Thought for the Day

"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.
-- Ronald Reagan"

Cost Savings - Budget Busters

I know you want to save money, but there are those constant budget busters that steal your money and leave you constantly crying for cash.

Here are a few simple ideas to help you save money and leave behind budget busters.

Think about switching deodorants. Believe it or not, the less costly no-name brand deodorants are often just as effective as your name brand type.

I am a picky eater, but I also realize that there are some combinations of food that I will never taste the difference. If you give me a tomato sauce made with my favorite, more expensive tomato and then one with a less expensive mealy tomato, I will probably taste the difference.

However, if you are mixing yogurt in your favorite smoothies or butter that is on sale versus your less expensive brand into a cooked item, you most likely will never taste the difference.

The same goes for pasta and many other food items that you eat. If you aren't going to taste the difference, but only know the difference in your head, why not switch?

Buy stamps at Costco or Sam’s Club. Believe it or not, they can give you a better deal than the Post Office.

Why pay more for “printer” paper for school, when regular, inexpensive by comparision, white copy paper works just as well. For great bargains I suggest Realiable. Their phone number is: 800-735-4000.

One last easy tip. While it may seem very obvious because the high cost of gas has become prohibitive, it still behooves you for me to say it, ditch the high grade and get into low grade gas. Always consult with a mechanic who is not biased to your vehicles manufacturer before you do this, but I have always run my vehicles, even when they said “high octane only” gas on low grade gas. I have never had a problem and in fact, most mechanics who do my tune-ups think the car is brand new.

If you change your oil every three thousand to six thousand miles and get regular tune-ups, you will be okay. My mom agrees and she’s been driving my entire life!

There are many more strategies to use, but this will get you started!

Unadvertised Sales

August, 7 2008: Today I went into Nob Hill / Raley's and found my favorite bread on sale! It's never been on sale in all the years I have been buying it! Miltons Wheat Bread was on sale for $2.50 a loaf! Oh Yes!

Also, I found that Horizon Organic Milk was on sale for $2.85 a gallon, peaches were on sale for $0.69 lb. Organic cheese was on sale for $2.25 lbs. There were so many more sales and I didn't have time to write them down because I was going for a short stop on my way home and I wanted to check for the blog and because it was on my way home (a direct path) it was worth the stop. i stocked up on a lot of items. This is an unadvertised sale.

Take a Bite Out of the Gas Crunch and Get Paid to Drive

With gas at an all time high, many people are cutting back on everything, including their food and basic living needs. The American population has been hit hard by the gas crisis simply because in most parts of America, there are no feasible means of mass transportation.

Because of the lack of mass transportation and affordable fuel choices, many Americans have had to make some tough choices. Some have left their places of work, in many cases places they have worked for many years, simply because they cannot afford to pay the gas bill at the end of the month. Others have chosen to move closer to their jobs, uprooting their lives and changing their way of living.

All this has led to, in some cases, a lesser quality of life. There are a few solutions out there that can help you during this gas crisis, besides the obvious choices of riding a bike or walking. You can live more and spend less!

1. Check your local supermarkets and find out if they have a gas rewards program that goes with your super saver card. What is a super saver card? It’s a free card that you sign up for in order to receive extra savings at your local supermarket or grocery store. Piggley Wiggly has a program like this, as do many others grocery stores across the nation. Check http://www.pennymeals.com for a list of stores that have this option available. It cost nothing, but gives you gas rewards at the pump. Think of it as paying yourself to purchase groceries!

2. Check to see if your local newspaper, news station or transportation commission might be sponsoring some type of rideshare program. Recently, The Metropolitan Transportation Commission in Oakland sponsored a 511 Rideshare program. What is a rideshare program? In this case, anyone who signed up for ridesharing and at least tried it, was given a certificate towards $100 of gas or groceries.

3. Use your car to receive free gas! Did your eyes deceive you? Or were you reading correctly? Yes, that’s what I said, free gas! There is a program, provided by http://freegashelp.com/ that utilizes people’s cars for advertising. Perhaps you have seen cars that look like traveling billboards. Or buses that have a saran wrap type of billboard on them? That’s what freegashelp.com does. Check it out! You might be just the person they are looking for in your town!

