My Money Saving Challenge

If you live in a country where the standard of living is very steep, the prices of commodities are high, and the accommodation rent is stupendous, saving enough to fill the retirement coffer just seem to be so impossible for expatriates like me.

I have been working for almost 27 years; while I am very happy that I have managed to save enough money to invest in properties. I feel that I haven't saved much for my retirement though.

Saving is one of the biggest challenges that my family here has to face. We spend our earnings in this place too so what ever is spare is deposited to our daughter's account back home.

2017 is a big Money Challenge year for me and my husband as we try our best to cut down unnecessary expenditures while putting percentage of our earnings to our investment, cash savings, and paying off loans and credit cards so as not to accumulate high interest on finance charges. One option to consider while trying to pay off loans is refinancing them. Earnest's can help refinancing your student loans. Their unique Precision Pricing not only can save you a ton of money but you can pay them off much faster. It is high time we understand where our money goes, how our debts can accumulate, and what means can we find to lead us on the right track on spending conscientiously, saving wisely, and where to get financial assistance when needed.

Below is a personalized Money Saving Challenge infographic for myself. I want to be able to set aside a portion of my salary to my intended allocation so I can meet my target for this year and onwards.

2016 Very Merry Gift Certificate Bundle

I know that the holiday season is fast approaching. The money crunching is coming next and are we ready with our Christmas list? How about the budget? How would you like to stretch it further to get the most of your hard earned money this holiday season? What if I tell you that there's a way that you can actually do that? Got your attention? Read on...

Psst… can I share a little Christmas shopping secret with you?

If you’re not a fan of malls and you’ve already got that sense of impending doom as your gift list grows and your bank account balance shrinks (I know how that feels!), I’ve got really good news for you!

One of my favorite online companies loves to put together what they call “bundles” which is their way of saying “a crazy amount of value in one really affordable package”.

Well, they’ve created a special one just in time for the holidays! It’s called A Very Merry Gift Certificate Bundle and here’s how it works…

For just $15 you get $180 in store credits from 12 online businesses that align with a simple, natural lifestyle.

You know those coupon books that schools and sports teams sell as fundraisers? It’s sort of like that, except that these aren’t coupons (they’re better!).

This year’s Very Merry Gift Certificate Bundle comes with $180 worth of gift certificates including:

• Around the World Stories
• Artsy Couture
• Atlas Coffee Club
• Bloom Naturals
• Crunchy Balm
• Ecocentric Mom
• Healthy Moving
• Hope Ink
• Life Without Plastic
• Porteen Gear
• Strawesome
• The Kombucha Shop

Ready to order? Click here - - -   ORDER NOW!

You literally get $15 gift certificates to put towards whatever you like from a dozen participating stores. All you’ll pay are standard shipping rates (which varies by store).
With your bundle, you’ll be able to purchase well-made, meaningful and clutter-free gifts like:

• ethically-sourced coffees from around the world
• photo products including wall decor, canvas wraps, prints and albums
• classy custom-made bags, totes and camera straps
• DIY craft kits delivered to your (or their) doorstep
• eco-friendly reusable glass drinking straws
• healing tallow skin balms and lip love
• inspirational hand-lettered art prints
• unique aromatherapy diffusers & jewelry
• Kombucha bottles, supplies, and brewing kits

As long as you use one gift certificate, you’ll come out even. Use two and you’ve already gotten a great deal, worth twice what you paid!

The more you use, the more you save, all the way up to $165 free shopping dollars, so you can spend less while gifting well this Christmas.

The only catch? It’s available for just 7 short days, so you need to grab yours quick (and then, get shopping)! Last day to get yours is Monday, December 5th.

LEARN MORE BUTTON
Learn more or get your bundle here.


If you're a blogger and would like to be a part of the Ultimate Bundle affiliate program, please feel free to join here: Join now!

10th Anniversary Sale of Cricut

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. 

Cricut wants to celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a sale! Here are 5 reasons you'll want to shop Cricut this week (4/20 - 4/26):

1. Up to 40% off supplies

2. FREE shipping - with no order minimum (with promo code FREECRICUTSHIPPING)

3. Clearance items starting at $1

4. Explore Air bundles starting at $229

5. Almost all cartridges and images on sale (Cricut.com only, does not include Design Space)

Supply Your Valentine's Day Party On A Budget

** This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase after clicking on the links.

Not all people celebrate Valentine's Day with special dinner for two, a movie date or a romantic getaway somewhere. Some actually celebrate it with fanfare! Valentine's Day is not all about couples or those who are in love or looking for love but it is also a time to celebrate the day with family and friends as another get-together party.

