Free Attractions

Wll, as many of you know, yahoo.com has come out with a list of free attractions that you can visit.
Best Free Attractions.  It mentions Great Smoky Mountain Park as #2. WooHoo!!!
Even though it is free, I must admit I haven't taken advantage of it as I should.


One thing I have noticed is that when you slow down and take time, you can find some great places to go that are free.  I was walking from the library to the post office and found the cutest little area near our visitor's center that I had never noticed before.  There was a swing, picnic tables and a little stream running by. Since, you can't see it easily from the road I never would have found it if I hadn't been walking.

Even the the great money pit that can be Gatlinburg, we found a cute little park that you can stop for a little rest and playground.  Of course, Gatlinburg is part of the Great Smoky Mountain park system, but this was behind a shopping area.  We wouldn't have found it, if parking hadn't been so bad.

Organization Help

My computer gets filled with many documents that get started and forgotten.  One such document is one named "Luxury Items for Free".  Yikes! The cool thing is that there are items that I had forgotten about. 
Here is the list:

Luxury Items for free (or almost free)

• Ironed sheets
• Using good china and tableware
• Good glasses
• Reading on the porch
• Candlelight evenings
• No work Sundays
• No electricity day
• Food prepared just the way I like it
• Playing ribbon with my cat
• Snuggling with my cat
• Dining “al fresco”
• Playing solitare
• Walking in the park
• Massages in the chairs @ Kohl’s, Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond

I love that I found it again but hate that I lost it in the first place. Fortunately, this blog is one way in which I will be able to find them again.

Another valuable resource I have found is called: The Happiness Project Toolbox

This site is a companion to the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

The site allows you to make Resolutions, Lists, One Sentence Journals, Group Resolutions, and save Inspiration pictures and quotes, all for free!! I have really enjoyed using it.  In fact it has helped me keep up with maintaining blog entries, flossing and when I last clipped my cats nails. 

Of course I recommend reading the books, which is great!  Don't forget that your library probably has a copy for free!!! :-)

Survey says...

One of the ways that I am learning to be resourceful is to use surveys.

 

Physical surveys:

The receipts that i get when shopping usually has some type of survey that you can take if you go online and five them your feedback.
I love this idea for serveral reasons:

1) You get something. Occasionally is it money off your next order, a free cookie, etc.  Oftentimes it is an entry into a sweepstakes.  While that is not an immediate payback, you can't win if you don't enter:-)

2) Another reason that I like this, is that you get to give the  company YOUR OPINION. I enjoy buying items made in USA.  When I fill out surveys, and they often ask what they can do better, i always point out that I try to buy American made products and wish they would display it more prominently.  I don't know if it helps, but at least I could tell them my thoughts.

3) This allows me to remember to save my receipts. I then have the receipts to put into Quicken. Also, I have the receipt if I need to return something.  That is a great help in putting money back in my bank account.

Online surveys:

One of the places that I go is e-rewards.com.  When there, you take surveys and get "money" in your account. You can then turn in the money for rewards.  I most often use my money to get free miles on my Delta Skymiles account.  I was able to help a friend get to college by transferring it into her account. 

Being resourceful

One of the best ways to get free luxuries is to first look at what you already have at your disposal. You can start with the basics.
Read the owner's manuals of what you have. You would be surprised at all the different features that are available now on most items.
After reading my car's manual I found out I have a pollen filter that can be turned on and off, many gas saving features. . Even traditional cell phones have many features, calculators, reminders, etc.
This also goes for kitchen appliances, blenders, and other accessories.

Of course computers have so many features it is hard to even list them all.
Just remember to Know What You Have and Use It so You Don't Lose It.

Garden freebie

While I was at school cleaning the teachers' lounge because no one else did, I had to empty the coffee pots.  In the back of my mind, I remember that coffee grounds are good for the garden.  I decided to take the grounds home.

While looking up how to use them in the garden, I found out that Starbucks gives away their grounds for free. 

It looks bigger than it is. About the size of a 10 lb bag of sugar

They are first come, first serve. Fortunately, when I went on a Sunday night at 8ish, they were just finished putting them in the basket.  So I got a large bag, maybe 5 lbs, for free. I think that will work for a while ;-) Plus on the label is says how to add them to your garden.

