I ran across WalletPop this morning while reading AOL's news on recession and then checked out one of the links which was to WalletPop.com ! They have information on recession, bargains, thrifting, loans, and so much more that folks that visit this blog would be greatly interested in! Check them out today! I know I am getting ready to go back right now!
Have a Great Monday!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Check off one item on Green Dream List!
Last night we went to Lowe's Home Improvement and they still had their vent-free electric fireplaces 50% off! We decided to go ahead and get one for the Bonus/Hobby Room for that price! You can't leave it! I am excited about that purchase and we will put it together tonight! Yay! One down on the "Green Dream" list! (previous post to this one!)
Happy Weekend to Everyone! Tax Deadline for companies to send out the forms is nearing! Get ready to file your taxes if you haven't already!
Happy Weekend to Everyone! Tax Deadline for companies to send out the forms is nearing! Get ready to file your taxes if you haven't already!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
My "Green Dream" List!
That's right! My "Green Dream" List! This is a list of items that I would just LOVE LOVE LOVE to have; however, financially unable to afford at this moment, but no reason not to dream "green!" Need some "Green!" There are quite a few items out there that are absolutely awesome but the average family (at least mine) can not justify the prices due to regular bills and financial obligations. Okay, I know, thanks for being so depressing! LOL
Without further adieu; here is my list:
Without further adieu; here is my list:
- Window Awnings on the entire back of my house!
- A nice vent-free electric fireplace for the bonus/hobby room!
- Solar Panels (can't a girl dream big!)
- Bamboo Flooring throughout
- New Energy Star Front Loading Washer and Dryer
- New Energy Star Stainless Steel Stove and Microwave (kinda have energy star already but want stainless steel to match the fridge)
- Stainless Steel Energy Star Dishwasher
- Electric Griddle
- Hybrid Vehicle (Do they make the Pacifica in a Hybrid?)
- Storm Door (Front Door)
- New Energy Star Thermostats
- I may add more later as my ideas pop in my head...I love to dream!
Anything on your "green dream" wish list?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Adventures in Home Loans! What I learned!
As the title suggests, I had a recent adventure in Home Loans/Mortgages! Here is what I learned (not much but still, like to share):
I called about papers I had received in the mail (no not junk ones..from my actual mortgage company). One letter about Home Equity Loans and another about Refinancing. I thought, hmmm..sure would be nice to have a fence in the back yard and redo the kitchen and living room floors! On top of all that, sure would be nice to have a lower rate at that!
I asked could you Refinance, Consolidate AND Receive Home Equity. Answer: Yes you can! We didn't though..we haven't, naturally, lived in our house long enough...a year and a half. Good news is, I am certain our value/equity has increased already by at least 20K-25K. The thing of it was, we just haven't paid down the house enough to receive the benefits of the equity yet.
It wasn't a wasted call...as we did refinance into a lower rate at 5.875 which I think is great. Our payment stayed basically the same but now we are actually paying Principal also. Before we were in a 30 year fixed with a 10 year interest only. Now we are paying basically the same as before $6.00 less (LOL) actually which is fantastic! My cousin did our loan initially and did a fantastic job saving us tons of money and getting us in a bigger nicer house! The mortgage guy I spoke to on the phone last night said my cousin saved us about $300-$400 per month...that translates into a house that is 30K-40K more than we would have otherwise been able to afford! Thanks cousin! :-) My cousin had told us when we got the house a year and a half ago to refinance when the rates dropped again in the future, and the future is now! He was right, AGAIN! So now we are paying (I reiterate) basically the same but now in a normal loan for the long haul! How awesome! I am excited!
I called about papers I had received in the mail (no not junk ones..from my actual mortgage company). One letter about Home Equity Loans and another about Refinancing. I thought, hmmm..sure would be nice to have a fence in the back yard and redo the kitchen and living room floors! On top of all that, sure would be nice to have a lower rate at that!
I asked could you Refinance, Consolidate AND Receive Home Equity. Answer: Yes you can! We didn't though..we haven't, naturally, lived in our house long enough...a year and a half. Good news is, I am certain our value/equity has increased already by at least 20K-25K. The thing of it was, we just haven't paid down the house enough to receive the benefits of the equity yet.
It wasn't a wasted call...as we did refinance into a lower rate at 5.875 which I think is great. Our payment stayed basically the same but now we are actually paying Principal also. Before we were in a 30 year fixed with a 10 year interest only. Now we are paying basically the same as before $6.00 less (LOL) actually which is fantastic! My cousin did our loan initially and did a fantastic job saving us tons of money and getting us in a bigger nicer house! The mortgage guy I spoke to on the phone last night said my cousin saved us about $300-$400 per month...that translates into a house that is 30K-40K more than we would have otherwise been able to afford! Thanks cousin! :-) My cousin had told us when we got the house a year and a half ago to refinance when the rates dropped again in the future, and the future is now! He was right, AGAIN! So now we are paying (I reiterate) basically the same but now in a normal loan for the long haul! How awesome! I am excited!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Weekend Accomplishments: Organizing and Creative Spending!
