Frugal And Tightwad Tanya

Very Black Friday Christmas Shopping

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:40:43 GMT

Hi well it is Christmas time soon, and I tend to start serious toy shopping at the Family Dollar Store at the end of town. I get dolls for $5 a piece, and crafting items for preteens at that price too. My adult child gets a gift basket filled with goodies, and kitchen things to cook and bake.I don't even have to wait til Black Friday to do this shopping. It is just when they have the most toys in the store. For Instance, the store has a flyer with all their sales items every day. Now they have a Christmas toy book/flyer. It is given out in October, November, and December. By December though it has been dwindled down. The teens in my family all get prepaid cell phones, you know the ones you have to buy minutes for each month, to add minutes to their current plan. All my children have these for safety winter reasons. The crafting bone in me gets giddy when I hit the Dollar Tree in Fargo, ND. I get tons of things for my craft room/dining area. I should really make craft closet, so my dining area isn't such a busy mess. I intend to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for Black Friday adult shopping. I got a coupon for 15% off my entire purchases. My adults in my family will really love what I get them there. I have a $200 cash fall this year that I have been saving for Black Friday shopping for Christmas. This year should be a nice Christmas. I even buy a present for the charity giving tree in the area. I use Black Friday for that shopping, otherwise with our finances I couldn't do it. My dh finally got a job he can do with his disability, so our bills are now paid in full. I can hardly wait til tomorrow. Yipee! Frugal and Tightwad Tanya

Holiday Cooking

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:19:33 GMT

Well to start with Thanksgiving Day is what I like to call the hectic start off. I go a month ahead of time, and see where I can get real cranberries at a good price, and take what I can home canning them for Thanksgiving & Christmas. Instead of the can of Cranberry Sauce, I go for the real sauce. I know most can't stand the poignent taste, and aroma of Cranberries. I use what I don't cook on the Christmas tree. Still I keep them frozen. Here is my recipe for Cranberry Sauce.

take:

1 pint of Cranberries canned

3 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Mix all ingredience in a pot on the stove once the cranberry are purried with a blender, and thawed. You have to freeze the canned cranberries in order for them to stay good in waiting. When the pot comes to a boil remove it from the burner, and pour the sauce into a serving bowl, and walla homemade cranberries. You can always use the can at the store too. Mine is just what my family likes.

Pumpkin Pie-

take:

1 can whipped cream

1 can pumpkin pie

1 pie tin from the Dollar Tree, General, Family Dollar, or whereever it is cheap.

Then spread the pumpkin pie after opening the can in the tin, and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes. Top with whipped cream spread out over it. Serve. I wanted to make it as simple as I could for ya. This can't get any simpler. In all I say delicious.

The rest is history, as we all have our traditions.

Well happy holidays from Frugal and Tightwad Tanya

Affording You Kids Halloween

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:52:29 GMT

Avon Rep like me I go to my brochures to afford Halloween for my kids that are young enough to afford the $19.99 costumes like wizards, Snow White, princess and Pirates, because I get them at a discount being a rep for Avon. My older kids go to their friends for Halloween parties, and use make up to look scary, that is their costumes. I never have to worry about money now that my business is started. I hope to sell, so we can get off welfare and disability. Did you guys hear about what is going on in Social Security. That is scary in itself. Well my birthday is next month too. I will be 41 yrs. old. Cool! I think I will celebrate frugally, and financially sound too.

Gamy Hamburger

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:42:01 GMT

For meat that is from Sam's Club that is sold the day it is sell by date. I freeze it right away, then when I need it. It is usually gamy, so I make hamburger out of it. I would not suggest using it in hotdishes tho. Buy hamburger in bulk at regular grocery stores, so the hamburgers don't taste gamy. These tend to be on sale during Superbowl time, and football season. The sell by date isn't on the same day you buy it like at Sam's Club. Well let's discuss what I put in Chili tomorrow for my family.

