It's the last day of the year, so you will have to hurry to get those things to the Goodwill in order to get a deduction on your taxes. Oh my, did I just say taxes? Okay, we are moving on. After Christmas one of the first things we want to do is make room for all the new stuff we got. Plus all the stores have shifted gears from buying stuff to organizing your stuff. You know all those plastic boxes, labels and lists, add to that, all the new year's resolutions of getting organized. So what is a person to do?
You can start with the closets. But you can't clean them all out in one day. I know, we all get excited at the prospect of order but you can really burn out pretty quick if you don't pace yourself. Besides, I have done it. I pulled out all the stuff from the closet and drawers, then got tired of trying to decide what to keep or give away. Now the bed was full of clothes and the floor had piles of stuff laying all over it. So I decided from now on not to pull out more than what I can go through and put back in an hour. When you have finished going through everything, you can start a new habit. If you buy a new blouse, when you get home you pull out one and give it away. If you buy a new pair of shoes, you give one pair away. There is a rule of thumb somewhere that says, "If you haven't worn it in six months or a year, chances are you are not going to wear it." So why not let it go and bless someone.
Happy New Year to You all!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
The Christmas Put Away
After all the time and effort it took to put up the Christmas decorations, it seems to take so much less time to put them away. Maybe we are just in a much bigger hurry to get everything back to normal, since dust does not resist anything, not even a tree or wreaths.
In starting the Christmas put away, this is a good time to look at what got left in the boxes. In the excitement to get the decorations put up we often forget about what is left over.You can check for damaged items and make a list of what needs to be replaced or something you would like to add to your collection. I saw some really cute ideas on Pinterest but there was not time before Christmas to make them. One helpful suggestion, from Pinterest, was to take pictures of your mantles, tables and other decorated areas so you could remember how it all went together.
Even though almost all the stores have had decorations on sale since August, I try to wait to get a few things in the after Christmas mark downs. Especially since the sales percentage goes up to 66%-75% off. I might as well be as thrifty as possible. A lot of people are tired of looking at all the Christmas stuff right now but next year you won't regret the few minutes you spend to be thrifty now.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are resolved to have a Thrifty New Year!
In starting the Christmas put away, this is a good time to look at what got left in the boxes. In the excitement to get the decorations put up we often forget about what is left over.You can check for damaged items and make a list of what needs to be replaced or something you would like to add to your collection. I saw some really cute ideas on Pinterest but there was not time before Christmas to make them. One helpful suggestion, from Pinterest, was to take pictures of your mantles, tables and other decorated areas so you could remember how it all went together.
Even though almost all the stores have had decorations on sale since August, I try to wait to get a few things in the after Christmas mark downs. Especially since the sales percentage goes up to 66%-75% off. I might as well be as thrifty as possible. A lot of people are tired of looking at all the Christmas stuff right now but next year you won't regret the few minutes you spend to be thrifty now.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are resolved to have a Thrifty New Year!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Clothes Pin Idea
Since the last post, I have continued thinking about all these Christmas cards we have received. So I came up with an idea to use clothes pins decorated with ribbon or maybe even painted to attach the cards to the tree. Because Christmas is just a few days away I didn't have a lot of time so I went to Michael's and found a package of felt snowmen stickers. They seemed to be the length needed to cover the front of the clothes pin. I am sure there are many other things which would be cute on the clothes pins. I also took the labels off a Starbucks drink bottle and filled it with peppermint M&M's. Here are a few snapshots.
Happy Thrifty Decorating To You All!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Decorating With Christmas Cards
We all get so many beautiful Christmas cards but what do we do with them. It is a shame to throw them away. I have seen baskets made out of them. I have seen them hung on a ribbon or taped on a door frame. There are even groups who ask for your Christmas cards so they can reuse them.
I decided to reuse them myself. For some added flair, I put them in the picture frames I have around the house. It adds a little Christmas cheer to an end table or counter, plus the colors and the words on them are beautiful. Here are some pictures to stir up your creativity.
Let's talk thrifty! This is" zero cost" decorating. You can put new cards in the frames every week if you want to. After Christmas is over, all you have to do is put your other pictures back in the frames.
Happy Christmas Card Thrifty To You!!!
I decided to reuse them myself. For some added flair, I put them in the picture frames I have around the house. It adds a little Christmas cheer to an end table or counter, plus the colors and the words on them are beautiful. Here are some pictures to stir up your creativity.
Let's talk thrifty! This is" zero cost" decorating. You can put new cards in the frames every week if you want to. After Christmas is over, all you have to do is put your other pictures back in the frames.
Happy Christmas Card Thrifty To You!!!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Thrifty Christmas Ribbon
We all like to give Christmas packages which are beautifully wrapped and tied with pretty ribbon but it can be expensive. Over the years I have received gifts in brown paper bags, in the bag from the store and even gifts wrapped with no ribbon. It might seen silly to spend the money for wrappings and ribbons because after they are opened it all goes in the trash. But pretty paper and ribbon add to this festive time of the year.