These are just a few simple ways that may help you save money on your gas, putting extra money back in your pocket. That’s money you can use to pay off your debts or put into a savings account.

3 Ways You Can Live Without Paying Rent or a Mortgage

Everywhere you look, the housing crisis is causing homelessness and heartache as the American dream of owning a home goes down the drain. Sub-prime lenders were only a catalyst in what may go down in history as the worst housing crisis on record. Buying beyond what was affordable in addition to the soaring gas prices, have caused casualties that seem to leave those left in the crunch without hope.

Nevertheless, there is hope and you can live without paying rent or owing a high mortgage payment every month. There are three different ways to help you live without paying rent or paying a monthly mortgage and still live in a beautiful home.

There are no fairytales or hokum here, just plain old-fashioned common sense and filling a need where there is a void. However, all of these methods do require flexibility on your part, but in many cases, people have stayed in homes 8 to 10 years and sometimes much longer. How? Here are three ways you can do the same.

1. Because the foreclosure rate is so great, there are many houses that have been left unoccupied and without tenants. What happens to a home that is left without anyone living in it? It quickly deteriorates.

Realtors and banks cannot sell a dilapidated house very readily, especially when the lending criteria has become so strict that even people who might be able to afford a dilapidated house, do not qualify for a loan.

In order to take advantage of a bad situation, start looking for homes that are in foreclosure and unoccupied, then find out who owns them. Offer to live in the house and provide upkeep until it is sold in exchange for free rent and utilities.

To find out who has control of the property, if it’s not listed on a sign outside, check with your local county clerk to find out who handles the foreclosed properties in that area or check the tax collector for the county the house is in. They will be able to give you the tax information. They might even be the dead holders and you might be able to cut a deal with them.

2. They say the rich get richer, and that does seem to be the case. With a reported 1% of the entire population holding most of the money in their coffers, the rich also hold numerous houses that lay empty.

They pay gatekeepers to live in their unoccupied houses in order to keep their property safe and make sure the full and part-time staffs do their jobs correctly. Most often, you will be able to live in the smaller house that is on the property and is generally the size of a small mansion, in exchange for a monthly salary.

You will need to make sure the staff that comes in does what they are supposed to do and you will be responsible for reporting any problems. In exchange for those duties, you will not only receive a salary, but in many cases, all of your expenses will be paid for including your rent, utilities, internet, phone, etc.

Additionally, sometimes a stipend for food is put in the as an added bonus, but not always. In addition, you will have full use of the grounds (not the main house) and in many cases, all of the people who come in to clean, etc., will also clean and work on your place of dwelling as well.

To find this type of job, you will need to go to the expensive neighborhoods and post a signs that you are available to be a grounds keeper. Additionally, network at parties that have swanky clientele.

Ask friends who know the wealthy and post a query on craigslist (always be cautious). The best way to procure this type of job however is by word of mouth. I had a great job like this and I know many other people who have done this as well. You will need references and there will be an interview as with any job as well as a background check.

3. Housesit. While housesitting is not as glamorous as being a property manager at a billionaire’s mansion, it’s still a great gig. My best friend and I did this for a few years and while we did have to move every nine months or so, it was free rent and utilities, plus a small paycheck at the end for nine months at a time.

You will find this type of job by word of mouth as well. You can also look at postings on bulletin boards at schools, churches and other such areas. Your job is to keep the house clean and lived in so the owners feel safe while they are on vacation. Sometimes you are also required to watch their pets. If that is the case, make sure you receive money for your time.

The long and the short of it is, if you are reliable and honest, you can live in a beautiful home free. With a little legwork, networking, posting your information and phone calls, you can live rent-free and mortgage free.

One person told me he has been doing this for the past 30 years. While that seems like a lifetime to most of us, that just a drop in the bucket for him and he is still going strong. That is a lot of money he has saved for other things in his life!

Sidebar: If you are homeless and are unable to do any of the above. Please seek out shelter through places like Mercy Housing, Street Shelters, Above the Line, United Way and other places in your county. They are there to help and can help you as well with transitional housing.

