Friday, April 27, 2007

2nd Cance Drawing Held For Dave Ramsey Tickets

The origianal winner never contacted me with his mailing address, so I drew another name and tight fisted miser, won the 2nd chance drawing for the Dave Ramsey tickets, he needs to email me his address, so I can get them in the mail before it's to late to mail them.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

John 3:36

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

John 1:12

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Idea of Foster Parents Day Approved by Congress



On Sunday, April 22, 2007 Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (D-KS-2ND) held a press conference along with former foster child, Kevin Surbaugh, and Don Jordan, secretary of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.



Kevin Surbaugh has spent the past 17 years working to get Clifford and Phyllis Oshel and others like them recognized.

Years ago, the Oshels became foster parents. Surbaugh was one of the kids they cared for.

"The Oshels provided me a loving home," he said during a news conference Sunday.

For the Oshels, being foster parents was a good challenge.

"I'm thankful to God that we were called to be foster parents," Phyllis Oshel said.

Seventeen long years, 1990-2007, I have approached each Congress Person from Kansas' 2ND district, with the exception of Jim Slattery (D-KS) who was an out right no, each member was positive to the idea, but failed to take the idea to Congress.

Surbaugh said former state Rep. Jim Cates got a similar resolution passed in Kansas in 1990. Since then, Surbaugh has broached the subject with each person who has held the 2ND District congressional seat. While most supported the idea, he said, none before Boyda introduced a resolution.

"If we can have special days for every lobby there is, why has it taken so long to recognize the loving and hard-working foster parents of this country?" he said.


On Monday, April 23, H. R. 179 was voted on and passed with the required 2/3rds majority. The vote was 390-0 with 42 members not voting. Democratic 217 Republican 173.

Those not voting:
Alexander
Boozman
Brady (PA)
Brown, Corrine
Buyer
Costello
Cubin
Culberson
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
Emerson
Everett
Fattah
Gallegly
Gutierrez
Hastings (FL)
Johnson (IL)
Kennedy
Kirk
LaHood
Lampson
Lantos
Linder
Lucas
Lynch
Meeks (NY)
Murphy, Tim
Neal (MA)
Peterson (PA)
Platts
Poe
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Radanovich
Renzi
Rush
Shays
Shimkus
Terry
Thornberry
Westmoreland


So what does the text of the resolution say?

Whereas the family, serving as the primary source of love, identity, self-esteem, and support, is the very foundation of our communities, and our United States;

Whereas foster families, who open their homes and hearts to children whose families are in crisis, play a vital role in helping children heal and reconnect and in launching those children into successful adulthood;

Whereas over 500,000 youth are in foster care with at least 380,000 in a family-home setting;

Whereas numerous individuals and public and private organizations work to increase public awareness of the needs of children in foster care and leaving foster care as well as of the enduring and valuable contributions of foster parents; and

Whereas those families who are able to serve a role as foster parents should be wholeheartedly encouraged to do so: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--

(1) a National Foster Parents Day should be established to recognize the contributions of foster parents across the Nation; and

(2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and interested groups to conduct appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate support for foster parents across the Nation.

Romans 9:33

As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Monday, April 23, 2007

Vacationing Couple

A man pulled up to a gas station. "Where's the road to San Josie?" he asked. "San Josie? Oh, you mean San Jose," said the attendant. "Around here the "J" is pronounced like an "H". "Okay, San Jose," said the man. "Ya see, we're from New Hersey and will be here on vacation until Hune or Huly."

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Winner Announced - Dave Ramsey Tickets Go To:

With the One Day of Blog silence that many of the blogs are observing, I am announcing the Winner of the pair of Dave Ramsey tickets tonight. I just held the drawing and the winner of the drawing was user cdecker78 of Plate City, Mo. Congratulations cdecker78.

Cdecker78 needs to email me the mailing address by Wednesday, at the latest, so that I can get their tickets to them in a timely matter for the May 5 event. Congratulations again, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Acts 10:43

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Sponsored Post: Mortgage Lowdown

I was asked today to write about a website that I have visited several times over the past few months. The blog has carried one of the blog carnivals that I follow and participate in. Today though, I will be focused on one of their more specialized sections, mortgage banking.

This section of the Mortgage Lowdown is very informative and seems to stay on top of the banking news quite nicely. For example did you know, that with all the problems recently with sub prime loans that, New Century Financial is no longer mortgage loan applications because some its financial backers have refused to continue financing its loans? Not that I will miss this company, or anything. In fact I would say good riddance to New Century.

As I read through the posts I realized how little I had known about what was going on in the mortgage banking news area. For example the article about New Century was posted on March 14th of this year, and it is now April 21st and I am just learning of what many would call a major development.
I believe this section of the Mortgage Lowdown is an excellent compliment to an already well run site. If I were to give it a rating, I would have to give it a nine out 10. Well worth the read, not just this section, but the entire site.

Last Chance

If you haven't already entered the drawing to win a pair of Dave Ramsey tickets, scroll down to the post and enter. The deadline is tomorrow at 4 pm central time. I will be posting the winner tomorrow evening, as I will observing the "one day of blog silence" on Monday.

Sponsored Post: LifeInsure.com

Today, I have been asked to look over a website about Life Insurance. The website, was both interesting and educational. It could be a valuable service for those in search of term life insurance.
While at the website, I answered the quick questionnaire and was given a list of number insurance quotes. To my disappointment (but not surprised) my insurance company, Farm Bureau Insurance (a members only company) was not listed.
The site also had some excellent educational Life Insurance videos for the reader to watch. It is important to note that they also have a sister site that is related to disability insurance.
My insurance quotes ranged anywhere from $195 to $590 annually for $500,000 of term life insurance. I might have to look into that $195 quote and see if it is really worth it.

Friday, April 20, 2007

The Gorilla

One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. He doesn't do too well, and just as he starts to draw a crowd, a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mime that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mime accepts.
So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime. However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on tires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his.
Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it. At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction as a gorilla.
This goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion, he slips and falls. The mime is terrified. The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce. The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind.
Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, "Help, Help me!", but the lion is quick and pounces. The mime soon finds himself flat on his backlooking up at a mouthful of teeth and the lion says "Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?"

One Day



On Monday April 30, 2007 bloggers everywhere encouraged to be silent one day. According to the website linked to the left:

This day shall unite us all about this unbelievable painful & shocking event and show some respect and love to those who lost their loved ones.

On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech. More then 30 died at the US college massacre.

