Cart Smarts

So if you're out shopping, esp. with kids, 

I think the best place to park your car is by the cart return stands.  

And here's why: 

Most likely there's a cart handy so you can 

easily plop in your kids and purse and walk to the front door; 

Plus after unloading the cart you can return it to it's proper place without walking across the parking lot or trying to lift it up onto those center islands!  

To me, it's a win-win.  :)

Frugal tips for your home!

Here are some Helpful Household Tips.

Remember being frugal is a way of thinking
that can change your way of living!

Cheap Chip Clips: Those special clips used to keep food bags closed and fresh aren't really necessary. Instead, keep a jar or bag of clothespins on hand and they do just as great a job!

Hillbilly Ice Chest: Having a party and need a big tub of ice for drinks? Fill your washing machine with ice, then stack cans and bottles inside. Since washing machines are deep, you can layer ice and cans if needed. After the party remove any drinks left over, let ice melt and then turn on the drain cycle. This Hillbilly Ice Cooler provides lots of room, easy cleanup, and lots of comments, lol. (courtesy of tipnut.com)

Remember Coupons: I seem to forget which coupons I have when I go shopping, so I've started writing my list on the back of an envelope. I write the Letter "C" next to the items that I have a coupon for. Then I place all the coupons that I'll be using inside the envelope - so easy; then when I'm shopping, I have my list and coupons in one easy tote!

Plants & Coffee Filters: Jeremiah and I were planting seeds today and a great idea to keep the soil from draining out of the hole when you water is to use a coffee filter. Before filling a plant container with soil, first lay a coffee filter on the bottom inside of the pot and then add the soil on top. If it's a planter for the outside, you may also lay a small layer of pebbles then the soil, this can also help ventilate the pot!

Baby Powder & Rubber Gloves: I don't clean much with gloves anymore, but I when I do I dust my hands lightly with baby powder before putting on rubber gloves (flour works well too). This helps remove the gloves easily!

Baby Powder & Beach Sand: When you leave the beach and you or your kids are sandy, the best way to get the sand off is by dusting your arms or legs with baby powder then wiping with a dry towel, the sand (be it wet or dry) comes right off. When the inevitable sand gets in their eyes, I dust a thin layer of baby powder on a dry towel and wipe their face (eyes closed of course)!

Laundry Bag & Sand Toys: Since CA is full of sunny days, we're at the park A LOT! Sand toys are a favorite must-have for our family. The best way I've found to tote them around is with a laundry bag (The 99 Cent Store has them), fill it up with the toys, when you leave give the bag a shake!

Homemade Cleaners

So I had coffee with a new friend last night and we were talking about au natural cleaners and I realized when I went home that I've never posted much on the topic. so I thought I'd post a few of the recipes I use around the house!

This is the list of natural ingredients I use to clean, all of them can be found in your regular grocery store. Although for some reason, Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer) I usually find at Albertsons, but the rest I buy in bulk at Smart & Final.

1. White Vinegar
2. Baking Soda
3. Lemon Juice
4. Borax
5. Washing Soda
6. Rubbing Alcohol
7. Cornstarch
8. Mineral Oil
   
9. Coarse Salt - Sea Salt is great
   
10. Toothpaste

If I have a good response to this post, I'll add more recipes and tips!
I'll also post some pics if there's an interest!

Quick General Clean Ups: half vinegar and half water solution
Keep a spray bottle in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.

Disinfectant: 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water.
The important part here (that I have had to learn the hard way), is to let it cool completely, and then strain it, before pouring it into a plastic spray bottle (otherwise it clumps).

Floor, Counter, Toilet Cleaner: 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
You can also polish linoleum floors with club soda :) The big question here is, "will my house smell like vinegar, and the answer is no." It may temporarily smell like vinegar while you're cleaning, but your house will not smell. Adding lemon juice to vinegar when cleaning can help neutralize the vinegar smell.