This weekend, I feel that I accomplished quite a bit, well at least I think so! :-)
Topic: Organizing:
I managed to organized my son's clothes (that seemed infinite to the end). I reorganized his clothes in his room. I gathered up some for our yard sale that takes place in October, some for people I know, and some to keep (just in case). This task took around 3 hours! No kidding! So glad to have that complete and it looks great and feels great (easier to find his clothes and what he can wear).
I also cleared off the Kitchen and Dining Room tables! Whew! It is amazing how much mail one accumulates in a week's time! Yikes! I also created a system for that as well so it shouldn't happen again (well...we'll see)!
I started organizing the bonus/hobby room! This is still an ongoing task and no where near completion! I did; however, take down the superyard that protected my personal hobby/arts area. Man, it really gave the room new life! I feel like I can breath in there again! Yippie! The room looks big again! Yay! Looking forward to seeing the end product on this one!
Topic: Creative Spending:
This weekend, we also did a little bit of shopping that was also somehow a breath of fresh air! We all need some Shopping Therapy once in a while to make your life seem fresh again!
We had received a 10% off coupon off an entire purchase for Lowe's Home Improvement as well as a seperate coupon for 12 months no interest if paid off in 12 months and spend over $299 (psst...no problem at Lowe's right? lol)
Anywho, I know what all of your thrifty and frugal minds are thinking...No No Nooooo! Don't do it! Well, I am with you; however, our strategy is to plan what we want/ need and write a list (to not go crazy) and plan an amount NOT to go over, and have a PLAN in place to have it paid back BEFORE the end of the 12 month promotion period! It works, you just have to be disciplined! We bought our fridge that way and it was paid off in 6 months...didn't have to pay a dime in interest! Very cool! So, now you know our business with our Lowe's, let me tell you what we purchased that I am so excited about!
Topic: Organizing:
I managed to organized my son's clothes (that seemed infinite to the end). I reorganized his clothes in his room. I gathered up some for our yard sale that takes place in October, some for people I know, and some to keep (just in case). This task took around 3 hours! No kidding! So glad to have that complete and it looks great and feels great (easier to find his clothes and what he can wear).
I also cleared off the Kitchen and Dining Room tables! Whew! It is amazing how much mail one accumulates in a week's time! Yikes! I also created a system for that as well so it shouldn't happen again (well...we'll see)!
I started organizing the bonus/hobby room! This is still an ongoing task and no where near completion! I did; however, take down the superyard that protected my personal hobby/arts area. Man, it really gave the room new life! I feel like I can breath in there again! Yippie! The room looks big again! Yay! Looking forward to seeing the end product on this one!
Topic: Creative Spending:
This weekend, we also did a little bit of shopping that was also somehow a breath of fresh air! We all need some Shopping Therapy once in a while to make your life seem fresh again!
We had received a 10% off coupon off an entire purchase for Lowe's Home Improvement as well as a seperate coupon for 12 months no interest if paid off in 12 months and spend over $299 (psst...no problem at Lowe's right? lol)
Anywho, I know what all of your thrifty and frugal minds are thinking...No No Nooooo! Don't do it! Well, I am with you; however, our strategy is to plan what we want/ need and write a list (to not go crazy) and plan an amount NOT to go over, and have a PLAN in place to have it paid back BEFORE the end of the 12 month promotion period! It works, you just have to be disciplined! We bought our fridge that way and it was paid off in 6 months...didn't have to pay a dime in interest! Very cool! So, now you know our business with our Lowe's, let me tell you what we purchased that I am so excited about!
- *An ODL Enclosed Blind for the back door! We LOVE it! Very easy to install, looks awesome and is energy efficient! Don't forget we saved also 10% with the shopping coupon as well on everything!
- *A Front Porch Swing that I had been wanting forever! So excited about it! We need something to sit on, on the Front Porch, and my son will love it! It is pretty too! I am going to have my upholstery sewing mom to make us some outdoor pillows (beautiful) for it. I am going to have her to attach a tie back on the reverse side to attach them so they don't fly away!
- *A Bird Fruit Basket for my Dining Table (a ha! The inspiration for the table cleaning! LOL)...it was 50% off plus my 10% off....got it for less than $15! Very pretty!
- *Two Swing Seats for what will be my son's swing set (we have been buying a piece at a time...designed our own...since LAST year).
