Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I have to see my doctor soon, and let me tell you...I dread it. I don't dread seeing my doctor. I dread the price for the blood work I have to get before hand. This got me to thinking that there has to be a way to get blood work done at more affordable prices. I knew of one way and that is Healthwaves which is AWESOME. Seriously it is great.

Healthwaves sends lab techs to various grocery stores in Arizona. They have a schedule on the website as well as the tests that they do. You go to the location, fill out the forms, and get your blood work. Your results are mailed to you, and from there you can give them to your doctor. This has saved me serious money just on my thyroid blood work alone. Check them out at the link above. You can get their full 2011 schedule as well as what tests they provide. You can even download and printout there form so there is one less thing for you to do when you go to get your tests.

As I mentioned, Healthwaves does some of the tests my doctor orders, but because they do not do them all. Additionally, I do have to wait for them to come to my area. This isn't a terrible strain, but time can be of the essence when getting lab work done. I searched a little harder to find another way to get my lab work done at a lower price. This led me to PrePaidLab.com. Let me just say I was thrilled. PrePaidLab.com also offers inexpensive lab work, but you order it and pay for it in advance online.

It works like this, you go to their website and locate a participating lab near you, then you order your blood work and pay for it, next you print out your requisition and bring it to your lab. The results are mailed to you. This all sounded amazing to me, but I wanted to be sure that I could really order and pay for my labs through PrePaidlab.com and get the work done at the lab in my area. I called one of the labs listed who directed me to call their main office, and they told me that they did work with PrePaidLab.com and to follow the instructions on the site and bring the requisition to their participating lab. There are five in my area and the farthest is less than 13 miles away. What I liked about PrePaidLab.com was that the prices are great and I can get lab work done when I need it. They have an extensive list of lab work that you can have done. Don't take my word for it, CNN did a story on it here.

FREEBIES

I'm starting with free music today. FreeCCM is continuing with their Blast To The Past with a free song download of "When It Was Over" by Sara Groves AND you can still get free music downloads from Phil Wickham, The Afters and Chris Rice. Don't pass up these fabulous and free tunes. To get your free songs you do need to be a member, but it is free and they do not overload your inbox with a bunch of junk email.

LINK: FreeCCM

iTickets.com has two new downloads for you as well. You can get "Come Home" by Luminate and "The One" by Javen. If you are looking for local Christian concerts and events, iTickets is also a great resource for that too!

LINK: iTickets

New Release Tuesday has free downloads for members. You can get "New Beginnings" from Luminate, "Leaving Eden" from Brandon Heath, and an 18 song compilation from independent artists courtesy of Compassion International. If you like Christian music, this is going to be THE hookup.

LINK: New Release Tuesday

While supplies last Sam's Club members can get samples of Genuine Bayer Aspirin.

LINK: Bayer Aspirin Sam's Club

Did you send Kleenix to a friend back when that was free? If so you may want to share some Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal with a friend too. Maybe talk a friend into sharing some with you. Follow the link below and arrange to share some yummy Quaker Oatmeal Squares with some friends.

LINK: Share Quaker Oatmeal Squares

Newsweek Magazine through Rewards Gold. I have gotten many of my free magazine subscriptions through Rewards Gold. They are completely free subscriptions with no obligations of renewal, and they are really easy to get. They do go fast however. Follow the link below to get Newsweek magazine. Here is what you have to do: Join Rewards Gold, Refer Two Friends, Take a Survey and do two reviews (we are talking easy). That is it. You give your details, and your in.

LINK: Newsweek Rewards Gold

I was not sure if I gave this last week so I thought I would share it just in case. While supplies last, sign up for Lactaid Fast Act. These can be really helpful for those people who have problems with dairy.

