Do you really want to become a millionaire? Who doesn’t? The problem is we think it isn’t possible. We see our bank account with a few hundred bucks in it and think growing it to a million or more is pointless. The good news is that anyone, yes anyone can become a millionaire. And before you think it take decades or a ton of sacrificing and hard work, think again. I’ve come up with 10 painless ways you can become a millionaire. If you follow these tips, you will be on your way to being worth seven figures faster than you thought possible. So what are these 10 painless ways? Let’s get started! 10 Painless Ways To Become A Millionaire #1. Never Spend More Than You’re Making This is the most basic tip of all. You cannot go into … [Read more...]
Raising Chickens in Winter
If you've been hanging out on Penny Thots, you know I like to write about chickens. Partly it's because they're an excellent resource, including eggs and meat -- full of vitamins and lean protein. And since you feed them, you can ensure you're getting naturally delicious, pesticide-free food for yourself and your family. They Also Help Pay For Themselves With our flock (currently 15 chickens), we sell 4- 5 1/2 dozen eggs weekly...more than enough to pay for the chickens' feed and some of their expenses. We still have plenty of eggs for our own use...and even some to give away. (If you're curious, you can find out more via Part 2 and Part 3 about our chicken adventures.) They're also fun to watch! Whether it's watching them chase … [Read more...]
Dealing with the Big D
If you've been 'lucky' enough to catch the flu this season, you often get a bonus present, along with the fever, chills and throwing up: it's called diarrhea. (Or, if you want to be more polite: the 'runs." If you want specifics and other reasons for getting it, go here.) Think of it (if you must) as having your insides do their best to escape, while you're trying to keep them bottled up. Not fun. We rarely talk about this messy subject -- but truth is, we all come down with it, some time or another. Medicines are usually all about stopping diarrhea. (The best I've come across is, by far, Immodium AD.) The problem is, though: Isn't the Big D our body's way of getting rid of something we don't need -- or isn't doing us any … [Read more...]
The Blessings of Poverty
I love a good frugal living book, and there's a brand-new one out on the market: I know what you're thinking -- because I did, too. Why in the world would I want to be blessed with poverty? (Daughter #1 took it one step further, and subtitled the book as "Why Being Poor Is So Much Fun.") Diane's point, though, is that we all go through hard times, both financially and emotionally. And it's easier to get through those times with God's help, a little elbow grease and a lot of creativity. Her ideas come from experience: over the years, she and her husband raised three children, paid their bills and purchased a house on a surprisingly low combined income. The book is divided into two basic sections -- an analysis of hard times and … [Read more...]
Raising Chickens: The Saga Continues
If you've been hanging around the Penny Thots archives for a while, you may have seen my comments on raising chickens....the original report is here. (Part II is here.) Just in case you haven't followed the Saga of the Brick Chicks, here's a quick recap: We have 15 chickens at present...assuming, that is, that the resident fox in the neighborhood allows us to keep up the current count. (He took two back in late August, on one unguarded summer evening, when our watchdog Charley was indoors, miserable with allergies.) Three are 'Production' Reds -- Rhode Island Reds that are specially bred to produce more eggs. They look like this: They are mean, quarrelsome, bossy...and excellent layers. They also began laying eggs earlier … [Read more...]
Redoing Your Space the Frugal Way
The temperatures are getting colder in the West -- time to move back inside, after spending a lot of time out on the deck and in the garden. But wait: is this drab, overstuffed house the place I want to spend a long winter in? We don't have a lot of extra funds to spend on redecorating right now. What I do have is a certain amount of money, my local thrift store and whatever the neighbors generously choose to leave out on trash day. I've got work to do. Clean And Put Away What's Important Papers should be filed, even if that means a basket for the year's itemized deductions. Newspapers and junk mail: in the trash. (Those extra newspapers can also be rolled and used as starters, if you've got a fireplace.) Books and videos put back, … [Read more...]
Who Taught You To Be Frugal?