But it´s not only about them. Many bloggers have responded and asked about all the other victims of our world. All the people who die every day. What about them?


As such this and everyone of my other blogs, including my 3 daily "... of the day" blogs will all be silent on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.

Spread the word about this event and join the hundreds of other bloggers who have already said that they to will be silent on this one day.

As such I will post the winner of Dave Ramsy tickets on Sunday night rather then Monday morning.

Win Dave Ramsey Live Event Tickets!!

Are you near Kansas City? If you live in Topeka, KS or any community near Kansas City, and would like to attend Dave Ramsey's Live event in Kansas City on May 5th, but wasn't able to get tickets before they sold out. Well don't fret! You still have a chance. As announced on (KMAJ 1440-AM) Topeka's talk radio this morning (April 3,2007), I will be giving away a pair of tickets to this specific live event. Please be sure you will be able to attend, before entering this giveaway.

Here's how the giveaways will work:


  • To be eligible to win this item, just leave a comment, any comment, below the post anytime before Sunday April 22 at 4 pm Central. In addition, you must be able to attend the live event in Kansas City on May 5.
  • On April 23, I'll announce the winner (selected at random, using Randomizer.org) on KMAJ-AM's Jim Cates Show prior to posting the winner on this blog. Once notified via the blog, the winner will email me his/her address, so I can arrange to get their tickets to them.

A few rules for this giveaways:

  1. One entry per person.
  2. The drawing will be final and I will be the complete and final judge.
  3. U.S. mailing addresses only. (I'm on a budget here, after all.)
  4. Anonymous posts will be disqualified. If you do not subscribe to the blogger service, you can choose "other," and type in a name that will identify you.

Good luck! Post a comment below for a chance to win this giveaway!

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Colossians 3:8

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Enough for God







Enough for God

Enough for God


10x3 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Copyright: Militaria, 2005 Words On Product: If 10 percent is good enough for God, it's good enough for the IRS.












What To Wear

A man who was called to testify at the IRS, asked his accountant for advice on what to wear. "Wear your shabbiest clothing. Let him think you are a pauper," the accountant replied.

Then he asked his lawyer the same question, but got the opposite advice. "Do not let them intimidate you. Wear your most elegant suit and tie."

Confused, the man went to his Rabbi, told him of the conflicting advice, and requested some resolution of the dilemma.

"Let me tell you a story," replied the Rabbi. "A woman, about to be married, asked her mother what to wear on her wedding night. 'Wear a heavy, long, flannel nightgown that goes right up to your neck.' But when she asked her best friend, she got conflicting advice. Wear your most sexy negligee, with a v-neck right down to your navel."

The man protested: "What does all this have to do with my problem with the IRS?"

The Rabbi replied, "No matter what you wear, you are going to get screwed."

Insulation Estimate


As I have mentioned in a couple of posts, I have been looking more closely at getting insulation in my attic, finally. I know beyond a Shadow of doubt, that my energy bill will be lowered if I get some insulation up there. The question is how much will it cost.
If I bought rolls of insulation out at Lowe's or Home Depot it would cost me $600+, however a company called Black Gold can blow it into my attic for $535. I have decided to get it done as quickly as possible, even if it delays my debt retirement by two or three months.

James 1:19,20

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Politicians & Diapers







Politicians & Diapers

Politicians & Diapers


15x3 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Politicians & Diapers need to be changed… often for the same reason Copyright: , Words On Product: Politicians & Diapers need to be changed… often for the same reason














Politicians & Diapers need to be changed... often for the same reason

Wrap-Up

The 90-day experiment was interesting. I thought it would be easier. However, my will power began to to wain after the first month. One thing this experiment proved is that it is possible to eat on $30 a month. Especially, if you are single and willing to limit your meals to cheaper foods that you have to fix from scratch. Especially as Dave Ramsey says, beans and rice, rice and beans. While I ate a a few more items then that, it became boring to eat the same thing over and over as time went on.
Now that, the experiment is over I am going to start cleaning out my pantry of cans of food rather then buying new food. Time to clear out the overstock. However, the time for this blog is over. I will leave the blog for those who come to read it during future visits. Maybe, by chance it will inspire someone else.
For any future posts about food that I make, it will be an occasional post on my regular budget blog. A blog that, I need to place my main focus on.
Thank you one and all that have read this blog through it's entirety. God bless each and everyone of you. May each and everyone of us become debt-free forever.

Why??

Q: Ever wonder why the IRS calls it Form 1040?
A: Because for every $50 that you earn, you get $10 and they get $40.

Proverbs 25:21,22

If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

SPONSOR: Cheaper Than Hotels


Have you ever dreamed of traveling to the United Kingdom? If you are like most people you have. The next thing to do is to book your flight, then it is time to find a hotel. I being pretty frugal, like to find the cheapest place I can, without giving up to much style. Another words, I don't want something like a Days Inn. No, I want something more like an Embassy Suites or a Bed and Breakfast. So where do I turn, when looking for hotels in the Great Britain? Well CheaperThanHotels.com of course.

The online place to book hotels in the British Isles. Whether it be my favorite British destination of Geurnsey and Sark. If so you will need to find hotels in Guernsey. If you have never heard of these two islands in the English Channel, you need to see the photos and articles on my travel blog, from the two trips I took there in 1997 and 2001. Very beautiful country and the area that the author Victor Hugo spent his days in exile from France.

In addition, you can find hotels in more popular destinations as well. Like the city I still want to see, London. So I look up hotels in London. Where I would like to see so many places like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

Or maybe, you want to visit Manchester, and if so you will need to find hotels in Manchester. No mater, where it is in the British Isles (even if it is the Isle of Man), they have hotels for you, myself and anyone else traveling on a budget. So if you are looking to travel to the U. K. (or maybe you already live there and are looking to travel on holiday or business to another city), take a look at Cheaper Then Hotls website.

Bartender & IRS Agent

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time (weight-lifters, longshoremen, etc.) but nobody could do it.

One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice.

"I'd like to try the bet." After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.

But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man.

"What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, what?"

The man replied, "I work for the IRS."

