family

New Year’s Resolution #10: Reduce, Reuse, recycle

Abby H.3 Comments

So this is the last one! I’ve been meaning to post this for a week or so, but I hurt my wrist (I fell while hiking!), so I’ve been off the computer a lot.

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#10 is a big one for our family! Reduce, re-use, recycle!

Reduce:

  • Buy less stuff. That one is pretty simple.
  • Use what you have on hand.  There are some pretty awesome websites like Recipe Key and Recipe Matcher that help you find recipes based on what you have in your pantry.
  • Reduce your waste out put.  I’m not asking you to hold it when you gotta go, but put your eggshells and coffee grounds in your house plants and tomato plants.  Try composting.  You’ll be  reducing your carbon foot print and you’ll make your plants happier!

Re-use:

  • Re-purpose items!  This includes eating your leftovers.
  • Here, here, and here are some great Pinterest boards that have re-using ideas.
  • I love this one: Making re-usable shopping bags out of old t-shirts (they make a great gift too).
  • Mend your clothes- including fallen hems, loose buttons and minor tears.  Sewing kits are inexpensive.  If you don’t know how to sew or even thread a needle, check out YouTube for some tutorials. And hey, you’ll learn a new skills!

Recycle:

  • In some areas, recycling is done by weight (like the majority of the recycling centers we have here).  You bring all of your aluminum cans crushed up or your glass bottles in big garbage bags and they are weighed, and you receive a per lb. price.
  • In other areas (like where my in-laws live back east and very few locations here in So Cal) there are machines that you deposit bottles and cans into one at a time and a per piece bottle deposit is returned to you. Re-Planet is one of those companies.
  • Some areas mandate recycling- Where we live there are special cans: Black for trash, green for yard waste, and blue for recycling.  The items that cannot be returned for a bottle deposit like milk cartons, soup cans, cereal boxes can be placed into the blue bin.
  • Recycling doesn’t only mean bottles and cans , it can also be to give an item a new life and a new home.  Donate clothes and other household items to charity or use freecycle and help your neighbors. I especially like the Buy Nothing Movement.
  • You can also sell items on Craigslist, have a garage sale or sell your items via a consignment shop.  They will go to a new home, you will have kept the stuff from a landfill, and you’ll have a little cash!
  • Did you know that in some states you can recycle your unwanted house paint? Check out PaintCare here for more details!

How do you incorporate the three R’s into your daily life?

When DIY meets frugality….

Abby H.

About 6 months ago, I scored 6 new pillows for less than $10 at Sears, using Sears Shop Your Way Rewards, coupons, and a BOGO sale.

When you get new pillows, you need new pillow covers. I headed over to our local AmVets Thrift Store when all of the linens were on sale and picked up 9 pillow covers for .25/each.  What I didn’t realize is that 3 of them were smaller than a standard pillow, and they didn’t fit. I set them aside, thinking I would find something else to do with them.

Fast forward to this morning. I am pulling the sheets, blankets and pillowcases off the bed, and I notice the pillow cases look gross. Like, we’ve had them since before we were married and they just don’t come clean anymore… That kind of gross. I’ve washed them with Oxyclean, borax, you name it, I’ve tried it to get them clean. Enough. I figure 8 years of rotation means they’ve served a good life.

I rifle through the linen closet to discover that about 90% of our pillow cases need to get pitched. Then, I discover the 3 small pillow covers, and I am struck with inspiration.

warposterSee, My motto for for remaining the frugal steward of our family is, “Use it up, wear it out, make do”. That means, basically: USE WHAT YOU HAVE.

I remembered that I also had a few yards of Eyelet lace in my sewing box. BUT, it’s offwhite. The pillow covers were white. But, wait… We have a box of awful tea in the cabinet. I mean it tastes like burnt rubber and camp fire smoke- blergh. But, it’s perfect for tea dying! Ever notice when you spill tea or coffee on your white clothes, it never comes all the way out? Imagine if you took light colored fabric and soaked it in boiling tea or coffee for about an hour and then washed it?  That’s tea dying.