Most people go ahead and buy their wrapping paper, ribbon and tags for the next year in the after Christmas sales. But I will tell you a secret place to get some ribbon before Christmas that won't break the bank. Dollar General has really pretty wired edge ribbon for $1.00. I can splurge on ribbon until my heart is content for that kind of money. I snapped a picture so you could see some of the ribbon.
There is still time before Christmas to add some pretty to your packages.
Happy Thrifty Ribbon to All!
Most people go ahead and buy their wrapping paper, ribbon and tags for the next year in the after Christmas sales. But I will tell you a secret place to get some ribbon before Christmas that won't break the bank. Dollar General has really pretty wired edge ribbon for $1.00. I can splurge on ribbon until my heart is content for that kind of money. I snapped a picture so you could see some of the ribbon.
Happy Thrifty Ribbon to All!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Coupons and Your Pantry
I know what a lot of people say about coupons: "I don't have time to fool with them, I always leave them at home, I forget to cut them out". I have said these things too. But a few years ago I attended a seminar about "couponing and building up your pantry" to save money on the food bill. I was so impressed by this woman's testimony. She was feeding a family of six for $60 a week. Now understand she didn't do this feat the first week, but over several months she built up her pantry and freezer to be able to use what she had on hand.
"On hand", a phrase that has been lost in our microwave world. My grandmother had a big pantry. She was never at a loss to pull something out to prepare a wonderful meal. Before this seminar my pantry had a few cans of odd and end stuff, now it is filled with staples. Again, this did not happen overnight, it just took a little bit of planning on my part.
To start my plan I made a menu for the week, including lunches. Then I made a list of what I had in my pantry and freezer which matched the menu. I then added the things I needed to buy for the meals on that list. I also thought about what I cooked most often and added those items to my list. This may seem like a lot of lists but at least after you come home from the store you won't be saying: "I forgot......, now I can't make that dish." I can't tell you how many times I have done this. All because I thought I would remember what I needed or I thought I knew the ingredients for that recipe. A little up front work has saved me a lot in the end. Now for the coupons.
I get most of my coupons from the Sunday paper. As I go through them, I only pull out what I will use. When I first started I would tear out anything that looked good or one for a new product to try. I quickly realized I was only buying things I had coupons for and a lot of times those products were not food related. Now I am more focused and intentional about those coupons. I look at my list and pull out any coupons which match it. I check out the Publix ads for any buy one get one free items which I need as well as other grocery ads for special sales.
"Bogo" items are one of the ways I use to keep the pantry stocked. If you can allot $5.00- $10.00 of your weekly budget to use for stocking your pantry, you will be surprised at how quickly it will fill up. When you have used the last of an item, it is so nice to reach in the pantry or freezer and pull out another one without a thought.
Most grocery stores double coupons up to $.50. So when I have a $.50 coupon, I see $1.00 off an item I purchase. The old saying"pennies make dollars is true". Living thrifty is still the "in thing" to do.
Happy "Food" Thrifty to You!
"On hand", a phrase that has been lost in our microwave world. My grandmother had a big pantry. She was never at a loss to pull something out to prepare a wonderful meal. Before this seminar my pantry had a few cans of odd and end stuff, now it is filled with staples. Again, this did not happen overnight, it just took a little bit of planning on my part.
To start my plan I made a menu for the week, including lunches. Then I made a list of what I had in my pantry and freezer which matched the menu. I then added the things I needed to buy for the meals on that list. I also thought about what I cooked most often and added those items to my list. This may seem like a lot of lists but at least after you come home from the store you won't be saying: "I forgot......, now I can't make that dish." I can't tell you how many times I have done this. All because I thought I would remember what I needed or I thought I knew the ingredients for that recipe. A little up front work has saved me a lot in the end. Now for the coupons.
I get most of my coupons from the Sunday paper. As I go through them, I only pull out what I will use. When I first started I would tear out anything that looked good or one for a new product to try. I quickly realized I was only buying things I had coupons for and a lot of times those products were not food related. Now I am more focused and intentional about those coupons. I look at my list and pull out any coupons which match it. I check out the Publix ads for any buy one get one free items which I need as well as other grocery ads for special sales.
"Bogo" items are one of the ways I use to keep the pantry stocked. If you can allot $5.00- $10.00 of your weekly budget to use for stocking your pantry, you will be surprised at how quickly it will fill up. When you have used the last of an item, it is so nice to reach in the pantry or freezer and pull out another one without a thought.
Most grocery stores double coupons up to $.50. So when I have a $.50 coupon, I see $1.00 off an item I purchase. The old saying"pennies make dollars is true". Living thrifty is still the "in thing" to do.
