I have major sinus problems and each month for I don't know how long, have had to buy a box of sinus pills to last me the month.

This week I did some searching to see if I could find a home remedy of sorts that would do as good so I wouldn't have to buy the pills any longer.

What I come up with is that peppermint tea is supposed to work for this.

Today while at Walmart, I bought a box of peppermint tea [just to see if it woud work or not] and had to try it tonight and yes - it did seem to work!!

So, the next time instead of buying the expensive tea bags, what I may do is to buy some generic tea bags and a bag of sugar-free peppermint hard candies [which would dissolve in hot water] and voila! I should have peppermint tea for cheaper.

According to my figuring - at $3.24 a box per month for 12 months, it comes to $38.88 [plus tax, or at least I think they charge tax on that here in PA.]

And, over a 5 year period of time - I'd be saving $194.40. Close to $200.00!!

I really hope this will work [I'm going to try it till this box of tea is gone to make sure that it'll consistently work before I spend money for tea and peppermint candy that I wouldn't otherwise use for anything.]

Wish me luck!

Okay now, first of all - I'm a smoker and I know that I should quit and ... how much money it would save [so please, no lectures about my quitting please. *Smile*]

Having said that - I've come up with something that I'm gonna try and see how much I can save.

Since I roll my own cigarettes, I figured the cost out to be 4 cents each.

This is much cheaper than buying them by the pack; however still - I know it adds up.

What I am going to do is to keep a chart on how many I don't smoke and then add them up at 4 cents each.

That money will go strictly towards furniture for my balcony [for when I get my balcony apartment.]

I figured it out and if I were to not smoke 10 cigarettes a day - that would really add up over time.

That'd be 40 cents a day and would come out to $12.00 a month or $144.00 a year.

And since it'll be probably 4-5 years before I get my balcony apartment, not smoking 10 cigarettes a day would add up to $576.00 in 4 years time!

Yes, I know if I were to quit altogether it would save more and maybe I'll try working on that another time.

Still - for now, each time I want a cigarette and put off smoking it for 1/2 hour, I'm giving myself 4 cents to go into my savings for my balcony furniture.

And again - it goes to show that over time, little things do add up!

I love my cats, they're my babies but they are far too finicky for their own good [and mine either!]

They always get their dry cat food every day and it's always available to them;

and then usually twice a day, I give them some canned food too.

However, for as long as I can remember - especially Lexi [my 4 1/2 year old manx] will go out in the kitchen and will give me "that look",

I know what she wants ... some canned food.

So, being unable to resist her darling little self, I give in and give it to her;

most of that a good part of the time, I end up throwing half if not all of it away.

A few weeks ago, I got fed up because both Lexi and Athena were doing this on a regular basis.

I didn't give them any canned food for over a week and ... they survived and after a short while, didn't even bug me for it.

To make a long story a little shorter, I went back to giving it to them and ...

the same thing happened again.

Today I've decided that they are not getting any more canned food ... I'm not even going to buy it anymore.

They are very healthy and don't need the stuff they waste anyways and it'll save me approximately $7.20 a month [which is $86.40 a year!]

I would cut down on what I'm giving them but I know me and I always go back to giving them more so it's best just to stop altogether.

They get more than enough to eat with their dry food and it's nutritous, etc. for them - probably far more than the canned stuff is anyways.

This is a little tidbit that I found at The Dollar Stretcher.

http://www.stretcher.com

We all know that little things can add up in a hurry. But, often we fail to realize just how much the small stuff is costing us.

As a junior high math teacher, it's always fun to shock my students by having them work up a few calculations like the ones below.

I can always hope they'll become frugal adults someday!

A $1 soda every day for a year = $365

If you must have that $3 latte instead, your annual cost = $1095

Paying just one bill with a $3 late fee every month for a year = $36

Over the course of a 50-year adulthood, that late fee = $1800

One fast food meal ($16 for a family of 4) per week for a year instead of quick hotdogs at home (about $4) = $624

If your family usually prefers the local buffet for $28, those annual hotdog savings would = $1248

If you buy a bag of ice for $1 every two days instead of making your own, your annual ice cost = $182.50

Keep buying that ice for 50 years of your adult life, and its cost = $9125

If you discard half a gallon of spoiled milk per week at $2.30 per gallon, in a year your waste will = $59.80

Keep wasting that milk for 50 years of your adult life, and your loss will = $2990

If your family buys half a pound per week of $5/lb. deli cheddar cheese instead of $3/lb. American slices, your annual cost = $52

If you keep buying the cheddar for 50 years of your adulthood, its extra cost = $2600

If you mail five bills per month at a cost of about 40 cents each instead of using free online banking, your annual cost = $24

If you continue to mail your bills for 50 years, your cost = $5200

If you buy four new books per year at an average cost of $15 each instead of buying used at around $4 each, your annual added cost = $44

Keep buying those new books for 50 years, and your cost = $2200

If you rent one new release video per week at $3.50 for a year, your cost over borrowing from the library = $182

Keep renting those videos for 50 years, and your cost = $9100

If you buy the premium cable package at an additional $35 per month, your annual cost over basic cable = $420

Keep buying that premium package for 50 years, and your cost over basic cable = $21,000

If you carry a credit card balance of just $1000 for a year at 18% annual rate, your annual interest = $180

If you keep the $1000 balance for 50 years without ever paying it off, your interest = $9000

So yep, those "little things" do add up!

I was planning on buying myself a new blanket because mine is kind of getting worn.

But, after looking at it today I realized that I do not need a new one right now after all.

So - with the cost [$19.99] plus shipping of $5.95, I'm saving a total of $25.94 with not buying it.

