May is almost over, and in June we'd like to do so something new, something a little more interactive.
Each Friday in June, we'll post a list of what each of the three of us has done to save money or live more frugally during the week (increasing 401(k) contributions, using coupons, refraining from buying an item, etc). Some items may have a dollar amount attached, while some may not.
This will help keep us accountable and see what we're doing in our daily lives to save money (and also how it can add up over the course of a month)
And we'd love you to participate too. Each Friday, you can leave a comment informing us of the things you've done to save money or live frugally during the week. At the end, we'll give away a prize to one of the people who participates all four weeks. It will be fun!
Get ready! See you next Friday . . .
May 28, 2010
May 27, 2010
Cheaper Cleaning Products: Part 2 (Merrick)
In my last post about cleaning products, I mentioned the plethora of cleaning products I have in my house. Each product has a different cleaning purpose, so in order to clean each area of my house I need LOTS of products.
A cheap cleaning product that cleans MANY areas around your home and can replace nearly all of those bottles? Baking Soda.
I've never personally used baking soda for cleaning, but after finding this list of ways to clean with it, I am converted. (Also, it's completely non-toxic).
Cleaning the Kitchen with Baking Soda
1. Use in the refrigerator, freezer, or cupboard to keep odors away.
2. To clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water.
3. To clean silver, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
4. To remove scuff marks or grease spills from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and then wipe with a warm, damp cloth. This is even safe for no-wax floors!
5. For burnt-on food in the bottom of pots, sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.
Cleaning the Bathroom with Baking Soda:
1.To remove stubborn stains from most surfaces, use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or wipe clean.
2. Hairbrushes and combs can be cleaned in a baking soda solution.
3. To avoid clogged drains, pour 1/4 cup baking soda down weekly. Rinse through with hot water.
Cleaning the House with Baking Soda:
1. To remove scents from a carpet, sprinkle with baking soda. Let stand for at least fifteen minutes, then vacuum. Repeat as needed.
2. To quickly clean pets and remove "wet dog" odor, sprinkle with baking soda and brush out their fur.
3. Clean children's toys using 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Submerge in this mixture (or wipe with a cloth dampened in it), then rinse with clear water.
Doing Laundry with Baking Soda:
1. Replace half of each measure of laundry detergent with baking soda to keep clothing fresh.
2. To remove grease stains, either add baking soda to the wash load or pretreat the stains with a baking soda paste.
3. Baking soda increases the effectiveness of chlorine bleach. Add 1 / 2 cup to your laundry, along with the usual amount of bleach.
Cleaning Outside the House with Baking Soda:
1. Baking soda can be used to help clean up grease spills.
2. To remove burnt food from the grill, sprinkle with baking soda, then soak. After several hours, the charred pieces will come loose easily.
3. Lawn furniture can be easily cleaned with a rinse of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water.
With Baking Soda available in large quantities at Sam's Club or Costco for only a few dollars, you can replace nearly all the cleaning products in your house for next to nothing.
Who's willing to try it with me?
A cheap cleaning product that cleans MANY areas around your home and can replace nearly all of those bottles? Baking Soda.
I've never personally used baking soda for cleaning, but after finding this list of ways to clean with it, I am converted. (Also, it's completely non-toxic).
Cleaning the Kitchen with Baking Soda
1. Use in the refrigerator, freezer, or cupboard to keep odors away.
2. To clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water.
3. To clean silver, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
4. To remove scuff marks or grease spills from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and then wipe with a warm, damp cloth. This is even safe for no-wax floors!
5. For burnt-on food in the bottom of pots, sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.
Cleaning the Bathroom with Baking Soda:
1.To remove stubborn stains from most surfaces, use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or wipe clean.
2. Hairbrushes and combs can be cleaned in a baking soda solution.
3. To avoid clogged drains, pour 1/4 cup baking soda down weekly. Rinse through with hot water.
Cleaning the House with Baking Soda:
1. To remove scents from a carpet, sprinkle with baking soda. Let stand for at least fifteen minutes, then vacuum. Repeat as needed.
2. To quickly clean pets and remove "wet dog" odor, sprinkle with baking soda and brush out their fur.
3. Clean children's toys using 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Submerge in this mixture (or wipe with a cloth dampened in it), then rinse with clear water.
