What type of tightwad are you?? Knife Set giveaway coming up!

I don't know why I've always been fascinated with the economy, I really don't. First thing I look at in the paper is the business section, and it's not because I follow the stock market, I just like to read the headlines. Dow Jones up. Dow Jones down. Housing market halts. Jobs have slight uptick. Consumers still not buying. European market teeters on edge. You know, you see it too. But I'm guessing you don't read it first!

I've always been fascinated with money, and more precisely saving money. I've never had a desire to accumulate a great deal of it, it just has always pricked my interest. My mom used to give me her old check book ledgers to play with on my little white desk before I even went to school...no kidding! Ever since I doubled that first coupon back in Lincoln, Maine at the ripe ol' age of 12 (Anybody remember Wellbys Superdrug, beside Shop & Save?), I could never for the life of me figure out why anyone would pay full price for anything. That's not to say that I never do, it's just that I try awfully hard not to.

Through the ups and downs of the economy, I've noticed that there are several types of frugalistas. Here's my synopsis:

The "I'm only frugal because I have to be and as soon as the money's back, I'm spending!" In my not-so-humble-opinion, these aren't tightwads at all. They don't understand the concept, which is why they are usually in boatloads of debt and only start saving money to be able to spend again. Author Joni McCoy, (Miserly Moms), fits this category.

The "I love to get a deal, but only because I like really nice things and I want to buy more of them." These are the folks who still want to look rich, but don't want to spend lavishly. They appreciate the finer things in life and would rather have one really nice item than 5 generic alternatives. They generally shun debt. Authors Mary Hunt (Debt Proof Living),  Marjorie Harris (Thrifty)  and Dave Ramsey (Total Money Makeover) belong here.

The "Green is good, I am saving the world by being thrifty." This is a bigger movement than I'm sure I am aware of, but there are hundreds of blogs out there on the subject. These are the folks who will spend extra to buy organic and who wouldn't be caught dead with a Teflon frying pan. They are thrifty because they don't want to use precious resources, but it's really not about spending less, it's about consuming less. Thrifty Green by Priscilla Short fits here. 

The "I'm so cheap I'll do things that border on illegal just to save a buck." Now, IMHO, these guys sometimes go too far. I take great pains to try to be "above board" in all I do. John Hoffman (The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving) lives in this group. I have to admit, the book is funny...and yes, I've been a diver on a couple of occasions!

The "I'm living in grinding poverty and see no way out." This is truly the saddest place to be, because I believe there is a way out (at least in our county), but it's not an easy road and requires much work. I have seen this first hand (up close and personal) growing up in rural Maine.

The "I'm just thrifty because I like to be. I appreciate nice things, but I can do without them because I have greater goals in mind, and debt is the REALLY bad 4 letter word." This would be the Jeff Yeager (The Ultimate Cheapskate), Amy Dacyzyn (The Tightwad Gazette) and Steve & Annette Economides (America's Cheapest Family) crowd. Oh, and this would be me! So, of course, I'm a little partial to this brand of tightwad.

Now, obviously there is overlapping involved and sometimes folks move from one category to another, but no matter which way you slice the frugal pie, there's enough thrift to go around. And you can even have a cup of coffee with it (make mine generic!) In which category are you?

I haven't had a giveaway in quite some time, and have decided to set a goal. Right now I am at approximately 205 subscribers and 57 followers. If I can make it to 300 (combined) by October 1, I will randomly select one person to receive a brand new 14 piece knife set!

This will coincide with the beginning a great shoe drive I am planning to be a part of. The greater frugal blogging community is "pairing" up with http://www.soles4souls.com/ and http://www.flipflopwines.com/ (I know, a little weird, apparently because of their name, they are sponsoring the drive) to collect shoes to give to some of the world's poorest people. There is a contest involved (surprise) to see who can collect the most, but really, I'm just doing this one to help clean out my closet! My collection will run the entire month of October. So, while you're doing your fall clean-out, save a few pairs of shoes for me!! More info will follow.

And thanks to you, my blogger friends, I am advancing nicely in the Bring Home the Bacon Contest. Thanks so much for your votes of confidence, 3rd in state, 33rd overall. You really have no idea what this means to me! http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/tricia-cliff/

Unsettled...but thankful for the free stuff!

