We Interrupt This Blog To Bring You the Following...

I know some of you might be wondering why some posts look like advertisements and you are correct. They are and I started this blog for several reasons which I explained in a previous post. I like to think of them as commercials. I do think a few of the posts I'm doing do fit in like the life insurance one. I strongly believe every adult should have a term policy to cover funeral expensses and other expenses. I wanted to explain to my readers but I'm sure most of you already knew what I was doing.

Let Your Blog Make You Money!

I started this blog for several reasons. I wanted to share some great sites that I do to make a small extra income while at home. Writing this blog is a great way to share the frugal living tips I've learned over the year and learn more from my readers. I will admit I also wanted to make a little income from the blog. I am really enjoying the writing process, but it's not always easy since it doesn't come naturally to me. I'm trying to improve my skills. I do have lots of great topics that I want to discuss.

I signed up with several sites and was just approved by a couple. I have accepted several jobs recently and have already made almost $70 in less than 2 weeks. I know this number will improve as my blog gets more readers and traffic. I'm very happy with how well I've done for being such a novice and this is my only blog. I am basically using PayU2Blog. I really like this site. I am getting a good bit of work with them and I like you have a week to complete them. If you interested in learning more then click on the banner off the to the right side at the top of my blog.

Home Entertainment Center

My dad just loves electronic gadgets, and has a very nice home entertainment center. He has wired the living room for surround sound and has a very nice flat screen tv. He has it mounted on the fireplace with an lcd mount which keeps it very secure. He has more remote controls than an electronic store. I really don't know how he remembers what remote goes to what component. I must admit that it's very nice to watch movies, but I would rather save our money for a nice vacation next year. I will admit that I do love the DVR we have and it's very handy.

Keep Your Pets Healthy.

I don't have any pets, but if I did then I would want them to be as healthy as possible. Bringing them to the vet for check-ups, giving them pet supplements, good food, and lots of exercise. I have a huge backyard that any dog would love to run around. I would also make sure my pets had toys and lots of love. Take care of your furry friends.

Walgreen's Save $5/20 Coupon Friday Only!

They are putting out a lot of these great coupons. It's too bad they are for one day only. This is a new one for today only June 27th.

Click Here for the Walgreens Coupon!

So Many Decisions When It Comes to a Remodel.

When you first start a remodeling project, it seems so easy, until you start the actual planning. A couple of years ago our old kitchen sink started leaking so it needed to be replaced. We started shopping for a sink, and we also were going to have to replace the fixtures. I always wanted a garbage disposal so there is another expense. The old sink was a really old porcelain one with huge dish drains. Of course the new sink is smaller so then we were going to have to redo the formica counters. We did need new ones but it starts adding up. There are so many brands of faucets today. We looked at many brands, including Kohler faucets, which is what we choose. I'm very happy with how it all came out, but now we need to repaint the whole kitchen as well as the cabinets.

I LOVE CVS!

This is by far one of my favorite stores to shop, and I also get a lot of great deals. I went on Sunday and got the freebies for the month of June plus a couple of deals for the week. Here is what I got:

5 packs of CVS Q-Tips (500 count)
2 packs of CVS Band-Aids
2 Listerine Smart Rinse Mouth Wash
3 Dove Deodorants
3 Colgate Brand Spongebob Toothbrushes
1 Colgate Advanced Whitening Toothpaste
1 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste
2 packs of Basic Paper Towels
2 packs of Duracell Batteries

I also did several transactions. I could have saved another $8 but I haven't gotten any of those $4/20 or $5/25 coupons in months. I had a $3/10 CVS brand purchase plus got $10 ECB for the Q-tips and band-aids were free after ECB. I had $1 off coupons for the Dove, $1.50 for the toothpaste, 75 cents for the toothbrushes, $1 for the mouth wash, and $1 for the batteries. I paid a grand total of $18.67 in 4 transactions for everything. I also have a $3.49 Rebate for the Listerine plus $22.00 in ECB's for the next trip. Once I get my rebate then I paid a little over $15 for almost $90 worth of items! I'm still very proud of my totals and most of them were $2 or cheaper. I also try to go in first thing in the morning so it's pretty empty and I don't have a huge line behind. The cashiers are so friendly and always shocked to see how well I do. One of them even asks for me tips. This is one of the many ways I help to stretch our dollars.

I Have the Laptop Blues.

