No Spend Month and other tidbits

So I've been partaking in a "No Spend Month" where I try not to spend $ on things that I haven't allowed for....For the record...We're headed for an epic FAIL on that front.  But I absolutely HAVE to get my spending habits under control. And here is why.....

We are currently getting our hours cut at work AND our Distribution Center is cutting us a truck a week for at least the next 2-3 months.  NOT fun by any means.  Seriously considering looking for a second J-O-B just to have a little more security $wise in my bank account.

On Monday I turn 27...Seriously the highlight of the past week.

My step-aunt's funeral was yesterday.  Liz was loved by a lot of people and for such a sad occasion there were a LOT of happy memories.

Knitting-wise I'm really challenging myself...I'm attempting my first pair of socks.  I've given up on mittens for a little while.  I'm going to have stick with my original pattern.  The one I tried off of Ravelry was giving me serious fits.

The plan for today is to do some reading, some knitting and some digital photography therapy....All of which is great stress releases after a VERY stressful week.

2011 Debt/Savings Challenge hosted by Penny Pinchin' Mom

I just found this challenge on one of the new money saving blogs that I follow and I immediately decided to take on this challenge.  I have decided that 2011 is the Year of ME and part of that is knocking down a considerable amount of my debt.

I'm moving my banking...

Recently my parents changed banks to State Bank of Cross Plains and opened a new checking account where they will actually earn a considerable amount of interest on their balance.  I've decided that I am also going to open one of these checking accounts, since today is payday I'm doing it as soon as the bank opens!...I'm tired of my money being lazy.  Here's the skinny on this Ultimate Interest Checking Account (from the bank webpage):

Finally a Checking Account You Can Get Excited About! Open your Ultimate Interest Checking Account today!

• Earn 2.51% Annual Percentage Yield (APY)* on Ultimate Rate paid on daily balances up to $25,000 or 0.05% APY* (standard rate paid) when account conditions are not met and on balances over $25,000.
• To qualify for this “Ultimate Rate” you must meet the following requirements: 1. Make at least 16 completed Debit Card transactions per monthly statement cycle. (ATM and PIN based transactions are excluded). 2. Receive a monthly eStatement. 3. Must have at least one direct deposit into the account per statement cycle. 4. Log onto eBANK! once per statement cycle.

*2.51% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) paid on daily balances up to $25,000 and 0.05% APY paid on all balances over $25,000 each statement cycle the minimum requirements are met. If you do not meet the requirements per statement cycle, you will earn the Standard Rate of 0.05% APY, your account will still function as a Free Checking account with no monthly service fees and no minimum balance. Rates are accurate as of December 16, 2010. This is a variable rate account, and the rate may change after the account is opened. Available on personal accounts only.

Me vs Our Pantry

So my goal for today...after I post this post actually...is to tackle our pantry.  We know we have all sorts of food...we just can't find it in all that mess.  Wish me luck...I'm going to need it.

Oh, and on the no spend front...I did spend 3 dollars last night....I needed caffeine (I'd forgotten my beverage at home) or I was gonna murderize someone and I didn't care who.

February is declared a NO SPEND MONTH!

I've recently posted about how I am up to my eyeballs in debt and how improving my knitting skills has caused me to blow my budget.  So I have decided to declare February (with 1 exception day) a No Spend Month.  I found this post which lead me to find this blog, which is also having a No Spend Month this month, who linked to this blog post, which had me coming up with my own No Spend Month.

Now we're 2 days into February already and I know I need to be extremely frugal with this paycheck that's coming in on Friday. Because of the blizzard we are currently having (which has resulted in me NOT going to work) and being in a slow time at work where we are getting our hours cut I will be short 2 days on my next paycheck and I still have bills to pay.

Here is how my No Spend Month is going to break down....

1 exception day...February 21st....My 27th birthday

My Goal:  To put an additional $100 into my savings account by the end of the month.  NOTE:  I have $100 taken out of each paycheck and directly deposited into my savings account.

The Details:  I am allowing myself $200 for the month of February to spend on anything I want.

What's included in my challenge:

~ Food
~ Gas
~ Clothing
~ Household items...which includes dog food
~ Entertainment
~ Valentine's Day

What's NOT included in my challenge:

~ Fixed bills (car insurance, credit card bills, cell phone)
~ Tithe
~ Medical Expenses
~ Car expenses (oil change)

Here is what I'm starting with....

