Entries Tagged 'Frugal Living' ↓

I like wearing work boots. I find them very comfortable to wear just about any time. I like how they are durable and keep my feet protected and because of their nice styling, they can go along with just about any outfits. Best of all, they last a long time. I used to go through shoes so fast, but work boots have kept up with my hectic lifestyle. If you’ve seen the selection and prices at WorkBootsUsa.com then you know what I mean.

When I was growing up, my mom would always try to save using the vacuum as much as possible. She was afraid the motor would wear out and she didn’t like spending money on the electricity. She would often times have me and my brother pick up stuff off the floor and then she would use a broom to sweep the carpet. A few times a week she would go ahead and vacuum the floor. I always swore that I would never do that.

Hah! With the way prices are going and with electricity getting more expensive all the time, I am now doing things to save using too much electricity. Can you believe that I am now having my sons get down on the floor and pick up the larger stuff on the floor? Can you believe that I am now using a broom to sweep off the floor? Yes,I am turning ultra frugal, just like my mom. But guess what? I even have went a step further. I am making everyone take off their shoes at the door and use special flip flops in the house so that they don’t track dirt around the house. This is getting to be too much work!

Maybe it is time I look into a Dirt Devil AccuCharge vacuum cleaner. They have got energy efficient models with an Energy Star rating. At least then I could use a vacuum cleaner without worrying so much about power bills.

Just the other day I saw some old hippies in an old converted school bus and I was reminded of my father. It was a dream of his for so long to buy an old school bus and convert it into a home on wheels.

He even got to the point of visiting used school bus lots and calculating up the costs for buying one, converting it, and then fueling it. He made up detailed plans on how to use the space inside the bus in the most effective way. He truly was making it a home on wheels.

My father never got a chance to make his dream come true. He owned a motorhome, he owned a travel trailer, but a converted school bus just didn’t happen. Anyways, every time I see a converted school bus, I think of him.

And think about Old Hippies

I have recently wanted to start watching HDTV without paying for the special HDTV channels on Cable TV. I read on the internet that it was possible to build a simple antenna to go on the roof that would get in the UHF channels that make up the bulk of the HDTV channels.

I was surprised how easy it was to make a Bowtie Dipole antenna. All I need was a 2×4, a piece of plywood, aluminum foil, and some stiff wire. I cut the wire into 14 inch pieces and then folded them in a v shape. I put 4 of them 7 inches apart on the 2 by 4 and connected them with wires to 300 ohm antenna lead.

The results were awesome. It was no problem getting all of the local channels once I mounted it on the side of the house.

I can not believe what is happening with the cost of food lately. I food is now the biggest monthly expenditure in my family’s budget. I have thought lately that we’ve been spending too much on food, but today I decided to run the figures and see for myself. I wish I could say I was surprised with the results.

We now spend more money on food during a month than we spend on rent and utilities, transportation, and even those crazy miscellaneous expenses. We are a family of four and we don’t eat lavishly. I wish I had some good records to see just how much more we are spending for food now than 6 months or a year ago.

I really feel for people in a marginal economic situation. I know when I lived abroad, I know people who would only eat rice with sardines, Malanggay leaves or even just salt. With the way prices are going up, I can imagine that they have no way to cut down on expenses any further and they are just going to resort to being hungry.

I think this means that we will be donating more in our fast offerings using the money we are going to cut from our food budget.

It’s contest time! I love posting about contests that can help you improve your life and your. Improving your home is exactly what this new TriScents contest is all about. Renuzit TriScents is an electric scented oil air freshener. It’s a great way to keep your home feeling fresh and clean.

Sure, TriScents will make you a winner by keeping your home smelling fresh and clean, but their new contest will really help you improve your home. The first prize is a $20,000 home makeover. You can do a lot of home improvement work with that, can’t you?

You enter the contest by visiting the TriScents website. You can read all of the details and all of the rules there, but the meat of it is that you need to get a photo or a video showing how you could use the prize and then write a short essay on why you feel you need or could benefit from the prize. You want to keep them both short and sweet so keep the video less than 2 minutes long and keep the essay under 250 words. Again, see official rules for all the rules in detail.

When you make up your entry, try to be very convincing. You want to win the contest, right? So try to make it very clear why your home needs a makeover and why you deserve the makeover. Be sure you mention how Renuzit TriScents will help you improve your home as well. Remember to be creative as well as convincing. You want people to vote for you, right?

If you need a bit of inspiration, or if you are like my wife and want to always try new scents, you can download the Starter Kit and a get a coupon for a nice discount on TriScents. A new scent, a new contest and I save money on air freshener? Sounds good to me.