I pull out the sewing machine and some supplies and set to work. I trim the zippers off the pillow covers, measure the lace, and sew it onto the open end of the pillow case. This serves a few purposes:

  1. Lengthens the pillow case about 31/2 inches. Now it will fit a standard pillow case
  2. Makes the pillow case look nice
  3. I am using up what we have in the house, and now I don’t have to go out and buy new pillow cases.

While I was in the closet with my fabric, I also found a piece of unbleached muslin that I cut into a pillow case. I had enough lace, so why not. If you’d like to make a pillow case, here is a pretty easy tutorial to follow.

I boiled my icky tea, wet the pillow cases, and tossed them into the stockpot. I covered the pot with a heavy plate to weight the fabric down so that it will take the dye evenly.

After about 30 minutes, I turned the stove off, and left the mixture until it cooled… Next, I rang out the pillow cases and tossed them into the washing machine to get out any extra tea (and the gross smell).  And now… Ta Da!  Three refurbished pillow cases and a brand new pillow case!

  • Total out of pocket: Zero Dollars
  • Time: about 2 hours (most of it was waiting for the dye pot to cool)

Now if you want to make your own pillow cases, the tutorial I linked to above is pretty easy to follow, and it’s a great way to use up scraps of cotton fabric that you may have hanging around the house.  Since pillow cases and fitted sheets tend to wear out first, you could also cut up orphaned flat sheets too.

 

 

New Year’s Resolution #8: Learn Something New

Abby H.3 Comments

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#8 is a resolution that I thought would be closer to the top of the list: Learn something new!

There are lots of ways that you can learn and grow without breaking the bank!

      1. Borrow books from the library- most libraries have their card catalogs online, so you can check and see if your local library branch has the book(s) you are looking for before you step foot in the library.  AND- some libraries have the ability to hold the books for you until you can get down there (usually 24 hours).
      2. Can’t find the books in print near you? Check out Google Books.  There are tons of free books that you can read online.If you head over to Amazon you’ll find thousands of Free E-books on Amazon in all reader formats.
      3. Check out community learning opportunities. Grossmont Adult Education has tons of great classes, including some great Mommy and Me style pre-school classes for kids!
      4. Check YouTube for tutorials or seminars that are of interest to you.
      5. Harvard (yeah, *THAT HARVARD*) has free, no credit open courses here. Other Colleges including MIT, Yale and Stanford offer free online no credit classes for the public to take/sit in on.
      6. Check your local museums for free days for locals.  San Diego Locals- here is a list of free museum days in Balboa Park.
      7. Craftsy has a ton of free classes and patterns! Check out this post with just a few of my favorite classes!
      8. There are tons of free opportunities for kids to learn here. Most public libraries have story time or other free activities and workshops for kids. Check out Red Tricycle’s website for all kinds of free and cheap learning opportunities for your littles!
      9. Love documentaries? Love to read? If you haven’t tried Amazon Prime yet, there is an awesome promotion right now- sign up and get your first 30 days free. Prime gives you access to more than JUST free shipping. You can stream movies, documentaries, enjoy the free Kindle lending library, and more! Start Your Prime Video 30-Day Free Trial Now!

What is overage? (or how I score groceries for free)

Abby H.1 Comment

DSCN7877Overage is a wonderful thing. If you read deal blogs or watch Extreme Couponing on TV, you’ve heard the term, but maybe you aren’t familiar with the meaning.

Overage is money that you receive back, either as cash in hand or money off the rest of your order when you have a coupon whose face value is higher than the price of the items.

Most grocery, drug and mass merchandisers do not allow overage. They will adjust the value of the coupon to make the items free. Walmart, however, does allow for overage. This means I shop at the largest Wal-Mart closest to us, because it has a huge grocery section.  I usually go once a month.

For those in the military or who have base privileges, the commissary also allows overage.

The secret to getting the overage is to purchase the least expensive item allowed by the coupon. Often times, this means the smallest item allowed. If there are no size restrictions, this means you might be able to use a coupon on a travel or trial size! Check all of the fine print on your coupons.

