I’m off today, but you are welcome to browse my site and check out these links I’ve found for you to enjoy.

• Small Notebook posted A Week’s Menu Plan and Grocery Shopping List All in One. This is really cool. You need to check it out. Rachel has also included a printable download to help you get started.
• Take a look at this cute and creative pencil holder Jennifer at Beautiful Calling made with her little girl.
• I have to try these Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups. Theo-Ann posted this recipe over at Outside the Box! and it looks and sounds absolutely delicious.
• Lynnae at Being Frugal wrote a great article called Take Advantage of Teachable Moments. It’s about teaching your children that money is not an infinite resource.

I hope you enjoyed these links. Thanks for stopping by! I’m off to play!!

Related posts:

1. Playday Thursday: Love I'm off today, but you are welcome to browse my site. On Thursday's, I'm giving myself a little break and...
2. Playday Thursday: Go Green and Save Green I'm off today, but you are welcome to browse my site. On Thursday's, I'm giving myself a little break and...
3. Playday Thursday: Spring Is In the Air I’m off today, but you are welcome to browse my site. On Thursday’s, I’m giving myself a little break and...

If the economy has put a strain on your entertainment budget, you are probably cutting back on going to the movie theater and other expensive entertainment outings. That being the case, the next best option is probably renting movies.

Although, renting is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment, the prices at movie rental stores are really getting outrageous, especially when everyone in the family wants a different movie.

A couple years ago, my husband and I realized that we were spending too much money at movie rental stores. We also have a satellite, so occasionally we were renting off of pay-per-view too.

We found the solution to our movie rental dilemma.

We decided it was time to give Netflix a try. Boy, was that a great decision! Let me tell you why.

First of all there are several different rental options, so it’s easy to find the one that is right for your family’s needs.

So, what plans are available?

With Netflix’s unlimited plans, which start at $8.99 per month, there is no limit as to how many movies you can rent during a month. For example, with the $8.99 plan, you will receive one movie at the time, and as soon as you send it back another movie is mailed to you.

Other unlimited plans include:

• $13.99 per month - 2 DVDs out at-a-time (this is the one we have)
• $16.99 per month - 3 DVDs out at-a-time
• $23.99 per month - 4 DVDs out at-a-time

One limited plan is offered:

• $4.99 per month - 1 DVD out at-a-time, limited to only 2 DVDs per month

Other benefits include instant movie viewing.

(high speed internet required)

Neflix offers over 12,000 movies and TV episodes that you can watch directly from your computer or through a Netflix ready device, such as a Roku Digital Video Player or an internet connected Blu Ray player.

We purchased the Roku player for a one time cost of $99 plus shipping. It has been well worth the cost for us.

Instant viewing is unlimited if you subscribe to one of the unlimited rental plans. With the limited plan, you are alloted only 2 hours of instant viewing per month..

How does the mailing process work?

From my experience, if I send a movie back in the prepaid envelope on Monday, they usually receive it on Tuesday and mail another movie out to me. On Wednesday, I have my new movie in the mailbox.

Occasionally, it can take two or three days, but that is very rare. Of course, they are closed on weekends, so you have to take that into account when determining when you should receive another movie.

How do you get started?

Netflix offers a free trial period of two weeks. During this time you can see how the process works and determine the time it takes to send and receive movies. If you decide that Netflix is not for you, you can simply cancel your subscription 24 hours a day.

Yes, I do have an ad right here on my site for Netflix because I believe it is the best way to save money on renting movies. Feel free to use that link if you are interested in this service.

If you don’t want to use my link, don’t let that stop you from saving money on video rentals. Go on out to the Netflix site and sign up right there.

My personal experience

We have subscribed to Netflix for about two years now, and we have been extremely happy with our choice.

Since I love fitness videos, I rent videos I think I might be interested in buying. This way I am able to see if I like the video before purchasing it.

Our family loves watching some of the older movies, as well as old and new TV shows, on instant viewing, and my kids love the children’s shows, such as Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Charlie Brown, Dora the Explorer and many others.

Again, if you are spending too much money each month on movies, it may really be worth it to check out this option. In addition, for anyone who may feel the need to cut out expensive cable or satellite, this may be a great choice for keeping television in your home.

For more detailed information, please visit Netflix.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Related posts:

1. Provoke Your Kids - To Laughter "Laughter is an instant vacation." -- Milton Berle Can you imagine a world without laughter? Boy, what a boring...
2. Introducing Family Night Families are constantly on the go these days with church activities, ball games, school, work, and whatever else comes along....

Posted on May 12th, 2009 in Money Matters | 6 Comments

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Could God have made a mistake when He chose a mother for Lucy?

She’s not allowed to paint the dog’s toenails, eat a snack before lunch or wear her fairy princess costume to church. Surely, there was some mistake.

After Lucy rudely lets her mother know how she feels, her mother suggests Lucy interview a few ladies in order to find a more suitable mother for herself. Lucy thinks this sounds like a okay idea, at least initially.

However, to Lucy’s surprise, she finds the whole interview process to be quite tiring, difficult and eye-opening.

Maybe God did know what He was doing after all. Even though her mom doesn’t always let her do whatever she wants to do, they sure do have a lot of fun together.

Lucy’s not sure this will be the case with a new mother, especially after some of the answers she receives to her interview questions.

My Thoughts:

I was so excited about reading this story from the moment I read it’s title and description, and let’s just say, I was not at all disappointed.

Not only is this book adorable, but it’s also a great way for helping chidren see that God doesn’t make mistakes in placing them exactly where He wants them and with the parents He wants them to be with.

This is an excellent book to sit down and read aloud with your children. It provides a great opportunity to talk about things that make your time with one another special and unique. The Mommy Interviews is definitely one of my new favorites.

Tiny Tidbits:

Kristy Stratton-Tolley is a homeschooling mother of two girls and a freelance travel writer. To learn more about her, and find inspirational writings, you can visit her website at KristyTolley.com.

Related posts:

1. Playday Thursday: Mommy Links I’m off today, but you are welcome to browse my site and check out these links for moms I've found...
2. A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno If we admit it, from time to time we are all tempted to tell a little white lie if we...

Posted on May 11th, 2009 in Books | One Comment

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...