The Big Jim Heater

We live in a southern state where it gets cold enough in the winter to snow occasionally, and it also gets cold enough to keep your heater running a race with last months gas bill. We are very blessed to have a wood burning fire place. My husband's grandparents had an wood stove insert that they were not using any more and gave it to us. We use this most days as our source for heating the house. Of course it takes work to cut wood, but it is a lot cheaper than a gas bill. Also, there is nothing quite as warm as wood heat. We absolutely love it.

So, if you live in an area that gets pretty cold and you have a wood burning fire place, do an internet engine search for wood stove inserts or even check out Lowe's.

Shopping

I am a frugal person. Ok, my husband says I'm just plain cheap. I guess that comes from growing up in a family of seven surviving on a single income of a disabled soldier's military pension. Being that as it may, I love to find a good deal. There are a couple of stores that I especially enjoy shopping at to find a good buy. T J Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, and Tuesday Morning are at the top of my list. Where else would you find an Adidas t-shirt for $1.49 or a Liz Claiborne Spring Duster Coat for $7.00? How about a "little black dress" for $10.00? Not bad deals, huh? Granted these stores are reduced priced stores, I still shop on their clearance racks. Cheap? Well, maybe, but I think that I have some good bragging rights!

Aldi

I love shopping at Aldi. What is Aldi? It's a low cost grocery store that originated in Germany. At first shopping at Aldi may be a new experience, but it is one that I highly recommend. Be sure to have a quarter handy to rent your grocery cart. Don't worry, you get the quarter back. What you do is, put a quarter into a little box that is attached to the grocery cart. When you are done shopping, you put the cart back and reattatch the chain to the box on the cart. This pops your quarter back to you. Why in the world would they do that? Hey, it keeps the parking lot cleaned up of carts, and the company doesn't have to hire anyone to put the carts back where they belong. That is just one of the ways this grocery store keeps costs down. Another way, Aldi keeps its overhead low is by selling their grocery bags. You can also bring your own bags if you like. Also, make sure you bring cash or a debit card. They do not accept credit cards. The brands sold at Aldi are mostly the store brand, but what they have done is contracted with major companies to make their food for them under a different label. I like just about everything they sell there. If you don't mind bagging your own groceries and paying cash, I think you would love this place. Check out their website to see if there is one near you.

Logo courtesy of: Aldi