Frugal Photo Friday: Listening to the Radio for Freebies (Week 1)

Welcome to the 1st Week of Frugal Photo Friday! As I mentioned in my last post, I was joining Money Saving Mom & Simply Rebekah on their series. This is a series they did last year with a theme, they decided to change it this year and not do a theme. The purpose of this series is to photograph anything that might have helped you save money. So to start off this series, here is my first photograph.

Free Family Four Pack Zoo Tickets!

 I am constantly listening to the radio and trying to win all the great prizes they give away. You can cut your costs this way, they give away movie passes, food gift cards, tickets to special events, the zoo, and so forth. I won these zoo tickets in late August from my local radio station. I was going to use them for Hailey's birthday, but my husband had to work that day. So we decided to save them for the holidays instead. How is this going to save me money? Well, I will tell you, the tickets are for 2 adults and 2 children, when I went into the zoo website, I checked out the regular admission prices.

Adults: $10 Each

Children 2-13: $7.00 Each

So, final price just to go into the zoo would cost us $34.00! How is that for savings!

We get to enjoy the wonders of the zoo for free! Would this be considered frugal? I think so, because, when you think about it, the point of being frugal is to cut costs and save money anywhere you can, but also still enjoy some of life's pleasures. Listening and winning on the radio can help you with cutting some of those costs.

So there you have it, my Frugal Photo for this week. Want to see other posts like this? Then head on over to Money Saving Mom & Simply Rebekah to see what others are doing to save money!

Have you taken any frugal photos? Let me hear you!

Frugal Photo Friday

Calling all my Frugal Readers! I am joining Money Saving Mom's Frugal Photo Friday.

Every friday in October I will be posting a picture of how I saved money. It is a series that she did last year, except she had a theme and this year she is leaving it open to the imagination. I am asking my readers to join me on this series.

For Example: The picture above was taken last year, we went to our local library for Halloween Arts & Crafts and they made a Halloween Cat Mobile. This was a major money saver being that I didn't have to buy any of the supplies, the library provides everything and it's FREE!

Simply email me your money saving picture with a caption explaining how that saved you money. It's that easy. Every friday I will go through my submissions and post what you have sent me.

I hope you join me on this series. I think it is a perfect way to show how we all save money. Happy photographing!

Slow Down Challenge - Day 5, Taking Time to Express Gratitude

This is something that I am actually very bad at. Alot of times people do things for me and I am not really sure how to show my gratitude. Sometimes, I just plain DON'T and yes that is very bad of me. I have alot of trouble showing gratitude to people, maybe because I don't really like it when people do things for me, I like to do things on my own, I like to find my own way.

Showing gratitude does not take much of you, sometimes the simpliest forms of gratitude are really appreciated. MoneySavingMom.com wrote on her Day 5 Challenge that she keeps a gratitude journal. I am thinking of starting one of my own. This part of the Challenge was a little hard for me and I didn't really embrace this one task. But, it's something that I need to work on. So I will be looking for ways to create my gratitude journal and find ways of expressing my gratitude towards others.

How did you all do on this challenge? Any part of this challenge that you were not able to accomplish, but want to work on? Share your stories and let's learn from each other.

This is the end of the Challenge and I hope it helped you and improved your outlook on your everyday living.

Slow Down Challenge - Day 4, Embracing the Interruptions

I realized that I did not post my update on this challenge. So here is the update for this task.

We all have interruptions, it's part of our everyday lives. I personally hate to be interrupted. Not only do I get interrupted when I am in the moment of doing things, I lose where I am at and don't remember what I was doing when I was interrupted.

Well, I have learned to accept and embrace the interruptions. When it comes to the kids, there is no wiggle room here, they are going to interrupt you no matter what, because everything they see and do is cause for interruption because they want to express it to you right away. So what do I do? I take time from what I am doing and give them 5 minutes for them to express themselves. Alot of times I get frustrated, agitated and downright cranky because sometimes there are things that I plan to do and then BOOM! something or someone interrupts me. Alot of times, those interruptions turn out to be the best thing that could have happened. Why you ask? Well, those interruptions happen to be a birthday party invitation, hearing from an old friend that I had not heard from in a while, hearing all about my kids adventures from that day.

