2007 Financial Goals

I have been putting off my 2007 financial goals because I am not really sure what I want to do.

1. Continue funding DH 401k at 15%
2. Continue to deposit $350 a month into a Roth IRA for me. This is done through automatic deducation
3. Save $5,000 outside of retirement and college saving plans. This will help with a downpayment for a newer car for 2008 and/or bathroom remodel. Will attempt to do an automatic deduction for $220 each payday from hubby's check.
4. $50 each, each month into kids 529 plans-automatic deduction
5. Disney trip need an additional $1000 cash! Use tax return money (and money saved for self-employment taxes)
6. Excess tax return money will go towards new couches first and then some minor remodeling for our family room.

Will you be regifting?

Do you have any gifts that you will regift
	Yes
	No
pollcode.com free polls

Actually I won't be regifting this year but I have in the past. There has been some stuff that my kids never openned that sometimes go to other kids birthday presents. A wine rack went to a yankee swap gift etc.

So anything that you will regift?

Merry Christmas

I am sitting here enjoying a cup of coffee before my 3 boys get up and want to see what Santa has given to them. Luckily they are are not 4am risers on Christmas morning because we have a big celebration with my family on Christmas eve.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy your days with your family and friends.

God Bless

Frugal Momma

2006 Financial Goal review

I thought I would review my 2006 Financial Goals since the end of the year is almost here.

Up DH 401k contribution to 15%. He is currently at 11%

Done! We bumped up his 401k contribution to 15% in October.

Continue to deposit $350 a month into a Roth IRA for me. This is done through automatic deducation

Done! Fully fund Roth for the 3rd year in a row.

$50 each, each month into kids 529 plans-automatic deduction

Done Automatic deducation is great to have

Home improvement-use tax returns for new windows

Windows were done in May! Only used 1/2 of the tax return for it. The rest went into savings.

Pay extra on the car

I haven't focused on this. My car got stolen in October but luckily returned in perfect condition 2 days later. I have 18 more months on the loan.

Open an extra saving account to deposit $250-$400 each month for Disney World trip in 2007.

We booked our trip in August for the Value Family suites. I wish Disney would know that families of 5 still like to budget. The family suites are still $200 plus a night. The budget is 6,000 for the trip. I got $4100 in my special account for this trip. Plane tickets are already paid for in cash that was a $1,000. I need to save $900 more dollars to make this an all cash trip!! Final payment is due in May

Friday Freebies

Wisk Laundry Detergent
Free Atlas
Free stickers
Free diaper bag
Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Light Show coupon
Free tooth paste
Free dog food

Frugal meal planning wk Dec 5th

Life has been hectic with lots of ups and downs lately I will try to keep up the blogging on more of a regular basis.

Sun Meatloaf

Tues leftover meatloaf mixed in spaghetti sauce over noodles

Wed Ground turkey enchiladas

Thurs Soup and sandwiches

Fri Leftover ground turkey enchiladas

Sat pizza

Frugal meal planning Nov 26th

Sun Thanksgiving leftovers Hot turkey sandwiches

Mon Steak, potatoes, veggie

Tues Chicken Stroganoff

Wed Meatloaf

Thurs Leftover chicken stroganoff

Fri Pasta and meat sauce

Black friday Amazon coupons

Amazon.com has updated their Friday Sale with great new items for today only. The sale runs through midnight PST, so take a look.

Purchase more than $25 get free shipping!

Special Amazon coupons!

Use Amazon coupon NOVTOOLS at checkout to get $25 back when you spend $150 to $299, or $50 when you spend $300 or more, on items sold by Amazon.com. After coupon, you can get this Makita 14.4V Cordless Impact Driver Kit with Drill & Fluorescent Work Light for $192 with free shipping. Amazon.com Coupon: NOVTOOLS - Expires: 11/30/2006

Amazon is currently offering $20 off $80 on shoes. Use Amazon coupon KKCTMQXI to get an extra $20 off. Some exclusions may apply.

Take $25 off your purchase of $125 or more of Kitchen & Housewares or Bed & Bath products today at Amazon.com. Applies only to products sold by Amazon.com. Amazon.com Coupon: NOVSAVER - Expires: 11/30/2006

DVD deals Ice Age 2, Cars and many more

Digital Camera deals Canon, Nikon, Kodak

Ipod deals

Can't find a gift Amazon Gift Certificates

Friday Freebies!

Free condoms
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fish oil sample
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Free baby wipesFREE grocery coupons and more at CoolSavings! Click Here!

Thanksgiving and Turkey cooking tips

I am not making Thanksgiving dinner will be heading to my sister in laws house. We will be having a Turkey on Friday. and then leftovers for a few days!


How to cook a turkey

How much does a Thanksgiving dinner cost

Freezing Turkey leftovers

Crockpot recipes for Turkey leftovers

Homemade cranberry sauce

Sweet potato pie

Pumpkin Pie recipes


Happy Thanksgiving!

Frugal Menu Planning wk of Nov 19th

Life has thrown me some twists the last few weeks and I haven't been able to post as much.

Sun Meatloaf, mashed potatos, green beans

Mon Chili

Tues Chicken and rice

Wed Leftover chili

Thurs Happy Thanksgiving

Fri Our own turkey dinner

Sat Leftovers

Frugal Dinner planning week of Nov 12th

Sun Steak, potatos, veggies

Mon Cranberry chicken in the crockpot

Tues Asian ground beef

Wed Leftover cranberry chicken in the crockpot

Thurs Leftover Asian ground beef if there is leftovers otherwise soup and sandwiches

Fri Spaghetti, meatballs,

Sat Homemade pizza

Discount Printer ink coupons

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Tiered Coupon - INK3893R expires 11/30/06
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Frugal Meal Planning week of Nov 5th

Sunday Roasted chicken, mashed potatos, green beans

Monday Chicken Bruschetta bake using leftover chicken

Tuesday Meatloaf, rice, corn

Wed Keilbasa and fries

Thurs Leftover chicken brushcetta bake

Fri Spaghetti and meat sauce

Sat Homemade pizza

Free samples, coupons and surveys

Sign up for free coupons, samples and sweepstakes Great newsletter.

