Frugal Tip of the Day : Sterling Silver & Gold Jewelry Make $ Money from Yard sale Finds

May 09, 2012 Anna 1 Comment

Penny Pincher ideas…yard sale finds.

Last weekend,while at a yard sale, my 12 year old daughter bought a few sterling silver necklaces.

All say .925 on the clasp. It means 92.5% pure silver.

They were all purchased at the same yard sale for only $1.00. This is a yard sale find!

Honestly, there was only one that was actually pretty. To the people at the sale,

these old, tarnished necklaces were ugly and probably wondered why my daughter liked them.

I have been finding sterling silver jewelry at different garage / yard sales. Make sure you do not pay too much. Sterling silver is light in weight. I did buy a necklace recently for .50. It did say .925. I knew it was worth more. I didn’t realize it until I got home that the heart on the necklace is 10 karat gold. After getting it appraised, the necklace is worth about $50.00. I was really excited.

Going to garage / yard sales, which is something I just love to do, is much more fun when I find treasures. I usually go to a coin shop that I know is fair and trustworthy, and trade my jewelry for silver bullions.You might ask, “Why do you do that.” Well, I would rather exchange for silver bullions because I know our economy is doing badly. The dollar bill is going down in value. Our government is in BIG TIME DEBT. I want to have something that will hold its value or go up in value. I believe silver and gold will continue to go up in value so that is why I would rather trade for silver. If I needed to use the silver as money, it is easier to trade coins and bullions than necklaces. The value is easily understood when you exchange silver coins and silver bullions rather than silver or gold jewelry.

If buying or exchanging for silver coins, buy 1964 or older coins. Also, know how much silver is trading for the day of your transaction. It is easy to find out the worth of silver. WWW.Kitco.com For weight of metals, worth, conversions, spot prices,. etc.

Check out my website on What to look for on jewelry, abbrevations and numbers. What do they mean. http://homefrugalhome.com/consignment-shops/treasure-hunting-jewelry-garage-sales-etc,. Remember, you may have some silver or gold in your jewelry box that you never new had any value.

If you are going to be looking at jewelry, most times the numbers are hard to see. Earrings, it they have any gold or silver in them, will have the number stamped on the posts. Unless you have eagle eyes, you will not be able to read the numbers. Get a loupe magnifier. Get 10x magnify. That is what the jewelry stores and coin shops use. I got mine for $20.00. It is a heavy duty one. I put a long chain on it so that I wouldn’t set it down and loose it. Jewelry stores and internet sell them too. The plastic ones are around $10.00 but are a little harder to see out of. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=loupe

Stay tuned for more garage sale finds. Be frugal and always try to stay out of debt…….even a 12 year old can be a frugal girl. Check out my other frugal tip of the day posts from the penny pincher.

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THE GOOD SALT

May 01, 2012 Anna No comments

The Good Salt

I thought you might enjoy this article. I have been using the pink “REAL SALT” for about 2 years now. I really like the flavor of it. It is a lot more costly, but a pint lasts a long time. I pay around $4.00 for it. Anna

Article by Debi Pearl, August 2011 http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/

Why did God call his people “the salt of the earth” if salt is so unhealthy?”

Both of my parents had problems with salt. If they ate too much salt, they would swell and then their blood pressure would rise. “Salt is bad for you,” Mom would say as she shook her head in puzzlement, “but the Bible speaks so highly of salt. Why did God call his people “the salt of the earth” if salt is so unhealthy?”

Unfortunately, I inherited the salt problem. I was in my early 40s when I noticed my wedding ring was tight. Then I noticed my ankles seemed to stay fat. Next I noticed a great swelling in other places. I had always had very low blood pressure but with the swelling came a quick, dramatic change. My doctor said, “No more salt.” Food became very boring. I still ended up getting too much salt because some of my meals didn’t started in my own garden where I could control what went into the food. I started eating lots of fresh celery because it acts as a diuretic, which provokes the body to flush fluids. It worked amazingly well, but keeping up the celery thing was not practical. I also started drinking Stinging Nettle tea, which also acts as a diuretic. But I sure missed salt.

Then a few years ago I started noticing dirty looking salt available on the shelves of some health markets. I began to read what researchers were discovering concerning processed salt and real salt. WOW! Salt is not always bad. Salt is good—at least, real salt is good.

Bad Salt

Refined salt is harvested from salt mines as brine, which means the salt is in water. Chemicals are added to the brine to remove the minerals. Ironically, in the salt industry minerals are referred to as impurities. The minerals (impurities) are sold to be used in other industries. Then the brine is evaporated using high compression and heat. This disrupts the molecular structure of the salt. Then toxic chemicals are added to prevent clotting. Iodine is also added (iodine is depleted from the soil and should be added to every diet). The purity of food-grade salt is between 99.7-99.95%. “Pure” means that the content of the salt is sodium (39%) and chloride (60%). And so, man has managed to render salt a lifeless product. Dead salt could be assured a longer shelf life, and without the minerals it is white and appears cleaner. The only problem is that the human body doesn’t respond well to an imbalance of sodium and chloride. Case in point: Me, along with a host of other people.

The human body requires lots of minerals, and those minerals need to be balanced. When there is an imbalance of minerals, the body starts to break down, causing the pH of the body to become unstable. The immune system gets faulty, sleep patterns are disturbed, hormones go nutty, even your hair will be affected. Of course, the kidneys can’t function properly, which means swelling and high blood pressure. A balance of minerals is critical for good health. In much of the United States the minerals in the soil have become depleted; therefore, the foods grown in those soils lack the minerals required for good health. Many people suffer from lack of minerals.

