Distractions

Right now, there’s a personal matter going on in my life that’s been bothering me – it’s been on my mind heavily all day today. (Don’t worry, there’s nothing directly affecting me, my wife, or children.)

I had to go out and take care of a birthday gift for a friend and a Valentine’s Day item for my wife, and while I was out, I found myself strongly considering two unnecessary impulse buys. My mind and heart weren’t really into it – I was distracted.

I had to fill out some paperwork. As I was filling out the form, I made a significant mistake, one I didn’t notice until I printed it out. I had to print out another copy. I was distracted.

My children were doing Valentine’s card exchanges with their friends. I sent the Valentines for my daughter’s friends with my son and the ones for my son with my daughter. Luckily, I noticed before things were disastrous. I was distracted.

Over and over again, both in the mistakes I make as well as the mistakes I see others make, distractions seem to be the culprit. We make mistakes and bad choices when we’re not completely focused on the task at hand.

Three times today, I was on the verge of making a significant mistake because I was distracted. Three times, a few simple techniques saved me.

First of all, I double-check almost everything I do. Sometimes mistakes still slip through this (yes, even on Simple Dollar posts), but a simple double check before I commit something often saves me quite a bit of cost and trouble.

Take the paperwork, for example. It would have been easy for me to just assume the paperwork was correct once I printed it. Instead, I took a second to look it over and found the mistake then and there instead of having to deal with the ramifications of the mistake later on.

Second, I try to do things as early in advance as I can. Taking care of a lot of the task in advance makes the actual completion of the task go a lot easier.

Take the valentines, for example. Last night, all of the valentines were made out and sorted into separate bags for each child to take with them. Then, this morning, all that had to be done was to give each child their bag. There was only a couple little things for me to mess up at the last minute (and, yes, I managed to mess one of them up).

Third, I take advantage of any pauses to re-evaluate. If I have a moment to stop – waiting in line, for example, or stopping at a stoplight – I’ll take inventory of the situation around me and see if I’ve missed anything.

Take the shopping, for example. Before I went to buy any items, I double-checked what I had chosen to buy and simply asked myself if I actually had a reason for buying the item. On at least two items, I didn’t have a real reason when I thought about it.

Even though I strive to be focused in the moment at all times, real life doesn’t always allow that to happen. In each of these cases, the layer of precautions I had in place kept me from making mistakes because of my distraction.

Those mistakes each had a cost. For the paperwork, it would have cost me the time it took to make several phone calls to have the error fixed when I eventually noticed it. For the valentines, it would have cost my children some anxiety. For the shopping, it would have cost me money on purchases of things I didn’t really need.

Having a simple system in place helps me to overcome the distractions and not make (as many) little mistakes like that. Since these checks are usually instantaneous or take just a few seconds at most, they’re not really inconvenient, either. They just work – and they help me to maximize my time and money.

Continue reading Distractions …

From The Simple Dollar.

Grab A Book And Take A Moment To Yourself – Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday

What?  A moment to myself?  But, it’s the busiest time of the year for me!

How on earth will I ever find time to read a book?  I’m getting my menu and grocery shopping list together for Christmas dinner, putting the tree up, decorating the house, shopping for presents, and doing all the regular stuff, too.  I find it difficult even to find the time to get a shower in, let alone sit down and read a book.

But, I was waiting for a prescription to be filled the other day and wandered over to the book aisle.  Oh, the books I’ve been missing!  It just about broke my heart.  You see, I used to read a lot of books.  Then I got busy with family, home, and work – all those things that fill up my days.  Yes, a busy life is a blessing, but I do miss my reading.

So, I’m making a commitment to myself today.  I’m adding “read” to my to-do list.  I’m going to set an  alarm clock to go off during the day, grab my book, and sit down for a half hour and read.  I think I can afford to give myself thirty minutes.

I’m also going to buy a purse that’s big enough so I can carry my book with me where ever I go.  That way I can pull out my book anytime I have to wait for something as I’m running errands, like waiting for a prescription.

