TMR Frugal Living Tip #80

Today's frugal living tip is to reuse those coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, and vegetable/fruit peelings. Yep I drink coffee and tea on a daily basis so I take the grounds, and work them directly into the soil around my plants. Of course you can also throw them in a compost pile. I take rinsed eggshells and crush them before mixing into the soil. I also compost. You can either compost vegetable/fruit peelings or just dig small holes into your garden. I dig them in a few inches and let them rot until it's time to till the soil. I love just digging small piles directly into the garden as I don't have to deal with a compost pile this way. My soil still benefits and it gets worked into the whole garden plot twice a year. Not everyone is keen on the idea of having a compost pile so here is another alternative way to reduce waste, but it still helps your soil and plants thrive. The best part is that worms love the coffee grounds and seem to attract them. This is actually a positive as worms help to aerate the soil.

Blog & College Life Update

As my mid-terms are coming to an end next week, I'm looking forward to our short break. I just have to brag a little since I have straight A's thus far. It's funny how as an older adult, I refuse to accept less than the best. Whereas, when I was straight out of high school, I was happy to get out the class with a C.

Next week I am planning on possibly moving my blog to wordpress and hosting it somewhere else. I want more control over it, and I would like to concentrate on a new design. I'm not sure if I will keep the other one I started called Shrinking Cajun. I think I might axe it and just revive the Cajun Blogger. I also would love to chronicle more about how fun it is trying to juggle family, part-time work, with going to school full-time as an adult. I know many other women face this same struggle so I would love to write more posts about college life and time management. I'm really beginning to enjoy writing more lately, another idea I have for that blog would be to interview local Louisiana business owners.

I really want to review products and more money saving tips. I am hoping to host some giveaways soon. I have already invested so much time into this blog that I refuse to let it die a slow death. I really want to share a great project we did on a couple of pieces of furniture we already owned. I just need to take some pictures, but I don't really have any before to compare. I am planning on doing the same thing with the living room furniture when the weather gets a little cooler. Keep checking back as I will have this up by this weekend.

Back in School & Blog Update

I feel so badly that I'm ignoring my blogs, but my life has been very busy. The first update I want to share with everyone is that I'm back in college! That's right. I have taken the plunge to finish my degree. I'm very excited but it's also proving to be overwhelming. Yes that picture sums up how I'm feeling lately.

I have always regretted not finishing my degree. I had 33 hours under my belt when I was at Nicholls State University from 1993-95. For the last few years, I was on the fence about going back. I regained a lot of my confidence back after dropping 100 pounds. I still feel out of place being older, married, and already having a pre-teen. I have met some other classmates my age so I'm starting to get over that awkwardness. But being older than a couple of my professors doesn't help at all.

I decided to get my Associate's Degree in General Studies so I will graduate next spring in May. I'm debating if I should get my Bachelor's degree, but I'm not sure that I will. I'll worry about it next year. For now, I have plenty to keep me busy. One of the classes I'm currently taking this semester is a Dreamweaver computer class. I got the program heavily discounted as I'm a full-time student. I'm already learning so much. I really think I would like to learn more about managing websites and even SEO. I am taking a class next semester on social networking which I do have a good bit of knowledge but looking forward to learning more.

I am going to work really hard on getting this blog back on track since I've lost readers and page ranks. It's totally my fault, but I have some major plans for this blog. I am hoping to move this blog to my own host. Then I will give it a major overhaul design wise. Stay tuned as I am planning a big contest next month and unveil the new blog design.

My Renovation Reality

Yes just like the show, house repairs are unexpected and extremely time consuming. Our renovations are coming to an end inside the house thank goodness. I don't think I ever want to look at another paint brush again. Ok so just a bit of an exaggeration, but I am happy to step back from remodeling for a few months. I plan on doing a few posts about time saving tips that I learned and just show off our projects. I'm extremely pleased with how my house has turned out so far. We saved a lot of money by tackling many things ourselves like patching drywall, caulking trim, painting, and lots of comparison shopping. I'm waiting for it to cool down (say October) before I tackle any outside projects. I want to caulk and weatherstrip my windows to further reduce my electric bills. I still have a couple of small projects to finish up, but I admit that I'm procrastinating as I'm burnt out.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #79

Today's frugal living tip is use Citrasolve and an old credit or debit card when removing paint splatters from wood floors. You should really use a drop cloth when painting. But if you are lazy like me, then these two items will make removing paint much easier. I really like the Citrasolve cleaner. It smells great and polished my wood floors making them look new again. I did try Goof Off, but it didn't smell nearly as nice. It also didn't work well at removing the paint. I had to really rub to get any paint up. I gave up and switched to the Citrasolve, and all those paint marks were cleaning up easily.