Later on sometime if I really feel I need it [or decide to buy it as a special gift for myself], that's fine and good;

but for now - I have my other blanket that is still plenty useable and probably will be for a few more years.

No cents [pun intended! *lol*] of buying a new one just for the sake of wanting a new one, right?

I had a subscription to C-box which is a comment system thingie that I had on my blog.

Granted, it only was $2.00 a month but when added up - that's $24.00 a year so today, I decided to cancel it.

No money spent today as it's rainy and icky out and I'm not planning on going out anywhere.

So - all in all, it's been a pretty frugal day.

-- Oops, I had to come back and edit this when I claimed it as a no-spend day and I just spent $$ online to buy my grandson's birthday gift. *lol*

Well, earlier today I had it all figured out about who was getting what for Christmas.

However, tonight I got to thinking [after reading an e-mail from Upromise], that I should see if the puzzle site was a participant in Upromise.

My daughter is paying off debts for going to school to be a nurse;

and the Upromise site helps with that if you shop through their site with any of their partners.

I didn't find the site that I was looking for; however I did find another puzzle site.

I went and checked it out and found 3 puzzles on it that would be just as meaningful [if not more so.]

AND, not only that but 5% of the purchase will be credited to my daughters paying off her education.

Plus, for each 3 puzzles I buy [which 3 is all I need], I will get $3.00 off each puzzle.

Good deal, huh?!

I haven't done the total figuring [if there is tax or not, etc.] but from what I can see, I'll be saving $ from their earlier site.

The earlier total for the other site was $53.42 and with this new site, my total will be roughly around $40.95 [plus or minus a few cents.]

I guess it does pay to check around a bit before making a final decision, huh?

http://www.spilsbury.com

Wow - tonight I decided to balance my checkbook and after I was done, I had found $182.00 and some cents! Woo hoo!

Okay, I knew the money was in there [but didn't have a clue as to how much ...]

What I'd been doing for a few months is, when I'd use my MAC card or even when writing checks;

If my total was like $11.19, I'd write that in the 1st column in my check register but would subtract either up to the next dollar [$12.00],

or if I had a pretty good balance, I'd then subtract maybe $15.00 or $20.00 instead of the $11.19.

Well, I went back today and went over everything 'cuz I'm ready for a new check register thingie and wanted it balanced before I did.

Was I ever surprised that it come out to "that" much 'cuz to be honest,

I thought maybe there'd be like $100.00 or so there [if that] but had NO idea there'd be close to $200.00!

Now I'm going to take and transfer some of that into my other checking account [which I got specifically with no MAC card or checks], so I can more easily save it!

What a rush to find that much extra.

Oops ... oh, that's right - I am "supposed" to be saving aren't I? *lol*

I really thought it was going to be a no-spending day but I sure blew that one big time.

I run across the street to Quality [sometimes I refer to it as Bi-Lo 'cuz I forget they changed the name of it recently. *lol*]

Anyways, what was it I went over there for?

Oh yeah, that's right ... it was to see if they still had a pillow there like the one I bought a month or so ago.

It was like a special item and I absolutely love it ... it's so soft and furry [it's a type of speciality pillow.]

Anyways, I use it all the time [and can't seem to sleep without it now!]

Since I got rid of my big [ugly] office chair for my computer, I've been using a kitchen chair that is less than comfortable [it feels like I'm sitting on a darned brick or something. *lol*]

That was a few weeks ago and then I started using my pillow on the chair seat just so I could stand to sit on it for extended periods of time when I'm online.

Well ... I know how things work and eventually the pillow I have now is going to wear out and I wanted a back up one for when that happens.

Any other time I have "really" liked something and then it wore out and I looked for one just like it - of course, I could never find it.

That's why I wanted to buy another one now for sometime in the future [it's $9.99 and worth every single penny of it so I don't feel as if I am wasting money at all on the purchase. ]

While there though, I also got some watermelon slices, a couple of bananas, a couple of long johns [bad girl, huh? *lol*]

I also picked up 9 cans of cat food [3/$1.00] and if that wasn't enough, I also bought 2 pretty votive cups for $1.99 each and then 2 nice smelling candles to go in them for ... I think $1.59 a peice.

Yikes - who put all that stuff in my cart? It couldn't have been me [could it? *lol*]

The reason I bought the candles was a sort of money saving reason.

Okay, I know - excuses, excuses but really, I do have a plan.

You know how you have times that something simple can just make you feel better and I don't mean spending money or anything to do it?

I bought the candles and votive cups so that sometimes when I feel stressed [or deprived!], I can take a nice long hot bath and light my little candles and just relax.

For the cost of them and I'm sure they'll last a long time, I thought it was a wise purchase [or atleast I hope it was. ]

One thing though ... I got home and realized that the girl didn't charge me for the candles.

I had stuck them inside of the votive cups before putting them inside the cart so they [the candles] wouldn't fall out or anything.

Well - when I got to the check-out, I was busy trying to get my savings card out and ready and paying for stuff and I totally forgot to tell her that those were separate from the votive cups.

Will have to go back tomorrow and pay for them.

Oh yeah 'n I also spent over $4.00 for a little ball for my cats to play with.

It lights up and makes some tweeting sounds and I figure that they'd really like it and play with it alot [they'd better for that price. *lol*]

There are many times I feel guilty because they can't go out and play [they are declawed and I live on the 7th floor in an apartment building in the middle of town.]

I get to feeling guilty because they can't be like normal cats and go out 'n run and play.

Anyways .... that was my trip to the store today.

I'd hoped to have a no-spend day tomorrow but I have to go back to the store to pay for the candles and also while there,

I have to pick up something for a picnic on Sunday.

One thing that makes me feel better is last night I had returns to go to Walmart and ended up with $55.00 money back and that was what paid for todays trip to the store.