I saw this guest post from Vicki Robin, co-author of Your Money or Your Life. One of the things l liked about it was that it stressed multiple streams of income, which I wrote about last week.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/08/27/having-enough-for-life/
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Field Trip to Rising Sun
I decided to make Saturday a “field trip” day and check out some stores I have read or heard advertised on the radio. My first stop was Molly’s Bargain Bin on Peninsula Dr. in North East (The road at the Holiday Inn on Rt. 272). Unfortunately, they were closed. They are normally open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I hope to get to them this weekend.
I continued up the road to Gifford’s Farm Market and Feed Store . I discovered this store in July and found that chicken feed is a good deal (about 20%) cheaper than Tractor Supply Company, where I bought it before. If you need feed, check them out and support a local business. On Saturday, I bought more feed and some of the great fresh vegetables, including potatoes. I was able to finagle a discount on the potatoes, since I bought 24 lbs. of them!
I continued on into Rising Sun to Second Hand Rose, which I was just dying to see. I liked this consignment shop. It was very tastefully decorated and the clothes and home décor items are very nicely presented. There are 3 rooms of home décor items and one room with clothes, books, shoes, purses and DVD’s. The selection is limited but the quality is excellent. The clothes are arranged as to gender and size, which makes it easier to shop. I almost bought something for our home but thought it was just too expensive. If I found it at a garage sale, it would have been $10 less.
Onward I went to the new Make Up Mania, next to the Martin’s. I first heard about the store on WXCY and decided I would pop in next time I was in Rising Sun. It is an amazing little store! They sell make up, personal care items, cleaning supplies and some baby things. I was very impressed with their stock and their prices. I am not a big make up person but if you are, you need to check them out. They sell L’Oreal moisturizers for about 2/3 what they cost elsewhere. Packages of 5 Gerber “onesies” sell for $5 (great for baby showers). They had very lovely perfumes and Bath and Body Works lotions and shower gels. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around in the store and was able to buy the one item I came for. I highly recommend that you check them out for your make up and personal care needs.
On the way into town, I saw a new thrift store on the corner of Queen and Main Streets. It is called Sun Consignments. I walked in there and looked around. This consignment shop is packed with all kinds of clothing. It is arranged only by gender and with children’s clothing in its own section. Sizes are jumbled together. They do have a dressing room. They also carry some kitchen wares and plenty of toys/baby items. The prices were more like thrift store prices and the quality of the goods, like a thrift store, varied. The owner was very nice and helpful. I ended up buying some garden clogs for $2 (hot pink!). Take a ride down there and check them out. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.
Rising Sun offers some great discount option for the frugalite and it is well worth the trip.
I continued up the road to Gifford’s Farm Market and Feed Store . I discovered this store in July and found that chicken feed is a good deal (about 20%) cheaper than Tractor Supply Company, where I bought it before. If you need feed, check them out and support a local business. On Saturday, I bought more feed and some of the great fresh vegetables, including potatoes. I was able to finagle a discount on the potatoes, since I bought 24 lbs. of them!
I continued on into Rising Sun to Second Hand Rose, which I was just dying to see. I liked this consignment shop. It was very tastefully decorated and the clothes and home décor items are very nicely presented. There are 3 rooms of home décor items and one room with clothes, books, shoes, purses and DVD’s. The selection is limited but the quality is excellent. The clothes are arranged as to gender and size, which makes it easier to shop. I almost bought something for our home but thought it was just too expensive. If I found it at a garage sale, it would have been $10 less.
Onward I went to the new Make Up Mania, next to the Martin’s. I first heard about the store on WXCY and decided I would pop in next time I was in Rising Sun. It is an amazing little store! They sell make up, personal care items, cleaning supplies and some baby things. I was very impressed with their stock and their prices. I am not a big make up person but if you are, you need to check them out. They sell L’Oreal moisturizers for about 2/3 what they cost elsewhere. Packages of 5 Gerber “onesies” sell for $5 (great for baby showers). They had very lovely perfumes and Bath and Body Works lotions and shower gels. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around in the store and was able to buy the one item I came for. I highly recommend that you check them out for your make up and personal care needs.
On the way into town, I saw a new thrift store on the corner of Queen and Main Streets. It is called Sun Consignments. I walked in there and looked around. This consignment shop is packed with all kinds of clothing. It is arranged only by gender and with children’s clothing in its own section. Sizes are jumbled together. They do have a dressing room. They also carry some kitchen wares and plenty of toys/baby items. The prices were more like thrift store prices and the quality of the goods, like a thrift store, varied. The owner was very nice and helpful. I ended up buying some garden clogs for $2 (hot pink!). Take a ride down there and check them out. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.
