One penny at a time .

Holiday shopping

2007-12-04T11:10:00.001-06:00

Being a mom of five im always looking for a bargin. I decided this year to hit the day after Thanksgiving sales at our local stores. Fighting the crowds I found nothing at all in the stores. People had wiped it out before I even got through the doors ! I decided to go back home try to get some sleep ,since I had been up all night waiting to get ahold of a few bargins and after waking decided I might as well finish my shopping and pay regular prices. To my suprise I found more bargins after the stores had cleared out then what was there when I was fighting the 5 am crowd. They had only put out a few items then and had brought more out alittle each hour. I ended up with everything I had went for at 5 am at 10 am ! I ended up saving over 200.00 !
All I have to say is jingle jingle.. I have some change left in my pocket and didnt go in the hole as bad as I thought I would !

Friends making money !

2007-11-06T13:58:00.000-06:00

A friend made a decision to start working from home. She searched for weeks for whole sale lots and searched eBay and found the things that sold for the most. With weeks of work and countless of hours trying to figure out which company actually was selling authentic products she found a lady who sold scarves. Really I thought they would go well but didn't realize how well. She bought them for only a few dollars a scarf and is selling them for triple what she paid!

I guess there is a way to make it from home , but the only catch is to get started you have to have money to make money which im short of right now and as my luck goes I would probably be the one who got a hold of a fake company and wouldn't sell a thing ! Okay I know not the right attitude and with her help im sure that wouldn't be the case . I didn't get any sleep last night and today all that's going through my brain is the first 6 letters of the alphabet.
View other blog for details of why im singing the alphabet..

http://adventurepalace.blogspot.com/

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T13:33:00.000-05:00

A friend called just to let me know she found a way to save money today.
When I asked her how she planned on saving money today she said its simple lock the doors tell the kids Halloween is canceled..
She said she spent 65.00 on costumes and then she figures the gas driving around will be another 20.00 plus she spent 10.00 on candy for tricker treaters.
She was crazy to spend that much for costumes and though I liked her idea of locking the doors it wouldn't work around here . My children would freak out and sneak out and tricker treat without me !
I told her she could save on gas by walking safe streets and buying costumes on clearance or by hitting the thrifty stores.

I am already planning next year im going to hit the Halloween clearance Nov 1st-5th and buy costumes for next year and stock up on goodies to stuff in the kids stockings at christmas !

Propane vs electric heaters.

2007-10-26T18:05:00.000-05:00

I complain when the weather is to warm and swear I can not wait until it turns off cold.
Really im not the type to complain often, I just want things my way. Ok not really though it would be nice.
I wish they would invent a remote where we can turn the weather to what we want where ever we are. I know I will never get that lucky and since its most likely never going to happen I guess I will have to continue to complain about the weather.
Now speaking of complaining ,I was in a consignment shop today and they were selling electric heaters for fifteen dollars used .They were the tiny space heaters that might heat a ten by ten area if you crank them to the max.I was alittle shocked at the prices and became curious as to what it would cost for a new one.I went over to the nearest shopping center and found the same heater new for twenty- five dollars.
Now I know I would defintly pay the extra ten dollars for a new one but I wonder how many people would actually pay fifteen for the used.
I was complaining last week because we heat with propane ,to heat my twelve hundred sg. ft hut for just a month is going to cost me around two hundred dollars.I had this bright idea to buy electric heaters and use them during the day and save the propane for night. It really was a great thought but I see its not going to work out. By the time I buy heaters and even though I have not checked out the prices of the larger electric heaters since the small ones are so expensive I can just imagine what its going to cost for one to or two to heat just my Family room. Its not only the cost of the heaters but its also going to hike my electric bill and theres safety issues . When gas prices went sky high so did everything else including electric and though safety has came along way you still hear more house fires happening from the electric heaters then you do from a furnace. Now that its time to get to the point and I hate to say this ..
I guess I dont have a choice and have to pay that propane bill .I do know when next summer comes im not going to complain about the heat ,since there is still cheap ways to cool off without having to spend a fortune running the central air and I have yet to find away to save on the heating bill!

2007-10-24T22:13:00.000-05:00

First off I want to thank the people who let me in on JR had is painting up on ebay ..It sold ! I know the buyer will be very pleased. I will post more as he creates them . This kid has some real talent !