Sometimes a person is self-taught about All Things Frugal. They've learned how to pinch pennies and save money through their own actions. (Usually because they had to out of necessity.) More commonly, though, you learn money-saving habits through the efforts of someone else. That someone is often older; sometimes their knowledge came as a result of living through the Great Depression. Sometimes they had to learn to survive. And sometimes it just comes down the branches of your family tree. My Frugal Roots - My Dad I was lucky to inherit the penny-pinching gene from both sides of the family. My dad's ancestry was pure, unadulterated Dutch -- and the best variation: Dutch farmers. He grew up taking care of his parents' chickens and … [Read more...]
Raising Chickens Update: Is It Worth It?
Some months ago, I mentioned raising chickens on Penny Thots. Since then, we're going into our second year of keeping chickens. We currently have 15 -- eight laying hens, and seven babies, nearly grown, who are supposed to begin laying shortly. We currently keep them in two coops at night, with plenty of space to roam in our fenced yard during the day. We've learned a lot, including these gems: They Eat Like Crazy Chickens love to eat -- they'll stuff themselves silly, if you let them. One of our cousins couldn't figure out why his chickens laid down to eat...turns out they were so fat, they couldn't stand up for any length of time! Our chickens will eat anytime, anywhere, and as much as we let them. They Don't Always Produce … [Read more...]
Dog Allergies…Achoo!
Husband and I knew that we struggled with allergies during the summer...but little did we know that our Golden Lab mix had the same problem. Day after day, Charley snuffed and snuffled, his eyes red and bleary. He licked his paws repeatedly, and spent a lot of his day snoozing. (Ok, that last item wasn't proof. Charley spends a lot of every day sleeping. So does our other Golden Lab, Abby, who was unaffected.) Then I had to go out of town for a week. While I was gone, Husband went to the office, as usual, and put the dogs in the backyard. They spent most of every day, into the evening, outside. And Charley was miserable. He scratched away his fur not only on his muzzle, but long strips on his legs and chest. By the time I returned, … [Read more...]
What Colleges Wish Students Wouldn’t Bring
If your local college student is beginning to pack up for their trek back to school -- STOP Make sure that everything they're stuffing in their car or suitcase is really needed! "Ads [for dorm living] target parents, in terms of making parents think these are the things they need to get to make their students comfortable," says Sara Rotunno, the assistant director for residential life at Colorado College. Rotunno, quoted in an August Denver Post article, goes on to say, "Students don't actually need a lot of that...students bring things they don't realize aren't allowed. A lot of students bring in too much stuff, and that stuff gets sent home with the parents." (Or thrown away, I might add.) What Are Some Of The Forbidden … [Read more...]
Five Foods That Lose Your Belly Fat
Is it possible...grocery items that actually help you firm up and slim down that uncomfortable paunch you've been dragging around for years? Prevention Magazine says so. In the book Flat Belly Diet, Prevention's Editor-In-Chief, and her co-writer Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, advocate for something they call MUFAS, "otherwise known as monounsaturated fatty acids." Our bodies naturally need some fat for good health. Fat is what gives your hair and skin a healthy sheen. It gives us energy, and helps process vitamins A, E, D and K in our systems. We don't produce some of these fats naturally -- we must ingest them in our food, instead. The key isn't fat, Vaccariello and Sass argue. It's the kind of fat. … [Read more...]
Need a Deck? Snap It Yourself
One of summer's great pleasures is sitting comfortably out on the deck, cold drink in hand, and talking with friends on a warm evening. What... you don't have a deck? (Hopefully you have friends!) Surprisingly, it's not that difficult to build one. Think a big square or rectangle, with posts set in concrete to hold everything steady. (Or build your deck as two intersecting areas -- you'll have space for more than one activity and more visual interest, architecturally speaking.) One of the easiest ways to make your own deck? Snap-together tiles that rest right on the surface of your yard. DIYPatioDeck.com stocks Deck 'n Go and Multi-Snap Tile systems, with materials that range from fir, plantation teak … [Read more...]
