I have a dog, a toy rat terrier, who loves to be loved. She makes you love her by being in your face everyone moment of every day. She follows me everywhere, because obviously, I am the mom of the wolf pack. Notice I didn't say alpha dog, because I would most certainly leave that honor to all 12 pounds of her.
When I need a break from this beloved creature, I attempt to find her rolled up rawhide bone, it's at least 8 inches long. Instead of going to the local pet store and buying expensive treats, I make my own, and the dog loves them.
I keep a jar of $1.00 store peanut butter in the refrigerator. Then I take a teaspoon and try to fill in every available hole in the bone. In addition, I usually smear a bit of peanut butter on top of the bone for her to lick off easily.
The end result...a dog who barks incessantly while I am refilling her rawhide bone. Then I hand it to her and she prances out of the kitchen with the bone and hides quietly under the table for an hour. When she's done, she drops in and says hello. And believe me, peanut butter breath smells a lot better than her usual doggy breath.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Frugal home computing
Hi everyone! It's frugal home computing time, so please excuse the lack of postings through the summer.
If anyone has the answer to this one, please let me know.
My son and I are manually handing off the DSL modem back and forth, because it is Houston summer time and we need to conserve the dollars for our electric bill. I ordered the megaconglomerate's wi-fi DSL modem and that cost me $130.00. It came with an offer for $$ off to have a geek come hook it up for me. Unfortunately, we did not have the $$ for the geek, either. The lack of instructions for the whole setup was thoroughly frustrating and I refused to play mega's "sock it to me" game. End result: We shipped it all back and I'm refusing to pay the bill until proper credits are made to my account.
So here's my dilemma: I've got wi-fi on my PC, so how can I hook up to the internet for relatively cheap at home without having to network my two home PC's? Would cable modems hooked into our TV cable system be a cheaper alternative overall?
Any help is appreciated.
If anyone has the answer to this one, please let me know.
My son and I are manually handing off the DSL modem back and forth, because it is Houston summer time and we need to conserve the dollars for our electric bill. I ordered the megaconglomerate's wi-fi DSL modem and that cost me $130.00. It came with an offer for $$ off to have a geek come hook it up for me. Unfortunately, we did not have the $$ for the geek, either. The lack of instructions for the whole setup was thoroughly frustrating and I refused to play mega's "sock it to me" game. End result: We shipped it all back and I'm refusing to pay the bill until proper credits are made to my account.
So here's my dilemma: I've got wi-fi on my PC, so how can I hook up to the internet for relatively cheap at home without having to network my two home PC's? Would cable modems hooked into our TV cable system be a cheaper alternative overall?
Any help is appreciated.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Cheap, grime-busting degreaser
Here's a simple formula for degreaser that I have made up myself. I'm not saying it's perfect for everyone, yet for degreasing countertops that my teen coats with pizza makings, I count this one as a favorite.
NOTE: IMPORTANT SAFETY RULE...never, ever, under any circumstance, DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA. You will create a vapor fog that will lock-up your lungs and potentially cause you further harm.
Simple Home Degreaser
NOTE: IMPORTANT SAFETY RULE...never, ever, under any circumstance, DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA. You will create a vapor fog that will lock-up your lungs and potentially cause you further harm.
Simple Home Degreaser
- (1) 32 oz. empty spray bottle
- 2 oz. of lemon ammonia (this is usually found at the bottom of the cleaning solutions at your local grocery store & it's only 99 Cents for 32 oz.)
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite Dawn Dish Detergent (without bleach!)
- Hot tap water to fill the remainder of the bottle
Questions, comments, or concerns? I'd love to hear from you.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
New car blues...
Attempting to buy a car...I am on vacation this week and have the time to go out and play the car game...I attempted to buy a new car the old fashioned way. Although I had already been "pre-approved" via an internet application on one of the large car review websites.
July 1, 2007
2:00 p.m. - Walk into dealership and ask for salesman - get his underling instead. Sit at appointed desk and wait for 15 minutes.
Thoughts...Amazing how in this day and age, with all the electronics we have, how the car dealerships still attempt the old bait and switch routine when you go to buy a car.
2:15 p.m. - Salesman sits down with me and begins interview process. He still won't divulge an interest rate to me.
Thoughts...I didn't know that car dealerships still operated this way, or that we women were so far down on the societal totem pole that we still needed a man to go with us to buy a car.
