She lives in Europe, so she doesn't get to see the kids too often. Surprising her with a nice, homemade scrapbook with recent pictures of her grandbabies definitely chears her up. She has told me she shows all her friends and they absolutely love them.
In my ex's family, we draw names for Christmas. I drew my ex last year. I had no idea what to get him. I thought and thought about it. He loves Batman, so I looked all over for Batman things that I knew he didn't have. Truth be told, it was really hard. I looked online and all over in the stores. After a bit of time, I thought it through and decided I should make him a scrapbook. In all the years I had been with him, he didn't have any copies of the pictures of the kids, him and the kids, or any of the pictures really. I hoped it would mean a lot to him and that he would cherish it. I spent a long time looking through pictures, making copies, finding the perfect papers to go with the pictures. It took a lot of time to complete, but I was happy with the ending result. I wasn't there when he opened it, but he told me he loved it.
Do you have a hobby or something you are really interested in? Do you think people on your gift list will like something homemade this year? Think more about the people you give gifts to.
I know I have months until Christmas, but for the gifts that I give it takes a lot of time. So I will be starting pretty soon.
As I mentioned in another post, I like to make scrapbooks for really close family members or friends. I like giving something from the heart instead of just something picked up at the store that doesn't mean too much. Yes, it takes less time to buy something, but time is the best gift you can give, in my opinion.
After my brother was married, that next Christmas he had a nice scrapbook that I compiled and gave him and his wife for Christmas. They were happy to receive it.
I surprised my little sister and made her a scrapbook, and she was so happy. She told me it was the best gift she had ever received. I kind of cheated with getting pictures for it though. I took her memory card from her camera, used pictures I had and talked to a friend of hers about getting pictures she had. When my sister opened it, she was in complete shock. You should have seen her reaction. She brought it to work and was showing everyone. In turn, I made another scrapbook for her the next year with recent pictures of the yaer.
I made my stepmom a scrapbook, and she told me it was also the best gift she had ever received. As funny as it might sound hearing this on Christmas, she told me when she dies she wants the scrapbook to go back to me since she knew how much time I had put into it. She proudly brought it to work and showed it off to everyone. Her coworkers loved it so much that some asked if I was up for hire to compile books for them. No, I didn't take anyone up on it. The next year I made more pages for her to add to her book. They were recent pictures of my parents and the kids.
I have given my mom scrapbooks. She lives in Europe, so she doesn't get to see the kids too often. Surprising her with a nice, homemade scrapbook with recent pictures of her grandbabies definitely chears her up. She has told me she shows all her friends and they absolutely love them.
In my ex's family, we draw names for Christmas. I drew my ex last year. I had no idea what to get him. I thought and thought about it. He loves Batman, so I looked all over for Batman things that I knew he didn't have. Truth be told, it was really hard. I looked online and all over in the stores. After a bit of time, I thought it through and decided I should make him a scrapbook. In all the years I had been with him, he didn't have any copies of the pictures of the kids, him and the kids, or any of the pictures really. I hoped it would mean a lot to him and that he would cherish it. I spent a long time looking through pictures, making copies, finding the perfect papers to go with the pictures. It took a lot of time to complete, but I was happy with the ending result. I wasn't there when he opened it, but he told me he loved it.
Do you have a hobby or something you are really interested in? Do you think people on your gift list will like something homemade this year? Think more about the people you give gifts to.
I know I have months until Christmas, but for the gifts that I give it takes a lot of time. So I will be starting pretty soon.
Clothing
The new school year is just around the corner. And as many parents know, that means the annual back to school shopping frenzy begins. That means it is time for new shoes, shirts, pants, shorts, socks, underwear, backpack, and the like. I tend to like shopping at thrift stores for clothing because children grow out of clothing so fast, that there is still so much life left in them. Lately though, from my experience, I have noticed that there isn't a great selection in good condition at the thrift stores I have been going to.
Let's face it, many American's are starting to cut back in the shopping, and instead they are saving money. As an affect, not as many donations are sent to thrift stores, because they aren't buying as many clothes and they keep the clothing til they are outgrown.
I was talking to my friend, who is also a single mom, and she was telling me how she had just gone through her girls' outgrown clothing and had a huge bag ready to donate to the thrift store. She told me that I should just come over and go through them. She also told me she had a pair of church shoes for my son. I happily came over and left with a huge bag of clothes. That will definitely help out with back to school shopping. My daughter doesn't need that much now.
I absolutely LOVE having such great friends. They happily give their outgrown clothing and items no longer needed, and I happily take them off their hands, but as long as I know only we will use them. In turn, when my kids grow out of their clothing, I pass them along to friends who want them or else I donate them to thrift stores. And with how fast kids grow, there is still soooooo much life left to the clothes.
Yesterday I received four bags of clothing that my friend's son just outgrew, and it came at the perfect time, as my son just grew out of another size of clothing. As funny as it might sound, I feel like a little kid at Christmas. :) I was so happy to see some church clothes for him.
I will admit that I have seen many people throwing clothes that their children outgrew into the TRASH! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I can't stand when people are so wasteful. If you are one of such people, try passing it along to friends who have children a little younger than yours or donating them. It keeps less trash in landfills and definitely helps out friends in return. And if you haven't put your kids in hand-me-downs before and a friend offers clothing to you, don't be afraid. Just wash them and happily put your kids in them. As you know, kids grow out of clothes so fast.
Let's face it, many American's are starting to cut back in the shopping, and instead they are saving money. As an affect, not as many donations are sent to thrift stores, because they aren't buying as many clothes and they keep the clothing til they are outgrown.
I was talking to my friend, who is also a single mom, and she was telling me how she had just gone through her girls' outgrown clothing and had a huge bag ready to donate to the thrift store. She told me that I should just come over and go through them. She also told me she had a pair of church shoes for my son. I happily came over and left with a huge bag of clothes. That will definitely help out with back to school shopping. My daughter doesn't need that much now.
I absolutely LOVE having such great friends. They happily give their outgrown clothing and items no longer needed, and I happily take them off their hands, but as long as I know only we will use them. In turn, when my kids grow out of their clothing, I pass them along to friends who want them or else I donate them to thrift stores. And with how fast kids grow, there is still soooooo much life left to the clothes.
Yesterday I received four bags of clothing that my friend's son just outgrew, and it came at the perfect time, as my son just grew out of another size of clothing. As funny as it might sound, I feel like a little kid at Christmas. :) I was so happy to see some church clothes for him.
I will admit that I have seen many people throwing clothes that their children outgrew into the TRASH! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I can't stand when people are so wasteful. If you are one of such people, try passing it along to friends who have children a little younger than yours or donating them. It keeps less trash in landfills and definitely helps out friends in return. And if you haven't put your kids in hand-me-downs before and a friend offers clothing to you, don't be afraid. Just wash them and happily put your kids in them. As you know, kids grow out of clothes so fast.
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