Frugal Sisters

Coupon Worshop

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:02:00 +0000

It is finally here. I have been trying to talk Margaret into holding Coupon Workshops for over a year now. We have finally set up two workshops in the Jerseyville, Illinois area. All proceeds will go to the Crohn's and Colitis foundation.

We will be instructing people how to:

Stack coupons
where to get coupons online
where to get coupons other than the Sunday paper

We will be giving out goodie bags to get you started. If you are in the Jerseyville Illinois area come by Wednesday night (May 16th) at the Super 8 Motel, 1303 State Highway 109, Jerseyville, IL 62052-2396. We will be starting at 6:30 pm. Cost is $10.00 per person.

We will be having another workshop June 13, 2012. Same place, same time, same cost.

Let us know if you are interested. Please forward this to anyone that you know in the area. Depending on the response, we may find other venues in the St. Louis, Missouri area to hold the workshop.

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:17:00 +0000

Well, Margaret and I have been busy with a new hobby. Margaret decided to get healthy and start running. She has run a few 5Ks, 10Ks, and a couple half marathons. She has convinced me to start running. What really convinced me was two things.

We are running to raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
We will be running in Napa Valley (can anyone say wine at the end of the trail)

I had a friend who died a few days before Christmas who suffered from Crohn's disease most of her life. Then we discovered that another friend of ours has a son with Crohn's. He is 12 years old and just found out that he has the disease last July. He has had some issues dealing with all the complications.

For those who do not know what Crohn's is, it is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms. It primarily causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is at its worst), vomiting (can be continuous), or weight loss, but may also cause complications outside the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis, inflammation of the eye, tiredness, and lack of concentration. Crohn's disease is caused by interactions between environmental, immunological and bacterial factors in genetically susceptible individuals. This results in a chronic inflammatory disorder, in which the body's immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract possibly directed at microbial antigens. Crohn's disease has traditionally been described as an autoimmune disease, but recent investigators have described it as a disease of immune deficiency.

So since Margaret is a major competitor, we have decided to make a competition out of raising money. We each have a website that you can donate to (Margaret convinced her husband to run as well). All money goes directly to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

To donate to Margaret go to:

http://www.active.com/donate/napa12midastl/stlMDublo

Donate to me (Tina) go to:

http://www.active.com/donate/napa12midastl/stlTRapp

To donate to Chad (Margaret's Husband) go to:

http://www.active.com/donate/napa12midastl/stlCDublo

Please support our new endeavor to help raise money to find a cure for Coltyn and others with this disease.

How many times do you wear cloths before you wash them?

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:18:00 +0000

I found some time to read the newspaper last sunday and found an article about how many times you can wear a clothing item before you need to wash it. It does seem like the clothes would last longer and keep the brighter colors longer. But I don't know that I could wear my dress pants five times before I washed them.

Debra Brass from the St. Louis Post Dispatch says that you can wear a blouse up to three times before you wash it. That would depend on the person I think. If it is hot and humid outside, I am not wearing that blouse again until I wash it.

You can wear dress shorts or pants up to 5 times before washing them. Debra recommends that you do what your mother told you when you got home from school, change into your play clothes as soon as you get home. If there is excessive wrinkles, use steam and gravity to smooth out the wrinkles. If that doesn't work then use the rinse cycle on the wash machine. Stains should be treated ASAP by using oxiclean spray-a-way.

Skirts can be worn six times before being cleaned. There are two exceptions to the rule, whites and silk should be cleaned after every wear so that they do not become discolored.

Pajamas and Night Clothes can be worn up to four times (this I do do because who cares if I have grubby looking PJs). Of course if you sleep in silk then wash them every time you wear them.

Sheets need to be washed once a week.

Bras can be warn up to four times. Sports bras or any bra worn under sweaty conditions wash after every wear. Sweat will deteriorate the elastic and shorten the life of the bra more than washing.

Debra does recommend that you wash underwear, swimwear and gym clothes after every wear. It doesn't matter if you don't get wet or sweat that much. Bacteria is everywhere in the gym and it is best to kill it before you make yourself sick or someone in your home. (Makes you want to hit the gym more often, not.)

Some tips to help keep your clothes looking new is:
- Rinse Armpit Stain Remover, formerly known as pitstop
- Odor-absorbing sachets. Fill a small sock with baking powder or invest in natural packs of charcoal deodorizer that absorbs odor and humidity.
- Create an airing out station. A place that items can be hung before going back into the closet. This should be done especially with dry cleaning.

Debra recommends that all clothing should be aired for 24 hours before putting them into the closet. She also recommends air drying jeans. Drying jeans can make the knees baggy.

With cost of everything going higher and higher, I may wait a couple of times before washing clothes, but I don't know that I would go to this extreme. I get to dirty, even at work, and on the bus to not wash my clothes after I wear them one time. But for those of you who are much cleaner, this may save you a few bucks. I think I will start changing my clothes to play clothes after work, not only to save some wear and tear on my work clothes, but I will be much more comfortable.

Burnout!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0000

The last couple of months have been crazy as it is with everyone. Working a full time job, going to school, studying to pass certification tests, growing 2 small businesses. Oh yah, and dealing with family. I have so many things I need to do, but I just want to veg out in front of the TV, which is very unlike me. I usually don't watch TV. I thought that maybe I was depressed, but I didn't feel depressed. Looking through my emails this morning I found an article from O Magazine by Martha Beck about being burned out.

Within the first paragraph I finally figured it out. I am suffering from burnout. Yep, I do this every so often, but this time it was different. I didn't feel like I was stressed out, but I had every second of the day scheduled. I didn't have any downtime to re-energize.

Martha states that burnout and depression is sometimes gets mixed up. But depression medicine will not work if you are actually burned out. Here are some of the signs of burnout:

Driven
You're working flat-out, in a nonstop blur of accomplishment. You feel you can go on like this forever! You can't!