So whatever interruption gets in your way, take the time to slow down and listen, some of those interruptions can be lifesavers or rewarding in their own way.

How do you embrace interruptions?

Task 5:

Taking Time to Express Gratitude

Slow Down Challenge - Day 3 Multitasking is a Myth

Well, in my opinion, multitasking in not a myth, it can be done. I consider myself the greatest multitasker ever! Why you ask? Well, not only can I cook and clean at the same time, I can also run errands and talk on the phone at the same time. Amazing!

Over the last few years, I have had to make alot of adjustments in my life. I have had to juggle work, home, kids, school, homework, etc. I have learned how to juggle it all, sometimes at the same time. Take my job, I answer the phones, type, greet clients sometimes, sign for deliveries. You really have to learn how to multitask in a workplace. So I have put those skills to work for me at home.

Take last weekend for instance, during the week my house can get cluttered and messy really quick, especially with the kids just leaving thier stuff everywhere. So I have a plan in motion, I start the laundry, wash the dishes, then sweep and swifter the floors, once the laundry is done put it in the basket, start another load, go out and hang dry, come back, throw out trash, put new bags in, start lunch, clean our room, check the mail, list goes on and on.

I really find it enjoyable doing lots of things at the same time, because it keeps me busy, I know that things are getting done. But at the same time, doing all these things is what keeps me away from other things and this is where you look at your tasks and determine that you have to slow down and take a breather. So what that in mind, take your multitasking and try to slow down a bit, sometimes, not everything needs to be done at once.

What are your thoughts?

Task 4:

Embracing Interruptions

Slow Down Challenge - Day 2, Savoring What's Before Us

Good Morning!

Yesterday, I belive was a great challenge. It was about Savoring Whats Before Us. I took that to mean, exactly what it means. Yesterday, I just got home from work, savoring my house, the sounds of my kids getting snacks, listening to the sound of my A/C. I guess I was savoring my house, and how it's full of life.

We didn't really have dinner per say, we just all pretty much, made our own dinner, everyone wanted something different. So me and the girls had hot dogs and my husband made cheese sandwiches. We just all sat down and enjoyed ourselves, talking, laughing about our day and just savoring the moment. I enjoyed watching the girls get their own plates, cups, drinks. Just watching them do their own thing is what I savor the most, because they are growing up and doing their own thing these days. I just savored everything around me, my family, that's what I savor the most. Alot of times, we are just rushing through dinner, because the girls want to watch t.v. But, yesterday, everyone just stopped and listened, laughed and did their own thing, but in a way, we did it together. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it does to me.

When dinner was done, we watched the movie "Selena". I rented it off of Netflix. That was a great time, because not only were they learning about her, they were also enjoying the music. That was also a great learning experience. They were asking me so many questions about her. I was savoring their quest for knowledge. It was so great.

Later that night, I decided to listen to my MP3 player, put a cool washcloth over my eyes to relax them and just breathed in and out. I get such enjoyment from listening to my music that I can free my mind and just be me. No one bothers me and I can savor the moment, focus on the lyrics of the song. Those are the times that I love also, because, when I hear the music, nothing else matters, bills, work, cleaning, etc. I can just be free.

I really enjoyed this day's challenge. I feel so great right now. Every once in a while, we have to stop, take a look around us and just breathe in everything, savor the sight and sounds and ask yourself "what can I savor today?"

What did you savor today? Let me hear you.

If you would like to read the story from MoneySavingMom.com here is her link:

MSM.com Savoring Whats Before Us

Task 3:

Multitasking is a Myth

Slow Down Challenge: Day 1, Stop & Smell the Roses

Well, since I joined this challenge yesterday on MoneySavingMom, I think I am a day behind, I think she started her challenge on Monday, but, better late than never. Yesterday, it started to rain, so I decided to open the door and let the rain air waft through the house and listened to the sound of the pouring rain and then just watched as it rained, my girls got in on the action too. It was so peaceful and relaxing and it made me feel so much better. Sometimes, we overlook the rain, it can make you feel so relaxed.

I also overlooked all the magazines that I had piled up in my bedroom. From all the free subscriptions I get, my room was starting to look like a magazine store. So I took the time to sort through it all. I pulled the articles that I liked and put them in my binder and will be recycling the magazines.

