Kreativ Blogger Award….aww shucks, thanks!

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under · 3 Comments 

I started this here blog a little over a year ago and one of my first readers was Melanie at Thrifty and Creative. Not sure if she is just slow, or has some major problems, but she actually enjoyed what I wrote! :-) Now she has awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. I guess mis-spelling the word creative is kreativ? Or perhaps this is a Russian award. Whatever the case, I am honored.

But anyways, I guess the deal with this award is you have to list 6 things you are grateful for and then pass the award on to 6 other Kreativ bloggers. With Thanksgiving next week, I have been thinking a lot about the things in my life I am very grateful for. So here goes nothin’.

  1. Healthy Kids – Enough said.
  2. Empty Fast Lanes – A few weeks ago I was driving on the freeway at about 55 mph and hydroplaned across the fast lane and totaled the car against the guard rail. My 7 year old son was in the backseat and we both escaped uninjured. We were very lucky the fast lane was unoccupied. Someone was looking out for us on that rainy Saturday afternoon.
  3. Good Friends – One of my favorite quotes is from Thomas Jefferson, “But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine.”
  4. My Wife – Next April it will be 10 years married. ”My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” I hear ya Winston, boy do I hear ya!
  5. My Job - I am very grateful that Rather-Be-Shopping.com has turned into a full time career for me. I can honestly say that I wake up every morning and look forward to going to work and the new challenges that each day brings.
  6. Firewood and Coffee - I am grateful for the little things in life. The ability to start a fire on a cold fall morning with firewood I cut myself. What’s better? The smell of percolating coffee in the air while I do it!

Now on to the fun part, picking 6 Kreativ bloggers to pass this along to. Many very creative bloggers in my reader. But since I can only pick 6…..

  • Frugal Dad – A very interesting and prolific writer. I always leave his blog smarter than when I arrived.
  • Gather Little by Little – Another one of my favorite reads. Plus I find it amazing he has time to work full time, blog everyday, and raise 6 children! I think he needs a show on TLC or something.
  • Mommy Snacks – I love to keep informed about great deals and Andrea’s blog is the place to go!
  • Stretching A Buck – The name of Marcy’s blog is enough said for this frugal guy. Go check it out!
  • Sisterly Savings – I have been a contributor on Jennifer’s blog for quite some time now and she is a great blogging buddy!
  • The Bargain Hunter- Been a fan of Julia’s blog for sometime now and it has saved me money on more that one occasion. Very kreativ writer as well.

Please feel free to participate if this award strikes your fancy!

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Online Toy Registry for Kids?

November 12, 2008 · Filed Under , · 2 Comments 

Not all change is a good thing.

The other morning I stumbled upon a website that just rubbed me the wrong way. It is called KidsReg.com and it is a free gift registry for kids. So essentially kids can sign-up with the website and then create a registry with everything they want for Christmas, birthdays, etc.

Needless to say, I am not a fan! At first I couldn’t put my finger on why I didn’t like the idea, then after my 2nd cup of coffee I could see things a little bit clearer. Here is my beef with this service and why I will not be promoting it at my house (ever):

  • With this service, there is absolutely no need for any personal interaction or conversation between kids and their parent, grandparents, and friends.
  • Trains kids to think of the world as an ‘All You Can Eat Buffett’; anything they order, they can get.
  • Removes the character trait of being grateful for what people give out of the kindness of their heart.
  • Also removes the notion that “I have found something that I would like to give to you.” Instead, a request has been made electronically by a child and Grandma has gone online and filled that request.

Crash…..thump…..OUCH! That was me falling off my soap box. Despite the huge bump on my head, I feel so much better! Thoughts? Am I missing something here?

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Christmas Shopping Tips That Will Keep You Sane

November 7, 2008 · Filed Under , · 9 Comments 

I am posting this now because one of my best tips is to shop early, and don’t procrastinate. The old me would have posted this on December 22nd. Not this year baby! Here are some shopping tips that have worked well for my wife and I the past few years.

  • Shop Early! - I don’t mean at 5 a.m. either. I mean like right now! 2 reasons: You won’t have to catch a taxi from your parking spot to the mall entrance, and you won’t have to cuss under your breath when trying to buy your Dad a shirt and only finding XS and XXXXXL sizes.
  • Set Up a Budget – Avoid the January credit card bill blues and figure out how much you can afford to spend for the people on your gift buying list. Stick to your budget like white on rice!
  • Shop Online - Perhaps my favorite tip.  :-) Price comparison websites and online coupons make this tip a no brainer. Not to mention the fact that you can shop in your undies, with a cup of Joe, on a Sunday morning.
  • Shop When (Almost) Nobody Else Is! – Many stores will have extended shopping hours after Thanksgiving. Take advantage when possible. A lot of stores will actually stay open until midnight. The few times that I have done this over the years I have always been amazed at how much easier it is to shop when the stores aren’t crowded. Go around 10 – 11 pm on a weeknight for best results.
  • Look For Deals – Darn near everything will go on sale at some point between now and the middle of December. Keep an eye on store circulars for the correct time to make your move. But before you buy, see if you can find a coupon to sweeten the deal even more.
  • Keep Those Receipts – You never know when you may need them. Buy the wrong size or perhaps the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots you bought for your nephew doesn’t work on Christmas morning, you have your receipt at the ready.

Give me your best tip! Looking forward to your comments.

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Use Rather-Be-Shopping.com and ‘Save With Dave’!

November 6, 2008 · Filed Under , · 1 Comment 

I was honored once again to have Rather-Be-Shopping.com featured on a newscast. This time it was fairly close to home, broadcast down in Sacramento on CBS 13 TV. The feature is called Save With Dave and every weekday, Dave Bender finds a great resource that will help you save some dough in everyday life. Good stuff. Now, before you say anything, I realize this video is totally ghetto as I couldn’t find a way to embed the video on my blog. So I just recorded the segment straight to my digital camera so it is not the best quality, but I wanted to share anyways. Thanks Dave!

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