God designed mankind to have a natural craving for salt. All natural salt is loaded with minerals in a balance that works well with the body. Colors (pink, dirty gray, etc.) document the presence of minerals in the salt. Salt comes from the earth. Like all earth (dirt, coal, clay, etc) the qualities of the salt vary depending where it is harvested. In my garden, the upper end is less fertile than the lower end because nutrients are prone to wash downhill. The same is true with natural salt. Some salt comes from areas of the world where it is loaded with minerals, while other salt has a lower amount of minerals. Celtic Sea Salt has been tested to have a very high percentage of minerals. It comes from France and is harvested by channeling ocean water into clay-lined ponds. It is an ugly gray, large grain salt. If I were sick, this is the salt I would use in my food. In fact, I do keep this kind of salt on hand to use for slow-cooking items like beans, stews, etc. Redmond’s Real Salt comes from the mines in Utah. It has a pinkish color and a slightly lower mineral content than Celtic Salt, but still offers life-giving minerals. I also make sure I take iodine or kelp (seaweed high in iodine) every day.

Switching to natural salt is an easy and smart thing to do. Keep your eye open for products that now use natural salt; it is a fast growing market.

Learn and live well.

I thought you might enjoy this article. I have been using the pink “REAL SALT” for about 2 years now. I really like the flavor of it. It is a lot more costly, but a pint lasts long time. I pay around $4.00 for it.

Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Read my penny pincher; articles they will help you cut costs and live frugally.

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Why Heat With Harmann Accentra Pellet Stoves ; Tip of the Day

February 27, 2012 Anna No comments

We are enjoying our second year using our Harmann Accentra Pellet Stove. We average no more than a bag of wood pellets a day. We found a good deal at Lowes for $3.15 a bag. Pellet stoves are much safer for small children because they do not get nearly as hot as wood burning stoves. My little one year old granddaughter also has a Harmann Pellet stove. Immediately after waking up in the morning, she heads over to the pellet stove, sits down next to it and warms up. It is the cutest thing. These stoves put out an even heat and do not get nearly as hot as a regular wood burning stove, but yet maintain a warm, cozy heat. These woodstoves are great for mobile homes and trailers because they are clean burning and they can be placed just inches from the wall,(read specs for each stove brand).If you would like to know more about the Harmann Accentra and its pros and cons read my article http://homefrugalhome.com/craigslist-tips/wood-stove-verses-pellet-stove-pros-and-cons.

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Frugal Tip of the Day : How to Walgreens Coupon: From the Frugal Girl

November 29, 2011 Anna No comments

Watch this video and learn how to coupon at Walgreens-watch it to its entirety. Each step saves you more money. $$$$$

Have you ever wondered about How To Coupon at Walgreens? Many just love Walgreens because of their coupon ads and rewards money. After trying it myself I realized how easy it really is. A lot of the health and beauty products wind up being almost free. Walgreen’s offers big discounts on cereal and other foods too. The hardest thing about couponing is all the time it takes to cut coupons, organize, then checking the sales ads.Years ago, I did use coupons for groceries. After awhile I realized it was EASIER and CHEAPER to go to my local discount grocery store

I recently found an awesome website that made couponing really easy. CLIPPIN’ WITH CARIE@ http://www.savingmoneyinmissouri.com/walgreens-and-cvs/. Carie tells of all the products at Walgreen’s that are on sale and stacks them with other coupons. She gives the final price you would pay after all coupons and rewards money. In other words, all the busy work is done for you. She just shows you what is on sale, which coupons to grab, and which ones to print. She specifies Missouri residents because she uses local and regional coupons, although manufacturer coupons are not area sensitive. If you have never done this, give it a try.

Where can I get coupons? The Sunday paper is the best. Maybe you have a friend or neighbor that doesn’t clip the coupons. Try the recycling dumpsters. There are many Sunday papers just waiting to be recycled. Many times you want more than one Sunday paper for couponing. If you do use the coupons that others so kindly took to the recycling dumpster, be courteous enough to return your leftovers.

Stay tuned for more coupon tips.

Try my other money saving tips and ideas from my bargain website; the Frugal Girl….

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Frugal Tip of the Day : Make Your Own Dryer Sheets from the Frugal Girl

November 29, 2011 Anna No comments

Frugal Tip of the Day :

Try making your own dryer sheets. Collect your leftover t-shirts that are now in the rag pile. Cut up into small squares like 3″ by 3″. Dab about 5 drops of your favorite essential oil. Depending on the potency you may want to add a few more drops. Try this on a small everyday clothes load to make sure they do not stain. Many people have had success in drying their clothes like this.

This is a great natural, non-toxic way to add fragrance to your clothes.

Read my other frugal Tips of the Day. This is a bargain website about money saving tips and ideas from the frugal girl.

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Frugal Tip of the Day : How to Save Food -Coffee Grounds- the Frugal Girl

November 26, 2011 Anna No comments

Here are some money saving tips and ideas for Coffee grounds.

One, coffee grounds are great compost. Add them to your compost mix and enrich your soil.There is a lot of nutrients in coffee, also vitamins, minerals, and nitrogen. Coffee helps many acid-loving plants like azaleas, roses, tomatoes, thrive. The filters are good for the garden too.

