August 28, 2010

Reusable Gifts Bags Might Be a Frugal Choice

One of the newest products in green living are reusable gift bags.  These bags are durable and as you can see from the picture, they are attractive as well.

There are some pros and cons of reusable bags to consider.

Pros: 

1. The gift bags are reusable.
2. They come in many attractive designs and colors.
3. You could use them for other purposes such as a tote bag or lunch bag.

Cons or things to consider:

1. You can also reuse paper gift bags that others give to you and wouldn’t need to buy any.
2. Since these bags are new on the market, you probably won’t find them on clearance.  You can find regular paper gift bags on clearance.
3. Would you hang on to the bag and use it again and again, or would it just become more useless clutter?

I’m not saying that these reusable bags are the wrong choice.  I actually like the idea.  The thing is, I have a whole under-the-bed box full of other paper gift bags so it’s unlikely that I’ll be buying any of the reusable bags soon.  Also, at $2.99 each, I probably wouldn’t purchase them.  Some people may pay $3-5 for a gift bag, but that’s not my kind of thing.  I’m sure there are other places to purchase the bags for a more affordable price.  Who knows, may the Dollar Tree will start carrying them soon.

What are your thoughts on the reusable gift bags?

image (c) Karen Weideman

August 26, 2010

Money Saving Tip: Build a Stockpile

One of the most effective ways I have found to cut our budget is through saving money on our grocery budget.  One of the techniques I use is building a stockpile, also known as the buy ahead principle.  What this means is that when groceries or other regularly used items are significantly cheaper than normal, I buy enough to last me a few months.  In my home, I try to never ever pay retail for anything!

For example, a few weeks ago Harris Teeter had their Colgate Total toothpaste on sale for $2.50 per tube.  It was also super double coupon week and I had $1 coupons. After coupons and the sale, I paid only $.50 per tube for Colgate toothpaste.  Also last week and this week, CVS had their Crest Pro Health toothpaste on sale for $2.99 and you got back a $2 Extra Care Buck (ECB).  I also had $.50 and $.75 coupons for the toothpaste.  After the sale, ECBs, and coupons, I paid $.25-$.50 per tube.  Did I need five tubes of toothpaste right now?  Of course I didn’t.  But I know that over the next year my family will need the toothpaste.  I also know that soon I will be filling shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse and our church is always collecting food and toiletries for the needy.  This allows me to get toothpaste for my family and others for less than the price of one tube at regular price.

As you can see in the picture above, I have over 10 bottles of laundry detergent.  I don’t plan on doing 300 loads of laundry this week, but I couldn’t resist stocking up because of the deal I found.  Some of the bottles were buy 1 get 1 free and I had coupons.  Many of the bottles cost me than $1 per bottle. 

I have heard others say before that they can’t afford to stockpile; that they only have money for the things that they need that week.  What they don’t truly realize is that when you stockpile, you can make your grocery budget go further and have more supplies on hand. 

If you still say you can’t afford to stockpile, then I suggest that you start small.  A stockpile isn’t built overnight anyway.  Allow yourself an extra $5 or $10 to try to purchase things while they’re at rock bottom prices so that you won’t have to purchase them later.  For me, an example of this would be when I purchase canned tomatoes.  I know that I’m going to need canned tomatoes.  I know that Target has the cheapest prices on them.  So, when I visit Super Target, I purchase 6-12 cans.  The amount I purchase depends on my stockpile at home.  And if you’re getting items for free or almost free (with sales and coupons) that will only allow your grocery budget to go that much further so that you can cut your grocery budget or purchase other things your family needs.

Stay tuned for more tips on stockpiling.  Do you stockpile groceries?

images (c) Karen Weideman

August 11, 2010

Money Saving Tip: Always Compare Prices

When shopping for groceries, normally you would think that store brand groceries would be a lot less expensive.  This is not always the case.  It is always important to compare prices and I’ll show you why.

 The White House brand 6-pack of applesauce is $1.76.

The Wal-Mart or Great Value brand 6-pack of applesauce is $1.92.  That’s about 8% more than a major leading brand.

Here we have some examples of yogurt.

The Dannon 32 oz container of yogurt is $1.96.

The Yoplait 32 oz container of yogurt is $2.14.

And the 32 oz container of Wal-Mart yogurt is $2.28, which more than any of the other two leading brands! 

