Frugal Friday With Marsha--The Tightwad Gazette

A few months ago I pulled out my copy of The Tightwad Gazette. 

It's a book I had heard about for years and wanted to own.  Now being the frugal person that I am, ok, the poor person that I am, there was no way that I could purchase the book new.  I had checked it out from the public library and read through it.
The copy you see above I found at our public library book sale.  I was so excited to finally own a copy of my own.
In fact, she talks a lot in her book about never buying anything new, with yard sales being a prime place to find things that you need.

My copy is copyright 1992.  She wrote 3 books, adding to each new version.   I will highlight the last one, which is a compilation of all 3 books at the bottom of this post.

This book is just invaluable.  You can read through it over and over and discover something new each time.  It's set up in sections by seasons of the year. 
It includes how-to instructions on several item.s  For example, you will be amazed just how many things you can make with a gallon milk jug.
There are a lot of recipes throughout the book---food recipes, cleaning supply recipes, baby wipes, play dough, etc.
The book has reader's letters throughout.  Letters that she received from readers while she was putting out her Tightwad Gazette newsletter.  Her readers had some good ideas to add to what she was already putting out.

I have several pages marked with things I want to make or do.  This coming from me, someone, who has lived a frugal type lifestyle all of my adult life.  There is still something new to learn each day.

For example:  I was reminded of taking the broken crayons and melting them down to make colorful crayons using a muffin tin.   Just the other day I found myself cleaning up after the grandkids had jumped out both totes of craft supplies.  I started throwing away the broken crayons.  I then asked myself what was I doing?   Her book suggests using the "scribble cookies" as stocking stuffers.  That is exactly what I plan on doing!  I even have a mini cupcake pan that I will use to make them.  I will put them into snack size zipper bags (bought on sale and with a coupon, of course) and give each of the grandchildren some.
This is just one of many things from her book that I will be doing.

I have fun living frugally!  How about you?

I found this video of the author, Amy Dacyczyn to share with you.  Of course I love it as she's in her sewing room giving a tour as well.







I look forward to what you will share this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

Writer's Unite--1/15/15

It's Thursday, time to hop in and link up some of your writing from this past week!

I'm actually a little late getting this post up.  I got sidetracked.  I clicked to share one of my blog posts to twitter, then stayed in twitter for a bit.  I admit that I rarely go there, but I'm going to make it a regular daily stop from now on, finding a few things in my feed each day to click on.

One thing that I found this morning was an ad at the top to boost influencer.  I joined and filled out my profile.  Things have really slowed down for me as far as companies contacting me to post things in my blog.  I'm hoping to change this.  I also updated my account at another site as well.

You may notice that I've started posting a good deal, coupons, giveaways, and such in my blog this week.  I plan to keep that up daily along with my other regular postings.

I'm still writing at bubblews, and still not choosing to sign up for a different writing website....yet.
I am only doing 2 posts a day right now until we see what these changes are all about that are coming up. 
I'm still enjoying TSU.  I'm adding more friends each day, meeting new people, sharing, liking, commenting.  My daily earnings are increasing bit by bit there.  I'm also trying to add more than just links to what I write to make my account more personal.  If you haven't joined TSU yet and would like to give it a try, I would love to have you as one of my children.  You can join HERE.

Can't wait to see what you link up this week  :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Free Recipes and Coupons from Betty Crocker!

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WIP Wednesday 1/14/15

It was nice to get in some sewing time this past week.   I also finished up an order for dish scrubbies.  No sooner than I finished it, another order came in.  That's a GOOD thing.  I will be crocheting a lot more of those over this next week.

I looks at the soscrappy blog and see that this months color is blue.  I am using her scrappy challenge to work on my hexagons.  I didn't get anything done past pulling out blue from my box, and I didn't take a picture.  I hope to get those worked on this week.  I don't have many that are just blue.

Last Friday was sit n' sew at the quilt shop.  I've made my fractured pineapples my sit n' sew project until that quilt is done.    I have 5 blocks done.  The other 15 I am working all at the same time.
I cut 5 backing pieces and the 20 batting pieces.  I sandwiched one block.  I am doing this quilt in quilt as you go.  The black fabric in the picture will be for my sashing and binding.

Yesterday was sewing club at church.  I finished a simple 4 patch quilt top.  The other ladies will now sandwich and finish it.  It will be sent to the domestic violence center.

This coming Saturday I am taking a locker hook rug class at the quilt shop.  Here are my supplies, including my big ball of 1 inch fabric strips that are sewn together end to end.

