Health & Beauty

Natural Facial Masks

If you enjoy pampering yourself with a facial mask once in a while, rather than buying expensive concoctions that are made up of chemicals, here are some suggestions of ways to make your own masks with common household products.

1. Mix clay cat litter, yes, cat littler, with warm water to make a thick paste. Rub it onto your face and let it set for 20 minutes. The clay cleans out your pores and detoxifies your skin.

2. Mash up a ripe banana into a paste and then apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 15-20 minutes and then rinse it off with cold water. Believe it or not, bananas moisturize your skin and make it soft.

3. If you don’t like the idea of smearing banana all over your face, you can try honey instead. Honey also moisturizes your skin and cleans your pores.

4. Mashing egg whites together into a frothy mixture and then gently applying them to your face and neck also works well.

So, next time you want to pamper yourself, try one of these natural alternatives at home and see how it works for you. Beauty doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

April 14, 2009
Banking

Fixed Rate & Variable Rate Mortgages

Recently with the prime rate being so low, my husband and I decided to change our mortgage from a fixed rate to a variable rate. We still had about 3.5 years remaining on our existing mortgage so we were subject to some hefty penalties. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing what we did, although we do hope to recover our penalties and at least save some money in the process. However, if you are planning on buying a home in the near future, you may want to consider choosing a variable rate while the rates are low and then you can always fix the rate later when the prime rate goes up. Whatever you decide, don’t rule out the possibility of a variable rate. Statistics indicate that more than 85% of people who have variable rate mortgages save money. When you visit your mortgage lender, be sure to ask about their variable rate mortgage options. It is better to be fully informed of your options in the beginning rather than wish you had later.

April 13, 2009
General

Money Quotes

The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.

-Kin Hubbard

A millionaire is the only person who receives letters from second cousins.

–Anonymous

Where I was brought up we never talked about money because there was never enough to furnish a topic of conversation.

–Mark Twain

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April 11, 2009
Household

Use Dryer Balls

As I was walking through the aisles of my favorite dollar store, I discovered a product that claims to save you money use dryer ballswhen doing laundry: dryer balls. Each package contains 2 plastic balls with bristles all around them. The package says that to maximize the effect you should use 4-6 balls so I bought 2 packages. The name brand I bought is Dryer Mate but there are other companies that make them as well. They claim to reduce drying time by 25% so I decided to try them. So far I am impressed. I no longer need to buy fabric softener sheets because they soften fabrics naturally and get rid of static. They decrease the amount of drying time by lifting and separating the clothes. They are safe to use for all fabric types and are said to last for years. So, for a few dollars you can save money on energy and fabric softener sheets, and if you have allergies, you won’t have to worry about having an allergic reaction to your fabric softener! It is always nice to find an inexpensive, chemical-free, environmentally friendly product. If you can’t find them at local stores, they are also available online at both Ebay and Amazon.

April 11, 2009
Credit Cards

3 Things You Should Know About Credit Card Bills

 To save money, there a few things you should know about your credit card bills:

 1.  If you have credit card debt, pay your credit card bill more than once a month.  If you get paid weekly, then pay part of your payment every week, and if you get paid biweekly, pay it down every 2 weeks.  By doing this, you will significantly reduce the amount of interest you pay.

 2.  Another thing you can do to save money when carrying credit card debt is to pay your bill as soon as you receive it because although you won’t be charged interest on your most recent purchases, you are still being charged interest on your previous debt.  The sooner you make your payment, the more money you save on interest.

 3.  Pay your credit card bills online as it ensures your payments will be made on time.  If you can’t pay them online, make sure that you do not write any notes on your bill or it will more than likely be passed on to another department.  This paper shuffle could result in a late payment and you don’t want that!  Also, be sure to write legibly because if the company can’t read your writing they have an excuse to delay the processing of your payment, which may result in late fees and interest charges.

April 10, 2009