Two, coffee grounds make a great deodorizer. We bought a truck recently and it reeked with tobacco smoke. We cleaned it the best we could. Then we filled thin, nylon socks with coffee grounds to absorb the smell; it really worked. Our truck had a mild coffee smell, and after a short time there was not a trace of the tobacco smell.

Three, it is a great skin exfoliant. My daughter has used it many times; it has been used to remove dead skin cells and make the skin much softer. There is a lot of oil in coffee grounds. I have read where the caffeine aids in producing new skin cells. Women have claimed coffee grounds made their skin look younger and healthier. Try it on your whole body. Some say it helps reduce cellulite. Why pay for all the expensive skin care products when you can use natural coffee grounds right out of your own coffee maker. Get more for your money with your used coffee grounds.

Four, use Coffee grounds in your hair. I have done this. It makes hair shinier and softer. It also enhances the brunette color.

Five, use it for dying fabric or for craft paper. I had some curtains that I wanted to make look more antiquish. I soaked fabric in coffee stained water. They turned out great.

Six, use it to dye leather. I have some wear areas on my real leather couch. I mixed some warm coffee water and rubbed it over my brown leather couch a few times. It worked!

Seven, try them in your worm garden. It has been stated that worms thrive in coffee filled soil.

Eight, use as an insect repellent. Caffeine is claimed as being toxic to pests such as snail, slugs, and grubs. The coffee smell is unpleasant to some animals. Try it as a flea repellent for dogs by rubbing the ground into the skin after being bathed, rinse well. Keep the cat’s feces out of the garden by sprinkling coffee grounds into the soil. I have even read articles claiming coffee grounds make a great mosquito repellent.

Nine, try cleaning your iron skillet with the grounds. People have claimed that the grounds eliminate scratches.

If you would like to have an abundance of coffee grounds, Starbucks and other coffee shops GIVE AWAY the grounds. I have seen gardeners take advantage of this free compost, including me. Next time you are at your local Starbucks, ask for some coffee grounds. They gladly give it away all nicely bagged up.I have gotten many pounds of grounds this way from Starbucks.

The Frugal Girl Wedding : Way Below an Average Cost Wedding – A Country Wedding

November 24, 2011 Anna No comments

How would you like to have a beautiful wedding for about $4,500. I am talking about a beautiful Wedding. One that is as nice as any other wedding for about one forth of the price; way below the average cost wedding. We did just that when we hosted a wedding for our daughter. This became a family wedding project. We had fun planning it. All the pictures in this article are from her wedding.

Theweddingreport.com (a market research provider for the wedding industry) – theaverage cost of a wedding in 2010increased by 22% to $24,066 over 2009′s average of $19,581 (which was a significant decrease over the previous few years).

First, we checked out the prices on reception halls in our area. There were huge price differences. No matter what you can always find a nicer place. Every time you upgrade, it costs more money. We found one at a park near our home; it was nowhere near the average cost for a reception hall.It was actually called Quail Ridge. It could fit about 150-200 people. Nice hall, great bargain, $400.00. It had a full kitchen available. They didn’t cater and tablecloths would have to be ordered. In other words in order to get a bargain, good deal, we had to do a lot of the work.

Where are we going to have the wedding ceremony? We could’ve had it a church of course, but our daughter wanted to get married outside. How convenient. There is a gazebo near the hall. It is made of cedar and had a nice grassy area in front of it. Perfect for a wedding ceremony. What if it rains? There was room in the hall to push the table and chairs over if needed.

Seating: Where was everyone going to sit? We shopped around for white wooden chairs. This was her dream wedding,outside under the gazebo with white wooden chairs. We found a good deal on the chairs. We rented them for 150.00. We did bargain a little to get the cost down. Frugal tip: It never hurts to ask, Ask and you might, Don’t and you won’t.

Food: What are we going to eat? Jessie and her groom wanted a country wedding with good down home cooking. So, we bought a huge grill from Sam’s for $400.00. After the wedding, we used the grill for 3 years then sold it on Craigslist for $270. That was a frugal idea that my husband had.

Preparation: Our son and his family came over the day before the wedding and helped us BBQ chicken, hamburgers, brats, and pulled pork. It was special time helping prepare our daughters special wedding day together. It was all part of the celebration our family wedding project. We were all working together to show her and her and her groom to be, our love. We also made homemade salsa, beans, corn, green bean casserole and rolls. We got the most compliments on the the homemade Italian salad: romaine, red onions, black and green olives, artichoke hearts, freshly grated parmesan cheese and croutons with Pasta House Dressing.We went through two huge bowls of the salad. We used really nice, heavy paper plates and strong plastic utensils bought from Costco. It honestly was not cheesy using paper products; if you use paper products, get nice ones.It makes it easier for clean up; a lot less mess.Paper products save money on rental of utensils and plates.

The Wedding Cake was just a small, simple wedding cake for decoration.We bought 3 delicious, amazing wedding cakes form Costco.We had strawberry short cake, chocolate wedding cake with chocolate pudding filling and vanilla cream cheese with custard filling. The chocolate wedding cake was voted the best. We actually go a lot of compliments on them. They were decorated nicely too. Many commented that they were better than the traditional wedding cake. We got the for about $19.00 each; what a bargain deal for such amazing wedding cakes. Do not be afraid to get away from the traditional wedding cake. You will save a lot of money and still have a lot of happy guests even thou you do not serve the traditional wedding cake. Remember, this frugal girl cut costs in areas and replaced them with inexpensive ways to have the best wedding ever. Again, be careful not to loose the meaning.