Free baby wipes
Free Arthritis pain relief sample
Computerworld Magazine subscription
Win $1,000 worth of scrap-booking products from Joann's fabrics
Free pet treat

Free first aide kit Texas only
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Pepcid Complete sample
Free coffee sample

Take out survey questions and enter to win $1,500 What part of the Thanksgiving dinner is your favorite part

Another Thrifty Thursday is here! If you would like to submit a frugal, money saving or thrifty tips, check out the main page for submission instructions.

Sparing Change shares Here's where I'm too cheap to be frugal, I know I could probably get a very good deal by shopping at Costco for these items, but I too cheap to pay the $50 membership fee
The Frugal Duchess shares How I get cable tv shows for free! Don't worry its a legal and a great way to catch up on your shows!
Frugal Money Saving Ideas shares some scrapbooking freebie tips

5 tips for buying a used car

Hello and Welcome!

In this week's issue Living on a Budget in a Non Budget World
Newsletter.

Money Saving Tips
Featured Article 5 tips for buying a used car
Money Blog Spotlight
Top Conversations on the Money Saving Forums
Freebie and Contest Alerts
The Frugal Five
Frugal Food Crustless Pumpkin Pie


Read the current issue at http://www.budgetdial.com/news-Nov0106.htm

If you are new subscriber we keep all of our newsletters online at

http://www.budgetdial.com/news.htm

How long do you own a car for?

I have personally owned 3 cars in my life. My first one I bought in 1988, got rid of it in 1999. My second car which we still own is 1996 Dodge Caravan that my husband and I bought in 1999. I bought my third car in 2005 another mini-van a 2001 Chrysler Mini-van. My husband has had a couple and he tends to be tougher on the cars than me but still gets 5-8 years out of them.

How long do you typically own a car? Less than 2 years 2-5 years 6-8 years 9-10 years 11 or more    Free polls from Pollhost.com

Turn on the heat poll results

Over 1/3 of you have turned on your heat according to our poll Have you turned on your heat yet

I had hoped that I wouldn't have turned it on until Nov 1st but I turned it on October 26th.

Yes 35%
No I will wait until Nov 1st 24%
No, I will wait until Nov 15th 6%
No I will wait until Dec 1st 12%
Heat who needs heat! 24%

Frugal Meal Planning Oct 29th

Sun Steak, baked potatos, veggies

Mon Layered beef in crockpot (actually ground turkey) We were to have this last week but the craziness in dealing with a stolen car threw me into a tailspin.

Tues hmmm candy? Maybe some grill cheese sandwiches

Wed Leftover layered beef in crockpot

Thurs Soup and sandwiches

Fri Chicken, mashed potatos, green beans

Sat Homemade Pizza

Getting engaged

My sister received a beautiful diamond engagement ring a few months back and she is now planning a great wedding. I know my future brother in law had great tastes in choosing a diamond ring for her.

If you are shopping for diamond jewelry ring here are some tips:

• Don’t take home the first diamond jewelry that catches your attention.
• It should fit their looks, personality and lifestyle. Personal style should be reflected in jewelry. Your personality is part of your wardrobe and should be part of your jewlery as well.
• If you approach a jewelry store for something special, they’ll should questions before showing jewelry, like “ask you what your job is, what your life is like" and try to learn all about you.

Primestyle.com offers the finest selection of Quality Diamonds & Jewelry at Low Prices. Located in the world famous diamond district of Manhattan, we ensure that you will NEVER PAY RETAIL PRICES AGAIN...PERIOD! We have many satisfied customers who have purchased our wide selection of Diamond Jewelry and you can read about some of these customer testimonials on our website.

Are you a financial match?

In some ways my husband and I are complete opposites financially, he would rather keep his head in the sand while I need to know where every single dollar is. I know this about him and he knows this about me so we have compromised over the years. Anytime anything more than $50 is going to be spent we discuss it.

If you thinking a taking a walk down the aisle, you should consider taking this financial compatibility quiz

Questions such as What would you do if you received large bonus? What's your approach to retirment? When do you pay your bills?

All important questions before you make a commitment to marriage.

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Free stuff for any Mother-to-be or Father-to-be! Baby wipes, diapers, bib and more
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Always Pad sample
Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit Free Sample
Olay Daily face cleanser

Gold

Gold isn't something that many people talk about buying these days. I have Bill O'Reilly talk about buying gold on his radio show. I thought it might be exciting to buy some. Buying gold has been recognized for centuries as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power.

One company to use to buy gold is Monex Deposit Company. You can purchase gold or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository. For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America's gold and precious metals investment leader. They also have large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America's best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Gold is a unique investment. From the time of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to more modern times, man has had an affinity for gold bullion. In all ages, man has been fascinated with the beauty and magic of gold, and with its power to change men's lives. Today, the beauty of a gold bar lies in its proven ability to diversify investments, protect wealth and preserve one's purchasing power.

Stolen car

What a whirlwind of the last few days!

My mini-van got stolen on Sunday afternoon. That was bad enough but my pocketbook was in there too. Fortunately we got it back yesterday in good condition. They had a party in there liquor bottles and some other funny stuff.


My financial world has been up and down this week. I wasn't really in the position to have to buy a new car but we could have bought an older mini-van in cash.

Search marketing firms

As a person that makes money from working online and using the internet to market products, one important thing is to trust Search Engine Marketing techniques. One such firm is Apogee Search is taking an importance stance against the dirty side of search engine marketing.

Apogee Search is a search marketing firm founded in 2001 by early internet pioneers and based in Austin, TX. Since its inception, Apogee Search has rapidly grown to become a preeminent SEM agency in Texas. Focusing on a variety of search marketing methods that include: Paid & Natural Search, Affiliate Marketing, and Pay-Per-Call, Apogee Search's solutions are designed to drive qualified, targeted visitors to B2B and B2C websites for more leads, customers, revenues and profits. "Clients require customers, not clicks," is a strict requirement for all Apogee Search campaigns Apogee Search, announces it has decided to endorse and support the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO).

Apogee Search is in full agreement with SEMPO’s recent moves toward establishing standards of behavior that will hopefully aid in cleaning up the dirty underside of the Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click industry.

Apogee Search CEO/President William Leake has long believed that SEMPO could play a more positive role in advancing the overall industry.

