Music to My Ears

We cancelled the kids' piano lessons last Friday because it conflict with something that we have to attend to.  It's unfortunate that the kids got sick over the weekend and they are still feeling under the weather till now.  I feel bad that  they  don't feel at their  best.  I asked them to stay today but they did not want to miss school.   But anyway, I was looking through this  guitar center catalog when I arrived home today from school because I am looking for some  deals on violin.  My daughter really want one but I have to budget for it.  Speaking of budget, it's music to my ears when we can save  cash  when shupping for things that we  need.  Here are some of the last  shopping deals that  I found.

All of these were on sale even their school shoes and uniform.  We also did nit pay tax for this because it was one of the promo in Steubenville that day, the no-tax back-to-school sale.  

2nd Consignment to Swap

Since Balikbayan boxes are being taxed in the Philippines now, I decided to just sell my kids pre-loved clothes through an online consignment  place called Swap.     This is my second time sending pre-loved clothes to them.   I wish that the Phil. government is not being greedy and tax  balikbayan boxes.  Heck, the value of the items I will sent is  lower than the tax that the receiver  will pay for it so  I will just  sell it here and  send the money back home.    But anyway,  I sent it last month and is just now being listed.  I guess a lot of people are sending in  items that they are backlogged  with so many.  Here are the items I sent to them.

This is new with tag.  I wasn't able to use it because it's big on me.  It's a nice one to have for snuggling or going for a walk this Fall.  This is originally priced  at $85 from Mommy and Me but  I am only selling it for $22.

sold 

These Levis jeans got sold already               

These are some pieces that I removed from my closet.  They are just sitting in my closet so mind as well dispose it.  Swap  take the photos of your item and list it for you but you will be the one to   proce them.  IN some items, they siggest  the price.

These dresses are  barely worm.  Sometimes, my daughter doesn't like  wearing certain kid of dress.

You can check my listing here. THey are fairly priced. I priced it low enough so I can get rid of them quickly.  Most of these are proced from $4 - $10 only.  Some are new and some are  gently used.

Handy Tips And Ideas For Making A Little Extra Money

It’s a sad fact of life, but money is one of the most important things we can have. To live life to the full, from having nice family holidays to memorable Christmases, money is crucial. All the time prices for bills, food, gas, and daily activities are rising. For many of us, our earnings from our jobs, just aren’t enough to cover the cost of everything.

If you’re stressing about how you are going to pay for the next birthday, day out, or even, a big bill, you may be considering taking on an evening job. While, in theory, this is a good idea, in reality, it’s a terrible one. Not only will you end up being exhausted, but you will also miss out on spending time with friends and family.

To earn a little extra money, getting a second job isn’t the only option. Here I have put together a guide to all the best ideas for making a little extra money:

Sell items you no longer want

From old clothes to items of furniture that you no longer have room for, you can sell pretty much anything, online. The best site for selling second-hand items on is eBay. On here, items are quick and easy to list, and only a small fee is taken for each one.

If you have any items that are sought after, like sports memorabilia, sell them at online memorabilia auctions. You will get a higher price on these sites than you would do on eBay, so these are worth checking out.

Do online surveys

If you want to earn money from the comfort of your sofa, a great way to do it is by signing up to do online surveys. Research companies are always on the lookout for people to test out new products and fill in surveys, so you should be able to find a good amount of work.

For a couple of minutes of filling in forms, you can earn a small amount of money - between 50cents and $2 per survey. It might not seem like much, but if you do a few surveys a day, your earnings will soon add up.

Become a product reviewer

Set up a product reviewing blog and review various products. Companies will often reimburse you by allowing you to keep the product, instead of paying in cash. However, you can always sell these items on, and make a profit that way.

It might take you a couple of months to build your website up, but once you get a name for yourself, you’ll never be strapped for cash again. If you become a sought after reviewer, companies will not only allow you to keep the product, but they will also pay you a fee.

At some point or another, we all end up a little strapped for cash. Often, our first thought is to go out and get a second job, but this isn’t a practical solution. However, as I have mentioned above, there are plenty of other ways you can make a little extra money in the evenings.