Now, what to read… there are so many books to choose from!  I could go straight to the bestsellers display in the bookstore, but that’s really not the best strategy for me.  Just because a lot of people are buying a book doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for me.  So, I did a little searching online and this is what I came up with.

There is a site called The WILLA List wiki which was designed by a group of women called Women In Letters and Literary Arts, or WILLA.

Because women authors were woefully left off of Top Ten lists like the one in Publishers Weekly, this group of women developed a website and started a list of their own using a wiki format.  You’re probably familiar with this format from the site wikipedia.  It’s an interactive site so you can sign up and add your own input if you so desire.

But, the real draw for me is their list of favorite books by women authors.  There are hundreds of books listed by category; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc., with links so you can read the synopsis of the book as well as some of the critical acclaim.  When you click on the link, which is the title of the book, you may be taken directly to the author’s webpage or you may get a wiki review.  This website is worth a few minutes of your precious time.

Another great place to search for books is a nice little website called Indie Bound, which is a site in which independent booksellers across America post their own Indie Bestseller Lists.  Because independent booksellers often attract independent thinkers, their lists contain titles that are both interesting and unusual.  This list lets you know what indie readers are buying right now.

I’m thinking I found a few places to start searching for my books.  So, I’ll set my alarm now and spend my first half hour scrolling around these two sites.  Reading through these sites may take a while, but it will be a labor of love!

I hope you’ll join me and take a minute or two, or maybe even thirty, and pick out a book for yourself today.  I just think we all deserve to treat ourselves as well as we treat others.  Have a great day!

p.s.  I found one title already that I can’t wait to dig into.  If you’re interested in what I’m reading right now, you can find it by clicking here.  Enjoy!

Continue reading Grab A Book And Take A Moment To Yourself – Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday …

From Hillbilly Housewife Blog.

Simplifying Christmas

My friend over at Heart of a Mommy, will be hosting a Simplifying Christmas meme starting Dec 1st. I think this would be a great meme to share on if you have a blog.

You can go by and sign up to participate by going to this link HERE.

If you host a meme and would like for me to mention it here, email me and let me know!

Continue reading Simplifying Christmas …

From Econobusters.

This Little Frustration

Yesterday I switched to a three-column blog. It is a move I have been thinking over for a while and one that I like. I am still considering switching to this background, but that’s a whole other story. Yesterday afternoon, I checked my Adsense reporting to see how many people had visited my new-and-improved blog. My heart sank as I saw a red lettered message saying my account had been disabled.

I looked into it, and it wasn’t someone hacking into my account again. I actually think it was the opposite of hate, but love that caused my Adsense account to be disabled. It is my suspicion that a kind reader may have been over-clicking to help my revenue. If someone did that, that was kind, and I’m not mad. I’ve clicked on ads just because I like the blog or site, too.

I do think Adsense is sleazy for disabling my account a week before cutting me my first check. If I had known that would happen, I would never have used their ads. Needless to say, they were fine with me leaving the ads on my site without having notified me of my account being disabled. I have taken the ads down and will not offer Adsense further free advertisements.

I did not click. I did not ask others to click. I followed their rules.

I appealed the decision and was replied to pretty quickly, with them saying, “We’ve re-confirmed that your account poses a significant risk to our advertisers.” I guess that a blog that discourages frivolous spending and over consumption really is a threat to their advertisers.

However, it was always my intention to monetize this blog. I am going to play around with other advertising options and I want honest feedback. I don’t want anyone to feel like different advertising makes this a less reader-friendly site. I am happy when I see this blog making me money, but I am even happier when I hear that my blog is making a difference in someone else’s life. So, honest feedback about any advertisements I try out would be appreciated.

To other bloggers who are worried Adsense may do the same to you, I wouldn’t be. My blog grew suspiciously fast, or at least it looks suspicious to Adsense. When I find a replacement means of advertising I like, I’ll recommend it.

Continue reading This Little Frustration …

From Under $1000 Per Month.

