Dollar Stretcher Community

Are Goals Magical?

Gary — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:01:00 GMT

They might be. No, I haven't lost my senses. Just consider this before you come to a conclusion (about either the magic or my sanity). I've noticed that we're much more likely to achieve our goals if we tell someone about them. If you think about it, you'll agree that it's true.

So what's the deal? Certainly the act of telling someone about our goal didn't move us closer to successfully reaching it. So is it magic?

I think not. It's probably just that by telling someone else we've crossed a line in our minds. We've really committed to our goal. We've given that goal power to affect how we live our life. We've even put ourselves in a position where the friend that heard our goal could ask us whether we achieved it.

So I don't think that goals are magical. But, I do believe that telling someone else about our goals increases our odds of success. So I think that I'll tell a close friend about my current goal.

This blog entry originally appeared in "Financial Independence" a daily email that helps people to achieve their financial goals. To begin to receive this free daily encouragement click here.

A Bleak Holiday for Credit Card Issuers?

PamH — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:25:00 GMT

by Bill Hardekopf

New holiday spending surveys are providing data that shows consumers plan to cut their holiday spending and reduce their usage of credit cards. Credit card delinquency rates are up again, showing consumers are still under financial stress. Many cardholders are still reeling from large APR increases they have received this year and they can no longer afford to charge their way through the holidays.

According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping, a 3.2% drop from last year's $705.01. About 71% of consumers plan to use cash, check or debit cards as their primary payment method when buying holiday gifts. Only 28.3% of shoppers will use credit this year compared to 31.5% a year ago, a 10% decrease.

Paying with cash is the best way to add a safety brake during holiday shopping. Studies show that consumers typically spend 12-18% less when we use cash for payment. Counting out and handing over cash is a sobering reminder of how much items really cost. It makes you pause and consider if the purchase is really worth your labor.

According to a recent USAA survey, more than half (55%) of respondents are planning to avoid charging their holiday purchases and 85% plan to use cash for some of their holiday purchases. Among the shoppers who plan to use their credit cards, 74% plan to pay off their balance immediately so that they do not pay interest. 20% say they will pay off the balance in a few months while 7% say they will only pay the minimum balance.

However, many consumers have not prepared a plan for holiday spending. 19% are not sure how they will pay for their holiday purchases. 22 % who plan to use cash haven't saved any money in advance. (USAA survey) Now is the time to budget and plan for your holiday shopping so you don't get caught up in the moment and spend more than you can afford. Credit cards rates are now too high to just charge something and assume you will be able to pay it.

If you charge $1,000 on a credit card with an interest rate of 15% and just pay $25 of your balance each month, it will take you until May of 2014 to pay off this Christmas, and you will pay an additional $370 in interest. If your APR was recently increased and you carry a balance, leave that card at home so you won't charge anything more on it.

Millions of Americans are still paying off the holiday purchases they made last year. 6% of adults (or about 13.5 million Americans) were still carrying debt from last year's holiday season. In households with children under 12 years old, 10% were still carrying debt. (Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, October 2009).

Bill Hardekopf is CEO of LowCards.com, a site that simplifies the confusion of shopping for credit cards. It is a free, independent website that helps consumers easily compare credit cards in a variety of categories such as lowest rates, rewards, rebates, balance transfers and lowest introductory rates. It also gives an unbiased ranking and review for each card. The LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index is the most objective and comprehensive resource on the Internet which allows consumers to compare rates for all 1060 credit cards offered in this country.

Marie-Madeline Studio: Giveaways

juju_mommy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:55:00 GMT

Thanks to a post on one of my favorite blogs, MoneySavingMom, I found out about a wonderful family business called Marie-Madeline Studio. This is a sewing business ran by a mother and her daughters and they have some beautiful and feminine products! They sell ready-made items such as skirts (for both women and girls), aprons, handbags, jumpers, etc. they also sell a couple of patterns for their items and some lovely fabrics for those of you who sew. Though I believe their products are very reasonably priced considered they are hand-made and come from a small family-owned business, I know that it still may be out of budget for most of us "Dollar Stretchers". But I thought that it was worth sharing this great find. Especially since....

They are having a free giveaway each week until Christmas! Visit their blog

Hope for a Spendaholic

Gary — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:02:00 GMT

I have been married 40 years, I am 59 and am a spendaholic. I have been following Dave Ramsey's plan and trying to get my credit cards paid off. We have no money and no retirement. Is there any hope for us?

Yes, there is hope for B. It might take awhile and may not be easy. But just because she didn't overcome her spendaholic tendencies in the past doesn't mean that it cannot be done.

Let's tackle the problem on two levels. First, the things that she can do to get the problem under control today. Second, the longer-range things that she can do to uproot the source of the problem.

B. says that she's using the Dave Ramsey plan for paying off her credit cards. Good for her. Dave's plan is very workable. It's one of two common plans for paying off debt that are very similar.

