This week I took advantage of the back to school sales and stocked up on stuff for my home office...folders, notebooks, pens. etc. Seems like everyone has a sale going on these days. One of my local consignment stores held its annual clearance sale last Saturday. I was intending to take a look but forgot all about it. That might have been a good thing because I really need to sort through my closet and organize everything before I buy anything else.

We finally got some cooler temperatures and lots of rain. The grass and the weeds did a wonderful job of growing this last week. I haven’t been out in the garden very much this last month because it’s been too hot and humid and things have got overgrown in certain areas. This weekend I’ve got my work cut out for me. Speaking of gardens, last week I was reading a copy of Woman’s World and saw this site www.freetreesandplants.com. These are trees and plants that nurseries were just going to throw away and all you pay is the shipping for each plant you order, which is $7.95. I’m not sure if I’m going to order any this year, but I’ve bookmarked the site and might check it out again next spring.

Now things seem to be cooling down I’m going to start making batches of soup to put in the freezer ready for the cold months ahead. Next week I hope to take a trip to the farmer’s market to stock up a bunch of vegetables and herbs and get cooking.


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm and www.gardenandhearth.com/EatingWellonaBudget.htm

One of my favorite things arrived in the mailbox last week...the IKEA catalog. I’m lucky enough to have one of their stores about a 20-minute drive from where I live.

Besides having great prices on lots of stuff. I like the store and the catalog because both give you ideas about interior design. Sometimes I’ll look through the catalog and think, wow, I would never have thought about putting those two pieces of furniture together.

Another thing I like about IKEA is everything is designed for smaller houses and rooms, they don’t assume we all own the 4,000 plus square foot house most people insist on these days.

Two departments I think every Budget Smart Girl should check out are the organizing and kitchen ones. If you’ve ever gone looking for storage bins etc. you know the price can soon add up. And the same goes for stocking your kitchen. I think it’s the idea place to visit if you’re looking for bridal gifts too. When you can buy a six-pack of glasses for just $2.99 I can’t imagine shopping anywhere else. At that price if they get broken, you’re not going to worry about it.

Another store that I’ve been itching to go to is ALDI. They have several stores about 30 minutes away from my home, but I’ve yet to shop in one. I get their flyer every week and have to say the prices look good. One of these days I’ll have to stop by there and let you know what I find.

Speaking of catalogs, our local community education fall schedule arrived today. I’m thinking about taking the ‘build your own web site’ class and best of all, it’s just $49. I’ve been thinking of getting a Web site for years, but when I’ve spoken to web designers they’ve told me it will cost around $1,500 and up to design and set one up. So as you can guess I’ve been toying with the idea of creating my own. Hey, there’s another topic for a Budget Smart Girl’s Guide.


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm and www.gardenandhearth.com/EatingWellonaBudget.htm

I stumbled upon a mini farmer’s market the other day while I was taking my mom to the medical center. Every Thursday vendors sell their good outside the entrance to the building.

I bought some eggs from one stall and it just so happened that it was the vendor’s young grandson who was selling them for $2.50 a dozen. He really enjoyed telling me that they were his chickens that produced the eggs and that the reason they were all different colors was because he had three different breeds of chickens. It was the first time I’d seen blue eggs, yes, can’t you tell I’m a city girl!

His grandma was selling, salsas, sauces, and jams. I bought a sesame teriyaki sauce and used it for a stir-fry. It only cost $3.25 and was one of the best I’ve tasted. I know if I’d bought a similar artisan product at the store the price would have been double. So shopping at markets is a good way to get gourmet foods at lower prices.

Speaking of artisan foods. Last week I shopped at a supermarket I haven’t been to in awhile. They have some great stuff, but because it’s all so good, the prices are higher, your cart fills up quickly and so does the bill. I thought I’d stop by just for a change of pace. I’m glad I did because lots of items that I couldn’t find anywhere else were on sale.

Packets of various curry sauces $1.28 each and ideal for keeping in the pantry and pulling out on for a quick meal when the weather turns cooler. Right now it seems hard to believe it will turn cooler!
I also bought a pesto/olive sauce. I’m thinking that it will make a good base for sandwiches and pizza and it was just $2.85. And a chipotle mustard $2.25, I love using flavored mustards in potato salads, and also as a dipping sauce for oven fries and chicken nuggets.

