FrugalFergie.com

The Importance Of Identity Theft Protection

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:06:40 +0000

Identity theft was a problem that few gave much thought to years ago, however now days it is a crime that is garnering more and more attention as the number of identity theft offences soar. Unfortunately, a lot of people fail to adequately protect themselves from such offenses and end up in a position where they find themselves with a huge expensive mess to clean up. Bad credit and huge fraudulent bills can obviously be extremely stressful and difficult to deal with - especially when somebody else has incurred these in your name.

Thankfully, there are services out there that can help you with identity theft protection, including the popular services offered by IdentityHawk. IdentityHawk provides services that can help you to protect your identity so that you don’t end up with a bad credit score and mountains of bills. Some of the features they offer include an identity health score which makes it easy for you to asses your risk factors for ID theft. They also offer information monitoring which uses a huge database of information to find any current threats to your identity. As well, they provide immediate alerts which means that IdentityHawk will send you a timely message should it be detected that your identity has become at risk. You can read more about these services at IdentityHawk.com.

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Selling On Ebay

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:59:59 +0000

I needed to make a little extra money this month, as there are some bills piling up around here and a bunch of fun things my family wants to do on the horizon. This isn’t a situation I find myself in too often (thankfully) and I was more than willing to pull up my sleeves and look for some temporary work around town. The job market here isn’t as bad as in many places, and it’s easy to find temp work at least, so that was my plan. However, my husband suggested that instead of going out to work that I sell a few unneeded items on eBay as he has a game-system and a few other electronic gadgets that are just collecting dust.

So, I went ahead and listed the items as seven day auction,s and was happy to pocket the money that we needed. I think a lot of people have forgotten about eBay, but there are still tons of interested buyers there, and it’s a good place to make a quick buck if you have unused items around the house. Of course, it’s much easier if you have higher priced electronic items like I did, as selling a few things is a lot easier than selling a few dozen items!

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Win A NESCAFE Dolce Gusto!

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 04:23:13 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nestle Nescafe Dolce Gusto. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’re like me and love to enjoy fancy coffee drinks, then you’ll want to check out the great contest that’s going on over at Divine.ca. The contest is running from April 26, 2010 to June 20, 2010 and Divine.ca is giving away 10 NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee machines! Personally I’d love to win one, as just reading about the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto has me hankering for a cappuccino. Of course, without the ability to make one at home, I’m sort of out of luck right now!

The NESCAFE Dolce Gusto gives folks the ability to make all sorts of high quality coffee drinks at home, including both hot and cold coffee drinks. The machine uses KRUPS technology in order to make professional quality coffee. The machine uses a capsule system that makes it an easy task for anyone to prepare perfect drinks. I’ve seen the capsules before and not only do they make for some great coffee, but they also make clean up very easy as well.

Remember that the contest closes on June 20, so you’ll want to head over to divine.ca soon for your chance to win a NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine. Also, keep in mind that the contest is only open to Canadian residents.

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It’s Time To Do Some Gardening

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:40:34 +0000

Gardening is one of ways that I try to save money while eating at the same time eating healthier. Out back, I have my own little (very little) organic garden, and I truly have a great time watching it grow. This year I am planting tomato plants, cucumbers, kale, and a few other things that haven’t quite been decided yet. Tomatoes are an absolute favorite around here, so the plan is to use over half of the garden for tomatoes alone! They are also the vegetable that I’ve had the most luck growing, so they’re a pretty safe bet to turn out big, red and tasty!

Growing our own vegetables is not only cost efficient and fun, but it’s also a healthy thing as we can grown them without any pesticides and such. Doing a little gardening can reap big rewards, and growing organic vegetables at home sure is a lot cheaper than buying them at the grocery store!

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Grill A Great Steak!

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:31:07 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of henderson bas. All opinions are 100% mine.

The weather is warming up and around here that means its time to fire up the barbecue and do some grilling! My husband in particular considers himself somewhat of a grill master, however while he can grill all sorts of great things like burgers, chicken and veggies he’s never quit mastered the art of grilling a great steak. Thankfully, professional chef Michael is sharing his steak grilling secrets so that we can all enjoy perfect steaks every time! He’s created a great video full of advice, and you can check it out on the Clubhouse.ca website. Clubhouse.ca is chalk full of informative grilling information, so it’s a must visit before your next BBQ.

