FREE after Rebate Items at Staples!!

Going to Staples is the thing to do this week! Here are some FREE and super cheap deals:

Casio Label Maker, Spend $19.99, Receive a $20.00 rebate
FREE after rebate

Ghiradelli Luxe Chocolate Bag, Spend $3.99, Receive $3.99 rebate
FREE after rebate

HP Multipurpose Paper 500 Sheet ream, Spend $7.29, Receive $6.29 rebate
$1.00 after rebate

Staples Photo 4x6 paper 60 pack, spend $9.99, Receive $8.99 rebate
$1.00 after rebate

Last I heard, you could take your old printer cartridges and receive $3.00 coupons. If that's still the case this could turn into a money maker!

Nike's Recycling Program

Here is something you can do with your old tennis shoes. You can take any brand to your nearest Nike retailer (call or visit the website first). Shoes collected are turned into Nike Grind, a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces as well as select Nike products. Click here for FAQ.

Recycle Your Electronics

Hewlitt Packard has a great recycling program for your computers, printers, cell phones, recharchable batteries and more. Check out this link for FAQ on the subject and this link for the recycling page.

Check the links here and here to learn about Apple's recycling program. When you buy a new computer from them, you can send them your computer (any brand) to be recycled. Or you can buy a prepaid shipping label to recycle your computer and its parts.

Google (or swagbuck) your particular brand of computer and find out if they have a recycling program.

Last year Goodwill handeled over 23 million pounds of computers - and it is very expensive for the company to have them recycled. So, before donating your computer there, I would look into the suggestions listed above. However, many Goodwill's are training their workers to fix some of these computers that they are receiving. Contact your local Goodwill to find out if their workers participate in this type of training. Read an article on this subject here.

Best Buy has a really amazing recycling program. They will recycle old appliances, televisions, cell phones, batteries, printer cartridges, computer and a/v equipment, and more! They also have recycling events all over the country, will give you a gift certificate for recycling gently used items, and gives out a $1500 recycling grants to communities. Click here for more information.

Radio Shack will recycle your rechargeable batteries and cell phones. Find more information here.

Verizon Wireless will take your used cell phones and recharchable batteries. They take the proceeds and use them to financially assist domestic abuse victims. Additionally, the refurbish some of the phones and give them as well as free air time to these victims. It's a great program, check it out here.

Recycling

+Reposted from 9.24.08
I am finally getting into my other new habits that I posted briefly about in my ‘How It All Began’. I actually recycled today!! It wasn’t much, a box of plastic bottles, some cardboard, and last Sunday’s newspaper. I was hoping to take a peek into the newspaper bin for any coupons, but no such luck. The guys, very kindly, come out to your car and took care of the dumping. I’m hoping to learn about what else I can recycle, including composting. Stay tuned!!

How It All Began...

I am a 31 year old Speech Language Pathologist serving the birth to three population. I am married to a man that rocks! And he also happens to be an amazing cook, a thoughtful theologian, a servant to others, an 'idea guy', sensitive, shocking, and entertaining!

I am mostly from Nashville, Tennessee, but this past year my husband and I had the opportunity to reside in Wuhan, China. We were there to develop relationships and teach English in one of the local universities. We made great friends and ate some unbelievably delicious as well as strange food. We learned so much from the culture and our experiences that we will carry with us for a life time.

While in China, we were blessed enough to have a cleaning lady that came about once a month. She charged 10 yuan an hour which equals out to about $1.50! Not only that, when she finished cleaning, that old apartment looked brand new. She deserved so much more money but absolutely refused to accept anything over what she charged. So, we started collecting our bottles and at the end of the month we would hand them over to her for recycling. This is a very common way for many Chinese to earn some extra money.

After seeing how many bottles we collected over a months time, it made me wonder why I wasn't joining in with the recyclers back in the good 'ole U.S. of A. And thus begun the big Research of '07-'08...

I started researching where to recycle, what items to recycle, and how to reuse items. Not to mention just green ideas in general like alternate cleaning supplies, composting, and reusing junk mail. That led me to thinking about living more simply and frugally. So I started getting interested in sewing, gardening, finding great bargains (such as shopping at CVS!!), freebies, and making our food stretch farther.

Well, this was great research, but there was only a small percentage of it that I could actually put into practice in China. I wasn't really there long enough to garden, there was no mail to turn into note pads, there was too much of a communication barrier to figure out all the recycling rules, and there was definitely no CVS.

Now we are back in the U.S. Not in Nashville, but in Kentucky so my husband can go to seminary. We are just now getting settled so I still haven't had the chance to really practice many of the these new ideas and hobbies. What I want to share with you through this blog is my journey as I actually try to bring my research to life. I have A LOT of info, so keep in mind I will be doing this slowly - one step at a time.

However, all of these things I have shared are seen as a part of my greater identity. My identity is found in Jesus Christ. It's through Him that I will participate and share these gifts. As a Speech Pathologist, I will show patience and gentleness. As a wife I will be loving and supportive. As a participant of different cultures I will give respect and understanding. As a bargain hunter I will be honest and giving. As a student of new hobbies I will not keep found knowledge to myself. I will be a good steward of all things because all that has been given to me has been a gift from God.

So join my husband and I as we experiment in living frugally and environmentally. Your feedback, stories, and questions would be greatly appreciated as we shop, save, and share our way through this investigation of all things living simply.