Top-6-mindless-money-wasters

top-6-mindless-money-wasters: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

This is a good article on awareness of money wasters, which are:

-->Convenience Stores

-->Cell Phone Plans

-->Soft Drinks at Restaurants

-->Unnecessary Bank Fees

-->Magazines at the Check Out Line

-->Annual Credit Card Fees

These are indeed BIG money wasters and worth checking out.

5 Tips to Get What You Really Want from GiftCards

So, here we are. It's January and you probably have already burned through many of the gift cards you received over the holidays.

The ones you still have left are probably from somewhat obscure places or are for places that don't carry what you really want.

Bear in mind I use the term "general fund" a lot. The general fund is the fund I use for regular, household purchases: groceries, paper products, linens, health/beauty products, etc. These are the items that we use the most of and need replenishing regularly.

Cases in point:

Tip #1
I had a gift card for Target,but they didn't carry the vacuum cleaner I wanted. Walmart did. What to do?
Read More

8 Secret New Year's Resolutions

After Christmas, instead of asking everyone, "How was your Holiday?", I would like to ask, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

This year, I was looking for a little companionship and fun. And to be honest, I didn't really get either.

I have realized that I need more fun and friends in my life. That is why my New Year's Resolution reflects that. I plan on socializing more in 2010. Or how about just socializing at all?

I think this is somewhat the way others determine their New Year's resolution. Every year many get their hopes up. It's called Holiday Spirit. People try to get "into" the meaning of the holiday. Others look to family and to a lesser extent, friends, to fulfill their Holiday Spirit needs.

I believe our secret New Year's Resolutions reflect, what deep down inside, we realized we were missing after the Holiday.

So we move on to improve things. We figure the new year is the answer for what we missed at the holidays.

The following are 8 well-known New Year's Resolutions and their secret counterparts:

1. The most popular not-so-secret New Year's Resolution's is to lose weight. With similar secret resolutions being: to look younger, wear more fashionable clothes, apply make-up more professionally, and of course, have more good hair days.


2. Probably the next most favored resolution is regarding money. Something along the lines of spend less, and/or make more. The connected secret aim is to get a new car, bigger house and more toys.


3. There's the infamous career advancement, which really means I want the boss to like me.


4. Of course, another attractive intention is to have closer relationships, companionship and understanding. These people secretly want love or just better sex.






5. I've also heard a lot about spirituality. People really want inner peace, change, a fresh start/clean slate, less stress, hope, relief, freedom, or just an easier life.


6. Another leading declaration is to be more organized, which translates to having a clean house or just more time in the day.


7. The people who wish to be smarter, declare themselves to want to go back to school.





8. The resolution to quit smoking is sometimes about health, but most often about control.


In my mind there is nothing wrong with trying to improve your life through a resolution, as long as one is committed and can sustain the momentum all year. My 2009 New Year's Resolution was vague, but I think I (barely) managed to sustain it. It was to put more effort into yournontoxiclife. How'd I do?

There may be more to come on the 2010 New Year's Resolution. I may use yournontoxiclife as an online diary of how well I do with making more friends and having more fun. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!!!


(photo credits: Abigail Silvester, alancleaver_2000, Qfamily, DorkJr)

Top tips for the recently unemployed

The Unemployment Olympics

My household has dealt with unemployment for almost 14 months.

There I said it, er wrote it. And, I have to say that I may look back on this time in my life and feel I really learned a lot. However, most likely, I will look back and think boy did that suck.

Whew! That feels good to have gotten off my chest. Which brings me to the first of my top tips for the recently unemployed.

1. Try not to freak out.
Freaking out will not help. Trust me on this. Take a deep breath (or fifty). It's going to be OK.

2. Accept that short term planning may be all you can do right now.
This may be a short term thing or a long term thing, it's impossible to know. The one thing you can plan on is today and maybe tomorrow. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Have you heard of the phrase "Take it one day at a time."? Try to live by that and you'll realize you can handle whatever happens each day.

3. Get it together.
Educate yourself. You have choices. Contact the unemployment office for a quote of your entitlements. Discover if you will qualify for food assistance, rent assistance, etc. Consider your richest relative; now may be the time to seek them out. I'm not kidding, here. These are desperate times and that does call for desperate measures.