If you are one of those who wants to throw a party for everyone to enjoy whether are with someone, looking for someone or simply to enjoy the company of great people, then it is just right to plan and execute your Valentine's Day party without putting a dent on your budget. Here's how:

Make your own decorations

You do not have to be crafty to be able to make and prepare your own decorations. You just need the basic: paper, scissors, glue, adhesive tape, computer and a printer. It will be nice if you can download printable decors to match your Valentine's Day theme and cut the out yourself. You can make paper hearts and put them on strings like a bunting. You can also make paper flowers and decorate the tables and chairs with them.

This is from Marley Design from Etsy.com

Buy wholesale party kits

Red is always associated to Valentine's Day to signify love and passion. Why not change the colour motif to dark pink with splashes or red tones? You can buy paper plates, cups and disposable cutleries to mix and match for the occasion. You can buy them plain too in block colours so you can save money. The ones with designs are rather costly so stick with colour blocks.



Use your own cups, plates and cutleries

If you do not want to buy a party kit for the occasion, you can use your own plates, cups and utensils. This way, you get to save money. You can use your creativity by using old jam jars like mason jars as glasses or time to bring out those nice champagne flutes!



Send electronic invites

Send your invites via email to save time and money. You can even create an event in Facebook and invite your family and friends in your upcoming shindig.



Buy wholesale favours

If you are very generous and would really like to give your guests some simple tokens then you can check out the internet for party favors for all occasions that you can buy online.  Buying in bulk yields better rate than buying few items.

How you decide to supply your Valentine's Day party is all up to you especially if your goal is also to have fun while not splurging. Enjoy the merriment!

Fantastic Thanksgiving Deals From Beaucoup

** This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated when you click the link and make a purchase.

Don't miss out on these fabulous offers while they are available! It's Thanksgiving and soon it will be the holiday season. Stock up on party wares and supplies from Beaucoup.

20% off $79+ at the Beau-coup party supplies, gifts & decor store

Use coupon code: THANKFUL

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY SHOPPING!

$20 Off The iPhone 5s At Gazelle

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

   

Looking for a great replacement phone or Christmas gift? Consider a Gazelle Certified iPhone 5s. You can now get one for up to $20 off when you shop Gazelle's selection of certified pre-owned iPhone 5s'!  That is a good savings and a bargain deal not to miss!

With a Gazelle Certified iPhone 5s, you're able to get a like-new phone that has impressive features, such as a blazingly fast 64-bit A7 processor and the M7 motion co-processor. And photography buffs will love this phone's camera features. Plus, all Gazelle Certified devices go through an in-depth 30+-point inspection process to ensure their quality and include a 30-day return policy. What's more is that there are no contracts or strings attached. 

Shop Gazelle's selection of iPhone 5s' today and give yourself, a friend or family member a gift that can be enjoyed well into the new year! You can also add to your gift-giving budget by trading-in your old devices to Gazelle for cash! Check out their trade-in page to see just how simple it is!

Only shop for the Certified pre-owned iPhone 5s

Buying Budget Clothes For Kids

It is easy to choose the best clothes for your kids. However, most of them are expensive.

So, either buy expensive clothes and compromise on other necessities or read our tips below.

We have compiled a list that will make it easy for you to buy the best clothes for your kids and at the same time, spend less.

(Photo not mine)

Designer collection

Well, first of all, try to avoid designer clothes because they will add to your expenses. However, if you are planning to buy it for a special occasion (mostly his/her birthday), buy it online so that you can use matching coupons with store sales and get the best deals on them just like the coupons from Nordstrom.

Nordstrom.com offers exclusive deals on designer clothes. Check them out.

Off season purchases

With fresh spring collection around, look for sweaters. End-of-season sales are exciting, and you can be sure that you will get some of the best deals on them. So, look for it. Again, retail and online stores offer clearance sale on their items. Check it out to grab products at a discounted price.

Different clothes

Buying clothes for kids who will spend most of their time playing at the part or the beach; look for cheap quality clothes. Here, you should look for deals where you can get two or three shirts for a price less than $10.

