Live Better for Less Money: 2009

Sunday, March 15, 2009

I made my own laundry soap

I'm so excited, it smells soooooo good and it only cost me $8 to make enough for 312 full loads. I can't believe how easy it was and you can make it smell however you want. Everything was purchased from WalMart and took me about 30 mins to make it.

1 cup washing soda (I used Arm & Hammer, can also use A&H Baking soda)
1/2 cup borax (I used 20 Mule Team)
1 bar soap (I used 2 because I like a strong scent and the smell outcome smells like the soap you use) for the first batch I used Dial-White Tea.
Approximately 3 gallons water
5 gallon bucket with lid
Cheese grater

First thing, put about four cups of water into the pan and put it on the stove on high until it’s at boiling, then lower the heat until it’s simmering.

While it’s heating up, take a bar of soap and grate it up into little bits.

When the water is boiling, start throwing in the soap a little at a time. Stir it until it’s dissolved. The water will have a soupy soap look with suds and will be the color of the bar of soap you used, so color will vary.

Next, get out your bucket and add three gallons of warm tap water to it.

To this bucket add a cup of the washing soda, 1/2 cup of borax, and the soap solution you made and stir until its all suddy. This will look like a bucket of soapy water.

At this point, let the soap sit for 24 hours, with a lid on it.

When you take off the lid, you’ll find any number of things, depending on the type of soap you used and the water you used. It might be firm, like Jello; it might be very watery; it might even be like liquid laundry detergent. Just stir it up a bit and it’s ready to be used. Don’t worry about the texture - it’s completely fine. Just use a measuring cup and use one cup of the detergent per load of laundry. If it’s got “globs” in it, get a mix of the water and of the globs - it’ll break up very quickly in the washing machine and wash your clothes well.

This recipe is for 1 batch. The 312 loads comes because you still have the borax, and washing soda left to make the rest of the batches. Also I bought the soap that comes in the bundled 12 pack, so I have those left over also. All the ingredients should make 6 batches. Each batch makes enough for 52 full loads at 1 cup a load.

All those who are "BLIND AS A BAT" like me.. You need to read this

A lady that lives where I live told me about this site where you can get discounted eye glasses (they start at $8 a pair). She has been getting glasses from this place for the last 4 years. I saw the glasses that she ordered... they are nice. She ordered 7 pairs for $100.

You will need to know your prescription in order to get this.

This is the link http://www.zennioptical.com/cart/home.php

Grandma's Tips for Saving in the Kitchen

Here is the link to watch a video for money savings tips:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/play...hp?cl=12244218

New Innovative Dishwashing Product

I want to tell you about a new innovative product that is sweeping the homes in America. It is the new Finish Quantum Dishwasher tab. It is legendary in making your dishes shine like new and keeping them in their beautiful state every time you wash your dishes. It is the #1 brand recommended by more dishwasher brands. The best part is you will be able to buy a 12ct of this wonderful product for only $4.99. You can find out more about this amazing product at : www.FinishDishwashing.com/newdishwasher . So tell all your friends and family about this so they to can have their dishes shine like new.

Best money saving tips

First and foremost, if I can't pay cash for it, I don't need it that badly.

Secondly, I always save a minimum of 10% a paycheck. Even if at times it is a struggle, you never know when there will be an emergency.

Perform routine maintenance/repairs on major appliances, car etc. The little money you spend now can save you hundreds or thousands later.

All change goes into a jar and that adds up quickly.

Coupons, coupons, coupons.
For magazines use www.discount-magazines.com for $5.95 subscriptions. Or go to Low Priced Subs for even lower prices (have special bargain prices sometimes).

For books try www.booksalefinder.com to find used book sales in your area. Tip: this is also a great way to find books to sell on eBay or other online auctions. Half.com and Alibris.com are also great to find books.

Read newspapers online, don't get a subscription. Can easily read most of them online.

Use www.retailmenot.com for coupon codes for online shopping. Or go to www.slickdeals.net for coupon codes or shopping deals.