- *Two Swing Hook Sets (Important....$30 EACH...Yikes!)
- *Some Lugnuts (for son's swingset)
- *Drip Irrigation pieces (only like $4.00 but must be mentioned)
- *Two Pieces of Wood (for the swing set)
- *and a Gatorade (to keep my son happy while loading the truck!)
In the end we will pay approximately $44 per month (I like to pay more or bigger chunks..but this is the average needed to pay off the card by the 12 months.)!
So excited!
Happy Monday!
Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Observed Today! Work Together Everyone! Make it a great day for others around you and yourself!
Friday, January 18, 2008
FRIDAY FAVES: FAVORITE KITCHEN GADGET!
Mommy Community Hosts Friday Favorites each Friday. This week the topic is favorite Kitchen Gadget!
My Favorite Kitchen Gadget(s) are kinda boring but true:
My Favorite Kitchen Gadget(s) are kinda boring but true:
- Electric Kettle (I love the ease and quickness of boiling water with this. Great for Mashed Potatoes, instant grits and oatmeals, formula, tea (of course), and the list goes on!)
- Coffee Pot (Can't make it without my coffee fix)
and - Toaster (Love having crunchy bread for sandwiches and fast waffles when on the run!)
Alright! What is your Favorite Kitchen Gadgets? Join Mommy Community each Friday to share your faves!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Live Better for Less reminds us to Upgrade our TVs! Thank you!
Live Better for Less Money is a Great blog I stumbled upon today, and they have a great post on Upgrading your TV AND they direct you to the government site to save you $$$ with coupons towards the required convertor box for next year! Thank you Live Better for Less Money for sharing this information with everyone!
Weekend Deals!
Happy Monday Everyone!
Just wanted to share my the deals I got over the weekend. On Saturday...we bopped over to Lowe's Home Improvement. They were running a 50% off sale on their Home Decor products they are clearing out. We bought a Rattan Ottoman (storage inside) for $25.00 Regular $50! I was and am excited about that purchase. We put it in the living room in front of a chair and put bags of Diapers in it to conceal it and have somewhere to rest our feet! Nice! It matches well too of course. Don't give up style for a deal.
My other deal was yesterday at CVS! I needed some more of my preferred and much needed shampoo T/Gel and discovered I had CVS Extra Bucks ($4) and a $2 coupon for Neutrogena Products! I asked, can I used the bucks and a coupon? They said sure as long as they don't owe me money! I said no problem. I also added a little Rudolph coloring book (90% off) that I got for $.50 Regular $5.00. My son loves Rudolph. Has watched it nearly every day since the new year began! I paid in cash for my Shampoo $1.06, including the coloring book! Not bad!
I also stayed far away from malls, target, etc... this weekend to avoid un-necessary spending! Had to be careful this weekend. I believe I did well!
Happy Thrifty Monday!
Just wanted to share my the deals I got over the weekend. On Saturday...we bopped over to Lowe's Home Improvement. They were running a 50% off sale on their Home Decor products they are clearing out. We bought a Rattan Ottoman (storage inside) for $25.00 Regular $50! I was and am excited about that purchase. We put it in the living room in front of a chair and put bags of Diapers in it to conceal it and have somewhere to rest our feet! Nice! It matches well too of course. Don't give up style for a deal.
My other deal was yesterday at CVS! I needed some more of my preferred and much needed shampoo T/Gel and discovered I had CVS Extra Bucks ($4) and a $2 coupon for Neutrogena Products! I asked, can I used the bucks and a coupon? They said sure as long as they don't owe me money! I said no problem. I also added a little Rudolph coloring book (90% off) that I got for $.50 Regular $5.00. My son loves Rudolph. Has watched it nearly every day since the new year began! I paid in cash for my Shampoo $1.06, including the coloring book! Not bad!
I also stayed far away from malls, target, etc... this weekend to avoid un-necessary spending! Had to be careful this weekend. I believe I did well!
Happy Thrifty Monday!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Thrifty and Creative's Favorite 15 Posts of 2007!
This is my personal favorite top 15 list of Posts for 2007 from Thrifty and Creative:
Enjoy!
(Note: No particular order...I like them all and many more...)
1. Favorite Stores
2. Thrift Stores
3. Tax Receipts and the Thrift Store
4. Mis-cut Blinds
5. Thrifty Idea
6. Thrifty Tip Thursday (About donating to schools)
7. Let's Call it Thrifty Tip Thursday
8. The Best Diapers to use for Night and Shopping!
9. What an Awesome way to Recycle Plastic Bags! You won't believe it!
10. Baby $$ Money $$ Saving Tips
11. Thrifty Tip Thursday! FREE Samples!
12. Get your New Year started off right with Method Products!
13. Excited about an Energy Saving Purchase!
14. Monday Mommy Tip: Winter Heating Tip!
15. Storm Door: Great addition for heating and cooling savings
There were many more post that I enjoyed writing and found useful for myself, or I had already done in my home. Take time, if you wish, to surf Thrifty and Creative's 2007 posts!