~ A full tank of gas (it has a trip to and from work on it)
~ $17 cash
~ At least 2 weeks worth of soda
~ A library card
~ A full pantry...just have to clean it out and organize it figure out what kind food we have in there.
~  I'm hoping for a boat load of support from my bloggy pals.

Budget + Improving my knitting skills + Finding Raverly = BUDGET BLOWN

A couple weeks ago I posted this post about being up to my eyeballs in debt and what I my plan was to get my numbers down.  Well, I was well on my way to not breaking my budget for this pay period when I decided to take my sister-in-law and my friend Michelle to our town's yarn store.  Oh, we're not talking your Red Heart yarn here ladies and gent's...we're talking handspun/handpainted/dyed and more expensive than Red Heart yarn yarn's.  Which is apparently why I like it so much.

Well let's just put it this way...I spent a considerable chunk of money that day as well as learned some new skills.  In addition to my new skills I found the webpage Ravelry where knitters and crocheters can post their projects and find patterns and buy yarn and just have ton's of knitting and crocheting fun. If your on Ravelry you can find me as Sheeplesinthecity.

And this is were I went wrong.

Now that I've found this site and found TONS of patterns that I want to make...I've blown my budget all to hell on needle's and yarn.  I'm not making excuses...I'm just stating a fact.  Oh sure there's still money in the account but not as much as I would have liked to have had left over.  So much for being good with my first paycheck after paying off my car. :(

I'll do better next week that's for sure.

26 Years and other randomness

'Tis be Friday again! For most people Friday is the end of their work week....For me it's just the beginning. I'm hoping that this week is a little bit better at work than the last two weeks have been. It's been a little bit rough for me....We're waxing the floors at work and the smell from the wax and floor stripper gives me migraines. Toss in being treated poorly by a supervisor and a fellow team member two times in two weeks and you have me being pretty miserable. This two shall pass and I can hardly WAIT!

Yesterday was my parents 26th wedding anniversary. It was a pretty nice day too. Weather was decent....minus the wind. But we were still in the low 50's which is better than the last couple of days around here, where it's been pretty dreary.

I joined another Favorite Things Swap....Seriously, these bloggy swaps are a TON of fun. Now that I've done one I have a little bit better idea of what to expect. Flying by the seat of your pants isn't always the most fun. If you want to participate, please click on the words "Favorite Things Swap" to go to the post with all the instructions in it.

I'm still waiting on Spring to actually show up and stick around. I'm pretty tired of this one or two days here and there. That sucks pond sludge.

Yesterday, I posted the "100 Movies You Must See Before You Die" according to Yahoo. I'm in the process of coming up with my OWN list of movies that I think you should see before you die. You might be pretty surprised to see how ecclectic my taste in movies really is.

I've been doing some "studying" on some of my money saving blogs that I've added to my blogroll recently and will of course continue to study until I find/figure out a system that works for me to help me save money on my everyday needs in this rather "shaky" economy. Of course I'll be sure to share with all of you so that you can test these idea's out for yourself if you'd like.

I'm coming up on my FIRST ever blog giveaway. I can hardly wait!

Ms. Laci went to the groomer yesterday to get her Spring 'do done. Is it sad that my dog has her own stylist? She said that Laci was a good girl until she tried to trim around her face...then not so much. I thought that Laci would give her grief when it came time to brush her teeth but according to the groomer she actually enjoyed having her teeth brushed.

Well there it is....My week in a nutshell....Complete with a few blessings thrown in too. Have a great weekend for me!

Jamie

What I've learned so far.....

I posted a little while ago that I was trying to learn how to live a more frugal lifestyle and try to put some more of my money away into savings instead of blowing it all on unneccessary items. I guess my main downfall is determining "need" from "want" right now. I think that "little" issue is going to to take some time to "overcome."

Here is a little sampling of what I've learned/saved so far -

~ Making lists is a good thing....I've started making lists of things that I need to purchase and have been doing alright at sticking to the list....I'm still working on it....I've got a LOT of bad habits to break.