Frugal and Tightwad Tanya

SUPPLIES

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:17:15 GMT

I read that you can get three ringed binders for 79 cents on a KMart receipt if you buy $20. of there KMart supplies of non school, or regular items. Well I can do you better for price. Dollar Tree has 2 for a dollar, plus tax. The binders are 79 cents each that is 3 dollars after tax. Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing state and store wide. Canadians come down to here, but they save a bundle of money on our mall clothes, but for us US citizens that are frugal I tend to stick to the dollar stores, Kmart sales, WalMart, and JCPenny's. The store sales are worth it to me during this month of back to school in August I saved $500 shopping in these stores. My girls all wear generic brands. Any one of them want a name brand jeans, or shoes I tell them get a babysitting job, because we are not made of money. Rent went up again, so we are looking for a house now to buy with the money we saved this year we can afford a downpayment. Well lets see how you all do savings wise. The challenge I give you is to save at least $200. on total school supplies. Good luck to you all.

Frugally Mine

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:22:48 GMT

Well I have to say that I know that now any landlord in my town doesn't care about anyone, but themselves. Our laundry machine is in constant disrepair, so I now only pay 1 dollar to dry, instead of 2. I continue to dry them on a clothes line after their dryer has had a broken go at my laundry. Thank goodness the washer isn't broken. I would love to hear about how others are fairing with their landlords in the USA. Frugally and Tightwadingly yours, Tanya

They Call Me The Frugal Coupon Queen

Sun, 24 May 2009 23:24:51 GMT

They call me the Frugal Coupon Queen of my area of the USA in Minnesota that is unofficially. I know I don't use what society calls normal stores. I use dollar stores almost all the time KMart, and Walgreens sometimes, and WalMart seldom. If, I do use KMart, Walgreens, and WalMart I use coupons. Frugal T thats what they call me. You can use coupons from fliers in any store that has fliers. I like Family Dollar stores. They have fliers and use manufactured coupons too. I have cut coupons for a long time before the Internet, and now I get coupons On-line. Family Dollar has a website that has them sometimes. The one an hour from me really likes my business. I am word of mouth business for them. The store clerks always call me Coupon Queen, or Frugal Queen of Minnesota.I guess it is a compliment. Our Christmas gifts are from there. Coupons is what I use year around there for gifts and food. I cook from scratch too. I have recipes that I get from the Dollar Stretcher and Tightwad community. I now know that struggling is going to always be in our future, unless we win the lotto, so I utilize the stuff like you would not believe. Try Tightwad Tess website as well. I recently found it On-line, and I thought it was cool to know someone else is nicknamed tightwad too.

I got an MP3 player for $20 dollars last week at the Family Dollar. It is much cheaper than most places in town for that electronic stuff. Cabbage Patch Kids can be had there for $20 dollars too, if you are lucky enough to find them there. A $100 dollars goes a long way at the Family Dollar Store enough to get all my family birthday gifts and Christmas gifts during the year, and bring home supper, and breakfast too. We have a lot of fun shopping there. I shop the Dollar store in every town that has one. Backus, MN just had Backus Days, and they are about 400 if less population. The town has a Family Dollar Store. We got picnic supplies from there one day last year.

What you can get at the Family Dollar. Here is a short list:

Tide Laundry Soap-$3
Silverware four for a $1
Purina Cat Chow-$4
Tampax $3
Chips $1
Dinty Moore Stew $2
Crackers $1.50
Macaroni and Cheese $.79
Liquorice $1
Plastic, and Paper Cups $1
Coca Cola 2 liters $1.09

There is a whole lot more I could say about what is in the store this is a very partial list, and I haven't even gotten to the boys toys like Spiderman stuff for $5. Well that is why I am called the Frugal Coupon Queen by some. I know where to stretch my dollar, and save money with coupons. Bye again from Frugal and Tightwad Tanya also known as the Frugal Coupon Queen to some aka Frugal T.

Memorial Day Weekend Saturday

Sun, 24 May 2009 07:03:53 GMT

Well this weekend was a learning esperience for our family. Never take a trip three hours away and forewarn your family you're coming to visit. My Grandma had a Pulminary Attack. I couldn't go when she had it, as my father didn't want to much company at the hospital, but we did send a card with forever stamps that are a yearly cost, and you never have to pay postage again in your life with how many letters you actually write, and stuff like buying a stamp. It should have been a wake up call that my grandma hates my family, when we got there, and my friend of the family told us our grandma went out, and my uncle told me at the cemetary that she went to the casino for two days on the spur of the moment. My aunt is up from Arizona, so we visited her instead. She loved seeing the children again, and me. She wanted to know if we were moving back to AZ. I said no. We visited 8 graves of family members who died in the past this weekend, and chatted with some family that loved seeing us.

