Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Free learning has been my focus this month, and I am capping it all off with some free college education. Yes! It is totally true. There are some full scholarship schools out there. Check it out!

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City has programs in Art, Architecture, and Engineering. Their merit based scholarships are full scholarships for all their enrolled students.

Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York was named to the Princeton Review's list of 50 "Best Value" Private Colleges for 2009. Their major is Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Students live and study on the shores of Long Island Sound.

F.W. Olin College of Engineering is located in Needham, Massachusetts. It has been around since 2002, and every student receives a scholarship for four years valued at $80,000! Not to shabby at all. The student to teacher ratio is 9 to 1! Nice!

If music is your child's thing, you might want to check out the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The Curtis Institute of Music is one of the world's leading music schools and offers merit based full-tuition scholarships to the college. Competition is high as they only accept about 160 students a year apparently even more competitive than Juliard. The education is very individualized.

Berea College in Kentucky is a liberal arts college where students work on campus instead of paying tuition. The work study is mandatory. All students are awarded a four year tuition scholarship.

Deep Springs College is a two-year college whose two-year scholarship is valued at $50,000. It is very prestigious and highly competitive as they only accept about 10 to 15 students a year. This is a male only college located in California on a cattle ranch and alfalfa farm. The students often transfer to very high profile schools upon completion of their two year program.

College of the Ozarks is in Missouri and is another college where tuition is taken care of through work programs. It is a conservative and Christian college. Their focus is also on students with financial need and specifically in the Ozarks area, though they will accept students from outside that area, but priority is given to those students from the area first.

A college with a similar goal for providing a higher education for the students with lower income is Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky. Tuition is guaranteed to full-time students residing in Alice Lloyd College’s 108-county Central Appalachian service area and their mission is to educate mountain people for positions of leadership(from the college website).

Okay...so here in Arizona, your child would not qualify for the two colleges above, but considering how many of us have moved here from elsewhere, you might want to share this information with someone who might qualify.


United States Military Academy in West Point, New York Tuition again is free, but there is a service requirement upon graduation. This is a wonderful school and a fabulous opportunity, but not one to be taken lightly. From the website: A West Point cadetship includes a fully funded four-year college education. Tuition, room, board, medical and dental care are provided by the U.S. Army. As members of the Armed Forces, cadets also receive an annual salary of more than $6,500. This pay covers the cost of uniforms, books, a personal computer, and living incidentals. By law, graduates of West Point are appointed on active duty as commissioned officers and serve in the U.S. Army for a minimum of five years.

Lastly, Harvard has many scholarship opportunities but in particular, they have something pretty cool in that they will waive the parental contribution for families who earn less than $60,000 and home equity will no longer be considered a resource when determining family contribution. Check out the info here: Harvard - Financial Aid Office I am not saying Harvard is free. I am saying, it could be doable.



GROCERY DEALS

There are a lot of really great deals out there. If you haven't checked out your flier be sure to do so. Also don't forget that many stores also have their fliers online for you to go through and even print out a shopping list. I will have those links in the store name.

SAFEWAY
All coupons are worth at least a $1.00 for a limited time.

-- Boneless Pork Sirloin Chops $1.69
-- 3 pound bag of California Clementines $2.47
-- Flier coupon -- Doritos 11.5 to 13 oz for 99 cents (limit 5)

ALBERTSONS

-- Boneless skinless chicken breasts $1.57 a pound
-- Red, green or romaine 10/$10
-- 12 packs of Coke products four for $10

FRY'S

Huge sale for when you buy 10 items you get $5 off. There are a bunch of them so you really want to check the flier, but here are some examples:


BUY 10 SAVE $5
-- Kraft shredded or bar cheese 5.8 to 8 oz 1.49 each
-- Hunt's or Rotel 10-14.5 oz 49 cents each
-- Kraft Deluxe or Velveeta Shells and Cheese 10-14 oz 99 cents each
-- Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers $1.49 each
-- Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.88 each

There are a lot more so check out that flier!

Also fries has yummy fresh blueberries in 6 ounce containers for $1.00 each (limit 4)

That is all I can fit in right now. Got to make some phone calls.

More to come!!!!!

ONE ON ONE TALKING POINTS - JAN 27

ONE ON ONE TALKING POINTS

Taken from john 14:27

While the world is busy with its "peace talks" and "peace conferences," hearts of individuals are confused and frustrated as they seek what they desperately hope will bring peace. Both men and nations are looking in the wrong place and for the wrong thing.

