Frugal Accomplishments This Past Week

I haven't done one of these things in a while. Partly laziness, and partly feeling like I haven't done anything frugal thats worth sharing. Because my life just was... not particularly frugal. But after a cooking session that was ridiculously frugal oriented, I realized that I wanted to share that with you, and with that, I also came to the conclusion that I have so many other frugal things I did this past week. Ok, I'm also including things that my son did that helped me save money.

Coup the Stress in Your Life by Using CBD

Stress!!!! Ahhhh!!!! I've definitely felt this way far too often, especially lately. Did you know CBD oil can help with your stress levels, as well as many other things? This post from a reader expounds on how CBD may improve your life.

Time is the only thing that we can’t get back. So much of our life we stress over the little things and we don’t know how to deal with them when they get here. Finding solutions to these problems isn’t an easy thing to do but what if I told you there is a product that was made just for that reason. That product is CBD and all forms of CBD including CBD hemp flower, CBD tincture, CBD oils, and many more. Let me explain how CBD can reduce the amount of stress in your life. 

Easy Asian Inspired Edamame Salad Recipe, Gluten Free, Vegan Options

Last time I went grocery shopping I bought a package of frozen edamame, originally planning on just serving it defrosted with a bit of salt, as I usually do. But when I got home, I decided that I really wanted to do something else, and a salad sounded perfect. Since I associate edamame with Asian dishes, I decided to make this salad with ingredients typically found in Asian cuisine.

I have to say, this recipe came out absolutely amazing. So amazing that, though I shared a bit with one of my kids, who agreed it is terrific, I ate the entire thing, and I think I might have gotten a bit of a stomach ache from eating that much in a small amount of time.

But seriously, if you're a fan of edamame and Asian flavors, make this one. This recipe is gluten free and vegan if you use the gluten free and vegan options listed. 

I was inspired by this recipe when I made mine.

Easy Asian Inspired Edamame Salad Recipe, Gluten Free, Vegan Options

Those Little Things Kids Do That Bring Parents Joy

Parenting can be exhausting and grueling work, and when the kids are very young, can even feel thankless at times. However, it is also one of the most rewarding things, especially when your kids do things that really bring a smile to your face. Like tonight, just lying down in bed watching a movie while cuddled up with my daughter was one of those perfect moments. Here's a list of things sent in from a reader that kids often do (especially more and more as they get older) that can really make you feel appreciated as a parent. 

Life is busy, and many parents can forget to appreciate the little moments that bring them happiness. Children often do things that delight you, whether knowingly or unknowingly. These moments can be fleeting, and you might not realize their importance until you get some free time alone. A close bond with children is a gift that should be cherished. Parents often give their kids the gift of experiences to make them appreciate the family bond but they don’t realise that children can give them the same gift too. Here are just a few of the most common small things that children do that bring parents happiness.

Answers, Finally, to the Health Issues Plaguing Me

By the end of this post, the relevance of this picture will be made clear.

I want to apologize on my slacking on writing posts lately. I've been going through a lot lately, had my kids full time lately, and on top of that, have been having quite a few health issues that were a mystery.

My symptoms were exhaustion, dizziness, and splitting headaches. I'm generally tired but this took my exhaustion to another level. You can probably imagine how hard it is when your body wants to sleep 20 or more hours a day and whenever you get up the room spins and your head pounds, and even lying down doesn't fix it.

When I reached out to my doctor, he wouldn't let me do anything until I took a corona test but getting one done was easier said than done. We have corona drive in/walk in testing places, but none of them are within walking distance of my house, and in quarantine, I wasn't allowed to use public trasportation or take a taxi (or so I thought), so I had to arrange a test at my house. However, even getting the referral to an at home test took time, then it had to get approved, and then someone had to call me to arrange it, but two weeks after my virtual doctor's appointment, no one had even called me to arrange it, and no, I wasn't able to call them to arrange it either. But I reached out to officials from my local municipality who offered to help make that quicker, but heard nothing back from then either.

At this point, I was very stressed out, and knew that while I was waiting, suffering, I wasn't able to get anything else ruled out- no one would test my sugar or my blood pressure, which could have been the cause for that. So I mentioned something to a friend, and she gave me a blood pressure cuff to borrow. 

Then, one night at 1 am, when I was feeling exceptionally dizzy and headachey, I took my blood pressure and it was sky high- 230/170. I tried measuring it again and again to see if it was a fluke, and while it varied slightly, it remained very high. I asked friends for advice, and I learned that blood pressure that high is called a hypertensive crisis and needs immediate medical attention because it can be the sign of or cause a stroke or a heart attack. 

However, people suggested that it might be the cuff, so I asked if a paramedic could come and test it for me, but was told that since I was in quarantine (because I was waiting for a corona test) no one could come to my house to check me, and my only option was to call an ambulance. So they did, and when the ambulance came, all suited up, they measured me, and the number they got on their cuff was also nearly the same as the one on my at home blood pressure cuff. It was then decided that I'd be going to the emergency room, so I packed my bag, expecting the worst.

On the way to the ER, 15 minutes into the ambulance ride, my blood pressure was still high but not as sky high as before.
And then in the ER, I was in the corona "biological ER", and finally got my corona test. (Oh my gosh, that hurts.) And they tested my blood pressure. And it was normal. And they gave me a blood test and a chest ex ray.
But since my blood pressure wasn't high in the ER, I wasn't a priority for them, so I just mainly sat around playing on my phone. After spending a few hours in the ER, at 4:45 am they told me I was being released. Without corona results yet, which they told me should take only 2 hours. How was I supposed to get home? Well, you can take a taxi home, they told me. I thought I couldn't because I was in quarantine. They told me legally I was allowed to take a taxi with all the windows open and masks on the whole time.