The credit card was great at removing tiny and big paint drops. I should mention my wood floors are unfinished which is probably why they look so polished. I then used a damp sponge mop with warm soapy water to wipe up the Citrasolve. In the future, I can say I will use a drop cloth when I paint my bedroom.

House Remodeling Projects

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. I was going to start another blog about my weight loss journey, but that hasn't happened yet. I will say the main reason I haven't posted in so long is I've been remodeling my house. We are in the midst of multiple house projects including painting, new floors, plastering drywall, ripping out old and trying to make new items fit. We also had our house leveled, which is great, but now many of our doors have to be shaved or door latches readjusted so doors will shut again. I'm also kicking myself for not doing some before/after pictures. I'm cutting out old drywall around door cracks. My husband wasn't sure if I could handle fixing all of the crumbling drywall above the tub where we ripped out an old cabinet. I have proved him wrong, and you can't even tell there were big chunks of drywall missing exposing the wood beneath it. All I can say is the internet, google, and youtube are your friends in diy projects like this.

On the flip side, I have also spent countless hours planning and shopping. I do enjoy all the shopping, but I don't always enjoy making all the decisions. I can be extremely indecisive plus I love getting a bargain. When I would find something I liked, then I would worry that I could get a better deal somewhere else. I solved that problem by downloading a free app to my iphone to price compare called Shop Savvy. It also lists all the local & online stores with the cheapest price listed first. That cool app has saved me time plus I know if I'm getting a good deal or not. I love technology.

The other reason I haven't done any blogging is I'm still trying to get my son all the help he needs. That has been an ongoing struggle with the school and doctor. The doctor finally came to the conclusion that my son does struggle with major anxiety along with the autism. The doctor thinks he has more Asperger's syndrome coupled with anxiety plus the Sensory Disorder. Trying to find a good balance of medications to help him has been very hard. He was having lots of trouble in school at the beginning of the year. He had three different teachers in a matter of two months. Not good for a child who resists any change especially in his routine. That has been a fight at the school along with fighting with the doctor my son needed to be put on an anti-depressant. I hate medicating him, but I knew in my heart he needed to be put on one. Right after Christmas, the doctor agreed with me and was put on Zoloft. He has been doing so much better. He is now making straight A's again, and I'm curious to see how he did on the ileap. His teacher thinks he did extremely well.

With the summer coming, I'm looking to make some big changes with his diet like I did with mine. I have been struggling some with my weight loss for the last several months. I gain a couple and then lose them. I will save that for another post. All in all, life has been very hectic so I tend to forget about the blog when I get very busy with other projects. I am excited to share pictures and my experience with these projects. I have to share here since my husband refuses to go on Renovation Realities with me. I know we would have the highest rated show ever since I do have a bit of a temper. Ok, so that is a tad of an understatement I admit. I am a bit of a perfectionist so it's better that I'm doing most of this work myself. I do enjoy having an ipod on this phone since I love to sing while I'm plastering and sanding.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #78

Today's thrifty living tip is use coconut oil as part of your beauty routine. Coconut oil is truly a wonderful product that is great for eating as well. If you do cook with it, then make sure you get cold pressed and unrefined virgin coconut oil. It's a little more expensive, but a good quality oil for cooking. There are so many beauty uses for it. People in India and Philippines have been using it for centuries. The women have gorgeous skin and hair. I've always noticed how silky their hair looks. The reason coconut oil is so good for hair is that the oil actually sinks into the hair shaft and not sit on top of it. You can google all the wonderful benefits of coconuts which are many. Here are some ways I love using it as part of my beauty routine.