Both pay the minimum on all accounts. One pays off the smallest balance first and pays accounts off from smallest to largest. The idea is that you get re-motivated every time you close an account.

The other, ranks them in terms of interest rates. They pay off the highest rate first and works down from the highest interest rate to the lowest. This is the fastest way to pay off a group of accounts. But, you'll need to keep yourself motivated.

Depending on how much debt she has, it may take B. awhile to pay down all the accounts. She'll need some patience and determination. It took awhile to accumulate the debt. It will take awhile to pay it off.

At the same time that B. is reducing the debt level, it's important that she stop her spending. She can't get out of debt if she keeps spending. So that has to stop now.

Based on past experience, her willpower and good intentions cannot be trusted 100% of the time. So until B. can control her spending urges, she'll need to use some physical means to assist her will power.

That means recongizing where she's vulnerable. Is she more likely to be spending cash? Using credit cards? Ordering over the internet? Or by phone?

Whatever the vulnerability, B. will need to devise a plan to protect her when willpower is not enough. That may mean limiting the amount of cash she carries. Or freezing her credit cards in a block of ice so she has to wait before charging. Blocking certain internet sites or TV shopping channels.

Once B. has made it hard to succumb to her spendaholic urges, then it's time to try to find what's causing her to spend. I'm no psychologist. But I have worked with many people and their finances. Money is generally not the root of the problem. It's most likely to be a symptom of something else. Often people spend in an attempt to make some emotional hurt feel better.

B. will want to look for a pattern to her spending. Is there a particular emotion that she's feeling when the urge to shop is strong? Knowing what emotion goes along with her spending will allow B. to watch for the emotion and when it surfaces she can guard against spending. A little like an early warning system.

She might also want to seek outside help. Many places have Debtor's Anonymous meetings.

Or B. could find professional psychological help. Either to help her find the source of her spending or to deal with the source once it's found.

There's no reason for B. to give up hope. She can make it almost physically impossible to spend. That alone will solve most of the problem. And if B. is able to identify the emotional root and deal with those issues then she can be free of her spendaholism forever!

Black Friday 2009

juju_mommy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:09:00 GMT

It's that time of year again! Let the craziness begin!

Perhaps I'm being an optimist for once, but I'm thinking that we may see even better deals this year than we've seen in a long time. It's no secret that the economy is in the tank and it doesn't seem to be improving much. Stores are reporting some seriously low sales. In order to encourage more spending, stores have started to run holiday ads even earlier this year. I'm hoping that with all this going on, there will be some great deals to be had the day after Thanksgiving. Let's hope I'm right! See below the ads I've been able to find so far. I will also post information that I've found about what we can expect from certain stores. I'm also posting my gift ideas (just throwing in my 2cents). Let's start our game plan!

The Stores

Walmart --> this ad hasn't been released yet. But there are some major changes to note. After last year, when a store employee got killed in the stampeed (seriously!), they are changing their Black Friday plan. Stores will open Thanksgiving day at 6am and stay open through Friday evening. Depending on what the ad has, I may consider going Thanksgiving morning.

Kmart --> opens 6am

$3.99 Disney infant toddler sets

Target --> opens 5am, I think Target gets my "best deals" vote so far! I've never gone to Target on Black Friday (usually go to the mall) but I may consider it this year.

$3 Chefmate appliances (great for a teen on their way or already in college!)
$5 kids pajama sets (great filler gift!)
$5 women and men sleep pants (great for teens)
$35 electronic drum set (have no idea if this is a good deal but looks like a cool gift for a pre-teen boy; comes with headphones! LOL)
$29 digital photo frame (great for the office worker who has everything; great for grandparents if you program it for them)
$3.99 and $5.99 DVDS (stocking stuffers)
$7.49 Disney Cars 4pk Speedway Vehicles (great kid gift!)
$9.99 Leap Frog fridge sets (I have several of these and my kids love them!)
$10 Doodle Pro (I'm thinking this would be great for my almost 3yr old; great car toy for long trips)
lots of older kid games for $10
$10 Thomas the Train thing (perfect for little boys)
$16.99 Easybake Oven (what young girl wouldn't love this?)
$7.99 Transformer
$5 preschool games
$6.99 Playdoh set (maybe I'm crazy but going to try to get this for my almost 3yo)
$12 Queen Size Air Bed (perfect if you have guests coming from out of town; or good gift for someone who goes camping)
$9 Dirt Devil Stick Vac (good gift for teen on their way or already in college)
$15 Armor All Gift Pack (got this for DH last year and he loved it! Would be great for a teen boy too!)
$7 Disney Princess Activity Sets
Fleece jackets for the family
$5 scarfs (great stocking stuffer)
$10 slippers for girls and $12 slippers for women
$5 women or men graphic tees (great for teens); $10 women and men lined hoodies (perfect for adults and teens; filler gifts for under the tree)
$7 infant, toddler, boys and girls lined hoodies. $3 infant, toddler, boys and girls graphic tees (great filler gifts for under the tree)
$10 Digital KeyChain (great stocking stuffer for anyone!)

