How To Live On Practically Nothing (video)

Here is a great little video. It looks cutesy, but has good information. If you are new to living cheaply, check out this video. Please visit the creator's site, HowCast.com for other How To videos. Two new videos are posted on the main Everyday Economics site.

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New Everyday Economics Family Member!

Hi all,
I know I have been absent lately. Many of you have read that I was pregnant, in fact I was 7 months pregnant when I started Everyday Economics. There were more than a few times that our little one tried to make an early appearance, but luckily he decided to wait until he was fully baked.

Last week on the 15th, Lucas Kreed decided that he was 'done' and exactly 2 hours after the official end of our wedding anniversary (2am EST), I went into full blown labor. Our son made his debut at 7:57 am and weighed in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long.

I'm posting a picture of him and Daddy on Lucas' first day home, last Thursday. So, now you all know who to blame for slow updates!


Love and duct tape,
Julie Read The Full Post...

Free Green Cleaners!

Do you have a blog? A website at all? Want to get free ‘green ‘ cleaners and write reviews of them?

As a blogger and writer I receive quite a few offers from manufacturers who want me to try their products, and then write about my experiences. But, this website I am about to link you to will consider more than just professional writers! Isn’t that cool? Then read on!


I think everyone should have a chance to give their opinion on a product. Moms, Dads, Caregivers, and beyond, all of you deserve to send your thoughts on what you like or dislike about products to the world. Word of mouth advertising is the best!

So, take a second to visit Free Green Cleaners http://www.freegreencleaners.com/signup.asp and sign up to be considered for their program. It’s free and painless.

Keep in mine that you need to be approved for a product and you are not compensated except with the chance to use the product. Who cares, though, it’s something free and fun, too!

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Win A Free Toy!

Toys R' Us has a holiday giveaway going on right now. Just go to the website and enter your info, then 'unwrap' the boxes. If you match 3, you win that toy!

While you may not win today, you can play once a day. Hurry on over for your chance to win.

Toys R Us Giveaway Link. Read The Full Post...

Natural Kitchen Cleaners

Do you go nuts in the kitchen because of germ warfare? I know the nasties that abide there freak me out. So I was pretty happy when a friend of mine posted some tips on her blog. For the link, just click through the 'read more'.



Marye Audet of Simply Home Remedies, Baking Delights, and Kettle n' Cup has some of the best posts for your home, ever. Marye has 8 children, a husband, and a small farm. She makes me miss my days on the farm but she sure doesn't make me want to expand my family any more than it has been already!

I have to say she's one of my favorite people, online or off. I'd love to have a cup of coffee with her sometime, but sadly she lives across the country form me. Maybe I need to look into some cheap travel.

Oh, wait, I promised a link to her cleaning post! Here it is!

Natural Kitchen Cleaners (link title changed to not compete with her googleness!)
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Guest Bloggers Needed

I am recruiting Guest Bloggers for the next few weeks. Interested? Then read on...



I will be taking a short leave of absence as of the 15th of this month. Before I do, I would like to recruit a few Guest Bloggers.

This is a non-paid position.

You do not need to have experience blogging, I am willing to do some training before I take time off. If you do have experience, all the better!

What am I looking for in posts? Anything related to living cheaply, frugal news, freebie posts, and frugal hacks.

Can this turn into a full time position? This is a possibility. If the blog does well and your posts bring in revenue (even after your guesting is over) I may ask you to blog full time, paid. Please be aware this is only if the blog and site does well.

You are still welcome to submit articles for consideration of publishment on the main website. If you would like to be a Guest blogger or just submit a post or two, leave a comment or email me! julie [at] everydayec [dot] com
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8 Freebies: December 1st

Organic Lavender Dryer Bag Sample

Free beyond BodiHeat Sample

Sabatino Olive Oil/Black Truffle Infused!

Diaper Genie Decals

Join Stouffer's Dinner Club for 100 Free points. Donate 20 for a free tote.

Share a Story for a Free Mini Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Free $1 By Paypal for Taking Surveys

WIN a free Hallmark Studio Software Studio Read The Full Post...

Sunday Movie: Call of The Wild

Another free movie fo you to enjoy this Sunday. I hope you enjoy! If you like the Sunday movies, please let me know. Suggestions are great!

