Dave Ramsey & Money Saving Mom Crystal Payne

Two reasons why I read everything that Dave writes and Crystal writes.

Crystal of Money Saving Mom and her husband Jesse decided to use a "beans and rice" type budget with a huge goal of paying cash for a house! They used the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University program and were able to achieve their dream 2 years ahead of their schedule!

Check out Dave's article about Crystal and then follow Crystal as she helps guide you to a more frugal way of living!

Top 5 Tips to Build Wealth and Success

This just in from Financial Fit series on Yahoo Finance - When Warren Buffet talks we should listen!

Top 5 Tips to Build Wealth and SuccessPeter Gorenstein and Farnoosh Torabi
Tuesday, October 5, 2010


Warren Buffett is worth $45 billion. That wealth isn't only a factor of savvy investing and good business — the "Oracle of Omaha" is also known as a penny pincher. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Neb., home he bought in 1958 for $31,500.

Follow his frugal formula, and you too may wind up with a lot more money than you ever dreamed.

This week Financially Fit covers five tips to build wealth and success.

1. Live Below Your Means.
Being wealthy isn't just a product of your salary or investment prowess; it's learning how to save.

"We can make a lot of money, you can make a little bit of money, but the second you spend all the money is when people get into trouble. Saving is the key to preserving your wealth," says Ed Butowsky, managing partner of Chapwood Capital Investment Management, a firm that manages money for wealthy individuals.

As many Americans realized during the booming real estate market, just because you think you can afford something doesn't mean you should buy it. Keeping an eye on your bottom line will pay dividends over the long term.

Related Video

2. Bounce Back From Defeat
With nearly 15 million workers unemployed right now in the U.S., it's easy to get discouraged. Don't! Most successful and wealthy people have overcome obstacles and failure along the way. Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple when he was 30. Today, he's a billionaire and a legend. Plus, after getting fired, he created another billion-dollar media company, Pixar.

"Bouncing back from defeat is something all great achievers have. They have this undying belief good things will happen and will continue to happen," says Butowsky.

Take Michael Jordan. "His airness" was cut from his high school basketball team. Motivated by the rejection, Jordan became a star the next season. The rest is history.

3. Self-Promote
Regardless of the profession, the rich and successful tend to have a strong sense of self-worth — key to skillfully navigating an upward career path. Mark Hurd, who was ousted as CEO of Hewlett-Packard in August, couldn't be kept down for long. Using his business skills and connections, in September, Hurd was named president of Oracle. (Hurd and Oracle founder Larry Ellison are known to be close friends.)


4. Have Street Smarts
Bernie Madoff lived the high life for decades, scamming unsuspecting clients, with a money-making formula that proved too good to be true. Only afterward did we learn that with a little due diligence, most clients could have easily uncovered the fraud.

But it's not only the swindlers and the con men you have to watch out for. Many times, friends and family take advantage of the rich. Whether it's a handout or an investment idea, Butowsky advises his high net worth clients that in most cases, it's wisest to just say "no." The best way to do that: have someone else do it for you.

"You need to really set up a wall between you and your family," he advises. "If you don't want to give them (family or friends) money ... saying no is probably a good idea."

5. Buy Cheap
The rich can afford to splurge, but that doesn't mean they do.

John Paulson, a billionaire hedge fund manager, bought his Hamptons "dream house at a bargain basement price," according to Greg Zuckerman, author of the Paulson-based book, "The Greatest Trade Ever." The story has it that Paulson eyed the home while it was in foreclosure. Finally, on a rain-soaked day, he purchased the home on the Southampton town hall steps. He was the only bidder.

On New York City's Upper East Side, Michael's— The Consignment Shop for Women— has been a bargain-hunting destination for more than 60 years. "We have a good percentage of women who can afford to shop on Madison Avenue but really like the idea of saving that money," says proprietor Tammy Gates.

From Chanel to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, the store specializes in high-end designer merchandise for a reasonable price. Speaking of her clientele, Gates says, "they're wealthy for a reason. They recognize that bargains keep people wealthy. Paying top dollar when you don't have to doesn't make sense."

This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit

Wal-Mart unveiling it's "Frugal" Prescription Plan

Have you heard about Wal-Mart's Prescription plan?

"Wal-Mart has partnered with health insurance company Humana (HUM) and will offer the plan to people on Medicare, Bloomberg reports. Starting Jan. 1, the plan will cost only $14.80 a month -- less than half the average Medicare premium for prescription drugs."

Check out the article here.

100% Debt Free - she's my financial hero!

Crystal at Money Saving Mom has chronicled her and her husband's goal of being completely Debt Free and putting 100% down on a house, yep, you read correctly 100% down.

Her posts regarding this goal always leave me motivated and ready to move on with our goals here at Raging Bear Ranch.

Please, take a moment to read this post and find the other posts about saving Money.

Thanks!