Jaci Rae is known as The Queen of More Green. For more advice and money saving tips, please go too: www.pennymeals.com or www.thequeenofgreen.com where you will also find gifts from Procter and Gamble.

Graduation Day Poem by Jaci Rae

All the dreams that have come and gone;
All the memories that will live on and on.
High School days we though would last forever;
All the time we thought we'd be together.
Time seemed to slip by and then go away;
Now it's graduation day.

So many times we laughed and we shared;
So many times we said I love you and I care.
The happiness, the sadness, and the fights galore;
All these things were wrapped into one and more.
Time seemed to slip by and then go away;
Now it's graduation day.

So many times wondering if we'll remember what we've learned;
The credits, the honors, and the scholarships we've earned.
The trips, the sneak days, cutting a class;
For all these years we thought they'd never pass.
Time seemed to slip by, and then go away;
Now it's graduation day.

And so my friends, I want to dedicate this to you;
For the good times and the sad, yes there's been a few of those too.
The tears streak down my face, the memories to stay;
Because now my friends, it's graduation day.

Copyright North Shore Records, Inc. and Jaci Rae

Sometimes life is tough and in this time of economic turmoil, life can seem to reach the boiling point

Sometimes life is tough (well a lot of times)! And in this time of economic turmoil, life can seem to reach the boiling point where the temperature is so hot you are tired of being in the oven.

That's when you need a helping hand, not just a hand out. There are helpful places that can give you just such a hand.

One such website is a government website that gives you confidential information for little known grants to people who need that helping hand up.

It's: http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal

This is just one of many places that can help you, your family or a friend get the much needed economic help they may need. In addition to this website, don't forget about the Federal Energy Assistance programs available.

That website is: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/consumer_info/index.html#at

The most important thing I want to say today, is that it's about time we stop being a "Me" society and begin getting back to basics and becoming a "We" society. One that helps our neighbors, helps our family and helps our friends with a helping hand up instead of just a helping hand out. Blessings! Jaci

California Veggie Soup with a Twist
By Jaci Rae author of 5 Meals for $5 check it out at Amazon.com, pennymeals.com or any Border Store
*Cost per cup: $0.275
Approx calories per cup: 118
Approx. fat per cup: 2.2 grams
Approx carbs per cup: 22.8


2 lbs potatoes, diced ($0.80)
1 lb. carrots, diced ($0.50)
3 stalks celery, chopped ($0.08)
1 cup peas ($0.80)
1 cup corn ($0.56)
1 cup broccoli ($0.64)
1 onion, finely chopped ($0.30)
1 clove of garlic, minced ($0.0043)
10 cups water
1 chicken or beef bullion cube ($0.16)
1 avocado, blended until smooth ($1.00)
1 lime, juiced and zested ($0.09)
Salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)

Sauté onion, garlic and celery until tender. Combine with all ingredients except avocado and lime into a large pot and cook for 25 – 30 minutes on medium heat or until veggies are desired tenderness. Blend avocado and lime until smooth then add zest. Serve in bowls with a dollop of avocado mixture and chilled water.

To freeze, cool the California Veggie Soup and put into freezing container based on serving size desired. Put the date either on masking tape or if using a resalable freezer bag, onto the freezer bag and store in freezer. Remove as you desire to eat the soup and thaw, reheat. While you can freeze the avocado mixture, it’s usually best when fresh.

Are your kid’s veggie picky? I always blend the veggies until they are creamy when dealing with children that don’t like veggies. Put the creamy mixture into the soup with the potatoes and skip the avocado and you’ve got a wonderful Hidden Veggie Potato Soup that your picky children will LOVE!

*Based on prices in California May 2008

When you need a helping hand up, not a helping hand out

Sometimes life is tough (well a lot of times)! And in this time of economic turmoil, life can seem to reach the boiling point where the temperature is so hot you are tired of being in the oven.

That's when you need a helping hand, not just a hand out. There are helpful places that can give you just such a hand.

One such website is a government website that gives you confidential information for little known grants to people who need that helping hand up.

It's: http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal

This is just one of many places that can help you, your family or a friend get the much needed economic help they may need. In addition to this website, don't forget about the Federal Energy Assistance programs available.

