Saving on Christmas Gifts

When this time of the year comes around I am always trying to figure out what to get everyone. Last year I tried something new, and it was a hit! I made my son pajama pants for Christmas!! It saved me so much money. I found a pattern by Butterick and made several pair for under $5 each! I purchased the fabric at my favorite craft store using 40% off coupons. If you have a sewing machine and a fabric store near by, it is well worth it.

Happy Saving!

It costs more to be healthy!!

As I try to become a healthier eater, I have noticed how much more 'healthy' food costs. If you want fresh vegetables, your going to pay big time these days. If you want hormone and chemical free eggs, milk, butter, ect, your going to pay. So, how can you curb the cost of this?

GROW YOUR OWN!

You don't need a farm or lots of acres to grow your food. We live on 1/10 of an acre. Do you know how small that is? Our house takes up half of that tenth and then there's the shed in the back yard. We don't have lots of space especially since we have 4 dogs that need a place to do their 'business'! But we found a way to make the most of what we have.

This year we grew: strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, yellow squash, carrots, corn, tomato's, chives, green onions, hot peppers, oranges, and tangelos. We hope to add more next year.

It costs a little bit in the beginning, but once you get your area set up, each year after that is a breeze and very inexpensive. This is our second year and we spent very little on soil, seeds, and plants.

I do want to say...it is time consuming. It will take you a weekend or two to set one up, depending on the size. You also need to water every day, and weed once or twice a week.

But it's worth it!!!

And you don't need to be a gardener to this! I knew nothing about growing fruits and veggies when we started, but looked it up on the web and found out how. It's not hard, and it's actually very nice spending time alone with my veggies! It's very fulfilling, knowing I grew the food I am going to feed my family.

So go ahead, start a garden. Enjoy the fruit of your labor!

Happy Saving!!

I will add photos when I can get my photo editor program working again.

Revisit- Making Laundry Soap

I wanted to revisit this topic because it is such a good one!

I just made a months worth of laundry soap for about $5!!

I save about $15 a month, and that's if I used coupons!

It works just as well as Gain, ALL, and Tide Laundry Detergents.

I have used them all and have found that my handmade soap cleans just as well without the perfume smell.

If you are interested in making your own, here is the link to my original post.

Happy Saving!!

Tip # 67 Cheap Dog Treats

Want to give your dog healthy treats without the high price? Make your own!

I found this great recipe years ago, and my dogs just love it!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flower
1/8 cup chopped unsalted nuts or seed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon molasses
pinch of garlic powder or fresh garlic

roll into a ball (add a little milk if too dry), then roll out flat and cut with your favorite cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cook at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy.

They're healthy, cheap, and great tasting!

Happy Saving!!

Tip # 51 Make Your Own Fun Envelopes

I like to mail my letter in fun envelopes. The bad part is, they are so expensive! There are lots of envelope templates out there to buy, but their expensive too!

So, why not make your own!

I just took apart a retail card envelope and used it as a template. Then I paper clipped it to some scrapbook paper and cut around the template.







Then I used a ruler to bend the flaps in.

You can then glue the flaps to make a card/letter envelope.

Or, you can do what I do, and use the envelope as the letter!

I write on the inside and then stick a bookmark or other fun surprise inside.

Then I use stickers or tape to close the envelope!

It's fun, easy, and cheap!!

Happy Saving!!

Tip #44 Switch to Cloth Pads

Ok.....so this is a touchy subject for me. Prior to last year I had used disposable pads for more than 20 years. The thought of using cloth that had to be washed just wasn't my thing. Then one day I was doing my usual blog browsing and realized that lots of women have switched to cloth pads.

I started shopping around, but found they were expensive up front. They save money in the long run, but you have to shell it out in the beginning. I did however find lots of tutorials on making them from scratch. So, I decided to make my own. And....

I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!

They are soft, breathable, and comfortable.

I use cotton flannel for the inner and outer layers, so I purchase several yards at a time with a 40% off fabric store coupon. They sew up fast and cheap.

I was selling them on Ebay and Etsy, but couldn't keep them in stock. I was sewing so many, I lost track of spending time with my family. That's how popular these things are!!! You can get a good deal on Ebay. A lot of sellers start the bid low, so you can choose how high you want to go.

A great site I found that detailed the ins and outs of pad making can be found here.

Here are some pictures of the pads I have made:

Happy Saving!!

#35 Make Your Own Bread

With the cost of wheat going up, it seams that my $1 a loaf at the grocery store is no longer $1!! I am fairly disappointed that a lot of the fresh foods we eat (to stay healthy) are now so much higher. Eggs went up another $1 in January to $2.99. And milk doesn't seem to be going lower any time soon. We are at $4.29 a gallon. Now, the grocery store baked bread I buy is going up 25 cents a loaf. It wouldn't be an issue if we didn't eat so much bread! So, since I don't have a cow or any hens to curb the cost, I am going to make my own bread!

My parents have a 2 cup bread machine that they have not used in years. I have asked to borrow it to start making and freezing loaves. I am a little intimidated by making bread by hand, so I opted for borrowing a machine! I also found some bread machine recipe books on PaperBackSwap that I requested since I had 2 credits. The great thing about the machine is that you spend about 10 minutes measuring and pouring ingredients and then 10 minutes cleaning at the end. The machine does all the work, and I get a fresh loaf of bread at 1/2 the price!!



So, try making your own bread to curb the rising prices at the grocery store!

Happy Saving!!

Tip # 31 Make Your Own House Cleaner

These days, there are what seem like hundreds of cleaners. They have one for kitchens, baths, sinks, glass, mirror, ect. Then you have the myriad of 'all in one's' to sort through.

Why spend so much money on all these products??? And why do you want all those chemicals around you kids and pets???

I have 2 great cleaning products for you that will cost you very little money, and will do the job!

Lysol All Purpose Cleaner (kills 99% of germs)
$2.49 at Target (I used a $1 Coupon!)

White Vinegar
I buy the big gallon container for $2.50 at my grocery store

You will need 2 spray bottles. For the first one, fill half way with vinegar and then the rest with water. You now have a wonderful glass and mirror cleaner!

For the second one, mix 1/4 cup of lysol per gallon of water in a bucket. Then fill your spray bottle. You now have a great multipurpose cleaner! For tough stains spray on a generous amount and let it sit for few minutes before cleaning.

I have saved so much money using just these 2 products for my house. And, I feel good knowing I don't have to worry about my son or pets getting into lots of chemicals!!

The purchase of these 2 items will last about 6 months. So I spend less than $10 a year on cleaning supplies!! I like the sound of that!!

Happy Saving!

Tip # 21 Make Your Own Laundry Soap??

Ok, so I finally did it!! I made my own laundry soap. It's a half hour worth of work and kind of messy. Was it worth it.......YES!! I usually purchase ALL detergent for $3.99 and I get 25 loads out of the bottle. Making my own, I got the same amount of loads for $1.18!!!

If you want to make your own, check out Candy's short tutorial here.

Happy Saving!!