Working on the Purge

Well, I'm still working on purging my house of massive amounts of STUFF. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to have the "mother of all garage sales." But in the end, that was way too overwhelming for me.

I also hemmed and hawed about having a sale where I live because it is so remote. I worried I would put in a lot of time for very little money. Some good friends of ours, AnnMarie and C.O., were gracious enough to invite me to be a part of their garage sale recently. I had a great time, got rid of about half of the stuff I came there with, and took home $92. Not too shabby for an afternoon's work. I can't even really call it work, because it was so much fun hanging out with them and their family. (Side note: AnnMarie and C.O. are two of the most interesting people I know. And they were recently featured in the Duluth News Tribune here!)

So now the purge continues... I'm planning to try to unload some Minnesota Twins baby gear on EBay, and perhaps some other baby stuff locally this week. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of a few things. It is such a great feeling to simplify your life.

What kinds of things are you doing to simplify your life? Are you having any garage sales? Giving away stuff?

Save $5 at Walgreens Thursday Only

Get $5 off your purchase of $20 or more at Walgreens on Thursday, July 31 only.

Use this coupon to take advantage of the savings. Your purchase must total $20 before taxes and after coupons and discounts so plan accordingly.

Speaking of Walgreens, I also got a tip from Gayle at the Affluent Pauper says the August Easy Saver catalog has a misprint in it regarding expiration dates. (I honestly haven't seen it yet). She got the scoop from Walgreens customer service about the correct dates here.

Happy Saving!

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged thrice this week: first by Michelle from Leaving Excess,  then by Lorelei from Hooray For Free-bates and by Niki from Free 2 Be Frugal.

Not sure what I've done to deserve the attention. ;-)

Anyway, I'm not overly excited about these things, but I like Lorelei and Michelle, so I'll play along.

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Okay, here goes.

1. Based on peer pressure from several blogging friends, I've joined Twitter. Still not exactly sure what all the fuss is about, but please follow me so I don't feel pathetic.

2. As a kid, I was a bit of an entrepreneur. I sold tickets to puppet shows, shiny rocks (only to doting grandparents, though), homemade pom-poms and offered a whole catalog of bookmarks I designed myself. My elementary school actually made a policy about selling stuff because my business was distracting my classmates.

3. I once worked at a country western-themed store in Northern Minnesota. How crazy is that?

4. I can't stand the thought of bringing food into a public bathroom with me (like when you're at a mall and you have a drink cup from the food court). It creeps me out.

5. My two favorite TV shows are Lost and Corner Gas. Can't wait to see new episodes!

6. I won a $50 savings bond and a calculator in an essay contest in 9th grade. I compared my parents to Christopher Columbus. I still can't believe it won.

Okay... Now it's my turn to tag some people. I tag:

Freebies4Mom
Frugonomics101
RealGoodBlog
YahSureYouBetcha
MyGoodCents
ThinkYourWaytoWealth

No pressure ladies!

Supermarket Savings 101 ON SALE!

Grocery prices got you down? Well for today only, you can buy Supermarket Savings 101 for only $5.97.

Written by Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom and Biblical Womanhood, this e-course will give you all the tips you need to drastically reduce your grocery bill. Money Saving Mom is one of my favorite frugal reads, and if you follow her guidelines, this book will pay for itself in savings.

What makes this deal so good is that this e-book package includes more than a dozen other frugal living reads totaling more than $100 in value. You can read descriptions of all of the goodies included here.

Hurry, though, the price goes up tomorrow--get this money-saving e-book package at a ridiculously low price while you can!

Replacing Broken China

Ever break or chip one of your dishes and wish you could just replace that one piece?

Well, there are several ways you can do this.

First off, check out Replacements, LTD. This site has more than a quarter million different styles of china, silver, dinnerware, stonewear, stainless and collectible items in stock. They list both discontinued and new patterns. You can even sign up for e-mail alerts when they get what you want in stock. Replacements, LTD has some tips for how to identify your china, so you can find the perfect match. Sometimes the prices are a bit high, but it at least gives you an idea of what is available.

I also like to check EBay for replacement pieces. The prices are usually a little better there.

You can also put out a request on FreeCycle or Craigslist to see if anyone is willing to give or sell you the item you're looking for.

Thrift stores can also yield a surprise match, or coordinating piece, so be sure to check there, too. Many designers love the shabby chic look of mismatched dinnerware. You could be hip and frugal.

The most frugal option, of course, is to not replace it. Evaluate your inventory and decide if you really need to replace it. You may find that the broken piece doesn't matter as much as you thought.

Deals and Steals this Week

I got some really good deals on a few things this week, so I thought I'd share them with you.

I used this coupon for $2 off Post Just Bunches cereal to get a FREE box from Cub Foods (plus 25 cents overage!)

Cub Foods also has a deal right now where if you buy 10 boxes of certain General Mills cereals, you get $10 off your total grocery bill with the coupon from their Sunday insert. Combine this deal with manufacturer coupons, and you can get most of the cereals for $1 a box and Honey Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex or Strawberry Chex for $.75 a box!

I found a peelie for $1 off instantly on Glade Plug-in Scented Gel Warmer refills at Walmart, making them $1.33. (These keep the boys' room smelling like it has one diaper pail in it instead of two!)

I used two $3 off 2 any size Head & Shoulders shampoo coupons (from the Sunday paper a few weeks ago) to get four bottles of the trial size for FREE (and I got $2.12 overage!) at Walmart.

I also got four packs of 40-count Huggies Clean Team wipes for $.14 each using the $3 off any 2 coupon from the Sunday paper).

Target is clearancing out some Pampers (don't look in the baby section - look back by the food aisle near the school supplies - there was a big clearance section there with other stuff like laundry detergent and Kleenex). My guess is they're making room for the new Pampers with the new and improved price. (Note my sarcasm!)

Anyway, thanks to a tip from Marin at Frugonomics 101, I was able to use a combination of Target coupons and manufacturer coupons to get a 112-count box of Pampers Baby Dry on clearance for $10.08 and a box of Easy-Ups for 12.98!

What great deals have you scored this week? Go ahead, it's alright to brag!

The Centsible Sawyer is Down, But Not Out

Just visiting one of my favorite blogs "The Centsible Sawyer" and was horrified to see it's been mistakenly shut down by Google robots as a spam blog. The Centsible Sawyer is NOT a spam blog... it is a excellent resource for the latest and greatest deals and coupons, and I rarely shop without checking it. This glitch is just as much of a crisis for me as it is for the blog's author, Denise!

