July 2015

How I Am Saving $1,344 Annually by Cutting Cable!

Hello again, savvy savers! For this weeks Thrifty Thursday post, I want to share one of the easiest ways I have found in the last year to save on my families monthly budget, and that is by having cut my cable and home phone services last month, for good! You may wonder why the sudden decision?

Well, here is the long and short of the decision:

I called Comcast Customer Service several weeks ago, to scale back my service package, as my family and I did not watch most of the channels, and it had been months since I used the home phone service.
Customer Service was very uncooperative.
I was placed on hold for 76 minutes.
The representative returned to the phone and said that they were not going to let me lower my plan, and they were doing me a favor in doing so.
In that moment, I spoke up and said, CUT IT OFF!

So, within hours I had pulled cords, taken off adapters, removed boxes, and had returned all of the companies apparatuses pertaining to the home phone and cable to the local Comcast office. On the way home from this errand, it dawned on me… I needed to tell my husband when he got home, and how would I do that? How shall I tell him that the Saints and the Whodat Nation will no longer be on television? Simple, we would be saving money, and lot of it!

So, in the four hours until my husband came home, here’s the plan I came up with:

By cutting cable and home phone service, I would save $1344.00 annually.
I would be able to watch as many of the shows my family enjoyed, minus sports channels using Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime; I am already a member of all three.
I would be able to put the money I would spent on cable to pay for season tickets to my husbands Alma Mater, the University of Southern Mississippi.
I would no longer pay for channels we didn’t watch.

The plan sounded rock solid! My husband took it rather well, and after a month of cutting my services here are some other insights I can share with how anyone can make this switch as well:

1. Investigate internet service providers:

When I made the rash decision to drop my cable bundled deal, I did not take into consideration that my internet plan would now cost me more per month; my monthly internet plan went from $45.00 per month to $58.00 a month. As I work from home, the internet, unlike a home phone, is a necessity (we have cell service for our main phone services), and though I am looking at other options, currently Comcast is my only service provider in my area, and so I am okay with the charge. If you live in an area with several providers, please call your current company’s customer retention department and try to make a deal!

2. Choose a video streaming service:

We were already members of Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime. We chose to retain all services, especially Amazon Prime because along with video streaming, free two-day shipping, and the Kindle Lending Library were also included in the $79 yearly fee; we pay for our Amazon Prime membership out of our annual tax returns, and so it doesn’t come out of the monthly pot, per se. As for my Netflix and Hulu Plus services, I use Ibotta, Checkout51, and Shopmium (using code GMYMMYPT) to pay for these services, and so there are no additional costs out-of-pocket for our family, as well; if you are like me and have a small but loyal following list of weekly or seasonal shows, than go with Hulu Plus, it’s been my favorite go-to for the past season!

3. Meet My New Friend, Roku:

Roku is a small, plug-and-play device which allows users to stream videos via your subscription service straight to your TV; the service also includes additional free programming as well. We purchased our unit through Amazon, using earned survey gift cards, for only $48.00, refurbished! This service is really awesome! The unit I purchased is here! Our Roku is currently being used with our living room television, as we moved our PS4 to our den, as the gaming system already came prepared with downloadable streaming apps; for those without gaming systems, Roku is the way to go!

4. SlingTV: You can also sign-up for Slingtv, a service which allows you to watch premium channels, as soon at ten minutes after the start of a program in live time. Also, when you pre-pay for three months of tv service (packages start at $10.00/month for cable channel services, with the option to add a la carte channel packs, you will receive a free Roku stick!

5. Get a Leaf for local/sports channels:

I have also been able to purchase the Mohu Leaf, a flat antenna mounted to our TV in our den, which picks up local stations in HD; this feature gave my husband sports channels, which is a plus! I used money from surveys to purchase a unit for $42.00!

6. Re-Think How You Watch TV:

Consider this, by cutting cable you may be cutting your package and the way you watch programming, but that just means you need to think outside the box. My family watches the same shows as before, just a day, perhaps two days later, for upper channels, and using the Leaf, the same as before. Also, I have began to explore programming online that I had not seen before, such as the Youtube Wigs series, watching shows using network apps such as Lifetime, MTV, Bravo, and the like! I now watch what I want to watch, as opposed to simple channel surfing! Its a win-win!

