A lifelong resident of Holmes County, Missy's world is larger than the view off her front porch. With a keen eye for uncovering worthwhile junk, she has sifted and sorted through the thrift stores and garage sales of the area. Missy is a wife of twenty years to Antonio, and mom to three lovely and irreverent teenagers. Any given day you'll find her screaming at her kids soccer games and simply loving the life she's been given.
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Money is hiding in the depths of your home and it’s time to find it
Published: May 06, 2013
Money is hiding in the corners of your garage and home. Pull things out into the light and see what there is to be sold.
How to stop yourself from becoming a hoarder
Published: April 29, 2013
If you have stacks of stuff in your home taller than yourself, then read this article. It might be time to tame the beast.
You must remember, don’t let the clothing buy you
Published: April 22, 2013
Stop cringing when it¿s time to buy clothing. With purse in hand, walk boldly into the mall and you will find the deal you need if you take the time to look for it.
Simplifying your life will be the best choice you ever make
Published: April 15, 2013
Do you want it, need it or desire it? If you can't say no and are dragging yourself through a house full of things and joining every committee you're asked to be on, then it's time to do one thing: Simplify.
Use the hard times you are in as a stepping stone to your dreams
Published: April 08, 2013
Don't let hard times keep you down. Use them as fodder to climb out of the hole you might be in and to succeed. Big ideas are born out of hard times.
How to throw a mean graduation party on a dime
Published: April 01, 2013
The cruel winds of March are still blowing, but my mind is on May and graduation parties. Here are some tips on how to do it frugally yet throw a mean party.
I have a garden that wants to bury me alive
Published: March 25, 2013
Warm weather, sunshine, and gardening are just around the corner. Do you love or hate outside work? I am a garden scrooge, so read on about my anxiety of the coming season.
My inadequacy in the kitchen and the demise of the Jello layer salad
Published: March 11, 2013
Do you covet beautiful foods? Or rather do you covet making them and having them on your table? Read on to find out why we are successes in the kitchen whether we can mold jello or not.
Health, savings, and never eating a Twinkie again
Published: February 27, 2013
Are you a salty or sweet person? Salad or soup? Does the thought of Twinkies never being made again make you nervous? Read on to find my challenge to myself and to you over the next month.
My experience with dollar stores and the value they give
Published: February 25, 2013
If you¿ve never experienced the joy of finding cheap, name-brand products at a dollar store then you¿re in for a treat. Read on to find out what is available and what you should and shouldn¿t buy.
Finding love in the cracks and crevices of life
Published: February 18, 2013
Is Valentine's Day making you sad every year? Is your expectation of it ridiculously high? Time to take it down a notch and get real about what love really is.
Car shopping tips for older drivers
Published: February 11, 2013
What resources can you recommend to seniors who are shopping for a car?
Keeping your home warm this bitter winter season
Published: February 11, 2013
Having trouble keeping your home warm this bitter winter season? Aside from wearing your snow suit in the house, read on for some tips and help that's available.
The story of my freezer-less existence
Published: February 04, 2013
Is your freezer stocked head to toe with every animal you can butcher and freeze? Do you make too many trips to the store in a week? Read on about my freezer-less existence as I question what I really DO need.
We’re eating down the pantry and it could get ugly
Published: January 25, 2013
Do your kids have that mysterious illness? You know the one - the "there's nothing in the fridge" illness? I've declared an "eat down the pantry" week and am playing mind games with them. Read on to learn how to play.
Sacrifice and the stay-at-home mom
Published: January 18, 2013
Want to be a stay-at-home mom but don't know how? Sacrifice is the key word. Our kids are only ours for a season and we all must find out where we are to be. It's a personal choice only we can make.
Measuring out meaningful energy we expend in our daily lives
Published: January 14, 2013
Do you spend all your energy searching for those perfect, elusive coupons to save you money? Stop right now, pour yourself some coffee and reflect on just what you're doing. It's time to recharge.
Let’s seize the day instead of mucking about
Published: January 07, 2013
Do you keep saying, as I do, that it's time to get motivated? Let's join forces and seize the day, as they say, and get things accomplished. Happy New Year!
Setting a few goals and reviewing my failures and successes of the past year
Published: December 29, 2012
Is the failure of reaching a goal really a failure? I think not. Half the job is setting a goal in the first place. We all reach and strive until we're done.
Master the fine art of selling online and you will have cash in hand
Published: December 24, 2012
Need to make some extra cash this Christmas? I have a few tips about selling online that everyone should take notice of - because who wants to buy something not well advertised?
Master the fine art of selling online and you will have cash in hand
Published: December 21, 2012
Need to make some extra cash this Christmas? I have a few tips about selling online that everyone should take notice of - because who wants to buy something not well advertised?
Jesus was born in a lowly stable, not at the finest hotel
Published: December 17, 2012
Have you ever felt that there should be something more to Christmas? That instead of being comfortable that there might be more we should be doing to make us a bit uncomfortable? I know there is for me, but will I listen?
Debating the real Christmas tree versus the artificial Christmas tree
Published: December 06, 2012
Do you go live or are you the boxed tree type? Regardless of taste, putting the Christmas tree up is serious business. Check out how our adventure this year unfolds.
Finding savings, promo codes, and contentment at Christmas
Published: November 30, 2012
Are you looking for Christmas savings? Earn money back and score promotional codes to find the best deals, but remember that Christmas lives in the heart - not under the tree.
Nothing like the last minute to get things done
Published: November 23, 2012
Working up to the last minute on projects may not be your thing, but for Missy it's how things get done. Read on to find out how she pulls everything together for Thanksgiving week.
