tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72380265183826458492023-11-15T10:28:56.426-06:00The Quintessential CheapskateBecause being frugal is cool!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-54501064667310453082010-04-14T17:49:00.000-05:002010-04-14T17:49:48.222-05:00CraigslistLet me just say, I love Craigslist. I love buying stuff on there, I love selling stuff on there. Just today I posted something, and less than 3 hours later, it was gone, and I had cash in my hand! Yay! I usually can find some really nice stuff on Craigslist for the kids...and for me, too! I've sold a lot on there, and I've bought a lot on there.<br />
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Recently added to Craigslist is the fact that to sell anything, you have to have an account on Craigslist. This actually makes it easier for me to see what I've got posted and keep track of what I want to post. <br />
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I'd say, without trying to brag, that I am marginally successful on Craigslist, as I can generally sell what I post.<br />
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For those looking to <a href="http://www.infobarrel.com/How_to_Be_a_Recessionista">make money online</a>, Craigslist can be a lucrative opportunity, if you know how to post correctly.<br />
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Come back soon for tips on the best ways to post to Craigslist!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-63247889398796495922010-03-02T17:26:00.000-06:002010-03-02T17:26:26.746-06:00Free Coffee for a Year- an ExperimentI decided in December of last year that I'd like to try a new experiment when it comes to free stuff. I decided to try to get free coffee for the entire year, whether through samples, coupons, or rebates. So far, I've contacted 8'Oclock Coffee and got two bags of coffee free. Since I'm the only one who drinks coffee here, I still have a bag and a half left. (<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4593000_contact-companies-coupons.html">Learn How to Contact Companies for Coupons</a>) I also got some samples from a recent hotel stay.<br />
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Just today, I was able to sign up early for a Starbucks BzzAgent campaign. I'm anticipating either a free bag of coffee outright, or a coupon for a free bag. So, at the start of March, total money spent on coffee the entire year: $0. I would guess, before having the Starbucks coffee, that I have enough coffee to last at least until April.<br />
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Another key to saving money on coffee which I do nearly every time I make a pot, I add some dried, ground <a href="http://www.infobarrel.com/The_Benefits_of_Dandelion_Root">dandelion root</a>. Since I have issues with kidneys/liver, the dandelion root really helps. Adding a little to the coffee grounds helps to get rid of dark circles around the eyes and relieve menstrual cramps. I know I sure have felt a difference. I picked the dandelion root and roasted it myself, so I spent no money on it.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-2152510214655282392010-02-16T09:57:00.000-06:002010-02-16T09:57:07.054-06:00Do your taxes for FREE!Do your taxes FREE this year with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=gUzI*15v558&offerid=176746.10000011&type=3&subid=0%22%20%3EGet%20your%20refund%20in%20as%20little%20as%2010%20days%20with%20FreeTaxUSA%3C/a%3E%3CIMG%20border=0%20width=1%20height=1%20src=%22http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=gUzI*15v558&bids=176746.10000011&type=3&subid=0%22%20%3E">Free Tax USA</a>. It's quick, it's easy, and best of all, it's free for your Federal return. <br />
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State tax prep costs $9.95. That's the cheapest you'll find on the internet! Check out <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=gUzI*15v558&offerid=176746.10000011&type=3&subid=0%22%20%3EGet%20your%20refund%20in%20as%20little%20as%2010%20days%20with%20FreeTaxUSA%3C/a%3E%3CIMG%20border=0%20width=1%20height=1%20src=%22http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=gUzI*15v558&bids=176746.10000011&type=3&subid=0%22%20%3E">Free Tax USA</a> and leave a comment to tell me what you think.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-37602216921619005452010-02-13T22:27:00.000-06:002010-02-13T22:27:29.797-06:00eHow UK DebacleAs most of you probably know, there has been a huge issue with eHow recently using user-submitted content and posting it on the new eHow UK site without compensating the writers. eHow redirected the articles so that the articles on the UK site now redirect to the US site. Somehow, because of all this, many articles dropped out of Google search, even the articles hosted on the UK site (which, by the way, were also ranked better than the US versions of the exact same articles). After months of user's complaining on eHow's forums about the mess, the Powers That Be at eHow decided to compensate the writers for using the articles for so long without compensation. <br />