I have that unsettled feeling I get sometimes....don't like it, not one little bit...but I've learned (scratch that...am learning) that feelings are just feelings and I can choose what to do with them. Sooooo, I talked with my big sis, purveyor of sanity and sage advise, had a great time in the good book, prayed for wisdom (that's a constant) and now I'm dusting off my lazy self and my living room furniture, hanging my sheets on the line, going for a 3 mile run, returning a movie to the library, making dinner for my 90-year-old cousin who got his hands mauled by a dog he was trying to adopt, and then I'll pick up my boys, and go in to work for a 12 hour night shift thankful for a job as my hospital just cut 63 positions!

God is good...all the time! Here are some great freebies for you:

Free Kleenex cool touch sample: http://samples.target.com/

Free sample of Biker Bull leather therapy restorer:
http://www.leathertherapy.com/products/Biker-Bull-Sample.html

Free sample of Crest white strips: https://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/crest/brandsampler-login.jsp

Facebook sample of Purina ONE catfood:
https://www.facebook.com/PurinaOne?sk=app_257522817599738

Do you live near a World Market? Sign up for their "Explorer rewards and get freebies on your birthday and free coffee!! https://www.worldmarketexplorer.com/benefits/

Thanks for keeping up the votes!
http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/tricia-cliff/

September 11, 2011, Lest we Forget

"Blessed be your name, on the road marked with suffering

                                       When there's pain in the offering, blessed be your name."


                                                                   10 years later:

"Blessed be your name, when the sun's shining down on me

When the world's all as it should be, blessed be your name."

"Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise,

When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say:

Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Matt Redmon

"Tryin' to get down to the heart of the matter..." 4 new freebies!



Thankful.

All Truth is God's Truth, and can show up in the most unexpected places. Don Henley wrote a song in 1989, called "Heart of the Matter." The chorus is as follows:

"I've been tryin' to get down to the heart of the matter,

But my will gets weak,
And my thoughts seem to scatter,
But I think it's about forgiveness,
Forgiveness,
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore."

And you know what I think? I think Henley hit the nail right on the head. It really is all about forgiveness, forgiveness whether of not the one who "dun you wrong" ever acknowledges your attempts. I've carried a lot of bitterness around at times. You understand, I'm sure? Someone you care about  deeply does something so hideously hurtful that you wonder who they even are. Everything in you screams, "HOW DARE YOU!!" And you revel in the pain. I know I do. I want to feel miserable and I want them to know that I feel miserable. "If you did this to me, missy, you're gonna feel the scorn." Been there, thought that.
I can carry it for a good long while, too, and the longer I carry it, the more justified I feel; the more I really believe that they should never be forgiven.

But then it creeps in. That niggling reminder that I have been just as hideous. I remember past offenses. The times when the words rushed forth and I couldn't take them back. The phone call I should never have made; the letter I regretted the moment it dropped it in the slot. The murderous thoughts of the heart that would shock those who know me.

So I push back. "Surely when I hurt him, it was deserved," I rationalize. I refuse to acknowledge the truth. I read, "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive you, " Obviously that applies to everyone except me. If I don't consciously think that, I certainly live it by my actions.

Who am fooling? I am hurting myself and everyone around me by my selfish acts of unforgiveness. It is no accident that steps 8, 9 and 10 of Alcoholics Anonymous all have to do with "making amends." Forgiveness is the most powerful tool in the universe. It is what brings us to Christ,after all, and if He can forgive me, bloody, wretched mess that I am, who I am to hold on to any bitterness at all? Who am I to think that I can have any true relationship with a forgiving Savior if I can't just let it go?

Thrifty.

Some free samples for you:

Facebook sample of Green Mountain Coffee: https://www.facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee?sk=app_263225643702946

Free sample of   Emergen-C Kidz   http://www.emergenc.com/kidz-samples

Free Teasta Tea samples: http://www.teasta.com/free-samples

Free one year subscription to Making Music magazine: https://secure.makingmusicmag.com/subscribe/subscribe_form_captcha.php?f=ContCirc&p=2

And once again, if you like my blog, I'd love your vote! Thanks!!
http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/tricia-cliff/

A grief of one's own...finding mama's mittens.