Car care

At the car wash....shoop shoop... working at the car wash.
One of the things that I have realized is how you look at things.  Millions of people pay lots of money to have their cars hand washed. Me? I get to have it hand washed for free. 

I take my car to my friends house and hook up her hose. I bought some soap and a sponge a long time ago and finally put it to use.

I love that I can go over the areas that get missed otherwise. On my Prius, the little area that is the bottom of the windshield doesn't get washed with the automatic washes.

While getting my gas this morning, I also checked my airpressure.  I cleaned my windshields and emptied all the trash into the can available.

Happy Easter

The best freebie of all...
At our church we have a cross that is draped in black and plain.  However, on Easter Sunday, people bring in flowers which we use to decorate it to show Christ's resurrection.  I was thinking about buying some flowers to put on this year but it just felt "wrong" somehow.
I decided that since our salvation was given freely I would pick some flowers from my yard.  Unfortunately, not alot is blooming today, but I do think it is quite lovely in its "naturalness"

Free basket, free flowers, and free cat. 3 of my favorites

Time and money

I realized one of the best freebies is...free money.  What? You don't believe there is free money?  

Well, here is the simple truth.  If you just leave money in the bank for a while, you get free money. If I leave $100 in the bank for a year, they will give me $2 at 2% interest. Ok, I know that is an over simplification but that is how you can get the free money.

 I have tried searching online for some rates.  I couldn't find any saving rates but there were some sites for CD- rates

Bloomberg Market Rates
Bank Rates
Interest rates

One of the best suggestions that I received was to take a "Financial Day" from work.  I took a personal day and just reassessed my money situation.  I was able to visit the other banks in town and discuss their offers. I even got a notice that if I deposited $100 in their bank and kept it there for 6 months I would receive $50.

Volunteering

One of the best way that I have found to help yourself, is by helping others.  Maybe it is because I live in the volunteer state, but giving time to organizations that you like it a great way to better your life.  I can not list all of the great things that I have received by volunteering.  Some of the simple things are: free meals, clothing, contests to win prizes, and even a trip to another country.

I never would have visited the Czech Republic without volunteering

Of course, the most important and valuable things that I got were intangibles. Volunteering at the animal shelter gave me lots of puppy and kitty love.  I have made many, many friends. I have also gotten to experience things that I wouldn't have otherwise.

Good Times, Good Friends

The important thing is to volunteer for things that are meaningful to you.  “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
― Mother Teresa

University Freebies

When I came back to get my degree, I loved going to all the events on campus and learning about new ideas and skills. However, once I graduated, I got caught up in the work world and left all of the events behind.

Fortunately, one of my good friends, took me to see a piano concert at the local university for my birthday.  I had forgotten what a great resource this was.  I picked up an upcoming schedule of events on my way out. WoW! I was amazed at all the happenings- lectures, recitals, concerts, movies...

It was wonderful.  I have already put several on my calendar.

ETSU

• Daily Events

Milligan

• News and Events 

Tusculum

• Calendar
• Museums

Don't put your head in the sand. Get out and try something new!!

536 Million Dollars

I must admit that I did buy a lottery ticket.  However, spending that $1 gave me a lot of happiness.  What I did was plan out, like I am sure, many people did, how I would spend the money if I won.  Of course there were the usuals: travel, pay off debt, save, quit my job. 

Who would you help if you won the lottery?

The real fun though came when I was figuring out whom to give the "rest" to.  Would I build the animal shelter a new building, give my school a new baseball field.  It was very interesting to see where my priorities came out.

Another one

I just went on the Happiness Blog and another person mentioned that ironing sheets was something that gave her WAY more happiness than she expected. WooHoo! I am not alone

Spring had sprung

One of the greatest free luxuries I am enjoying right now, besides my friends :-) love ya, are some podcasts.  My greatest joy these past two weeks is to come home on a Friday night after work, grab some chips and a coke, and watch my favorite reality shows online.

Also a COMPLETE 180 degrees that I enjoy everyday, is working in my garden. I love digging in the dirt. I take a foot of ground and dig it up and then take out all the rocks and weeds.  Get it ready to plant something wonderful in it.  I talk to God at this time and it has help my sanity.  Plus may cats love to play in the garden. (also pee pee in it as well) -)