Works for Me Wednesday: Keeping Christmas Frugal

There are many ways to have a fun and frugal Christmas. Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:

1) Start early and plan early. If you're like me, you can't stomach looking at Christmas anything in January. Get over it. Or start in February. ;) I keep a card and gift binder that has a list of ideas for next Christmas, what crafty supplies I have on hand, and what I have purchased so far. I recommend making a budget worksheet or getting one here.

2) Set a strict budget for each person, activity, and baking/cooking. Carefully plan each purchase with sales and coupons if possible. Remember that cooking supplies start to go on sale in November and coupons for these items are also available during this time.

3) Always be looking for gifts. Good deals are available all the time, you just need to keep an eye out for them. I have more posts on good deals here (September 21) and here. I finished my Christmas shopping before the end of August. It helps me have time to really enjoy the holiday.

4) Make your own Christmas cards! It's lots of fun. You can get the kids involved and have them draw on each card. If you want to have holiday photos, take them yourself or have a friend take them. Develop them cheaply yourself using the knowledge you gleaned here.

5) Use baked items as gifts for coworkers, families at church, unexpected guests, etc. You can save a LOT of money this way. Purchase baskets or plates for your goods at the dollar store or at garage sales.

6) Package your presents nicely with homemade supplies.

7) Attend free community and church activities.

8) Remember that Christmas is not about consumption!!!!!!!! We have taken a celebration of the birth of Christ and turned it into a spend-happy month of gluttony. Celebrating is wonderful. Traditions are wonderful. Do your kids need $500 gifts? Probably not. Just try to keep that in mind when you are crazed and searching for "the perfect gift."

Merry Christmas!!!

Making Christmas Cards

Last summer, Monica at The Homespun Heart had some very informative posts about making your own greeting/note cards. Instructions are here. Scroll down to the 7th for full instructions. I have been doing this ever since and I find it to be a lot of fun. I decided to make my own Christmas cards using her templates. This was early in the summer before I had much experience making cards. I didn't have any cardstock at the time, so I used construction paper. I watered down a white acrylic paint that I had and used it to stamp snowflakes on the envelopes and across the front of the cards. I also added some details in red paint on some of the cards and mixed green with some of the white paint so the snowflakes would show up on the cream colored cards. On the inside, I am going to use a stamp that says "The Lord has come! Let the world rejoice." I just need to get to Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon to buy a green ink pad. ;) I also bought some foil seals to close the envelopes. I am already thinking about what I want to make for next year! :P

The Skirt In Question

If you came here from Rebecca's blog, here is the skirt in question. I couldn't get a picture of it where it did not look magenta, but it really is crimson in real life. You'll just have to trust me when I say that it really is darling in real life. And just the thing for the holidays if I can find what to wear with it! Oh- I also, um, have it in chocolate brown. Ahem.

Frugal Photos

My mom recently needed some photos developed off of her digital camera. I offered to shop around the free print offers online and see how cheaply I could get the photos. I considered the following companies: Snapfish, York Photo, Kodak, Photo Works, and Shutterfly. Pretty much all of these companies offer a designated amount of free photos when you sign up; you just pay shipping. Snapfish and Photo Works also are great for having coupon codes.

For reference, regular pricing for prints is as follows: Snapfish .12; York Photo .10; Kodak .15; Photo Works .19 for 1-24 and .15 for 25-499; Shutterfly .19. The shipping for each company is as follows: Snapfish 1.97 for 16-25 prints and an additional .49 for each batch of 10 thereafter; York Photo 2.09 for 16-25 prints and an additional .32 for each batch of 10 thereafter; Kodak 2.49 for 20-49 prints; Photo Works 1.95 for 1-20 prints and an additional .95 per each batch of 20 thereafter; and Shutterfly 1.79 for 1-10, 1.99 for 11-20, and 2.49 for 21-30. Shutterfly is very expensive all around and they rarely offer coupon codes that are worth anything to me as they tend to be for expensive "photo gifts." I generally use Snapfish, York, and Photo Works with coupon codes. For most of these companies, you need to download their software so that you can easily upload your photos.

For this experiment I used Snapfish to order 20 prints, Photo Works to order 30, and Kodak to order 10. In each case I only had to pay shipping. At Snapfish, shipping was .98 with a code. At Photo Works, shipping was 2.90, and at Kodak it was 1.49. Obviously Snapfish was the winner here. Overall, I spent $5.37 for 60 prints, which averages 8.9 cents per photo. I was very pleased with my results!

Books!

You know how some people are compulsive packrats? I am the opposite. I am a compulsive get-rid-of-er. I cannot stand to have too much clutter around me. This even goes for my beloved clothing, which I am always cleaning out to take to the consignment shop. The one area where I am NOT like this is books. I love having tons of books around. It does not feel like clutter to me. The pictures above are of some recent gets:

Picture One: These were all purchased at my local library bookstore. I live in a small town with a tiny library, so needless to say it is surprising that we have a library bookstore. It is in a small house next to the library and is adorable! The book prices are great: .50 for hardback, .35 or .25 for paperback depending on the size, and children's books are free. I haven't gotten very far with these, but 52 Simple Ways to Make Christmas Special is actually really good. It is written in a Christian perspective and I would recommend it to anyone looking for unique Christmas ideas.