We have one desktop computer right now which won't do at all. I need the computer to do work and research, but my husband is kicking me off the minute he gets home from work. I usually can't get back on until he goes to bed. Then our son is begging to play on the computer at some point daily. We both decided it's time for a new computer but I want a laptop this time. I can bring it with us, like a vacation, or to show off pictures to the family. My husband said he would use it in the living room, and I like that it's not as bulky as a regular desktop. I'm trying so hard to be patient for the Black Friday sales, but it seems so far away.

Everyone Should Invest in Life Insurance

A good life insurance policy is something every adult should consider. A good policy doesn't have to be expensive. My husband and I both have a term policy that costs us less than $35 per month. I know a lot of moms who don't work think this doesn't apply to them. If you were to die when your kids are still young, then who is going to take care of them? Your husband will now either have to put them in daycare or perhaps hire a nanny. That does cost money.

So you now ask how big of a policy should I buy? Many financial experts say a good rule of thumb is 10x your annual income. Even if you don't work then add up how much income your spouse might need with daycare costs or a house cleaner. I have a $100,000 policy. You can get your life insurance quotes here.

Disclosure Policy

This policy disclosture for Thrifty Momma Ramblings from June 22nd 2008 is valid

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will not always be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.


To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

For the Computer Techie

I'm not technically advanced about computers, but if I were in the market for a KVM switch, then this would be the site I would visit. It allows you to control several computers from different platforms from a single station. This site even has new online tutorials which is great! There are many kinds to choose from plus the site offers many more great products and services. The site also includes a best price guarantee.

Weekends Should Last Longer!

Have you ever noticed how the weeks can drag on but the weekends are gone before you have time to enjoy them. I try to do as much of my work during the week, but there is always a project to do or somewhere to go. It always seems like I'm one who always has to visit my family if I want to see them. I just wished my weekends could last longer.

It's Amazing What A Simple Coat of Paint Can Do

I was pondering this after my husband repainted our pantry. I'm very ashamed of how it looked before but now it's so much nicer. We spent about $30 on a can of paint, a new CFL light bulb, and a box of those stick and peel floor tiles. We didn't spend a lot of money, but I always try to find the cheapest solution first. Sometimes just a simple coat of paint can transform a room into something nice. Now I love going into my pantry, and I smile each time I open the door. Here are some before and after pictures. Note: The weights were to put some pressure on the floor so the tiles would stay in place.

Tupperware is Selling Special Hostess Only Sets!

WOW! Seriously this is a great deal on some special Hostess sets that were from the last catalog. I know a lot of people that wanted these sets so now for 2 weeks only is your chance to buy them! Save up to 65% off these great sets. I really love my Refrigerator Bowl set. These are one touch seals so you just push down in the middle of the seal until it completely closes. This is really good for older people or if you have arthritis in your hands. These bowls look just like the ones from the 70's but much prettier colors. Long gone are the colors of burnt orange, avocado green, mustard yellow, and dark brown. These colors are vibrant and attractive.

1)Heat N Serve Bowl Set 3PC Square Round Set
2)Tupperware Impressions 14PC Set
3)Summer 10PC Set
4)Modular Mate 10PC Set
5)FridgeSmart 8PC Tower
6)Refrigerator Bowl 14PC Set

In March you could only get the Tupperware Impressions 14PC set with a $100 purchase and it was still $50 on top of that. This is a steal at $59! I love my modular mates. This is a great deal for 10 pieces for $73.50 since the biggest set in the catalog is almost $70 and it's only 5 pieces! These are some great savings so click on the flyer to shop. I also have more great sales listed on my page. Thanks for looking.

Pocket Change-Add It Up!

I never used to have a lot of pocket change since I hardly ever used cash. In the past year, we have used cash more than our debit card, and it really does add up. Some financial experts estimate that most people can save $40/mo from just their change. We have been saving over $50/mo the last 4 months. To get the most back is to never use change even if it's for a few pennies. I don't do that but I keep 4 pennies in my wallet so that way I never get them back and always nickels or bigger coins.

So what to do with all that spare change? Anything you like but here are some good tips. I am currently saving for our vacation next year. It won't pay for much of it but mainly food and spending money. Also, you can save Christmas or gifts in general, a fun day out, eating out, or use it to help pay down debt. I know some people save theirs for something they normally wouldn't buy, or to help pay for an upgrade like a new appliance or piece of furniture. You can also use it to help save for your kids college funds. $30-50 a month might seem like much but if you did average $40/mo that is a total of $480 a year. Not too shabby if you ask me. Those pennies really do start to add up over time.