LINK: Lactaid Fast Act

Don't forget those printable coupons. Cellfire.com doesn't only have coupons that you can download to your Fry's loyalty card but you can also print coupons. Be sure to check them out and print what you can use. Redplum.com has some great printable coupons for groceries too, and don't forget to check out Coupons.com and Smartsource.com. For personal savings join Safeway's Just For U. There are lots of coupons that you can load directly to your Safeway loyalty card.


REBATE

Get a $5 rebate from Nature when you purchase $30 of Nature Made products. The details are on their website. Buy any combination of Nature Made brand products totaling $30 or more between 1/16/11 and 2/20/11. Mail the register receipts along with the form you get from filling out the rebate request. Get it in the mail ASAP (postmarked by March 4th and received by March 18). Oh...the $30 total is less coupons so if you are using coupons the total has to be $30 after those coupons are deducted.

LINK: Nature Made Rebate

Keebler has a Wheatables Rebate. Try Wheatables free after rebate. Go for original Golden Wheat or Toasted Honey Wheat. The rebate must be post marked by 3/30/11 and in by 4/13/11.

LINK: Wheatables

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

There are a lot of great finance blogs out there, and I thought I would share one with you that is about a lot more than just finances. Check out Wisebread.com. Wisebread is a collection of bloggers who write on some great finance topics and more. Main subjects include Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career & Income, and Life Tracks. Here is just a few of the articles they had on their main page today: How To Really Save Money When You Shop, 8 Reasons To Drink More Water, 5 Ways To Yank The Leash On Pet Expenses. There is a lot more, you could literally spend the day learning about ways to save money.

If I can find another way to use an item rather than toss it, I am going to go for it. Here are a couple of ways to reuse some household items once they have filled their initial purchase.


SILICA PACKETS

I came across instructions for recharging silica packets which led me to look for ways to reuse those packages. First of all, silica packets are often included with the items we buy. Companies put these silica packets in to protect these new items from moisture, but you can keep them and reuse them for items around the home. The packets often look like little sugar packets. I know When you are not using the silica packets, put them in a baggy to keep them fresh.

You can put the silica in toolboxes and tackle boxes to help prevent rust.

Drop some silica packets in with clothes that you put away seasonally to keep the clothes fresh and wick away moisture.

Moisture can tarnish jewelry from silver to costume. Put some silica packets in your jewelry box to help keep away moisture as well.

Store some silica packets in your camera case to keep moisture from damaging your camera.

I do not know how well this works, but I read that if a cell phone or a camera gets water on it, you can put it in a baggy with some silica packets and they will help remove that moisture. This may or may not prevent damage to your phone, but it is worth a try.

Now to recharge your silica packets, put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

DETERGENT SQUEEZE BOTTLES

Fill an empty detergent squeeze bottle with water and keep in the car to use to clean your hands after changing a flat or to clean off the car windows when you are out of wiper fluid.

Fill the clean detergent bottle with water to water plants in your home.

Fill the clean bottle with water to easily add water to an iron.

PIE TINS

I kept a pie tin after Christmas and it has been used and reused in our house at least ten times already to store and heat up leftovers. It kind of reminds me of the TV dinners my mom bought back in the 70s when they were still made with foil pans. They can be cleaned and used again and again.

COFFEE CANS

This is something I do not use anymore, but if you do or if you can get your hands on some, you can use the extra large ones and a regular sized coffee can to make ice cream. You simply fill the larger one with ice and salt and put the ingredients to make the ice cream in the smaller can. Roll it around until you have ice cream.

When I was a child we used to have our parents poke holes in the coffee cans, feed twine through the holes and make stilts.

You can use the plastic or the metal cans to store items around the house. They both have great lids to keep things dry. I like to use canisters to hold all the free samples I get. This way they aren't just piling up everywhere.







FREEBIES

Free samples of Bragg seasonings. I don't know if you have checked them out before, but seriously this stuff is great. Follow the link to the website. The free sample link there is on the left side.

