. . One tool that you can use to get, and stay, organized is to schedule tasks; some are only done once every year, and therefore, I attach those tasks to monthly Tasks and Tips. Even if I only complete some of the tasks and preparations or awareness campaigns, I am still farther along than […]
Watermelon Seed Spitting Week Trivia
. . Hello and happy summer! In recognition of Watermelon Seed Spitting Week (June 26 through June 29), I thought it would be fun to provide some fun trivia. Watermelon is Very Healthy and Versatile It is low in calories: a one-cup serving has only 48 calories. It is a great source of Vitamins A […]
Steps to Avoid Identity Theft
. . It is a fair guess that you may have heard about the recent massive hack attack, the largest hack attack in history of government computers. Four million, or 80%, of all current and previous federal employees potentially had their personal information stolen. Nearly every government agency was affected by this breach. The concern […]
Fresh Herbs – Fruits and Veggies Month
. . To continue with last week’s blog entry, another way capitalize on fresh fruits and veggies from street markets during growing season is by using some of the techniques below: I get fresh culinary herbs from street markets for a variety of things and to put a twist on some recipes during summer: Caprese salad […]
Herbs: Mint Methods
. . Mints of all varieties are herbs. There are more than 30 species and it is abundant in the summer. In fact, I was given a huge bunch of the herb by a co-worker last week because she knows how much I love mint. I got a variety of perks out of the bunch […]
Karma Has No Menu: Setting Goals
. . This month’s motivational quote is about achieving your dreams by setting goals for yourself. As mentioned last month, my granddaughter is helping me with motivational quotes for each month. Not only does she come up with the motivational quote, but she also selects the photos to illustrate the quote! That is Sami holding the […]
National Fruits and Veggies Month
. . If you have kept up with my blog entries, you will know that I am a huge advocate of locally grown foods and farmers’ markets to save money and yet put healthy food on my table. Keep in mind that there are 2 types of “farmers’ markets”: Street Markets and Public Markets. I […]
Before, During, and After a Hurricane
. . Hurricane Season is from June 1st through November 30th in both Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions. To be classified a hurricane, the storm must have sustained winds of at least 74 mph and may gust up to 200 mph. A hurricane may cover areas up to several hundred miles and generate torrential rains and/or […]
Check Out National Dairy Check-Offs
. . To follow up with my post from January 1, 2015 in which I described what check-offs are, June is National Dairy Month and there are a variety of check-offs in many states that will help us, the consumers, to save money, provides recipes, and a wide variety of information. A Quick History: milk […]
How Colors Affect You, Part 4
. . Last month I continued the journey with Part 3 to show how much colors affect everything that we all do. In order to cover the colors of the rainbow, this section will be a bit long. The final part to How Colors Affect You will be posted on July 6th and will cover […]
June Tasks and Tips
. . One tool that you can use to get, and stay, organized is to have a game plan. Even if you only complete some of the tasks and preparations or awareness campaigns, you are still farther along then you were prior to using a game plan. In my own case, I have […]
National Vinegar Month
. . Although I’m not a meteorologist or scientist, I do know that the weather I’ve seen in recent years has become significantly more extreme and it is becoming more violent: colder winters, hotter summers, more frequent hurricanes and tornadoes, and the list goes on and on. From my own lay-person perspective, it is not […]
Older Americans Month
. . Older Americans Month was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, when only 9 percent of the population at that time (189,240,000) had reached their 65th birthday. At the time, there were few programs to help older Americans and one third of the American population lived in poverty. According to the Administration for […]
Memorial Day Remembrance
. . Please take some time this holiday weekend to remember our military personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. Freedom truly is not free. It comes at a very great cost. I work at a Veterans Affairs medical center and what truly baffles my mind is that many of the Veterans […]
Cut Your Air Conditioning Bill
. . As I have worked to cut costs on my day-to-day living, I found a really cool way (no pun intended) in cutting my air conditioning bill almost in half. Delmarva nicely provides a variety of tools that you can use to show how much energy you use. In a book that I am […]
You Can’t Have a Rainbow . . .
