And here we have my final list of helpful and various ways to relieve stress and/or be of assistance in keeping shelters open and being of assistance to over 850 ferrets from the ferret breeding farm 1.Shop at Aldies shopping store more. Gotten away from the store with the lowest prices? Long line a lot of times there. Bring a book in with you. Stick it in your purse. Bring your own bags. Out of the way? So shop there once a month and try to really stock up. (The Dollar Stores are great for other than food or drug items.) [Moderator's note: Ali is a discount store with locations mainly in the eastern half of the US. BIG] Usually great prices on cat litter. And you would be surprised at how nice the X-Mas toys are. Save money on food, toys, and maybe litter for the cat. Put $3.oo aside. You saved at least that much. After 12 months...you have $36 to donate. People giving now may well be unable to donate again for some time. This rescue NEEDS people to also donate a year from now. YOU can be there for all these babies when most other people are tapped out. 2. Stuff pizza and pop and candy down the throats of your children that you got at Aldies grocery store BEFORE you go to that movie the kids and their friends just have to see. You know some of the best movies of the year will be around X-mas. Take the $30 you and your children saved from not buying that expensive stuff at the movies. Let them figure out what shelter they want to donate to that will be involved in this rescue. Oh, and if in one of those multi movie theaters, try sneaking into another movie that is on your way out. You can teach morals next year. 3. Ask your kids to give up their salaries for 2 weeks. Involve them in the experience here. Have them send off that money and a hand made card to the rescue. Ask your hubby to give up his salary made in one day to you. Promise to be very good....or very naughty. Watch him laugh. Make Him sleep on the couch. 4. We are here in the biggest catastrophe to ever hit the ferret community. Lots of powerful emotions pouring out of many of us. This would be a good time to look in that truth mirror, and admit if you have a drinking problem that you are powerless over . (No ...not you. Kiddy Cocktails do not count.) Now is the first day of the rest of your life. Look up AA in the phone book and call TODAY. Do it for yourself. And a year from now...you will be saving SO much money from all the booze you will not be drinking...you will be able to donate as a proud and sober and sane, and a much nicer individual. (No. Not YOU dear. You're menopausal: cranky, sweaty, and old. Oh...sorry. That's me. Damn truth mirror..) 5. Get rid of that credit card debt and 19% interest. Do that before you donate a penny to anything. Use all the hints for saving money, and take care of yourself.. So often the people with the least are the first to care. Give you the shirt off their backs. Lots of kisses to all of you.. Let donating any money go. You can be emailing people that might be able to help, and sending a nice card to Lori? 6. Set your hot water heater lower. I saved quite a bit doing that. I got a new heater in, and my bill went up over $20 in one month. I called to find out what it could be from. They recommended I turn down the heat on the water heater. $240 a year savings! 7. Use cold water and adjust your washing machine to low water for small loads whenever you can. Cut the drying time down for small loads to save money on gas. Clean your dryer filter out every load! Look at your bill last month, then the month to come after you have initiated changes. Donate the savings. 8. Greatly increase your husbands life insurance policy. Then...tell him over dinner that includes at least 8 cups of strongly caffenated coffee... that the little belly you are showing is actually quadruplets. Oh. And his only son talked to you and wants a sex change. Collect life insurance payment after funeral and donate some of that cashola.. 9. Sell one of your children. No; don't be silly. Not the fur one. Got one that is 28 years old and back in the house? Sell the drugs he has hidden in his socks and donate. 10.Wear long john underwear, warm bath robes, scarf, and slippers to help keep the heating bills down this winter. Donate the money you saved before the divorce is finalized. [Posted in FML 5747]