Draggin
You're sucking up sugar and caffeine to fight fatigue, maybe popping over- the-counter sleep aids to help you "sleep faster," and feeling unpleasantly chubby.

Losing It
You're definitely tired, visibly plump (or alarmingly preskeletal), and perpetually grumpy. You lie awake nights, thoughts racing, longing for sleep. At work and at home, you've developed a charming habit of biting people's heads off.

Hitting the Wall
You're racked by aches and pains, gaining (or losing) weight, prone to temper tantrums or crying jags, hard-pressed to remember things like computer passwords or your children's names.

Burned Out
By now you may have a serious illness (heart disease, an autoimmune disorder) or have been in a car accident. To stay marginally functional, you depend on drugs you obtain either from a shrink who innocently believes you're just depressed or from a man you know only as "Viper." Nobody likes you. The silver lining? As Hanley writes, "If you do not die during this stage, there is no place to go but up."

Things you can do to help you deal with burnout are the same things you do for stress or just to balance your life. Just as a reminder here they are:

Eat small meals of healthy foods, not sugar or more caffeine.
Get some sleep.
Exercise, but not to the point of exhaustion. See the full article for more details.
Unplug from your normal schedule. Take a walk or read a book or dance to your favorite high school song.
When things go wrong and you are about to blow a gasket, take a deep breath and close your eyes for a few seconds. This will help you keep your head and not make things worse that they really are.

For more in-depth help go to O Magazine article "What to Do When You're Burned Out."

So, now I don't feel so bad for taking a couple of hours to just sit and watch some TV and crocheting a blanket. I things on my to-do-list, but they are not crucial and don't have to be done today. So, I will get some stuff done, but no worry about the things I don't get done. There is always tomorrow.

Stacking Coupons and More

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:16:00 +0000

The last few months I have been busy teaching others to save money using coupons and more. Now I am really getting the extreme couponing. Not as much as Margaret yet, but I am well on my way. So, how do you not go crazy, but still maximize the savings using coupons?

First thing is to find out what the policy is for the stores that you normally go to. Do they double coupons? If so, is it only on certain days. Do they only double certain coupons? Do they have an electronic or digital coupon program? What about a card carrying rewards program? Do you get extra coupons, discount codes, or savings if you belong to their Facebook, Twitter, or website programs.

The next thing is to subscribe to the Sunday newspaper in your area and All You Magazine. I found so much good information in both of these products. They both have great ways to save money and plenty of coupons. And if you are looking for a job, the Sunday paper is the best place to find out when and where the next job fair is, and some great tips on how to find a job, networking, and resume writing (in the St. Louis Post there is this information).

Then you can find plenty of places to find printable coupons online. All You Magazine website, and there is a list on the right side of this blog. I found 3 coupons on a bag of goodies that I received from my dentist (good until December 2012). I also found coupons in the packaging of products like inside of cereal boxes and the inside of the cardboard wrapping of microwaveable rice. The online coupons are free. You will need to download the printer program to your computer. Sometimes you have to do it a couple of times in order to get it to work. You can also buy the the 2012 Entertainment book. For this week only you can purchase it for only $19.99 and free shipping. I found it at Walgreen for $35.00, so you have a significant savings if you buy it within the next couple of days.

Once you get your coupons and sales advertisements you can go to work to figure out the best place to use the coupons to get the most out of the deal. For instance if you have a coupon for Domino Sugar. Kroger, Walgreens, and Shop-N-Save all have Domino Sugar on sale. Does one have a better deal than the other? Then what is their coupon policy. Lets say that Walgreens also has a store coupon and you have register rewards to use before they expire. In this case you will use the manufacturer coupon, the Walgreens coupon, and register rewards to save more and more than likely get the sugar for free.

If you don't want to buy a paper or get the magazine, you can still print off coupons online and go to the store website and print off the coupons. Most stores also have the sales advertisements online so you can do everything on the computer.

To maximize your time there are websites that will stack all your deals for you. In the St. Louis Missouri area you can go to Coupon Phenomenon. Coupon Mom will give you the best deals by state, store, etc. If you only have a few minutes to print coupons or cut them out of the newspaper and/or magazines then I suggest going to a website that will help you stack the coupons to get the most out of your money.

This is a great way to stock up on food, cleaning supplies, and other items especially this time of year. If you are not able to get out because of bad weather, you will have plenty of food and supplies to keep you comfortable for a long time. I know many people are glad to have a stock of goods to use after they were lost their job. They didn't have to worry about how to pay for food. They could use the money from unemployment to pay for other bills.

Happy Couponing and Merry Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:03:00 +0000

This month has flown by and Thursday is Thanksgiving. There have been some really heated discussions on the radio on stores opening earlier this year to try to get a jump on the competition. Families are not able to spend the time together on Thanksgiving. I know that I tried the Black Friday thing one time and decided it was not for me. I hate shopping this time of year. I get to cranky with crowds in stores. If you don't want to deal with the crowds or just don't have the money this year to buy gifts here are some suggestions:

Make the gift. Most cases you can work on a schedule to make the gifts for people. Crochet a blanket or make home made candy.
Create coupons for a home made dinner, baby sit for a night, pet sit for a weekend, house sit for weekend or a week, or run errands.
If you have the technology and skill create a video of pictures for a family or scrap book a photo album.
Spend a special day with someone by just hanging out.
Offer to teach someone a skill that you are good at.
Or instead of exchanging gifts have your friends and family donate their time to a food bank or homeless shelter.
Don't forget about re-gifting items. Just make sure you don't give the gift back to the person you received it from.

No one says that you have to purchase a gift. What about the gift of quality time spent together doing something fun that is free. Create new traditions that don't cost money.