I got into a taxi, knowing it would be an expensive ride, but what other option did I have, went to draw cash (since I wasn't assuming I'd need a taxi back so didn't have cash with me) and then as soon as I got back into the cab after drawing cash the taxi driver said he found out he couldn't take me because he had heart issues, and drove me back to the hospital. No other taxi driver wanted to take me because I was in quarantine, and just as I was about to get all worried (no public transport, no taxis, how else???) one taxi driver agreed to drive me home. Yes, it was expensive. I paid $85 for the ride because of the distance and time of night. And I was told that since I didn't get admitted to the hospital, I'd have to pay both the emergency room and the ambulance fee since I didn't have a referral (how exactly was I supposed to get a referral at 1:30 am?). And that would likely be another $575. But even if that was the case, I didn't regret going, because better safe than sorry. Better pay that much to make sure you aren't going to die than die at home from a stroke or heart attack.

The next day I tried reaching my doctor for him to give me a referal to the ER retroactively (it sometimes works) but he didn't call me back after I left a message with his secretary, and there were no available appointments with any doctor until the next day. Oh, and in the meantime, I got results from my corona test. Thankfully negative. So I could actually finally go in to see a doctor.

Lots of people had all sorts of ideas about what was causing my health issues. I must have blood sugar problems, because I'm fat. I must have blood pressure issues because I'm fat. I probably eat too much salt. This is all probably because I'm fat. Of course, you see a fat person with some health issue, it must be their fatness to blame.

Why Should Residents Use Skip Bins Newcastle?

If you're interested in reducing waste and have to pay for garbage collection locally, or if you're doing construction, you may be interested in getting your own personal dumpster, called skip bins, down under. Here's some reasons why you might want your own, and why it's an environmentally and monetary friendly option. 

The Australian government issues stringent regulations for waste management that not only businesses struggle to keep at a level of efficiency, but residents in Newcastle must maintain following the proper protocol. The idea is for each person to reduce their waste as much as possible to decrease the amount being disposed of in the landfills.

In an effort to stay organized, services such as 1300 Skip Bins Newcastle provide containers that can be filled with a variety of different types of debris, junk, clutter, furniture, anything that needs to be cleared out.  People can either rent these on a personal or a commercial basis. Generally, homeowners generate rubbish while landscaping, fall cleaning, or through renovations to their house.

Using skip bins to manage waste in any type of scenario, whether industrial or residential, makes disposal much more affordable, easier, and less time-intensive than attempting to perform any heavy work with simple trash receptacles and garbage bags.

Advice for Juggling A Nursing Career & Parenting

The work life balance is definitely hard with kids. But while we'd love to just say people should be a stay at home mom, that isn't feasible for so many people in so many situations. So how do you figure out that work life balance with kids when you're in a profession such as nursing? This post from a reader gives some good ideas that are relevant to nursing, as well as many other professions.

One of the biggest challenges that many nurses face is juggling their profession with parenting, and it certainly can be difficult, although not impossible. The two can complement each other well. Many of the best nurses are parents and best parents’ nurses because there are similarities such as care, time-management, and good communication. It can be stressful, especially when you have long shifts to cover and then have to look after the kids at home. With this in mind, here are a few tips for juggling nursing and parenting so that you can give both your all.

The Best Investments For Lockdown Sanity

Corona, Covid, the Rona, the plague, whatever you call it, it sucks. It sucks because in addition to all the people that have died, in order to prevent more deaths, so many staples of our life have been removed. So many things that were things we relied on to have happy, healthy, and sane lives have been snatched away, which is leading many people to have difficult and stressful lives. 

Everyone's life is stressful during corona for different reasons. If you're single you might be craving company. If you're a teacher, trying to work via zoom is really hard. If you work in the health care field, the stress of possibly catching or working with very sick patients can take a huge toll. If you're out of a job or have decreased income because you're in an affected industry finances difficulties can make this really difficult. 

But as I am not in those situations, I want to talk about things that have been a big investment for my family's sanity during lockdown, as a family living in a smallish house with 4 kids, as a single parent, working from home.

Brilliant Ways to Give Your Home a Relaxing Atmosphere

I hated my old home. Especially at first. The fact that it was so small definitely didn't help, but the fact that it was not to my taste at all made it even worse. I remember how much enjoyment it gave me to give my home a makeover. I'm happy to share these tips from a reader with you on how you can transform your home the same way.

Regardless of how long you’ve been living in your home, or if you are just moving into a new place - it’s always a struggle to decorate and make space feel like home. It all comes down to your personal preference, are you a maximalist or a minimalist, or somewhere in between? It all plays a big part in what makes your home feel like a home for you. Here are some brilliant and easy ways to give any space a makeover and turn it into a true sanctuary! 

3 Easy Ways to Save on Car Insurance

I decided that I want to look into getting a car when I am able to swing it financially. So this peice sent in by a reader on how to lower the cost of car insurance is something that interests me- hopefully it'll be useful to you too!

Car insurance can get expensive and make up a large portion of your transportation budget. However, it isn’t set in stone, and there are tons of things that you can do to reduce your premiums. In some cases, you may have advantages you weren’t even aware of. You can also make small adjustments that could make a big difference in how much you end up paying. Here are some easy ways to save money on car insurance.