Thankful.
It happened again this week. There I was in the drug store, running a bit frantic as usual, trying to get one last errand in, my mind scattered. Then I saw her, all 5 feet of her stooped little gray-haired self, holding on to her shopping cart for balance and looking not only lost, but for all the world just like my mother did a year ago, white tennis shoes and all, the very last time I took her shopping. Mom had just lost everything she owned in a fire--knowing she was dying of cancer--she didn't even know what to buy except for her prescriptions. What did she need after all? My throat constricted and I felt dizzy. I didn't know whether to hug her or run as I stood there trying to gain some balance of my own. I ran. Salty tears pelted my tank top as I stepped back through the door, lifting my face to the deep blue sky and letting the breeze dry my blotchy face. The day before it had happened too. I was digging in my dresser, trying to find a t-shirt when my hand landed on the wooly, gray mittens. I pulled them out, remembering that I had hid them there last year, not wanting the kids to use them any more. Mom wouldn't be there--ever again--to knit a replacement pair. I fingered the moth hole and all the patches she had stitched; I held them to my heart (because that's what we do with things we love); I inhaled deeply though they've been washed a hundred times, trying to get one last scent of her. Grief certainly has a way of catching us when we don't want to take the time for her. I'm sure my interludes with her are exacerbated by my own daughter's going off to college (I can't even find solace cuddled up on the couch watching Pride and Prejudice!) and the fast approach of the one year anniversary of mom's passing.

And then there's Autumn. It's that time of year that I love. Autumn. Blue, brilliant skies and leaves that shock me every year. Autumn. Pumpkins lined up on doorstops and air with a bit of a chill. It has always been my favorite season, and yet, it has become the season that I more and more associate with loss. The only grandmother I knew died in October, my father died in late August (fall if you are a Mainer), my favorite Uncle on October 23, and most recently, my mom on October 13. Just when the colors are brightest in Maine. Last year I sat in a big Adirondack chair in front of Care Ridge Estates in Lee, Maine, sobbing as the sun came up on the frosted trees and illuminated them in all their brilliant glory. It was pre-6am and my older brother was inside, having stopped on his way to work. I woke to his sitting there at the foot of Mom's bed. I had pulled the recliner so close I could rest my head on her pillow, smell that death-smell that I am so familiar with as a nurse, and hold her hand as the blood flowed slower and slower. He was sipping coffee, teary-eyed himself. We didn't have to have words to communicate. And so I went to get my own cup of liquid adrenaline and stopped for a moment to get the tears out for awhile. But they never stop. Not really, and I don't think they should. We were made to cry, to release all that we can't possibly hold inside. It feels good, doesn't it, when you finally let the ache loose this way? What a gift in a fallen world. Someone once told me that it matters not your age when your parents die, you are still an orphan.

So bring it on autumn, it all your glorious splendor, and I will be thankful for the beauty of you and the ache you bring when I feel the frost on my nose and see the trees light up again. That ache...it's really gratitude wrapped in a different blanket. Because we wouldn't have the ache if we hadn't had love in the first place.

Thrifty.

Need a cup of tea with that grief? Here's a great chance to get some free Twinings samples:
http://www.twiningsusa.com/pantry/

And also, if you like my blog, I'd LOVE your daily vote (may sure to vote for triciacliff, not Patricia Cliff, thanks) :
http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/tricia-cliff/

Free book and more & Couchsurfing (not as bad as it sounds!)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there seems to be quite a lull in the freebie world lately, but here are a few for you to pick up:

Here's another opportunity to get a free book: http://www.isaiah53.com/ I think the title pretty much gives it away!


Free sample of Huggies diapers from Sam's Club, no membership # needed:
http://www5.samsclub.com/showcase/KC-Baby-Showcase.aspx

Free sample of Rachel Ray's dogfood:
http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/switchto/just6

Also, I generally don't promote too many sweepstakes, but for my readers who are in range of Irving heating fuel/propane, here's a chance to win a year's supply, and with costs going up, I would LOVE to see one of you win! One entry per household.
http://www.irvingenergy.com/freeheat/

Here's an interesting website for the true cheapskates amongst us. http://www.couchsurfing.org/  Basically, this is a site for folks who don't mind the old-fashioned way of seeing new places--staying in other people's homes! Personally, I like this way best. There's no better way to get to know a new place than to stay with the locals! There are lots of safety nets in place on the site, and it's a worldwide network which has been highlighted on CNN, Time and The New York Times. I have not personally signed up YET, but I can see my husband and I doing this is the future. I may also sign up to be a host for now. Speaking of host...we do love to have people stay in our home, and I welcome any of my readers to do just that! Just give me at least a days notice:) We also love to stay with other families. We have found, having 4 kids ourselves, that generally speaking, the larger the family, the more apt they are to let you stay with them! I guess that's because we lots-o-kids families know that it doesn't have to be stressful and our kids don't mind camping on the floor in a sleeping bag. So, if you're up for an adventure, check it out!

