45 Ways to Save Serious Cash

I think that I have complained about this before, but all of those "50 ways to save $500!" lists are kind of worthless.  They includes such things on them as "Do your own pedicures!"  or "Go to the library!"  Really?
Really?
If you are serious about saving some cash, those weren't even on the list to start with.  So, in an effort to offset the ridiculous lists, I thought I would make one of stuff that I do to actually make a difference in a normal person's budget.

1.  Use a thermostat and keep it really warm in the summer and cool in the winter.  (I'm really good at this in the winter. . . )
2.  Open your windows at night in the summer, but shut them by 10:00 in the morning. It lets in the cool night air, and keeps the AC off longer. 
3. Turn down the temp even lower in the winter when it's dinner time. The oven will heat up the house so the heater doesn't have to.  
4. Hang your clothes to dry, or at least the heavy ones like jeans and sweatshirts, to use the dryer less. To cut down on wrinkles, throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes and then hang them up. Get a retractable clothesline to make it easier. 
5. Keep your blinds shut during the hottest part of the day.  Especially west facing windows. 
6. Stop using baggies, ziploc, etc., for school lunches.  Pack everything in plastic containers in a lunch box. 
7. Stop using plastic wrap, just use reclosable containers to store food in.  Plastic wrap always leaks anyway.
8. Don't buy single serving snacks.  Break them up yourself. This includes cheese sticks.  
9. Take your own bags when shopping. This isn't huge, but a lot of stores will give you a refund per bag. 
10. Keep you checking account balanced so you don't overdraw and end up paying fees.  
11. Set up your bills to be automatically deducted so you avoid late fees, or if this isn't an option, set an alarm on your phone or calendar to remind you. (This might seem obvious, but my memory stinks!)
12. Go over your cell phone bill and make sure that there aren't any extras.  Companies tend to throw stuff on there that is totally unnecessary knowing that most people won't call about it.
13. Do the same for the rest of your bills. Especially medical ones.  
14. Go green. There are a surprising amount of ways that this will save you money. Reusable rather than disposable. (Dishes, storage, etc.)
15. Use rags instead of paper towels. 
16. Make your own baby wipes. 
17. Make your own laundry detergent. 
18. Make reusable dryer sheets. 
19. Make your own fabric softener.
20. Make your own yogurt. 
21. Make your own pancake mix.
22. Make your own Bisquick. 
23. Make your own maple syrup.
24. Make your own cleaning supplies.
25. Use vinegar for as much as you possibly can.
26. Make as much as possible from scratch
27. If there is a food co-op in your area like Bountiful Baskets, USE IT!  For heaven sakes!
28. Stop buying your kids cute pajamas.  I know, it's totally a bummer, but yard sale sweat pants and t-shirts or hideous hand-me-downs you won't let them wear in public work GREAT to sleep in.
29. Make your kids some pajamas from old t-shirts.
30. Walk as much as you can. If you have to run something 3 houses down, don't drive.  Well, unless it's pouring.  But you get the idea. 
31. Ride a bike. 
32. Turn your car off. I know it's hot, so if your going to have to wait, park in the shade and roll down the windows.  Unless you live in Arizona. 
33. Revamp leftovers.  Make them into something new for an entirely different meal.  Much less will go to waste. 
34. Eat less meat.  
35. Drink water.  Make your kids drink water.  I'm such a mean mom.  
36. Put together a kids clothing swap. 
37. Swap babysitting.  This doesn't work great at night so much, but a Saturday lunch date is just as fun.  
38. Go on Free or super cheap dates. Dollar theatre anyone?
39. The next time you really want to paint, check the landfill first.  
40. Shop at the Dollar Store. Carefully. 
41. Shop garage sales for things you need.  Like winter coats and snow pants.  Or furniture.  It's cheaper at yard sales than it will be on KSL. Mostly.  
42. Haunt the grocery store for "manager's special" items that are about to expire.  If it's seriously marked down and you can eat it quickly or freeze it, do it.  I once walked out of Kmart with 6 boxes of Triscuits for 0.16 a piece. It was awesome.
43. Wrap presents in newspaper or other found paper around your house. 
44. Put together a neighborhood co-op of sorts. Someone teaches dance, someone teaches art, someone teaches piano.  And trade.  
45. Offer your services for trade, rather than payment.  If you need something, put an ad up on KSL asking for it, or call people that you know who perform such services and straight out ask them if they would be willing to trade. You'd be surprised how many hairdressers will trade haircuts for dance lessons.  

What do you think? Did I miss any?  Let me know if there are any ways that work great for you, I would love to know!

Hypocritical things I say to my children

• We don't eat cupcakes for breakfast.
• If you would just put your stuff away it would be so much easier to find it.
• You watched too much TV today.
• This phone is not a toy.
• But Broccoli is so yummy!
• You need to get more exercise.
• Your room is a disaster!
• You need to go outside more.  
• You need to eat dinner before you have dessert.  