That website is: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/consumer_info/index.html#at

The most important thing I want to say today, is that it's about time we stop being a "Me" society and begin getting back to basics and becoming a "We" society. One that helps our neighbors, helps our family and helps our friends with a helping hand up instead of just a helping hand out. Blessings! Jaci

Tax Rebate

I received this today in the mail and thought it was hysterical so I am passing it on. But it is SO true, which is actually very sad LOL!

"This morning President Bush said each one of us would get a $1200.00 tax rebate. It was previously slated to be $1400.00, but they dropped it to a $1200.00 tax rebate because of various budget problems.

Now, if we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China , if we spend it on computers, most of the money will go to Korea or India. If we spend it on gasoline, it will all go to the Middle East, and none of these scenarios will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America .....so the only way to keep that money here at home is to drink beer, gamble, or spend it on prostitution. Currently it seems that these are the only businesses still left in the U.S."

Fun Quip of the Day and Best Money Saving TIP!

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

Got a Date but Can’t Afford the Bill?

Don’t go into Dating Despair - The Fab and Frugal Diva has Come to the Rescue

Are you in a funk with dating despair? Have a hot person in mind for a fabulous night, but you can’t afford the dinning tab? Don’t despair! Sometimes, eating out can be less expensive than eating in. There are several methods to dinning on a dime that will help you out of your dating funk.

• Have a lunch date, instead of a dinner date. Eating at a restaurant during lunch can be a lot less expensive for the same items than during the dinner hour. Most restaurants use "lunch specials" to draw in customers during a normally slow lunch period.

Some of the finest restaurants have early bird specials that will cost you 2/3 less than ordering during prime time. Many restaurants offer salad or soup, an entrée that includes two vegetables, desert and soda, coffee or tea for one small price. Look for combination meals, rather than ordering al la carte. Having a date for lunch also leaves you more time to invest with your hottie or an earlier time to ditch if they turn out to be a dud.

• Use www.restaurant.com to save 60% at some of your favorite restaurants. For only $10, you purchase a gift certificate worth $25! That $15 savings can buy you a lot of bonus points with your date later on!

• Be prepared. Make your reservations for your meals using www.opentable.com. When you walk into restaurant with your date, your date will think you are smokin’ because you already have a reservation and a table waiting. In addition to being prepared, by using www.opentable.com’s services, you can earn valuable reward points that you can use for future dates!

• Buy the two-for-one coupon books from a school and help them make money while you save! Or go to http://www.entertainment.com to purchase them there. Right now, they have a sale on that also includes free shipping. These coupon books are a dream value for saving money.

Two for one dinners and entertainment. The $10 - $20 you pay for them will return to you with only a few coupons. If you think your date will consider you cheap for using them, think again. Most people love other people who know how to handle their money, but still have a fabulous meal! Additionally, if you buy an online membership instead of a book, you only pay $4.95 a month nationwide and you can cancel anytime! Print the valuable coupons off your computer from home or while you are traveling. Excellent!

• When planning something other than dining (and in another article I will give you the Fab and Frugal way to have fun with very little money), why not go to www.upromise.com and spend money the smart way. By using www.upromise.com, you can earn valuable rewards to use for college tuition as well as many other things such as paying your student loans down. Now there’s a great idea!

These fun and fabulous frugal money saving ideas are a great way to being a wonderful dating relationship! Bon Appetite!

Jaci Rae is known as The Queen of More Green. For more advice and money saving tips, please go too: www.thequeenofgreen.com or www.pennymeals.com

8 Ways to Save Money and the Environment by Going Green

Going Green is the cause celeb of the day, but if you really look at history, going green has been a cause for many people from the get go. The following are a eight tried and true methods to help you go green, which will not only save you money, but will help you help to save the environment for generations to come.

1. Make your own baby food. Cook veggies of any kind as well as meats and other healthy foods and process them in your food processor or blender until they are creamy and smooth. You will not only save money, but also save on the jars and packaging that are needed to package the baby food you purchase in the store. Additionally, the food will be much healthier for your child, because you know exactly what you have used and put into it.

2. Shop at rummage sales and go online to places like freecycle.com. This will help save the environment by reusing items that normally would end up in landfills as well as save your pocket book from spending a lot more money than you need too.

