Gifts

A Unique Gift Idea – Your Time

If you don’t have time to shop or you really don’t have extra money to spend on a gift, give the gift of your timeyou can give the gift of your time instead.  Spend a few minutes making a homemade gift certificate for your loved one or friend offering a special service that would be meaningful to them. 

For instance, if you are giving a gift to a busy stay-at-home mom, offer to give her the afternoon off by taking care of her kids.  If you are friends with an accountant, offer to make her a meal during tax season.   If you are friends with a farmer,  offer to help him by cutting his lawn during harvest time. Or, if you have friends who are elderly, offer to drive them around or pick up their groceries, or just offer to make them a meal and spend time with them. 

There are lots of things you can do and it will likely mean more to them than if you had just gone out and bought them another knickknack.  Gift giving doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be from the heart.  Your time can be a priceless gift.

June 9, 2009
Wealth

The One, Essential Trait of Every Self-Made Millionaire

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a specific formula for making millions of dollars? “If you want to become a millionaire, all you have to do is A, B and C.” You know . . . . “Go get a degree in small-business management, talk to Jim at the bank to set you up with a Subway franchise, and invest in Microsoft today because it will skyrocket tomorrow when they report earnings.” Unfortunately, life is just not that gravy. The good news is there are some defining characteristics, habits and belief systems that self-made millionaires share in common. Take this a step further, and I believe almost all self-made millionaires’ financial success boils down to one thing.

Now, I’m not talking about the 0.5% of “self-made” millionaires that hit the lotto or scored big on buying Microsoft at its lowest-low and selling at its highest-high. I mean the people that sacrifice, slave, and sweat their way to become financially free. I’m referring to the people that spent 20-30 years on a strict budget, giving up everything to build successful businesses – all the while living well below their means, and doing it happily at that.

What makes these people not want to spend the money they worked so hard for on a nice car or an extravagant dinner? Why would they choose to read Money magazine and study business over watching the NFL draft? This lifestyle just sounds boring and exhausting. After all, what’s the point then of being filthy rich?

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June 7, 2009
Money Saving Tips

8 Habits That Will Save You Money

Developing bad habits is easy, developing good ones can sometimes take some hard work.  Below is a list of some good habits worth developing.  They will save you a lot of money over time and help you on your journey to becoming financially free.

1.  Keep on top of the economic news.  Pay attention to how retail outlets are doing.  If you hear of a store closing down, check out their clearance sales. If the media is reporting that sales have been sluggish recently, then you know it’s a good time to shop as the prices will be lower.

2.  Fill out the consumer surveys that you get in the mail and within a few weeks you will receive coupons for various household products.

3.  Pay attention to various advertisements both on TV and in your mailbox that offer special deals on cable TV, telephone, etc.  Often they will offer you a deal if you call up your current provider and tell them you are thinking of switching to the competition.  It’s worth a try, and if they aren’t willing to accommodate your request, you can always switch.  Why pay more than you have to?

4.  When making purchases, use credit cards that will give you rewards.  Make sure to pay off your balance each month to avoid finance charges.  If you have credit cards that don’t give you any rewards, cancel the cards as there are so many credit cards out there these days that offer benefits of all kinds.

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June 5, 2009
Household

9 Ways To Save Money in the Bathroom

use a water amplifying showerhead to save money and conserve waterThere are a million and one ways to save money around the house.  Here a few easy ways to save money when it comes to the bathroom:

1.  Stock up on toilet paper when it goes on sale.  It’s never fun running out of toilet paper and then, out of desperation, running to the nearest convenience store only to pay 3 times as much for it.

2.  Use a water amplifying showerhead so you decrease the amount of water you use when you take a shower.  You will save money on your water bill and conserve water.

3.  Conserve water by flushing only when necessary.   As the saying goes, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.  If it’s brown, flush it down.”  

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June 3, 2009
Book Reviews

Save Money & Make Your Home Safe – Read Organic Housekeeping

Read Organic HousekeepingOrganic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity by Ellen Sandbeck

Have you ever stopped to think about the cleaning products you use around the house?  Or about the chemicals you use on your lawn to get rid of those nasty dandelions?  Believe it or not, a lot of the products we use are highly toxic, and some have been known to cause cancer and other health problems.  If you are interested in learning about alternatives to these toxic products, check out Organic Housekeeping. 

Organic Housekeeping is full of great ideas for keeping your home clean and poison -free.  There are tons of tips on food preparation, cleaning, landscaping, and a whole lot more.  The author provides expert advice on how to prevent fungi, mold and mildew from growing in your home, as well as provides fire prevention and safety tips.  The book is easy to read and somewhat humorous, too, which makes it interesting as well as informational.  I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about keeping your home clean and safe through the use of primarily organic products.  A lot of the tips found in Organic Housekeeping will save you money and time, too, which is an added bonus. 

To give you an idea of the type of information found in this book, here are some excerpts:

-“Fatty foods such as cheeses and meats will absorb some of the plasticizers from plastic wrap and plastic bags.  If you want to minimize your exposure to these chemicals, when you bring your groceries home, remove the plastic packaging and wrap all your cheeses and meats in freezer paper or waxed paper before putting them in a plastic bag or container.”

-“Don’t buy precooked lunch meats, cooked shellfish, or smoked fish that are displayed in the same case as raw fish or meat.  The cooked food may have become contaminated by the raw meat.”

-“Many common foods can double as cleaning products.  Vinegar, salt, baking soda, lemons, cabbage leaves, potatoes, mayonnaise, olive oil, apple peels, ketchup, and vodka can all be used for cleaning.  If it’s safe to eat, it’s certainly safe to clean with!”

June 1, 2009