Books Don't Have To Be New To Be Enjoyed

If you enjoy reading a good book like I do, one way to save money is to take advantage of used bookstores.

They're a great alternative to having access to reading material you enjoy, at an affordable price. Of course, you probably won't find the books that are on the current best sellers list. However, they have many great books that may be older. And if you haven't read it yet, it's new to you, right?

Most of the books I find are in very good condition. They may have only been read once. For instance, I'm reading a series of books right now that have twelve in the series. The price in the regular book store, new, is $14.99 per book. Yesterday I paid only $3.95 for book no. 4 in the series at my local used bookstore. That's a saving of $11.00. Needless to say I was very excited.

The books in a used bookstore usually have two prices on the cover. One price is with "trade in". The other price is what you pay if you haven't brought in other used books to trade with. All this means is that you bring your old paperbacks to the store and they give you credit for each one. It's a great way to get rid of old books that are just laying around the house. Also a wonderful way to help a local small business while at the same time putting a little extra money in your pocket.


They're used, but so what?

My daughter is reading the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I paid full price for these books. Yesterday I saw this series at the used bookstore for one-quarter of what I paid. You can encourage your kids to read at an affordable price too.

Your whole family can get many hours of enjoyable entertainment, and reading is a great stress reliever for everyone.

Make reading fun for the whole family. Have a family reading night. Take turns discussing your books together. This is another way to talk to each other and it helps keep the family close. We all need outlets right now and that includes our kids. Don't think for a minute our kids don't feel stress too.

Keeping lines of communication open with our kids is important and this is another way to achieve this at an affordable price.

We all deserve to relax and enjoy a good book!

Those Old Standbys, The Coupons, Still The Best Way To Save Money

Let's face it: the economy isn't getting better fast enough for most Americans. Even though the Stimulus Bill passed, it's going to take a while for us to see results. In the meantime, most of us have to find ways to get through.

One of the ways I have found to get more "bang for the buck" is coupons. I've always clipped coupons, but even more so now. You have to be careful, however, and make sure the coupon is really the best deal. Stores have their own products, so be a little flexible and make sure to take advantage of the best deal possible. I've noticed no difference in taste or quality, for instance, in a Meijer-brand product versus a name brand product.

Every week in the mail I receive flyers from five to six different grocery stores. Try to take time and go through these and see where you can find the best deal. Sometimes it's worth it. You may find several things on sale to make it worth a trip. If you have a coupon PLUS the sale price, you can really save quite a bit of money.

Another way to save money is with coupons online. Almost everyone has a website now so before you make a trip or go out to dinner check the websites for coupons or special offers. You will be surprised what you can find out there.

You can even find coupons in junk mail. So make sure to go through your mail carefully; you may be throwing out money!




I receive most of my coupons in my Saturday newspaper. I go through and clip them right away. Don't be ashamed to go out and buy two or three more papers if there are a lot of good coupons. You can save even more money. You'll also be doing a good thing for your local newspaper. Let's try to keep all the American jobs we can. Especially now that newspapers are having such a hard time too.

One more way to save money is discount cards. Make sure you have them where you need them. Even the movie theaters have discount cards. Every time you go to a movie give them the card and you get points. They give you things such as a free popcorn, soda, or even a free movie pass. Discount cards are free and it pays to ask if you don't know. I have a card for our movie theater and have already gotten free popcorn by only using it twice.

There are hundreds of coupons in circulation. Make sure you take advantage of every one you can. Everyone has to do what they can to get by and clipping coupons is still the best way to make your dollar stretch.

One thing you must remember, however, is to check the dates on these coupons. Make sure they haven't run out. What I do every week after I clip my new coupons is to go through the old ones. Pitch out the ones that have expired. I keep them in order of date so the oldest ones are on top. You can figure out your own system and what works best for you.

Have a great weekend and start clipping those coupons!

Keeping Yourself Soft And Fragrant Doesn't Have To Be Expensive

I'm a typical female when it comes to feeling good about myself. One way I can still do that on a budget that is very tight is with shower gels, lotions and bath spray.

The good thing about these products is that you can find them in just about every store -- Target and corner drug stores like CVS, etc. However, my favorite place to purchase these products is at Bath and Body Works. You can find great sales most of the time and the fragrances are wonderful, and the stores are located in most malls. You can also check them out online.

I love all their products, but my favorites are Japanese Cherry Blossom and Dancing Waters. My daughter loves Sweet Pea. Personally I think they all smell great and it just depends on your preference.

I signed up in the store and gave them my e-mail and I'm always alerted regarding sales, etc. The products range from bath products, including shampoos and conditioners, to candles.





The other good thing is that most of these products will last a very long time. With shower gel you need only about a nickel-sized amount on a bath sponge or puff and it lathers up very nicely. It smells great and is refreshing. After a long, stressful day what's better than a nice bath or shower? Light a candle and enjoy!

I still believe that a nice hot bath with products like these will do anyone a world of good. With the terrible economy now, we especially need time once in awhile for ourselves. A bath with wonderful products such as this is a very inexpensive way to accomplish this and not feel guilty.