Home Depot --> open 6am

99cent ponsetias (good hostest gift)
several tool gifts int he $10 price range (great stocking stuffers for the guys!)
$9.99 LED flashlight 6pk combo (again, great stocking stuffer)
$9.99 60pk Rayovak AA batterie set (this would be a great time to stock up for around the house)

Lowes --> opens 6am (be sure to type in your zip code to pull up ad for your area)

$10 tool set
$2.99 12Gallon flip-top storage containers (the forums are saying that these aren't great quality but for that price you can find something to do wtih them!)

Toys R Us --> opens midnight on Thanksgiving Day. I think this place is an over-rated nightmare. You can find most of these toys elsewhere. Plus, they usuallly have just as good online deals (check there Cyber Monday instead!)

Best Buy --> opens 5am; not that great this year

Sears --> opens 4am YIKES! This is my favorite place to go b/c I usually get DH tools for Christmas. I'm going to skip this year, though. I find that they have the same tool deals after BF.

Great place for deals on tools and electronics
$9.99 Disney Pix Micro Digital Cameras (this looks really cute for a kid's gift)
60% off dresses for infant and toddler girls (great time to buy that Christmas outfit!)
$9.99 Hamilton Beach 4qt Slow Cooker
DVDs for $3.99
Craftsman 13inch tool bag $4.99 (I get these bags almost every year. They are very sturdy and hold a lot. It's a great misc. gift for a guy)

JcPenny --> opens 4am

Kohls --> opens 4am; $10 in Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spend!

$3.99 small kid board games
$4.99 games for older kids & adults
$3.99 stainless steal water bottles (great stocking stuffer; specially for teens!)
I see lots of good deals on clothes for juniors and adults
$7.99 mens pj pants
$29.99 Hamilton Beach roaster that comes with 3 buffet-style insert trays (looks like a cool gift for the mom that likes to entertain!)

CVS --> the ad hasn't been posted yet but see this blog for info on the freebies.

Walgreens --> opens 9am Thanksgiving day; lots of great RR freebie deals

Office Depot --> opens 6am

great laptop and printer deals
$29.99 digital photo frame (this is a good gift for the office worker who has everything or the grandparent, as long as you program it for them!)

Tanger Outlet Stores --> I have one of these near me. It looks like they have some great deals this year. They usually have a great Thanksgiving sale too that is at night.

Note: I'll be adding more adds as they are released. So, be sure to check back often!

Send me a comment: Do you plan to shop Black Friday this year? Do you plan to stand in line or sit in your pjs at home and shop online? What are your Black Friday traditions? Do you think all the chaos is worth the deals? Last year I noticed a whole lot more after-Black-Firday-deals that were pretty much the same as what you get that day. So, if you noticed the same, do you plan on staying home this year?

Tips of the Week: November 15-21

juju_mommy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:04:00 GMT

Great Deals

CVS Weekly Deals 11/15 thru 11/21

View Ad Here

For information on how to get a $5 off $30 coupon go here. Also, get a $5 off $20 coupon here.

Cold and Flu Remedies

Deal = $10 Extra Care Bucks When You Buy $20 Worth of Cold and Flu Remedies

This has endless possibilities and is totally worth taking the time to go through your coupons, search online and put together some deal scenerios. Stock up! Here are a few online coupons ot help you out:

$2.00 off Theraflu here and here
$2.00 off Robitussin here and here

Lindsay Olives

Price = $1.99 Buy One Get One Free

Manf. Coupon = $1.00 off 2 found here

Final Price = 99cents for two!

Walgreens Weekly Deals 11/15 thru 11/21

View Ad Here

Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Price = 79 cents with in-ad coupon
Final Price = 79 cents (GDA)

Lindsay Olives

Price = 99 cents with in-ad coupon
Manf. Coupon = $1.00 off 2 found here
Final Price = 49cents each

Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes

Price = 99cents with in-ad coupon
Manf. Coupon = $1.00 off two found in the 10/4 SmartSource insert, 40cents off found here and here
Final Price = 49cents or 59cents (depending on coupon used)

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

Price = 2 for $5.00
Manf. Coupon = $2.00 off one found here
Final Price = 50cents

Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice

Price = 2 for $5.00 with in-ad coupon
Manf. Coupon = $2.00 off found here
Final Price = 50cent

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish

Price = 2 for $3.00
Manf. Coupon = 75cents off found here
Final Price = 75cents (great stocking stuffer for toddlers!)

Skippy Peanut Butter

Price = 2 for $3.00
Manf. Coupon = 60cents off found in the 11/15 RedPlum insert
Final Price = 90cents

Ricola Mixes Berry Cough Drops 19ct

Price = $1.00
RR = $1.00 Register Rewards
Final Price = FREE!

Aussie Hair Care Product

Price = $2.99
RR = $2.00 Register Rewards
Manf. Coupon = $1.00 off found in the 10/11 P&G insert
Final Price = FREE!