Happy "Food" Thrifty to You!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thrifty Christmas Tree
About 3 years ago the Christmas tree we decorated for the downstairs died. Artificial trees finally do die. (LOL) We had a taller one we used upstairs in our bonus room but it was skinny. By that I mean in the big room it looked like a pole on a hill. I asked my "thrifty honey" if he thought he could cut the bottom of the skinny tree off so we could use it downstairs. He got out the hack saw and cut off 4 inches of the metal pole. Presto! We had a "new" tree for a few minutes of work. I love my "thrifty honey".
Now onto the tree decorating. To begin, I use several rolls of really pretty ribbon and some deco mesh. I had thought about cutting the ribbon but I was reluctant because once you cut it, you got it. Putting my fear aside, I cut both the ribbon and the mesh into 15" strips. Then I laid one on top of the other and tucked them in the tree. This seemed to make them show up more than just draping the ribbon around the tree. Several years ago I bought some large Christmas floral picks to use for the topper. These make the tree look like it bloomed on top. After adding the ornaments, I stand on a chair and sprinkle a couple of bags of snow all over the tree. This just really adds dimension to it. Here is our thrifty Christmas tree.
Happy Thriftying To All!
Now onto the tree decorating. To begin, I use several rolls of really pretty ribbon and some deco mesh. I had thought about cutting the ribbon but I was reluctant because once you cut it, you got it. Putting my fear aside, I cut both the ribbon and the mesh into 15" strips. Then I laid one on top of the other and tucked them in the tree. This seemed to make them show up more than just draping the ribbon around the tree. Several years ago I bought some large Christmas floral picks to use for the topper. These make the tree look like it bloomed on top. After adding the ornaments, I stand on a chair and sprinkle a couple of bags of snow all over the tree. This just really adds dimension to it. Here is our thrifty Christmas tree.
Happy Thriftying To All!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Christmas Thrifty
Since early July, the new Christmas decorations have been on display at one of my favorite stores. You all know the routine. It's hot and we are ready for a change. As I wandered through the store looking at the ribbons and colorful ornaments, I started thinking about what I could put together to get that "new look". Those new colors with the cute designs did not go with my old stuff.
By the way the old stuff was the latest and greatest a few years ago, when I bought it because I just had to have it. That old story, "Keep up with who?" Now days I have resolved to be thrifty. As I left the store I thought, why not challenge yourself to use what you have in a new way? Let's get those creative juices flowing.Who says the stores are the only ones with the best designers?
Design I did! I shopped the house for things to mix in to make the "new" Christmas decor. Here are some pictures of the dining room.
The table is covered with a white cloth accented with some red place mats. The gold chargers hold plastic red striped plates from the Dollar store topped with smaller word plates from Walmart. The little ceramic soldiers on the edge of the chargers came from a yard sale. The glasses are my favorites, a Pier One buy many years ago. The greenery is old stuff I cut up and arranged with ice branches from a tree that fell apart.(You can reuse anything). The candle holder is an after Christmas deal from Kohls. I filled it with a candle and jingle bells, 90% off at Big Lots. I found the leopard ribbon in the bottom of the decoration box. I thought it added some pizazz. The buffet has the yard sale Santa on a book with some greenery around it. The white tray with the stemware and napkins tied with leopard ribbon is one of the newest creations. I added some old gold apples to fill in the space on the tray. Even though I wanted all the beautiful new brown and copper decorations for the dining room, I am really very pleased with this thrifty design.
Merry Thrifty to You!
By the way the old stuff was the latest and greatest a few years ago, when I bought it because I just had to have it. That old story, "Keep up with who?" Now days I have resolved to be thrifty. As I left the store I thought, why not challenge yourself to use what you have in a new way? Let's get those creative juices flowing.Who says the stores are the only ones with the best designers?
Design I did! I shopped the house for things to mix in to make the "new" Christmas decor. Here are some pictures of the dining room.
Merry Thrifty to You!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Freezer Queen
I have some friends who are freezer queens. For years they have tried to encourage me to freeze things. Leftovers, lunch meat and bread just being a few of their suggestions. But as for me, I based most my freezer opinions on the bread with freezer burn on it. I decided after a few bread disasters, there would be nothing in my freezer but things from the grocery store.
But then, both my friends and I received a country ham for Christmas. I was overwhelmed. Just the thought of eating ham for a month or two, so it would not be wasted, was more than I could bear. I sheepishly asked what they were doing with their ham? You guessed it. Freeze it. After I recovered from the initial shock, I asked:" Does that really work and how do you keep it from getting freezer burn?"
My freezer queen friends jumped at the opportunity to train me in proper freezer procedure. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was so reluctant to try something which now makes my "Thrifty Sissy" heart sing. Yes, my name has been added to the freezer queen roll. I stand amazed at my creativity in the freezer department.
My freezer creativity peaked last November when I took down my fall decorations. I buy at least three bags of candy corn to use in the bottom of the candle holders. As I was taking the candle out, I thought, I wonder if I could freeze this candy for next fall. After all no one eats it. It is just for looks. Really, what did I have to loose? If it didn't work, I could throw it out which was the usual process. But if it did work, I just saved several dollars. My next experiment was to freeze the candy canes I used to decorate the Christmas tree.