Anyway, Denise asked her readers to spread the word that she's working on correcting this problem and hopes to be back with great money-saving deals just as soon as she can! Until then, you can read her archives and see how awesome a blog she has!

Update: You can read The Centsible Sawyer at its temporary home here.
Yay! Back to saving!

Let's Try a Little Delayed Gratification

On several recent trips to Target, I have noticed something that really bugs me:

People who are eating/using merchandise that isn't paid for yet.

I have seen kids eating candy bars, a dad eating a full-size bag of chips, and a mother opening a new package of cortisone cream and applying it to a little girl covered in bug bites all in the aisles of the store.

Whatever happened to a little delayed gratification? Seriously. If you can't wait the fifteen minutes it takes to pay for the stuff and get out to the car, you need to take a good hard look at what else is going on in your life.

I'm really bothered by these people when I see them in stores.

First off, I don't want their sticky, grubby fingers touching things I may want to buy. I don't want to trip over their litter in the aisles or touch a grimy shopping cart.

Secondly, how many of them "forget" to pay for things? I saw a Target employee pick up a candy bar wrapper from off the floor and start to throw it away. A customer said, "Oh, no, I need that. I haven't paid for that yet."

What would have happened if the Target employee hadn't seen the wrapper? Would that customer just walk out the door without paying for it? It's possible.

I'm also bothered by the impulsiveness of these people. A giant bag of chips probably wasn't on that dad's list. And I can bet he didn't have a coupon. It just seems wasteful. Plan a little better so that you aren't shopping when you're hungry. Stock up so you won't run out of that ointment that works on bug bites.

What I'm most bothered by is the message these people are sending to their children. It's a strong message that says, "I want what I want and I want it now and I WILL have it NOW." It sends the message to kids that it's okay to just take what you want and pay for it later.

To me, if you're not allowed to take unpaid merchandise into a store bathroom with you, you shouldn't crack open the package in the store either. You wouldn't eat food in Macy's, so why should you do it in a discount store?

We all pay the price for customers' unwillingness to delay gratification - whether it's through messier stores, sticky displays, or higher prices due to "accidental" theft.

And don't even get me started on "sampling" produce at the grocery store.....

Free Online Scrapbooking Classes

Big Picture Scrapbooking is offering several FREE online scrapbooking classes.

Big Picture Scrapbooking was developed by Stacy Julian from Simple Scrapbooks Magazine. Her concept is to focus not on events, but on moments instead. The idea is that you'll never feel behind on your scrapbooking.

Free classes include "It's All About Me," "Getting Started: Introduction to Digital Memory Keeping," and "Getting Started: 10 Summer Photos to Take Right Now."

The last course is a partnership project with Shutterfly. Don't forget, if you've never used Shutterfly before, you can sign up and get 50 free 4x6 prints and an 11x14 collage poster .

Visit Big Picture Scrapbooking and register. Then select one of the simple, easy-to-follow free classes and go through checkout. (Don't worry it's free.) Then grab your scrapbooking supplies and enjoy!

FREE Cheerios and Coupons

Cheerios wants you to help you lower your cholesterol by trying their cereal.

Get a FREE box of Cheerios and $6 in coupons by clicking here. They're giving away 1 million bowls of Cheerios, so sign up before they run out.

I don't know about you, but with three little boys in the house, free Cheerios are MUCH appreciated!

Support a State Candidate for Free

Interested in supporting a candidate for the state legislature, but don't have the funds to do it?

Well, if you live in Minnesota, you can participate in the Political Contribution Refund program.

Here's how it works. Single people can contribute up to $50 to a registered political party or to a state-level partisan candidate who has agreed to limit expenditures. Married couples can contribute up to $100.

To get your refund of your donation, get a receipt (also called Form EP-3) from the candidate or party to which you contributed. Fill out the refund form, attach the receipt and mail it in to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. You will get your money back in about two weeks.

This is a great way to support your favorite state-level candidate without feeling the pinch on your budget.

Send Postcards for FREE

Want to send a family member a photo? Or embarrass friends with a dorky picture of them?

Hippopost can help you. Hippopost is a free service that allows you to send a photo postcard through the US Postal Service for FREE anywhere in the United States. Simply upload a photo, write your message and enter your address and destination address, and send it.

The catch is that Hippopost will have an advertisement for a product on the back side of the card (under your message). On the plus side, you can send someone a quick note/photo for FREE.

I recently tried the service to see what it was like. I sent a photo of my parents' dog to them. Since they live right next door to me, I wanted to see how long it took and what the advertisement was like (Hippopost does not tell you what ad will be on your postcard). I was impressed with the quality of the postcard, and the advertisement on the back was for Hippopost. The service was a bit slow... it took 10 business days for my card to get to my parents.

I'm not sure I would rely on Hippopost for important mailings (mostly because it was so slow). But if you're looking to brighten someone's day without spending any money (Grandmas love this kind of stuff), I think it's a great service. I imagine you could use the service to send a recipe to a friend, invite people to a gathering, or share a photo of your new house with your new address.

Northern Cheapskate Gets a New Look

Welcome to the new look of Northern Cheapskate!!

It's been several weeks in the works, but I'm so excited to share this redesign with you. The design came from Sashwhy's Studio... and let me say, it was such a pleasure to work with her! I had a lot of fun seeing her creativity come out on my screen!

Let me tell you a little bit about the new design.

First off, the photos in the header are from my neighborhood. In fact, the deer photo is what I saw looking out my kitchen window one day. (How cool is that?!) The river photo was taken by my uncle (thanks for the pic, Uncle Doug!) and the fall leaves are from my backyard. I love living in northern Minnesota and I wanted my new design to reflect that!

Okay, next is the menu bar. Here you can read more about me, learn how to subscribe to Northern Cheapskate, e-mail me, and read about the latest coupons, freebies and frugal living articles I've written.

My left sidebar is home to my ads. These little ads help me pay the bills. Only click on them if you want to. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't. Really. I'll be okay. (sniff.)

My right sidebar has most of my blog related info. Here's where you'll find when to listen to me on KAXE, my archives, useful blogs & websites I like, and more. And if you really love this blog, you can also put a Northern Cheapskate button on your website. (Just copy the code to your blog). Don't forget you can also search for specific articles on Northern Cheapskate, too!

A special thanks goes out to you, my readers. You have inspired me and taught me so much. I hope this redesign shows you how much you mean to me!

Happy Saving!

Book rental? Really?

I recently came across a new service called Booksfree.

Booksfree is a service that allows you to "rent" paperback books and CD/MP3 audiobooks. You can get unlimited rentals with no shipping or handling fees. Prices start with 2 books at a time for the "low" price of $9.99 a month. Think of it as the Netflix of books.