I'm such a good mom.

Get things Growing!

This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I have been gardening for about 6 years now.  Ahem.  Okay, so attempting to garden.  I think I have managed to produce a successful garden twice.  in my defense, I have been pregnant twice durning the past six years.  And yes, I'm still using that as an excuse. 

I'm always looking for some miracle cure for my moderatly black thumb.  The only thing is, I hate using chemicals.   I have taken to boiling water and vinegar for weeds and ghetto composting for everything else. Ghetto, because I don't really know what I'm doing.  I would love to grow a garden in completely organic soil.  So, I was kind of excited to hear about Whitney Farms® and their organic plant food.

 

I love that Whitney Farms® organic plant food is made up of totally natural materials to provide macro and micronutrients for plants.  I never have much luck getting my plants to get very big and successful, despite trying just about every kind of traditional plant food. 

(my dream garden)

I'm excited to try Whitney Farms® organic plant food and see if I can't rurn my wimply little garden into that beauty.  I'll let you know how it turns out! And be sure to check out the $3 off coupon from Whitney Farms.  A little more incentive to try it out! 

 

Book Review: Million Dollar Diva

It all started after we had money.  When we were starving students, it wasn't nearly as hard.  We had everything we needed, but we knew we couldn't afford anything extra, and so we didn't.  And that was fine. We lived in that mode for years, and when the babies came along, it didn't change much, we just mostly lived off of hand me downs and thrift store finds and got by fabulously.

But once my husband got a job in the real world, something outside the realm of TA and tutor bringing in a part time paycheck, everything got really, really expensive.  And it seems like that happened all at the same time.  We thought, hey, we have a paycheck now, we can afford to fix that!  Or even get a new one!  Turns out, our eyes were bigger than our bank account, and it wasn't long before we realized it was a little bit more than we thought.  So, about 6 months ago, we really buckled down and got serious about our financial life.

So, when Tristi emailed me about reviewing her new book, Million Dollar Diva, all about getting your financial life in order, I jumped at the chance.  We could use some extra inspiration!  And it was great.  It wasn't a boring financial book about the ins and outs of investing, but it gave great, real life advice from 2 financial about turning your debt around and establishing a foundation for the rest of your life, something I think most of us need. I enjoyed the way the book is narrated, following Tristi through her financial journey and watching her make realizations and changes in her life for the better.  The Drive Down Debt theory is great, and seems like a super effective way to get rid of your debts. I'll be honest and say that I didn't agree with all of their advice, but for the most part, I really appreciated the added inspiration.  

One of the best parts about it, is that there is an entire website to support your financial journey as well.  MilliondollarDiva.com offers downloads for smartphone apps and software downloads to help guide you as you get rid of your debt and build your wealth. You can also stay updated with Tristi's progress, from where the book left off.  And the best part is that if you go check out the website before June 15, you can get yourself a free copy of the book, only pay the shipping, $5.95.  Not a bad deal.  If you need a little financial inspiration, this might just be a great place to start.  Check it out!

You're Welcome

Because The Avengers is awesome, I decided to put together a primer for you, so, you know, you're all caught up when you go to see it.



And now, during the absurd moments of the movie, you will have awesome quotes to whisper to your spouse.  It just makes it that much more fun.

Glitter in the air

Do you ever have those days where you miss junior high? I know, they happen like once every ten years, but I had a moment tonight.
My boys got into my glitter stash. There was gold glitter everywhere. I had the brilliant idea to put it on my eyelids just like I did in Jr. high. I'm pretty sure that the whole glitter on the eyes thing was basically the highlight of my Jr. high experience. But middle school generally doesn't have a lot to offer, so that's kind of to be expected.

All I really accomplished tonight was getting glitter in my eye and an itchy night, but I looked in the mirror and it made me feel like I was 13 again. And as 30 draws closer and closer that is a feat that doesn't happen often. Maybe I'll start wearing glitter on a more regular basis, I don't know. But really, of all the quarter life crisis options floating around our there, I think I might just get away with glitter eyeshadow. Then again, I'm not sure Jr. High is worth reliving, even for glitter.

Not Going Anywhere

This doesn't happen every day. Some days I'm selfish and ungrateful and I miss them. But other days I take a good look around and realize just how full my life is of tender mercies.

They're not big things, you know. Not life changing things. Just things that make the day easier to get through. I won't list them all here. I couldn't even if I tried and some of them are so precious that I wouldn't share any way. But I have realized that blogging is one of them. This blog, and really the medium of blogging in general, is one of the biggest tender mercies of my life.
We've been through stuff. Stuff I've told you about and stuff I haven't. Stuff you tell your best friends and stuff you wouldn't wish on anyone. And I really and truly believe that without those tender mercies, without those little reminders that the Lord was there and knew just when I needed a friend to invite the kids over, or someone to leave a nice comment or sent me someone just to talk to, that I may not have found a way through. It made all the difference in the world.
Some people say that blogging is dying, that Facebook and twitter and instagram have divided and conquered, but I really can't imagine my life without the blog. I don't post as often, I'm not addicted to the comments like I was, but almost every day a post runs through my head. And I think that might just be the way I live the rest of my life. Because when you recognize that mercy, you don't just let it slip away.