Robitussin DM To Go 2pk (this is a deal for the month!)

Price = $2.49
RR = $2.49 Register Rewards
Final Price = FREE!

Almay Pure Blends Foundation (this is a deal for the month!)

Price = $9.99
RR = $9.99 Register Rewards
Final Price = FREE!

Cool Coupons

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Coupons.com, SmartSource and RedPlum for their latest coupons. Be sure to print out any and all baking, soup, canned goods, holiday-related coupons. You'll definitely be able to use them within the next few weeks!

Check out Eat Better America for a variety of coupons, including Progresso! Also, as a side note, be sure to take some time to glance through all the great recipes this site offers. They have some wonderful "healthified" recipes of your favorites. I've tried several from here and think they are great!

More Progresso coupons, along with coupons for those Betty Crocker Potatoes that are really cheap right now, can be found at Betty Crocker's coupon page.

Go here for this deal: Save $2.00 on a Butterball^® Turkey when you buy any combination of 5 6oz. Stove Top^® Stuffing Mix or 12oz. Heinz^® Homestyle Gravy.

$1.00 off Campbell's Select Harvest Soup

$1.00 off 4 Campbell's Cooking Soups

$2.00 off a box of Huggie's Diapers

$1.10 off Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs

$1.00 off 3 Heniz Homestyle Gravy

This Tylenol Calendar has some printable coupons in it.

Awesome Freebies

Tampax Pearl

3 Year Subscription to Town and Country Magazine

1 Year Subscription to Dime Magazine

1 Year Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine

Huggies Little Movers

Pampers Extra Protection

TENA For Men

Other Tips/Deals

A Cool Deal on Food Saver Items

Here is a post about a great deal on a bundle of food saver items. This would be great if you already have a food saver and could also be a great gift to someone who already has one.

Get $10 More When you Change $40 At Coinstar

This is a great deal, just in time for holiday shopping! Go to any Coinstar location (found in many places such as Walmart and other grocery stores) and change $40 for a giftcertificate (i.e. instead of just getting cash back) and you'll get an extra $10!!! This would be a great way to take care of someone on your Christmas list! Just gather up all the loose change you have and cash it in. Go here for more details.

Taming the Paper Tiger

mary2 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:28:00 GMT

I recently heard about a television program called "Hoarders." It chronicles real people who have become overwhelmed by their possessions. I watched a few episodes and was surprised to find it very touching. Hoarders aren't stereotypical people living in a dump with 14 cats roaming around. These were bright, warm, and vulnerable people. I felt like I would enjoy having a cup of coffee with any one of them (preferably at a coffee shop......).

There have been times in my life that the stuff just seems to take over. It probably started growing up -- 3 sisters sharing one bedroom made for some wicked chaos. Then there was the baby and toddler phase. I defy anyone with small children to maintain a clutter-free home.

But I have to say my overriding compulsion is paper. I can't get rid of paper.

What if my house burns down and I have to prove that I bought that leather recliner in 1991 for $300? (Never mind that the paper is as likely to burn up as the chair is!)
And what if there's an IRS audit someday (and they want to see records from 1978 for some reason)?
I have manuals to every appliance that came into this house. Even if the appliance has long since left this house.

But it goes beyond useful paper.

In my boxes of photographs you'll find prints and the negatives (I may want to have reprints some day) of the shots when the camera fired off in my purse.
I frequently come across grocery store receipts from two years ago.
The credit card offers can't be thrown in the trash. They need to be shredded. Which I'll get to someday.

Sometimes it's sentimental; I have original receipts from my wedding (grand total $600), the births of my children (in case I needed to take them back for a refund), and letters and cards I have received. And my children's artwork, well.....If it was good enough for my refrigerator door, it's archive-worthy.

Sometimes it's unreasonable thinking; I know I'm going to want to read that book or magazine again. And maybe it's a good idea to print out some of those emails.

I don't think I could be classified as a hoarder (yet). I am confident you'll never read about me in the paper or see me on reality tv. Mainly because I hate cats.

But in the meantime, I am working on it. I've picked up some wonderful tips from The Fly Lady and Sandra Felton's Messies Anonymous. I'm getting caught up on the shredding. I've even started selling some old books on half.com. Maybe next I'll buy a scanner. But if it comes with a manual............ Not to mention the receipt!

Thanksgiving Crafts and Projects

Brandy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:49:00 GMT

Don't forget to add some easy crafts and projects into your history studies this week!

Here are some great sites to get Thanksgiving themed printables and projects:

Holidays with DLTK

Thanksgiving printables for kids

Making Friends fall crafts

Have a fun holiday!

Small Steps = Big Goals

Gary — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:31:00 GMT

Part of accomplishing any goal is the daily discipline to take the next small step. So don't let yourself be talked out of doing the small things. Successfully doing the small things will guarantee the success of the big things.