Happy New Year once again!
Enjoy!
(Note: No particular order...I like them all and many more...)
1. Favorite Stores
2. Thrift Stores
3. Tax Receipts and the Thrift Store
4. Mis-cut Blinds
5. Thrifty Idea
6. Thrifty Tip Thursday (About donating to schools)
7. Let's Call it Thrifty Tip Thursday
8. The Best Diapers to use for Night and Shopping!
9. What an Awesome way to Recycle Plastic Bags! You won't believe it!
10. Baby $$ Money $$ Saving Tips
11. Thrifty Tip Thursday! FREE Samples!
12. Get your New Year started off right with Method Products!
13. Excited about an Energy Saving Purchase!
14. Monday Mommy Tip: Winter Heating Tip!
15. Storm Door: Great addition for heating and cooling savings
There were many more post that I enjoyed writing and found useful for myself, or I had already done in my home. Take time, if you wish, to surf Thrifty and Creative's 2007 posts!
Happy New Year once again!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Friday Faves: Favorite Reality or Game Show with Mommy Community
It has been a while since I have participated in Mommy Community's Friday Faves!
This week it is for Favorite Reality / Game Shows:
My number one is: Beauty and the Geek! I love that show!
My close number two is: So you think you can dance!
This week it is for Favorite Reality / Game Shows:
My number one is: Beauty and the Geek! I love that show!
My close number two is: So you think you can dance!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Wordless Wednesday: Pet "Toy" Poodle
She Looks like a "toy" in this picture! She Is a "toy poodle" however!
Phoebe is our pet's name and she turned 3 (in people years) on December 28th!
Happy Belated Birthday Phoebe! We all love her!
Phoebe is our pet's name and she turned 3 (in people years) on December 28th!
Happy Belated Birthday Phoebe! We all love her!
Need a Reusable Cloth Grocery Bag?
Here are a few places that I have found that is currently selling the Reusable Grocery Cloth Bag for $.99-$1.49 appx.
Target has three different kinds. Very Cute...red in color!
The neat thing about their bags is the three ways to fold them...one has a zipper and looks like a checkbook wallet and fits perfectly in any purse! Very lightweight!
The other style they have is a little bigger when folded; however, has a nice little handle and snaps shut. The last one is just a regular one that has no special folding features!
All three of he Target cloth reusable bags end up being the same size.
Lowe's Foods also sells a green cloth bag with www.savvy-saver.com being the sponsor or something on it! Those sell for $.99!
I bought these as "gift bags" during Christmas! Would make great gift bags for baby showers, bridal showers, etc...you name it! It has a double use..gift wrap and grocery bag over and over!
Lowe's foods even gives you (I believe it is) 50 greenpoints for each cloth bag you use versus the plastic or paper choice! Double use again! Add up points and save the earth!
Happy Tuesday!
Target has three different kinds. Very Cute...red in color!
The neat thing about their bags is the three ways to fold them...one has a zipper and looks like a checkbook wallet and fits perfectly in any purse! Very lightweight!
The other style they have is a little bigger when folded; however, has a nice little handle and snaps shut. The last one is just a regular one that has no special folding features!
All three of he Target cloth reusable bags end up being the same size.
Lowe's Foods also sells a green cloth bag with www.savvy-saver.com being the sponsor or something on it! Those sell for $.99!
I bought these as "gift bags" during Christmas! Would make great gift bags for baby showers, bridal showers, etc...you name it! It has a double use..gift wrap and grocery bag over and over!
Lowe's foods even gives you (I believe it is) 50 greenpoints for each cloth bag you use versus the plastic or paper choice! Double use again! Add up points and save the earth!
Happy Tuesday!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Wordless Wednesday! Gingerbread House with 2 1/2 year old!
Here is a picture of my son's (2 1/2 years old) and myself's Gingerbread House attempt!
This was a cool gift from one of our friends. They said it was for me and my son to have something to work on together! It was truly a lot of fun and TASTY! It is what we finally got around to doing tonight actually! Keeping the Holiday going here!
This was a cool gift from one of our friends. They said it was for me and my son to have something to work on together! It was truly a lot of fun and TASTY! It is what we finally got around to doing tonight actually! Keeping the Holiday going here!
Notice the coffee cup supports! LOL :-) We enjoyed making the house just the same! :-)
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