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The compensation I received was about what I would make on eHow on a better-than-average day, or a day when the earnings update the previous day was skipped. When I discovered the amount of compensation given to me, I was livid. I was under the impression I would be paid the difference between the earnings I had made over the past 6 months and what I had lost. I was totally wrong. How can a site like eHow clone their site and not pay users for the earnings on their articles? Apparently the compensation was due to the usefulness and popularity of the articles hosted on the UK site. I'm still scratching my head at that one. Funny how<a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd"> the articles I wrote</a> garnered so much pay on the US site, and when the articles I wrote were hosted on the UK site, they were not useful or popular on that platform. Of the articles I have written, I would think they would have an appeal to a UK audience. Hmm...<br />
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To further complicate matters, several of the articles I wrote months ago which were top-ranked in Google search are now totally gone from Google. At least, when I searched, the articles were not in the first <b>30 pages</b> of Google for their keywords. When this issue was brought up in the forums to the community liason at eHow, he said, basically, that we should learn how to write better articles. I have almost 300 links to <a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">my public profile</a>. Seems to me that would mean 300 or so different people find my articles at least worthy of a back link. So now, I and all the other writers on eHow who dropped out of Google have to do the work ourselves of re-indexing on Google, when it is my contention that the UK fiasco caused the articles to drop out of search in the first place.<br />
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Your thoughts on the issue?mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-73807411389616635892009-11-24T07:09:00.000-06:002009-11-24T07:09:20.079-06:00Tis the Season for Televisions!If ever there was a time to get a quality television on the cheap, this is it! Many electronics stores are holding sales online and in-store. With the electronics industry suffering the same as other industries (perhaps even more so) and new technologies being released and scheduled for release, the perfect storm is brewing for consumers to get a great deal. The Quintessential Cheapskate is going to predict <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=384082011&tag=ehowcom7-20">great deals on televisions</a> now through the end of January.<br />
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Some tips on snaging an awesome price on a quality television:<br />
-research the size and type of television you want.<br />
-get a 1080 if the television is over 40 inches, get a 720 if the TV is under 40 inches.<br />
-shop around for the best deal; if you don't, you may find you didn't get such a great deal after all.<br />
-get cables and the wall mount (if desired) seperately from the TV. If you shop around for television components, you'll find you can pay a fraction of the price as you would if you had gotten everything all together with the television.<br />
-plan to future-proof your TV set as much as possible. Plan to have this TV for a while.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-42542648766402472082009-11-20T07:49:00.000-06:002009-11-20T07:49:50.675-06:00Buring WoodIs a wood stove or fireplace for you? Do you already have one in your home but don't know whether it would be cost-effective to use it? Some simple math can help you decide.<br />
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Look at your energy bill. How much do you pay for heat? Let's say last December you paid $310 for heat. Divide the number by the days in the month, in this case, 31, to get how much you pay for heat each day. In this case, it would be $10 per day.<br />
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How much would wood or pellets cost? Let's say you could get a chord of wood for $200. You could use the chord to heat your house for 50 days (depending on the type of wood and the type of fireplace, wood stove, etc). $200 divided by 50 equals $4. So you could heat the house for $4 a day for 50 days using a chord of wood.<br />
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This means you could save $6 per day on your heating costs by switching to wood for 50 days. $6 per day multiplied by 50 days equals $300. Nice.<br />
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Don't forget to account for the other costs associated with using a wood stove or fireplace: having it cleaned once a year or every other year (depending on how often you use it), buying tools to help stir the fire and clean the ash, and maybe some fire starters. Let's say this stuff costs you $100 per year. This means, using the wood stove, even just on weekends, can save $200 per year. If you're home on the weekends, and you already have a wood stove or fireplace, why not save a little money?mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-64651633981166760852009-11-19T07:57:00.000-06:002009-11-19T07:57:11.337-06:00Revamp and RedaeuxThe Quintessential Cheapskate is back! After a rather lengthy hiatus to deal with other projects and "real life", the Quintessential Cheapskate is back on, with more practical tips on saving money in your everyday life. The blog even has a new tag line: "Because being frugal is cool!"<br />
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Check back often for new postings, including ideas on watering house plants, using a wood stove or fireplace, and even help figuring taxes. We'll also be discussing Christmas spending and the January hangover.<br />
