Buy Winter Items & Save

Winter is almost over and spring is on our minds. This is a great time to save money by purchasing the winter sale items. All winter items are on sale at this time of the year. Buying seasonal products after the season has just ended can make you the smartest shopper and save you money in the long run. Just after a holiday is over you can purchase many items at a savings of 50% to 75%.

I was surfing the internet for space heaters that was on it's last leg. That is when I came across beautiful lines of plug-in fireplaces that could be a great replacement for my old space heater. Always wanting a fireplace I thought how great it would be to invest in a plug-in fireplace. I like the romantic and homey feeling a fireplace brings to your home.

After doing some research I was amazed at all the new designs and the prices were great. I would not have to wait until next winter to use it which even made me more interested as I am a person that to likes the instant satisfaction of using the product immediatly. The addition of a fireplace would add great focal point to my living room and add the extra heat I needed.

With the variety of unique styles, designs and colors finding one that would fit my room was easy. Saving money on electricity, creating a source of heat and changing the looks of my room provided me with both of the solutions I needed.

They have ones that hold big screen televisions and have places to store knickknacks. They also have one that show flames and crackling sounds of the fire but put out no heat. If you don't have a built-in fireplace and need to replace your old space heater take a look at the beauty of a plug-in, beautifully designed and versatile fireplace that saves you money in the long run. 

Many sales are going on now as the winter season comes to an end so you better hurry before the price starts to change. This is a win-win situation. The Dimplex and Heat Surge fireplaces have some hot deals but there are many other companies that I did not pursue as I found what I wanted.

The First Day of Spring

The first day of spring is finally here,
a gift from God that comes every year.
The Robin sings a heavenly tune,
as the daffodils and tulips are beginning to bloom.
The egg stands up in an unusual way,
an event that occurs only at the exact time on this day.
God is the only one to know why this occurs.
God’s message and his memory continue to endure.
To believe that God gave his son to wash away our sin,
to ask for forgiveness and put your total faith in him.
He preformed miracles during his life on earth for all to see,
 but the prophecy was fulfilled as Jesus said it would be.
Make a positive change during Lent, this spiritual time of year.
Christ will return relieving you life from fear.
Spring clean your life and be prepared for this day,
ask for forgiveness and pray for those that don’t know the way.

Living Healthy by Ridding Yourself of Bad Habits

There are numerous products and programs for losing weight or how to quit smoking offering everything to herbs, pills and potions to drastic medical procedures. This industry makes billions of dollars each year from people that really desire to be healthy again by finding the magic cure that will help them lose weight or quit smoking. I hate to burst your bubble but it takes more than magic vitamins and or herbs, it takes changing your thinking patterns

Unfortunately you must make sure you are successful at changing the learned behavior and balancing it with the right product if there is one. Purchasing their product means you want to change which is good because half of the battle is admitting it. The easiest way is to never start or try anything that you could get addicted to.

Prevention costs money but in the long run it saves you money and time. If you have addiction in your family then your odds go up tremendously but the choice you make could that could have long term consequences is up to you. If you have seen people addicted then you know how hard it is to stop.
 
Finding the right product for you takes a lot of research from you and consulting your doctor is very important prior to starting any new dieting program or getting medicine that can help but that is not all. Behavior modification is really something that must be added or your attempts can result in failure.

This is no ones fault as the companies are there to sell products that can help and assume you know everything else you must do. I am not an authority on what works or doesn't. Making changes in your behavior is the most important and the least expensive way to change your negative behaviors. Sometimes the combination of their products and behavior modification will help you achieve a more permanent solution.

Maybe you should try to change something that has nothing to do with the main problem that you have at first to build confidence.During lent instead of giving up something I added something which was to pick up the Bible everyday and read it for at least 20 minutes. So far I have been successful at doing this everyday for 3 weeks now. This has nothing to do with quitting smoking or does it?

Practicing to do things that are good for you in any area of your life is changing a pattern of thinking. I feel that adding something and sticking to it remotely is helping me gain more focus and self control. Being healthy is a choice just do not go overboard. We all have something we want to change but it helps you physically, spiritual and mentally save you money in the long run and probably live longer..


Saving money in this economy is very important and the things that are preventable like eating too much, smoking too much or drinking too much can save you a fortune. I do not have any PHD or big initials to impress you as to why you should listen to me other than I have worked in mental health for over 20 years and these things I tell you come from my life and work experience.

One valuable thing I can tell you that was learned by clients and my personal experience is that once you admit you are addicted or something controls your life you feel guilty the next time you let your addiction take control over your life again. The words of wisdom from a client I had was, "using drugs was never the same and not fun anymore after admitting she/he was addicted".

Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Have a Magical Day &

Don’t Get Pinched by a Leprechaun Or the
Magic Wee Ones
that come out to

frolic and play on this Luck of the Irish Day!
 

St Patricks Day and the Snakes

St. Patrick is famous for chasing all the snakes out of Ireland. It is also the day the little gnomes and leprechauns gather around the trees to frolic and play. Magical things occur for those who believe. If you are a person that does not believe in things unseen then I feel sorry for you. Surely you have seen them or is it just the luck of the Irish that have that rare opportunity to watch them display their  magic.

I am part Irish and on a March 17th, 2000, I won $1250 at the boats on just one quarter. I was truly the best gambler that day as I left after putting my last quarter in a slot machine a won 80 more quarters. What a day that was as it was a blessing in disguise of a car payment that was due and a little shopping spree.