Here are the freezer results: The candy corn was as if it just came from the store; Candy canes were OK, but seem to break a little more easily, but they were still usable. I don't know if the candy canes will last for another season but the candy corn is back in the freezer for next fall.
Even though I am a new believer in the benefits of maximizing the freezer, I want to testify to you. It works and is well worth what little time and effort it takes. When panic strikes about what to fix for dinner, I can open the freezer and pull out some delicious leftover without having to make the meal from scratch. If you have not tried it, don't wait any longer. You can be a freezer queen too.
Happy Thrifty Freezing to All!
But then, both my friends and I received a country ham for Christmas. I was overwhelmed. Just the thought of eating ham for a month or two, so it would not be wasted, was more than I could bear. I sheepishly asked what they were doing with their ham? You guessed it. Freeze it. After I recovered from the initial shock, I asked:" Does that really work and how do you keep it from getting freezer burn?"
My freezer queen friends jumped at the opportunity to train me in proper freezer procedure. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was so reluctant to try something which now makes my "Thrifty Sissy" heart sing. Yes, my name has been added to the freezer queen roll. I stand amazed at my creativity in the freezer department.
My freezer creativity peaked last November when I took down my fall decorations. I buy at least three bags of candy corn to use in the bottom of the candle holders. As I was taking the candle out, I thought, I wonder if I could freeze this candy for next fall. After all no one eats it. It is just for looks. Really, what did I have to loose? If it didn't work, I could throw it out which was the usual process. But if it did work, I just saved several dollars. My next experiment was to freeze the candy canes I used to decorate the Christmas tree.
Here are the freezer results: The candy corn was as if it just came from the store; Candy canes were OK, but seem to break a little more easily, but they were still usable. I don't know if the candy canes will last for another season but the candy corn is back in the freezer for next fall.
Even though I am a new believer in the benefits of maximizing the freezer, I want to testify to you. It works and is well worth what little time and effort it takes. When panic strikes about what to fix for dinner, I can open the freezer and pull out some delicious leftover without having to make the meal from scratch. If you have not tried it, don't wait any longer. You can be a freezer queen too.
Happy Thrifty Freezing to All!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Great Organizing Help
Couldn't we all use a little help with our stuff? I know I needed it when I read an article in 1999 about a lady who had struggled with keeping her home together. The web site is Flylady.net. She has a book Sink Reflections. In it she details her transition to an organized home. Routines are her main theme. I can tell you from experience, it works. She also has a plan for getting through Christmas with ease.
One of her sayings is:"You can't organize clutter". And you really can't, even with all those color coded tabs and plastic boxes. It is still clutter. After all how much is enough? Isn't this Thanksgiving/Christmas season about all we have and giving? Maybe it is time to look at our stuff and rethink what we need. Maybe we could organize our closet, if we had less in there. Maybe we should look around at all those who have nothing. Surely we could spare something to help them. Just because we have always had 3 or 4 coats doesn't mean we have to keep them.We could give to someone who doesn't have one, after all it is winter.
I don't know what your situation is but I can bet you have some things you could let go of this year in order to bless someone and start to get organized. I know I do. Tomorrow I am going to start the search. I am going to listen to these things as they cry: "Please release me, let me go". Less is really more. Less to wash and iron, if you still do. Less to clean and way less to store. I know some people who have three storage sheds. Wow! Imagine all the blessings just waiting to happen there!!
You may not think this topic goes with the ThriftySissy blog name, but believe me thrifty people are generous people. There is available money or things because they have been thrifty.
Happy Thriftying This Thanksgiving !!!
One of her sayings is:"You can't organize clutter". And you really can't, even with all those color coded tabs and plastic boxes. It is still clutter. After all how much is enough? Isn't this Thanksgiving/Christmas season about all we have and giving? Maybe it is time to look at our stuff and rethink what we need. Maybe we could organize our closet, if we had less in there. Maybe we should look around at all those who have nothing. Surely we could spare something to help them. Just because we have always had 3 or 4 coats doesn't mean we have to keep them.We could give to someone who doesn't have one, after all it is winter.
I don't know what your situation is but I can bet you have some things you could let go of this year in order to bless someone and start to get organized. I know I do. Tomorrow I am going to start the search. I am going to listen to these things as they cry: "Please release me, let me go". Less is really more. Less to wash and iron, if you still do. Less to clean and way less to store. I know some people who have three storage sheds. Wow! Imagine all the blessings just waiting to happen there!!
You may not think this topic goes with the ThriftySissy blog name, but believe me thrifty people are generous people. There is available money or things because they have been thrifty.
