Wow. Sometimes people seriously go to extremes to be frugal. And honestly, the woman I am about to tell you about, did it more for the principal of it being her money, but she fought for over 10 years about 14 cents. Is that not the craziest thing ever?
It all started over a cheap phone plan on pre paid phone bill. She was left with .14 at the end, and one day it just disappeared. She felt it was her .14 so she began a long process to get it back. And guess what? She did!
She was sent her check for .14. I know its the principal, but is it really worth it to be THAT frugal? Here is the article.
DO you know anyone who has done, or does something crazy to save money?
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I hope your 2010 is the best year yet. Keep smiling and have faith and hope that your New Year will be better, and I promise the positive attitude will deliver.
Here’s to 2010!
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Why am I drawn to these things? Whenever I see one, I grab it and save it in my drafts until a day when I am feeling less creative and wordy and I substitute the meme for a blog post. But truthfully, I actually enjoy doing them. I know, I’m weird.
If you do this (or did this) please post a link to yours in the comments so I can come learn about you. 
Which do you prefer? (my choices in italics)
01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE?
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES?
03. COFFEE or TEA?
04. CORN MUFFIN or ENGLISH MUFFIN?
05. PANCAKES or FRENCH TOAST?
06. YOGURT or CREAM CHEESE?
07. RICE or PASTA?
08. CAKE or PIE?
09. GROUND BEEF or GROUND TURKEY?
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS?
11. JELLY or MARMALADE?
12. AMERICAN CHEESE or SWISS CHEESE?
13. DIET SODA or NO SODA?
14. LEMONADE or ICED TEA?
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES?
16. CHOCOLATE QUIK or STRAWBERRY QUIK? – ewww neither
17. WAFFLES or PANCAKES?
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD?
19. PEAS or CARROTS?
20. PUDDING or FRUIT-FLAVORED GELATIN?
21. COLD CEREAL or HOT CEREAL?
22. KETCHUP or MUSTARD?
23. MUSTARD or MAYONNAISE?
24. MAYONNAISE or KETCHUP?
25. BLACK OLIVES or GREEN OLIVES?
26. ONION or GARLIC?
27. PLAIN BARBECUE or BARBECUE WITH SAUCE?
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS?
29. EGGS or EGG REPLACEMENTS?
30. MEAT or VEGETABLES?
31. CHINESE TAKE-OUT or PIZZA?
32. SUSHI or DELI SANDWICH? — mmmm love both – favorites!
33. WHITE CLAM CHOWDER or RED CLAM CHOWDER?
34. KEY LIME PIE or LEMON MERANGUE PIE? (I’ve never had either)
35. PIE & ICE CREAM or CAKE & ICE CREAM?
36. WHIPPED CREAM or CAKE FROSTING?
37. HONEY or MAPLE SYRUP?
Okay those were hard. I love both on many of them, but I tried to pick my favorite of the two. Let me know if you did this too.
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Ack! I am so sorry about the Blog Carnival and its untimely posting. I’m relieved I came to check on the carnival this morning. For some really strange reason, it posted my original draft version of the carnival, instead of the final copy. I am SO sorry. HERE is the Blog Carnival in its entirety and not all crazy.
While off to a rough start this morning, the Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival rocked this week…
Cute Craft and Gift Ideas
- Emily made the cutest T-Shirt Scarfs posted over at Insert Catchphrase Here. Great gift idea and super simple.
- I thought of so many ways I could incorporate the cute Tissue Paper Flowers that Crafty Rose posted over at Fine Craft Guild .com. These could embellish all kinds of things and would look really cute in a vase clustered together.
- The minute my daughter saw the cute Mother/Daughter Aprons that Abi posted at lighter side, she wanted to get started right away. These are GREAT gift ideas, and I am positive that my daughter and I will probably be sporting matching aprons at Christmas time.
- Brooke presents a DIY Backless T-Shirt posted over at her blog Rambling Brooke. Not only is this the easiest thing to do, it looks absolutely amazing – there is no way you can tell it is handmade and not store bought. Totally fashionable and really cute.
- gp gave us a glimpse into a Fall To Do list with Gotta Help with the Chores Here « Musings from Montana and even ended with a delicious recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf posted over at Musings from Montana. Can I just say, I really wish I was in Montana at this time of year. So beautiful.
- Kerry Fletcher taught us How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Professional Designer, which made me so ready to put up the tree. It’s posted over at Interior Design Info.
- Lori Vaughn had a really cute idea for a Make It Yourself Christmas #2 Clipboard. My kids tell me it would be a fun gift to do, check it out over at Telling Secrets
- RecycleCindy showed us how to make a really cute Recycled Flat Bottom Plastic Tote Bag. Not only is a great “recycle” project but it would make a great gift idea! Find it over at My Recycled Bags.com.