3. Use cloth diapers instead of disposable ones as much as possible. Yes, they have an odor that stays around and yes, you have to wash them, but you will be saving money from the expense of buying disposable diapers as well as saving the environment because of the sheer volume of diapers that are put into landfills on a daily basis.

4. If you own a company with a commercial printer, change to soy-based ink instead of using petroleum-based ink. Soy based ink is roughly the same price, but you will be saving the environment from toxins produced by ink and the cartridges used to carry the ink.

5. Ride your bike to work, walk, take the bus or better yet, talk to your employer about setting up an incentive program for employees who commute to work together. The rising cost of gas as well as the toxins produced from the carbons is incentive enough to use any one of these methods.

6. Replace old light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs. You will save money on your electric bill and when the energy efficient light bulbs are on sale, you will be saving a lot of money on the purchase price as well. The environment is also helped by using less energy.

7. Use an energy efficient space heater instead of your house heater. Move the space heater into whichever room you and your family are occupying at the time (be sure to unplug it when someone is not in the same room to monitor it). Why pay a lot of money to heat parts of the house you are not in. Save money on your electric bill and help save the environment by putting the green in your pocket instead of sending your green to the electric company.

8. Use Energy Star appliances and file for the rebates, refunds and tax credits that are allowed when you purchase such appliances. You will again be putting the green in your pocket and saving electricity, which helps the environment.

There are many more ideas you can come up with on your own. The point is to go green and save your green for a better future for your children, their children, and a better retirement when you start using your retirement fund that was bolstered by your money saving acumen.

Jaci Rae is known as The Queen of More Green. For more advice and money saving tips, please go too: www.thequeenofgreen.com or www.shopforaday.com where you will also find free gifts from Procter and Gamble.

Today's funny Quip of the Day

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

Funny Quip of the Day

Here and there I read some really hilarious things (don't we all?). But I wanted to share this with you! I have no clue who wrote it, but here it is!

Also, be sure to watch me on Better Homes and Garden Television on April 21st. Blessings! Jaci

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire."

Fab Frugal Tip of the Day

If a piece of produce (specifically fruit) does not smell the way you would want it to taste, it generally won't taste the way you hoped for. Smell first, even cold pieces and you will get a faint aroma of what it will taste like.

Job Security

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

Gas Prices Hit $5 a Gallon

What price is too high for you to go to work and live your life. $5 a gallon, $7 a gallon. Skyrocketing fuel prices have helped decimate our economy and it’s only going to get worse they say.

Are you worried about gas prices yet? In Southern California, gas prices skyrocketed to $4.09 a gallon and in Northern California, the gas prices average at $3.79 a gallon. Those prices spiked when crude oil rose to $103 a barrel.

Recently, crude oil rose to $109.72 on the New York Mercantile Exchange and analyst predict it will rise to an even higher price of $120 a barrel! What does that mean?

Currently, the people in charge of regulating the gas prices have everyone guessing. Additionally, I believe they are conditioning us to think the price that was so ridiculously high to us a month ago is now a steal of a deal.

How much will gas be this week? There are hundreds of websites dedicated to the lowest priced gas in your neighborhood. Everyone is racing for $3.09 (isn’t that cheap!) because tomorrow it will be $3.59 a gallon.

Soon, consumers will think $5 a gallon is inexpensive gas and will be racing to find that price because gas just hit $5.89 a gallon in most places.

Analysts believe that American consumers will not scoff at the price of gas too much and will actually increase their spending on gas in the coming months because it is summer. However, those analysts are obviously not living in the real world.

While our European counterparts have regularly paid much higher prices over the years for gas, they also have readily available and functional mass transit. American’s do not have that same luxury, with the exception of a few major cities. Americans must drive a car in order to go to work, school, purchase groceries, etc.

Additionally, Europeans have health care plans that are paid for by the government and a lot more benefits than American’s do, so their dollar stretches much farther than ours.

What has happened to our economy?

1. Washington has not been paying attention to the bottom line (like that’s a surprise! They do not care; they have everything paid for from our taxes!).

2. American companies have shipped our factories out of the country, which has devalued the dollar. By shipping out our factories, American’s have lost jobs.

