Buyer Beware

So many stores are going under right now that there are some sales to be had for shoppers. I was recently in Circuit City and found some DVD-Roms priced at 6.99 for 25. They were way under priced compared to the other DVDs there so I grabbed them. I also looked for a memory stick and found an 8 GB marked down to $25 from $54 so I also grabbed that. I figured my bill would be around $30 at the check out. When I got to the front the sales clerk rang up 80 something dollars. "How can that be?" I said. What were the prices on these items? She read $30 for the DVDs and full price on the memory stick. We told her that both products were marked with different prices but were informed that those prices were subject to whatever the liquidator had put in the computer for them. The liquidator needed to get as much out of the stock as possible.

Needless to say we did not purchase either item and felt kind of dumb for going up to the register and not buying anything. I guess what I learned out of this is Buyer Beware. Not every sale is a good sale or even a real sale and it's ok to say, "Uh, cancel that sale, please."

Making Extra Money

Sometimes, just having a few extra dollars around would help your family get through the month. Here are a few suggestions that may get you thinking about ways to make some extra cash.
Many of us are already working full time, so the thought of taking on another job is daunting. Instead of thinking about two forty hour weeks restructure that thought to picking up a little here--a little there.

Blogging
Here's an obvious one--if you blog about your life, your hobby, your profession you will find you set up advertising on that blog. Maybe you decide to write a blog about sewing. You can sell sewing books through Amazon. You can sell your own patterns that you've designed by converting them to a pdf file. All of this is called "passive income". You are asleep at 3 am but somebody somewhere is downloading a pattern you created and paying you $3 for it.


Childcare
This idea only works well if you like to care for children. If you don't, that's ok--not everyone is a kid person. You can take on children in an in-home afterschool program or just babysit occasionally for neighbors or friends.

Consulting
Do you plan a great wedding or party? Do you know a lot about a technical subject like computer programming or web design? Think about your training and your strengths and who might need your consultation.

Home Generated Sales
You can sell things you grow, crafts you make (Etsy), things you buy at yard sales and sell on Ebay, things you no longer need, and things you cook. The key to this is researching your product and finding the best market for it. If you make killer oatmeal cookies go knock on the door of your neighborhood coffee shop.

Elder Care
Senior citizens often need help with rides to the doctor, airport, or grocery. They also need help with household maintenance and lawn care.

Pet Care
Become a pet sitter in your own home or drive to other people's homes and feed, water, and exercise a pet.

Think about what you can do, or what you like to do, and how you could generate some extra income out of that. Whatever you decide to do it will take work, but all of these ideas are probably going to make you money faster than the many "Work At Home" schemes out there.

Keeping Fruits and Vegetables Longer

How many times have you gone to the supermarket and been wowed by the produce section? You come home with all of your little green bags of nutritional goodness only to find you can never seem to finish all you buy. A week and half later all that food is finding it's way to your trashcan. Here are some strategies to keep you eating healthy but not wasting your shopping dollar.

Calculate How Much Your Family Really Eats
If you know you put one piece of fruit each day in a lunch bag then try not to overbuy fruit. If your child is looking for a snack after school does he/she look in the fruit basket or in the cupboard for a Little Debbie? Plan your fruit needs around this.

Meal Plan
Buy the exact amount of vegetables you will be needing for the week through a meal plan. This will actually save you money in the produce section. Instead of saying "Maybe I'll make this" and then forgetting it later in the week, you know exactly what you will make and when you will use it. This prevents picking up little extras you might or might not get to later.

Store Fruits and Veggies in the Right Place
Apples-Refrigerate. If you see any signs of spoilage remove that apple. It will spoil other apples and other fruit.
Carrots-Cut green tops off then scrub and refrigerate.
Cabbage-keep it unwashed until you use it and store it in the refrigerator.
Potatoes-If you place them in the sun for 4-5 hours it will toughen the skin and they will store longer. Also if you put an apple with them it will keep them from sprouting. Store potatoes as well as onions in a cool dark place.
Greens-Store in an open bag in the refrigerator
If you have wilted greens put them in some cold water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and some lemon juice. Soak them for about an hour and they should revive.

These are just a few of the fruits and veggies you might have in your kitchen. If you still have a tendency to forget about them make a "To Eat" list instead of "To Do" for the front of your refrigerator. When you are throwing that last minute meal together, check that list before opening a can of veggies.