Frugalness or Self Suffiency as a Religion

Cinnamonhuskies — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:35:00 GMT

Some folks see frugalness as living life simply. Or simply living life. Others seem to immerse themselves in a religious-like furvor and truly become frgal zealots. Then there are those that are frugal with a self-righteous tone about them and no one that can come up to their standards of religious frugalness should be allowed near them, in real life or in forums.

C'mon down off your high horses. I'm sure I've been convicted of the same thing at times. Pride does come before a fall. Just like spiritually, everyone is at a different place in their lives. Just when you think you've got it all figured out something can happen to pull the rug out from under you and you may find yourself changing your tune a little. Suddenly all that bad mouthing people that have credit cards comes home to roost...and you have to use a credit card to live on briefly because you already went through your emergency funds after losing the good job you had for 20 years....one day it's guarenteed and the next you are pink slipped with nary a severence pay. I've had it happen to 2 good friends this year.

Personally, I've done everything I could do to be self sufficient out in the backwoods. But now we have had to let the goats go because feed has become too expensive while income for goat kids and products are at an all time low. So now I buy milk in the grocery store. I used to bake bread but now I buy cast-offs from the local sara lee plant. I used to sew my curtains but this year I bought them. I used to make homemade pizzas but now I order take out or buy frozen. My family is just in a change in lifestyle as the kids approach adulthood. I thought wed never use credit cards again but this summer and fall have been hard in many ways and credit has picked up the slack. I've had to eat my words often this year.

So I no longer wear a badge of frugalness or self reliance in religious fervor. I'm not perfect and I don't always make all the right choices. I hope I've never once in my zealousness implied that I am all that. I have been offended at times by those that do. Once you've walked in other's shoes there is a great understanding and compassion that comes from it.

You "Cheap Date", you!

Millers Grain House — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:53:00 GMT

At one time, that label was considered an insult. For a gentleman to take out a young lady and stress over the expense and count pennies to barely go anywhere or do anything was often a mark of shame meaning he thought her less worthy of any money spent. Oh how the economy can help us to re-align our priorities. As I've spoken many times before of the 'homesteading mindset' - it's not a matter of doing without as much as it is doing differently. Looking at things outside the 'norm'...(read more)

I'm Baaaaaack!

juju_mommy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:37:00 GMT

Ok guys. I'm sorry for such an extended (and unannounced) dissapearing act. LOL. Things have been very busy at work and at home. There just hasn't been much time for blogging and, to be honest, my heart hasn't been in to it lately. But I think I'm back on track now.

Here is a brief update: Work is work and it's been busy. I'm very thankful for my job (especially at a time when so many are laid off). But I don't enjoy my job or the environment the least bit. I've done my best to "make the best of it" but sometimes that is easier said than done. Anyway. I interviewed for a new job that I was super excited about. Same pay (possibly more), same benefits, MUCH closer to home, great work environment, friendly people, etc. I learned I was the top pick for the job, they even contacted my current employer to reference check...... and then...... nothing........ Make a long story short: after a long and stressful wait for a call back, they decided to hire the runner up who was already an employee there (which, I do believe is good policy. If I lost the opportunity I'd rather it go to someone internally). I've been pretty dissapointed and feel stuck. But, again, I keep trying to remember that I'm blessed to have the job that I have and make the best of it. But, it has gotten me down for a while.

On top of that (which is the main reason why I shouldn't be complaining LOL), DH has been out of work for a few months now. In his line of work, time between jobs is usual, expected and planned for (as much as possible). But the money is running out. Thankfully we had SOME money saved, I get a paycheck that covers most of our bills and he's done a few side jobs here and there to buffer things some. But I'm starting to get a little nervous. Christmas is around the corner and I'm desperate to get back on track with paying off our debt. We were doing so great but had to put off the pay-back-plan until he went back to work. But, we are making it. We are very blessed and all my frugal learning for the past few years is really paying off lately. It's a challenge to finally put things into practice more out of need than just... well.... practice.

As a little side note, I want to remind you all of something that I know I've been posting alot about lately: the importance of food storage!!! It's important to learn how to make your grocery budget stretch both for the short and long term. When you do your weekly shopping, if possible, try to pick up a few pantry extras for a rainy day. Money isn't so tight now to where we can't afford groceries (and we haven't had to request food stamps assistance by any means). But it has been a big blessing to have the food storage that I have on hand so that our money can be spent elsewhere to get us through this time between jobs (notice the positive tone? LOL).

On a more positive note, regarding updates, we are all VERY blessed.

So, stay tuned. Regular posting is now resuming. LOL. Thank you for your patience and thank you for continuing to visit Stretching Dollars Mommy Style and the Dollar Stretcher website.

Have a blessed day,

Julie

Testing SBI to see how it works...

mlichlyter — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:26:00 GMT

Hello again!

So, after a few more weeks, I was able to put up a few new pages, and I decided to test something out. With Thanksgiving coming up, I decided to make a page about turkey food safety (http://www.food-safety-and-you.com/TurkeyFoodSafety.html); I wanted to see how long it would take the Google “spiders” to find the site and how fast traffic would come.

