GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. It is a powerful piece of software with capabilities not found in any other free software product. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert-quality photo-retouching program, an online batch- processing system, a mass production image renderer, or an image-format converter.
The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image-manipulation procedures.
Most of us take a lot of things in this life for granted: A roof over our heads, food to eat, clean water to drink, an education, medicine when we need it, a bed to sleep on, etc.
The cold hard truth is that a lot of children have no roof over their heads. They go to sleep, if they can sleep, hungry. They have no clean water to drink. They don’t get an education. They have no soft bed to lay on. they have no medicine when they need it.
Some of their bellies are bloated but not from being overstuffed with food – but rather because they have not eaten in so long. For some, to get a drink means to drink filthy water, often the same water they bathe in or wash their few clothes in and that animals have been in.
How many of us can imagine living this way? I dare say, not many of us. But this is a way of life for many children, and they need help. They need our help.
How many of us spend a dollar or so a day on something we don’t really need? Like a soda or some fries or a chocolate bar? How many of us buy boxes and boxes of soda every month? How many of us eat out all during the week?
Christmas is coming. How many of us will spend money and buy loads of Christmas gifts for our kids – gifts that in all honesty will probably get shoved to the side after the new wears off.
Why not do something different – and make a difference. Why not sponsor a child and make a difference in that child’s life? For less than $30 a month, less than $1 a day, you can make a difference in the life a child. You can choose a boy or a girl to sponsor. You can correspond with the child with letters and photos if you want to, plus get updates about the child. you can even visit the child if you want to!
And trust me, these kids WILL appreciate what you do! You can help clothe a child, help feed a child, help a child get medicine and clean water, help a child have an education and a roof over their head. If you don’t think you can make a difference with so little, you are so wrong!
Years ago, I sponsored a little girl from the Philippines. At that time, sponsoring a child was only about $18 a month. I didn’t make a lot of money, but I always sent $20 a month instead of just the $18. I got letters from her telling me what she was able to buy with just that $2 extra … clothing for her AND her family, an umbrella, food, and more. Her mom was widowed and left to raise children on her own. The few dollars I was able to send helped the little girl and her family.
Sponsoring a child doesn’t just bless the child, it blesses you! It blesses you just knowing that you are making a difference in the life a child – a child that will grow up and know they were loved enough by a stranger to help them. And think of the difference they can make!
Most of us have pets, so we know how expensive it can become to have fur children. But just as with our human children, it doesn’t have to be expensive to have pets and take care of them. Frugal living with pets works, if we know what to do and what not to do.
Here are some frugal living tips for parents of fur children, to help save money and still provide great pet care.
1. Pet food - Dog food and cat food doesn’t have to cost a lot. If you have coupons for the name brand pet foods, then by all means use them (more so if the item is on sale – extreme couponing!). Some (not all) store brands of pet food are the same as the name brand, meaning the name brands package the exact same thing under a store brand. Trial and error on this will help you know which is which and what your pet likes and will eat.
The higher priced dog food and cat food might have more vitamins, but this doesn’t mean you have to buy it, just for the vitamins. Buy tablets or a paste and add it to your pet’s food. This is healthy but much less expensive.
2. Pet vaccinations - Pets need their vaccinations just as your human children do, although obviously different ones. Taking your pet to see the vet, if only for shots, can run into some money. A much more frugal approach to this is to visit your local feed type store. You can get the vaccination shot along with the needed syringe and give the vaccination to your pet yourself at home. Buying the vaccination and doing it yourself costs about $10, as opposed to a much higher fee if you go to the vet just for the pet shots.
Of course, if your pet is sick or hurt, by all means go to the vet. This frugal tip is only concerning the vaccinations, not medical care if it’s needed.
3. Pet grooming - If you have a pet (usually a dog) that requires a lot of grooming (such as a poodle), then you know that taking your pets to a groomer can run into some money – especially if you have more than one pet to be groomed. There are frugal ways to save money on dog grooming.
One way to save money on pet grooming and be frugal about it is to do your own dog grooming. This DOES take practice, and time, but you can do it. The first couple of times might mean your dog comes out looking a little funny, but remember that it does grow back. Plus after a little practice, you will become good at grooming. You can get a dog grooming kit at places such as Amazon.com, Walmart, etc. A good dog grooming kit will cost you from about $50 or so, maybe up to $100 – basically the cost of one or two grooming trips.
Another frugal way to save money on dog grooming is to barter, or trade, for the services of a dog groomer. If there’s something you do or can do, that a dog groomer would be willing to trade to groom your dog, then you’ve both saved money and gotten a good deal. For example, you might craft something the groomer wants, update a web page, create a WordPress blog, babysit for a few hours, etc.
Conclusion: Having pets can run into some money, but if you practice frugal living with your pets, then you will be happy and your pets will be happy, but you won’t be broke or in to poor house just because you have pets.
Moms are like most people. They get pleasure from a treat now and then. You can put together one of these frugal and easy to make Mother’s Day cakes for Mom and everyone else in the family to enjoy. Choose one of these easy to make Mother’s Day cakes if you want to impress Mom this year. Both are easy to make but taste wonderful. Either will be a treat Mom will love.
This cake doesn’t even require baking. How easy is that? In fact, it’s so easy even the children can make it.
Ingredients:
* 1 pre-made pound cake (10 ¾ ounces)
* 1 box (3 1/8 ounces) instant pudding in Mom’s favorite flavor
* 1 cup whipped topping
* Fruit of choice (bananas and strawberries are good choices)
* Chilled chocolate syrup
Instructions:
Begin by cutting the pound cake into several horizontal slices of about an inch thick each. Make the pudding according to the directions on the box and then mix in the whipped topping. Chop up the fruit in slices.
Place a layer of cake in the bottom of a glass loaf pan. Put a layer of fruit over the cake and then spoon some pudding over the fruit. Continue layering the cake, fruit and pudding mixture until the final layer of cake is placed. Finish by spreading pudding over the top of the cake.
Cover the cake loosely and then place it in the refrigerator for several hours. Decorate the cake with “Happy Mother’s Day” written in frosting and add some extra sliced strawberries or candy on top. When you serve the cake, squeeze chilled chocolate syrup over the cake. Enjoy!
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This next cake is called a “Granny cake” but Mom will love it, too!
Ingredients:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon ground gloves
* ¾ cup softened butter
* 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 6)
* 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (undrained)
* 3 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 cup finely chopped pecans
* Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions:
Begin by greasing and flouring a 10-inch fluted tube pan and set it aside. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves in a medium mixing bowl. Set this aside also.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds with an electric mixer set on medium. Add the bananas, pineapple, eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until it’s combined. Then beat the mixture on medium speed for 1 minute. Finish by folding in the chopped pecans. Spread in the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes in an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. The cake is finished baking when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack for 10 minutes before you remove it from the pan. Cool thoroughly and then sift powdered sugar over the cake to serve, if desired.
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