Household

5 Creative Ways To Use Chalk

While reading Reader’s Digest’s Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things, I found some neat ways you can use chalk to solve problems around your home. Chalk is yet another example of an inexpensive product that has so many practical uses!

1. You can cover up watermarks or scuff marks on your ceiling as a temporary fix until you have time to do a proper repair job.

2. Put a few pieces of chalk in your toolbox and it will get rid of moisture, preventing your tools from rusting.

3. Rub chalk on nasty grease stains on your clothing and the chalk will absorb the oil. Sometimes you have to rub it on more than once for the stain to be removed.

4. If you have ants in your home or garden, crush up some chalk and sprinkle it around your plants and around the entry points into your home. Ants don’t like calcium carbonate so they will stay away.

5. You can help prevent tarnishing of your silverware and jewelry by putting a few pieces of chalk into your drawer and jewelry box.

April 24, 2009
Household

How to be “Green” on a budget!

Earth day is now over and many people are moving on to the next forseeable holiday forgetting that Earth Day -is everyday! Living Green is a definite needed lifestyle but how do you do that on a budget? Well my husband and I have been “Living cleanly” over the last year and a half and when I first told him he sighed and said “Can we afford this?” I said “Of course!” and now he will tell you “Living “Green” is cheaper!” Here are some tips on how to start.  One of the first areas of major concern that can cause a negative impact on the environment is cleaning products! Remember what goes down the drain comes out in your cup! (Yes I will definitely write more on CLEAN drinking water!)

Use Green Cleaners!
Yes, green products are more expensive- a price some people are willing to pay for the cause but I have found some amazing recipes for all purpose cleaners using simple cheap ingredients such as: Essential oils- Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, &; Tree Tea Oil.  All of these essentials can be mixed according to a recipe separate or together with some H2O and provide cost effective “clean” cleaners for every room in your home!  These essential oil solutions clean and disinfect wonderfully as well as they smell great!  Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Tea tree Oil have amazing antibacterial properties! I use a mix on my kitchen counters and to clean the bathrooms and also it is great for when I want to freshen up our furniture or mattress to get rid of unwelcome dust mites!

These ingredients are also great solutions to make sure surfaces are germ free and they are so easy to prepare and have mutiple uses besides cleaning such as Aromatherapy and healing! Just buy a cheap spray bottle, google and find your favourite recipes, buy at least 3 types of essential oils and presto you have enough supplies for up to a year!
Use the stand bys: Vinegar and Baking Soda (Not together because they neutralize each other- just add hot water to Baking Soda, vinegar is just as powerful on its own and a great antibacterial- add Lavender to cut the smell!) to scrub away grime!

Don’t forget the great combo of cooking oil and citrus (squeezed lemon or orange) to polish furniture. Google “Do it yourself natural cleaners” and you will find tons of recipes using these basic ingredients- so cheap and I haven’t had to replenish my supplies in over 6 months! * Please note you need to find a recipe when using essential oils as they are VERY potent and can be harmful if misused! Also Borax can be toxic so be wary of recipes calling for it!  I hear the famous “Duggar clan” have a “do it yourself” Laundry Soap recipe I am hoping to find (with 17+ kids and all those hand me downs looking so clean- it must work!) I will post it when I find it! So there you go,  live clean and sorry Kermit (The Frog) but “It is easy being green!”

April 23, 2009
Travel & Entertainment

How To Save Money When Watching Movies

If you’re a big movie fan like I am, you may be spending a lot of money on movies. In order to avoid spending more money that you need to, here are a few recommendations:

1. Be patient! If a movie has just come out that you really want to see, wait until it comes to the “cheap theatre” before watching it. Try to limit the amount of popcorn and other snacks you buy because even the cheap theatres have expensive snacks. If you want to really save money, make it a habit to eat a snack or a meal at home prior to going to the theatre so you aren’t tempted to buy the overpriced items.

2. Matinees are cheaper than evening movies, so you can get a better deal at most theatres by going mid morning or early afternoon. If you have a whole day free, why not go for the matinee?

3. Better yet, rent movies rather than going to the theatre. That way you can watch with a group of friends or family members without each having to pay individually. You can also make your own popcorn and snacks.
Although going to the movie theatre can be fun, especially when a movie you really want to see has just come out, I highly recommend waiting. The movie will still be just as entertaining and you will have saved enough money to watch 3 or 4 movies for the price you would have paid to see one if you were impatient!

April 23, 2009
Wealth

How To Build Wealth

Building wealth has very little to do with how much you earn, and a whole lot to do with how you manage the money that you earn. People with six figure incomes can be living from paycheck to paycheck while people with modest incomes can be accumulating a great deal of wealth. Here are some behaviors that will help you to accumulate wealth:

1. Pay as little tax as possible by taking advantage of the tax breaks and tax rules.

2. If you have difficulty saving, think of creative ways to eliminate wasteful expenditures. The key is to always spend less than you earn.

3. If you get a raise, bonus, or a large tax refund, don’t spend it just because you have it. Instead, save it and invest it wisely. You don’t have to increase your expenditures just because you suddenly earn more money. Most millionaires live well below their means, driving older vehicles and living in modest homes.

4. Make contributions to tax deferred retirement plans so you can get some of your money back. Use that money to pay off a chunk of your mortgage or other debt.

5. Credit can either be used to set you back financially or it can be used to help you build wealth. Rather than racking up credit card debt to purchase consumer items (bad debt), use debt to finance an investment in real estate (good debt). It’s important to be mindful of the difference between good and bad debt. Good debt is debt used to purchase assets that can generate cash flow. Bad debt is used to purchase liabilities such as furniture that will depreciate in value.

April 22, 2009
Health & Beauty

Go For A Walk

If you are trying to find ways to get exercise without spending money on a who needs a gym pass? why not walk?gym pass or exercise equipment, consider going for a walk. Walking is free and fun! If you don’t live in an overly pleasant neighborhood, consider driving to a nearby park or even a shopping mall to get your exercise. Don’t limit yourself to just one location for your walks or you will get bored and be less motivated. Find a friend to walk with so you can have company along the way and keep each other accountable. Increase your pace at the beginning of your walk rather than at the end to maximize the health benefits. Doing this will cause your heart rate to increase and remain high and you will get the best work out. Walking not only provides physical benefits, it also does wonders for me mentally- it works almost like a therapy. Whenever I need to think something over or if I am upset, I find a walk really helps. Sometimes it’s nice to bring along an mp3 player and listen to music. Do whatever suits you, the main thing is that you keep your body healthy, and walking is a great way to do it without spending a penny.

April 21, 2009