Page went up about a week ago. I had a chef who also has pages with SBI contact me about hooking up a link between the two pages (her link is about ¾ of the way down – and it is a pretty good recipe if you want to check it out). I then checked traffic and the first few days I got about 4 or 5 visitors. Then Google found the page about 3 days after I put it up. Now I’m getting more traffic and hopefully will still be able to rank the pages.

I did the test to see how fast SBI works – I had a friend who also makes pages and it took weeks for them to be found by Google.

Here’s the point – there are a lot of different programs out there and SBI is the best outside of paying someone thousands of dollars on someone professionally doing it for you. If you’re thinking about building a web site you should check out SBI and see what can happen – it is a lot of work, but if you have the time and the passion for the topic, you just might have a lot of fun doing it.

I considered www.Food-Safety-and-You.com a gift and I’m working my butt off to make it work – this blog has become a “praise SBI” blog that I didn’t really mean for it to become, but I can’t believe how much I’ve learned and done with this program.

Hope everyone has a enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving.

Knitting Cables - A Tip on Turning the Stitches

Edey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:58:00 GMT

If you have had a difficult time working a cable on your knitted project, this tip may help.

Use a aluminum crochet hook as the stitch holder, that use that hook to make the new stitches, instead of trying to knit them off of the stitch holder.

I've always had a hard time knitting the stitches that are being held aside for the cable twist. My knitting is usually too tight to make the crossover easily, and try as I might I couldn't easily knit the stitches off of the cable needle. So I got the idea of using an aluminum crochet hook similar in size to my stitches as a stitch holder, then hooking the yarn to make the new stitches, instead of knitting the new stitches off of a stitch holder needle, or cable needle.

The aluminum hook I'm using is a size B (2.25 mm) by Boye, it has a matte or powder finish to it that helps hold the yarn on the hook. I place the stitches on the hook body that I want to hold for the twist of the cable, then knit the other half of the cable stitches. I place the held back stitches back on the left needle from the hook, then with the first held back stitch, start hooking the yarn and placing the new stitches on the right needle, adjusting the tension as the stitch is placed on the knitting needle.

Doing the cable twist this way has made for a easier and neater result in the cable twist. It eliminates the strain on the stitches that need to be knitted at the crossover, from trying to reach them with the right side knitting needle.

I've used this trick for other knitting projects, when working with twisted stitches. One of the decreases that I like to use twists the stitches in the opposite direction from how they normally sit on the needle, and it is easier to pull the yarn thru those twisted stitches with a hook then grabbing them with the right knitting needle. I knit thru the back loop instead of from the front/left; when I twist my stitches they are then facing front/left, and therefore somewhat tight compared to the other stitches in the same row. The hook makes it easy to grab the yarn and pull it thru the tight stitches without splitting the stitches or the yarn.

Enjoy! Edey

Holiday Ideas on a Dime (or better yet, FREE)

Millers Grain House — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:09:00 GMT

Wow. We are almost to the end of the year. You know what that means don't you? The temptation to get 'malled' at the mall and shop for gifts we can't afford in crowds we may not enjoy and spend money we just don't have. How does one avoid that mayhem and enjoy this end of the year season? The answer is, 'thoughtfully'. Yes it Virginia, it does take some thought, but that's just creative juices and costs nothing and often producing much more deeply cherished memories...(read more)

Thanksgiving Lesson Plans

Brandy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:22:00 GMT

Thanksgving is approaching for those in the U.S. but what are we thankful for and why do we celebrate this day? Enjoy the holiday all month long with lessons about the settling of our country, the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

Here are some good sources for lesson plans and interactive educational sites:

Turkey themed activites and lessons

You are the historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving

History of Thanksgiving from the History Channel

Pilgrim History

The First Thanksgiving from Scholastic

Have a happy Thanksgiving lesson!

Labels - A New Perspective

mary2 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:47:00 GMT

After my last blog post , my daughter called me "passive-aggressive." I had to give that some thought and decided that it is actually a compliment. I think she meant to tell me that I am a very creative problem solver. I managed to convey valuable information without actually telling her what to do. Genius!

In fact, upon further reflection, I have decided that a lot of the labels my family has tried to pin on me are actually descriptions of some very positive traits. For instance:

"OCD" - enthusiastically thorough. Without my checking, you can be sure the stove would burn down the house as soon as we drove around the corner.
"Shopaholic" - savvy shopper. I know where the bargains are and I always come home successful!
"Pack Rat" - always prepared. You never know when that avacado green dial telephone will be needed.
"Messie" - skilled interior decorator. Why else does our house attract teenage boys in droves if not for our relaxed, homey atmosphere?
"Smart Alec" -humorous. My son's girlfriend thought I was really cool!
"Know-it-all" - Why, thank you.
"Cheap" - frugal. A good steward of the family's finances never buys $100 jeans and sneakers. Unless they're in her size. And marked down to 75% off.
"Paranoid" - prophetic. If you don't drink your milk, your bones will get soft, your teeth will fall out, and you'll be buying DentureGrip before you're out of high school. I know these things.
"Hyperactive" - very energetic. Dust bunnies, weeds, Starbucks, garage sales...watch out, here I come."
"Procrastinator" - thoughtful. If you don't formulate well-thought-out plans, nothing would get done.
"Nosy" - concerned. I gave birth to you. I deserve to know everything.
"Oblivious" - very, very happy.

