Save money at home! Here is an introductory list of savings opportunities in and around your home. Check back soon as each of these topics will be the subject of an in-depth future post. Enjoy!Cellular Phone SavingsReduce your plan level and rethink your need to have internet, text, and other expensive features. I have found the most economical plans and good service using Tmobile.Clothing Savings.Buy clothing off-season, on sale, or clearance. Look for coupons before shopping. Try to b... Read Full Story

If you are interested in learning about Buddhism, an invaluable resource for information can be found at BuddhaNet.net. I highly recommend many of the free ebooks on Buddhism, mindfulness, Zen, and more available in their ebook library. Regardless of your religious background, you can benefit from the vast amount of knowledge available there. Check it out...OmniSwami.com - Life, Family, Parenting, Opinions, Tips and more... Read Full Story

Just a quick note...A neighbor informed me yesterday that they have a loft bed frame that their post-college daughter no longer needs... I will be acquiring said frame in a week :) The frame is in great shape and was professionally built. With some minor modifications, I plan to still setup as described in my prior post. This will make for a quick and cheap project for me (I'm getting the frame for free). More to come on this riveting project :)OmniSwami.com - Life, Family, Parenting, Opi... Read Full Story

In order to maximize the small bedroom space my daughter will have in our new home, we decided a loft bed was the way to go. I had been planning to buy her a new girl's bedroom set (since my ex wife is taking the set she has now to her house). While shopping around for children's furniture, I found a few loft beds that would work great. There was a problem though... The loft beds I liked were really, really expensive - surprisingly so. I'm always amazed at how expensive furniture can be... So... Read Full Story

My ex-wife and I were married for nine years. We have two daughters, ages five and two. You may be able to surmise from some of the prior posts here that the divorce process was a bit contentious for us. How nice it would have been if once finalized, the divorce would have cut our ties clean requiring no further interaction between us. Unfortunately, that's just not realistic when you have children together (and it shouldn't be).I know, and have always known, that my ex-wife loves our dau... Read Full Story

This free desktop wallpaper fresh from the garden. This is a close-up photo of raindrops on a hosta leaf. A little bit of garden zen for you. EnjoyOmniSwami.com - Life, Family, Parenting, Opinions, Tips and more... Read Full Story

In a prior post, I discussed some key divorce tips. One of the points I made throughout that post was the importance of maintaining a divorce diary or log of daily events. In this post, I have included a 100-page Microsoft Word diary template that has been specifically designed for record keeping during divorce (I've also included an Adobe Reader pdf version if you wish to print and hand write your entries). Below is an image of a sample entry:The divorce diary is a vital record-keeping tool ... Read Full Story

The personal budget... 'Tis a thing of wondrous beauty or the sordid tale of despair. There are two personal qualities necessary to budget successfully.How do I succeed? DisciplineAbove all, the key to a personal budget that works is discipline (I can't write or say that word anymore without thinking of the Arnold Schwarzenegger prank calls - hilarious). A personal budget is not something you prepare, review, and go back to from time to time. You must integrate your budget into yo... Read Full Story

Yesterday, I opened the cabinet door beneath my kitchen sink to retrieve some dish soap. For the next 10 minutes I found myself on the kitchen floor organizing a pile of loose plastic grocery bags - hundreds of them. I know you may feel like chastising me for even using the plastic bags at all. Why don't I use the the new fabric bags that all the grocery stores are touting? I know they may be better for the environment, but honestly, those bags are plastic-gold to me. Odd yes, but tru... Read Full Story

Yesterday, I opened the cabinet door beneath my kitchen sink to retrieve some dish soap. For the next 10 minutes I found myself on the kitchen floor organizing a pile of loose plastic grocery bags - hundreds of them. I know you may feel like chastising me for even using the plastic bags at all. Why don't I use the the new fabric bags that all the grocery stores are touting? I know they may be better for the environment, but honestly, those bags are plastic-gold to me. Odd yes, but tru... Read Full Story