My advice, don’t always avoid the more upscale supermarkets. Okay, don’t do all your grocery shopping there, but go there to browse for items like the ones I found. And instead of making them the star of the meal, add them to lower cost items for a gourmet treat.

For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm and www.gardenandhearth.com/EatingWellonaBudget.htm

I was watching The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on CNBC a few week’s ago. If you’ve never seen the show, Deutsch showcases entrepreneurs and features stories about how people got their ideas and how they turned them into million dollar businesses. If you’re thinking about starting your own business or looking for ways to make some extra income, the show and Deutsch’s ‘just go for it’ attitude, are really inspiring.

This particular show was about how you can start a business from your home and how you can successfully run it from your house even after the business really takes off.

Some of his guests included Sandra Lee of Semi Homemade Cooking from the Food Network, and the two guys who started the California Pizza Kitchen. Others included two ladies; one who made a cover that slipped over your grocery cart so your child doesn’t have to sit on a dirty seat. Another made cushions that fit on either side of a child’s car seat so when they fall asleep their heads and necks are supported.

As I was watching the show I thought that it’s really true what they say about necessity being the mother of invention. If you just look around the house, or think about all the chores you do every day, there has to be something you can improve upon. Or you can even come up with an idea that makes life just that bit easier and end up making money.

If you haven’t checked out The Big Idea yet, do so, it’s definitely worth watching and check out the Web site too at www.cnbc.com/id/15838512/

For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm and www.gardenandhearth.com/EatingWellonaBudget.htm

A couple of Fridays ago I had to take my cat to the emergency vet clinic. He’d been on edge for a couple of days and was in and out of the litter box every few minutes. I thought he was just acting up because there’s a neighborhood cat that takes a short cut through our yard to get to the woods at the back of our house, but then I sensed it might be more than that. I pulled out the cat wellness book and all his symptoms pointed to either a stone or crystals. This was close to 9 p.m. so I phoned the emergency vet’s office and a vet tech said it did sound like he had some type of urinary problem and to bring him in straight away.

Well, the good news is he didn’t have either, just a bladder infection, but as you can imagine the bill started to creep up. They suggested he stay in overnight so they could get a urine sample. I have to say they were really good about it because they didn’t charge me for the overnight stay. He had an X-ray, lab tests and then a week’s worth of antibiotics, total amount $380. They also said he has tartar build up on his teeth and to get them cleaned. I did get an estimate for that last time he went for his annual shots and check up, total close to $400. So I’m thinking maybe as he’s getting older and more likely to run into these type of problems, it’s time to invest in some pet insurance. I’ve looked at a couple if plans and they range anywhere from $240-$400 for the year. Who would have thought owning a pet could be so expensive. I know veterinary medicine has made advancements, but wow, will you soon have to be rich or famous to own a pet? It got me thinking about my late father who was a great animal lover. He owned two dogs when he was growing up and his family was about as poor as you could get, and there’s just no way they could have paid this type of money.
Well, you can predict the topic of an upcoming Budget Smart Girl column, yep, pet insurance.


Another thing that seems to cost a fortune these days is printer-cartridges. Just about everyone owns a printer now so these companies must be making a fortune. There’s a cartridge refill store close to where I live and I’ve been shopping there and saving about $10-12 on each refill. As I send out lots of work each week, I go through no end of cartridges so it’s really saved me a ton of money. The other day while I was in the store waiting for the cartridge to be refilled…and as I always eavesdrop, I heard another customer and the assistant talking about the very same thing. The assistant said the price of cartridges either stays the same, or they even go up in price, while the price of printers keeps going down. He said if you buy say four new cartridges, it’s comes out to about the same price as a new printer, so sometimes it’s wiser just to keep buying another new printer. Am I the only one who thinks that’s totally bizarre? And no wonder our homes and landfills are overflowing with stuff we no longer use.


For money saving tips visit www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping.htm and www.gardenandhearth.com/EatingWellonaBudget.htm