Friday, April 13, 2007

IF THIS VAN'S A ROCKIN'

IF THIS VAN'S A ROCKIN'
DON'T COME A KNOCKIN'

The tax man and your child

A man walks into a store followed by his ten-year-old son. His son is spinning a quarter in the air and catching it between his teeth. While walking through the store someone bumps into the boy and the coin goes straight into his mouth and lodges in his throat. He immediately starts choking and going blue in the face. His dad starts panicking and shouts and screams for help.
A middle-aged, fairly unnoticeable man in a gray suit is sitting at the snack bar in the store reading his newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. At the sound of the commotion, he looks up, puts his coffee down, neatly folds his newspaper and places it on the counter. He gets up from his seat and makes his unhurried way towards the boy. When he reaches the boy, the man carefully takes hold of the boy's testicles and squeezes, gently but firmly.
After a few seconds the boy convulses violently and coughs up the quarter, which the man catches in his free hand. Releasing the boy, the man hands the coin to the father and walks back to his seat at the snack bar without saying a word.
As soon as the dad makes sure that his son is OK, he rushes over to the man and starts thanking him saying, "I've never seen anybody do anything like that before. It was fantastic! Are you a doctor?"
"Oh, good Heavens, no," the man replies, "I work for the Internal Revenue Service."

Ambitious Credit Card Elimination Goal

I have an ambitious goal to get my one credit card eliminated, once and for all, by May 5. Over the next few weeks I want to accelerate my payments and get the credit card paid off once and for all. I am not sure how I will do it and keep my other bills current, but that is my goal. It is important to me to get rid of this 31% interest rate. I want get Washington Mutual aka Providian out of my life forever. In addition, want to pull that card out of the freezer and tax it to Kansas City with me and get a picture of Dave Ramsey cutting it up. The picture then will be posted on this blog.

My plan is to send them payments over the next few weeks, getting the debt lower and lower, culminating with a huge $400 payment from my savings account. That means, over the next 4 weeks, I will need to send an average of $134/week.

Tax Time - IRS Good! - State Bad!

With tax day approaching fast, it is time to post about my taxes. In addition, my joke of the day site, is posting tax jokes each day until April 17.

So haw did I fare on my taxes? Federally, I did OK, but the state not so well. However, I did better on the state level than I did last year.

I made almost $8,000 more in 2006 than I did in 2005
Federal Taxes:
  • My 2006 taxes netted me a refund of $226, compared to balance due of $44, in 2005.
  • It will be nice to see my IRS debt, to be reduced again.
  • I need more deductions, to lower my taxable income.
State Taxes:
  • I owe on my 2006 taxes I owe $51, compared to the $119 that I owed in 2005.
  • This payment hurts, as these kind of payments hurt everyone else. Next year though, I will be better planned and have the money in savings.


I mentioned in a past post that I plans for insulation in my attic. I still plan to give you details in the near future, but I need to come up with about $500 so I can get insulation blown into my attic. This will net me a credit on my 2007 taxes, thus lowering my taxable income this next year. Not to mention the energy I will save on my home heating bills, this next winter. Something that is hard to do, when I am so deep into debt. Speaking of which, somehow some way, I want to get ALL of the credit card paid off before May 5. Anyway, that's my current tax situation. I will be updating my IRS debt situation in a few weeks, when I get my update letter from the IRS.

A favorite tax joke


The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time (weight-lifters, longshoremen, etc.) but nobody could do it.

One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice.

"I'd like to try the bet." After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.

But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man.

"What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, what?"

The man replied, "I work for the IRS."

Romans 12:19-21

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

101 Ways to Save One Dollar a Week

As a follow up to my 25 frugal tips to save money, I am posting the following article that was originally posted at Care One Credit Counseling. Thanks to Rich McIver emailing me the link.

Is your rainy day fund all wet? Every paycheck, you plan to save, but it seems like there's nothing left over after bills and creditors get their share. It's getting tougher to pay the bills on time, let alone save any money! Don't fret; there's a solution. There are a lot of ways to put another dollar in your pocket here and there. Here's what you need to do:

1. Draw up your current budget: First things first; find out where your money goes. Calculate your monthly income and make a list of all expenses.

Now that you know how much money you make and spend, it's time to cast a critical eye on expenses. Let's find out where you can trim the fat from your budget.
Around The House

Cutting down on waste and excess around your home is one of the easiest ways to save money. Are you one of those people who leaves lights on all around the house? With three TVs running? We're talking to you.

This is the most important key. Although, I am still not very good at getting rid of the waste.

2. Adjust your thermostat: Turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees in the summer and down a few in the winter. Every degree saves approximately 3 percent in energy costs. If your home is empty during the day, consider buying a programmable thermostat to avoid heating and cooling your home when no one's there. Set the thermostat to turn the air or heat on about 30 minutes before you get home.

Excellent idea! I keep the thermostat at 67 in the winter.

3. Turn off the lights: If you're watching TV in the living room, turn off the lights in the kitchen. If you're eating dinner in the dining room, turn off the lights in the living room. Don't waste energy by burning lights in rooms that you're not occupying.
4. Use low energy light bulbs: Compact fluorescent light bulbs use only a fraction of the electricity that regular incandescent bulbs use. Plus they last much, much longer.

Great idea. I have changed several bulbs and bought a number of CFL's to replace others as they burn out.

5. Change your air filters: A clogged or dirty air filter reduces airflow to the heating or AC unit, causing it to work harder and use more energy. Change your filters once a month.

I need to do better at this

6. Shut doors and windows: Your dad was right: you really shouldn't pay to heat or cool the outdoors.
7. Turn off your computer: Computers suck up a lot of energy. Most will go to sleep after a period of sitting idle, but take it one step further by just turning it off.
8. Simplify your cable: Do you really need 100 movie channels? Consider a smaller package.
9. Downgrade your phone services: When's the last time you used call forwarding or had a three way chat? Only use services that are absolutely necessary. Take advantage of free long distance with your cell phone if possible. Consider using VoIP or a cell phone to eliminate your land line.
10. Consolidate services: Most of the big telecom companies and cable providers now offer discounts if you use them for combined cable, telephone and internet service.
11. Use cloth napkins, towels and diapers: Paper napkins, paper towels and disposable diapers are easy and convenient, but cloth can be washed and used again. Use these to save money and the environment.
12. Do the dishes: Use reusable dishes for your meals instead of paper plates and cups.
13. Hang your clothes out to dry: The dryer uses a lot of energy. It takes a lot to run, plus it can also heat up your house, causing your air conditioner to have to work harder. Accomplish that fresh, dried-on-the-line smell in your own backyard.
14. Buy energy efficient appliances: If you are in the market for new appliances, take energy efficiency into account. Look for items with the Energy Star label.
15. Get an energy audit: Your electric or gas company can send someone to your home to tell you specifically what you can do to make your home more energy efficient.
16. Enroll in cost saving programs: Ask your energy company if they offer any load management, off-hour rate or other cost saving programs that you can take advantage of.
17. Close the flu damper in your fireplace: Don't let hot or cold air escape out of the fireplace. Keep the flu closed.
18. Insulate your water heater: Pack insulation around your water heater to help retain heat. Also try turning the heater's thermostat down a few degrees.
19. Install low flow showerheads: You can cut your shower's water consumption in half by installing one of these.
20. Change washing machine settings: Heating water uses energy and costs money. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot.
21. Use a gas dryer: Gas dryers use less energy than their electric counterparts.
22. Open a window: Take advantage of Mother Nature. If the weather's nice, turn off the air or heat and open the windows.
23. Eliminate drafts: Use caulk or weather-stripping to strengthen the seal around doors and windows to eliminate the loss of hot or cool air.
24. Shade your windows: Close shades, blinds or drapes during the day to keep light and heat from coming in through the windows. Direct sunlight will heat your home and cause the AC to work harder. Alternately, uncovering windows to let sun in could be helpful for heating in the winter.
25. Plant a tree: Strategic placement of trees and bushes around your home can increase shade and decrease energy consumption. Try shading your air conditioning unit as well as windows that get a lot of sun. Just three trees can save between $100 and $250 a year in heating and cooling costs.

