So we all need this right now, right? What I always recommend is selling things. yardsales, Craigslist, Ebay etc.
First you need to look at what you are selling, and then decide where to sell it.
1. If you have a lot of things try having a yardsale first. Advertise on your local Craigslist and pennysaver if you have one. Craigslist is free but the Pennysaver costs like $35. But each time I have used them, I had lots of people come and easily made that money back.
2. Large things that didn't sell at the yardsale should be listed on Craigslist. That way you don't have to worry about shipping. Plus people will pay a little more if you are local and they don't have to worry about shipping.
3. Small things, collectibles, kids clothes, and odd things are still best sold on Ebay I find. You have more people looking therefore a better chance to sell.
Ebay tips: If you are selling clothes try to do it at the beginning of the season. If you have Fall and winter clothes, put them together, and try to sell in August or September. you will make more that way. Take as many pix as you can, and describe the best you can. If there is a stain, don't ignore it, list it. You will have a better reputation if you are honest.
Buy a cheap shipping scale and package and print shipping labels at home. Just go to USPS.com. You can even schedule to have your mailman pick up your packages for you, so no out of the way trips to the post office.
My goal is to get rid of our stuff by about 33% by the end of the year. If we haven't used it in 6 months, we don't need it. I think it will make for a much more relaxed home life. Seriously. We have too much stuff.
And don't forget; if you have tried to sell it and still no interest after a while. Donate it. Get a receipt and write it off your taxes next year. I believe in karma. You have to give to receive.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Dinner Recipe
So I am always looking for new things to make since the kids and the hubby get bored with the same old same old. Plus I am trying not to buy dinner out for the next month. And that is like a dog giving up his chew toy; possible, won't cause any bad side effects, but REALLY hard to do.
Anyway, back to dinner. What I made was a kind of beef stroganoff or my homemade version of Hamburger Helper.
I cooked a 2 pound package of stew meat until cooked through. I then mixed together a package of Lipton's beefy onion soup mix with about 2 cups of water ( you will soon notice I never REALLY measure anything). I then sliced one meduim onion and one pound of peeled carrots into rounds. I put all of the above in with the beef and simmered for about 15 minutes to tenderize the beef. I put about a teaspoon of dried thyme into the skillet. I boiled water at this point for the package of egg noodles. When the water came to a boil I salted the water and put the noodles in and cooked to what the package directions said. At this point with the beef mixture ( all this time I had been stirring occasionally) I stirred in a can of cream of mushroom soup. When the noodles finished cooking I drained them and stirred them in with the beef mixture. At this point the burners were all off and we enjoyed a very tasty dinner. All of the kids liked it and even the hubby said it was good.
I am the kind of cook who like to follow recipes, but also likes to see what is on hand and throw things together. This was one of those things that could have turned out really good or really bad, and thankfully it was the former.
Anyway, back to dinner. What I made was a kind of beef stroganoff or my homemade version of Hamburger Helper.
I cooked a 2 pound package of stew meat until cooked through. I then mixed together a package of Lipton's beefy onion soup mix with about 2 cups of water ( you will soon notice I never REALLY measure anything). I then sliced one meduim onion and one pound of peeled carrots into rounds. I put all of the above in with the beef and simmered for about 15 minutes to tenderize the beef. I put about a teaspoon of dried thyme into the skillet. I boiled water at this point for the package of egg noodles. When the water came to a boil I salted the water and put the noodles in and cooked to what the package directions said. At this point with the beef mixture ( all this time I had been stirring occasionally) I stirred in a can of cream of mushroom soup. When the noodles finished cooking I drained them and stirred them in with the beef mixture. At this point the burners were all off and we enjoyed a very tasty dinner. All of the kids liked it and even the hubby said it was good.
I am the kind of cook who like to follow recipes, but also likes to see what is on hand and throw things together. This was one of those things that could have turned out really good or really bad, and thankfully it was the former.
Monday, August 25, 2008
1st day of school
I have been looking forward to this day for weeks! I have a quiet house at naptime since our oldest two sons are at school. We walked over to school and I had a little bit of a skip in my step.
Don't get me wrong; I love my kids and being around them, plus we get to go fun places in the summer.
But a stay at home mom can only take so much! We can only say " stop hitting your brother, give the toy back, cake is not a lunch choice, no you can't play the Wii anymore, for God's sake go play the Wii and be quiet!" so many times before we become Linda Blair in the exorcist. The only problem is after we squirt the pea soup all over the room, we have to clean it up.
The 1 year old and 3 year old are both great nappers. No fighting to go down and they sleep for a good 2 1/2 hours. I could actually take a shower uninterrupted, but since I just had one last night and this is the first day, I think I will just sit here and listen to.........well nothing but the silence and the pages turning in my new book.
Don't get me wrong; I love my kids and being around them, plus we get to go fun places in the summer.
But a stay at home mom can only take so much! We can only say " stop hitting your brother, give the toy back, cake is not a lunch choice, no you can't play the Wii anymore, for God's sake go play the Wii and be quiet!" so many times before we become Linda Blair in the exorcist. The only problem is after we squirt the pea soup all over the room, we have to clean it up.
The 1 year old and 3 year old are both great nappers. No fighting to go down and they sleep for a good 2 1/2 hours. I could actually take a shower uninterrupted, but since I just had one last night and this is the first day, I think I will just sit here and listen to.........well nothing but the silence and the pages turning in my new book.
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