TMR Frugal Living Tip #60

Today's thrifty tip is think about leveling your utility bills. It makes budgeting easier for me since I have an average of what my bill will be from month to month. I have to run our A/C often during the summer which spikes our electric bill. It was harder for us to come up with $200-250 for one month during the summer. Instead we pay an average of $100 per month. We use less electricity in the winter months since we our heater runs on natural gas. During the summer months my bill can go up to $110-120, and during the winter as cheap as $80. I budget $100 per month so in the months when it's cheaper, I have extra for the more expensive summer months. I also have my natural gas bill leveled. I average $50 a month on that bill. I just level my water bill myself since they don't offer that service. I average $40 per month on the water and it includes trash service. It just makes my life easier, and bill paying more predictable.

Great TV

I am pretty frugal, but I do like to splurge on fun things every now and then. Since we don't have any debt, then I know we can afford them. Our latest splurge was a LCD TV that we bought on sale for Christmas. We got a 32" Sony Bravia HDTV. I must say that I love it! The picture quality is so beautiful, and the color is so vibrant. I saved us $150 making it very affordable.

Sporty Cars

Lately I've been thinking about adding some performance parts to my car. I would really like to put a spoiler on the back. I already have a sporty looking car so I think a spoiler would just add to that look. I wouldn't need to add my engine since it's a turbocharge. It gives me lots of power especially when I need to pass on the highway.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #59

Today's thrifty living tip is declutter. Clutter makes your life unorganized, looks messy, and makes your life expensive. What I mean is if you can't find that certain widget you know you own, then you waste time finding it. You might also buy another widget since you can't find it. This happened to me last year at Thanksgiving. I couldn't find a pastry cutter so I bought another one at the store for $5. I later found one that I couldn't find so I now own two. I actually plan to use the one I already have, and have stored the other one in a place that I can now find it if I need it one day.

This happens very often to people. It's money wasted as well as time. I try to declutter at least once a year. You can either sell or your stuff online like ebay, Craigslist, an ad in your local paper, or at a yard sale. I also like donating some of the clutter to my local church and women's shelter. I usually don't have enough stuff to justify a yard sale so I prefer to just give most of it away. This way I can help others in need.

Winds of Change

I am very sad that my fifty year old pecan tree has to be cut down this year. The hurricane torn down so many top limbs that are still hanging in pieces at the top of the tree. Unfortunately pecan is a brittle wood, and it litters my yard if we get a bad thunder storm. I have always admired Elm trees. I am thinking that would make a great replacement tree for next year.

Stylish Faucets

It seems that home decor as the same stylish trends that you see in fashion. What was fashionable twenty years ago always comes back in some form either on the runway or in the decorator store. I have noticed, on many of the home decorating shows, that French Country farm sinks and faucets are all the rage. I find it even more amusing how big of a price tag comes with a style that is already in my kitchen when I moved in.

Another Apology...

I have to issue yet another apology for my little break. I know it hasn't been that long of one, but I'm really enjoying my time away from the computer. I have been doing more cooking from scratch and just spending more time with my guys. I also have some new projects around the house I am starting and will elaborate more in the week. I'm debating on the future of my other 3 blogs. I'm pretty sure House of Bargains is getting axed in the near future as well as WAHM Adventures. I can't decide if I want to keep The Cajun Blogger or not. I like that one a lot, but I can post the same topics on this one. It's really a lot of work keeping up with multiple blogs. This is my baby so I really want to continue growing it.