Operation $40K

...your gold jewelry. That is the question that seems to be on every one's mind as they are constantly bombarded by the infomercials and more right now! With gold prices reaching a high of $1,000 an ounce, this is certainly a good time to sell your gold IF you know what you are selling! Think of all those single earrings because you lost one of them, the broken bracelets, ruined chains, etc. Things that can't be fixed but are in your possession. THAT is what you want to look at taking out of your jewelry box, NOT your good stuff! Beware of the SCAMS out there! Late night TV infomercials that tell you to send it in...the home parties...the short term kiosks at the local mall. What you want to do is take it to a REAL jeweler, and get a REAL estimate before you hand it over. In fact, get three different estimates and go back to the person that gave you the best offer. My 7 lonely earrings, 1 broken chain and a small clump of gold (I had a ring made smaller once and asked for the g...

Cable rates have jumped and jumped over the years - we were actually surprised to see what basic cable actually runs right now! Almost $600 a year to see bad reality shows, poorly written (and short lived) sit coms as well as channels designated to nothing but cooking shows all day long that promote the latest book or gadget. That almost seems like a crime, LOL! We DO have an option. Digital TV for FREE. Get an attic antennae, set it up with your digi converter box and you now have 5-15 very viewable channels, 3 of them being full of really cool PBS shows for the kiddos. If you find that you no longer get that "must see" show that you ALWAYS watch, then check out hulu.com! They are adding more and more shows on there and you can watch for FREE! You don't need anything other than your computer - no dvd burner, no TiVo, no cable. Figure that a good antennae will run about $40 and take that out of your $600. You have SAVED about $560 in just the first year! You will also fin...

Ever wonder about watering your yard? When is too much? When is not enough? What time of day is best? HOW can I do it and save money at the same time? Let's face it, we all love a lush green yard but it can be expensive! Here is the big secret: get a rain gauge! For less than $10 you can put one in your yard and monitor it. If you get an inch of rain or more a week - you do NOT need to get out that hose! However, if you get less than an inch a week, your yard could use a boost of moisture. This can save you a LOT of money over the summer on your water bill!! Here are some tips: 1) Water in the morning, before the day gets so hot that half of what you are putting in the yard evaporates into the air. If you wait until night time, the cooler temperatures might keep the wrong things damp and you have potential mold issues with your plants. 2) See if you can find a traveling sprinkler. This little bugger will move through your yard slowly for you and save your time and energy. It also d...