Im fighting a cold which will last 5 to 10 days . Now im not one to run to the doctor with every sniffle nor do I run out and spend my weeks pay on medication. I use home remedies for the common cold (virus).
I have found warm decaf tea with a little peppermint (I use candy canes and break half and place it in the cup of tea ) will help a cough !
If I can stomach it (im not a lemon juice fan) but 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and honey dissolved in a glass of warm water will help a cough to !
Years ago my husbands grandma would boil water on the stove and have you place a towel over your head and place it close (NOT TOUCHING) to the pan and would breath the vapors.She claimed it worked wonders for those congested and stuffy moments ! I have to agree, I tried it and in no time I was clear and not near as stuffed up and it helped my cough .
For the aches , I have found a nice warm bubble bath does the trick for me it also helps congestion. Now if im running a fever im not about to take a hot bath .I normally take a luke warm bath and use cool a compress on my forhead and drink plenty of fluids to help keep the fever down.
And of course my all time favorite and I find it actually works well for me eat lots of chicken soup and drink lots of OJ. I know it doesn't sound great together but its not to bad when I have a cold since my taste buds are non existent .

Anyone with home remedies to help relieve symptoms of a cold without running out and having to pay 110.99 for cold meds?

Another person going unnoticed.

2007-10-20T14:08:00.000-05:00

I often wonder how many writers out there have their work lying around drawing dust and have produced magnificent work but because they did not have the knowledge and was ignored their work was pushed aside and now we have missed the most passionate words ever written.

Going through a divorse my dear friend put that energy and pain into writing a story by the time she was finished she had completed three. With the pain from having to care for her grown child and with trying to find her place in the world, she set aside her dreams. We have discussed her moving forward with trying to have her work published but like any other being that does not have knowledge she sets it aside.

Searching through the net, I found a many of places but most come with a price tag.
Not understanding why people actually pay to have work published and knowing she would never have the funds to pay I went on to search for a place that does not charge.
Endless searching, I have found other sites but being I don’t have knowledge either I gave up searching .I now fear this ladies work may set on a shelf in a old torn shoe box forever.

A final answer

2007-10-19T19:01:00.000-05:00

Feeling ill and making constant trips to the doctor, they would turn away and tell me there was nothing wrong.
Losing my hair and not able to swallow, having severe panic attacks I assumed I was having a breakdown. Months passing losing weight, and feeling ill, I wrote my children aletter and placed it in a teapot .
The letter read:

Dear, Children Mommy loves you so much. I hoped to see you grow, please help each other along the way I will think of you and be looking out after you from far away so when you are laying at night remember to look up at the stars and know im there watching.

Love forever,Mommy

I knew I was dying, and not a soul would listen to me.
Waking in the middle of the living room floor looking over I yelled out for my children, I set up and cried realizing I had passed out.Standing and walking to the mirror I looked at myself my eyes were big they looked as if they could burst from the sockets, my face was thin .I noticed I had lost more weight and figured it was from not being able to eat.Placing my hand on the mirror I wondered what was wrong with me. Knowing I had to get a grip ,I grabbed the hair brush with my hands shaking I tried to comb through my hair ,noticing as I stroked it only once the brush was full of hair. Staring at the brush sobbing, my heart feeling like it was beating out of my chest I wondered what has happened to me.
I have been to countless doctors, they say there is nothing wrong with me but I knew they were missing something.
Feeling alone in the world I have tried to talk to family and the gossip going around is I was on drugs or just went crazy .
With no one to turn to all I knew was I had to live until I died and try to take care of my children the best way I could until the end.

With my heart, beating fast I felt as if I was having a heart attack deciding to get in the shower I looked toward the mirror, noticing something very different. I placed my hand lightly on my neck noticing a lump and wondering if I had always had it and just never noticed, I shook the thought away and quickly took a shower.
Feeling the knot on my neck once more I ran to the phone and made a call to the only place I had left to go ,the doctor who delivered my last child . They wanted to see me immediately.

Walking into the office they took me back quickly, the doctor followed me back to the room, he placed his hand on my neck and said he needs to run a few tests but he feels it’s possible I have cancer.
Setting in that chair I felt numb, crying he asked me to calm down that he wasen't one-hundred percent sure what was going on but he feared it could be cancer.
Hurrying out of the room and wanting me to stay and wait I placed my head down and waited for the news.
Fearing looking up as he walked back into the room I kept my head down as he spoke , he would be sending me else where the following day that my TSH and T4 and other test results were behond awful , telling me to hang in there I left not knowing what would happen next.