Here, you can satisfy the need with cheap quality clothes because kids while playing, will spoil and tear it. Eventually, it will be thrown away or will be used for some other purpose. So, spend less on play clothes and more on school uniforms and event dresses.

Want 10 – 15% off purchases made at Nordstrom for the latter? You can get many coupons online. Look for suitable coupons and use it accordingly.

Sell old clothes

Old clothes, that do not fit your kids anymore, should be moved out of their closet. Donate it or sell it, but get it out and make space for the new ones.

However, before selling or donating them, buy new clothes for your kids. The money earned from selling these clothes can be used to purchase other necessities for your kids.

There are exciting offers available online. Check them online.

Secondhand

For some people, it is disgusting to buy secondhand clothes for their kids. However, we are not talking about secondhand clothes. We are suggesting that you can buy secondhand toys or books for your kids to save money. For this, you can even look for items put up for sale in garage sales. Garage sales can help you save big. So, think about it.

Note: Before your child starts playing with them, wash it properly. That is a precautionary step that should be taken by you.

Tip: If you are not willing to purchase used toys or books, look for coupons that can be used to get the best offers available online to purchase new toys and books.

What else have you tried to save big while shopping for your kids? Tell us something about it.

Five Financial Tips When Saving For Your Dream Home

Photo credit: freshome.com

Buying a dream home is a very significant step for most people. It can seem impossible to come up with that all-important deposit, especially when you have to pay rent in the home you are currently living in, but with a good plan it is entirely doable. You will need to be proactive to achieve your goal, but it is very possible.

Building a new home can be a surprisingly inexpensive option. The advantage of building a new home is that you get to choose the design and colours you like. To get a good idea of prices and floor plans click here and check out what’s available.

With some good financial planning, including a solid and well thought out savings plan, you can turn your dream home into a reality.

Start Now

The sooner you begin saving for your dream home the sooner you will reach your goal. Don’t put off starting your savings plan until you get a better job with a higher income. Start where you are now and when your circumstances improve you will already have some savings in the bank.

Create a Dream Board

The best way to stay motivated to save is to have your dream in front of you. Spend time looking at different houses and choose something that you really love. Print out pictures of your dream home or make a life-like sketch of it and place them on a board. This becomes your dream board. It should be placed in a prominent place where you will see it daily. Your dream board will help keep you motivated to save.

Spending: Do You Really Need It?

Every time you go to make a purchase outside of your absolute needs, take a moment to think: do I really need this? This question will help stop you from making spare of the moment purchases that may thwart your savings plan. Clever marketing is designed to entice us into impulse buying. By stopping and asking if you really need or want something, you will save money.

Do a Course on Money Management

There are some excellent courses available on money management. Do some research and enrol in a course designed to teach you the skills to handle money well. There are experts out there who have tried and true strategies to help you in your quest to save money. Utilise their services.

Make a List of Your Spending

Make a note of everything you spend for a month. You will be amazed at what you spend money on. It’s often the little things that end up adding up to a lot of money, things like coffee and candy bars. These are not essential and you may decide to cut back on this spending once you see how much it is costing you.

Save First

Put a certain percentage of your pay in a savings account before you even see it. It may only be one or two per cent but it will add up and if you don’t see it, you won’t miss it.

Giveandsave.com Site Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

If there is one thing that can mute the guilt I have when I splurge on online shopping websites is to spend my money on products that I like while a worthy organization also benefits from my purchase. You might wonder if there is such an online shopping site that actually donates a portion of payment done through purchases which is not a charitable organization website. Giveandsave.com's tenet revolves in that very nature - give back to the community while the valuable consumers save.

Giveandsave.com is a deals and coupons site where you can purchase items for almost 75% off their regular price. Some of the proceeds of the sale for that particular transaction will go towards a charitable institution of your choice.

Giveandsave.com has tied up with  13 charitable institutions that you can choose to be the recipeint of the proceeds. These institutions are:

Autism Society of America
AAZK Phoenix Chapter
American Cancer Society
American Red Cross
City of Hope
Godz Girls Junior Bible Quiz Team
Home Educators of Surprise
KASL Academy
New Life Center
Phoenix Rescue Mission
Relay for Life Goodyear
The Human Society of the United States
USO

The site is not yet brimming with products but the ones offered are worth buying and not just your average products. You can purchase vitamin supplements, armband for your iPhone or Samsung phone, bluetooth headset and even fashionable accessories.