The car ride was one major "skunk" fest too. The new plan is never bring chocolate, and caffeine for snacks again. The chocolate melted, and the sugar rush sent me to the bathroom every other town of the three hour rode trip, and the children were bouncing off the car walls with overly too much sugar high energy. 16 bottles of water next time for sure instead of pop. They didn't even want to eat the sandwhiches I made for the trip. We stopped in Akeley, MN for a picnic lunch. Chaos was the word I would use. Ants everywhere, and children running around to check out Paul Bunyun Statue and Babe the Blue Ox. I wanted to make our visit to see how grandma was doing as burden free as possible, so we ate before we went to grandma's.

Car ride games consisted of identify how far away the skunk smell was from our car, and singing along to our own limericks, which were interesting to say the least. Next time travel scrabble, yatzee, and boggle will have to go, because the songs made me car sick with the smell of skunk too. The youngest child had to pee every top of the hour, so we pulled over to the side of the road using car doors as cover to let her pee, and for the rest to stretch their legs too. That is very important part of the trip planned rest stops anywhere. I never use actual rest stops when there is mother nature abound. I suggest trying it. It is much safer than public roadside restrooms.

Well we did have fun visiting with those who didn't flee when hearing the message that we were coming to visit. Next month my oldest daughter is getting married with the family and only us in attendance at the courthouse in our county, so I will tell you how it went for us. Bye for now!

Happy April 1st and Healthy too

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:11:15 GMT

Well I have made it thru winter, and spring is officially here. April 1st joking day. What is my joke well it is this writing style font of course, as I usually write with another font. My health is good as can be right now. We are all happy it is spring. We can hit the thrift store and garage sales soon I hope.

"Pay It Forward"

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:01:08 GMT

I was sitting in a restaurant last week with a friend, and when it came time to pay the bill she asked if she could pay a little more than 15 percent. I said "sure write a note with it that says pay it forward". Only she didnt understand anominity. I said dont ask the waitress it is suppose to be anonymous. She made a point of being too loud so the waitress over heard and got excited. I told my friend she missed the point and we spent the next 10 mins arguing over pay it forward. She eventually left a 5 dollar tip for 9$ and .65. It was hilarious she made such a big deal and only left 5% over the final bill. She had 20's. The waitress doesn't make much in life. I think she should have left the 20 dollar bill.

Making Easter Puff Bunnies

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:48:40 GMT

Easter is my favorite time of the year. I make puff bunnies. You start out with a glue gun, beads for eyes, felt for ears, cotton of different color, and glue sticks. I bought all of this for $7 dollars at a thrift store in good condition too. You take the cotton and glue two balls together a small one for the tail, and a big one for the body and head. You cut the felt into tiny strip triangle for ears, and glue them too the top of the big cotton ball. Then the eyes that google and move when you shake the bunnie. Then with the left over felt make feet edges by glueing them to the edge of the cotton ball on the bottom. It is easy and simple fun. Easy for kids of all ages, and craft deficiant adults. Well Happy Easter decorating all, and remember the most important fact that Jesus died for our sins, so that we may have an assured place in heaven. All people everywhere not just Christians. That is what I believe anyhow.

When Did America Become Scensor USA

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:25:46 GMT

It used to be we could say what we like, and now we can not. Now Someone gets offended by what everyone says to or about anyone. We can not even vent our stress and anger anymore safely without scensorship. Well this is what happened to me. I went to a dollar store to vent my anger over stock that is in season, and the store was out due to not enough interests. Well I said "that they were stupid for not having a very much needed community item, and not stocking it in the future". They told me to "shop, shut up, or get out." I chose to shut up, but when I can't get glue in a dollar store I say it is time to give my money somewhere else.