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Working From Home: Part 1

Several years ago I was injured while working. We were living on one income and the injury I acquired basically ruined my chances of staying in the profession I loved, which was caring for the elderly and rehabilitation. I spent some time honing my skills as a graphic designer, mostly logos and photo manipulation, but I was outclassed by professionals. Hey, I did pretty well for someone who was self taught, but I didn’t bring in enough to cover all the bills.

So I spent time online looking for ways to make a real income. Like many others I searched for Work At Home jobs and came up with mostly scams. Read emails for a few pennies. Fill out surveys for free gifts or a few bucks. Take free items and enter my email for another few pennies. Ugh. I never made much of anything with the email gigs, but I have gotten some nice gifts from a few survey sites like Pinecone Research, Gozing, and MyPoints. Those are the only 3 sites I would recommend to anyone, but you will not make a fortune.



I must say I did make $20 from one Gozing survey. Pinecone and Gozing both pay out religiously.

Next I took a moment to see what it was that I already did online. I was a member, then administrator of a writing site. All fiction, but fun. I had been writing for years and joining in a writing forum seemed natural. I cam across a forum that was for people who made a living or were trying to make a living with their writing. This is something I had toyed with for years, the idea of being a writer. I was never sure of what to do exactly to find work. After a few months on this forum (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums) I had fell into freelance non-fiction writing and sold my first article!

Since then I have been published in several local parenting magazines, blogs, online sites, and have become a columnist for an online digital magazine. It has been a whirlwind ride, full of ups and downs. But, the ride seems to be heading upwards all the time.

Can you do this? YES.

The key to working online is finding something that your reader wants to buy, learn, or just read. If you have a product that is appealing, you can literally quit your day job eventually. We all have heard the stories of people who have done it. Why can’t that be you? All it takes is some work and a great product. I will cover more later on how to promote your product, but for now, just trust me, it CAN be done.

If you are a writer, find your niche. Heck, find a few niches. Being able to intelligently write about more than one topic will save you a lot of heartache if one of your chosen niches just isn’t working for you.

Take advantage of job boards and the ability to telecommute. Even if you choose something other than writing, there are many companies that will allow you to use their software in your home office and report your hours via the internet. Never abuse the system, this can cost you the job and any future clients.

Learn all you can about Adsense and other revenue systems that can be incorporated into your blog or website.

Hire someone to write great SEO (search engine optimization) articles for you or learn to do it yourself. Google has a tool to help you find the best keywords for your website. Do not use cruddy writing for keywords. No one wants to read ’40 weeks pregnant’ over and over. Imagine if your site is for hemorrhoid cream!

The next segment in working from home will cover just how much you can save by working from home and where to find work at home jobs.

(By the way, sorry for the absence! I am expecting and have had a lot of false/early labor the past week. If I suddenly disappear again, you know we have a new addition to the Everyday Family!)
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Sunday's Free Movie: Giants of Patagonia

Good morning!

This morning I have decided to share a movie, because we all know Sunday is a boring day for television. If you have nothing to do, why not enjoy 40 minutes of dinosaur action?

For more free television shows and movies visit Hulu an online resource for free television and movies. There is a limited selection but the library is growing.

Enjoy the movie!

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia: Educational

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Free Bath and Body Basket!

A good friend of mine is running a GiveaWay on her website. Do you want to win? Click on the 'read more' to get the details!


To visit the site, just click here: Celestial Kisses, All Natural and Handmade Bath and Body Products.

If you do not want to leave this blog right now, here are the official rules:


Grand Opening Give Away
Thursday, November 20th, 2008
To celebrate the grand opening of Celestial Kisses Homemade Spa & Aromatherapy products, I’m offering a gift basket give-away! I will be giving away an Egyptian Sunset gift basket which includes a bar of milk & honey soap (Cleopatra Bar), a milk bath, and a bottle of oatmeal & honey lotion (Promised Land Lotion). The retail value of this basket is $25. In order to be eligible for this give away, you must do the following:

1. Blog about this give away on your own blog with a link back to my site.

2. Post a link to your blog at Everyday Economics (this blog, y'all!-julie) so I can verify your post.

That’s it! The winner will be chosen at random on November 30, 2008. Good luck!
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New Affiliate and 3 Great Links

On the main site I have a new affiliate. I have been looking for affiliates and advertisers that make sense for where I want to head with this venture. The very first site that appealed to me strongly was You Can Make This!