Redbox.com is found at the supermarket and is only $1 to rent a movie for the evening. They carry the latest releases. You can even rent movies from McD's.

Free Online Courses

http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/

By using Free-Ed.Net, you are participating in a revolution in education. Since 1997, Free-Ed.Net has been providing totally free, relevant courses in the most critical vocational and academic subjects. Now we offer our study programs in the awesome 3-dimensional "social" world of Second Life where you can chat and explore ideas in real time with others in your situation.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Get Affordable Health Insurance While Unemployed

Affordable health insurance for the unemployed may feel impossible to find, but as long as you know where to look and have determination it is within your reach. Actually, self-employed individuals and individuals who are employed but aren’t offered employer-sponsored group health insurance can benefit from the much of the same advice.

The first step to finding affordable health insurance for the unemployed is to find out if you’re eligible for COBRA. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) made it possible for individuals who are terminated, laid off, or transferring jobs to temporarily continue to receive group health insurance benefits. So, if you’ve just recently become unemployed for any of those reasons, referred to as “qualifying events,” contact your former employer for more information about your COBRA benefits.

The second step to finding affordable health insurance for the unemployed is to check into purchasing short-term health insurance. Short-term health insurance policies are designed with the unemployed person in mind, so rates are most likely within your budget. They can last anywhere from six to 12 months, so they’re perfect for individuals who are actively seeking employment or another form of affordable health insurance.

The third step to finding affordable health insurance for the unemployed is to contact your state’s department of insurance and request information about subsidiaries for which you’re eligible. Most states provide some form of free or low-cost health coverage for residents who meet certain income requirements. Some states even have special low-cost health insurance plans for people who can’t otherwise obtain health insurance. At the very least, you should find a free or low-cost health coverage program that will provide health care for your children, or assistance with special health care needs (i.e. diabetes, mental health, female health check-ups and conditions, etc.)

A change in your employment status doesn’t mean a change in your health needs. It may take some footwork, but it’s possible to find affordable health insurance for the unemployed.

Barter Systems, Trading What You Have For What You Want

Bartering has been around literally forever or nearly so. In fact, bartering predates the use of formal currency as a measure of exchange for labor or goods.

What is bartering? Simply put, it’s the exchange of goods or services without the use or exchange of formal currency. You may, for example, barter with a friend to mow your lawn in exchange for babysitting her children for two hours. Or, in a more formal arrangement, you may barter with your landlord to do maintenance or repairs for other tenants in exchange for a reduction in rent. It remains a useful way to exchange goods or services without having to bring money into the equation.

Now, bartering has a new twist. With the advent of the Internet, online barter sites are showing up everywhere. Some sites are local, while others have a reach that’s literally worldwide.

In general, these sites allow users to post ads on what they have to offer and what they would like in return. Some sites are free, while others charge a user’s fee. Care to Trade, at http://Caretotrade.com, is one example of a goods-exchange site. With Care to Trade, you can also have items shipped from anywhere, whereas other sites offer local trading. NOCO Hours (http://www.nocohours.org) focuses on Northern Colorado, for example.

To find a site local to you, go to your local newspaper or newspaper's online site(s) and type in "barter." In many cases, one will already be established. If not, do a bit of research if you like and start your own.

U-Exchange.com also offers tips on getting started with bartering online and not only offers listings by country, but also specific to individual states in the United States.

Google Groups offers specialized Usenet groups (many local) offering the barter of a variety of goods and services. http://Yahoo.com has over 600 mailing lists available offering a variety of locations, goods, services and bartering options. If these are not local to you, and this is what you would prefer, you can start your own.

Bartering has also made a comeback in the world of business with Internet trading. With "direct bartering", business owners swap their product(s) or service(s) directly with their vendors in exchange for the vendor’s product(s) or service(s).

"Exchange bartering" means each bartering partner will use his extra time, goods or services to get "trade dollars" instead of direct goods or services from the other. These trade dollars can then be used to purchase goods or services from the other vendors. This works well when exchanges aren’t quite equal or need to be measured or kept careful track of. Barter Systems, Inc. is one online barter site that utilizes trade dollars as a measure of exchange for its members and is at: http://www.bartersys.com.