4. You're not alone, so don't live that way.
Find a support group, online forum, or career counselor. The more support you can get, the better prepared you will be for the adventure of job searching! You will need to vent about all this stuff you are going through. Your spouse will want you out their hair. It's win-win.

Superheros aren't the only ones looking for a job these days.

5. Structure your days.
OK, I know it is tempting to catch up on sleep and just "hang out" until something magically comes up, however, it's really important for your mental health that you do something productive each and every day. Try cleaning, painting, going to the library or outdoor projects. Keep structured and keep busy.

6. Deal with less money.
OK, here is a great way to reframe your sudden poverty. It's called going green! Yes, going green can save you BIG money and joblessness is a great excuse to save humankind.

Go Green to Save Green

The above tips have helped me and my family keep our sanity. I know (because I've followed my own tips) that Number 1 is really the most important, so I'll repeat it again.

Freaking out will not help. Trust me on this. Take a deep breath (or fifty). It's going to be OK.

(Photo credits: clementine gallot, steve p2008, ewen and donabel)

Saving Money Carnival!

alamosbasement

I appear today over at Savings with Sadie for her 2nd edition of the Carnival of Savings. There are 14 other great links to help you save money, just in time for the money pit back-to-school can be. Check it out!

a great way to save on skin care products

I'd like to think I take pretty good care of my skin.

I try to minimize stress lines and have been practicing meditation for 20 minutes a day, on average, for over a year. I practice yoga regularly and jog a few miles several times a week.

To keep my skin hydrated, I drink plenty of water. I also have an iron-clad skin care regime, which includes daily sun block.

And yet...I still break out and have these wrinkles! So, I try products here and there, without actually having any objective reason to feel they are successful, except that it says will help on the bottle or tube. But it usually ends up being a waste of money and time.

HOWEVER, I have found a useful website. It's called Skin Analysis. And I think they are going to save me both money and grief.

You see, they give free skin analysis. You just have to send them a pic of your skin; a close up of the problem area and in a few days they get back to you with a FREE analysis. Isn't that cool?

There are also reviews upon reviews with opinions of the products from people who have tried them. They review eye cream and wrinkle cream among other products.

What I especially like about this site is that is it a non-affiliate site. The folks who review products are average Janes, just like you and me. They do NOT get paid for their reviews and there are no affiliate links from Skin Analysis to any product website.

So, in essence it's like getting a recommendation from your BFF about something that really works to help you look better, feel better and love your nontoxic life.

I'd love to hear comments from anyone who has tried Skin Analysis!

Note: this has been a paid post.

Back to School on the Cheap

dave_mcmt

Back to school is an exciting time for everyone, but it can also be rushed and chaotic if you don't plan ahead a bit.

There are many things you will need to purchase.

Here is a list of things you might need and how to save BIG on them:

Clothes and Shoes

• online coupon codes, clearance-Repeat after me: "I will never buy anything online without first searching for a coupon code." Coupon codes can, at the very least, save you shipping and may even get you a dollar or percentage off, even on items already on clearance.

• Speaking of clearance, always be thinking ahead to the next 2 months and the next year. Things that are on clearance now, include summer clothes , which, in many parts of the country can be used for the next 2 months. So, buy some things in your kid's current sizes. But also buy a few things in your kid's next sizes for next summer. I especially buy shoes this way as it is hard to find used shoes anywhere.

• name brands/trendy styles-That trendy part of me from high school still loves name brands. However, I now only buy them on clearance or if I really must have it, on sale with a coupon code. Now, for my kids, I generally stay away from name brands because they outgrow things before they wear out. However, when that ceases to be true, I will shop around for name brands and ALWAYS use a coupon code. For the trendy kids, I will probably a few anchor pieces in my kid's wardrobe to be name brands/trendy and supplement with store house brands and basic items like jeans and black T-shirts.

• hand me downs-I love hand me downs!! Try to find someone with kid's slightly older than yours. Let them know you'd love to take outgrown clothes off their hands, whenever they are ready. Many times people really would like to find a good home for their kid's outgrown clothes, instead of donating them.

