Dr. Bronners Liquid Castille Soap rocks!
My dad had discovered Dr. Bronners a few years back but I never really took a whole lot of interest in it at the time. I recently rediscovered it and am upset with myself that I didn't buy it when he initially showed it to me. This liquid castille soap is incredible and can last a LONG time. Dr. Bronners has a lot of products but what made him famous was the weird stuff that he had written on the bottles and what he suggests you can do with the soap; brush your teeth, clean ANYTHING, laundry, dishes, hair...you name it. Although I do not use it for most of these things, I do use it for all my basic cleaning needs. I:ve purchased the lavender soap and have made my own cleaners with it including a cleaning paste and spray cleaner for just about any surface. My bathroom and kitchen now often smell like lavender though you can purchase Tea Tree, Peppermint, Almond and a few others. Not only will you save money but you are now cleaning with environmentally friendly cleaners! Here are a few of my cleaning recipes but if you are an adventurer, let me know how it goes with brushing your teeth with this stuff! For more information on Dr. Bronners: http://www.drbronner.com/
Saving Money on Coffee @ School or Work
If you're like me and love your daily coffee intake, you'll pay or do anything for your fix. Even if you spend a dollar a day 5 days a week on coffee, this will cost you $260 a year. And lets' face it, we usually spend more than $1 on a cup of coffee and sometimes purchase more than once a day. Imagine how much money you could save if you did the following:
*Bring your own coffee to work, if you have access to a kitchen make it there as most offices have coffee machines. If you do not have access to a kitchen, consider purchasing a mug that includes its own "french press" style contraption. You can find these at MEC or most outdoor/camping stores.
*If you are at school or constantly on the go, consider filling up a good quality thermos with freshly brewed coffee from home. The coffee will stay hot most of the day.
*If this is too much work for you, then bring your own mug and go to places that fill your mug for the price of their smallest coffee. A local coffee shop in town fills my mug for 90 cents with organic fair trade coffee! So you'll get more coffee for your buck!! Don't go to places that don't support your love for the environment & saving cups from going into the landfill!
PS: Same idea can be used for Tea! If you have a Latté addiction then you better learn how to make a good one at home. Buying one latté a day can run you about $780 a year for a "once a day" habit. wow!
Cheap Yoga & Meditation
I recently started getting fit, more so for my state of mind. I aquired some passes for a gym close to work and discovered yoga there. After my first class I realized this is something I wanted to continue. I had done it ten years earlier and didn't like it! Needless to say I was surprised. Yoga classes in studios can run up to $20 a class if you drop in, perhaps $10 if you buy a series of passes. Upon doing research, here is what I came up with:
*Most yoga studios with either give you a free intro class, or offer a "first-time" fee for about $10. This is a good way to try out different yoga places in your area. Most communities also have classes set up for about $50 for once a week for about 8 weeks. These programs are usually sponsered by the local government, so look in your community guides.
*Many studios offer what is called a "Community" Class. I've noticed this is offered in several cities I have been to and usually run about $5 a class for 1 1/2 hours. I've even found FREE yoga in once city followed by a meditation and free veggie meal. These are usually offered by either religious organizations or community spiritual groups.
*If you are on a limited budget, inquire about your options and let them know. You'd be surprised, some places might give you a few extra classes if you purchase a punch card or sign up for a class.
*Buying a Mat: At first I looked for a free Mat on Freecycle but had no luck there. Kijiji.ca sold one for $5. In the end, I decided to purchase a mat/carrying case and DVD for $30. Seems a bit pricey but since I can not afford to attend yoga classes more than once a week, I use the DVD for other days.
Meditation: no need to spend much money on meditation. Most meditation classes are free or by donation. Try Buddhist organizations or spiritual groups in your area. Some yoga studios also offer meditation drop in session for about $5 or by donation. If you do a search online for "FREE GUIDED MEDITATIONS DOWNLOADS", you'll find lots ranging from 5minutes to an hour meditations you can download onto your Ipod. Great for "on the road" meditation sessions.