~ My dog is another one of my downfalls....She's currently on a pretty expensive brand of dog food (Royal Canin....her tummy didn't like the Solid Gold brand we tried her on). I put her on this brand because it makes a kibble specifically designed for Cocker Spaniel's dietary needs. Well yesterday when I went into buy her some food I was comparing the Cocker Spaniel kibble to the regular Medium Adult kibble and there really wasn't vary much of a difference and in the long run it would be cheaper for me to feed her the Medium Adult because the store only sells the Cocker Spaniel kibble in 6 pound bags. A 6 pound bag lasts us maybe 2 weeks if we're lucky. So I picked up the Medium Adult 30 pound bag which will last us a LOT longer. Here's the upside to this "story"....I actually saved money buying the bigger bag....For some reason the larger bags have the "instant instore coupons" on them and I saved a whole $4.00.

~ I don't always purchase name brands....Most of the products that I currently use, the name brands are more expensive than the store brands (even with a coupon).

~ I'm in the process of learning to do all of my errands in one trip (if possible).

~ Clearance/bargin racks are a good thing.

I've also added some "frugal" blogs to my blogroll if you are looking for more ideas. Here are the links:

Bare Budget Beauty

BeCentsAble

Frugal and Fabulous

Frugal Fabulous

The New Frugal Mom

Thrifty and Chic Mom

Cheapskate Mom

How to Save Money, Even When You Don’t Have Any

Even if you have a decent job and don’t waste a lot of money, it’s possible you’re in a situation where, like millions of other people, you are living from paycheck to paycheck. You think that you’d like to save money, but it just doesn’t seem practical when every penny you earn goes toward the costs of daily living. However, even in seemingly dire situations there’s almost always a way to put aside cash in small amounts, and the benefits of having a growing accumulation of savings will end up rewarding you in many ways, both practically and psychologically.

First of all, it might be worth it to define exactly what you mean when you say you “have no money,” and then redefine it in a way that’s more amenable to adaptation. Quite often I’m amused when a female acquaintance tells me she can never afford to put any money aside because she’s always completely broke, and then I look at her and notice freshly filled acrylic nails, new Manolos, or this season’s latest Prada bag. No wonder she has no money to put aside! Let’s be clear: if you can afford to pay all your bills and have enough left over to buy designer goods and spa treatments, you’re not broke, even if you consistently have no money left at the end of each month and are gritting your teeth until your paycheck comes.

It’s amazing the lengths we will go to try to convince ourselves that certain items we buy are necessities rather than extras. Often I hear the excuse, “But I have to have these designer clothes and expensive shoes because one of the requirements of my job is to look my best all the time.” That’s understandable, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend all your extra money, every paycheck. Let’s be honest, if you’re supplementing your wardrobe every single month, you’re doing it because you enjoy it, not because it’s strictly required. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up shopping altogether — even if you just cut your fashion spending down to every other month instead of every month, think of all the extra money you’d have. I promise you, no one is going to notice if you buy new clothes every eight weeks instead of every four weeks.

Even at lower levels of income there are always extras that we quietly slip into our budgets. Of course you want to treat yourself, and that’s an important part of keeping your sanity, especially if you’re constantly stressed about money. But even something as simple as a weekly night out with your friends can end up running away with your wallet if you’re not careful. It’s not uncommon to spend fifty or even a hundred dollars or more in one evening at a club or bar, especially if parking or cover charges are involved. Think about what would happen if you passed on the invitation even one week a month, and put that money in a savings account instead — it wouldn’t seem like much incrementally, and probably you wouldn’t even really miss it, but at the end of the year you’d have enough put aside to do something really nice for yourself, perhaps take a vacation somewhere exotic. If you really want to be forward-thinking, maybe you could even use that money to start on some small investments, which in return will pay for many more vacations in the long run.

One of the keys to making this work is setting up a system where the money you set aside is no longer money you consider “available” for any reason whatsoever. This can mean a simple psychological shift, or perhaps a more physical one. Some people have enough willpower that just telling themselves the money they put away no longer exists is enough to keep them from accessing it. Other people need a little more help to forget about a pile of money as if it weren’t there. Ask your bank (or shop around at different banks), to find out what sort of savings or incremental investment options are available, and choose the one that has the most excruciating penalties for withdrawals. Preferably, you want something where withdrawing your money would end up costing you almost as much as the withdrawal is worth. It also helps if getting your money is more complicated than just logging on to the internet branch and entering your PIN number. In this case, the more of a hassle withdrawals are, the better it is for your money situation. You’ll probably think twice about your perceived need of some luxury item if getting the money for it will incur significant service charges, take three weeks, and require lots of paperwork for which you actually have to go to the bank and stand in line.