Doing Laundry with Baking Soda:
1. Replace half of each measure of laundry detergent with baking soda to keep clothing fresh.
2. To remove grease stains, either add baking soda to the wash load or pretreat the stains with a baking soda paste.
3. Baking soda increases the effectiveness of chlorine bleach. Add 1 / 2 cup to your laundry, along with the usual amount of bleach.
Cleaning Outside the House with Baking Soda:
1. Baking soda can be used to help clean up grease spills.
2. To remove burnt food from the grill, sprinkle with baking soda, then soak. After several hours, the charred pieces will come loose easily.
3. Lawn furniture can be easily cleaned with a rinse of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water.
With Baking Soda available in large quantities at Sam's Club or Costco for only a few dollars, you can replace nearly all the cleaning products in your house for next to nothing.
Who's willing to try it with me?
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May 26, 2010
How Much Does Your Lunch Cost? (Janssen)
The other night at dinner, I was telling Bart about the teacher lunches that are provided at the two elementary schools I work at. This is a new program this year, so many of the teachers were really excited because you could buy a non-chicken nugget lunch for only $3. I commented to Bart that $15 a week for lunches still seemed quite expensive to me, since if we both spent that, it would be 60% of our weekly budget.
Last year, in an effort to be healthy, Bart and I gave up fast food. The on-campus Wendy's had been an easy option if we were too tired or too rushed or simply didn't feel like making lunches on a school day. With the dollar menu, it felt like a pretty cheap way to go ($3 or $4 for a full lunch). When Wendy's was no longer an option for us, we were extremely committed to making sure we had a lunch every single day.
As we discussed this, we wondered how much we actually were spending every day on lunch now. Our main priorities when it comes to lunch are as follows: easy (no way are we assembling 7 part sandwiches in the morning when we're rushing to catch the T and beat traffic), cheap, and nutritious.
Here's what lunch looks like for us at the moment:
We have experimented with a ton of different lunch options - string cheese, granola bars (both store bought and homemade), cookies, muffins, vegetables, pretzels, etc - over the last 18 months since we devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to homemade lunches. Some are too expensive, some are too unhealthy, some are too much effort to make in advance.
Our current combination though appears to be just the right amount of food for us - we eat it all, rather than leaving the apples uneaten while devouring the chocolate chip granola bars moments after arriving in the office.
What do you eat for lunch? Any idea how much it costs?
Last year, in an effort to be healthy, Bart and I gave up fast food. The on-campus Wendy's had been an easy option if we were too tired or too rushed or simply didn't feel like making lunches on a school day. With the dollar menu, it felt like a pretty cheap way to go ($3 or $4 for a full lunch). When Wendy's was no longer an option for us, we were extremely committed to making sure we had a lunch every single day.
As we discussed this, we wondered how much we actually were spending every day on lunch now. Our main priorities when it comes to lunch are as follows: easy (no way are we assembling 7 part sandwiches in the morning when we're rushing to catch the T and beat traffic), cheap, and nutritious.
Here's what lunch looks like for us at the moment:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches on homemade wheat bread ($0.30 - ten cents for two slices of bread, ten cents of peanut butter and ten cents of jelly)
- One yogurt ($0.25 cents each since I have become a rabid yogurt coupon collector and I wait for them to go on sale and buy many at once because in my experience it takes yogurt AGES to go bad).
- One apple ($0.38)
- One banana ($0.27)
We have experimented with a ton of different lunch options - string cheese, granola bars (both store bought and homemade), cookies, muffins, vegetables, pretzels, etc - over the last 18 months since we devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to homemade lunches. Some are too expensive, some are too unhealthy, some are too much effort to make in advance.
Our current combination though appears to be just the right amount of food for us - we eat it all, rather than leaving the apples uneaten while devouring the chocolate chip granola bars moments after arriving in the office.
What do you eat for lunch? Any idea how much it costs?
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May 25, 2010
DIY (Carole)
I grew up in a home where it seemed like my dad could make or fix anything. Now that I'm an adult, I'm pretty sure that was not really true, but it seemed that way to me when I was a kid. For instance, my mother wanted a 2nd linen closet in the upstairs hallway. Dad sketched some plans, cut a large hole in the wall and within a couple of weeks there it was -- looking just as permanent and finished as the original one on the other side of the bathroom door. He also painted every room in the house, refinished our kitchen cupboards, upholstered several pieces of furniture (with the help of my mother), painted the outside of the house and dozens of routine plumbing and electrical jobs during my 18 years at home. I remember many interesting trips to the hardware store to pick up some part or other to repair an appliance that had gone AWOL. I often had the fun job, as a little girl, of handing him tools while he tore something apart before putting it all back together again.
