SHOULD I PURCHASE AN EXPENSIVE USED CAMERA FROM EBAY

                         Should I Purchase An Expensive Used Camera From Ebay

Last year, I was looking for a nice quality Camera and I was researching different websites to see where I should purchase my new Camera and I decided to go on Ebay.

I searched and I searched and finally I found a nice looking Camera, that I was so excited to get.  The Camera came and I opened the box and I fell in love.

When I turned the Camera on, it worked well but, I decided to try out the video function and when I played it back on my computer, there was a loud hissing sound coming from the Camera.
I started to think that this was a regular part of the video system.

I was very upset and I decided to get in touch with Ebay and follow all the rules regarding this return.

After this experience I decided not to buy my Camera used and I purchased one from another retailer and I am so pleased with it.

I have purchased some smaller inexpensive Cameras from Amazon.com and I am very happy with them and I used them as my back up.


Disclaimer:  This is the experience that I had with buying a used Camera.  You may or not have the same experience.  Research very extensively.

SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE MEALS DURING YOUR WORK WEEK. NOT SO!

We are so busy grinding during the work week and sometimes we do not feel like cooking and preparing nutritious food for our families.  We owe it to our children and our spouses to not feed them fast food all week. I am going to give you some tips on how you can make this possible and it is so easy.

1. Prepare your vegetables on your day off and put it into the freezer.
2. Make some Stews or Soups, so you only have to add some bread and put in refrigerator or freezer.
3. Bake some Chicken and put it into your refrigerator
4. Make a big batch or rice and you can freeze that also.
5. Make a big pot of beans and put into plastic containers.
6. Cook some Macaroni and Cheese and freeze it.

Next, the night before work I want you to season your meat and put it back in the refrigerator and in the morning I want you to put it in your Crock Pot and by the time you get home you have your whole meal prepared.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD MODEL

 

What you are trying to do is limit the amount of work you have to do when you get home.  All you have to do is warm up your veggies, beans or mac and cheese and you have a full meal.

 

You can swap out some items on some days so that you will not get tired of eating the same thing.

 

NOTE:

You can even freeze cakes and some pies and that way you will have a little dessert to eat after dinner.

On some days you can take that chicken that you baked and shred it and put some mayonnaise and a little of relish and you can have chicken salad.

I have even made Hamburgers in my Crock Pot and it really saves so much time. 


Companies are now making Crock Pots that have different compartments, so you can prepare your entire meal before you get home and I think this is such a blessing.



                                                  Example:

A Crock Pot not only saves you time, but it can save you money because you are not eating out as often.

YOU CANNOT GO TO OR FINISH SCHOOL. WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 

 

 

   

It is not easy to realize that your dream of being a college graduate is not in the near future.  It is something that you have wanted to be since you were a child.  A lot of things can happen that can interfere with you accomplishing your goals, such as; not having enough time because you are working, you have children, you are experiencing sickness or some other issue or may not have the money right now.

There are many things you can do to obtain knowledge and find ways to self educate yourself.  

• You can visit any Library and read books on any subject pertaining to the job that you would want to be in and research, research, research.
• Make friends and associate yourself with people that you can learn from and work in the field that you would like to be in because they can give you a lot of advice and when you hang around successful people, you can be successful also.
• Look online and see if you could go to College online for a lower price or obtain training at home.
• Call your local High School and see if they have classes for training in specific occupations.  They are usually priced lower than Colleges.
• Take one course or two and pay for it and although this will take longer, you will be one step closer to your goal.
• Check your local YMCA and see if they have training.
• Obtain training for free by volunteering your time.
• There is a website called ed2go.com that have courses that are very reasonable. 
• Go to Amazon.com to check out their books that they have regarding occupational training.

There are a lot of resources available, so go online to see what is available in your area.  If you are a Woman or Disabled, you may be able to get grants to help you with your education.  There are also Social Service agencies that can provide you with free training to train you for jobs and if you get a better job, you may be able to afford College.

Don't be embarrassed to talk to people because they can point you in a direction where you can get help.

FINDING BEAUTY IN YOUR PLUS SIZE BODY

I am a plus size woman and I have been for many years.  There was a time when there were not many options the plus size women had when dressing themselves and we had to improvise by adding bits of color here and there in our wardrobe and we did that by adding colorful scarfs, handbags and shoes.