Deep Hair Conditioner- this will make your hair so soft and silky. It's also great to use if you have a dry, itchy, or flaky scalp. I use it twice a week. I live in a sub-tropical climate so most of the year my oil stays a liquid. During the winter it does solidify so I scoop out a spoonful and melt it for a few seconds in my microwave. I only do a 10 seconds at a time until it's mostly melted. Then I rub it in my hands and massage all over my scalp and down to the ends. I really concentrate on the hairline in the front. Then I cover my hair with a shower cap but you could use saran wrap. You can leave it on for a minimum of 20 minutes, but as long as overnight. I never sleep with it in my hair and usually keep it on for 1-2 hours. Then I wash it out as normal, and it will not leave your hair feeling oily or greasy. It really does wash all out with shampoo. My hair is never frizzy which is a huge plus for during winter.

Moisturizer- just slather on a little bit all over like any regular body or face lotion. You really don't need much either. Your skin will never feel softer. I like to use it after I shave my legs. It makes the best hand moisturizer. I use this every night before going to bed. I use a little bit on my lips as a chap stick. It's tastes good too on your lips.

Sunscreen- coconut oil makes a great sunscreen. I used it everyday before going to the parks at Disney World. I was in the sun for hours and never burned once! It actually helped me to tan. I don't tan well either so this was amazing for me. I still have a slight color and it's winter.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

Ok so not everyone feels like waking up before dawn and camp out in the cold to save money for Christmas presents. Then there are those of us that get a sort of rush during this time of year. I'm one of those that love shopping the Black Friday sales. I'm going to share some tips with you, and you can share your own in the comments.

*Preview Leaked Ads- this is my favorite part is seeing all the leaked ads before they come out. I prefer Black http://www.black-friday.net/ This way I can to start planning my shopping list as well as which stores to hit.

*Planning- once I have my list made then I know which stores to hit. I also can see which stores have the best price on the item I want to buy. CVS allows you to shop their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving day which makes it easier for me. I will hit them first thing when they open so I can beat the crowds. I also check which sales start at what time like Wal-Mart opens at midnight. This is great for me since I don't want any of the doorbuster items this year. I am planning on doing most of my shopping online this year so no lines or crowds. Then I can go back to bed when I'm done. I will still hit some stores on Friday morning at a decent time.

*Price-Match Ads- this will help you save time and money. None of the stores will price match any ads that offer special deals like gift cards when you buy xx item, spend xx amount, or even doorbuster (early bird) deals. They will match the other sales.

*Shop Online- many of the stores will offer the sales on their website. Again less time in store and you can shop in your pj's. Who doesn't love that?!! The only drawback is that many items will be sold out quickly since you are competing with more people. Don't forget that Wal-Mart is offering free shipping on almost everything online so this is a huge savings.

*Amazon- I love this website. Many times they will have many of the same deals on video games and movies that the other stores are offering. I have done very well the last 2 years buying many presents. I will mention that many times they can be sneaky having an item priced very cheaply and hours later it's almost retail. So if you see something you like at a great price then snag it!

*Mapping- for stores like Target and Wal-Mart it's a good idea to get a map when you walk in the store. They will usually let you know where the items are in the store. Toy deals can be in groceries and video games in clothing. It also helps if you can talk another person into coming with you. That way if you want a TV then one person can wait for it while someone waits for a must have toy.

The last tip I can give you is to have PATIENCE and smile. While it can be frustrating for someone to cut you off or be rude, just remember that it's only stuff. Life is too short to dwell on negatives, and just be happy to get any good deals that you can snag. Most years I can get everything I want, but I've missed out on some items. Such is life. I always have fun, and I love how much money I can save.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #77

Today's thrifty living tip is to share portions when dining out. It's an oldie but goodie. Many restaurant portions are too big so either try to split the entree with someone else or take half of it home. It will not only help you by not eating too many calories, but it also stretches the entree into two meals. This is cheaper and healthier. If you are at a fast food place, why not order off the kids or dollar menu. I have started doing this by ordering just a burger and then eating a few fries from my husband.

Money Saving Tips on New Wardrobes

When you begin to lose weight, most of the time you don't even think about how you might need a new wardrobe. This can be the case, not once but several times, if you have a good bit to lose. It can be quite costly but it doesn't have to be. I love to shop so I've made it into more of a challenge to buy nice quality clothing at discount prices. There are many ways to acquire your new clothing whether it be new or used. I hope these tips will help.