We also took the time to relax with some ice cream that was sitting in my freezer. After dinner, we just sat through a movie and enjoyed it. When you take the time to enjoy what you are eating, it tastes so much better, that is something that people sometimes overlook. When you are in a hurry and just always on the go, eating and actually enjoying the ice cream can make you feel so relaxed and calm.

Well, this is what I did as part of this challenge. Enjoying the rain, smelling it, cleaning my magazines out and then enjoying the ice cream with the kids, these are the little things that we can sometimes overlook. Because we are always on the go that taking the time to enjoy these things makes it hard. But, sometimes you just have to slow down, clear your mind, look at the things that you have overlooked and take some time to enjoy it.

What did you do for this challenge? Share your stories

Day 2 Task:

Savoring What's Before Us

Slow Down Challenge

This week I am joining MoneySavingMom.com's Slow Down Challenge .

It's all about slowing down in our hectic lives and learning to appreciate what we have around us, seeing the beauty in everyday things. I know that I am constantly running around, never slowing down, I am always doing something and what does that get me? Tired, frustrated, exhausted, & grumpy.

We need to take time to slow down, take a breath, listen to the rain (when it rains), watch the sunset, sunrise, listen to the sounds around you. Breathe in life itself will help you find balance.

So won't you join me in this challenge and stop to smell the roses with me?

Today's Task:

Walk around your Home, Neighborhood, Workplace, etc., and take the time to breathe in the beauty that you might not have seen, that others have not seen

I will post tomorrow what I saw, what I found intersting and what brought me peace. I would love to hear your comments on what you accomplished, what you breathed in & how it made you feel. I hope this challenge helps you find balance in your life. It's ok to slow down and breathe.

Update - Christmas in July Challenge

I must apologize to you all. I was never able to get my yard sale off the ground. I was so busy messing with the gas situation, that my yard sale got put on the back burner. I fully intend to have it as soon as the kids get back to school. But, since during that time, I was able to go through more things, and boy did I find more things hidden away that I can sell. As soon as I have that sell, I will post what I made and what I did with the profit.

Were any of you able to have a yard sale? Were you able to go through your rooms and clear out your clutter? What did you do to get rid of your clutter? Let me hear your stories.

Update - Week 4

So, it was another fun filled weekend at our house. All the laundry is complete and, yes, i will practically only have clothes to sell at my yard sale, but that's ok, because winter is coming and i have alot of winter clothes that the girls have outgrown.

Ok, ok, not everything is clothes, but it sure feels like it though. Now, i have managed to go through other rooms in the house. I decided to sell our VHS tapes, i don't know if they will sell, but it's worth a try, there are alot of people that still have VHS machines. I have the VHS/DVD Combo, but the VHS does not play right, so we just use the DVD from time to time. I am not sure if i should sell my cassette tapes, but then again, the goal is to purge everything and since everything is digital, and i have an MP3 player that has all much musci anyways, i will probably try to sell them, the ones that work at least. I have alot of dishes and utensils that are duplicate and i don't use them much, so those might go as well. Everything else, shoes, belts, knick knacks, curtains, pillows, some xmas items that i don't use, and other miscellaneous items will be sold as well. I hope to make a pretty penny. So, i feel that this challenge has helped me in getting my life organized, finding things that i can part with and make a little money to help with other bills was very helpful. I now feel that i am ready to tackle the yard sale come next week, i will post how the yard sale went and what my profit was and what i intend to do with it.

How did this challenge help you? What were you able to clear out? When you cleared out your stuff, what did you do with it? Let me hear ya!

Update - Week 3

Well, i am sorry to say, that i don't have anything really to report for this week. We have had a number of unexpected things happen at the house that i was not able to really focus on cleaning out the house. I will have to try to get things done during this week if i want to have my yard sale by next week. I was able to clear out some trash and go through some of the drawers and get rid of papers and clutter. But that is all that i was able to do. I will try to post something during the week as i clean here and there.

What did you accomplish this weekend? Let me know what you were able to pull out of your closests and such. What do you plan to do with the things you took out?

Update - Week 2

Welcome Back!

So what did i manage to pull out of the closets this weekend? Well, it was pretty much the same, clothes, clothes, clothes! I cannot believe the amount of clothes my girls have!