Hmmmm... this sounds like another service out there... I think it's in just about every community. They let you check out books, audiobooks, music, videos... oh, and all you have to do is show them your card....

Oh, yeah! The LIBRARY. That's right folks, you can "rent" books from the library. FOR FREE.

I was blown away by the ridiculousness of Booksfree. Especially when I read some of their testimonials:

"This is the best thing I've ever done in my life. I no longer spend all of my money on paperbacks that I used to trade in. I would take 20 really brand new, only read by me, books and trade them in and get maybe seven back. Now instead of budgeting for all the new paperbacks I just add them to my reading list... Joy from Oregon."

Really? The best thing she's ever done in her life? Wow.

And don't even get me started on the budgeting thing...

I understand that many people dislike having to return books to the library. I understand transportation may be an issue. I get that people like having shiny new books on their shelves. And for those people, there are other services out there that can save you some money without the monthly fees. (PaperbackSwap and SwapTree come to mind).

That said, there are still some very good reasons for using your local public library:

1) You are paying for this service with your taxpayer dollars. You may as well get something from it.

2) Whatever a library doesn't have, they can get for you through interlibrary loan.

3) Everything is free (unless you're making photo copies or printing something). Many local libraries have Bookmobiles or Mail-a-Book services for rural patrons.

4) Learning to return things you've borrowed in a timely manner is a good life skill to have.

5) Learning how to find and share resources is a great frugal living skill.

You don't need a service like Booksfree to have access to a lot of books. Just visit your local library.

Compliments Pay Off

My three boys (okay, four boys if you count my husband!) are very good at leaving sticky food messes on my dining room table.

Earlier this year, I tried Pledge Multi-Surface cleaner... mostly because it had a mail-in-rebate which made it free, but also because I hoped it could get the gook off my table.

It's awesome! I'm not the type of person who raves about a product, but every time I use this stuff, I comment to anyone who will listen on how great this stuff is.

So a couple of weeks ago, I decided I would call SC Johnson at the 800 number on the bottle to tell them how much I liked it.

The customer service rep was happy to receive a compliment on the product. She asked me to verify the UPC from the product. And then she sent me a coupon for a free bottle of Pledge Multi-Surface (up to $4.99)!!!

I know I've said that sometimes it pays to ask... but now I'm learning that compliments pay off, too.

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

Because sometimes you wish you had a coupon......

Get $1 off any large blended drink at Caribou Coffee with the coupon here. The deal includes coolers, smoothies , fruit & tea drinks, blended chai tea latte and snowdrifts. The coupon expires July 27.

Get 50 cents off any box of Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers, mini fudge pops, fudge bars or cones with this coupon.

You can save $1 on 10 jars of Earth's Best baby food or $1 on any two Earth's Best Sesame Street products here.

Need to make a purchase at Joann Fabrics? Click here for a 40% off coupon. Better hurry, this expires July 26. Limit one coupon per customer. You can also use coupon code EED222 if you want to order something online.

Get a FREE manicure or pedicure from Herbal Essences when you buy 2 specially marked products. There have been coupons for $3 off any 2 in the Sunday papers.

Save $1 on Diet Ocean Spray here.

Don't forget you can print coupons from Coupons.com right from Northern Cheapskate. Just click on the box on the left to see all the coupons.


Happy Saving!

Want Some Free Stuff? Check Out This List!

Here's a list I've put together of freebies I've stumbled upon this week:

Get a free Schick Titanium trimmer when you vote on Ryan Nyquist's beard here. This is limited to one per household, while supplies last (Thanks to Sisterly Savings for the tip!)

Rumor around the blogosphere says that you can get a FREE box of Cheerios when you sign up for the Cheerios Challenge.

Speaking of cereal, you can try Kellogg's Smart Start cereal for FREE after mail-in rebate. Simply fill out the form and send in your UPC before August 10.

Have a new baby? You can get a free sample of Enfamil formula here.

Trouble sleeping? Get a free guide to sleep disorders when you click here.

If you have a pet that's stubborn about taking pills, you can try a free Greenies Pill Pockets treat sample here.

Walmart has got a whole new batch of freebies you can request. Check out Freebies4Mom for all the details on free samples of Tide, Kotex, and more.

Enjoy!

Free Fonts for Design Junkies

As a digital scrapbooker, I am in love with fonts. I like all kinds of fonts -swirly, kid-like, artsy, grungy... you name it. I've downloaded hundreds of fonts that I use for all kinds of scrapbook layouts, greeting cards, and other projects.

Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to discover offers for free fonts in my inbox.

Download 20 FREE fonts from Scrap-n-Font here. You do need to create a log-in, and they try to suck you into spending money during check out, but if you can resist the temptation the fonts are totally free.

Jessica Sprague has a great scrapbooking blog, and this week she shares her list of 24 FREE fonts she says are Font-o-licious!

Other websites that I've used to find just the right font for a project include Dafont and 1001freefonts. I also recently discovered Font Bros. has free fonts here. (And their fonts have great names!)

Know of any other great resources for free fonts?

Be Sure to Check Your Bank Statements

My frugal friend Michelle reminded me of how important it is to check your bank statement.

She sent me this story about her grandfather:

"My grandfather was in the banking business for 45 years and ALWAYS reads his statements carefully. This past week he opened his newest statement to find that there was a $25 service charge on his account. He contacted the local branch and they weren't sure what the charge was but said they would investigate it and get back to him. They did.

You'll love what the charge was for: overdraft protection. Even though he has their supposedly "premier" account with all sorts of freebies, the bank was charging him an annual fee for overdraft protection. That's right, an annual fee. So, in addition to the $35 for EACH overdraft he'd incur, they were charging him $25/year just in case he accidentally overdrew his account.

He was able to get the charge reversed and told them that he was 80 years old and had NEVER overdrawn his account. They weren't all that impressed, unfortunately.The moral of the story: Read your bank statements carefully AND be sure to choose an account that has the lowest fees/charges possible. You may earn less interest on you money, but the money you don't earn on interest may be offset by the fees/charges you are not paying for things like overdraft protection, paper statements, minimum daily balance, etc. Most banks/credit unions will not charge you to change the type of account you have, so it's worth double-checking to make sure you are not getting nickel and dimed to death by your bank.

And, a fun fact: The bank that did this to him was the one he used to own/run just before he retired!!!!!!"