2:30 p.m. - Walk the lot
So the car salesman walks the USED lot with me (I refuse to buy anything but a Japanese vehicle), and finally we find a 2007 Toyota Xion that I would like to test drive. There is no price tag on the car at all. Next we go for the test drive, where I get totally hooked and want the car.
3:00 p.m. - Back at the dealership, salesman heads to back room to crunch the numbers.
3:15 p.m. - Salesman wants more info
3:30 p.m. - Salesman presents financial terms, I gasp for air, and politely decline 16.8% interest rate on offered car.
Here's the reasons that this auto dealership wouldn't grant me a lower cost loan. I have a low credit score.
In addition, I'm a contract worker continuously employed by the same high profile firm for the last 3 years. The dealership refuses to call my employer directly to verify my employment, or the 1-800 number that I offered that professionally verifies my employment.
Salesman comment..."you're a single woman, how do you support you and your son on that income?"
Hello, are we in the dark ages? I've been doing this for the last 11 years, and I'm not homeless.
I believe this is the way this particular auto dealership works. They are not interested in what the customer wants, they have banks available that want to offer high interest loans.
Luckily, I have a reliable vehicle that I almost own outright. The last payment will be made this month or next, depending on how high my electric bills are this summer.
Will I try to buy again? Yes, most definitely. Except this time I will not allow myself to be jerked around. Finance rates will be disclosed to me before I ever get to an auto dealer's lot. And, regardless of my credit history and single household income, 10% is the max I will allow myself to be held to on a loan. And that car I own will definitely be sold by me to the highest bidder available, not at $2500 less than what it really sells for.
And if all else fails, I'm going to learn to be the best Honda repairman a single mother could ever be!
July 1, 2007
2:00 p.m. - Walk into dealership and ask for salesman - get his underling instead. Sit at appointed desk and wait for 15 minutes.
Thoughts...Amazing how in this day and age, with all the electronics we have, how the car dealerships still attempt the old bait and switch routine when you go to buy a car.
2:15 p.m. - Salesman sits down with me and begins interview process. He still won't divulge an interest rate to me.
Thoughts...I didn't know that car dealerships still operated this way, or that we women were so far down on the societal totem pole that we still needed a man to go with us to buy a car.
2:30 p.m. - Walk the lot
So the car salesman walks the USED lot with me (I refuse to buy anything but a Japanese vehicle), and finally we find a 2007 Toyota Xion that I would like to test drive. There is no price tag on the car at all. Next we go for the test drive, where I get totally hooked and want the car.
3:00 p.m. - Back at the dealership, salesman heads to back room to crunch the numbers.
3:15 p.m. - Salesman wants more info
3:30 p.m. - Salesman presents financial terms, I gasp for air, and politely decline 16.8% interest rate on offered car.
Here's the reasons that this auto dealership wouldn't grant me a lower cost loan. I have a low credit score.
In addition, I'm a contract worker continuously employed by the same high profile firm for the last 3 years. The dealership refuses to call my employer directly to verify my employment, or the 1-800 number that I offered that professionally verifies my employment.
Salesman comment..."you're a single woman, how do you support you and your son on that income?"
Hello, are we in the dark ages? I've been doing this for the last 11 years, and I'm not homeless.
I believe this is the way this particular auto dealership works. They are not interested in what the customer wants, they have banks available that want to offer high interest loans.
Luckily, I have a reliable vehicle that I almost own outright. The last payment will be made this month or next, depending on how high my electric bills are this summer.
Will I try to buy again? Yes, most definitely. Except this time I will not allow myself to be jerked around. Finance rates will be disclosed to me before I ever get to an auto dealer's lot. And, regardless of my credit history and single household income, 10% is the max I will allow myself to be held to on a loan. And that car I own will definitely be sold by me to the highest bidder available, not at $2500 less than what it really sells for.
And if all else fails, I'm going to learn to be the best Honda repairman a single mother could ever be!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Houston gas prices - grocery shopping deals
This weekend in Houston gas was down to $2.87 a gallon in the Copperfield area, and I believe at the HEB at Highway 529 & Barker Cypress, I saw $2.77/gallon. I'm wondering if July 4th Holiday is going to magically raise those gas prices again?