Other WIP's are reading The Wedding Quilt, making pink coasters for a friend, and working a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle with a picture of tons of buttons. (I will make sure to put a picture of the puzzle in next week's post)

Here again is my current UFO list.  I think as I finish things this year, I will leave them on this list but line through them as they are completed.  This way I see my own progress as I put up these posts each week.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Yo-Yo Table runner
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle quilt
? sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork

I am linking up with the following blogs:

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All Business Monday -- Traffic Exchanges

Welcome to my Manic Monday! Oh wait, it's All Business Monday here on my blog.

This week I want to talk about traffic exchanges. There are thousands of them out there, literally. I belong to several. I don't use them as often as I probably should as social networking has taken over as far as I am concerned. I will mention that most traffic exchanges do come with a build in chat feature on the side, so you can socialize with others who are surfing at the same time as you are.

I was using an exchange for years called reallysmartdeals. It was specifically for people who sell things online. It was awesome. Sadly, the new owners have decided to shut it down until at such time they can make it like they want it to be. I miss it!
In the meantime, I do use the different traffic exchanges for my Jerky Direct pages, my etsy shop, zibbet shop, shophandmade shop, onlinecraftmall profile page, and some of the paid to click sites that I do.

As I said, I don't use traffic exchanges near as often as I probably should. Saturday I stopped in to most all of them. Sunday morning I rec'd an order for 16 of my dish scrubbies. Coincidence? I don't know, but I am thinking that the person just may have seen them in a traffic exchange.

With traffic exchanges you surf through the rotation of websites that others have put into rotation. As you surf, you earn credits so that your websites are seen. They all offer upgraded memberships at various prices. For me, I don't pay for upgrades.
I'm going to talk a little about each one that I am a member of, as well as put in a banner or link in case you would like to check it out.


Easyhit4U is a paying traffic exchange. While visiting websites you are earning credits to promote websites of your choice as well as earning .30 for every 1000 websites that you visit. Payout is a low $3. You also earn .10 for each referral once they surf 100 websites. I've been a member for many years, so I've been paid several times with this one. (This one I know produced an order as when they emailed me they told me where they had seen my items)


Topsurfer is another one that I have been a member of for several years. There are lots of aspects to it, I only use the exchange part. Website urls are unlimited. Payout is a minimum of $10 and they pay out automatically through paypal every Wednesday to all members who have reached the minimum. Paid emails are worth 5 credits and .003. Clicking the exchange each view is worth .00003 plus viewing credits. You manually assign the credits to your websites in rotation.


The next 3 are also a lot of fun while surfing---all 3 also offer prizes of surf credits, banner credits, link credits or cash just for logging in each day.

Traffic4Webmasters offers prize drawing tickets as you surf as well as bonus credits, and a little cash. Minimum of $25 to get paid.


Gladiator Hits also offers games and such for bonuses as you search. They offer a whirlwind of ways to advertise. They include automatic twitter messages to click to help get referrals. I only discovered this while surfing on Saturday. I am unsure as to what the minimum is to cash out as it only tells me that a link will show up to redeem once I have enough in my account.


Traffic Dynomite I believe is owned by the same person as Gladiator Hits and offers the same only in different fashion. I really do have fun doing both of them.



I actually am a member of several more but these are the ones that I do on a semi-regular basis. With other things (writing sites) going downhill in pay, and me wanting to promote my crafts more, I plan to start using all of these on a more regular basis!

An InLinkz Link-up

Super Sunday Reviews ---Makery by Kate Smith

Makery--Over 30 Projects for the Home, To Wear, and to Give by Kate Smith

Over 30--there are 31 projects in this book.  There are some really cool projects, if I must say so myself.
The book is set up into 3 sections:  fashion, gifts, and home.  Although, anything from any of the sections would make nice handmade gifts.

If you know me, you know that I am all about handmade.  There are so many projects in this book that I want to make!   Just a few of them are the crocheted slippers, shoulder bag, make-up roll, tablet case, button magnets, tea light ins, and fifties frilly apron.

Makery is 159 pages.  Instructions and materials for each projects are clearly and visually laid out.  There are 7 pages of stitches and tips at the back of the book as well as a page of stocklists.
It also includes pull-out patterns as pictured below.

Once I get a chance to make some of the things in Makery, I will come back to this post and update it with pictures!




Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of Makery for the purpose of writing a review. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own. Post does contain affiliate links.

An InLinkz Link-up