January 2009

honey: Made in China??

January 31, 2009

After reading this eye-opening article from the Consumerist I am convinced more than ever that eating local is the way to go. It’s difficult for me to believe that companies would have a product shipped all the way from China just to save a few bucks. It’s not worth my health, thank you very much [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

squeaky wheel: Chase Credit Cards edition

January 30, 2009

Remember my post about Chase raising our rates? I decided to try to fight back. This is one of our oldest accounts, so closing it wouldn’t be optimal especially given that we are still waiting on a refi for our mortgage.  I sent several e-mails on their online system. I would get a near identical [...]

13 comments Read the full article →

keep in touch

January 30, 2009

Here’s a list of all the ways you can keep in touch with me. Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or advice. (always appreciated) Sign up for my RSS feed. Follow me on Twitter. E-mail me. Keep in touch, Kelly Pin it

0 comments Read the full article →

paid off debt #1!

January 30, 2009

We got our tax refund this morning, and it’s already spent.  I spent it to pay off our lowest balance credit card. Normally our refund would just get eaten by the checking account. (you know what I mean) I can’t wait to log into Wesabe later and see my total debt balance has dropped. I [...]

8 comments Read the full article →

best snack evah: popcorn

January 29, 2009

(soon to have pictures, my uploader is being cranky) I know, I know, you’re thinking I’m crazy to be devoting a whole blog post to the love of popcorn, but hear me out. We use organic popcorn (I’m scared of genetically modified anything, it reminds me too much of Frankenstein). It can run anywhere from [...]

4 comments Read the full article →

stock the pantry

January 29, 2009

Despite having a sizable layout our kitchen lacks usable cupboard space. We have no pantry and many of our cupboards are unusable due to the lack of shelving, or shelves that are falling apart. The previous owners did a remodel and while it looks okay on the outside, the insides of the cabinets are atrocious. [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Guest post: Get Rich Slowly

January 28, 2009

Giving myself a shout-out. I did a guest post for Get Rich Slowly this morning. I’m so glad I got to read the book How to be The Family CFO. It has been eye-opening for me. I used to stick my head in the sand about certain (well maybe all) financial matters, and this book [...]

6 comments Read the full article →

squeaky wheel: Lego edition

January 27, 2009

How much time would you offer if someone would give you $40-$50? I spent 3 minutes on a well crafted email to on of our favorite toy companies, Lego, and received 2 tee shirts, and 2 registrations to a Lego Club Event at our local store. I value it at about $40. Totally worth it! [...]

4 comments Read the full article →

could you be complaint-free?

January 26, 2009

I was all set to write a post about what’s been keeping me away from the computer (being sick), and the effect it has on the family, but instead I took a shower. (I do my best thinking in the shower) The hot water helps me get warm on a cold day like this morning, [...]

7 comments Read the full article →

around the web

January 23, 2009

Things I’ve read from my sickbed today. Lifehacker on Craig’s List Craigslist:Guide for the Recession. Great article with links to how to write a Craig’s List ad, how to find comparable pricing by searching Google, and more. I love using Craig’s List to sell things we no longer need. We’ve also used it to get [...]

0 comments Read the full article →