ATMOSPHERE: The day of the wedding we set up the grill under a canopy and cooked more brats. The smell of that bbq made the atmosphere more welcoming. The food cost was about $1500.00. This is the first Sunday Wedding I had ever been to. It was really neat. What a celebration.

For drinks, we had coffee, soda, bottled root-beer, lemonade, bottled water and iced tea.

Tablecloths. We rented tablecloths for the long tables for the food. I bought clearance material and made 25 tablecloths. I do not recommend doing this because although I was frugal with the money, I was not frugal with my time. It cost me $100.00 for the material which I turned around and sold the tablecloths on Craigslist.

Centerpieces. We shopped garage sales, thrift stores and resale shops for copper pitchers and vases. We paid about $1.00 for each. We also bought glass vases from Michael’s for $1.00 each and always used a printable online coupon. These were really fun to make especially since we got so many bargain deals.

Gerber daisies ,Gerber Daisies everywhere. They adorned the gazebo with ribbon added.There was a Gerber daisy arrangement at the center of every table. Every bridesmaid also had a beautiful Gerber daisy arrangement as her bouquet. They were bought at Sam’s Wholesale Club. We bought an assortment of Gerber daisies for less than $1.00 each. That is a real good deal when comparing prices. The colors were brilliant. They were shipped to the Sam’s of your choice. They kept their shape and color for a week after the wedding.

Entertainment was from a Bluegrass band. They did an amazing job with their welcoming stringed instruments. It was especially chilling when they played wedding songs before the ceremony out by the gazebo. It was a christian wedding ceremony and they played christian songs and traditional wedding music on their bluegrass instruments.

My daughter was very choosy about her wedding dress. Of course like most brides, she wanted to look her best. She went shopping at the Bridal Shops in our area. Read about how she got the dress she wanted brand new for $475.00 and sold it on Craigslist for $375. Not counting the veil she bought at Goodwill for $10.00 and sold it for $30.00. Read the story for a frugal tip. http://homefrugalhome.com/craigslist-tips/dont-pay-full-price-even-for-a-new-wedding-dress. She knows how to look for a bargain. I am so proud of the frugal girl that she is because she not only saved us a lot of money, but she learned how to shop around and get good deals. This will help her with frugality in her own family.

The bridesmaid dresses were made by a good friend so they only cost $85.00 each.This makes it much easier to have the wedding color schemes you want, although some don’t care, my my daughter, who is a very frugal girl, was big on her wedding color scheme as she even designed the dresses. If you do not have a friend as a seamstress, I would suggest you go to the clearance racks at Macy’s, Famous, Penneys, or any other mall store that sells prom dresses. It will take time to shop around, but frugality will pay off. After prom, they usually clearance a lot of the same dresses. After finding a dress that you like for your bridesmaids, if they do not have every size you need, have the clerk call around at the other stores nearby. Many times you will find all the sizes you need or you may have to pay to get one altered. This is the cheapest way I know to get bridesmaid dress for a good deal. My son and daughter in-law found their bridesmaid dresses like this.

Remember, I said this was a country wedding. The groomsmen wore nice cowboy boots with their tuxedos. I thought it looked nice.

Although the wedding was beautiful, it takes a lot of thought when planning the wedding ceremony. It is the most special day in a couples lives next to the day their new child is born. Many times the wedding ceremony is remembered more than how good the food was or what the dresses looked like. I think the wedding ceremony; especially the christian wedding ceremony because it is before God, is the most important part of the Wedding Day.

Here is a tip for all you young ins:

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEDDING;THE WEDDING CEREMONY

We sometimes get so far away from the meaning. When 2 people are to be joined before God on their wedding day it is to be a Celebration of Love. All these other details are nill compared to a life together. Don’t get caught up in the festivities and loose the meaning; even a Christian Wedding Ceremony can loose its focus. Make sure, I mean complete sure that the one you are going to marry is the person you want to spent the rest of your life with. If you are a Christian, you need to pray to God and ask for His will to be done. If you are not a Christian, you need to ask God to show Himself to you and I guarantee you He will; it is His Will.

This wedding was quite a beautiful one on a beautiful day Blessed by God. This was a frugal wedding and we got a lot of bargains. It takes time to look for good deals, but it pays off. This whole wedding cost about $4,500 and was just perfect. Again, frugality paid off.

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How to Stay Debt Free : Our Testimony

November 14, 2011 Anna No comments

What makes my website unique? We have had great success in frugal living. We have never had a house payment yet we own a house, nice garage, and 3 acres. We have not inherited any of this. It is all from working hard, frugal living, and most of all God’s help. We do not own our own business. My husband and I have been blessed with wisdom and contentment and enjoying small things in life. We worked together with the same goals: stayed out of debt, kept financial stress out of our marriage and I have been able to stay home with our 5 kids.

I want to share practical tips that I have learned through the years living on a single average income. My site is about practical, frugal living. These are not ideas I have printed off the Internet, or read from a book. These tips are things we have done to stay completely out of debt. I will share many tips that will help you save money on your everyday expenses. I will do my best to pass on ideas and examples to help you stay out of debt. This site is especially helpful to young adults just starting off on their own. It will teach them how to live within their means, and inspire them to live with less so that they will have more later without debt and worry. I want to encourage the young to work hard and make their money go farther than they ever dreamed possible. It is not what you make that matters, but what you do with what you make.