Giveandsave.com is a new site and it is still scouting for more business owners to offer their merchandise at a very reasonable price which can be offered in return as great deals for discerning consumers like us. It also has a location feature where you can find good deals relevant to your chosen city, for example: Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Raleigh, to name a few.

Photo credit: giveandsave.com

It is easy to navigate your way around the site and purchasing is like a breeze. You select the deal that you like by clicking on the Buy button, wait for the deal to complete (it may take several hours/minutes for the whole deal to close) and you will get a confirmation via email when it is done. Afterwhich, a portion of your purchase amount will go to the charitable institution you have chosen. You can now redeem your purchased deal.

Aside from the easy navigation and purchase transaction, Giveandsave.com also has a no hassle return policy if you are not satisfied with your chosen deal. This makes the site a good place to spend your hard-earned money knowing that you are making a difference to your community.

Photo credit: giveandsave.com

I fully support sites like Giveandsave.com. I just hope that more businesses will also provide their assistance and support to Giveandsave.com so more and more communities and charitable organizations will benefit from the give and save effort. Please check out Giveandsave.com site for more information and you might want to purchase a thing or two.




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review - Relish Menu Planning

Planning a meal for my family is such a feat for me because I am not so keen at cooking simply because, I don't cook. However, I should be thankful for sites like relishrelish.com for giving me inspiration on what to prepare and buy for my family's weekly meals for 5 days.

Relishrelish.com is a great resource and planning site for mommies like myself. It makes planning meals a breeze because of its functions like:

Build a menu
This is a feature of the site where you can choose from a number of meal selections and drag your selections and even favorite them on the other side of the dashboard.

Shopping List
Your chosen meals have a built in ingredients feature so that when you click on the shopping list, all the ingredients in the meals you have selected for the week will be shown to you. All you have to do is check on the items you have to buy. You can also select the number of people to be served so the number of ingredients adjusts accordingly so you don't have to make wild guesses on how much ingredients you have to buy for the number of people you will serve. The number of people to serve can be adjusted to 2, 4, 6 and 8. You can print this list as well that you can take in the grocery.

Legend Key
This shows the legends used in the recipes. I find this very helpful because I am not kitchen-savvy nor cooking-savvy so anything that involves cooking terminologies will be clarified with this legend. The legend also seves as your guide if you want to prepare vegetarian meals, good for morning preparations, budget meals, desserts, etc. It is a good way to check the categories of your meal plan.

Favorites tab
This tab will hold the list of your favorite dishes. Just click this tab to view them in one go.

Weekly Recipes tab
This tab features all the recipes in relishrelish.com where you can choose the ones you want to prepare for the whole 5 days.

Editor's Pick tab
This is a great tab to see what is smokin' in the editor's choices. You may want to favorite the choice or add to your meal plan too!

Search tab
This tab makes filtering and searching of recipes very easy. No more cluttered recipes everywhere and no need to recall where you saved a favorite recipe because it is all here in relishrelish.com.

Benefits:
This site really saves you time, effort and money in the long run because the meal planning makes it easy for you to get the stuff you want and print it. It auto adjusts the amount of ingredients you require based on the number of people you will serve form the shopping list function. So, you don't spend much on unnecessary number of ingredients and put them to waste because you bought too much.

Subscription:
For $7.00 per month, I think that is a good deal to be able to have everything you need with meal planning. You can start with a the $7.00 per month or save 15% if you subscribe for 6 months and a 30% discount if you choose the yearly subscription which is a total of $58.80.


Relishrelish.com is a great site to subscribe to because I get to save a lot. I do recommend this to those who are in-charge of preparing meals for the family so you cut back on cost, time and even hassle.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Christmas Shopping Budget

Photo credit: yahoo.com

I don't like cramming and most especially, I don't like crowded malls. So, if you're like me, you'll understand why it is always better to shop way in advance like I do.

I start my Christmas budget as early as June. And I do my shopping early too.  Six months of allocated budget for the festive season works well for me because I have a big, extended family. I keep around 50-100$ a month for the occasion or if there's an emergency. Otherwise, it's intended to be shared come Christmas.