Happy Thriftying This Thanksgiving !!!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Shop Your House
Morning Thrifty Folks:
You may have heard the phase "shop your house" before. If not, it simply means to look at things you already have in a different way. We can move a few things from one room to another and change the entire look of it. Or we can remove some things from our room to give it a more elegant look. It all depends on the look you want.![]()
Here is our dining room buffet with a minimalist look. I'm really not much on "do dads" but this look did not seem to invite me in for dinner. It did not feel warm. My idea was to try to stay true to my name "Thrifty Sissy". So I decided to" shop the house" to see what I could find. Shopping the house means looking into cabinets, drawers and closets. We are looking for hidden treasure. It may just be something you will move to another location. The sky is the limit. After all you can always put it back where you got it from. You don't have to worry about a receipt in order to return it.
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Here is a picture after "shopping the house". A delicate
white tea cup and saucer with a decorative candle which has the colors of the room. Understand, it doesn't have to be a bunch of stuff. Understated elegance is our theme. Of course, we are thinking about the thrifty aspect as well.
I hope you will start to think about your wonderful accessories in a whole new way. There are no rules. If you like it. That settles it. You may have forgotten about something you packed away for later. Or you may have told yourself: "I only use this on special occasions". Well, today, is your gift from God, that's why they call it "the present". If that is not a special occasion I don't know what is. It is your beautiful home you are embellishing. It's kind of like changing your earrings at the last minute before you go out the door to a special engagement.
Who knows what creativity you may tap when you decide to "Shop your House"?
Happy Thriftying to All!
You may have heard the phase "shop your house" before. If not, it simply means to look at things you already have in a different way. We can move a few things from one room to another and change the entire look of it. Or we can remove some things from our room to give it a more elegant look. It all depends on the look you want.
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| Dining Room Buffet |
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| New Additions to the Room |
white tea cup and saucer with a decorative candle which has the colors of the room. Understand, it doesn't have to be a bunch of stuff. Understated elegance is our theme. Of course, we are thinking about the thrifty aspect as well.
I hope you will start to think about your wonderful accessories in a whole new way. There are no rules. If you like it. That settles it. You may have forgotten about something you packed away for later. Or you may have told yourself: "I only use this on special occasions". Well, today, is your gift from God, that's why they call it "the present". If that is not a special occasion I don't know what is. It is your beautiful home you are embellishing. It's kind of like changing your earrings at the last minute before you go out the door to a special engagement.
Who knows what creativity you may tap when you decide to "Shop your House"?
Happy Thriftying to All!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Just 'Cause You Have Money
Well I can just hear my Dad saying to me," Honey, just 'cause you got money don't mean you have to spend it. That money is just burning a hole in your pocket". And it did do more than burn a hole in my pocket. I spent money I did not have. I charged on any and every card they sent me in the mail.
I was divorced with two little girls to raise by myself. There was no child support and the $65.00 a week I made didn't go very far. These are the things we don't like to think about. If I had listened to my Dad about money, it would not have taken the better part of 20 years to pay myself out of the debt I made. My Dad was a depression era man. He would have been in his late teens, early twenties. He knew what making do and doing without was all about. So much so than when his daughter came along she would not have to go through that.
But I did go through it because having everything you want leads to not appreciating any of it. You take it for granted that there will always be enough. You can even use credit cards if you don't have real money. But the rude awaking comes at the end of the month when the bills come. When the statement indicates the minimum payment is only enough to pay them their interest. Letting you see clearly, paying the minimum will never pay the balance off.
So what was the credit card wake up call? Believe it or not it was Desert Storm. The name of that war is the perfect one for my own. When Desert Storm hit the financial community the first thing they did was crack down on the people who were over there credit limit. You guessed it. That was me. It was right after the big, big Christmas for my girls. You know the one where you are trying to make up for life without a Dad and a Mom who was absent even when she was physically there.
Well, my credit was really good. No late payments, no missing payments. But that did not matter to them in this war situation. They wanted their money. They wanted their $342.00 over my credit limit. They sent notices in the mail. They called the house. All of this in less than a week. The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was: they called my work. That was it. They had their nerve didn't they. I ranted and raved for a couple of days. Then the stubbornness that got me into debt slid over to the other side.
Now I was razor edge focused. I was fired up mad. Mad at them but more mad at myself for falling into the trap. What did I do? I took every extra penny I could and paid it over and above what was due each month. When I got my income tax refund I paid it onto the balance. Two years later, it was done.
In order to fast foward the pay off, I stopped spending with credit cards. I paid cash. I used real money instead of the plastic stuff. I used my money for a lot more of what was needed versus what was wanted. I realized what my Dad said was the truth. " Just 'cause you got money don't mean you have to spend it. Or one better Dad. Just 'cause you have plastic (Credit) don't mean you have to use it.
Happy Thriftying To You All!
I was divorced with two little girls to raise by myself. There was no child support and the $65.00 a week I made didn't go very far. These are the things we don't like to think about. If I had listened to my Dad about money, it would not have taken the better part of 20 years to pay myself out of the debt I made. My Dad was a depression era man. He would have been in his late teens, early twenties. He knew what making do and doing without was all about. So much so than when his daughter came along she would not have to go through that.