• goodwill/thrift/garage sales-Always a great place to find deals on kid's clothes and sometimes shoes. Generally, goodwill stores have a high turnover rate of clothes. Talk to the manager at your local store and s/he can tell you when they put out the most new goods. Same is true with local thrift stores. Garage Sales can be hit or miss, but to minimize time wasted, check the paper and go for anything marked "kid's stuff".
  

back_garage

Backpacks/lunchboxes

• Shop around. And around. And around. Many places are having back to school sales and there are good deals out there.
  

• Avoid "character" backpacks. They are generally smaller and not as well made. Also there is no guarantee your darling will still like Dora next year.
  

• Make sure the style and options will be usable in the future. For example, for a kindergartner, buy a backpack with the lunch box as they will probably need it next year.

joebeone

School supplies

• First thing, check the dollar store for school supplies, you may be able to get a lot of what you need there.

• Buy school supplies in bulk whenever possible. I would even go in with a neighbor or friend, if possible.
  

• If you can wait until the September-October school supply clearance sales, wait.
  

• Don't forget to hit drug store sales for back to school supplies; they usually have great deals and good coupons, too.
  

• Search the Internet for printable back to school coupons, you may discover a few great deals on things that are already on sale now.

Communication can save you BIG

• Contact the school(s) to see if the kids need anything special for gym class, art class, etc., so you are not caught off guard when your little one tells you she needs an art smock "tomorrow" when it's 9pm.

• Many schools will sell you a complete package of back to school supplies for a flat rate. This may be a good deal and will start your child off with the same exact supplies everyone else has. Believe it or not, this is a big deal to some kids. In addition, the price of the supplies may benefit your local PTA, which is a great cause.
  

Electronics

• Yikes! Try not to freak out when you see the prices of some of things your kids need. Instead, calmly compare the sales online to save time. You will find some deals, especially if you educate yourself about memory and processor speed. The same is true for cell phones and cameras.
  

• Consider buying refurbished with a guarantee. This may be a great way to save money, especially since electronic items frequently become obsolete so quickly.

• If you have good credit, 0% interest deals may work for you.

• Try buying used from a smaller computer store.

Haircuts

• It's amazing to me what they will charge for a kid's haircut! However, have no fear, coupons are everywhere this time of year.
  

• The cheapest way is to cut the hair yourself. There are instructions for boys haircuts when you buy a buzzer/trimmer.
  

• For girls, try learning how to give a layered haircut and how to trim bangs. You'll save a fortune!
  

• Another option is to find a good stylist who will do haircuts for your family and friends at home. Many times, they will charge a fraction of their regular price if you supply the location. They may even be able to give you those highlights you've always wanted on the cheap!

~ Kevin McGrew ~

General Tips

• If you can be disciplined, get a few department store credit cards. The bigger stores usually run special sales, including cash back sales, for their credit card holders. But in order to feel the savings, you must pay it off completely each month.
  
• Only buy what you went in the store for!! Do not succumb to in-store marketing unless it is a major deal, or you will undo any savings you just got.
• Try things on you and your kids in the store, if possible. Many people get home with something only to find it doesn't fit or is damaged in some way. Those items may or may not ever get returned. Learn from me: I have actually had to tear tags off clothing before donating it. Though I did get a tax break for the donation, I still came out behind.
  

I hope you have found some good ideas here at your nontoxic life to save money on back to school. I'd also love to hear your best tips on saving at this time of year! Please comment below!

How to find $100 to reduce our climate impact

Environmental News Network:

Environmental News Network is reporting that climate legislation would only cost $100 for an average family per year.

Now, personally, I don't really have $100 laying around right now, but over the course of a year, I could find it. I think this cause is worth it.


How to find the $100:

In order to "find" the money to cover it, I will work on lowering my utility costs by $8.33 a calendar month.

• hot water heater blanket (estimated average yearly savings at least $25.00)

• water usage: fixing a dripping faucet, getting family to use less water (estimated average yearly savings $20)

• air conditioning: insulated curtains on the east side of my house (estimated yearly savings $25)

• electricity: using a green power strip on TV, Cable, DVD, VCR (estimated yearly savings $25)

• cable (my least favorite utility) canceling the $5 kid's channels (sorry, guys, we'll use the bizillion DVD's we have) (average yearly savings: $60)

OK! With $55 dollars extra saved. Hmmm, maybe that means I can buy new shoes this year!