"We are thrilled to see that SEMPO is moving beyond its early years, and is
now rapidly growing into a much more mature and credible voice for the
professional elements of our industry. Now that SEMPO is officially reflecting
the positions we have held for years on a variety of issues, including click
fraud, it is now time for Apogee to fully endorse and support SEMPO’s efforts.
SEMPO can count on Apogee as a strong ally as we fight the good fight
together"

Frugal meal planning week of Oct 22nd

Sun Turkey burgers, french fries

Mon Pork Chops, green beans, mashed potatos

Tues Chicken crockpot salsa

Wed Layered ground beef crockpot

Thurs leftover chicken crockpot salsa

Fri Leftover ground beef crockpot

Sat Halloween party!

Freebies

Oil of Olay facial cleanser sample

FREE Special E-Book from Government Money Guru Matthew Lesko



Waterless Dry n clean
Free stuff for any Mother-to-be or Father-to-be! Baby wipes, diapers, bib and more

Mountain Fruit Juice
free beef jerk
Biz detergent
the healing garden ORGANICS wild honey sample body lotion
Folgers Coffee Gourment Sample
CellaDerm™ — Self Tanning Mousse
Wild Stickers
Free Guinness Magnet
Complimentary Gum Samples!

Thrifty Tips Thursday

Another Thrifty Thursday is here! If you would like to submit a frugal, money saving or thrifty tips, check out the main page for submission instructions.

Are You Too Frugal? Do you window shop at Thrift stores or save the salt in your pretzel bag?
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for a Discount on a substitute if a store doesn’t have what you’re looking for. Many stores already do this as a matter of policy when dealing with sale items. But even if it’s not on sale, a sympathetic clerk will often throw you a bone if they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for.

Frugal Guy shares an idea on his sock harvest

Frugal Momma shares some quck home and water saving tips

Have you turned your heat on yet?

I am once again challenging myself to
No heat until Nov 1st Last year I didn't quite make it. It's been a little chilly in the house but I am making sure the kids are warm and throwing extra blankets on the beds at night.

Have you turned your heat on yet? Yes No I will wait until Nov 1st No, I will wait until Nov 15th No I will wait until Dec 1st Heat who needs heat!    Free polls from Pollhost.com

Halloween Art projects for kids

With Halloween almost here, here are two art projects that are great for the kids. Check out all of Frugal Halloween Guide Cheap Halloween Costumes and Party ideas

Egg Carton Spiders

What you will need:

Cardboard egg carton
Pipe cleaners
Poster paint
Elastic thread
Something to poke small holes

Instructions:

Cut the egg cups out of a cardboard egg carton. Cut pipe cleaners into 3 inch sections. To make each spider, poke four pipe cleaners through each cup sideways. Bend the ends to look like eight spider legs. Paint the spiders black or in any wildly creative way you want! After the paint has dried, attach a length of elastic thread to the middle of each spider. Have fun holding your thread and bouncing your scary spider up and down as you take it for a walk!

Optional: Decorate your spider with googly eyes, stickers, glitter, or sequins.

Plastic Bag Ghost

What you’ll need:

White plastic trash bags
Black marker
Balloons
Some string
Scissors
Masking tape

Instructions:

Blow up/inflate the balloons and cover each one with a trash bag. With the string, gather and tie each bag under the balloon to make a head. Using your markers, draw a spooky face on the trash bag. Be as creative as you can-make a scary face or a funny face. Whatever you want! Attach a piece of string to the top of your ghosts and display them all around your house and yard, or fill the balloons with helium and have them float around your house. Spoooky fun!

There you have it. Two very simple art projects that you can do with your children with materials you have lying around.



Would you like to quickly make creative Halloween costumes that you and your children will be proud of -- for a fraction of the price of store-bought? Nicole Dean has co-authored a book to show you how -- no sewing involved. Visit http://www.ILoveHalloweenCostumes.com to learn more.
Halloween Kids Craft+project Spider Ghost

Tips for First Time Homebuyers

Hello and Welcome!

In this week's issue Living on a Budget in a Non Budget World
Newsletter.

Money Saving Tips
Featured Article 7 tips for first time home buyers
Money Blog Spotlight
Top Conversations on the Money Saving Forums
Freebie and Contest Alerts
The Frugal Five
Frugal Food Make-Ahead Cheeseburger Lasagna


Read the current issue at

http://www.budgetdial.com/news-Oct1506.htm


If you are new subscriber we keep all of our newsletters online at http://www.budgetdial.com/news.htm

Frugal dinner planning week of Oct 15th

Sun Turkey Burgers

Mon Chili

Tues Ham and Potato Crockpot Soup
Slow Cooke Potato Soup



Ingredients:

5-1/2 cups cubed peeled potatoes, divided
2-3/4 cups water
1/3 cup light butter, cubed
1-1/3 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham
2 celery ribs, chopped
2/3 cup onion
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 pound reduced fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
2/3 cup fat free sour cream
Preparation:

Place 4-1/2 cups of the potatoes in a saucepan; add water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Remove from the heat (do not drain).
Mash potatoes; stir in butter. In a 3 quart slow cooker, combine the ham, celery, onion, garlic powder, paprika, pepper and remaining cubed potatoes.
Stir in the mashed potatoes; top with cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until potatoes and other vegetables are tender.
Stir in the sour cream until blended. Thin soup with milk if desired.
Makes: 10 servings

Wed Beef Enchiladas


Thurs Leftover Ham and Potato soup

Fri Leftover beef enchiladas

Saturday Pizza

Halloween costumes out of cardboard box

Here are some cheap halloween costume ideas for kids and teenagers. Check out all of Frugal Halloween Guide Cheap Halloween Costumes and Party ideas

Do you have a cardboard box that is large enough to fit around your child? If so, you can easily make a costume for your child for Halloween – and save a lot of money in the process.

Start by cutting a hole in the box for your child’s head. Or, if the box is smaller, then you’ll attach straps to the edges of the box when the costume is completed (like suspenders) and fit them over your child’s shoulders. Also, cut arm holes if you aren’t doing the suspender method. Then you’re ready to get started. All of these outfits fit perfectly over leggings and a long sleeve shirt (or jacket).

A Wrapped Gift
Wrap the entire box in gift wrap (whatever kind you like the best) and stick a bow on your child’s head. He or she can trick-or-treat as a wrapped gift.

Computer Monitor
Spray paint the box grey. After it dries, paint a white screen on the front of the monitor. Of course, you can have fun decorating the screen with your favorite website, or print the screen from your favorite website and glue it onto the box for a more realistic look.

Box of Cereal
Does your child have a favorite cereal? Fruit Loops, Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs? Any box of cereal can be painted onto a cardboard box and turned into a costume.