Here is what i decided to do:

1. First i gathered every single piece of clothes they have

2. Washed everything so they could be clean and fresh.

3. Seperated long sleeves, short sleeves, pants, shorts, jackets in their own piles and by size.

When all was said and done, I decided that these clothes, while they are still in pretty good shape, my older daughter has outrgrown them and my little one is pretty picky about the hand me downs. I will be selling Hailey's clothes, because she has outgrown those and she is only keeping a few of Kat's clothes. As far as the jackets, the majority of them will be sold, i figured that they only really needed about two good ones, a windbreaker and a heavy duty jacket for the colder days. Shorts and other clothes can still be worn.

In the toy department, there really wasn't that much to pull out, since the girls are getting older they really don't play that much with toys. Mainly, Kat decided to keep a couple of dolls and Hailey is keeping her collection of toy ponys and her tea set.

As for me and my husband, i got rid of alot of t-shirts that he doesn't wear anymore, pretty much, some of them are work clothes, undershirts that are worn out. Threw out his old work shoes, since he gets new ones from the company every 6 months. Threw out some of my clothes. I noticed that when i was using Tide Detergent, because it is so concentrated, the blue color would stain my shirts. I tried washing them and using Shout on them, but the stain stayed, so i had to say goodbye to them. I pretty much just wear my work t-shirts and use my regular clothes for going out.

So I am finally clearing out the clutter. I have decided to start taking some time during the week to get more ahead. I really want to have this yard sale by August. I will next tackle the dresser drawers, the inside of my closet, and the kitchen.

What did you manage to clean out of your house this week? Let me hear ya!

Week 1

Here is an update to my Christmas in July Challenge. I decided to clean out the girls room. I managed to pull out a lot of their clothes and a few toys. Most of thier clothes are still in great condition, just have completly outgrown them. I put some of their clothes in a small pile.

I pulled out about 30 pieces of clothing, which consisted of shirts, skorts, pants and regular shorts. I also found some clothing that had a few stains that after washing still didn't manage to come out. So i had to throw them out. It's amazing what kids get stained with!

As far as toys, Hailey (5 years old) still had some toys that she had when she was 2 years old. She happily parted with them. Kat (9 years old), does not really have any toys, basically she has clothes that she has outgrown and Hailey has told me she does not want them because they are not her style. Really, a 5 year old has a style already? Well, in any case, this was my weekend cleaning.

What room did you clean out? What did you decide to keep or get rid of? Let me hear ya!

Come back next post for my Week 2 update!

52 Week Money Challenge

Here is another great Way 2 Save. Thanks to my cousin Marla for sending me this chart! If you were to follow this chart, you should end up with a good size amount in your bank account. Every week you deposit a certain amount into your bank account. If for some reason you cannot deposit the said amount for that week, you can deposit the amount from the previous week and then double up your next depsoit. I would love to hear if anyone has actually done this challenge. 



Christmas in July Challenge

Christmas is exactly 5 months away!

I am challenging my new readers to join me in my Christmas in July Challenge!

Me and my husband were talking the other night about how our house is overflowing with lots of stuff. What i mean by "stuff" is, the endless piles of our girls clothes, toys, kitchen items, books, movies, the list goes on and on! Oh yeah, all the stuff piled in our storage barn in our backyard. Yikes!

So I said to him "why don't we spend the month of July cleaning out one or two rooms every weekend, going through what we have and having a massive yard sale at the end of the month?"

He said to me "that sounds like a good idea". Of course, my husband usually goes along with alot of my hair-brained ideas to make a little money. Since people are looking for ways to christmas shop early, i figured that a yard sale would be a great way to clear the clutter and make a few bucks towards my own shopping.

So with that settled, i decided to ask my readers to join me, not only in keeping me motivated with my project, but to help you if you are trying to make a few extra bucks, get rid of your clutter and maintain order in your life.

Here is my proposal:

Go through one or two rooms every weekend and see what you can sell, keep, or even donate to a charity. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff you have hidden away. I know i do. Share your accomplishments with me, you don't have to have a yard sale, there are many other ways to go about this challenge. I want to see what other ideas my readers have.

I will update my progress every Monday, so be sure to check back with me to see what i managed to pull out. Don't forget to post your ideas.

Merry Christmas!