If you just have to buy a present or Christmas just won't be the same, here are some thing to help you keep the cost down:

Create a budget and don't go over that budget. You can shop through sale ads and get coupons for just about anything these days. With the paper and internet you don't have to spend a lot of time and gas to find the best price. Do research before you hit the stores.
Stick with your list and don't browse and end up buying more for yourself than for those on your list.
If you are shopping online, make sure that it is a reputable store. Check the Ebay ratings before buying from anyone. The same goes for Craig's List and any other auction website.
Make a list of the people you are buying for and as you buy that person a gift mark them off the list and/or write down the gift next to their name. This will keep you from buying more than necessary for one person and nothing for another.

Try to think outside the box and be creative when trying to find or create a gift for someone without going into debt. Christmas is about Jesus Birthday, not the cost and the amount of the gifts.

Stretching Your Dollar

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Well, it is way past next week, but this is a perfect time for this subject. I can't believe that Christmas commercials are started before Halloween. So, how can you purchase more for your dollar?

Using manufacture coupons, store coupons, and sales. Margaret does this very well. She was very excited about her trip to Target yesterday. She was able to use coupons and store sales to buy hand soap for free. Actually she made a few pennies from the purchase and used the money toward other items.

Walmart and KMart are now offering lay-a-way plans again. Instead of waiting for Black Friday to make your purchases, use the sales adds to put items on lay-a-way. This way Christmas will be paid off instead of paying more for the items by using the credit cards and making payments throughout the year and having to pay interest charges.

If you go out to eat, use coupons. More and more restaurants are offering coupons in the newspapers. They are also offering discounts by signing up as a member to their website, Facebook page, and/or Twitter. Some restaurants will give you a free meal for birthdays and anniversaries.

Then there are the usual tips:

Take your lunch to work, make sure you pack snacks and extra drinks so you don't spend more by going to the vending machines.
Cook at home. If you are a busy person like most of us, cook in bulk. Spend an afternoon and make up two or three meals that can be heated up throughout the week. Cook large amounts of meat that can be used for multiple meals. This time of year is great for cooking in the crock-pot.
Winterize your home. Make sure the windows are sealed or put plastic over them. Have the heater repair person come out to do maintenance and make any necessary repairs. Use a programmable thermostat so that you can program the temperatures to be cooler when you are not home.
Switch the light bulbs to florescent. It really does save money on the electric bill.
Make sure that normal maintenance is done on the car as well as the heater. Cold air condenses the air in the tires, so make sure they are aired up to the recommended psi.

You will be surprised at how much you save if you put into action all of these tips. Just using coupons and store sales, I have saved over $2,000 in my grocery bill this year. I know that Margaret has save almost double that with just a little more effort than I put in. Just think how much more I have saved in other areas by doing simple things that not only saves money, but time.

Starting Over Step #2: Balancing My Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:54:00 +0000

Well, did you get that notebook and write down all your expenses, income, and spending? One thing I did forget to say is, next to those loans and credit cards, write the interest percentage being charged. Now get out a calendar. It is time to work out a budget.

Write on each date when the bills are due. Are there to many bills due on the first of the month? This is were creative accounting comes in. You can do two things:

Call or go to the account website and change the due date.
Work it out on your budget to pay it on a different payday. Just make sure that the payment will be received at least 1 week before the due date.

Why one week? Even if you mail it before the due date, unless the payment is processed before the due date, you will get charged a late fee. The company has to have their process complete, they don't care about the date stamped on the envelope.

Do you pay bills online? Be careful. I made this mistake. Just because you told the bank to pay it today, doesn't mean that it will. I thought that I was paying my car loan in plenty of time. Only to find out that my bank had to mail or wire a check. That took two weeks to process. I was late a couple of times and didn't even know it until I received a notification. In this case the loan bank was close enough that I could just make the payment in person.

Now you have all your bills on your calendar. Pay them at least 2 weeks ahead of time if mailing or paying online. Check to make sure that your income is more than your expenses for that week or payday. Make any necessary changes.

What is left each payday? You now know how much you have left to spend on groceries and other necessary items. To stretch those few dollars, use coupons and sales. Split any extra money to pay down debt and add to a savings account.

More on how strategies to stretch a dollar and maximize savings next week.

Help Employees, Help Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:30:00 +0000

Reading an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch I found an article about a business man who decided to not only help himself, but his employees become debt free.

He went into deep debt to start a business and found out that most of his employees were also deep in debt. To help not only himself, he decided to help his employees reduce their debt. He made it mandatory for all employees and their spouses to attend a 2 1/2 hour class every Thursday night. The results were that cut down $131,000 worth of collective debt.

What did this do for his company? Employees were less stressed and more positive about their future. Not only did it get their employees talking to their spouses about money, but helped them figure out the best way to fix the problem. The business man paid the $8,000 for the materials. He said it was the best investment he ever made.

The course he bought was Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course. I did some research and it is a very good course. There are other courses out there to help you and your friends, family, and employees to reduce debt. If this is something that you are interested, do some research and find the best program for you. I know that Suzie Orman, Jean Chanzskey, and David Bach have a similar program on their websites.

I feel that these programs are very worth the money if you do what is suggested in the programs. Buying the tapes and books and not doing what is suggested will just put you deeper into debt.

Starting Over Step # 1: Getting My Head out of the Sand

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:35:00 +0000

I wanted to get back to my goal of becoming debt free. In order to do that I had to start with the steps that I used the last time I was in this situation. I thought that I would share these steps with you to not only remind myself of what I need to do, but to help others as well.

First is to figure out why and how I ended up with a mountain of debt. My Super Charged Life has a really good article to get started called "Why is My Life So Hard?" It takes you through 3 steps on analyzing yourself and to get you to realize that life can be hard, but it can also be GREAT!!!