Many people assume that the generic/store brand will be less expensive than other brands and so they automatically grab the store brand products.  As you can see here, store brands are not always cheaper.  And I have to tell you folks, these are just two examples.  I have seen many other products done this way. 

If you’re a coupon user, you can get the leading brands for even less money when you use your coupons.  I frequently receive coupons for $.50 off the large Yoplait yogurt.  You can’t get coupons for store brands, which means there’s even less savings.

Today a friend of mine posted a facebook link to this story, Wal-Mart Quietly Raises Prices.  Honestly, I had originally planned to title this article, “Watch for Rising Prices at Walmart” but decided to make this more of a money saving tip about comparing prices, no matter where you shop.  I will say though that I have done less and less grocery shopping at Wal-Mart during the past year.  It is so much cheaper for me to shop the grocery store sales for items that our family frequently uses.  I also try to stock up during triple coupon and super double coupon sales. 

Have you found store brands to be more expensive than other brands?

July 30, 2010

Our Thrifty Luau Party

My two youngest children’s birthdays are in the month of July.  For now, while they are young, we combine their parties into one.  (FYI: They are also best friends.)  It also works out to combine the parties because some family members drive a few hours to attend.  Sorry if you didn’t need to know all of that.  The information just helps to set up the story behind all of this.     

With a combined party, I try to come up with a theme that will work for both of them.  One year we did Dora and Diego. Another year we did the princess and the frog.  This year it was a luau.  The luau theme was decided because the kids wanted to have a pool party.  And who doesn’t like a pool party?

A few months back I found these nice beach themed supplies at Walmart.  The large plates, napkins, and small plates were on clearance for only $.50 per pack for a set of 20.  At Walmart I also found a box of 30+ leis on clearance for $3.

Later I found some luau straws at Walmart for about $2.50.  They had little flowers around the top.  For music, I found a two-pack of Luau cds at Walmart for $5.  Yes, Walmart was my go-to store for the party theme.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the way I cut back on the party expense is to make my own cake/cupcakes.  I surf the internet looking for ideas of easy things that I can do.  I ended up making these cute beach/luau themed cupcakes using miniature Teddy Grahams, fruit rolls ups, candy, and tiny umbrellas.  I even found a $1 tear-off coupon for the Teddy Grahams at Food Lion.  You can see more pictures of the luau themed cupcakes and also some links to other luau/beach themed cakes and cupcakes.

Of course, a Luau needs to have a cookout.  As you probably know, July is the time to get cookout supplies on sale. 

Here’s approximately what I spent on this party:

• paper plates, napkins, leis, table cloths, straws - $9
• luau cds – $5
• cupcake supplies (I made two batches.) – $9
• hotdogs and buns – $10
• chili - $0 (my aunt brought this)
• potato salad – $0 (my aunt brought this)
• chips – $3 (bogo)
• veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery) and dip (used triple coupon sale for the dip)- $4
• sodas – $3
• pasta salad – $3

All in all, I spent less than $50 on everything and fed lots of people, plus we had leftovers to eat.  By taking advantage of clearance deals, July cookout savings, making the cupcakes myself, and taking advantage of other sale promotions, I was able to give a nice party for a small fraction of what others might have paid.

How do you save money when throwing a party?

July 17, 2010

Easy Do-It-Yourself Luau/Beach Cupcakes

We had a birthday party yesterday for my two youngest. Both of their birthdays are in July and because they are still young, we have a joint party for them.  Now that we have a pool, it seemed like a good idea to have a swim party.  With that came the luau theme. 

You all know that I’m not about to go out and pay $50 for a cake, so each year I surf the internet looking for easy ideas that I can do myself.  I found ideas for a beach theme, flipflops, palm trees, pineapples, and more.  These teddy bear cupcakes drew my attention though.  They looked kid friendly and fun. 

For these cupcakes I cheated a bit. I didn’t make homemade icing. I simply bought the vanilla icing in a can and added a few drops of blue food coloring. I found the food coloring made the icing a little runny, so I put it in the freezer for a few minutes.

For these, I put icing on the cupcakes and used crushed graham crackers for the sand. Also used were miniature Teddy Graham crackers, fruit roll ups for beach towels and rafts, tiny paper umbrellas (found these at Hobby Lobby), sour gummy Lifesavers for tubes, and Lemon Heads for beach balls. You could use gum balls instead for the beach balls, but I already had the Lemon Heads.

Here are a few more pictures. Sorry for the poor quality.  I was in a hurry because the party was starting.

