The Frugal Life – Living Well With What You Have

s

Archived Message of “The Frugal Life News” Published by The Frugal Life.com

Subscribe Here

s *********************************** THE FRUGAL LIFE NEWS Published Weekly by Randal Watkins https://www.thefrugallife.com The Frugal Life March 25, 2003 ******************************************* The Frugal Life News is sent to subscribers only. Manage your subscription here: https://www.thefrugallife.com/subscrip.html Manage Sub Please note that with over 24,000 subscribers to this newsletter, we cannot reply to all emails. ****************** A NOTE FROM RANDAL Hello Everyone, We now have 330 people enrolled in the forum. Exchanging ideas and receiving answers much quicker than relying on this ezine to post answers.. I believe it has worked well and will continue to get even better. If you haven’t used the forum, give it a try! We are starting to notice the plants are coming out. Additionally, we are seeing bite marks on the plants from the deer. If any of you have some good ideas please post them on the forum in the critters section. We need our place to look good so it will sell when our house becomes ready. The deer eating the plants takes away the beauty and color of all of our hard work over the years. We have tried the sprays and none seem to work all the time. That’s why it would be great to get your tips in the forum. It would sure help us and I know it would help others in the future. Thanks for your readership and encouragement! Please pass The Frugal Life News on to your friends! It’s how we grow! Until next time, Randal ***************** FRUGAL FINANCES You Never Know When… Last month I was catching up with an old friend – hi tech style. We were “Instant Messaging” by computer over the internet. Not quite as personal as a telephone call, but more immediate than email. She was at work in her office at a local technology company. We chatted a bit about her family’s current events. They’re in the middle of selling their home to move closer to town. They even have a couple of offers they’re evaluating. I asked how things were going at her company given the depressed state of the technology industry in Austin. She said things hadn’t changed much since I left the industry. “Well”, I said. “At least your paycheck comes regularly.” To which she responded that she received her latest paycheck 2 weeks late! It’s never a good sign when your company misses payroll. She agreed. Many of her co-workers had started job hunting. The problem, she said, is that the company needs to do deeper cost cutting. If it takes layoffs, “so be it.” Just then I was interrupted by a phone call. Ten minutes later I tried to continue our instant messaging discussion. But the last message received from her on my instant messaging console was: “I just got laid off along with 40% of the staff.” Debt Freedom will NOT prevent layoffs. But it will certainly cushion the blow. Your lower cost of living will stretch your severance check… or your unemployment check… or your savings… or maybe your formerly two-income family can now make it on one income. And a layoff becomes a much needed vacation. Payoff All of your Debts in 5-7 Years using the money you ALREADY make! Greg Moore is the author of the Debt Freedom Course, “DebtIntoWealth — Lessons from My Journey to Debt Freedom”. For your FREE Lesson 1 of this course, CLICK HERE: ************************ FRUGAL HOME / GARDENING RECYCLING EGGSHELLS IS FOR THE BIRDS Eggshells can provide “grit” for birds and also part of the nest for some species. Unsterilized eggshells may contain harmful Salmonella bacteria. Before throwing them out for the birds, boil them for 10 minutes or heat in oven for 20 minutes at 250 degrees. Let the eggshells cool, then crush them into pieces smaller than a dime. Offer the eggshells in a dish or on a low platform feeder. ****************** FRUGAL SIMPLICITY FRAGRANT FLOORS Would you like for people to enter your home and say, “What smells so good?” People with pets would surely enjoy this! :-) You can have your home always smelling good with essential oils. These are natural scents from nature, not chemical fragrances that are now being reported as toxic to your home, children and pets. You can make your own carpet deodorizer and when you mop those vinyl floors, be sure to add an essential oil to the water for anti-bacterial purposes and a lovely aroma. Add 10-20 drops in your wash bucket. Lemon is a favorite. It’s antimicrobial and lifts the spirits. You might want to wash your floors more often with Lemon Essential Oil in the bucket. It has a lot of beneficial uses besides this, so read more about it here: http://www.theherbsplace.com/lemonoil.html href=” http://www.theherbsplace.com/lemonoil.html “> Lemon Essential Oil MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING, BATH, and BEAUTY PRODUCTS Here’s a kit with everything you will need to start making your own pampering and cleaning products for pennies with the easy-to-follow recipe guide. http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialstarter.html Make Your Own ****************** FRUGAL SAVINGS WAYS TO SAVE THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN “PUBLIC” ACTIVITIES by Dr. Charlotte Gorman* With summer coming and the uncertainty of the international situation, many people are searching for ways to cut back on expenses˜particularly on entertainment expenses. Below are some tipson how you can make your entertainment dollars go farther and still have fun by participating in free or low-cost “Public” activities. 1. Always keep your eyes open for free or inexpensive entertainment. Such activities might include a lecture on the “heavenly bodies,” a demonstration on cake decorating, a talk on the latest computer technology, a training workshop on ways to save on your income taxes, a presentation on nuclear energy, or a program on investment strategies. Dozens of free and low-cost activities are normally available at any given time. They may be offered by various organizations, clubs, or groups; colleges and universities; government agencies; individuals; and businesses. The less you pay for entertainment, the more money you will have to spend for other items or to put in the bank. 2. See free exhibits in shopping malls. For example, this week there may be an exhibit on solarenergy. Next week, local kitchen dealers might have an exhibit of contemporary kitchens. Another week, fishing boats may be on display. 3. Participate in free or inexpensive activities conducted in shopping malls. For example, this week local beauticians may be holding free personal makeup consultations. Next week, graphologists may be giving free individual handwriting analysis. 4. Go window-shopping. It is not only free, but it can be fun, also. Window-shopping can help you keep informed on such things as the latest clothing fashions, current trends in home decorating, and new innovations in home office equipment. For example, information gained through the above window-shopping will give you ideas on how to update your present wardrobe, how to modernize the furnishings in your home, and how to change your home office for more efficiency. For the complete list of ideas go to https://www.thefrugallife.com/public_activities.html href=” https://www.thefrugallife.com/public_activities.html “> Public Activities *Dr. Charlotte Gorman is an Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A & M University System. She is the author of The Frugal Mind, The Little Book of Living Frugal, and Speak for Yourself. *************************** FRUGAL TIPS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS Hi! I liked the idea of packing gifts for mailing with plastic bags half-filled with styrofoam peanuts, but I would encourage people to air-pop some popcorn and use them instead of the peanuts. The recipient can munch on the popcorn or feed it to the birds. No styrofoam to contend with! ~Sarah **************************** WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FORUM? Maybe you can help these folks out with a few suggestions? Or post some of your own questions. LOG-IN TO POST Here’s the link: https://www.thefrugallife.com/bulletinboard.html href=” http://www.healthypetcorner.com/HPN/busopform.html “> Life’s Abundance *************** LEGAL DISCLAIMER Information in The Frugal Life News (TFL) has been derived from sources believed accurate and reliable. In no event shall *The Frugal Life,* Randal Watkins, or the TFL staff be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of information herein. TFL does not knowingly accept ads from advertisers deemed detrimental to TFL’s readers, however, publication of an ad in TFL does not constitute an endorsement for such product or service. There is no remuneration for suggestions, tips, or ideas submitted by readers. All suggestions, tips, and ideas, submitted for publication in The Frugal Life, become the property of The Frugal Life, notwithstanding similar rights of the reader submitting such suggestions, tips, or ideas. TFL publishes readers’ names with their suggestions, tips, and ideas unless a reader requests otherwise at the time of the submission.