Tuesday, July 22, 2008 | By dclock
I'm interested in buying a Yorkshire Terrier that is 3 to 4 yrs old. Do you know anybody that wanting to sell there Yorkshire Terrier? Please let me know if you know anybody by responding to his blog post
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More Frugality
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 | By pamphyila
The news of the financial downturn is getting to me, too - I find myself counting my financial freebies/deals etc. to reassure myself.
Been checking in on www.mommysavesbig.com and www.freestufftimes.com daily for freebies - seem to be getting samples everyday in the mail. Just got another moisturizer and some Tide and some liniment.
Also found www.k7.net which provides free phone service - The # is in Seattle & goes to your email inbox. You get 20 messages. I recommended it to a friend who is wandering about and gave up his cell phone! Now there is no excuse not to be in touch. Good for the kids?
Cashed in some of my mypoints for a Shell Gift Card - only 2 gals of gas - but it's reassuring....& there is a Shell station right around the corner...
Also, with some research discovered that there are FREE senior citizen activities around me. One I can walk to! I am getting ingo from them to take yoga, etc.!! One advantage of being 50+... I advise you to do some research in your own area to see what's available.
My acting workshp at the S.M. Emeritus College is super! even though I have to schlepp across town for it! And I got word on a cheap tap class in Pasadena for srs., too....
We artistic types are always semi-retired, anyway. The caliber of the folks at my scene class is really great. One guy won 3 Emmies for writing comedy on the Carol Burnett Show! The irony is that my older actor friends are doing BETTER as they age, because they have Soc. Security income coming in and healthcare to supplement their artistic earnings, as no one stops working, really....
I can see seniors working as extras just for the hot meals and being companionable sitting in the sun!
Also collecting the upper end of the fast food coupons especially for my husband, who can't be trained to bring his own lunch.
We are going off for free camping courtesy of the Lompoc Valley AA Group, which is celebrating their 50th anniversary. My husband is playing his 12 Step songs (they are really very good) and we are being fed and pitching a tent. It's the beginning of a week's vacation on the Central Coast & on our boat. I will noodle on my concertina during Mark's breaks. (Another bargain - a $200 instrument I got at a local thrift shop which we made minor repairs to!) These little busman holiday gigs are fun. And that's also reassuring to know that we can keep that enhancing part of our lives. Viva la musica!
Oh - and Mark is making his own CDs of his 12 Step Songs to sell at a modest price at his appearance. It's taken his time, but even with the cases, the reproduction cost is about $.50 per CD & as I recall the pros ask at least $1 per and you have to have a BIG run. He is only running off 50 or so - But they do look nice with the inside labels he has made for the jewel cases. If we sell them, $1 will go to the Lompoc AA Grp. & the rest for our GAS $.
Have to practice my concertina! I really have to record all my Celtic material - when I was all set a few years ago didn't have the technology that I have home now. It's great for the artiste, all this stuff - you have no idea! And packing - ugh.
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Busy Wkend Aftermath
Monday, July 21, 2008 | By pamphyila
Had a busy weekend what with my Emeritus College scene showcase - It went well in the new Edye Theatre of Santa Monica College - even computerized lighting? And real union techs who went on mandated lunch breaks? Very professional, really.
Found out that someone else in the showcase won 3 Emmys for writing on the Carol Burnett Show! Not to mention that my scene partner was in BARFLY and was up for an Emmy nomination - & I have "been in award-winning productions." So it's not amateur night (or afternoon).
The heat wave is over & I think the swamp cooler experiment did help to alleviate the heat. Will put it in motion again when the temp rises. Every little bit helps.
After the showcase we went to downtown Santa Monica and walked around. There was a thrift shop, so I had to stop in. The pickings were less than elsewhere - but I did snag a Nicole Miller sequined tank top for about $4! I say, all my designer things are from thrift shops!
Leslie Earnest, the L.A. Times reporter who wrote the article about frugal shopping that I was in - had another article on frugal fashion for back to school in the paper on Sunday - once again in the business section. She wrote about how vintage is back in style - but the poor teenagers were shopping at the upscale vintage marts like Wasteland (in fashionable Melrose Ave. territory) - rather than getting in on the ground floor of vintage, as I like to do.
I found a vintage silk kimono jacket up in Ojai for $12 a few weekends ago & they were oohing and aahing about $35 Members Only jackets?
And they spend $12 on pseudo-silver jewelry rather than looking for the real thing? Or putting together something from Michaels - curious. But I don't spend much on my t-shirts, either - they never last long before the stains get to them - When I see good deals, I stock up on a variety of colors. Same thing with the tank tops at the 99 cent store! I have a whole bunch of them from last season I am still wearing.
I love the thrift shop in Santa Paula we go to now and then - I got jeans for $1 and the same for a nice gauze shirt I can wear with my Nicole Miller dressy tank! And a pair of cute orange shoes for $2 - and a nice bag for $3....
Not the same cachet as Melrose's funkiness - but not the same prices, either, & in the end who will know the difference? You have to start somewhere, I suppose.