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Now that we're back on, it's time to shake up personal finance once again! Check back soon!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-75640661426047820632009-07-28T13:17:00.004-05:002009-07-28T20:05:36.739-05:00Telling Children NoTelling a child she can't have something can be difficult, especially when the reason has to do with money. Certain times, it has to be done. The key in telling children no is to offer a thorough explanaition along with the no. <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4741589_help-children-learn-money.html">Small children</a> can be especially difficult to explain to things about money and reasons we can and cannot spend money. Talk with your children about money often. Let them see you paying bills and writing checks. Explain checks, cash, and debit and credit cards. Gently explaining that money is too tight for the new toy, without becoming hostile or raising your voice, will speak volumes to children later on. Money is a subject everyone should know about, as we all use money in our everyday lives, whether we like it or not. Talk about value with children. Everything and everyone has a certain amount of value, whether monetary or not. Talking about value and money with children gives them a definite leg up when they begin earning and spending their own money. Telling a child no can be easy when you follow with a gentle explanation of money and affordability.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-67148780913849335592009-07-16T08:18:00.002-05:002009-07-16T08:38:07.604-05:00Examiner Referral ContestExaminer.com just announced a referral contest for fellow Examiner.com writers. The top 20 examiners to refer writers to examiner.com will win cool prizes, ranging from a Wii to an Examiner.com tee shirt.<br /><br />To sign up for the Examiner.com, click <a href="http://www.examiner.com/about_examiner/">here</a> and use referral number 10783 or use name "Elizabeth Rose". For a video tutorial of how to sign up, click <a href="http://www.examiner.com/assets/referral/referral_demo.htm">here</a>.<br /><br />Examiner.com is primarily a citizen-journalist news site, with local and national news around the country in various subjects ranging from paranormal to finance to <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner">gardening</a>. The Examiner.com requests writers to post timely, accurate news every few days. All Examiner.com articles are to be written in the third person, and, best of all, all articles should be fairly short (400 words or less). Examiner.com currently pays $10/1000 page views.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-18582778476829215792009-07-10T14:12:00.002-05:002009-07-10T14:25:24.989-05:00Is it Time for a New Stimulus?Is it time for a new economic stimulus from the Fed? A popular opinion creeping up seems to think so. Many claim the first stimulus did not do enough for the common American, as national unemployment creeps toward 10% and new data claims 20% of homeowners are under water in their mortgages. <br /><br />While most agree they are tired of the current economic climate, what many don't realize is government programs cannot work miracles overnight. Only 56.3 billion dollars of the 499 billion allocated have been spent. Only 157.8 billion dollars of the 499 billion are available for spending. By this math, one-third of the available funds have already been spent. Approximately one-third of funds allocated toward the economic stimulus are currently available for spending.<br /><br />What, then, is the answer? Some leading economists, and even the Fed itself, claim the answer is to be patient. While this seems like a slap in the face to many Americans who are currently jobless and getting foreclosed on, the only other alternative would, of coarse, be to initiate another stimulus package. American taxpayers are already allocated to be the ones picking up the tab for the first stimulus. If a second stimulus is undertaken, this would mean, quite simply, more taxes for Americans to pay later.<br /><br />What is your opinion regarding this issue? Should Americans receive another economic stimulus?mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-19649352034881834862009-07-05T19:37:00.002-05:002009-07-05T20:16:35.662-05:00June EarningsAs I've been posting online earnings for the past six months, I've decided to stop posting after this update. My goal is to write more for this blog, but no more earnings posts.<br /><br />So let's jump right in then:<br /><br />MyPoints: I've been lazy with BzzAgent, so I've not racked up the MyPoints points as quickly as I had anticipated. Still working toward the $25 gift card.<br /><br /><a href="http://http//www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">eHow</a>: $49.79: 21 cents short of my goal for the past 3 months! My long-term goal in January was to be making $150 per month from eHow by the end of July. Barring some miracle, that's not going to happen.<br /><br /><a href="http://http//www.bukisa.com/join/3879">Bukisa</a>: $0.60 with a total of 30 articles.<br /><br /><a href="http://http//www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref4201175">Inbox Dollars</a>: Still averaging about $3. Getting closer to payout! I may just get payout by September, at this rate.<br /><br /><a href="http://http//cashcrate.com/841400">CashCrate</a>, mystery shopping, and surveys garnered me nothing this month. I was too busy in the garden.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner">Examiner</a>: $54.64 with one referral. Decent.<br /><br />And I finally made a little money on Adsense.