Shop your local thrift stores. Some thrift stores have sale days which can save you as much as half off their tag price. I have even shopped at thrift stores that have bag days where you can put as much as you can in a bag for a set price. Many times you can find clothes with store tags still attached. My local thrift store has many clothing priced at $2 each even with store tags. I have scored many great deals this way.

Yard sales can also offer some great bargains. I have seen many clothes with tags attached for a fraction of retail. I usually find mall brands like Gap, Old Navy, NY&Co, Limited, but I have also seen some designer brands. This will greatly depend on the area you are shopping. I have gotten some real bargains over the years.

Clearance sales is the most obvious way to score deals on department store clothing. I love shopping at the end of a season. Many times I have found winter clothing on summer clearance racks and vice versa. I have even found last seasons clothing on clearance racks and those are usually heavily discounted. Always keep your eyes peeled for stores that offer an extra % off on clearance racks. I have walked out paying $2-4 for clothes that were $20-50 originally.

Consignment stores are also a good place to find some good deals. These stores are usually more expensive, but you will pay a lot less for career clothing, suits, special occasion dresses, and even nicer coats. Some stores do offer coupons or have designated discount days to save even more.

Talk to friends or family members. You might be surprised while chatting with someone that they could be getting rid of clothes that would be perfect for you. Many people get rid of clothing after either gaining or losing weight. Some people have gotten together to have clothing swaps. This is perfect in tight times to get new clothing for yourself while helping out a friend or family member. I know that some church groups do this and if not maybe start one in your area.

Check the classifieds or even Craig's list/Freecycle. People are always selling clothing (many times brand new or hardly worn) which can be a great savings to you. Of course you can buy clothes off the internet like Ebay. I have seen several forum or yahoo groups where members can sell their items similar to an online yard sale. They will post pictures and you pay through Paypal. There is a certain amount of trust you instill which can be a little scary for some people. Speaking of the internet, why not try Facebook if you have an account. You could post if you are looking to sell or buy clothing from your friends. That might be a better way of either asking or offering people a certain size without offending.

New Blog Project

I decided to create a new blog just for my weight loss. I know some of you think I should post about it here but I really feel like I should have a separate one. I won't have it up and running until the weekend so I won't reveal the name yet. My wonderful baby sister is making me a header for it. She is a very talented artist and only 13 years old! I am going to post some of her artwork here on the blog. I am planning later to help her run a website to show off her talented work. I'm extremely proud of her.

The other reason I haven't posted much is school started last month. I'm just so frustrated with his doctor and his medicine situation. Little man has way too much anxiety for an almost 10 year old. No kid should be this worried about so many different things. As if that wasn't enough, we just found out recently that my step-father has terminal lung cancer. So I've been busy helping her making phone calls and arrangements. I'm still working on my weight loss, but I'll be honest some days it's hard not to cheat. I do keep trying to remind myself that binge eating due to stress will undo my all hard work. I'm not beating myself up about it either, and working out daily has been a great stress releaser. I am proud for keeping up my workouts and at this point it's like my therapy. It is definitely helping me to cope with the stress and I have incorporated more yoga during the afternoon. I am hoping to have the other blog up and running by next week. I can't wait to share it with everyone.

I am 90 Pounds Smaller!

I have to apologize again to my readers for not posting more often. My son started school last week, and I have had a lot on my plate lately. I won't get into all the details, but I will say life is keeping me busier than usual. I am proud to say that I have been continuing to lose weight. I am now a size 14/Large which is very exciting. I have lost so many inches, that I don't have an accurate total, and I am down 90 pounds! I haven't felt this great in many years. My outlook on life is extremely positive and I feel unstoppable. I am doing things that I never thought I could. I don't limit myself anymore like I did in the past. I know I can handle any challenge that comes my way. If I don't at first, then I will keep trying until I can.