Naturally, when David and I got married I assumed he would be right on the same page with this whole DIY lifestyle. Don't all men have these skills? Aren't they hardwired into the male DNA?? Uh, no. And even though I'd made a hundred trips to Ace Hardware with my dad, I didn't have a clue either. Watching was not the same as learning, it turned out.
But David (mostly) and me are living proof that these skills can be learned. We started small with a couple of low-risk painting projects. Painting has much to recommend itself as a beginning place. Not only is it pretty inexpensive, but it is easily painted again if things go bad. My children can attest to the dozens of rooms we have painted over the years. We've saved ourselves thousands of dollars in labor costs and it gave me a much-needed creative decorating outlet when our budget was tight, tight, tight. David used to joke that I was losing square footage on the house by repainting some of the kids' bedrooms so often!
While in dental school, we lived with an elderly woman in a beautiful home by Lake Michigan. Amazingly she had NEVER owned a dryer. I know, it's hard to even imagine that. But there you are. We were unwilling to live without a dryer, being the young, modern twenty-somethings we were. Happily, we had friends with real jobs who were looking to get rid of their old dryer. They just gave it to us because it was very, very noisy. They'd had this dryer for a few years while in college (having purchased it used from other college students) and the cause of this loud racket had never been discovered by the several repairmen they'd brought out to their house. David hauled our "new" dryer into the basement and hooked it up. Sure enough, a very very loud and annoying scraping sound emanated from deep inside the drum. I was willing to live with this, but David was sure that the cure couldn't really be that tough to find. His fix-it rule is that you keep removing screws and taking off parts until you find something broken -- then you replace that. I'm here to tell you this simple method works the majority of the time. You just have to keep close track of all those screws you took off! He used this technique on the dryer, eventually found the broken piece, took that broken piece down to the Sears Parts store and we ended up with a super-quiet dryer that we used for the next 10 years. I think his total cost was under $10. When we finally bought a nice matched washer and dryer, we sold this dryer for $120!
In our first house we had beautiful wood floors in the upstairs. Unfortunately that half held all the bedrooms. This made for some very chilly feet in the frigid mornings in Wisconsin. The living spaces downstairs, however, had ugly linoleum and wall to wall carpet. So, one crisp fall morning, I bought a specialized crowbar and began ripping out the wood floor in our bedroom. By the time David got home from work the deed was done. There was no turning back. He spent the next 2 months laying that wood down in the kitchen (I took the girls on an extended vacation . . .). And we had the bedroom carpeted. We both thought it made more sense. Had he ever laid wood before? Absolutely not. Had he seen it done? Nope. But we talked to a few knowledgeable friends who worked in construction and gave it a shot. That beautiful wood floor was a big plus when we sold the house a year later.
Over the years we've laid a lot of tile, replaced light fixtures, sink faucets, toilets, installed a sprinkler system, laid sod, made curtains, and generally made our houses into the homes we want to live in. I'll do a future post on the amazing custom woodwork David built in our dining room and entry way. (Am I proud of my husband? Yes, I am.)
Maybe my children think their dad can make or fix anything -- and he just about can -- but his many impressive skills were learned one at a time over many years of necessity and a willingness to give it a shot. Not only have we saved ourselves thousands of dollars, but we've had a lot of adventures and fun along the way!
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May 24, 2010
Cheaper Cleaning Products: Part 1 (Merrick)
If your bathroom cabinet and under your kitchen sink look anything like mine, you have upwards of twenty different cleaning products in there. One to clean your mirrors, another for your toilets; several to clean your sinks and showers, and a few more for wood, carpet, fabric, etc. Every single one of these cleaners in my cupboards cost several dollars, and many of them are not even being used. What a waste of my money!
I was recently reading an article on cleaning, and it brought up “Organic Cleaning.” Now, I’m not really a “green” kind of person, but when I read this I about died:
The main reason we should be keeping our homes clean is to keep our families healthy, and if we’re forking over big bucks for toxic products that are actually making them unhealthy, then we should be finding healthier and better cleaning products that are also CHEAPER.
These next few posts will cover some cleaning solutions that are much cheaper, much healthier, and still will keep your house as clean as ever.