10 Easy Ways For Single Parents To Save Money

In 2006, according to the US Census Bureau, there were approximately 14 million single parents in this country, and those parents are responsible for raising 21.6 million children. Eighty-three percent of single parents are mothers, and 30.3 percent of all single parents receive public assistance.

Child care subsidies and public health insurance can help with closing the gap between low income and what it takes to make ends meet. Not all low-income families receive the benefits for which they are financially eligible. Families who receive multiple work supports can lose assistance before they reach self-sufficiency. Single parents often struggle with buying basic necessities and paying bills and usually live paycheck to paycheck. Single parents often do not have any savings and are in debt. Here are 10 easy ways for single parents to save money:

1. Buy a Used Car Buy or trade in your current car for a used car with a cheaper note. This will either eliminate your car note or save you $50 to $200 a month on your car payment.

2. Use Coupons Buy whatever items are on sale or buy items with coupons. This can save you $50 to $300 a month. There have been instances where shoppers had a total bill of $200 and ended up paying $5 using coupons and buying items on sale.

3. Buy Generic Buy everything generic: household items, clothing, prescriptions, toiletries, dry goods, canned goods, paper products, etc. This will save you on average $5 to $50 a month.

4. Buy Washable Clothes Buy clothes that do not require dry cleaning. This will save you on average $50 to $150 a month.

5. Image Do you own hair and nails and buy your makeup from a drugstore, such as CVS or Rite Aid. This will save you on average $40 to $100 a month.

6. Gas Buy regular gas for your car unless the owner's manual suggests otherwise. Find the cheapest gas in your neighborhood to purchase. This will save you on average $.05 to $.20 per gallon.

7. Shop at Discount Stores Buy household items in bulk, such as paper products, cleaning supplies at discount stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc. This will save you on average $5 to $50 a month.

8. Reduce expenses Reduce or cancel your cable plan, cell phone or Internet service, or get the cheapest plan available. This can save you $20 to $100 a month.

9. Buy groceries at superstores Buy your groceries at superstores or wholesale stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's Club, etc. Buy nuts, grains, spices, legumes at wholesale or health food stores. This will save you $30 to $200 a month on processing costs charged at regular grocery stores.

10. Fun with Kids Check your local library or newspaper to find free activities that you can do to with your kids. This can save anywhere from $5-$100 a month.

For more ways to save money visit http://www.stretcher.com or http://www.budgetdial.com

4 Steps To Finding Hidden Contact Lens Deals Online

While you may be an avid online shopper, buy regularly on eBay, have a PayPal account and aren't scared of buying online, contact lenses are different.

For many people, their online shopping starts with Google and ends wherever Google leads them. When buying contact lenses, that same search engine can provide you with savings on your contact lenses, if you know how to search.

Most people would open up their browser, type Google.com and then "Contact Lenses" or "Buy Contact Lenses" and while that might find places that sell contact lenses, that won't necessarily find the best deals.

The reason is that when you search with a general term like "buy contact lenses" you're going to find Acuvue's website, Bausch & Lomb and other manufacturers. What you find won't are the hidden gems we're talking about.

The hidden gems are those contact lens comparison sites. These sites take prices from all over the internet and compile the prices from a lot of sites. So essentially they are doing a lot of the shopping for you. This is just the first step.

Step one is just changing what you already do, search the internet. Instead of your generic "contact lenses" search, try something like "contact lens comparison price" or "comparison shopping contact lens". Those searches should give a much better set of results that include a few sites that will allow you to view prices from different websites.

The second step shouldn't take too long. Once you find this site, find the contact lens that you wear and check out the price. Now write down the website and price. Next, go back to Google and check another comparison site. Since not all of these sites are the same, some update prices in real-time, others update daily or weekly. To get the best price you'll want to make sure that you're comparing the comparison sites. That sounds confusing but you'll get used to it. Essentially you're comparing two different stores that are selling the same product.

