Fwd: Simple Times - 2/ 27/10 - Debt; Decluttering; Spring wreath

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Simple Times - 2/ 27/10 - Debt; Decluttering; Spring wreath

 

 

 

 

Simple Times

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Vol. 12, No. 4 -- February 27th, 2010

http://www.SimpleMom.com

DSimple

Copyright 2010 Deborah Taylor-Hough

ISSN: 1527-1269

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Subscribe: join-simple-times

Un: leave-simple-times

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Celebrating a dozen years of saving your time, money and sanity!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

-- "Dear Readers"

-- Simple Living Quote

-- Are You on the Road to Debt and Destruction?

-- Debi's Featured Blog Post: Mix-and-Match Soup Recipe

-- Guest Article: How to Make a Spring Wreath (for under $5!)

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (books, Writers' Guidelines, resources, etc.)

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< < < O.U.R S.P.O.N.S.O.R > > >

 

Tupperware® Online Catalog

http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

 

Same great products ... shop online convenience!

 

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Dear Readers,

 

I watched an episode of the reality show, Hoarders, the other day.

Omigosh. How frightening to see the end result of not decluttering

regularly! So, can you guess what I've been doing since watching

the show? Decluttering, of course.

 

It was surprising to see how much recycling I found lurking in the

dark corners of my office space (which also happens to be in my

bedroom, at this point). Scary, indeed.

 

At one point in my life, I used to keep a box of index cards with daily,

weekly, monthly, and seasonal chores organized according to the

instructions in the book, Side-Tracked Home Executives. After seeing

how much general mess and random clutter can accumulate without a

regular plan or schedule for working on various areas of the house, I think

it's time to pull those cards back out. I'll probably need to re-do the cards,

though. If I remember correctly, they were from an earlier point in my life

when daily and weekly chores included things like giving babies their baths

and washing cloth diapers. :-)

 

I've tried various methods of housekeeping "systems" over the years.

Everything from FlyLady's daily email updates (too overwhelming for me,

personally) to Don Aslett's Clutter's Last Stand (which was actually quite

helpful). But now that I think about it, where did I put my copy of Aslett's

book, anyway? It's probably lost in a clutter pile, cabinet, or -- as Aslett

would call it -- a "junk bunker" somewhere. ;-)

 

My favorite book on homemaking is If I Could Just Get Organized (out-of-

print) by my long-time friend Karen Jogerst. I wish she'd bring it back into

print ... I think the whole world would benefit from it's re-release (that's a

not-so-subtle hint, Karen, if you're reading this!). LOL!

 

Karen's Pilers and Filers concept revolutionized the way I think about myself

and my natural clutter tendencies. Very freeing and empowering.

 

Although the book is currently out-of-print, I found a few used copies for sale

on Amazon just now when I looked. Hurry if you want one!

 

 

If I Could Just Get Organized: Home Management Hope for Pilers and Filers

by Karen Jogerst

http://tinyurl.com/pilerfiler

 

 

And if you're too late to order one of Karen's Piler/Filer books, these are

the other books I've found at least semi-helpful over the years. Definitely

worth reading if you're struggling with a messy house ... or just getting

ready for a good dose of spring cleaning.

 

 

Side-Tracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise

by Pam Young and Peggy Jones

http://tinyurl.com/sidetrackedhome

 

 

Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time to De-Junk Your Life!

by Don Aslett

http://tinyurl.com/clutterslaststand

 

 

30 Days to a Simpler Life

by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt

http://tinyurl.com/30daysimplelife

 

 

Happy spring cleaning and decluttering to you and yours! :-)

 

Simply Yours,

 

Debi

(Deborah Taylor-Hough)

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

--Author of the popular Frozen Assets series; A Simple Choice: A

practical guide for saving your time, money & sanity; and Frugal

Living for Dummies®

--Editor, Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters

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Visit my simple living blog!

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

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SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE

 

"The problem of money dogs our steps throughout the whole of our

lives, exerting a pressure that, in its way, is as powerful and insistent

as any other problem of human existence. And it haunts the spiritual

search, as well.â€

 

--Jacob Needleman

 

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Follow me on Twitter!

https://twitter.com/dsimple

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ARE YOU ON THE ROAD TO DEBT AND DESTRUCTION?

Copyright Deborah Taylor-Hough

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

http://www.SimpleMom.com

 

 

Are you headed for a crash?

