A collection that will give your lovely garden a burst of color! Each Under $50.00!
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Are you a mother and an entrepreneur looking for office furniture to support your startup business? You probably share the same concerns about budgeting as hundreds of thousands of other women – including me. Here’s a snapshot of the burgeoning “Mompreneur” movement:
- The total number of small businesses owned by women is increasing 50% faster than the number of small businesses as a whole. (American Express 2011)
- Family factors are a driving force in the choice to become self-employed. Women spend a great deal of time providing ‘secondary childcare’ – that is, taking care of their children while simultaneously performing work. (SBA 2009)
- Women-owned firms only receive between 5 and 15% of the funding handed out by venture capitalists and angel investors. (Alicia Robb, Kauffman Foundation)
In other words, we moms are starting businesses in record numbers on a shoestring budget while taking care of our kids. But you probably already knew that! What you might not know are some of the tricks for furnishing your office when cash is tight. Here are three tips I’ve learned over the years that may help:
Know When to Scrimp and When to Splurge
When you are allocating your office furniture budget, the desk should be one of the cheaper items on your list. If you think about it, all you really need is a nice flat surface to work on. I actually like the fact that I don’t have to care about the childproof latches I installed on my hand-me-down desk marring the cheap laminate finish. Put your real money toward an $800-1000 ergonomic office chair. If you’ve tried cheap office chairs, you know you are paying a price with poor productivity and loss of focus from constant discomfort.
When you want to test drive a really high-end ergonomic chair, you have to find a contract office furniture store that sells to big companies. These office furniture showrooms are usually located off the beaten track in industrial parks rather than next to the Sam’s Club. Find a local dealer with the chairs you want to try by looking on the manufacturer’s website. Be sure to note the online price. Unlike many items advertised by the manufacturer with an inflated MSRP that is marked down in stores, the chairs you find at a contract furniture showroom are marked way up (kind of like jewelry). For example, the chair I wanted had a price tag of over $1100 in-store. Fortunately, I knew from the manufacturer’s website that I could order it direct for about $840 (with free shipping). Since I knew to point this out, the salesperson matched the price without any argument.
CIY (Convert It Yourself) for Maximum Ergonomics
As a mom, you’ve got to stay in shape to keep up with your young ones – plus, you need to keep those varicose veins to a minimum so you can age gracefully. This means jumping on the “sit-to-stand” bandwagon. Unfortunately, a nice adjustable height desk is very pricey. Even an attachment that clamps onto the desk to adjust your keyboard and monitor up and down can cost close to $500. I choked when I saw that price!
So, I created my own adjustable-height worksurface. I simply put two boxes on my desk (one for my keyboard and one for my mouse) to turn it into a sit-to-stand station. My monitor is actually a 32” flat screen TV that is wall mounted at just the right height to allow me to work seated or standing. The screen and the mount together cost me less than an adjustable sit-to-stand attachment. Even better, I didn’t have to sacrifice any desktop space. The boxes get stowed under the desk when not in use.
Buy Secondhand Furniture Even for First Class Employees
You do want your employees to have a nice work environment, so don’t scrounge for mismatched pieces at Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Instead, find a local office furniture dealer that sells used and refurbished cubicles, desks and chairs in excellent condition for a fraction of the price of new (30-70% off). Sourcing fleets of name brand workstations in excellent condition from companies that are liquidating old furniture is what these guys do every day. You can afford to buy really well-made pieces that all match if you go “pre-owned”. That’s not just good for your business image when clients come calling. It helps employees feel like part of a team. Popular models of high end cubicles are usually still being manufactured even a decade later, so you can add identical workstations later as your business grows!
Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This post brought to you by Coastal.com. All opinions are 100% mine.
Glasses can be practical and stylish. Whatever your vision may be, a cute pair of Designer Eyeglasses can add an extra touch of chicness to your look. Lately, I've noticed a lot of the fastionistas sporting Derek Cardigan Eyeglasses. Featured in Flo Rida’s “I Cry” music video and Alicia Key’s “Brand New Me” music video, Derek Cardigan eyeglasses are affordable for everyone and available to purchase online at Coastal.com. From this site, you can get them delivered to your home or office so you can order in your pajamas anytime of day or night! Sweet!
Derek Cardigan’s line is vintage inspired that reflects his joie de vivre philosophy on fashion and life. The style is bold yet subtle, and evokes the spirit of a swinging by-gone-age brought right up-to-date full of color, whimsy, joy and style. One thing that really draws me to these glasses is the price! When I started searching for a pair online, I couldn't believe that most were way under $100. Adorable and cheap? Yes, please!