Here is our testimony: We started out at age 19 and got married after being high school sweethearts for 4 years. We had saved as much as possible in our dating years. We did not have any debt when we got married. We did not waste our money on new, fancy cars with a loan. We had wheels that were paid for. There is nothing wrong with having a nice car, it just depends on what your goals are. Remember, how you start out will have a big impact on your future when it comes to finances. In 1982 we saved up $8,000. We bought a mobile home and paid cash for it. This was a wise move because it kept us from wasting a lot of money on interest and later helped us to be able to save money. Our bills were small. $115.00 lot rent, $18.00 water bill, and a $30.00 electric bill. We did have to get our 500 gallon propane gas tank filled once a year. And of course groceries. Shortly after our marriage, my husband became unemployed. We had a rough start. I remember getting down to 10 cents. I mean it , it was all the money we had. This brought us to our knees at age 20. It was a good thing for us because it is then that we cried out to God and committed our lives and family to Him. We asked God to help us find a job. We knew that $8.00 an hour would not be enough to raise a family , and that is the highest paying job offered so far. We prayed that my husband would find a good job, enough to raise a family and me to be able to stay home with our children.This was on a Friday night. The next day a relative called to tell us about a company wanting to employ her son, but he already had a job. One thing led to another, and by Monday afternoon, my husband had that job. The wages were more than we prayed for, and to top it off, he is still with the same boss at age 47. If all goes well he can retire in 3 years. WHAT AN ANSWER TO PRAYER.

Those days of frugal living and being so careful of how we spent our money really paid off. We learned to be content in all things and work together as a team with God being the leader. I witnessed how real God Is at a young age and it has totally changed our lives and strengthened our marriage and our family.

To finish this part of my testimony, after 6 years of living in the trailer park, we bought 3 acres. We saved a down payment and only had to borrow $10,000. We paid it off in 2 years. The only other loan we ever had was $5,000 we borrowed to buy a truck. We continued to save and be frugal with our money. Frugal by only buying things that we needed, and only buying things we had the money for. If we didn’t have the money, we didn’t buy. We shopped at Aldi for groceries. All of our clothes, shoes, purses, tools, etc. came from garage sales; we enjoyed treasure hunting. It is amazing how much we saved at garage sales. We always had nice clothes and of course with our God, all of our needs were met. We were content and settled for small things. “Now Godliness with contentment is of great gain!” Timothy 6:6 NKJV

I will teach you many ways to be frugal and let your money stretch. For those who want to stay at home, in many cases, if you are willing, it will only take a lifestyle change. Who needs the nicest cars and the fanciest clothes. Believe me, staying within your means will be worth it. Who better to raise your kids. When a mother stays home with her children she is able to shop at garage sales, call around for the cheapest prices on whatever you are needing, like propane gas, or auto parts. These past few years I have bought items at garage sales and resold them on Craigslist. (Look at garage sales on my site and read some of the articles I’ve written.).

After 5 years of living in our mobile home on 3 acres, we saved $10,000. We decided it was time to build a house. Not an extravagant house, but a 28×54 home built into a hill. It is made of cedar and stone. It is humble and cozy. It took us 3 years, but WE BUILT IT OURSELVES. We built our home as the money came in and continued to live in the mobile home. It was a family project with our oldest son’s help. He was 12 years old at the time. He was being home schooled and really learned a lot about building construction, electric, plumbing, stone masonry, concrete, etc. Our oldest daughter babysat our 1 year old baby girl while we worked on our house; what a Blessing she was learning how to be a mommy at age 8. Our hard work paid off; it was a lot of fun and good family time. We enjoyed working together to worship music. We never borrowed any money to build our home. Since we were building it ourselves, we could shop around for all our needs. And shop around we did. We utilized the convince of the phone and saved a lot of travel and money by comparing quality and prices. We did not skimp on quality. With God’s help and I truly mean it, we got great buys on just about everything we purchased. Great deals on the trusses, tile flooring, cedar, stone, windows, fans, fixtures, cabinets, wood stove, etc.

To really save we built our home out of Styrofoam blocks. Our house is so well insulated. Our home also has been heated with wood, but we do have central heat and air conditioning. Since concrete is my husband’s specialty, we did not pay any money for concrete labor.

We did not waste money on credit from bank loans or credit cards. It just took a lot of time and patience. Not “buy now and pay later”and “borrow more than you can afford.”

In 2006 we built a garage debt free. We built it ourselves with the help of our now grown older children. The younger 3 helped also.

The Garage our Family Built

I will write tips on building an energy efficient home and garage, ways to save on utilities and everyday expenses. Things that most people would never think of. Ways to store up food in case times get tough. Frugal recipes, how to cut utility bills, couponing, gardening, cutting corners on household needs, low cost educational tools, low cost weddings, how to use Craigslist for buying and selling, ways to make money-treasure hunting, etc.. Frugal living ideas so a mother can hopefully stay at home with her children. Frugal living ideas so you can enjoy your family without extra stress and struggling to stay above water.

Remember, frugal living is a lifestyle. It’s not how much you make, but what you do with what you make.

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Wood Stove verses Pellet Stove Pros and Cons

November 11, 2011 Anna 3 Comments

After 30 years of cutting wood, buying wood, hauling wood, stacking wood and shopping for free wood, we decided last winter, 2010, to try a pellet stove. We installed a Harman Accentra pellet stove upstairs in the living space of our garage. We also, installed a Harman Accentra pellet stove in our home. The one pictured is in the dormer above the garage. We still stick with wood heat, which is our favorite heat source. It is a lot warmer than gas or electric. My husband did a lot of research on the best all around pellet stove. He found that Harman, in his opinion, was the best for us. They are very expensive, but remember to think frugal and if you are determined you will find a better deal than full price.