What is peace? If you were asked to define it, what would be your definition? Perhaps you would say, "Peace is what one has when everything is running smoothly, when things seem to be going my way and there are no trials or problems to give me a moment's concern." We think we have peace when the family finances are stable and when we are in good health.

Even though we may be peaceful when everything is ideal, this is not real peace. We recognize all too well that we are not able to maintain these conditions by our own power. Circumstances are often beyond our control, and there is uncertainty because our whole situation may be shaken overnight. Then what happens to our "peace"?

This surface "peace" depends upon circumstances. God has promised us something much better. He offers us an inner rest that remains unshaken regardless of circumstances— completely opposite to what the world calls peace. We see this in John 14:27 where Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Did you notice the contrast? His peace is not the same peace that the world offers. He says, the kind of peace that I give keeps your heart from being troubled and keeps your heart from being afraid. He didn't say it would be a matter of having no problems, because we see in many places in the Scriptures, that trials will come our way. Those who have trusted Christ as Saviour still have problems, but we have One to whom we may bring them. This is how God's peace contrasts with what the world has to offer— the world gives tranquilizers, God gives us grace.

And God's peace (be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guards over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.— Phil. 4:7 (Amplified)

This peace that comes from God is the kind that the world cannot understand. They look on the situations in our lives and wonder why we haven't come unglued. They, and even we, can't understand, because this is not a natural kind of peace. This is a peace from God. It is supernatural.

Peace is not just the absence of problems, but it is knowing what to do with whatever may come into one's life. It is knowing that every situation and every area of our lives are in God's competent hands. It is a matter of believing that the One to whom I have committed them has the answer, and that He has the power to bring it about. Peace comes from utter trust in Him, and His ability to bring me through. It is not my ability to close my eyes to this problem and pretend that it will go away, or to weather it with gritted teeth and with a stoical attitude. Peace, is knowing that God cannot fail. Here are some of the reasons why.

God Knows / But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.— Job 23:10

The Lord knows all about what's going on inside us. Sometimes just a deep depression. Sometimes you're not even able to put your finger on it and diagnose it yourself, but He says I know all about that. Because He knows everything there is to know about us. He knows our every thought. He knows everything that we do, our mistakes and sins. He knows us much better than we know ourselves. The amazing thing is that He loves us in spite of what we are.

God Cares / Casting the whole of our care— all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all— on Him: for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.— I Peter 5:7 (Amplified) What an invitation! Can you ask for more? Bring your problems to Him, because He cares. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Are you heavy laden? Have you ever been? Where do you go? Jesus says come to me— I'll give you rest.

GOD IS ABLE / Not only does He know and care, but He is able. We may have many friends who know our problems and they care, but this is where they fall short— they are not able. They haven't the power no matter how much they would like to bring us through. They just do not have the ability. The Lord is the one with the power and the ability to deliver us. How able is He? Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.— Ephesians 3:20

This is the Peace everyone is looking for and this Truth comes with a Promise. Our Lord Jesus is our Shepherd through thick and thin, joy and sorrow, health and sickness, success and failure, life and death. Call on His Name now and receive His unspeakable Peace. Please e-mail me with your questions or comments at steve@radioshine.org

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Man oh man! I have to say that this week is not really a great week at the grocery stores. There were a few good deals. Hopefully, you are stocking up on the best deals when they are out there. This is a week that reminds me of why I shop the bargains when I see them and stock them up for leaner shopping weeks. Still, there are a few pretty good deals to share. Today I am starting with my grocery top picks.

Safeway - Remember all coupons are still worth a dollar. I do not know how long that is going to last so be sure to cash in on it while you can.

-- Honey Suckle White Whole Turkey Breast - 99 cents a pound (I am learning to work with all dark meat in my poultry, but back in the day, I would have jumped for this)
-- Broccoli Crowns - 99 cents a pound
-- Yellow Onions 3 pounds for 99 cents

Fry's

-- Quaker Instant or Simple Harvest Oatmeal $1.88 (A dollar printable coupon found here - Thanks to For the Mommas)
-- Boneless Half Pork Loin $1.77 pound
-- Cook's Spiral Half Ham 99 cents a pound

Albertsons

-- Pork Sirloin Chops $1.99 a pound
-- Zucchini 69 cents a pound
-- If you need to stock up on cereal, syrup, granola bars and pancake mix, you will want to check out the deal at Albertsons for several Quaker and Aunt Jemima products.