Picture Two: These were purchased at a library book sale in the larger town that I go to graduate school in. It was total madness. I went last Friday. I thought I'd go early before I had to be at the school clinic and that I'd beat the crowds. No. No, I did not. People were already lined up. With carts on wheels. I am not joking. And I might add that I was wearing a heavy wool coat and rather impractical heels. I did not look around much since the crowds were so daunting. I just got in and out as quickly as possible. I already have a copy of Your Money or Your Life, but I am enjoying it so much that I picked up another copy to give away. I am also reading The Millionaire Next Door and it is very fascinating. The prices here weren't great; they were $1 a book.

Picture Three: These were ordered for me by my dear Mumsie (Mom). She has joined a book club and got several free. She offered to let me have one free and I picked Vogue Sewing since I am trying to get myself back to sewing. Well, my sweet mother also ordered the Christmas books for me, too, because I was eyeing them. If you haven't noticed, I have a slight habit of collecting Christmas books.

That's all for now!

Searches

Three recent searches that have led people to this blog: "luckymagrewards", "coupon binder", and "really nearsighted and lenses". That pretty much sums me up!

Tess Rocks!

No, not me silly. The delightful and witty Tess over at http://tesstalks.blogspot.com/. She offered up a bunch of yarn for FREE, and you know my ears perk up like a dog's at that word. I was expecting something hideous (I consider hideous yarn a challenge) but this is lovely. I'm not sure what I'm going to make yet but half the fun is in thinking about it! And I must say I am impressed by her shipping skills because she made all this yarn fit into a Priority box and I have not been able to get all it back in since I opened it. Thanks Tess!!!!!!!!! Now go visit her blog and tell her how awesome she is.

To The Commenter Who Asked

about where I got the plastic pages in the coupon binder: sorry for the delay, I just saw your comment. They are baseball card display/collector pages that I purchased at Wal-Mart. They were located in the check-out aisle where the smoking paraphernalia is. No, I don't smoke, but apparently those who collect baseball cards do as the supplies are nearly always in this aisle. This system is working SO MUCH BETTER for me than the accordian file was. I can see everything much better. Hope this helps!

Not-So-Frugal Outlet Shopping

On Saturday my mom and I went outlet shopping. I love outlet shopping even though it's not where I typically get the cheapest deals. The top picture is the new briefcase I bought at Wilson's Leather Outlet. I need one to take on internship interviews in January, and my black briefcase is just about shot since I carry it to school and to both clinics. I bought this beauty on sale for $35 down from $200. I also like the way the picture makes it look like it's suspended in air. LOL. At Old Navy I got the green skirt ($2.38) and the pink polo ($3.99). The green skirt will be perfect for when I go to Mexico, and I'm planning on layering the pink polo over long sleeve tees. I got an additional 20% off at ON since I have a Banana Republic card and they are having a promo. The BR card is one of the few that is worth it in my opinion. It has pretty good perks (ONLY if you pay off the balance in full each month!!!). Finally, as you know, I have a weakness for button down shirts. Particularly those from Van Heusen. Unfortunately the one I bought is 100% cotton and not the no-iron kind. That means I will wear it maybe 2x per year when I get around to ironing. ;) It also cost me $16.60, which is not a great deal but is about half off the original price. And it fits me perfectly! Finally, I bought a pair of chandelier earrings ($1) for a friend's birthday. All in all it was a great day. Good fun!

Scroll Down

for another post on frugal gift giving. It's dated October 31. It took me a few days to complete. ;)

Works for Me Wednesday: Kleenex Box Plastic Bag Holder

This tip is straight out of The Tightwad Gazette. I save plastic shopping bags to take my lunch in and to line trash cans. I previously had them stored in a large shopping bag, but it was way too bulky and took up too much room. I wish I had counted how many bags I was able to stuff in here. I think it was no less than 20. This has cut down on space and looks cute, too! If you're creative you can cover it with paper or fabric. Or you can be lazy like me and just look for a pretty box. Works for Me!

Frugal Gift Giving: Kid Edition

I am very specific in my kid gift giving and shopping. I like to buy what I consider nice gifts for a very small price, and I am picky about good quality. I should mention that all of the kids that I buy for are aged 6 and under. I'm not sure how it will work when they are teenagers!

First, I have several little kids to buy for, each with their own rules. For example, for my friends' kids, I generally purchase one toy, book, or article of clothing for their birthdays. The budget for this item is $5-6. For my friends' kids at Christmas, I purchase an ornament for each child and paint the year and their name on it. The budget for each ornament is $2. I know they are overwhelmed with gifts at Christmas, so I try to do something different. And when they are grown and move out they will have a large set of ornaments. I typically purchase individual ornaments at Hobby Lobby when they are 50% off or I have a 40% off coupon.

