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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ham Hocks to Financial Freedom
Last night we (OK, just my devoted hubby) did the taxes. While we had been anticipating the worst-nothing like taxes to bring out your inner pessimist-it looks like we will get an unanticipated refund. We plan to use it to pay off our car. When we (yeah, just him of course) ran the numbers last night it looks like we will be debt free by late summer.
This got me thinking about the financial journey we have taken as a couple. I remember how when we first started out we were poor. Maybe not compared to third world countries, but we had college debt, car payments, house payment, credit card payments, you name it. We would often try and economize with the food budget. One such effort involved me making Navy Bean Soup. This was a soup I had fond memories of as a child. My great-grandmother used to make it and it was one of those comfort food things. So I thought, beans are cheap, I'll make a big batch and freeze the left overs and we will have inexpensive meals in the freezer.
Great idea. If only. If only I knew that using 5 pounds of dry navy beans makes A LOT of soup. If only I knew you had to soak the beans over night first. If only I knew how much ham hocks like like human knuckles. (It still makes me shudder.) But never one to back down from a challenge I got out my 5 gallon pot and started cooking.
Well.
When it was "done" I had five gallons of bean jell-o (the beans were still crunchy) flavored with greasy bones that when you stirred the soup looked like knuckles floating by. Who wants the recipe? Not only did we chuck the entire thing, but we both felt maybe we should bury it in the backyard and read some scripture over it. Even the thought of going hungry was better than eating that soup. At the time of course I was in tears over the whole fiasco, but looking back we both laugh over the attempt. In fact if I ever want to eat out, all I have to do is threaten 'bean soup' and hubs RUNS for the car keys.
Oh how far we've come. BTW, in case anybody would want to give me their awesome recipe for bean soup, don't waste your time. No matter how good it is, neither one of us has the courage to try it ever again. Ever, ever, EVER again.
This got me thinking about the financial journey we have taken as a couple. I remember how when we first started out we were poor. Maybe not compared to third world countries, but we had college debt, car payments, house payment, credit card payments, you name it. We would often try and economize with the food budget. One such effort involved me making Navy Bean Soup. This was a soup I had fond memories of as a child. My great-grandmother used to make it and it was one of those comfort food things. So I thought, beans are cheap, I'll make a big batch and freeze the left overs and we will have inexpensive meals in the freezer.
Great idea. If only. If only I knew that using 5 pounds of dry navy beans makes A LOT of soup. If only I knew you had to soak the beans over night first. If only I knew how much ham hocks like like human knuckles. (It still makes me shudder.) But never one to back down from a challenge I got out my 5 gallon pot and started cooking.
Well.
When it was "done" I had five gallons of bean jell-o (the beans were still crunchy) flavored with greasy bones that when you stirred the soup looked like knuckles floating by. Who wants the recipe? Not only did we chuck the entire thing, but we both felt maybe we should bury it in the backyard and read some scripture over it. Even the thought of going hungry was better than eating that soup. At the time of course I was in tears over the whole fiasco, but looking back we both laugh over the attempt. In fact if I ever want to eat out, all I have to do is threaten 'bean soup' and hubs RUNS for the car keys.
Oh how far we've come. BTW, in case anybody would want to give me their awesome recipe for bean soup, don't waste your time. No matter how good it is, neither one of us has the courage to try it ever again. Ever, ever, EVER again.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tuesday Tidbit
Have you ever needed a screwdriver two sizes smaller than you own? An egg after the store is closed or when your kids are already in bed or when it's gotta go into the pot NOW? I have. Luckily I am blessed with a fantastic neighbor. So here is a big shout out to all the people who bless us in so many ways big and small and also just a tiny reminder to try and be kind to people.
Just for today let people in when they need to turn. Let somebody go ahead of you in line. Don't make faces when a parent struggles with a little one. Just for today live like the Golden Rule was front and center in your life, and I'll bet it turns out to be a pretty good day.
Just for today let people in when they need to turn. Let somebody go ahead of you in line. Don't make faces when a parent struggles with a little one. Just for today live like the Golden Rule was front and center in your life, and I'll bet it turns out to be a pretty good day.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Nuggets and Nibbles
Here are a few of my favorite sites:
Swagbucks:
Shespeaks
Vocalpoint
Houseparty
Swagbucks is a search engine. Like google you type in whatever you are searching for and it pops up with suggestions. I have compared results side by side and usually there is little difference. But with swagbucks, every so often you get a "swagbuck" for searching. There is no rhyme or reason it is pretty much random. Usually it is one swagbuck but sometimes it's more. The most I've ever gotten personally was 10swag at once. The cool part is that you can redeem the swag for prizes. For example, every 45 swagbucks is worth a $5 Amazon credit. Why I like it? No junk emails to read, no surveys to answer, no purchase required at any point. I don't know if this is typical but I average 1-3 swag a day.