We styled our hair in very beautiful and sophisticated ways in order to stand out and make a style that we could own.
I am so glad that the times have changed and now we have many stores at the Mall and online to shop for our plus size fashions.

We are now living loud and proud in our communities.  I am not saying that we should continue to consume food in a unhealthy way, but, I am saying that we have a right to do what other people do and that is: JUST LIVE!

A lot of times we are ridiculed and made to feel that we should stay indoors and cease to exist but I am calling on all of our plus size ladies to live proudly and make our place in society.

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL TOO!

You can make the best of your figure by dressing the shape of your body and wearing clothes that fit properly.

Wearing clothing that is too tight makes us look larger and wearing clothes that are too big makes us look sloppy and frumpy.



Below I am showing beautiful plus size women strutting their stuff.

                                     Pretty in Florals

                                    Naturally cute in Casual Wear

                                   

                                              Pretty in Lace

                                           Gorgeous in Prints
                                        

                                     Lady like Sophistication
                                        

Standout beauty in black

 

                                            Pretty in the City

SHOULD I BUY NAME BRAND CANNED VEGETABLES OR SHOULD I BUY GENERIC?

I decided to write and ask this question because I have a friend who swears by name brand canned vegetables and she gave me a can of what she calls " The Best Canned Green Beans Ever."  I was anxious to open the can to see what all the hoopla was about.

I made a great steak and rice dinner and I cooked the can of string beans and started to eat the beans and I said to myself " What The Heck." 

The string beans were the same texture of the generic string beans that I always purchase.  My friend called me and she asked me about the green beans and I told her, they were good but they tasted the same way my generic brand tasted and she said "No Way."

I explained to her, that, some of the companies that can the name brand vegetables also can the generics and most of the time, you are getting the same exact product.

My friend told me that she didn't care what I said, the name brands are better. I wasn't trying to convert her to my way of thinking but why pay a higher price for a name.

By the same token, don't purchase a generic product if you try it and it is inferior, just try another brand and if the name brand is the same price, then buy the name brand.

I believe that the healthiest option is to buy frozen when you cannot get fresh veggies.

In order to save money, it is time to break the habit of buying all the brands that these companies advertise on television.  It is just a ploy to convince you that you are getting a better product because it has a bright and enticing label on the front.

Sometimes I will use a coupon and if the product is cheaper than the generics, then I will buy those brands but if not I will get the generic in a quick minute.

If you are on the road to saving money and creating wealth, find ways you can cut corners and save on your food bill.  Sometimes you can save a lot of money without coupons if you just change your thinking.

WINDOW FASHIONS

I like to go to different stores, to see how they display their looks and I get so much inspiration, to include these in my own outfits.

The truth is; You can buy any of these pieces from discount stores and add some of the touches, such as; scarfs, necklace, a nice leather jacket and subtle jewelry.

You can make a scrapbook of these looks and when shopping at the thrift store, you can find similar items to make the look your own.

The Beige Coat is so expensive looking and I would love to own it.

WHAT IS AN ONLINE CATFISH AND HOW TO AVOID ONE?

                                                    ONLINE CATFISH



When we think of a Catfish we usually think about the fish who is big and slimy and it has whiskers like a Cat.  This fish feeds off just about anything and it is quite strange looking.

Since the start of the Internet we have seen many case of Women and Men getting taken advantage of by some Man or Woman on an online website pretending to be a suitor.  They will send you a message and when you look at their online profile, it is usually a picture of a very handsome Man or a very pretty Woman.   The picture usually looks like a professional photo and the person looks like they could be a celebrity or model.

A Catfish is usually looking for someone who is older,or a person who they may not consider attractive.  They tend to read online profiles and search out people who have lost a spouse or someone who is vulnerable.

You will notice that their messages seem like they are written by someone else and most of the time, it will be misspelled.  A false suitor will ask you to communicate with them off the website and this is a red flag.

They will message you and tell you that you are beautiful and they could not resist your picture and they want to start a relationship with you.   Usually you will hear a sad story about their spouse being deceased and they have young children.  Always, they like to tell you that you are their soul mate and they start acting very aggressive regarding starting a relationship with you and they start to talk about marriage.

