Raindrops on roses? No.

I grew up in a church system and for as long as I remember, always believed in a God. One memory I have was as a young child laying in my bed asking God to send me a sibling. I was lonely as an only child and desperately wanted to have a brother or sister (I never did get a sibling in case you are wondering). As I got older my reliance on God was the same, he was someone that I thought of and prayed to when I was either scared or needed something. I had no relationship with him and knew nothing about him.

Crockpot Roast

By Carrie | Comments Off


This is a very simple recipe which I serve as either just a roast or use to make a beef stroganoff.

~3 lb beef roast
1 packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix (dry)
1 can cream of mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup

Place roast in the crock and cover with soup mix and mushroom soup. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

To make a stroganoff, I cut up the beef and return to crockpot along with a container of sour cream and some Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 30 mins and serve over noodles.

Super easy.

Saving on Electricity Continued

By Carrie | Comments Off


This recent article in the NY Times addresses the energy consumption of computers, the biggest culprit I tackled in saving electricity in my home.

The article also mentions a neat device called Kill-A-Watt, something I have been wanting to buy to experimentally prove what gadgets in my home are energy-hogs. The reviews on Amazon will give you an idea of how this device has worked out for people.

Saving on Gasoline

By Carrie | Comments Off


With gas prices so high I was glad to find this article by Edmunds: What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

Edmunds actually tested the different theories of how to save on gas consumption and the results were interesting. I have tried to incorporate what I can.

I have also heard that gas prices are higher right before the weekend – I am keeping my eye on prices this week to see if that really plays out. The other tip I have read is to fill your car in the cool of the morning because gas condenses when cool – makes some sense but still not sure there is much to gain there.


About two months ago I decided to see if I could get my electricity bill down.

One of the biggest changes I made was with our computers. We have a desktop and a laptop and both computers were left on all the time though they were in standby mode (which is less energy consumption than being fully powered on). This was a matter of convenience which allowed us to jump on the computer at any time. But the fact was, for many, many hours the computers were not used which was a waste of energy.

Lowering Cable/Phone/Internet Bill

By Carrie | Comments Off


I got this idea from another website and it worked.

We have a combined phone/internet/cable package through Verizon. The prices seem to have slowly crept up since the the initial starting package which is easy to just ignore. However, this is an area where you can use competition to your advantage.

I noticed that another company in our area offered the same type of package for about $30 less than what we are currently paying. So, I called Verizon and mentioned the competitor’s package and asked if I could get a discount on my current plan. Verizon agreed to offer me a 1 year promotion which saved me about $30 per month.

Freebies Through Surveys

By Carrie | Comments Off


Yesterday I received some shampoo and and conditioner in the mail from NFO to use for a few weeks and then provide feedback on later. So not only will I get points for the survey (which can be cashed out) but I have some free products to use (and a nicer brand than I usually use).

Through the years I have signed up with many different online survey sites which offer cash or points (which can be redeemed for cash or prizes). But I have only continued with a select few survey sites because many times the effort wasn’t worth the payout. Two of my favorites are ACOP and NFO because the time is worth the effort. I have gotten cash and free products to test from both these companies.

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