I have NEVER had a problem redeeming my Swag. That is, it's not $5 off a certain amount of purchase, or only valid on certain items etc.. So you're not gonna get rich with Swagbucks but there isn't really a downside either. If you ever use the Internet you might as well get a bonus now and then. Also if you refer people to join every time they get a swag so do you...up to their first hundred.
SheSpeaks is simply a forum to express your opinion on new products. Basically they send you samples (mostly I've gotten full sized products) you use it and then write a review about what you thought of it.
VocalPoint is similar but it is owned by Proctor and Gamble so of course you will get products from their brands. To be honest, I have gotten much more from them than SheSpeaks. Almost every month I get something. Not only a sample but it often includes high dollar coupons. Razors, fruit, dryer fabric softeners, facial creams, you name it.
HouseParty is just plain fun. A company wants to introduce a new product and you agree to invite friends over to try it. They supply the product, you supply the house and friends. Basically the same concept as having a consultant in to have a jewelry party, or cosmetics, kitchen stuff whatever. The difference is that while you are promoting a product, you aren't actually selling it. You won't take orders or have to hit your friends up for sales. So far I have hosted a Haagen Dazs ice cream party, a Domino's Pizza party and recently a Wii Fun Fit and Guiltless party promoting a Wii fitness game and Jell-O Mousse. There is no commitment and you never have to do anything. Basically a company announces they want to have people host a party and if you are interested you apply and may possibly be selected.
Swagbucks:
Shespeaks
Vocalpoint
Houseparty
Swagbucks is a search engine. Like google you type in whatever you are searching for and it pops up with suggestions. I have compared results side by side and usually there is little difference. But with swagbucks, every so often you get a "swagbuck" for searching. There is no rhyme or reason it is pretty much random. Usually it is one swagbuck but sometimes it's more. The most I've ever gotten personally was 10swag at once. The cool part is that you can redeem the swag for prizes. For example, every 45 swagbucks is worth a $5 Amazon credit. Why I like it? No junk emails to read, no surveys to answer, no purchase required at any point. I don't know if this is typical but I average 1-3 swag a day.
I have NEVER had a problem redeeming my Swag. That is, it's not $5 off a certain amount of purchase, or only valid on certain items etc.. So you're not gonna get rich with Swagbucks but there isn't really a downside either. If you ever use the Internet you might as well get a bonus now and then. Also if you refer people to join every time they get a swag so do you...up to their first hundred.
SheSpeaks is simply a forum to express your opinion on new products. Basically they send you samples (mostly I've gotten full sized products) you use it and then write a review about what you thought of it.
VocalPoint is similar but it is owned by Proctor and Gamble so of course you will get products from their brands. To be honest, I have gotten much more from them than SheSpeaks. Almost every month I get something. Not only a sample but it often includes high dollar coupons. Razors, fruit, dryer fabric softeners, facial creams, you name it.
HouseParty is just plain fun. A company wants to introduce a new product and you agree to invite friends over to try it. They supply the product, you supply the house and friends. Basically the same concept as having a consultant in to have a jewelry party, or cosmetics, kitchen stuff whatever. The difference is that while you are promoting a product, you aren't actually selling it. You won't take orders or have to hit your friends up for sales. So far I have hosted a Haagen Dazs ice cream party, a Domino's Pizza party and recently a Wii Fun Fit and Guiltless party promoting a Wii fitness game and Jell-O Mousse. There is no commitment and you never have to do anything. Basically a company announces they want to have people host a party and if you are interested you apply and may possibly be selected.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Since we are still in the first month of the year I thought it would be fun to start a record of all the "freebies" I send off for and see what all comes through.
So far:
Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheet sample (maker)
travel size Downey Wrinkle remover (maker)--got coupon
free sample Barbara's organic cereal (maker)
$17 coupon book (conagra)
3 month free trial of Amazon Prime--activated. no shipping charges for 3 months
So far:
Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheet sample (maker)
travel size Downey Wrinkle remover (maker)--got coupon
free sample Barbara's organic cereal (maker)
$17 coupon book (conagra)
3 month free trial of Amazon Prime--activated. no shipping charges for 3 months
Something For Nothing
There is no such thing as a free lunch. My dad was famous for always having a cliche at the ready. This one though is more than just a cliche. It is often taken as truth second only to Truth. This explains why so many people are loath to explore the world of bargain shopping. Their world view precludes the potential of gain without investment. So which is it? Is there always a piper to be paid? Or can the early bird get the worm?