LINK: Bragg Samples

While supplies last enter to get a free sample of CoverGirl NatureLuxe Foundation. The free sample link will be at the bottom right. The ad changes from Lip Perfection to NaturalLuxe.

LINK: CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation sample

Maggi is a base that you can use for homemade soup and while supplies last you can get a free sample of their Chicken Flavored pasta soup. The link is on the right side of the page.

LINK: Maggi Soup sample

Walmart.com has a free sample of Purena Beneful dog food. This like all other Walmart samples is available while supplies last.

LINK: Purena Beneful

When my son was little, it was always nice to have a little formula on hand. Sign up now and while supplies last you can get a sample of Parents Choice Premium Infant formula.

LINK: Parents Choice Premium Infant Formula

If you like books with photographs from exotic locations, you might want to sign up for the free book from National Geographic called "Reflections of Seoul in Four Seasons" with photography by Jodi Cobb. This beautiful book is full of fabulous pictures that you will surely enjoy. These books are only delivered to street addresses not PO Boxes and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. This is a free offer from the National Geographic Channel.

LINK: National Geographic free book

ENTERTAINMENT FOR FREE

iTickets has a free download of Brandon Heath's song "Leaving Eden" from his new CD of the same title. There is also a free download of "At Your Feet" by Godspeed3 from their CD "Redeemed."

LINK: iTickets Free Music

FreeCCM has free downloads from Phil Wickham, The Afters, Chris Rice, and MercyMe.

LINK: FreeCCM Free Music

How about a free movie. Here are some free Block Buster kiosk codes. These codes can change at any time and not work, but at that point you can always cancel. I hope you took advantage of last week's code.


14CHD2X (Expires Jan 20, 2011)
MRC37H (Expires Feb 25, 2011)

FREE COUPON CLASS

I have read books and taken some online classes, but I have never had the opportunity to take one in person. Here is a chance for anyone in the quad city area or for that matter, anyone who would like to drive on in to Prescott to get some knowledge from a real savvy saver.

Practical Saver, Kara Rozendaal has been helping Arizona families save money for years with her tips and fabulous website. She has some totally valuable information on couponing that she is willing to share in a free class. This is a three week class January 26th, February 2nd, February 9th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Tri City Prep School at 5522 Side Road Prescott. This class is going to teach you how to save money for your family as well as bless others. Get more information at our online calendar where you can get Kara's email and phone number to register. Seriously, this is a series you are not going to want to miss.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Kelly's ThriftyTips

Recently my husband upgraded my phone to a Droid. First of all, let me say that I just love it. Second, I have been totally thrilled in that it has a Kindle app. I am a book freak, and having the opportunity to have a book with me all the time via my phone is just awesome. Another awesome thing is that Amazon has a bunch of free books for the Kindle. You do not need a Kindle or a smartphone to enjoy this. You can load the Kindle software to your computer for free. Check out this link for that: Free Kindle Reading Apps

Now back to the free downloads. There are many ways to look for free downloads. There are three ways that I have used. One is to go to the Amazon Best Sellers list in the Kindle Store. One side shows the top paid book, and the other side shows the top free books. Another thing that I do is go to the Kindle section and type in different Christian publishing houses (example Tyndale, Kregel, Revell and Thomas Nelson). A list of their available Kindle books will show up. I sort the list according to price (low to high). You can quickly see what is free. Also when you look at one book, you will often see other books people bought when purchasing that title. Many of those will also be free. You can also search people's lists. There are many lists that other members created with free books they found.

When doing my free book hunt, I was thrilled to find not only a bunch of free books, but free books by many of my favorite Christian authors and other awesome Christian authors I have heard of but not read. I can tell you that I have been going a little crazy, but in a totally good way. The free books change frequently, but here are some you can check out right now. Follow the links to learn more about the books. Again, some of the books will only be free for a short time. All the books I listed are rated on average four stars.

