Money saving tips for a good day

Today I'll give you my top money saving ideas for a tuesday. 1.Save on groceries: check out mygrocerydeals.com, you can compare prices by item or category, another good site is groceryguide.com. Both sites are free, but you must register. 2. Great buys @ second hand stores, consignment shops in your wealthier neighborhoods. Shop early in the week, as many donations come in over the weekend. Check out their sale racks also. 3. Yard sales can be found free @ craigslist.com and yardsaletreasuremap.com. Good back to school buys. 4.Watch your supermarket register. Many stores have a scan guarantee policy, if the price scans wrong , you may get it free. 5. Car idling: turn your engine off if you will be waiting over 1 minute. 6. Recycle: at freecycle.org post what you want to give away or something that you are looking for. No money changes hands and any unwanted items will not end up in the landfill. Also the website tells you how to set up a group for your own area. More tips to follow. As always keep it real and simple.

Selling Apples 40 years ago

Good morning to you! When I got myself up this morning, I thought today is the day for another Grandma Emma story from days gone by. In her yard she had 9 different types of apple trees. Her very favorite was the early Transparent, then the Gravenstein. Most of you will remember eating those delicious apples picked fresh from the tree, or baked into one of her Applegoodies, or perhaps a dish of homemade applesauce. Yes, those were the days of eating! One year in particular, Grandma had so many extra apples on those wonderful producing trees. She decided to try to sell them in the neighborhood. She and perhaps other family, carefully picked and boxed over twenty large boxes of apples. She then put a hand-painted sign up in her yard facing the road. Before the day was over, she had sold most of those boxes. I seem to remember that she made over twenty dollars. I know that doesn't seem like much now, but forty years ago, she could purchase an entire week of groceries for herself. Yes, she was happy! Her frugal lifestyle kept her going her entire life. Proving that living a simple life has many good qualities. I often think of all the little things she saved, cooked from scratch, baked and recycled. A truly unique woman of the time and our time now. I learned so much from her, and draw on that information everyday. Guess that is the way I too now live my life. One of her favorite sayings: Enjoy the simple things in life always! Simple is better! Have a wonderful day to all of you worldwide!

simple days of summer

When we speak of the simple days of summer, we often think of going to the beach, and walk in the park, or a farmers market. However, one of our most delightful days could be spent in our yard. Having an " At home picnic" with the children and friends is the ideal day of relaxing! It saves having to go somewhere else, spending money to eat out, buying extra gasoline, and mostly time. Have everyone bring a small snack, an outdoor game to share, a fun sprinkler, some beach towels and you have an instant mini vacation for yourself and the children. Make your days of summer, relaxing, joyful and stress free by staying home and enjoying your own home! Simply living is best!

The Freegans

This week on the Oprah program, I came across something I had not ever heard of. The new lifestyle called "Freegan". It is a movement of concerned people trying to make a difference in how much we waste. From what we purchase to what we eat. Trying to show consumers how they can make a difference by not wasting anything in their surroundings. Very interesting indeed! Most of the ideas made good sense, mainly in the recycling area. But one practice just made me sick! They get most of their food from dumpsters, especially looking daily behind grocery stores. This is not sanitary! Can you imagine! Our homeless population does this daily because they have to. Not because of a social image they are trying to create. The Freegans have many good ideas, but this is clearly not one of them. Although some of the food was okay, much of it was thrown away because it plain and simple was not safe for consumption. Not wasting food is always a good idea, why not instead, approach the grocery stores with other ideas on food waste. But not teaching your children " Dumpster Diving"......... All of us should waste less, the old saying " Waste not, want not" still does apple in our everyday lives. Ask yourself before your next purchase " Do I want it, or do I need it?" You might be surprised what the answer is. Good choices in what we purchase can make a difference on this earth. Like I always say.... Simple Living is a choice.

mukilteo garden

This was a huge surprise! On our grandparents property where the barn was there is now a "garden patch" where volunteers raise produce for the local food bank in Mukilteo. They now have several sponsors, church groups and a host of volunteers tending raised garden patches. The past year they gave over 1100 pounds of mostly vegetables to charity. The mukilteo "Beacon" reports on their status often as do other news agencies. I was amazed to see the photos of their accomplishments and how they have transformed the old"cemetary"into a very nice garden area. You can view the photos at www.mukilteogarden.org, nice website also. One never knows what the past had and what the future will bring...from raising cows and fruit trees, to once again feeding people. Interesting wouldn't you say? Maybe a simpler way of life is better...

Insight and Frugality

Sometimes as we refer to the past we can gain much knowledge for the present and the future. Being frugal years ago was a was to live, to survive the everyday struggle to make ends meet. If a person was lucky enough to save a down payment to purchase a home. That was a huge accomplishment. Sound familiar? Not much has changed. I feel that making the choice to downsize to a smaller home would be a wish choice at this uncharted time in housing history. Do we really need all the space or do we just want a larger home. Choices to consider to have a simpler life style that may give us more options as we get closer to retirement. Just another thought for your day... Always remember, the simple life is more rewarding.

Days of Summer

Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days we have had all summer in the Pacific Northwest. The sunshine and blue sky where a show stopper! It wakes us up and makes us remember days gone by with picnics, flying kites at the beach, digging up clams, swimming all day and bad sunburns... Oh, but it was fun! My mother used to pack a lunch and we would head to the beach, just a few blocks away. Was lots of work for her ! We would stay the entire day. Other family and friends would show up too. And the beach adventures would amuse us for hours. When we would return home we were so tired we would be guaranteed a good nights sleep! Just to awaken and start all over again. Yes, our days at the beach of summer are one of my best memories in this life. Hopefully children and adults everywhere will be creating there own special memories today! Oh, the simple life!