On March 11 in eastern Kansas we were having a great time by the pond watching some ducks take their first swim when a snake appeared in the water. Snakes usually are not out at this time of the year. We have the venomous cottonmouth, copperhead and the rattlesnake but this luckily was a harmless snake. I have lived in Kansas for a long time and even though I have saw many a snake and not once I have been bitten. Where is St. Patrick when we needed him? I guess Kansas is to far away from Ireland.

Two days later we had 5" of snow. That is life in the rural Midwest. We are noted for our beautiful sunsets, fields of wheat, sunflowers and the Flint Hills. You may not think of Kansas when you think of places you want to go but since I was born on the plains I have learned that it has many beautiful things to enjoy.

The only thing that you really need to worry about are the snakes and spiders but we won't even go there. I call myself a Kansan and I am very proud of it. The moral of this story is enjoy the things you have and don't have. Enjoy your St. Patrick's day and don't step on any leprechauns. I wish you the "luck of the Irish" and hope your life is filled with good times, memories and blessings.

Memories Are Very Valuable

You work hard in life to buy things to make your life more comfortable but you can't take things with you when you die. Life is really very short but you only really grasp this thought when you are older. Most of the objects you collect are lost eventually as no one appreciates them like you did after you are gone.

You can sometimes tell when someone was alive during the depression as they seem to hold on to everything. This may be due to fear of being without or being poor. The one thing money cannot buy is eternal life. Most objects you buy need to be a part of the memories or they will be sold and the work it took to purchase the object will only be priceless if it is remembered.

After my mother-in-law past away I began to realize that all anyone really cared about was things of high value like antiques etc.. What may have contained precious memories that she treasured held no meaning to anyone but her. Some of  the objects that others bought for her birthday or Christmas they quickly taken because it was something they wanted for their home.

The things she worked so hard for were now just junk that no one cared about. The price she paid for each small object by working until she was 80 years old now held no monetary value. Selling these things were hard as we knew what they meant to her when alive but others did not.

I realized that I would rather have just a small amount of things for my family to get rid of when I die than to spend all my time working for things that one day will be sold at a garage or estate sale for pennies on the dollar. I actually felt guilty for selling them as were priceless to her. The memories we not of what she had bought but how she lived life and the love she shared with each of us.

Spend you money creating memories that will live on. The one object I kept of my Grandmother's was an old Singer Sewing machine with a push pedal and later was transformed to electric by my Grandfather. She sewed clothes for 8 children on it and taught me how to sew doll clothes. If this sewing machine could talk the stories it could tell.

This sewing machine means a lot to me as it reminds me of my grandparents and their large farm in Okarche, Oklahoma. After I am gone I hope to give it to my grandchildren but I will have to sew with them with on it so they will have memories attached to it. If not the memory dies here and it will be sold at an estate auction as an antique without anyone knowing the history behind this old Singer Sewing machine.

It had to be one of Singers first models and if it breaks down which is very possible I am sure the memory will end. It will end in the garbage dump or sitting in an antique shop for many years. This is how I know whether an object will bring happy memories and is worth saving. I am tired of spending my money on useless things and I want to use my money to create memories.

Barter at Garage Sales And Stores

I believe that garage sales are the best place to purchase knickknacks, outdoor products and/or furniture for your home. By way of the internet and free newspapers you can usually find what type of products they are offering before you go. Neighborhood garage sales are great as you can walk around and not waste a lot of gas. Estate sales are also fun as you can buy many assorted items. You can also barter at stores if you are on your toes. You feel really proud of yourself when you get a good deal.

The saying goes "someones trash may be your treasure". If you are good at bartering than this is the place to do it. Did you know that some stores you can also barter. My husband and I went to Home Depot one day to by a weed eater that was on sale. The store was very crowded and the weed eater we initially wanted to buy was on a high shelf so we asked for assistance. He was very helpful and tried to encourage us to look at the ones on the floor. We told him that we wanted the one on sale.

After he realized that they would have to get a forklift out in a crowded store. My husband and I asked him to sell us the weed eater that was on the floor for the same price. It was a better weed eater and because of the crowd he went talked to his boss explaining the dilemma. We walked out of the store with a nicer weed eater and all because we asked.

It also helped another guy that was standing near us as he overheard part of the deal. He asked how we got that good deal. We told him what we did and he was offered the same deal and all because we were at the right place at the right moment. Take advantage of things like this in life as they do not come everyday and when they do you get a deal you never expected. Stores do barter as I have talked to others that worked a good deal.

I seen a brand new Club Cadet mower at a estate sale for $250 when a brand new one cost around $1500. Depletion and depreciation is true for objects as you never can get what you paid for the item no matter how well you took care of it. People go to garage sales to save money and actually this makes them the smarter consumer. The one thing about garage sales is they take time to find a product you need but you never know what good deals await you.

I have that brand new Club Cadet for $250 which saved me $1250 and you can call it luck, coincidence or smart shopping but I had saved a lot of money and got what I needed. This is an item I need which makes my life more comfortable. Knickknacks which cost you a lot when purchased from a store but are worthless when you resale them. That is why it is better to buy them at a garage sale. Let someone else pay the marked up value at the store. Be smart and save your hard earned money by trying to barter.