Evil. Pure Evil.

We have a mouse.  Again.  It's been over a year since the last one was carried out in a no-see trap.  Well, Monday, on the hottest day of the year thus far, my children left every door in the house open.  And that afternoon the sightings began.

The thing about this mouse, is that it's not very sneaky. At first, I thought it was stupid.  An amateur.  But, almost a week and 3 empty traps later, I'm rethinking my theory: I'm pretty sure this mouse is evil.  Pure, unadulterated evil.  It is doing everything in it's power to make me crazy.

For one thing, I am the only one who has seen it more than once.  I have had the privilege at least 5 times.  Just when I think things are all great, it darts across the room and gives me a heart attack.  But last night, last night took the cake.  It was late.  John and I were saying prayers.  I refuse to kneel on the floor in our bedroom (in the basement) due to spider issues.  So, I was on the bed and John was on the floor.  John was saying it. About halfway through, one of the curtains started moving.  The window was open, but the wind doesn't make a scratching noise.  I sat frozen on the bed while John finished his hour long prayer.
"Amen."
"It's in the curtain.  Right there."
He walked around the bed, moved the curtains around, nothing.  He came back around and knelt on the bed to say his prayers.  A few minutes in, the other curtain started moving.  Again, I had to wait for him to finish.
"It's right there. I swear, it's right there."
I started hitting the curtain with a pillow.  And then I saw it. In the windowsill.  The windowsill adjacent to the bed. Inches away from my pillows.
Well, naturally I screamed bloody murder.  "It's in the windowsill!!!!!!"
John got his golf club and a bucket and sent me to the bathroom.

No luck.

But I swear this stupid mouse is following me.  I swear it is.

Anyone want to lend me your cat?

Inspired by The Hunger Games

A long time ago I came across a quote that I fell instantly and utterly in love with: "Never judge a book by it's movie."
I love books. In my opinion, it is the higher art. Movies are great, and there are some classics, but for the most part a movie will never even approach the gloriousness of a great book in its pure form. I'm actually not a fan of the latest trend of making every popular book into a movie. I think it is really a disservice in so many ways.
Let us use Harry Potter as an example. I love Harry Potter. It's almost embarrassing. There are 2 people on this planet that I am willing to talk to about Harry Potter because I just can't stand anyone besmirching his name. Now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself, let's talk about the movie. I saw the first three in the theatre. After that I just couldn't take it anymore. There were so many vital elements being completely ignored. It was just too painful and I was just too angry. I did eventually watch all of them, but the more I thought about it the more frustrated I would become. How many people were being introduced to Harry Potter through the movies and would never pick up the books because of it? I felt so sorry for them and everything that they were missing. And the kids who had already seen the movie, but were reading the books for the first time. There was no Aha! Moment when the villain was discovered.
And it's not just Harry Potter. Have you read Matilda or seen the movie? Have you read Pride and Prejudice or seen the movie? Have you read Percy Jackson or seen the movie? If the answer to any of those question is "Just the movie," then I pity you my friend. So please, please I beg you with all of the depth of my soul, never, NEVER judge a book by it's movie.

Book review: Banana Split

While I love Lemon Tarts and Key Lime Pie, I have never read any of the books. I had the chance, however to jump into the series with Banana Split.  If you're not familiar with Josi Kilpak's Culinary Mystery series, I'll give you a little back ground. Sadie Hoffmiller is taking a break from life, by spending an extended vacation to Hawaii.  Only, life seems to follow her  no matter where she goes and Hawaii is no exception.

Sadie stumbles, quite literally across a body, which, judging from the reactions of the other characters is not a terribly unusual occurance in Sadie's life.  The book follows her as she deals with the aftermath and finds herself more immersed in the investigation than she would like to be.

One of the things that I enjoyed about this novel was the way that the author dealt with the psychological impact of everything that Sadie has been through. Not having all the details, I had to do a lot of inferring, but it seemed that the portrayal of the anxiety issues as a result of her experiences were very realistic.  You are allowed to watch as Sadie wades through her emotions and reacts to the burgeouning mystery surrounding her that she has tried so hard to distance herself from.

The thing I think I liked best about the novel were the recipes.  Scattered throughout the book are recipes to some of the different dishes the characters eat in the book.  And since the novel is set in Hawaii, the recipes are mostly island based.  I have every intention of going through the book and trying out all of the different recipes. Leaving out all of the coconut, of course.  If you are a Culinary Mystery fan, I think that Banana Split will live up to your expectations.