There are a few things that you'll want to watch out for. Some sites will try to trick you by selling smaller packages. So if you're used to paying $30 per box of contact lenses and you find a site selling a "box" for $10, you might want to check the quantity of the box. You might find that it is a sample pack and only has a few contacts.

Step three is an easy one. Once you've found the correct contact lens at a few different comparison sites, see what site they're linking too. Most of these sites don't sell directly, but they'll send you to bigger sites. The third step in saving money online when buying contact lenses is to now check site that actually sells the contact lenses. There are times where you'll find the best deal directly. Sometimes the price will be the same, but it's worth the effort to take the extra step and check directly.

The fourth and final step in your contact lens shopping experience is to check directly with the manufacturer. Some manufacturers don't sell directly to the public, but others do. If the manufacturer sells a considerable amount online, they'll probably offer prices that are similar or better than other websites.

Just as a bonus, here is a fifth and final step. Many manufacturers want people to switch to their brand of lens that they'll do almost anything to get you to switch. Many times this means a coupon just for you. Other times you might be able to get a free sample of their specific brand of contact lens. Some manufacturers won't be able to offer anything, but as my mom always said, "It never hurts to ask!"

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Helpful Gas Saving Tips!

I found some helpful gas saving tips:

First of all, put regular gas in your car, not premium. Ninety percent of vehicles only need regular gas. You don't help yourself out buying the premium. You don't help yourself out buying the mid- grade if all your car needs is regular gas.

Also, your check engine light -- if it's on, you're definitely using more fuel. That's according to AAA.

Another good one is gas up when it's cool. That's because when it's cool, gas is denser. You get more bang for your buck.

Also, slow down. You can save up to 10 percent the difference between 55 and 65.

And if you're idling more than a minute, turn your engine off. You'll save money. Less than a minute, leave it run. ( I always wondered about this one)

Tire pressure big, especially if you have an SUV. The bigger the vehicle, the more critical tire pressure is. You can save as much as 10 percent, especially on that SUV.

Also, if you have roof racks or weight in your truck, get rid of that and check gaspricewatch.com if you want to get the lowest price. All you have to do is put your zip code in and you'll get the lowest price.

I hope this helps!

Cash Back @ Over 600 Retailers

Aisle 19: How it works is for every purchase you make; you earn a certain percentage as “cash back”. Aisle 19 is a gateway you pass through in order to earn this “cash back” bonus with over 600 retailers. Percentages will range by retailer from 1% up to 20%, but by going through this gateway in Aisle 19 you are automatically qualified and are connected directly to the online stores. Some names you may recognize are Barnes & Noble, Gap, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, K-Mart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Staples, Sony, Starbucks, Target, NFLshop.com ….

As for your privacy, Aisle 19 is 100% secure. When you check out at any of their merchants, you are on the safest possible connection, a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Credit card security is of the utmost importance to them and they will not sell your information to any third party.

There are no fees, no setup fees, and no activation fees. There are no inflated prices on shipping or product sales. Product prices and shipping costs through Aisle 19 are the same at the merchant’s web site and sometime even lower with Aisle 19's Daily Deal specials.

It's really a no brainer. Watch this 3 minute video that explains the concept http://www.aisle19.com/Video.aspx?ReferralRepID=124848 and then Click on this link https://registration.escapeintl.com/default.aspx?ReferralSiteID=2&ReferralRepID=124848 to get your own account.

Chance to win $25,000 room makeover

Check out Room-A-Day contest for a chance to win $25,000 for a room makeover. There is going to be 16 winners and the winners will be announced on The View. Good luck!