Cleaning Solution #1: Make Use of Old T-shirts and Towels
When I do kitchen and bathroom cleaning, I use paper towels and/or anti-bacterial wipes. Even though we buy both at Sam’s club in bulk, they are fairly expensive and we go through them pretty quickly. In our house growing up, we always used sponges, which may seem like a better solution because they’re cheap and last a long time. But after a little research, I discovered the disgusting amount of bacteria that builds up on them. So really you’re just spreading germs around rather than getting your house clean. Also, that bacteria can spread to you through a cut.
But enough about that…let’s talk about a cheaper, cleaner, and healthier solution.
Tear up your old t-shirts and towels! They are free (or you can buy really cheap rags at the store), and after cleaning with them, bleach them out in the washer to kill all the bacteria. In your laundry room, have a bucket where you can store the dirty ones so you only have to wash them every few weeks (we don’t want you using up all your saved money just to run the washer and dryer!)
By eliminating, or decreasing your use of paper towels, cleaning wipes, and/or sponges, and using towels or t-shirts instead, you are not only saving money, you’re also getting huge health benefits and helping the environment! What more could a girl ask for??
I was recently reading an article on cleaning, and it brought up “Organic Cleaning.” Now, I’m not really a “green” kind of person, but when I read this I about died:
The main reason we should be keeping our homes clean is to keep our families healthy, and if we’re forking over big bucks for toxic products that are actually making them unhealthy, then we should be finding healthier and better cleaning products that are also CHEAPER.
These next few posts will cover some cleaning solutions that are much cheaper, much healthier, and still will keep your house as clean as ever.
Cleaning Solution #1: Make Use of Old T-shirts and Towels
When I do kitchen and bathroom cleaning, I use paper towels and/or anti-bacterial wipes. Even though we buy both at Sam’s club in bulk, they are fairly expensive and we go through them pretty quickly. In our house growing up, we always used sponges, which may seem like a better solution because they’re cheap and last a long time. But after a little research, I discovered the disgusting amount of bacteria that builds up on them. So really you’re just spreading germs around rather than getting your house clean. Also, that bacteria can spread to you through a cut.
But enough about that…let’s talk about a cheaper, cleaner, and healthier solution.
Tear up your old t-shirts and towels! They are free (or you can buy really cheap rags at the store), and after cleaning with them, bleach them out in the washer to kill all the bacteria. In your laundry room, have a bucket where you can store the dirty ones so you only have to wash them every few weeks (we don’t want you using up all your saved money just to run the washer and dryer!)
By eliminating, or decreasing your use of paper towels, cleaning wipes, and/or sponges, and using towels or t-shirts instead, you are not only saving money, you’re also getting huge health benefits and helping the environment! What more could a girl ask for??
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May 21, 2010
Using the Internet to Save (Janssen)
I love the Internet. That's probably not a big surprise to anyone, seeing as I have a graduate degree in information studies, not to mention two blogs.
I particularly love that the Internet means I can take advantage of great deals without spending my whole life researching them.
For instance, when I'm placing an order at an online store, I can easily Google "Lands End free shipping code" and see if I can get free shipping. Or to see if Old Navy has any 10% off codes. It takes me an extra 30 seconds and it saves me money. Nothing to complain about there.
As I've started getting more into coupons, I've also started using the power of Google to help me use them more efficiently.
For instance, this week, coupons.com had $3 Huggies coupons. I could have just taken them to the grocery store and used them there, but I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a better deal out there and a smarter way to use up those coupons. I Googled "Huggies Diaper Deal" and discovered that Rite Aid was running a sale.
Every package of Huggies was marked down to $8.99, which was already a better than average price for a drugstore. Then, if you joined RiteAid's mailing list, you got two "$5 off of $20" coupons, plus, you could use your Huggies coupons. And then, if you bought five packages, you could enter your receipt online at Rite Aid and get a voucher for a free package of Huggies diapers.
Not to mention, wipes were on sale for $2.50 a pack and there was a $2 off of 2 pack coupon as well.
If I'd used the coupons at my local grocery store, my diapers would have been $7.95 a package. Instead, they were $3.33 a package (or about nine cents a diaper).
All for two minutes of Googling. Oh, do I love the Internet or what?
I particularly love that the Internet means I can take advantage of great deals without spending my whole life researching them.