<br /><br />As far as this month goes, I'll be focusing on <a href="http://http//www.infobarrel.com/signup.php?ref_id=917">InfoBarrel</a> and <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner">Examiner</a> mostly. More articles were taken from eHow, so I hope to write a few this month to get me up to 80 on eHow. We'll see.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-43438343311051119122009-06-15T07:55:00.002-05:002009-06-15T08:06:02.550-05:00Saving Money through Self-SufficiencyBeing more self-sufficient is a foreign concept to a lot of us. More and more people are begining to rely more on themselves because of the troubled economy. I've decided to add some links to my blog to articles on self-sufficiency to help those looking to become more self-sufficient. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4562513_laundry-soap-detergent.html">How to Make Laundry Soap</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4620666_clean-with-vinegar.html">How to Clean with Vinegar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4694334_handmade-soap-herbs-essential-oils.html">How to Make Hand Soap</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4920465_roast-dandelion-root-coffee-substitute.html">How to Roast Dandelion Root</a><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5066580_make-pizza-crust-quick-easy.html"><br />How to Make Pizza Crust</a>mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-12083747114362363882009-06-10T08:53:00.003-05:002009-06-10T09:18:07.990-05:00Easy MoneyEHow is starting to come more easily to me. I've written 75 articles in about 8 or so months. At first I found it difficult to find the time, mostly, to write content. I also found it difficult to adhere to the how-to format. Writing in general can be difficult for me sometimes. Prose just flows very easily, as in the content I have been writing, but even prose sometimes is difficult for me to crank out. The most difficult thing for me in writing, I think, is the slow start with money. I'm finally now starting to make some money at it, even though it's way less than I had hoped I would make. <br /><br />Now that my content is up, on <a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">eHow</a>,<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner"> Examiner</a>, and other various sites, it's nice to sit back and make money while I am not even trying to make money! I can write an article in half an hour and spend the rest of my day hanging out with my girls, working in the garden, working toward saving money, or whatever I want. That article is still being viewed, even as I sleep, and is making easy money!<br /><br />Of coarse content writing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It does take time, to write the articles, promote them, and give search engines time to pick them up so still more people can view them. Making easy money is a better use of my time, though, than reading celebrity gossip!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-16083632734879963582009-06-01T11:40:00.004-05:002009-06-01T12:11:29.381-05:00May EarningsMay was a middle-of-the-road month as far as earnings are concerned. I was too busy in my <a href="http://http://www.ehow.com/how_4806328_start-garden-plot.html">garden</a> to make much money.<br /><br />MyPoints: I decided not to cash in this month. Usually I go for the $10 gift cards, but I decided to save up for a $25 one. I should have enough for that in a few days!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">eHow</a>: $44.98, which is exactly 16c more than last month. I'm convinced that in June I'll make at least $50 on eHow.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bukisa.com/join/3879">Bukisa</a>: 55c. I wrote 2 articles on Bukisa this month.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref4201175">Inbox Dollars</a>: about $3 again, just for checking email!<br /><br /><a href="http://http://cashcrate.com/841400">CashCrate</a>: nothing. No time due to the gardening.<br /><br />Mystery Shopping: again, nothing, because of the garden.<br /><br />Surveys: $6 this month.<br /><br />Finally, <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner">examiner.com</a>: about $2.50, after 2 weeks and 6 articles. Pretty good. If you sign up for the examiner, be sure to use referral code 10783.<br /><br />Altogether, that's a grand total of about $57.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-21199976162082543482009-05-26T08:14:00.002-05:002009-05-26T08:35:23.099-05:00RefinanceWe've finally been able to refinance. The whole refinance so far has been a long, drawn-out process. Once the <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/29386_obamas-economic-stimulus-plan">refinance</a> is complete, we'll be saving a bunch of money every month on our mortgage, so that's good. I just can't wait for the whole process to be over so we can just sit back and recoup the benefits. We're nearing the end of the <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4845747_mortgage-broker.html">refinance process</a>, so that's good. I highly recommend getting your mortgage refinanced if you qualify. The <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4831547_check-local-mortgage-rates.html">historically low interest rates</a> make it worth the hassle of refinancing.