I was working full-time and had a 3 year old and a 10 month old and we were in the midst of some heavy financial troubles.  I spent a lot of time during my work day searching the web, learning about various successful bloggers and teaching myself how to set up a blog along with all the technical stuff that went on behind the scenes.

I knew NOTHING about internet marketing, SEO, or keyword research.  I started this blog blindly, writing about whatever ways I could think of to save money.  I never dreamed that almost 2 1/2 years later, this blog would still be up and I’d still be posting to it.

Over that time, my family has changed, my finances have changed and most importantly, my vision has changed.  I now have 3 children (ages 5, 3 and 1) and I stay at home with them.  I’ve educated myself through various means on how to make money online and along the way I’ve met some WONDERFUL people.

Also during this time, my husband has worked hard to build his business and has even recently expanded to meet the demands of his clients.  So, although we don’t have to scrimp like we once did, it’s still on my heart to help others who don’t know how they are going to put dinner on the table because I have been there.

Do you know the biggest reason why it’s STILL on my heart?  Because during this long and painful journey, I had many people help ME.  Words of encouragement, links back to my site, and donations all got me to where I am today.

So many times I wanted to give up, but there was always someone who pushed me to keep going.  When I had no food, someone sent me money for groceries.  When my husband’s truck & guitar were stolen, MANY people helped us raise money to replace the guitar.  When I got pregnant with my third son, I heard congratulations instead of grumbling (like I did in the “real world”).

So although my online endeavors have expanded greatly and I feel like I “know what I’m doing”, this blog remains my “baby.”  I started here, I learned most of what I know here, and I got through some of the most difficult times of my life here.  I may never know all of the people who visit this site, but my hope is that as long as this site is here it can somehow continue to be an encouragement to others who may be struggling.

Lastly, I don’t know if any of the people I have mentioned will read this, but I want to say THANK YOU!  Thank you to every person who has encouraged me, who has listened when I needed an ear and to the people who have taken time out of their life to help me.  It’s so amazing that my life can be so changed by people that I’ve never even met…all thanks to a simple blog.

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As a unique way of looking at what blogging really means, a few of us gathered together our thoughts on how blogging can change the world and our individual lives. This is what we came up with:

“Can A Blog Change the World?” by Ruth: “Blogging as an opportunity to use your voice for what you truly believe in, changing your world for the better”.

“My Blogging Journey” by Stephen: “Life has been a journey of twists and turns for me. As an introvert it has sometimes been a little bit too stimulating…if life has taught me anything, it is that the world is an amazing place with so many struggles, challenges, opportunities and stories from real people.”

“At the Speed of Blog” by Steve: “What I have seen in the way mankind has changed in the form of communication during my lifetime.”

“All About Me” by Donny: “All About Me – Well maybe not all. I wanted to take a minute and give everyone a chance to get to know a bit about who I am, how I got here, what I hope to accomplish and why I am looking to Internet Marketing and, more specifically, Niche Blogging for income.”

“Turning Dreams Into Goals” by Donna: “For the past year my dream has been to make enough money working online so that both me and my husband could work from home. We have a business that I currently run from home and I wanted to turn that over to him while I created websites.”

“Why I Blog and Why I’ll Continue to Blog” by Michelle: Inspired by others who ‘care’, I got to thinking about the world we all live in and how we have this amazing communication channel we know as the World Wide Web: I wondered if by blogging, can I change the world? Here’s some of the thoughts that quickly came to mind”

“Blogging Vision 2010” by Jen: “AkitaJitsu’s “Niche Blogging for Non-Techies” is all about answering technical questions about building niche blogs in a non-technical way. Jen (aka, Akitajitsu) started the blog a few months ago, and has written a plan for the blog’s future. She hopes this blog will become a popular resource for niche bloggers.”

“Blogging to Change the World – My World” by Leslie: “Blogging can be a hobby, something you do for fun. For me, it changed my world for the better. It made my life the dreamlife I always envisioned.”

“Niche Blogging” by Loren: “Making goals, missing goals and maintaining blogging relationships.”

• Miserly Moms – Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy – I won this book in a little contest on another website and it has been a wealth of information for me!  There are SO many tips in this book and so much information that was eye opening.  I really enjoyed the recipes too.
• Miserly Meals – I am a sucker for cheap meals, so I couldn’t pass up this valuable resource for inexpensive healthy meals.  You can find everything from dinners to desserts to snacks and the homemade mixes are really useful.
• The Complete Tightwad Gazette – A lot of times you’ll see the same tips recycled, but there are definitely some unique ideas in this book.  Some of the ideas are a bit extreme, but you can definitely use the ones that are practical for you and your family and leave the rest.