Our lists of family, friends, godparents and godchildren to give gifts to are quite long. I am sure it will make a dent in the savings but hey, Christmas is the time to share. And when we have extra to give around, we're happy to buy gifts to the people we love. This Christmas, we have already spent over the intended budget because we're coming home for the holidays. We don't see our family every occasion so we want to give them the best.

How about you? Do you have a Christmas budget? Do you stick to that?

Benefits of Synthetic Turfs

A home is made even more beautiful with the installation of synthetic turfs. If you search the internet, for example "install it direct orange county synthetic turf", you will find numerous hits on pavers and synthetic turfs. These sites will give you the benefits of having beautiful well-installed synthetic turfs added in your property for a better appraised value if you decide to sell your home in the future.

Installing a synthetic turf has become a better option for most suburban homeowners who are trying to stay afloat in a bad economy. Here are the benefits when you consider to install a synthetic turf versus the original grass.

- A synthetic turf will be a better option to consider when you want to cut back on water consumption, maintenance and electrical and water bills in the long run.

- When you have a synthetic turf, there is no need to use any chemicals to kill weeds and other insects.

- Synthetic turf can be washed down weekly, bi-monhtly, quarterly, depending on your location, activities, and lifestyle like if you have pets or kids who run around the lawn or yard.

- Build up of bacteria is not an issue because there is an option called antimicrobial acrylic coated infill. You may also use ordinary vinegar and water spray combination to clean bacteria spores.

- No need to fertilize because they are perennially green and "alive." They do not wilt.

- High-quality synthetic turfs do not fade and most have UV protection.

- There is no need for mowing too.

The above benefits are good reasons to consider if you want to jump to the synthetic kind. So, if you are a homeowner who wants to cut back on the unnecessary expense in your household and property maintenance or in the process of constructing your own home, the synthetic turf may be the solution for you.

Cleaning Weekend

We had a revamp at home last night and I thought we sold most of the unwanted stuff piling in the closet. No wonder the house is crowded because we still have plenty of unused and unwanted items to sell in the flea market this winter. Just by locking at the amount of old clothes, bags, shoes, toys, books, cds and dvds and other what-have-yous, I can tell we'll make a lot of money out of them.

I really thought we downsized already. The last time we sold stuff in the flea market, 90% of the goods were sold and the remaining ones were donated to charity. And I really wonder why we still have so much? Are these stuff purchased recently and forgotten or some items given to us? I really can't tell because I don't recognize most of them except for the clothes, bags, shoes, toys and bags. There are some cds and dvds I have never bought and neither the knick-knacks in the shelves. I do recall buying stuff on our travels but so much? I don't think so. I am wiser now when it comes to buying stuff. It always have to be a want vs. a need decision.

So, our weekend is pretty tiring and hectic. I have some boxes to fill with things to sell. I have to clean them and list them in the inventory as I seriously need the house clutter free. Besides, the extra money out of the proceeds will be added to our savings bonds.

Getting Rich During The Rough Times

Many of us fell prey to the pernicious cycle of the great recession of the modern times. Others managed to strike gold while the majority is left penniless. However, this time poses plenty of opportunities for people who have saved enough, for those who have withstood the test of times and for the astute who have the knowledge and skills to make more money fast despite the recession by devising ways to earn more.

Some people are lucky enough to maintain their 5 or 6 digits salary jobs while the countless number of unemployed are still on the rise. The fresh graduates are in for a tough time because of the stringent employment openings. Those who have experience in their belt who are willing to take in any amount of salary just to be employed will pose a great threat to the newbies. With this unemployment scenario in mind and the other gloomy accounts of recession, how do we get rich then? Here are some tips:

• Amassing great wealth does not happen overnight but having the correct attitude and knowledge to handle your finances is one step to get rich.
• Acquire a positive outlook in life. While a lot of people are wallowing in sorrow for the loss of their jobs and foreclosure of their properties and bankruptcy of their business, some people pick up themselves and go out on the streets to look for another job or sell some properties or even do sidelines. 
• Turn your hobby into money-making activity. If you have a penchant for writing then offer your freelance writing service. There is money in blogging. Start a blog or submit articles to websites for a fee. If you are the crafty one, dust those equipment and put them into use. Sew small garments or create projects you can sell. Create a website to sell your wares and merchandise online or offer your services too via this medium.
• Practice the "need vs. want" attitude when purchasing anything. Weigh the pros and cons of buying something even the simplest grocery item. Ask yourself if what you are going to purchase is something really required or something you fancy. If the reason is the latter then put the merchandise back to the shelf. That means, you can do without it.
• Use cash and use it sparingly if you have to. This is applicable to all factors in life and is related to the "need vs. want" policy. Clinging to your money like a vine is not bad as long as your intentions are all for the right reason - saving for the rainy days. It is not gluttony but a wise practice to perfect just in case emergencies like the recession arise.
• Always keep at least 20% of your monthly salary as a fixed saving. The higher the percentage, the better. Ensure that this fixed saving is never withdrawn for unnecessary purchases or projects.
• Stop hoarding. You certainly do not need two of the same items or submit to panic buying. Clean out your closet. Empty your cabinets with clutter and make money out of them by selling them to eBay or organize your own yard sale. 
• If you are still employed then keep the job as long as you can and as long as you are not yet kicked out. Do a part time job on your spare time to augment your salary and save.
• Avoid using your credit cards. The interest in this kind of credit facility is very exorbitant. Try to pay off more than the minimum amount required to lessen the finance charges. Better yet, do not use it at all.
• Simplify your life. Living large is no longer an in thing but more of a high-maintenance lifestyle. Live a frugal life and practice simplicity. You do not need a fancy car nor a shiny solitaire diamond on your finger. What you need is a windfall and that is your savings.
• If you are the smart one and knows something about trading then do so. Allocate a portion of your savings to stocks.  However, watch your stocks like a hawk and know when to withdraw and switch. Start small. You do not have to use all your savings to buy stocks but invest on few companies that are worth the dime. Check the stock and business news for more information and learn from traders some tips on how to go through stock investment.
• Lastly, pray and absorb God's blessings in any shape or form. Be thankful for the little gifts you have in life because without those little things are also invaluable wealth in your spiritual life.

Term Life Insurance for the Future

I am not getting any younger. I told myself that by the end of this year or at least by the first quarter of 2012, I have already acquired a term life insurance for my family.

I have been postponing this plan due to circumstances beyond my control. I already allocated my budget for the purchase of an insurance this year but my brother became unemployed. After that, my mother got ill so I had to send money back home. I closed some of my cards and the cost of living here in Dubai tripled!

I am scrimping again so I can save enough money to buy the insurance that will secure our future. I just hope that the premium will not be exorbitant considering the age factor.

My Goals this 2011

A lot of us made our new year's resolution for 2011. I have and I am resolved to do few things which will bring continuous and positive effect until the coming years.

My goals for 2011 (and hopefully to spread all the way to the coming years):

1. Be more healthy. This will stave illness and keep the medical bills away.

2. Be more active. I am done sitting in front of the computer and playing games on Facebook. Yes, I am also one of the millions who got hooked at one point on the ever-addicting social network. I imagined how my life was pre-Facebook. I used to do a lot of stuff and recently I was in a rut because all I did was play some games in that social network.

3. Pay down my credit cards. I do not have to elaborate on this. Many share this sentiment with me. I am tired paying for the finance charges. This borrowing thing has to stop. And it will this 2011.

4. Save, save, save. I used to be very thrifty when I was single. After having my own small family, I noticed my budgeting skill  went a little wayward. I used to save big time and wonder what happened to my spending habits. I counted the chicks when they weren't hatched yet so I used up my savings for things and services I didn't actually need. I am re-focusing all my energy and will-power to save.

5. Be more sociable. I am an anti-social! There, I said it. When I say anti-social, I don't mean the hermit-kind of reclusiveness. I just enjoy small gathering of people I truly know. So, I have to muster the guts to attend to social events where I barely know anyone. I have a problem breaking the ice. I don't have the gift of gab like most people do. That has to change. I have to face my fear of public-speaking and overcome my shyness. Now you know why I enjoy blogging than partying...

6. Learn a new language. I used to speak Japanese, a bit of Arabic and French. All those were side-tracked because I focused more on helping my daughter with her school stuff. I want to challenge my mind and continue learning different languages. I don't know if I'll be able to use any of them in my daily life but it does help to know a different language because we travel a lot. During our trip to France, I was able to communicate with my very little French and found our way around town. I know they have their benefits. I will soon find that out.