Believe it or not, saving at least some money is possible in almost every circumstance. Even if you start out with very small amounts — say, five dollars a week — by the time a year has passed you’ll have put aside well over two hundred dollars, which isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s nothing to scoff at, either. Don’t avoid saving money on the grounds that you think miniscule weekly contributions will never amount to anything. If you can gradually raise your weekly savings to ten or twenty dollars a week, even if it’s not every week, you will soon find you have a respectable cushion of cash that can be used for small investments, as well as doubling as an emergency fund. Over a period of months or years, these things can really add up. It may require some small sacrifices on your part, but the if the end result is that you end up in a better financial position overall, no doubt you’ll feel that any minor adjustments you made to your lifestyle were worth it.

Borrowed from Totally Her

The Importance of Splurging

Whether you have a lot of money or a little money, you still have to decide how to use it, and you still have to have a budget to allow for both necessities and extras. Often when things look bleak, we can get very down on ourselves because it seems like all the money is going to bills, and none of it is spent on the things that we’d like to do or have.

If you are in a situation where money is something to keep you alive rather than something you enjoy, you probably think it doesn’t make any sense to go out and spend a pile of cash that you don’t really have. And that’s true, you do have to be prudent when times are tough… but you also need to learn to splurge a little sometimes, even when you think you can’t.

You don’t have to spend a lot to indulge yourself, and sometimes you don’t have to spend anything at all. Something as simple as a take-out meal or a going to the zoo can really brighten your day, and won’t break the bank. Likewise, you can rent a couple of movies and invite your friends over, and have everyone bring something to help spread the cost.

The psychological benefits of allowing yourself to enjoy some of your money can not only have immediate results, but can help to improve your overall situation over time. It is difficult to stay motivated about making money when all of it goes to necessities. This in turn can affect your attitude about work, and the quality of the work you do. Over time, people will notice these changes in your productivity and demeanor, and if you’re not careful you could find yourself out of a job, which is hardly going to help matters. Of course, you can always fake your enthusiasm at work until the rough patch passes, but people tend to see through that, and in any case it wouldn’t be necessary if you really did have something to be enthusiastic about, which is something you can change right now if you choose to.

If you allow yourself just a small amount of income to spend on wonderful, enjoyable things, the difference it can make in your mental well-being is astonishing. You’ll be out a tiny amount of money, but in return you might have some nice new trinkets for your home, a fun night out with your friends, or maybe a DVD or CD you will be able to enjoy again and again. Chances are, you really won’t miss that amount of money, and the amount of enjoyment it can bring you is well worth fitting it into your budget. Feeling like we can have fun with some of our money sometimes is a key factor in how we feel about having to go out and work so hard to earn it.

It may seem counterintuitive, especially during these times when many of us are struggling within the waning economy, to start going out and spending money when it’s so difficult to make ends meet. But if you force yourself to do a few small things to splurge on, not only can you improve the quality of your life and start having good times again, but you are contributing to the economy, also, which helps everyone in the long run. Learning to splurge can be difficult, but it can also be difficult to put the brakes on once you start, so use caution and common sense, and go out and have a little fun.

Borrowed from Totally Her

Budgeting Tips from the Trenches

It used to be called “pinching pennies”. Now it’s known as “stretching a dollar,” maybe because inflation made pennies so valueless it didn’t seem worth the effort to pinch them. But no matter what phrase you use, it all comes down to making the money you get from paycheck to paycheck last longer and go further.

Getting more bang for the buck is a subject that always fascinates consumers, but never so much as it does during a recession. Of course, being in the middle of what is turning out to be the biggest “economic slowdown” since the Great Depression, the subject keeps popping up every time you pick up a newspaper or turn on the television.

Many of these media outlets are asking financial experts to give their views on how America should be keeping expenses down as the cost of living rises and the pink slips start mounting. But in spite of all of their expertise, conventional wisdom tells you that the real know-how comes from the people on the front lines. The average consumer, with the unemployment check instead of a paycheck, or with a paycheck that was slashed, who has to make a mortgage payment and put meals on the table, understands what it takes to keep body and soul together.

That’s why the following working people have been asked to contribute their best ways to save a little here and there, because, as your mother always said, “Watch your pennies, and your dollars will take care of themselves.”

This first list of suggestions comes from Chrissy Scivicque, Content Manager for OfficeArrow, a network of executive and administrative assistants, office managers, and small business owners. Chrissy is also a former Executive Assistant:

“1. Brown bag it. Stop wasting precious dollars dining out. Save money (and calories) by packing lunch and taking it to the office. To avoid missing out on valuable team bonding time, establish one day a week to indulge in a meal out with the group.

