Frugal Friday With Marsha--Week in Review

This week sure seems to have flown by!
Frugal highlights of my week were:

Bare bones grocery shopping and eating from what we already have in the freezer and cabinets.  Unfortunately bare bones shopping is a necessity right now.

We went to the Salvation Army and had the certified IRS tax preparers there do our taxes for free over paying H&R Block over $200 this year!  This was a major accomplishment on my part to finally get hubby to agree to go there and save all of that money.

I haven't had a chance to take advantage of sales with coupons this past week.  I did use 4 Angel Soft TP coupons to stock up a bit on those and I shared my other 2 coupons with my mom so she could get some cheap too.

A code that someone shared on TSU for amazon enabled me to order and receive a pair of socks for .50. They are now added to my gifts stash tote.

Our supper last night was ham slices from the freezer, oven fried potatoes, peas and carrots, and crescent rolls.   I opened the Tightwas Gazette book and used her easy instructions for making the oven fried potatoes.  They were yummy and simple.  There are several other recipes in the book that I look forward to using as well.


Gasoline has jumped up to over $2 a gallon now.  I can't complain about $2.09 compared to over $5 we've seen in the past.  I have been making sure to not just run to one place.  If I am out I make the most of my trip.  It pays to plan the best route for no back tracking and to make sure you get everything done that you need while you are out.

I finished my first locker hook rug.  I love having yet another use for scrap fabrics.  I'm itching to start another rug as I still have 2 bags of strips that were given to me.  Currently I've gotten out the big cone of cotton yarn that I was fortunate to find at a yard sale, and crocheting dishcloths/washcloths.   I feel so blessed with other give me materials to work with or I find them cheaply at thrift stores or yard sales!  That makes my crafting very frugal.

I think that's about it for this week's report.  I look forward to seeing what others have posted this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

Writer's Unite 2/5/15

Good Thursday to all!  How has your week been?  How is the weather in your part of the country?
It's not terribly bad in Kansas.  We've had some bitter cold windy days and there is just a bit of snow on the ground.  I'm reading all over the internet about those of you that are having massive snow.
My week has been hectic.  Nothing new about that, just different stresses this week.

This week I would like to address how you handle PR emails that come to your inbox.  I know over the years I've signed up at several different websites for my blogging.  I just updated my info at 2 of those recently--then dummy me didn't make note of what the websites even were!
I've not kept up with sverve, tomoson, etc where you apply for blog posts.

I consistently am still getting emails from PR companies asking me to post this or that.  A good portion of those offer no compensation.  In the beginning, if it was something that related to the things that I post about on a regular basis, I would try to get it posted.  Anymore I mostly just delete the emails.   Actually I've been deleting those for a long time now.
I don't feel that I should be expected to post without compensation or a product sent to me.
A few times I've braved up and replied that I would love to post it, but would need compensation.
A few times I've gotten a reply "sorry, but we are unable to compensate at this time", but a few times now the reply has been that they are happy to compensate me.
I don't ask near what I read that a lot of bloggers are receiving as far as compensation.

Do you also feel that your time is worth either pay or a product in return for a post?

I need help still.  I can not, for the life of me, get my coding right for my buttons in the side bar.  The space keeps coming up blank where you are supposed to be able to paste the code to add it to your blog.
I also have some redesigning to do as well as removing of pages and side bar items that are no longer needed.

I hope you've had a good writing week.  I look forward to what you share this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 2/4/15

Hopping along from the WIP Wednesday linky's on the other blogs I ran across someone who is participating in the OPAM 2015 challenge.  I decided that is just what I need to push motivate me to actually finish projects.  You can click the button in my sidebar for more information.
I pushed to get the locker hook rug done by the end of the month. 

I worked a little more on the blue hexagon table topper while on a road trip and then while running my mom around town.  I still have a ways before it's done.

Looks like the color for this month with the soscrappy challenge is pink.  I pulled out all of the pink hexagons that I had in my box.  Way too many to ever think of getting them all basted this month, but I will give it my best shot around other projects.
I had a few that were already basted, several sets put together to make flowers, and several singles that I already had papers pinned to.

Then last night I pulled out the peach and blue quilt that I am re-doing the binding on.  I'm not sure if I am on side 2 or 3, but hoping for side 3 so that I can actually get it done over this next week.
I'm not sure about listing it up for sale---it's one of my first quilts made years back--it has quite a few flaws.  How about that it's centered with a mattress pad, and a worn one at that?  One spot where I ironed that mattress pad is now stuck to the top.  How about that I used a sheet set to make the quilt and I didn't even cut off the top edge of the sheet on the back?  Sigh.....   Hubby says he will be more than happy to take the quilt as his own.  I may just let him have it.