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-13664184793976826742009-05-13T11:17:00.001-05:002009-05-13T11:20:17.730-05:00Examiner.comI just started writing for a website called <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10783-Milwaukee-Gardening-Examiner">examiner.com</a>. I've written one piece so far as the gardening examiner in my area...the rumor is that the examiner pays about twice that of eHow. I guess we'll see!...mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-23177885639619737522009-05-05T08:06:00.002-05:002009-05-05T08:23:56.488-05:00April EarningsHere are my earnings for the month of April:<br /><br />MyPoints: nothing this month. I know I'll be cashing in in May, at least once.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">eHow</a>: about $45. I've been climbing by $10 per month for a while now...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bukisa.com/join/3879">Bukisa</a>: $0.40. Interesting that I made more when not writing...<br /><br />Inbox Dollars: about $3 again. I'll get to payout someday...<br /><br /><a href="http://cashcrate.com/841400">CashCrate</a>: $2. I had a few minutes one day this month to work on it.<br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4713185_become-mystery-shopper.html"><br />Mystery Shopping</a>: $30<br /><br />Surveys: $3<br /><br />So that brings my grand total in April to about $83.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-6101056705112757922009-04-21T08:05:00.004-05:002009-04-21T08:31:53.881-05:00Is it Deflation or Just Gas?CNN.com reported yesterday that the consumer price index fell from March 2008 to March 2009, the first decrease since 1955. The website paints a rosy glow, though, stating that most of the decline has to do with the price of gas. In March 2008, the average price was about $3.20 per gallon, whereas in March 2009 the average price is around $2.00 per gallon. That's all well and good, but what does that say about our economy as a whole? If energy prices (gasoline) can fluctuate so wildly throughout the past year, with no real official reason (I speculate speculation), how stable is our economy in general? So the consumer price index can decline year-over-year, but that does not count as deflation? Something is horribly wrong here.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-79049335156229654802009-04-16T08:27:00.003-05:002009-04-16T08:37:13.832-05:00DefinitionsThis is a rant. These couple of words have been bothering me recently. Seems there's been been some confusion due to the current recession.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4562703_happiness-stayathome-parent.html">Stay-at-Home-Parent</a>. This means you have chosen not to work outside the home in order to raise your children. This does not mean you have been laid off from your job and now happen to be home with your kids. Staying home is a choice, a sacrifice you have consciously made. Being unemployed, whether you are home with your kids or not, is just being unemployed.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/48394_free-stuff">Frugal</a>. Again, a choice. If you are saving money because you have to, for whatever reason, you're not being frugal. You're doing what you have to do to decide. If you have consciously chosen to save money in order to put yourself in a better financial position, then you are being frugal. If you feel you do not have a choice in the matter, you are not being frugal.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-54736101064789741562009-04-06T07:16:00.002-05:002009-04-06T07:37:08.409-05:00March EarningsI started a few different things this month, including <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=gUzI*15v558&offerid=7097.10000003&type=3&subid=0">affiliate links</a>. Since I started in the middle of the month, I haven't made anything off that yet, but I'm hoping to use the <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=gUzI*15v558&offerid=7097.10000003&type=3&subid=0">affiliate links</a> to compliment my adsense to hopefully make a little more money.<br /><br />MyPoints: $20 this month. Pretty exciting!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/members/mommierose.html?view=3rd">eHow</a>: about $35. Slowly but surely...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bukisa.com/join/3879">Bukisa</a>: about $1. I experimented with not writing anything at all for 2 weeks on <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/join/3879">Bukisa</a> to get a feel for what I would make if I stopped writing on there altogether, how much I would make per article per day.<br /><br />Inbox Dollars: about $3 this month. Not terrible for about 3 minutes' worth of work...<br /><br /><a href="http://cashcrate.com/841400">CashCrate</a>: no more money, but a few more referrals...<br /><br />Adsense: another 1c.<br /><br />I also did some <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4713391_be-successful-mystery-shopper.html">mystery shopping</a> this month, for $150. It was one job, for something I've been wanting to get anyway.<br /><br />I also got $6 altogether from surveys.<br /><br />So my total earnings in the month of March are $215. I would guess I did perhaps 40 hours worth of work altogether.