Jewelry Tip

I rarely wear jewelry but sometimes I like to have a trendy piece or two for those rare occasions when I get out of the house without kids.  In my search for affordable pieces, I've discovered the Juniors section at most department stores usually has better prices.  

When I'm buying trendy, I'm not looking for the highest quality because I know the trend probably won't last that long, therefore I can get away with a cheaper purchase.  The Juniors section tends to fit this description perfectly.  I came across this by accident but now it is the first place I look when I want new jewelry.

New Giveaways Up

Over on my review blog I have two giveaways currently going on.  First is for Yoplait Delights.  The second one is geared towards kids and is for Yoplait Kids.  Click the links in order to win, comments left on this post will not be eligible.

Frugal Fatigue and Seasons of Life

Several blogs I follow have been talking about frugal fatigue this week.  It can get exhausting and old to constantly be frugal.  I believe there are seasons of life where you need to be more frugal.  Some seasons may only be a few weeks where others can last years.

We just came out of a three year season where we had to be frugal.  I am frugal by nature but I had to take it to a whole new level for those three years just so we could survive without debt.  I learned all kinds of new things such as how to make my own laundry detergent, a variety of homemade gifts, pancake mix and much more.  I love how much I learned and still use most of it today.

However, I'm in a new season of life where my husband sometimes works as many as 60 hours a week.  I am very thankful for those hours but with raising a special needs child and a very active toddler, I don't have as much time as I did before to make everything from scratch or hunt down every great deal.  

When you get exhausted from trying to keep up with being frugal, take inventory and see why you are doing it.  Is it because you have financial goals? Do you simply enjoy being frugal?  Do you feel you have to keep up with everyone else?  

As I said, I am frugal by nature, so I will never stop being frugal or looking for new ways to be frugal.  I have, however, started giving myself some slack and sometimes I skip a week of couponing or allow us to eat out dinner so I can get a break.

What season of life are you in and how do you combat frugal fatigue? 

Quick Tip: Dishwasher & Dryer Fires

This has been on my list to post for a few weeks now but I'm just now finding a few seconds to post it.  

Several weeks ago, a friend had a fire in her dishwasher.  She posted about it on Facebook and I was surprised by the responses from others who had similar experiences or knew someone who had.

Through her status and some research of my own, I've learned that you should never leave your house or go to bed while your dishwasher or dryer are on.  Apparently fires are very common in both appliances.

I almost always have one of these appliances running while I am out running errands but I've changed my habits since then.  It is a bit of an inconvenience but I figured it would be more of an inconvenience if I had to remodel my house due to a fire.