Day 10~Showing Thankfulness For Our Guests

During this next week, as you are doing your preparations for your Thanksgiving dinner, join me in thanking the Lord for each of your guests ahead of time. Starting today, make a prayer list that includes the names of all those who will be your guests, and commit them to prayer. I’ll be including specific needs I know of for each person, as well as for a joyous time of fellowship while they are in my home. I pray a prayer of thankfulness for the blessing of each person in my life. I will also pray that relationships will be strengthened, and hearts will be filled with the love of Christ while we celebrate together.

A Scripture I like to remember during this time of prayer is, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2). It is important to me that I treat my guests as if they were Christ Himself, for Jesus Himself said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). This is the heart of hospitality I want reflected in my home. By focusing on these things ahead of time, I hope that whoever enters my home this holiday season will know the love of Christ as soon as they enter my door.

I’m curous: What are you doing to let your guests know how important and loved they are? Please comment below and let me know so that I can glean further ideas of how to show my guests how thankful I am for them this year.

Continue reading Day 10~Showing Thankfulness For Our Guests …

From Econobusters.

Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge

It may seem a bit early to be thinking about shopping for Christmas gifts, but, if you’re like me, trying to save as much money as I possibly can, you should probably start today.  Planning a more affordable Christmas this year doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the gifts, decorations, food, and fun.  You just need to start early, use your creativity, and base your shopping on good judgment.

Christmas time is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration.  If you are burdened with debt because you overspent on gifts, your heart will not be light and full of good cheer.  Those expensive gifts can become a burden that strips away the joy of the season.

Let’s look at some basic strategies for slashing the overspending that can occur at Christmas time.

Plan Your Gift Budget – This is so basic you would think that most people already do this, but many don’t, and that is where the trouble starts.  Don’t start with a gift list, start with writing down exactly how much you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts this year.  Don’t forget that you’ll need to budget for the rest of your Christmas expenses, too.  Things like decorations and food need to be budgeted for, so keep the total expense in mind.

Make Your Gift Recipient List – Write down everyone you normally buy a Christmas gift for.

Remove Some People From That List – This may seem a bit difficult, but you are almost guaranteed that after you go through your list, you’ll find someone that you really don’t need to buy a gift for this year.  If it makes you more comfortable, just move their names to the bottom of the list so you can remember to do something for them, even if that doesn’t involve buying a gift.

Plan Dollar Amount For Each Recipient – Write a dollar amount behind each name that you now have on your list, then add it up.  Are you outside your budget for gifts?  You’ll need to go back then and rethink each amount and adjust the figures until it fits within your gift budget.

Make Your Gift List – Now you can go through your list of names and start jotting down ideas for each person.  Because you’ve created a budgeted dollar amount for each individual, your ideas now have a limit.  The problem most people get into when they shop for gifts is that they create a gift list with gift ideas first instead of dollar amounts first.  To save your budget, always start your gift list with the dollar amount to be spent for each gift recipient.

Start Your Shopping Early – Yes, there are some great bargains to be found as you get closer to Christmas, but the panic that sets in usually ends up costing us more than we planned.  Last minute shopping narrows your choices.

Re-Think Gift Shopping – Consider more inventive options for at least some of the names on your list.  Shop smart and thrifty by looking through bargain basements and resale shops.  Yes, even a trip through the second-hand stores may prove to be rewarding.  You’ll never know what kind of fun and funky finds you’ll come across.  For instance, you might find great vintage jewelry that would be just right for a teenager.  You may even stumble upon some antique books.  And, what little princess wouldn’t like a big box of sparkly gowns to play dress-up in?  You’ll find racks of bejeweled, lacy, and shimmery dresses on the bridal and special events racks in most larger thrift shops.  Check it out before you head to the mall.

Homemade Gifts – If you are creative, if you can follow a pattern, if you can cook, or if you just have a desire to make something nice, put your skills to work and make a gift.  Something as simple as a pretty jar filled with bath salts can be just the right gift to give a friend in need of a relaxing moment. Gifts made from the heart are always appreciated.