I started at the very end of August on this weight loss journey not sure where it would lead me. I'm just so happy that I haven't quit, and I am continually improving my habits. I now eat whole foods, with very little convenience food, drink water or herbal teas, and exercise six days a week. I do take Sunday off for a nice rest. I have also started taking 2 tablespoons coconut oil daily plus I drink Sunrider teas. I am now following more of a Belly Fat Cure plan as of the last three weeks. I find it helps me to eat more fiber and really cut back on my sugar and carbohydrate intake. My belly has started flattening more plus I can see more definition in my abs. I am doing a hybrid program of Beachbody Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme. I am in the third week of the Push phase, and I can't believe how heavy I can lift. I am lifting a minimum of 12 pounds up to 25 pounds! I feel so much stronger, and my arms are starting to show definition which is great. I can also see more definition in my legs. These are all things I really want to post more about, but not sure if many people would want to read about my weight loss journey in this blog. Or should I start a blog just for weight loss? I feel like most readers want to read about saving money and frugal living so just wondering what I should do. This is one reason why I haven't posted anything. I would love to hear what you think.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #76

Today's thrifty living tip is to bring your own bags to the store. We know all it cuts down on plastic being used to make bags which is great for the environment. It also cuts down on the amount of trash in landfills. But did you know that you can stuff a lot of groceries in them? Not only that, but the majority of them have a reinforced bottom which is great for canned goods plus heavier items. Most people say they have a hard time remembering to bring them to the store. So what I've done is to keep them stored in my car side door. This way I always see them before I get out of my car. I have heard that some stores will give a discount for bringing your own. None around me do this, but you might be one of those lucky people. CVS has a key chain one that you can buy for 99 cents, and you will get a $1 ECB for every 4th purchase when you have it scanned. I'm even starting to bring bigger tote bag ones when I go to yard sales. I usually get the bigger ones for free at some stores I have shopped. Another great thing about them is you could make your own customized ones if you wanted to have more stylish bags. I feel that these bags are a great and inexpensive investment.

$25 GC Winner Announced!

I'm sorry this is a little late today, but I got busy with some other jobs I was doing. Then I spent the day with my favorite little man and it was a lot of fun. I just wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful comments. I enjoyed reading them all, and will be doing more giveaways very soon. I have a couple lined up so I'm hoping to have them posted early next week. I used Random Org to pull the winner. Drum roll please.........................Julieh (honeypie411) is the big winner. Congratulations! I sent her an email, but if she doesn't see it for some reason then please let me know which store you would like the $25 gift card for. Again thanks so much to all my readers and I hope you keep coming back for more posts about your favorite topics. The main topic of course is saving money, but I am really enjoying writing about my weight loss journey. I will keep sharing as I progress.

My Second Weight Loss Step- Switch to Good Foods

My second weight loss step was to switch out my bad foods for good ones. This one I still work on, but I am eating so much healthier. It wasn't hard and I love trying new recipes. I didn't go through my pantry and throw everything out. I know some nutritionists and diet "experts" recommend this but I don't. Instead I switched one bad food for a good one slowly. It was much easier to make small changes rather than those sweeping drastic ones. I really feel that is why so many people end up on a perpetual diet their whole life. I'm a southerner and cajun so I LOVE food! I love fried catfish, cornbread, desserts, gumbos, and more. I know how hard it is change those eating habits for life.

My first food I changed was bread. I was eating honey wheat bread, which was better than white bread, but I still needed to find a healthier bread. I had tried different types of multi-grain breads before finding my dark German wheat bread. It's very tasty with a good fiber content but low carbohydrates. I'm not a low carb diet, but I still try to eat moderate amounts. I stopped using vegetable oil and switched to olive oil. We also stopped frying foods, and we now saute, grill, or broil. The hardest switch for me was eating brown rice instead of white. I really resisted this change and didn't make it until about four months ago. I actually love how it tastes with beans. We don't eat much rice anymore. I have since discovered wild rice that I really enjoy eating. I'm still hunting for quinoa but my local store doesn't sell it. I need to go to Whole Foods soon and stock up on some items I can't get at my store.

One change I really indulge on weekly is my Fage Greek Total Yogurt. Yes I eat the full fat version, but I only eat 1/4 of a cup at a time with fresh fruit like berries. It's so delicious and creamy that it's more of a treat. I actually look forward to that snack in the middle of the day. I did switch to dark chocolate by finding a good quality chocolate that had three ingredients. The best part was I can pronounce them all, and it has 70% cocoa content. I break the bar into 12 small pieces and have one of them daily at the end of the day as a nice treat. I haven't had any chocolate or real sugar in over 30 days. I just don't crave it anymore. Losing weight doesn't have to be hard and can be quite enjoyable. Take it slowly and try new foods.