I read this and was thinking about all the people who DON'T check their statements and therefore, never write down the charge in their checkbooks. If you were a person who often had pretty small checking account balances, the annual fee could end up costing you quite a bit of money. Not to mention messing up your credit rating and ruining your reputation with local businesses.

Thanks for the reminder, Michelle. You should always check all your bank/financial statements for hidden charges. You may be paying for something that you don't want or need.

SAHM is Resume-worthy

As a relatively new SAHM (Stay-at-Home Mom), I read Michelle's post at Leaving Excess How Does SAHM Look On Your Resume? with great interest.

Michelle recently returned to the workforce after about a decade of being at home with her children. She listed the skills she developed as a SAHM on her resume. Some folks told her she shouldn't include that information, but in the end, it helped her find a job that respected her role as a mother.

I've overheard more than a few moms answer the "what do you do?" question with a soft-spoke "I'm just a stay-at-home mom."

But as Michelle points out, we're SO MUCH MORE than that. We're negotiators and personal finance wizards. We organize and educate. We lead and comfort.

Thanks for reminding us SAHMs of all we do!

Check Out This Week's Festival of Frugality

Once again, Northern Cheapskate was featured in the Festival of Frugality.

If you're not familiar with blog carnivals/festivals, I'll explain. They are essentially a collection of great articles from great blogs on a particular topic collected in one place for your reading pleasure. My favorite carnivals are all about frugal living.

On Financial Success hosts this week 's Festival of Frugality and it's an excellent one. Whether you want to put food on the table or lawfully avoid taxes, there's something for everyone.

Happy saving!

Are Convenience Stores Becoming More Convenient?

It used to be that you paid the price for convenience at your local corner gas station. If you ran out of something like milk, you would end up paying anywhere from 50 cents to $1 more for a gallon of the white stuff.

But with gas prices reaching an all-time high, convenience stores may just have the better prices.

We recently had to purchase water softener salt for our water conditioning system (the water is full of iron up here!). In town, a 40 pound bag costs about $3.50. At our local convenience store, it costs $4.50.

Since a trip to town costs us $8 (round trip of 56 miles), purchasing the water softener salt at the convenience store (which is only about 6 miles round trip) surprisingly ends up being the better deal.

On the days that I have a lot of other errands to run in town (full-blown grocery shopping, Target/Walmart deals, library, and post office stops), it makes sense to just get what I need in town. But on those days when I only need a few things, I may have to reconsider my local corner store. It may be more convenient than I thought.

A Mid-Summer Review of My Finances

Okay, so I know it is now the middle of July, and I'm just now looking at what happened with my June budget. But we had two birthdays and a holiday in there. Better late than never!

On a positive note, I saved $176 using coupons in June. I got a lot of free or near-free stuff using coupons such as cereal, razors, face wash, canned tomatoes, lotion, and baby body wash. It was a good month in terms of stocking up.

On the other hand, I've noticed an unfortunate trend in our monthly spending. We're a bit like the iguana that grows to the size of its tank. The more money we earn, the more we spend.

My husband is teaching two online classes this summer as part of his job as a community college instructor. We love the flexibility of his summer teaching schedule. He doesn't have to travel at all for work. He can simply head downstairs to our home office to do his job. It's also flexible in terms of the times he works. He usually does some work in the mornings and again in the evening after the kids are in bed, but has most of the daytime hours free to spend with us. It's a GREAT schedule.

In addition to having more time to spend with the family, his salary for the summer courses is on top of his regular salary. So for 10 weeks of the summer we nearly double our regular salary. It's a nice boost to our finances.

Needless to say, all the extra money is a real temptation for us. And on top of that, we have more time on our hands to spend it.

While we should be saving on gas and squirrelling away the extra cash, we've actually gone to town more, out to eat more, and bought more toys and things.

Now I know that it's okay to splurge a little bit. We're not overspending; we're just not saving as much as we could.

The greater risk is that we're getting a little too used to spending this larger amount of money. I worry that when the fall rolls around, we'll have a rough adjustment back to the regular pay.

So, for the last few weeks of the summer session, we'll try to put divert more of my husband's paycheck into savings. This will help us boost our savings and get us used to living on our regular income once again.

We're doing okay in July. We've had a few extra expenses, but things have been much more controlled.

We're definitely human. And we're learning as we go.

Why You Need a Realtor

This is a photo of a sign that is on my way to town. This is actually one of a series of signs, all apparently trying to appeal to "fowl"customers.

This is why you need a realtor! A crude sign with misspellings on neon paper, held together with duct tape, does not inspire me to even look at your house, even if it is "cheep."

I know why many people prefer to try to sell their houses on their own. I know that realtors aren't cheap. We paid a 7 percent commission to sell our house three years ago. But to me, it was worth every penny.

Here are some reasons why you need a realtor:

Realtors know the market. They've seen what's available and they know what your house should be listed at.

Realtors know how to stage a home. They can give you great tips for cleaning up the clutter, minor fixes, and ways to add curb appeal that can help you get more money for your home.

Realtors are trained in the art of selling. They are experts at pointing out a home's best features and minimizing the not-so-great things about a house.

Realtors can advertise your home to a wide audience. They can use newspapers, real estate guides, the internet, and sometimes even television. A realtor can make sure your home is part of a multiple listing service (MLS) so that your home can be shown by any realtor in your area. All of these things can really help potential buyers find your home. Trying to market your home yourself can be both time-consuming and expensive.

Realtors have the time to invest in selling your home. This is what they do for a living, so it's in their best interest to sell your home. You, on the other hand, have a full-time job, kids, soccer practice, church group, etc., etc., and can barely keep the kids from smearing peanut butter on the couch, let alone showcase your house to a home buyer.

Realtors can help guide you through the closing. They know how the process works and can explain it in a way you'll understand.

Buying and selling a home is a very big financial decision and a realtor can be a valuable asset in the process. You may have to pay a commission, but in my opinion it is money well spent for the peace of mind a realtor can bring.

Save on Peanut Butter at Target This Week

I stopped by Target today to pick up a few things and discovered a GREAT deal on Skippy Peanut Butter.

Print out the Target coupon for $1 off Skippy here. Then use it to buy the 16-oz jar. Because the 16-oz Skippy is on sale this week (an unadvertised 3 for $5), you'll pay just 66 cents a jar!! I bought 10 jars and plan to buy more.... of course, now that I've told all of you about the deal, my Target will be out of peanut butter! :-)

I also caught another deal: a 20-count box of Electrasol Dishwasher tablets were on sale for $3. Use the $2.25 coupon from last Sunday's paper to get it for just 75 cents!

