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More than Just Money!
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Featured Article on All Things Frugal
Christmas, Happiness, and Money
by Nikki Willhite
There is a lot of temptation during this holiday season (which
seems to begin earlier each year) to spend money, even if we don't have it.
I know from the letters that I receive that some people have
feelings of inadequacy or sadness that they are not able to give their children
the kinds of presents that they see other children receiving.
This is a good time to step back, time out, and think about money and the role
that money has when it comes to our personal happiness, and the well-being of
our families.
Money does not make a person happy...period!
Lack of money can make one miserable, but money does not make
you happy. It may bring a temporary euphoria, but it does not last.
Do you remember ever really wanting something that cost money?
Do you remember how excited you were when you got it?
How long did that feeling last? ...
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Keyword Below
Frugal Living, Saving Money, Promoting Thrift
and Happy Homes
 Frugal
Recipes - Spinach
Rolls
Ingredients
2 10-oz pkgs frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and
drained
1 (1oz) pkg ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream...
 Frugal
Clothing -
Update
Your Wardrobe with What You Already Have, by Jill Black
Each season many of us tend to head for the nearest clothing store and often
impulse buy on new items of clothing ending up with a wardrobe full of
mismatched clothing and the frustration of "I have nothing to wear" whenever
opening the closet door.
Your clothes are your image. How you "package" and present yourself (dress,
grooming,) speaks volumes about your sense of quality, creativity,
professionalism, how you value yourself and respect others...
 Frugal
Weight Control -
Superfoods Diet: The Top Superfoods For Energy & Weight Loss, by Sydney
Johnston
There are times when we're all out of energy and
need a pick-me-up. Constantly stimulating our nervous system with caffeine,
guarana and other popular energy supplements most certainly will demand a price
later in life, so opt for superfoods, instead. The superfoods list is lead by
whole grains - not the refined ones - along with certain spices, fresh fruits
and vegetables, particularly green ones. These are natural - not artificial -
sources of the vitamins, minerals and other substances that enhance health,
banish fatigue and cause the weight to drop off. Choose a diet focused on
superfoods and watch the weight fall off and your energy skyrocket.
Top Superfoods #1: Beans and Legumes...
 Frugal
Scrapbooking -
Christmas Tree Holiday Scrapbooking Layout, by Rachel Paxton
A Christmas tree is a fun focal point for your holiday
scrapbooking layouts. Here's what you need to get started:
Patterned paper for background
Solid colored paper for tree, picture frames, and title
Buttons
Glue
Gold or other embroidery floss...
 Frugal
Clothing - Fashion
After 40, by Diana Pemberton-Sikes
With so many designers and trends targeting the svelte body of the
twenty-something, is it possible to look fashionable as the years pass and your
body begins to tell the tale?
Absolutely!
In fact, with a little ingenuity and sleigh-of-hand, it's easy to be fashionable
and stylish regardless of how many candles are on your birthday cake...
 Frugal
Health and Stress -
Stress Relief
Tips that Work Effectively, by Tyler SH Reese
Who hasn't felt the effects of daily stress?
Those feelings of irritability, lack of concentration, anxiety and worry. Truth
is, stress can affect your behavior and in the worse case scenario it can even
drive people to destructive addictions.
Aliments related to stress include hypertension, headaches, ulcers, anxiety,
allergies and cardiovascular disease. It's not always possible to achieve but
you have to recognize the dangers of stress and make every effort to avoid these
situations.
The following stress relief tips will help reduce stress...
 Frugal
Debt and Money -
Living Debt
Free: 7 Problems with Debt, by Ozeme J. Bonnette
Debt is one of the biggest concerns for the
majority of families today. Most of us are thousands and thousands of dollars in
debt. We often live from paycheck to paycheck, and we worry about paying our
bills. In fact, many of us would not be prepared if an emergency arises. Worse
yet, if we were to lose our jobs, we are just days or weeks away from
bankruptcy.
With the media constantly telling us how much happier we will be once we own a
certain kind of car or take that dream vacation, it is almost hard not to start
believing it. We believe in buying now and paying later, but it's not in our
best interest.
Debt costs more than most of us realize...
 Frugal
Holidays -
Holiday Sanity Savers From A Mostly-Sane Mom, by Nicole Dean
The Holidays are a stressful time. Between the
additional errands, the extra traffic, and the stress of spending money that you
don’t have – even the sanest mom will be questioning her sanity as the holidays
near.
Here are a few ideas to help you keep your sanity this holiday season.
Make a list (and check it twice). Keep your shopping list in your purse to keep
from being overwhelmed or worse – overspending. If you walk into a store and are
bedazzled by all the shiny things, I can relate. I get so overwhelmed that I get
nothing accomplished...