Shopping Deals at TJMax

We went on a little shopping  at TJMaxx on  August 15.  Our goal was to find birthday gift for a friend's daughter  but we ended up finding some good deals on stuff.  We did not find  the gift though.  My husband find him some pieces that he likes that are on sale and the prices he can't pass.  

 I also found me this  Fall work out apparel and  hubby found a dress that he thought would fit me so I tried it on and voile, it fits perfectly!

 I also found this on a clearance section, a kitchen shears.  It has a non-slip grip handles.  It is a stainless  steel blades that stays Sharp and it's bright colors matches the color of my kitchen.

 I also grabbed me this 16 month weekly planer.  I love that it has religious sayings in every page which   motivates me everyday.

I can always  use notepads so when they are on sale, I always grab me one or two.  The best deal I found that day is this  manual juicer for $5.   I mean you can't beat that price.  IT was originally  $60 but  I luckily got it for $5

My husband was skeptical about it because  it was so cheap.  He said someone might have broken it and returned it.  I inspected everything when we came home and it work great so  there's nothing wrong with it.  We have been using this baby ever since  cause we have so many tomatoes.  

Don't Cry for Me Argentina

Don't Cry for Me Argentina is one of  my favorite songs that Madonna did.  I also love the rendetion that Lea Salonga did.  Jane Zhang from China also did great of  singing it.   I am sure that  when these great singers sing songs, the band has  api 560 and other high end stuff to make it more sound awesome.  Here is the video of Jane Zhang singing the above-mentioned  song.  The video  is not mine.

Back To School With Shoplet

 When it comes to office supploes, I love shopping at Shoplet.  Their  office supplies are high quality and  you can buy it a lesser price if you get them in bulk.  Back-to-School means a lot pf printing, drawing, and  sketching at home.  The school even added papers in the supply list to be broguht to school so I am glad I have a pack of this 500 copies Hammermill Color Copy Paper to serve that purpose.  They also included a mug and a Zebra  plush toy.

 

My husband said that  he will be bringing this mug at work for coffee, he hasn't bring it yet but if in case he changed his   plan, I have a plan of my own for this one, lol.

My daughter   think this zebra is so cute.  She asked if she could  have it to make it like a playmate buddy of her guinea pig.  I told her that she can have it  so she can do whatever she wants with it.

These copy paper combines an extra smooth surface and high brightness to produce exceptional color images.  The heavyweight sheet is designed to run on small and large offset presses, copiers, laser printers, inkjet printers and fax machines that use plain paper.  The super bright photo white delivers excellent image contrast and color reproduction.

I tried it with B&W print for now and it is really a great   quality of papers to use for printing.  My daughter would love these for her art stuff that needs printing.

Thanks to Shoplet and Hammermill for this hugh quality papers.  This will be  great to use with our back to school projects.

 Shoplet have everything that you need for your business and home including office supplies, office stationary, cleaning supplies,  and many others such as medical supplies .   Thank you once again Shoplet and Hammermill!

Disclosure: The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review.  I was provided with the products mentioned  in exchange of my honest  opinion which may differ from yours. 

A Handy Guide To Help You Feel More Financially Secure!

Money makes the world go round. It seems that these days, money is becoming increasingly important to survive. Prices are rising, so we need to make sure that we’re financially able to deal with all this. If you’re worried about your finances, I have some tips to help you be more financially secure:

(Image from flickr https://flic.kr/p/ahtNKP)

Open A Savings Account

One of the best ways you can achieve financial security is by opening a savings account. This is a bank account where you can deposit money into as often as you please. Some people set up a direct debit that deposits money every month, others go for every year, it’s up to you! The benefit of doing this is that you have money spare, in your savings account. Plus, savings accounts have better interest rates, so the money can slowly grow over time. Your savings account will make you more secure and be great in case of emergency.