Plus, for every pair of glasses purchased, Coastal donates another pair to someone in need! Look good, while doing good!
Check out a few of my favorites styles:
Glasses can be practical and stylish. Whatever your vision may be, a cute pair of Designer Eyeglasses can add an extra touch of chicness to your look. Lately, I've noticed a lot of the fastionistas sporting Derek Cardigan Eyeglasses. Featured in Flo Rida’s “I Cry” music video and Alicia Key’s “Brand New Me” music video, Derek Cardigan eyeglasses are affordable for everyone and available to purchase online at Coastal.com. From this site, you can get them delivered to your home or office so you can order in your pajamas anytime of day or night! Sweet!
Derek Cardigan’s line is vintage inspired that reflects his joie de vivre philosophy on fashion and life. The style is bold yet subtle, and evokes the spirit of a swinging by-gone-age brought right up-to-date full of color, whimsy, joy and style. One thing that really draws me to these glasses is the price! When I started searching for a pair online, I couldn't believe that most were way under $100. Adorable and cheap? Yes, please!
Plus, for every pair of glasses purchased, Coastal donates another pair to someone in need! Look good, while doing good!
Check out a few of my favorites styles:
What style is your favorite?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Hut. All opinions are 100% mine.
If you know me, you know that I love finding fabulous- and afforable- beauty products. That's what being Frugalful is all about, right? With summer quickly approaching, I need to get my skin in tip top condition! Luckily, I discovered a line of products by Tree Hut. They have natural products to get your hands and feet ready to show off this season!
Some of the products that I would like to try out are:
Tree Hut foot cream- Summer is a time for Flip Flops! Their foot cream is designed to keep your feet nice and soft with Shea Butter, Argan Oil, and Rose Hip Oil. Get ready to show off a new pedicure!
Tree Hut hand cream- with a new baby, I have to always keep my hands washed. All the washing usually dries out my skin. Tree Hut hand cream has a blend of Organic Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, and Peppermint Oil to keep hands moisturized .
Tree Hut foot scrub- My favorite! I love feeling like I'm getting a pedicure! Their scrub is made with Real Sugar, Shea Butter, and Peppermint Oil! Very refreshing!
All this talking about summer, I was inspired to make a board and share!
Did I mention that Tree Hut is made in the USA and not tested on animals! And the best part? The products are available at Walmart stores nationwide! I am on my way now!
You can follow Tree Hut on Twitter and like Tree Hut on Facebook for more information about all their products.
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We would all like to save money or have extra money for family activities. Saving money on electricity is one way to put aside extra cash. While there are no coupons for $20 off electricity, there are several easy ways to help those bucks add up, fattening your wallet as well as keeping unnecessary energy use to a minimum.
Get The Kids Involved
The Obvious
If you have an electric water heater, take shorter showers. With both water and electricity costs rising, it's a good idea to learn how to quickly clean up and rinse, rather than waste valuable energy and water standing in a shower. Use a shower timer that allows three minutes and see how long it takes your kids to adjust. Unless they've literally rolled in the mud and let it dry, three minutes or less is all they really need.
Appliances
The dryer also uses a tremendous amount of electricity. Hang clothes to dry as much as possible and try to use your dryer early in the morning or late at night. Using the air-fluff feature for as little as two minutes after clothes have air dried removes the stiffness and cuts energy use almost 100%.
For heating up that frozen pizza, use a toaster oven rather than the full sized one. It may take a couple of minutes longer but will still save a good amount of electricity. Or use your microwave for reheating. Newer microwaves have multiple power levels and using a mid range power level reheats better without using maximum energy.
Entertainment Electronics
Most homes also have cell phones, tablets or other devices needing a charge daily or almost daily. Set up one charging station for devices with the various cords needed and plug into a power strip with a surge protector. Again, turn off when not in use.
Windows Open / Windows Closed
For west facing windows, consider room-darkening shades in the summertime. It keeps things cooler when the afternoon sun blazes. Or in a cold climate, use extra insulation on the north facing windows.
Overall, there are many ways to save electricity. The kids will eagerly help once they begin to see a difference in those bills and are able to enjoy a movie night or dinner out that they wouldn't have had otherwise.
Carla C. Burton is a self-employed Mummy blogger with a BBA in Business Administration from Bond University. Although a Gold Coast native, Carla moved to Melbourne in 2008 to further her writing career and raise her children. Carla has become a top contributor to many blogs worldwide and thoroughly enjoys the freedom that self-employment has provided her. To find out more about Carla or to follow her other posts, follow her on Twitter @CarlaCBurton.