(photo credit: azrainman)

Does Your Car Qualify for the Federal 'Cash for Clunker' Program? : Planet Green

Does Your Car Qualify for the Federal 'Cash for Clunker' Program? : Planet Green


This is a great deal for someone looking to buy a car. You can get $4,500 if your car qualifies. Since, IMHO, dealers usually see (read: hear) these cars coming and offer about $1,500 at most, this could make the difference between a new car and a life continuing with a clunker.

my secret big SPLURGE

Some people, who shall remain nameless, wrinkle their nose at the thrifty things I do. They wonder what the heck do I spend my money on, anyway.

I am going to tell you about my biggest splurge and how I even managed to save money with it!

I have found that I tend to tense my shoulders up, like all the time.

So, if you're going to BlogHer this Friday and you see someone walking around with their shoulders up to their ears, that's me. I really do notice myself doing this very often. Even as I write this, I am doing it. Down shoulders, down!

Besides this being weird, it also has wreaked havoc on my shoulders and back muscles and boy do I pay for it through general soreness, upper back problems and neck strain.

My solution, would be to get a massage every night, but alas, I couldn't find a private masseuse who would come over and do this every night for peanuts.



Instead, I used all that money I have saved and bought a Human Touch Massage Chair.

I just LOVE this thing! I use it nearly every night for 15-30 minutes. It has programmable options for where it hurts, plus a general 15 minute lower back, upper back or full back option. It also has three different programs for my feet or legs. As well, it has a 15 minute stretch that is out of this world!

The gurus at Human Touch researched how to make this all feel, well, human. It does the rolling, kneading, compression and percussion that REAL massage pros do. It also allows you to adjust the intensity, for those of us who like it, ahem, rough.

I justify this as a stress and health related expense. Massages reduce stress, help circulation and beef up your immune system. I also find the feeling of kneading to relax the heck out of me, too, so I can sleep better.

I actually saved money on this over paying for massages. I figured if I had a massage every week, this chair paid for itself in less than a year. I can't say enough about this chair, worth more than what I paid!

Anyone else want to confess, I mean share, their secret splurge?

my 12 deepest, darkest secrets to saving money

AMagill

Here is a list of all I can think of that I do to save money. You may not agree with all I do. But this is how I make ends meet in this economy.

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours. How do you save money?

1. Online Coupon Code Obsession
Ever since I discovered coupon codes, I will not buy ANYTHING online without a quick search. I am OBSESSED with these codes because they really save me big dollars. Generally I never pay shipping and usually get a % off or $ off code as well. Try these sites for codes for your favorite stores:
Coupon Chief
Good Bazaar
Retail Me Not
Average Savings: Free Shipping, 10-30% off


2. Aldi
This is a chain of small grocery stores in 29 of the United States and 18 countries, where you can save 40-50% on your groceries. They mainly carry their House Brand, but occasionally have Special Purchases. This is where I spend the majority of my food budget.
Average Savings: $500/year.

Tjeerd

3. Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF), Especially with Meat
Though I usually do all my food shopping at Aldi, I always browse the ads from the other, more expensive grocers. About once a month one or the other has a Buy One Get One Free Sale. However, I do believe they raise their prices for these events, so I am pretty picky. I usually opt for the whole pieces of meat: roasts, turkey/chicken breast, chops, etc., where I get the biggest bang for my buck.
Average Savings: about 40-50% off.


4. Cashing In On Kid's Presents, Gift Cards
Since my kids were born they have received many, many duplicate gifts or gifts that were the wrong style or size. There have also been things we simply didn't need or want, to be honest. Thankfully most people include a gift receipt these days. So, I do not hesitate to return many of these gifts for gift cards or store credit. My kids also get cash and gift cards as gifts, too.

I put the cash in an envelope and over time, buy the gift cards to be used for household purposes. I keep track of each transaction on the envelope and eventually my kids have a lot of cash. This is also a great learning experience for my kids as we talk about their "savings envelopes" often. I use this cash for BIG ticket items my kids want, but we can't afford. Recently, this money paid for 1/2 of a beautiful swing set! Now we are saving up for a Wii system.
Average Savings: $200/year.

robinsonsmay

5. DIY
Anything service people can do, I can do better! Well, not better, but definitely cheaper! I ALWAYS check my bookshelf and search engine (try swagbucks) for ideas on "How to..." do anything.