And a reminder, folks: Don't let Target deny their coupons! I almost had another run-in with a cashier tonight, but fortunately another cashier corrected him! Check out Freebies4Mom for more information on how to be an empowered consumer.

More Coupons and Deals For You

Another week and I have more coupons and deals to pass on to you!

First off, Samantha at Saving For Our Family's Dreams is having a coupon giveaway. To enter, post a tip on how she can better organize her overflowing pantry. On July 19, she'll give the person with the best/most creative tip a package of coupons.

Marin at Frugonomics 101 is also hosting a coupon giveaway. Read the details here.

Get a coupon for $5 off a $50 purchase when you sign up for e-mail alerts from Kmart. And if you shop before July 31, you can get 1.99 shipping on clearance items.

Print FREE coupons online from Coupons.com. You can also click on the coupon box on the left side of my blog to pick your printable coupons. This weeks highlights include $1 off Fiber One cereal and $1.10 off Wanchai Ferry dinner kit. (I haven't tried these yet, but my mom said the sweet and sour chicken is tasty!)

Save 15 percent on one item at Barnes and Noble with this printable coupon here. Or use the code H7M4M9N to save 15 percent on one item online. The coupon expires 7/20. They've got a deal right now where you can buy 2 paperbacks and get 1 free.

Click here for some really great Air Wick coupons. You can save $3 on an Airwick Lumin'Air Flameless Candle, $4 on Air Wick Freshmatic Mini Automatic Spray, or $1.50 off an Air Wick Hidden Pleasures Scented Oil Warmer, just to name a few. There's also a coupon for a free Scented Oil Warmer when you buy your favorite fragrance here. These coupons lead me to believe there could be a really great deal at Walgreens or CVS in our future. Anyone know?

The Centsible Sawyer has a great post for how you can get 100 FREE prints at Snapfish. She also has a code for free shipping.

Happy Saving!

A Wise Wedding Registry Could Bode Well For Your Marriage

Smart Money reports that the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is between $21,000 and $24,000.

As someone who had a super small wedding (17 people including the minister), I cannot even fathom spending even half that dollar amount on a one-day event.

What really bothers me is how much people focus on the wedding day and not the marriage. They're so worried about tying ribbons on little bottles of bubbles, getting THE perfect dress, and making sure the DJ is on time, that they don't even think about the financial merger that is pending. They don't talk about whether it's wise to pay for one day's activities for the next year or longer. They don't realize that whether you spend $1,000 or $10,000 on a wedding, everyone has the same piece of paper that says they're hitched when it's over.

I've been through quite a lot of friend's, family member's, and colleague's weddings. And I'm starting to realize that what a couple registers for says something about their future together.

What I have seen is that the more practical the wedding registry is, the happier the couple. This is because they have put some thought into things they need instead of just zipping through Target with the little price gun clicking on everything they want. These couples recognize that a wedding is an opportunity to start their lives together on the right foot. Ask for practical items, and you will always be able to survive any hardship. Ask for practical things now and later you will be able to afford the other stuff.

On the flip side, I have seen couples whose registry includes Seasons 5-10 of The Simpsons, Purple bath towels, and enough candles to light New York City during a blackout. These same people eat out all the time, go on elaborate expensive vacations, have lots of credits cards, and no savings. Two weeks without being able to work is a financial crisis for these couples. They have no security, and are not as happy as they could be.

I'm especially leery of the couples who ask for cash or gift cards. For what? I'm not interested in helping finance a $5,000 honeymoon for people who have $50,000 in student loans. I'm not interested in getting the couple a Best Buy gift card so they can get a Nintendo Wii.

I also worry about the wild registries that show two completely different personalities: pink bedspreads and fishing gear; cooking utensils and Grand Theft Auto for PSP3. If these folks can only see what they want as individuals, how will they come together on their finances? If you can't agree on a simple gift registry, there are bigger issues here.

So here's a list of some things I like to see on a couple's wedding registry:

Cooking utensils, pots & pans, bakeware, and food storage. When you're broke, you'll be glad you have the proper gear to cook a great meal at home.

Practical small appliances like a crockpot, griddle, food processor, vaccum sealer.

Dishes, glasses, and silverware that are practical in color and design. Stay traditional with the main pieces, and then you can do whatever you want with tablecloths, napkins, and centerpieces. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get decent quality.

Bath towels in neutral colors. If you buy white towels, you'll never have to worry about finding a matching towel later on. And if you move around a lot, your bath towels will work with any decor.

Picture Frames. You will always have lots of photos in your house, and it's a frugal way to decorate your home.

Basic tools. It's good to be able to do basic fix-it jobs around your house without having to borrow from a friend or run out to a store (and pay full price).

Camping Equipment. You'll always be able to have a vacation (even if money is tight) if you have a good tent, sleeping bag, and lantern.

Board games. Cheap entertainment with friends. 'Nuf said.

Anything with lasting functional value. Stay away from the trendy. Stay away from DVDs, CDs, electronics. Pick things that you will use on a regular basis. Pick things that when you look at them ten years from now you'll think of them with fondness.

Keep your list practical, and you will live happily ever after.

The Communal Sock Drawer

My husband and I have what we affectionately call the communal sock drawer.

That's right, folks. We share socks! Not all socks, just regular white, everyday athletic socks. We do have our own black, navy, tan, and dress socks.

We started sharing socks several years ago when I realized that men's socks were significantly cheaper and tended to hold up better than women's socks. Our feet are close enough in size to make this work.

By buying a large quantity of men's socks, we're able to save a little money. In addition, when you buy all the same brand and color, you don't have to throw away a whole pair of socks when one sock gets a hole in it.

We've also found that the communal sock drawer saves a lot of time when it comes to laundry sorting. They're our socks, not hers and his!

And if you're wondering what to do with those orphan socks, here's tip from Keep it Cheap: use it to make a Swiffer Sock Mop!

Some Frugal Reading For You

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy around here, and I keep finding all these great reads that I want to share with you, and then forgetting to share them with you!

So here are some great frugal reads from the blogosphere:

Wise Bread has a great post about Emergency Preparedness for Your Freezer. Living in the northwoods where the power is prone to frequent outages, I was happy to see this post. It also reminded me of just how ancient my chest freezer is... I need to get a new one... soon!

For all of you who don't believe a dollar here or a dollar there matters, read 2 Reasons You Should Care About My Toothpaste Savings at No Debt Plan.

Finance Puzzle has A Mathematical Approach to the Lottery. You may be better off putting that $1 elsewhere.

All of you stay-at-home mom's will appreciate 8 Cheap to Free Childcare Options When You Need a Little "Me Time" at Mom's First Stop.