Thrity Frugal Tip

Thrifty Frugal Tips - this post is cross-posted to Jamie's I am a Money Magnet's Thrifty Tip Tuesday.

Ever taken long car trips and tried to figure out where your money went when you actually got to your destination?

It has happened to Bear and I more times that I would like to admit. Now, we have a fail safe way of “safeguarding” our money from blowing out the window as we drive down the road. This is what we pack when we travel back home, going out for an all-day at the barn or are heading to a horse show! (If we go to a horse show we will take our portable grill)

Here are our tips for a Frugal trip:

1. Hydration – I fill our gallon jug with lots of Ice (I start bagging our ice a week before we leave so my ice maker makes plenty of “free” ice) and pour in our home-brewed Tea, along with a few cans of soda (diet Mtn Dew) and some bottled water (with crystal light packets). All purchased prior to leaving and with coupons. Now when you stop to fuel up – you are only paying for fuel and not 100% marked up drinks!
2. Snacks – I pack a box of ritz crackers, a loaf of bread, a small baggy of Dill Pickles (free food for a diabetic), chips, Lunch Meat, cream cheese tortilla wrap-ups w/ham/turkey, Fruit (apples, bananas, cantaloupe, honey dew, grapes), hardboiled eggs, thermos of hot soup (you would be amazed at how long this keeps), Peanut butter and Jelly, Sliced Cheddar Cheese – Medium and Sharp, Pre-cooked bacon (made the night before), Small container of Mayo & Mustard, small set of Salt and Pepper shakers, Plastic forks, knives, spoons, and paper plates w/napkins. Put only the items that need to stay chilled in your ice-chest – the rest put in a small box.
3. Create a check list for each person/animal and make sure you review as you are packing items into their bag/trailer – DO NOT OVERPACK – you will be sorry if you do! I made a master list for day horse shows, overnight shows, day trips, or trips back home. This makes it easier for me to just grab the appropriate list, make any adjustments (based on weather or length) but keeps me from reinventing the wheel each and every time! If you are going to the lake for the weekend – do you really need the hair dryer, curling iron, and all that make-up? Really? Be honest with yourself – me, I’m in it for the fun and the motto “Less is More” works for me.
4. I keep a baggie of all kinds of samples of lotions, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, toothpaste that is strictly for travel. I am not packing those huge bottles when I can get by with a couple of the sample bottles! I just check to make sure I have enough for the time we will be gone and throw it in the bag. I also purchase with coupons the handi-wipes and keep several tucked away in different locations – I keep one on ice so if it is hot outside you can cool off for a bit with one of these.
5. Medicine! Very important – be sure that you have pill boxes for each member of your family and fill enough to cover each day you will be gone. This eliminates the issue of having to carry the bottles. I have the labels that they give you on your receipt pasted in my planner for each and every pill that I put in the box. This is in case of an emergency you can give this to the medics/nurses or doctor.
6. Jewelry – leave it at home – why bring it and chance it being lost.
7. Fuel – did you know that most convenience stores will put a hold on your card of anywhere from $1.00 - $100.00 if you pay at the Pump. AND THEN THEY CHARGE YOUR CARD FOR YOUR ACTUAL PURCHASE! True story – I paid at the pump and filled our big truck up – took $85.00 but the store held $100.00 on my card and then held the actual purchase of $85.00 on my card – this was my debit card! This hold was held for 3 days over a weekend! Once the store rolled their tapes – the $100.00 hold was released but it took THREE DAYS to release! It pays to go in use CASH or CARD INSIDE the store – STOP using the Pay at the Pump feature.
8. Get a list of ATM’s from your Bank that will allow you to withdraw from them without a charge. It’s nice to know which ones won’t charge you an arm and a leg just to give you YOUR money!
9. Make sure your phones are charged and at least one charger is packed. Turn your phones off while traveling – going in and out of service will tend to drain your battery. Bear and I have some great conversations as we are driving down the road. It’s a good time to talk about everything and make plans for the future!
10. If you have people that will be taking care of your horses/dogs/cats/ or other animals or your home while you are away – take the time to write down all instructions, important telephone numbers.
11. If there are toll roads you will be travelling on – be sure to have some cash and change handy – nothing like rolling up to a toll booth to find out you spent your last $3.00 on that soda and candy bar!
12. Last – don’t pack the house – I promise it will be there when you return and most of all – HAVE FUN!

Thrifty Tips - Creating Habits of Frugality

Creating Habits of Frugality

This post is in connection with Jamie’s, I am a Money Magnet’s Thrifty Tip Tuesday post.

Have you ever sat back and wondered about all the areas that you could save money but then it got so overwhelming that you just didn’t do anything?

Well, that is where I was a few years ago, overwhelmed by all the possibilities and not knowing where to begin.

