<$Thursday, August 16, 2007$>
Contest "winner", and more big vet bills
| I only had one commenter who wanted my copy of Bridal Bargains, so she can have it. Congrats, Amy! Just let me know where to send it, and I'll get it in the mail by Monday. In less happy news, Fizzgigg needs surgery. :( Expensive surgery, at that. It's not life-or-death or anything, but he has an open sore on his front leg that (look away now if you're sqeamish) the bone is showing through (it's okay now, you can look back). I took him to the vet weeks ago, and they told me to keep it bandaged and give it more time to heal. A month later, and it hasn't shown any signs of healing on its own, so I took him back yesterday. I thought he would just need some stitches, but the vet gave some fancy word for what's wrong with him and said that he'll need surgery, and a lot of medication afterwards, and gave me an estimate of nearly $200. So tomorrow morning Fizzgigg goes back to finally get his leg fixed, and I get to dip into our savings to pay for it. I'm not going to complain, though, because he's worth it, and I'd pay a lot more than that to keep him from being in pain. This vet's cost estimates tend to run higher than the actual cost, though, so I'm hoping this will be one of those times. Let this serve once again as a reminder that pets can be expensive, and we should all make sure we can afford to give them proper care before committing to be their caretakers. |
<$Tuesday, August 14, 2007$>
A review, and a giveaway: Bridal Bargains: Secrets to throwing a fantastic wedding on a realistic budget
| First, the review: Note: I originally wrote this article for Associated Content, but they rejected it on the grounds that they don't accept book reviews "unless they are consumer- or service-related"... which, this book is both consumer- and service-related, so... all righty, then. I'll just post it here instead.  When my husband and I started planning our wedding, I entertained champagne wishes and caviar dreams as big as any other bride's; but once we started pricing our dream wedding, reality bit. If we wanted to have a wedding without amassing mountains of debt, we would either have to push the date back a year or three, or be willing to scale back our expectations. Neither of us being a fan of the waiting, we opted for the latter.Still, I was as determined to have a memorable wedding as I was to save money, and I thought there must be a book out there that would help me do both. I was right. Bridal Bargains* stood out like a bright beacon of hope among the stodgy tomes on wedding etiquette and planning calendars that filled the bookstore shelves. Offering way more than budget-saving DIY tips, Bridal Bargains is a thorough, and thoroughly researched, consumer guide to the wedding industry. If you have ever planned or are currently planning a wedding, then you know that their are few other industries that overwhelm you with as many choices and rules as does the wedding industry. Bridal Bargains is like a best friend who takes you by the hand and guides you through it all step by step, reassuring you along the way that everything is going to be okay. The authors, Denise and Alan Fields, were once themselves a young engaged couple with a wedding to plan who wanted to get through it without spending a fortune or falling prey to industry sharks. When their search for a guidebook to this whole wedding business came up short, they decided to write it themselves. They devoted years to researching the industry, "mystery shopping" stores and services, interviewing real-life couples who've been there as well as wedding planners and industry insiders. The result is a comprehensive survival guide to wedding planning that actually comes with a money back guarantee: if the advice contained therein fails to save you at least $500 on your wedding, the authors promise a full refund on the price of the book. The book is divided into sixteen chapters, each one covering a different aspect of the wedding industry. Each chapter not only lists shopping resources and bargain-hunting ideas, but also weighs the pros and cons of each, and includes consumer warnings and real-world testimonials. There is also a special section covering Canadian vendors, a guide to handling wedding day emergencies, a budget-planning worksheet, and a comprehensive directory of vendors' phone numbers and web addresses. The book even has a companion web site at BridalBargainsBook.com, complete with an active message board where brides-to-be can commune and swap advice. Of course, no book with "bargains" in the title would be complete without creative suggestions for saving money, and this book has plenty. Some of my favorites include: That's just a few of the ideas contained in this book, many of which served as a launching point for brainstorming my own ideas. Combining the advice in this book with my own creativity and DIY skills, I was able to accomplish my goal. We had a beautiful wedding for a mere $3,000, less than one-sixth of the more than $18,000 price tag attached that's typically attached to weddings in my region. Apart from saving me thousands, the best thing this book did for me was to help me relax and focus on what was important. It debunked the myths that bridal magazines and their web counterparts like to promote that had me panicking. This book let me know that various orders didn't have to be placed as far in advance as those sites led me to believe, nor did they have to cost nearly as much. It also helped me to focus my budget on the things that were most important to my husband and me, allowing us to personalize our wedding in a way that made it truly special. Bridal Bargains was my constant companion throughout the planning of my wedding, and I can't imagine putting together a wedding in today's economy without it. Now the giveaway:  I have in my little hand my own copy of the 7th edition of Bridal Bargains, and I'm looking to find it a good home. Despite being my constant companion while I was planning my own wedding last year, it's still in good condition. Not only did it help me save thousands, but it also helped me stay sane. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who has a wedding to plan or help plan, be they bride, groom, mother-of-the-bride, maid of honor, or bride's second cousin who got roped in to help make favors. If you or anyone you know falls into this category and would find this book helpful and would like a chance to win my copy, just leave a comment here to enter. That's it. A link back here from your own blog will get you two more chances, in addition to your comment here (giving you a maximum total of three chances to win), so be sure to let me know if you linked me; but no linkback is necessary to enter. You have until this Thursday at noon (Central time) to enter. After the deadline, I'll assign a number to each entry, and then I'll use Random.org to randomly select the winner, who will then be notified via a new entry here in this blog. Good luck, and happy commenting. *Affiliate link |
<$Tuesday, July 17, 2007$>
Freebies & Greenies
| In my perusal of the personal finance community, I've noticed a general interest in keeping things Green. I've also noticed a propensity for liking free stuff. Well, yes, of course, because who doesn't like free stuff? Like free graphic design, for example? The Thinking Blog, run by graphic design artist Ilker Yoldas, is holding a contest: review Ilker's blog for a chance to win a free re-design for your own blog. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but my template could use a pick-me-up, and I have neither the time, tools or know-how to do my own, nor the dosh to hire someone to do it for me. So this is one prize I would be beyond thrilled to win. As for the blog itself, The Thinking Blog is an interesting and ecclectic mix of posts on topics ranging from science & technology to the environment to Web 2.0 socialization, all designed to make you think. Ilker also offers up info and reviews on environment-, wallet- and declutterer-friendly sites such as SwitchPlanet. Best yet, if you love to get in on the ground floor and beta-test new start-ups (or if you just like the bragging rights associated with being among the first users), she also freely offers invitations to hot new start-ups. Besides looking fabulous, with a design that's clean and readable while still being visually interesting, The Thinking Blog is a neat resource for finding some pretty neat stuff. I'll definitely be adding it to my daily reads. Even if I don't win that free blog do-over. ;) |