October is Fire Safety Month

October is fire safety month which means you can expect lots of great sales on fire prevention items.



The above two pack of smoke detectors is originally $11.96 at Menards.

Right now you can pick them up on sale for $7.99 with a $3.00 rebate for a final price of $4.99 or about $2.50 each alarm - a great deal There is a limit of two and the deal also includes a small fire extinguisher.

Our new house needs smoke alarms so this sale couldn't have come at a better time.

Smart Doodles from Trent - Part One

Trent at The Simple Dollar had a great post up on September 21st titled Business Card Doodles. The post contains some sketches he’s made over time on the back of business cards, many of which just resonated with me because I write things like this down all the time. My notes normally end up on scrap pieces of paper and I find them all over my desk months after they were written.

Stop by and read his original post HERE because he’s got some sound advice going on. Some of his card drawings got me thinking about my own personal finance beliefs and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about them here. (with Trent’s permission of course)

First up...



Every $ you spend - You spend a little of your soul along with it - Spend your money wisely, dearie!

I’ve said similar things many times except rather than soul I think retirement or whatever your end goal may be. It’s sometimes hard to do but every time I go to buy something I ask myself four questions...

1. Will this actually bring me joy?
2. Will I use it enough to make up for the cost?
3. Am I willing to work more to pay for this?
4. Can I make money from it/with it?

And then if the item passes one or more of these questions I ask the most important follow up question.

Is this more important to me than doing something in my early retirement?

And no matter what your end goal is we are all saving for something – every dollar you spend today is one less dollar towards your goal.

Put the latte down and ask yourself do I want this more than I want to retire early, sit on the beach for my next vacation, that car 100% paid for, whatever it is for you.

Yet; I won't lie to you, there are definitely times when the $3 latte or a $10 Yankee Candle wins out for me. In fact a ten cent book will almost always find a place in our home. And that’s ok – we all spend our money a little frivolously here and there, but if you’re putting every tiny purchase above your goal it may be time to reevaluate what you’re saving/working for and how important it is to you.

You can have anything you want if you’re willing to work for it – you just have to figure out what you’re willing to work for… and sometimes that’s the hardest question.

More free Target candles

Once I finally found a Target with candles I am loving getting these for $.16 and as an added bonus both the Targets I've shopped at have been fully stocked. I picked up five today and didn't even make a dent in their supply. (I don't like buying a lot of something if I am taking everything).

On a side note does anyone know how long these candles are going to be marked at $1.66?




5 Glade Candles $1.66
- Used (5) $1.50 off coupons from can

Total: $1.30 (I was charged tax on the full amount)

Total Savings: $14.15!!!

Last Sales of the Season

I have two weeks of finds to share with you tonight.
There is one last day of my favorite flea market for the year at the end of October so we might have one more post but it won't be for a few weeks.


This old Christmas tree reminds me of one my grandma always has on her table during the holidays. I thought it was a steal at $2, plus it came with a full bag of extra bulbs, I just need to buy a light for it.

A new Volunteers of America Thrift Store opened near our home and they had some great stuff inside. I picked up the two parfait dishes for $.30 each, the cool glass vase has a really neat shape unlike anything I've seen before it was $.60. The fairy light was only $4 so of course I had to have it. And lastly there was a bag of these fake wooden butterflies and some gold ones wrapped around for $1.50. My Mom had a set of these when I was young (I even have photographic proof) so I couldn't leave the store without them. I plan to put the big ones in our new kitchen and I'll figure out what to do with the metal ones later.



My last find are these two glass lamps. They don't look great right now but I plan to clean them up and fix the bases. At $3 I couldn't let them go - I've been looking for two lamps that would fit any decor and have an old feel to them. I plan to make some great shades and use them in our new sitting/living room.

Stop by Rhonda’s party at Southern Hospitality to see even more yard sales deals. It's her last party for the year so you don't want to miss it.

Cheap Target Candles

I finally made it to a Target with coupons to buy some of their cheap Glade candles.



I picked up four of the Glade Scented oil candles

The sign on the shelf said they were full price at $2.99 but when I scanned them they popped up at $1.66.

I used the $1.50 off coupon found in the top of the candle to pick these up for only $.16 each.

I plan to use them for gift baskets later this year - no one needs to know I paid less than $.20 for them

Good reads 9/25/09

Cheap and super cute pumpkin decorations at Chocolate on my Cranium Seriously they're made from toilet paper rolls and fabric - don't believe me that it could be adorable then check it out for yourself.

Debt free living is attainable if you want it From Wisebread.

The Best Online Banks for Emergency Funds from Frugal Dad

A great list of Companies to email for coupons from Nicole's Nickels

Millionaire Mommy Next Door has a gust post up on Are you Saving enough for Retirement - Use these 4 simple rules to find out

The Craftzine blog has a tutorial on How to sew a small lined purse

A great post on How to make a set of floral lights from The Crafty Chica.

Learn how to recycle old candles into new ones at Recycled Crafts

Ever wanted to recreate some of those delicious restaurant meals at home? Stop by Money Saving Mom to download A free copycat restaurant recipe ebook

Did you know if you write off credit card debt you still have to claim it on your taxes? Yeah, neither did I. Stop by Wise Bread to read their article on Forgiven debt isn't really forgiven at all

Frugal in Virginia has a Reminder to get ready for after holiday clearance deals - Last year I purchased almost all our Christmas gifts for this year by the end of January 2009. We've put a little bit of money away each month throughout the year and I plan to take that money to do it all over again this year. It's so nice to have a stress free holiday.

Wal-Mart Freebies

Have you been to Wal-Mart for more cheap candles and Johnson’s freebies?



- 1 Johnson’s Buddies soap $.97
Used a $1 off coupon from last weekends paper
- 1 Febreze Candle $5
Used $2 off from contest
- 2 Glade Sense & Sprays $5
Used (2) $4 off coupons from Right at home Print Yours HERE

I plan on using the candles in our new home and as some Christmas gifts.