‘Tis The Season … for Yard Sales, Have Fun, & Get Bargains

Hunting for treasures at a yard sale is an activity enjoyed by many. It’s fun. It gets you out into the fresh morning air, and, with luck, you’ll find great bargains.

Marenda Babcock, author of Frugal Times Newsletter takes these items with her on a bargain hunt:

• A map to locate the houses
• a canvas bag for personal items
• a tape measure to check clothing sizes and the length of curtains and furniture
• and a roll of quarters

She recommends wearing comfortable shoes, going on the first day, and arriving when the sale opens to find the best selection. Other recommendations:

1. When you arrive at the sale, scan it quickly for what you are looking for. If you aren’t sure you want an item, pick it up anyway. You can always put it back.
2. Take your time and look under tables, in corners, and at the bottom of piles.
3. Offer a lower price if you want to. Make it about 25 percent less, never half the asking price or less.
4. Sniff items. If books or stuffed toys smell bad, move on.
5. If you take your kids, give them money to shop. It’s good experience.
6. Take a drink and a snack with you so you don’t have to waste time between sales.
7. The last day of a sale can also be good because prices may be marked down.

For Your Own Yard Sale

• Advertise in newspapers; hang posters with directions in laundries and libraries, and post signs the day before the sale.
• Team up with friends. People love a four-family sale.
• Put large, attractive items near the curb, like a baby bed or lawn mower.
• Mark every item with a price. Have plenty of bags and lots of paper to wrap breakables.

To Discover How To Cut Your Expenses And Save Money, Without Feeling Punished go to our Frugal Living for Moms page.

Did you know that peanuts are a smart choice?

For a time, it was considered wise to avoid peanuts because of their fat content. Times have changed. Health conscious people now know that peanuts hold no damaging cholesterol. Their high protein content makes them a good choice for anyone, particularly for vegetarians.

Technically, peanuts belong to the legume family as do peas and green beans, but some people wonder whether peanuts should be in a food group of their own. In addition to protein, they contain vitamin E, niacin, riboflavin, and important minerals.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that eating peanuts is a valuable way to control hunger without weight gain.

Once considered only fit for animal feed, scientist George Washington Carver spent his life finding better uses for peanuts.

Try this easy recipe.

Peanut-Crusted Chicken

This is a variation of a popular Oriental dish, peanut pork. Peanut-encrusted chicken is high in protein, low in fat and has all natural ingredients.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets

1 cup salted peanuts

2 tablespoons Canola oil

4 tablespoons honey

Using a blender or coffee grinder, reduce the peanuts to a coarse mixture. Do not over grind or you will end up with dry peanut butter.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breast fillets and brush on a coating of honey for binding and flavor. Roll in the coarsely chopped peanuts and press the coating into the chicken with the back of a tablespoon.

Coat a deep frying pan with Canola oil and bring heat to high. Place the chicken in the skillet, reduce heat to half, and cook until golden brown, or about half an hour to 45 minutes.

This dish can also be baked, eliminating the use of the Canola oil. Bake the fillets at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until crusty brown on top. The dish can be sliced and served piping hot as an entree or it can be served with your favorite dipping sauce as an appetizer.

Five Things Mom and Dad Can Do WITHOUT the Kids

Being a couple is a wonderful experience. You go out, watch television or basically do whatever you want, and it’s usually together. However, once children come into the mix then everything seems to change. Now you may be lucky if you even speak to each other alone before you fall asleep at night.

It may be difficult to find the time to be alone together, but it is important for the relationship and for the family that you make the time. Call up a friend to sit with your children (or that will let your children come stay with them) and offer to switch up the services on a regular basis. You can also seek the services of grandparents where it is available. By avoiding a sitter you will be able to take time together without having to break the bank. Here are five suggestions for things to do together - without the kids.

1. Take a day trip together. Check with your church or local clubs to see if they have any tours or events scheduled that the two of you might enjoy together. Be sure that you will have plenty of time to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Try to stay away from talk about kids, finances or home repairs.

2. Have a romantic dinner. Go to one of those places that will turn down the lights and that has candles on the table (and doesn’t even HAVE a kids’ menu). Take your time and enjoy each other’s company. Take the time to share a little dessert at the end of the meal.

3. Have a couple’s night out. You’ve heard of mom’s night or girl’s night or boy’s night. This is the same thing only with several couples instead. You can go to one couple’s house and play cards or just hang out, or you can go to a local restaurant and let someone wait on you for a change.

4. Go to a dance or take a dance lesson together. Ballroom (or couple) dancing is becoming more popular every year. Many dance studios host free (or inexpensive) dance parties during the week to try and encourage people to take their classes. You may also be able to find great dances listed in the “things to do” section of your local paper. If you prefer to take classes then you might want to look at your local community college or community center for inexpensive classes.

5. Get a room. It can be nice to rent a room (even if it is in the same town) at a Bed & Breakfast or nice hotel – with lots of in-room amenities. Just get away from the normal routine to a place where the two of you can truly be alone.

Making time for each other without the kids doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. It only takes a little creativity to bring back the feelings and emotions you both had when you first started dating.

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