Getting Fit for FREE or cheap
It's that time of year when everyone is running around panicking because soon they'll have to wear shorts or a bathing suit. Gyms are horribly expensive but usually have summer deals. If you are determined to join a gym, go in several of them and see if they will give you a week's pass for free (most places will do this). You can accumulate free weeks of free gym time if you visit 3-4 gyms in your area. Afterwards, let the gym know you're low on funds and that you want the best deal. Compare. Sometimes if you tell one gym the other gym is going to give you a better deal, they'll make their price better. It can happen! So wheel and deal with gyms otherwise you'll end up spending a small fortune. Also check out the "Y" and University Gyms. Those usually have decent summer rates.
If you decide not to join a gym but still want to get fit:
*Buy or acquire a decent bike (try freecycle.org). Bike to work, bike to school. Bike to the store and carry your groceries. It's a simple workout
*Walk everywhere. Walk as many places as you can. Climb stairs instead of taking the elevator.
*Do more chores around the house that require lots of physical work (vaccuming, scrubbing....)
*Garden! Take an hour after work to pull weeds, shovel some dirt and perhaps mow the lawn.
*Fill up bleach bottles with water and use as weights. The bottles have a good handle!
*Buy a used or free treadmill, stationary bike or eliptical. Set it up at home and do 30mins 3 times a week. Definitely cheaper than going to a gym!
*Check out drop in yoga classes or free ones in your area. Many places want to promote and will give people at least one free pass. Drop in classes are about $5-$10 so this could be something you could do once a week or every two weeks as a special workout.
So go out there and get healthy for free, or at least for cheaper!
Travelling, How to save, what to do?
Most of us love to travel but do not like the cost involved with it. Here are a few quickie tips:
Accommodations:
If Couchsurfing,com isn't working for you, try websites like www.hostelbookers.com to find that perfect budget spot. Last time I booked from there I got a free $5 calling card e-mailed to me to use worldwide.
Getting there:
If you're crossing the ocean, rideshares won't do you any good. I suggest signing up for websites that send you weekly deals so they can do the grunt work for you: www.travelalerts.ca , www.travelzoo.com or www.bookingbuddy.com Defintely worth it!
Food:
Search for food not bombs in the city you are going. They are everywhere. Free vegan food! Of course avoid tourist areas where they jack up the prices. Ask locals for cheap places for grub or do some reseach on the internet. You'll be surprised what you'ff find. Shop at grocery stores for snacks and even meals.
Saving:
Saving can be the toughest part. I have an account set up called "vacation fund". It is set up to take a small amount weekly that I don't miss. I actually pretend that money isn't even mine when it comes out. See it as paying a bill. Because the amount is small I barely notice it. Then next thing you know you have $200 in that account! Another option is to set up a change jar and throw all your change in it, Label it something like "Travel Fund - Hands OFF!"., The jar never works for me because I always end up digging into it if it's in my sight. We have one of those change machines at home and between three of us we accumulate quite a bit which we use for house stuff. I don't dip into that one much as it isn't all mine so I feel bad if I do. Another way of saving is buy things in sections (like book your hostel way in advance and pay for it). Buy some coffee cards to take with you. I try to pay for as much as possible (coupons, gift cards, prepaid bus tickets) so it doesn't seem like so much money spent in the end.