Other luau cake ideas:

Luau Party Cupcake with umbrella
Shark and Beach Cupcakes from Martha Stewart
Palm Trees/Beach cupcakes from Cake Central
Palm Trees, Pineapples, and Flower cupcakes
Hawaiian Luau cupcakes/cake
Flip Flop Cake from Better Homes and Gardens
Flip Flop Cake from Better Crocker

Enjoy!

images (c) Karen Weideman

July 5, 2010

How to Save Money on Children’s Gifts

As a young child, I watched my mom use many methods to save money.  One of the things I remember her doing was buying items on sale and clearance for gifts.  Whenever she saw something on sale or clearance that someone would like, she would purchase it and put it away for that occasion. 

Yesterday was my daughter’s birthday (yes, she’s a 4th of July baby) and she turned seven.  Here’s a picture of the things I got for her. 

And, here’s what I paid:

• pink shirt with scarf reg $24.99, $4.99 (Purchased at JCPenney last week.)
• 2 animal shirts reg $14.99, $1.97 (Purchased at JCPenney last week.)
• butterfly tie-dye shirt $14.99, $4.99 (Rugged Warehouse)
• 2 Juku dolls reg $10-12 each, FREE (I won these in an online giveaway.)
• Juku clothes reg $10, $2.50 (Bought this a few months ago at Target.)
• Holly Hobbie dvd reg $10, $5.99
• hair kit $2.88, $1.44 (Purchased after Christmas during the after Christmas sale.)
• OP flip flops $5.99, $1 (Purchased these in the winter.)
• set of clothes for her stuffed dog $12.99, $3.24 (Found this at Target a few months ago.)

At regular price, these things would have cost about $130, but I only paid $28!  That’s a savings of over $100!  No, I would not dream of paying $130 on my daughter’s birthday presents, but since I shop throughout the year and pick up things on clearance, she is able to get some nice things.

Some of you may say that your child would not go for this.  For us, it’s working so far.  My kids get money from their aunts, grandparents, etc and they can use the money to buy things that they’ve been wanting.  Sometimes other people in the family will specifically ask for something to get them that they want.  My children have been very pleased with the things that I buy for them.  I know that my daughter is a girly girl.  I know anything with fur, rhinestones, etc will be a hit. 

My youngest has a birthday coming up soon.  He is athletic and he likes trucks, cars, dinosaurs, and figurines.  I also have his birthday items ready.  He is getting a soccer goal and two G.I. Joe large figurines that have sound.  There are a few other small things I have for him too.  These are things that I have purchased at 50-75% off. 

This is how I purchase my children’s birthday and Christmas items.  Buying for extended family isn’t as easy.  Many times I give the other children in the family money (which they prefer) and that’s ok too. 

How do you save money on gifts?

June 29, 2010

10 Tips for Hiring a Plumber

As a homeowner, I understand the frustration of having to call in a professional.  How much will it cost? Will it set me back financially this month?  You want the job done right without it costing you a small fortune.

Here are a few tips for hiring a plumber:

1.  Get references.  Word of mouth from friends, church members, co-workers, and family is a great place to start.  If someone likes someone, or if they don’t, you’re sure to hear about it.  Ask around.

2.  Search for reviews.  Use a free website such as servicemagic.com or a paid service such as angieslist.com.  I have also found other reviews online just by doing an internet search.

3.  Give as many details as possible about the problem.  Where is the leak?  What kind of pipes do you have?

4.  Ask if the plumber charges for travel time.  For some plumbers, their time starts when they walk in the door.  Others  may charge when they get into the car.  It’s good to know if you’ll be paying extra for their commute.

5.  Ask if the plumber will have the parts on hand.  Does the plumber keep a supplied truck or will he need to make trips to the hardware store.  Will you need to pay him for these extra trips?

6.  Is there a minimum charge?  Just like going to the doctor’s office, some contractors have a minimum rate and that includes a certain amount of time, such as 30 minutes.

7.  Inquire about insurance.  Many contractors have their own insurance which will cover them in case of injury or damage to your property.  Find out if they have insurance.

8.  Find out their credentials.  Does the person have any accreditations?  How long have they been doing this type of work?

9.  Try Craigslist.  If you’re a real cheapskate (like me) you might want to put out a “help wanted” ad on Craigslist.  Some professionals may not like this advice, but here goes . . . Unfortunately, times are rough for the self-employeed.  Put an ad on Craigslist, tell in detail what the repair issues are, filter through the responses based upon credentials, estimates, etc.  You’ll be surprised at the responses you will receive from this ad.  Some may even offer to come out and give a free estimate.  People are looking to work.