2Paupers hosted the Carnival of Living Cheaply, in which Northern Cheapskate was featured. Lots of good reads there.

Save, You Fool! tells us all about Sneaky Supermarket Tricks You Should Know About. We're on to you now!

Greener Pastures has an incredible post entitled The Frugal Olympics: Going for the Gold. In terms of this post, I am truly a champion!

Happy reading!

More Lessons from a Board Game

My frugal friend Amy recently bought me a present. She found the Milton Bradley Bargain Hunter Board Game at a thrift store and thought of me! (Awesome!)

As many of you know, I love games... and so I was excited to try this "new" game. I say "new" because it was produced in the early 1980s!

The premise is this: You have $1,000 to get your apartment set up (furniture, appliances, etc). You make your way around the board, shopping in the various stores, paying bills, getting windfalls, earning money on pay day, etc. The goal of the game is to be the first to purchase all 19 items on your shopping list and still have money left over. The various stores have different prices, so you have to decide whether to buy right away or wait for a better deal.

The game is pretty interesting. My husband's strategy was to purchase his items on credit (there's even a cute little credit card machine that tells you if you're "approved" or not) and then pay it back when he could... And just like in real life, that strategy failed miserably. He had a lot of stuff, but no money and a lot of debt... I'm glad that's not his real life strategy!

We played the game with our friends Mike and Ellie, and it was also interesting to see how different people approach money. For example, Mike was very conservative in his spending. While he had a lot of money, he didn't have very much stuff. While he was happy with that, he wasn't anywhere near winning the game. I think it kind of shows that while you should be smart with your money (i.e. don't get into debt), you should be willing to take some risks, too.

Ellie actually won the game.... she had the best strategy: shop for the best deals and only buy things when she could afford them. Slow and steady wins this game, much like the real world!

I was neck-and-neck with Ellie the whole game. We had the same strategy (which is probably why we're good friends!)

It surprised me how often we chose to live paycheck to paycheck during this game. In real life, this would have made me miserable... Mike, on the other hand, probably would have been happiest... if he could be content having only an armchair and a blender!

Bargain Hunter was a lot of fun, although it takes a while to play. I'm still thrilled that my friend Amy was able to find this game for a thrift store bargain price of $1.25! I just wish she didn't live in North Carolina so we could play it together!

Freebie Listening

I love my iPod... it keeps me motivated when I'm exercising... and it keeps me on pace when I'm cleaning the house.

But once you've exhausted your music collection (and maybe those of your friends), it can get expensive to load your mp3 player. Those 99 cent-deals will bludgeon even the healthiest of budgets if you get a little too click-happy.

So, I've found some things you can download for FREE that will keep you entertained:

If you're looking for a reading of the classics, check out Librivox. You can download classic literary works for free. LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and then release them online.

Along those same lines, visit Free Classic Audio Books. You can listen to everything from "Alice in Wonderland" to "War of the Worlds."

My husband adores the stories he hears on National Public Radio's "This American Life." It's compelling stuff and it's updated weekly. He talked about the feature on Jerry Springer for days. Of course, National Public Radio has a lot of other great free podcasts to choose from.

This list would not be complete without mentioning iTunes. You can download free podcasts, television shows, college course lectures, the song of the week, and daily baseball updates from ESPN. And the program to run iTunes is a free download. Even if you don't have an iPod, you can still download whatever you want and then burn it onto a disc to listen to in a CD player.

Not to be outdone, Amazon frequently has free downloads of MP3s. Make sure to watch them closely... sometimes they stick an 89 cents download in the list. Just sort the list from lowest to highest price and you'll get the freebies first.

If you're the type of person who likes to be ahead of everyone else when it comes to music, check out all of the free music at Rcrd Lbl.

This list has enough treats in it to keep you busy for years. Happy listening!

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

Judging from my inbox, I don't just stockpile groceries... I also stockpile coupons.

Here are a few of the good coupons I've stumbled across lately:

Click here for $2 off Post Honey Bunches of Oats Just Bunches cereal. At my Super Walmart, these would be 64 cents a box after the coupon. Your area may have an even better deal.

Use this $1 off Blue Bunny coupon to get yourself a discount ice cream treat.

Don't forget you can print coupons directly from this website. Just click on the Coupons.com box on the left sidebar and choose "see all coupons." Then click on the ones you want and hit print (and you'll help me earn a few pennies, too!).

There are some decent coupons at Coupons.com, including $1 off Yo-Plus yogurt, 75 cents off Multigrain Cheerios, and a free sample of Alaway antihistamine eye drops.

Plus, be sure to print out the coupon for $1 off any 2 Bic Stationery products... This coupon will be sure to come in handy for the back to school sales. Yes, school is coming... Target is already putting out the notebooks!

And speaking of back to school, Samantha at Saving For Our Family's Dreams is reporting Loads for Just Pennies at Staples this week. Items that can be purchased for a penny include folders, pencils, binders and highlighters.

If you give the folks at Kohl's your e-mail address, they will e-mail you a $5 off any store purchase coupon and a 10% off any online purchase coupon. If you don't want to visit the store, you can also sign up here. This would also be helpful for back-to-school shopping or end-of-summer clearance! (Thanks for the tip, Shelley!)

Happy saving!

Try Just For Men Touch of Gray for FREE

Are your kids giving you gray hairs?

Try Just For Men Touch of Gray for free after mail-in-rebate. The hair treatment lets you keep some gray, works gradually, and all you have to do is comb it in and rinse.

So if the salt-and-pepper look is your thing, you may want to give it a try. You'll need your original cash register register receipt dated before 12/31/2009 with purchase price circled and the UPC code from the product to get your $8 back.

Don't Let Target Deny Their Coupons!

Yesterday, I went to Target and was greeted by a sign at the check-out. The sign said that due to fraudulent activity, Target would no longer accept the $5 off $25 in toy purchases at Target. This was an internet coupon printed from Target. (Apparently, someone had doctored that coupon so that it was $5 off ANY purchase at Target.)

I wasn't buying any toys, so I didn't give it much thought. But when I tried to use two other Target internet coupons (one for $2 off Pampers Easy Ups and one for $2.50 off Luvs), I ran into trouble. The clerk rang them up, and then another Target employee made the clerk rescind those. She said, "We are no longer accepting ANY Target Coupons."

Of course, I argued that the sign doesn't say that. But the woman said, "Sorry, that's what we've been told."

Well, of course, being the Northern Cheapskate, I can't let it end there. So this morning, I called Target customer service and talked to a representative there.