• When the fridge leaked water all over
• When the washing machine quit
• When the garage door wouldn't open
• When the (gasp) computer wouldn't let me get online

These issues all occurred in the last 4 months. (Yes, I have had some bad luck). Out of these four potential disasters we managed to fix it all ourselves. My favorite websites for DIY repairs are:
The Samurai Appliance Guru, Repair 2000, and The Natural Handyman. (Thanks, Maggie May).
Average Savings: $200+ in service calls.


6. Make it Myself
I always try to make it myself, if I can. I make all my own cleaners, and baby wipes. I make my own concoction of:

• Hand soap : Clorox Natural Dish Soap, diluted 60/40 with water
  
• Shampoo: Baby Shampoo, diluted 60/40 with water and 10 drops tea tree oil
  
• Honey face mask: warm for 5 seconds in microwave and smear on face. Leave on 15 minutes. Results: less oily and softer skin
• Instead of Nose Strips: I packet Gelatin, with 1 1/2 TBSP milk, warm in microwave for 10-15 seconds and apply to T-Zone. Leave on 15-30 minutes until dry. Will peel off and take hair with it, so be cautious where you use it. Results: minimizes pores.
  
• I make dinners in bulk and then freeze them for future use. I especially like to make freeze chimichangas. They are easy to cook from frozen and so good!
• Acne: Ugh. Try using tea tree oil dabbed right on the blemishes.
  

Average Savings: $300-$600+/per year.


7. Frozen Milk
See my post on how freezing milk saves me BIG.


8. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is seriously my new favorite website. It's a lot of money saving, plus a little treasure hunting. You sign up and use them for searches, which are powered by Ask and Google. Every third search or so, you earn 1-5 swagbucks. You can also subscribe to their Twitter feed and they will tell how to get a "code" to enter in their homepage,which will also get you a Swagbuck. I just earned 45 bucks in 5 weeks of casual use and turned that into a $5 Amazon gift card. How fun! Sign up here.
Average Savings: $5 and counting!




9. Websites and Forums
My favorite money saving websites and forums:

• Frugal Girls!
• Money Saving Tips
• Pays to Live Green
• The Greenest Dollar
• Wise Bread

Average Savings: $100 so far this summer!


10. Never Carry Cash
When I quit smoking, I realized how the cash I carried lasted me so much longer. However, when I had kids, the opposite occurred. Any cash I now have on my person, is like gone, in a flash and I couldn't tell you where it went.

I now have a credit/debit card from my bank and I use it for EVERYTHING, even amounts less than $5 (though there are few of those these days). My bank offers me points that add up to $20 in free gift cards every three months.
Average savings: $80-$100/year.


11. Garage sales/Goodwill/Clearance/Generics
I really only spend money on something if it's from a discount store, on sale or clearance, at a garage sale, or maybe goodwill.

• Garage Sales-I keep a running wish list of used things I'd like for a bargain. Examples include: an extra dresser, lanterns, night stand and clothes for my oldest.
• Good Will- I love buying clothes, jeans especially at good will. They sometimes also have clothes for my kids and occasional furniture I can refinish or paint. And all for a great cause.
  
• Sale or clearance- I *heart* sales, especially end-of-season clearance. Find out when the Kmart near you does their $1.99 on apparel sale, I believe it's twice a year and well worth a trip, even if things are already picked over. I found pajamas, work slacks, underwear for my kid and a bra for me. All $1.99 each. Really.
• Discount store- shop early and often to get the best deals. When discount stores have clearance, you can bet you're getting the best deal out there.
• Generics or House Brands- I will buy just about anything in the generic form (prescriptions, napkins, paper towels, food, coffee, wrinkle cream (not that I have wrinkles or anything), lotion, etc.

Average Savings: $100-$300/year.