After thinking about it, I realized that I have been using retail therapy to feel better about things going on in my life. As we all know, that really doesn't work very well. The thrill of buying stuff is short lived. In order to keep the happy feeling you have to continue to buy more stuff. That will only get you into debt and into a lot of trouble. Plus you start looking like the hoarders on TV. I can't blame this on anyone else but myself this time.

To get started, the first thing is to get your head out of the sand and find out how much debt you really have. Take a notebook and section it off into 3 sections. Or if you have a computer with a spreadsheet program start with that.

First section or tab, write down how much you bring in every month. Take your pay stubs and any other paperwork you have and write down each method of income and how much you brought home last month. Don't forget to include any interest on bank accounts. Do not include Retirement accounts or investments. Only include the income that is readily available to be able to spend at this moment.

Second section, write down every bill you have for each month. Start with the date the bill is due, the company the payment will be sent to, then the amount you have to pay each month, and if there is a balance, write down the balance.

The third section, is for every penny you spend. Carry the notebook around with you or keep a small notebook and write down every time you spend cash. All the experts will tell you to do the same. Why? Most people never know how much they really spend in a month because they don't include cash purchases. Especially that candy bar or soda at the vending machines. Yep, you have to write those down as well. In most cases these are the purchases you can cut out to not only help you meet your budget, but shrink your waist line.

Step three is the most time consuming because you will need to do this every day for 3 months. This will get you thinking about how you are spending money and why. 90 days is what the experts say will help you create a new habit and drop an old one. So for 90 days you will write down each penny you spend. At the end of the month you can analyze where all your money is going and figure out if you can make those purchases with less money or just not buy that item at all.

Once all the income and outgoing money is accounted for, do the math. Are you spending more than you make? If so, were can you make adjustments to cut spending so that you do not go further into debt. Do you really need that movie every week? Is there a cheaper cell phone plan? Can you start taking public transportation to work or to the park? Can you buy that soda and candy bar cheaper at the grocery store and take it to work with you?

For me, I have been using an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all my finances for the last 9 years. The problem is that I fill it out, but I don't really look at the numbers. I have been overspending by a lot in the last 6 months. I have had my head in the sand and now it is time for a reality check. Until last year I didn't have to worry about what I was spending. We always had enough money and plenty of money in the savings account. After my husband lost his job last November, things have change drastically.

This week I will be looking at ways to cut my expenses and increase my income. Stay tuned for Starting Over Step #2: Balancing My Budget.

Forced to Downsize and become Frugal

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:24:00 +0000

With the economy still in limbo, more and more families have been forced to move into smaller home because of job loss or cut in household income. Some families are forced to sell furniture and other household items just to pay the bills. Others are forced to do both.

The economy not improving as fast as predicted, more and more families are being forced to leave their homes that they have lived in for over 10 years. Because they are moving into smaller spaces, people are selling furniture and appliances that will not fit into the smaller homes. The money from selling the items are going to pay off debt.

Layoffs and cuts in income have become the norm. According to TransUnion paying off debt and become frugal has also become the norm. People are worried about keeping jobs and there ability to pay bills. Fewer families are going on vacation or even going out to eat.

According to the "Debt" article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, American families' total liabilities now amount to 119 percent of their annual income. That is down from 136 percent in 2007. But back in 2000 debt was only 97 percent. We still have a long way to go to get our debt back down from 119 percent to 97 percent. I know that because of my own circumstances, my debt has gone way up again. So, I will be downsizing by getting rid of a lot of items in my home at the my next yard sale. I will also be spending less.

The economist in the article says that people are spending but very cautiously. We are in a chicken and the egg dilemma. People will not spend money while they are worried about jobs, gas, and food prices. But employers will not hire more employees until there is a higher demand for goods and services.

This is just my opinion. until families have lowered their debt and feel comfortable spending money again, our economy will not grow. We are in a stagnate situation. I know that I will be working on a tighter budget for myself in the next couple of weeks. I will not be able to spend much money until this time next year. I will be putting my frugal skills to the test this winter to meet my goal of paying off credit card debt and loans.

I am putting together a series of articles to get started with putting together a budget, how to spend less, and ways to make more money. All to pay down debt as fast as possible and get back to feeling comfortable with our own finances. That will be the best day ever ( well for me)!!!!

Six Steps to and Energy Efficinet House

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:43:00 +0000

This article was in the St. Louis Post a few weeks ago. It has some really great ideas to lower the cost of utility bills.

1. Insulation: Make sure you have plenty of insulation in the attic and crawlspaces. I know I was up in my attic for the first time since I bought my house over a year ago. I know it has plenty of insulation. Not having enough will cause the air conditioner and heater to run more and cause higher electric/gas bills.

2. Ductwork: Make sure that the air ducts in your home are air tight. If you find a leak in the joints, repair them with "mastic". It is a goopy paste found at hardware stores. Smear this around joints and leaky ducts. This will help lower energy bills.

3. Efficient appliances: This is a big one. I know when we replaced our air conditioner, heater, and hot water heater in our old home, it cut the energy bill in half. This goes for the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher as well. When replacing old or broken items, make sure that the new one has the Energy Star label.

4. Exterior envelope: Some homes have holes in the attic. While I was in my attic this weekend I did a quick inspection to make sure that there were no holes or leaks. But I do have hole that have screens on them on the front porch. I didn't go out that far when I was in the attic to check how far they go. I will have to do that before winter hits.

5. Light fixtures: Using fluorescent light bulbs can save more than $40.00 in electricity costs over its lifetime. Each bulb uses 75 percent less energy than a standard light bulb.

Oh Yah, now this is what I am talking about!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:14:00 +0000

Last Margaret's son was very excited about going camping with Grandma and Grandpa. The day finally came and as Margaret pulled into the campgrounds next to the camper, Sam says "Now this is what I am talking about!!!" That has become my new saying.

