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Archives for May 2011

The Multi-Functional Laundry Basket

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Staying organized does not require purchasing special containers or tools to get the job done. Using a cardboard box or a laundry basket can help you accomplish your goal. I prefer the sturdy option of a laundry basket to a cardboard box that can be ripped, bent, and crushed. Besides the holder of our clothes, our laundry baskets have been used in the following ways:

TO ORGANIZE:

Hold items that need to be placed in another room. When I clean or pickup a room, I stay in that spot until the task is completed. If I find items that do not belong in that room, I put those objects into my laundry basket. I then transport my basket to other rooms to deposit the items in their designated spots.

Transport items from upstairs to downstairs and vice versa. During the Christmas season, I use the laundry basket to transport wrapped gifts from my upstairs’ bedroom to the downstairs’ living room. If I had to carry all the gifts down, I would need 3-4 trips for one laundry basket load.

Safeguard sorted items. Using laundry baskets to sort papers, toys, books, videos, etc. can save you time. If you get interrupted, you can pick up the basket and put it on a table, counter, bed, or dryer. Then little ones or other helpers can be deterred from assisting with your project or checking out the contents of the basket.

 

Riding in the laundry basket

TO PLAY:

Train a child to walk. Our children have used the laundry basket loaded with books to assist them in walking. The toys with wheels moved too quickly for them, but the heavy laundry basket was slower and easier to move when working on balance.

Create a great hiding place. Our kids enjoy playing Hide-and-Seek. At this time, all of our children are small enough to hide under the laundry basket at least once during the game. My oldest daughter could hide there each time. She loves curling up and watching through the holes.

Become a type of transportation. Getting pushed in the laundry basket or pushing another sibling in the laundry basket is a great form of entertainment. With a long hallway downstairs and some extra energy from Dad and Mom, the kids can get a great, fast ride. In the picture to the right, my son is pushing my youngest daughter down our hallway. The pillow behind her back helps to keep her upright and comfortable during the ride.

A crib for the baby dolls. Our little toy pack-n-play is too small to hold all the baby dolls in our house. Since all the dolls need to sleep at the same time, the laundry basket is deemed appropriate to accommodate them.

My multi-functional laundry baskets are part of our family. Those baskets hold clothes, gifts, toys, people, paper, and lots of other objects. Have you found your laundry basket to be multi-functional? If so, please comment on what other uses you have for your laundry baskets.

Personal: Passports

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

In organizing the mounds of paperwork you have accumulated over the years, you may need to take a break. This process is a marathon. There are numerous categories, with lots of detail, and being thorough will pay off for years to come.

When I initially worked on organizing our documents, I concentrated on each topic a little at a time. Taking breaks and working on other projects helped to distract me from the enormous task before me. By plugging away, I was able to complete the organization and have saved myself money, energy, and time. I know what I have, where it is located, and can access it quickly. Keep plugging away and take breaks when you need it.

In organizing my accordion file, the fourth file slot houses the second category of Important Personal Documents. In this category, I have our birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and passports. Paul and I have passports, but we have not obtained them for our children.

I have Paul’s passport and copies of the last page paper clipped together. I then have my passport and copies of the last page paper clipped together. Then both sets are paper clipped and housed behind the copies of our driver’s licenses.

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Paul and I obtained our passports before our cruise to Bermuda. We printed and filled out the Passport Application Form, located our birth certificates, and purchased our passport photos at Rite Aid during a sale. We placed these documents in a secure envelope with our payments and mailed them.

We received our accurate passports two days before departure. When we renew these passports, I will be sure to start a minimum of 2 months prior to the date needed. Coming down to the last few days was worrisome to me. I also did not want our passports with our birth certificates sitting in our mailbox or at the post office while we were away.

I felt so relieved when the paperwork arrived. Once I had verified that all the information was correct, we made copies of the last pages of each of our passports. We gave Paul’s parents copies in the event that we lost our passports in Bermuda. We could contact them for our passport numbers which would prove our identity and hopefully, allow us to return home. Thankfully, we did not lose our passports, but we prepared for the worst case scenario.

Our passports are due to expire next year, so I will need to review the renewal process. The process has changed since we first acquired our passports.

I will be visiting the U.S. Postal Service site. The process is explained, and the cost and payment types accepted by the Postal Service and the State Department are listed in a parallel format. If more detailed information is needed, I will search the State Department’s web site. If pictures will be needed, then I will follow these instructions for creating my own passport photographs.

When the new documents arrive, I will verify their accuracy, and then file them in this second category of Important Personal Documents in the fourth file pocket in Box 1 of 3 of my important documents. Next week, I will continue to share another item in this same file slot. In the meantime, take a break if you need it. Your documents will still be around when you return from your time away.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you, Mom, for loving me and teaching me how to mother my own children.

 

Thank you, Grandma, for loving my mom and for teaching her how to be my Mommy.

 

To all the Mothers, thank you for investing your money, energy, and time into your children and our next generation.