7. Move to a new department or have a career change. This one is my last goal for 2011. I am aiming to empower my career so I can earn more but if I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel for the current economic situation, I may have to shelve this temporarily until the dust settles. Our company is still very stable and I don't want to shoot my foot by jumping out. I will probably find another higher position within the company if the recession's tide has still not ebbed.

So, do you have your goals for 2011? 

                                                                                                               

Great Savings

During our last year's visit to our relatives in the US, we were so surprised to see them clipping coupons from newspapers and used them for their grocery purchases. My husband's cousin even checked some websites for Savings promo codes at some point. I got curious and asked why she was printing those coupon codes from the Internet. She said it was great savings when she wanted to buy something from her favorite stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Target and some food chains too.

We do have promo codes too here in Dubai. Unfortunately, very limited number of big department stores and supermarkets offer promotional codes for purchases on some items. However, USA offers plenty of savings to consumers by giving off promo codes even from high-end shops. I particularly liked the Bed Bath and Beyond coupons because I love sprucing up my master bathroom. It is where I spend a relaxing soak in the tub after a long and stressful day at work. My husband was totally amazed with the Home Depot coupon code taken by his cousin. He loves decorating and arranging the house so getting saving codes from that shop will be a great gift for him.

Getting promo codes for items you want to purchase does make a big savings. I do not mind cutting out coupons and printing off codes from the Internet as long as I can save and extend my budget.

Cutting Back on Phone Bills

Having a telephone at home was a necessity because of emergency reasons and faster way of communicating. Unfortunately, some people at home misused and abused the freedom given to an open line. I have had the unfortunate experience with landlines and cellular phones and the exorbitant bills which came with the plans. There were limited choices on best cell phone plans or landlines for the consumers before. I ended up paying more than what I could afford. I barely even used the phone. Apart from that, there was the problem with the fixed cell phone plans where we had to pay a certain amount as monthly fee whether we used the phone frequently or not. That was very limiting and somehow disappointing.

That was several years ago when telecommunication companies had no good plans to offer. However, the changes happening these days on the telecommunications industries have given enough choices for the consumer.

There are various plans available now. The telecommunication companies here offer very minimal monthly fee for a Blackberry phone or similar smart phone complete with hi-tech features like wi-fi, video-conference set-up, 3G, unlimited text, very low call charges and push-mails for the business minded and people on the go. Other telecommunications companies in other countries have reduced their rates as well like Sprint. Offers like the ones I have mentioned about smart features are also available.

It is really great to know that the choices are vast and the fees are now lowered with the added features of the latest in technology in the world of telecommunications.

Re-using Company Furniture

A month ago, our company posted a company-wide bulletin on the sale of used office furniture for all the staff to avail of. Honestly, if I had known there will be a sale, I would have waited and bought a couple because our company uses high-quality furniture. I have been meaning to get several bookcases for my daughter's books and trinkets to put on. I also wanted a longer and wider study table for my arts and craft session. However, I already purchased a bookshelf last month; few days before the sale was announced. What a timing!

Birthday Favor

My daughter just turned 12 today! She is so excited because she is handing out party favors to her classmates. Jokingly, I asked her, since when does a birthday celebrant give gifts? Isn't she supposed to get gifts and not give them? Well, I was just pulling her legs.

I love to give gifts so off I went to Ikea 2 weeks ago and bought those cute and small spice canister in pack of 4's. A set costs AED 9.00 so that is about US$ 2.50. Not bad I thought. She has 37 classmates and 5 extra teachers so I bought 11 and I got to keep 2 for my scrap trinkets!

Then last week, I took her to the supermarket so she could choose the yummy treats to put inside. We bought chocolates, heart candies (since her birthday falls a day after Valentine's), toffees, and Chupa Chups mini-lollipops in various flavors. We really had fun going around the sweets aisle and wished we could grab more.

I made small tags for her birthday favor with a handmade ice cream cone as embellishment. So cute! So yummy too!

I just dropped her to school a while ago and I can't wait to hear her story about the favors and if her classmates liked them. It is a functional birthday favor, I must say. Not only that you get some treats, you get to keep the container and put your what-have-you there. Also, the small tag can be used as a bookmark. Now, that's super functional! :)

Here are pictures of the favor and tags. Hope you liked them too. So next time you have kids who wants to give out party favors and you are pressed for time and on a tight budget, just take note of this. It won't burn a hole on your pocket.