I have discovered that small things in life really do make me happy. Like having time to sit on my back patio and read (when it is not 100 degrees out). Marking things off my to-do-list without feeling stressed to get them done. Girls night out!!! Jamming to good music on my way home from work and singing at the top of my lungs. Sitting around with friends and family laughing so hard I cry (and almost ink (family joke)). Or just sitting on my back patio with a glass of wine watching the animals do their thing.

Last week a friend asked me what I wanted to do with my life/ what makes me happy. I had an ah ha moment. I am doing what I want and what makes me happy. I have a home that I love and enjoy, that is big enough to have family gatherings. I am spending time laughing and having fun with friends and family. The only other thing I want, is to have the time and money to travel. My 3 year plan will help me accomplish that goal.

I use to want to be famous, or have the corner office, and be a millionaire. I realized that being famous isn't all that fun. People are always wanting to know what you are doing every second of the day. You have to live up to everyone's expectations and heaven forbid you be yourself. The managers that had the corner office never had time to be with their families, were stressed out to the max, and had health issues. Now the millionaire, that I wouldn't mind being. Only because the money would give me more choices than I have now. Being debt free will also give me more choices than I have now. I have a 3 year plan for that.

I don't want to be or look younger. I am happy in my skin at 45 years old. I don't need a fast car or to party every night of the week. I don't even have to have something to do every weekend. Just staying at home is fine with me. I have seen to many people ruin their lives and health trying to be younger. What is wrong with getting older? Do what you need to do to keep your health and you will never feel old. Laughing and having fun makes me feel young.

My question to you is, what really makes you happy? Climbing that latter to have more responsibility and a lot more stress for more money that you will never enjoy? Or sitting around a bonfire wearing Ya Ya Sisterhood hats drinking wine and roasting marshmallows laughing so hard you can't catch your breath making up stupid names for each other. Having that expensive sports car that you can only drive when it is sunny and worried that it might get a door ding or the big huge house that you have to keep spotless and worried if someone walks in with dirty shoes or spills something on the carpet? Or having a house that is cozy and fun to have friends and family over and a car that is comfortable enough to take 4 people with luggage on a 10 hour road trip jamming to music and having fun?

What makes you say "Oh Yah, now this is what I am talking about!!!"?

Solar Powered Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I have discovered that the new house does not have outside electrical outlets. My dilemma is, how do I decorate for holidays? Yah, I could have my uncle (who is an electrician) put in outlets. I did some research and found a new way to decorate and not have to worry about my electric bill going up.

People can be so smart and resourceful. There are now solar powered decorations. Yes, I will have some really cool decorations for Halloween and Christmas using the sun. Here are some websites:

InventorSpot has collected some of the best decorations for Halloween.

Amazon.com and Global Sources has more than Halloween and Christmas decorations.

Now my problem is solved. I have plenty of options for some really cool decorations without having the time and expense of running new outlets and I save on my electric bill. What is better than that!!!

Have fun decorating and saving money.

Exciting News for the Extreme Couponers

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:14:00 +0000

After watching an episode of Extreme Couponing, I challenged Margaret to a couponing match for November to get everything for a Thanksgiving dinner for the least amount of money. As usual Margaret goes to the the Extreme on everything. The next day the submitted her application to be on the show.

The application was accepted. She had a list of things that she had to complete in a week to submit for the next level. I have been busy helping Margaret get everything ready and practice techniques for the show. We will not know when she will receive any news. But we will let everyone know the results when we do.

In the meantime, we will be working on our own challenge. We will be posting our results in December on who won the Thanksgiving challenge.

I don't know if the Extreme Couponing is good or bad for our family. I found out from Aunt Paula that her daughter-in-law watched one show and is obsessed with coupons now. Isn't it GREAT!!!!

As a side note, Margaret does donate a lot of extra items to the food pantry near her office. Not only is she helping keep her budget under control, but she is helping out those who are in need. Did I say how great couponing can be for everyone.

Just in case I don't get time to post before Monday, Happy Labor day. Thank you to all who work so hard to keep this country running.

My 3 Year Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Sorry I have been MIA for such a long time. I didn't realize it has been since June until I looked at my last article. Things have been a little crazy as usual in my life. It is strange that I have less responsibilities these days, it seems I have less time to get stuff done. My life is a little stuck at work and home. I have decided to roll out a three year plan to get me unstuck and financially free.

The best way to become financially free is to have no credit card balance, no loans, and plenty of residual income. How do I make this happen? Increase my income and decrease my bills and spending.

First things first. Pay off credit cards and loans. In the next year I will pay off all my credit cards again and two loans. I have set up a new budget to accomplish this goal. Extra spending money is next to 0, but I can do what I need to do to get to where I want to be.

I will have a new job by the first of next year with a good increase in pay. I will also have a new website up an running to sell custom apparel. I also plan to use this blog to help me stay on track. It has helped me in the past and I know that it will help me now. Not only am I helping others save money, but I am learning new ways to meet my goals.

To help eventually increase my income I have enrolled in school to get a Bachelors Degree and I am studying to take 2 certification tests. Mostly because the Government has required me to have these certifications to stay employed.

Studying will keep me out of the stores and busy so that I don't miss buying that new gadget. Borders closing will also help me stay on budget. I will really miss that store.

How do I have residual income? Well, that is going to be a little harder these days. Before the latest stock market crash, I would have invested it. Now, I will be looking at other ways to invest. For the next year I will be using 90 percent of my income to pay off credit cards and loans. Hopefully by this time next year the stock market will be back up and I will not have to worry about were to invest my extra money. For now, I will just keep it in a high (well what is now considered a high interest) interest savings account.

Do you have a plan to get out of Debt?