“2. Borrow it. Libraries are often forgotten, but it is easy to save by borrowing instead of buying. These days, many public libraries house a huge collection of movies and CDs in addition to books.

“3. Grow it. Consider starting a fresh herb and vegetable garden. Not only do these foods taste better when picked fresh, but a garden like this also saves a ton of money. Plus, it provides a convenient supply of fresh goodies, so no gas is wasted hitting the grocery store throughout the week.

“4. Change it. Switching to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) can significantly lower energy bills. They use 75% less energy than standard light bulbs, and they last about 10 times longer! They also produce less heat, so they are safer. These bulbs are a win for both the wallet and the planet.

“5. Care for it. Whatever ‘it’ is, take care of it. That could mean one’s health (prevention is less expensive than treatment) or just a pair of nice shoes (polish can make an old shoe new again). Show a little love to personal items, and they will last a lot longer.

“6. Skype it. Take a look at that phone bill and see how much it is per minute. Why pay for domestic or even international long distance calls? Skype allows consumers to make free calls to other Skype users all over the world through their computers. It also offers very cheap calls to land lines and cell phones domestically and internationally.

“7. Trade it. When they have an abundance of something (tomatoes in the backyard, for instance) or a special skill (auto or computer repair), consumers should use the barter system to obtain products and services from friends and neighbors. Trading is good for one’s wallet and community.”


Sarah M. Place, MBA, President and CEO of Place Trade Financial, Inc. provided this roster of her favorite money saving tips:

“1. Always compare price per ounce when shopping for groceries. It is incredible how often I find that the products that are sold ‘in bulk’ or in larger packages are significantly more expensive than smaller packages. Years ago we were taught that buying in bulk offered big savings and many people just pick up that larger item and move on not realizing that they may be much better off if they took a few seconds to compare.

“2. Always travel with a bottle of water. So often we get thirsty (or hungry) when we are out and it is so easy to pull up to a drive through or convenience store to buy something and spend a few extra dollars when we could have a brought something from home. Invest in a nice bottle to carry with you. Even if you only spend a buck each time on a drink — that can really add up over time!

“3. Invest in a crock pot — it is such a great tool. It takes just a few minutes to throw ingredients into a crock pot in the morning and let it simmer all day. When you come home from work that house smells great and dinner is ready. Saves time and money. Never throw away a chicken without either turning [it] into soup, chicken and dumplings, or at least throwing it in your crock pot to cook down for stock. Toss that stock in the freezer and who knows what you will create with it later — it is just great to have homemade stock on hand when you need it versus the store (expensive) brands.

“4. Save on your utility bills. Often times there are services that you do not need or fees that can be waived or deleted with one phone call. Last month I finally decided that I could live without my home phone because I was tired of paying so much, but was torn because I still need it to support my alarm system. I called my service provider, explained my situation, and within minutes she wiped about 30% off of my total bill without reducing my service. I was in shock, but quickly thanked her, and am now enjoying the savings. It is worth asking — the worst thing they can do is say no.

“5. Enjoy events for free. Check your local paper or community calendar for free or close to free events. Larger communities often have festivals and events that you can attend for free. In Raleigh, NC, we have a summer concert series with nationally known musicians/bands that play for free to the public, free movies on the lawn, and every ‘First Friday’ of the month the city’s artists open up their shops and studios for the community to come and enjoy their wares while mingling with fellow art lovers.”

These are hard times, so no matter what your economic status, it pays to save where you can. That extra money may come in handy when you least expect it.

Borrowed from Totally Her

Cost Cutters

Most of us are feeling the financial pinch right now and are trying to cut corners. Here are some possible cost cutters for you and your family to try out in this coming year:

~ Get acquainted with your local library. Most libraries now have inter-library loans and a wealth of books and videos available for borrowing. Borrowing videos from the library can save on rental fees from video stores and the power of reading together as a family is amazing! Focus on reading more than watching TV or movies and save the watching for special occasions instead. You’ll not only save on your electric bill, you’ll instill memories of reading times together into your children, to carry throughout their life.

~ Use half the amount of toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc., that you normally use. A little goes a long way and you can extend the life of your products quite a bit if you cut back on the amount you use each time. (Of course, getting hubby and kids to do this is another story!)