Get Some Insurance

If you have something valuable, it’s a good idea to insure it. You can insure individual goods, like laptops or phones, under warranty. This means if something happens to them during the warranty period, you can get it replaced for free. Then you have things like car insurance and home insurance, which can keep those two things safe. You can even get income protection insurance to help you out if illness prevents you from going to work. This can be good because you’ll get paid a percentage of your income while you’re off sick, so that you can be more financially safe. You can visit https://www.superheroinsurance.com.au/income-insurance-australia.html to see the requirements for income protection. In general, any type of insurance can be helpful if you want to keep yourself and your family financially secure.

(Image by PublicDomainPictures https://goo.gl/bIuZIL) 

Increase Your Income

An obvious way to become more secure in your finances is to have more money. And how can you do this? For starters, you could look at getting a better job. If you’re unhappy with the pay at your current job, think about looking for an improved one. Only do this if you know you could get paid more for the skills you offer. The second thing you could do is look for another job or source of money. There are lots of little things you can do online to make money on the side; you’ll be surprised at how effective it can be.

Pay Bills On Time

One sure fire way to not be financially secure is to slip into debt. A good way to avoid this is to make sure you’re paying all your bills on time. It’s a good idea to set up automatic payments for all of your bills. That way, you won’t have to remember to pay bills at certain times, it will be done for you. This can stop your bills from piling up until you have no way of paying them all at once and end up in debt. Make sure you’re paying your bills on time, and that you can afford them.

Shop Online And Save Money On Energy Costs With These Tips!

The beauty of online shopping is that you can shop for just about anything. One thing most people will need to buy is energy for the home. If you want central heating and gas, you’ll need to buy it from an energy provider. This can sometimes be expensive and cost you a lot every month. But, if you use the tips below, you can save money on your energy bills by shopping online!

Price Comparison Websites

There are many price comparison websites out there that can help you save money. In fact, this is a tip that’s great for all the online shopping you do. By using a price comparison site, you’re going to get a list of most of the energy providers on the web. It will be easy for you to look and see which one’s are offering the best deals. This means you can easily narrow down your choices, and it takes minimal effort. So, if you’re low on cash, price comparison sites could be the perfect way for you to find a suitable energy provider.

(Image Source: https://goo.gl/cx6bAV)

Look For Discounts

Sometimes energy providers offer discounts to people who buy energy through their websites. But, if you have a look at their sites thoroughly, you could find even more discounts. Sites like https://www.clickenergy.com.au/ have discounts for people who pay their bills on time. What this means is that if you’re punctual with payment, you could save money on energy. There are also lots of other potential discounts out there if you look closely. Some may offer loyalty discounts to people who stay with them for a certain amount of time. Looking for discounts is a great way for you to save money shopping for energy online.

New Customer Offers

I would suggest that you look around for any new customer offers. Sometimes, energy providers could have special offers for a limited time. During this period, new customers could get discount energy prices. Commonly, energy providers do this to try and lure in new customers. The deals are usually something along the lines of ‘half price for the first six months’. But, they could be different depending on the provider. I’d suggest you look for deals like this in the lead up to winter time. This is when people are going to be using lots of energy, and companies know they may be looking for a cheaper provider.

Discount Codes & Vouchers

Yes, it's possible that there may be a discount code for certain energy providers. If you’re comparing prices, and you find a provider you like, I’d advise you to search for a discount code. Just Google the provider's name followed by ‘discount code’ and you’ll soon see any results. You could find codes that give you cashback when you buy or give you some money off the overall price. Some energy providers have discount codes that will give you vouchers for other online retailers, so look out for that too.  

If it’s time you looked for a new energy provider, then use my words of advice. Trust me, doing the things above will help you save lots of money in the long run.

5 Ways To Save On Costly Home Repairs

I like to think that I run a tight ship in my home, and I try to keep on top of everything I can. Your home is valuable, and if you don’t keep things ticking over you run the risk of losing some of that value. One of the biggest problems is making sure you don’t have to face enormous repair bills.

They can come as a bolt out of the blue, and leave you with costs that could run into the thousands. So, I thought I would share some of the ways that I reduce the risks of disaster striking, so that you don’t have to spend all of your hard-earned money! Read on and let me know what you think - do you have any tips to add?