Buy 7 and each will be $1.88
Aunt Jemima Syrup
Aunt Jemima Complete
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk
Quaker Oatmeal Squares
Quaker Quick Oats
Quaker Instant Oatmeal
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Quaker Life Cereal

(Look about online, because you might find more printables)

Don't forget to load up your Cell Fire and Shortcuts.com!

FREEBIES!!!!

Cream of Wheat - If you like a quick instant hot breakfast, Cream of Wheat is your answer. Well...at least the freebie is. Pick the flavor you would like to try.

LINK: Cream of Wheat

FREE MUSIC

Free CCM has downloads currently for Building 429 "Not Gonna Let You Down" and Disciple's "Southern Hospitality."

iTickets.com has a free download of Above the Golden State's song "The Golden Rule."


FREE COUPONS!!!!

I love Betty Crocker's newsletters, I love Betty Crocker's products, and I love their coupon books. There is a new $10 coupon book making the rounds. All you have to do is click on the link and sign up for one of their newsletter deals. Too easy!

Link: Betty Crocker $10 Coupon Book

Thanks to fabulous blogger STL Mommy for this heads up!

FREE EDUCATION

And on to FREE EDUCATION or what I like to refer to as 2010 Self Improvement. It has been one of my goals. You aren't going to get a degree with these education freebies, but you definitely will learn something.

Check out some of the free online education you can get from University of Washington. The website does state that these are courses provided for personal enrichment. Here are a few free courses they offer:

The American Civil War
Energy, Diet & Weight
Hamlet
HTML Basics

This one site had me busy for a while. You can learn some American Sign Language with help from Michigan State University and their American Sign Language browser. They have some awesome free resources! Simply click on Take Me To the ASL Browser. When there, click on the words and watch the recording to learn the signs for those words. It gave me a download option, but rather than dowloading anything, I simply clicked on the link that said "view larger sign language videos on Signing Savvy."

Lastly, you can check out the free Christian based education at Christiancourses.com from RBC Ministries. They have free courses like Old and New Testament Survey, Know Why You Believe, and Christian Apologetics.


Even if you aren't getting college credit, it is so good to always keep learning. Have a wonderful week!

What does the Bible say about asking?

What does the Bible say about asking?

I recently did a bible study to find out what the Bible says about asking. I was very encouraged when I saw all of the verses about asking next to each other. God really does want us to ask Him for things! There are a few pre-requisites mentioned, but for the most part we have not because we ask not! Let’s make sure we keep all in context.


How to Ask God For Help In Times of Need

Asking God for help isn't always easy. It all depends on your faith, how much you rely on God, and how much you believe in him. During times of need, we sometimes lose faith in ourselves, others, and God himself. It's important to remember that God loves us and wants only good for us in order to believe he can and will help us. Here are some tips for asking God for help when times are tough and you need support to help you get through.

1. Step 1

Believe in God and have faith that he's with you. The first step in asking God to help in hard times is to have faith in him and his abilities. You must believe that God is there for you and has the ability to help you through this tough time in your life. If you do not believe, you will not receive his guidance. No matter how hard things are right now, you must find some optimism and belief in order to succeed past this hardship. God will help if you truly believe and let him in.

2. Step 2

Speak to God and talk to him of your trouble. God is always listening and wants to help us make our lives better. When times are hard, he is there guiding us through to an happier way. Pray to God and ask him for his guidance. Tell him that you need help because you are no longer able to do this alone. God will listen and help you. He may not do exactly as you wish because God has his own plan for us, but he will ease your troubles if you allow him to do so by asking his help.

3. Step 3

Attend church and become closer to God. God helps those who help themselves first by finding their way to him. People who go to church admit to having a closer relationship with God. They find that their faith is stronger, their prayers are answered quicker, and they feel support from everywhere. Many people I know who attend church, never feel alone. They always have a close bond with God and with others who believe in God. Going to church can help you learn of God's amazing ways and how to talk to God to receive his help in your life.

4. Step 4

Read the Bible to find God's wisdom. God's words are powerful words and can help us through the darkest days. Reading the Bible can help you to find peace in your troubles by relating events in your life to events in the days of the Bible. God tells us how to handle our lives through scriptures in the Bible and can help us to get past tough times with his wisdom. If you don't understand what you read in the Bible, look online for explanation of scriptures to help.

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Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 For what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 21:22 (NKJV)
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

John 14:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Ephesians 1:17

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.