Robot
Spray paint the box grey or silver. Then, after the paint dries, find a mish-mash of nuts and bolts and glue them to the box. You may also create attachments from aluminum foil, dryer vents, duct tape, or whatever you have lying around the house.

Invite your child to help with making his or her costume. Spending time creating these costumes together may end up being even more fun than trick-or-treating. Be sure to take lots of pictures.




About the Author:

Would you like to quickly make creative Halloween costumes that you and your children will be proud of -- for a fraction of the price of store-bought? Nicole Dean has co-authored a book to show you how -- no sewing involved. Visit http://www.ILoveHalloweenCostumes.com to learn
more.

Halloween cheap+costumes kids+costume+ideas

Freebies and samples

Free coloring book
Free skin care sample
free PC magazine
Free $50 Amex gift card when you do a Buick Test drive
Dove Wash For our Canadian friends
TeenFreeway.com - Free Sample Kit for Teens!
HeadBlade Company free razor
Rimmel Free Lipstick sample
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FREE stuff for any Mother-to-be or Father-to-be!

Get a free laptop

Retirement age poll

Here are the results for our At what age did you start saving for retirement?

Most of the folks starting saving during their early 20s for retirement which is a great thing. However it saddens we that 12% haven't started saving yet.


Selection Votes
Under 20 21%
21-25 42%
26-30 15%
31-40 9%
41-50 0% 0
51+ 0% 0
I haven't started saving for retirement 12%

Get your credit report for free

One important aspect of everyone's financial life is understanding your credit history. You should take advantage of getting credit reports for free

You should get your online instant credit reports to make sure you are not a vicitim of indentity theft.

-the fastest growing crime in America today is identity theft.
-it takes on average about 12 months for a victim of identity theft to notice the crime.
-last year alone, 9.9 million people became victims.

These services allow you to monitor your free online credit reports on a regular basis to detect any transactions that are not yours and to stop identity theft and fraud before it gets out of hand and seriously damages your credit rating.

There are 3 major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experion. These agencies each have a credit bureau on you as well as their own credit scoring system, and as these credit bureaus do not share information, your credit reports and your credit reporting scores may all be different. You should take advantage of instant free online credit reports

Credit Scores are very important because they are one of the major factors a lender will use in order to determine your credit worthiness. This scoring sum is used by lenders as an indicator of how likely you are to repay your loans. They will determine what you interest rates are on mortgage, car loan and even credit cards.

Ground beef recall

Seven states have called a recall of ground beef for E Coli. First spinach now this. Makes me want to eat all local food now and use local farmers since the spinach was from California and now this ground beef is from Iowa.

Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Texas and Wisconsin

I live in Massachusetts so I am glad that we primarly eat ground turkey now instead of ground beef.

These products are recalled:


10-pound boxes of "PACKED FOR: DAVIS MOUNTAIN ORGANIC BEEF, 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC 3-1 BEEF PATTIES," with lot code G6-540 or G6-544.


Five-pound packages of "DAVIS MOUNTAINS 100% ORGANIC BEEF, LEAN GROUND BEEF 90/10," with lot code G6-544.


One-pound packages of "MASTER CHOICE 100% ORGANIC ANGUS BEEF, 90/10 GROUND BEEF," with lot code G6-544.


One-pound packages of "DAVIS MOUNTAINS 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROUND BEEF," with lot code G6-544.


10.5-pound boxes of "NEBRASKA, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTY 6 OZ," with lot code G6-541.


60-pound boxes of "SPECIALLY SELECTED FOR: FARNER-BOCKEN FOOD SERVICE BEEF PATTIE MIX 6/10," with lot code G6-542.


One-pound packages of "PACKED FOR: IRWIN COUNTRY STORE, BEEF GROUND BEEF 16 OZ," with lot code G6-541.


One-pound blocks of "PACKED FOR: IRWIN COUNTRY STORE, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTIES 4-1," with code G6-541.


10-pound boxes of "DISTRIBUTED BY: STUBE RANCH, WAGYU BEEF, BEEF GROUND BEEF PATTIES, 8 OZ. PATTIES," with lot code G6-546.

The federal service said people could get more information by calling the company at 712-755-5158, but that number did not answer Friday night.


Source:
CNN

Frugal Dinner week of Oct 8th

Hello

Happy Sunday!

Sun Steak, potatoes, zucchini

Mon Meatloaf (made with ground turkey), rice, green beans

Tues Pork chops

Wed Leftover meatloaf, add some sauce and pasta

Thurs Soup and Sandwiches cub scout and soccer

Fri Chicken and stuffing

Sat Homemade pizza

Coupons on your cell phone!

For being the frugal domestic diva that I consider myself to be, I have never been organized to take advantage of good coupon deals. However I just found a great new service that will make saving even easier. Get Your Free Copy of Cellfire to Start Saving Today!

Cellfire is a great new service software for your cell phone. Install it and you'll have access to coupons for a growing number of great restaurants, stores, entertainment venues and more. Resturants include TGIFridays, North Beach Pizza. You can get coupons for Bath and Body Works or Hollywood Video. Places that you actually go to!

Here is how it works:

• Coupons are stored on your phone You select the one you want No need to be connected to the interent!
• Select the one you want to use by hitting use now
• Show the cashier the code

It is so easy! The great thing about cellfire it is updated with new coupons and store all the time. And you can also use it over the phone bring up your coupon. Press "Use Now," and select "Via phone call." Jot down the coupon code. Press OK and you'll see a list of locations you can call. If you have a "Call Now" button on this screen, your phone can automatically dial the store! If not, jot down the number displayed and quit Cellfire to call. Mention the coupon code over the phone for your discount

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian Friends

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. I have posted in the past some Turkey recipes.

How to cook a turkey

How much does a Thanksgiving dinner cost

Freezing Turkey leftovers

Crockpot recipes for Turkey leftovers

Homemade cranberry sauce


Sweet potato pie

Pumpkin Pie recipes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Canada Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Cooking Pie Cranberry+Sauce

What's for dinner?

What do you do a pound of ground beef, an egg, onions, cream of mushroom and somehow make that dinner? You come home from a busy day at the office and want to make an easy meal and you don't have a lot of food on hand. Or it maybe you only have a few items in the house and you need to wait until payday to buy more food.

Well RecipeMatcher comes to the rescue! You can enter what you have in your pantry and it will give you the recipes and food plans that you want.