So, this past month I was able to save $112.00 a month, nearly three-quarters of my grocery budget! Was the process simple, no. Was the way we now watch tv easy, yes! Do I recommend this switch, absolutely! So, that’s just a new way I now save money at home!

Here’s to saving!

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Back-To-School DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, & Student ID Cases!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with another awesome DIY project just in time for back-to-school savings! If you were anything like me as a child, you always needed a pencil pouch, supply case, and student ID bag; all needed to make sure that our schedules, Lisa Frank pencils, push-through lead insert-able pencils, scented Mr. Sketch markers, and the illicit ultra-cool, but highly impracticable pencil top erasers handy!

So for this weeks Tutorial Tuesday’s post, I will be showing you how to make DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, and Student ID Cases; also note that for the Student ID cases, you could also use these pouches for Epi-pen pouches, a pouch with business cards letting teachers and school personal know about food allergies, or feminine case products for young women!

Also worth noting, be sure to check the Scotch website for everyday coupons on duct tape, colored tape, and the like; I purchased my rolls of Duct Tape, the day after Christmas for the past two years, at CVS with coupons, for only $0.10 per roll! I also purchase my baggies, with coupon at the Dollar Tree, making this project $0.15 per bag, on average!

So, to begin you will need the following:

Scissors or Cutting Board
Ziplock bags; quart size for Pencil Pouches and Student ID & Gallon Bag for In-Binder School Supply Pouch
3-Ring Hole Punch
Customized Duct Tape
Straight Edge
Card-stock or Scrapbook Paper Sheet
Sharpie or Colored Marker
Binder (or D Clip, if linking to a backpack)
Page Re-Enforcers, Optional

Step 1: Here’s how to make the DIY Pencil Pouches:

Lay a Ziplock baggie on a clean surface, as flat as possible.
using a straight edge and sharpie, mark two inches off of the bottom of the baggie.
Cut the two inch section off of the baggie and set to the side.
Lay your tape flat on the baggie, and continue to wrap each strip of the baggie; each baggie will use three strips.
Secure the bottom strip together.
If you just want a pencil pouch, you are now done!

Step 2: Here’s how to Turn Pencil Pouches into Student ID Cases:

Using the piece of cut-off baggie listed above, lay the piece flat and cut it in half.
Using a sheet of card-stock or scrapbook paper, cut a template to fit the baggie half sheet; I used a 3″x3″ sheet.
The cut-out will act as a backing to whatever you will need to place in the pouch, for your Student Id, words of encouragement card, epi-pen instructions, etc.
Place the card in the sleeve and place the sleeve on top of the pouch.
Tape down both sides and the bottom section of the sleeve, leaving the top sleeve of the envelope open for the pouch.
Also note, you can hole punch your pouch, and then add a D-Clip to the pouch, if adding it to a backpack!

Step 3: Finally here’s how to make the In-Binder Supply Pouch:

Using the instructions for the Pencil Pouch and the Student ID instructions above, make a pouch using a gallon-sized baggie.
When adding a sheet envelope to the top of the pouch, aim for a 4″x4″ rectangle to the pouch; this envelope can house your student schedule or emergency contact information.
When your pouch is completed, using a three-ring hole punch, punch your pouch to accommodate its use in a three-ring binder.
You’re done!

So that it, folks! An easy-peasy DIY version of DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, & Student ID Cases! If you make a similar version or have other DIY back-to-school tips that make help other LadyPrefers2Save readers, I’d love to hear about them, and feature them on my social media channels!

Here’s to saving,

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Back-To-School Tip: Classroom Dojo!

Hello again, savvy savers! With so many kiddos in the process of getting ready to head back to school, I wanted to blog about a software program and integrated app, that my husband used daily in his classrooms, Classroom Dojo!

Class Dojo, is an free app for educators to help individual children, as well as an entire classes identify areas where improvement is needed in terms of classroom behavior, and setting realistic, attainable, and rewarded goals. From the Teacher’s device, both ios and Android, educators are able to set the behaviors and expectations of their individual classrooms, as dictated by school districts, faith-based curriculum’s, or in the homeschooling curriculum as well.