He told me that my local Target was wrong and that they should have accepted my Target internet coupons. He said the only coupons they were denying were the toy coupon and the fraudulent one. He said they were still accepting all other Target internet coupons and printable manufacturer coupons.

He took my receipt number, store location, and time of visit and said Target would be contacting the store to "inform them of proper procedures" regarding internet coupons.

As an apology, Target is sending me two coupons for $3 off any item at Target!

So if you have recently had difficulty getting Target to accept legitimate Target internet coupons, PLEASE call customer service. The number is 1-800-440-0680.

In order for us to continue to get good deals, it is important that we let Target know about our concerns!

Ways to Make Some Extra Coinage Online

Ever since I've been home with my kids, I've tried to find little things I could do from home that would make me a little extra money. I've done surveys, shopped at cash back sites, and read e-mail for pennies.

Here are a few websites I've used to bring in a little extra cash. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that if you sign up using these links or ask me to refer you, I'll get a bonus. I always appreciate the support! Remember that once you've signed up, you can get bonuses for referring others, too!

Ebates: This is a shopping portal that offers you cash back for your purchases. There are tons of merchants to choose from and sometimes rewards are quite nice (10 percent cash back or more!). The site is super easy to use. If I'm doing any shopping online, I always make sure to check the deals at Ebates. When you sign up and make a purchase before August 14, you'll get a $10 bonus. Then you can refer your friends and earn bonuses for the referrals. Just by doing my regular modest amount of internet shopping, I've earned $65 from Ebates since January.

MyPoints: I love MyPoints. MyPoints gives you rewards points for reading e-mails, shopping through their website, completing surveys, and signing up for offers. You can turn your points into gift certificates at hundreds of different stores. It's super easy to click on the e-mails and do the surveys. I'm planning to convert my rewards points to some Christmas gifts this year. If you are interested in MyPoints, e-mail me and I'll refer you.

MySurvey.com: Very easy to use survey site, and most surveys take under 10 minutes. You earn points that you can convert to cash. Sign up here if you're interested.

ZoomPanel: I enjoy the surveys from Zoom Panel. Many of them ask you about interesting products that are under development. This program awards points that you can convert into merchandise. I've got my eye on some things for the house that I'm working towards. Click here to sign up or shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you the referral.

Global Opinion Panels: The surveys are pretty simple and it doesn't take too long to get a few bucks. Drop me a line for the referral, if you want.

Inbox Dollars: This is another program that pays you for reading your e-mail. You make about 5 cents an e-mail, but it doesn't really take any time. You get a $5 bonus for signing up. You also can earn additional money for taking surveys, signing up for offers, or making purchases.

Mechanical Turk: If you're okay with being an Internet minion, you can sign up at Mechanical Turk. This is run by Amazon. Basically you do menial online tasks for pennies. The tasks range from rewriting copy to discerning differences between two products, to transcribing information. The longer the task, the more it pays... I think the most I've seen for a task is $15. You need to make sure that if you sign up for a HIT (human intelligence task), that you're able to complete it in the timeframe allotted. The money you earn can be directly deposited in a bank account or converted to Amazon credit. I personally found this insanely putzy for the amount of money they pay you.... but if you're really in dire need of some extra cash, it's worth a look.

If you're thinking of signing up for any of these types of things, I highly recommend having a separate e-mail account to handle all the mail you'll get. I've also found that the more active you are with the survey sites, the more surveys they send you.

You will not get rich doing this. But you will earn a little bit of something (either cash or gift cards.). You will have to ask yourself, "What is Your Time Worth?" I'm kind of a nerd who likes reading e-mail and doing surveys, so for me it's no big deal to spend a few minutes of my day doing these types of things. I like having a little extra spending money in my pocket, too!

Get a FREE Sample of Nature Made Vitamins

Need a little health boost? Get a free 14-day supply of Nature Made Liquid Soft Gel Vitamins. Samples to choose from include Multi For Her, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Multi Complete, and Super B Complex.

The samples are available while supplies last. Don't forget that Nature Made also has a rewards program. When you buy Nature Made vitamins, you can earn additional coupons for $5-$7 off future purchases.

Get 50 Photo Prints for A Penny Each

Snapfish is offering 50 4x6 photo prints for a penny each. Additional photos are 9 cents each.

To take advantage of this deal, use the code JUL4PENNY08 at check out. This offer expires Saturday, July 12, so hurry and upload those photos.

5 Mistakes Women Should Avoid

I recently found a list of 5 Mistakes Women Should Avoid at Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER). This list highlights common blunders women make with their personal finances. Let me make a note that men can make these mistakes, too.

YOU have to be responsible for YOU... no one cares as much about your money or your future as you do. So make sure you talk about the family finances with your spouse. Make sure you put your retirement ahead of your kids and grandkids. (They can borrow money for school, but you can't borrow money for retirement). And above all, get out of debt! The best legacy you can leave behind is a debt-free one!

Enveloping Frugality

Sometimes I wonder which comes first... creativity or frugality?

Most of the time, I think being frugal inspires us to be creative.... but there are certainly times when using a little creativity can be frugal, too.

Several years ago, back when snail mail was still cool, my frugal friend Marta and I would write each other letters. I always enjoyed getting snail mail from her because she usually did something fun with the envelopes (i.e. stickers, collage, drawings).

So imagine my surprise when I got a letter from her in the EXACT same envelope that I had sent her a letter in! She had turned my envelope inside out and mailed me a note in it!

This inspired me to try to reuse the envelope again. I thought that would really throw her for a loop! So I figured out a way to fold the envelope and send it to her. But then she sent me another note IN THE SAME envelope, and I had to get creative again.

In total, we mailed that same envelope back and forth to each other SEVEN times. Granted, we had to keep putting on new stamps, but the fact that we were able to use an envelope that many times just shows you what a little creativity can do.

Sometimes it just takes one person looking at something in a different way to spur your creativity. And that, in turn, can help you be frugal.

So go ahead... reuse that envelope. I dare you!

Happy Independence Day!

Today, while we celebrate our country's independence, I challenge you to celebrate your independence from a life of debt.

May this be the day you say, "No more debt." I hope you put away the plastic and pull out a pencil and start your budget. May this be the day you no longer accept the hand that's been dealt to you
and recognize that it's time to take responsibility for your personal finances. It's time to get out of the clutches of consumerism.

Happy Independence Day! Be Happy! Stay Safe! Remember that the best things in life aren't things... it's your family and friends. Enjoy the day!

What Is Your Time Worth?