O.k., Family. Keep them coming! I can take it!

Toe-up Socks - A Joy to Knit

Edey — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:58:00 GMT

Knitting this first pair of toe-up socks was a joy to do, and so easy to complete compared to making socks knitted from the top down.

One part about top-down socks that I don't like doing is creating the gusset by picking up numerous stitches along the side of the heel stitches, then working them off with decreases to return to the width of the foot. Working with those extra stitches on extra needles is cumbersome, and I was always glad when I got finished with the gusset section.

Picking up the extra stitches along the heel flap isn't necessary in this version of toe-up socks. The gusset stitches are added at the side of the sole stitches as the foot is worked, until the gusset is wide enough to fit over the thickest part of the ankle/heel area, then the heel is shaped on those extra stitches. Once I worked it out and understood the procedure, I thought "Wow", this is easy, and fast.

Another part of top-down that I don't care for is casting on the stitches, then arranging them on the double-point needles. It is always awkward and clumsy.

With the toe-up sock, the toe is started by crocheting a chain using length of waste yarn, then the knit stitches are picked-up on the back side of the chain and placed on the knitting needle. From there the toe is worked as a short row toe (short-row toe tutorial). Starting the sock this way was so much easier than fumbling with getting the cast-on stitches aligned and connected to start knitting in the round on double-point needles for the top-down sock.

The only difficulty I did have with the toe-up sock was judging where to start the gusset increases. In hindsight I know now I should have started them sooner along the length of the foot, as I needed more width for my thicker ankles. But this will be an easy change for the next pair of toe-up socks.

I highly recommend knitting socks this way. They were a great joy to knit.

Edey

Finding the Positive

Gary — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:10:00 GMT

Trying to change our behavior is often a challenge. Especially if it's a long-standing habit that's been repeated thousands and thousands of times. But, just because it's a challenge, doesn't mean that it can't be done. In fact, when you stop to think about it, even behaviors that you've had for years can be changed in a month or so. That's pretty remarkable.

How many people do you know who always seem to find the negative? Whether it's the dessert at a restraurant, the guest list at a party or the present they received from Aunt Mary, they'll always find something to be unhappy about. No matter how good everything else was. I admit that I find it tiring to be around people like that. It's almost as if the negativity has completely drained their life force and is now going after mine!

One good thing does come out of hanging around them. It's a great reminder for me to check my own attitude. Have I become negative? Do I always look what's wrong? Are my words often critical? If so, it's time to change my perspective. Because that negativity will quickly begin to sap my energy and color everything I see. Noticing what's happening gives me an opportunity to get back on track. And, hopefully I'll be smart enough to take that opportunity!

ps: I know that it's harder to see the good if you've just lost your job or there is sickness in your family. There's no denying that's true. But, it's equally true that those are the exact times that it is even more important to find some positive things to think about. Being able to see the positive is great medicine. And medicine is most needed when times are truly tough not when the going is easy.

This post originally appeared in Financial Independence. FI is a daily message designed to help people take control of their financial lives. To find out more check out the Financial Independence page.

Red Minivans

Gary — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:12:00 GMT

Finding things to be thankful for is a bit of an art. And, unfortunately, an art that many of us are unfamiliar with. Have you ever noticed how when you buy a new, red minivan that you'll notice all the red minivans on the road? The reason is that we're looking for them. There aren't any more around than yesterday. You're just of a mindset to notice them.

I believe that the same thing is true of things to be thankful for. Our life is probably no better or worse than the day before. But if we're looking to find good things, then we're more likely to see them. So instead of looking for red minivans, how about looking for the good things that will happen in your day today?

There Really is a Santa Claus

Karen K — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Hubby is a professional real bearded Santa. This last weekend we went to the Mall of America for a MN Santa Kick-Off Party. There were 126 real bearded Santa’s in attendance. The largest real bearded Santa party ever held in Minnesota . '' There are 8 Santa Oaths that are agreed to and signed. In a little girl who was 4 or 5 years old I saw oath #7 come to life. '' “ I promise to use "my" powers to create happiness, spread love and make fantasies come to life in the true...(read more)

Positive vs Negative

Gary — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:16:00 GMT

Today we begin a new goal for the month of November - working on being thankful. We selected that goal for a reason. When we're looking for a reason to be thankful we're looking for things that are good. We're focused on the positive. Not the negative. So no matter how you feel right now, spend some time today looking for something that you're glad exists in your world. You'll be a happier person for it.