Soon to Be Moving to Another Home

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:40:44 GMT

Well we are moving again. We will be moving to a three bedroom townhome in town. The county is still paying part of the rent. Our food Stamps went up. We are back on them with the economy the way it is today. I feel like God remembered us in this hard time, as for the reason of our move I am finally going for that last baby. I am two months pregnant. My older children are in their own apts now in town. We are so excited. I am 41 this year and really nervous with the move and the pregnancy, but all will be well I am told by everyone in my family. We are not using boxes at all, as we want to save the wood in our trash. I dont think that the dump outside of town would take it anyhow. I think carrying it in hand is easier anyway, and I do have a lot of hands to help. We are even cleaning with green now. The green living spray is making our old home free of all germs. They even have a green solution cleaner for the carpet cleaning vaccum. I am always trying to be green living now in our home.

I have a green cleaning team at home. The children all help with that too. If we want cold air we simply open a window instead of turning on the A/C. Our new home has brand new appliances that are green friendly. Moving will require a walking effert on everyone who helps part. Our new home is only two blocks away from our old home. I am glad that we now live a green lifestyle. Well I will sign off now. Chat soon, as it is my turn to walk a lamp and shade over to the new place. Which is only a block away from all shopping.

Cheap Sources For Beauty

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:08:12 GMT

I used to think that WalMart was a cheap inexpensive source for my lipstick by Love My Lips. Not anymore is it under a $1. It is now just over a $1. I have never been extremely cheap, but when you ad a little over a dollar to your final bill at the checkout. It adds up. When you are on a tight budget, because I can't get cable signal without digital now, or the box which I could not afford. My family insisted on keeping TV, as we don't utilize the library for viewing movies for free, but drunken people show up for the movies too. You know the ones that smell and reek of beer. I for one don't want my youngest exposed to that sort of situation that I don't want to explain to her. Those same smelly people are also loud. The libriarian says it is public place. Yea the woman is probably a slush too. Well as we don't utilize the library anymore that is good. We get a high bill for the cable TV which cuts into my income for our family. We went with my income as our family income, as my hubby is totally disabled now, and I get more money per month cause I have been on disability longer, so makeup in the budget is expensive, and our family has all girl children. My poor hubby is the only male now. We had a foster son, but he had too many problems that we tried to fix, but could not. The agency thought the boy would be better as an only child, so he went to another family. But back to makeup. It is a necessity in our house. My girls all want it to attract boys, as some of the girls in our home are in high school. The younger ones are only allowed clear lip gloss for now. A cheap source for makeup and beauty I found is the dollar store aka Dollar Tree, and The Family Dollar store in our area. Other source On-line there is a lot of cheap, and chic sources for all ages. E.L.F. is one at elf.com. I even found Avon to be a cheap source. Mary Kay is not cheap, but if you can afford it... It is an adventure to find cheap sources for beauty that doesn't only include makeup, but skin care too. This economy is so tough on small business people. I prefer to give business to them instead of places like JCPenny's, Macy's, and Bloomingdale's. I find dollar makeup is just as good. Even skin care too. They both work just as good as Estee Lauder, Clinique, and Merle Norman. Try the dollar store or Avon for cheap sources. My family does and we love it, so you will love it too. I can almost guarentee it. Minus those who are allergic to non name brand makeup and skin care. Well happy hunting for cheap sources. I have been so busy this year.

THE NEW YEAR 2009 RESOLUTIONS

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:59:55 GMT

What I learned in the past years is that I too am imperfect, so for this year's New Years resolution. I made one I know I can keep and that is to be kind to everyone. Something I should already be doing as a Christian.

Getting Ready for Christmas from Frugal and Tightwad Tanya

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:17:37 GMT

Well Christmas is upon us. Thrift store decorating is my yearly thing. I buy a Christmas tree for about $5 dollars. Garland for about a dollar. I homemake all my decorations for the tree including baking gingerbread men. I am all about originality. I obhore copykating of any kind. Taking something even a name is bad in my ideal way of frugal thinking. So I try to be as original as possible Hence my name Frugal and Tightwad Tanya. I am both so it is originally mine. Santa mugs are 25 cents at the thrift store, and yes there really is a Santa Claus. I will never call my self Santa not to my children. Well I got the Christmas story at the thrift store too. Well I will tell you later all my buys.