I set up all night staring into the stars and praying if god was going to take me make it quick and if he chose me to live please heal me now.
Morning came slowly and the drive was long but I was relieved to arrive at the place that would end the suffering that plagued me for months.
As the doctor spoke, he told me I had Hyper Thyroid Graves Diease. With him running a many of tests that day he ruled out any form of cancer and told me I would be fine with proper treatment and that it would take months to get back to feeling normal. He explained I was very lucky to be alive my case was very severe.
It took a year to start feeling better , and will be on thyroid medication the rest of my life. I often wonder how much I could have been spared if someone would have diagnoised the condition the frst time I had seen a doctor.

I have been busy but will post more cool stuff tommrow, this marks the date of when they found my thyroid diease posted this story elsewhere and wanted to share it with all of you !
If you feel you or someone you know could have thyroid diease insist the doctor do testing.

Where to find some cool things FREE!

2007-10-17T21:30:00.000-05:00

First off Thanks for helping JR in figuring out ways to gain more exposure and sale his Art ! I know nothing about painting unless you want to talk about the touch ups I do everyday because someone I know likes to write on my walls.Does that count?

Back to the point ,
I found the coolest place ever if your looking for stuff dirt cheap . Its called Freecycle .(Now if someone could guide me I really would love to learn how to make clickable links ) thats http://www.freecycle.org/ .
Did you catch that? FREE !Theres actually people out there that give away nice stuff for ... NOTHING !Remember my earlier post on recalls now before you start grabbing up cool things make sure its not part of a recall.
I went through and checked out a few items .I found cute little puppies and a gas BBQ grill all for FREE! Now I can cook my meals on the grill with aluminum foil and never have to wash a pan again and the bonus ... while im cooking my children can set quietly and play with their new puppy!

Oh the luxury life. Does it get better then this?

Well actually it doesn't get better then cooking on a grill with aluminum foil while my children are setting quietly playing with their new puppy but I do admit all that junk laying around that I have be wanting to get rid of and is to big for the garbage man to take, can now be giving to people who can use it ! My neighbors will be happy to hear I only have five bikes left in my yard and the pile of toys as tall as my house can now be given to other children so it can pile up in their parents yards !

My Art is NOT selling Help !

2007-10-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

JR is very artistic . He placed a sketch and also a painting on Ebay and neither sold.

I was surprised since his work is better then some I have seen in stores.

He has sold to a few friends and a small art gallery but again I was shocked that someone didn't snatch up his cool painting of Mickey Mantle on Ebay !

"Why are my paintings not selling ?"

It could be people just are not looking for the particular item , bad listing or it could be people are afraid of you !

"Afraid of me ,Bad listing?"

Technically your not a new artist since you have had exposure .You are a upcoming artist trying to climb the ladder to success.

People fear new things . I fear my car running out of gas in a blizzard and being stuck on a highway for two days so I avoid going out when there is a ton of snow .

"First off you need a air space! "

"Airspace?"

You can start one on Myspace , or start a blog and talk about your work on Blogger !

Once you have that cool URL you can add it to your signature in emails ,add it to your message board signatures and have your friends do the same !

Join a few buddy groups where there are other artists.

Its always a blast to have friends who have the same thing in common and your gaining exposure to !

"How do I make that sell on Ebay?"

A image must be of great Quality :

I mean really , your trying to sell art you have to capture the beauty of your image or people will just pass you by!

Black and white photos or blurry shots that your child took for you so you can be in the picture are not going to work!

Describe your image in as few words as possible:

I know theres one thing I really cant stand is to view a item and have to go through multicolored extra large words and read for two hours before it gets to the point !

Never LIE :

If your item has a flaw then tell them about it !

If you tell them your teething baby chewed on the corner and they really want the image they will buy it !

Start your listings at a reasonable price:

Now , I know your worth a million but really when your starting off list them low , If you have 20.00 in the material then list it at 30.00.

"Are you crazy lady?"

No , really people will come more to buying your product at a reasonable price, after you have gained exposure then your work will be worth more so eventually you will make up for the loss .

ts really no different then your collection of baseball cards.

Keep your shipping reasonable :

People will pass you by if you have a buy it now for 10.00 and a shipping charge of 50.00 .

Ship in a timely manner :

Theres nothing more annoying then buying a item and waiting a month for it to arrive.Thats grounds for bad feedback and the customer will never come back !

