I know I’m not the only person who will go to the store for a gallon of milk and spend $50. Today I figured out my problem and maybe a way I can trim my spending.

When I need one or two items, I shouldn’t go to my normal store since I’m more likely to pick up more items since I know where everything is. I should go to stores I’m unfamiliar with and go when I’m in a hurry. That way I will be more likely to grab what I need and leave. We’ll see if it works.

One good thing about the cold weather is that it makes getting ice cold Coke really easy. We are still using a dorm-sized refrigerator, so space is very limited. Having cold weather has been great to keep Cokes cold and our fridge less cluttered.

Yesterday instead of renting a movie, I decided to rent a game for the Wii. A few games that I want to buy I just can’t find in local stores. So, I decided to rent one to have something new to play and entertainment for the weekend.

After playing for 10 minutes, the batteries in the Wiimote die. No problem. I just grab the other controller. Well then those batteries dies. So now I have to wait for the rechargeable batteries to finish charging before I can play.

One thing we do want to buy is the NYKO rechargeable batteries for the Wii. Rechargeable batteries are a must have especially when you have so many electronics that depend upon batteries. They are definitely worth the investment. The only drawback is that they take way too long to charge, which makes me believe that the ones that charge in 15 minutes are worth the extra money. Now I have to wait to play my game. Maybe I can round up some batteries from somewhere while I wait.

Not by me but by professionals. I wouldn’t be much help since I barely can do my own. But from now until January 31st, visitors to Turbo Tax can ask their tax question and receive a response within 48 hours.

You’ll get your answer from a tax pro who will call you. With so many changes every year to the tax code that it can be very confusing. This is a great (and free) way to get the answers you need to file your taxes.

This week I needed a little retail therapy. Sometimes I just have to shop when I’m down and out. I don’t have to spend a lot but just buying something always makes me feel better.

Luckily I had a gift card to Bath and Body Works and was able to treat myself without it costing me a dime. I got some sweet smelling stuff that was all on sale. Best of all I only spent half of my gift card! So my next “therapy” session is already paid for!

For Christmas, I received a lovely sterling silver bracelet that reminds me of a gold bangle bracelet I had when I was a teenager. I have become quite the fan of sterling silver jewelry in recent years.

When it begins to lose its luster, I use Wright’s silver polish to clean it. I have also used plain toothpaste before with good results. I just take an old toothbrush and apply a dab of toothpaste. Then I proceed to gently rub the jewelry.

The Wright’s silver cleaner is sold in the jewelry section and works well. Plus there is no minty fresh smell when you clean your jewelry compared to the toothpaste. But toothpaste works good in a pinch that’s for sure.

Just in time for Christmas, here in the South we are finally getting a little colder weather. It has been very warm this past week, but last night a cold front moved through and brought much cooler temperatures. I think I prefer the warm weather even though I complain about it, too. This cold weather makes me want to find a cheap hotel Las Vegas and come back home in a few days when this cold front will probably have passed.

During the winter, I make good use to Hot Hands. They are packets that you shake and use to warm your hands. Hunters use them a lot while out in the woods. They last for about 10 hours but are really good for me because it seems I can never get my hands or my feet warm enough in the cold weather. Hot Hands come in a pack of four and cost around $2. They really help me make it through days like today when there’s a sudden drop in temperature. It helps make the cold weather more bearable that’s for sure.

While Black Friday has come and gone, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year. While some holiday shoppers would rather have a colon cleanse than to step foot into a store on the Friday after Thanksgiving, many begin their shopping since it is a great day to get bargains.

Here are some tips that I wished I had followed last Friday. First, bring your sales paper. Silly me thought that I could just pick one up at the stores but not all had them available. So, a lot of my shopping time was spent aimlessly wandering around trying to remember which store had which bargain.

Wearing comfortable shoes is a must. Even if I’m trying to break in a new pair of sneakers, Black Friday is not the day to do that. Since I was doing a lot of wandering around since I didn’t bring my sales paper, my feet paid the price. Never again will I make that mistake.

There are bound to be more that I can add but these stand out as mistakes made and consequently lessons learned. Maybe by next Black Friday I will have more sage advice for those brave enough to fight the crowds for a good bargain.

When the checking account is low, it means that it’s time to find some cheap entertainment. When you are broke, it’s amazing the fun things you can do on very little money. Here are some of my favorite things to do.

Window Shop. Even though window shopping can be depressing, it can also be fun to daydream about spending money when we have a little extra money.

Play Games. We play a lot of games. Video games, board games, card games, and role playing games are our big entertainment. When money is low, we just stay at home and break out something to play.

Take a nature walk. The local park is free to visit and can be fun to throw around the ball or to just snap photos of plants and flowers. It’s also fun to drag the bicycles out for a nice stroll on the local rails to trails project.

Do something crafty. It’s amazing how much craft supplies I buy and never use. When the funds are low, I like to go through the closet to see what I have bought but have forgotten about.

Surf the Internet. We surf the Internet more than we watch TV, so it only seems natural that when we are looking for cheap entertainment, we just turn on the computer. You Tube, Cute Overload, and other popular websites are good entertainment. It’s also fun to search Google for new and interesting websites.

Last year I bought a nice artificial tree that was pre-lit. It was so easy to set up and was really quite impressive looking. Fake Christmas trees have come a long way since I bought one. Needless to say, I was happy and content to use the tree for many years to come. Well, I wasn’t the only one who really like the fake Christmas tree.

Yep, the cats really enjoyed climbing the tree. In fact, they were convinced that it was their Christmas tree. So, by the time Christmas was over, there wasn’t a branch that hadn’t been bent out of place, never to return to the same pristine condition. Instead of buying another one this year, I’ve decided to go green instead.

What does that mean to have a green Christmas tree? Well, for me it means using one of the trees around our home as a Christmas tree. Instead of chopping it down, we will dig it up, place it in a bucket, and then replant it after Christmas. We have several small cedar trees. I already have one picked out.

It’s about six feet tall, so it will need a little trimming. I think it will be perfect for a Christmas tree. Best of all, it doesn’t cost us any money and a tree will be saved! If you want a green tree, check your land for a suitable one. If you don’t have any land, you might can ask someone you know who does if you can “borrow” a tree this Christmas.