But I did go through it because having everything you want leads to not appreciating any of it. You take it for granted that there will always be enough. You can even use credit cards if you don't have real money. But the rude awaking comes at the end of the month when the bills come. When the statement indicates the minimum payment is only enough to pay them their interest. Letting you see clearly, paying the minimum will never pay the balance off.
So what was the credit card wake up call? Believe it or not it was Desert Storm. The name of that war is the perfect one for my own. When Desert Storm hit the financial community the first thing they did was crack down on the people who were over there credit limit. You guessed it. That was me. It was right after the big, big Christmas for my girls. You know the one where you are trying to make up for life without a Dad and a Mom who was absent even when she was physically there.
Well, my credit was really good. No late payments, no missing payments. But that did not matter to them in this war situation. They wanted their money. They wanted their $342.00 over my credit limit. They sent notices in the mail. They called the house. All of this in less than a week. The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was: they called my work. That was it. They had their nerve didn't they. I ranted and raved for a couple of days. Then the stubbornness that got me into debt slid over to the other side.
Now I was razor edge focused. I was fired up mad. Mad at them but more mad at myself for falling into the trap. What did I do? I took every extra penny I could and paid it over and above what was due each month. When I got my income tax refund I paid it onto the balance. Two years later, it was done.
In order to fast foward the pay off, I stopped spending with credit cards. I paid cash. I used real money instead of the plastic stuff. I used my money for a lot more of what was needed versus what was wanted. I realized what my Dad said was the truth. " Just 'cause you got money don't mean you have to spend it. Or one better Dad. Just 'cause you have plastic (Credit) don't mean you have to use it.
Happy Thriftying To You All!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Finishing Touches On Studio Redo
Thrifty Folks,
You all know how it is when you start a room redo. You are just going to do one thing. But after you do that one thing it seems to make everything else look bad. So, you are only going to do one more thing but it starts to take on a life of its own. Maybe you paint the room, but then the furniture looks really sad or the curtains are yucky. The same thing happened in the studio redo.
When I first moved into the studio, I made some curtains and a matching cornice board. But now with the furniture painted, the windows needed a redo, too. I had originally thought about venetian blinds but the cost seemed too much. So I just left everything as it was. Boo hoo!
About a week after the room redo was complete, I went to my favorite place "Goodwill". After checking out the furniture area, I started toward the front of the store to leave when I spied a cart full of boxes of white 2" wooden venetian blinds. I immediately asked the lady behind the counter if they belonged to someone. She said "No, they were for sale". I started checking my phone for the window sizes I had measured a few months earlier, but they were not there. I rushed home, which is only a couple of miles from the store, hoping the blinds would be the right size. Well, they were the exact size I needed.
The price was too fabulous, $9.99 each. I checked the brand online and discovered they were stocked at Home Depot. The Home Depot price was $ 31.85 each. After I got over the shock and the thrifty honey installed them I was just beside myself. These blinds really made the studio redo complete.
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There you have the complete redo. I am still so very happy, happy, happy with the studio.
Happy Thriftying!
You all know how it is when you start a room redo. You are just going to do one thing. But after you do that one thing it seems to make everything else look bad. So, you are only going to do one more thing but it starts to take on a life of its own. Maybe you paint the room, but then the furniture looks really sad or the curtains are yucky. The same thing happened in the studio redo.
When I first moved into the studio, I made some curtains and a matching cornice board. But now with the furniture painted, the windows needed a redo, too. I had originally thought about venetian blinds but the cost seemed too much. So I just left everything as it was. Boo hoo!
About a week after the room redo was complete, I went to my favorite place "Goodwill". After checking out the furniture area, I started toward the front of the store to leave when I spied a cart full of boxes of white 2" wooden venetian blinds. I immediately asked the lady behind the counter if they belonged to someone. She said "No, they were for sale". I started checking my phone for the window sizes I had measured a few months earlier, but they were not there. I rushed home, which is only a couple of miles from the store, hoping the blinds would be the right size. Well, they were the exact size I needed.
The price was too fabulous, $9.99 each. I checked the brand online and discovered they were stocked at Home Depot. The Home Depot price was $ 31.85 each. After I got over the shock and the thrifty honey installed them I was just beside myself. These blinds really made the studio redo complete.
Happy Thriftying!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Studio Furniture Redo
Good morning to all,
For quite some time I have wanted to redo my studio. The most overwhelming part for me was painting the furniture. My thrifty honey is the painter in our family. He comes from a long line of professional painters and well less just say, I am not up to standard in that department. If he sees me with a paint brush, it strikes fear in his sweet heart.
This past week while he was on vacation, he agreed to tackle the studio furniture. He really doesn't think furniture should be painted, even though I showed him a lot of pictures of the latest styles. I have had pictures from Pottery Barn's white office display in my "to do" folder for at least 5 or 6 years. When I told him the cost of new white office furniture, he immediately changed into his painting clothes. I have always wanted the bookcases and desk components painted white. I also thought the back of the bookcases would look good painted pink.
