Wrapping Up July

Writing my entries for the month of July helped me to take an inventory of all the out of the box ways we can make our dollars stretch. I hope you got something out of it and more importantly, I hope you took some action and embraced a small change or two.

For August, we're going to change directions a little and I'm going to share with you my experience and education of bringing an idea to fruition, and a product to market. Please keep in mind, I'm not the mega success story yet, but rest assured, I will be.

I'll share with you my idea (actually, Dave and I have done this together, but for simplicity in writing, I'm writing this in the first person.), how I came up with it, why I finally chose to do something about it, and what I did. As I go through the steps, I'll also share all the great advice and mentoring I've received (some free, some not), and hopefully I can not only inspire you to get moving on your great idea, but share my resources as they're appropriate.

Of all my blog topics, I think this one will not only be interesting, worthy of sharing with your family and friends, but fun! Let's wind down the summer with something exciting and possibly your million dollar inspiration!

Use What You Already Have

This is one of those things I struggle to do. Use the stuff you have. I have a stash of body wash, shampoo, lotions, face creams, you name it. I probably could go months without having to buy health and beauty products.

Challenge yourself to take a quick inventory of the stuff you have in your bathroom cabinet, and then don't buy anything until you're completely out. It's not as easy as it sounds. You see the Sunday paper with the ads tempting you with buy one get one free, or 30% off the expensive drug store eye cream, it's easy to think you can't pass up the deal.

In reality, if you use the stuff you have until it's all gone, you will very likely save hundreds of dollars a year, and have less clutters around your house. This holds true for pantry items, cleaning supplies, and clothes! Yes, clothes, too.

Give it a try and you might find you like not having extra stuff everywhere. I'm fairly certain you'll like the extra cash in your wallet!

Recycle and Save!

There are many things you can recycle to others (like clothes your tired of), or use again yourself.

One suggestion came from our good friend Roberta, "Poor Man's Tupperware" as she calls it. It's the bowls that cottage cheese, sour cream, small yogurts, and sometimes sliced deli meats come in.

The one that deli meat comes in is Gladware, which I have now classified as "Middle Class Tupperware." The only thing I can see people having trouble with is knowing what's actually inside the bowl, that at a glance looks like cottage cheese. Don't let that stop you though, I can't tell what's in the actual (and expensive I might add) Tupperware I use!

I say, use the poor man's stuff for lunches, picnics, and when you need a really small container, that way, if you lose it or give it away, it's no big deal when you don't get it back! Recycle and Save!

What is Going On Around Here?

Okay, I know this month is about ways to make your dollars stretch, and having fun this summer while doing it, but something weird is going on this week!

I'm not going to bore you with the gory details, but the last few days, if it could go wrong, it did. I had to think it had something (or everything) to do with me and my energy, but in speaking with numerous people, they were expereincing some of the same stuff. E-mails not being sent or received, a credit card payment not arriving on time (one by mail, one electronically), our usually house broken dog pooping in the house, a large lemonade being spilled all over the dresser, leaked into the drawers, all over my son, and the floor right after we had all gotten snug in bed, and learning that someone didn't tell the other someone the deadline changed and now we're not ready. It's all small stuff (relative to the big picture), but like a dripping water, pretty soon you have a big, heavy bucket of water weighing you down.

Hopefully with this rant will come the acknowledgment to the universe, "Thank you for these lessons, and the opportunity to test my patience and resources." I got it, now stop! Laughing! If this strange phenominon is only going on in Auburn, CA, I'm happy for you. If you, too, are expereincing this nonsense, I hope it stops now!

Let's Keep Making Summer Fun

With little or no money! Here's one for those of you with littler kids (ages 3 1/2 - 6). We may be trying to hard to find things for our kids to do. Mason is almost 5 and last week he came in the house informing me he needed to see our family doctor. When I asked him what for, he told me that he needed to have his imagination checked. He said that there are monsters in the backyard and in his bedroom.

"Real monsters?" I asked.

"Yes, and you should be scared too, because they're in your bedroom, too!"

Now here I am wondering if my son sees dead people, so I ask him again, "What kind of monsters?"

"Mom, they are monsters in my imagination, they are everywhere." he laughed. "I think I should have Dr. Maple look at my head and make sure that I'm okay before I start kindergarten." he said somewhat seriously while nodding his head.

I pulled him to me on the couch and said, "Mason, your imagination is perfect. It's bold, and wild, and colorful, and wonderful just the way it is. You have an imagination just like your mommy has. Sometimes it's so good, it can be a little scary. But here's the important thing to remember; you are in charge of your imagination. You get to pick all the things you see and think, and if you don't like something, you just imagine it gone."

He paused just a minute looking thoughtful and said, "Cool mom, can we bake a cake?"

So, instead of wondering what to do with your kids this summer, imagine your backyard is the ocean and they are pirates. Go with them on a walk in your neighborhood and have them tell you what kind of hike you are on; an African safari, a bear hunt through the woods, or cross country skiing in the snow. Let them tell you and enjoy the ride, real life will be here way too soon!

Coming in August

August is all about the many "World's Biggest Balls of String." Not specifically, but as a general explanation of the one of a kind things that you can see as you travel the United States and the world.

It could be the world's biggest ball of string, the world's biggest frying pan, Flintstone Town, or any number of other things that you find yourself face-to-face with while on vacation and know you absolutely have to stop in to see.

What is that one of kind roadside attraction you've visited in your life? Or maybe you want to visit. Let's see how many of these wonderful gems we can come up with in a month. I will post them all, no matter how many. So, do tell and send pictures if you have them!

One Dollar Movies and Matinees

Another way to do summer on the cheap is with the $1.00 movie theatres and matinees.

We have a theatre not too far away that is $3.00 for any, and we do the early shows whenever we can. Where we are, matinees are $6.50 and of course, we bring our own snacks. When we can't do a cheap movie (no appropriate movies for Mason), we use our Entertainment book and go to a theatre that has a BOGO free coupon. One way or another, we're getting a deal on a movie!

Check out your area and see where you can do something special and save a little money. You'll be surprised!