~ Add water to your dish soap and laundry detergent bottles after they are empty. You can usually get one more sink-full or load out of them.

~ Consider exchanging paper towels with rags and tissues and baby wipes with flannel wipes. Though a small investment up front, no longer buying paper towels, baby wipes, and tissues can add a few extra dollars to your grocery budget every month.

~ Also consider switching to cloth diapers. This is a more costly first-time investment, but it more than pays for itself within 1/2 a year!

~ Join sites like AFullCup.com and become acquainted with money saving blogs. Browse them frequently. They often give heads up on freebie days at places like Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery. They also give links for samples from Walmart and Proctor & Gamble. Just recently I received the Ziplock Freezer System for free because I was given a heads up about it on one of these sites.

~ Speaking of Starbucks, eliminating that Starbucks coffee several times a week will put extra money back into your wallet. If you must have coffee, consider Dunkin’ Donuts instead or even the new McDonald’s lattes, which I have not tried but have heard they are quite tasty — at a fraction of a Starbucks coffee. Go small, too, instead of venti. Just switching sizes can save money. It all adds up!

~ Instead of traveling far away for vacation, look up places of interest near where you live and take a vacation closer to home.

~ Share a meal with your husband when you go out to eat. This not only saves money, it also cuts your calories in half! If you must have that entire meal to yourself, definitely go half and half with dessert. I can’t remember the last time my husband and I had our own dessert. I probably couldn’t eat one all by myself if I had to, and I like the fact that we save close to $5 everytime we go out by doing this (even more if we split a meal).

~ Look into making your own household cleaning products, including laundry detergent. Making these things in bulk are great cost cutters!

~ Learn how to freeze and can fruits and vegetables. Even if you are not able to garden, check out the local farmers market in the summer and fall months and buy large quantities and then go home and preserve them. In the end, it will be much cheaper this way than buying frozen and canned foods from the store.

~ Make your own goodies rather than buying pre-packaged.

~ Get rid of the cable TV. Not only can this save a couple hundred dollars a year, it can also prove to be a move that boosts family relationships!

~ If you have a cell phone, call and see if you’re using the minutes you’re signed up for. If not, choose a lower package plan. Sometimes we are so used to paying the same amount every month we aren’t aware that the plan we have doesn’t even fit our needs anymore.

~ Switch to energy saving light bulbs. This will help save on your overall electricity bill as the year goes on.

~ Have your electric company come out and go through your house, showing you possible places that you could made some adjustments to, to cut your bill down each month.

~ Determine that you will learn how to use coupons and store sales to your advantage. I have made a commitment to not buy makeup and things like shampoo and toothpaste until I can get it for half cost or almost free, combining sales with coupons. Again, money saving blogs will help you learn how to do this. I’ve only been doing this five months and have already shaved over $200 from my shopping budget.

~ Join rewards programs. If you fly, stay at hotels, eat at a favorite restaurant, or buy a favorite brand, check and see whether or not they have a rewards or points program. These programs allow you to save up points and then redeem them for free flights, free nights, or gift cards.

~ Check into doing surveys for reputable companies, such as National Family Opinion. Doing surveys takes 10-20 minutes of your time each day, but it gives you points, which you can then redeem as cash or prizes like Amazon gift certificates.

Borrowed from Totally Her

Some pretty neat "frugal" living links

I found a new "frugal" living blog today called Wisebread and I thought that I would share a few of the articles with you that really stood out to me. Here we go:

Beware of Pretty Things: 4 reasons why I'm keeping my ugly old stuff ~ New isn't always better.

Top 6 Reasons Why Using Cash-only Rocks ~ I'm actually going to give this a try....My debit card isn't always my best friend.

Tips and Tricks to Eating Healthy on a Budget

6 Ways that Dieting and Budgeting are exactly the same

The Piggy Bank: A Secret to simple Saving

Learning some new habits...

I am in the ongoing process of trying to teach myself to be better with my money....I've been pretty wishy washy in this department for a while now and with our economy the way it is right now I really think it's time to make it more of a priority. I've been reading a few new blogs on the "frugal" lifestyle and from what I've been reading I can totally do this.....I just need to be a little more aware of my spending habits. If anyone has and tips/"tricks" please feel free to share...I'm game for trying "new" things.

Keep checking back....I plan on sharing my finds/"tricks" with my bloggy pals.