New International Version

James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I will be back with more to post, but I thought I would give you a link to one of the items I will talk about today. I am really focusing on learning this month, and I was stoked when I found that Amazon has lessons on their videos on demand section. You can watch them online from the comfort of your computer. They also have a special converter to watch on your television, but that isn't what this is about. I found a series for learning how to play the guitar. Totally free. Well...season one and season two are free. I do not know how long this will remain free. The cool thing is you can get it now and it will save to your Video on Demand Library. That is what I did last week.


LINKS: Beginning Guitar 101: Season 1 (First Chords)

Beginning Guitar 101: Season 2 (Strumming)

Beware of Credit Card Traps in 2010

Within weeks the final provisions of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act will be in effect. Click here to find out 6 credit card traps to avoid falling into.

Misleading Labels?

Dieters beware!! The food at many popular chain restuarants and in the freezer section of the supermarket may contain a lot more calories than advertised. Click here for the entire story.

Natural Ways for Gorgeous Teeth

Here are a few tips to help you keep your dazzling white smile in good shape. Click here for the tips.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I was thinking that since this is the first Thrifty Tips post of the New Year, I would tackle learning something new for this month. For myself, one of the things I am trying to do is learn to be a little more organized in my life. I have jumped full force into Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie. I cannot begin to tell you what an amazing feeling it is to come home from work and not be stressed about what is for dinner or leaving work and knowing that I can't go straight home because I have to pick up something for dinner. It is total bliss!

LEARN SOME COMPUTER ONLINE

How about a little free computer education? HP has free online classes at the HP Learning Center. These classes are free and available 24/7!

Here is just a sample of some of the classes:


Linux 101: a beginner's guide (Ideal for me. I just learned to not call it Linus).

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for photography

Organize, archive and retrieve your digital photos (quick lesson)

Facebook and Twitter: getting started (quick lesson)

There are many others. Give it a browse. Some lessons very nicely explain things to those of us who are simply not that savvy. Some help you get started with simple things that you might not know how to do or who to ask.

LINK: HP Learning Center


MAKE THAT BATH BEAUTIFUL

Home Depot's Free Do-It-Herself Workshop on Bathroom updates will be held on Thursday, January 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Some of the following subjects include installing a faucet and installing a toilet. They will go over some brands that can help you save money too!


KIDS GET PENNY WISE

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics for kids are featuring a cool bank your kids can make. This is a great way to get them extra enthused about saving. Get in touch with your local Lowe's to register. This activity takes place on Saturday January 9th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Remember the clinics are recommended for children in 1st through 5th grade.



On January 14th, your kids can learn to make their own Tic Tac Toe board. This is so cute, and something that they can keep for a long time. The clinic runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The link below will take you to a where you can sign up for one or both clinics.


LINK: LOWE'S BUILD AND GROW CLINICS


RECIPES!!!!


Because Safeway has a very nice sale on Fresh Whole Chicken, I thought it would be nice to go over some ways to stretch that chicken out for a few days to really take advantage of their 47 cents a pound savings. The main thing to do when you are planning on stretching out that chicken is to plan what you are going to make in advance. This way you can focus on what parts of the chicken you are going to use for each meal. My family is a white meat chicken kind of family, but I have noticed that you can totally use the dark meat in other recipes when you are adding other ingredients and the flavor is pretty sweet! That is sweet as in awesome not as in sugary. :)

Roast Chicken with Lemons by Marcella Hazan Knopf
This seemed like a great and fairly inexpensive way to start things off. You need a 3 to 4 pound chicken, though I would go higher for the stretchability, two lemons, and pepper. It says fresh from a peppermill, but I don't think it HAS to be peppermilled. then again, you can purchase that fairly cheaply at Ross.

Garlic Chicken Lettuce Wraps (recipe from Thrifty Fun)
Really I think there are many ways you can work this out. It all depends on the items you have on hand. The recipe calls for butter lettuce, but you can totally get away with inexpensive iceberg lettuce for a decent cup and maybe line it with green leaf or romaine for more nutrition.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili (recipe from the Recipezaar)
The cool thing about the chicken chili is you can just add whatever chicken is left at this point, and it is kind of nice to do something different from the usual chicken soup. This is a great treat for this time of year.

I have also used left over chicken to make chicken enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and stir fry (great when you have any random frozen veggies on hand). Certainly, the options are quite limitless. The above recipe links are good because you can pretty much make any of them with limited additional shopping.

FREEBIES!!!!

I love getting a little freebie here and there. Here are just a few.