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My detergent cleans more than just my laundry
Sunday, July 20, 2008 | By sbb1
I've discovered that my laundry detergent really is a good household cleanser and so powerful that I only need just a sprinkle in each to cleanse the bathroom tub, sink, and toilet. It works just great.
For starters, I use Tide laundry detergent. Its one of the few items my hubby will not allow me to frugally substitute. Lord knows I would've grated a bar of Bronner's castille soap and mixed it with some boric acid by now and been done with it. But he works hard and makes few requests so I buy it.
Though, I must say that Tide brand laundry detergent is very cheaply priced here as in comparison to the price for it in the United States. Its like half the price here. I was surprised to see that because the prices for food and household items are just about the same in both countries. In the U.S. I only bought Tide brand laundry detergent when it was on a good sale and I would buy the liquid and dilute it as this brand contains powerful cleaning agents to me. But here since its so reasonably priced, I buy a big box of the powder. However, I'm sure any laundry detergent would be just as effective.
As for household cleaning products...Now thats a totally different story in this neck of the woods. Its so expensive, like twice the amount you would pay in the U.S.! And guess what? I have yet to see a big box of baking soda. I've only seen little cans of it in the baking isle, which is what I would have used as a cheap, but effective substitute. I bought basic household cleansers when I first moved here, and I hated paying the ridiculous prices for them.
One day I ran out of tub and all purpose cleanser in between my scheduled market runs and so I quickly sprinkled a little of theTide in each my tub, sink, and toilet. I was amazed at how well and quickly it cleaned my bathroom to a sparkling shine. From there I even sprinkled a little into a fresh bucket of hot water to mop the floors and the fresh scent it left behind was just one more perk for me.
I was so pleased with the way it cleaned the bathroom, that I filled an empty container like the ones used for non-dairy creamer with the detergent to monitor usage, and to use just for cleaning the bathroom. Since a sprinkle goes a long way, I do not have to refill often which saves me alot of money. Whenever I buy a new box of Tide, I just refill my little container if needed and keep on going.
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how do you DELETE a post herein??
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | By Chicklet
I have tried everything I can think of and then some,
Seems you cannot truly remove a post from on here!
If someone knows how, I would sure like to know how I can do it too.
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financial burden
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | By deepsea
Taking a look at your credit reports can really be a eye opener at times. It gives you a signal that you should stop spending and start saving. I mean, I really did have a bad time taking bad stuff out of my credit reports over the past two years. My reports were so bad, no lender was even ready to give me a loan and the ones who agreed gave it to me at a hefty interest rate. A reason why I could not fund my business project. I was in need of a loan back them real bad, but the bad shape of my reports did not give me a chance to get that loan. Now after 2 years I just reordered my 3 credit reports and they are clean. I congratulated myself on achieving this. But what is the point now? My reports were not clean when I needed them to be. I did take a decision back then to cut down on my spendings and to ensure that I never got into this situation ever again.
First thing I did was cancel all my credti cards. I just kept one but never really used it. I always carried enough cash in my pockes to pay for food and shopping. And I took the money out using my debit card. That itself took care of half my financial issues. I had a tough time cancelling these cards though as they had debt accumulated on them. I had to clear them working my ass off. Just an advice to all of you out there. Do not use your credit card unnecessairly. This plastic card looks cool, but can lead to really uncool situations
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Swamp cooler update
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | By pamphyila
The water level in all my pans is going down - so it's evaporating and that must help - I am also covering up the middle of the top of our gas stove where all the pilot lights are - to try to insulate IN the heat that comes from them (they are as low as possible & still hot...)
I should look for some cheese cloth that I can wet and drape over the window fan - even with everything the thermometer was at 85 yesterday! The sun beats down on the uninsulated roof and comes in the windows of our W-E. exposure. And I wear minimalist clothes. (My husband loves it!)
Trying to put frozen bottles of water or beer cans filled with frozen water in front of fans - but doesn't last long...
Have to admit I slept the the AC on in the bedroom last night - extravagant, but I do like it & it's hard to get up to turn it off!
One thing about the general energy crisis - it is easier to coordinate schedules to eliminate driving if not necessary. My husband came home early and worked here yesterday. Nice to have his company.
And my acting partner is going to come down here from her home in the valley and then go on to a SAG meeting down here. We rehearsed the other day at a room with AC at the church....It's nice to have access to other facilities.
My husband kept on telling me that 85 wasn't hot (and it's not as hot as the tropics, surely - and DRY) but as a Northerner by blood, I still find the heat trying - and just doing something about it makes me feel better. The placebo effect?
Cooler today - but the pans of water continue - I find that if I keep the apartment cool over time, the temperature doesn't get as high. If I let it go, the heat just seems to sink in and cook the place - which makes it harder to cool off. I am sure some more scientific mind could explain all this heat/energy transfer and conservation!
I just got the ideas from watching an old PBS Huell Howser program about how in the days before AC they had these "desert submarine" buildings in the S. Calif. desert - which were big swamp coolers you could sleep in - to survive the summer heat! And that led to noticing how some cultures put wet burlap on the windows for cooling....but we have to watch out for the floor - so hence the bowls!!