. . Beginning in May, I will provide a motivational quote each month and also a photo. This quote: “You can’t have a rainbow without a little rain” fits perfectly with a photo that we took during our Hawaiian vacation last year. This was the view off our balcony. Almost every day, a rainbow […]
Flea Treatment for Dogs That Works 100%
. . I love it when I can find a natural solution that I can use for my dog rather than giving her something that has chemicals in it. Better yet is when the flea treatment is a natural solution that works BETTER than the type with chemicals AND it is extremely inexpensive! I have […]
How Colors Affect You, Part 3
. . Last month I continued the journey with Part 2 to show how colors affect you and in fact, how much colors affect everything that we all do. I want to provide one more example that I can personally attest to that the use of colors helps to counteract a challenge. I am dyslexic […]
Organizational Tasks for May
. . One great Time Management, Organizational Task, and Money-Saving tip that ALWAYS works is to plan ahead. When you plan ahead, you know when the upcoming sales will be, you will be able to coordinate multiple stops into one trip, and will be able to include FUN ACTIVITIES into your day while you also […]
Dog Treats for 96 Percent Less!
.. .. For those of you who have dogs, you will know what a great companion they are. They know when you are upset or not feeling well. At those times, they just lay next to you to keep you company. Have you ever noticed that your dog will never want to play when he/she […]
16 Frugal Uses for Aluminum Foil
. . I love it when I find items that I normally have around home that I can use for a variety of uses, particularly when the uses have anything BUT what the product waned for. Barbecue Base put a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of your BBQ grill to catch the drips […]
Earth Awareness Month
. . Whether or not you believe in global warming, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that as the world’s population continues to grow more carbon dioxide being expelled (exhaling), more waste being created, more food needed, more clean water being used, more, more, more, etc. That being said, Earth Awareness Month […]
How Colors Affect You, Part 2
. . Last month I began the journey with Part 1 to show how colors affect you and everything that we all do. Colors can make you hungry or full, they can make you sad or happy, they can make you calm or set the stage for you to quickly become angry, and colors can […]
Creative Inexpensive Travel Sizes
. . Since I travel quite a bit (Traveling Nana!), I was determined to cut costs for many items that I use on a regular basis. Over the years I have assembled a bunch of tips, tricks, and techniques to save money when traveling, whether to amusement parks, road trips, airline trips, visiting other countries, […]
Driving In the Rain
.. .. Below is a quick trick to help you see better when you are driving in the rain and it is raining hard. Most people turn their windshield wipers on high, thinking it will keep their windshield clearer. If you have tried this, you know that does not usually work. .. . A simple […]
Make A Basic Stock Item for Almost Free
. . As people become busier with their day-to-day schedules, they tend to eat whatever happens to be in the kitchen that can be fixed in under 30 minutes. Fast food restaurants saw the profit they could make by capitalizing on people’s rushed schedules. It was only recently that the Food & Drug Administration has insisted […]
Extend the Life of Baking Flour
.. . I love Mighty Minnies because these super simple quick tricks and tips always save money and/or time and yet they only take SECONDS to do. That’s my idea of a win/ win situation! . Have you ever purchased flour or rice or pancake mix or Bisquick or cream of wheat or wheat germ […]
How Colors Affect You, Part 1
. . A colorful world is absolutely amazing. Are you aware how much the colors affect you? Colors can cause you to get angry quicker than normal or calm you down, can cause you to eat less, or not want to eat at all. Colors can make you happy or sad. When you’re giving a presentation, […]
Daylight Saving Time History
. . First of all, I want to correct a common mistake. The term is Daylight Saving Time and not Daylight Savings Time. . Next: Remember to “spring ahead” on Sunday, 3/8/2015 at 2:00 a.m. . Daylight Saving Time lets us utilize more daylight hours in the summer by moving our clocks an hour […]
Easy Trick to Keep Mildew Off Shower Walls
. . I LOVE Mighty Minnies! They take literally seconds to make a HUGE difference.. . . Do you find mold or mildew forming on your shower walls? I found a way that is not only super-fast but is also super cheap to keep mold and mildew from forming on my shower walls and my […]
A Great Recipe Beginning
. . March is National Nutrition Month. What better way to celebrate the month than by sharing a recipe that is used as the base for many recipes. Talk about a winning recipe, let’s start with a great recipe beginning: When the base is great tasting and healthy, the rest of the recipe will taste […]
3 Effective Time Management Tips
. . Before I get into 3 effective time management tiLet me start with two quotes that have helped me for many years: Inch by Inch: Everything is a Cinch: Steve Harvey (entertainer, actor, comedian, and host of the Steve Harvey Show, among other accolades) It would have been irrational of me to think that […]
Frugal Kitchen Tool – A Cast Iron Skillet
. . A cast iron skilled is an extremely frugal kitchen tool. I have had my iron skillet for about 40 years and I use it all the time.. For anyone who loves super crispy bacon, you cannot beat a cast iron skillet because you can get the skillet extremely hot before adding the bacon. […]
Underused and Delicious Superfood
. . February 16th is “National Almond Day”. Almonds are technically seeds rather than nuts. They are the seeds inside the fruit of the almond tree and are related to peaches, cherries, and plums. They have the highest levels of protein, fiber, and calcium than all other tree nuts. Whole almonds with skins […]
Uh-Oh – We’re Gonna Run Out of Chocolate!