If you’re considering the transition to one income, these books on saving money can definitely help you.  It is a bit of a struggle when you first begin, but after awhile, living frugally becomes second nature.

There are two reasons why I don’t already have an earthquake emergency kit ready to go.  One, I am a procrastinator.  I am one of those people who think “oh it won’t happen to me” and then get slapped with reality, when things do indeed happen to me.  I feel like they’ve been predicting the “big one” forever and if it hasn’t hit by now, it probably won’t happen in my lifetime.  How ridiculous is that?!

Secondly, the cost of putting a kit together can be a little high.  You need about 3 days worth of food and water and for my family, that’s quite a bit of emergency supplies.  We do have some water stored away, but I really don’t think it’s enough.  And considering that water is probably the most important part of a kit like this, I should probably fix that really soon.

If a pre-made earthquake kit is not in your budget, you can actually put together your own supplies.  At minimum, you’re going to need non-perishable food, water, and a first aid kit.  Some extra things to consider are a flashlight, thermal blankets, ponchos and other items to protect you and your family from the elements.

And remember, just because you don’t live in an earthquake area doesn’t mean you are safe.  Earthquakes have been striking some strange places that haven’t had any seismic activity in the past.  And a kit like this can also work for those who are in areas prone to hurricanes, tornadoes and floods as well.

So, although I’ve procrastinated long enough, I think it’s time to take action.  I’m going to make sure my family has the supplies they will need in the event of an emergency and that will be one less thing I have to fret over.

• Rechargeable Batteries – If you use a lot of high power devices, you probably go through a lot of batteries.  Even buying cheap batteries at the dollar store turned out to cost me an arm and a leg.  Rechargeable batteries prove to be a money saver for me and the batteries in the Eneloop Power Pack are the best ones I’ve found.  It comes with 8 AA batteries and 4 AAA batteries as well as adapters so that you can use them in items that take C or D batteries as well.  It’s genius!  Just remember to keep them charged or it’s absolutely useless to own them.
• Water Filter – You can either use the pitcher type or the type that attaches to your kitchen faucet, but I personally prefer the water pitcher type.  For the size of my family I have to use the Brita Ultramax to have enough water for the day.  The filters can seem expensive, but if you’re buying bottled water, this is definitely going to a cheaper way to go.
• CFL Light Bulbs – I started using these a couple of years ago when they were on sale and have never turned back.  If you’re not used to fluorescent lighting, you may need some time to adjust to them because they make things look differently.  Beware of the first time you look at yourself in the mirror with this new lighting – it’s a little frightening!  I don’t think the brand really matters, I’ve bought several different kind and have not changed one yet!
• Clothes Drying Rack – Don’t get me wrong, I don’t ALWAYS hang my clothes to dry – I just don’t have time for it.  But I do like to hang up bulky clothes that take forever to dry, especially on a warm windy day.  You can also hang up items that have elastic in them to keep the elastic from becoming brittle and stretching out.  Then you can save money on your gas/electric bill AND you won’t have to replace your clothes as often.

Before making a purchase, you really have to consider the price of the item and how much money it will save in the future.  If the savings is small, you may need to consider the convenience factor.  Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to buy something if it’s only going to create more work for you, because chances are that you’ll quit using it and the money will have been wasted.

Well, here is a solution to both of those problems – a meal starter made from beans.  This allows you to cook a very large batch of beans at once and freeze them into portions large enough for one meal.  And instead of serving beans by themselves or as a side dish, they are used in the main dish simply as a way to make the meal stretch further.  Use a serving of these beans along with a pound of hamburger in just about any meal.

First you’ll want to soak your beans overnight, so the night before you plan on cooking them, put 3 cups of red beans, 3 cups of black beans and 3 cups of pinto beans into a large stock pot.  Fill the pot up so that the beans are covered and add about 1/4 cup of whey.

In the morning, pour off the liquid and refill the pot so that the water is about 4 to 6 inches above the beans.  Add a chopped onion and bring to a boil.  Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Let the beans cool and divide the mixture into about  10 freezer bags.  Label the bags and freeze.