Money Saving
- Lucky made bringing the holidays into your home a little bit easier and cheaper, thanks to her great post Thanksgiving — Natural Decorations Are In This Year! posted at Making My Own Luck.
- June Tree tells us all about a DIY Debt Management Plan: Go On Oprah’s Debt Diet!. As far as I’m concerned, Oprah is my hero – it helps that she is famous, but she always has the best advice. Check it out at The Digerati Life.
- Wise_Bread just taught me how to go natural for a lot less than I thought I could with the post Stock A Natural Food Pantry For Less. This is a great post that gives you ideas and ways to save money and still eat healthy posted at Wisebread
- Rosey Dusk had another take on decorating anytime, with Give a Room a New Look when your Broke. which she posted over at living cheap now.
- The Smarter Wallet (I need one of those!) shows us 7 Frugal Tips To Clean and Care For Your Clothes, which is awesome because there are simply not a enough ways to save money on things we need to do. Cleaning clothes is a must, so this article was awesome, posted at The Smarter Wallet.
- Jennifer Powlison gave us a great Laundry Detergent Recipe, AKA Jenn’s Laundry Jello Soap, which I found really unique and cannot wait to try. It is posted at Confessions of a Cheapskate.
- Quirky Momma closes out this weeks Money Saving articles with Tiny Storage Solutions for Cluttered Spaces which anyone who knows me, knows I needed to read that! Check her out over at Tips for Moms, Activities for kids by Quirky Mommas.
Delicious Food
- There is nothing better than making S’mores over an open fire, unless it is eating the Smores Cupcakes that cookingfor5 posted at Budget Crafting.
- When I think about Fall, apples always seem to come to mind. Cyndi L gave us the recipe for Apple tarts that look absolutely delicious posted over at Real Food Fast!.
- Kristia had my mouth watering this morning checking out her Make It Yourself Monday – Turkey Sausage, Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe posted at Family Balance Sheet.
- Nutella has always been interesting to me. Toni got my curiosity further peaked with her Nutella Wontons she posted at Wifely Steps. They sound yummy!
- The Homemaking Helper showed us a recipe for one of my favorite holiday cookies, Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies. The recipe is posted on her blog The Homemaking Helper.
- Fabulously Broke (which I always am – cute name) gave us Recipe: Vanilla Almond Pound Cake that sounds amazing and has me in the mood to bake today, posted over at Fabulously Broke ….in the City.
- We just made pretzels the other day, but this recipe that Amanda Louden shared, Soft Homemade Pretzels looks far less complicated then the one we used. I love homemade pretzels, check it out posted over at Daily Diner.
- Make it from Scratch always shares something awesome, and of course this time is no exception. Those Home Roasted Peanuts – MMM good! sound well,… mmmm good. The recipe is posted over at Make It From Scratch.
- Joanne gave us Gift Basket Snacks, which I immediately found useful because we are trying to be bit more frugal this Christmas. Everyone is getting gift baskets with home made goodies and items inside. She shared ideas and a few recipes that sound easy and yummy – Check it out, posted at Personalized Gift Baskets.
- I’m not a vegetarian but wow! Liss shared her recipe for Vegetarian ‘Rainbow’ Lasagne that looked so scrumptious my mouth was watering from the start. I’m definitely trying it, you should too – it’s posted at Frills in the Hills.
- The recipe for Butternut Squash Gnocchi: A Recipe for Victory that Kris posted, not only sounds amazing, but looks super easy to prepare and would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. Find it at Cheap Healthy Good.
- Before I saw this recipe for POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Cake from Mama Bear, I’m not sure I would have ever thought to use pomegranate juice (which I love) in a cake – awesomely posted at Gotta Little Space. Thank you!
- Annette Berlin shows us how to make Bubby’s Lemon Pie which can I just say, sounds to die for. I love lemon pie. Seriously. No really, I would eat it daily. Awesome recipe posted at Craft Stew.
- NerdMom brings it all home with a great recipe for her Chicken Tamale Pie. I think a few of my kids will actually eat this, and I know I will too so I’m definitely trying it. Thanks! It’s posted at Nerd Family Food.
I have hosted the Made From Scratch Blog Carnival in the past on other blogs, but this is the first time, I loved every post that was shared!! Thanks for participating this week in the Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival. I look forward to seeing what everyone brings next week over at: Frills in the Hills.
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Next week, I will be hosting the Make it From Scratch Blog Carnival here at Frugal Changes.
The point of the carnival is to share the things you make from scratch. Create a blog post, showing something cool that you created from scratch – doesn’t matter if it is a recipe, craft or something else. No strict definition of scratch here, use your own judgment.
The rules are simple, only one post per blog per week, and right now we are looking for some Christmas gift ideas, so if you have something to share, please submit to one of the upcoming carnivals. The carnivals are posted every Tuesday morning on selected hosting blogs.
If you are interested in submitting a blog post showcasing something that you made from scratch- the deadline for submitting is Sunday, November 15, 2009 at midnight and you can submit your post here.