Packing your junk
I prefer packing light. If you are going to be a regular traveller I suggest you learn how because you will be thankful! I can pack for a month in a tiny suitcase if I have to. I usually only bring carry on so I don't have to deal with waiting for my luggage at the other end. If you're going away for a week, no need to bring 7 pairs of underwear. 3 is good. Bring a small amount of powdered laundry detergent with you to wash your undergoods in the sink. Don't bring full sizes of ANYTHING...this includes shampoo, conditioner, contact lens solution, lotion....) Bring small sizes. Get samples from stores/websites or use things like film cannisters & tiny bottles to store your stuff. Pack a small toothpaste & toothbrush. If you're a makeup junkie, Eyeslipsface.com (PETA approved) has wicked products that are compact in size and cost you only a buck!! For clothes, one pair of jeans, one skirt or dress (if you wear them) & another pair of pants is good. Bring a few shirts that you can mix and match with. Depending on where you are going, a sweater or rain jacket could be useful. Don't bring 100 pairs of shoes. Bring one you can walk in for a long time and one dressier pair. More than two pairs is just wasted space :) If I have a lot of gifts I want to give where I am going, I usually send them by mail. Again, anything for a lighter load in my suitcase!! Even if you are going away for several weeks, still bring sample sizes and refill them when you get there (either at friends/relatives or guests that leave things behind or get a cheap stuff at the discount store). Trust me, you don't want to lug around 100lbs of luggage around Heathrow Airport for 8 hours if your flight was cancelled (yes, that was me).
There are more travel tips in the Spring/Summer Zine!
HAPPY TRAVELS!!!
5 QUICK FRUGAL TIPS FOR KEEPING WARM
Keeping warm in the winter can be tough if your heating costs are through the roof! If you live in a place where you have to pay for heating but can't afford the costs, here are a few things you can do!
1. Instead of turning on the heat, place a space heater in the area where you'll be hanging out.
2. Take a hot bath or shower, this keeps me warm for a few hours!
3. Put on thick socks and put something on your head if you can. Get under blankets!
4. Get those window kits. These are kits that contain plastic type sheets which you can easily cover your windows with. If you have old windows these are great because it prevents drafts. Those kits also come with tape that helps seal doors as well. Makes a huge difference!
5. Make hot ginger tea using fresh ginger (1tbsp per 4 cups). Sweeten with honey or agave nectar. Ginger is great for circulation!
NEW TIP!!! 6. Buy a heating pad for $10! I got one as a present and I carry it around with me everywhere in the house. I just plug it in, sit on it and it keeps me nice and toasty. Much cheaper to use than space heaters. Invest in one!
FRUGAL CANNING - Preserve those harvest goodies!
It's that time of year to preserve/can all those veggies from your garden (or your neighbours!). I haven't had much success with gardening myself, but I have acquired LOTS of zucchini and a few turnips from others. I don't own fancy canning equipment, I just use a large metal pot (like one you'd boil corn on the cob in), fill it with a few inches of water and put my jars in there. I pick them up with tongs or oven mitts which seems to work fine. I've been canning for about 4 years now, and from June-October I make about 100 or so jars of various things. I love the feeling of having fruits/veggies in season and preserving them to last through fall and winter. Produce is also very cheap around this time, so buy in bulk! For jars, I try not to buy any but with the amount of canning I do I sometimes need to buy 1-2 boxes a year as I do give some away as gifts and don't always get them back. Througout the year, I collect what I call "jars with pop lids". These are jars with lids that pop when you press them in the middle. Jarred spaghetti sauces, salsas and some jams have these pop lids. They make great jars for canning! Also check freecycle.org list in your area to acquire some jars that people don't want anymore.
When it's time to label jars, use old office/school labels no one is using anymore. The dollarstore also sells cheap canning labels. If you buy jars the stickers come with it. It's good to list all the ingredients on the label if you are going to be giving them as gifts (for allergy purposes). I don't decorate it with fabric/raffia on top, too frilly for my taste. I leave the jar as/is and I think it looks cool because it's clearly very homemade looking. People eat that up :)
What to do with:
Zucchini: We all know that everyone has WAY too much of this each year when they have their own garden. Some grow so big, there is just no way you can eat it all in a few weeks unless you're a family of 10! I am not a huge fan of zucchini but two years ago I made a zucchini relish that people liked, though this year I made a zucchini salsa that zucchini haters LOVE! It's a no fail easy recipe that will make people want more. I've used it in pastas as a sauce too, so it's versatile. Even used it in burritos. You can find the recipe at recipezaar.com. So no more zucchini relish for me, this salsa stuff wins :)
Apples: I love apples! I end up buying at least 20lbs of it every September. I use 10lbs of it to make Apple Butter, and the rest to make homemade applesauce. I've even combined apples and pears to make an Apple Pear Butter. The key to making apple/pear butter is to let it cook a LONG time in a crockpot. At least 12 hours on low. You'll end up with about half the amount you started out with, but this is what you want. TO make apple butter, I just cut apples in half (peel, core and ALL), then place them in a large pot with an inch of water and cook for 10 mins until soft. After that's done, I process through a food mill (best invention in the world!), place in a crockpot, add some fresh ginger, cloves, cinnamon and some orange juice and that's it!
