Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 10. 2008 May 10, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit post
In honor of Mother’s Day (which is tomorrow in case you missed the memo), I wanted to offer you some money saving tips for wrapping that gift I know you’ve already bought. I mean…you have got her something already, right?
Okay, assuming that you have a gift, you need a way to wrap it without overspending, so here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Brown Bag It
One of the easiest ways to wrap a gift is to use a plain brown grocery bag. All you need to do is cut it open along the folds and wrap your gift with the label side facing inward. If you happen to have a roll of brown craft paper (also sometimes called “deli paper”), that will make it even easier.
To personalize your plain brown wrapper, use stencils or freehand some simple designs across the paper and finish it off with a piece of ribbon and a faux flower.
A Tisket, A Tasket
Here’s another great idea – why not place your gift inside a pretty basket? Chances are you have several of them stowed away in a closet somewhere anyway, so why not use them.
Shredded junk mail can be used as filler, and a few small knick-knacks, some ribbon and a glue gun will finish it off perfectly.
It’s Only a Dollar…
If you are just hell bent on spending money, just stop by your local Dollar Store. They always have a good selection of wrapping papers and gift bags and if you’re going to spend money, at least you can be cheap about it!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 9, 2008 May 9, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postOne of the most common wastes of your shopping dollars covers a huge range of items that we call convenience foods. The truth is that these items are anything but convenient for your wallet, but thankfully they are all but entirely unnecessary. All it takes is a few minutes of your time and you won’t believe how much money you can save, sacrificing nothing at all.
A lot of people will say that they are willing to pay a little more for the added convenience and that is your choice, but you should at least give home made convenience foods a fair chance before you nix the idea altogether.
In order to bring the unconvinced toward the light, I will be sharing some of my personal favorite convenience food recipes over the coming weeks. Give them a shot – you won’t miss out on a thing and you will save more money than you can imagine. This week we will take a look at making your own spice blends at home.
Homemade Salt Substitute
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. powdered lemon rind
1 tsp. oregano
Just mix and serve in a spice shaker.
Homemade All Purpose Spice Mix
1/3 C grated parmesan
1/4 C sesame seeds
2 TBSP paprika
1 TBSP poppy seeds
2 TBSP chicken boullion
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP onion flakes
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP celery seed
½ TBSP sea salt
½ TBSP black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a zipper bag or jar and use on meat, fish, poultry, even steamed veggies.
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 8, 2008 May 8, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. 1 comment so far , edit postFrugal – It isn’t just for breakfast anymore, but it is entirely possible to be frugal and eat a healthy breakfast at the same time. In fact, you will find that you feel better and are more productive if you do eat the first meal of the day in the morning.
- Oatmeal is your friend. Not only is it inexpensive, it has tons of health benefits, including lowering bad cholesterol. It is simple to prepare and doesn’t take much time, either.
- Trent at The Simple Dollar offers several frugal breakfast food options that are cheap and delicious. I especially love the Swiss Breakfast mix.
- There’s nothing quite like homemade pancakes and waffles, but who has the time to prepare the mix, cook them and then eat? One of the most common sense tips I ever discovered was to make a big batch and freeze them. Frozen waffles that you made yourself are healthier and much less expensive than the prepackaged fare offered in the frozen food aisle.
Look for more frugal breakfast ideas next week! Have one to share? Send me a comment and it may just find its way into a future post!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 7, 2008 May 7, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postToday’s frugal tip isn’t for everyone, but if you are anything like me and enjoy trying new things, you should give this a try.
Eat Your Yard!
Before there were expensive spring mix salad greens in the supermarkets, there were already some really great greens growing right outside. That’s right, I’m talking about stuff that is growing in your yard!
Dandelions
Dandelions are one of the most hated invasive weeds in the U.S., but in Europe they are enjoyed both raw (in salads) and cooked in a variety of ways. Now I know a lot of you are going to be wary of picking something out of your yard and eating it, but the fact of the matter is that dandelions are actually very good for you, and their bitterness can actually add a lot of flavor to your salad. When you cook dandelion greens, such additives as bacon grease and even cream can cut the bitterness quite a bit, making them delicious!