3. Almost everything we purchase is made in China or other foreign countries. There is not much to be done about it now. Try finding much of anything that is not made on foreign soil now.

4. Rising gas to prices that are beyond what the average consumer can bear will make it impossible for some people to continue to go to work. Who can possibly afford to pay to go to work?

If you don’t live in one of the few cities in America that have easily accessible mass transportation, you can try commuting on a bus or a train. To find out what it took to commute to work this way, I routed a commute via bus and shuttle to a friend’s workplace.

Three buses, one shuttle, 5 ½ hours and $43 later, I would arrive at his place of work, which normally would take 45 minutes via car. That means I would spend 11 hours a day commuting and $86 a day to pay the fare! To add insult to injury, the bus would leave me nine blocks from his work, where I would have to walk or take a cab in the freezing rain.

5. Insurance companies and mortgage companies have been allowed to run rampant with greed and have sucked all the money out of pockets that were already running on empty.

I think the politicians and the people who regulate all this pandemonium need to be brought to task and made to live the American dream, which has turned into a nightmare.

Pointed directly at the politicians and greedy mongers: Try filling your tank without a job, going to sleep when you don’t have a home to lay your head in and healing yourself when you are sick without insurance.

Gas Prices Hit $5 a Gallon

Are you worried about gas prices yet? In Southern California, gas prices skyrocketed to $4.09 a gallon and in Northern California, the gas prices average at $3.79 a gallon. Those prices spiked when crude oil rose to $103 a barrel.

Recently, crude oil rose to $109.72 on the New York Mercantile Exchange and analyst predict it will rise to an even higher price of $120 a barrel! What does that mean?

Currently, the people in charge of regulating the gas prices have everyone guessing. Additionally, I believe they are conditioning us to think the price that was so ridiculously high to us a month ago is now a steal of a deal.

How much will gas be this week? There are hundreds of websites dedicated to the lowest priced gas in your neighborhood. Everyone is racing for $3.09 (isn’t that cheap!) because tomorrow it will be $3.59 a gallon.

Soon, consumers will think $5 a gallon is inexpensive gas and will be racing to find that price because gas just hit $5.89 a gallon in most places.

Analysts believe that American consumers will not scoff at the price of gas too much and will actually increase their spending on gas in the coming months because it is summer. However, those analysts are obviously not living in the real world.

While our European counterparts have regularly paid much higher prices over the years for gas, they also have readily available and functional mass transit. American’s do not have that same luxury, with the exception of a few major cities. Americans must drive a car in order to go to work, school, purchase groceries, etc.

Additionally, Europeans have health care plans that are paid for by the government and a lot more benefits than American’s do, so their dollar stretches much farther than ours.

What has happened to our economy?

1. Washington has not been paying attention to the bottom line (like that’s a surprise! They do not care; they have everything paid for from our taxes!).

2. American companies have shipped our factories out of the country, which has devalued the dollar. By shipping out our factories, American’s have lost jobs.

3. Almost everything we purchase is made in China or other foreign countries. There is not much to be done about it now. Try finding much of anything that is not made on foreign soil now.

4. Raising gas to prices that are beyond what the average consumer can bear will make it impossible for some people to continue to go to work. Who can possibly afford to pay to go to work?

If you don’t live in one of the few cities in America that have easily accessible mass transportation, you can try commuting on a bus or a train. To find out what it took to commute to work this way, I routed a commute via bus and shuttle to a friend’s workplace.

Three buses, one shuttle, 5 ½ hours and $43 later, I would arrive at his place of work, which normally would take 45 minutes via car. That means I would spend 11 hours a day commuting and $86 a day to pay the fare! To add insult to injury, the bus would leave me nine blocks from his work, where I would have to walk or take a cab in the freezing rain.

5. Insurance companies and mortgage companies have been allowed to run rampant with greed and have sucked all the money out of pockets that were already running on empty.

I think the politicians and the people who regulate all this pandemonium need to be brought to task and made to live the American dream, which has turned into a nightmare.

Pointed directly at the politicians and greedy mongers: Try filling your tank without a job, going to sleep when you don’t have a home to lay your head in and healing yourself when you are sick without insurance.

