BlogHer - Money & Personal Finance - Comments

LOVE LAYAWAY

notUrtypicalGma — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:16:05 -0600

YAY TO KMART.... SHAME ON WALMART FOR TAKING IT AWAY, MAYBE THEY WOULD RECONSIDER IF WE ALL STARTED A PETITION AND SINCE THEIR MOTTO IS THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT HMMM MAKES ME WONDER?

Attractive and scary

Maria Niles — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:52:58 -0600

That's a great way to describe it and exactly why, I think, people take on the challenge. And, wow, what an insight you had:

And then when it was all in the moving van, watching the van driving off and feeling very strongly that I would not care if it all got lost in transit and I never had to see all that stuff again.

I haven't heard of Michael Landy's documentary so I'm off to check it out.

Thanks for your comment!

BlogHer Contributing Editor PopConsumer Beyond Help

My garden saved a lot of money

Kaleigh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:22:13 -0600

There are so many ways to make gardening cheap. We spent about $50 on our garden this year, and the food and herbs it produced easily saved us $200 or more.

We joined a community garden that costs $20 per year. Water is included in that cost, as was the plot, its construction, the dirt, and many plants that were provided by Grow Memphis, part of a local non-profit. I spent maybe $10 on additional plants for the garden, and another $5 for organic fertilizer.

Our home garden cost a little more, but not much. Instead of lumber or bricks, I used empty beer and wine bottles for the edging (in honor of my own liver, I got my friends and neighbors to donate their bottles, too). I spent $10 on cheap topsoil, which sat on top of recycled newspaper (free). I spent another $10 on mulch. Most of the plants were from seeds I'd collected from past gardens and cuttings from those gardens.

Even with a modest tomato harvest (probably 200 tomatoes for the season), our basil alone made the season worth it. At the grocery, I would have spent at least $200 on the basil I harvested (and continue to harvest) from my garden. Our neighborhood grocery also offered to purchase any excess produce and herbs (but we were too greedy to sell ours - we ate it all). I even made hot pepper jelly for my church's autumn harvest fundraiser (and all ten jars sold for $3 each, in just a few hours).

At this point, I'm making herbal crafts and drying herbs and hot peppers for holiday gifts. That should save us more money since our holiday gifts will be nearly free, but should have a lot of value to their recipients.

Kaleigh
http://uptownherbs.blogspot.com
http://anotherworkingmom.blogspot.com
http://anotherworkingmomcooks.blogspot.com

Possessions

mashadutoit — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:05:16 -0600

There is something so attractive and scary about this.

A couple of years ago we moved from Durban to Cape Town. There was the packing up of all our possessions, going through that torturous process of deciding "keep or toss" for every single little thing. And then when it was all in the moving van, watching the van driving off and feeling very strongly that I would not care if it all got lost in transit and I never had to see all that stuff again.

Did you read about the artist, Michael Landy, who destroyed all his possessions? I saw the documentary and it was fascinating and quite frightening too. Here are two links -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2002/feb/13/artsfeatures.arts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/feature_michael_landy.shtml

Layaway is great!

Qtpies7 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:16:20 -0600

I wish that Walmart still had layaway, because I would use it in these times. I used it several years ago to get our winter clothes. It was great to go pick out all the items for all the kids and just pay as we could. Then they all got their clothes at the same time, instead of one kid at a time.

Lisa~ wife to Donnie, mom to my 7qtpies: Drew, Kaytlin, Devon, Cody, Hope-Anne, Trinity and Samuel. Our Seven Qtpies

Layaway is a great option

reneehendricks — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:56:44 -0600

I remember my parents heavily using layaway as I was growing up. This is an option I'll be checking out in the next week or so to spread out the cost of the upcoming holiday season.

Renee Hendricks http://www.socialurl.com/reneehendricks

I remember layaway

sassymonkey — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:40:48 -0600

I know my parents and my sisters using it when I was younger. I'd go with them as they put down X amount each paycheck. By the time I was old enough to purchase things layaway had mostly gone away, though I think I remember my sister saying she was using it for Christmas gifts a few years ago. It also had the added benefit of not having to try to hide the gifts too soon.

We won't be using it...but it's kind of nice to know it's an option.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Layaway is a great help...

MommaYoung_dot_com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:42:02 -0600

Yep, were are definitly using layaway this year.

There is just no way for us to complete our Christmas lists. Granted, we will also keep our list down to a mininum, but it still is a great help.

Great post, thank you.

Anjanette

aka. Momma Young

http://mommayoung.com/

Uma Thurman Speaks About Motherhood

sapci — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:30:53 -0600

Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4x2zLO9y2o

forgot I was meant to post this

parker101 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:14:12 -0600

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGjV81tqetI (not the best example of this type of Bounty . . . I mean Plenty . . . ad but these two characters have been in these ads for at least 3 years).

My mother (a retired

Expat Mum — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:14 -0600

My mother (a retired teacher) always advises giving something teachers can use or eat. They have enough trinkets to last a lifetime. I usually give lovely tubes of handcream (not too smelly) which can be picked up for a few dollars from Avon, TJ Maxx etc. (If they have an allergy at least it's nice enough to pass on to someone else.)

The most popular gift I give is a hand made scarf from the beautiful, fluffy yarns you can get at the fabric and craft stores. It costs between $5 and $10 and if you can knit in plain stitch, you can do it. Take a big pair of needles (I use size 15), cast on about 20 stitches and you're good to go.

For someone really special, you can then pick up (or make) a pair of beaded ear-rings to match.

That is too funny

sassymonkey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:54:19 -0600

When I started reading this post I was totally thinking about those tile coasters on Skip To My Lou. lol

We didn't have to give to multiple teachers and really only did it until I got into junior high (seventh grade). So we spent a little bit more. It was usually a gift certificate to the restaurant my mother worked at (enough for one meal, which didn't cost so much at the time) accompanied by a rose.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

thanks for chiming in

Mir Kamin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:03:16 -0600

I'm so grateful for the different perspectives we can get here, Rachel, because I've had so many teachers tell me the opposite! It's good to have the reminder that it's somewhat a matter of personal preference, and your best bet is always to ask (either obliquely or straight out, as is appropriate to your relationship). I think a lot of the teachers who ask for stuff "for the room" probably have received a lot of popsicle-stick creations. ;)

--
Mir Kamin (BlogHer contributing editor) Personal: Woulda Coulda Shoulda Having it all with less: Want Not

As a former teacher....

Rachel May — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:47:48 -0600

I can unequivocally say that my very favorite gifts are those that included a heartfelt note from the parent or student. After eight years of teaching (and I'm not teaching this year), I still pull out those notes when I'm having a rough day.

I'm not sure how to put this without seeming kind of rude, so I'm just going to throw it out there on behalf of other teachers, too -- I actually don't like getting gifts "for the classroom". I'd much rather receive a gift certificate to someplace for *me*! Granted, I was a high school teacher, so elementary teachers may feel differently.... but for my son's teachers, I'd rather give them something that's specifically for *them*, not for their students. It seems a bit backward, actually, to give something that will ultimately be for my kid instead of for the teacher.

My son and I will be mixing up huge batches of dry spiced tea and hot chocolate mix, and packaging it in fun jars -- very frugal and also something he can help make. I'll include a note, and ask him to dictate one, too.

Great Ideas!

SpinDiva — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:43:25 -0600

I love some of these ideas. Thanks for sharing, I better get to it or the end of school will be here in no time.

http://www.familyinshape.typepad.com http://w