On a different note.....Upon further review of my finance's, my bloggy giveaway has to be put on hold for a little while. There will be a giveaway, just need a little more "give" in my budget than what I have right now.

The stitches come out!

My EVIL stitches in my leg come out today! I can hardly wait! I bet it will be one funky looking scar!

My mom and I are starting a new little "business" venture. We're sewing up a bunch of Apron's (Adult and Child size), pot holders, hot mitts, tote bags and possibly some more fun stuff like that to sell at not only Little Norway (in the gift shop and on the webpage) and maybe even here in bloggy/internet land. We've got the prototype apron almost done...Just have to put the ties on it. I'll post a picture of it later this afternoon.

Please Help

I was reading through my google reader (which I'm super behind on by the way) and I found another post from my good bloggy pal Jeannie that I thought that I would pass along on my blog. Courtney from Blogging Matilda wrote this (which I borrowed from Jeannie's blog):

Blogging is a wonderful thing. It creates a space that we can all share our lives, trials and tribulations. It connects random strangers with the best of intentions. Every time we need to share, find consolation, or laugh we turn to each other. The greatest thing is the fact that among us all we have the ability to reach out to thousands, even millions of people (if you’re Dooce). But now, I am turning to you for a little help.One of my oldest girlfriends, Toni, needs help.

Her husband and two children were in a car accident with a tractor trailer truck. Her husband took the brunt of the injuries while trying to maneuver the car to protect his children. The kids are ok, and are only suffering from broken bones. Jamie, her husband, was not as lucky, and is on a long road to recovery. This weekend there is a benefit being held in my hometown to raise money for the family, and the medical expenses that they are facing. Times are tight for everybody. We are all feeling the pinch, however, I am trying to raise as much money as possible to present to them this weekend at the spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

I have posted a widget on my blog to accept donations for the family. I am reaching out to my fellow bloggers in hopes that you might take a moment of your time to repost this information and ask your loyal readers to help out this young, struggling family in their time of need.

Thanks for your time,
Courtney at Blogging Matilda

Friday's are usually for my blessings, but....

I'm not feeling very blessed right now so I'm just going to do a list of things that I hope to "accomplish" this year:

1. I hope to get my car loan paid down enough that I won't still be living at home for another 2 YEARS.

2. I hope that I don't have anymore major problems with my car....which lead to a really crappy end to my 2008.

3. I hope to pay off at LEAST 1 of my credit cards....More than learned my lesson with "plastic" shopping.

4. ACTUALLY finish a knitting project. I'm getting close to finally finishing the scarf that was supposed to be part of my mom's Christmas present!

5. I hope to lose about 20 pounds.

6. I hope to grow my hair out to at LEAST shoulder length by the end of the year.

7. To set aside some money for a "me" vacation.

8. I hope to meet some of my bloggy pals in real life (at some point I hope)

9. To have my "featured blogger" day on SITS.

10. To just set some money aside.

11. To pay off my debt to the "Bank of Dad."

12. To start acquiring things for when I can actually afford to move out. (this is more of a long term goal)

13. To manage my money better.

I'll be knitting (complete with candy dish/urn photo).....

We, as in my coworkers and I, learned the other night at work that everyone's hours in the month of January and possibly February (they haven't seen the forecasted hour allottment yet) will be cut by at LEAST 1 day. This actually kind of sucks more than a little bit but with the way the economy is right now very understandable. So as a result of being in debt to the Bank of Dad, trying to save money for my trip to Nampa (which I'm still going on because I was approved the time off before my car went "boom" on me), and my hours being cut I went out and spent a little bit of money on some more yarn, knitting needles, and a book (complete with patterns) so I can learn more than the basic stitch, since I won't be going much of anywhere or doing much of anything really fun for a little while.

I was successful in my quest to find pictures of the candy dish/urn that I described in a prior post, so without further adue here is the candy dish/urn:

J

The economy SUCKS!

So as a result of the economy going down the crapper....and all the debt that I've acquired recently and not so recently, I actually have to come up with a budget for myself, which is NEVER fun right? To be honest I actually have no idea where to start in my plan to create a budget that even I can stick to, so does anyone out there have any ideas, tips, knowledge, etc. to help me out? If you do you can either leave a comment here on the blog or you can e-mail me at jamiehanna84@gmail.com. I need all the help that I can get with this project, so if you can please help me, you'd be my new BFF. Have a great weekend everyone!

Jamie