Thrift Store Finds For The Holidays

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:25:20 GMT

For the Holiday season in the thrift store I found plenty of Thanksgiving items that were dang cheap in comparison to most thrift stores. 50 cents for a box of Thanksgiving string of lights. A very interesting home made from the yard centerpiece for our table 75 cents. A recipe book for a dollar. A Christmas album with Bing Crosby on it and it was all vocal no instrumental music without a scratch on it for a dollar, and for those of you who don't know who Bing Crosby is just ask MOM and GRANNY they will tell you who's the person. Oh yes I even found little turkey salt and pepper shakers that were made of ceramic for a dollar. I am going back for Christmas shopping next week now that I got my Thanksgiving shopping out of the way. I already have at home a Thanksgiving table cloth, and Thanksgiving cloth napkins. This year Thanksgiving is at our house. Family in tow too. Everyone is helping out for the gobble gobble fest thank goodness. Well Happy Holidays to everyone.

McDonalds Is A Frugal Person's New Nightmare!

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:09:24 GMT

McD's is now expensive for their new meal deals. I went there with my family the other day. I got a soda and double cheeseburger that was two dollars and seven cents, but my family ordered off the main menu. To save time let's just say $30 dollars was our end total. Twice the amount it should have cost. Now that is a frugal person's real nightmare, and McDonald's use to be a cheap place to eat. You know who I really feel sorry for is the poor college kids who have been told it is cheaper to eat at McD's. They might as well go to an Applebees or truck stop diner for the same price. My older daughter thinks their prices are fine and cheaper than most places. I laugh at her, because when she was little she never went to McD's so she wouldn't know the price difference shock I am now facing, as are all of us frugal people.

Using Calling Cards

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:49:44 GMT

Using a calling card for long distance calling is the best way to go. I don't use a cell phone, as there is no privacy with the channels. Anyone can hear sometimes. What I do is go to Sam's Club and buy there 800 minute calling cards for $50.00/a card. It is the best way to call. I don't use it all the time. I limit my long distance this way as I don't have it on my land phone, and chose to go local only. I do miss shopping at Sam's Club now. I still have my calling card from there with a whole lot of minutes left on it from April 25-31 week when I bought it, and I know a lot of people that are friends and family from when I lived in Georgia, and Arizona. My extended family lives in Arizona, and I call them every couple weeks. My friends get the same call from me too. My calling card is a lifesaver when it comes to conversing with Canadian Pharmacies too for refills on medication. The calling cards at WalMart are just as expensive now that they charge a connection fee on their calling cards. I have a friend who said she would pick me up one when going to Sam's Club for me. I will give her the money and this next calling card should last me another two months. You can't get this good of calling plan with a regular land line long distance deal. I am happy to report my man is going back to work next month on a parttime basis. Just to get his feet and back off the couch, as he needs exercise, and he is getting none now, but at work. This should help get him back in to the swing of things. I, however, wont be going back to work, as I have decided to take it easy on my mind/brain with the MS. This is not going to effect us getting calling cards from WalMart or Sam's Club. Lastly I always check to make sure the calling card has little connection cost upon activation. I would say this is even my being frugal, but I always say if the benefit outways the cost it is worth the money to spend. I see these calling cards as a benefit. If, I lost our land line due to non payment. We would still be able to use the calling card anywhere we want too, even the management company office of our apartment complex. I sometimes use the grocery store phones saying I don't have money for the pay phone, so I use the calling card to call home and tell my helpers to get down to the store and help me carry our groceries home in the next town. My car is too small for all that I buy at WalMart, so I usually need the other car. I tell them on the phone the time I will be done and to be here by that time to help by taking some of the staples in to the other vehicles, so you see the calling card from Sam's Club really does work out for the price of it. Well bye for now. Chat later.

This Memorial Day I...

