Bargain Seeker on the Prowl

Ok, so the last time I took a picture of my son on the potty was when he was about 2 years old. He looks a little embarrassed, don’tcha think? The future blackmail I have with this shot… but then blackmail is such an ugly word, how about…persuasion power? Hey, he is 17, I need everything I can use at this point!!

The rest of the story…

Yes, it is hair clipping time again and the potty provided a nice little seat in the yard. My daughter says we definitely need to call Jeff Foxworthy on this one. You might be a redneck if… Along with the potty is the bathtub, so we are definitely in the running for the redneck of the year award.

However, I am pleased to announce that I now have a new toilet, sink and bathtub in my BATHROOM!! YAY!!

What do you think? One for the scrapbook?

Me and my husband after our flight through the Grand Canyon last summer. Yes, the wind was blowing a little bit. : )

Here is the whole gang together. This doesn’t happen too often so I was very glad to get this picture of them all together.

My son who will be a senior this year and my baby, who will be starting high school. Oh man, I am already suffering from empty nest syndrome.

I like to review and recommend other websites I have come across during my web wanderings. I still cannot figure out how to use my blogroll feature, so I am posting these under the category of Other Sites I Like.

Thriftiness Becomes Us is a website I thoroughly enjoy visiting. It focuses on a family’s journey of saving money and becoming debt-free. I admire that this mom and dad uses each opportunity to teach their children life lessons.

Some of the ways this family saves money is very inspirational! They are not bothered by the stigma of clipping coupons, recycling aluminum cans, etc. Unfortunately society is not always “polite” and looks down on people or ASSUMES that just because a person is thrifty that they have no job or are just plain cheap. Who cares what they think??? : )

The creativity of others always amazes me and I am very proud of this family for doing what they feel they need to do in order to be thrifty (wise) and save money. ( I know, I have a very strong “mothering” instinct.)

Visit Thriftiness Becomes Us and I know you will not be disappointed in the content. Did I mention that there is a current giveaway (drawing) for Gold Canyon candles on their site? Not only are they thrifty, they are generous as well. My kind of people!! : )

Not everyone in my family enjoys camping and fishing, how that happened I don’t know, so I bring along crafts for them to enjoy. I came across this site, Orangeonions, while surfing for craft supplies. Their prices are great!

Here is a link to their craft section. Crafts & Scrapbooking - Name Brands at up to 90% off! Friskars, Plaid, Donna Dewberry, Canson & More!

They have Easy to Sew Family Quilting Projects for $19.99, a Bird Barnhouse kit for $14.99, and a Sand and Water Activity Center Play & Art Table indoor/outdoor for $19.99!! There are many more items in their crafts section and I intend to search through all of them!

They also offer a Deal of the Day - When One Item Gets Blown-Out At A Ridiculously Low Price!

I am very excited about this site as I can buy gifts for the more “crafty” folks in my family at a much more reasonable price!! They also offer household items, toys, outdoor items and more as well as free shipping on orders over $49.00!

 The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere is a book I chose from Amazon’s Bargain Book selection to read together with my 13-year-old daughter. This story teaches a life lesson about making decisions and having to live with the consequences of the decisions you have made.

This story is set in rural Tennessee in 1947, and involves a poverty-level family struggling to make ends meet and just putting food on the table is a major feat. A series of unexpected events and cruel acts cause this newly widowed, mother of two to take into their home a young African-American boy because of a promise she made to his dying mother.

Having lived in the South nearly all of my life, I can understand the struggle and backlash from the predominately white community this family had to endure. My daughter could not understand how people could be so intolerant and filled with hate just because of the color of a person’s skin.

If you choose to read this with your child as I did, be prepared to stop and answer a lot of difficult questions that will arise in the mind(s) of your young one(s). If you read this book alone, be prepared to read it from start to finish in one sitting as you are drawn into the story and captivated by the characters. Either way, it is difficult to read this book without shedding tears.

For $4.99 (hardcover) plus shipping at Amazon, The Angels of Morgan Hill is definitely a bargain for your bookshelf.

I am so excited to be starting a blog! My main purpose for writing is to help others find great bargains, the best deals on the net, grocery deals, coupons, freebies and saving money for the future. You are never too old or too young to start saving and changing the way you view your finances and shopping habits.

I cannot claim to be an expert, but I definitely know what it is like to struggle to pay bills, be harassed by bill collectors, living paycheck to paycheck, and trying to squeeze a penny until old Abe starts yelling. I do not like living this way and I am sure that you do not either. I CAN lay claim to working hard along with my husband to dig our way out of debt and now we have reduced our debt to only a house payment each month.

I have an exciting life journey ahead of me and I hope to share it with others and meet some wonderful people along the way.