Rising Sun offers some great discount option for the frugalite and it is well worth the trip.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Multiple Income Streams
In today’s economy, even if you have a full time job, it is a good idea to create multiple income streams. What this means is having money coming in from a second job and/or other income generating ventures, such as selling handmade items.
I have three streams of income and my husband has two, with an occasional third. Of course, neither of us has a full time job so this is a necessity. I work 30 hours a week at the College library and this is my main job. I have a part time research librarian job that I work sporadically and I, also, get paid a small fee when I present Frugal Living to Accomplish Your Goals. My husband is an adjunct instructor for two local colleges. He also takes on the occasional editing job.
Having more than one stream of income can be a blessing when hard times come knocking at your door. Even if your handcrafted articles pull in $100 a month, it is $100 more than you had. If you get laid off from your job, you can work longer hours at your side business and maybe double that income.
What kind of side businesses can you engage in? Where are your talents and knowledge? Can you make jewelry? Sew? Arrange flowers? Build sheds? Sell your eggs? Sell books on Amazon? Babysit? Paint faces at parties? The list goes on.
Here are some links to articles on starting your own side business:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/04/11/50-side-businesses-you-can-start-on-your-own/ I love the Simple Dollar and Trent outlines some ideas for having your own side business.
http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2009/02/17/side-business-ideas-recap.aspx
I do not follow this blogger but he has a large following and these ideas can be helpful too.
Be wary of multi-level marketing businesses such as Mary Kay, Amway, Discovery Toys, etc. If you have something to sell, you will start with your friends and relatives. Selling to friends and family can change your relationship with them. I am not saying that becoming a representative is a bad thing but I am saying it can change your relationships.
There are plenty of articles and books on starting a side business. Read a few to get ideas on what the problems and opportunities are for the business you want to start and then start that business!
I have three streams of income and my husband has two, with an occasional third. Of course, neither of us has a full time job so this is a necessity. I work 30 hours a week at the College library and this is my main job. I have a part time research librarian job that I work sporadically and I, also, get paid a small fee when I present Frugal Living to Accomplish Your Goals. My husband is an adjunct instructor for two local colleges. He also takes on the occasional editing job.
Having more than one stream of income can be a blessing when hard times come knocking at your door. Even if your handcrafted articles pull in $100 a month, it is $100 more than you had. If you get laid off from your job, you can work longer hours at your side business and maybe double that income.
What kind of side businesses can you engage in? Where are your talents and knowledge? Can you make jewelry? Sew? Arrange flowers? Build sheds? Sell your eggs? Sell books on Amazon? Babysit? Paint faces at parties? The list goes on.
Here are some links to articles on starting your own side business:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/04/11/50-side-businesses-you-can-start-on-your-own/ I love the Simple Dollar and Trent outlines some ideas for having your own side business.
http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2009/02/17/side-business-ideas-recap.aspx
I do not follow this blogger but he has a large following and these ideas can be helpful too.
Be wary of multi-level marketing businesses such as Mary Kay, Amway, Discovery Toys, etc. If you have something to sell, you will start with your friends and relatives. Selling to friends and family can change your relationship with them. I am not saying that becoming a representative is a bad thing but I am saying it can change your relationships.
There are plenty of articles and books on starting a side business. Read a few to get ideas on what the problems and opportunities are for the business you want to start and then start that business!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Welcome to the Rising Sun Library Program Participants!
Welcome to my blog! I greatly enjoyed giving last night’s presentation. Comments and questions were wonderful and helped to make the presentation go well. I love talking to people about being frugal, saving money and getting out of debt.
I encourage you to read the older posts on here. You can become a follower of the blog and receive email when I put a new article on. I do it quite sporadically so this is a good way to keep in touch without checking in every day.
I encourage you to read the older posts on here. You can become a follower of the blog and receive email when I put a new article on. I do it quite sporadically so this is a good way to keep in touch without checking in every day.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Bread – The Frugal Way!
I got the Whig this morning and saw the article in it. I like the article and it was almost completely accurate. The pictures were fine (not good but I will never be 22 again!). One of them was of me sweeping up breadcrumbs and putting them in a bag. I save the bread crumbs when I cut homemade bread and freeze them. (I also save bread ends and grate them for bread crumbs) I use breadcrumbs in recipes.