RecipeMaker is an interactive site that allows you to search for recipe three different ways.

1. Category
2. Keyword
3. Ingredients you have

Free Sample Friday and coupons!

ALLURE bra
Bic - Pen Sample
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Free Halloween reflective bag
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Getting into the Halloween Spirit!

In a few weeks it will be Halloween how about treating your computer to a temporary makeover with Free Halloween Screensavers

This is a great spooky screensaver with a full moon, some jack-o-laterns, a skelton. I expect a wicked witch any moment now. I know my son will enjoy looking at that one and totally get them in the mood to go pumpkin picking!

This Hanuted House is just eery! I am sure ghost and goblins are living inside. I know I wouldn't want to go in there.

I love fun and creative sites. It gives something for the kids to check out . Halloween is such a fun holiday! Dress up your computer, get the kids excited. I know looking at this site got me in the Halloween mood. Screensavers.com is a secure site I trust for wallpaper and screensavers. They are easy to download and free!

Thrifty Thursday Tips

Another Thrifty Thursday is here! If you would like to submit a frugal, money saving or thrifty tips, check out the main page for submission instructions.

Single Parent has some good reminders on using up the flexible spending accounts since it is the beginning of the 4th quarter.

How frugal is Blogging away debt?

No credit needed shares 10 free things to do for entertainment

Frugal Momma lets AOL consumers know that AOL's new promotion isn't free automatically.

Thrifty+Thursday frugal free+entertainment AOL flexible+spending+accounts

Stock options

When I was out in the real world, I had a access to stock options at my company. I took advantage of some but never made huge huge moola like some of those IPOs.

If you are looking for stock options advice you should consider using PowerOptions.

They offer

• The Utimate award-winning investment site.
• Toll-free phone number in which have experts to help you invest smarter.
• Patented SmartSearch XL tools helps find the best stock otpions. No other internet site offers that.
• Portfolio to track and manage your trades.

In addition PowerOptions offers you the convenience and control required to automatically sort, filter, and analyze all 2,900+ optionable stocks and 190,000+ options online to find investments to meet your profit goals. Only PowerOptions brings together timely essential data, extensive analysis, and comprehensive option information... All the online tools you need for a competitive edge. Plus a 14-day free trial, an easy online User Guide, toll-free support, and our PowerOptions Performance Guarantee.

What age did you start saving for retirement?

At what age did you start saving for retirement? Under 20 21-25 26-30 31-40 41-50 51+ I haven't started saving for retirement    Free polls from Pollhost.com

I openned up my first 401k at work when I was 24 years old. I was so excited to do it. However I wish I put more money away at that time.

retirement saving money consumer+poll age

Saving on Halloween Costumes

Hello and Welcome!

In this week's issue Living on a Budget in a Non Budget World
Newsletter.

Money Saving Tips
Featured Article Budget Halloween Costumes
Money Blog Spotlight
Top Conversations on the Money Saving Forums
Freebie and Contest Alerts
The Frugal Five
Frugal Food Cheesy Tuna Casserole


Read the current issue at


http://www.budgetdial.com/news-Oct0106.htm

If you are new subscriber we keep all of our newsletters online at http://www.budgetdial.com/news.htm

Vonage

I have to admit that the Vonage commericals on tv get me interested. I came across their site today and it provides in depth information about their services. In case you didn't know Vonage is an alternative to your land line phone and can be a great way to save on your phone bills if you have high-speed internet.


Vonage Phone Features:
Dialing 911
3 Way Calling
Caller ID with Name
Call Hunt
Call Waiting
Personalized Voicemail
Call Forwarding
Call Transfer
Caller ID Block (*67)
Repeat Dialing
Call Return (*69)
International Call Block
Network Availability Number
Bandwidth Saver

Vonage is also teaming up with HP which is a great way to bring their name and VOIP more intot he mainstream.

HP and Compaq consumer desktop and notebook PCs in the U.S. and Canada will contain either a Vonage brochure or an interactive CD-ROM in the PC box explaining details about the service. The brochure will outline the benefits of Vonage service, including integrated communications services, a broad range of features, and contact management. Customers can sign-up via their computer desktop or contact a toll-free number to receive the special offer for Vonage service.

The forums are very interactive with lots of questions and answers. Also if you are a registered memeber of the forums you can access the VoIP Speed Test.

Frugal Dinner Planning week of October 1st

Happy October 1st!

Sun Steak, oven roasted potatos, summer squash

Mon Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Tues Asian beef with coleslaw Also know as crack slaw. I have substituted broccoli slaw or broccoli for this very very yummy!


1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves , minced
3 green onions , sliced
14 ounces coleslaw mix (if you don't want the carrots use the angel hair cole slaw or just shred up a head of cabbage)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon sriracha sauce (this will be pretty mild so add to taste or you can use pepper flakes to taste)
1 (1 g) Splenda quick pack
½ teaspoon ginger paste (you could also use 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger or ground ginger)
1 teaspoon white vinegar (any kind really)
sriracha sauce (to garnish)
Directions:


Brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat up sesame oil and sauté garlic, onions, and slaw in sesame oil until cabbage cooked to desired tenderness.

Stir in the soy sauce, Sriracha sauce, Splenda, ginger and vinegar.

Add back in hamburger. Mix well and serve!

Serve with additional Sriracha sauce on the side for people who want to add spice.






Wed Leftover Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Thurs Soup and Sandwich night (cub scouts)

Fri Breakfast for dinner

Sat Homemade pizza

Home improvement dreams

There are number of houses in our neighorhood adding a second level or an addition on. Hopefully we will be able to do some home improvement soon ourselves.

We hope to add a second level on in the next 3-5 years. Currently we have a ranch with a full basement. The basement area is our family room, laundry room and I have do have a good size office. On the first floor, we have our kitchen, living room and 3 bedrooms plus 1 bathroom. I would love to do the kitchen over with granite counter tops plus some new stainless steel appliances.

Our dream would be to knock out the wall between our master bedroom and living room and make that a huge dining room/living room combination.

The second level would be our master bedroom, 1-2 more bedroom and a huge master bathroom with a jetted tub and a steam shower.

Ahhh dreams.

AOL not free automatically

AOL in early August announced to the world that instead of charging customers for a subscription fee it would give away its products in a bid to boost the growth of its online advertising business.

Sounds great! Anyone who has high-speed internet but kept aol simply because they like it would get it free. Not necessarily so.