The Holy Bible English Standard Version from Crossway Bibles (I do want to say that from the reviews it can be a bit hard to navigate as you can go to chapter but will have to page turn for verse. It is still great to have a Bible right on hand and you can't beat free).

Craving God by Lysa Terkeurst (This is a 21-Day devotional challenge to accompany Made To Crave. I have been re-reading More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa, and knew I had to grab this one).

A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills (looks like a western romance)

Fools Rush In (Weddings by Bella, book 1) by Janice Thompson (a book set in today)

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren (One of my faves. This book looks sweet. Also set in today)

Stuck In The Middle (Sister-to-Sister, book 1) by Virginia Smith (I have read lots of Virginia's books. She is a fabulous author. I am also reading this now. Again, set in today)

Love On A Dime by Cara Lynn James

Hide In Plain Sight by Marta Perry (mystery romance)

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen (a Regency book)

The Centurian's Daughter (Acts of Faith, book 1) by Janet Oke and Davis Bunn (the story of the Roman soldier whose servant is healed by Jesus)

The Potluck Club (The Potluck Club book 1) by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson

Invisible (Ivy Malone Series #1) by Lorena McCourtney

Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Against All Odds (Heroes of Quantico Series, book 1) by Irene Hannon

The Justice Game by Randy Singer

Deeper Water (Tides of Truth series) by Robert Whitlow

Happy reading!




FREEBIES

With the winter chilly weather, this is a freebie I think you will love. Actually I have had this before and it is incredible. While supplies last, sign up for your free sample of Cream of Wheat Cinnabon. It is so good, you would almost want to eat it for dessert. Follow the link below for your sample.

LINK: Cream of Wheat Cinnabon

Get Ready Hand Washing Timer. American Public Health Association is offering the Get Ready Hand Washing Timer. Proper hand washing plays a key part in maintaining good health. Follow the link below get yours while supplies last. If you miss out, remember you can also wash your hand while singing the Happy Birthday song.

LINK: Hand Washing Timer

Blockbuster joined the DVD rental trend and is located at many Safeway stores. Here is a one-time use code available that is supposed to work until January 18: ESU11B. You do need a credit card in order to rent.

Don't ignore this freebie. I used to work for an orthodontist, and one thing I learned was how important it is to floss. Flossing can be hard, but DenTek has worked to make it easier. They have a free sample available on their website now. Take advantage of this freebie while supplies last.

LINK: Free DenTek floss pick

I brought this up last year when they did it, and I have to mention it again this year. Pedigree is offering a coupon for 20 lb of Pedigree dog food to anyone who adopted a dog in the year 2010. This is a printable mail in form, and you are required to fill out the form in its entirety and include proof of adoption. The documents required are on the form. Do not send in originals. The form needs to be received by February 2011. It does not say end of February, so be on the safe side and get it out quickly.

LINK: Pedigree free dog food for adopters in 2010

Become a Fan of Go Red for Women on Facebook, and you can get a red dress pin. Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives (directly from facebook page). This is a great way to fashionably spread the word.

LINK: Go Red for Women red dress pin

If you haven't tried for this one, sign up for a free sample of EmergenC. They will send you more than one. This is another great thing to have around during this chilly weather.

LINK: EmergenC

True Lemon is a great way to add some lemony zing (oh how corny is that?) to any beverage. The packets are totally convenient, and now they also have lime and orange. Follow the link below.

LINK: True Lemon Sample

Dove is still offering a free sample of Dove Damage Therapy. If you have not picked this up, get it while you can. It will make your hair feel great.

LINK: Dove Damage Therapy

This one is a tasty offer. Literally, Yoplait yogurt which just happens to have 2 times the calcium of the leading yogurt is offering a freebie! Fill out the easy form and get yourself a cup. This offer is good while supplies last or until May 31, 2011. No PO Boxes.

LINK: Free Yoplait

I don't know if I have the guts to do this, but with Shout Color Catcher you can mix your colors and not worry. Just pop in the color catcher, and it will grab those colors so they will not bleed. Available while supplies last. One per household.