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:04:18 GMT

This Memorial Day 2008. My man, and I with all the kids in tow went down to the park and camped two blocks away from our home. I didn't have to cook. My adult daughters did the cooking. I am happy to report I am not, as barren as I thought. I thought I had the flu this past week, and it turns out I am pregnant. We are all happy with the news. My family is proud and non-conventional sort of people. I now think our family is complete. ten children is enough for anyone I think. Although, there is a report of a family called the Duggars in Arkansas with their 18th child to be delivered in about 9 months. That is pretty amazing. Well anyhow we got our pop up camper going and towed it to the park camping area. The place is free to camp at in our town to large families. There is a public shower, so we don't have to walk two blocks to get a shower. I never liked vacationing at home, but two blocks away and free. It was too much a temptation to pass up. There is a hospital right up the hill too incase of an injury while hiking on the trail behind the park and along the river. Right next to the park a public pool, since swimming in the river is forbidden in town. I intend to collect flowers and dry them and make a collage of them when we get back home. The kids are all out of school. My young 5 year old is still on the chain link run away proof she has ADHD and is terribly high flight endangering her health risk when we go out to a store. What do my neighbors think of our vacation. Well they laughed at first, but then when they saw how happy we were to be away for a weekend. They stopped laughing and got serious. They told my man that it was an ingenious vacation and the way he could keep an eye on our house while on vacation was inspiring. Vacations don't have to be expensive headaches with Mother Nature spoiling everything. If the weather gets bad we can pack up and head two blocks home without wasting gas, then when it clears up we just get back to camping, and all it cost is our manual labor of moving about in town. We don't get tired during a long drive. We can use a library without having to go 15 miles to town. We can use the parks swing sets and have fun right at our finger tips so to speak.

Vacations in town mean being close to a dollar store when we run out of things and we know they aren't at home. Some people live on a lake and call that an all-year round vacation not us. We call that too much work, when all we do is the camping once a year thing. This year our town, and next year we may even head to another town nearby with a free campground, and a WalMart near there too. Our WalMart is 30 miles down the road from us. I like to go once a month and stock up. Meats go in a cooler with dry ice (milk too), and regular items that we don't get at the convenient store is good at car temperature until we get home. I do miss having a WalMart right down the street from us, but on the positive side I am not always running to WalMart now that it is 30 miles away. Gas prices this summer has made us very mother of invention and father inventive too. We may go camping too near our home, but it is still away from our home and hurried lifestyle. Well enough said at a library now, and am out of time because in 15 minutes it will close for today. Happy Memorial Day and Weekend all.

Well Back To Square One

Fri, 02 May 2008 19:27:45 GMT

Well with the gas prices the way they are of late, and what they will be this summer. Our family is suffering. I no longer can work. The man of the house is on disability now too, because of a knee replacement surgery that he had to have this winter. The nieces and nephews all are expecting big gifts this spring and summer for birthday gifts, and I am not giving in to them. I have resigned my issue about not really dollar stores if they aint a dollar store wide, as I have now been shopping in one and found it quite delightful. I got Barbie house for 10 dollars what would have cost me 34 dollars at Toys 'R US store. I like this store a lot. It is still named a dollar store in its name. It just isn't a dollar store wide. Amending that issue was easy, and now to amend the WalMart issue. I shop there for almost everthing now. Just none name brand and sale items only. The children don't mind. I am even charging rent to our oldest children still wanting to live at home, yes I am still sick with MS. Not having an easy time of it. We had to give up our cable TV. Our Sam's Club went very bye bye as well. We can't afford to shop there anymore anytime of month. I can't wait til my man goes back to work full time. Well I have been taking meds that are good and inexpensive since we make a monthly trip to Canada to get them cheaply now. I thank god we moved back to Minnesota closer to cheap meds in Canada. Well I got to go exercise. We use the library for the Internet and all the entertainment free. I love the library for that. It is too bad that we are only allowed an hour on the net here though. So next place is mall walking another free thing. Well glad to see Spring. Lets hope for an Indian Summer. Bye for now. Be back soon.

Dollar Store Shopping Rant

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:01:31 GMT

I am so sick and tired of rich people using my dollar store in town as a way to get out of paying for craft supplies. For instance I was in the store the other day behind a lady at the check out. She was dolled up to the max with pearls on and everything. I started a conversation saying "you look nice" and she went on to say "thank you I just love dollar stores for the shower curtain material and shelf paper material so I can get my craft area looking spiffy for a $1 or $2 instead of costing me a lot of money. I can afford it I just don't want to spend it. It is too bad only poor people use dollar stores." then she went on to say she thought that we poor people should get our money woes taken care of that way we would not have to use dollar stores as they degrade KMart and WalMart. I was aghast at what she thought poor people should shop and do. I thank the owner of the dollar store in town every night in my prayers, and I thought maybe if she didn't like shopping with poor people she should have stayed home and let her husband or maid do the shopping for her.