Anne Bentley , vice president of corporate communications at AOL, said the company didn't want to change the service level of its customers without first receiving their approval. She noted the free service in many cases offered fewer benefits.

``We're not automatically moving people to free," she said. ``That's just not our strategy. You have to take a proactive step, but it's a simple proactive step."

Bottom line is that you need to be proactive with AOL to have them stop charging you.



Boston Globe

Free the Drones

I love reading what other personal finance bloggers are writing about. Free the Drones likes CNN's Millionaries in the Making just like I do as well.

It is an inspirational series that showcases the steps the couples or individuals

And their monthly planning session gives them some good perspective about big upcoming expenses ahead. They catalogue all of their upcoming expenses for the month, and use this planning session to determine their savings rate as well

.

I agree being on the same page as the spouse is absolutely important. Sitting down and discussing a budget is absolutely key to the success of money plan and a marriage in general. Discuss this more at the Free the Drones forum

Cooler weather ants wants to come indoors

I was listening on the news that ants want to come inside when the weather gets cooler. I don't want to be welcoming to those ants so I will making sure that I use my homemade ant killer recipe to get rid of them.

How to fix a stuck zipper

One of the kids fall jackets wouldn't zip this morning so I went searchin online for frugal ideas on how to fix the broken zipper. Here is what I found and it worked.

If your zipper gets stuck, rub some lip balm on both sides, it's sure to work.

source

I tried it and it worked! Also a candle, a bar of soap were also mentioned.

What a easy and frugal way... much easier than replacing the zipper and cheaper than buying a new jacket.

Fast and cheap to freshen up your skin

Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami, says that you don't need to spend a lot of money to freshen up skin.

Here are some tips that she shared!

Photograph Your Problem Spots Take photos so you can track your progress.

Your pillow case Get a pillow case with a thread count of 400 and wash your pillow case like All and Clear that can get rid of dust mites. Also wash your pillow cases atleast twice week.
Wash your hair less The ingredients in shampoo maybe good for your hair but they are not always good for your skin. Use a clear shampoo if you need to wash your hair daily and try to pull it back so it doesn't clog your pores.

Smile more to banish lines- I love this one. Everyone one needs to smile more.

To see the whole article and video of Dr Loretta Ciraldo on Good Morning America Click here for the article from ABC.com

An expensive medical week!

I have been sort of scarce this week because my husband had kidney stones. Wednesday early morning about 3am he said I am going to the hospital. Luckily we have a hospital within a 5 minute car ride. I told him I would take him but he said no.

Between ER co-pay $100

Two Specialist Dr's $60

Prescriptions $85

An budget buster month ends the same way it started. I feel all the tightening that I did was for nothing this month because it all went to the medical stuff. Frustrating to say the least.

I also missed writing a lot this week so it effects my money coming in as well.

Luckily Husband seems to be fine. We think he passed them last night. He says that it is like the pain of labor-I told yeah right. You got these male doctors telling male patients that is it equal to the pain of child birth.

Canadians looking to save money!

Looking to save money and live in Canada! Check out GreatCanadianRebates.ca You know that tis frugal momma is always looking to save money. This looks like a great site for Canadians to shop and save online!

You can shop and get 5% back from some of your favorite online stores such as Dell Canada, Canadian Tire, The Shopping Channel and of course Ebay Canada. In fact there are 300 merchants that you can save money at.

It is easy to sign up at GreatCanadianRebates.ca and you get a great online shopping experience.

Friday freebies and coupons

I love my freebies. I will probably not have to buy shampoo for 6 months with all the samples that I am getting. Hope you enjoy these great freebies!

Free Allure / Sephora Make-up samples
FREE stuff for mommies to be pregnant ladies
Free Photoshop user magazine
Free Dove® handwashing sample
Free Slow cooker /crockpot liners from Reynolds kitchen
Free coffee sample
Free Bratz girl keychain and stationary Great stocking stuffer
Free Oily of Olay Total Effects sample
Sore No More! - Free Sample Request
Free Fabric Softeners
Free Degree Deodorant
Free Aquafresh toothpaste
Oprah's Dream Kitchen Contest
Synovate Global Opinion Panel New survey company sign up today early

Print Free Local Coupons

Tech Tags: free+samples freebies free+stuff free+coffee shampoo make-up grocery+coupons contest sweepstakes free+magazine

Thrifty Thursday Tips

Another Thrifty Thursday is here! If you would like to submit a frugal, money saving or thrifty tips, check out the main page for submission instructions.

Free Money shares one way to get wealthy is to have a frugal spouse!

Simplicity in Kansas wonders if saving a dollar a day is worth it?



Frugal Duchess shares her 7 yr old neighbor's energy lesson.



Get rich slowly ponders if discount magazine subscriptions are frugal.

Then Things shares some frugl lunch ideas.

Tech Tags: Thrifty+Thursday Frugal lunch discount+magazine money+saving+tips spouse free+money

Christmas Holiday Shopping poll results

Here are the poll results on
Have you started your Holiday shopping yet?

Yes 38%
No will start in October 15%
No will start in November 38%
No will start in December 8%


It is not suprising that many frugal folks have already started their shopping. Many have a holiday gift closet that they buy bargains all year long.

Frugal Dinner planning week of Sept 24th

Happy Fall...

Sunday Steak on the grill, french fries, veggie

Mon Chili

Tues Pork chops

Wed Layered beef in crockpot (actually ground turkey)

Thurs Soup and Sandwich night

Fri Leftover layered ground beef casserole

Sat Homemade pizza

College

One day I would like to go back for my Master's degree. However with 3 kids, work and going to college classes would be difficult. Another option is online learning. More and more schools are offer higher education classes online. One such school is Capella University, an accredited online university with online degree programs in that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology.

Over 16,000 have chosen Capella University as their online learning option. They have an online seminar to help you make the decision on whether or not graduate school is an option for you. Created by Dr. Mark Rossman, author of Negotiating Graduate School: A Guide for Graduate Students, and facilitated by Capella University 's New Learner Experience Team, our free online seminar will guide you through the entire graduate school decision process, from evaluating your own readiness to selecting and applying to an online graduate degree program.

For more information, please visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

Ah Hawaii

My husband and I didn't do the typical Hawaiian Honeymoon but we are planning on our 20th anniversary to take a trip there. There are some great Hawaii Vacation Rentals out there that top hotels can't meet.

