SAVING TIME

This year has been a fantastic one in many areas of my life.  I believe my stewardship of time and money has improved.  One of the key reasons is that I stay motivated and focused on ways to improve.  I do this by periodically reading books and internet sites where I can glean new ideas.

Here are a few ideas to stir up your imagination as to how you can better use your time.

1-Shopping:  Shop when the stores are empty.  You can get through aisles quickly and there is little or no check-out line.  I often shop from 6:00 - 7:00 am or after 10:00 pm.  This tip could be very handy with Christmas approaching!  I often shop at Wal-Mart on a Saturday at 6:30 am!  On a safety note, be careful and alert when you shop these hours because you can be nearly alone, and an easy prey, in the store parking lot.

2-Organization:  Plan your day.  Whether you take five minutes the night prior or the morning of, approach your day with a plan.  When I identify my key priorities and “must do” errands or personal “to do’s,” I find I accomplish more.  Also, I can group activities or errands together and reduce time and gas spent on driving.

3-Emails:  My friend Joan shared with me this tip!  Don’t check emails throughout the day.  Instead, check emails once in the morning and once late in the afternoon.  If you constantly stop what you’re doing for emails, you will complete less tasks, not to mention break your concentration.  Implementing this tip requires discipline.  Once folks learn you refuse to let email interrupt your life, they’ll call you if something really critical occurs.  The rest of your emails can wait until you budget time to answer them. Nothing annoys me like watching someone email during a meeting.  How rude!  Either attend the meeting completely or get up and leave!

4-Kids:  I’ve moved all my breakfast items to lower shelves (cereal boxes are stacked on the floor next to my pantry) so my children can help themselves.  Starting around first grade, kids should be able to get their own breakfast.  I’m also working with my 7 yr old and 5 yr old to have them perform routine chores.  For example, with my newly adopted son, I have my eldest help me with feeding him breakfast and putting on his shoes.

5-Use your body rhythms to your advantage:  If you’re a morning person, use your mornings to accomplish critical tasks, and don’t attempt to force yourself into an evening mold.  If you listen to your body, you can identify the best times to work and the best times to rest.  Adherring to your personal preferences will save you a little time and a lot of tension.

6-Ideas:  Create and keep lists of ideas so that when you have time, you already have the ideas.  For example, keep a list of ideas for birthday parties and themes.  Keep a list of gifts to give and to request (such as for your birthday).  Keep a list of gardening and home improvements so when you find yourself with an hour or an afternoon, you can more readily plan your time.

My parting thought on time-saving for 2007 is similar to that of the Book of Ecclesiastes.  There are seasons in life to pursuing particular goals and there are times to not pursue goals.  When you have a season where you can pursue a goal, you have to “jump on it” and not procrastinate.  Think now what it is you want to do when you have time.  Then, you will already have generated ideas.

While there are many good goals to pursue, my admonition as a steward is to pursue the better goals.  Place a priority on those goals with eternal value.  Allow yourself the freedom to say “no” to requests and activities that do not have the value you seek or that take you where you do not want to go.
 

EXCURSIONS
1-Lots of craft shows in November and December.  These are great venues to buy unique gifts or gather an idea that you can then make at home.  Locally, in Northern VA, I like the Craft Show at Audrey Moore Wakefield REC Center, which is December 1 (9 am - 4 pm and December 2 (11 am - 4pm).  The admission cost is typically $2-3 for adults.  Pay once and you can enter the show both days.

2-Mount Vernon Estates:  For those in Metro Washington, DC, have you been to the new education center at Mt. Vernon?  If not, you’ve got to schedule this!  There is a hands-on room for younger children plus several theaters and numerous exhibits.  Easily, you can spend an entire day at Mt. Vernon.  If you think you will host guests within the next 12 months, it is a savings to purchase a season’s pass, which is effective for 12 calendar months.  I just bought a pass for myself and children.  My plan is to not only entertain guests this year, but take my children to Mt. Vernon several times in the coming year.  This seems like a fun and educational excursion perfect for cold winter days!  While the pass isn’t “cheap,” it is a savings if you go to the venue more than once in 12 months.  So, pick a year and say, “This is our year to utilize Mt. Vernon’s educational resources.”  Then, take your family 2-4 times and use your pass if you have guests.  Also, Mt. Vernon has numerous special events and your pass gains you entry for most, but not all.  Thus, you could take your family to Colonial Days and have a special outing.

3-Theater:  Enjoy a wonderful family outing for less than $20-$30 (depending on your family size).  Numerous high schools and colleges offer drama in the Fall and Spring.  Tickets are far more affordable than Broadway prices.  For example, we took our family last night to see a children’s play at a local high school.  Our out of pocket cost was less than $20.  Some theater teams do not charge for younger children.  Also, if you want a “date night,” and you are spending only $20 for community college theater tickets, then paying a babysitter (or better yet, swapping babysitting with a close family friend), seems more palatable.

4-Keep an eye on local events by going to your parenting magazine website.  For example, if you live in Birmingham, Alabama, go to www.birminghamparent.com.  I go to www.washingtonparent.com, which has a calendar of events for VA, MD and Dc.  At these websites, there are also contests and loads of information about camps, schools, and historical locations.  Great resource for gaining ideas on free activities.