The other set of kids that I buy for is my nephews and niece. They each get one book and one toy at Christmas and birthdays, and I really try to make sure their stuff is something they will love. My total budget for book and toy is combined is $10, although in years past I have gone up to $15. (However, I should note that I went overboard for my niece's upcoming birthday and also bought her some really cute sale clothing from J. Crew on top of the normal toy and book. Then I felt terrible guilt because my nephews did not get extra on their birthdays. So I bought them Ninja Turtle rolling backpacks to compensate. Which they will like way better than if I had bought them clothes. Ahem.)

Now, how do I stay on such a small budget? As I mentioned in a previous post, I am always shopping. Once again, that does not mean I am always buying. I am just always searching for the perfect gifts. The most important thing is to find the stores that work for you and offer great deals. For me, I get the best deals on Amazon and at T.J. Maxx/Marshalls stores. Amazon used to be paired with Toys R Us, but now Toys R Us has gone off on its own. There was a better selection of toys and sales when they were paired, but I must say things aren't too shabby now. I only purchase toys on Amazon when there is a huge sale and I purchase enough ($25) to qualify for free shipping. This means that I make a major toy purchase only 2-3 times per year. Everything in the pictures above was $5.29 or less. The items in the top picture were $4 and under (mostly under). Earlier this year, American Girls online had some great clearance with a free shipping code. I purchased six books at .49 each. Seriously. You can't get any cheaper than that brand new. These books are too old for the little girls that I buy for, but I plan on keeping them for the future. I have recently found some good hardback childrens books at Dollar Tree, but I usually don't have any luck there. I typically buy kids books at T.J. Maxx or Amazon, and the books are usually the most expensive thing that I buy.

Some of the gifts above are earmarked for specific children and some are just in my gift tub to be used as needed. I can get a little carried away with the sales, so I try to have a specific plan for what I am buying and not purchase more than 3 or 4 gifts that don't yet have recipients. Another good source for kid gifts is the school supply sales in July and August. You can get all kinds of crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, et cetera for rock bottom prices. Stock up!

The trick to good and frugal gift buying is to find stores that work for you. I have heard great things about Target toy clearance, but by the time I get there it is always wiped out. So I stick with the stores that are currently working for me. When they don't work for me anymore, I will move on and find something better.

Happy frugal shopping!

A Post In Which God Shows His Presence to Me...Again

Yikes, it's been over a week since I've posted. I've been very busy working on my internship application stuff and I also had a stupid weekend class. I hate weekend classes. Anyway. So I've been in this mopey-boohoo-poor-me-life-is-so-hard kind of place lately due to life circumstances and some things that I feel I need that I don't have. This has been one of those times where God feels really far away, you know? As you may or may not know, I've been hoping to go with my friend A., a high school Spanish teacher, as a chaperone when she takes some students to Mexico next summer. I've never been out of the country before. I've been saving in an ING account where I couldn't see the money and would therefore forget about it. I don't have loads of extra money, but lately I've been saving all of my work study money for this trip. I wanted to purchase the trip package before the end of the year when the price goes up again. Today I checked my ING account to see how much money I lack, and the total is $640. Then I calculate how much money I can make at work study between now and the end of the year. The total is, you guessed it, $640. And that was totally a moment where God was like "Hi, Tessa. Remember Me? Almighty God? Right, the One that provides for your every need. And even most of your wants. Well, guess what, I'm still providing for you. And I'm not planning on stopping any time soon." It was a very nice and much needed reminder. And I wonder if I will ever get it enough so that I don't need these reminders. Probably not while I'm still on Earth. ;)

What Their Faces Should Have Looked Like

Mm-hmm. Nothing crazy here, is there?

Deranged Mini Cabbage Patch Dolls

I recently ordered some more toys from the Amazon toy sale, and in my order were several mini Cabbage Patch dolls (2 princesses, 2 holiday, and one rock star). Most of them have adorable, sweet expressions on their faces, but these look deranged. Seriously, it is hard to capture on film how insane they look. The blonde one looks much crazier in real life, as her multiple missing teeth and uneven eye placement contribute to an "I'm going to murder you and your entire family while giggling insanely" look. The brunette looks as though she has no control over her tongue and it has flopped, uncontrolled, out of her mouth.

Am I still going to give these as presents? Yes, yes I am. So don't be surprised if your child is a little scared of her gift from Miss T.

Frugal Baby Shower Gift

I have a few baby showers to go to in the next couple of months, and here is the gift for one of them. I found the wagon clearanced at Wal-Mart for $2.50, and the diaper disposal bags (in the back) and baby hangers are from the dollar store. The diapers were purchased on sale with a coupon, but I could have done even better if I had taken advantage of Walgreen's rebate last month where you bought $20 worth of Huggies products and got a $10 giftcard. I think the Pampers were around $6 or $7. The Huggies samples were free. My absolute favorite thing about this gift is the gorgeous well-crafted scrapbook in front. The inside has some beautiful pre-printed pages as well as tons of card stock, stickers, etc. to fill it in. And the best part is it was absolutely free!!! I also sent off for some free wipes, and if they come in time I will try to cram them into the wagon if there is any room left!