Anytime we need something pricey, we always check Craigslist first. We do shop around in the surrounding cities if it is a bigger item to enlarge our search. Well, we had good luck. We got a real bargain. The Accentra is around $3,600. new. We found one on Craigslist for $1200, it was in great shape and even came with some pipe.

The entire stove is cast iron, weighing about 370 pounds. You know how heavy just an iron skillet is. Imagine a big stove.

We did consider the price of pellets before we bought the stove. Most places sell the 40 pound bag of pellets for about $5.00. That can get quite expensive which made us apprehensive on buying one. After we checked around awhile; we found 2 hardware stores that ran specials on the top made pellets. They had pellets for $3.00 a bag. That is a huge difference. We bought about 6 pallets since it was such a bargain deal. It will last us for about 2 years.

What are the advantagesof the HARMANN ACCENTRA pellet stove verses a wood burning stove? Remember, I am speaking from hands on experience and not sales pitch or from a specs manual,( which are a great help too).

* Much less labor work. Carry in a 40 lb. bag of pellets, lift the glass lid on top, cut bag and pour. That is it. A bag of pellets on a cold day(20F 30F) lasts the entire day. It is rated at 40,000 BTUs per hour. On a warmer day like 40′s, we only need about 1/2 bag. There is no longer dust, bark, wood pieces to sweep up. We no longer have to spend time splitting wood then carrying piles of it to the front door.

* Starts up quick and easy. It is actually a luxury. We do not have to get paper and matches, and take time to start the fire and hope it keeps going as we feed it. In other words, you can let it go out and later on, turn the knob and instant fire. It is amazing.

* They are much safer. They do not get nearly as hot.

* Pellet stoves create less air pollution than wood stoves.

* Able to regulate heat within 1 degree. This stove has a sensor on it for room temperature just like your furnace. In other words, you can set the dial on the desired temperature of the room (upper right dial in picture). As soon as it reaches the desired set temperature on dial, it kicks off. We always turn the stove down to a lower temperature when we leave; we turn it right back up when we get home.

* Pellet stoves take up much less room. The Harman specs say they can be installed 2.25″ inches from the wall, or nearest structure if back of stove against wall. If installed against outside wall, you do not even see the short pipe, and it is much less expensive because you have to buy a vent kit instead of a lot of expensive pipe. If turned in corner the closest sides of the stove only have to be 6.25 inches from the wall. http://www.harmanstoves.com/Customer-Care/Installation-Manuals.aspx.m. We can regulate size of flame, blower, and how many pellets drop into the resevour. Unlike a wood stove, the Accentra turns off and on as needed which gives a much more even heat. It is a radiant heat. Another safety feature also.

* The pipe is much smaller, 3″ compared to the average 6″ and 8″. A smaller whole to cut for installing the pipe.They are so effiecient. They burn much cleaner. The pellets are clean. There is no mold or fungus on them, or even poison ivy.

* The ash pan may only need to be dumped once a month depending on how many bags of pellets you hae used. A woodstove may need to be dumped every couple days to keep a oxygen circulation for better fire. They are a lot messier too. I have read articles that state how they are much better for people suffering from allergies.

What are the disadvantages of a pellet stove compared to wood burning stoves.

* Because they require electric to operate, the motor, blower, auger, thermostat, it is not good if your electric goes out. It is good to have a battery back up. This is the BIGGEST advantage the wood stove has verses the pellet stove. As long as you have dry wood, you have heat. If you have a weekend cabin a woodstove may be used if there is no electric available. The Amish could not use pellet stoves.

* Pellets can be very costly if you are unable to get a good deal. Wood could be less expensive to burn. Like I said, try to get them for $3.oo a bag. You can also buy in bulk.

* There are many intricate parts that may need to be replaced from time to time. Pellet stoves need to be taken apart on the inside and vacuumed out periodially. This is similiar to changing the oil in your car every 3,000 miles. The better you take care of your pellet stove the longer it should last without replacing parts.

The pipe is small, but much more expensive. Pellet stoves require special ventilation. They require double walled aluminum pipe called PL vent pipe.

* They are, for the most part , more expensive than the average woodstove.

NOTE: We liked our pellet stove so much we bought one for each of our married children for Christmas 2010. We found them on Craigslist also. They were in great shape and neither of them were more than $1,000. each. That is a total of 4 in one year. All were bought for a total of $4,000. This is the price of only one new Harman Accentra. It pays to be frugal and still get quality products.

I would love to hear your comments. You too could let others know the advantages and disadvantages of wood stove verses pellet stove. Tell us which stove you like and why. If you know where to get a good deal on pellets, send an email.

If you decide to buy a wood stove read my article http://homefrugalhome.com/recent-articles/frugal-tip-of-the-day-how-to-save-on-your-electric-or-gas-bill-get-a-woodstove.

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Frugal Tip of the Day : How to Save on your Electric or Gas bill Get a Woodstove

November 08, 2011 Anna 1 Comment

Do you want to know how to save money on your electric bill or your gas bill?

There is no better way to save on your electric bill and no warmer way to heat than the good old woodstove.

We have been heating our home with wood for almost 30 years and I wouldn’t trade it for any other heat.

Why heat with wood?