 

Every year since 1996, over one million(!) personal bankruptcies have

been filed in the United States. The majority of these are the direct

result of poorly managed consumer debt. I was informed recently that

outstanding U.S. consumer debt (non-mortgage related) totals much

more than a trillion dollars. The most disturbing fact behind that

staggering number is that thirteen percent of that one trillion dollar

figure, or thirteen billion dollars, was delinquent.

 

Thirteen billion dollars of delinquent consumer debt. Over one million

personal bankruptcies each year. Are YOU on the road to debt and

destruction?

 

Take this simple quiz and find out.

 

 

DEBT QUESTIONNAIRE

 

1) Do you regularly pay for groceries with a credit card?

2) Do you spend money now, expecting your income to increase in the

future?

3) Do you hide purchases from your spouse or other family members?

4) Do you have difficulty imagining your life without credit?

5) Are you becoming an expert at juggling each month, deciding which

bills to pay and which ones to let go until the next paycheck?

6) Do you pay off your monthly credit-card bills, but let other bills slide,

such as medical expenses and utilities?

7) Have you taken cash advances on one credit card to pay monthly

payments on other cards?

8) Do you feel anxiety when you think about or discuss your financial

situation?

9) Do you have little or no money in savings?

10) Do you make frequent impulse purchases?

11) Does your installment debt (not including mortgages) amount to

more than 20 percent of your income?

12) Has the stress of your financial situation caused severe turmoil in

your relationship with your spouse, or other family members?

13) Are you at or beyond your credit limits?

14) Do you fail to keep an accurate record of your purchases?

15) Have you started to receive collection letters, notices or phone calls?

16) Are you afraid to answer the phone in case it’s a collection agency?

 

 

ANSWERS:

 

How many times did you answer “Yes,†to the preceding questions?

 

0 You’re doing great! Full speed ahead!

 

1-2 You still have a green light. You can probably proceed in relative

safety. Your splurging isn't out of control at this point.

 

3-4 Slow down! You have a flashing yellow light and have entered

the severe caution zone. You need to start exercising more self-

discipline in the area of finances. It’s time to draw up a budget, pay

off your debts, and reevaluate your spending habits before you find

yourself in over your head.

 

5-6 Red light! Stop! You seriously need to gain control of your spending

before you proceed any further. Ignoring the problem will not make it

go away. You’d be wise to seek out a credit counselor or financial

planner for immediate help in changing your spending habits. You are

well on the road to financial catastrophe, but there’s still hope. Turn

around now!

 

7-16 DANGER! You’re careening out of control and emergency

measures are needed. You're about to experience a financial crash

of monumental proportions. You need to slam on your brakes and

come to an immediate stop. The wisest course of action when you

find yourself on the wrong road is to turn around and go back. If you

keep heading the way you are, you’ll only go further away from

financial stability.

 

If you’re this far down the wrong road, you should cut up all of your

credit cards and close the accounts, now! Don’t spend one more

penny on anything but the most basic necessities until you’ve

called a credit counselor for assistance. (And please don’t run

out and purchase something today, thinking that you’re about to

cut up your credit cards! That’s the type of thinking that brought

you down this road to begin with.)

 

Remember, you aren't a bad person for being in this situation! But

you’ve made some big mistakes. Now is the time to start making

proper decisions about your finances. You can get off this wild ride,

but if you don’t take immediate steps to fix the problem, you could

soon become another personal bankruptcy statistic.

 

 

This quiz was excerpted and adapted from A Simple Choice: A

Practical Guide to Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity by Deborah

Taylor-Hough (SourceBooks). To order your own copy, go to:

 

http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1891400495/simplepleasuresp/

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Deborah Taylor-Hough (freelance writer and mother of three) is the

author of several popular books including Frugal Living for Dummies®

and the Frozen Assets cookbook series. Visit Debi online for more

recipes, tips and ideas at: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

 

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DEBI'S FEATURED BLOG POST:

 

"Mix-and-Match Soup: Budget Meal Planning's Secret Weapon"

http://tinyurl.com/mixandmatchsoup

 

This is a seriously simple way to make a meal out of whatever’s hiding

in the back recesses of your cupboards or freezer. It’s the answer to

the question, “What do we eat when there’s nothing to eat?â€

 

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Special Featured Guest Article:

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HOW TO MAKE A SPRING WREATH (for under $5!)

