On a snowy or rainy day (and boy have we been having a lot of those here on the east coast), consider taking stock of the items in your home. You'll be sure to save some money, such as in finding new storage or finding free meals thanks to extra food you forgot you had.

I've been talking how taking stock of the items in your home can really save you money. Sometimes you find things that you never knew you had. Other times you find things that solve a problem, saving you the expense of having to buy something else.

There is a new OptionsXpress promo where you can get $100 when opening a new account.
You need to open an account (using the link below) with at least $500 by December 31st 2011 and execute 3 trades within 12 months of the account opening. The $100 bonus will be deposited into the new optionsXpress account within one month after meeting the terms and conditions of this offer
Learn how you can get $100 when you open up a new optionsXpress account.

As I sit here, I am watching the third or is it fourth major snow storm in our area. Schools have been closed for two days, and even more snow is predicted in the next few days. Some of the snow drifts are as tall as I am. That is why it is a perfect time to start planning out having a yard sale.

We are finally finishing up the little bits of this and that in the freezer! I have a big trip to EarthFare planned on Wednesday and a big birthday party in a few weeks to stock up for! In the meantime... here's what is happening this week:Here's what I've planned for this week: :: Monday Turkey MeatloafSquash CasseroleGreen Beans:: TuesdaySteakRoasted Sweet PotatoesRoasted Garlicy Green

Congratulation to Mag Curran and Angela {angelaziga@} for winning a copy of Cook Yourself Thin Faster!Congratulations to Sarah Burris for winning the Sprout DVD - Lend a Helping Hand!

Buying a car is a big expense. and then, as soon as you drive it off of the lot, the car seems to depreciate a great deal. That is why many frugal people opt to buy a used car instead.

It is inevitable. Mostly every household that contains kids (and some that don't contain kids) winds up with an overabundance of stuffed animals. The little things seem to multiple like, well, bunnies--stuffed bunnies of course.

With the economy today, many families are deciding to put off pet ownership because of the expense. In fact, the average pet owner may spend $6,000 in the care of a pet over its lifetime. That is pretty sobering news, but it doesn't have to be that way.

This was a pretty good week for saving money. Last weekend, I took my strict $100 out of the bank for the next seven days, but I also ordered a small-ish present for my wife, which cost about $50. As a result, I set myself a challenge to see if I could spend $50 or less of the cash I had on hand, to make up the difference.