Leave Yourself Off Your Gift List – If you’re tempted to buy yourself stuff while you’re shopping for gifts, you’ll need to give yourself a stern talking to!  There are so many lovely things out there in the store aisles and they all seem to be calling your name.  That is what is called “marketing to the impulse shopper.”  If you have no control, give your list to someone else who has more self-control and is willing to do your shopping for you.  Know yourself and avoid this pitfall.  Your budget can’t take it!

This is my frugal challenge to you.  Hold onto the joy of Christmas gift giving by setting your gift budget within your means.  Don’t go into debt in order to give gifts that you cannot afford.  Your family and friends would not like it if they knew their gift caused you a hardship.

Continue reading Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge …

From Hillbilly Housewife Blog.

Ten Tricks for Staying Warm This Winter Without Huge Energy Bills

November is here. Winter is sneaking up on us, and with winter comes winter heating bills for most of the United States. I live in northern Iowa, where temperatures can get quite cold in the heart of the winter months and, since I work from home, I have to utilize lots of different tricks to ensure that we’re not burning too much energy just to keep the house warm.

Last winter, I catalogued several of the best tactics to share with you at the dawn of the next winter. Here they are.

Check your insulation.
Take a quick peek in your attic. What do you see? Do you see any bare spots not covered in insulation? Attempt to identify what type of insulation you have and make sure it’s up to the level of insulation you need for your area using this helpful insulation guide along with this tool for understanding insulation R-values. Proper insulation is key to keeping your house warm.

Make sure your home is air sealed.
Air leaks and drafts allow warm air to quickly escape your house, resulting in tremendous heating and cooling bills. The solution to this problem is to check your home for air leaks and properly air seal any leaks you discover. This useful guide from the Department of Energy will walk you through the entire process.

Close the vents in unused rooms (and seal them off, if possible).
If your home is well insulated and you have a room or two that’s not actively being used, turn off the air vent in that room and seal the room as best you can. The temperature in that room will drop significantly when you do this as you’ll no longer be heating it – and no longer paying the bill for heating it, either.

Invest in thick socks.
I work from home in Iowa, and I’ve learned that there’s no better way to stay warm in the winter at home than to wear thick socks. Thick socks keep my feet warm even if I keep the temperature in the house low, and feet are one of the primary thermal indicators for the body as well as being a relatively poorly circulated extremity. Keep the feet warm and the rest of you will be fine.

Test the lower levels of your thermostat.
Along with wearing warm socks, I often tend to turn the heating down during the day (raising it when my family is at home, which is basically just a manual version of the effect one would get from installing a programmable thermostat). I work on the upper level of my home where it’s warmest, so reducing the house temperature during the day rarely has any negative impact on my work – but it certainly saves on energy costs.

Use a hot water bottle. We also tend to dip our thermostat down a bit at night when we’re snuggled in our beds. Unfortunately, after a long winter day, a bed might not necessarily be cosy right at first. Thus, I often use a trick that my father used when he was a boy – a hot water bottle. We use a reusable microwaveable hot water bottle filled with a gel-like substance. A quick heating in the microwave just before bed means that the bed quickly gets cosy warm – a perfect resistance against the cold nights.

Open the blinds on the sunny side of the house – close them on the other side.
In the winter, I do this on the top two floors of our home (where most of the windows are). In the morning, I open all of the blinds and curtains on the east-facing side of the house and make sure everything is closed on the west side (usually done the night before). Then, when I eat lunch, I switch the two. Then, just before dinner, I close everything on the west side of the house. This goes a long way towards maximizing the benefits of direct sunlight and minimizing the heat lost to windows not facing the sun.

Stick together – share a blanket.
If you walked into our family room, you’d see that we already have several blankets out for the winter months. We love to cuddle up as a family under a blanket or two on the couch, sharing our natural body warmth with each other. It keeps us all close together and toasty warm.