These people should not be using dollar stores. Dollar stores are for the struggling, not the well to do cheapskate that happen to take up all the inventory from the store for the wrong reason instead of living on what we purchase at the dollar store, for example, actually using a shower curtain for the shower instead of in the craft room. I say go get a table cloth if you need one that badly and leave the shower curtains for the intended purpose that they were made for in the first place. I told the cashier what she said and the cashier agreed with me. Cheapskate which is not saying all dollar store shoppers should be poor, but just under $70,000 dollars even $25,000 dollars a year. The owner of the store still gets their money, and we can feel comfortable shopping there without feeling like we are being judged for being poor. I only wish she could walk a mile in my shoes then maybe she would keep her mouth shut. I get very angry when I hear rich people say if poor people could only do....Well maybe the rich in my area should "pay it forward" instead of being selfish and spoiled. The other day one lady did just that for me. I couldn't get to Canada this week, so I had to use the pharmacy down the road from our home in the next town. A well to do woman saw I had no money for co-pay and paid my co-pay for me. I said thank you and wished I could "pay it forward" someday as well to someone else. I have shopped at dollar stores and never experienced this kindness from well to do snobs aka cheapskate who frequent my stores. Well anyhow sorry if I offended anyone I just get real angry and have to vent at least I do not swear outright on here be thankful for that mercy. I still use the library which is another mercy for my poorness. Angel Food Ministries is helping out next month, as it was too late for this month. We had to use the Food Pantry in town, and that is free. I am at the library now so got to go. Hope the best for all of you poor folks like me and my family. G-bless.

Well SAD News!

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:32:43 GMT

My Big Family Dollar Store on Highway 10 is closing this month due to sales being not so good, and the fact that Dilworth, MN now has a Super Center WalMart. It is the only grocery and clothing store and plant store and liquor store in one store the town of 3002 has to claim. I know that the dollar store chain that that one is one has closed, or is closing soon. It was a dollar store wide and it had many good things for gifts and food. Cleaning and more was there too. Include baby items that are going to be missed there for me with gifting at showers that noone nows I got them there. I am sad to see them go. I am glad to see the Dollar Tree in Fargo, ND stay though. It is worth the trip into Fargo for that an hour that is for me. Well we will all miss you at The Big Family Dollar Store if you are or can read this post. Sorry to see you go from a loyal shopper to your store. Bye. Good Luck in your future store.

Decorations and More

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:02:12 GMT

I have made a lot of improvements in my family life. I now make all my things I need to live by from scratch so to speak. I made a purse out of recycled items that is working out good. I made curtains out of unfinished quilt tops for my room when the curtain rod broke. I just nailed up the quilt top. It was made out of thick stuff, so it will do. I sew my own bras too. I make my clothes as I look on the internet for pictures of tops and jeans I like then print the picture. I enlarge it with my Image enhancer and print it up at the library i.e. copier in color for 15 cents. Then I take it home. Sew away my blues. I already have my measurements. We use the library internet for what we need to look up. My home computer is acting up, so we are improvising, and we may give it up all together. It has been fun, but isolating.

Firing up a winter fire is easy if you get the newspaper. I recently added a corner fireplace. It's not a full wall fireplace, but it burns paper well and we haven't had to pay for wood, or newspaper. I asked our neighbor for her paper that she isn't using, and she gladly gave me it to make logs for the fire place. Sunday paper is the best it burns a longer time. This winter we were nice and toasty. It is better on the environment too.

You can do this simple living too all you need is a will to do it. The schools have sewing centers in my area that they let the public use during class time in exchange for helping out. Maybe it is like that in your area of the USA, or Canada? Well lets say envirosafe and be well. Hurrah!

Help I found Grey Hairs in my Brown and Reddish Hair!

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:19:10 GMT

I was looking in the mirror this morning. I found a lot of little grey hairs spouting every where near my hair line. I have long hair. I want to cut it myself, which I think of me as the family barber, but I don't know how to dye it myself. Can anyone respond with brown hair dye with red tints in it dye job how to in this blog site? How does anyone afford the cost of a mall hair dye beauty salon shop expense of 59 dollars plus tax when you are frugal and poor? Well I hope you can be helpful.