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are great. They are so versatile. You can can them on their own if you peel them first. You can make salsa, ketchup (yes! And it's sooo much better than storebought!) as well as pasta sauce. There are so many recipes on the internet. recipezaar.com and allrecipes.com are good places to start.
Happy Canning!
TOP 5 TIPS TO EARN SOME FAST CASH
1. Do some spring cleaning and sell your junk on kijiji.com or craigslist.com, you might even find some loose change while your at it!
2. Have a yard sale but get your friends to participate too, the more stuff you have, the more people you will attract, make cool flyers.
3. Go garbage picking in cities in the spring. Students are moving out and throw out tons of good stuff! (trust me i know) Keep what you need, sell what you don't. Repaint, wash or restore sketchy things to earn a few more bucks on it.
4. Sell your services! Can you paint? clean? cook? babysit? Are you a jack/jane of all trades? So small jobs for neighbours, make flyers with your computer and put them in mailboxes on your street and beyond.
5. Become A Rep for a reputable company that sells through catalogues. You can choose your hours and how much time you wanna put into it. Even that extra $50 a month could come in handy!
TOP 5 WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR GROCERY BILL
1. Buy stuff from discounted racks. If you dont see anything, ask the produce or bakery manager for old stuff. I've gone into bakeries and received free day old bread and pita before, just ask!!
2. Check flyers from 2-3 supermarkets. Write down what you need and where it's cheaper or on sale.
3. Get no name/generic brands, there is rarely a big difference in taste on most things.
4. Buy dried beans instead of canned. This will save you tons. Also get soymilk powder, especially if it goes quickly in your house. Use a blender to mix it.
5. Buy in bulk when possible. If you don't have the cash up front, have a few friends go in on larger boxes/bags of staple foods (rice, pasta, beans, flour...) For example, I buy 10lbs of basmati for $9 as opposed to 1lb for $3! Rice goes quickly in my house so this is worth the investment!
TOP QUICK/CHEAP DECORATING IDEAS
1. Paint. Painting a room is the least expensive way to decorate a room if you want to make a drastic change. Get discounted paints that have been mistinted, they are always available. Also paint old furniture that needs a fresh look. Paint is your friend...remember that :)
2. Plants. I bought a couple of plants, then put clippings in water for a few weeks and planted them. A $5 investment has now produced over 10 plants for me. Also ask friends/family for clippings. my house is full of plants now and it looks so much cozier!
3. Candles. Get dollar store ones. Get holders at the thrift store. I have candles everywhere. It's an inexpensive way to bring ambience to a room. You can also melt leftover wax and pour it in a glass jar with a wick!
4. Reupholster old grungy furniture with unused quilt covers using a staple gun and dye cushions. I revamped an old couch for $3 doing this. Wicked.
5. De-Clutter/Clean. Use baskets to store loose things, clean and make the room smell good. Make a spritzer using a bit of vodka, water and some essential oils as a freshner. Tidying a room can change a room's look, trust me on that one!
6. Dress windows. if you have bare windows, get some curtain clips ( less than $5) and some fabric (sheets, tea towels, thrift store finds...) and clip it on then hang on a rod. I have bought smaller curtain rods at dollar stores before. You can also make your own curtain clips by either painting wooden laundry clips, using metal ones or using plastic ones in the colour you need, attach a wire line in front of your window and clip on fabric.
FREE ACCOMMODATIONS!? TRY COUCHSURFING!