For example, I received 2 coupons for $10.00 off any Butterball item (I won them in a contest online) and this is how I used them:
2 Butterball Turkey Burgers $6.98/each

  • -2 $10.00 any Butterball Turkey product coupon
  • = $6.04 Overage

Generally, I use overage to purchase items I did not have coupons for (usually fresh fruits and vegetables).

If you are looking for some recent coupons that might provide you with some overage at Walmart, Paul over at I Heart The Mart has an awesome list of items at Walmart for $1 or less. 

What have you scored recently for free or received overage on?

Review: Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker!

Abby H.

Last night, Lil’ Man and I got to attend the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker . It was his first time at the ballet, and my first time in a few (mumble mumble) years.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story of the Nutcracker, here is a good synopsis.

The music and costumes were great, and Henry loved that there were kids dancing on stage too. The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is touring all over the US and Canada right now. To find your closest show and save on the Moscow Ballet’s celebrated Great Russian Nutcracker 2015 North American Tour click here. USE PROMO CODE: JOY

This is a great show for kids (and adults). The story is easy to follow, and the music is very lively. It is a great first ballet experience for anyone!

Review: Lovely Candy Co. Tasty holiday treats!

Abby H.

The Lovely Candy Company sent me a box of their super yummy treats recently, and oh my goodness are they tasty!

The favorites were The Fudgee Rolls and the Sea Salt caramels. They were so decadent and rich, without having too many calories or fat. The cherry licorice were a follow up favorite. Lil’ Man devoured them!

What I really liked is that Lovely candies are all natural, certified gluten free, tested non-GMO, certified kosher and contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. So while they are a sometimes treat, I can feel better knowing they are a better choice than other candies out there!

We still have a few bags to try, but I’m sure they will be super tasty. We don’t eat a lot of candy, so it takes us a while to get through treats! These would be a great addition to any holiday gift basket or stocking!

Lovely Candy Co and US Family Guide provided me with complimentary candies to facilitate the review. I was not financially compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own.

 

New Year’s Resolution #4- Spend More Time with your Family (without breaking the bank)!

Abby H.3 Comments

Throughout December, I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!
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The Number 4 New Year’s Resolution on most top ten lists is: Spend more time with your family.

There are lots of fun, free or low cost activities you can do with your family.

  • In San Diego, there is free museum Tuesday in Balboa Park.  Here is a list of museums that are free and when they are free. 
  • Also in San Diego, October is kid’s free month at tons of museums, parks, and attractions (including the zoo!!). Here is a list of events and attractions that were free in October 2012.
  • Lots of Daily Deal sites have free credit when you sign up to defray the cost of your first purchase.  Here are just a few that I use and really like:
    • LivingSocial- They sell local gift certificates (like Groupon) as well as merchandise. When you sign up, you’ll receive a credit (it varies, but it’s usually between $5-$15).
  • Instead of eating out at full price, use coupons from websites like Get1Free, or if you’ve got an Entertainment book, USE IT!
  • If you’ve got kiddos, check out these great lists of restaurants where Kids Eat Free. For San Diego restaurants where kids can eat free try here, here, here, here, and here.
  • Is your birthday coming? Of course it is…. Well, then check out this post about Birthday freebies!

There are fun, free events all year long for the family. Here is a list of just some of the holidays each month:

  1. January: New Year’s Day, MLK Day
  2. February: President’s Day, Some communities have Valentine’s day events too.
  3. March: Saint Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras
  4. April: Easter
  5. May: Memorial Day and Mother’s day
  6. June: End of school/beginning of summer events, graduation, Father’s Day.
  7. July: Independence Day
  8. August: Back to School, Labor Day
  9. September: Back to School
  10. October:Halloween
  11. November: Thanksgiving
  12. December: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza

New Year’s Resolution #3- Live a richer, fuller life (without spending more money)

Abby H.3 Comments

Throughout December, I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!
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Of the Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions, number three on several lists is to live a fuller life.  What does that mean?  Get out, do more.  Don’t just sit on your couch, watching WWE and eating microwave popcorn. Of course, I want you to get out there and live it up, but, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money.