Window Cleaner: One cup cold strong black tea with 3 TBS of vinegar
Pour in spray bottle

Stove and oven cleaner: 2 TBS of baking soda and hot water or you can sprinkle the soda on a damp sponge and wipe.
The issue here that I've had to learn the hard way, is that if you just sprinkle Baking Soda on your stove and start wiping, it takes numerous times to wipe completely smooth and clean and not be filmy; so if you sprinkle directly on the stove top - use very little. Otherwise first put on a damp sponge and scrub! It really works!

Carpet Deodorizer: Mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax.
Sprinkle generously over carpet, wait one hour then vacuum

Deodorize & Clean Garbage Disposal: Freeze Distilled Vinegar into ice cubes
Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

Microwave Cleaning Method: 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water
Pour into a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Then you just wipe clean - love it!!

Bleaching Clothes: Lemon Juice
Lemon juice can act as a natural bleaching agent. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto white linens and/or clothing, then allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be bleached away, wash as usual!

Some of my recipes come from Tipnut.com, vinegartips.com and Arm & Hammer

Shop when the time is right!

So when it comes to being frugal with our spending, it's best if we buy when the time is right. For example the best time for a winter coat is not in Nov./Dec. when it's the coldest, it's actually in Feb. when stores want to clear things out.
If we want to save money, we have shift our perception of buying.

Here's a quick run down of what is ideal to buy in what months.

Jan.
Winter coats (after Christmas sales)
Christmas items
Furniture
Bikes or outdoor gear
Men's Shirts

Feb.
Winter coats
After Valentine's Day: chocolate, stuffed animals, jewelry

Mar.
Video games
China

April
Vacation packages
TVs and other electronics

May
Paper goods
Strawberries
Towels
Small appliances (after Mother's Day)

June
Tools (after Father's Day

July
School supplies
Furniture

August
National Peach Month - peaches!
Pool toys or equipment
patio furniture
Sandals, flip-flops
Swim suits

September
Summer clothes
Inflatable pools
China

Oct.
National Pizza and Pasta Month
Halloween candy
Lawn mowers

Nov.
Halloween candy
Halloween decoration/costume
Thanksgiving canned foods

Dec.
After Christmas sales
Cars
Wedding Dresses

Excerpt from Teri Gault's book, Shop Smart Save More

Homemade Banana Bread!

I know there are many banana bread recipes out there but this is one of my favorites that I've spiced up, enjoy!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter/margarine
5 TBS milk
3 smashed very riped bananas
1 semi-ripe banana sliced up
2 TBS sour cream
1 TBS/ea of sugar and cinnamon (for sprinkling on top)

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.

In a large bowl, cream sugar, sour cream and butter. Beat the egg slightly and mix into the creamed mixture with the very ripe smashed bananas.

Mix in sifted ingredients until just combined. Stir in the milk and the semi ripe banana slices.

Spread batter into one greased and flowered 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix.

Bake at 350 until top is golden brown and there are crack along the top (1 hour 10 min.)

Find those leaks

Sometimes our money disappears so fast it's astounding. I like to look at our money as liquid in a jar, sometimes our jars have holes in them and it's leaking out. In the same manner, sometimes there's holes in our spending, or habits that is causing our money to leak out.

First you must identify the leak; for example, look for automatic withdrawls on things you no longer use (For us it was Blockbuster. They were taking money out each month regardless of the amount of movies we rented, but I realized we were only watching 1 or 2 movies a month, so I cancelled them).

After you identify the leak, plug it up!

Another leak for many of us is change, didn't realize those annoying shinny coins were leaks did you? As a way to plug up the leak I take the change that is dumped from my husband's pockets and whatever is in my wallet and every few days I put it in our change jar.

Over the last 3 months we've accumulated $40 in change alone. Every 6 months, I'll go deposit it to our savings account! I plugged up a leak and it's now more money in our account!

Cloth Diapers

So cloth diapers huh? Who uses those any more? Aren't they those messy cloths that you have to safety pin and then cover with a gross plastic bag?


Well you'd be surprised to find out that more and more moms are switching to cloth diapers. And as out dated as many of you may think they are, you'd be surpised how far things have come.