Copyright Kathy Wilson

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com

 

 

Spring is a welcoming time of renewal, and what better way to

welcome friends and family to your home than with a creative and

personal spring wreath! Even better when you can make it for under

$5! Here’s how…

 

Pick up supplies at your local dollar shop or discount store. You’ll

need a grapevine or straw wreath base, a roll of ribbon, and various

little decorative items.

 

Choose a theme for your wreath. I used inspiration as mine, but you

ould use gardening, Easter, sewing, children, nature, birds, dogs, tea

party…the list is endless, use your imagination!

 

Decorative items need to be small so they can be wired or glued easily

to the wreath base. I searched the scrapbooking section for some terrific

themed items! Most craft stores have a “wood†aisle where they sell lots

of wooden cutouts in various themes for as low as a quarter a piece!

 

Wrap your wreath with ribbon, and tie in the back or use a glue gun to

secure. Next lay out your items on the wreath until you find a pleasing

composition…it often looks best for things not to line up perfectly. Now

add your focal items…mine were inspirational words that I wired on.

You can either use floral wire, or do like I did and strip the paper from

those twisty ties that come with your bread.

 

Fill in with colorful background players…since mine was a springtime

wreath about inspiration, I used birds and butterflies! Finally, tuck in a

few floral picks to add that springtime style! No need to go buy expensive

bunches, I just snipped these from some silk branches I already owned.

You can also pick up little floral picks from the craft store.

 

Voila…easy, quick, and it may not be expensive, but it has so much

personality, no one will notice!

 

Don’t overlook using those dollar shop wreaths on their own, tucked

into bookshelves, leaned against mantels, or hanging as grouping on

the wall.

 

Welcome Spring into your home with a handmade wreath that is an

expression of you and your family. (And all it took was a quick trip to

the dollar shop and the craft store, and a measly $5!)

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathy Wilson is an author, home decorating columnist for LifetimeTv.com

and editor of several popular home and garden websites. For hundreds of

free do it yourself home and garden ideas, please visit her websites now at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com, and http://TheGardenGlove.com

Also visit her work at home site at http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com

where ANY woman can learn to make money on the internet!

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Wilson

 

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.

Send your simple living comments and tips to: DSimple

 

 

 

So interesting in a time when I find myself focusing my energies

within the family unit, so are others! I too had filled my life with

busy-ness instead of attending to priorities. A health breakdown

followed. Now I attend to the people that matter, not the things.

I and my household are much happier. I am reminded of Joshua

who firmly stated: "As for me and my household, we will serve

the Lord!" When we serve anything or anyone else...trouble ensues.

When we serve God as we perceive Him, all is well in our world.

--LynAnne M.

 

 

I know that you have always advocated frugal living, and I have done

so for over 40 years myself, but in light of the current economic

situation in this country, the frugal living message is something that

a lot of people need to hear again. It is a legacy that needs to be

passed down to another generation. Thanks for your faithfulness of

reliable information.

--Sandy

Wife, Mother, Grandma

 

 

I live in a small town with a nice library -- but not a town with money,

nor is the library able to afford much without grants or donations. So

whenever I to a magazine, I read it and immediately take

them to my library -- then the librarian has current mags without cost!

--Christine G.

a saving friend!

 

 

I enjoy your newsletter immensely! I sure do wish that I lived in the

Pacific Northwest to attend your proposed classes! We all can

learn to live our lives more simply. Is it possible to send out any

written format of your workshops to those of us residing outside

your region? From a working mom in Southern California who feels

life is way too complicated when mom has to work.

--Monica M.

 

From the Editor:

 

Hi, Monica (and whoever else is interested)!

 

Some of the content from my various in-person workshops and

classes can be found in my assorted books. The Frozen Assets

books cover the whole cooking ahead for the freezer concept. A

Simple Choice and The Simple Mom's Idea Book cover simplifying

daily life. Frugal Living for Dummies covers frugal living and saving

money on everyday expenses. The new Basics of Inductive Bible

Study booklet covers the content from the Bible study workshop.