Fun and Somewhat Frugal Baby Gift

And Many Happy (Frugal) Returns!

When you shop online there will inevitably be returns that need to be made. Over time, this can be expensive. There are three main options for reducing or eliminating this cost: don't shop online at all, be able to make store returns, or research your shipping options. I live in a small town and even the larger town where my grad school is located does not have many of the stores that I like to (online) shop at. Thus, I choose option C, research your shipping options. I am returning the shoes and the blue skirt purchased under Graduation Fun (below). I did not like the shoes $56 worth, and the skirt had a defective zipper. The melon-colored flowered skirt, however, was lovely and a hit! Anyhoo, both of the items I'm returning had the Smart Label option. This is a prepaid sticker that you stick on the box you are returning. You then just stick it in the mailbox. The shipping amount is deducted from your return money. Sometimes Smart Label is a good option, like when I had to return a heavy coat last year. In that case, it saved me money. However, the Smart Label cost for the shoes was $9, and for the skirt it was $5.95. I knew I could ship both back for less. Sure enough, I was able to ship the shoes USPS Priority for $6.40 and the skirt fit into a Priority Flat Rate Envelope for $4.05. Both options come with free delivery confirmation if you print your own label online, which I did. I always have Priority boxes and envelopes around since I occasionally sell on eBay. They are free, and you can get them at the post office or order them online. I also recommend that you invest in a digital postage scale if you do a lot of shipping. My sweet grandparents got me one last Christmas, and it has been a wonderful time saver. So, the next time you have to make a return, be aware of what your best option is.

Thursday Thirteen

I'm not feeling very inspired today, so I thought I'd join the Thursday Thirteen bunch and post thirteen facts about myself:

1) I think John Denver was a musical genius.
2) My two closest friends are people that I have been friends with for 13 and 11 years, respectively.
3) I have double jointed thumbs.
4) I am an optimist.
5) I think the television show The Office (U.S. version) is hilarious.
6) I was baptized in a river at age 9. No baptismals for me; I'm hardcore. ;P
7) I use the United States Postal Service for all my shipping needs.
8) I need to pick up my dry cleaning. Most of my coats are there and it suddenly turned cold.
9) I have issues with public bathrooms.
10) (closely related to #9) Whenever I have bad dreams, they usually involve disgusting public bathrooms. No, really. Issues, I tell you!
11) I have more in common with people older than me than with people my age.
12) I worked in a pharmacy for 6 years.
13) I don't drink soda (or pop in my neck of the woods).

Works For Me Wednesday: No Iron Shirts

I don't mind ironing, but I just don't have the time to do it right now. I'm in graduate school, so that means I balance class/dissertation work/work study job/real life responsibilities with my practicum work. The practicum is where I am actually practicing under the supervision of a psychologist. I do it two days a week, one in a primary medical setting, and one in a community mental health center. On those two days I have to look professional. I love button down shirts, but the ones in my closet that get the most use are these Van Heusen No-Iron Shirts. They have simplified my life! They are available in both women and men's sections. Van Heusen frequently has sales/coupons, so if you have a location near you be sure to register at the website of the mall the store is located in. The only drawback of these shirts is they contain polyester. The polyester is what makes them not wrinkle, but it also doesn't breathe. If you are a person that sweats a lot, beware! Another option is Brooks Brothers' no iron shirts. They are treated cotton, but are much more expensive.

No ironing works for me!

Steal vs. Splurge: Graduation Edition

I graduate a lot. You could say that graduating is what I do. I'm a professional graduater (graduator?). I graduated high school in 2000, college in 2004, with my Master's in 2006, and my doctorate will be in 2008 (if all goes well!). Since this happens fairly frequently and I am a poor graduate student, I wanted to save some money. I decided to forgo the $40+ invitations and print my own. At the clearance aisle at a nearby Wal-Mart, I found this graduation paper for $1.00. The envelopes were .50 per package and I purchased two packages. I also bought some embossed envelope seals for $2 at a paper store. I had some free address labels that were silver and matched perfectly. God totally provided this for me, as I made for $4 what would have otherwise cost me $40+. Unfortunately, the honor cords and medal you see there cost me $28. At least I will be able to wear them at my next graduation and if I am ever a professor who has to wear academic regalia!

I also decided to forgo the $40 picture package. My family took plenty of pictures, and I will print or enlarge those for a much smaller cost. :)

Graduation Fun!!!