Since February is one of the most popular months to focus on chocolate, I thought it would be fun to find some fun facts, health benefits, unique uses, history of chocolate, what companies are the world’s largest, what countries consume the most chocolate, etc. Also, if you have read any of my other […]
Those Pesky Plastic Containers
. . One of the marketing techniques that manufacturers use is to change the size of the plastic containers they provide. Additionally, each manufacturer’s plastic containers don’t nest easily with others that you already have. Furthermore, many food items come in plastic containers. For those of us who like to recycle, those get stashed on […]
Unique Way to Save with Toilet Tissue
. . The kinds of money savers I love are those that cost zero money to make them happen. And for this tip, after you finish laughing, do consider taking this message seriously. . Have you ever noticed at hotels that the toilet tissue is always inserted into the dispenser so that the tissue comes […]
14 Cheap and Natural Cleaning Tips
. . When I was young, I thought hydrogen peroxide was used only to disinfect wounds heal; however, I have since learned many more uses of this item. Hydrogen peroxide was discovered by a French chemist in 1818. Doctors’ offices used hydrogen peroxide to clean counter tops in patient rooms because of the disinfectant qualities. […]
Corral Plastic Utensils
. . For those of us who take lunch to work, another way to save money (besides taking lunches!) is to re-use plastic utensils after cleaning them in a dishwasher. However, have you ever tried to keep those spoons, forks, and knives organized? Ha! In your dreams. Well, I found the perfect way to do […]
Save SIGNIFICANTLY on Spices and Seasonings
. . For those of us who are watching our wallet, I am always on the lookout for ways to save money. I provided many money saving tips with your food budget in my article titled: 10 Step Supermarket Combination Technique. This post details how to save significantly on spices and seasonings. I am a […]
Recipe for Food Budget Savings
.. .. Many websites refer to “types” of shoppers (Auto-Pilot, Buzz, Discount Hunting, Impulse, etc.) I agree that personality traits play a major part when people shop. I also know from the years that I ran a photography company that psychographic techniques can cause people to love their photos so such that they will purchase […]
6 Tips to Clean Up Your Computer
.. .. A key technique that I learned years ago as an Executive Secretary was to keep my computer, both at work and at home, working in prime condition. At work, even though there was always an Information Technology department, there were tips that I could incorporate as an end user. I use those same tips at […]
Save Money: Make Bar Soap Last Longer
. . A super simple way to make your money go farther that only takes SECONDS to do, and actually doubles or triples how long bar soap will last, is to go Back to Basics: Unwrap the bar of soap as soon as you get home from purchasing it and store it unwrapped. That is […]
Full Moon Trivia
. . .I have always had a fascination of the moon because of photography. As I researched for interesting and fun facts, trivia, and historical tidbits, I found that many websites simply copy other websites word-for-word and many did not provide references from where they acquired the info. So, I decided to take a different […]
Start the New Year with a Clean Fridge
. . Hey – Happy New Year! Since food is normally the 3rd largest budget item, what a better way to start the New Year than to get your fridge ready to help save you money? Each year, people tend to throw away more than 25% of their annual budget. To illustrate that […]
Save Money with Check Offs
. . A Check-Off is a method used by many industries to research and promote their products. These types of campaigns are from the industries such as dairy, meat, agriculture, etc. as opposed to individual producers or brand marketers. These programs are called “Check Off” as a result of section of a form that […]
Santa Can Do It In 1 Night
. . According to Larry Silverberg, a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University, Santa could very easily deliver Christmas gifts to the entire world in one night. In fact, taking into account relative physics, “six Santa months” would equate to about 5 minutes in human time. See his entire article […]
Popcorn Dog Rattle
. . I just love it when I find great bargains that my dog will love. I love it even more when I can make those items from stuff that I normally would recycle or trash. One toy that many dogs LOVE, and that is almost free, is a “rattle”. You will need the following: […]
7 Tips to Put Yourself First
. . All of us are only going to pass this way one time. Below are 7 tips to put yourself first. Why not make the very best of the time that you do have on this Earth? Time management is critical in making the most of every day. It is really important in order […]
Straighten Up Saturdays Intro
.. .. Hello. I thought it would be fun to share some of the tips and tricks that I learned from all the years that I was an Executive Secretary to complete a huge variety of tasks. I discovered that it was much less stressful for me when I was proactive and stayed one step ahead […]