Frugal Jobs -
Top 10
Tips: Selling On eBay Successfully, by Danielle Jacob
 Many
people are selling their products on eBay since it is a very popular site for
buyers and sellers. There are things that you should know of if you want to be a
successful eBay seller. Below are some tips on how you can sell effectively on
eBay.
1) Create a strong headline. Since the headline is the first thing an audience
sees in an ad, it is recommended that you use a strong headline. This headline
should be able to capture people's interest. There are a lot of people who are
also dreaming of becoming successful on eBay so it is really important that you
have a catchy headline that will encourage buyers to not only read your ad but
start getting them in the mood to buy...
 Frugal
Christmas - 5
Ways to Enjoy the Holidays More, by Colleen Langenfeld
The holiday season is fast approaching! Are you looking forward to the
festivities, symbolism and glow of the holidays or are you secretly dreading
this busy time of the year? Here are five simple suggestions to help you keep
the holy and the happy in your holidays.
- Plan early. Always wanted to see a special concert during the holiday season?
Treat friends to a popular restaurant? Organize the toy drive at work? Planning
your holiday season early allows you to make it the memorable season it was
meant to be.
- Set limits. Doing this step alone will bring you more peace this year. Grab a
sheet of paper and while you are sitting in front of your favorite TV show or
waiting for dinner to cook, write down the three most important activities...
 Frugal
Happiness - Make
Life Work: Repair the Relationship with Yourself, by Rebecca Skeele
What areas of your life are working well? Career? Finances? Relationships?
Health? When life works you enjoy fulfillment, happiness, and a sense of well
being. "I know how to do this thing called life, and I'm doing it well."
Areas that do not work create stress, fear, and anxiety. You loose sleep.
Self-talk quickly collapses into, "I'm a loser. I can't do anything right.
Nothing will ever change." How can you rebuild inside and have life humming
again?
FIVE TIPS FOR INNER REPAIR...
 Frugal
Beauty -
Natural Skin Care Recipes for a Healthier and More Beautiful Skin, by
Maria Luisa Andrew
Anyone wants to look his or her best—and looking
best starts with taking care of your skin. One of the easiest and most effective
ways of having great skin is by using natural skin care recipes. Apart from
knowing exactly what ingredients are included in the treatment, you can also
focus on personal skin issues, such as oily skin or acne-prone skin, while
remaining within your budget.
To help you get started, here are some of the most recommended natural recipes
for skin care:
Facial Mask - A facial mask is a thick cream applied to the face to
rejuvenate the skin, giving it a more radiant appearance and feel. Concocting a
homemade mask is easily adjustable to include whatever is available in your
kitchen...
 Frugal
Money and Budgeting -
Budgeting
For Emergency Funds? By Edwin Shackleford
Emergency funds are considered to be a necessity as far as financial security is
concerned, since it can provide one with financial resources that one can resort
to and depend on when an emergency arises such that when one is sick and have
the burden of paying huge medical bills, or unexpected home or major car repair.
When one has no emergency fund, one can be obliged to acquire debt on your
credit card that might take several years to repay with interest that would
later cost so much more.
However by putting an extra thirty to fifty dollars every month in an individual
“emergency savings account” one can be secured with what emergency the future
may bring...
 Frugal
Pets -
Why
Does a Dog Bark: What Are the Solutions? By Michel Gera
Many dog owners are lost when their dog barks and
becomes a nuisance for their neighborhood. If the reasons of the dog barking are
identified, it becomes easier to find a cure to the behavior. Hopefully, a dog
owner who wants to stay in good terms with his neighbors has many options
available from positive training methods to the use of mechanical devices.
Why does a dog bark? A dog barks to communicate a message, show excitement or
draw attention. The sound can't be assimilated in anyway to a rich information
message similar to human speech as it is not a language. There are distinctions
in the tonality of a bark that can be recognized: disturbance barks are rough
and low frequency while play barks are of a more tonal and higher frequency...
 Frugal
Healthcare -
Maximum HSA Contribution Amounts For 2010, by Richard Day
HSA or Health Savings Account type plans are the
least expensive major medical plans available. Get affordable catastrophic
coverage that you can afford.
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the maximum contributions that people
insured under a Health Savings Account (HSA) plan can make. The maximum amounts
will increase, and the minimum deductible amounts will also increase.
The maximum contribution that can be made to an HSA (the Health Savings Account
that you have at a bank) in 2010 for insured individuals with single coverage
will be $3,050, up from $3,000 in 2009. For those who have insured under a
family plan, the maximum contribution will rise to $6,150 from $5,950...
 Frugal
Home Selling -
Home
Selling Tips: The "One-Weekend Clutter Buster" Program, by Deane Alban
Whether you sell your own home, or use a realtor,
you need to have your house looking as perfect as possible. One of the best home
selling tips I can give you is to thin out all the extra "stuff" in your house.