Bread has become very expensive, especially if you eat whole wheat breads. I pay $2 for a loaf of good, whole wheat bread when I shop. Cheap whole wheat is just that and more likely to include caramel coloring rather than whole wheat flour. Cheap white bread is not as good as other, more expensive white breads and I won’t buy them. If you buy cheap white breads, you may want to make a loaf of homemade bread and compare the cost and taste.
To combat the high cost of bread, I sometimes make my own. When times are tough, I make it all the time. Making bread can be expensive if you don’t get cheap ingredients. Below is where to go to get things cheaply.
Bread maker – If you want to make your own bread by hand and have the time, go for it. If you don’t have the time, then purchase a bread maker at the Goodwill store (or other thrift store). They usually have them for about $5. Plug it in and let it go through the first mixing steps for about 5 minutes to be sure it has a good chance of working. Usually they do work because people buy them and use them a few times, then dump them.
Bread Flour – I don’t use bread flour anymore since it isn’t necessary. After you make a few loaves and get the hang of it, you can switch to regular flour. I think I saw bread flour on sale for $2.75 for 5 lbs. recently. Wal-Mart has the cheapest prices for flour if you just want 5 lbs. and can’t find any on sale.
White Flour – a good price for regular flour seems to be about $1.99 - $2.25 for a 5 lb. bag. You can get it cheaply at Wal-Mart of get 20 lbs. at BJ’s for about $7-8. (I forget the exact price).
Yeast – Don’t get the little packets of yeast!!! They are each 1 TBS of yeast and overpriced. I buy yeast at Newark Natural Foods for $3.50 for a half pound. You can use it for bread baking or for making pizza dough.
Those are your basic ingredients for white bread. The first few times you use the bread maker, watch over it. I usually help it to mix the bread by scraping down the sides of the bread machine with a rubber scraper if it needs it. Many people use the bread maker to mix the dough and to go through the first rising. Then they take it out, shape it, let it rise and bake it in the oven. This gives it more of the homemade flavor.
Homemade bread is great for snacks or for breakfast. When I make a loaf of white bread my teens eat it up within a day or two. It is also good to have with soups. How much does it cost? I estimate Fifty cents a loaf, not including the cost of the bread maker. For me, saving $1.50 a loaf is worth the 5-10 minutes it takes to throw the ingredients into the breadmaker. Good luck!
Bread has become very expensive, especially if you eat whole wheat breads. I pay $2 for a loaf of good, whole wheat bread when I shop. Cheap whole wheat is just that and more likely to include caramel coloring rather than whole wheat flour. Cheap white bread is not as good as other, more expensive white breads and I won’t buy them. If you buy cheap white breads, you may want to make a loaf of homemade bread and compare the cost and taste.
To combat the high cost of bread, I sometimes make my own. When times are tough, I make it all the time. Making bread can be expensive if you don’t get cheap ingredients. Below is where to go to get things cheaply.
Bread maker – If you want to make your own bread by hand and have the time, go for it. If you don’t have the time, then purchase a bread maker at the Goodwill store (or other thrift store). They usually have them for about $5. Plug it in and let it go through the first mixing steps for about 5 minutes to be sure it has a good chance of working. Usually they do work because people buy them and use them a few times, then dump them.
Bread Flour – I don’t use bread flour anymore since it isn’t necessary. After you make a few loaves and get the hang of it, you can switch to regular flour. I think I saw bread flour on sale for $2.75 for 5 lbs. recently. Wal-Mart has the cheapest prices for flour if you just want 5 lbs. and can’t find any on sale.
White Flour – a good price for regular flour seems to be about $1.99 - $2.25 for a 5 lb. bag. You can get it cheaply at Wal-Mart of get 20 lbs. at BJ’s for about $7-8. (I forget the exact price).
Yeast – Don’t get the little packets of yeast!!! They are each 1 TBS of yeast and overpriced. I buy yeast at Newark Natural Foods for $3.50 for a half pound. You can use it for bread baking or for making pizza dough.
Those are your basic ingredients for white bread. The first few times you use the bread maker, watch over it. I usually help it to mix the bread by scraping down the sides of the bread machine with a rubber scraper if it needs it. Many people use the bread maker to mix the dough and to go through the first rising. Then they take it out, shape it, let it rise and bake it in the oven. This gives it more of the homemade flavor.
Homemade bread is great for snacks or for breakfast. When I make a loaf of white bread my teens eat it up within a day or two. It is also good to have with soups. How much does it cost? I estimate Fifty cents a loaf, not including the cost of the bread maker. For me, saving $1.50 a loaf is worth the 5-10 minutes it takes to throw the ingredients into the breadmaker. Good luck!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Another Salvage Store?