12. Lowering Utilities
This is easier than you think. Electric and Gas companies sometimes offer you a guide to variable rates. If you sign up, you can choose when to run your biggest energy appliances, like dishwasher, washer/dryer and the air conditioner. In addition, invest in a power strip to use on your TV/DVD/cable box center. Turn off EVERYTHING when you go to bed. You can also turn off your hot water heater (covered in an insulation blanket) when you go away on vacation. Replace all those regular bulbs with CFL bulbs. Install a digital thermometer so you can control the temperature. If you really want to get fancy, install ceiling fans, and reuse your grey water from the washer to water plants.
Average Savings: $600+/year.

bkusler

Now that you've seen my list, tell me: What do you secretly (or not so secretly) do to save money?

eyeglasses for $8

It is the summer and many folks in my state are now required to take their school aged children to the eye doctor.

To those of us on a budget, this strikes fear. I mean glasses and kids don't mix, right? They are expensive, and frequently get broken or lost.

Many parents ask of this new law: is it really about the kids or did the eye doctors lobby?

Well, politics aside, kids do need their eyes to be in tip-top condition in order to do well in school. Eyesight affects reading, math, following written instructions on the board, eye-hand coordination, and social skills. I can't tell you how many of my colleagues have mentioned a child struggling in school made a complete turn-around once they got glasses.

But back to the cost: it's prohibitive. Vision insurance is a joke. It's not really insurance, it's a small discount off the HUGE marked up prices in eye doctor's offices.

But I have found Zenni Optical and let me tell you, they are a godsend. I have spent hundreds of dollars on prescription eyeglasses and am always holding my breath for when that pair breaks or gets lost. But Zenni is an online store where you can get prescription eyeglasses for as little as $8!! NO KIDDING!

What's the catch? You do need a valid prescription with the "pupilary distance", which means the distance between your pupils. Your eye doctor may not put this on the prescription, so just make sure you ask or call for that number before you order your glasses.

But otherwise no catch. Check out these cute glasses for a little boy:





These are just USD $12.95 plus $4.95 shipping! I am serious. Please let me know what you think or if you've tried Zenni. With this economy, they have my business!

Note: this is a paid post, please see my disclosure policy below if you have questions about that.

how frozen milk saves me money

At a recent poor point in my life, I decided to see where all my money was going.

I looked at bank records and noticed that I spend a LOT of money on food. I was seeing charges from the grocery store up to 8 times a month. What's with that?

Of course, I blamed this on my husband. But I looked carefully and realized I was also to blame for the obsessive shopping. I know. I was shocked, too.

I saw two huge charges every month and then 6 smaller, but substantial charges scattered throughout the month. I thought back and remembered running of milk around some of those times.

markhillary

Apparently we buy really expensive milk, because each stop cost us an average of $45! Not including the $4 a gallon gas we used on each trip.

The key then, I thought, is to ONLY buy milk when we run out. So we tried that for awhile and found our average then went up to like $48 per milk trip! Madness, I tell you!

I actually kept the receipts so I had some data to look at. Now when we ran out for milk we knew we were trying NOT to spend a lot so we only bought stuff "on sale". And that added up.

Then I knew it was time for drastic measures: no more buying milk.

Well, OK not THAT drastic, as I do have kids. But we could not afford to run out of milk in between those two major shopping trips we did per month.

So with some trial and error I discovered we use 12 gallons of milk per month. So, now at each shopping trip we buy 6 gallons. Since the dates on the milk do not always last two weeks and we also cannot support that many gallons in our fridge, we freeze the milk.

I figured if I could freeze breast milk, then frozen cow's milk must be fine, too. And it is. It does take almost two days for it to defrost in the fridge, so we have to be a bit organized about it. But otherwise it's been fine. The kids actually prefer the milk in a slushie-like state.

We do spend a bit more in those two shopping trips a month, but overall I figure we save about $180 a month by freezing our milk!

Please comment and let me know what you think of this crazy concept of freezing milk to keep our spending selves out of the grocery store.

what everyone ought to know about Borax

I love using non-toxic ingredients for cleaning, especially when I can get a lot of bang for my buck and find one item that has many uses.

Borax is an especially great product that really multi-tasks around the house.  It's available in most Mart stores in the laundry aisle.

1. Borax, as is, is a great scouring powder for counters, fiberglass, sinks or bathtubs.  Just sprinkle and turn a wet sponge into a cleaning machine.
2. Diaper Pail-yuck!  Just dissolve some borax in hot water and swish around the pail.  That dirty baby butt smell will disappear faster than you can say your nontoxic life.
   
