de-clutter college mother

This is a very helpful tip from my friend Heloise.

Fill a metal pan with ice cubes. Place the pan right on top of the candle wax and leave it until the wax is frozen solid. Then hit the frozen wax with a small hammer to break it up. Pick or vacuum up the pieces. Put dry-cleaning solvent on a clean cloth to remove any residue.

Planning a Month of Menus can be a fun experiment for a busy family. You cook the food in bulk, freeze batch in containers or freezer bags, and warm up whatever it is you feel like eating the next day. A deep freezer would probably be a good thing to purchase to store freeze batched food along with other bulk items bought at Costco or Sam’s Club.

The Month of Menus.pdf is a tool to help families use groceries available from local food pantries to prepare nutritious meals.

Efforts have been made to plan for nutritional adequacy and variety, including menus with moderate amounts of fat and sodium. While daily menus could have been developed including low-fat, low-sodium foods, our experience indicates that those foods are not yet common in the local food pantry.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE SITES!

Save at least 75% off retail on select sale products

J&R’s President’s Day Sale on Electronics.

Kohls President’s Day Sale on Chaps apparel and KitchenAid

Macy’s President’s Day Sale!

For people like me we have our closets and dressers bursting at the seams. This is a sure sign that we need to de-clutter. Get the trash bags and boxes ready because it’s time to bring in that haul truck!

Normally I would go through the closet and divide the clothes I haven’t worn in a while, don’t fit any longer, or kids have just outgrown into 4 categories:

Keep, Donate, Trash, and Sell.

Some people would prefer to just donate all their clothes and write off a tax deduction which is a very easy way to get back money, but I don’t have enough deductions to even consider claiming this. And I would like the money now rather than wait for the IRS.

My dressy and practically new clothes I simply sell to local used clothes merchants like Twice As Nice.

Tips: If you are considering reselling to these merchants be sure that your clothes are in great condition and ironed. These merchants will more likely buy your stuff if they can just put it on the rack and sell them. They also prefer name brand clothing but don’t expect to receive a lot and they may not accept all your clothes.

Another great option is to sell via Craigslist.org or eBay. Personally, I would go with Craigslist because there is less hassle, it is local, and you are more likely to get rid of your stuff and make money within the week.

Tip#1: People on Craigslist are looking for bargains and deals so don’t mark up your prices too close to retail. Think of Craigslist like a garage sale over the internet.

Tip#2:I’ve had a lot of success selling furniture and children’s stuff from toys to clothes on Craigslist.

Tip#3:To gain immediate interest in your selling items be sure to take awesome pictures, each posting can have up to 4 pictures. And say as much as you can about that item. Buyers want to really know if driving someplace is worth the money they are paying for something. They are more likely to pass on your item if it appears shady and unclear.

So now you have all your things trashed, donated, organized into their respectable places, and sold or pending on Craigslist. A simple act of de-cluttering and organizing your closets will not only free up more space and make you money, but create a long-welcomed clutter-free ambiance. Congratulations! You won’t have to rummage through the cotton heaps and mounds to find that cute black dress you wanted to wear for that upcoming dinner party.

Everyone’s experienced Diarrhea and it is embarrassing to even mention it to someone let alone the readers of this blog. But it is even more embarrassing to be at a time and place where this condition is not immediately addressed.

First, my sister is a Resident attending Queen’s Hospital in Hawaii and spent her internship at L.A. She said that Diarrhea is caused by many factors one of which is most common, dehydration. Over 70% of people are dehydrated. They don’t drink enough water.

So when I experienced some problems, I remembered what she said and quickly drank 1-3 glasses of water, the more the better. The condition eased and eventually went away within that hour. However, if you know you have food-poisoning or your diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting and nausea you should seek medical attention.

Maybe the next time you are at the airport, shopping, taking a final exam, or at a conference meeting you will remember this tip, try it out, and relieve the pain and embarrassment of …..