This all happens in a matter of weeks or a month after they approach you online.  You will notice that they will start to make up stories about needing money for an emergency or money to come and see you.  If you send money one time, they will assume that you are desperate and they will continue to say that they love you and ask for more and more money.

Every time they say that they are coming to see you, another emergency comes up and they will say that they are stuck in their country and need more money to pay fines and etc. 

These people are usually from another country and they use form letters to copy and send to you.  A lot of times they are communicating with you online from an Internet Café. They always have the right words to say.

After people see all the stories on television; people still continue to fall victim to these kinds of scams.  The thought is "This will never happen to me." 

I saw a story of a Woman losing four million dollars to a low life scam artist and I saw a few stories with Men finding out that they have been scammed and still continue to send money until they are totally broke.

We have to learn that it may be best to find romance the old fashioned way and that is, going out and socializing with like minded people to find a relationship.
Even older adults can find clubs and outings geared toward more mature people and see what is out there in the real world.

It is good to still be aware of people who may have a hidden agenda. It is wonderful to meet someone and share your life with them but please remember if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

If you are still considering going online to meet someone, then you need to practice online safety and never, never, send anyone money and if they ask you for anything, block them.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

                                            Keeping Up With The Joneses


There are many times in our lives that we can remember that perfect women or couple who seems to have it all together.  They never have a hair out of place; they are sporting the finest of designer wear, glasses, handbags and cars.

These are the people who have the best friends who you think are on the same level and they are always going to dinner and social events and they all seem like they are in this bubble of fabulosity.

Their children have the best clothes, gadgets and go to well appointed schools.  We see these people and we become envious and wonder, can we achieve the same things in life.

Some of these folks have their noses up in the air and they are very flashy and they make sure to tell you about the latest high end bauble they have purchased. 

 

 

Have you really sat down and really thought who these people are?  Who are these people, the Joneses?  

 

Well, I have watched many talk shows and heard of some personal stories about who these people really are.  They are just ordinary people who maybe have grown up in poverty or ordinary hard working families and they promise themselves that, one day, I am going to look rich, even if I don't have two pennies to rub together.

 

What you do not know is; some of these people are in foreclosure and they are living off credit cards. Some are in so much debt, they cannot sleep at night.  A handful of these folks are involved in some illegal activities, so, they can continue to keep up the front.

 

There are people who hire thieves to go to high end stores and steal designer clothes so they can continue this façade.

 

 

 

 

 

The Joneses are an illusion and we have to learn to stand in our own truth and know that if we work hard enough we can have these things and more.

 

There is not anything wrong with living well but if you are doing this in order to get praise, recognition and you don't have the means to pay for these things, you are living a lie.

 

We all have to learn how to invest our money in things that will flourish and grow, so that we will never have to live the lie of the Joneses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS THAT ARE BUDGET FRIENDLY (VIDEOS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Cooking Video's

                                CABBAGE RECIPE

                         BARBECUED TURKEY CHOPS RECIPE

                         YELLOW RICE RECIPE

                          TASTY MEATLOAF RECIPE


I include these video's because the best way to save money is to prepare your own food.

GET NEW POTS AND PANS LADIES AND SHOW OFF THOSE COOKING SKILLS

                                NEW POTS AND PANS AT S&A STORES



Ladies, Ladies, Ladies!  You know the last time you cooked your last big dinner, your cookware was looking a bit shabby.  Yes, that pot was on its last leg but you remember that beautiful roast that you cooked in it and then, you remembered that this is the pot that Aunt Jackie gave you when you first moved out on your own.

A lot of times, our cookware hold many special moments and a lot of sentimental  value.  Yes, I am talking about me, but sometimes it is just time to let that raggedy pot go to the pot and pan junkyard.

First I was going to order some pots and pans, but I decided to go to S&A to see what they had available and I was happy that I went, because, I was able to pick the size pots and pans that I wanted without getting a whole set and the good thing is; if you do want a whole set, you are still able to create one at this store.

The post and pans that I saw were of good quality and if you have this store in your town; go in there and take a peek and you may decide that you will create your own set too.