Finding something to be thankful for tends to focus our mind on the positive. Why is that good? Because the mind cannot hold two opposing thoughts at the same time. One after another, yes. But at the same time, no. So if you're positively thankful, you cannot be negative for that moment. And, sometimes, especially when we're feeling low, to escape from the negativity even for a few moments is a real relief.

What methods do you use to find items to be thankful for? Why not share them with us?

Home for Christmas

mary2 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:04:00 GMT

I must state at the outset that this blog post IS NOT AIMED AT MY DAUGHTER--the away-at-college, now-all-grown-up one who can figure things out herself and, besides, if she doesn't know how to do something it must be because her mother did not do a good job teaching her while she was young .

No, this is aimed at someone who might happen to be needing to make travel arrangements to fly somewhere, say home for Christmas or something like that. For those people, here are a few of my favorite travel sites.

Be sure to remember to book holiday flights early. They fill up quickly, and prices may go up the closer we get to the holidays. But you already knew that.

It used to be I'd check prices on each of the reservation sites --Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. And then I would go to the airlines' sites directly. Then when I was done with all of that, the prices would change and I'd have to start all over.

No longer, thanks to kayak.com. They search all of those sites and display the flight options and prices in one place. The only pricing that I have noticed that they do not provide is from Southwest Airlines. So be sure to check their site before you make a decision.

One more thing to keep in mind is the extra charges the airlines have for such luxuries as checked baggage, refreshments, and some seat assignments. Kayak has those fees posted as well at http://www.kayak.com/airline-fees.

Now, once you have your flight selected, it's time to go to my second-favorite travel site, seatguru.com. This site gives the dimensions and characteristics for individual seats on the airplane. They tell you which seats have limited recline, misaligned windows, and reduced legroom. If only they could tell you which seats have the screaming babies!

There's no question that your assigned seat has a lot to do with how tolerable a flight is. I admit to having resorted to some underhanded tricks in selecting seats to try to sit next to the ever-elusive empty seat.

Never pay to reserve a seat. Can you imagine paying extra for an emergency exit row seat and then having a kid in the row behind you using your seatback for soccer practice? Unless I can assign the seats for everyone in close proximity to me, I'm not paying for it!
When booking two seats on a flight, I'll select seats in a row that are three across and reserve the window and the aisle seat. (No hate mail, please!) If some poor soul ends up in the middle seat between my partner and me, I may have an attack of conscience and offer to take the middle seat myself. Sometimes.
Select seats toward the back of the plane. Usually, seats fill up in the front first. This appears to be especially true for those dreaded middle seats.
And finally, check the seating chart online the night before the flight and see if you want to change the seating assignment.

If you need a hotel for your stay (which you probably won't if you're visiting someone near and dear who will be thrilled to have you and will have your old room all ready for you), check hotels.com or some of the other sites. But you are likely to find the best deals by going directly to the hotel's site. I like to use Trip Advisor to get recommendations and ratings for the hotels.

And, finally, TravelZoo has a newsletter and web site with some excellent information about travel deals. If you subscribe to their newsletter, they'll alert you when an usually good deal is to be had. Maybe if the deal is good enough you'll decide to schedule a spur of the moment trip and, say, surprise someone for their birthday or Mother's Day, or something.

See you soon, honey.

Toe-up Socks, Finished

Edey — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:53:00 GMT

Here is the finished pair. They were completed with a sewn binding which is what gives it the ruffled look to the top. The little balls of yarn are all that was left when they were done.

I'll write more in my next post.

Edey

SBI Lesson Learned.. or learning

mlichlyter — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:16:00 GMT

So, here I am working on my web site, www.food-safety-and-you.com. I had a challenge because my topic, food safety, really didn’t fit the plans that SBI sets up. But, because I’m stubborn enough (and my wife says it’s a guy thing) I plugged away and worked on building the site.

So, I finished Phase 1 and was moving into Phase 2, when I had someone visit my site who has built a number of SBI sites. They immediately gave me what I would call open heart surgery without anesthetic. The thing was, in my determination to do this, I tried to ignore some of the warning signs that the warning that SBI gave me. As a result, I had built over 60 pages with many of them set up incorrectly. While you wouldn’t be able to see it from the visitor perspective; the errors were in planning the backend of the web site (what SBI calls Site Central).

To fix them cost me a lot of time… and my wife sitting over my shoulder saying “How come men can never follow directions!” (OK, if you’re married, you know what I’m saying – don’t get me wrong, I have a great relationship with her, but she does rub in her perfection every once in a while – and I can’t blame here).

So, I’m still making changes. But the changes that I’m making are already paying off. Alexa is a program that ranks web sites – I went from being just under 2 million down to 1,600,000 (or close to that) within a few days. So, I’m still working on it.

The lesson learned? SBI knows what it’s doing – I should have done it right the first time. But, live and learn.

PS : If you're thinking about building an SBI site, you want to check out thier Holloween special!