An energy efficient home is only part of the equation. Transportation costs can put a huge dent in your budget. Let's take a look at what you can do to make hitting the road more cost effective.
On The Road

Getting from point A to point B can really cut into your budget. Here's how to get where you need to go without breaking the bank.

26. Get regular tune-ups: Keep all of the moving parts in your car running smoothly to get better gas mileage and prolong the life of your vehicle.
27. Turn off the AC: Roll down your windows and let the air cool your car.
28. Keep air in your tires: Underinflated or flat tires will reduce gas mileage.
29. Shop around for gas: Before you pull over and start filling up, shop around for the cheapest place to get gas.
30. Look for frequent shopper deals on gas: Some grocery stores offer 3 cents off per gallon with a frequent shopper card. Save even more when you do more business with them, like 10 cents off per gallon when you buy $100 worth of groceries.
31. Shop for gas mileage: If you're car shopping, avoid the Hummers. Focus on smaller cars that get good gas mileage.
32. Try to avoid traffic: Idling in traffic can burn up lots of gas. Try to avoid rush hour traffic as much as possible.
33. Consider the savings: It costs an average of 36 cents per mile to own and operate an automobile. Don't drive all the way across town to save a nickel on a gallon of milk.
34. Keep moving: Stop-and-go driving not only wears out your engine faster, but also uses more gas than moving at a steady pace.
35. Use cruise control: If you're not going to be hitting any stop signs or traffic lights, set your cruise control to conserve gas.
36. Slow down: It's simple. Drive the speed limit to save gas as well as make your life a whole lot easier.
37. Keep it light: Remove any heavy, unnecessary items from your car. An extra 100 pounds can decrease fuel economy of an average automobile by about one percent.
38. Find the shortest route: The shorter the distance you have to travel, the less gas you will have to use.
39. Combine errands: Run as many errands as you can in one trip to cut down on your driving time.
40. Carpool: If your co-workers live nearby, take turns driving each other to work. If you're going out with your friends or family, fit as many people as you can into a single vehicle.
41. Use public transportation: If the option is available, take a bus, train or taxi instead of driving.
42. Take a walk: If you live close enough, try walking to work. It's free and healthy.
43. Ride a bike: You may live a little too far to walk, but you can try hopping on a bicycle to make your commute. Again, this option is free and healthy.

Now you know how to save money on your drive to the grocery store, but it's also important to cut costs once inside.
Food For Thought

Watching your order total at the checkout can be daunting. Take these steps to help ease the pain.

44. Plan ahead: Map out your meals for the entire week. Go through your cabinets, fridge and pantry, making a list of any items you'll need for your planned meals.
45. Cut coupons: Savings of 25 cents here and 75 cents there can add up fast.
46. Look for sales: Ads for savings are what make the Sunday paper so thick. Take advantage of them. Look for flyers throughout the week, pay attention to TV commercials and check junk mail for coupons before you throw it away.
47. Shop around: Don't limit yourself to one grocery store. One store may have great dairy prices but overpriced produce. Another could have good meat sales, but your favorite cereal is too expensive. Pick and choose what you'll buy from each store. However, if you bring sales flyers from the competition, many stores will match the price.
48. Go generic: Just about every product has a generic counterpart at a much lower price. Buy these products; you can get the same thing for a lot less money.
49. Don't stray from your list: If you didn't write it on your list, you don't need it.
50. Bring your calculator: Is 24 ounces for $1.00 better than 36 ounces for $1.25? Bring a calculator with you to figure out the best deal.
51. Buy in bulk: It never hurts to stock up on items you use frequently. Bulk is often cheaper, so fill your cart. Be sure that you are able to use the item before it goes bad.
52. Don't shop on an empty stomach: Everything looks good when you're hungry. Eat before you shop so you're less tempted to pick up anything and everything that looks good.
53. Check your receipt: Before you leave the store, take a glance at your receipt to make sure everything checks out. Items may ring up at an incorrect price or be scanned too many times.
54. Grow your own food: Plant some herbs and vegetables in a small garden out back. You may not be able to replicate the produce aisle, but it can help cut your grocery bill.

Trimming your grocery bill will work wonders when it comes to stocking up your pantry, but even a house full of food won't satisfy a craving for your favorite restaurant.
Wining And Dining

Eating macaroni and cheese, salad and Hamburger Helper every night can get old fast. Treat yourself to a meal at a restaurant from time to time, just be sure to keep it within reason.

55. Limit yourself: Avoid making restaurant visits an everyday event. Treat yourself once a week or once a month.
56. Look for new restaurants: Lots of new restaurants offer discounts and specials to attract customers.
57. Go out for lunch instead of dinner: Most restaurants are cheaper at lunchtime. When you decide to treat yourself, go out to lunch and stay in for dinner.
58. Avoid weekends: Everybody goes out to eat on the weekends. Restaurants may limit specials and coupons during this time. For the best deals, visit during the week.
59. Drink water: Save a few dollars on your bill by drinking water instead of soda or alcohol.
60. Bring leftovers home: Restaurant portions are huge, generally twice the size of a recommended serving. Ask for a doggy bag and bring the leftovers home.

Now that you're operating on a full stomach, it's time to take a look at what you're wearing and how you decorate your home.
Don't Lose Your Shirt

The sheer volume of sales flyers, coupons and advertising that we are inundated with is enough to make your head spin. Cut through the clutter: focus on what you're looking for and compare prices for the best deal.

