SHOCKING!  

  Movies rented or checked out of the library can save you big bucks, but there are so often scenes and words even in PG-rated movies (not to mention innuendo and more even in G-rated ones) that I'm definitely not old enough for, and certainly your children aren't! Put a stop to that problem with a ClearPlay DVD player. ClearPlay accepts any DVD - like the ones you rent or check out of the library – and does nothing to alter the DVD; but what it does do is filters what you see and hear. You set your own parameters regarding things like violence and foul language.

EVERYDAY SAVINGS
   Have you heard about Groupon? Every day Groupon's website lists an offer for a great discount at a business in whatever city you choose as your home base (whenever you register on the website). For example, recent discounts in my area (Birmingham, AL) include a $30 certificate to Zea Rotisserie & Grill at Brookwood Village for $15 and a $100 90-minute deep tissue massage at Escape Therapeutic Massage in Homewood for $39.

 MULTI-PURPOSE COFFEE FILTERS

    Yes, they were invented for filtering coffee, but what else can you do with them? (1) Place pastries and other small food items on individual coffee filters for microwaving - just heat 'n' eat right from the filter. (2) To prevent spattering, use a coffee filter as a cover when microwaving anything in small bowls or plates. (3) Use coffee filters as individual serving papers for tacos - they're the perfect size. (4) Put a filter in the bottom of a flower pot before adding soil - it'll let the water through the pot's drain hole while keeping the soil in place.

 BIG NEWS!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! THE BARGAINOMICS LADY WILL BE ON PHIL WALDREP MINISTRIES' "LIVING FOR JOY" RADIO PROGRAM AUG. 30, AUG. 31 & SEPT. 1. FIND THE STATION NEAREST YOU: http://www.livingwithjoyradio.com/stations/listen-in-your-area/. You can also listen to a PodCast: http://www.livingwithjoyradio.com/. Please pray for the Lord to use this to open many new doors for Bargainomics.

SAVE ON CAR MAINTENANCE
  If your car isn't under warranty, don't take it to a dealership for routine maintenance; find a reliable but less costly auto maintenance center. Even if your vehicle is under warranty, consider taking it somewhere besides a dealership. Before you do, though, make sure you read your warranty carefully; most only require proof (usually a dated receipt/work order) that the work was performed in a timely manner in accordance with the warranty's requirements. How do you figure out who to trust with your car? (1) Ask other people who they recommend and why. (2) Call at least 3 different shops and ask their prices for the work - you may be surprised to see how much difference there is from shop to shop. (3) Ask for the names and contact information for 2 or 3 of each businesses' recent customers; then follow through with contacting each one to ask if the workmanship was satisfactory. (4) Check with the Better Business Bureau - you can find your local one by searching www.BBB.org. (5) If at all possible, get the cost in writing before the work is done. Just remember that sometimes additional work is necessary and impossible to foresee, which is another reason it's important to know you're dealing with a trustworthy mechanic. (6) Consider taking a basic auto repair course at a local college or trade school so you can perform simple maintenance jobs yourself.

 MICROWAVE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

   Forget the oven and all that added kitchen heat! This microwave recipe will do the trick. All you need is: (1) a 16 oz. package of frozen cut green beans; (2) a can of cream of mushroom soup; (3) 1/3 cup of milk ;  and (4) a 2.8 oz. can of French fried onion rings. Mix all the ingredients together except for 1/2 the onion rings. Pour the mixture into a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish and microwave on full power for 15-20 minutes - check sporadically as some microwaves cook faster than others. When done, sprinkle with the rest of the onion rings and microwave for 30 seconds; let stand 5 minutes and it's ready to serve.

WATER HEATER SAVINGS              
  (1) Whether your water heater is gas or electric, you can save as much as 10% of the cost of heating your water by simply dialing down the temperature setting. If it's currently set at 140, turn it down to 120. You'll still have plenty of hot water, plus a few extra dollars in your pocket. (2) Why heat water during hours when you're not home or know you won't need hot water? Putting a timer on your electric water heater will save you an average of $15-$20 a month. (3) Adding a water heat jacket or blanket around your tank boosts the insulation which means water stays hot longer without having to be heated - and this also equates to more money in your pocket.

 What's the quickest way to have more money? Stop wasting what you already have!

 HELP FIND NADIA

   On November 3, 2008 at her lunchtime, 23-year-old Nadia Kersh left her job at Tria Market in Homewood, AL to go to the daycare and pick up her 2-year-old son before heading home. Nadia never made it to the daycare and has never been seen or heard from since. I recently met Nadia's mother Nancy at Fox-6 TV where she was pleading again for any person with any information to come forward and help them find out what happened to her daughter.

THIS MONTH'S PASSAGE

“…the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
 (Acts 12:5, NIV)  

 The verse above is part of a passage that relates the story of Peter’s imprisonment. Think about this occasion and see if you don’t see a little of yourself in what took place. You see, as soon as the church knew Peter had been arrested, they began to EARNESTLY pray for him. If you read on, you discover that the Lord answered their prayers by sending an angel to release Peter. Yet when Peter showed up where they were meeting, the church didn't exactly break forth in celebration, did they? No, Peter was left standing outside and the servant girl who came to tell them he was at the door was told, "You‘re out of your mind!” (v. 15).