Prevent Heat Loss From Your Home

We all know that it costs a fortune to heat our homes and it doesn't matter whether you heat with oil, gas or electric; it is all expensive.  While we can't (shouldn't) make our homes 100% leak free, we should do our best to make sure we aren't trying to heat the great outdoors or our attic spaces.

Here is an article from The New York Times on preventing heat loss from your homes.  It gives hints on how to find leaks, where they are most likely to be found and how to fix them.

God bless,
Pam

Using Coupons Effectively: Organization That Doesn't Work

Here it is:  my pathetic, overstuffed and hard to use plastic file.  It worked fine for me when I was only occasionally using coupons; you know, two or three at a time.  But now that I am committed to saving more money with coupons, it is not very functional.

The problem with this type of file is that when I am making my shopping list and am looking for a particular coupon, I have to look through every coupon in one section to find what I need.  This is especially difficult when I spot an unadvertised special while I am shopping and I want to see if I have a coupon that that item.

Sooo, now I am on the hunt for a better system and, especially,  a better system that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  I just saw one online that cost over $60 dollars (not frugal!!).  If you have a system that works well, let me know.  Off I go to check out a couple of office supply stores.

God bless,
Pam

Christmas Countdown: Fifteen Minutes of Prayer

The majority of my Christmas preparations have been completed. Besides a few last minute home preps (linen changes, tidying) my work is done. Last night I finished the last cookies; a basic shortbread with one tablespoon of coarsely ground peppercorns added. We are happily having a restful morning, taking an hour to drink coffee and read the paper together.

The last thing I am going to dedicate myself to complete is this: both Christmas eve and day I will find fifteen uninterrupted minutes to pray and contemplate the meaning of Christmas. Whether I find fifteen quiet minutes early in the day or late at night after dear daughter is asleep my prayers will focus on the true meaning of Christmas, praising God and His Son.

God bless and happy holidays,
Pam

Frugal Living: Kitchen Sponge

Now that dinner is cooking and I have a minute, I thought I'd share a quick tip to make your kitchen sponge last longer and be more sanitary. Every evening after the dishes have been washed just throw your wet sponge (never a dry one) into the microwave on high for a minute. You can also disinfect your sponge by putting it through a cycle in your dishwasher. But I haven't had a dishwasher for 27 years, so it's the microwave for me.

Your sponges won't get that sour smell caused by bacteria and will actually stay fresh long enough to wear out. May save just pennies, but every cent counts.

God bless,
Pam

Black Friday

I choose to not participate in the Black Friday feeding frenzy. Several people that I know love getting up at 3:oo in the morning to wait in line for their favorite big box store to open. Every year they tell their tale of woe about missing out on the "big" sales items.

Most stores list some big ticket items at half price, but they have a very limited number of them. Unless you are willing to camp out in front of the store all night, then race to the electronics department and physically grapple with other shoppers you aren't going to get in on the big deal.

I would rather research item ratings and compare prices on line, check the web site to see if it is available at my local store and print out coupons before I start shopping. Better yet, because so many merchants are offering free shipping and coupon code discounts most of my shopping is done sitting in front of my computer.

If you enjoy the Black Friday camaraderie of shopping with friends and it has become a fun tradition for you, then have at it. But excuse me while I spend my day with a good book and a cup of tea.

God bless,
Pam