Sure it might be a little messy and yes, you have to wash them out by hand, but it's another great way to save money, plus it's better for the environment.


I bought my Diaper Wraps from diaperaps.com where I spent $37 for 3 wraps, and my mom bought me some cloth diapers from Wal-Mart (yea mom!). So I haven't needed any disposable diapers in 3 months which means I'm now saving money!!

Here's some websites to check out:
Diaperaps, Soft Cloth Bunz, Wild Flower Diapers

Cleaner Car

What do you do with your plastic bags?

Well I keep about two or three in my car and I use them as trash bags.  It's amazing how much trash that can accumulate in our cars with cups, lids, wrappers, ect.  So I have a trash bag in my car and it makes my car less junkie, plus it's another great way to reuse those bags!

Cards can be so pricey, can't they?  Here's a link to free printable cards, print them out on card stock for more of a firm and durable card!  They have cards for all holidays!

Free Printable Cards

Carpet Deodorizer

What's that smell???

Sometimes our carpets can start to show the evidence of kids, pets and food.  

If you have small ones around the house, you probably want to use a deodorizer that's safe and au natural!!!

Well here's an easy recipe you can use to deodorize your carpets safely!

The formula is roughly 

1 part Borax to 2 parts Cornmeal.  

Mix together and sprinkle on your carpets.  

It's best if you wait an hour and then vacuum!

Make-Your-Own-Baby-Wipes

Making your own baby wipes are very easy to do and are another great way to help your wallet and the environment. Below is the recipe I use. Some people use strong paper towels; first cut the roll of paper towels in half, then take out the core so wipes pull out of the center.
Although when I'm at home I just use wash cloths!

• 2 TBSP Baby Wash
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 Cups Water

  Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spray on wipe before using a spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipey box. Tea Tree Oil is a great disinfectant and also has a wonderful clean smell.
  

If you want to take your homemade wipes with you, simply dampen some paper towels with your solution and then store in a zip lock bag or a traditional "wipey box".


Find these and other great baby wipe recipes at naturalbirthandbabycare.com

Amazing Blogs

Here are some amazing blogs on couponing!

jane4girls800dollarannualbudget

katycouponers

hotcouponworld

frugaldrmom

moneysavingmom

Save the Juice!!

So today I opened a can of mandarin oranges for Jeremiah and I saved the juice from the can to make a vinaigrette for tonight's salad! Here's the recipe for my vinaigrette, sooo easy!

Super Quote Wednesday

"Count it all joy!"

Life is full of unexpected surprises, some good, some not-so-good.  When things don't go the way I planned, something I'm trying to do more of is tell myself to count it all joy.  

Doing this works the highest degree of patience in me, and I must be honest, it's not always easy to do.  But I'm trying to make joy my standard habitual response to things that don't go according to plan, or when unexpected problems arise.  The more I do this, the less overwhelmed and stressed I tend to feel during the day.

Give it a try!  

Couch Time

The couch can quickly become a catch all and really clutter up the living room.  Take a few minutes and rearrange the pillows, fold up the blankets, or put toys, shoes, books where they belong, you'll be amazed the difference a clean couch can do for your living room.  1 - 2 min. tops, and things can look and feel cleaner! 

Make-It-From-Scratch-Monday

Salad Dressings can sometimes be costly, but are actually very easy to make.

To make your own vinaigrette, the basic ratio is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.

Here's my own recipe for Strawberry Vinaigrette:

1 - 2 cups of strawberries, washed, with tops removed

3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 to 2 cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

(The oil fluctuates depending on your desire of consistency,

obviously the more oil you add, the thinner the dressing will be.)

1 small clove of garlic

3 TBS of Sugar (honey works well too)

pinch of salt and pepper

Pour all ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and begin pureeing

(a blender works just as well)

Slowly begin adding the oil to your desired consistency.

Add more salt, pepper or sugar to taste

I like to serve this vinaigrette over baby arugula and cut strawberries.

It's an amazing salad!

***Don't care for strawberries?

Try Raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.

Pomegranate juice is also amazing here, same recipe,

just add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of pom juice!