THURSDAY'S TOP TEN THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR DURING A RECESSION

10.
THE LAND OF BLOG
Blogs are awesome! So many people know so much, and they’re willing to share their knowledge with anyone who will take a minute to read their blog. I’ve learned so much from the fabulous people who hang out in The Land of Blog. THANKS!!!!

9.
RAIN
We did our part for the community on Sunday afternoon ~ we watered our lawn. Of course, that means that we single-handedly brought on the drought-breaking rain we enjoyed this week!

8.
MY VEHICLE
We bought a “new to us” Explorer in May. We had waited a long time to replace the old minivan. I’m so glad we did that when we did. The timing was just right.

7.
OUR HOME
I’ve complained in the past that my house was too small, furniture outdated, carpet needs replacing, etc. Well, as I look around, I’m just glad that we have a nice home to live in. We have more than most, and we have everything we need. Thank you, Lord.

6.
COUPONS!!!
I’ve received GREAT training over the past 20 years in how to make 50-cents look like a dollar! I’m so grateful that this is part of the way I shop. It is recession-proofing my grocery budget!

5.
MY MENU!!!
A good menu, combined with awesome coupon shopping, totally saves my budget! In addition, the menu saves so much time and frustration! I can’t remember the last time we ordered a pizza or ran through the fast-foodie lane. Going out to dinner is an event, and is fun because it’s not every day!

4.
MY JOB
I work for an alternative school, so my job is somewhat recession proof. As long as kids continue to misbehave, I will have a job. Sad, isn’t it?

3.
MY AWESOME KIDS
The more time I spend with kids who misbehave, the more I appreciate the kind of people my kids are becoming. One of my girls has a beautifully gentle spirit and is always paying attention to who needs help so that she can be the first to step in. My oldest daughter (by 5 minutes!) is highly spirited and is always ready to stand up for what she believes in. She has a strong nature, and a deep sense of justice. Of course, I can’t take credit for these characteristics. It’s part of their GIFT. I’m so proud of them.

2.
A STRONG MARRIAGE
When money’s tight, it could be easy to get upset with each other about how much money is spent and why money is spent. I’m so blessed that we are on the same page!

1.
FAITH IN GOD
I can’t imagine going through anything, difficult or easy, fun or unenjoyable, positive or negative, without hope and faith! The Lord offers peace and comfort, rest and rejuvenation.

He is so good!

THURSDAY'S TOP TEN - Ten ways to save!

10. Take a camping vacation! An entire week of family vacation fun can be had for less than $400.00 in a nice RV park, and for even less in a state park! (including gas for transportation, food, overnight fees, and all the incidentals!)

9. Plant a square-foot garden. Read Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew from your library. It is the best gardening book out there!

8. Look for free and low cost entertainment in your city. Museums often have free or low-cost evenings, movies are discounted on certain days, picnics in the park don’t cost more than the gas to get there (you were going to eat anyway!), libraries, swimming in rivers or lakes… Don’t forget to plan weekend activities like family game nights. Enjoying life doesn’t have to be expensive!

7. Go to the bread thrift store! You can fill your freezer with a month’s worth of bread, English muffins, rolls, chips, fried pies, and other treats for about 10 bucks!!!

6. Start a gift box! I keep a box in a closet with lots of little bargains that I come across. When I need a gift for a friend, I go shopping in my closet! Sometimes, of course, when I find just the right thing for someone, I label it with their name so that I don’t accidentally give it to someone else.

5. Check out your land line phone bill. Do you really need call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, metro service, etc.? If you have a cell phone, as most of us do, you probably use it for most of your phone services. Consider reducing your selection of phone services to the very basic ones. Or maybe you can get rid of that land line phone all together!

4. Plan your errands! Gas is just too expensive these days! Choose a day to run errands, plan your best route that creates the least amount of backtracking, and make the most of your gas. Also, don’t forget that now is the time to discover how to buy the things you need locally instead of traveling to another community. This is really important for those of us who live in small towns! You’ll save a buck on gas and support a local business!

3. Share with others! What can you trade or share? You can share a movie that you’ve purchased, and you can borrow one too! You can share an evening together playing games. You can trade plant clippings to landscape your yard. You can trade babysitting services with other families. It’s possible that the economy will force us into being good neighbors towards each other and find new ways to entertain ourselves and shop for the things we need.

2. MAKE A MENU!!! What more can I say???

AND THE NUMBER ONE WAY TO SAVE MONEY AND TIME:
(drumroll please!....)

1. PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN! It’s an old saying, but oh, so true. A little planning of your work and playtime will make it all work out! With a plan, life just "clicks"!