The Frugal Life providing The Frugal Life News – 06/26/06

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A Note From Randal
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Hello Everyone,

Welcome new subscribers and thanks to all of you who have been sharing The
Frugal Life News with others!

I had a very busy 12 days in Oklahoma.  There were lots of chores and garden work to be done for my parents and I enjoyed doing it.  Since my son lives in Oklahoma City also, I had lots of time with him.  I grew up in Oklahoma so I had friends to see also.  It was a nice time even though it was really hot.  Donna was still having mild weather in Virginia.

Nice to be back and “in touch” with everybody again.

We appreciate you sharing this newsletter and the website.

Frugally yours,
Randal

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Frugal Finances
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Financially Helping Adult Children
by Crown Financial Ministries

Responsibility of the parents
Parents are called by God to be the teachers of their children. It is not an option. It is a biblical admonition. Parents need to teach, encourage, and guide them faithfully. But when parents make decisions for their children and push them, they misuse their influence, which could result in alienating the children. Biblically speaking, parents have been given a special trust to serve as stewards or managers of their children. Unfortunately, some parents view their role as owners rather than as stewards, an attitude that causes many parents to have problems and conflicts with their adult children.

Even though parents are called by God to be teachers of their children, they are not responsible for the decisions their children make. Each person is held accountable individually. However, parents will be held accountable for their children’s instruction and training. As such, there are three basic principles that are applicable to adult children.

Adult children need to understand God’s principles. They need to know that they can trust God to take care of them, that He can meet their needs, and that He can be trusted to work out their finances. “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).

Love adult children but do not coddle them. “For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 16:26).
Allow adult children to fail. Sometimes parents must allow their children to fail. Some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned because of trying and failing. Love them enough to allow them to fail so that they can learn from the failure.

When and how to help
Larry believes that too many parents attempt to buffer their children financially. This usually makes the problem worse. He cautions parents not to give their children more than they can handle. Let them know that more money won’t help them change their spending habits, which is what must be done. Parents may have the greatest motives for helping their children, but sometimes they encourage them to be dependent on parents rather than on God. If God is trying to teach the children discipline and parents step in, the children may have to go through it all over again. Parents sometimes have to take upon themselves the role that God has often taken with His own people: allow problems to come into their lives and withhold finances to increase their dependence on Him. 

Although there is nothing wrong with helping adult children if they are truly in need, if the income is adequate and it is being mismanaged, parents need to let their children know that although they love them any financial help must be contingent on the children establishing a workable budget and getting good counsel to help implement it. Parents need to be cautious, however, and allow God to lead them in a manner that will not thwart His purposes in their children’s lives.

Whether parents should direct some of their assets toward the home mortgages of their children is one situation for which parents will need some wisdom and discernment from the Lord. There is nothing unscriptural about helping adult children purchase homes, but parents have to weigh the personalities, abilities, and attitudes of their children to ensure that they do not spoil the children. The ministry believes it is optimal for every family to have a debt-free home; so, helping adult children purchase a home can be a great blessing to them if parents can afford it. But they must be sure that they are not trying to control their children’s lives. If the adult child is a married daughter, parents should be careful not to usurp her husband’s authority. If stepping in will cause the son-in-law to feel that he is an inadequate provider, parents may need to back away.

Nevertheless, parents today can have a major impact on the futures of their children by assisting them with the purchase of a home. Often times the children can make the payments that a mortgage loan requires, but they have difficulty meeting the down payment and the many closing costs.

A way for parents to help their children purchase a home is to give them money toward the down payment. Most banks demand that this help be in the form of a gift, not a loan. In most cases, unless the gift equals 20 percent of the sale price, the lending institution will demand that the child contribute at least 3 percent of his or her own funds. If the parents are able to give 20 percent, the child does not have to contribute money to the down payment, but the parents may face difficult tax consequences as a result, because the IRS has very specific requirements for cash gifts to family members.

If the child is getting an FHA-insured mortgage loan, he or she can use gifted money from parents for 100 percent of the down payment and closing costs. Even if the parents’ gift is less than 20 percent of the purchase price of the home, the child can use all of it to pay the down payment and closing costs.

Conclusion
It is never too late for parents to begin teaching their children about finances – particularly God’s principles of handling money. If parents find that their grown children are having financial difficulties, this may be a good opportunity to help them get good counsel and make their financial help to their children contingent on the children establishing a workable budget and seeking good counsel to help implement it.

This article is used with permission from Crown Financial Ministries

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Frugal Gardening
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Garden Tips

Clay pots can be used for more than just potting flowers. They can be turned into chimes. Or pot people. Candle holders. And, more than anything, for baking.

Mark the handle of your hoe, spade, or rake in measuring units. Then you’ll always have a yardstick at hand. Either notches or use  a wood burning tool. 

Source:  EmilyCompost.com

Herbs Bring Life to Your Garden

There are many herbs that attract butterflies and hummingbirds and bees. They can also serve as host plants for caterpillars to feed from in the larval stage before becoming a butterfly.  Here are just a few herbs that will attract the above.  

Here’s the key to the initials:
B=bee     Bu=butterfly     C=caterpillar     H=hummingbird

Borage – B, C      
Catmint – B, Bu, H      
Chives – B, H
Dill – C     
Foxglove – Bu      
Horehound – B
Lemon balm – B      
Sage – B, Bu, H

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Frugal How-To  
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Free Piano Lessons

Always wanted to learn to play that piano you have sitting in your home?  Or you could afford a keyboard, but not the lessons?  Well, here’s your chance to get musical.