I can keep my change in a designated jar with a slit and it's not too easy to get into which is good so it's less tempting to steal from it. Some people use mason style jars with a lid with a slit cut in the top, those bigger 5 gallon water jugs, soda bottles (the 2 liter kind) or anything. It's a great way to recycle. Now some are asking what's the easiest way to cash my change? I'm very fortunate to have a bank that doesn't charge me a fee where I can bring my jar, and they will dump it in a counting machine. I do have to deposit it in my checking but that's fine with me. Some people sit down and roll them. There are also those Coinstar machines but if you don't want to get hit with fees then you have to convert it into a gift certificate. They have vendors like Amazon, Disney Shopping online, ITunes, Circuit City, JC Pennys, Borders, AMC, Old Navy, and more. This is a good option if you plan on using it for gifts or want to buy something at one of these stores.

I think if you plan on a goal and then get a jar started, it will give you more motivation to save as you see the amount growing. I think a clear container is visually the best to literally see your savings grow. This is also great to try and get the kiddos involved. I also don't put dollar bills in mine and kept strictly as a change jar. Everyone can do their own as they want which is great. What I like to do is take out any leftover money at the end of a year from the envelopes to use for our Christmas gifts. Happy collecting!

A Rebate & Coupon Chat

Another way I use to S-T-R-E-T-C-H my dollars is using coupons and rebates. Now granted buying store brand or using an alternative is cheaper, but there are many times I can get name brand for either Free or much cheaper than the store brands. If you can then why not. Another really great tip is not to be brand loyal. I do have certain brands I like more than others, but trying new brands can help save money. There are times that I liked the other brand more than my usual fave. I don't buy too much convienance food or condiments. They aren't healthy and it's usually cheaper to make your own scratch version. This is just something I do, and I don't have access to really great supermarkets like Kroger's, Albertson's, Save-A-Center, and many more. I have 3 local family owned stores and a Super Wal-Mart. So not a lot of choice but I still manage to do pretty well, but no double coupons except for Fred's Dollar Store. They are only up to 65 cents and 1 coupon per item. I find I save more with CVS and Walgreens.

So where do I get all these coupons other than the Sunday paper? I buy certain coupons off ebay, I post on coupon forums, and other coupon clipping sites where you pay for their time to clip them. You can also trade them on these coupon/rebate sites. There are lots of sites but I have a few sites that I like to frequent and get coupon previews so I know if I should bother buying the paper or save my money. I also get coupon inserts from the paper recycling bin. It's easy access (no digging in dumpsters or climbing) and free for anyone. I take a couple which are usually right on top when I'm dropping off my papers already. It's right down the road from my house. I can't always count on it, but I usually get extras each week. Some stores will even give you the coupon inserts on old papers if you ask. This will depend on the store and area.

I don't save hundreds of dollars off a single shopping trip, but I do save enough to make it worthwhile. To save the most is to combine a rebate with a coupon. Walgreens and CVS will allow you to use one manufacturer coupon along with one store coupon per item. I also shop at Rite-Aid and do their rebates each month. It's a great way to earn some free stuff which I also use as presents or donate the extras. Listed below are some great websites and just copy/paste the links into your browser. Enjoy!

http://www.mycoupons.com/boards/

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php

http://www.fatwallet.com/

*This is a great coupon clipping service. They are fast and have a great variety.

http://thecouponclippers.com/

*This is an online site or you can also join to get a paper subscription but I am a member of the online only. Lots of great deals/info posted here.

http://www.refundcents.com/

Another Small Update to BoomerTowne

I received credit for 10 referrals for the month of May. It was a bonus month where you received 20,000 for each set of 5 so my balance was over 40,000 points. I was able to cash out 3 more Best Buy GC's! I have now cashed out $100 worth of Best Buy gc's and almost halfway of getting our Wii. The next problem will be actually finding one at my store. I could have redeemed a Wii on their site but I was worried that they may have run out before I had enough points. It was actually 17,500 points cheaper getting the Best Buy cards. I also signed up another 7 people for this month so next month will be another 10,000 points just for referrals. I love this site. If interested in joining this great community then just send me an email below asking for an invite.

Email For BoomerTowne Invite!

Walgreen's Save $5/20 Coupon Friday Only!

Walgreen's has put up another $5/20 coupon for Friday June 13th only! If anyone is buying the new WCares Lil Kinz animals then don't forget to use this coupon. They upped the price at mine to $9.49 which was $6.99. They couldn't keep them in stock so of course raised the prices. I will be only buying 2 of them and a little small item to get my pre-tax total to over $20. Have fun shopping! Just copy/paste the url below in any browser to get the coupon.

Click Here for the Walgreens Coupon!

Let's Talk About Merchanding & Mystery Shopping.