The other thing is you don't have to spend a lot of money. Maybe one shower gel, one body spray and one lotion. It really won't cost much and you can always add items when you have a little money. That way, you shouldn't feel guility to spend a little cash on yourself.

Again, I believe these products are made in the USA, in Ohio. So feel good about that too! One compaint I have is I wish companies would start proudly displaying on their packages "Made in the USA". I pay attention to these labels and try to buy everything that is made in this country. We need to start taking care of our own people here in America. Making sure everyone who wants a job has a job. One way to accomplish this is make sure to read the labels carefully. I think it's worth the extra effort, and so will that American family who can keep their job.

Another great American pastime is baseball and I'm proud to announce that my husband is now writing for TheBaseballPage.com. If you or someone in your family loves baseball this is the place for you. Great articles and lots of historical information. Check it out, you'll be glad you did.

Have a great and stress-free day!

Old Standby Noxzema Still A Cost Efficient Way To Having Great-Looking Skin

With an enconomy that continues to be terrible, I keep trying to find new ways to save money and cut corners.

I am 47 now, a mother of a teenager and married to the same man for almost 17 years. I have never been one during the course of our marriage to spend too much money, but now I have even cut back more.

I hope my husband appreciates this about me. I don't believe I am cheap, but I try to stretch our money as far as I possibly can.

I used to use facial products, eye creams, etc. If you're like me, you know these products can run into a lot of money. Well, I obviously ran out of these products and I refuse to spend anywhere near the amount of money these products can cost today. However, being a woman, wife and mother, I want to feel good about myself. After 17 years of marriage I still want my husband to be attracted to me. I also want my daughter to think her mother looks younger than her age.

Now how do you do this on a tight budget without breaking the bank? I found the perfect product and it has been around for ages. Now I bought this product and as far as I know it's made in the USA. It's distributed by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio.

What is this product you ask? Good ole Noxzema. I have been using this every morning when I wake up and every evening before I go to bed. It is refreshing and the best part is that it only cost me $3.99 for a 14 oz. jar. I've been using Noxzema daily since last October and have found no difference in my skin whatsoever. In fact, I may like Noxzema more than the other products I have tried over the years.





My skin looks and feels good. My budget is in tact. I can still feel good about myself. Now I feel even better because it's saving my family the precious money we need so badly in these hard economic times. We've had one of the worst winters in Michigan in a long time and it isn't over yet. However, my skin looked great through it all!

If there is any silver lining to this economy it's that we have all learned to appreciate the small things in life. The other thing I have learned is that my family and I are a tough bunch. Over the last couple of years I have learned to cut costs and this is one area where I have made a significant cost cut. However, I am happy with the product and the results, and that is the most valuable and important part.

I am going to dedicate my next few blogs to products that can make a woman feel good about herself without breaking the budget. Especially now, we need to do things that make us feel good about ourselves. If we feel good about ourselves it can only help our family. I have done that without the expense of products that I really don't need.

Most of us have familes to feed and children to put through college. However, taking care of your skin for pennies a day won't make you feel guility. On top of that maybe I and others like me can help keep someone in Ohio from losing their job at Procter and Gamble. I hope so!

Relaxing Bath Great Way To Enjoy "Alone" Time

It's so hard to balance everything when you are a mom and a wife. It's twice as hard if you are a single mom with a job. Fortunately, I am not a single mom, but I do know what it is to never seem to have enough time to yourself.

I think it's important for women in general to take a little time to themselves and not feel guilty.

My typical day is: make breakfast; clean the house; make the beds; drive my daughter to school; shower; work (if I get called in); pick up my daughter from school; make dinner; help with homework; and get ready for bed and start all over again the next day.

What I try to do at least three times a week is take time to treat myself to a nice luxurious bath, which includes a candle, something to read, my portable cd player, and nicely scented bath products.



It's amazing how many bath products there are today. They range from bath pillows to all kinds of wonderfully-scented soaps. The best part is they are all pretty affordable. You don't have to go into an expensive bed and bath store to find them.

I'm always satisfied with Target and the bath products they have that are really affordable. They have an aisle with nothing but bath soaps, body splash, lotion, pillows, and sponges, and the list goes on and on. Even the soap aisle has different types of shower gels ranging in price from $3 -$4 dollars. You don't use a ton of shower gel, especially if you get one of the bath sponges. All you need is a dime size amount of the gel on the sponge and just see how much it lathers up. You will be surprised how long the shower gel will last too.

Also, buy yourself some pleasantly-scented candles. Again, something very affordable. I just bought two candle holders for $1.99 each. You can also buy the little tea light candles to put inside a candle holder and they just burn out when the wax is gone. Then all you have to do is throw the little tin cup that is left inside the holder and no clean up at all.

The tea lights also come in a lot of different fragrances. I'm sure you can find one that you will like.

So treat yourself to a nice bath! It makes you feel feminine, relieves stress, and if you take it right before you go to bed, I can guarantee you will sleep a lot better.

The best thing we can do for our families is take care of our own mind and body and this is an easy and simple way to do just that. Just 20 - 30 minutes, two to three times a week, and see if it doesn't make a difference.

Enjoy!!! We all deserve a little time to ourselves.