Tag: frugality

Happy Planners to Travel Notebooks what’s the scoop?

by Lynn, posted in Articles, diy, Product Reviews

I loved my planner organizer. Every year it was nothing less than joy when I bought a new year of refills, and a pretty pen. Sometime around 2008 paper planners took a back seat to digital calendars. Just like any good organized person, I went with the current trend. The excitement just wasn’t there so I eventually went back to a paper organizer. I was planning when planning wasn’t cool. 😁

There must have been a quiet explosion because suddenly there are planners everywhere.🤷 There are people selling planners EVERYWHERE. Just go to DIY on Instagram. 🤦

Last year after much research and one heck of a hobby lobby sale I became the proud owner of two new organizers and ALL of the accessories. It was incredible. It was short lived. I realized that it was overwhelming and they were just too thick to really be handy. So I split them up. One for household one for personal goals. They became a weekly planning event, but not daily. I really needed daily. However I refused to spend much on my next planners.

So after much research I ended up at Wal-Mart (insert gasps from all of the planner snobs). I found two that would work perfectly. First I needed a travel notebook for notes, coupons, receipts, random doodles etc. I found this need little notebook. It’s A5 size, leather, and it’s pink.. $7.85 All things must match. But I thought it was plain and uninspiring. So I purchased some puffy stickers. See the results below. Before and after.

Next I needed a daily calendar. So I picked up a happy planner mini. Perfect for appointments, and for others to add to my schedule. $15.00 I ordered a mini cover from amazon (pink) and I’ll be all set. It will be handy to have it with me.

While it’s fine to enjoy personalizing your planners it’s important for them to have a usable purpose. The majority of planner related things that you run across are just people trying to sell you planner stuff. So set a budget and think about why you want one, then do your research.

I love them!

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Beautifying a Boring Bulletin Board

by Lynn, posted in diy

After closing my brick and mortar office I really struggled with the transition of having a home office. The space was not inspiring, and boring. So I decided to make it my own, but it was challenging. I needed to find ways to add art, color, and inspiration all with limited wall space. Everything had to be functional.

There was a plain, ugly, boring bulletin board hanging in front if me. So I started there.

The first thing is to find a fabric that really fits with what you want. I found my piece at hobby lobby. The shipping was painstakingly long.

While I was waiting for the fabric to arrive I painted the wood edges with a nice glossy white. Then when the fabric arrived I was ready.

I cut the fabric to fit. Make sure that it is measured to cover edge to edge and overlaps the frame.

Next you will need a butter knife. Yes, old school tools are sometimes the best tools. Begin by pushing the fabric under the edge if the frame.

You will need to rotate the board several times until you get a nice stretch, and a snug fit. You can hot glue piping around the edges, and don’t forget a few stylish fun push puns.

That’s it, you’re done! How easy was that 🙂

Making Sense out of Subscription Boxes.

by Lynn, posted in Articles

There are so many subscription box services. Many are offered by startups, stay at home folks, and existing companies that want a bite out of the subscription game. After all, who wouldnt!

Even Amazon has subscription boxes. One company will send you a monthly box for 10 bucks plus shipping. Each month you pay someone to send you samples. Seriously, you are paying them to try products. How does that even happen!!! Send me samples for FREE.

There are boxes for all sorts of niches. From samples to clothing. There’s a wine subscription box folks, wine!! It’s one of the few that I found that actually made sense. Others that made sense, and were cost effective are the shave boxes. They are cost effective and they solve a problem.

Other subscription boxes mostly fall under the over priced vanity category. One in particular ships everything three months with promises of higher end products. Some of the ugliest hand bags I’ve ever seen. Yes, in person.

How many of you now have a drawer full of unused make up brushes? Money wasted.

So here’s the thing…Im not saying don’t buy into the subscription box frenzy, but I am saying to use common sense. Ask yourself

  • Is it cost effective?
  • Will it solve a problem?
  • Do I really need it?
  • Will I need more of it each month?

The right subscription box can make an excellent gift. If you pay for the year, and the reciever doesn’t get stuck with an ongoing subscription.

Another excellent subscription box sends activities for children, just make sure that they are cost effective too. Sometimes time is money, but most time, children just want your time.