Since pink has been the accent color in my studio (aka. office/sewing room), he suggested painting the front of the components pink to match the back of the bookcases. I thought this was a great idea. After about one hour and a half, he had them all finished. The paint power sprayer is a real whiz. That time even included a paint cleanup to change to the second color. I decided my bulletin board frame needed to match the rest of the redo. So after it was painted, I covered the cork part in some leftover curtain material.
Here is the before picture:
Here are some shots taken during the redo:
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For quite some time I have wanted to redo my studio. The most overwhelming part for me was painting the furniture. My thrifty honey is the painter in our family. He comes from a long line of professional painters and well less just say, I am not up to standard in that department. If he sees me with a paint brush, it strikes fear in his sweet heart.
This past week while he was on vacation, he agreed to tackle the studio furniture. He really doesn't think furniture should be painted, even though I showed him a lot of pictures of the latest styles. I have had pictures from Pottery Barn's white office display in my "to do" folder for at least 5 or 6 years. When I told him the cost of new white office furniture, he immediately changed into his painting clothes. I have always wanted the bookcases and desk components painted white. I also thought the back of the bookcases would look good painted pink.
Since pink has been the accent color in my studio (aka. office/sewing room), he suggested painting the front of the components pink to match the back of the bookcases. I thought this was a great idea. After about one hour and a half, he had them all finished. The paint power sprayer is a real whiz. That time even included a paint cleanup to change to the second color. I decided my bulletin board frame needed to match the rest of the redo. So after it was painted, I covered the cork part in some leftover curtain material.
Here is the before picture:
Now for the unveiling:
Well, I am happier than a pig in slop. This is my dream room made possible by my dream man. I am so grateful he was willing to take part of his vacation time to make this Thrifty Sissy very happy. This sure does look a lot more girlie! I read somewhere that every girl needs a room for herself regardless of her age. Total cost for this redo was $50.00 (for the paint), unless I have to count thrifty honey's hourly wage!
I hope this will encourage you to try your thrifty hand at furniture painting. You never know what kind of change a couple of gallons of paint can bring to old furniture.
Thrifty Painting To All!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Homemade Laundry Detergent
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| Copied from Pinterest |
If you have not seen this pin on Pinterest, these are the ingredients for homemade laundry detergent. Well, you might be saying:"I hardly have time to make supper, much less make my laundry detergent. Well, me either but I was really tired of paying anywhere from $9.00 to $11.00 for the store bought stuff. There were so many people, who said it worked as well as the regular detergent and you could even use it in a "he" front loader machine. I thought why not? I'll give it a whirl to see what all the buzz is about. After all I want to be thrifty and a good steward the money God has provided us.
So off to the store I went. The total cost was about $28.00. I was not expecting it to be that much. So it really left a hole in my grocery budget. When I got home I found a clean 5 gallon bucket in the garage and started dumping in all the ingredients. Using my kitchen grater on the bars of washing soap was the only thing that took a little time. But the whole process took less than 15 minutes. The ingredients filled the bucket to more than half. The directions on Pinterest recommended 1-2 tablespoons per wash load. That was so different from what I was used to using. But when I saw what 1-2 tablespoons looked like as I dipped into the bucket, it was clear. This really is a lot of detergent for the money. So now what about the results?
Much to my surprise the laundry was just as clean as when I used the store bought stuff. The real test came when I asked my husband if he noticed any difference in the clothes. He said: "No, what is different?" I simply said, "Honey it's all in the money!"
Just to say I am sold on this new detergent is to say the least. I am on my second batch, which I made in June. The first batch was made in March but it didn't last as long as I thought it would. I ended up giving lots of it away, so my friends could sample it for themselves. I believe I will be able to use one batch for close to 6 months. Now you do the math. $28.00 X 2 times a year equals $56.00, instead of $10.00 (Minimum cost of my favorite kind of detergent with a doubled coupon) X 15 times a year equals $150.00. A savings of $94.00 per year. That money looks real good in my pocket. You can visit www.budgetingjoy.wordpress.com for a complete list of ingredients and instructions. I have started buying the ingredients one at a time every few weeks and storing them for my next batch. By spreading them out over a 4-6 month period it saves the weekly grocery budget.
I found a glass container with a lid at Goodwill for $1.99 to hold smaller amounts of the detergent. I punched a hole in a small measuring spoon and attached it with a ribbon to the top of the lid so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Since the detergent jar looked better than the store bought detergent containers, I decided to get a plastic drink dispenser from Goodwill ($1.99) for the fabric softener. It really kind of added a little pizazz to the laundry room.
I hope this inspires you to try your thrifty hand in the detergent department.