Now, on to my last item of the day. Those of you who follow me on facebook may have noticed that I am currently competing in another challange; this time the prize is getting paid to blog! I would love this opportunity, but I'm also very realistic. I enter contests often, but if and when it becomes apparent that I can't win, I don't push it, I bow out graciously. (This happened with the school computer lab contest, by the way). That being said, this voting period goes on for 3 MONTHS!! Crazy. After the first 2 months, the top 5 contestants from each state will compete for first in each state for another month and then those top 50 compete in a "find the best deal" challenge. If my blog has meant something to you personally or helped you in some way, I'd appreciate your vote...and you can do so DAILY. Right now I am 6th in NC and 99 overall (out of 1995 contestants) but anyone can still sign up. SOOOOOO, if after a few weeks it appears pointless, you'll not read about it again! Thanks...vote here:
http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/tricia-cliff/ (should just be two clicks!)

Basic Muffin Recipe (you decide what to add...)

It's been a good day. I worked a 12 hour shift last night, so I came home and fell, exhausted, on the living room sofa. It was not my intention to stay there, but I woke up about 5 hours later. This is a blessing in itself because I--who never used to have trouble sleeping in the day--have not been able to sleep lately, so today was a blessing indeed. I woke up to the mailman stuffing freebies in my box, can't beat that.

I decided to use the new Samy FAT hair color that I got for 99 cents after a sale, +UP reward and internet coupon. The box said "dark blond." I think not. However, I am satisfied with the coverage; that is to say, my gray is invisible at the moment. Certainly worth the 99 cents and it saved me a trip to the salon, shoot, I even did my laundry during the process! I'll take practicality over pampering.

I've been thinking much about the costs of cooking vs. eating out. It is very tempting to lie to ourselves in this regard. I remember a lab tech who worked at our hospital quite a few years back. Anna (named changed to protect the guilty) loved to pick up her meal on the way to work, and generally speaking, it wasn't Mickey Ds. One day she was eating with us and I pulled out my tuna sandwich with an apple on the side. Anna looked me straight in the eye and said, "It's so much cheaper for me to eat out! I'm a single lady. Do you know how much it would cost me to buy all the ingredients for this shrimp dinner and cook it myself?" Now, I had a choice at this moment, and I decided I wasn't going to make much headway with Anna. I knew her too well. I wanted to explain that yes, her initial outlay for ingredients would most likely be more expensive, but she'd have enough for 5 meals! I might have told her that instead of  buying the $8 dinner...she could have packed a 50 cent dinner like mine. Less bucks, less calories, more nutrients. But I didn't say any of this; Anna wasn't ready for it, because Anna was lying to herself and she really didn't want to hear the truth.

Confession: I lie to myself about this also. I was all but convinced that my new fav fast food, Lil' Caesar's large pepperoni pizzas for 5 bucks, couldn't be made for less. I mean, with grocery costs being what they are these days, how could it not be so? Then I did the math. I pulled out my receipts and calculated the actual cost of ingredients: flour (even whole wheat purchased at Ollies for 20 cents a pound), yeast, oil, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, etc; I can still make a large pizza for around 3 bucks. Obviously, my version is healthier to boot. OK, so what's the lesson here? Never eat out? No! Just don't try to tell me (or yourself) that's it's cheaper.

Here's a recipe to get you started. Muffins are incredibly easy and versatile. I usually use half whole wheat flour in mine. When we have muffins, that's the meal. It's not muffins plus something else.

Basic Muffin Recipe
 2 cups flour (or sub 1 cup with oatmeal, cornmeal, whole wheat or other dry ingredients)
1/4 cup sugar (or sub splenda, honey  or leave out all together)
1 TBS baking powder (or 1 tsp each of baking soda and baking powder)
1/2 tsp salt (may be eliminated)
1 egg
1 cup milk (or buttermilk, cream, fruit juice of even water in a pinch)
1/4 cup oil (or use half oil and half fruit puree, like applesauce or pumpkin)

Serve plain or get creative! Add nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, spices...you get the idea.  If you are adding a lot of say, dried apricots, you may need to use a tad less flour. Play around until you get your favorite.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden, about 20 minutes. I use cupcake liners and spray the bottom of the paper. Easy clean up and the muffins don't stick! And no, they aren't cheaper at your friendly neighborhood yuppie mart.