Now go get busy start a blog and give me the link so I can show off your beautiful work !

Anyone in cyber space have ideas on ways JR can get his Art to sell ?

Lets talk about RECALLS..

2007-10-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

First off I am a sucker for used products especially baby equipment and toys. Going with buying used is always the possibility of getting a hold of a recall so I recommend researching material before you buy anything used.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html

"Do people really sell recalls?"

"YES!"

I had someone a few years ago try to sell me a used baby crib that had been recalled. I was fortunate enough to know about it ,since I had actually owned one in the past so I could not be suckered into wasting money on something I could never use.

Now not everyone is dishonest there are plenty of people who just didn't catch the recall and so it takes someone like me to point it out to them !

So a word of warning .. Never buy it until you make sure its safe !

The holidays are coming up and I am fearful of buying toys that have been recalled so I printed out a list to take when I shop , it will help me make sure I do not buy my children anything hazardous because unfortunately there still are people in the world who would gladly sell you something that is not safe and there are still honest people who really didn't know about the recall !

Side note .. If you own a recall please part with it !

Letting your child play with a recalled toy or placing them in a recalled product is just as bad as feeding them rotten bologna or letting your five year old go joy riding in your car !

How to start saving that hard earned money !

2007-10-16T07:54:00.000-05:00

Saving money is not easy.I plan every week on saving atleast five dollars and find by the end of the week I am five dollars in the hole.
I planned my list for grocery shopping this week , I even took extra time and looked through every store ad to find the bargins but I still ended up in the hole.

"Hows that you ask?"

When you go shopping , you always see something you missed on your list or you have extra things you were not aware of added to your cart.

"Well I can see missed items but unaware items?"

When you have children you get alot of unseen things added to the cart, especially when the cart is full. Children are very clever and know exactly how to distract you so they can get add thier favorite box of fruit gummys that were only $4.35.

"Now hows this helping to save money?"

Watch the cart alittle closer !

Reality is to ever make a dime we must find that way to save one.

We have to learn to tighten that belt and make things happen .

1: Take a spegatti sauce jar (washed) place it in your closet and everytime you have extra change immediatly place it in the jar. (Yes, pennies to.)

2: When you are figuring your check book round your amount off to whole dollar.

Example:
Write a check for 6.25
When your balancing your check book take off 7.00 and forget about the .75 cents act as if its not there .

3:Start a savings account.

" I dont have the money to start one?"

This is where rounding off to the highest dollar and forgetting about the change comes in handy. It adds up fast and soon you will have enough to start a savings account !

These are only a few ways to start saving a dime.

Any suggestions on other creative not so well thought of mind boggling ways to get started?

ABOUT ME !

2007-10-15T23:34:00.001-05:00

As you all know I am a SAHM I have five beautiful children and as long as I can provide food for the table , im going to stay this way.
I recently started looking for ways to make money at home. I'm not crafty so I cant sell hand made produts. Every extra dime I get I spend on things my children need. So I to am stuck like the majority of women out there !
I do write, though im a newbie and I love what I do. I could spend my life writing and writing and writing.. Did I say writing?
I have never had a writing class but im still working on my book ! It may never get published but im doing something for myself in between making meals and tucking my babies into bed.It makes me feel good.
I'm always game for a buck.(Not a deer) I'm always happy to save a dime and in sixteen years my favorite shopping experience has been clearance racks and getting T's for two dollars.
Hmmm... I hate to say it and don't take this the wrong way.. I'm cheap ! (In a good way) I have to be I live on X amount of money and have to be !
Unless you want to hear about spilled milk in my shoe thats about all I have to tell for now about myself.

Posted by Momma to five at 7:49 PM 0 comments Links

Friends Hardship

2007-10-15T23:32:00.000-05:00

Finding away to make it sometimes is difficult. I have a friend who is very crafty she makes beautiful beaded necklaces from her heart. Like all mothers she wanted to stay home with her children and find away to make it.
My friend took her last paycheck after having to give up her job because her child was ill , she searched the net in hopes to find away to make money. All over she seen ladies making things and selling it , she to used her craft ability and made a few things .
Being she doesn't have the funds to buy webspace she tried ebay. With no luck she gave up, depressed and sad that all her hard work and her extra money went into trying and it was not recognized she gave up.

Im here to tell her giving up is never the answer ! As my grandama used to say "If theres a will theres a way."