I stumbled upon Merchandising and Mystery Shopping back in the late 1990's not long after I started surfing the net. I used to see ads in my local paper about getting paid to shop but they also always wanted money for a packet. First rule is NEVER EVER pay a fee to a company for info. Good legit companies will never ask for money from you. Those are scams and run away as fast as you can. I have worked for over 20 different companies in the last 10 years and have never paid a fee to work. Again, this won't make you rich, but it is a good extra income. Sometimes you will you can get with a company who will give you a lot of work so it is possible to make a pretty nice income of even say $20,000-30,000 (this is definitely true if you live in a big metro city). My towns around me are building up and so are the number of jobs. There is some competition, but if you are reliable, have some experience, and take last minute jobs then you will be offered more work. I was with company that the scheduler always called me first since he knew that the job would get done quickly and could depend on me if someone cancelled.

What kind of work will you be doing you ask? Well it depends on the company but I have done Mystery Shopping jobs like evaluating a bank, real estate jobs, buy something from a store, and you either keep it or have to do a return, restaurants, clothing stores, electronics, video game and movies, actual movie theaters, gas stations, pizza, burger joints, pharmacies, grocery stores, and so much more. Pretty much anyone with no experience can start but the more experience you have the higher paid jobs you can receive. This again depends on your area and the company. I don't take the small $7 jobs unless it's a quick one and I'm already doing something else. Most jobs pay $10-15 each and there are ones that pay $20-40 (again most of these require more experience). There are times that I will take 3-5 jobs for one day so I spend less money in gas, and I earn that day about $50-80 for a couple of hours worth of work. Most jobs are 10-20 minutes long. The more you do the faster you get with the paperwork.

Now Merchandising is a little different and again you don't have to have experience but it will definitely help. I did have experience since I used to work as a stocker at my local Wal-Mart, and I used to put together the displays, shelving, and could read a plan-o-gram (the paperwork that shows how to put the display up and where everything should go). It's really not hard once you get the hang of it, but most companies really prefer you have experience. These pay much better and usually it's by the hour but sometimes it's by the job. Most of my jobs I got paid $10-12/hr. Some companies are cheap and only want to pay $8 but I did take one since it was 4 stores all within a 20 mile radius and it was a weekly job so a nice steady stream. Of course gas was still pretty cheap when I was doing this regularly. So now you should definitely consider the cost of gas. I love the flexibility and to me it was fun.

The kind of Merchandising jobs you do could be anything from putting up actual shelving, restocking, and putting up displays. I mainly did displays and restocking. It was extremely rare I had to do actual shelving. I did once have to put a display that required another person to help so I employed my mom. We went to 6 stores in different towns (the same weekend) and we did get paid almost $400 which after gas we still both made $16/hr. The work really wasn't that hard but it was a lot of fun, and gave us a chance to spend some time together. I even helped her find a few jobs in her town to make an extra income.

There is also demonstrating. This could be anything from handing out samples/coupons in your local grocery store to Wal-Mart but there are other kinds of demo work. Sometimes it can be working at a cellphone kiosk to showing an electronic gadget. There is also work involving taking surveys at a certain location. The pay isn't as good but most companies pay $7-9/hr for 2-6 hours of work.

Last let's talk about focus groups and surveys. I have already shared a few really great survey sites that do pay you for your opinion. I also have done focus groups. This is a little hard to break into unless you live in a metro area. The bigger the city the more opportunities. Some are done online but most are done in person. These can pay anywhere from $50-200 or even higher. There are different kinds like mock trials, medical research (with or without using oral meds), and even companies asking if you like a new product or to talk about a certain issue which could be about many things. There are so many kinds of focus groups and some are even for kids. I also have my son take a couple of surveys which pays $10 each so not bad for a young school-aged child.

Now where can I find these jobs? There are several ways to find jobs.
1)Forum boards are a great way to see jobs by location and by company. There are a few good places I check regularly for work.

Volition- http://www.volition.com/getpaid.html

Mystery Shopping Providers Association- http://www.mysteryshop.org/index-na.php (just a small word on this one. If you become certified then they will be more jobs available to you. This changed a few years ago and I have never taken the test. I'm not sure if it's worth the fee or not).

NARMS (love this place)- http://www.narms.com/s_indiv.html

There used to be a couple more but I lost the info when my computer crashed. If anyone has more to share then please leave it in a comment and I'll add it to the post. Thanks.

2)The other way is to check the company directly. Not all will share a job list and some won't even take applications. You can check companies above at those forums and just go to the site directly.

