Ways to Turn Off the “Time Wasters”

Today, there are many people who work from home. There are freelancers whose entire career consists of working from home. The best way to ensure productivity while you are working from home is to turn off the “time wasters”. Before you can do that, you must identify the things that are slowing you down. Social Media Social media can be tricky for freelancers. Writers and bloggers are often working on assignments that require them to write about the “hot topic” of the day. Social media, especially Twitter, has become the go-to for the latest news. The goal is to find … Continue reading

Touring the City on Less: Food Extravaganza

The summer and fall are great times to tour a fun city. Of course, you want to do it for less. Yesterday I shared the money-saving way to save on transportation around the city. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Today it is all about having a food extravaganza. Part of the fun of visiting a city is all of the great food that you can try. Most cities offer a variety of great food, different fusions and ethnic dishes, traditional and down home fare. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity because of … Continue reading

Summer Adventures in Asheville

For many, summer means visits to theme parks, beaches and baseball stadiums.  However, if you are looking to travel to a family-friendly place that offers more than coasters, crabs and Cracker Jacks, head to Asheville, North Carolina. Stroll through the picturesque downtown and you immediately sense that very few people have been able to resist the pull of this Blue Ridge beauty.  After all, it’s not every day that you can immerse yourself in a city that boasts an eccentric hodgepodge of architectural styles that change from block to block. Asheville features everything from traditional southern homes with grand sweeping … Continue reading

Low Cost Ways to Party

We are planning to have a birthday party for my youngest son at our house in less than a month. We are in the middle of some chaos at the house (nothing new), so we have our work cut out for us to get everything ready. If money was no option, we might just hire things out, but as it is, we are opting for low-cost or no-cost ways to get it all done. Here are the ideas I am batting around today, as we start to make our plans. Cleaning in Pieces In the last few weeks, we have … Continue reading

Affordable DIY Grad Day Decorations

Pinching pennies is no fun; however, finding ways to create memorable graduation day decorations without breaking the bank is sure to bring a smile to your face. Instead of getting despondent about not being able to afford expensive embellishments for your graduate’s party, consider buying budget items and jazzing them up at home.  For example, rather than splurging on pricey banners from the store, make your own at home using your laptop and printer.  You can personalize the look by choosing a fun font and some festive images that will enhance the commencement theme. Another way to save on party … Continue reading

Saving Money at the CSA

Today was my first pick up at our CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) farm. My friend Amy and I met there. Sharing a full membership can be a great way to save money. Often, a full membership is less than the cost of two half memberships. Plus, if one of you goes on vacation, the other can still pick up, so that week’s share isn’t lost. With Amy and I, we are going to alternate weeks. One week she will pick up the items and then drop my half off to me, the next week I will do the same for … Continue reading

Part 2 : Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Don’t let the excess in your life prevent you from living. Gather it from around your home and make it work for you. I am talking about all of the things that you purchased or were gifted but are not actually using. Clothing with tags still on them, cabinets full of health and beauty products, etc. These unused items are a waste of money and space, but they don’t have to be. Yesterday, I talked about ways that you can recover some of the money spent on these items. Today, I’l cover how you can put them to good use. … Continue reading

Flexibility is the Key to Saving on Family Travel

Traveling is not cheap, though there are ways to keep from blowing your entire bank account on a family escape.  One of the best ways to avoid busting your budget on a vacation for the entire clan is to be flexible with your travel dates.  Doing so will allow you to explore the nation’s premiere cities, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. without going broke. Recently, Hotwire.com and USA Today teamed up to pinpoint the perfect times of year to travel to major metropolises for as cheap as possible.  They found that vacationing in New York … Continue reading

Freebies for Games, Music, and More!

There are many ways to save money, but none beat getting stuff for free! The trick to making that work is to find the freebies before they disappear. Since most are not heavily advertized, this can require a little luck and a whole lot of effort. Check out this blog for a quick look at a bunch of freebies that I found today. Plants Vs Zombies HD is currently being offered as a free download for iPad. It requires iOS 3.2 or later. According to the Tweet sent out today by @PlantsvsZombies, this offer is good until February 28, 2013. … Continue reading

Failing Isn’t Always a Step Backward

I have led a far from perfect life. There are many choices that I would like to take back. Given the chance I would have done things a little differently, but through the struggles I’ve become more refined. I’ve become the woman I wanted to be. Without those mistakes I would not be who I am today. I found strength I never knew I had and I found it because of a failure, a failure that would become my saving grace. I am a young single mother. I fought long and hard to save my marriage, but ultimately it failed … Continue reading