What I do know is that you need to start somewhere, so why not make it an easy place to start. That is what I did; I found one thing that I could focus on for one month. It takes 30 days of doing something everyday to make it a habit. The first thing I did was set up our Chicken Account (petty cash fund). We were not very diligent about throwing our extra change everyday into the Chicken Account so for one month I challenged both Bear and I to do just that – when we get home in the evening we empty our wallet and pockets of all loose change. It didn’t take 30 days to make that a habit, just shy of two weeks and we were both contributing to the Chicken Account.

We use this “account” for small purchases instead of using our ATM/Credit cards. Once the Chicken Account is “full” we deposit all but $10.00 in change into our Animals Savings Account. About every three months we are depositing close to $150.00 into the Animals savings account (they can usually blow threw it pretty quickly for vaccines, meds, and such).

Once you have created that “habit of frugality” move on to your next 30 days. You may even want to start this sooner. It’s okay if you do or you don’t; only you know when you are ready.

I began to coupon in earnest. I clipped in the past but had not done the coupon match-ups to sales and stockpiling. Now with this, break it into baby steps. Find your system for keeping coupons and be consistent about staying on top of it. Each week only designate a certain amount of time to this and it’s okay if you don’t finish; you will get better and faster with time. Now find some blogs that do coupon match-ups. I am a Money Magnet will post links to the blogs she uses or find ones that you like. My theory is; why reinvent the wheel if it’s already rolling! This may or may not take 30 days and that is okay because you are working on saving money! It took me about 45 days to figure out my process and my system for keeping coupons. I keep a notebook with baseball card pages that I use to keep my coupons. I have these divided into sections that work for me.

Once you are fluent in Coupon match-ups to sales it’s time to look at stockpiling. This is where you will buy more at rock bottom prices to get you to the next sale – it’s cyclical at about every 3-6 weeks. You will get to where you know when it is about time for that particular item to go on sale. Also, be on the look out for “high” dollar coupons that will get you items for free or next to free with little out of pocket expense. These items may or may not have to be on sale. For example, the recent Mighty Dog coupon $3.00 off when you buy 5 cans. Well, if you have a PetsMart Card (if you have pets and you don’t have one – get one if you have a PetsMart in your area) then the cans individually will cost you $.55 each – buy 5 and your cost is $2.75. Use your coupon and you will have an overage of $.25. Now you will have to buy what we call a “filler” item for the overage. Get another can of the Mighty Dog for $.30 after the overage. I purchased more of these coupons through a coupon clipping service. I will have 200 cans of Mighty Dog for less than $.05 per can after you figure in the cost for the coupons.

Another thing you can do that doesn’t take much time is to sign-up for rewards programs online. Here are just a few that we belong to:
Khols
JC Penney
Red Robin
Smokey Bones
Famous Footwear
PetsMart
Q’dobas
CVS
Walgreens

You will receive AWESOME savings in the mail, and through e-mail from these companies.

These are just a few things that you can do to kick start yourself into creating “habits of frugality” and trust me, once you master a couple of areas the others are easy to master!

Good Luck and let me know if you have any frugal tips – we are all here to help each other out!

Thrifty Frugal Tip(s) for the week

This post is linked to Jamie's I am a Money Magnet's Thrifty Tip Tuesday post.

Do you make a grocery list to shop by? Think about starting - it's fairly simple process that will save you a ton of money!

Through the week, Bear and I write down what we need on our grocery list conveniently hung on our refrigerator. On Saturday evening I take this list down and review the list with the upcoming sales to see what coupons I need to pull. This helps us keep to our budgeted allotment and when there is a stockpile opportunity we will have extra $$ to take advantage.

Do you shop at thrift stores, estate sales and garage sales? Think about starting - it's fun and will save you a ton of money! Remember my post about my tea kettle? I have wanted a tea Kettle for quite sometime but did not want to hand over the money for a new one. I began looking at thrift stores, estate sales and garage sales and after 6 months I found one for $2.00 saving me about $30-$40.00 just for being patient and looking. We also were able to pick up three "blankies" for Maestro for $1.00 - these are easily washed and we can now rotate them so he always has a fresh "blankie" to sleep on.

We also pick up knives for the barn - we are forever cutting baling twine and need a good knife but I don't want to pay more than $.25 for a knife to keep at the barn so we pick them up at garage sales.

Towels and linens are another favorite item you can find at garage sales and estate sales. I picked up 5 towel sets for $5.00 - $1.00 a set! They were almost brand new, nice big fluffy towels, hand towel, and wash rags for $1.00 a set - you can't even look at a wash rag for that let alone a set! Just take them home and put them through a good hot wash and dry and voila' you have new towels!

We also pick up pans that we can repurpose into dog food bowls at home. I am on the hunt for good stainless steel bowls that I can convert into dog food bowls and water bowls. These are easy to clean and they take the abuse that Duke can throw at them. He is Mister Destruction when it comes to plastic or toys.