Why? Other than the patterns, instructions, and ebooks you can purchase, they have a really nice selection of free patterns/intstructions. Here, take a second to check out their freebie page. Don’t worry, this is just the freebie page, I am linking you directly, no trying to get affiliate clicks with this link!



On the main site I have a new affiliate. I have been looking for affiliates and advertisers that make sense for where I want to head with this venture. The very first site that appealed to me strongly was You Can Make This!

Why? Other than the patterns, instructions, and ebooks you can purchase, they have a really nice selection of free patterns/intstructions. Here, take a second to check out their freebie page. Don’t worry, this is just the freebie page, I am linking you directly, no trying to get affiliate clicks with this link!

You might wonder why I am talking about an affiliate or giving kudos to an advertiser. Yes, you have to spend some money for products. But I look at it like this. Once you have a pattern or have taken a class to learn to sew, you have just saved yourself a lot of money. Sewing is a skill that you can always use. If you are creative you can make so many different things.

Cloth diapers, reuseable shopping bags, quilts, clothing, and so much more. You do not need to even buy material if you have old clothes on hand. Curtains can be made from sheets, tablecloths can be turned into pillows, and a patchwork quilt can be made from darn near anything.

I need to talk about some of my links, as well. If you visit the Friends and Finds page, you will see links in the Friends section. I have not placed any in the Finds as of yet. At this time I am first contacting writers and owners of sites that I know to be safe. When I talk about safe, I mean that I want the links you visit from Everyday Economics, main site or blog, to be something you can feel comfortable opening in front of anyone. No having to minimize in front of the kids!

Right now the sites listed are people I know and trust. Three new links are to blogs by my friend Marye. She is not only a great writer, but a mom (to 8!), homeschool teacher, and lots more. You really need to visit her sites to get to know her. I promise, you will enjoy her recipes and advice on home remedies.

Check her out!

Baking Delights

Kettle and Cup

Simply Home Remedies Read The Full Post...

Rival Seal-A-Meal: Yay for Kitchen Toys!

I am one happy camper. Last night my husband came home with a Rival Seal A Meal for me. This is something I have wanted to try out for a long time, but because I try to always avoid paying full price for things, it was out of the question.

Hubby made me proud, though. He knows how I feel about discounts, so when he saw this one on a clearance shelf, he snapped it up. Yay for me! Yay for hubby! He had done some grocery shopping so I was able to try out (read as ‘play’) with the sealer right away.




I am one happy camper. Last night my husband came home with a Rival Seal A Meal for me. This is something I have wanted to try out for a long time, but because I try to always avoid paying full price for things, it was out of the question.

Hubby made me proud, though. He knows how I feel about discounts, so when he saw this one on a clearance shelf, he snapped it up. Yay for me! Yay for hubby! He had done some grocery shopping so I was able to try out (read as ‘play’) with the sealer right away.

It is always a good idea to break down the foods you plan to store as soon as possible. Of course, that was what I told him as I unwrapped the new toy and began to seal away every thing that could possibly be sealed. Lucky for me there were leftovers in the fridge that could be theoretically be frozen for later. You know, instead of using them today.

Heehee.

I have to admit it was a blast to play with. I can see many uses for the Seal A Meal. According to the book that came with it, the storage time on vacuum sealed items are greatly increased. With the size of our household food does not last as long as I would like. Dry products, such as flour and corn meal lasts the longest. This is mainly because I try to buy those in bulk. With a sealer, flour can be sealed away and kept much longer. Also many homemade mixes can last much longer and not need to be frozen. Freezing dry mixes makes them last longer but reduce room in the freezer.

We do not have a chest freezer. Our income is not enough to warrant owning one at this time. The upfront cost and electricity on top of not being able to afford huge bulk shopping are the main reasons. Actually, the only reasons. In the near future I hope to remedy this. For now, most of our storage will depend solely on the freezer on our fridge.