* In most cases it is cheaper than electric or gas, cost efficient

* It is proven to be a much warmer heat than electric or gas

* If the gas or electric goes out, you will still have heat

* The ascetics of a wood stove are much more appealing than a gas or electric furnace

* In some cases you can actually get tax credit if you buy new

* We have been heating our home with wood for almost 30 years and I wouldn’t trade it for any other heat. There is some thing about the heat that makes a home more homey. It gives such a cozy, warm feeling. We sit around our wood stove all the time. In fact, my kids are home schooled and that is where they do their schoolwork; right in front of the stove with their hot chocolate set on top of the stove keeping warm. The wood stove seems to be the center of our gatherings.

What kind of Wood stove do I look for? That depends on if you want the best looking stove, one that will be used on and off, or a stove that will be used 24/7 throughout the winter.

We have used many different wood stoves through the years. We have used Vermont Castings (like the one pictured at the top of the page),Morso, Jotul, and Hitzer wood stoves.

What makes a good wood stove. Although the Vermont Castings are pretty, they are , in my opinion, a lot more maintenance. The ones we had were hard to start, and wouldn’t hold a fire until morning. Also, we had to be so careful not to break the expensive high heat glass.

What to look for in a wood stove:

* Easy to regulate: able to turn the heat up or down by using the dampers

* Does not burn wood too quickly

* Can hold a fire without using too much wood

* Has a good size firebox; you want to be able to fit a decent sized log into the box. The smaller the firebox, the more wood splitting and the faster the wood wood will burn.

* Is able to hold a fire until morning; unless, of course, it is extremely cold out and must be fed during the night

After many years of heating with wood stoves, we found our favorite. It is an Amish made Hitzer. They are not near the beauty of a Vermont Castings, but the Hitzer is so easy to regulate, much cheaper in price, can hold a fire for hours, and are very east to regulate. We have been using our Hitzer for 5 years now. They do have models that are nicer looking, and come in diffident sizes. Check out their website @ http://www.hitzer.com/index.php. We have this exact stove.

Where do I get the wood? check out my tips: http://homefrugalhome.com/craigslist-tips/how-to-find-firewood-save-on-utilities-frugal-tip-of-the-da y

Notes:

* You could do a search on Google or Yahoo ask and compare wood stoves. For instance, you should do a little homework and search wood stove reviews and comments. You will see that everyone has a different opinion. It also depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for a woodstove that is good looking like a Vermont Castings porcelain wood stove? These are, in my opinion, one of the best looking stoves on the market. They come in many different sizes and colors. Take a look http://vermontcastings.com/. I have had 3 different Vermont Castings wood stoves in the past 30 years. Another nice looking wood stove is a Soapstone. http://www.woodstove.com/.

* Look on Craigslist for wood stoves. Try a few different surrounding cities on Craigslist. If you have to drive a little to buy a used wood stove, it is worth it. The only wood stove we bought brand new was the Hitzer. All the others we found on Craigslist. The neat thing was we always got good deals on our wood stoves. After we used them a while, (we usually sold them because we just were not happy with them) we would up listing them on Craigslist and making money on them.

Many are offering tax credit. For example check out Morso http://www.morsona.com/.

Remember, frugal living is a way of life. Saving on your electric or gas bill and having a warmer, more comfortable heat is worth checking into.

Email me if you have any questions or comments.

Vermont Castings, Soapstone, Hitzer, Jotul, why heat with wood, what to look for in a wood stove,where do I get the wood?

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How to Save Money on Everyday Expenses

The Good Salt

I thought you might enjoy this article. I have been using the pink “REAL SALT” for about 2 years now. I really like the flavor of it. It is a lot more costly, but a pint lasts a long time. I pay around $4.00 for it. Anna

Article by Debi Pearl, August 2011 http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/

Why did God call his people “the salt of the earth” if salt is so unhealthy?”

Then a few years ago I started noticing dirty looking salt available on the shelves of some health markets. I began to read what researchers were discovering concerning processed salt and real salt. WOW! Salt is not always bad. Salt is good—at least, real salt is good.

Bad Salt

Switching to natural salt is an easy and smart thing to do. Keep your eye open for products that now use natural salt; it is a fast growing market.

Learn and live well.

I thought you might enjoy this article. I have been using the pink “REAL SALT” for about 2 years now. I really like the flavor of it. It is a lot more costly, but a pint lasts long time. I pay around $4.00 for it.

Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Watch this video and learn how to coupon at Walgreens-watch it to its entirety. Each step saves you more money. $$$$$

Frugal Tip of the Day :

This is a great natural, non-toxic way to add fragrance to your clothes.

Read my other frugal Tips of the Day. This is a bargain website about money saving tips and ideas from the frugal girl.

One, coffee grounds are great compost. Add them to your compost mix and enrich your soil.There is a lot of nutrients in coffee, also vitamins, minerals, and nitrogen. Coffee helps many acid-loving plants like azaleas, roses, tomatoes, thrive. The filters are good for the garden too.

Four, use Coffee grounds in your hair. I have done this. It makes hair shinier and softer. It also enhances the brunette color.

Five, use it for dying fabric or for craft paper. I had some curtains that I wanted to make look more antiquish. I soaked fabric in coffee stained water. They turned out great.

Six, use it to dye leather. I have some wear areas on my real leather couch. I mixed some warm coffee water and rubbed it over my brown leather couch a few times. It worked!

Seven, try them in your worm garden. It has been stated that worms thrive in coffee filled soil.

Nine, try cleaning your iron skillet with the grounds. People have claimed that the grounds eliminate scratches.