Use the oven.
Who wants to go out to eat in the deepest part of winter anyway? Stay home and cook something in the oven. Not only will the food preparation save you money, you’ll also find that the oven is far more energy efficient in the winter. How so? It works with the warming of your house rather than against the summer cooling of your house.

Drink warm fluids.
For me, winter is filled with cup after cup of hot tea and hot chocolate. Drinking a warm fluid makes me feel much warmer (and likely does slightly raise my body temperature). For me, the effect lasts for about forty minutes, a time in which I can get away with a temperature a few degrees lower. During the day, I’ll often prepare myself a giant mug of hot tea and slowly sip it over the course of a few hours. The small energy expense of heating up the water is more than replaced by the energy savings of being able to lower the house temperature a bit more.

Continue reading Ten Tricks for Staying Warm This Winter Without Huge Energy Bills …

From The Simple Dollar.

Day 24 ~ Taming the Thanksgiving Madness

It is so important to calm down, breathe, and relax in the midst of all our planning and preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. If we don’t, we will drop at the wrong moment… and that would not be good at all!

So, today, I’m starting off with a prayer of thanks and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done for me. I give my day to Him right away, and ask Him to clear my mind of all of my “To-Do” lists, anxieties, business, and instead help me focus on resting in Him. That “resting” is often very hard for us to do isn’t it?

I’m taking the opportunity today to head to worship and sing in my church choir. This is something that I love to do. There is nothing like starting the day off by singing praises to the Lord to make my heart fall in line and remember to be thankful. Today, I’m taking a small notepad with me that I will use to write down all of the things I am thankful for throughout the day. There are so many, and I don’t want to forget a single one because as the days of preparation for Thanksgiving wear on, sometimes it is easy for me to lose my focus and then… I get weary and lose sight of why I am doing everything I am doing. I don’t want that to happen. Trust me, it’s not pretty!

My family will attend a get-together after worship today also. I am looking forward to the time with other believers to be refreshed and to refresh others as well. I love it when we fellowship on Sundays because it keeps me from delving right back into work and prep as soon as I get home. It forces me to stay focused on Jesus and His people, rather than on my own desires. It is so easy—when I’m at home—to just get right back into “the groove” of all my normal daily activities rather than taking a rest from all of them.

While at the afternoon fellowship meal, I am taking along a note of thanks to one of the people in that group who has set a good Titus 2 example for me to follow. I don’t think she knows just how deeply her selflessness and kindness have affected my life and that of my family. She has “spurred me on to righteousness” more times than I can count, and since we are now in the season of remembering to give thanks, I find it a good time to let her know how much she means to me. She exudes gratitude in the midst of being confined to a wheelchair after a horrible accident a few years ago, yet I never hear one word of self-pity from her lips, only praise to God. She has challenged me to live beyond myself, and I am forever grateful for her friendship and example to fully rely on God.

I don’t know about you, but when I truly rest, refresh, and dwell on all that I have to thank Him for on Sundays, I find that I’m better able to handle life come Monday morning! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states it clearly, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, for you.”

How do you focus on the Lord and His goodness to you during this busy time of year? I would really like to hear your suggestions… I need more reminding to slow down than some people, especially during the holiday season. My typical bent is to just go-go-GO… until I can’t go anymore. Do you ever struggle with this? How do you stay focused on what you have to be grateful for?

Continue reading Day 24 ~ Taming the Thanksgiving Madness …

From Econobusters.

Make your own changing table

Changing tables aren’t needed for a long period of time. It’s not a necessary baby item, but if your heart is set on having one…

Continue reading Make your own changing table …

From Frugal Village.

Romantic and fun dates for the frugal at heart: ways to have a romantic and fun fate on a budget

Romantic and fun dates for the frugal at heart: ways to have a romantic and fun fate on a budget

You’ve met this absolutely fantastic person that you are crazy about. You want to ask them on a date. The only problem is that money is tight. You wonder two things: What [...]

Continue reading Romantic and fun dates for the frugal at heart: ways to have a romantic and fun fate on a budget …

From Frugal Simplicity.