Saturday was the graduation ceremony for my Master's degree. My sweet family and friends gave me cards, presents, and cash for this momentous occasion. ;) I decided to save 50% of the money and use the other 50% to blow on whatever I want. I loooooooooove clothing and fashion, and I have been very good lately and have not spent much on clothes. I have banished myself from purchasing expensive clothing, with the only exceptions being cashmere sweaters (I'll pay $40-60), tall boots (up to $100), heels (I have weird feet- up to $50) and winter coats (up to $150). However, I only purchase maybe one of each category per year, with the exception of heels. The last article of clothing I bought was a white and green butterfly print dress for next summer that was $5.97 at J.C. Penney.

I didn't really want to sink all of my "fun" money into one thing (like one piece of jewelry), so I decided to give in to two of my weaknesses: Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie. I never shop at Anthro online anymore because the shipping is ridiculous and they pretty much never offer coupon codes. Also, their "sale" prices aren't what I consider cheap. But I do have such a weakness for their girly, frilly circle skirts thatI ordered the two above. They were on sale (duh! I haven't totally lost my mind!). The blue was originally $118, and I paid $40. The orange was originally $88 and I paid $25. The cute shoes are from Neiman Marcus. I ordered online and was able to go through luckymagrewards.com and get 4% of my total purchase back. I also got free shipping with the coupon code BEST. The shoes were $56 down from $225!! I still feel guilty about spending so much, but I have to say that it is fun to do every once in a while. I also have some money left to spend, so I will keep you updated on my next purchases!!

(Note: I always purchase clothing on sale for the seasons ahead. That is why I am purchasing summer clothing in October ;) ).

Integrated Healthcare: A Brief Overview

As most of you know, I am a psychological trainee. That means I am in school learning how to be a psychologist. There are many paths psychologists can take, and a lot of different ways they can specialize. I have chosen Integrated Healthcare as my specialty. In a fully integrated system, psychologists work in primary medical settings (i.e. your primary medical doc or nurse practitioner's office). In this setting we do not provide psychotherapy. Rather, we utilize brief, solution focused treatment modalities. Appointments are generally for thirty minutes rather than fifty. Things we commonly treat or assist in are symptoms of depression, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep difficulties, weight loss, and smoking cessation. I like integrated care because it is a holistic approach. We do not ignore the impact of the mind on the body or the body on the mind. Integrated care is relatively new, and I am lucky enough to be able to have a practicum rotation in one of the only such prac sites in the U.S. I also like integrated care because it is more direct, concrete, and to the point. We address what the patient wants rather than what we feel is pertinent (psychologists are very good at thinking they are all-knowing and brilliant). There are also a lot of reasons why it is good for the healthcare dollar, but I won't go into them now. ;)

Works for Me Wednesday: Recipe Box Addresses

Address books do NOT work for me. At all. The reason is because I am too obsessive-compulsive for them. People move, change phone numbers, etc., and I don't like the way the address books get all crossed out and ugly looking. Crazy, I know. I also have a problem with the too-small spaces in address books. I like to include address, home phone, cell phone, birthdays of everyone in the household, and anniversary dates. Having all of this information in one place helps keep me organized. Once upon a time I typed an address database where I just printed, cut, and glued them to index cards. Then came the Great Computer Crashes (2!) of 2004, and I haven't done it since. I got the wooden recipe box free from my mom, and the blue index cards were .12 (clearance) at Office Depot. I don't worry about alphabetizing within each individual letter because I like to keep the "most used" addresses toward the front of the letter section. So as long as John Doe makes it back to the D section, all is good. This is also handy when you just need a few addresses/phone numbers/birthdates and you can pull out their cards and take them anywhere with you. Works for me! Go check out Shannon and the other WFMW ideas at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/.

Catch Up!

I haven't been around for a few days due to being utterly behind in a million different ways. I am currently behind in:
* Work Study- reading and summarizing 20 articles, due on Thursday AM
* Internship Applications- creating essays, writing 15 cover letters, finalizing my vitae, requesting letterhead, entering clinical hours, preparing work samples of assessment reports, filling out the APPIC form, requesting transcripts, following up on letters of recommendation
* School- reading about a million articles and textbook chapters (but I rarely do this anyway!) ;)
* Real Life Stuff- updating this blog, calling or emailing a few friends and family members that I have been neglecting, vacuuming/sweeping, mailing a book, balancing my checkbook, doing my nails/toenails/eyebrows, getting an oil change/tire rotation, cleaning out my car, going to Staples/Walgreens/Target, clipping and filing coupons, reading Martha Stewart Living and Antiques Magazines.

AND my weekend looks like this: Friday evening- going to a Third Day concert with friends after being in supervision/practicum block all day. Saturday- Master's degree graduation ceremony. Sunday- going to a friend's baptism (yay!) and then meeting up with another friend at three o'clock.

I can't wait till it slooooooooooows down a little.

Rainbow

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

"And God said 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come; I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.' So God said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.' "
Genesis 9:12-17 NIV

Coupon Binder

I have upgraded from the standard check file/coupon caddy to the rather frightening binder you see here. Just call me crazy coupon lady.