3. Eau de toilette or "eww your toilet"?  Put some directly in the bowl and scrub.  Leave it overnight or just until the next "flush". I swear your bowl will sparkle as much as a toilet bowl can.
4. Laundry Booster- just add some to your dirtiest, stinkiest (think husband's socks) laundry along with your detergent. It is also gentle enough for your lingerie and delicates. 
5. Mold and Mildew. I HATE this stuff. Dissolve some Borax in HOT water. Let cool and use as a great alternative to bleach for the mold in your shower or on your basement walls.   Remember to rinse off walls or you may notice a little sparkley white residue when it dries.
6. Ant Killer!  This works great on those HUGE black carpenter ants, which really freak me out.  I have had problems with them in two houses now.  Maybe they followed me. Anyhoo, use table sugar and Borax, in a 1:2 ratio and sprinkle where the ants are currently.  Then sprinkle OUTSIDE where you think they are getting in.
7. Odor Neutralizer.  Let's face it.  Life stinks sometimes, especially if you live with children who still wet the bed (yes, kids, mommy sold you out on that).  Using Borax dissolved in water can help get the urine smell off of plastic mattress covers. 

I'd love to hear other uses for Borax to add to my list.  (Again with the even numbers thing).  Please comment and I'll add your tip with some link love.  

garbage day

In the deep end ;), originally uploaded by [ Kane ].

Today is "garbage day" in my community. People throw out things, usually furniture and other larger items, for anyone to come and pick up, for free.

This is really popular in our area and the surrounding towns. People come looking for something useful and take what they want. The folks who put out stuff win, too. They don't have to pay for trash pickup on these items.

Last, but not least, the planet wins biggest of all. For every (large) item that gets reused by someone new, a space stays open in a landfill.

It's a beautiful thing that even with the economy, the war and the swine flu, we can still get together and do something so positive.

And so it is.

vinegar, how do I love thee?

Vinegar is my best friend around the house.  I have bottles of it stashed everywhere.  Good thing it's really not drinkable or people might start to talk.

Here are my favorite uses for vinegar,which I pick up for less than $1.50 for a 1/2 gallon at Wal-Mart.  Of course it's also available by the gallon at grocery stores and still very cheap.

Bathroom

• spray bottle for urine "over-spray" (not me! my little boys)
• small spray bottle with essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to eradicate odors
• in the shower for use as a leave in conditioner or as a final rinse or dab anywhere on the body (i.e. feet if I am worried about odor during the day)
• small bottle with cotton balls for use a facial toner (beware it really makes eyes sting if it gets in them)

Kitchen

• used with baking soda for keeping the drain pipes smelling neutral and for slow drains
• I pour it in my dishwasher "rinse aid" container, it works great, it's a green choice and it's cheaper, too!
• I clean out the scale and calcium build up in my coffee makers; it always smells interesting when I brew vinegar!
• I mix anywhere from some to a lot with hot water to make the floors sparkle

Laundry Center

• I use vinegar as an odor treater for clothes by just pouring it right on the garment, then washing
• I have had some success in removing sweat stains from clothes if I soak them long enough in vinegar
• I use vinegar in place of a liquid fabric softener, again it's green and so much cheaper

Basement

• I spray it or leave small bowls of it out to kill that "basement" smell

There you have it. I love vinegar and I'm not ashamed to admit it's a bit of an obsession.  

Anyone else have any other uses for vinegar?

tea tree oil counter spray

R StanekTea Tree

I am a greenie, or at least I try to be. I make all my own cleaners. I use organic essential tea tree oil for my counter spray. The Australians have shown it to have disinfecting properties. Here is my recipe:

• 16 ounces of tap water or distilled water if you have hard water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of dish washing liquid. (I use a naturally derived one)
• 25-30 drops of organic essential tea tree oil

Now be advised that I add the ingredients in the order they are listed above, otherwise the soap will bubble up and overflow before all the water is added.

For this cleaner, I use a spray bottle I had laying around for when I needed to mist my plants. Since my plants all died, I obviously didn't use the mister very much. I do not recommend you wash out a plastic spray bottle from a store bought cleaner. Do so at your own risk as residue can and will remain from the original cleaner.