If you are a Sam's Club member you can get in on a freebie for a sample of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. This is definitely a good time to have those on hand. A nice thing about a free sample like this is you can pop it in the car or in your office desk to have on hand rather than a bulky container.

LINK: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes - Sam's Club

If you adopted a dog in 2009, you can sign up with Pedigree to get free dog food for a month. This is a limited time deal so get on it right away. You need to fill out a form that you can link to on their web page. They also need copies of all the important adoption documents including receipt for fee or donation receipt. They need to get this form by February 2010. What an awesome thing to do for people who adopted shelter dogs!

LINK: Pedegree Adoption Drive

Until March 31st or while supplies last 3M has free samples of their Post-it durable tabs. I have never had a tab stay nice and it would be nice to try these out and see how well they work. I have a new planner for 2010 and I would love to try these to separate the sections.

LINK: Post-it Durable Tabs

I love Emergen-C products. They are a great way to get a little vitamin C boost, and right now you can sign up to get a free sample of Emergen-C fizzy drink mix. I don't know how long this will last so check it out at the link.

LINK: Emergen-C Fizzy Drink Sample

I am sucker for recipe books and right now you can sign up for a free breakfast and brunch recipe book from Gooseberry Patch, Post Raisin Bran and Sun Maid Raisin and dried fruit. With my new goal of keeping a menu planned, I think this would be ideal for weekend meals.

LINK: Free Gooseberry Patch Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook

FREE MUSIC -

Amazon has tons of free music downloads. Here is a link to 13 free Christian song downloads including songs by BarlowGirl, Rachel Lampa and Big Daddy Weave.

LINK: Amazon Free Christian Music Download



Free CCM's download of the week is from the Catalyst Music Project and includes song and cord chart for “What A Savior” performed by Laura Story and written by Jeremiah Jones.

Learn a little bit more about the Catalyst Music Project here: Catalyst Music Project

LINK: Free CCM Download Of The Week- Catalyst Music Project


Parachute Festival 2010 has more music downloads for you! These are songs from this year's line up. The Parachute Festival is this amazing music festival in New Zealand centered on bringing Jesus Christ to people through music. You can learn more and sign up for your downloads at the link at the bottom. First, check out the music:

One - Rapture Ruckus
Count Me In - Leeland
Shout it out - Parachute Band
Streams Of Woe At Acheron - Falling Up
No Reason To Hide - Hillsong United
Dance Or Die (The Secret Handshake) - Family Force 5
Mess Of Me - Switchfoot
Writing On the Walls - Underoath

LINK: Parachute Festival Free Music

I picked up this link from the awesome Homeschool Freebie of the Day. It was for January 5th, but it still works now so go check it out. They have a sister site called Homeschool Radio Shows, just head over there and you can download The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is a little radio drama from 1950 and very well done. They also have The Blizzard of 1888 and Sgt. Yukon. The titles make me chilly, but I love listening to audios of stories and radio shows. I don't know how long this will last so check it out at the link below:

LINK: Homeschool Radio Shows


ON TO GROCERIES-

Fry's -


-- Sweet California Clementines 3 pounds $1.99
-- Truckload Case Sale (many items are on special sale in this event here are a few)
Libby's canned veggies 50 cents each
Valley Fresh canned chicken 99 cents
Spam $1.88
-- Roast Sale - Many of Fry's roasts are on sale at a buy 1 get 1 free. This averages to around $2.49 a pound. It is a little over my limit but it may not be over yours.

Recipe you can use for Valley Fresh canned chicken -

Easy and Tasty Chicken Tortilla Soup (from AllRecipes.com)
Buffalo Chicken Dipping Balls (an appetiser from AllRecipes.com)

Albertsons

-- Russett Potatoes $1.88 for 15 pounds
-- Tilapia, Catfish, Swai or Pollock Fillets $2.88 a pound
-- Lots of items are also 10 for $10, but really you can by one or more.
Bar S Jumbo Franks
Half Gallon of Milk

Safeway


-- Rancher's Reserve Boneless Beef Top Round Roast $1.77 a pound
-- Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit 2 for $1.00
-- Safeway Fresh Whole Chicken 46 cents a pound (limit 6) --Dont forget to check out the recipes above for stetching that bird!



See you next week!

High Priced Fish

A giant bluefin tuna fetched 16.3 million yen ($177,000) in an auction Tuesday at the world's largest wholesale fish market in Japan. Click here to read the entire story.