Moreover, educators are able to set performance levels, for which students can be rewarded for surpassing. and goals can be based on school wide systems or areas identified by you. Progress is determined by a points system, and can be gained by academic efforts, or demoted by poor behaviors in the classroom. Teachers can also give live- feedback to parents as well.

What’s really neat about this app is that parents can sign-up for accounts and have the live feed of students performance, feedback, and behaviors sent to their own phones and devices, as their app feeds or as text messages. Gone are the days of delayed progress reports and notes being sent home!

The app also allows parents and teachers to schedule digital parent and teacher conferences, via the app as well! Students are also allowed to create accounts, for which both parents and teachers can leave feedback, as well as both positive or constructive criticism for them as well!

Here are my assessment of the app.

Pros: Class Dojo provides real-time feedback for students on how they’re meeting classroom expectations and includes an easy way for teachers to share this data with parents.
Cons: The effectiveness of the tool for learning depends on how it is used; proactive parenting makes for a better user experience.
Engagement: Bright colors, fun avatars, and associated sounds for earning and losing points, Class Dojo appeals to the senses of elementary-age children, and fun themes make middle-school aged kids feel engaged as well.
Support: The website includes FAQs and examples of how the tool can be used, as well as an informational video for students.

My husband gives high praise for this app, and software, and I would encourage you all to check this out as well!

Click here to find out more!

Enjoy,

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Tutorial Tuesday: Vintage Shutter Headboard!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! For this weeks Tutorial Tuesday, I wanted to share with you how I created the headboard in my master bedroom with vintage shutters!

As many of you may know, I am a fan of all things French inspired! My husband and I often travel to NOLA, and part of our seasonal trips include browsing vintage shops for ideas of cool vintage pieces. In one such shop I saw a pair of shutter headboards that I loved, unfortunately the set cost $1,200.00! Fortunately, some time ago I found a set of headboards in town, laying on the side of the road, and so I knew just what I wanted to do with them, make new headboards! This is where this tutorial was born!

What’s the best part of this project? The project cost me nothing, as I found the shutters, took them home, steamed them, lightly sanded the edges, added a white wash finish, touched them up with homemade rust solution on the nail holes, then gave them the one over with my Shark vacuum! They were hung with silver wall hooks, and sit snug to the wall! They are beautiful, funky, and fabulous!

I also stained two wooden crates, in walnut, which are used as light stands, topped with plexi-glass squares which allow the pieces to be functional, and then I finished the look with blue, vintage mason jar lamps! I used linens I had on hand, just in a mismatched scheme that matched both the headboard and room accessories. I feel that the shutters give the room a bit of a breather, and lend itself to my notion, that bedrooms should be an area of realization and comfort!

So, if you all have created any new upcycled projects this week, please let me know below!

Here’s to creativity!

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40 Hanger Closet Challenge!

Good morning, savvy savers! I hope you are all well rested, and in the mindset to save this morning! So today, in keeping with this month’s cleaning trend, I want to focus on another problem area in many homes, our personal closets. Yes, our little caves of wonder. If you are anything like me, your closet is nothing short of a time capsule of the last decade of your life, and probably in need of an overhaul today!

So today, I challenge you to purge your closet. But there is a catch to today’s challenge, you can only keep 40 items.

Now before anyone gasps in horror, this is a proposed experiment. I am challenging you to limit your closets to 40 hangers, 40 items so that your closet only contains clothes you can currently fit, look great in, and simply love! All of the clothes being purged can be donated, sold, or upcycled, too!

So here are a few tips to help you purge your closet:

Purge veraciously. Keep only the items that you absolutely love, can comfortably fit, and wear on a regular basis.
If something doesn’t fit “just right,” has holes, stains, is out of season, or you haven’t worn in one year, toss it!
Skinny Bin. For clothes that you are five pounds from fitting, create a bin or basket which can be placed in the top of your closet; no more than ten pieces.
Think Fabric. Torn or stained items, made of interested fabrics, can be reprieved from the donation bin, and instead may be cut into strips or squares for crafting; think pillow cases, framed vintage tees, tee-shirt rugs, and more!
Invest in great hangers. Think smaller, huggable hangers for clothing, and bendable hangers for swearers; plastic hangers can be re-purposed to hang fabric in your craft room, and wire hangers can be stored for wreath forms.
Maximize your losses. Purged items can be sold via Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, consignment shops, Threadup, or garage sales.

