Even though I grew up in a family that always had a luscious garden and well groomed flower beds, I was never much of a green thumb.  Part of my problem was that I was allergic to pollen and mold, which as you know is something that you find on many plants.

My parents always wanted me to contribute to their landscaping design ideas, but since I couldn’t enjoy the completed landscaping designs, I really was not too eager to help.  Though they were disappointed, they continued over the years to try and ignite a passion for landscaping in me.

It wasn’t until I took a class on lantana care that I learned what my parents were truly teaching me - there is just something about watching something that you grow yourself blossom into something better.

Even though I still don’t have a green thumb, those lessons are still with me today.

When my daughter first got her license and had her first car, we called around to get a cheap car insurance rate for her. We knew that having the car was going to be a big expense for her and we did not want her to work any more than she already did, for fear that she would pay the price with her grades in school.

We had thought that there was no way a first time driver could get cheap auto insurance and we were pleasantly surprised at some of the great deals that we were able to find. It ended up costing her a whole lot less than we had estimated and she was happy with the freedom that her wheels afforded her.

My husband decided to switch to the same company for his classic car insurance, as it was a substantial savings compared to what he had been paying. We have learned that it definitely pays to shop around and it is nice to be living with two happy people.

While there are many companies that try to provide products and services to the masses, I would rather serve a small niche and be the dominating force within it.  Not only am I able to specialize in exactly what my clients need, but I am also able to become the main provider of services to my industry.

By following this strategy, I was able to become the main provider of business forms in my community.  What set me apart from my competitors was that I ensured that the forms provided were not general in nature: they were specific to the city in question.

Some examples of the forms we provided included deed polls and company registers for our area.  I made sure that they were specific to the laws in the area which meant that my clients needed to do very little customization and research before filling them out.

The results of my specialization proved to be very profitable and they still are to this day.  In fact, whenever I design a business and make sure to cater to small niche and dominate it.

Usually after church on Sunday, our family goes out for lunch.  This is a great opportunity for us to catch up with our friends and see how their week went.  It is also the only day of the week where we have the opportunity to be together as a family, and the kids love to go out with their mom and dad.

If you have children, you know how expensive it can be to take them out for dinner.  For us, it seems that it has gotten to the point where our kids eat more than we do, and it is getting rather expensive to go.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife was using her coupon toolbar to see if we could get a deal on some of the local restaurants.  Since she is such a fan of coupons, it came as no surprise to me that she would try to find a deal.

As it turns out, there were a number of dining coupons available for restaurants in our area, and it has reduced our bills immensely.  Besides, who doesn’t want to get a discount on their lunch?

I remember when I was a little girl and my mother would take me shopping for Dad’s birthday or for father’s day. Mom, not being a very creative or imaginative person, would always peruse the mens ties and that is usually what we ended up buying him.

As I grew older and started purchasing gifts for him on my own, I realized how very hard my dad is to buy for. He has everything that he needs and if he wants something, he just goes out and gets it for himself. I have strayed from the ties, as I have figured he must have about a hundred by now, and I usually end up getting him cufflinks now.

I got him some for his birthday a few years ago and he loved them, so I decided I should stick with something I know he will use. I have even been eyeing some money clips that I know he would enjoy.

One of the perks of my job in is that we get staff discounts on vacations.  Not only is this a great excuse to take a holiday, but it also makes the price of taking a vacation cheap enough so as to not hurt your finances too much.

In fact, by taking these cheap holidays, it not only makes us more productive workers, but we also consider it to be very much like having a bonus each year.

In the past year, have taken advantage of the discount to get cheap flights to Turkey which is one of my favorite travel destinations.  I spent a lot of time in Icmeler Turkey as I have family there and I also enjoy sitting on their beaches.

If it wasn’t for the staff discount, chances are that we would only be able to afford one vacation per year.  If that was the case, I don’t think I would be as productive in the workplace.