Working Longer for Retirement

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:44:00 +0000

How long do you have to work before you can enjoy retirement? Me, I don't know if I will ever get to retire. After reading an article in the paper, it looks like I may not be alone.

About 4 years ago I was talking with a co-worker. He was in his 80s and was planning to retire for the 3rd time. But the stock market had crashed along with the housing market and he was having to make the decision to keep working or actually retire. A couple of years later the company actually made him retire.

Reading the article in the local newspaper made me think about that co-worker. Will I have enough money to retire before I am forced to do so?

According to the article in order to have 50% chance of covering basic expenses during retirement years, most people will have to work until they are between 76 to 84 years old. That is a very long time to work. What do I need to do to be able to retire at the age of 65 or earlier?

Do what Margaret and I have been talking about on this blog and all the other financial blogs. Cut down on spending, increase my income, and pay off credit cards and loans. Most of all max out my retirement plan at work.

You are losing out of a lot of money if you don't take advantage of an employers retirement plan especially if the company contributes to that plan. That is free money. Every time you receive a raise, put at least half of that money back into your retirement fund.

Make a plan. Go through your budget and figure out how much you will need to be able to retire. How many years do you want to work? Then figure out how much you need to safe to reach that goal. If you don't feel you can reach that goal, extend the number of years you will need to work to have the money you need to pay bills. Keep adjusting both savings and number of years until you have a comfortable balance.

Every couple of years look at your retirement plan. Is it on track or do you need to make some adjustments? Life happens and things change, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. You always need to be adjusting your budget and then everything else after that ( bill paying plan, retirement, savings, etc.).
You don't need to become obsessed, but you do need to be aware of were you are financially so that you can adjust accordingly.

Happy Father's Day!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Sitting out on the back patio reading the St. Louis Post Dispatch news paper and found a great article of advice from famous fathers. I thought that I would share.

Believe in yourself. The words "I can't" was not in Tim Russerts vocabulary. Hard work will always pay off.

It's Ok to be scared. I know that when I went into the Navy, I was scared. All the stories I heard about boot camp was crazy. I hated being yelled at. But I went anyway and it was no were near close to all the horror stories. It wasn't a vacation and the inspections every week were stressful, but it wasn't the worst 8 weeks of my life.

Remember the little things. It's the little things in life that makes it easier, enjoyable, and AWESOME!!! Big surprises and gifts are great, but the little things seem to last a lot longer. I have a very large family and we still say things the way kids use to say them. Like Sam "Now this is what I am talking about". Shane, breafkast (breakfast), Nicole at the age of 6 (who is now 23) "I'm moving out". Brian at the age of 7 (who is now 22?) "I don't want no F&*#ken breakfast" (yes, he did get his butt beat for that one).

Be there when it counts. "In high school, my brother and I were playing in the state championship football game. My father was competing in the World Series of Golf at the time, but in the middle of the tournament, he jumped on a plane and came to our game. He knew how important it was to us, so it became equally important to him." - Jack Nichlaus II

Make your own mark. "I entered college wondering whether I was thereon my own merits or those of my father. It was not always easy growing up in his shadow, and to my surprise he understood this. He said my doubts would be answered by what I would do with the experience. However, he already knew I was going to succeed in ways neither of us could imagine, and he couldn't be prouder. His vote of confidence stuck, not in my conscious brain, but somewhere deep and permanent and useful. - Elisha Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize winner

Get Involved. "He told all us kids: 'If you don't vote, I'll disown you.' It was not an idle threat. He believed strongly that we should all take part in politics, at the very least by voting. He loved to argue about politics. I disagreed with him on some issues, and he relished thrashing it out." - Nell Newman ( daughter of Paul Newman)

Don't let fear stop you. "'Either you stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you get out in the ocean,' my dad used to say. Too often fear immobilizes people - perhaps they're scared of what could happen if they try, or they're afraid of what people may think. At any moment, your life can unalterably change, so there is no excuse for letting fear stand in your way." - Mathew Reeves (Christopher Reeve's Son)

I think all of this is great advise. Give us the advise from your father.

Is the economy stuck?

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:12:00 +0000

I actually took some time to sit and listen to the news for about 5 minutes this morning. Most of the news was about the economy and how the President is dealing or not dealing with it. I know that a lot radio station took a pole a few weeks ago and for the most part it was about even. Some people thought it was getting better others thought it was getting worse.

If you would have asked me last week what my opinion was it would have been that it was getting worse. Today, I am saying for me it is a little better than 3 years ago, but only because I still have a job. (last week that was questionable). After thinking about things this last couple of weeks, it has given me a chance to work out a plan.

At the end of September my contract ends again. I am hoping that I will get picked up by whoever wins the new contract and will have a job for the next 3 years. I have worked out a 3 year plan to get me back out of debt (well except for the house payment), a savings built up, and a retirement account started again. I am also going to get my businesses built up so that I will not have to worry about a job. I will be going back to school as well to get a BS/Masters degree and certifications that are required for one business.

I vowed to never be this stressed out about losing a job again. I feel with this plan, I will have plenty of diversification in my work skills and business skills that I will not have an issue bringing in enough money to pay my bills and keep my lifestyle intact.

What do you think? Is the economy stuck, become worse, or getting better? Some economist say that it is only getting better before the fall. In that case, do you have a plan to be able to obtain your lifestyle if things get worse? If they are already bad for you, do you have a plan to improve your situation?

I know, no matter what, I am determined to make my situation better.

Newspaper Articles

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:26:00 +0000

I finally had time to get caught up on my news paper reading this last weekend. The most interesting articles headliners are: Low-end Grocers, Great Recession is Likely to Reverberate, High gas prices don't usually cancel a trip, Agree or disagree?, and Free Farm vacations if you're willing to work. I thought that I would pass some of the highlights along to you.