Here are some tips to live better and keep your budget in check.

  • Use all of the perks and benefits afforded to you by your job.  Some employers offer on site gyms, discounts on cell phone contracts, discount movie tickets, discount attraction passes.
  • Take advantage of free community events.  Check your City’s local Parks and Recreation Department website for free movies in the park, city events around holidays (Our local municipal Lake has a fun Easter event each year that is free).
  • Speaking of Parks, use of community parks is free.  Take a picnic, go for a walk, heck, go play on the playground equipment! Some local parks have walking trails or exercise paths.
  • Many businesses offer discounts to military, seniors, and other professional groups. Don’t be afraid to ask!
  • When you go to the doctor or dentist, don’t be afraid to ask for samples of medications or toothpaste/floss. When we take Lil’ Man to the pediatrician for his wellness check ups, she’s always giving us coupons and samples.  Doctors receive coupons and samples from companies and reps to give out- take advantage of it!
  • If you are looking for a way to experience theatre for free and have some time to give, consider volunteering to be an usher. In most areas across the Unites States, many of the larger theatre companies are actively seeking ushers. If you are unsure if your local theatre or musical organization needs volunteer ushers, call their administrative office and ask, or check their website and drop them an email. Many theatres, orchestras and symphonies are non-profit organizations. They rely on volunteers to help their organization succeed. Museums need volunteers as well to be docents, hand out brochures, and help with special events. If there is a local museum you like, think about volunteering. You will get to spend time in a place you like, and you will be helping an organization.

2016 New Year’s Resolution #2: I want to save money!

Abby H.3 Comments

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Over the next two weeks,  I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to SAVE MONEY. Here are just a few simple ways to save money throughout 2016:

1. Make a budget and stick to it.  We have a pretty tight budget at our house- It keeps us on track!

2. Use coupons for everything.  Coupons aren’t just for groceries. Check out sites like Get1Free for coupons to restaurants, day spas, golfing.  If you buy an Entertainment book, there are tons of great coupons for all kinds of meals and activities.

3. Back to coupons (again).  Carry a plastic envelope or coupon wallet with you at all times with coupons that you know you will use.  That way if you decide to have a spontaneous adventure- you can still save money money.

4. Try free activities.  Every community has free activities, check out your local Cragislist (under Community then click Events), community newspaper, or your local Patch for upcoming free events. Or Google “free events +name of your city +month of the year”.

5. Have a goal for your savings.  Saving to save is fine, but if you are saving money towards a goal, it’s harder to blow off the budget.  I mean, really… Would you rather have a new car or a cheeseburger? I thought so.

6. Wait. If you see a big ticket item that you want to buy, wait 10 days and see if the price drops.  Here is an article about the Sales Cycles that take place throughout the year.

7.  This is an oldy, but a goody.  Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without.   Use what you have on hand (substitutions in a recipe are OK, the writer of the cookbook doesn’t care!), repair broken toys, mend clothes.  Add a little water to the last bit of laundry soap to stretch it (You probably use too much anyway!). You don’t need every latest gadget, do dad and thingamagigger. Keeping up with the Joneses is so 1980′s.  Frugality is the new IN thing.  You want to be cool, doncha?

How do you plan to save money in 2016?

Ralphs: Three Baby Freebies! (Great for donation)

Abby H.

If you’ve got a Ralphs card, check this out: Go to RScreen Shot 2015-12-06 at 7.34.58 AMalphs.com, log onto your account, click on Savings, then digital coupons, sort by category (baby).

There are three Baby freebies you can load to your Ralphs card right now!

If you don’t have a baby, these items would be an awesome donation for your local food bank or charity.  Baby items are always in need!

The three items are:

FREE Comforts for Baby Diapers Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Diapers Jumbo Pack, sizes 1-6.

FREE Comforts for Baby Wipes Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free (40ct).

FREE Comforts for Baby Formula Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Formula, any variety (up to 23.2oz).

And the best part is that the coupons don’t expire until 1/30/16, so you have a few weeks to make your way over to Ralphs.

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