10.  Consider hiring a professional to work after hours.  Perhaps you know of someone that works for a major company.  Many times these individuals will moonlight on the weekends to make some extra cash.

Do you have any tips for hiring a plumber?

image sxc

June 22, 2010

30+ Ways to Clean with Vinegar

A few years ago I decided to make a big change in my life.  I had used all sorts of cleaners. Many of them had caused me to break out, inflamed my eczema, and given me headaches.  I knew the stuff wasn’t good for me and with two small children in the home I wanted to do something different.  I began using white vinegar and water to mop my floors.  It wasn’t long before I was hooked on the natural and safe cleaner and began to clean the majority of my home with it. 

Now I keep a spray bottle under my kitchen sink that has equal parts of vinegar and water.  I use it to clean just about everything.

Before I get started on this list, I wanted you to know that some folks don’t like the smell of vinegar.  If that’s you, feel free to add a tiny bit of lemon oil or some other fragrance to your vinegar.

Here are some uses for cleaning with vinegar:

Kitchen and Dining Room

• Use vinegar to mop your floors.  I keep a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water.  Just spray on your floors and mop.  Or you add 1 cup of vinegar to your mop bucket. I think the spray method uses less vinegar though.
• Refill your Swiffer mop cleaner bottle with vinegar and water.  My hubby used some plyers to pull the lid off the bottle so that we could refill it.
• Spray vinegar in your sink and on your counters to kill germs.
• Wash your windows.
• Boil some vinegar and water to take away unpleasant smells.
• Clean your kitchen table, chairs, and hairchair. The vinegar will kill germs without being harmful to foods or your children.
• Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar.  The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.
• Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.
• Appliances sparkle if cleaned with a vinegar and borax cleaner.  Mix 1 teaspoon borax, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 cups hot water and put it into a spray bottle.  Spray it on greasy smears and wipe off with a cloth or sponge.
• To loosen food grime and clean the microwave, place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean.
• To remove grease from kitchen walls, put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.
• Fill your water reservoir halfway with vinegar to clean your coffee pot.  Follow up by running 1-2 pots of clean water through to remove the vinegar.
• If you have fruit flies, put some vinegar in a jar on your counter. 
• Adding a cup of vinegar to a dishwashing cycle will help clean your dishwasher and will also help prevent spots from forming on your glasses.
• Use vinegar to clean your garbage disposal.  Run a tray of ice cubes with 1/2 cup vinegar poured over them.

Bathroom

• Use vinegar to clean the outside of your toilet.  Simply use your diluted vinegar spray bottle and use as you would a regular cleaner.
• Add full strength vinegar to the inside of the toilet bowl.  Allow to sit for a few minutes and then clean.
• Spray the shower curtain to help get rid of mildew.
• Spray to kill germs in the shower inbetween regular cleanings.  (I prefer to use Soft Scrub, Scrubbing Bubbles, or something like that to clean the shower. Vinegar helps for those inbetween cleanings.)
• Clean your mirror.
• Mop the floor.

Laundry room

• Add vinegar to your whites to help whiten the load.
• Add vinegar to your rinse cycle or softener dispenser instead of fabric softener.  Vinegar prevents your clothes from getting that waxy build up on them.  Vinegar is suggested for using to rinse cloth diapers to keep them absorbent. 
• Add vinegar to your wash to kill athlete’s feet bacteria.
• Soak smelly clothes in vinegar and water. The vinegar will help to get rid of smells.
• Soak stained clothes in vinegar and water. The vinegar helps to lift the stain.
• Remove ink stains from clothes by soaking them in milk for 1 hour.  Then cover the stain with a paste of vinegar and cornstarch.  When the paste dries, wash the garment as usual.  Do not heat dry the fabric until you know the stain is removed.
• After washing your whites with bleach, run another rinse cycle with vinegar.  The vinegar will help to remove the bleach smell.