On Valentine’s Day I went to Fry’s twice because I forgot something. Well on my way to the produce section I noticed this huge ATM-like machine near the wall. It was a $1 DVD Rental Machine in cooperation with TheNewRelease.com! “Hurray!”, I screamed inside my head!

Grocery stores so ROCK! Now I can shop for groceries, pickup prescriptions, and rent DVDs in one convenient location.

Here is more information about the how the DVD rentals work.

The selections are limited based on a 1st come 1st serve basis. It costs $1 plus tax to rend and you must return the movie the following day before midnight or you will get charged $1 a day and after 14 days you will be charged $35 plus tax! You can rent up to 3 movies at a time per credit card and the new releases are updated every Tuesday.

There are so many ways to download and create your very own ringtones for free so why pay money?
3GForFree.com has been around for years and is truly a hidden gem. Some of their ringtones are the “real” songs and not just instrumental. They also have songs from many genres including Reggae and Christmas.

To get the FULL TUTORIAL PLEASE VISIT MY OTHER BLOG Dizzy Diva’s Ringtone Tutorial

Earlier I posted 25 Ways I Save Money and that had me thinking about other areas in my life I slash down the ugly expense monster and bring back more money in hopes that other people can benefit from this list as well. This list has helped me save 30% or more on my grocery bill.

1. Whiz in for the loss leaders and leave.
2. Shop during off-peak hours to avoid waiting in long lines
3. When an item in not in stock always ask for a rain check
4. When an item you use often goes on sale or hits a rock-bottom price stock up
5. Thaw your meat ahead of time-this prevents you from rushing out to buy something to eat.
6. Don’t shop on an empty stomach because everything looks good
7. Plan a budget and stick to it. The cash only envelope system is a very effective method.
8. Find a similar recipe for meals you like to cook that require less ingredients
9. Make a list and only buy what is listed
10. Bring a calculator and figure out price per ounce. Ex: If you are trying to decide between a 15 ounce can of beans versus a 32 ounce can of beans, take the total price of the small can then divide that by the number of ounces in the can. Do this with both cans and the smallest per-unit price is the better value.

11. Invest in a freezer to store bulk items like fruits, meats, and prepared meals or leftovers. This is an alternative place to keep items you have stockpiled from rock-bottom prices.
12. Take advantage of online freebies. Many merchants give out free samples of razors , shampoo, contact lens, and swiffer dusters. This is also a great way to try out a new product.
13. Shop around to a few stores. The stores are less than 2 miles a part for me so it isn’t a big deal.
14. Buy cheaper cuts of meat like flank steak and cook them long and slow to make them tender or marinate them overnight in Italian dressing. The vinegar tenderizes the meat.
15. Buy items off-season and post-holiday.
16. Create a price diary. (This takes time and effort). Begin by looking up old grocery receipts, list each item, the best price for that item, and the stores it is located. This way you can decide if an item is at a rock-bottom price and you should stock up or use your coupons. You can even keep track of price trends.
17. Plant an herb or vegetable garden. The first time I picked a tomato from our garden and ate it, I couldn’t believe how delicious it tasted!
18. First shop at the store with the best loss-leaders then shop at the store with the best prices overall.
20. Some stores give you the item for free if it is price-scanned wrong so keep track of the prices on the screen.
21. If you are a great budgeter and have a card rewards program, use your check or credit card to purchase groceries.
22. Double the savings by using the store and the manufacturer’s coupon. It is better to use coupons when you can double or triple the savings.
23. Read your coupons carefully to make sure you understand the terms and limitations
24. Shop alone. Other people will want to add more to the list.
25. Plan your meals around what is on sale on the flyer ads.
26. Invest in a water filter or a 5 gallon to save money on bottled water.
27. Understand the store layout. Stores change their layouts and rearrange to tempt you to buy more. Know where each item is located. When you shop that aisle go down the list and mark them off. This saves time and steers clear from impulse purchases.
28. Swap or trade grocery coupons with a friend
29. Make friends with the butcher and cashiers to find out when the sales for meat and other items are.