 

So although the content of a live workshop differs somewhat, the

basics are still covered in the books. So I guess at this point, the

best way to access a workshop if you can't attend one in person is

to read my books. :-)

 

You can find information about each title and a link for ordering at:

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/my-books/

 

Also, don't forget that your local public library is a frugal choice for

reading material Many libraries order new books based on what's

requested by their patrons. They can also usually do an interlibrary

loan for books not on their shelves.

 

~Debi

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DEBI'S NEWEST BOOKS!

http://www.Lulu.com/dsimple

 

 

The Simple Mom's Idea Book

http://tinyurl.com/simplemomideas

Print: $11.99 / Download: $4.99

 

 

Basics of Inductive Bible Study

http://tinyurl.com/biblestudybasics

Print: $7.99 / Download: $3.99

 

 

Habits: The Mother's Secret to Success

http://tinyurl.com/mothershabits

Print: $9.99 / Download: $4.99

 

 

These new books by the editor of Simple Times are

available now at: http://www.Lulu.com/dsimple

________________________________

 

SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Book list for frugality and simple living

Go to: http://snurl.com/simplebooks

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As always, a special "Thank you!" goes out to Gary Foreman

and the friendly folks at The Dollar Stretcher for making this

mailing list possible!

 

== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==

________________________________

 

EDITOR'S BOOKS AND RESOURCES:

Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

http://snurl.com/debisbooks

________________________________

 

"FRUGAL LIVING FOR EVERYONE!"

A Community Outreach Workshop

www.SimpleMom.comWorkshopsEvents.html

 

 

This popular workshop presented by Puget Sound area author

Deborah Taylor-Hough, is the perfect Outreach Event to offer

your community during this time of economic uncertainty.

 

Be part of the solution for your neighborhood by offering this

workshop at your church, MOPS program, or through your

local civic group.

 

Community Outreach Workshops available include:

 

... Cooking for the freezer

... Saving money on food expenses

... Writing workshops

... Easy educational ideas for kids

... Living within your means

... Simplifying the holidays

... Parenting (preschool thru teens)

... Successful New Year's resolutions

... General homemaking

... Voluntary simplicity

... Christian growth & discipleship

... Inductive Bible study

... and more!

 

 

Deborah can provide themed workshops tailor-made for your group

or community's needs. Debi is also available for consultations for

individuals, churches, and other groups on outreach strategy,

missional living, publishing, writing, media relations, and low-cost

publicity planning.

 

Contact Debi at: DSimple for more information.

________________________________

 

DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:

Personal Website: http://www.simplemom.com

Frugality/Simplicity Blog: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Cooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/

Tupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

Kids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids

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SIMPLE TIMES WRITERS' GUIDELINES

 

-- 2010 --

 

I want to take a moment to encourage the readers of Simple Times

to consider contributing to this newsletter. I'm always looking for new

input and new voices, people desiring to share their insights on frugality

and simplifying daily life.

 

For those of you who would like to share your personal story or latest

tips, here's a condensed version of the Simple Times eNewsletter

Writers' Guidelines.

 

 

SIMPLE TIMES WRITERS' GUIDELINES

 

The purpose of Simple Times is to provide inspiration, encouragement,

motivation, and practical help for those who (for whatever reasons) are

choosing to simplify their lives. Our audience is diverse and represents a

large cross-section of society. This newsletter is open to the voices of its

readers, and we'd love to hear from you.

 

Keep articles brief (300 - 500 words). Send the completed article and be

sure to include a short personal bio (one or two lines). Webpage URLs

and book titles will be included in the bio, if applicable, and your email

address will only be included if you specify that you want it available to

readers. Articles may be edited for space requirements and style.

 

Simple Times doesn't pay for articles, but this email newsletter can

offer excellent free publicity for anyone with books, webpages, ezines,

or any other resources of interest to an audience interested in frugality,

family priorities, and simple living.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Submissions are ONLY accepted in the body of

an e-mail (no attachments, please).

 

DSimple

 

~Debi, Editor, Simple Times eNewsletter

http://www.simplemom.com

 

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NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

Subscribe: join-simple-times

Un: leave-simple-times

 

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think

might be interested. This is a private mailing list which isn't sold

or shared with anyone else. Tips and articles are printed for

entertainment purposes only.

 

This free service is brought to you by www.SimpleMom.com

 

Copyright 2010 Deborah Taylor-Hough. .

3930 A Street SE, Ste 305-119, Auburn WA 98002

Contact us at: DSimple

 

 

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