Read more from my bargain website of money saving tips and ideas from the frugal girl @ http://homefrugalhome.com/category/home

Theweddingreport.com (a market research provider for the wedding industry) – theaverage cost of a wedding in 2010increased by 22% to $24,066 over 2009′s average of $19,581 (which was a significant decrease over the previous few years).

Food: What are we going to eat? Jessie and her groom wanted a country wedding with good down home cooking. So, we bought a huge grill from Sam’s for $400.00. After the wedding, we used the grill for 3 years then sold it on Craigslist for $270. That was a frugal idea that my husband had.

ATMOSPHERE: The day of the wedding we set up the grill under a canopy and cooked more brats. The smell of that bbq made the atmosphere more welcoming. The food cost was about $1500.00. This is the first Sunday Wedding I had ever been to. It was really neat. What a celebration.

For drinks, we had coffee, soda, bottled root-beer, lemonade, bottled water and iced tea.

Here is a tip for all you young ins:

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEDDING;THE WEDDING CEREMONY

This wedding was quite a beautiful one on a beautiful day Blessed by God. This was a frugal wedding and we got a lot of bargains. It takes time to look for good deals, but it pays off. This whole wedding cost about $4,500 and was just perfect. Again, frugality paid off.

To really save we built our home out of Styrofoam blocks. Our house is so well insulated. Our home also has been heated with wood, but we do have central heat and air conditioning. Since concrete is my husband’s specialty, we did not pay any money for concrete labor.

We did not waste money on credit from bank loans or credit cards. It just took a lot of time and patience. Not “buy now and pay later”and “borrow more than you can afford.”

In 2006 we built a garage debt free. We built it ourselves with the help of our now grown older children. The younger 3 helped also.

Remember, frugal living is a lifestyle. It’s not how much you make, but what you do with what you make.

The entire stove is cast iron, weighing about 370 pounds. You know how heavy just an iron skillet is. Imagine a big stove.

What are the advantagesof the HARMANN ACCENTRA pellet stove verses a wood burning stove? Remember, I am speaking from hands on experience and not sales pitch or from a specs manual,( which are a great help too).

* Starts up quick and easy. It is actually a luxury. We do not have to get paper and matches, and take time to start the fire and hope it keeps going as we feed it. In other words, you can let it go out and later on, turn the knob and instant fire. It is amazing.

* They are much safer. They do not get nearly as hot.

* Pellet stoves create less air pollution than wood stoves.

* The pipe is much smaller, 3″ compared to the average 6″ and 8″. A smaller whole to cut for installing the pipe.They are so effiecient. They burn much cleaner. The pellets are clean. There is no mold or fungus on them, or even poison ivy.

What are the disadvantages of a pellet stove compared to wood burning stoves.

* Pellets can be very costly if you are unable to get a good deal. Wood could be less expensive to burn. Like I said, try to get them for $3.oo a bag. You can also buy in bulk.

The pipe is small, but much more expensive. Pellet stoves require special ventilation. They require double walled aluminum pipe called PL vent pipe.

* They are, for the most part , more expensive than the average woodstove.

I would love to hear your comments. You too could let others know the advantages and disadvantages of wood stove verses pellet stove. Tell us which stove you like and why. If you know where to get a good deal on pellets, send an email.

If you decide to buy a wood stove read my article http://homefrugalhome.com/recent-articles/frugal-tip-of-the-day-how-to-save-on-your-electric-or-gas-bill-get-a-woodstove.

Do you want to know how to save money on your electric bill or your gas bill?

There is no better way to save on your electric bill and no warmer way to heat than the good old woodstove.

We have been heating our home with wood for almost 30 years and I wouldn’t trade it for any other heat.

Why heat with wood?

* In most cases it is cheaper than electric or gas, cost efficient

* It is proven to be a much warmer heat than electric or gas

* If the gas or electric goes out, you will still have heat

* The ascetics of a wood stove are much more appealing than a gas or electric furnace

* In some cases you can actually get tax credit if you buy new

What kind of Wood stove do I look for? That depends on if you want the best looking stove, one that will be used on and off, or a stove that will be used 24/7 throughout the winter.

We have used many different wood stoves through the years. We have used Vermont Castings (like the one pictured at the top of the page),Morso, Jotul, and Hitzer wood stoves.

What makes a good wood stove. Although the Vermont Castings are pretty, they are , in my opinion, a lot more maintenance. The ones we had were hard to start, and wouldn’t hold a fire until morning. Also, we had to be so careful not to break the expensive high heat glass.

What to look for in a wood stove:

* Easy to regulate: able to turn the heat up or down by using the dampers

* Does not burn wood too quickly

* Can hold a fire without using too much wood

* Has a good size firebox; you want to be able to fit a decent sized log into the box. The smaller the firebox, the more wood splitting and the faster the wood wood will burn.

* Is able to hold a fire until morning; unless, of course, it is extremely cold out and must be fed during the night

Where do I get the wood? check out my tips: http://homefrugalhome.com/craigslist-tips/how-to-find-firewood-save-on-utilities-frugal-tip-of-the-day

Notes:

Many are offering tax credit. For example check out Morso http://www.morsona.com/.

Remember, frugal living is a way of life. Saving on your electric or gas bill and having a warmer, more comfortable heat is worth checking into.

Email me if you have any questions or comments.

Vermont Castings, Soapstone, Hitzer, Jotul, why heat with wood, what to look for in a wood stove,where do I get the wood?

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Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Where do I get the wood? check out my tips: http://homefrugalhome.com/craigslist-tips/how-to-find-firewood-save-on-utilities-frugal-tip-of-the-da y