NOTE: My friend Marta (a.k.a. my comrade in cheapness) e-mailed me after she read Five Unfrugal Things I do. I really enjoyed her thoughts on the subject, so I asked her to let me share them with you. I think she makes a good point. Sometimes we need to prioritize which is more important to us: time or money. Some things are just worth the extra effort.

Marta writes:

I read your blog entry the other day about scrapbooking, disposable diapers, etc., and it reminded me of one of things my dad used to remind me of a lot when I was looking for a job and a place to live (and something I know you're aware of when you're clipping coupons, etc.): What is your time worth? He was talking about commuting time, I think, but it applies to everything, really. Would you actually be saving money over the disposable diapers when you calculate all the time you spent maintaining the cloth diapers?

Anyway, I have been doing a lot of sewing lately, and it reminded me that I did a little calculation for an economics class in high school about sewing vs. buying clothes in a store. I think the general assumption is that sewing things yourself saves money, but I'm not so sure. It all comes down to how much you spend on raw materials (not to mention you have to invest in a sewing machine to begin with), and when you add in the amount of labor even the simplest project requires, it adds a lot to the true cost. Not to mention that it would be hard to for me to beat the cost of some of the ready-made clothes I have, since they are so, uh, cheap. So if I add in the blood, sweat, and tears of actually assembling a garment myself, the ready-made item really has to come out ahead, financially.

But, as you know, I still sew, because I think it is fun (when it doesn't drive me crazy). Plus, I practice the same shopping techniques at Jo Ann Fabrics that I do at department stores: know when the sales are, check the clearance racks first, and milk those coupons.

I Need A Garden Tutor

I'm garden-challenged. I have no green thumb. Plants live in my house because they are lucky, not because I have any great skill in tending to them.

When we moved to our new house, it didn't have ANY landscaping... no lawn or anything, just dirt. The first year we lived there, we got a lawn planted in the backyard and that was it before the snow came. The second year, we got the rest of the lawn done. The third summer, I was super pregnant with the twins, and then the twins came, and then summer was over.

So now, we're starting year four, and I have no flower gardens, no vegetables growing, and I think it's time to do something. I want to make it look nice. I wouldn't mind a tomato or two. But it's also northern Minnesota in July, which means, I'm about two months behind... and I have NO idea where to begin.

I need a garden tutor.

I can see flowers and plants and know that I like them, but I have no idea what their names are or how much money they cost, or if they'll even grow where I want to plant them.

I did find a couple of interesting resources. I found two free downloads for landscape planning called Show Off and Smart Draw. I also found free landscape plans at Better Homes and Gardens. I am also very intrigued by Frugal Dad's article about his square foot garden.

Despite all my frugal research, I am still intimidated by the possible upfront costs and the work involved. Maybe I should wait until next spring and do it right? Do you garden? Do you have any tips for a newbie? I sure could use the help!

Happy Birthday, Boys: A Year in the Life of Twins!

Today is the first birthday of my twin sons... it's hard to believe how the time has flown.

A year ago, we were just coming to terms with what life with twins and a toddler would be like. Now, we're a lot more relaxed, rested, and enjoying the trials and tribulations.

I look back at the year, and I am amazed at all that I've learned about myself and my kids. I've learned what works and what doesn't. And I've learned that there is still so much I don't know.

So, in honor of my sons' birthday, I will share with you some of my knowledge about having twins.

1. You don't need TWO of everything. We didn't even use two cribs until the boys were about four months old (that's when they started rolling all over each other and keeping their sibling awake!). You do need two car seats, but that's about it.

2. A double stroller is a MUST. It's great for those times when you have three kids and only two arms!

3. Don't bother registering for stuff. Just ask for diapers! And more diapers! And more diapers! And wipes, don't forget wipes! And food. Ask people to bring you meals... During those early days, we may have starved if it weren't for some wonderful family and friends.

3. Matching outfits are only cute to the people who give them. Once one baby barfs on his, he has to be changed, and then the kids don't match anymore. One baby always seems to grow faster than the other, too, so while one baby is swimming in his outfit, the other is squeezed in to his. These kids are individuals. I like to treat them that way even when I dress them.

4. That doesn't mean they don't share clothes. If it's clean and it fits, it gets worn. The two items of clothing we never seem to have enough of: pajamas and socks.

5. Sign up for all of the programs for parents of multiples. This took a little time, but all of the freebies were a huge help to us.

5. To all the parents of new multiples: It will get better. The first month REALLY kicks your butt, but it does get better. The key is to be as organized as humanly possible. And always have your diaper bag packed... you never know when you need to rush out the door.

6. The one good thing about having one kid and then twins is that you already have some parenting perspective. The bad thing about having one kid and twins is that you already have some parenting perspective. Let go of preconceived notions: these are new people!

7. Prepare for "twin swarm," especially when they are little. "Twin Swarm" is the affectionate term my husband coined for all the well-meaning strangers who approach us when we're out with the kids to ask us all kinds of questions, ranging from "Are those twins? Did you have them naturally? Were you on fertility drugs? Are you breastfeeding? How old Are they?" And then there are many comments, ranging from "so-and-so has a twin". to "My, you have your hands full." Twin Swarm will cause you unnecessary delays as you answer the same ridiculous questions to complete strangers while your toddler tries to tear apart a store shelf display. Our best strategy... divide and conquer... Split up the kids with each parent, and most people won't even notice they're twins!

8. Get the babies to sleep through the night as soon as possible. It can be done! I highly recommend Elizabeth Pantley's book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night." All three of my kids sleep like logs unless the night light burns out!

9. Know that if your toddler sits on the babies, they'll survive.

10. Remember to laugh. They're only little once, and they really are FUN! There is nothing like hearing two babies giggle!

So Happy Birthday, Boys! Have FUN!

A New Place to Sell Stuff: Walmart

As some of you know, I'm trying to figure out where to get rid of my stuff.

Well, now I've found a new place to sell my stuff: Walmart!

That's right. Walmart. Walmart is now offering a new FREE local classified ad service . You can post your item for free, and it stays on the site for up to 30 days. The terms of service say there is a fee for certain listings, but it doesn't say what those are. If you know what those may be, please drop me a line.

Listing an item seems pretty simple. Just enter the item, the category, location, e-mail address, and a photo. Then submit it and confirm your listing.

Categories include everything from kids stuff to real estate. You can search by zip code to find local deals.

This seems a lot like Craigslist. Obviously, you want to be sure to be safe when doing any sort of transaction. There are a list of safety guidelines here.

I haven't tried this Walmart's classifieds yet, but I plan to in the next few weeks because there seems to be so many more local listings for my area than Craigslist. I'll let you know how it goes.