Happy Thriftying to All!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Time to Get Ready for Fabulous Fall
Happy Fall Y'all,
It's that wonderful time of the year. Fall is fast approaching. These cooler mornings just inspired me to pull out our fall decorations. I know it is probably a tad early but when we get the Christmas decorations down by November, it's not really that early. Once I opened those boxes with those pretty colors, it was very hard to stop.
So with that being said here are some pictures of our kitchen, dining room, patio and coffee table.
The table is covered with a brown tablecloth from Target. I made the place mats from decorative burlap. I cut them into squares instead of oblong mostly because I thought it might emphasize the square zebra plates. The plates, bowls and small plates under the glasses came from Target. The stemware is from an antique mall. The chargers are black which accents the design on the mats. The centerpiece combines a string of gourds with a fall garland I picked up at the Goodwill warehouse for $2.00. (Remember the place where you pay by the pound.) I tied a cute polka dot ribbon around the napkins for some extra punch.
The dining room was where I splurged a little this year. The wire bird cage is from T.J. Maxx( $14.99). I could not resist. I had been on the lookout for one since Christmas when I saw a cage decorated with some ribbon, greenery and ornaments at a local florist. The orange runner was a real deal several years ago. Williams and Sonoma usually has a sale table in the back of the store. I paid $8.98 for this linen 90 inch hemstitched runner. I could not run to the check out fast enough to pay for this jewel. The leaves and flowers are leftover from years past. When something is worn out one way I try to think outside the box. .
This fall coffee table display is sitting on a metal tray I found at the flea market. Again there is just a bunch of re purposed flowers, leaves and small artificial gourds placed around the plastic pumpkins.
Well, we can't leave the patio table out of the fall festival. Here is a real jewel, the wicker pumpkin, $1.67 at the Goodwill warehouse. The last of the leftover leaves and mums from an old decoration. This table scape really makes our little porch feel welcome and cozy. I'm thinking of putting on a jacket and grabbing a cup of joe right now. After all isn't that the biggest and best part of fall.. enjoying God's beautiful world.
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I almost forgot these two fall fellows who add to the view from the porch swing..
Happy Fall Thrifting to You All!
It's that wonderful time of the year. Fall is fast approaching. These cooler mornings just inspired me to pull out our fall decorations. I know it is probably a tad early but when we get the Christmas decorations down by November, it's not really that early. Once I opened those boxes with those pretty colors, it was very hard to stop.
So with that being said here are some pictures of our kitchen, dining room, patio and coffee table.
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| Kitchen Table scape |
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| Dining Room Table |
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| Coffee Table |
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| Patio Table |
Happy Fall Thrifting to You All!
Monday, September 23, 2013
"Pack Rat" Stash Becomes A Desk
Hello to you thrifty folks!
Every thrifty sissy needs a thrifty honey and wow do I have one. Here is the low down. My husband had a customer who came by his work to pick up some material. As the customer got ready to leave he asked if he could throw some things in their dumpster. My husband asked what he had. Believe it our not he had a 2 door wall cabinet and a bathroom vanity missing one drawer and one end. Being the thrifty honey he is, he brought them home.
While we pondered what to do with the vanity, the final decision was to see if he could make it into a desk for our grandson. He was able to use a piece of a pallet and some scrap wood to make an end for it. He had an laminated desk top leftover from an office remodel at his work. Some wood filler and 2 cans of spray paint later... a desk. The only thing we had to buy was 2 cans of spray paint from Lowes ($3.98 each). I just stand amazed at my thrifty honey, who is so creative. I must apologize to him for all the fun I have made concerning his pack rat syndrome. It was some of the pack rat wood he brought home to use "someday" that enabled him to make this desk.
Here are some pictures of the "pack rat" desk project. Thanks honey for being so very smart and talented.
You all check your "someday" stash and see what you can come up with.
Happy thrifting !
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Every thrifty sissy needs a thrifty honey and wow do I have one. Here is the low down. My husband had a customer who came by his work to pick up some material. As the customer got ready to leave he asked if he could throw some things in their dumpster. My husband asked what he had. Believe it our not he had a 2 door wall cabinet and a bathroom vanity missing one drawer and one end. Being the thrifty honey he is, he brought them home.
While we pondered what to do with the vanity, the final decision was to see if he could make it into a desk for our grandson. He was able to use a piece of a pallet and some scrap wood to make an end for it. He had an laminated desk top leftover from an office remodel at his work. Some wood filler and 2 cans of spray paint later... a desk. The only thing we had to buy was 2 cans of spray paint from Lowes ($3.98 each). I just stand amazed at my thrifty honey, who is so creative. I must apologize to him for all the fun I have made concerning his pack rat syndrome. It was some of the pack rat wood he brought home to use "someday" that enabled him to make this desk.
Here are some pictures of the "pack rat" desk project. Thanks honey for being so very smart and talented.
You all check your "someday" stash and see what you can come up with.
Happy thrifting !
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| old piece of pallet added to end of vanity |
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| Free 2 door cabinet, great for storage in garage. |
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| My thrifty honey cutting down the old desk top from the pack rat pile. |
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