Let's face it. We have all too much stuff! And most of us tolerate the mess as
it builds, takes over our lives, and stresses us out, until something forces us
to do something about it. And that "something" is often deciding to sell your
house. When getting your house ready to sell, there is no task more daunting for
most people than getting rid of "all that stuff". ..
 Frugal
Kitchen Tips -
Cooking with Kids: How to Make Chocolate Covered Rice Crispy Treats, by
Rick Quatraro
How would you like an idea for a fun activity to
do with your children? How about something that will give your kids a sense of
accomplishment that will make them feel like a grown up? Baking is just that
activity. It gives kids practice to improve their invaluable skills in the
kitchen, which they'll need later in life. The best choices for recipes should
be easy to make and allow for some creativity such as shapes, colors or
toppings, and of course, the most important "ingredient", they should taste
great! So what's something that your kids will love to make and eat?
You got it- rice crispy treats. There are 3 different approaches that we'll take
in this article, but with some twists. We will make normal rice crispy treats,
mixed ones and chocolate covered...
 Frugal
Happiness -
Bluebird of Happiness , by Steve Goodier
Joy and happiness are not always the same things. Happiness can be thought of as
more of a temporary, emotional condition, often based on outside circumstances.
Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. It is often contentment in spite of the
unsettling present. We can be basically joyful, regardless of a particular
unhappy situation that we may be enduring. It is sometimes just a matter of
keeping perspective on our troubles, and especially when those troubles seem to
be in long supply.
You may know the story of the man who had a marvelous way of keeping joy in his
life. He was a carpenter. He followed the same ritual every day when he came
home from the job. He stopped by a small tree in his front yard and placed his
hand on a couple of branches. ..
 Frugal
Computers -
Eight Easy Facebook Etiquette Tips for the Rest of Us, by Alice Osborn
Most of us are on Facebook (FB) these days and I bet there's a good chance we
weren't even using it last year. A friend invited you and now you're engrossed.
Or maybe you're on FB, but you're not sure if you're using it right. Somehow I
amassed 670 friends and I'm still learning as I go.
We've entered this huge technological sphere and no one has told us the proper
rules of the road because everything moves so fast in cyberspace. It still is
the Wild West out there! Most of us are going to make social media mistakes, but
wouldn't it be better if had more information and knew about what not to do? ...
 Frugal
Decorating -
Budget Decorating with Candles and Sconces , by Jessica Ackerman
Those who want to add style and artistic appeal to their home should consider
candles and sconces to make any room in need of a makeover look completely
different and exceptionally trendy. Many wrought iron pieces and candles of all
sizes are very affordable, and they have always been one of most budget-friendly
methods of lighting up a room. Consider the following decorating ideas to make
your home appear richly and stylishly decorated while sticking to a budget.
Living Room Sconces and Fragrant Candles
Instead of using electricity to power lamps while watching television or
relaxing in the living or family room, how about lighting the way with
high-quality low-priced sconces and fragrant candles? Sconces are available in
all price ranges to meet every style and budget, and they are ideal for those
with a specific budget in mind...
 Children
and Challenges -
10 Ways to
Help Your Child LoseWeight and Stay Fit, by Denise Sanger
With the number of obese children
in this country continually on the rise, it is more important than ever to pay
attention to what your child is eating. Children have also become more sedentary
as their favorite types of entertainment have switched from active play to video
games.
If you have an overweight child, it is up to you to help him lose weight so that
he will be healthier now and as an adult. The eating habits that are developed
as a child will carry over into adulthood, so it is important to get him into
the habit of eating right while he is still young. Here are 10 tips that will
help you guide an overweight child to lose weight and be healthy. ..
Frugal
Christmas
Money
Saving Techniques: 10 Ways to Save Money During the Holidays, by Ozeme
J. Bonnette
If you already have more debt than you'd like,
the holidays can make it worse. So, here are a few money saving tips to help you
keep your finances in order.
1) Create a budget. A budget is actually the best way to keep you on track.
Knowing how much you can really afford to spend will help you figure out how
many presents you can buy. Make sure your budget includes everything you
normally buy during the holidays, such as decorations, cards, and postage.
2) Make a list. Ask yourself two questions before you go to the mall: Who am I
shopping for? and How much can I spend on each person?...
 Frugal Decorating
by Season -
-To Warm up Your Thanksgiving Decorating, with Creativity, Not Cash, By
Kathleen Wilson
Thanksgiving is a special time in our homes, when we all take a little time to
appreciate the gifts and blessings in our lives. My number one blessing, as
yours, is my family and friends! So let's find some great ways to make your home
a warm, inviting place this Thanksgiving Day for all your loved ones, including
you!
Use a natural theme. This might seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised
how many people spend big bucks trying to glitz up this holiday. It's about the
harvest; being thankful for this beautiful earth we live on, and the wonderful
food we are so blessed to be given, so let's celebrate that! It also happens to
be a great way to decorate on a small budget! So bring nature into your home,
and be thankful...
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