Low End Grocers - With high cost of everything these days, more and more people are starting to buy groceries at Aldi or Save-A-Lot stores. In fact a new Aldi store just opened up in a nearby town. I have not shopped in an Aldi in a long time, but I think I may start. Usually I just wait until there is a $10.00 off coupon thursday at Shop-N-Save. Aldi does not accept coupons, so I do need to rethink my shopping strategies. Margaret's son does love Aldi chicken nuggets. I think that is the only kind he will eat.

Great Recession is Likely to Reverberate - Gail Marksjarvis from the St. Louis Post Dispatch writes that not only are people having a hard time keeping employment, but keeping up with retirement funds. It is taking a lot longer for retirement plans to recoup the money lost in the last few years. "A survey found 44 percent had reduced their discretionary spending over the past 12 months. In addition, 59 percent said they are more concerned than ever about being able to retire, and 49 percent said they have lowered their expectations for how they will live when they retire." The recession has hit our pockets so hard that many people are working longer and spending less to be able to live a comfortably during the retirement years.

High gas prices don't usually cancel a trip - With a long weekend coming up a survey released from AAA states that the gas prices will not affect their travel plans. Most family are planning to pack a cooler to cut down on some of the food prices. Compared to last year a road trip will cost an additional $94 on average. If you skip a couple of meals out on the town, you will be able to recoup that cost.

Agree or Disagree? Not only has the St. Louis Post Dispatch asked this question, but the local radio station has poled listeners. Is the economy getting better or not. I guess it will depend on if you are still looking for a job. Did you have to take a pay cut just to keep your job? Is the cost of gas and food affected your standard of living? The results of the surveys say that is is a 50/50 split. I am on the fence. I see that in some cases the economy is looking up, but in other areas, it is still very bad. I guess that means the economy has not changed in the last couple of years.

Free farm vacation if you're willing to work - I read an article a few months back that some farms in Europe have started taking reservations for people to stay for free, but they had to do chores for room and meals. It has now come to America. A farm in New York has placed an ad on Craigslist to work for your keep and enjoy wineries and great beaches nearby. I am considering booking a vacation working on a farm in the next couple of years. It is a great way to see the country in a different view.

After my reading I am planning to visit the local Aldi store, once I get a new job start a retirement plan, and find a farm to work on during vacation. Well actually my next vacation will be to Hogsmead, then to a farm. Maybe in Europe then in the USA. As for this weekend, I plan to stay home and save gas. I do have a couple of short driving trips planned for this summer. Hopefully gas prices will go down before then.

Smart Women Smart Money 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:27:00 +0000

Tuesday I attended the Smart Women Smart Money conference in Illinois. I have attended this conference for the last 4 years and it has always been worth the time. The best part is it is free.

The workshops were really good this year. The best one was a panel of 4 people ( a representative from the SBA, a local bank, and 2 people Illinois State Treasurer's office.) that answered questions about how to start or grow a business. Of course most if it had to do with finances, but they did have a lot of other great information.

Some of the tips were:

Create a business plan and review it every year. - This is something that no matter what conference I attend, the people who are succeeding in business say to create a business plan and review it. I admit that I have not done this for any business I have had or currently have. It has been added to my to-do-list though.
Talk to people who have succeeded in business. - Ask what has worked for them and what has not. Ask them the ups and downs of owning a business. Find someone that is not afraid to give you straight forward advise. Everyone talks about how great it would be to have your own business. You have no idea how much time and energy you actually have to put into a business to make it work. It is definitely more than 40 hours.
Use social media to promote your business. The best part about using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. to promote your business is that it is free. How great is it that you can reach millions of people by posting something on Facebook for free and it takes only a few minutes to do.

The other seminar I attended was about time management. The best tip that I received from that was to say "no". I have a habit of saying yes to to many projects and then get overwhelmed with everything I need to do. I am in that situation now. For some reason I have a very hard time saying no. That is going to change. After listening to my MIL talk about how she never had time to enjoy her beautiful home or retirement, I realized that I was heading down that same path. My goal this year is to finish the projects that I have started and choose any new projects with care. My main goal is to have down time to enjoy sitting in the screened in back patio and enjoying life (maybe with a glass of wine or two with my mom and sisters).

Some other time savers that were suggested was:

Have 1 notebook to write down ideas and to-do-lists. Don't use sticky notes or multiple notebooks. Put everything in one place.
Cut down on the amount of time watching TV, playing Farmville, and Internet Games. Use Tivo or DVRs to tape shows and skip over the commercials.
Take public transportation or carpool and use a smart phone or Ipad to answer emails and make phone calls while someone else is driving.
Figure out the best time of day for you to accomplish tasks. Everyone has a time of day when they are awake and have a lot of energy. Mine is early morning. I can get so much done by getting up early and getting started. Don't expect me to get much done after lunch. From around noon to 3 or 4 pm I am a slug. I save all the easy stuff and tasks that doesn't require a lot of concentration for the afternoon.
Before bedtime, gather everything that is needed for the next day, set out clothes (and jewelry), and go over the schedule and to-do-list. This way you are not running around trying to find everything you need and possibly forget something.

The last workshop that I attended was about Finances. One of the biggest reasons people end up deep in debt is because they do not track their spending and they do not have a budget. The first thing you need to do is write down all your bills and then all the income. On Debt Do Us Part, that is the first thing Gail does with the couple. She finds out how much money they are spending and how much income they have. It is amazing that the couples have no idea that they are spending thousands of dollars more than what they bring in. After you have your own reality check, then the hard work comes in. You figure out how to cut back on spending and increase the income to pay off the debt and start saving.

If you ever get the chance to attend a Smart Women Smart Money conference, I would take it. They are sponsored by a state Treasurer's office. Most states have this program. Again, it is free. It is a great place to network as well as learn about finances.

