Random Thoughts

Are you looking for ways to save money?

This might be just what you’re looking for.

I just had the opportunity to review a new ebook monthly publication from The Old Schoolhouse called “Molly’s Money-Saving Digest” for January 2009. What a great resource! I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in saving money read this digest.

I thoroughly enjoyed the “Bread Making for Beginners” articles. I’ve only made bread with a bread maker, but thanks to these articles, I’m thinking I might try to start making bread from scratch. Of course, with arthritis in my hands, I may need some help with kneading but I have a son that wants to be a chef. What better training can he get?!

Have you thought about what items are generally on sale during January? Think and wonder no more! The digest provides a list of items that are normally on sale during the month. If you want to save money on linens, holiday items for the next year, or winter outerwear, January promises to help you do just that.

The “Keeping it all Together” section hopes to help you become more organized. They plan to offer a different organizational project each month for their readers to work on. January’s project is to help you learn how to prepare a winter emergency kit for your vehicle. Not only is this kit, once put together, great for the winter, but it could save your life during other times of the year as well.

The digest also includes “Feather Your Nest Frugally” which tells you how to decorate without breaking your budget. The “Pull Up a Chair” section encourages you to practice the spiritual gift of hospitality by listing various holidays that you could open your house up for others to spend time in your home. This section also offers a variety of recipes that you can prepare for those events that you open your house for company.

“Parenting that Pays” offers spiritually pertinent parenting advice. This month’s article is about why it’s important to teach our children to be respectful, responsible, and resourceful. While most parents are concerned about education’s three Rs, these spiritual Rs are even more important for our children to learn.

If your house is full of things you can’t bear to part with, “Something Old – Something New” can give you ideas on how you can either re-purpose those items to make them usable. The suggestions, along with photographs, may be what you need to start thinking about how you can use an item that’s been collecting dust in storage.

Did you know that a majority of people that make New Year’s resolutions have losing weight on their list? Another resolution that is common is to get out of debt. “Let’s Get Organized for Fiscal Fitness” is a monthly article that can help you reach that goal of getting out of debt or at least get your family’s budget under control so you CAN start paying down debt. There is a transcript of an interview with Charlie Park, co-developer of the PearBudget system. Included in the digest are all the forms you’ll need to create a family budget.

There are also other regularly planned sections in “Molly’s Money-Saving Digest” including a portion of the digest that is set aside to answer questions the readers may have. If you can’t tell, I found so much of value in this first monthly digest. I look forward to the reading the next issue.

I think you’ll be as impressed as I am. You might find something that appeals to your needs that I missed. Don’t forget that this is a publication by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine so you KNOW you can trust the writers to give you the best information. Be on the look out for “Molly’s Money-Saving Digest.” You won’t be sorry if you read this; it’s awesome!

This digest will go on sale on The Old Schoolhouse website beginning January 1 and will cost $4.95. For money saving hints you can use now, you can go to Molly’s website Econobusters. She’ll have additional money saving ideas and information about what will be in subsequent issues of her digest.