Ok, so you are travelling this summer, your budget is extremely low! Try www.couchsurfing.com (Full article in upcoming "zine") I host a lot of people with this website and will end up using it myself next time I travel. It's been an incredible experience. It's free to join. Make sure you detail your profile as much as possible, this will attract like minded visitors!
Visit the Dollar Stretcher Website!!
KEEPING COOL & HYDRATED
In this hot weather I always like to keep bottles of water around..frozen!
So freeze water bottles and take out as needed. When it's really hot the water will melt rather quickly but you'll have cold water for an hour or two which is better than the hot water you'll get if you dont freeze it...yikes! I also use frozen water bottles as ice packs in coolers so when it is melted I can drink it, or just refreeze and use it again :)
SPRING GARDEN TIP
I heard that planting your rhubarb around a big rock will help it grow!! The rock will soak up the heat of the sun which will help your plants grow.
CLEANING WITH BUBBLE BATH?
I found out that Avon Bubble Bath does TONS of stuff. From laundry to cleaning walls/floors/counters!! Great for stains too..and of course bubbles. So if your mom or grandma has this stuff laying around, get it. It's a multipurpose liquid!
KEEP COFFEE CARDS!
Go out for coffee? I keep all coffee cards in my wallet and they don't expire! Even places I rarely go I've ended up with a free coffee eventually and it's always a surprise! I also have sushi cards!
YARD SALE TIPS
Advertise!! You can list free on Kijiji.com, craigslist.org and usually your local Bargain Hunter Newspaper. Advertising can make or brake your sale, especially if you live on a quiet road. Post signs near your street with arrows pointing the driver where to go.
Hang Clothes. Washed and Hung clothes are sold much better than if they are stuffed in a a box!
Organize small items in boxes. If you have small items that will get lost on the table, put items in seperate marked boxes (ie: all 25cent items in one box, all $1 items in another.)
Clean your junk! I once cleaned up an old toaster oven to make it look new and sold it for $10. The buyers were thrilled. People don't like dirty stuff. Try to clean even old items as much as you can.
Have a hobby? Sell! I make soaps and usually sell scraps or pieces at my yardsale in bags. This year I am also planning to Dig up Hostas in my yard and selling them since they spread like crazy and are so easy to grow. So if you paint or make jewelry or whatever, display a few of your things :)
Organize Sheets, cups and towels. Things sell better in bundles so sell 2 towels which you can wrap in a piece of masking tape. Sell Sheet sets or what's left of them. Sell 5 mugs for $1 intead of 20cents each..things will go faster if you bundle.
Sell Iced Tea, Coffee or Lemonade! Depending on the day you pick the appropriate drink to sell. say, 25cents a cup or free if you purchase 5 mugs! :)
REMEMBER, IF YOU SELL JUST WITH THE INTENT TO MAKE LOTS OF CASH YOU WON"T DO WELL. JUST THINK OF IT AS PEOPLE PAYING YOU MONEY TO GET RID OF YOUR JUNK. HOLD ON TO STUFF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE PARTING WITH. PRICE A BIT HIGHER AS YOU'LL HAVE LOWER OFFERS FROM SEASONED YARD SALERS.
HAPPY YARD SALE!
IDEAS FOR SUMMER GIFTS
Plants, jams, herbs or veggies from your garden, herbed or fruit vinegars (homemade), Gummi Kebabs (see below),
GUMMI KEBABS
These are SO cool.All u have to do is take some bamboo skewers & put some gummi type candies on them (different shapes & sizes). I usually wrap each kebab with a sandwich bag and decorate with stickers and ribbon. You can also use some of that styrofoam stuff they use for flower arrangements put it in a long mug and stick the kebabs in there than wrap with cello. Makes a cool bouquet! i once made a cone for a friend of mine filled with these kebabs, he loved it! I paid $5 for candies and made about 20 kebabs! This can make two large candy bouquets or 4 small ones. Coolest gift ever for the candy lover or kids.