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Secret Savings
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | By oldtimes
I discoverd what I like to call secert savings many years ago.when I write a check say 26.42 I put the amount in the payment colum,but I put 27.00 in the balance colum.When my statement comes in I balance my book leaveing savings invisable .Also when pay check go's to direct deposit if it's 627.13 I only add 600.00 to check book. This builds a nice little savings ,if there's no emergencies, at the end of the year I turn it over to savings account.I have built a nice little nest egg for those extras we sometimes have to have without building debt on charge cards.
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Scraps
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | By jetruth
It seem like I have been thrifty all my life. Saving things to be used later on. Taking a little bit and making it stretch(hopefully). I use to find scraps/bits of anything at thrift shops, garage sales, even on the street, trying to make something out of nothing. I still do. I would like impart some of scraps tips with you. Some of my tips might be old hat. Some might be new.
1. I make my own business cards which are perforated. I notice the leftovers were perfect sizes for message and words when I make my greeting cards.
2. When I am punching holes in paper(Ihave the hole punch that has a little catch all, so it keeps the dots together., I keep the leftover holes for additional decoration for my crafts projects. Cheaper than buying confetti.
3. I have started walking to get my self into shape. I find interesting things along the way. I found what looks like part of an old hanger, which happens to be plastic. The shape reminds me of Egypt writing. Just a quick clean and I have a template.
4. I collect old ceral boxes. I use them to make chipboard letters and embellishments. You can use just about any food box. Recycleing and no need to buy chip board letters. You can do it one of two ways. Paint the box and draw your shape on the other side or apply decorative paper and draw your shape onthe other side. Both ways work just as well.
5.Buy old puzzles pieces at a trhrift store or garage sale. I use them to make earring, add decoration to greeting cards or other craft projects. They are also good to make paper pulp with. Try it. It might take several days for the fibers to break down.
6. When I go the store I always head to the clearance section. Once I found a pice of foam for 10 cents, only because someone had stepped on it. Don't let that bother you. You can either glue that side down or cover the spot with other decorations.
7. Don't throw away old earrings. They are the start of a great necklace, bracelet, ankelet a free for all non-matching necklace(my favorite kind).
8. I take the cards out of magazine to use like chip board. Not only do they give my greeting cards a little mor stabiity, They are free. Because I visit doctors offices,waiting rooms, they are free for taking. I can paint them add, other paper to them and they are FREE.
9.Leftove material from sewing projects(I do not sew) can me used as embellishments. Even is the edge is ragged, use can always add ribbin, old earring, paper to cover up the edges.
And finally
10. I find a lot my beads at thrift shops. I love working with wooden beads. Sometimes they are not in the best condition. My husband brought me a portable dremel. If there is a piece missing I drill a hole on the other side. Slide an piece of wire and I'm good to go. Or if paint is on a bead, no problem, just keep adding paint or markers until you get something you like. I found these two black wooden rings and the bottom of a barrel. They were free of cours. Both of them had what look like paint. I just continued to dab paint (which was copper color) on the reamaining pieces. I used copper and black to beads to finish the necklace. Turn out great.
See scraps are not meant to be thrown away Use them to your advantage and you will come out with something unexpected and pretty. If you want to hear some tips email me atJetr46@aol.com
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DIY mini swamp coolers?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 | By pamphyila
Inspired by a tip at thriftyfun.com last week - I am experimenting with putting water in front of my many household fans to act as mini-swamp coolers! I have one in front of the fan by my desk - and I have used the shallow decorative chip tray we got as a wedding present for the water and have put one of my articificial bonsai trees in it (plastic and indestructible). I have also tried putting some strips of paper towel on the fan itself and ice cubes in the water, but the ice cubes melt so quickly....
My husband thinks any cooling I feel is mostly psychologically - but on the other hand he likes the effect of a little lake in the living room! I also have bowls in front of other fans and in front of the fan on top of the frig (the kitchen gets very warm) I tried a small frozen plastic bottle of water. It fits better up there and it's one way of recycling those water bottles, as you can't re-use them as I have found out (due to leakage of the plastic components - which is unsafe).
This is all because our one living room air conditioning unit gets overwhelmed in the afternoon when it heats up - we direct the cool air with a fan (my husband's bright idea) but it's still a trickle. And I am not sure whether this wiring in this old place would support another AC unit. When we have too many appliances on in the kitchen we blow a circuit breaker!
As I have mentioned before, we also have a lacy "veil" curtain on the front door, so I can open it a bit and make use of the updraft in the hall to further circulate air - while having privacy at the same time. (Beaded curtains serve the same purpose.) Also traps most of the bugs. But when it gets hot, the air in the hall is hot, too, in the middle of the day - so then I close the door until the evening when it cools down. Luckily we get the tail end of the ocean breezes here at night and it almost always cools down - so I keep the fans on to cool off the apartment overnight.
Did a utility survey for the local S. Calif. Edison and apparently we use a lot of electricity - but with no insulation, as this is a building more than 50 years old, we do the best we can! At least I have the tree outside my living room window - which does help cut the sun, besides being so pretty. Will keep you posted on my swamp cooling experiments. What are you doing to keep your cool?
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