Finally We Are Back

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:19:00 +0000

I have been fighting with Google for two weeks trying to get the blog back up and running. I ended having to redirect it to a different url. I hope that everyone finds us again. For those that have signed up for the rss feed the new website is www.frugalsisters.com.

Hopefully we will see how things go. I will be posting tomorrow about the Smart Women Smart Money conference. Now I need to make sure all the details are updated for the blog.

Spending and Grocery Freezes

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:47:00 +0000

You ever notice that when you tell everyone in the world that you are going to do something, all the sudden it becomes harder to do than before. Well, that is exactly what has happened to me. In the last few months I have put myself on a spending freeze, weight loss diet, and a grocery freeze. Then I end up spending and eating more than I did before announcing those challenges.

Yes, Margaret, you do very well with all of those things. I use to be that way. Once I set my mind to doing something, then I usually do it. Lately my resolve is dissolving. I don't know if it is because I am still adjusting to my new life or if it is because I am older, or if it is because my life views are changing, or all of the above.

The things I have done are:

canceled credit cards
simplified my finances
made progress in de-cluttering my home
decreased my food stock pile to the point that I can almost unplug the big freezer and put all my food in the pantry
maintained an exercise routine

I am hoping that I can get my drive back soon. The next couple of months are going to be a little crazy. So I am giving myself that much time to get my groove back and hopefully get into a better routine.

I am going to take the test to become Nationally Certified to get back into Massage Therapy and go back to school to get my BS/Masters degree. My plan is to become diversified enough that if something falls through (like my full time job), I have backup forms of income to pay my bills and still fund a retirement plan.

Is it just me or are you having trouble focusing on goals?

Till Debt Do Us Part

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:31:00 +0000

I am currently watching Till Debt Do Us Part and realized that I am not doing as well as I thought. I am in denial on how much I am actually spending even though I am keeping track of every penny I am spending. The problem is, I am not really looking at the numbers.

On every show Gail looks at all aspects of the couples finances and puts together a financial budget. The first thing Gail does is takes all the credit cards and puts them in a bucket of water and freezes them. Then she gives them cash that they are allowed to spend for an entire month. They are not allowed to spend a penny more.

After really looking at my budget I know that I can pay all my bills and have money to put into savings. Now I just need to stick with my budget and pay off my debt a little faster than I am.

The last few months I have been struggling with sticking to my weight loss plan and sticking with my debt reduction plan. Why? Like in the past, I am using food and buying stuff to make me feel better about my life. I am paying off my debt and I am loosing weight, but I am not making the progress that I know I should be making.

In the past keeping finances and healthy foods in focus helped me keep on track. Reading books, watching TV shows and have accountability for my actions. Which is why I write blogs. So you, friends, and my family are going to help me keep on track.

One other thing that Gail does is has the couple come clean with friends and family. So I am coming clean.

My goal is to lose17 pounds by my niece's wedding in May. In June I will pay off 2 credit cards that are currently 0% interest. In October I will pay off the last credit card that is 0% interest as well. Currently I have kept all other cards paid off monthly. That will leave me with a business, furniture, car, and home loan. Next year the business and furniture loan will be paid. The extra money will be put toward my retirement plan which I do not have one at the moment.

Now it is all out. I am excited to get to work on my debt and weight loss. I will keep you updated every month. I am counting on you to help me stay on track.

Wii Fit vs. Wii The Biggest Loser

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Earlier this month I declared my addiction to the Wii. As much as I love the TV show The Biggest Loser, I really didn't like the Wii exercise version. I decided that I would give each (Wii Fit and Wii Biggest Loser) game a week to test out which I liked best. The Wii Fit is still the winner.

There are a couple of things that really bother me with The Biggest Loser game.

For some reason (and if anyone could help me on this one I would love it!!!), I can not get the Wii to recognize that I am doing the jump rope. I have tired just about everything I can and it still will not recognize that I am doing anything. There are a couple of other exercises that I have issues with, but the jump rope is my main problem.
The moving of the Wii Fit Board in and out of position just drives me crazy. They really do need to put together an exercise routine that uses the board and then move it out of the way for the rest of the routine.
I hate when Jillian yells at me to work harder when I am actually doing the exercise, but the Wii is not indicating that nothing is happening.

Some of the things I do like are:

It is cool that you do compete against other people that have been on the TV version when doing the challenges.
You actually do weigh ins with the biggest loser scale and all.
There are different challenges to do, just like the TV version.

For the most part the Wii Biggest Loser game is a good workout, but I am still liking the Wii Fit better.

It has more games to play that make it fun to exercise.
It is fun to find out what my Wii age is for the day when you do a Body Test. (Today I am only 32, which is a lot younger than my actual age).
Over the weekend I unlocked the meditation game. I love doing that one at the end of my workout.

What I don't like about the Wii Fit:

I do have a little issue with the boxing not picking up my moves, similar to the issue of the jump rope. But it does at least still indicate that I am doing something.
I don't know if I just have not unlocked it yet, or if there is not a complete workout routine. You go through and chose an exercise, then you have to click on the next exercise. This takes a little extra time that I don't usually have in the morning.

My favorite exercises on the Wii Fit are:

Boxing
Step (Dancing)
Trying to get the bubble down the river
Jogging around the island (by the way, do you see Mareo on the bridge?)
Hula Hoop
Meditation

I am still sore after a good workout even though I have been using the Wii on a regular basis for a couple of months. It really does work your muscles even though, at the time your doing the exercises, you don't feel like you are doing anything.

Yard Sale season is just around the corner. I would keep my eye out. You could do surveys like Margaret and get enough points to use an Amazon gift card to get a Wii. It could be a present for the whole family. Great for rainy days when everyone is stuck indoors.