This is of benefit for many of you readers who may not own a chest freezer. I will be able to give you tips on how to make the most of the room you have. You will know that I am giving you good advice, because it is what we have to do here at home!

The sealer is going to make a huge difference in how our meals work. Instead of zip top bags, I will be able to seal away leftovers or extra batches of things and not need to worry about it going bad. Even being kept in the fridge, food will last one average twice as long! I can’t tell you how much of a difference this is going to make for us. No leftovers going to waste at all, frozen foods lasting up to 3 years, and being able to purchase discount vegetables to freeze at not even half the price of ‘regular’ bin will equal a ton of money in our pockets.

So, stay tuned for more adventures with the Seal A Meal. Fun, vacuuming, and savings. What else could you want?

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7 Freebies for Nov. 16th

Free Dove Cream Oil Intensive Body Lotion Sample

Free Playtex Nurser System

Free Stationary Sample(sign up for newsletter, receive sample)

Try zout enzyme free after rebate

Free Pack of Stride Gum

Benefiber Sticks Sample

Splenda Flavor Sticks(tried these, pretty tasty) Read The Full Post...

Convienence Mixes: Too Little For Too Much.

So you like those little packets of flavor you drop onto plain ol' whatever and make a tasty little side dish, huh? Or what about that taco and chili seasoning that makes quick dinners? Mmmm. So tasty and so quick.

Yeah, well, look hun, those little packets are going to end up giving you more than a nice meal, they're going to contribute to a stroke or more. Did you know that just about all of those prepackaged mixes are full of sodium? Sodium=salt. Water retention, heart disease, live issues, and stroke. Yeah, give me a packet of THAT, please.
So you like those little packets of flavor you drop onto plain ol' whatever and make a tasty little side dish, huh? Or what about that taco and chili seasoning that makes quick dinners? Mmmm. So tasty and so quick.

Yeah, well, look hun, those little packets are going to end up giving you more than a nice meal, they're going to contribute to a stroke or more. Did you know that just about all of those prepackaged mixes are full of sodium? Sodium=salt. Water retention, heart disease, live issues, and stroke. Yeah, give me a packet of THAT, please.

Not to mention that all of the little bags are just that, little. Most families need to use more than one just for one meal. So why not learn to make your own convience mixes and get exactly the flavor you want AND the amount you want?

A little research on Google will send you to plenty of sites that can give you ideas. I'll link to one site that has a ton of them, Budget 101. Instead of me telling you how to make the mixes, I'll let you in one some secrets of storing them.

If you have them, use zipper bags. Label them with white paper tape. Store them in the freezer. If you have sandwhich baggies, follow the same method, only double bag. Heck, you can use plastic wrap or make foil packets if you need.

You also can use a food dehydrator to expand your mix possibilities. Try a thrift store, the dehydrators can run only a few dollars there. In the fall and winter, foods can be dried in a 200 degree oven. just keep checking on it until it's totally dry, but not burnt.

Some people dry herbs in their car while it's parked in the sun, though that's one I haven't tried.

One prepackaged mix I hate is the Ranch and Bacon pasta salad deal. What the heck? My 5 year old can eat the whole thing! Don't waste your cash. Follow this SIMPLE recipe that cuts out the big hunk of mayo.

1 box pasta, cooked-[shells or whatever is on sale]
1 bottle ranch dressing-[regular or fat free]
bacon bits to taste
1-4 chicken breasts [cooked and cubed]

Mix everything in a large bowl. Eat. [easy, huh?]

The variations are amazing. Just substitute different salad dressings, add cheeses, omit meats, add veggies. And these are great hot or cold.

Type rest of the post here
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Bogus Big 3 Bailout

Are you kidding me?

For years, the Big 3 automakers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler have struggled with finances. Rising gas prices and credit problems of potential customers have dropped sales into a hole that even the past problems cannot match. What I wonder is this:

Why is it our problem? Why do we, as taxpayers, have to bailout companies who have not met the demands of today’s market?


Are you kidding me?

For years, the Big 3 automakers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler have struggled with finances. Rising gas prices and credit problems of potential customers have dropped sales into a hole that even the past problems cannot match. What I wonder is this:

Why is it our problem? Why do we, as taxpayers, have to bailout companies who have not met the demands of today’s market?