61. Distinguish between needs and wants: Before you start buying toys and specialty items, decide what you need more: the product or the money.
62. Look for sales: You can often find everything you need on the sale rack.
63. Wait for end of season sales: Pick up next year's bathing suit for a fraction of the cost at the end of the summer.
64. Shop online: The Internet offers many items used or at a discount. Try to find sites that offer free shipping.
65. Shop at closeout stores: They may not be pretty, but you can find great deals at stores like Big Lots, Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
66. Head to the second-hand store: Goodwill, thrift stores and pawn shops offer many quality used goods at low prices.
67. Find a garage sale: One man's junk is another's treasure.
68. Consider alternatives: Expensive does not always equal quality. Check out professional ratings from Consumer Reports and read what customers say online to find out if you're getting biggest bang for your buck.
69. Avoid fashion trends: Don't spend a ton of money on an item that you won't want to wear next month. Stick with classic styles that you'll wear often.

Once you've got your necessities down, you can focus on how to save money on the fun stuff.
Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Entertaining yourself doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money. It doesn't even have to include going out.

70. Get cheap novels: Instead of filling your bookshelves with brand new books, consider buying used. There are chain stores that offer used books at half and even a quarter of the cover price. Libraries often have great sales as well. Better yet, borrow books, movies and CDs for free at the library. Once there, you can also surf the internet as well as read magazines and newspapers.
71. Cut down on subscriptions: Pick one or two magazines that you enjoy the most and cancel the rest.
72. Share with friends: Go through old books or movies that you have lying around and propose a trade with one of your friends for something that you haven't read or seen yet.
73. Have a game night: Instead of going out, invite friends and family over for board games.
74. Host a potluck: Invite people over for dinner and have each person bring a separate dish. It's fun and much cheaper than going out.
75. Catch a matinee: Movies at 2PM are the same as 7PM. Beat the crowd and save money by catching the early show.
76. Go to a discount theater: Lots of cities have theaters that show movies after their initial release. Check out movies on the big screen at big savings.
77. Don't buy popcorn: Tickets are expensive enough. Don't pay for an overpriced popcorn and Coke, too. Eat something before you go and drink water if you get thirsty.
78. Rent a movie: Bypass the high ticket prices and expensive snacks altogether. Head over to the video store and rent a movie.
79. Support your Alma mater: High school and college sporting events can provide cheap entertainment.
80. Watch tomorrow's stars today: Many large cities host minor league games that cost a fraction of the big league price.
81. Check out the local art scene: Poetry readings, art openings, high school plays, and community theater programs can be fun and inexpensive.
82. Watch for free events: Check the newspaper and Internet for open houses, festivals, library events and other community gatherings in your area.
83. Members only: Museums and zoos often have deals and special events for members. Sign up to support the arts, furry friends and your savings.
84. Explore the great outdoors: Pack a picnic and go for a hike at a park or recreational area nearby. You can even pack a tent and sleeping bag to stay for the weekend.
85. Go for a swim: Enjoy some good clean fun in the sun: head to the lake or beach.
86. Listen for free tickets: Newspapers and radio stations often hold contests to give away free movie and concert tickets.

Saving money on entertainment is great, but be careful how you take care of the bill. Plastic can be hazardous to your bank account's health.
Plastic Money

Credit cards are not free money. They can become a black hole for your finances in the blink of an eye. Use them responsibly. Remember: at some point, you'll have to pay them back.

87. You only need one: You can get into enough trouble with one credit card; don't compound the risk by getting more.
88. Cut up the rest: Once you've chosen your card to keep, destroy the others. Be sure to also cancel the associated account.
89. In case of emergency: Consider your credit card a safety net. Don't use it for anything that you don't absolutely need.
90. Pay off the balance: As soon as you get your statement, pay off the balance. Minimum payments don't cover much more than the interest charge.
91. Look for hidden fees: Look closely at your statement and take note of what kind of fees you are paying out. Programs like credit life insurance, credit disability insurance, involuntary unemployment credit insurance and credit property insurance are generally unnecessary. Make sure you don't have to pay for them.
92. Get a low interest rate: Zero percent interest doesn't last forever. Many credit cards offer this as an introductory rate, but before you jump at this opportunity, find out how long it lasts and what your rate will be when it expires.
93. Watch your statement: On top of hidden fees, you may also find double or fraudulent charges that you will need to dispute.
94. Utilize rewards: Rewards programs are everywhere these days. If you have the discipline to pay off your balance each month, use your card to pay all of your bills and rack up lots of points. Just be sure to use the card responsibly. The rewards won't even cover the interest that you'll pay if you carry a balance.
95. Say no to the free shirt: Just about everywhere you go, there's somebody trying to get you to sign up for their credit card. A free shirt, free hat, or a ten percent discount may be appealing, but these little freebies can hurt you in the long run. Even if you never use the card, the application alone can bring down your credit rating.
96. Pay on time: Late payments are messy. They incur fees and allow the credit card company to raise your interest rates. Make a note on your calendar and pay ahead of time.

Staying out of debt is a big part of building a savings. Here are a few more of the little things you can do.
This And That

Consider these extra tricks when trying to save a few bucks.

97. Take your lunch to work: Instead of paying five or six dollars for a "value" meal at lunch every day, bring a sandwich, apple and drink from home.
98. Go to beauty school: Time for a manicure, pedicure or haircut? Go to a training salon and get professional work done at a fraction of the cost.
99. Quit smoking: It's much easier said than done, but smokers, you're burning up a gold mine. Smoking a pack a day costs about $1,460 a year.
100. Keep charity receipts: Any kind of donations that you make throughout the year can be used as a tax write off.
101. Keep less money available: Leave your credit cards at home and take only the cash you'
ll need. If you run short, put something back.

2nd Chance Drawing-Congrats Bigsibling

I would like to congratulate bigsibling who won the 2ND chance drawing for the final copy of "Good Debt, Bad Debt," by Jon Hanson.
Bigsibling needs to email his address so I can get the book to him.

Drink or Drive

BEER: NOW CHEAPER THAN GASOLINE
SO DON'T DRIVE... DRINK

New Income Tax Form

The latest income-tax form has been greatly simplified. It consists of only three parts:
1. How much did you make last year?
2. How much do you have left?
3. Send amount listed in part 2.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Last Chance Mary L.