So, here’s how I did today’s challenge:

We each are allotted: 40 hangers, a skinny bin, and that’s it!

For me, I was able to clean out my closet and had eight hangers left over, after work in an hour and a half several days ago, woohoo! As well, all of my purged clothes will be used next week during our “selling week;” all of the clothes being purged can be donated, sold, or upcycled, too! My closet, which was already small, went from having the rod bowing in the center, to being freed up! I can now see all of the pieces I love! I forgot I still had my Burberry wrap! How awesome is that!

Now, before anyone asks, my boxes shoes are located above my closet, and I have an awesome, huge set of built-in drawers which house my house clothes, pajamas, scarves, and more. But my closet, long the place where garments were pressed together so tightly they could not move, is now free-flowing, organized by fabric, and I now feel that despite losing a few dozen items, I have more options, as every item I kept I can fit, and just love!

As I organized my closet I kept three piles: A pile of wearable outfits, a pile of donations, and a pile of clothes which can be sold. And when I was finished I tried on each and every outfit in the keep pile, and guess what? Three outfits were too large for me currently, which was an awesome affirming moment for me! All-in-all, this was painless, and left me feeling elated!

The 40 hanger system is a keeper for me!

So, here’s the before and after:

Don’t think of this as a chore, but a life lesson. By purging the things we don’t need, want, or use, we are making room for all of the clothing and accessories that make our bodies look and feel better. Today we are freeing ourselves for the bigger, better deals. So today, let’s see how we can change our perspectives, one closet at a time!

Here’s to saving,

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Battle of the Bulge, Budget-Style: Weekly Seamstress Tape Measurements!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today I am starting another new blog series, Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style! I will be focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes! All of the changes I propose will be free or affordable, and most meals and plans will contain couponed savings or deals! Fads are fancy, but coupons are a commitment! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60 lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Today I am 32 years young, I am 5’6”, and weight 199 lbs; I am down two pounds since last week. I walk my dogs but beyond this am not terribly active. My lifestyle causes sedentary behaviors; I work-from-home, blog, run two internet businesses, and perform advocacy work online as well. I am an internet-based excuser! Today finds my continued yoga, meditation, walking my dogs, using a pedometer, portioning meals, and now I also measure myself monthly!

For this post, I wanted to discuss a new lifestyle strategy I have implemented, monthly measurement logs. Using a seamstress tape, I measure my neck, arms, bust, waist, hips, thighs, and calves, then log my progress each month, good or bad, to see a visible result of my diet strategy. I have found this method daunting at first, but now, in my weight lose, find that seeing my actual results, is amazing and euphoric!

More reasons to measure yourself monthly, as part of a healthy lifestyle plan are:

There are the best ways to track yourself OTHER than a scale! I generally do not weigh myself. I find that in the process of both losing weight and toning up, there will be periods where you will not show progress on a scale, but you will have instant results when using seamstress tape!
A photo is worth a thousand words. Stand in front of a mirror in a bathing suit or your underwear with your cell phone camera and take a picture. Then turn to the side and take another picture of your profile view. Store your photos in an album on your computer, and over time, using a slideshow, you will see results more effectively and concretely than by way of a scale; between each segment of photos show a photo of your seamstress tape measurements for effective record keeping.

When you should measure:

Ideally in the morning, before you eat.

Measure yourself after your periods. It is normal for most women to slightly gain weight before their period. Delay weighing yourself until after the period.

Weighing yourself right after exercise is useless because your weight can fluctuate wildly due to changes in water content. You may weigh heavier or lighter than normal.

If you weigh yourself at night you are also weighing any food you have eaten and any liquids you have drunk during the day.

How often?

Ideally once a week, at the same time of the day. However, if you are tracking your weight loss using a software tool, you should weigh yourself as often as the software requires because the software needs this information to generate recommendations; I use fitbit and also implement a bi-weekly assessment for measurements as well as sleep patterns.

Weight fluctuates during the month; this is particularly true for women. Be patient. Remember that real weight loss – that is, loss of fat rather than water – occurs slowly, if you follow our recommendations for healthy weight loss.