As an ex-coupon scorner I appreciate the common attitude toward them. I thought that they were mostly worthless (pennies off junk I wouldn't normally buy) and just a ploy to entice shoppers to buy stuff they don't need or want. Not to mention the time and money spent getting the coupons in the first place. After all, how would thirty five cents off a roll of refrigerated biscuits help our family's budget in any way? Especially when the paper costs $1.50 and we don't even eat biscuits? Besides, you can't get something for nothing, right?
And that, right there. That was my down fall. I was being limited by what I thought I knew. See it turns out there is an art and a science to bargain shopping. The art involves timing and an occasional bit of luck. A fast Internet connection doesn't hurt either. The science, though, that takes a bit of learning. There are rules that must be followed. There are sources of information that must be learned. And yes, there is a price to be paid. It might require a small (think less than $10) investment, but mostly what it requires is study.
Surgeons make a decent living. But you can't just pick up a scalpel and hang out a shingle and expect to start rolling in the dough right? To truly capture the best deals it will require you to <sigh> perhaps spend twenty minutes and READ a bit. I know, I hated that part myself. And being a bit arrogant I figured how hard can it be? Why bother reading, I'll just DO it and figure it out as I go. Remember the $50 fabric softener? So much for thinking on the fly.
Now if I was like most sane people I would have cut my losses right then and moved on. But I had been bitten by the bug and quitting wasn't an option. And after learning how to work this new system, I actually DID save money. My detail oriented hubby tells me that the first six months our food budget decreased by half and the house hold budget was cut by 3/4ths. We had been spending $150 per week on groceries and $50 a week on house hold items. Which means that I had cut $112.50 out of the weekly budget. $450 a month. $5400 a year. Not an amount to replace an income of course. But a tidy sum regardless. Think of the vacation we could take, or the amount to be paid toward debt pay off, or charitable giving. So the average of two hours a week I spent on bargain hunting, coupon clipping, and Internet surfing equated to about $56 an hour. Would you take a job that paid $56 an hour? Put that way, it seemed like a heckova deal to me. Remember, it isn't two hours at one time. It is five minutes here, ten there, where ever I can squeeze it in.
And here's the funny part. Have you ever noticed how lucky people seem to sort of attract good fortune? I mean it seems like the same people win over and over. Now if deals depended on luck I'd be left with no hope what so ever. But here is a truth: success is opportunity meeting preparation. Simple example? Say dishwasher soap is on sale for $2.49 a box. Regular price is $3.75. Good deal right? Assuming you use that product regularly and need more. BUT, what if I tell you that two weeks ago a coupon was in the paper for $2.50 that same soap. If you had prepared ahead of time and had purchased that paper you would now be able to score free soap.
Well fine, that's just peachy. but still even a free box of laundry soap is not that exciting, right? Well this is where the science enters into it. If you understand just the rudiments of marketing, distribution, and cyclical sales you can score almost all your house hold stuff for free. Shampoo, soap, conditioner, tooth paste, tooth brushes, detergent, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and every manner of creams, potions and lotions.
First you need to understand how a coupon works. See a manufacturer issues it as an incentive to get you to buy something right? They hope that you will try a product and become so infatuated that you will continue to buy said frippery regardless of the price later. When you hand a store a coupon they then submit it to the manufacturer for the value of the coupon. So the store does not lose money. (OK they have to pay somebody to file them but that's another story) So in the story above, the seller did not lose money on the dish soap. They will get their $2.50 back.
Stores also use various tactics to lure consumers into their doors. One of these is called using "loss leaders". The store has a sale on item X and sells it below their cost. Why? Simple. They assume, usually rightfully, that once through the doors you will spy other things you need and thus they make up the difference on other items. So imagine for a minute if all you do is take advantage of loss leader items. Of course it does require discipline. That is you must resist the siren call of all the other stuff you did not intend to purchase when you walked into the store. Since I like to live dangerously I can stand the heat. Some people will be better served to limit their excursions.