I have still not heard from Mary L. As such, I will give her until 10 pm Central time tonight (Wed 4/11/07) to email me her address so I can get her book into the mail. If she does not email me, I will announce in the morning the winner of the 2ND chance of the final copy of "Good Debt, Bad Debt."

KEEP HONKING







Keep Honking

Keep Honking


3.5x7 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Keep Honking I'm Re-Loading! Copyright: Socially Hazardous, 2002 Words On Product: Keep Honking I'm Re-Loading!





















Keep Honking

Keep Honking


10x3 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Keep Honking, I'm Re-Loading Copyright: Militaria, 2002 Words On Product: Keep Honking, I'm Re-Loading





















Keep Honking

Keep Honking


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The Cat and The Husband

A man absolutely hated his wife's cat and decided to get rid of him one day by driving him 20 blocks from his home and leaving him at the park. As he arrived home, the cat was walking up the driveway.

The next day he decided to drive the cat 40 blocks away. He put the beast out and headed home. Driving back up his driveway, there was the cat!

He kept taking the cat further and further, and the cat would always beat him home. At last he decided to drive a few miles away, turn right, then left, past the bridge, then right again and another right until he reached what he thought was a safe distance from his home and left the cat there.

Hours later the man calls home to his wife: "Jen, is the cat there?"

"Yes", the wife answers, "why do you ask?"

Frustrated, the man answered, "Put the little bastard on the phone, I'm lost and need directions."

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Cats Rules Of Life

Although cats are the best and most wonderful creatures on this planet, they are quite bizzare... After Conspiring with the Cats Association for Taking over Earth (CATE), I have managed to steal some Top Secret information about the mysterious the guardians of the underworld. This is their rules of life (that every cat MUST stick to) in order to take over the world! But how these rules will help to achieve their objectives still remains a total mystery to humans.

BATHROOMS:
Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything. Just sit and stare but occasionally rub their legs.

DOORS:
Do not allow any closed doors in any room. To get door open, stand looking sad at the humans. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. After you have ordered an "outside" door opened, stand halfway in and out and think about several things. This is particularly important during very cold weather, rain, snow, or mosquito season.

CHAIRS AND RUGS:
If you have to throw up, get to a chair quickly. If you cannot manage in time, get to an Oriental rug. If there is no Oriental rug, shag is good. When throwing up on the carpet, make sure you back up so it is as long as a humans bare foot or expensive clothing.

HAMPERING:
If one of your humans is engaged in some activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping," otherwise known as "hampering." Following are the rules for "hampering:"

1. When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.
2. For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.
3. For paperwork, lie on the work in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure as much of the work as possible or at least. Pretend to doze, but every so often reach out and slap the pencil or pen. Bite when you're moved on.
4. When a human is holding the newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back of the paper. Humans love to jump.
5. MOST IMPORTANT When human is working at computer, jump up on desk, walk across keyboard and write a short story. Bat at mouse pointer on screen as if it were real. Then lay in human's lap across arms, hampering typing in progress.

WALKING:
As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human, especially: on stairs, when they have something in their arms, in the dark, and when they first get up in the morning. This will help their co-ordination skills.

BEDTIME:
Always sleep on the human at night so he/she cannot move around. Even better- lie on his or hers face, making sure your arse is right on their nose. When she is wearing an expensive silk nightie, don't forget to paw it. This will create lovely patterns!

LITTER BOX:
When using the litter box, be sure to kick as much litter out of the box as possible. Humans love the feel of kitty litter between their toes. The smell is also very attractive.

HIDING:
Every now and then, hide in a place where the humans cannot find you for a few days. This will cause the humans to panic (which they love) thinking that you have run away or are lost. Once you do come out, the humans will cover you with love and kisses and you will probably get a treat.

SLEEPING:
In order to have enough energy for playing, a cat must get plenty of sleep (at least 16 hours per day). It is generally not difficult to find a comfortable place to curl up. Any place a human likes to sit is good, especially if it contrasts with your fur color.
If it's in a sunbeam or near a heating duct or radiator, so much the better. Of course, good places also exist outdoors, but have the disadvantages of being seasonal and dependent on current and previous weather conditions such as rain. Open windows are a good compromise.

HUMANS:
Humans have three primary functions: to feed us, to play with and give attention to us, and to clean the litter box. It is important to maintain one's Dignity when around humans so that they will not forget who is the master of the house. Humans need to know basic rules. They can be taught if you start early and are consistent. You will then have a smooth-running household.

FOOD:
In order to get the energy to sleep, play, and hamper, a cat must eat. Eating, however, is only half the fun. The other half is getting the food. Cats have two ways to obtain food: convincing a human you are starving to death and must be fed NOW; and hunting for it oneself. The following are guidelines for getting fed.

1. When the humans are eating, make sure you leave the tip of your tail in their dishes when they are not looking.

2. Never eat food from your own bowl if you can steal some from the table.

3. Never drink from your own water bowl if a human's glass is full enough to drink from.

4. Should you catch something of your own outside, it is only polite to attempt to get to know it. Be insistent -- your food will usually not be so polite and try to leave.

5. Table scraps are delicacies with which the humans are unfortunately unwilling to readily part. It is beneath the Dignity of a cat to beg outright for food as lower forms of life such as dogs will, but several techniques exist for ensuring that the humans don't forget you exist. These include, but are not limited to: jumping onto the lap of the "softest" human and purring loudly; lying down in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, the Direct Stare, and twining around people's legs as they sit and eat while meowing plaintively.

Seen on a Hummer







Hummer Motto

Hummer Motto


6.5x2 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Copyright: Microcosm, 2003 Words On Product: I like to waste gas and run over children.










Monday, April 9, 2007

Cell Phones

People on their cell phone in the check out line.


I don't mind people using their cell phones in the store, but when you are in the checkout line, hang up the dang phone. It's not only rude to the cashier, but the people behind you.


Do you have a pet peeve? Submit it here.

Final Winner Announced!! Ramsey Tickets Drawing Continues!

The final winner of the drawing a for Jon Hanson's "Good Debt, Bad debt;" has been drawn. Mary L. Is the winner. Mary needs to email me with her address (by Tuesday night), so I can get the book in the mail to her. If she doesn't email me, I will draw again, and pick another winner.

On a side note, the giveaway for tickets to Dave Ramsey's Live Event to be held in Kansas City on May 5th, is still on going. If you are interested in entering this particular drawing, click on the this link.

Insurance

This vehicle insured by Smith and Wesson

The Cat

A couple were going out for the evening. They'd got ready, all dolled up, cat put out, etc.