Jaci Rae - The Queen of More Green

Funny Quip for the Day

Here and there I read some really hilarious things (don't we all?). But I wanted to share this with you! I have no clue who wrote it, but here it is!

Also, be sure to watch me on Better Homes and Garden Television on April 21st. Blessings! Jaci

"If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments."

3 Ways You Can Live Without Paying Rent or a Mortgage

Everywhere you look, the housing crisis is causing homelessness and heartache as the American dream of owning a home goes down the drain. Sub-prime lenders were only a catalyst in what is going down in history as one of the worst houses crisis in history. Buying beyond what was affordable and soaring gas prices have caused casualties that seem to leave those left in the crunch without hope.

Nevertheless, there is hope and you can live without paying rent or owing a high mortgage payment every month. There are three different ways to help you live without paying rent or paying a monthly mortgage and still live in a beautiful home.

There are no fairytales or hokum here, just plain old-fashioned common sense and filling a need where there is a void. However, all of these methods do require flexibility on your part, but in many cases, people have stayed in homes 8 to 10 years and sometimes forever. How? Here are three ways you can do the same.

1. Because the foreclosure rate is so great, there are many houses that have been left unoccupied and without tenants. What happens to a home that is left without anyone living in it? It quickly deteriorates.

Realtors and banks cannot sell a dilapidated house very readily, especially when the lending criteria has become so strict that even people who might be able to afford a dilapidated house, do not qualify for a loan.

In order to take advantage of a bad situation, start looking for homes that are in foreclosure and unoccupied and find out who owns them. Offer to live in the house and do the upkeep until it is sold in exchange for free rent and utilities.

To find out who has control of the property, if it’s not listed on a sign outside, check with your local county clerk to find out who handles the foreclosed properties in that area or check the tax collector for the county the house is in. They will be able to give you the tax information. They might even be the dead holders and you might be able to cut a deal with them.

2. They say the rich get richer, and that does seem to be the case. With a reported 1% of the entire population holding most of the money in their coffers, the rich also hold numerous houses that lay empty.

They pay gatekeepers to live in their unoccupied houses in order to keep their property safe and make sure the full and part-time staff does their jobs correctly. Most often, you will be able to live in the smaller house that is on the property and is generally the size of a small mansion, in exchange for a monthly salary.

You will need to make sure the staff that comes in does what they are supposed to do and you will be responsible for reporting any problems. In exchange for those duties, you will not only receive a salary, but also all of your expenses will be paid for in most cases such as your rent, utilities, internet, phone, etc.

Additionally, sometimes a stipend for food is put in the as an added bonus, but not always. In addition, you will have full use of the grounds (not the main house) and in many cases, all of the people who come in to clean, etc., will also clean and work on your house as well.

To find this type of job, you will need to go to the expensive neighborhoods and post a signs that you are available to be a grounds keeper. Additionally, network at parties that have swanky clientele.

Ask friends who know the wealthy and post a query on craigslist. The best way to procure this type of job however is by word of mouth. I had a great job like this and I know many other people who have done this as well. You will need references and there will be an interview as with any job as well as a background check.

3. Housesit. While housesitting is not as glamorous as being a property manager at a billionaire’s mansion, it’s still a great gig. My best friend and I did this for a few years and while we did have to move every nine months or so, it was free rent and utilities, plus a small paycheck at the end for nine months at a time.

You will find this type of job by word of mouth as well. You can also look at postings on bulletin boards at schools, churches and other such areas. Your job is to keep the house clean and lived in so the owners feel safe while they are on vacation. Sometimes you are also required to watch their pets. If that is the case, make sure you receive money for your time.

The long and the short of it is, if you are reliable and honest, you can live in a beautiful home free. With a little legwork, networking, posting your information and phone calls, you can live rent-free and mortgage free.

One person told me he has been doing this for the past 30 years. While that seems like a lifetime to most of us, that just a drop in the bucket for him and he is still going strong. That is a lot of money he has saved for other things in his life!

Sidebar: If you are homeless and are unable to do any of the above. Please seek out shelter through places like Mercy Housing, Street Shelters, Above the Line, United Way and other places in your county. They are there to help and can help you as well with transitional housing.