5-Think of one place you’ve been this year that was a “frugal adventure.”  Now email a couple of paragraphs to at least 10 friends and share your adventure and info.  Request these 10 friends to send you a response with 1-2 ideas from their families.  For example, I have previously shared that my family enjoys the National Tree in December.  We make an evening of our trip to DC by driving into the District, seeking free parking, enjoying a bit of exercise from our walk to the tree, and then we sometimes take a thermos of hot chocolate to warm up with after the viewing. We often cap off the night with a dinner out and we use a coupon to make sure we keep the meal affordable.
 

FRUGAL IDEAS

1-Read www.101waystosavemoney.com to see if you can glean an idea. 

2-Celebrate special occasions and holiday meals while dining out for lunch instead of dinner.  Entrees are priced less, and often restaurants are less packed.

3-Tis the season for special offers from merchants!  If you engage in such deals, make sure you can afford to do so.  My friend Kendall tells me right now on Amazon.com you can get a $30 credit if you apply for a Amazon Visa card.  I just saved $30 on a Christmas present.    I think it may just apply to Amazon.com purchases - but many of the books, etc. qualify for free shipping, so you could order $30 worth of things off of Amazon that qualify for free shipping (you have to spend at least $25 to get the free shipping) and with the $30 credit - it’s free! 

4-If you’re buying new, www.Chadwicks.com is a great site for women’s clothing.  I recently enjoyed a BOGOF (buy-one-get-one-free) deal with Chadwicks.  The result is two fantastic skirts at about $15/each (including shipping). 

5-School Uniforms:  It’s great when your school orchestrates a uniform swap.  This is a 1-day event where you bring uniforms your children have outgrown and you “donate” them for other families to use.  Then, you hope to leave the swap with uniforms (new sizes to fit your kids) that were donated by other families.

Thanks to my friend, Christy, I’ve found www.frenchtoast.com, which is a site with affordable uniforms.  This is a great site when you don’t have a swap or you need an extra blouse for a child.  Also, Wal-Mart and Target have started carrying some uniforms.  I’ve also found success at JCPenney. 

6-If you have credit cards with reward points, many offer deals where you can redeem points for gift cards.  This might be an option for saving money as you look for gift ideas.  For example, 2500 AMEX Reward points gets you a $25 gift card to Bath & Body Works, which could be a good option for a teacher or babysitter.

7-For readers in GA, consider checking out the $5 Christian Bookstore in Commerce, GA at the Outlets.  The store is across from the Liz Claiborne store and offers books for $5/each.  If you plan to visit the outlets this holiday season, this store is well worth a browse.  I bought numerous current books at $5/each!

8-FSA/MSA:  If you or your spouse have a flexible spending account (FSA) or medical spending account (MSA), tis the season to make sure you’ve submitted receipts during 2007 to utilize your pre-tax funds.  Savings account programs vary, but many do provide time in the following year to submit receipts; however, you need to check with your savings account provider for specific rules.  Use this note as a reminder to ensure you submit receipts year-round for 2008 and that you review your 2007 account NOW to see if you are eligible for any remaining reimbursements.
 

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

Before I share a couple of ideas, let me encourage you to read my archive newsletters from 2006.  I have numerous gift ideas in various editions of SONshine savings.  Be sure to read the newsletters from October, November and December 2006!
1-Twelve Months Basket:  Save a bit by assembling your own gift bags or baskets with 12 items (one for each month) for a friend who has a special food fetish or hobby.  For example, you could give a dozen teas, salsas, coffees, chocolates, bath gels/soaps, scrapbooking stickers, etc.  Your friend would have a new tea, salsa, etc. to try each month.  Or if you want to gift year-round, you could send these gifts either monthly or quarterly.  The concern here would be shipping (unless you lived near your friend and could hand-deliver).

2-Magazines:  Many magazines offer gift subscriptions this time of year.  Thus, you can send friends a periodical for a fraction of the cover price.

3-Ticket Packages:  Although not necessarily inexpensive, you might want to see if your local sports team is offering any special ticket packages for the holidays.  One year, I gave my husband a package consisting of three sets of tickets for the Washington Wizards.  He loved having three nights out plus the freedom to catch games with friends.  My cost was about the cost of one set of tickets.  So, occasionally, you can find a deal for your sports lover!

4-Used Books:  If your friend is a reader, consider purchasing used books.  For example, when I order from Amazon.com, I almost never purchase books new.  The used books are in good condition and the cost is usually less than list price.  Many thrift stores and garage sales offer inexpensive book options as well.

5-Fill stockings with items your child needs.  Pull out those extra school supplies you bought in September (at a discounted price).  Then, fill stockings with items such as toothpaste, band-aids, vitamins, lotion, and other health/beauty items.  Make sure you tell grandparents or aunts that you want items you can use (vs. toys) in the coming year.

6-If you’re looking for a way to bless a child in your family, consider a gift to the child’s college savings account.  If your loved one does not already have a 529 Plan Account, this Christmas would be the ideal time to start one.  Most states offer accounts you can open for as little as $250. 

7-Got a busy mom on your list?  Instead of emailing her photos, consider printing the photos for her and giving her the prints.  Many times we (even I) get great photos on CD, but due to hectic schedules, the photos are never printed.  For as little as $0.12/each, you can print photos and save a harried mom a few minutes!  This also works for any friend where you’ve captured a special moment on film or digitally.  Another idea—If you take photos at a friend’s wedding, send prints and a CD with the pictures.  Fun, inexpensive gift your friend will treasure!
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I am scheduled to speak on November 15 at the Lake Ridge MOPS group.  Ladies, I’m looking forward to it!

If your community or church group is seeking a speaker, please email me at michelebuschman@yahoo.com.  I would love to share some encouragement and the love of Christ with your group!

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Joy!  Michele