The taxi arrives and as the couple go out the cat shoots back in. They don't want the cat shut in the house, so the wife goes out to the taxi while the husband goes upstairs to chase the cat out.

The wife, not wanting it known that the house will be empty, explains to the taxi driver, "He's just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother."

A few minutes later, the husband gets into the cab: "Sorry I took so long," he says, "stupid old thing was hiding under the bed and I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!"

Friday, April 6, 2007

WORK HARD







Keep Working

Keep Working


10x3 inches (width x height) Vinyl Sticker Keep Working, Millions on Welfare Depend on You! Copyright: Militaria, 2002 Words On Product: Keep Working, Millions on Welfare Depend on You!












John 19:30

It is finished

Top Ten Things A Cat Thinks About...

  1. I could have sworn I heard a can opener.
  2. Is there something I'm not getting when humans make noise with their mouths?
  3. Why doesn't the government do something about dogs?
  4. I wonder if Morris really liked 9-lives, or did he have ULTERIOR motives?
  5. Hmmmm.... If dogs serve humans, and humans serve cats, why can't we ever get those STUPID dogs to do anything for us?
  6. This looks like a good spot for a nap.
  7. Hey - no kidding, I'm sure that's the can opener.
  8. Would humans have built a vast and complex civilisation of their own if we cats hadn't given them a reason to invent sofas and can openers in the first place.
  9. If there's a God, how can He allow neutering?
  10. If that really was the can opener, I'll play finicky just to let THEM know who's boss !!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Don't Forget to Enter These 2 Giveaways

Don't forget to enter in either or both of the current giveaway's (if you haven't already). The current giveaway's are Final Good Debt, Bad Debt, by Jon Hanson.

If you live near Kansas City and can make it to an already sold out event, then you might want try to get a pair of ticket's for Dave Ramsey's Live Event in Kansas City on May 5th

Listen to Mother!

A mother cat was teaching her kitten cat lore. She explained that this was the duty of all mother cats since before recorded history and it was important that her kitten would not do anything to embarrass her when she allowed her master to play with her.

At the end of the lesson, after she had gone over all the cat rules such as ignoring anything the human might say, she asked her kitten if there was question she might want to ask.

The kitten said, "Momma, you have given me all the situations a cat might get into and the proper cat-responses but, what should I do if a new situation comes up that you haven't covered?"

Momma cat responded, "Oh my gosh! I'm SO glad you asked that. I've gotten into so many rules that I forgot the most important first rule!"

Kitten asked: "What is that, Momma?"

Momma drew up and looked kitten right in the eye and said: "When in doubt -- wash!

Grade School Orgy Leads To Arrest of 5 fifth Graders

Did you hear the story about curious kids having an orgy in their grade school classroom? No, it's not a joke, it really happened recently.

According to New York's WCBS-TV 2:


(CBS News) NEW ORLEANS Five fifth-grade students face criminal charges after authorities said four of them had sex in front of other students in an unsupervised classroom and kept a classmate posted as a lookout for teachers.

Wait a minute. Why was a classroom unsupervised.

Authorities said the incident happened March 27 at the school, which houses students from kindergarten through 12th grade. A high school teacher normally watches the fifth-grade class at the time, but went to an assembly for older students and the class was inadvertently left unattended, Buckley said.

The class, which had around 10 other students, was alone for about 15 minutes, he said.

"When no teacher showed up, the four began to have sex in the classroom with the other elementary students in the classroom with them," he said.

3 Kinds

THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF PEOPLE THOSE WHO COUNT AND THOSE WHO CAN'T

Ephesians 4:31,32

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

If God had meant us to

If God had meant us to vote, He would have given us better candidates.

A Cat Heaven

One day a cat dies of natural causes and goes to Heaven. There he meets the Lord himself. The Lord says to the cat, "You lived a good life and if there is any way I can make your stay in Heaven more comfortable, please let Me know."

The cat thinks for a moment and says, "Lord, all my life I have lived with a poor family and had to sleep on a hard wooden floor." The Lord stops the cat and says, "Say no more," and a wonderful fluffy pillow appears.

A few days later six mice are killed in a tragic farming accident and go to Heaven. Again the Lord is there to greet them with the same offer. The mice answer, "All of our lives we have been chased. We have had to run from cats, dogs, and even women with brooms. Running, running, running; we're tired of running. Do you think we could have roller skates so we don't have to run anymore?" The Lord says, "Say no more," and fits each mouse with beautiful new roller skates.

About a week later the Lord stops by to see the cat and finds him in a deep sleep on the pillow. The Lord gently wakes the cat and asks him, "How are things since you arrived?"

The cat stretches and yawns and replies, "It is wonderful here. Better than I could have ever expected. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending by are theeeeeeee best!!!"

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Get A Free Sticker when You Donate

Get a free DebtFree4ever.NET bumper sticker when you donate $3 or more via PayPal to the owners of this site. Please note, you must give a shipping address in order to receive the bumper sticker.






DebtFree4ever.NET

Get a free DebtFree4ever.NET bumper sticker when you donate $3 or more via PayPal to the owners of this site. Please note, you must give a shipping address in order to receive the bumper sticker.






Coming Soon ! Dave Ramsey - May 5 - Tickets

I will be announcing a new contest soon. The drawing will be for a pair of Dave Ramsey Live Event tickets. The contest will be open only to those in the area around the live event to be held May 5 in Kansas City. Stay tuned. Note, if you haven't already got your tickets, this may be your only chance, as the event is sold out.
For now don't forget to enter in the drawing for Jon Hanson's book - "Good Debt, Bad Debt," by clicking here.

Money wouldn't be so important

Money wouldn't be so important if everybody didn't want some

How To Clean A Cat

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids.

Note: You may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape.

CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body
too close to the edge, as his paws will be
reaching out for any surface they can find.

5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power wash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

6. Have someone to open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.

Sincerely,
the Dog

Monday, April 2, 2007

#3 Final Giveaway - Good Debt, Bad Debt


It is time to announce winner #2 and start 3rd and final giveaway. The winner for week #2 was MsMomMoney. She needs to email me her real name and mailing address so that I can get her book into the mail. For the rest of you there is still 1 more chance
to win a copy of "Good Debt, Bad Debt". The next winner will be announced next Monday, chosen from those who comment on this post.

Here's how the giveaways will work:

  • I'll post on Monday the giveaway for that week.