Some green in my purse and a mind uncluttered
Published: November 15, 2012
Digging down deep in your purse to find money that isn't there? Here are a few tips to find a little more cash - and sanity - in our anxiety-ridden lives.
Why I would rather eat a doughnut at home than go out on Black Friday
Published: November 07, 2012
Do you despise early Christmas shopping? Would you rather stay in your pajamas and drink coffee than get up early and fight crowds for deals? Me too. Join me in the dialogue.
Election Day, party lines, and words that cut like a knife
Published: November 04, 2012
It seems to me that most of us in this great country we call the USA do our part. We own a patch of land and a house, work on that house over the years, raise a family, earn money and spend money, try to save a bit of money, then we grow older and...
Election Day, party lines, and words that cut like a knife
Published: October 31, 2012
It seems to me that most of us in this great country we call the USA do our part. We own a patch of land and a house, work on that house over the years, raise a family, earn money and spend money, try to save a bit of money, then we grow older and...
Renovating is not the horror story it may seem
Published: October 27, 2012
Not a do-it-yourselfer? Do the words renovate make you tremble with fear? Push forward, brave reader, and see for yourself that with a little research you, too, can renovate and fix with the best of them.
The history and goodness of the crockpot revealed
Published: October 21, 2012
Crock pot getting dusty in the cupboard? Clean it, fill it with goodness, and turn it on as you walk out the door. Time and money are yours to be saved.
Creating a homecoming experience for your kids that is meaningful yet frugal
Published: October 15, 2012
Are your kids spending tons of time and money getting ready for their homecoming? Trying to find ways to cut back? Read on about a little history of homecoming and how we found ways to save, yet make it meaningful.
Creating a homecoming experience for your kids that is meaningful yet frugal
Published: October 12, 2012
Are your kids spending tons of time and money getting ready for their homecoming? Trying to find ways to cut back? Read on about a little history of homecoming and how we found ways to save, yet make it meaningful.
Staying trendy while decorating with things you love
Published: September 28, 2012
Do you peruse every decorating magazine known to mankind? Do you run out and buy things just because they are in style? Read on to find out why you should take a break from that and use only what you love.
The rise, fall, and rise again of couponing in my life
Published: September 20, 2012
Do you see coupons in your dreams? Do you speak in terms of 50 cent values and ways to double? It may be time to take a break from couponing - all so we can pick it back up again after some rejuvenation.
Weekends full of tradition and rejuvenation that won’t break the bank
Published: September 13, 2012
Need a new idea for a long weekend that won¿t break your budget? Love sitting by the fire and eating? Read on about our fabulous family Labor Day and you may get inspired.
It’s all about the kids when it comes to fall sports
Published: August 27, 2012
Does your vehicle, at all times, have two lawn chairs packed in it? Random sweatshirts and blankets ready for sitting? If you do, then you're part of the fall sports wild bunch. Let's get these games started!
Head out into the storm that is school shopping and wrestle it to the floor
Published: August 19, 2012
School shopping doesn't have to be a drag. Gather up the kids, do a little research, and head out into the fray. There are incredible deals waiting to be had.
A conversation with my younger self
Published: August 13, 2012
Ever wish you could travel back in time and tell your younger self a few things? Tell that person about stuff that doesn't matter and stuff that does? I did this today. It was cathartic.
Slicing and dicing my way through purple peppers
Published: August 06, 2012
Want to infuse your cooking with something different? Discover some produce stands in our area and all over Northeast Ohio. It will set your taste buds to singing a new song.
Dreams of success in living color
Published: July 29, 2012
Melissa has this advice this week: follow your dream. Shake the dust off your idea and don't let words of negativity stop you.
The horrors of Christmas shopping in July
Published: July 24, 2012
Are you swayed by all those TV ads to get out there and shop early for the holidays? Or do you wait until the snow flies to start your Christmas shopping? Join me and my procrastination and find out if my stockpile holds anything from Santa.
Instilling that entrepreneurial spirit in our kids
Published: July 15, 2012
Kids not able to find a summer job? Don't force them to work McDonalds - start teaching them that they can find that job deep down in themselves - and they can earn money from ways they have never thought of.
Spontaneous living and what it has to offer
Published: July 08, 2012
Live life to the fullest, don't simply move through it. This life is not a dress rehearsal for the real thing.
Carving out time and getting away from the computer
Published: July 02, 2012
All those snippets of seconds at the computer add up to hours, which add up to days, which add up to time lost. We need to be able to strike a balance.
Benton to Craigslist - a summary of deals
Published: June 25, 2012
Melissa compiles a list of deals and things she has found that she loves.
A fairy tale about a couch and a car
Published: June 17, 2012
Peace of mind and a fat wallet don't always mix, and spending a bit more on something you really need is the right choice.
Fútbol fever from head to toe
Published: June 12, 2012
In soccer, it's all about the shoe and personal choice. The wilder the better. It's a statement about who you are and what you want to convey. The old saying goes though, that if you buy a brightly-colored shoe, you better have the skills to back it...
The history of my well-loved ugly patio
Published: June 06, 2012
Melissa looks for a frugal way to make over her patio.
Where are the savings?
Right where I left them
Published: May 28, 2012
People don't want to be considered cheap, so they spend too much. The marketing of brands has definitely done their job.
From VHS to online streaming - a movie love story
Published: May 21, 2012
Many options are available for affordable movie nights with the family.
Dick Farrell appreciates suggestions from his readers for future topics...
Dick Farrell says times have certainly changed, including the job market,...