Another weapon in the bargain hunters arsenal is the knowledge that sales are cyclical. Usually they come around about every 12 weeks. How does this help? Well suppose you had known ahead of time that there was going to be a coupon for $2.50 off the detergent. Let's say you knew that your house used about 1 box of detergent every month. Now what would you do? Simply buy three papers right? Remember a paper costs $1.50 so you spend $4.50. The following week you buy 3 boxes of detergent. Now BC (before coupons) you would have bought one box at $2.49 and then the following two months you would buy it at $3.75 a box. So all together you would spend $9.99BC. AC (after coupons) you spent $4.50. Clear savings of $5.49. That does not take into account using any other coupons at all in the paper. That one alone justified the cost.
Well yes, Nancy, that's all well and good but for those of us lacking ESP how do we know what papers are worth buying and how many we need? And that right there friends is the crucial question. See it turns out that you can find out just about everything on the net. There are sites that post the list of coupons before they come out. There are sites that list that week's upcoming sales, loss leaders, and "hidden" deals. In short, think of being a spy for a government so riddled with leaks that you couldn't catch them all in a portable swimming pool. It really is just that easy. Not simple, maybe, but easy. It's not for everyone, I admit. For some $56 an hour doesn't even come close to being worthwhile. For some, no matter what, there just aren't 120minutes not spoken for in a week. After all a drowning person can't save anybody no matter how much they may want to. But for some people, the potential reward, the thrill of the hunt, or just plain old fashioned curiosity is enough to motivate you to try it for yourself.
WAIT!!! STOP!!! BEWARE! Remember the $50 fabric softener??? If you want to try it there are lots of easy deals to try but if you don't know ahead of time what to do, odds are you're going be inducted into the bargain shoppers hall of shame post haste. So how to get started? I suggest Two simple things: 1. read two articles on moneysavingmom. Here and here and 2. before you buy anything online check out retailmenot.com for a sale code. There is more, of course but surgeons don't start out with quadruple bypasses. First learn to tie a stitch and then we'll move on to scoring free trial items. Yes, companies actually BEG to send you things for free, but trust me, you're probably not ready for that yet. First you have to suspend disbelief and get comfortable with the wide world of coupons.
As an ex-coupon scorner I appreciate the common attitude toward them. I thought that they were mostly worthless (pennies off junk I wouldn't normally buy) and just a ploy to entice shoppers to buy stuff they don't need or want. Not to mention the time and money spent getting the coupons in the first place. After all, how would thirty five cents off a roll of refrigerated biscuits help our family's budget in any way? Especially when the paper costs $1.50 and we don't even eat biscuits? Besides, you can't get something for nothing, right?
And that, right there. That was my down fall. I was being limited by what I thought I knew. See it turns out there is an art and a science to bargain shopping. The art involves timing and an occasional bit of luck. A fast Internet connection doesn't hurt either. The science, though, that takes a bit of learning. There are rules that must be followed. There are sources of information that must be learned. And yes, there is a price to be paid. It might require a small (think less than $10) investment, but mostly what it requires is study.
Surgeons make a decent living. But you can't just pick up a scalpel and hang out a shingle and expect to start rolling in the dough right? To truly capture the best deals it will require you to <
Now if I was like most sane people I would have cut my losses right then and moved on. But I had been bitten by the bug and quitting wasn't an option. And after learning how to work this new system, I actually DID save money. My detail oriented hubby tells me that the first six months our food budget decreased by half and the house hold budget was cut by 3/4ths. We had been spending $150 per week on groceries and $50 a week on house hold items. Which means that I had cut $112.50 out of the weekly budget. $450 a month. $5400 a year. Not an amount to replace an income of course. But a tidy sum regardless. Think of the vacation we could take, or the amount to be paid toward debt pay off, or charitable giving. So the average of two hours a week I spent on bargain hunting, coupon clipping, and Internet surfing equated to about $56 an hour. Would you take a job that paid $56 an hour? Put that way, it seemed like a heckova deal to me. Remember, it isn't two hours at one time. It is five minutes here, ten there, where ever I can squeeze it in.
And here's the funny part. Have you ever noticed how lucky people seem to sort of attract good fortune? I mean it seems like the same people win over and over. Now if deals depended on luck I'd be left with no hope what so ever. But here is a truth: success is opportunity meeting preparation. Simple example? Say dishwasher soap is on sale for $2.49 a box. Regular price is $3.75. Good deal right? Assuming you use that product regularly and need more. BUT, what if I tell you that two weeks ago a coupon was in the paper for $2.50 that same soap. If you had prepared ahead of time and had purchased that paper you would now be able to score free soap.