Yes, the Big 3 supply a huge amount of jobs. For each of those jobs, I believe the estimate is that there are (according to different sources from the media) 3 to 15 jobs. I feel deeply for those who will be out of jobs. Still, this is not a problem of my, or your making. It has only been in recent years that these companies have begun to offer fuel-flex cars, hybrids, and full fledged electric autos to the U.S. market. Instead of focusing on SUVs that guzzled gas like a fish drinks water, perhaps this current situation would not be, well, a situation.

Many of us can not afford a new car. We may have bad credit, we may just not be able to afford the down payment, or even the monthly payments. Why should we bailout any company that will not give us the time of day? ‘Sorry, you can’t have a new car, but we’d like your money anyway, please.”

Um, no?

The average top pay at a GM automobile plant employee (according to media=http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/22/news/companies/gm_delphi/index.htm) is $27 USD per hour. How many Americans do not make even half that? Yet, we will be expected to let our tax money funnel into this black hole. Not even a car to show for it. Sorry folks, I would much prefer to see my tax money going to police officers, firefighters, schools, and other things that better my community and country.

Yes, I am on a rant here. It makes me angry that we do not even get a chance to vote on this. Company after company has crawled out of the woodwork to beg for bailout monies. What ever happened to letting a company succeed or fail? Americans have spoken by curbing their spending on new cars and more. Why is the government not listening to us?

As one writer pointed out, if the Big 3 want the bailout, they need to earn it. For their take on this, visit:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-olin12-2008nov12,0,1277567.story

I doubt the big boys will read that and take note, but it would be nice if someone did even a fraction of what needed to be done to earn such a huge bailout.
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6 Free Samples for Nov. 11

Free Two Year Subscription To Wondertime Magazine (A Parents Magazine)

Amped Energy Balls (food)

Free Offer From Pama Pomegranate Liquers-Chocolate Covered Pom Seeds!

Free FULL SIZE Sample of Secret Clinical Strength Sport

Make A Rosary For A Mission, Free Kits and Envelope To Mail Finished Rosary

Free Teasta Tea Samples Read The Full Post...

6 Free Samples, November 9th

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee Sample

Stop Smoking With Commit, Free Starter Pack

Free Glad Bags from Wal*Mart

Ah, Sleep For Free, Sleep Aid, 2 day trial

Hurry, the First 20,000 get a free Holiday Gift Pack from Ziploc

Bio-degradeable and flushable Dog Poop Bags Read The Full Post...

Welcome to Everyday Economics,The Blog!

I've actually had this idea for some time. Starting a website to help out others who live on a small income, or in some instances, no income. Tips, trick, and articles, along with links to free things and giveaways, all to help people who are in need.

Now, more than ever, we need to know these things. The ever collapsing economy has prodded me into action. Products are more expensive than ever. We are losing jobs, bleeding money, and many of us cannot pay our bills or feed our families properly.

Everyday Economics looks to help you fill in the holes where the money is pouring our. Duct taping our lives together, because the government sure as heck isn't offering us a bailout. Whether you live in the U.S. or abroad, the tips offered here will help you find some small way to hold on to even a few extra dollars a month or week.

We need to relearn how to get by with less. How to live as our Grandparents did, goodness knows they made it through the hard times. On this website you will learn:

*How to grow a 'Victory' garden.
*How to can vegetables.
*How to build your own woodstove.
*How to shop better.
*How to cook in general.
*How to make cloth diapers.
*How to wash those diapers.
*How to save on almost anything!

This site is not intended for just women. If it seems like I lean a bit towards women, that's because I AM one! Much of what I know lies in homemaking and parenting, but guys, you can bet I'll be posting things for you, too. I am a born and bred country girl who has worked in farming, construction, health care, and now I am a professional freelance writer. I can tell you about wiring a light fixture, installing a window, or low cost birth control. How's that for variety?

I hope you enjoy your time here and come back often. This blog is where all of the most up to date information will be posted, then moved to the main site once it is pushed off of this main blog page. Tips and tricks will always be posted on the main website as soon as they are received!

Much love and duct tape to you all,
Julie

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