Wild Onions
You may not have these as plentiful as I do, but wild onions are a great find. The truth is that most people seem hell bent on ridding their yard of the wild onion, but they are really fantastic! You will know them by their distinct look and undeniable onion scent. While they are often a bit too tough to eat raw (though I have and they are excellent), you can saute them in a bit of olive oil for a truly delectable side dish. Give it a try (no, really!) and you’ll see for yourself that you really can eat your yard!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 6, 2008 May 6, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postLots of people love to garden, and since the growing season is just starting for much of the U.S., I thought I would share one of my favorite frugal gardening tips - making my own seed starter pots from newspaper. They’re simple, they’re free, and they are biodegradable! That makes them the ultimate in frugality!
To make the first time a bit easier, I’ve taken photos of me making these newspaper pots to illustrate the instructions below:
DIY TIP- Step-By-Step Newspaper Seed Start Pots
What you need:
- a sheet of newspaper (black & white only, and no glossy pages)
- a small can, cut open on both ends
Step By Step
- Start by cutting the newspaper lengthwise into long strips.
- Wrap it around the end of a small can (or jar) with the paste facing outward. Be sure to leave an overhang of paper approximately 1″ wide.
- Fold the open ends inward and flatten by reaching into the opposite end.
- Slide the paper pot loose from the can and fold the exposed edge down about an inch to hold it in place.
It really is just that simple and don’t forget - it’s free! Once you have finished making your starter pots, you will want to fill them with a good quality seed starting mix.
If you prefer to purchase a starter soil, I recommend the Miracle Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil - it is the only one I’ll buy and it has always worked well for me!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 5,2008 May 5, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit post
Today we are going to take a frugal look at one of my least favorite tasks - the laundry. I just want to show you how with a few simple changes, you can save quite a bit of money without sacrificing cleanliness.
In the Washer
1. The first obvious answer is to try a less expensive brand, Many brands on the market are quite capable of cleaning your clothes just as well, saving you a lot of money.
2. Are you using too much detergent? The first thing you need to do is read the label on your laundry detergent. If you are like most of us, you never read it and if so, I’d bet that you’re using a lot more detergent than you actually need.
3. The same rule applies for fabric softener and to be even more frugal with it you can dilute fabric softener quite a bit (I dilute 1:1 with softener and water) and it will still work just as well.
4. Borax is inexpensive and one of the best laundry boosters on the market. It is nearly as effective as chlorine bleach and much less taxing on the environment.
5. Don’t use the hot water setting unless you have a reason to sterilize your laundry. Cold and warm water washes are just as effective and take less energy.
In The Dryer
1. If you are a fan of dryer sheets you don’t have to go without if you don’t want to. By simply cutting your dryer sheets in half you are spending half of the money every month. Smaller loads can even use as little as a quarter of a sheet.
2. Instead of dryer sheets you can do it yourself with a sponge and some liquid fabric softener. Cut the sponge in half and leave both halves in a covered container with softener in it. When you add clothes to the dryer, squeeze a sponge to leave it just damp and add the sponge to the load.
3. Another great frugal tip I was told about recently is to make your own spray starch, and it isn’t hard to do at all. Just add two tablespoons of corn starch to a pint of cold water in a spray bottle and shake before each use. Trust me, it works!
Do you have a favorite frugal laundry tip to share? Leave a comment and your tip might make it in a future tip of the day post!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 4, 2008 May 4, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postBreaking the brand name addiction
It all starts when we’re young. Unbeknownst to us, we are powdered, diapered, clothed and bottle-fed brand names from day one. That said it is no surprise that millions of adults are addicted to brand names!
Thankfully, brand name addiction is one of the easiest habits to break. All it takes is the desire to be open to new ideas and possibilities, and in no time at all the only thing you will be missing is… come to think of it you won’t be missing out on a thing!
Slow & Easy
I understand that you’re probably nervous about going generic, but you don’t have to do it all at once - in fact this isn’t an all or nothing proposition. You always have the choice. Start slow, perhaps with one or two items at a time and it won’t take long for you to see just how much money you’ve been throwing away all these years.
- A good place to start is with over-the-counter medications. The generic equivalents on the market contain all the same active ingredients at a fraction of the cost of their name brand counterparts.
- Canned goods are another great target, especially those items that are added to recipes like soups, stews and casseroles.
Buying off-brand doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go with the plain white labels tucked away on the bottom shelf. There are plenty of mid-range choices in between, you just have to be open to looking for them.
Take a chance today, and try something new. Odds are good that your family will never even know the difference.