At my local super market, orange juice has gone up to $3.00 for a 1/2 gallon, even for the generic brand. Grocery prices in general are hitting the home budget this summer. In addition, my May electric bill just came in at $179.00. Youch! And the hottest summer weather hasn't even hit yet.
My parents noted a good local deal at the HEB supermarkets. If you pay attention to either the store ads, or the store displays at the front of the market, HEB allows you to buy a bundle of items such as items for a BBQ and then you get a couple of the items free. HEB tends to be less expensive than the other stores, so this might work out well, especially when you are cooking for a crowd.
I'd love to hear from readers about prices in your region of the U.S.
At my local super market, orange juice has gone up to $3.00 for a 1/2 gallon, even for the generic brand. Grocery prices in general are hitting the home budget this summer. In addition, my May electric bill just came in at $179.00. Youch! And the hottest summer weather hasn't even hit yet.
My parents noted a good local deal at the HEB supermarkets. If you pay attention to either the store ads, or the store displays at the front of the market, HEB allows you to buy a bundle of items such as items for a BBQ and then you get a couple of the items free. HEB tends to be less expensive than the other stores, so this might work out well, especially when you are cooking for a crowd.
I'd love to hear from readers about prices in your region of the U.S.
Yuck! Changing the litter box
My 21 pound tomcat, Johnny Cat (yep you got his name right - my son named him after cat litter), is one of the most affectionate and empathetic cats I have ever known. When my son was a little guy, kitty would curl up beside him while he ran a fever and keep a watchful eye. Every breath noted and every mumble acknowledged, sometimes with kitty curled up on the pillow while keeping one paw on my son. Johnny Cat loves his family.
However, his cat box proves a dilemma. For years, I used just the plastic litter box alone without a liner, because inevetibly JC would scratch through the liner from his shear weight alone.
Recently one of my neighbors suggested a better alternative. She told me to put an old towel down in the freshly scrubbed litter box and then put the cat box liner (I use two large 13-gallon kitchen garbage liners) in as normal. I didn't have any old towels, yet I did have a couple of those rug grabbers that I had picked up at a local garage sale.
I lined his litter box with the rug grabbers, and kitty has not scratched through the lining again. It seems that the old towel or anything that kitty can get a grip on, will keep the cat from shredding through the liner. Yippee! Problem solved.
Reverse the litter box liners as you pull them out of the litter box and have a third bag ready for disposal. I can almost guarantee that you won't be strowing cat litter all over the place when you head for the garbage can.
However, his cat box proves a dilemma. For years, I used just the plastic litter box alone without a liner, because inevetibly JC would scratch through the liner from his shear weight alone.
Recently one of my neighbors suggested a better alternative. She told me to put an old towel down in the freshly scrubbed litter box and then put the cat box liner (I use two large 13-gallon kitchen garbage liners) in as normal. I didn't have any old towels, yet I did have a couple of those rug grabbers that I had picked up at a local garage sale.
I lined his litter box with the rug grabbers, and kitty has not scratched through the lining again. It seems that the old towel or anything that kitty can get a grip on, will keep the cat from shredding through the liner. Yippee! Problem solved.
Reverse the litter box liners as you pull them out of the litter box and have a third bag ready for disposal. I can almost guarantee that you won't be strowing cat litter all over the place when you head for the garbage can.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Credit card points...really a good deal?
My banking institution has been sending me advertisements both online and via U.S. mail lately about their latest credit card points system. The cost of the points club program is $1.00/month or $12.00/year.
When I looked further into the program, the fine print read that only 1 point was earned for every $4.00 spent. Then I look over at the reward list and note that I can receive a $100 Cash Rebate for 10,000 points or $40,000 dollars spent. So that would be net $88.00 for the year if I spent $40,000 on my credit card.
I don't mean to sound lame, but there have got to be better ways to earn $88.00 during the year, don't you think? I'd love to get some feedback on this one. Let me know what you think.
When I looked further into the program, the fine print read that only 1 point was earned for every $4.00 spent. Then I look over at the reward list and note that I can receive a $100 Cash Rebate for 10,000 points or $40,000 dollars spent. So that would be net $88.00 for the year if I spent $40,000 on my credit card.
I don't mean to sound lame, but there have got to be better ways to earn $88.00 during the year, don't you think? I'd love to get some feedback on this one. Let me know what you think.
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