Saving Big Bucks on My Grocery Bill

Two sites: http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

There is a charge for using the web site after the month free trial, but I was so amazed at my saving at Krogers the first time I used it, IMHO this is a good thing and I will continue to use it after the trial is up.
Our grocery bill, because we only shop when EVERYTHING IS OUT, and the bill runs about $200-300...I saved over $80.00 using the sales coupons that she finds in the papers and compairs what is on sale that week at Krogers.
There are a lot of other stores that she does this for...I use Krogers, Walmart, and Walgreens...which she researches.
My husband almost fell over at the check out lane as the total kept going down and down. I am a faithful couponer but have doubled what I normally save by using this web site.
You have a free month to give it a try so nothing to loose except the money you should be saving!
BTW there is a referral program and IF you decide to stay with the program I would humbly appreciate you entering my email address ...under heard about from on the sign up form. It is a great service but even better if I get it for free LOL...and maybe your friends with do the same for you.

Site number two: http://www.afullcup.com
They do the same thing and they are always free!

$50 in FREE Usborne children's books!

Winners drawn monthly! http://FreeBooks.UsborneForKids.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Has anyone tried....

Has anyone tried Savings Angel? I just signed up. I am really looking forward to saving money on groceries. (Check out my signature line.) On there message board they have a freebie section with a lot of freebies that I have not seen posted anywhere else. I can not wait until those start flowing in.

$5.00 off at iherb.com

$5.00 off at iherb.com for 1st time customers. Use referral code NAL724. Over 12,000 items to choose from and you can get your own referral code and make a little extra cash.

Topic: sign up and activate and win $50 or more

This new contest starts at 12:01am tonight and last till Jan 31. If you signed up before in my other contest you can still earn entries in this one by having family members, sister in laws, etc. Plus for every 20 people that sign up I will add an additional $10 to the contest. So if 100 sign up another $50 will be added to your gift card or facecard. I use facecard and love it. I have free direct deposit, no monthly fees, and it was free to activate. I have had rushcard, accountnow, walmart money card, netspend, greendot, wiredplastic, ADP TotalPay, bank of america, Wachovia pre paid, and other prepaid cards with my name on them and they are charged incredible fees, activation fees, monthly fees, and transaction fees for debit/credit. The best part i like about the card I have is that everytime I do a debit/credit transation its free no fee for sliding my card heres the link http://fcap.facecard.com

What is facecard? just sign up at http://fcap.facecard.com

Not a Credit Card: Facecard is not a credit card, so there's no chance of credit card debt.

No Activation or Monthly Fees: Unlike other debit cards, there are no fees to sign up.

Send Money in Minutes: You can add money to your facecard or send money to another facecard online from anywhere, anytime.

Emergency Peace of Mind: In an emergency you can load additional funds in minutes.

Direct Deposit: You can set up direct deposit, so your paycheck goes directly to your facecard.

ATM Access: Facecard is accepted everywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted, including ATMs.

Friend to Friend Gifts and Paybacks: Giving a gift is as simple as typing an email address. All of those birthday gifts and IOUs can go directly onto the card.

Set a Budget:It is a prepaid card so once that money is gone, no more transactions are allowed. This means no more overspending or hefty overdraft fees.

To become a facecard member, you will need the following pieces of information:

1) Your name
2) Your address including city and state
3) Your social security number
4) A home or cell phone number
5) Your email address
Currently, facecard is only available to US citizens who are 13 years of age or older.

Freebies Forever!! Give me Freebies or .....

Who doesn't like free stuff. I tried posting a whole bunch of freebies on my website before. They keep changing as fast as I get a page put together. I have tried to add some that seem to be staying the same for a while.

As of 11/11/09 these links all worked

Bob Evans Birthday Club for kids 12 and under

Birthday Club at Betty Crocker

Stone Cold Creamery has free ice cream for your birthday! Yummy!!!!

Red Robin Birthday Club - Free burger on your birthday

Sonic Drive-In - Birthday Club for kids

Toys r Us Birthday Club - Kids ages 2-10

DQ Blizzard Buy 1 Get 1 Free when you join the Blizzard Club

Free Salvation Bracelet

Free Bible Study Course

Free Christian mp3s

Free Bible Study Software

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Join Wakin' Up Club at Folgers and you will be sent newsletters, special offers and possibly free samples.