Currently Reading

I love reading (for fun, not required reading)! Here's what I'm reading currently:
1) The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Delightful. I love it. You all were right, it was worth the $13. And I'm only on page 229 of 927. I really like books that last me a long time, and this will do that!
2) Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. I really enjoy Christie and collect her mysteries. But every time I read two pages in this book, I fall asleep. It's not because it's boring, it's because I'm reading close to bed time. Needless to say, at this rate this book will last me a while, too! ;)
3) The Old Testament and my professor's notes from my OT class in college. I went to a fabulous Christian college (www.sbuniv.edu), and had a really, really good OT teacher. I had never found the OT interesting before that class, but he really made it come alive. I thought this was a good time to go slowly and really dig in to the OT.
4) The Wind in the Willows. I am reading this bit by bit through emails from www.dailylit.com. Someone on Works for Me Wednesday posted about it, and it's a great idea. You get a short bit of the book of your choice emailed to you each work day. I hate reading the classics, so I'm going to try to tackle them this way.

Happy Reading!

Thank You, Auntie!

A big thanks to Auntie T. for all of these ink cartridges (except for one- thank you Grandma J.)! They are now packaged in two bags of ten to take to Staples. My Auntie T. is the best auntie in the world. She has a farm with sheep and other assorted animals, check out her website at http://www.fairlightfarm.com/. If you click under Blogroll on her site you will be linked to her blog which has pictures of her kitties and dogs (including my favorite dog Boone. He is my favorite cousin. No, really he is.). Thanks again, Auntie! Love you!

Weekend Purchase

This set of Farberware is almost always on sale for $9.99 at Amazon. Right now there is also a $5 rebate, making the end price $4.99. I still have my free trial of Prime (which is free shipping on any purchase), making the deal that much sweeter. Yay for cheap and decent quality cookware!

Sample Size

Most of the items here were free or under .25. Even the blue bag was free! I've been saving them to use when I travel this winter on internship interviews and when I (hopefully) go to Mexico next June. Getting free stuff in the mail is one of the things that makes me feel rich! :)

Some sites that have or list samples:

http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Free-Samples.aspx

http://www.twistedbranches.com/

http://forums.slickdeals.net/forumdisplay.php?sduid=0&f=4

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4

http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11

Enjoy!

Frugal Christmas Gift Giving: Friends

Gift giving is one of my favorite things. I love the shopping and careful planning that goes into each gift. I like to give gifts that are nice and that people will enjoy for a fraction of the retail price. To be able to give good gifts, there is one rule: Always be shopping. I know this is counterintuitive for those who are trying to cut back. But I didn't say always be spending, I said always be shopping. This means to visit websites and stores frequently while keeping an eye out for gift ideas and good deals. I have several posts to do on the subject of gift giving, but today's post is about gifts for my graduate school friends. This year they are ALL getting the same thing. I ran into a bit of a problem last year when some people gave me gifts and I didn't expect them to, and also one friend who gave me several gifts at different times, requiring me to feel as though I needed to buy more for her. I wound up spending ~$30 unplanned because of this. I vowed to be very prepared this year, so no matter what happens, everyone gets the same thing. Also, I am prepared with extras if need be. First, I purchased eight Christmas stockings for $1.35 each (originally $18.00! Who pays $18 for a stocking??). Next, I stocked up on several scarves at Gap (online) and Old Navy for $2 to $4 a piece. Then, I purchased the notepad and pen combos for $1 clearance at Walgreens. Finally, during all the school supply sales I stocked up on incredibly cheap filler paper (.15), notebooks (.09 for regular spiral and .75 for Five Star), folders (.02 to .05), markers (.68), colored pencils (.25 to .39), pens (.10 to .39 per pack), crayons (.15), etc. Since we're all students, I am going to give them each some supplies from my stock. For my friends that are not in school with me, I have more freedom to buy what I want since I don't need to do it in bulk. I'm not going to post about that, though, since some of them know about this blog. ;)

Works for Me Wednesday: Microwave Cookies

I like to bake and cook. A lot. Unfortunately, the oven has gone out in the T home. The stove top and the broiler still work, but not the oven. While this will be fixed soon, I still am having baking withdrawals where Little Debbie just won't cut it. One hot day I was going to bake some cookies on the dashboard in my car, but it didn't get hot enough. I already had the batter mixed and ready to go, so in a moment of desparation I googled "microwave cookies". I found that if you cook them in the microwave on wax paper for about 2 minutes, they would turn out fine. The chocolate cookie mix I tried worked perfectly. The homemade oatmeal (above) were another thing entirely. Initially I made the cookies too big, and I had to cook them a long time which led to not being as chewy as I like. Then, there was the problem with the one in the very middle getting a little burnt. I worked around these difficulties, and found that with a small round cookie (about a full, round teaspoon), one minute and thirty seconds did the trick. They aren't quite as good as oven cookies, but in desparation they work perfectly. So if you're short on time or an oven, give it a try! Works for me!