Also be sure to check out the La Serious Griller Contest where prizes such as a three hundred dollar Canadian Tire gift card and a deluxe La Grille Barbecue Seasoning Pack are being given away! The contest is easy to enter and the lucky winner will surely enjoy their grilling goodies! I know I was getting hungry just looking at some of the sauces and spices that Club House offers. Just a note though that the contest is only open to Canadian residents, however anyone can check out the great grilling tips on Clubhouse.ca!

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Sis And I Did A “Swap Day”

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:25:52 +0000

My sister called a few days ago and while chatting she told me of her plans to organize her house and start preparing to part with any items she no longer uses. Noting that my own home could use such organization as well, I told her I would be doing the same thing. My sis then came up with a great idea - before she donated or discarded any of her unwanted items, I could go through them and take anything I wanted. Of course, in return I would allow her to do the same with my items.

Well, after we both managed to complete our organization tasks, we got together and started to go through the unneeded items. It became quite a little fun “treasure hunt” for both of us, and we actually both ended up with a few things that we wanted. On my part I received a fondue set (my sis had two) and a few clothing items, while my sister took a bunch of shoes that I no longer wear. It worked out great for both of us, so it might be something that some of you would like to try as well!

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Boxing Week - I Love It!

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:07:28 +0000

Boxing day, which has now been expanded to Boxing Week in most areas, is truly a frugal gal’s dream. In fact I was very happy to get many gift cards for Christmas this year and immediately upon receiving them knew they’d be used during boxing week. Of course, I already knew I’d be hitting the mall on boxing day and boxing week depending on when the best sales were happening. Unfortunately, I slept in a little bit too long on boxing day, and so many of the good items were sold out by the time I got to the stores (and boy were the stores busy)! However, I have a big list of the best sales that are going on in my area and will continue to shop throughougt boxing week.

While many people don’t like to do boxing week shopping, as the crowds can be quite large, if have specific deals in mind it can be totally worth it. Personally I think the key is to have a good attitude and keep expectations low as to not be overly disappointed if the items you most desire are sold out before you arrive. So, happy shopping!

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Going Away For A Few Days…

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:47:07 +0000

It’s cold out. In fact, it’s freezing… so I wondered why are we all sitting around the house watching television (mostly hockey) and drinking all the hot cocoa we can get our hands on? I mean as fun as that is, it’s snowing outside and if it’s snowing here, then it’s really coming down on the mountains (which are an hour and a half away).

One of the great things about living close to mountains is that there are plenty of skiing opportunities to be had when the snow hits. It actually makes for a decently affordable mini vacation, as we just stay with friends and only have to pay for our lift passes and equipment rentals. So, today we are heading up and preparing to hit the slopes for some great skiing, fresh air and exercise!

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Is Regifting Wrong?

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:06:18 +0000

An interesting topic came up within my group of friends today, as it was learned that some of us (not me!) are avid regifters. I was quite surprised to learn of this, as I had always considered it bad etiquette to “regift” a present, and was surprised that my friends were so straightforward in admitting they do such things. However, once they explained their reasoning - that they regift items they don’t care for as not to be wasteful - it did sort of make sense. I mean, is it not better to thoughtfully regift an item that you know someone might like, rather than let it sit in your closet gathering dust? It does sound like the more environmentally friendly thing to do, as reusing an item is better than buying a new one.

Personally, I think I’d be too afraid of being found out, and I am probably too sentimental to give away gifts that a friend or family member spent time picking out, however I no longer see regifting as a bad thing, as it clearly does have some benefits.

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Do You Gain Weight Over The Holidays?

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:29:49 +0000

Now I don’t like to toot my own horn, however the fact of the matter is that I have lost some rather significant weight this year, and would hate to blow it by pigging out on holiday goodies. While I do engage in a fair bit of baking at home, it doesn’t cause me to over eat as my husband pretty much devours everything straight out of the oven (and he never gains a pound, of course). However, it never fails that I gain approximately five pounds every holiday season! Well this year it’s going to be different!

It will be hard not to fall into old habits as there will surely be an abundance of holiday goodies to try, delicious fattening food items to eat, and off course enough egg nog to ensure that everyone has a very nice time(my downfall). However with a little self restraint and a continued commitment to exercise, my “inevitable” holiday weight gain will be avoided.For those of you who are in the same boat as me, I recommend avoiding over eating by filling up on veggies (before enjoying some of the more calorie laden dishes on the table), staying away from alcohol and allowing yourself a small treat here and there in order to keep your sanity.

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