Scissors, oh my goodness, never pay full price for a set of scissors again! I just found a pair of craftsman pinking shears that were loose like something needed tightening for $1.00 - they were craftsman so I could exchange them at Sears. Bear fixed them and they are as good as new - have you priced Pinking shears - especially a good pair? I have all sorts of scissors in all of our drawers, first aid kits, car, truck, trailer and at the barn.

Pots and pans for cooking - I found three very nice Pampered Chef baking stones, two were still in the box never used and one had been used maybe once or twice for $6.00 ($2.00 each). I love these stones - two are round and one is square and they make a mean casserole or biscuits!

Think outside of the box or stockpile when you go to these types of sales. One year we hit several estate sales, I was looking for crystal platters or Cake servers as Christmas gifts. Some of these had really pretty designs and were old. I found ten of these platters for less than $20.00 and combined them with some sausage, crackers, and cheese wrapped in some nice cellophane with a nice bow and they have a gift to treasure - everytime they use the platter they will think of you! I kept two of these for myself and when we took them down for Christmas all of James' sisters and his Mom loved the platters. I'm thinking this year maybe the year for fancy tea cups and saucers with some fancy tea? What do you think?

Well, those are some frugal tips for this week.....what do you do frugal to help your family stay in budget but have fun?

Thrifty Frugal Tip Tuesday

Remember my post on how to keep your puppy/dog sweet smelling without giving them a bath all the time? Well, here is another tip - pick up a bottle of Nature's Miracle and when you wash your dogs bedding put in the recommended amount - this will help to break down the enzymes from your puppy/dog and if they are soiling their bedding it will help to break that cycle. In addition, if it is a nice day - hang the bedding outside to dry in the sun as this will also help to kill bacteria and enzymes.

Here is a homemade frozen dog treat recipe that my dogs LOVE for summer - I call it Biscuitcicle:

Make some homemade chicken or beef broth, cool it and poor 1/2 into small reusable ziploc cups - you want it large enough that they can't wolf it down or chomp it in two bites. Let it get a little tacky and then add a dog biscuit and finish by pouring the rest of the cup up with broth - you can make a half and half if you like - get creative! Pop them out and put them in a baggie when fully frozen and keep in your freezer. When it's a hot day outside and your working in the yard and you take a break with some nice cold ice tea - pop one of these out of the freezer and give you your puppy/dog - they will lay down and lick and chew away and it will help them cool off too!

For our horses I freeze a five gallon bucket of water with apples and carrots in it and pop it out and let them go after it. They love this treat. I will also throw a couple of ice blocks in their stock tank - they love to play with the cubes and it helps cool the water down!

Did you know that at Famous Footwear you can stack a Rewards $$ off coupon with a % off coupon? This is the only place we shop for shoes - Bear loves shoe shopping and can spend hours in the store - Pair the stacking of two coupons with their Sales & Buy one get one Half off specials and go to town. This even applys to their clearance which is the first rack we hit!

Have you found a coupon that you really like and would help you stockpile but you don't want to purchase multiple papers just for the one high-dollar coupon - Think Ebay! I just purchased for 10.00 (shipping included) for both auctions clipping service for 40 Mighty Dog Coupons ($3.00/5). You do not purchase the coupons you are paying for clipping services and time. Did you read about my deal at PetsMart on Sunday? The cans are .55 each with a Pets Perk Card - with my coupon 5 cans are FREE (overage if you add a filler which I will)! 40 x 5 = 200 cans of Mighty Dog for my crew - That is .05 per can! Now you ask me what do I do with 200 cans of dog food - I won't have to buy canned for awhile - I can donate some to Stray Rescue, use it in some homemade treat recipes (more on that later), and feed it to my guys! I just love it when a plan comes together. Check it out - it works for me and Jamie also buys whole inserts off Ebay!

Well, that is my Thrifty Frugal Tip for Tuesday. This post is linked to Jamie's post at I am a Money Magnet's Thrifty Tip Tuesday - Go check it out - always good tips to use!

Thrifty Frugal Tip - Sweet Smelling Pets without shampooing

Thrifty Frugal Tip - for I am a Money Magnet's Thrifty Tip Tuesday Post.

Does your dog smell, well, like a dog? Do you hate giving your dog a bath? Does he/she hate getting baths?

Did you know that over bathing can cause dry skin? Well, it does which causes your dog to itch more which in turn causes more dander that you have to sweep up.

Here is a trick to extend the times between bathing. Not only is this easy to mix up it is so Frugally cheap and out performs the branded stuff!

Find an empty shaker bottle (I use a small coffee can w/lid and I've punched small holes in it) - and put this in the shaker bottle - Mix well - 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup Cornstarch. Now if you want a little smell to it and you have some dried rosemary or mint add this to the mix and mix well or you can add some essential oil like rose, lavender, or vanilla. Just be sure you mix it WELL before putting it in your shaker. Now take your doggie outside or somewhere where you can easily clean up and shake this over his coat. Lightly rub into the coat and then brush out - do not over shake the mix onto your dog - just lightly dust him. This will deodorize him without stripping his coat of all the oils plus it lifts dirt up so you can brush it out!