Well fine, that's just peachy. but still even a free box of laundry soap is not that exciting, right? Well this is where the science enters into it. If you understand just the rudiments of marketing, distribution, and cyclical sales you can score almost all your house hold stuff for free. Shampoo, soap, conditioner, tooth paste, tooth brushes, detergent, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and every manner of creams, potions and lotions.
First you need to understand how a coupon works. See a manufacturer issues it as an incentive to get you to buy something right? They hope that you will try a product and become so infatuated that you will continue to buy said frippery regardless of the price later. When you hand a store a coupon they then submit it to the manufacturer for the value of the coupon. So the store does not lose money. (OK they have to pay somebody to file them but that's another story) So in the story above, the seller did not lose money on the dish soap. They will get their $2.50 back.
Stores also use various tactics to lure consumers into their doors. One of these is called using "loss leaders". The store has a sale on item X and sells it below their cost. Why? Simple. They assume, usually rightfully, that once through the doors you will spy other things you need and thus they make up the difference on other items. So imagine for a minute if all you do is take advantage of loss leader items. Of course it does require discipline. That is you must resist the siren call of all the other stuff you did not intend to purchase when you walked into the store. Since I like to live dangerously I can stand the heat. Some people will be better served to limit their excursions.
Another weapon in the bargain hunters arsenal is the knowledge that sales are cyclical. Usually they come around about every 12 weeks. How does this help? Well suppose you had known ahead of time that there was going to be a coupon for $2.50 off the detergent. Let's say you knew that your house used about 1 box of detergent every month. Now what would you do? Simply buy three papers right? Remember a paper costs $1.50 so you spend $4.50. The following week you buy 3 boxes of detergent. Now BC (before coupons) you would have bought one box at $2.49 and then the following two months you would buy it at $3.75 a box. So all together you would spend $9.99BC. AC (after coupons) you spent $4.50. Clear savings of $5.49. That does not take into account using any other coupons at all in the paper. That one alone justified the cost.
Well yes, Nancy, that's all well and good but for those of us lacking ESP how do we know what papers are worth buying and how many we need? And that right there friends is the crucial question. See it turns out that you can find out just about everything on the net. There are sites that post the list of coupons before they come out. There are sites that list that week's upcoming sales, loss leaders, and "hidden" deals. In short, think of being a spy for a government so riddled with leaks that you couldn't catch them all in a portable swimming pool. It really is just that easy. Not simple, maybe, but easy. It's not for everyone, I admit. For some $56 an hour doesn't even come close to being worthwhile. For some, no matter what, there just aren't 120minutes not spoken for in a week. After all a drowning person can't save anybody no matter how much they may want to. But for some people, the potential reward, the thrill of the hunt, or just plain old fashioned curiosity is enough to motivate you to try it for yourself.
WAIT!!! STOP!!! BEWARE! Remember the $50 fabric softener??? If you want to try it there are lots of easy deals to try but if you don't know ahead of time what to do, odds are you're going be inducted into the bargain shoppers hall of shame post haste. So how to get started? I suggest Two simple things: 1. read two articles on moneysavingmom. Here and here and 2. before you buy anything online check out retailmenot.com for a sale code. There is more, of course but surgeons don't start out with quadruple bypasses. First learn to tie a stitch and then we'll move on to scoring free trial items. Yes, companies actually BEG to send you things for free, but trust me, you're probably not ready for that yet. First you have to suspend disbelief and get comfortable with the wide world of coupons.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Brave New World
I remember the first deal I scored. I remember it like it was yesterday. This is significant because it happened way over a year ago and these days I'm lucky if I remember to put the milk in the fridge and the cereal in the pantry and not vice versa. It is certainly not for me to question His divine plan, but being a questioning kinda gal I do wonder why God doesn't upgrade your memory when you give birth. I mean surely pregnancy out to entitle you to Memory 2.0.
But I digress. In fact, let's just clear the air now. If you're looking for the straightest line between two points you're not gonna find it here. I hope you find inspiration, encouragement, helpful hints, support, and if you occasionally snort your coffee through your nose because you're laughing so hard, I'll be tickled pink. So sit back and relax, after all it's usually when you're "lost" that you find the most amazing things.