PianoNanny.com provides an excellent educational site which is a free public
service.  The instructor for the course is film composer and jazz musician, Clinton Clark. Each lesson takes about 35 minutes to complete.   
www.pianonanny.com/
Free Piano Lessons

Make Your Own Home, Bath and Beauty Products

Essential oil kits allow you to make your own safe non-chemical home and beauty products. Making your home less toxic for yourself, children and pets.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialkits.html
Make Your Own Home and Beauty Products

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Frugal Cleaning  
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Swiffers Wetjet – CAUTION

The isopropyl alcohol contained in the Swiffer Wetjet is a suspected neuro-, immuno-, gastrointestinal, skin, respiratory,and cardovascular toxicant, according to Scorecard.org.

Switching to less toxic cleaning supplies is a wise thing to do with all the information out there now on what those popularly advertised products are doing to our bodies, and our children and pets.

Safe Options:

Sunshine Concentrate: We make our own cleaning supplies from Sunshine Concentrate and essential oils. Find out more about Sunshine Concentrate here:
http://www.theherbsplace.com/sunconc.html
Sunshine Concentrate

MicroBest for Ready-Made Line of Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
http://www.healthypetcorner.com/HPN/microbest.html
 MicroBest Cleaning Products

You can also find Ecover and Seventh Generation brands in your local health food store.

This is a real concern to us because cleaning supplies are a continual flow of toxins into the home and into the skin and bodies of our families. Please consider doing something different. There are so many options out there now.

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Frugal Pets
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Herbal Heartworm Program and Prevention

Robin Sockness works with pet owners with an individualized program and has currently worked with over 700 dogs. Herbs are safer and less expensive so it’s a win-win situation for all. Prevention programs available.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/heartworm.html
Herbal Heartworm Program & Prevention

Pet Information, Links and Natural Foods

Healthy Pet Corner provides lots of information and links for dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits, and reptiles.
http://www.healthypetcorner.com
Healthy Pet Corner

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Frugal Tips
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Free Directory Assistance for Phone Numbers AARP magazine reports:

U.S. consumers can save $6.5 billion a year now that directory-assistance services such as 1-800-411-SAVE, 1-800-411-METRO, and 1-800-FREE-411 will look up phone numbers for free. All you have to do is listen to their ads.

Home Owner’s Insurance

Some companies will cut your premium if you are retired or just at home a lot since your presence is a safeguard against fire and theft. We have a home business so that qualifies us as “at home a lot” people. If your insurance agent balks at this, shop around.

Deodorize While You Kill Bacteria and Viruses

Get the anti-microbial properties of essential plant oils so you can kill germs without bleach and toxic cleaning products. The plug-in AromaBall makes it quick and easy.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialaroma.html
AromaBall for Deodorizer and Anti-Microbial Home Defense

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Frugal Learning
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Singing Success At-Home Study Course

Weekly voice lessons can get pretty costly, but most at-home courses are not what you expected when you get them.  

The Singing Success Vocal Training Program, by celebrity vocal coach Brett Manning, is the only vocal training program that guarantees a full octave increase in your vocal range! You’ll learn to sing as easily as you speak, completely eliminating vocal strain, and you will learn to master the techniques of vocal style, including runs, licks and trills.

The best thing about it is that you can try it out and send it back for a full refund if it doesn’t do all it promises to do.  Read more here:

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What’s Going On In The Forum
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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
Forum

Questions Needing Answers At The Forum

Cleaning Forum
1.   HI all….Any hints or suggestions……for curry/cooking smells that have set in? Just bought an older condo….have had cleaned it extensively and it is better but still lingering. Thanks…..

Critters Forum
1.   There is a Killdeer nesting in our gravel driveway, and I am wondering if it’d be possible to move her nest.  If it’s possible, should we do it now while there are eggs, or wait until the birds hatch?

Pets Forum
1.   I have a friend that has two dogs that use the backyard for their waste elimination.  My friend always scoops the mess up but there may be some residual left that he can’t see to remove.
 
His problems is, that during the summer time he and the wife like to use their yard most evenings but the flies seem to be really agressive to the point of becoming very bothersome.
 
Do any of you know a way to remove or discourage the fly invasion he is experiencing without using harsh chemicals?

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Home Based Business Ideas
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Nature’s Sunshine Products – Herbs and Supplements

Earn an income selling over 500 natural health products, beverages, essential oils, skin care systems, water filters, and more. Websites for $11.95/month.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/busop.html
Nature’s Sunshine Products

Home Spa Party Plan – Make Bath and Body Products

Have you noticed how popular bath and pampering products have become? The HomeSpa Party Plan taps into that craze. Guests at HomeSpa parties learn how to make bath salts, personalized perfumes, body spritzers and more using essential oils, while you make a nice income.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialspa.html
Home Spa Party

Flint River Ranch – Oven Baked Pet Foods

Make additional income providing healthy pet foods and bones to friends, neighbors and family. Pets keep eating, so customers keep buying. If you love animals, this is a very rewarding home-based business. With only $100.00 volume a month you earn 19% on all sales. http://www.healthypetcorner.com/FRR/busop.html
Flint River Ranch

Life’s Abundance Foods and Supplements

Formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks and Dr. Barry Sears who developed the Zone Diet for Overweight Dogs. Besides dog, cat and horse products, they have a non-toxic line of cleaning products – safe for pets and children. Websites available for $10.95/month.
http://www.healthypetcorner.com/HPN/busopform.html
Life’s Abundance

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Copyright, Legal Disclaimer and Reprint Information

© 2006 Randal J. Watkins

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.

Forwarding and Use of This Newsletter

You may forward or use this copyrighted newsletter on a website if you include the following credit:

Editor, Randal J. Watkins, of TheFrugalLife.com, provides this free
newsletter to subscribers. The Frugal Life is sponsored by TheHerbsPlace.com
which provides quality Nature’s Sunshine Products at wholesale prices. Visit
now to shop or view the list of free newsletters available.
http://www.theherbsplace.com
The Herbs Place