For instance, when I'm placing an order at an online store, I can easily Google "Lands End free shipping code" and see if I can get free shipping. Or to see if Old Navy has any 10% off codes. It takes me an extra 30 seconds and it saves me money. Nothing to complain about there.
As I've started getting more into coupons, I've also started using the power of Google to help me use them more efficiently.
For instance, this week, coupons.com had $3 Huggies coupons. I could have just taken them to the grocery store and used them there, but I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a better deal out there and a smarter way to use up those coupons. I Googled "Huggies Diaper Deal" and discovered that Rite Aid was running a sale.
Every package of Huggies was marked down to $8.99, which was already a better than average price for a drugstore. Then, if you joined RiteAid's mailing list, you got two "$5 off of $20" coupons, plus, you could use your Huggies coupons. And then, if you bought five packages, you could enter your receipt online at Rite Aid and get a voucher for a free package of Huggies diapers.
Not to mention, wipes were on sale for $2.50 a pack and there was a $2 off of 2 pack coupon as well.
If I'd used the coupons at my local grocery store, my diapers would have been $7.95 a package. Instead, they were $3.33 a package (or about nine cents a diaper).
All for two minutes of Googling. Oh, do I love the Internet or what?
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May 20, 2010
Your New Part-Time Job (Carole)
Are you getting bogged down with trying to save money on EVERYTHING?? Does it sometimes feel like a THANKLESS job?
If your answer was "yes" to either of those questions, here's an idea for you. Try thinking of your frugal ways as a very small, part-time job. Keep a tally sheet on the fridge, or in your smart phone of your savings. I don't think it's worth your time to track every single penny you earn, but the general numbers of your penny pinching is nice to know.
There are a couple of methods for tracking your savings.
1. You can go back into your own financial records a few months (or years) and see how much you USED to spend on certain items like food, eating out, gasoline, car payments, rent, and clothing. List these numbers on your chart and see how far below them you are keeping your current spending during the month.
2. Or you can look up on-line to see how much the average American family that is the same size as yours spends in these same categories (i.e. average monthly food budget for a family of 4 in the the US is $600). Track your spending compared to these averages and see how much you can save.
Any money you've saved is your "earnings" on this new part-time job you've started. Being able to see total dollars saved in a month is a big boost to your confidence that you are making a difference for you family and your commitment to keep it up!
When you think of yourself saving a couple of hundred dollars (or more) on all your combined purchases in a month, suddenly taking the time to clip coupons or drive to Sam's Club or wash your own car begins to look like a good use of our time. Most of the ways we save money don't really take that much time, but they do take some and that time is definitely worth the money!
Turns out Ben Franklin was right, "A penny saved is a penny earned."
I'd love to hear any numbers you'd like to share! We're all in this together. . .
May I mention also, what TERRIFIC ideas our readers share in the comments! If you don't read that part of the blog, you should! We've got the smartest group of readers out there. You inspire me every day!
If your answer was "yes" to either of those questions, here's an idea for you. Try thinking of your frugal ways as a very small, part-time job. Keep a tally sheet on the fridge, or in your smart phone of your savings. I don't think it's worth your time to track every single penny you earn, but the general numbers of your penny pinching is nice to know.
There are a couple of methods for tracking your savings.
1. You can go back into your own financial records a few months (or years) and see how much you USED to spend on certain items like food, eating out, gasoline, car payments, rent, and clothing. List these numbers on your chart and see how far below them you are keeping your current spending during the month.
2. Or you can look up on-line to see how much the average American family that is the same size as yours spends in these same categories (i.e. average monthly food budget for a family of 4 in the the US is $600). Track your spending compared to these averages and see how much you can save.
Any money you've saved is your "earnings" on this new part-time job you've started. Being able to see total dollars saved in a month is a big boost to your confidence that you are making a difference for you family and your commitment to keep it up!
When you think of yourself saving a couple of hundred dollars (or more) on all your combined purchases in a month, suddenly taking the time to clip coupons or drive to Sam's Club or wash your own car begins to look like a good use of our time. Most of the ways we save money don't really take that much time, but they do take some and that time is definitely worth the money!
Turns out Ben Franklin was right, "A penny saved is a penny earned."
I'd love to hear any numbers you'd like to share! We're all in this together. . .
May I mention also, what TERRIFIC ideas our readers share in the comments! If you don't read that part of the blog, you should! We've got the smartest group of readers out there. You inspire me every day!
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