Image Credit

Learn about your house

How many of you know about your house and how it works? You don’t have to become a qualified builder, but you should know the basics about plumbing, electrics, and home maintenance. If you don’t know what to look for, you won’t know when something is wrong. And, in general, the quicker you attend to the problems, the cheaper it will be for you. There are lots of resources out there that you can access for free. I love using the excellent guides over at Country Living - they are full of ingenious tips and ideas.

Make regular checks

Once you know more about your home, you can start making your own inspections. I like to do them at least twice a year. It’s easy to do - try it while you are doing your spring cleaning, and then again when you are preparing for the winter months. There’s a great checklist over at Popular Mechanics, and it will help you concentrate on missing nothing out.

Don’t forget your roof

It’s difficult to remember about checking your roof. After all, you never actually see it, do you? But that makes it even more important to inspect it properly. Now, it’s not something you want to do yourself unless you have had some safety training. But, you have to make sure that the wind, snow, sun and storms haven’t damaged your roof. The first you might know about it is when you realise that you have a significant leak. It could, by that time, already be too late.

Get the right insurance cover

Home insurance is one of those things that everybody has - but not many have the right cover. It’s worth checking your policy once a year, just to make sure that you are covered for anything that might go wrong. If disaster strikes, it isn’t just the cost of your home repairs you need to think about - it’s also the cost of everything else that gets damaged.

If the worst happens

Finally, if the worst does happen, and you are faced with enormous repair costs, there are a few things you can do. Under FHA guidelines, you might be eligible for a repair loan. This should help you spread the costs over a longer period. You could also try your insurance company - but be aware that this will push your premiums up.

Well, that’s about it for today. I hope you have found this helpful, and I look forward to hearing your comments!

Here Are My Top Tips For Buying A New Home For Your Family

You’ve made the decision to sell your home and buy a new house for your family. While you are excited to find a new home that you and your brood will love, you are most probably feeling a little anxious, as well. Don’t worry, feeling nervous is totally normal.

Moving house is a big deal, especially when you have kids in tow. When you look at potential properties, you have to take lots of things into consideration. From the feel of the neighborhood to how close it is to your kids’ schools, you need to be sure that you pick the right place. You can’t just choose a random house because you love the feel of it, you have to think your decisions through.

To help make the house buying process a little easier and less stressful for you, I thought I would share a few useful tips:

Create a list of priorities for your new home

First things first, what you need to do is write a list of what you would like your new property to be like. This should include all of the things that your new home must have, such as a certain amount of bedrooms.

As well as a list of musts for your new home, it also pays to create a list of things you would like your new home to have. These should be things that would be great, but you could live without. For example, en suite bedrooms or an open fire in the living room.

Do research and set yourself a budget

Once you have a list of what you want, do some research and find out what you should expect to be paying for your new home. Once you have a figure to work with, you can then start thinking about deposits and usda loans.

The deposit for a property tends to be between 10 and 20 percent of its value. Along with your deposit, you can then use a mortgage loan to pay for the rest of it. It’s a good idea to get your loan approved before you start house-hunting, so that when you find your dream home, you don’t have to wait around.

View at least three properties before making an offer

Don’t rush into making an offer on the first property that you see, have a look at a couple more. By viewing a few different properties, you will get an idea of what your money can buy you. This is especially important when you are hunting for a family home, as you need as much space as you can get for your money.

Have an open mind when viewing every property and make a list of the pros and cons of each as you go around. This will allow you to compare each property before you decide on the best option for you and your family.

Have a second viewing before making a decision

On your first viewing, you most probably won’t take in as many factors about the property as you should. That’s why, once you find a house that you love, you need to have a second viewing before you agree to buy.

As you look around for the second time, be as critical as you can. Look for any issues and question each of them with your realtor. Make sure to ask whether the house has any history of mold, damp or woodworm.

Take into account the location, the neighborhood and size of the property. Think about whether it’s a family area and whether the location is close enough to the kids’ schools and your work.

Buying a house is a big deal, so it’s important that before you go ahead that you ensure it’s the right move for you and your family.