Here is my current UFO list and I was able to start my 2015 finishes list too.

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
Blue hexagon table topper

2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug


I am linking up with the following blogs:

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Orkin. Information was sent to me for the purpose of this post. Giveaway is sponsored by Orkin and prize delivery is their responsibility.

All Business Monday--January Online Earning Stats

(Photo: Golden Dollar Symbol by Vectorfresh.com
License: Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution)


 Back in September of 2014 I set myself a goal to cash out each day of the month--the equivalent of.  I made that goal each month until January.  I was only able to redeem 24 out of 31 times for the month.

I am reporting what was rec'd in January:

PerkTV --$45 in gift cards (use code 860efbf6 for 50 bonus points)
Swagbucks -- $40 in gift cards (I alternate with both PerkTV and Swagbucks between Walmart, Target and Amazon cards) (I believe if you use HIP70 as the code on sign up you will get 70 swagbucks)
Pinecone Research -- $3 paypal
apptrailers --$4.68 paypal  (use code predictableuranus2  for bonus points)
checkout51 -- $20.50 check
clixsense --$7.86 paypal
bubblews -- $51.77 paypal
hausernet -- $8 paypal
shopkick -- $5 Target gift card

Total rec'd:  $185.81

I've linked some of the sites and apps.
Hausernet is a mail decoy program.  You earn .25 for each piece of mail that comes in and you input the code online.  Honestly they are paying monthly now with no minimum pretty regularly, but they do still owe me for all of the year 2012!

Pinecone Research is an invite only survey website....and one that I need to keep up with better.

Bubblews, as we all know is very low now on the earning scale, but I am still trying to write at least 2 posts a day there.  I do enjoy keeping up with my regular connections.

PerkTV is linked above, but they allow you to run it on up to 5 devices---and you can have 2 accounts per household, so up to 10 devices.  It's generally running on 4 devices here, which it is right now. (No plan devices that I am running through out wi-fi here at home)

Swagbucks, which is also linked above, has 6 apps.  They do not allow you to run them at the same time or your account will be deleted, but I generally get through 4 of the apps on a good day.

I am working on things here on my blog.  I hope that my earnings each month online and with the apps will continue to increase as each month goes by.


As far as my Gifts Galore and More (Jerky Direct, Etsy, Zibbet, Shophandmade, Half.com, etc)  I had a loss of $36.86 for the month.   I realized that I hadn't been putting down the classes and workshops that I take as expenses, so have $44 expense in January for the rug making class and supplies.
Otherwise I would have made $8 profit from an order for dish scrubbies and one book sold through half.com.

(I did also earn $224.36 between my 2 merchandising jobs and cleaning our church)

Be sure to share any business related blog posts you've written lately.

An InLinkz Link-up

Super Sunday Reviews -- Crafty Creatures

Fill Your House With These Crafty Creatures

Crafty Creatures has got to be THE cutest craft book that I own! The best part? The projects are made with scraps and leftovers from other projects :)

It’s really just too much cute. I can’t wait to get started making many of these cute creatures to give to my grandchildren.

There are projects with yarn, felt, and fabric.

I love sock monkeys and instructions on how to make them with a pair of socks is included in the book. Boy couldn’t I have a blast and add a bunch to my collection.

Other cute projects include:

Cat’s Bed (featured in my photo below)

Bees and Bugs

Mobile Owl

Knittens

Pocket Pets

Your Little Pony

30 projects to choose from!

The book also includes instructions and supplies for your sewing kit, how to do the stitches with great illustrations, How to knit also with great illustrations, and even threading a needle and sewing on a button.

Crafty Creatures is written by Jane Bull and published by DK. See the video I am including below to see the projects come to life out of the book.

I can not say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it for yourself or as a gift to someone who loves to craft.

I am sad that I don’t have the time I would like to make a bunch of the projects for Christmas gifts. I do look forward to getting on them and giving these as birthday gifts throughout the year to the grandchildren.

I also plan on sitting down with the grandkids and letting them have fun making their own Craft Creatures as well!

Here is the cat bed that I made and gave as a birthday gift to my granddaughter, Zelda, for her 2nd birthday:

An InLinkz Link-up