  • To be eligible to win this item, just leave a comment, any comment, below the post anytime before Sunday at 4 pm Central of the next week. Let's make this final one a good one. Once you have commented and entered, post something on your own blog, telling your readers about the contest. If you don't have a blog or web page, that's OK to, but if you do, please help promote it.

  • The next Monday, I'll announce the winner (selected at random, using Randomizer.org) from the past week as well as the next giveaway. Once notified via the blog, the winner will email me his/her address, so I can mail their book to them.

    A few rules for these giveaways:

    1. You can not win more than once. Once you win one copy, you're out for the rest of them.
    2. One entry per person, per week
    3. The drawing will be final and I will be the complete and final judge.
    4. U.S. mailing addresses only. (I'm on a budget here, after all.)
    5. Anonymous posts will be disqualified. If you do not subscribe to the blogger service, you can choose "other," and type in a name that will identify you.

    You can read the previous review of this book, here.
    Today, we'll begin the giveaway with the first copy of this book.

    Good luck! Post a comment below for a chance to win this giveaway!
  • Budget - April 2007

    It's time, once again, to make my monthly budget. Last month, I made some divergences, that cost me. This month, however, I plan to stick to my budget. The pay raise that was promised everyone in March, did not materialize. Corporate is now promising that they will appear in our checks in April. However, I will write my budget, based on estimated income that is based on my current wage.

    I did get my paper work from Peoples Telecom, LLC on March 17, so I now have all my tax papers together and now have them at the tax preparer. (This is probably the last time I use her. A friend, who has dual accounting and business degrees has said he would help me next time. He would have this time, if I hadn't already had turned over the paperwork.) In addition, I received my tax distribution/dividend check from Peoples Telecom, which is now in my Insurance/Tax/Emergency Savings account, and will help pay the preparers fee.


    Gas Service.........$60
    Electricity ........$75
    Cable/Internet......$95
    Water...............$40
    Groceries...........$30
    Home Improvement....$75
    Car Loan...........$400
    Gasoline............$50
    Fingerhut...........$50
    Credit Card.........$100
    Blow................$10
    Dining Out..........$00
    Clothing............$00
    Savings (Travel)....$00
    Emergency Fund.....$100
    Toiletries..........$10
    ----------------------
    Total..............$1100

    Aren't You?

    Aren't you glad your mother was Pro-Life?

    Cat Scan

    A man runs into the vet's office carrying his dog, screaming for help. The vet rushes him back to an examination room and has him put his dog down on the examination table. The vet examines the still, limp body and after a few moments tells the man that his dog, regrettably, is dead.

    The man, clearly agitated and not willing to accept this, demands a second opinion.

    The vet goes into the back room, comes out with a cat, and puts the cat down next to the dog's body. The cat sniffs the body, walks from head to tail poking and sniffing the dog's body and finally looks at the vet and meows. The vet looks at the man and says,

    "I'm sorry, but the cat thinks that your dog is dead too."

    The man is still unwilling to accept that his dog is dead.

    The vet brings in a black Labrador The lab sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, and finally looks at the vet and barks. The vet looks at the man and says, "I'm sorry, but the lab thinks your dog is dead too."

    The man, finally resigned to the diagnosis, thanks the vet and asks how much he owes.

    The vet answers, "$1,050."

    "$1,050 to tell me my dog is dead?!?!" exclaimed the man.

    "Well," the vet replies, "I would only have charged you $50 for my initial diagnosis. The additional $1,000 was for the cat scan and lab tests."

    Surely You Jest

    Katey writes -
    When people say 'surely not'. Shirley is a name and shouldn't be used as any thing else (in my opinion).


    OK now, I want to hear what your pet peeves are? What is your pet Peeve?

    Sunday, April 1, 2007

    Win A Wii

    Yep, you read the title correctly. No spam messages or waiting in long lines holding in bodily fluid's. All you have to is post a link and article on your blog about the contest at Uneasy Silence and then post a comment the article I linked to above. The winner will be chosen from the comments on that article.

    You can bet I am entering for my chance.

    If you haven't entered my book drawing, don't forget to enter for the free book, by clicking here. Book 2 will be given away tomorrow.

    End of March and Only a Week to Go

    It's time to make my weekly update, as I wind down this particular project. Yep, that's right only one more week to go on this project. It's hard to believe that it's actually been 3 months.

    As I mentioned over at Debt-Free 4ever, today, I wasted $20. I took a vacation day today and promptly wasted $20 tonight. Well, OK so it wasn't all wasted. I spent $4.45 for some sale items at the store (TV dinners - limit 6 - 69 cents each) getting $20 back. Then went to Aldi's and picked some sausage biscuits and eggs spending $3.35 of that 20. I then went across the street to a store with milk on sale for $1.99 to pick up a gallon of 2%, spending another $2.14 of that $20.
    Then it was time to go see the movie (Peaceful Warrior) with the free tickets I had printed off at the public library (as mine here at the house is out of ink). Along the way, I stopped and bought a Chicken sandwich at my favorite fast food joint, Chick-fil-a. There goes anther $3. Then I couldn't (or rather didn't) keep spending in check at the theater, buying a $4 (small) popcorn and a $4 (large) Coke. After the movie wasn't any better as I dropped the remaining $3 into an arcade game.
    Not very smart of me I know, but that is why John Cummuta says not to ask for cash back at the register for any reason. You tend to forget where that extra $20 was actually spent.
    ---OK, so what did I eat this past week? ----
    Fri (3/23) - ?? -- I honestly can't remember what I fixed this night.
    Sat (3/24) - Cooked Potatoes/Carrots and Meat balls (made from hamburger in my freezer) in a crock pot. This made several meals. Yes I peeled and cut the potatoes and carrots myself.
    Sun (3/25) - Potatoes/Carrots and Meat balls
    Mon (3/26) - Someone told me that a little hole in the wall, called "The Prize Package," had the best hamburgers around. So they bought my meal there.
    Tue (3/27) - Potatoes/Carrots and Meat balls
    Wed (3/28) - Macaroni and Cheese
    Thurs (3/29) - Tomato Soup
    Fri (3/30) - 2 Fried Potatoes with 3 scrambled eggs - in addition I ate 3 fried eggs with cereal before going to bed this morning.
    Sat (3/31) - Chick-fil-a Sandwich

    ------
    One thing I would like to do is grow my own garden, but I need to get a spot tilled up first.

    I know one new reader this week didn't like that I was eating red meat. I suspect, she thinks I should eat fish, but I hate fish, so that won't happen. I appreciate her comments anyway, even if she thinks sausage isn't meat but rather just a bunch of grease.