This stuff will last forever - just keep adding to it at the ratio of 1 : 1 and mixing it well.

If your dog is long haired, I recommend doing this in sections at a time. I use our Furminator when I do this and you would not believe the results!

Tuesday's Thrifty Frugal Tips

This post is connected to Jamie's I am a Money Magnet Thrifty Tip Tuesday series and Lori's Couponomic Stimulas Package Tuesday Tips.


I'm going to tell you a secret - even if you do not own horses - a boarding barn could by your best friend for garden supplies. Here's why:

Feed Sacks - most barns throw them away - see if they will save them for you - please if you do make arrangements to pick up feed sacks - keep your arrangement. You can use these used feed sacks for picking up leaves, grass clippings, trash, lining a pet crate, keep a couple in your car, and for compost!

Composted Manure - Unless they have an agreement for someone to haul it off - see if they will let you pick up some in your truck, 5-gallon buckets, or even used feed sacks.

Dryer lint - what to do with dryer lint - as long as it is cotton material this can be recycled for the birds to line their nests with as it will compost over time. Also, if you brush your dog out the fur you collect is prized by our feathered friends.

Old socks with no matches or holes? Use for dusting furniture.

Old newspapers - use to clean windows or recycle them to your local shelter for their crates - if you have a shredder then shred it for them.

Old medicine bottles lying around? Clean the label off and use them to store extra garden seeds for next year in them - just use a sharpie to write on the bottle or if you still have the packet attach the packet to the bottle if large enough.

Keep a roll of TP in your car for an emergency - I don't know how many times it has saved us when on the road and stop at a rest-stop to find - NO TP!

Save your Tuna cans and small dog cans like Mighty Dog. Clean them really well and then spray paint them a favorite color and then you can attach them to your stall doors to hang your halters, leadropes or bridles.

Do you go to garage sales? Look for coat rack hangers - I found a whole box of brass ones that were really unique - got all 10 for $5.00! Bear is working to make me a nice coat rack w/shelf for the back door. We had some left-over boards that we are going to use to make this shelf -coat rack. He is finishing it and then he will attach the coat hangers to this board and we will hang it by the back door. We got this idea from watching our local PBS station and a tour of old historical houses. I love using something old to make something new! Pick up extra towels as bedding for your dogs or to use for drying your dogs.

One of the best frugal tips if you are eating out - DRINK WATER! It will save you so much money. And if you can get by on a kids meal order a kids meal. One restaurant that we love to eat at (good good fried chicken) let's us order one meal and split it! We eat for just under $10.00 with tax and tip!

Save your change each night when you get home - pop it in a container - we call ours the Chicken account because we drop our change in a cookie jar shaped like a Chicken (rooster actually but I like Chicken account better than Rooster account). We've been able to either save for a short term goal or put in savings.

What tips can you share?

Getting Ahead the Frugal/Simple way

Jennifer at Getting Ahead has started a series called Getting ahead: Weekly Wrap-up and this details what she did in the past week to live more frugal and simple.

LOVE IT!

So, I'm a little behind since this should be posted by Friday but I'll post it today and again on Friday.

This past week to save money we have done the following:

Filled the Mustangs tank up when gas was $1.29 - the next day it jumped to $1.49. Seems that Monday-Wednesdays are the best days to fill the tank as the prices tend to go up Thurs-Sunday.

Bear (DH) received a Ham for Christmas - we cut this ham up into 9 (YES 9) meals and froze them for later - here is what we did:

Cut 3 2" slices from the Ham and then cubed each slice - will use for 3 pots of beans this winter!

Cut 8 slices that were about 1/4" thick - this will be used for 2 separate Ham Dinners - 2 slices per person.

Cut 4 Slices for New Years Dinner that were 1/4" Thick

Thin sliced the remaining ham for Ham Sandwiches for Lunch or Dinner which would make three more meals for us.

Used the Meaty Bones buy one get one Free coupons to stockpile my 5 dogs treats for the next 6 months - Saved over 35.00 with the coupons and out of pocket was less than 12.00 - can't remember completely.

Used my $5.00 off Kohls cash towards two pair of Gloves - no OOP expense as they were on clearance for $2.50 each. Did this transaction twice for a total of 4 pair of gloves for $0.00!
Used another $5.00 off Kohls cash towards the ear bands that I love to wear at the barn - I purchased 3 of these that normally were 6.00 each and got all 3 after coupon for $2.37!

Received my $10.00 Register Reward from the Catalina Company for a RR that did not print - Took 3 mos to get it but I finally got it - brings my total of RR to $35.00!

