For those of you penny pinchers that like to get free things as much as I do- here’s your chance! Today is tax day and to give your pockets a break Starbucks is giving out free coffee when you bring in a travel mug. This is in an effort to get people to go from paper cups to reusable which hopefully means they’ll lower prices. I’m not holding my breath on that one but I hope you enjoy your free coffee! Good luck on those taxes if you haven’t already done them!
Archive for April, 2010
Chains of Bondage: Debt
Anyone who has ever had any debt at all knows that it can keep you up at night, it can drive you at least a little crazy, worry you sick (literally), and it can take over your life in an instant. The second we sign our lives away to debt, we’re signing our rights away. The thing we forget to think about is that we’ve literally sold our lives into slavery. The worst part is we didn’t have the authority to do so. God created us and we are His children. We belong to Him! However, when we sign up for debt, we sign away our lives to someone else and willingly put our arms and legs into shackles of slavery that can be brutal and merciless. We’re not talking crucifixion here, but we are talking about giving control of our lives to someone other than God who doesn’t care about our marriage, our health, or what will happen to our family.
That means that if we are living our lives aligned with God, we’ll run from debt whether it’s our own or others’. However, the Church and Christians aren’t talking about debt at a personal level and it’s probably because they themselves are swimming in it. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t me we should, too.
Debt is two-fold. It’s not just about giving ourselves away to someone else, it’s about the fundamentals God is trying to teach us every day. Let’s face it, we, as a society, are gluttons and we need things and we need them NOW!!! Doesn’t this go against God’s plan for us to learn patience and trust? If we truly believe in the Lord with our whole hearts shouldn’t we trust HIM to provide for us? God provides us with our daily needs constantly. If we examine our lives, He blesses us by fulfilling our wants every now and again, too. God has a plan for each and every one of us! That being said, there’s probably a reason you can’t afford that $1,000.00, high-definition, 60 inch big screen. Besides the obvious factors like who really needs a television that big and can you really tell the difference between HD and non-HD, maybe He’s sending us a message. Are we listening? Apparently not if we put that WANT on our credit card and don’t think twice about it until we realize that we actually paid $1,500.00 for the television over 24 months. Instead, we should stop and think, ‘What is God telling me?’ Perhaps He’s saying, ‘You watch too much television,’ or ‘Your wife and children are more important,’ or even, ‘Should you really be watching that?’ But all too often, we don’t think about any of those questions before we buy the television. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten Tips for Tuesday: Vegetable Glycerin
Here are ten uses for an uncommon but useful and economical product- vegetable glycerin.
- Mix salt, baking soda, peppermint (or your favorite) oil, and vegetable glycerin into a paste and store in an air tight container. You now have healthy, homemade, and CHEAP toothpaste. Another bonus… toothpaste contains fluoride which, in excessive amounts, can be harmful and even lethal to your health. The average American receives enough fluoride through their drinking water and doesn’t need the extra fluoride they receive from toothpaste and mouth rinse.
- Don’t waste tons of money on products for curly hair that just don’t work. Mix equal parts water and vegetable glycerin in a spray bottle with a fine mist. You can also add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice. Shake vigorously before each use and sprits on your curls. Vegetable glycerin is a natural humectant so it helps hair keep its shape while fighting frizz. The water is important however because without it the vegetable glycerin will get jealous and suck moisture out of your hair verses locking it in. The water also helps prevent ‘crispy’ curls. Others can use this spray as well as a natural hair spray that will have a double action as a leave-in conditioner.
- Make your own body scrub by mixing vegetable glycerin, olive oil, used coffee grounds, and a drop or two of your favorite essential oil. Mix ingredients together thoroughly and use as a scrub in the shower. The grounds will exfoliate for you while the olive oil and glycerin hydrate your skin and lock in moisture. Read the rest of this entry »
Ten Tips for Tuesday: Yogurt
Ten Not-so-Common Uses for Yogurt
Yogurt is so much more versatile than most people realize. Use it in homemade beauty treatments, for cooking substitutes, healthy desserts and SOOOO much more!
- Mix ¼ cup plain yogurt with one teaspoon lemon or orange zest, one tablespoon honey, and one tablespoon of aloe vera and mix well. Use a soft, clean paint brush or cosmetic brush to apply an even layer of the mixture from forehead to the bottom of your neck. Let the mixture sit on your skin for 15-25 minutes and rinse well. Follow up with a thin layer of aloe vera or your favorite face lotion and viola! That’s a truly natural and healthy chemical peel that promises to leave you glistening rather than looking like your face was carpet burned.
- Place your favorite fruits in the blender with some yogurt (I use about a cup of yogurt per frozen bag of fruit). My favorite is pineapple with strawberries and a dash of fresh orange juice. You can also add a dab of sugar or your favorite sweetener of choice- but you don’t need it. Puree and mix thoroughly. Place into a freezer safe dish or storage container and freezer over night. Who knew healthy homemade frozen yogurt could be so easy?! Read the rest of this entry »
Attention Frugalistas and Penny Pinchers!!!
Couple things…
First I want to apologize for not keeping the blog up… life has been so hectic I can’t even begin to explain how exhausted we’ve been… and maybe still are. First we had our move, bought a second car, both started new jobs, and still don’t have house unpacked (or even close) 37 days after out move because we’ve been helping with my grandpa who fell very ill and is make a very slow recovery. Anyway, things seem to be slowing down (I hope it’s not just wishful thinking) and we’re starting to find a new normal.
The good news is that this past week I’ve been working on several articles for It Makes Cents to Me! You may see one Monday but if not, you’ll definitely see a Ten Tips For Tuesday!
And for the final piece of good news… I wanted to share with you all that Old Navy will be selling polo t-shirts for $5 on Saturday, March 3rd- it’s a one day sale so be sure to stop by and stock up!
Last but not least, I just want to say thank you to all my new readers and all my old readers for checking back for new posts. I really apologize for not keeping you updated and I really, really, really appreciate your patience!
Happy Easter! God Bless each of you and your families!
Megan
It Makes Cents to Me! 