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 1 of 2

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As the gas prices continue to rise, I am seeking options to lower the price I pay at the pump. To help stretch our dollars, I use the fuelperks! program at Bi-Lo, a local grocery store chain located in the Southeastern United States. Bi-Lo has joined forces with the The Spinx Corporation, a chain of gas stations serving North and South Carolina.

Bi-Lo and Spinx Promotion

Here is how our program works:

When I make a purchase at Bi-Lo, I earn fuelperks! for each dollar spent. For example, I go shopping at Bi-Lo and scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard at checkout. I purchase $47.55 of product, use $21.26 in coupons, and pay $26.59 (including tax) out of pocket. I receive a printed receipt stating that I have earned $26.59 toward my next fuel purchase.

After I have purchased $50 in product at Bi-Lo, then I earn $.05 per gallon in fuelperks!. At my next shopping trip to Bi-Lo, I scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard, purchase $56.76 in product, use $32.36 in coupons, and pay $24.46 (including tax) out of pocket. My receipt will print showing I have earned $.05 per gallon in fuelperks!, and I have earned $1.05 toward my next fuel purchase.

I can also stack my fuelperks! earnings. Bi-Lo runs fuelperks! bonuses where you can purchase a set of items in one transaction and earn additional cents per gallon. One such bonus was purchase $20 in Huggies diapers and earn $.20 per gallon. I paired the Huggies diaper sale with coupons and the fuelperks! bonus to increase my fuelperks! earnings. I had enough coupons for 2 transactions, so I earned $.45 the morning I shopped. (I earned the $.40 for the Huggies transactions. I then earned an additional $.05 since my out of pocket spent reached $50.) Having already earned $.10 per gallon the previous weeks, I had a total earned of $.55 per gallon in fuelperks!

By earning $.05 off or $.55 off per gallon, I am able to go to a Spinx station, and purchase gas at a discount. As my gas gauge lowers toward empty, I choose a nearby Spinx station to purchase fuel. At the pump, I scan my Bi-Lo BonusCard.

TIP: I must use the credit card sized version rather than the keychain version. The keychain version will not fit in the outside card readers. I just carry the larger BonusCard in my wallet. If you don’t have the larger BonusCard, then you will need to pay the cashier in advance. You will want to pay more than you plan to pay to be sure you get the full discount. You don’t want to pay $50 and find that to fill your tank would cost $60. You will only get the discount on the gas pumped with your $50 payment. When you overpay, you can return to the cashier for a refund of your overpayment.)

Once the gas pump computer recognizes my BonusCard, the display indicates a discount. (Unfortunately, I have not used a Spinx that displays the amount off at the pump.) I then swipe my credit card and pump the gas. After replacing the nozzle, I check my printed receipt. I will then notice that instead of paying $3.70 per gallon, I paid $3.65 per gallon ($3.70 minus the $.05 Fuelperks! discount) or $3.15 per gallon ($3.70 minus the $.55 fuelperks! discount). The result of my $.55 per gallon discount was a savings of $11.

The fuelperks! expire. I will lose my fuelperks! discount if I have not used them within 3 months. After earning your $.05, then you have 3 months to use them. If you earn an additional $.15 in 3 weeks, then you have 3 months from then to use them. It is possible to lose $.05, but then be able to use the other $.15. Having the savings at hand, I assume you would be using them sooner rather than later.

Fuelperks! is limited to 20 gallons. When I use the fuelperks! at the Spinx station, the pump will cut off at 20 gallons. If you need more fuel, you will need to start another transaction.

Fuelperks! can only be used in one transaction. Once you swipe your card or have the cashier access your fuelperks!, then that discount is gone. You cannot use 15 gallons in one transaction and then use 5 in another. Once you access your fuelperks!, your amount earned returns to $0. To stretch my dollars, I wait to fill up when my tank is almost empty.

When the program first began, I did not receive any information about the program. I just noticed the savings at the bottom of my receipt. As cashiers would indicate my fuelperks! savings, I inquired about the program. From numerous conversations and using the program, I have perfected my system for maximizing my savings with the resources at hand. Next week, I will share how I have used this program and found additional ways to stretch my dollars.

Do you have a fuel program near you? If you do and you don’t use it, try it! A little savings here and little there adds up. I hope you can fuel your vehicle with a little savings to help stretch your hard earned dollars.

Mother’s Day: Free Photo Collages

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Were you able to procure the Mother’s Day cards? You were; good for you! Are you looking for other free or inexpensive gift ideas in time for Mother’s Day, which is this Sunday? If so, then the deals at Walgreens may fit the bill.

Photograph Credit: Walgreens

You can create 2 free photo collages using the promotional codes. Freebies 4 Mom walks you through creating these collages. Remember that these deals end on Saturday, May 7. If you have a Walgreens nearby, you can choose “pick up at the store” for free shipping.

Creating the collages will take some time, but your grandmother, mom, wife, or daughter will appreciate the special gift with a personal touch.