Gebhart Properties owns and manages custom homes in some of the most exclusive resort locations in the Hawaiian Islands. You’ll find incomparable amenities in our outstanding Hawaii vacation homes. Luxurious and convenient features, spacious living areas, and custom furnishings.

Since we may take the kids they will be teen then, we might want to go for Kolea Villa, is a 3BR/3BA penthouse located at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. One of the finest condominiums in all of Hawaii, it sleeps 6 and offers 2,576 square feet of living space. Featuring private elevator access, gourmet kitchen, an extensive collection of Hawaiian art and outstanding views of Anaeho'omalu Bay and Kileaua, this vacation rental offers all the comforts of home in a resort setting.

If you are considering a trip to Hawaii consider staying at one of Gebhart Properties there are lots of selections.

This is a paid advertisement.

Wedding notes

We recently went to a wedding where they had these cute little mini adirondack chairs as wedding favors.

My sister is planning her wedding these days and she is trying to find vendors. Currently she is trying to find a photographer within her budget. She went to one place and it would cost more than 5k to do photos and a video of her wedding and the other extreme was was a creepy guy that had a room in his basement. Good advice I have heard is put it also in email about pricing and bring those emails to the wedding.

She is also have my 3 boys in the wedding while they may be angels she is preparing that they be wild children later on that day. Here is some advice I found for my sister that I will pass along to her.

If you're inviting kids to your celebration, you have to understand they might not make it through without getting rambunctious. That said, there are some great ways to keep them from knocking things over and making a mess. Tykes that are part of the party should get their own table -- sans centerpiece. Instead, cover the table with butcher paper and leave a box of crayons at each place setting. Rather than a five-star meal, serve a kid-friendly favorite, like mac 'n' cheese or chicken fingers, which they'll like better. If you're worried they'll go wild, set up the young ones with sitters, either on- or off-site. Get the crew an extra hotel room and show a double feature of The Lion King and Shrek, or hire a clown or magician to come in and entertain them

Information for healthcare professionals

Epocrates Introduces Free, Web-based Drug and Health Plan Formulary Product Leading Developer of Mobile Applications Provides New Online Service for Healthcare Professionals Epocrates Inc. announced today that clinicians and support staff can now access an online version of its free and trusted mobile drug and formulary guide, used by more than 500,000 healthcare professionals. Epocrates Online provides clinicians with access to critical information about more than 3,300 drugs, including dosing, pricing, potential drug interactions and Medicare Part D formulary coverage from any computer with an Internet connection.


Aspirin is one of the medicines that you can get information on now from Epocrates.com Using this great new website allows physicans and other medical staff the ability to get clinically useful and relevant information quickly and efficently rather than having to go through many medical guides. For most healthcare professionals it saves about 30 minutes a day. Healthcare professionals can quickly and easily obtain formulary status, drug coverage and alternative and generic drug options for their patients’ health plans with Epocrates Online

Free stuff and coupons

Dale and Thomas Popcorn - Free Popcorn Month! You do need to pay $2.95 sh but this is one of Oprah's favorite things.
Downey Simple Pleasures
Airborne sample
Free chocolate samples
FREE stuff for any Mother-to-be or Father-to-be! sign up for some great coupons

Free cross stitch kit
Free POISE pad With Wings
Free Dove® Ultimate Clear Deodorant
Free Swiffer Dusters
Old Spice OS Signature Free Sample
Free Baby Wipes from NTI
FREE Sample Bible student notebook
Print Free Grocery Coupons


Synovate Global Opinion Panel New survey company sign up today early

freebies free+sample free stuff coupons discount Dale+Thomas+popcorn grocery+cooupons chocolate+sample

When do you start your holiday shopping?

Many frugal folks start Christmas and Holiday shopping early? I will sometimes pick up a gift here or there throughout the year.

Have you started Holiday Shopping yet? Yes No will start in October No will start in November No will start in December Free polls from Pollhost.com

Accountant reveal number for 12 daily pro

12 daily pro is once again in the news. 12 daily pro has been under invegisations since February but there hasn't been alot of numbers on it lately until last week.

In his first report to the court, Lennon says gross investments in 12DailyPro were over a half billion dollars. Unfortunately, there is only a fraction of that money left in 12DailyPro accounts to refund to the vast majority of investors who lost money when the pyramid scheme fell apart last February. Lennon says theres about $5,000,000 left in an account frozen by 12DailyPros payment service StormPay. And he tells the judge he has $6,106,038.55 in accounts under his control.

If you were a victim of this ponzi scheme please contact the National Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060 (also on the Web at www.fraud.org) or to complain to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

For information on what the accountant has found out check out ABC4 in Salt Lake City which has done a great job in keeping the public up to date.

How to save money with grocery coupons

Hello and Welcome!

In this week's issue Living on a Budget in a Non Budget World
Newsletter.

Money Saving Tips
Featured Article How to save money with grocery coupons
Money Blog Spotlight
Top Conversations on the Money Saving Forums
Freebie and Contest Alerts
The Frugal Five
Frugal Food Pepsi Pork Roast


Read the current issue at

http://www.budgetdial.com/news-Sept1506.htm


If you are new subscriber we keep all of our newsletters online at http://www.budgetdial.com/news.htm

Halloween Spending Poll

Our Halloween poll results are up. How much will you spend for Halloween?

under $50 57%
$51-$75 19%
$75-$100 14%
$101-$125 0%
$126-$150 0%
Over $150 10%


The frugal folks were voting. The majority of folks are spending under $50.

Frugal Halloween Guide

Frugal menu planning week of Sept 17th

Sun Steak, potatos, mushrooms and onions

Mon Garlic flavor chicken, green beans

Tues Meatloaf

Wed Hamburger,spinach (frozen) and tomato

Thurs Lean pockets soceer and cub scount night

Fri Leftovers


Sat Pizza

Have you been scammed in a work at home business?

The moms over at the Wahm bloggers network want to know.

Yes, scammed 1 time and duped a second time.

We had moved into our new house back in 1996 and I said it would be great to be able to find something I could make some extra money with. I think I saw the ad in the local classifieds.

Make Money Stuffing Envelopes! Hundreds or thousands a dollar a week. Send a $1.00 and a prepaid stamped envelope to....

I was a little naive. I wasn't on the Internet back then. I sent my envelope to the post office box. A few weeks later I receive my envelope back.