3)Another of my favorite ways is to talk to other vendors and check the vendor log. When you merchandise most stores have a vendor log for you to sign with your name, company name, date and times you were at the store. Some ask for you to wear a vendor tag if you don't already have one. This was a great way for me to find other great companies. Then I would either go to the website or call the company. Some won't take apps but a few schedulers would add my name to their database and it's how I got in good with one. I proved to be reliable and dependable for those that quit or backed out and I would go and do the job. Of course this helps if your kids are in school or older or even no kids. It's not always to take last minute jobs with small children. Good luck and I hope this helps those that were curious.

Update to the Eyglasses We Bought Online

So here is a quick update from my post When it Rains it Pours. I received both pairs of glasses in two weeks. You receive a case and a microfiber cleaning cloth. It's an extra freebie that is a nice touch. I bought hubby two pairs of the Memory Titanium Frames and I opted for the extra Anti-Reflective coating for $4.95. My husband loves his new glasses. He told me that they were so light that he hardly feels them on his face, and the lenses are very clear. I paid $68.xx for two pairs with $4.95 shipping. I would definitely purchase from them again. Now the only complaint I have is to be careful you aren't buying the wrong sex frames. I got his first model from under the men's frame section, but the second pair I went under the Memory Titanium. I'm almost positive that we ended up with a pair of female glasses as they look great on me. So I need to call them and ask if they will put in new lenses with my prescription. Oh well but it's his fault since he picked them out.

From their website here is what they include with each frame:

High quality stylish frame
Thin and Light 1.57 index lens
Anti Scratch Coating
Full UV Protection
Lens edge polishing and beveling
Quality Hard Eyeglass case
Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth
Full Guarantee

I will also say that the case is not that great of quality but it's not terrible. It's more of a plastic and not that hard of a plastic either. Again it's a minor detail, and these frames are very inexpensive. I priced the cheapest pair of Titanium frames at Wal-Mart and just the frames were $108! YIKES! I don't know how well the frames will hold-up, but I'm very confident that my husband will get good use from them. Just go to ZenniOptical.com for more info.

Tupperware is Having a Summer Sale!

Tupperware is having a great sale on summer items this month. There is a great item that I just ordered, and it's the Tupperware Impressions Dining Set. It's 50% off which includes 20 great pieces of the following:

4 Dining Trays
4 Refrigerator Bowls w/ seals (16oz each)
4 Microwavable Bowls w/ seals (20oz each)
4 Impressions 110z Tumblers (with Drip-Less straw lids)
4 Snack Cups w/ seals (4oz each)

The dining trays are perfect since they have the different compartments and look like school trays. They are a pretty shade of blue. There are also great sales on the Impression 3 bowl set as well as the 2QT pitcher. Click on the link below to see all the great sales. Interested in a Summer catalog then you can look at the current ones online. That is a great feature plus you can have online parties and send gift certificates online to friends or family members. Tupperware is definitely making it easier for busy people on the go. Online parties are a great way to invite friends/family members from anywhere in the 48 US States. Each hostess will have 2 weeks for the party, and all you need is a first name plus their email address. Tupperware sends the invite and you can send out reminders when the party is 2 days away from ending. It's so easy and if you receive $200 or more in orders then Tupperware sends you an online gift certificate for $20 or 10% of your total sales. So if your final tally is $300 then you will receive $30 in FREE TUPPERWARE! You must have at least $200 in sales to receive an award.

Click Here to See the Tupperware Sale!

Just Cashed Out My First $25 GC BoomerTowne!

I just cashed out my first $25 gc to Best Buy from BoomerTowne! I still have over 1,000 pts in my account. Thanks to everyone that signed up under me and I should see those referral points by the middle of the month. Anyway it's an awesome site and so easy to earn the points. I am getting 1,500 points a day (that's the max) and all I do is chat on a chat board for 5-10 minutes (sometimes b/c I'm having fun chatting), a couple of easy posts on the boards. I also click on games (you don't have to play if you don't), accepting friend requests gives you 10pts per request, and asking for friends which is 7pts. I also do the daily trivia (25pts) and it doesn't matter if you get the questions wrong or right. Rating tips, recipes, jokes, watching videos and there is so much more. It's super easy and takes me less than an hour each day. Hubby does his in the morning. We are saving up for a WII which you can earn on the site but it's about 20,000 points this way so the gc's are better for us. I just wanted to update everyone and it's a really easy to earn the points. Again if you are interested in joining this great site please shoot me an email (click on the link below) and provide me with your first name and email addy. It's the only way I can send referrals is to email them directly which is a pain.

Email For BoomerTowne Invite!