Printed off the $10.00 off (got 2) coupons for Glucerna products - Purchased at CVS one Multishake in Chocolate and two boxes of the Bars for a total of 21.85 - 20.00 in Coupons - used my $10.00 GC I recieved for participating on a taste panel at work for the $1.85 and received a $5.00 RR and my $1.00 for Fall spending RR - I've only been participating with CVS since September so I am sure this will go up. This was a money maker!

Mailed off for the $15.00 off gas card for purchasing the Rain-x wipers for Sally (mustang) - We do not scrimp on our vehicles and these are good for snow, sleet, and ice.

Gave my husband a haircut - savings $15.00 - I watched the hairdresser do it and asked her what number the trimmer was on and she told me so I told him that I had a brand new set of horse clippers that I was not using that had a blade guard for number 4 and that I could do it - we tried it and he was happy so I now do his hair!

In addition - all of our lights are turned off or are on timers - I want an outside light on as we get home after dark most evenings and I want one light to be on at night to look like someone is home. We purchased a Kerosene heater that we turn on in our upstairs bedroom prior to going to bed and this will heat the entire up stairs for less per month than it costs to use the gas heating so we can therefore turn down the heat. On weekends we use our crock pot to start supper in the AM before we leave for the barn and when we get home in the evening - done! This keeps us from going out to eat. Pack our lunches - even on weekends when we are at the barn - Except when it is truly too cold to stay out - I will use a coupon or plan on using a gift card to eat lunch at restaurants that I have GC to from my taste testing rewards from my company.

So, what are you doing to live more frugally or simple please let me know and be sure to visit Jennifer's posts to see how she and others are living frugal simple lives!

Kit's Frugal Tip

Ever gone to garage sales or estate sales?

These are great places to find items for the barn at a very reasonable price.

We have found the following:

3 almost brand new pairs of scissors - .50 each

2 hammers - 1.00 each

1 wooden tool box - .25 ( we converted this to a grooming box for our trailer - bear made some minor adjustments and this is now in our trailer - I saw one similar in one of our magazines for over 100.00!)

1 pkg of used towels and rags (had it in a group of 5 towels and 5 rags) - 1.00

5 oversized shirts to convert into barn shirts - 1.25 for all of them.

Countless tupperware containers for storage.

As you can see there are things to be had at a garage, yard, or estate sale. I'm always on the look out for all of the above plus screwdrivers, pliers, and sunscreen - I use the sunscreen for Kit's face and areas so she doesn't sunburn!

Kit's Frugal Spending tips for horses

1. Coordinate routine vet appointments with your fellow board buddies or horse friends to split a farm call.

2. Check your local Vet clinics to see if any of them have Vaccination clinics and everyone head over for cost reduced vaccinations!

3. You budget for your family - make sure you budget for your hobby. Money for horse activities means having a sound budget in all areas. Keep a record of how much you spend on every dollar. Decide whether those things are worth their expense. You know that Starbucks Coffee you just have to have every morning? Well if the coffee costs you 4.00/cup and you have a cup everyday on the way to work - that works out to: $100.00 or more per MONTH! My husband and I have decided that Casa Thornton's version of Starbucks coffee made at home is just as good and only costs 5.00/month! Total savings $95.00! Realize this - 1 cup of premium coffee costs 4.00/cup = the cost approximately of 1 gallon of gas! No if you add up the number of cups to make one gallon - I think you see where I'm going with this! Make coffee at home - if you have to - go to Starbucks and buy one of their to go mugs so no one knows that you are being frugal and your Starbucks comes from home!

4. From Horse Illustrated - "Put a limit on how much disposable income you can devote to all areas of spending. Be sure you "pay yourself first" by depositing money into a high-interest retirement account, such as a 401K or IRA, so you can continue your horsey habit comfortably throughout life, streses Wayne Tolbert of Lenior City, Tenn., a three-time winner of horsemanship awards from the North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC).

5. Just as you shop for your groceries, personal products - do the same for your horse/dog supplies. Sign up for the various on line stores such as Valley Vet, or check out Vern at http://www.horsewarehouse.com/ - he has REALLY Good Deals on your vaccines and joint supplies. SmartPak is another one that offers good deals. But you need to check - don't assume that one place is the cheapest. A friend of mine orders 6 PowerPacs for her horses and spent ALOT of money - she did not shop around - said she didn't have time. I spent 5 minutes online and showed her that she just spent $50.00 more than she had to because she did not take the time to check prices. I told her to contact the place she ordered from and show them the other place that has the sale and see if they will discount her package because if they do not then she would like to cancel - generally they will as they do not want to lose a sale but it is worth asking. I told her that savings was the cost of an entry for two horses at one of our local barrel races - that is when she began to understand!

6. Check around to see if you can purchase your shavings in Bulk rather than bagged. - At our barn where we board - we all go in and pay for a load of shavings split among us three ways by the number of horses we have in stalls. This has drastically reduced our shavings costs as bagged shavings are going up considerably. Another way to save that some of my friends are doing is using wood pellets instead of shavings. In addition, if you have a local saw mill - then you may be able to get free to almost free shavings - note that these will be finer than you normally would get so you may need to bulk it up with a bit of the bagged shavings.