The details were...
For every envelope stuffed you earn $1 or $2 or some other amount.
They asked for an up-front fee of $29.95 or more just to make sure "you're serious" about their envelope stuffing program. They had success stories. Jeannie was a struggling single mom before you found this system. Dumb me, I sent my $29.96 and waited for my next steps. I got the scam at this point, I need to advertise and wait for others to follow the scam. No way was I going to do that.

And where I was duped...
My name must have gotten on some work at home list because in the spring of 1997 I received this yellow little booklet with a beautiful house. Are you tired of working at your job, is your boss a jerk, and the all-American dream working for yourself in your own home business. I called the 800 number and got another package of information mailed to me. They couldn't tell me the name of the company but it still sounded intriguing and I got my credit card to pay $34.95 for more details. Eventually I found it was Herbalife. That stuff was terrible and I had these high level pressure people calling me all the time to buy the product to sell or others or recruit others. I ended up buying a lot of product that was never sold and I could sell it back to company at a 50% discount I would need my upline's permission. It got nasty at that point. I eventually got back some of my money. While Herbalife is a legit company I don't like their business practice.

Check out the wahm bloggers story for more stories of avoiding scams .

Free Sample Friday!

Free Halcyon High CD Demo
Ear plug samples
Folgers Gourmet Selections Freebie!
SOYJOY Nutrition Bars Offer available to residents in CO, IA, MA and WI only.


Free condoms
Arm & Hammer® Toothpaste
Advil PM
Sun Silk Shampoo samples
FREE stuff for any Mother or Father-to-be!


Free Head & Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioner Package
CoverGirl Advance Radiance Sample
Free sample of Paul MitchellCall 800-321-JPMS orhttp://www.paulmitchell.com/

And a deal of the week...
Blockbuster Movies rentals Only $9.99 unlimited rentals at your door. Cheaper than netflix.
free+sample free+stuff freebies mom pregnancy coffee shampoo+samples beauty+products

How much will you spend for Halloween?

Halloween spending is expected to be over 3 billion. How much do you spend for decorations, costumes, candy and parties?

How much money do you spend for Halloween? under $50 $51-$75 $75-$100 $101-$125 $126-$150 Over $150    Free polls from Pollhost.com

Free ice cream in Boston

Free ice cream at Brigham's from Tuesday, September 12th to Sunday, September 17th

http://www.boston.com/thescoop/

Hope you enjoy!

Frugal Momma

Cheap Halloween Ideas

Halloween can be an expensive holiday if you have kids, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can keep Halloween cheap from costumes to parties. Here is a collection of ideas for Halloween not to be your budget buster Frugal Halloween Guide


Halloween cheap frugal boy's+costumes girl's+costumes Halloween+costume Kid's+Halloween+costume baby+halloween+costume discount+halloween+costume halloween+party

In Remembrance

I am sure many of you have many memories of this sad day in history. I will never forget that Tuesday morning. The day before I found out that I was pregnant so I was giddy and excited because that is what my husband and I wanted.

I was working in downtown Boston in one of the skyscrapers. I was getting settled into my work day when my husband called me at work telling me about plane number 1. All of my co-workers are I were huddled around the radio listening. One of my co-workers husband was traveling to New York that day, luckily he was on another plane. Another co-worker's brother who worked at Canter Fitzgerald called in sick that day. My husband's company lost a number of people since they have an office there.

I remember they sent us home that day at 10:30 and I had to take the commuter train to pick up my 2 yr old son. Men and women were crying when they were on the train riding home to their loved ones. We also got sent home 2 other days that week because of some random bomb threats.



I didn't know anyone personally that died that day but several acquitances of friends and family.

God Bless and remember freedom isn't free. We have a good friend that is going to over to Iraq in a few weeks as medic. We are being a good friend to his wife and two young sons while he is away. He has been away since June.

I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
Now they say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Now I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fightin' for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
And all the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?


Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Frugal dinner planning wk of Sept 10th

Sun Steak, potato fries and zucchini fries which were awesome~

3 Large zucchini~ washed and patted dry.
1/4 cup of olive oil
variety of spices: tsp garlic powder, tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt/pepper
tsp cumin, tsp oregano, chopped fresh rosemary (whatever your spice desires are)

preheat oven to 500 degrees.
take cookie sheet and rub thin coat of olive oil on surface.
In a bowl throw all of your favorite spices to combine.
take the zucchini and cut in half length wise. cut the flesh out where the seeds are. discard this flesh.
slice zucchini into shoe string style slivers. like french fries.
put zucchini in bowl with spices and gently toss without breaking shoe strings.
drizzle oil and toss to coat with spices and oil.
Lay zucchini on cookie sheet, in one layer.
bake in 500 degree temp oven for 15-18 minutes until crisp.
take out and eat like french fries.

Mon Chili

Tues Asian beef with coleslaw

Wed Leftover chili

Thurs Lean pockets (crazy cub scout and soccer night-who loves fall)

Fri Chicken thighs, mashed potatos, veggie

Sat Homemade pizza

Frugal+meal+planning budget dinner pizza chicken ground+beef ground+turkey chili

September is a budget buster month

Septemeber the beginning of the school year can always be a budget buster month.

We have to pay preschool tuition for 1/2 the school year.

Our life insurance semi annual premiums are due

We have the extra money set aside for those expenses.

Now the budget buster

New brakes on my husband's car. $500

And a potential budget buster... Our dishwasher is broken again We had it fixed in July it was a broken fuse. It looks like the same thing again, the guy came out on Friday to look and it is the fuse. He had to place an order for the fuse. I am hoping that it will be just that. Otherwise I think we will need a new dishwasher.

If I receive a $100,000...

What a dream and I would love it at this point. The gals over
Wahm bloggers network want to know.

Being the Frugal Momma that I am, my most pratical answer (and boring) would put it towards my mortgage. That would give me a lot of wiggle room in my budget.

A tad bit more exciting answer would be put it towards our house addition that we are considering in another year or two.

A 100k is hardly any money these days but I think if I receive it, I would take 30,000 and put it towards college education. $20,000 in money market account for emergency savings. $10,000 towards a great family vacation. $20,000 for a new car and $10,000 for some small home improvement stuff.

I would continue working my business since I want to make sure family stays ahead financially. If it was a million dollars, I would put the business on hold.
work+at+home+mom money mortgage home+improvement dream frugal vacation