Giving In

Well, I caved. I have been holding out on buying The Complete Tightwad Gazette for months, hoping to find a better deal than the ~$12.50 that it was on Amazon. Instead, I watched it go up to $13.59. Awesome. I added it to my wishlist at Paperback Swap, but I was something like #103 out of 111 requests, so I knew it was not going to happen any time soon. I found The Tightwad Gazette Books #1 and #2 at a used bookstore for $5.95 each, but that was not a good deal as I would still not have book #3. So, this afternoon I decided to bite the bullet and finally order it. I have Amazon Prime until October 6, so it shipped free. I know it will be worth the money, and I can't wait to get it. :)

Please Let There Be a Place For Me

I commute to graduate school about 40 miles each way, so I do a lot of driving. I've noticed that whenever I merge onto the highway from an off-ramp, I always pray "Please let there be a place for me, Lord." Of course what I mean is a spot for my car, but lately I've been thinking about another meaning. This is becoming my prayer for my life. I want for there to be a place for me in His design. I want to do His work, and fulfill His plans for my life. I am very much a type A person: I like things to be structured, organized, and pre-planned. Over the last couple of years God has really been dealing with me in that manner. He has led me down a path where there is much uncertainty and no way to plan the future. Because of this, I have to had lean fully on Him for provision and protection. Of course, He provides, and His way is so much better than anything I could've come up with. I never would have imagined I'd be where I am at today. Thank you, Lord, for it is only through You that I can accomplish anything!!! I encourage all of you to let go of the fear- whatever it may be in your life- and let God take control.

"He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'"
Mark 4:40-41 NIV

Walgreens Clearance

I have a deep fondness for Walgreens. I make a trip to one nearly every week. Their weekly ad deals/coupons + manufacturer coupons usually equally dirt cheap prices, so I stock up on what I need. I got tons of packs of pens and pencils for .10 or .39 during their school supply sales. As I posted earlier, I also love their rebates! Walgreens also has clearance in each store, although it can be difficult to find. Every store I visit does it in a different way. There are typically aisle endcaps at the back of the store with clearance, and it is also in the aisles themselves. One store I frequent has a couple of bins near the front. Today there was leftover school supplies for .25, .50, and $1.00. The Rolodex and Dymo label maker tape were .50 each! I actually needed the tape for my wonderful label maker, so that was a great thing to find. I'm not sure what I'll do with the Rolodex since I currently use a recipe box system (look for it in a future WFMW!). Maybe I'll keep it for when I'm FINALLY done with grad school and have an office. :)

Frugal Eyewear

I have crazy eye prescriptions. I am really nearsighted and also have astigmatism. This means that eyeglasses and contacts generally cost me even more than normal. This year I was determined to cut costs. I ordered my glasses through 39dollarglasses.com. For those with normal vision, you get frames + lenses for only $39!!!!! I got my lenses compressed (for vanity's sake) which required a special kind of cutting on the left lens. Both of these were added costs. My original total cost was $127.95 for frames and lenses. This is a great price for me, but I also used a $10 off coupon making it $117.95. As always, I went through ebates.com, earning $5 back. 39dollarglasses.com also awards you a percentage of your total cost, called SmartFit reward points. These are dollars that can go toward your next purchase. I earned $5.12 off my next purchase. The customer service is great, and so are the glasses and the overall cost. I was very pleased!

Next up was the purchase of the contact lenses. This was more important than the glasses, since I wear contacts nearly all the time. Also, I wear a weird brand that isn't available everywhere. Prior to ordering, I checked independent contact dealers' online prices and Wal-Mart's prices at walmart.com. Wal-Mart was the cheapest, and that made things easier since I also had my eye exam there. Online, there was a form for a rebate on my lenses. I printed it out and attached the box tops as indicated and received a $15 rebate on my lenses. There are all kinds of lense rebate forms out there, so be sure to check it out. My total cost for a year's supply of lenses was $123.49-$15.00 rebate= $108.49 total. Once again, this is an amazing price for my lenses, and I have never paid such a low price!!!!!!

Frugal Memory Card: It's About Time

I have had my digital camera for nearly two years. I mostly use it for eBay and blog pictures, but I also take the occasional picture of my family. The main reason that I don't use it more often is that I never purchased a memory card, and the camera itself doesn't hold many photos at a time. I have been waiting and waiting for a deal on a memory card to be cheap enough to tempt me. You see, I don't like spending much money on electronics. I have some areas where I love to spend money, and others where I prefer to spend none. This is one of the "none" areas. I have been keeping an eye out, though. I saw an ad for my beloved Staples where they have a 1GB memory card for $20 after rebate and instant savings. Since I have ink coupons, I can do even better than that. I can use three ink coupons per purchase online, and since I am a member of Staples Rewards (it's free to sign up!), shipping is free. The ad in the paper said there was $20 instant savings and $20 easy rebate, but online it was $25 instant savings and $15 easy rebate. So we shall see; I may even get a better deal than I think! My final cost after rebate will go like this: $59.98 regular price- $25 instant savings- $15 easy rebate- $9 ink coupons+ state and local tax= $12.08 total. I think that is a great price for a memory card!!!!! And I used ebates.com, so I will get 3% back on $27.08. Yay!

