Frugal Patti

Consignment stores are available in most towns. Each consignment or 2nd hand store usually focuses on either different types or sub-niche markets. Most of the stores in my area are for clothing. Some will focus on children’s items, some will focus on women’s (sometimes men’s too) mall brands, and others will only sell high end designer labels. There are also other consignment stores that will sell children’s toys and/or furniture, household furniture and decorative items, or even sporting goods. I’ve heard so many newscasts lately pointing out how much you can save when you purchase from these stores, but money can be made by selling your items also. If it’s something that you don’t really need, why not make a little extra cash in this economy? I do offer you one caution when consigning your items. Many of these stores are privately owned and thus make many of their own rules. Make sure you read the fine print before you sign any agreements and that you are ok with the company’s policies. These policies can vary greatly from store to store.

Mystery Shopping or Secret Shopping can be a great way to either earn a little extra cash, or receive free goods or services. I have been a mystery shopper on and off for about four years. I have received a gourmet dinner with my husband, a day at a theme park, a workout at a gym (plus $20), and payments for reviewing other businesses. These are fun to do, and often interesting to learn what is important to the business. You can also feel good that you are making a difference by noticing and reporting details that the business owner may know be aware of (like a tree that needed to be trimmed and was covering the businesses sign). To be offered the greatest amount of jobs, you will need to register with many companies. You don’t have to pay for these jobs either (there are many scams out there), so care must be taken. These companies are available on the internet for free. 

For additional information you can refer to the following article with all the detailed information you need: How to Earn Extra Cash Through Mystery Shopping.

When we think of frugal living, most people only consider living on less and doing without. I do strongly feel that living excessively is a waste of both time and money, but just as strongly feel that we should not live in lack if it can be prevented (and only for as long as we have to). In this difficult economic time that we care living in, it’s even more important than ever to have a “side gig” to earn some extra cash. This can be a part time job outside the home, or one of the many money making ideas available on the internet. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing the ways I and others I know of have been able to make some extra cash. Whether you need that extra $20 for your family’s expenses or are able to save it for future needs, a little extra always comes in handy.

I read an account of a lady that didn’t get along well with her mother-in-law the other day. She was told by her aunt that “10% of life is what happens and 90% is how you react to it.” I’m not sure if I completely agree with the percentages, but do feel that most of what we go through on a daily basis is how we decide to react to the stressors in our lives. We all have difficult things happen in our lives (although some more than others). When we have a difficult person that we work with or in our family, getting laid off from a job, a personal or family illness, or something horrible happening in the news; we have to deal with these situations the best we can. Naturally, we have to grieve losses in our lives, and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t deal with our feelings. On the other hand, we can’t let a bad situation take over our lives. Consider if your actions are productive, are they making you feel better or worse? Write a list of productive things you can do to help the situation. What can you learn from this? If you don’t know how to deal with your feelings, often putting your feelings on paper will help. If laid off, what can you do to find another job or train for another career? There are always options, but it may take some soul searching to find the one that is right for you.

I have to say after watching the festivities of the day; I do have hope for our new President. Although I did not vote for him, I was impressed by the actions of our new President and First Lady. They showed grace and elegance. They show so much value in their family, you can only feel how blessed their children are to have these parents. During President Obama’s first speech he blamed our countries financial situation on “greed and irresponsibility” of some. I loved hearing his optimism for the American people. We have been a great people in the past and we can be in the future, but this must be earned. America is full of risk takers and doers, and we can bring this country back to what we all want it to be again with some hard work. Our new President has some views I agree with and others I don’t. Please join me in praying for both our new President, and our wonderful country. God Bless the USA!

Yesterday I found out that a family friend has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, and are having a very emotional time while the family waits for the Oncologist’s appointment. While this family goes through this difficult time, they are thankful that they have such a wonderful family and support system. Investing your time and emotions into friends and family (and don’t forget yourself) is so important. These are the people you have to rely on during difficult time, and they need you when they go through these times. We all have hard times at one time or another in our lives. Having a strong support system is so important to our lives and happiness. We need to place ourselves and those we care about as a top priority in our lives. I urge everyone to take time for themselves and those they care about every day. If it’s only 30 minutes, life is too short to not do what is import. Working hard (although important) is not the only thing we should have in our lives.

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports also has programs to keep us active in all stages of our lives. We all remember the physical fitness tests in school, but the program has much more to offer. At presidentschallenge.org you can sign up for free programs to track your activities and keep you motivated. The Active Lifestyle program is designed for those who currently are active less than 30 minutes per day for 5 times a week. The Presidential Champions program is for those who are currently active and want to track and challenge themselves further. These programs will allow you to track all physical activity by points value. They will teach you that all physical activity counts for our fitness, whether it be gardening, washing the car, or mowing the grass

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports offers a great deal to adults as well as children. Yes, this is the same organization that had us doing push ups and sit ups back in elementary school. As we are all trying to get and stay healthy, and many Americans are trying to lose weight, we have online resources that can help us do just that. First, you can start off with a free physical fitness test at adultfitnesstest.org . This site will walk you through the process to check your aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and flexibility. You will be given a score and fitness ranking for your age group (just like when we were in school).

Tomorrow: Using The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports to stay motivated to exercise…

I heard some great tips the other day on reducing stress from work. Although these days much workplace stress is trying to get or keep a job, I though these were some great tips to make life less stressful. First, before you leave work get ready for the next day. Make tomorrow’s to-do list (to get these items of your mind) and return any calls or emails that you need to. Then on the way home, take this time to relax from the day and decompress. Use this time to listen to the music or audiobook that you’ll enjoy. Then lastly when you get home, take some time (if only 30 minutes) to enjoy friends and/or family. Have fun with them. Play catch with the kids, walk around the block and chat, or relax with a glass of wine (or tea) and the TV off. It is so important that we take time for ourselves, family, and friends. Life is short, and we get so busy that we don’t always make time for the really important stuff.

MyPoints.com (formerly BonusMail) has been around for quite a while. I’ve personally been a member since 1997, and earning gift certificates. In the program you earn points by doing various tasks, and then trade them for a variety of gift certificates of your choice. Most of my points have been earned by reading an advertisement email and clicking on a link to go to a certain web page. You can also earn points for using their grocery store coupons, searching the web with their search engine, purchasing from many web sites (through links on their web site), and many others ways. I strongly urge everyone to sign up and start earning points toward some great gift certificates. They come in very handy to make the household finances go farther and/or for gifts.