LINK: Shout Color Catcher

It is back again for those people who haven't picked it up yet. Check out Nescafe Taster's Choice gourmet coffee singles.

LINK: Nescafe Taster's Choice Coffee Singles

If you like tea, you may like to get a sample of Persimmon tea. Get your sample while supplies last.

LINK: Persimmon Tea

Get on this one fast. Walmart.com has free samples of Crest 3D White Whitestrips while supplies last. These are pretty awesome so don't hesitate.

LINK: Crest 3D White Whitestrips

Here is a link to some free samples from Fry's. Included are samples of John Frieda, an American Baby magazine subscription, Poise, and Prilosec.

LINK: Fry's Free Samples

Free sample of Steviacane through their Facebook page. Steviacane is another sweetener from the stevia plant.

LINK: Steviacane

Costco members can sign up for a sample of their Kirkland shampoo and conditioner. I have liked a lot of the Kirkland products so far. Hit the link. Samples available while supplies last.

LINK: Kirkland Shampoo and Conditioner

FREE ENTERTAINMENT

iTickets.com has two free song downloads this week. You can download "Gave It All" by the Parachute Band and "Say Say" by Kristian Stanfill.

LINK: iTickets free downloads

FreeCCM has some great free music downloads too. You can join up and download The Afters "Love Lead Me," Chris Rice "O Freedom," as well as "Silent Night" by MercyMe and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" by Sara Groves.

LINK: FreeCCM free downloads

To Do Justly

To Do Justly

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

The Pharisees of the New Testament were obviously not the first Jews to believe that the letter of the law outweighs the spirit of the law. The Pharisees' form of "checklist godliness" was obviously being practiced by the hearers of Micah's prophecy.

Micah 6:8 reminds us of the conditions God set on His promises to Abraham, namely to do righteousness and justice (Gen. 18:19). Additionally, the directions for Israel from God (via Moses) come to mind: And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? (Deut. 10:12,13)

Both Samuel and Hosea emphasize God's preference for obedience, knowledge, and mercy over sacrifice and burnt offerings. (1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6.)

With all of these Old Testament passages in view over the next 3 weeks let's examine Micah's three imperatives individually so we can understand better what it means to fulfill the Lord's requirements and come to realize and live "what is good."

To Do Justly

Adam Clarke suggests that for man to do justly, he must render unto everyone that which is due to them. Of course Clarke does not mean "what is due them" in men's eyes, but "what is due them" according to God's will.

To give God His due. God is deserving of our heart, body, soul, and spirit; our wisdom, understanding, judgment. Jesus tells us (Mk. 12:28-30) that the first commandment is to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Because He created us in His own image, God rightly and justly deserves all of our worship and adoration. "This is the first commandment."

To give your neighbor his due. Jesus continues (Mk 12:31) His discussion of the greatest commandments with the second, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Can we sin against someone we truly love? Perhaps we might momentarily sin against a loved one, but not continually. True love desires to bless and not to injure. Note however that we are not to give that which is due to God to any man - neighbor or self

To give to yourself what you are due. According to Paul, we are not our own but instead our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). So what we have coming must be tempered by what we must avoid. Paul reminds us first of all to "flee sexual immorality." Elsewhere Paul gives us lists of characteristics to avoid and attain (Gal. 5:19-25)

We do not realize how important it is to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. If we do not have a holy reverence for this law of love, yet claim we have salvation, we are deceiving ourselves. To show mercy is to treat people far and above what they deserve; that is, "...to walk humbly with our God," MIC 6:8.

There is a very important principle in our text. God has assured those who walk uprightly of protection and provision of His providence. We often see people who are struggling and having such a hard time in the things of providence. Why is the Lord withholding His provision? Let's look to ISA 33:15-16, "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure."

Next week, “TO LOVE MERCY!”