Happy New Year's Eve!

Another year, a fresh start. The perfect time to work on becoming a more frugal, yet decadent you. The month of January will be dedicated to resolutions. The goal is practical stuff that we will actually stick to to enrich life and save you some cash.

But that starts tomorrow, so go live it up tonight.....

Merry Christmas!

Be the Holiday Hostess with the Mostess

Obviously I'm very inspired by the 50's. I love old cookbooks and vintage food ads. Most of the ideas are still great today. 


My favorite beverage to serve during Christmas is hot cocoa. To make it truly delectable I make sure I always keep my fridge stocked with a can of whipped cream. For about $2 it is a cheap way to "glamorize" just about anything.




See other really cute ads at JonWilliamson.com

Music to my ears

Every week I check out iTunes free single of the week. It's something I can actually afford....FREE! I fell in love with Band of Skulls, after downloading their free single. Make your holiday a little brighter by downloading the iTunes Holiday Sampler - 20 tracks by various artists for FREE. What a great Christmas gift. No holiday is complete without the Charlie Brown classic Greensleeves!

Dollar Stores are my Mecca

I admit I'm addicted to the Dollar Tree and 99 cent store. I can't fathom a reason to spend more than a dollar on basics. Batteries, soap, paper towels, sponges, tooth paste, containers, hangers, disposable pans, candles, gift wrap, Christmas decorations, I could go on forever - those stores are loaded with name brands for a buck. I have stumbled across some amazing closeouts, everything from bottles of Prosecco to giant size salon hair products. This one sounds like common sense, but it is easy to forget about these little gems. Before you pay full price, check out your local dollar store. It can save you loads of cash.

Fill 'er Up

Every penny counts, find the cheapest gas in your area. Just enter your zip code on Gasbuddy.com

Buns of Steel - The Lazy Girl's Amazing Workout

I think I may have eaten my body weight in food this Thanksgiving weekend. It would be a great time to stick to a solid workout program. Some people love going to the gym, like my roommate, the rest of the world is more like myself. It is so hard to find the time to go workout and take another shower for the day. It is a whole process. A gym membership is not something I'm allocating in my personal budget. Why would I bother locking into club fees and having money exit my bank account every month on something I'd rarely use?

The answer to my problem has been in my life for the last 20 years and is finally on DVD. My mom has been doing the Original Buns of Steel workout ever since I can remember. Never have I felt such pain as this 80s workout put on my Mr. Greg Smithey or as Natty calls him "The Devil." Even my roommate couldn't believe it was so grueling and she works out all of the time. One of my cop friends couldn't even get through the workout and refuses to try.

When this came out on DVD I knew it was just what I needed. For about $20 I have a cost effective convenient workout right at home. What might be better than the workout itself is the cheesy 80s music, the horrible spandex and Smithey's comments...."Squeeze those cheeseburgers out of those hips and those french fries and that carrot cake."

Before you know it people on the street will be saying "Look at the woman with the beautiful mmmmmm..." So now I just need to do the workout....starting Monday...