Your average weekly loss rate (1.0-1.5 lb) will be more efficient if you weigh every two weeks.

Don’t get discouraged by short-term fluctuations.

How to measure yourself?

Use the same measuring tape each time you weigh yourself.

What If the Tape Indicates a Weight Gain?

You may be weighing extra water. You could have consumed more salt than usual. Your body will naturally retain some water due to the extra sodium intake. Remember, moderation and time when measuring yourself.

If you have been working out, you may have gained muscle. Bear in mind that muscle is more dense than fat.

Extra muscle is a good thing because it will help burn off the fat in the longer term. If you have been working out then proceed to taking your measurements.

Taking Measurements:

Use a flexible measuring tape as used by dressmakers. It can be as long as you need. If you use a plastic or cloth tape, bear in mind that these materials may stretch over time.
Wear the thinnest clothes possible, or none at all, so as not to add to the measurements you take.
Try to measure yourself in front of a full-length mirror so that you can see if the tape is positioned correctly.
Perhaps you could find another person to help with the measuring. They would be able to read the results more easily.
Keep your muscles relaxed while measuring.
When measuring, pull the tape just tight enough to keep it from sagging.

What Exactly Should You Measure?

The most common measurements include the circumference of your chest, biceps, waist, hips and thighs. Sometimes the neck, forearm and calf are also measured. Here’s what I check for:

Neck: this will help you see immediate water lose weight; measure around the largest part of your neck.
Shoulders: this will help you see toning results further into your weight lose.
Chest: this will help you see toning results further into your weight loss; for women bust reduction is also a great indicator of carb and fat reduction as well; measure around the largest part of your chest.
Biceps: this will help you see toning results further into your weight loss; measure midway between the top of your shoulder and elbow.
Waist: this will help you see immediate results, by way of clothe sizing; measure at the narrowest point, approximately one inch above your belly button. No cheating! Don’t pull in your belly or stick it out.
Hips: this will help you see toning results further into your weight loss; Measure your hips around the largest part of your buttocks with your heels together.
Thighs: this will help you see toning results further into your weight lose; Thighs are measured separately. Stand with your legs slightly apart. Measure your upper leg where the circumference is largest.

All-in-all, you will be surprised at how an inch lose in any of these areas will alter the way your clothes will fit, your attitude will change, and you health will better! Taking your body measurements is an excellent way to keep track of your changing shape as you get fitter. Body weight by itself is not a good indicator of improved fitness. I highly recommend pushing your boundaries to the side, and see how you measure up to your own personal, obtainable healthy lifestyle goals!

Here’s to the Journey!

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Greener Living Tips: Recycle Your Received Packaging Materials!

Hello again, savvy savers! For this weeks Greener Living Series Post, I wanted to share with you a way that I have found to save on shipping costs for my various online businesses, as well as to keep items out of my local landfill, and that is by recycling, and ultimately reusing my protective shipping materials! As some of my readers may know, I work from home as a clerical assistant, in the legal field. When not working this position, I devote time to several other online business ventures, including my ETSY Shop, my Amazon, and Ebay sellers accounts.

Often times more than not, I require protective packaging for the various packages I send, and one way I find to underwrite my shipping costs is to reuse the protective materials that come from Amazon, by way of personal purchases and product reviews.

I purposely save my protective materials, bubble wrap, pillows, and peanuts, in baskets to use while shipping, and this far this year have saved over $35.00 doing so; previously I would have purchased my bubble wrap at the Dollar Tree, and my other materials annually during back-to-school sales, with coupons at Office Depot. I also save boxes that are not heavily marked or marred during shipping to be reused as well. This one method of purposed recycling saves both my customer, as well as my businesses petty cash fund, by upwards of 25% monthly; all fund which help cushion my long-term project savings and retirement accounts!

Beyond this, I always print out labels to attach to the inside of my packages, letting my customer base know I recycle my packaging materials! I have actually received several emails from customers thanking me for doing so, as they will also be reusing the materials again themselves! As I look at it, I am saving its from landfills, saving on shipping costs, being frugal, and living a greener lifestyle! This is a win-win in my book!

Here’s to greener living!

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