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-17955229108676376282009-03-30T08:53:00.004-05:002009-03-30T09:30:42.141-05:00The Base PriceThe base price is the highest price I will pay for something. Being a quintessential cheapskate is more a mindset than anything. I have a mindset where, for example, I won't pay more than a dollar-fifty for butter. Of coarse I won't let my family starve because prices are too high. The trick is to know when the next sale is coming, to anticipate. After following your local grocery store's sale cycle for a while, you should get a good idea of how long they go between putting certain <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005B8K5?ie=UTF8&tag=ehowcom07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00005B8K5">items</a> on sale. Every 5 to 6 weeks, for example, my local grocery store puts <a href="http://http//www.ehow.com/how_4787432_freeze-milk.html">milk</a> on sale. The best price I could find for <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4787539_thaw-frozen-milk.html">milk</a> used to be $2.50. This was my base price. Recently, my local <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4710876_save-money-shopping-aldis.html">Aldis</a> has had milk at $1.89. This is the lowest price I can find locally, so now $1.89 is my base price. Of coarse since <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4710876_save-money-shopping-aldis.html">Aldis</a> priced their <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4787432_freeze-milk.html">milk</a> at $1.89, the other local grocery stores have followed suit in order to stay competitive. Their <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4787539_thaw-frozen-milk.html">milk</a> price is usually higher, but their sale price is typically now $1.89.<br /><br />The point of all this is to keep track of what local prices are for specific items you usually buy. Keep track of when these items go on sale at your local <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=gUzI*15v558&offerid=173075.10000024&type=3&subid=0">grocery stores</a>. Be sure you keep track of at least two different local grocery stores in order to consistently find the best price. This may take some practice at first, but after even a few months, it becomes second nature.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-30325032022986659372009-03-25T06:58:00.003-05:002009-03-25T07:50:25.359-05:00Using CouponsUsing coupons, in and of itself, is not rocket science. In order to <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/27768_save-money-on-groceries-now">maximize savings</a>, there are a few things to know.<br /><br />-Know if and when your grocery store <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4721187_get-free-groceries.html">doubles coupons</a>. Strive to go on that day, if it makes sense.<br /><br />-Match sales and coupons in order to get the most savings. Check your math carefully, this may not be the <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4710876_save-money-shopping-aldis.html">best deal</a>.<br /><br />-Be sure you <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4604751_grocery-list.html">make a list</a> every single time you go shopping and stick to the list.<br /><br />-Don't limit your coupons to Sunday papers. Coupons are everywhere, from magazines to the internet. If you can't find a specific coupon, write the company and <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4593000_contact-companies-coupons.html">ask for one</a>.<br /><br />-Use coupons for everything (again, as long as you're sure you're getting the best price). Think outside the grocery store. Use coupons for haircuts, oil changes, <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=ehowcom07-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0014BYKI2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=endless&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">shoes</a>, dining out, even (especially) while traveling!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-55307960559884053312009-03-16T08:35:00.002-05:002009-03-16T08:52:25.846-05:00Free CouponsLast week I started another round of <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4593000_contact-companies-coupons.html">contacting companies for coupons</a>. So far I haven't had much luck. My strategy is simple: I'm not too brand-specific, so I'll ask different brands for the same product. For example, I just asked Gold Medal brand for flour. If the company does not send a coupon, I ask a different company. Gold Medal did replied to my query saying they do not send out free coupons. So I asked Pillsbury, hoping to have better luck. I aim for 5 coupons a week, but I usually end up only asking for 3. This time I received coupons for Jif Peanut Butter ($0.35 off) and Cottonelle Toilet Paper ($1 off). I say I haven't had much luck because I seem to remember not too long ago companies giving out two and three free product coupons at a time. Must be a sign of the week economy, I figure. Wish me better luck this week! Of coarse, I'll be reporting my results.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-75083770716369277672009-03-08T22:02:00.004-05:002009-03-08T22:24:46.991-05:00Buying in BulkBuying in bulk is something anyone can do- it just takes a few tricks and some space to do so. I'll share some tips I use when buying in bulk.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Check the price.</span> Seems obvious, I know, but hear me out. In our current economic climate, even I am getting weary of buying in bulk because I worry the price will go down. If I find something at a price I haven't seen in a while, I will buy the product. My attitude on this is that even if I do end up inadvertently spending more now on, say, Kleenex, if I find a sale for even cheaper I'll get more then. Meantime I doubt I'll find as good a sale any time soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy things with long expiration dates.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>Kleenex does not expire. If I buy something that has a short expiration, I make sure to process it as quickly as possible to preserve it. I recently bough ten pounds of chicken for 49 cents a pound, an awesome deal in my area. As soon as I got home from the store, I divided it into freezer bags and put it in my chest freezer. Now in a few months when all my vegetables are ready for harvesting, I'll be ready to make and can soup.