I’ve moved my blog to Dizzy Diva Mama where you can view and access the remaining 20 tips and ways to save you money on your bill and more.

After 14 month old Mae began to speak over 50 words, I began to teach her the specific names of animals like striped orange cat and parrot instead of just cat and bird.

Children learn instantly. Instead of simply saying dog we can nourish their intelligence in 30 seconds by saying, “That is a black Labrador Retriever.” It could make all the difference in the world.

I’ve been in college for 5 years on and off due to financial strain. After attending the community college to get into the university, I decided I didn’t want to spend another 5 years in school to major in Architecture and changed my major to Business Administration instead. Now I have 2 years left.

College life can be the fast track to success or failure. This list will help you get an idea of what to avoid in college and what to look for to succeed. Make smart choices with your time, money, and health. Hang out with smart people who make a vow for success and not a vow to party.

1. About 50% of freshman students enrolled dropout of college
2. Most college students have extremely poor eating habits. This is the staple diet of a college student-fast food, pizza, ramen noodles, soda, sandwiches, smoothies, and
Starbucks.

3. Fraternities and Sororities have people they can buy term papers from or have them written for free so they don’t have to do it themselves. They also have a pile of old test papers members can study from.
4. Outside Frats and Sororities, college students CAN find someone to write their term papers for them and some college classes allow you to view old test papers to study before an exam. (I do not advocate cheating through college because I believe in honest hard work toward your successes.)

5. Most college students are unhealthy. In addition to poor eating habits, most students don’t get enough sleep at night nor enough exercise.
6. Drugs and alcohol are easily attainable. I am surely not advocating this, but it is a hard fact.

7. Rape and STDs are more common than you think. Try to bring your own drink to a party and always go with friends you know will take care of you. Never travel alone at night on campus and carry Mase or some other type of protection. Always practice safe sex.
8. If you meet with your professor, sit near the front of class, and participate in lectures, he will be more lienient with your grade.

9. If you feel there is an error in your test or term paper always speak with the professor or graduate student grading it.
10. Banks and some retailers around town have special promotions or discounts for college students. Some food establishments offer free drinks with your meal.

11. Make friends with someone in the same class with the same intellect and interests, desire to learn, excellent attendance, and gets good grades on tests and papers. Have him or her proof-read your term papers, vise-versa, exchange numbers in case the other person cannot make it to class, and study together.
12. Don’t get tempted to party until papers are done and you’ve studied for every class.
13. Get a tutor to increase your chances of passing your class with an “A”. If you are a minority you can get free tutoring.

14. Make money in college by tutoring, fixing computers, fixing cars, sell drawings, sell DVDs, or just get a job.
15. Most students max out their department store and bank credit cards.
16. Most students get smashed with cell phone fees and overdraft bank fees over $200.00 after a few months of service. Keep track of your minutes and make sure you don’t overdraw your checking account. Don’t ever depend on online banking to keep track of account because they don’t always post transactions especially over the weekend.

17. New books are expensive. Buy used books (sometimes you can buy from other students) or check online at Amazon, eCampus.com, or Textbooks.com Wait until the first day of class to make sure your book list is correct. On the first day of classes you are rarely instructed to use any books so just go to class with a notebook and pen.
18. Get a bike. Not only will this save you money on gas, get you into shape, and is better for the environment, but you can save time getting around to your classes.

19. Many students overnight at the library or coffee shops during midterms and
20. Find a roommate to save on apartment rent and utility expenses. Make sure your roommate is not a party animal. Find someone that has the same goals and aspiration to succeed in college.
21. If you are not paying for your student loan yet and have no debt, start investing. Sharebuilder.com and eTrade.com have investments starting as low as $4.00 or open a savings account at your local credit union.

22. Shop at thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist, hallway bulletin boards around campus, dollar stores, and other discount retailers for home furnishings and college supplies.