First things first, if you’re using brown rice, you’ll want to soak it.  The night before you plan to make it, put 3 cups of brown rice, 6 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of whey into a pot and cover it.

The next morning, add 3 teaspoons of salt and bring the pot to a boil and then turn the flame down to simmer.  Cover and cook for about 50 minutes.  Check to see if it’s done by pushing some rice aside and see if there is any water left in the bottom of the pot.  If there is still water, recover and cook a little while longer until the water is gone.

When done, fluff the rice with a fork and let cool.  Divide the rice among five freezer bags, label them and put them into the freezer.

Defrost by running under cold water and then you can either put it into the microwave or heat it in a pan.

The Super Simple Cheater’s Method

If you find that you cook rice a lot, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a rice cooker.  I have a Black & Decker Rice Cooker Plus which not only cooks white and brown rice, but it also has a steaming basket.  That means I can throw veggies or thin fish fillets up top while the rice is cooking and it’s all done at the same time.  Invaluable!

All you’ll need are two whole chickens and a large crockpot.

Remove the innards from the body of the chicken, then wash it and pat it dry. Place it breast side up in your crockpot. Do the same with your other chicken and place it next to the first chicken. Sprinkle with salt (or seasoning salt) and pepper.  Cook on low for 12 hours or high for 8 hours.

When it’s done cooking, you’ll want to remove all the chicken from the bones. You can then put two cup portions into freezer bags, label them and put them into the freezer. This chicken works great for tacos, enchiladas, casseroles, and soup.

You can either throw out your bones or use them to make a chicken stock.

So I found a little way to save some time in the kitchen without having to set aside 4 hours. I’ve started making meal starters which basically means that I prepare a large portion of the meat, bean or rice part of my meal ahead of time and then freeze it. Then when it comes time to make dinner, it cuts my work in half. Not only that, but it also helps me to cook last minute meals instead of eating out.

The first meal starter you should make is hamburger because it’s cheap and can be very versatile. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to prepare 6 lbs of hamburger and for our family, that lasts anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks. I’m telling you, it’s a HUGE timesaver.

What you’ll need:
6 lbs. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
3t minced garlic
3t salt
15 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce

Use a large stock pot and start browning the meat, adding the onions while it’s cooking. When the meat is done, you’ll need to drain the grease off of it. Add garlic, salt, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix well.

Let it cool a little and then spoon it into 6 quart sized freezer bags, dividing it evenly between the bags. How much meat you end up with will depend on the fat content of the hamburger you choose. Label the bags with “hamburger mix” and the date and stick them in the freezer.

This meal starter will work well in dinners like spaghetti, lasagna and chili.

I think that it demonstrates that not only is this a trustworthy company, but one that has an easy to follow program.  All I do is read emails, click on ads and collect my points.

Whenever I’m going to do some online shopping, I first check to see if it’s a MyPoints merchant and I can earn extra points that way too.  More recently they’ve added surveys too and although I don’t qualify for them too often, I still get points for responding.

In return, I receive reward points that I eventually redeem for one of several rewards.  I typically trade them in for gas cards, Walmart cards or CVS cards since they are the most practical for me to use.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share this with anyone who’s not currently a MyPoints member so that you can take advantage of this great program.  Just spend a few extra minutes a day reading emails (or shopping with one of their merchants) and get free gift cards – it doesn’t get much better than that.

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I wanted to send you this note to let you know I’m the San Bernardino Attachment Parenting Examiner for Examiner.com. You can find my page at http://www.examiner.com/x-25628-San-Bernardino-Attachment-Parenting-Examiner. If you have a moment, give it a read. I’d love to know what you think!

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Examiner.com asked me to refer anyone I know who might be a good Examiner and I thought about you.  I think Examiner.com might be a good way for you to share your expertise, reach a large audience, establish yourself as an authority, and make some extra money.

I think you would do well, so if you’d like to learn more, you can read up on Examiner.com; or if you’re ready, you can apply now. If you decide to apply, would you mind letting them know I referred you? Currently, Examiner.com is paying a $50 referral bonus for each person that I refer as long as their application is accepted. If you forget my ID number when applying, I won’t receive the credit for your referral. Keep in mind that this program is also open to you once you are accepted as an Examiner!

This video will make it clear how to tell them I sent you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask me before you apply, please let me know. Thanks for taking a look at my page, and if you decide to apply, good luck!