Jaci Rae is known as The Queen of More Green. For more advice and money saving tips, please go too: www.thequeenofgreen.com or www.shopforaday.com where you will also find free gifts from Procter and Gamble.

8 Simple Steps to Saving Money

It sounds so easy. Save money, put it in the bank and count your way to retirement. However, most people do not do it. They wait until the last minute to think about their future and by then, their future has arrived.

It’s time to step out of yesterday’s procrastination and into becoming a doer instead of an ‘I will do it tomorrow’ person. Here are 7 simple steps to saving money right now to help ensure a brighter tomorrow starting today.

1. Plan – Make a budget. Get a piece of paper out (forgo the computer for now) and make two columns. One column is for incoming money. The other column is for outgoing money.

List all money that you make that is a sure thing. Then list all the money you spend (save all your receipts, even if you use cash to pay for something, get a receipt).

List every bill, every pack of gum, everything. Total both columns separately to find out if you spend more than you make (that’s not such a good thing!) or save more than you spend (that’s a good thing!).

This will give you a good gauge on where you need to start your planning. If you spend more than you make, start cutting out the extras until you can at least save $10 a month. At least $10! More is better of course.

Don’t buy extras for your children just because you want them to have it or they pester you to death. Show them by example how to grow up to be an adult who is responsible for their finances instead of raising a bunch of future debtors.

Buying things you can’t afford because you want it now shows your children or other impressionable people that it doesn’t matter if you have the money now, pay for it later or don’t pay for it at all, just get it. Instant gratification when you can’t afford it is not a good thing.

2. Look around the house. Find out where you are losing money from and where extra electricity usage can be saved. Are your appliances energy rated? Call your utility company for a free inspection that will show you how you can save on your bill.

Are you paying more than you should for your phone bill? Many times, you can use the internet for free phone calls. Additionally, companies like Qwest have great plans for a flat rate fee. If you have a cell phone, think about disconnecting your house line if you don’t need it.

3. Weatherize your home. Start with the moldings on all doors. Is the weather-stripping still good? If there is a breeze, think about replacing the weather-stripping or placing a blanket or towel at the base to keep cold air out.

How are your windows? Weatherizing your windows can be worth more than you think and will save on your electric bill. Generally, window facing west catch most of the wind action and windows facing north catch the coldest action. Use rope caulking or v-seal weather stripping to help you seal the deal and save on your bill. Many of these types of repairs have great rebates and discounts from the government.

4. Buy home furniture and clothing at rummage sales. Check your paper or ask around. Keep an eye out for signs as you are doing your daily drives. Thursday or Friday are when most rummage sales begin and they usually sell most of their goods on the first day.

Find areas that are high-end markets to do your rummage sale shopping. I have purchased an entire large bag filled with velvet dresses, designer jeans, etc., tags still hanging on them for $1.50 total.

5. Purchase food items in bulk (forgo fruit and veggies using this method unless you have a large family or it will spoil). Buying dry goods, beans, rice, flour, canned goods and frozen items in this fashion will save you hundreds of dollars. Costco, Sam’s Club and other warehouse stores can be your best ally in the budget saving arena.

6. Save and recycle all plastic and glass bottles. Take your plastic goods and glass containers in for a refund. Push them through the machine yourself (additional money) versus having the attendant do it for you (they take a piece of the pie for their services and you won’t get as much money back).

The money you receive from recycling can add up to a tank of gas if you have a mid-sized car or a small trip to the grocery store. Many people toss recyclables out or put them in the recycle bin for the garbage collector. If you do that, you are throwing away money.

7. Plan your shopping trips and shop in the same area. Do not run here and there and everywhere to get your shopping and errands completed. Take a little time to plan a route so you can save on the cost of gasoline.

8. Clip those coupons. Many people pooh pooh coupons, but clipping coupons is all about saving money, especially when you use them on the days when there are already sales. If you use them on those days as well as on double and triple coupon days, you have saved money and paid yourself for thinking ahead.
   

Jaci Rae is known as The Queen of More Green. For more advice and money saving tips, please go too: www.thequeenofgreen.com or www.shopforaday.com where you will also find free gifts from Procter and Gamble.