Check back on Tuesday for this week’s Made From Scratch Submissions.
Oh, and if you’d like to see this weeks Made From Scratch Carnival, to see what kinds of things are posted, visit The Festival of Frugality.
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**Coming in November 2009**
Participating in the Carnival
It is very easy to participate in the Frugal Changes Blog Carnival! Here is what you need to do.
1. Make a post on your blog about ways to save money, or a trick you use to save money on something, a recipe you make that is low cost, anything you might see on a frugal living blog. Check out this blog for ideas on what can be posted.
2. Submit your post using this Blog Carnival form. You can post and submit anytime, but all submissions for the week need to be received by Sunday at noon CST. If your post arrives after the posted time, it will be included in the next weeks blog carnival. Only one post per blog per week please!
3. Entries will be posted by the Carnival Host on Monday mornings. The carnival host has the discretion to leave out any posts that they do not think fit our carnival or the theme and anything deemed not family friendly.
After the carnival that your submission appears in is posted, the host will email you the location of the carnival. Help thank the host and promote the carnival by linking back to the carnival on your own blog and submitting it to Stumble, Digg, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc. Remember that the link love helps us all.
Thank you!
( If you are interested in participating, please contact me at: frugalchanges (at) gmail (dot) com. )
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Give Me Five of your favorite drinks.
1. Water
2. Iced tea
3. Coffee
4. Diet Coke
5. Cream Soda
If you participate in Give me Five Monday, let me know by leaving me a comment and I’ll drop by for a peek.
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Give Me Five of your favorite ways to be crafty or creative.
1. Scrapbooking – I am totally a scrapbooking nut. My whole office has been over-run by supplies and looks a little bit like a scrapbook store threw up in there.
2. Photography – I take more pictures in a month, than most people take in a year. I was even the same way before digital… I’d have 25 rolls to develop in one month’s time. I’m the one who would come home from vacations and have 30 rolls just from that vacation to develop. Yeah, I’m that girl.
3. Cooking and/or Baking – Love making new meals, snacks, and desserts for my family to try and test. They love that I love to cook too.
4. Writing – I’m a writer, obviously. I love to get lost in my story plots and novel ideas. Even if I am not actively working on a book, I usually have mini-stories going constantly. I love the way the words flow when I am having a good day with my muse.
5. Card Making – While I’m sure it could go hand in hand with scrapbooking, for me it is almost an entirely separate hobby. I enjoy making cards with my kids. Allows me to spend time with them and also to enjoy their creations.
What crafts and creative hobbies do you enjoy?
If you participate in the Give Me Five Monday – leave a comment and I’ll come by and take a peek!!
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Give Me Five end-of-summer wrap up thoughts.
1. Hanging with my favorite hometown band, Whiskey Dixon made the summer all the better. Being able to take my kids to a couple of gigs made it even better.
2. I’m disappointed that we didn’t take any camping trips this summer. We are avid campers and it just kind of got away from us.
3. By far, fishing this summer was the best for the kids. I really LOVED watching them catch fish after fish, and they are all getting better at baiting the hook. Now, if I could just get them to remove the fish by themselves.
4. I really was not ready for school to start. I am one of those parents who rather enjoys having her kids at home with her. Yes, I have five. Yes, they are loud and crazy and a mixture of kids and teens. Yes, they drive me crazy sometimes. No, I still wasn’t ready for them to go back to school.
5. I think after seeing what things we did this summer that were fun, and what we didn’t really care about, I think next summer might prove to be even better. Plus, I am enjoying the fact that the kids (two teens) still enjoy spending time with us as a family and are ready to offer their own really creative and fun suggestions on what we can do together. How many more summers do I have of that exactly?
If you participate in the Give Me Five Monday – leave a comment and I’ll come by and take a peek!!
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Give Me Five places in the world you’d like to live for a year.
1. Ireland – though the problem is, it won’t be for just a year. I’d never come home again. Ever.
2. Scotland – probably similar to the above stated Ireland.
3. Italy – No explanation needed.
4. California – Just because I think it would be fun to try it out for ONE year only.
5. Montana – I cannot say I’d ever want to leave, but since they said a year, it would give me a nice time to figure out if its worth staying and I’d be happy. Hmmm…..
How about you?
If you participate in the Give Me Five Monday – leave a comment and I’ll come by and take a peek!!
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Happy Mardi Gras!
Happy Valentine’s Day Frugal Friends!
Tax Time + Bigger Refund = Not So Frugal Spending
A Case of Extreme Frugality
Hosting Issues
Product Review: Black & Decker Home – 12 Cup Programmable Coffeemaker – Model CM5050
Examiner.com – St. Louis Frugal Family Examiner
Keurig Elite Brewing System Review
The Ad Master – Article Ideas
Quiet After the Holidays
Follow me on Twitter 