On Saturday I was shopping in Community Hope Market and minding my own business. The aisle is narrow and as I pushed my cart one way, an older woman pushed her cart the other way. When our carts met in the aisle she said to me, “This place is not that cheap!” I did agree with her because many of their prices seem to be close to regular grocery store prices. The price increases seem to have happened since I wrote my article on salvage stores.
In a conspiratorial whisper, this woman tells me to go to a salvage store, she didn’t know the name of it, in New Castle by the Farmer’s Market where 13 and 40 meet. You go in back of the old restaurant called Captain’s Quarters. There are some buildings back there and it is on the left (or was that the right?). I tell her I will definitely check it out.
That is, if I can find it! I have searched many web sites and can’t find anything about it. If I locate it, I will let you know. Does anyone else know about this store?
In my searches, I came across a great article and a blog that I didn’t know about! The article is on salvage stores and the author lists stores by state. He lists a salvage store right here in North East that I read about in the newspaper but have yet to go see.
Molly's Bargain Barrel, 101 Peninsula Drive, Ph 443.309.4548
Looks like a field trip is in order!
In a conspiratorial whisper, this woman tells me to go to a salvage store, she didn’t know the name of it, in New Castle by the Farmer’s Market where 13 and 40 meet. You go in back of the old restaurant called Captain’s Quarters. There are some buildings back there and it is on the left (or was that the right?). I tell her I will definitely check it out.
That is, if I can find it! I have searched many web sites and can’t find anything about it. If I locate it, I will let you know. Does anyone else know about this store?
In my searches, I came across a great article and a blog that I didn’t know about! The article is on salvage stores and the author lists stores by state. He lists a salvage store right here in North East that I read about in the newspaper but have yet to go see.
Molly's Bargain Barrel, 101 Peninsula Drive, Ph 443.309.4548
Looks like a field trip is in order!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Summer with No Air Conditioners
When we bought our house in June, we installed our daughter’s old air conditioning unit on the third floor. That was the only unit in the house. I wanted to buy 5 more – three for the downstairs and two for the upstairs bedrooms. That didn’t happen.
First, we found a wall buckled from leaking water in the upstairs shower. We decided to rip it out then and there. The whole bathroom was ripped out down to the rafters. $4000 later, we had a completely new bathroom. This was a completely unplanned expense at that time (although I wanted it out of there by December and planned to save the money to have it done by then). We had some of the money but realized that we could pay off the rest of it by the end of July. (Which we did!)
After this major, unplanned expense, we decided we could live without the air conditioners. This was not a need for us at the time. It was definitely a want. We have fans and overhead fans that work well. Our house is an old house. It was built when there was no air conditioning so it is surrounded by trees and relatively cool. Luckily, this has been the coolest summer in a very long time. Last week we broke down and bought 2 a.c. units for the bedrooms. This is a health need for me since I have asthma and the humidity is very hard on asthmatics. However, we paid cash for the units.
I have also had various offers from friends for their old a.c. units and I think I can outfit the rest of the house in time for next summer’s heat. If these offers of units come through and they work, we will have paid a grand total of $230 in cash for the air conditioners. Definitely it is better to wait than to rush out and buy things on a credit card that are not needs. This is just another example of how waiting saved us money.
First, we found a wall buckled from leaking water in the upstairs shower. We decided to rip it out then and there. The whole bathroom was ripped out down to the rafters. $4000 later, we had a completely new bathroom. This was a completely unplanned expense at that time (although I wanted it out of there by December and planned to save the money to have it done by then). We had some of the money but realized that we could pay off the rest of it by the end of July. (Which we did!)
After this major, unplanned expense, we decided we could live without the air conditioners. This was not a need for us at the time. It was definitely a want. We have fans and overhead fans that work well. Our house is an old house. It was built when there was no air conditioning so it is surrounded by trees and relatively cool. Luckily, this has been the coolest summer in a very long time. Last week we broke down and bought 2 a.c. units for the bedrooms. This is a health need for me since I have asthma and the humidity is very hard on asthmatics. However, we paid cash for the units.
I have also had various offers from friends for their old a.c. units and I think I can outfit the rest of the house in time for next summer’s heat. If these offers of units come through and they work, we will have paid a grand total of $230 in cash for the air conditioners. Definitely it is better to wait than to rush out and buy things on a credit card that are not needs. This is just another example of how waiting saved us money.
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