9.11.01

I was commuting to college that morning. I had a 9:45 history class to make it to. I always listen to the radio while I'm in the car, and I'm a chronic channel hopper whenever the music stops and ads or news come on. My regular radio station was playing advertisements, so I switched the station. They were talking about how two planes had just hit the twin towers in New York City. The radio station had someone on the phone who had an an apartment a few blocks away from the towers and could see what was happening. I will never forget the panic and fear in his voice as he described what he was seeing. The towers hadn't completely collapsed at that point, but they started to while he watched. And he continued to describe what he saw. I couldn't believe it. Who would do this? Why would they do this? I had always wanted to live in NYC, and I felt like "my" city was under attack. One of my best friends had gone to NYC the summer before this happened, and she had given me a picture of the city skyline that she had taken from an airplane. It sits to my left as I type this. In the sky still stands those tall towers.

I had to go to class then, and I didn't hear about the other planes until later that day. In class we spent a few minutes talking about what had happened. Everyone was stunned. Some of the guys were talking about joining the army, and I remember being afraid of the thought of war.

I went straight home after class and got online. I had AOL at the time, and it was incredibly slow since the whole country was online. I kept getting kicked offline. I instant messaged a friend, but we both said a whole lot of nothing. There was really nothing to say.

There was a panic about gasoline, so I went to a local gas station to fill up my tank. There were cars lined up for the pumps and I waited my turn. As I left I passed my mother, who was coming to the gas station.

After the first night, I quit watching news coverage. I felt like it was too damaging. I did watch and read stories of the survivors, those who fell, and the families left behind. I wanted to remember them. I hope I never forget.

Free Money

There are several little things I do to save or make a little bit of money. However small it may be, it is still more than I had before. And as a poor graduate student, I can use all the help I can get! These are some of the things that help me (and that I enjoy doing!):

1) I recycle my ink cartridges at Staples. Staples now only accepts Dell, Lexmark, and HP cartriges. But for each cartridge you will receive a $3 store coupon good for any purchase $3 or more. I prefer to shop more online at Staples rather than in store. I am a Staples Rewards member, and so shipping is free (it is also free to sign up!), and you can use three coupons per purchase. With careful planning and the use of three coupons, I often have $9 orders that cost me .03 or .05. Also, have your friends and family save their ink cartridges for you! The stash in the photo above is mostly courtesy of my Grandma J., Grandpa R., and my sister-in-law K.

2) Use rebates programs for each online purchase. I mostly use Ebates.com and Luckymagrewards.com. You have to have a subscription to Lucky magazine to use Luckymagrewards.com, but anyone can use Ebates. You simply go to the rebates website of your choice and click on the link of the store you want to shop at. You will then earn a certain percentage back on each purchase. I love this since I make money on purchases that I was going to make anyway! Do know that not every store/website is listed on these rebates programs, but most major stores are. At the end of a certain time period, you are sent a check if you meet their requirements ($5.01 on Ebates and $15 for Luckymagrewards). If you don't meet the requirements, the money will continue to accumulate until you do.

3) Use a coupon code or coupon for almost every purchase. If I am shopping online, I always search for a coupon code. They are often for a percentage off, or if you're lucky, for free or reduced shipping. This is handy because I HATE paying shipping charges and I feel better if I save even a little bit. In real life, I also try to use coupons on nearly every purchase. There are always some needs that you won't have coupons for, but if you are patient and willing to try different brands, there are tons of coupons available. I purchase the newspaper every Sunday and clip and file nearly all the coupons. I also send off for coupons on products' websites. With clothing, I nearly always wait for a sale + coupon.

4) Mypoints.com. This is also a shopping portal like Ebates and Luckymagrewards, but you earn points instead of a percentage back. However, I do not use it as a rebates program since I like the others better. What I do is sign up for My Points emails. All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of each email and click the button and you get 5 points. I wait until I accumulate a certain amount of points and then I redeem them for gift cards! I've gotten several so far.

5) Use a credit card that earns a percentage back or points. If you are a person that cannot handle credit cards, DISREGARD this tip. It is not worth it to get yourself into financial trouble. What I do is subtract my CC purchases from my checking account as if I had written a check or used my debit card. That way the balance is not a horrible surprise; the money is already there to pay your balance! Plus, it keeps you from spending more money than you have just because you have a high credit limit. I use my CC on nearly all my purchases so that I can accumulate points. Once again, I prefer to get gift cards with my CC rewards points.

Monica over at The Homespun Heart (http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/) has a great post on rebates. I am picky about what companies I do rebates with. I like Walgreens and participate in their rebates monthly. I also recently did a rebate for my contact lenses and was pleased with the results. Don't forget which rebates you send in, and stay on top of them!!!!!

I will post more money saving tips in the future!