7. To counter the higher prices in hay - buy one load of premium and one load of slightly less than perfect and mix them together. My husband and I buy a good quality grass/alfalfa mix and are fortunate that our hay supplier is very reasonable. However, we also purchase alfalfa hay from them - it is a bit higher than the grass/alfalfa but when we have some hay that the horses tend to pick through we will mix in a flake of the sweet stuff and they will tend to clean their plates better. I had a looooong talk with our guys and told them that they need to eat everything they get because it's a recession (don't care what anyone thinks it is) and they have to do their part by eating what they are given. I do have one picky little eater JT who will leave about two flakes of hay in his hay bin that he will not eat - we pull it out and give it to Scotty - he'll eat anything - Scotty gets his normal in addition to the added treat!

8. Track down several sources for hay, and continuously check prices before you buy. In tough times of short supplies, even a .10 / bale difference can mean a lot. We have our primary hay supplier and then we have 4 other suppliers that we get hay from to stay on their books. Another key note is to pay in cash - all of these suppliers know that we pay in cash so we get priority over some who buy on credit or pay by check. I have a chicken on our mantle that we call our "Chicken Account" and all our loose change, loose bills, any extra cash goes into the "Chicken Account" - this is how we bought Zeke! We usually have anywhere from $50.00 upto $500.00 in this chicken. This is what we use for our Hay, or any great deals that we find that we either need or I know that I can flip for even more money!

9. Periodically go through your tack and supplies and find things that you can sell, swap or auction off - this does two things - it gets rid of items that you no longer use and pads the pocket with extra cash.

10. Use coupons and store's rock bottom prices to get shampoo, conditioner and hair supplies for your horse at the grocery store. See our trip to KMart - we were able to get 4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner for FREE! Two of these bottles will now go to the barn for the horses. Same for hairspray - need it to keep a mane still in a halter class - two hair sprays for .79 each from sale add and coupon! That is better than paying 2.79/can!

Stay tuned for future ways to save with your horses/dogs.

Free PostCards!

What a NEAT Freebie!

Ok, there is neat…and then there is NEAT!!!

Keren , over at Mill Musings (you should check her blog out - it’s great!) posted a NEAT freebie - free postcards PLUS free postage with Hippopost! Here’s what she says:

“…I recently discovered Hippopost , which allows you to upload a picture of your choice to be used as a postcard (you can also add a message). Hippopost will then print the postcard and the postage is covered by advertising (mailed to the US and Canada only–I’m guessing you could send them if you are located internationally, but would have to send them to a US or Canadian address).
They are able to do this for free by placing a small advertisement on the postcard. So long as you don’t mind sending a postcard that has an advertisement on it, this is a great freebie! I just ordered a postcard, so I’ll update once we receive it. If you’re on a trip and want to send a postcard–all you need is an internet connection and a digital photo (you can actually select one of their images and just add your message, too)!”
What a great tip! And what a neat business idea!

****They do have a limit of 2 per day per person, and they have a limit of the number of free postcards per day as well. So check early and often.*********

Thanks Kendra at Hand Prints on the Wall.org

Freebie - Worth the effort!

Hi, just ran across this freebie from Deal Seeking Mom's website.

Click here to get to the free offer! It does require a 1.00 shipping/handling fee - it will sign you up for a trial membership that you will need to cancel within 7 days of signing up but it is worth it to get this freebie!

http://www.easybakeware.com/valueoffer.aspx

Free Give Away at Deal Seeking Mom - Win A Flip Digital recorder!

HURRY HURRY HURRY

Ends this evening at 11:59PM Sign up for a free give-away and while you are there look around and read all the different ways to save!

http://www.dealseekingmom.com/2008/08/who-wants-to-win-flip-digital-video.html

CVS, Walgreens, and Super Double Cpn days @ KMART

Well, after studying everyone's blogs and seeing how they were literally getting everything for free, I thought it was time to try my hand at it.

You see, I thought I was pretty good at using my coupons but I realized I'm a rookie compared to these ladies that I've visited their blogs.

Here it goes:

I first went to KMART as they were having a double coupons (up to 2.00). Now you could only use 4 of the same coupons in one transaction but could use up to 75 coupons per transaction. Needless to say, I drafted my hubby, Bear, to help me on the 4 of the same coupon.