 
Other

• Clean vaporizers and humifiers by soaking unit in vinegar.  Soak base of unit in a shallow bowl of vinegar and then run water through it.  I got this tip from the actual directions that came with my vaporizer, but it really does help to remove the deposits and also to sanitize.
• If your puppy (or child) has an accident on the carpet, apply full-strength plain white vinegar for about 10 minutes and then blot dry. I have never had any problems with the vinegar fading carpet, but you may want to test an inconspicuous spot first.
• Use vinegar and water to clean your baby and children’s toys.  You don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals this way.
• For laminate floors, mix 1/3 part white vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, 1/3 part water, and 3 drops diswashing liquid.  Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop.  Laminate floors are better off when water doesn’t sit on it too long; the alcohol is added to make it dry faster.
• When rinsing your reusable filters, spray them with vinegar first to kill mold and bacteria.

I know that this only covers a portion of ways to clean with vinegar. What are some ways that you clean with vinegar?

April 22, 2010

10 Ways to Reuse Jars

Although I have never considered myself a tree hugger, I try to do my part to help out and make this a better place for everyone.  If you think about it, being thrifty and green living go hand-in-hand.  Thrifty living and environmentally friendly living both involve being conservative, using less, and repurposing and reusing products. 

Within the past few years, I have begun reusing plastic jars. I used to throw them into the recycling bin and then I realized that they weren’t hard at all to clean.  We go through a lot of peanut butter in our house and so I have found all kinds of uses for the jars. 

To clean the jars, fill them with hot soapy water and let them sit overnight.  The next morning dump out the water and rinse them with hot water. The peanut butter that was in the jars will loosen overnight and rinse out fairly easily.  If the peanut butter is still a little stubborn, rinse out the jar, and soak it again with soapy water. 

Here are a few uses for the jars.  Of course, you can use glass jars for some of these ideas too.

1.  Store crayons, markers, and other art supplies. The small peanut butter jars are good for crayons and the large mayonnaise jars work well for markers.

2.  Store dry foods such as rice and beans.

3.  Store nails and screws in your garage.  Those boxes that nails are screws come in are very flimsy.  They break and soon you have the sizes and types of nails mixed. The jars can help keep them all separated in an easy to use and easy to see location.

4.  Store small toys.  My son has a jar with some of his favorite rocks and another jar with his tiny dinosaurs.  My kids know that we reuse the jars and so I sometimes hear, “Mom, when that jar is empty, can I have it?”.

5.  Make a letter sorting activity. Write a letter on each jar and have children sort small items into the correct jar.

6.  Collect your treasures.  Use them to store seashells, rocks, and other bits of nature.  Make a beach in a jar.

7.  Store your beads, buttons, or other craft items.

8.  Use jars as paint containers. This would work well for craft projects or to have some wall touch up paint at easy access.

9.  Collect money.  Use them as banks.  Everyone needs an easy place to collect money.

10.  Use them to store grease and oil. On the rare occasion that I fry food, I need a place to store the used oil. I don’t want to dump it down the drain or pour it into the trash so I pour it into a plastic container and toss it once it’s full.

What are some ways that you reuse jars?

April 9, 2010

5 Tips for Using Leftover Candy

We have a candy basket at our house. Every now and then it gets full and I have to clean it out. I find candy from Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and any other holiday inbetween.  Truthfully, I don’t buy much of the candy.  It trickles in from school, Sunday School, church activities, and it multiplies somehow. 

Here are some tips for using up your leftover candy:

1.  Use your candy to decorate cupcakes, cake, cookies, or as an ice cream topping.  This week the kids are out of school.  We made cupcakes and I let them help decorate them.  We pulled out the candy basket.  Some of the cupcakes have conversation hearts on top.  We even opened some pixie sticks and sprinkled it on like it was colored sugar.

2.  Take the candy to a group gathering.  If I want to get rid of my candy quickly, I just take it to the youth group at church.  It will be gone in one meeting.  I’ve sent some in to Sunday School classes and brought some to my small group. You could also put a bowl on your desk at work or put it in the breakroom.

3.  Give it to the needy.  Send your candy to the local food bank.  To help out, you could put it into little ziploc bags before you take it.  They could easily stick a small bag of candy into each family’s box.

4.  Put it in your cake batter or make ice cream.  Have you ever had Snickers ice cream, Milky Way ice cream, or Butterfinger ice cream? I know someone that likes to make her own ice cream and these are some of their favorites.  You can also cut up chocolate pieces and put it in to your batter.  For more information, do an internet search for recipes.

5.  Use it for shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse.  Each year, our family puts together a few shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  I try to include a zipper baggie with a little candy inside.  I usually don’t have to purchase any candy to do this. I just search through our candy basket and I can find lollipops, gum, and other hard candy. 

What tips do you have for using leftover candy?

image (c) Karen Weideman