OK, so I read a blog, I followed the detailed tutorial carefully and then I ventured out into the scary, intimidating, and often completely insane world of THE COUPON. I'll spare you the gory details but I spent about $50 and saved $1.12. WHOHOO! Baby, stop the retirement investing I'm gonna make us rich! Or not. But I learned something on that ill fated foray to Walgreen's and even though I didn't make a shrine to the fabric softener that cost more than my last pair of new jeans, something happened. I. Got. Mad. I mean, I attended a four year university on an academic scholarship for pity's sake! (Not an English major though clearly.) I was a National Merit Commended Scholar! I can get grass stains out of ANYTHING! I have even learned how to operate an iPod! (OK my preteen daughter helped, but still, it counts!) If all these other people could figure it out, then to quote Margaret Mitchell, "with God as my witness" I'll never get hosed again!
So I reread the tutorial. I forgave myself. I ate a piece of chocolate to heal my wounded pride and then I tried again. And guess what? I can do this! Turns out anybody can if you are willing to be humble. Or if you are a good researcher you can find any possible answer on the web. Really. Since I have learned almost every lesson in life the hard way I though maybe I'd share what I learned and possibly spare somebody else the pain. Or if not, at least provide hours of free entertainment as you read about my antics.
Of course my life is not just about the thrilling hunt for the best bargain ever. I have two kids I home school. This is not something I ever pictured myself doing, I mean, heck, I never liked school the first time around! Plus I am the last person to give up 8 hours a day of free time. God works in mysterious ways.'Nuff said.
I have a hubby who makes me laugh and must love me dearly because he puts up with an awful lot.
I am a recovering ex-nurse.
I am also a closet Trekkie which explains why I am so eager to boldly go where no (sane) person has gone before. Plus I am a die hard optimist sharing a psyche with a practical cynic. So I WANT to believe in everything but seldom expect that anything will actually work out. So this blog is my kingdom. Helpful hints, funky new recipes, the best way to solve a domestic task, and of course GREAT DEALS. Boy I wish I knew how to make that echo like the voice in the wizard of Oz. Feel free to browse around and pick up the nuggets you like, and don't worry, I won't be offended if you avoid the rest like cow pies.
But I digress. In fact, let's just clear the air now. If you're looking for the straightest line between two points you're not gonna find it here. I hope you find inspiration, encouragement, helpful hints, support, and if you occasionally snort your coffee through your nose because you're laughing so hard, I'll be tickled pink. So sit back and relax, after all it's usually when you're "lost" that you find the most amazing things.
OK, so I read a blog, I followed the detailed tutorial carefully and then I ventured out into the scary, intimidating, and often completely insane world of THE COUPON. I'll spare you the gory details but I spent about $50 and saved $1.12. WHOHOO! Baby, stop the retirement investing I'm gonna make us rich! Or not. But I learned something on that ill fated foray to Walgreen's and even though I didn't make a shrine to the fabric softener that cost more than my last pair of new jeans, something happened. I. Got. Mad. I mean, I attended a four year university on an academic scholarship for pity's sake! (Not an English major though clearly.) I was a National Merit Commended Scholar! I can get grass stains out of ANYTHING! I have even learned how to operate an iPod! (OK my preteen daughter helped, but still, it counts!) If all these other people could figure it out, then to quote Margaret Mitchell, "with God as my witness" I'll never get hosed again!
So I reread the tutorial. I forgave myself. I ate a piece of chocolate to heal my wounded pride and then I tried again. And guess what? I can do this! Turns out anybody can if you are willing to be humble. Or if you are a good researcher you can find any possible answer on the web. Really. Since I have learned almost every lesson in life the hard way I though maybe I'd share what I learned and possibly spare somebody else the pain. Or if not, at least provide hours of free entertainment as you read about my antics.
Of course my life is not just about the thrilling hunt for the best bargain ever. I have two kids I home school. This is not something I ever pictured myself doing, I mean, heck, I never liked school the first time around! Plus I am the last person to give up 8 hours a day of free time. God works in mysterious ways.'Nuff said.
I have a hubby who makes me laugh and must love me dearly because he puts up with an awful lot.
I am a recovering ex-nurse.
I am also a closet Trekkie which explains why I am so eager to boldly go where no (sane) person has gone before. Plus I am a die hard optimist sharing a psyche with a practical cynic. So I WANT to believe in everything but seldom expect that anything will actually work out. So this blog is my kingdom. Helpful hints, funky new recipes, the best way to solve a domestic task, and of course GREAT DEALS. Boy I wish I knew how to make that echo like the voice in the wizard of Oz. Feel free to browse around and pick up the nuggets you like, and don't worry, I won't be offended if you avoid the rest like cow pies.
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