So here is how we did - note all cpns are doubled:

My Cart
1 Revlon Nail Clipper 1.79 - 1.79cpn = FREE
1 Tresemme Hair Spray 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
1 Colgate Toothpaste 2.50 - 2.00cpn = .50
1 Resolve Carpet Cleaner 4.99 - 4.00cpn = .99
2 Ceasar Dog Food 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
3 Renuzit air freshner 3.27 - 1.65cpn = 1.62
2 Ziplock Bags 4.38 - 2.00cpn = 2.38
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Bath Wipes 3.19 - 2.00cpn = 1.19
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Endust 6.58 - 6.58cpn = FREE
1 Glade Air freshner 4.99 - 4.00 = .99

Total for this cart: 16.04




Hubby's Cart:
1 Tresemme Hair Spray - 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
4 Fructis Shampoo & Conditional - 8.00 - 8.00 cpn = FREE
2 Ceasar dog food - 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
1 Purex Laundry Detergent - 4.00 - 1.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziploc Sandwich Bags - 5.00 - 2.00 = 3.00
1 Airwick Oil Warmer - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = FREE
2 Airwick Oil Warmer - 6.00 - 2.00cpn = 4.00

Total + Tax = 13.37




Then we traveled to Walgreens and had two separate transactions.

Here is what we got:
I am including MFG Cpn and Easy Saver cpns together.
2 Lady Speedsticks BOGOF - 2.99 - 1.75cpn = 1.24
2 Colgate Toothpaste - BOGOF - 2.49 - 1.75cpn = .74
1 Reach advantage toothbrush - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = .99

Total for this transaction: 4.97
Would have cost $15.05


I have flexible spending so any OTC meds go on my flexible spending card.

2 Tylenol PM 24CT (Bonus additional 12 per pkg) 3.49 - 3.00cpn .98
1 Excedrin 3.99
1 Neosporin Ointment 4.99 - 2.00cpn = 2.99

Total for this trip: 8.24 - 3.99 rebate for excedrin - adjusted total = $4.25!




Last but certainly not least is our CVS vist.

Okay here is our last shopping trip:
1 Chex Mix Tradition 6 oz - 1.00 - .50cpn = .50
1 Aussie Shampoo - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Aussie Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Renuzit TriScent - 7.99 - 4.00 = 3.99

Total OOP = 7.83 - 5.00 ECB earned = 2.83!

*These two bottles were bonus size so we received 40% more for the same price and qualified for the ExtraCare Bucks!



WOO HOO! I'm hooked on seeing how I can get even more for less now!

Homemade Travel wipes for Horses and Humans!

Homemade Travel Hand Wipes
Materials Needed:
1/4 cup vodka or Isotopyl Alcohol
1/4 cup water
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Paper Towels (use a thick, sturdy towel)
Plastic seal tight container to store your paper towels in or a ziplock bag.

Directions:
Take the cardboard center out of the paper towels.
Cut the towels down the middle to make two sections.
If using the Ziplock Bag:
Lay one section at a time a shallow dish.
Mix the liquid ingredients together then pour over top of the towels.
Once towels are completely saturated take your gallon ziplock bag and
carefully place your paper towels in the ziplock container making sure to
squeeze the air out when sealing the bag.
If using the air tight container:
Place paper towel rolls in the containers and pour your liquid over the paper towels. Wait 5 minutes then flip the containers over to evenly distribute the solution on the paper towels. Make sure your container is airtight.
Repeat as needed until you have the amount of wipes you require.
Store any unused liquid in an airtight container to use next time.
Note: You can use strips of flannelette if you prefer (then launder and reuse)

These are fairly inexpensive to use and last quite a while - very nice to use to wipe a horse down with prior to entering the show ring or cleaning.

Hay Run today!

James and I went to get hay today. We make a run about every 45 days to pick up a load of hay. It is about a 100 mile round trip excursion but our hay guy is awesome and we do save money - most are paying from 5-6 dollars a bale - we are not even near that and our gas to get there and back is nominal. We always stop at Shivers and get an ice cream - it's the closest to Braums that we have found. We miss Oklahoma and our Braums Cherry Pecan Shakes!


James waiting for the next bale to be thrown.

James counting - we got 10 bale of alfalfa and 35 bale of

grass/alfalfa mix.

Helanore (yep that's the truck's name Helanore) - she is loaded

and ready to go - notice through the truck window who has

shed their shirt! James peels his shirt off every chance he gets

and I believe this is part of his Native American blood going

shirtless!

Getting that last bit of dregs out of the truck.

James is always clowning for pictures!

Here is our section of the barn where we store our hay.

we are now set for 45-60 days - we alway try and keep at

least two weeks worth of hay - in case of rain, sleet, or

snow we won't run out.

Office Max Specials

Just went to Office Max to get a new cartridge for my printer and had them refill it instead - it is about 33% less to have them refill than to buy a new cartridge.

While there we went back and I found their folders on sale for .01 ea maximum of 10. I needed some new folders so what was regularly 2.50 for 10 folders ended up costing me .10!!

If you watch the sales at both Office Max and Office Depot you can pick up some really good deals. Don't forget to check out their clearance rack which is usually in the back part of the store. They have some real good deals on clearance.

Nancy