I usually buy one 1.66 fl. oz. bottle of Aura Cacia Organic Essential Tea Tree Oil which lasts me almost a year! I don't have an exact number on what I have saved by making my own cleaners, but I estimate it saves me at least $75-$100 per year. Plus it's nice to know I have reduced my carbon footprint by only using one spray bottle over the last 5 years!

Tea tree oil has a distinctive odor that many people like, but some don't. It has been described as medicinal, but I just smell "clean".

Please comment back with any other green cleaning tips!

ebates: a way to make money while shopping

In my quest to afford things (read: make money and budget) I have found a useful little website called Ebates. This site allows users to sign up and shop their regular online stores, while getting a little something back.  It's usually a 2-5% rebate, but can also be instant savings with a coupon code or both.

I actually checked out Ebates and the site does actually send you a check once your  balance reaches $5.  With my shopping habits, this amounts to about $250 at participating stores.  Please note: they only send out checks quarterly, so the money is a bit slow in coming.  I like this idea and plan on maximizing my rebate over during the Spring, when almost everyone in my family celebrates a birthday.

This has been an endorsed post.  (My own personal economic stimulus package.)  But I really do recommend you check Ebates out!

do your kids know about your money issues?

It never ceases to amaze me how perceptive kids are.  Many kids know their family’s biggest secrets.  Unfortunately they aren’t old enough to understand that it’s not something to tell the neighbors about.  My kid just described my daily meditation as medicating.  I'm sure his teacher will love to know his mom "medicates".  I can hear the rumors now. 

One of the most private family matters-money is something kids are naturally interested in at an early age.  They see how shiny coins are and are told not to rip up paper currency because it’s worth something.  They get piggy banks for their birthdays.  They see parents buy things with cash.  Many kids get allowances. 

To teach children about money we show them how to save money and donate to charity.  Maybe we even discuss investments.  We also work on budgets and financial planning, i.e. saving up for something they really want.

And how many times have you told your child that something is too expensive? This is how kids learn the relative value of money. 

All of these are great ways to teach kids about money.  However, in doing this, our kids can readily pick up on money problems that are going on at home.  Even if you never directly link things together.  For example, can’t sell house=two mortgages=using college fund=worry about future.   A child would even be able to link this to a vacation the family won’t be taking.  In fact, my kid did just that the other night at dinner.  He wanted to know if we sold the other house, could we go to the water park hotel.

Hey, it almost broke my heart.  But then I thought, this is a teachable moment that he may remember for the rest of his life.  I’ll be saying, remember the time we couldn’t afford to go on the water park vacation?  This is actually a good thing.

It's been a good thing for me,too.  I really think it's been good for me to have to live meagerly.  I have learned what is really important to me and had to figure out how to pay for it on one income and with the two mortgages.  I am making plans (maybe you could call it dreaming with this economy) to continue to live poor once the house is sold and everyone is working.  We'll be able to save up for some really fun things.

And my kids will live and learn about money and saving.    May I never have to bail them out when they are older; of course I'll have the savings to do so if I must. 

pottery barn to my rescue!

A few years ago, I moved the family to a much larger home.  I realized in addition to furnishing the home that I would need to also (gasp!) decorate.  

This would be some feat, given I'm the one who thought the southwestern theme was here to stay in the Midwest.  Oh, yeah, I had the light green walls, the diamond loop rug and the lizards and cowboy paraphernalia everywhere.  I even hung things only where there were existing nail holes.  How clever!  I allowed people to see this disaster, a lot.

Knowing what people would expect, I set my goals low.  I vowed to take things slow and deliberate and use catalogs as my guide-even if I couldn't afford what they sold. 

I began obsessively studying the Pottery Barn catalog.  This led to their website where I signed up for emails, including invitations to their decorating classes.  Did I mention the classes are free??!!

I began going to the monthly classes and took notes, like it was a real class.  (They give free paint sample books at their stores, too.)  Although I currently cannot afford to buy everything I want, I am not above buying knockoffs at Walmart, Target or even garage sales.

This has helped me immensely with my new home.  People try to hide their shock when they come over for the first time.  

I think they were expecting cactus lamps.

Link:http://www.potterybarn.com/content/shop/storeevent/index.cfm