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plan ahead</span>. Make sure you know ahead of time where you'll put items that you buy in bulk. Before I left for the store I checked to make sure I had room in my freezer for my chicken. I have a designated place for Kleenex (I actually usually buy Puffs), toilet paper, shampoo, et cetra. Make sure you're organized! Also be sure you have all the equipment you'll need to process your bulk purchase. I bought a peck of apples this summer to process into canned apple sauce. I already knew I had the cans, the water bath pot, and so on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do the math.</span> This goes back to my first point, but do be sure you are getting an awesome deal. I recently got toilet paper at half it's regular price, so I got a few packages. I know I probably won't find it cheaper any time soon. It's the probably part that kept me from getting more packages.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Tips for beginners.</span> First of all, before you start bulking up, make sure you are well-aware of current prices. How good of a price can you get on toilet paper or chicken? Is that the absolute lowest price? Make sure you know. Secondly, don't bulk up all at once! You'll have no money left, and you'll most likely have to buy all that stuff again all at once because you'll run out of everything all at once. Use coupons whenever you can. My motto is, a dollar is a dollar. If you use a fifty-cents-off coupon on a $20 worth of hot dogs or whatever, you not only saved money on the hot dogs by buying that much all at once, presumably, but you still saved fifty cents on top of that.<br /><br />Finally, just so we're clear, I'm not talking about walking into some wharehouse club and getting agiant pack of toilet paper just because it's in a giant pack. You're usually better off getting this stuff at your local grocery store in small packages. The trick is to get a large quantity of smaller packages. Say you buy 4 packs of Kleenex for a super good price. If you have four fifty cents-off coupons, you saved yourself two more dollars.<br /><br />I'll be back in a few days with more money-saving tips! Enjoy your Monday!mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7238026518382645849.post-61534808085164092592009-03-05T18:59:00.002-06:002009-03-05T19:25:02.016-06:00Making a Meal PlanMaking a meal plan seems easy enough: sit down and write out what you want to eat over the next week or month or however long. Ideally, sure, making a meal plan is as simple as that. But if you want to save the most money on your grocery bill, making a meal plan most effectively is definitely a good thing to know.<br /><br />Start by looking in your cupboards, your refrigerator, and your freezer. If it's easier for you to keep track, write down what you have available. Do you have any potential meals in there right now? I usually have ingredients for at least 5 different meals on hand. Mostly this is because I cook from scratch: I make bread, taco seasoning, waffles, garlic bread...if you can buy it, I can make it. More on cooking from scratch later, though.<br /><br />As I've said before, I prefer to make a meal list one week at a time, whether I am planning on shopping that week or not. I often make my meal plan on Sunday, to go from Monday through Thursday. I'll go to Friday if I know for sure what I'll have available.<br /><br />Typically I make a big meal for dinner on Sunday. Usually we're all home all day Sunday. If not, that usually means we're either at my husband's relatives' house or my parents house, having a big dinner there. We're very Lutheran...ha, ha, ha...<br /><br />Monday is usually Meatless Monday around here. This not only cuts down on <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4737992_save-money-food.html">cost</a> (since meat is expensive and I grow a lot of vegetables myself), but also forces us to try new recipes. They usually go over very well. <br /><br />Tuesday is leftovers because of my <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4708502_become-master-gardener.html">Master Gardener</a> class. This is from Sunday and/or Monday.<br /><br />Wednesday I make something with meat, whether it's soup, a slow cooker dinner, a casserole, or a full dinner.<br /><br />Thursday is either leftovers or another full dinner. If I serve leftovers on Thursday, I'll often reuse the leftovers we have to create a leftover casserole.<br /><br />If I cook on Friday, I always make something gourmet. Otherwise we go out to dinner. If we're running low on money in our eating-out budget, I'll make a restaurant-style meal so we don't feel as though we're depriving ourselves. For as much as I love <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4721187_get-free-groceries.html">leftovers</a>, I would strongly suggest not serving leftovers on Friday because it will increase the temptation to go out to eat- whether you can afford it or not.<br /><br />While we sometimes plan to go out to eat on Saturdays, most Saturday nights we stay home. I often make a slow cooker meal or a casserole, sometimes I'll make <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4807900_bread-soup-bowls.html">soup</a>. That brings us back to Sunday.mommierosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798665966902703745noreply@blogger.com0