tobyleah/Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Ever since I can remember my mother has saved money on laundry by drying our clothes on clotheslines, which are making a comeback among people who want to be green. Once strung up, these simple and electricity-free devices are not always welcomed.
A couple days ago, I read a story from NPR of a New Hampshire activist fighting for his right to use a clothesline. A Google search quickly revealed an array of similar stories. It seems that many communities do not want to see clotheslines in their neighborhoods because they consider them an eyesore. I understand that many do not want to see their neighbor’s skivvies hanging out to dry, but there are ways to be discreet. I use the shower rod instead of leaving my damp clothes outside. You can also get a low-cost drying rack that folds up into tight spaces.
To someone who grew up with clotheslines it is difficult to understand what the big deal is all about. An opponent of clotheslines is quoted in a story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch as saying that clotheslines give an atmosphere of decline and a sense that one is not in a well-off neighborhood.
It maybe the nostalgia in me speaking, but I do not see how a clothesline makes a neighborhood’s status change. Electricity is one of the biggest home expenses that can easily be subsided with a rope and clothes pins, so why not use it?
thebittenword.com/Flickr
Get a free one-night movie rental using this Blockbuster Express coupon code. Or you can rent two movies and get a third rental free using this Blockbuster express coupon code.
Request a free food sample of BetterOats oatmeal. For a limited time only!
Sign up for a do-it-herself workshop at Home Depot on April 15 and you’ll go home with tips on interior painting from the folks at Martha Stewart Living.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
meddygarnet/Flickr
There was a cool story about doing home improvement on your own versus hiring someone in the latest Real Simple (April). The story was strangely skewed toward hiring someone to do the job, however, and missed the benefits of doing projects yourself.
First, the story says, consider three factors before making a decision.
1. Peer pressure. Whatever your family and friends do, you are more likely to do. So if everyone you know colors their hair at home, you will feel pressure to eschew the salon. Similarly, if your family has always hired contractors instead of doing it yourself (DIY), you’ll probably hire, too. Follow your gut and make the decision that is right for you, regardless.
2. Your positive attitude. People assume their DIY project will go well but often underestimate the time and skill it takes.
3. Your perspective on your free time. People believe they have more time than they really do. (What??? I don’t know anyone whose schedule isn’t jam packed.) We have a hard time measuring time and “are willing to take more risks with it” than we are with money, the story says.
Then Real Simple suggests you answer four questions. Can I realistically pull this project off? (i.e. learn the required skills?) What kind of time commitment is really involved? (Double estimates from a contractor.) How much will this task cost to complete myself? (Supplies + calculate your hourly rate.) And lastly, how much will I really enjoy the process?
I wager that doing home improvement projects yourself (which is a lot like growing your own food) has many benefits that the story missed…
1. The enjoyment of learning how to do something challenging that you didn’t think you were capable of.
2. The money saved over time from learning new skills. Snake a toilet once, and you’ll never fork over $200 to a plumber again.
3. The confidence from pulling a project off. What an accomplishment!
An important part of the DIY v. hire debate is determining how much your time is worth. See the post below to calculate your hourly rate!
Have you ever wondered about the best place to start saving money? The answer might be closer than you think: your home. WhiteFence.com is a fantastic shopping site that helps you find great deals on the home services that you pay monthly for. From home phone, TV and your electric bill to natural gas and high-speed Internet, you can find every connection you need all in one spot.
Saving money with WhiteFence.com is easy. As a shopper, just enter your address into the search engine, and within a few minutes you can browse all of the choices available for where you live. The information is laid out in a way that is easy to use, so you can quickly compare prices and categories to see where you can find the best deals. In fact, WhiteFence.com is currently offering up to $200 in gift cards when you order bundles from providers like AT&T and Verizon. When’s the last time you got paid to shop?
The best part of all of this is that using WhiteFence.com is free and requires no registration beforehand. You can even order all of the services straight from the site, rather than having to go individually to each provider to set up your connections. WhiteFence.com works with providers to set up your orders quick and painless, which we all know is welcome after years of dealing with utility companies.
To start saving time and money for your home services, visit WhiteFence.com today!
This is paid content. Want to take out an ad? Read my advertise page.
My grandmother could copy a pattern from a dress she tried on in the store and she sewed many of her children’s clothes. The sewing gene skipped my mother (by forceable choice) and landed in me. At least, it tried to.
Two months ago I decided to make my own curtains as part of a project to re-decorate my bedroom. When a coupon for 50 percent off at Jo-Anns fabric store landed in my inbox, I was raring to go. I even had a few dollars on a gift card to apply.
I arrived at the store and was delighted to see nearly everything was on sale by 40 – 50 percent off. I could save my coupon for a regular-priced bolt of material and get other items at a steep discount, too.
I carefully searched the aisles of fabric for the perfect material and discovered wonderful terry cloth for towels that you can buy at a fraction of what the finished product costs at Macy’s or Target. Bath sheets for $5.99 a yard? Sign me up! I also spotted fuzzy flannel for $4.99 a yard. New sheets in no time!
Then I came upon the most steeply marked down fabrics in the store: the discount rack. Some of the material was down right fugly, other pieces were damaged. One bolt was irresistible. For $12.50 (orig. $24.99), I could buy one yard of heaven – a cream-colored piece of suede-lined, fuzzy sherpa goodness. My plan was to turn the material into two pillow coverings. (Pillow insides were 50 percent off, sealing the deal).
I purchased the sherpa material along with 11 yards of brown suede (40 percent off) to make curtains. I ran out of brown thread shortly after starting the curtains so I turned my attention to the pillows. I made as few cuts as possible (reducing my chances of error) and got to work sewing a cozy three-sided enclosure for my pillow, top. On the fourth side I sewed on three buttons, above right (simpler than a zipper, I reasoned).
The material was difficult to work with because it is very thick and the fuzz got caught in the string many times. I didn’t run out of thread, but I did run out of time so the project stretched from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Overall I spent $25.50 (and forgot to use my gift card 
) to buy two pillows and the pillow cover material. I devoted five hours over three days to completing one pillow.
A waste of time? Me thinks not. The process was very entertaining and I renewed my appreciation for sewers, quilters, and knitters. As for making towels and sheets? I may just wait for a great sale at Target.
Sewing lessons:
- Measure thrice, cut once
- If you don’t have pins to hold material in place, needles will do
- You can undo a lot of stitches, but it’s a total pain in the a**
- Sewing straight lines is actually very difficult
- Lumps mean it was made with love
soapylovedeb/Flickr
I have an intense itch to make my own soap, partly because my past attempts to clean with vinegar and baking soda were so successful. If I can make my own cleaning products for less that work, why not?
My sister used to own a soap business so I know making bar soap is a huge ordeal that involved vats of olive oil and lye, a dangerous chemical.
But there is another option. Laundry detergent, which I am also low on. My friend Matt Jabs of FiveCentNickel made his own laundry detergent and reports “I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW INCREDIBLY FAST & EASY IT WAS.” (His caps, not mine.)
Matt’s recipe calls for 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, a 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team Borax, and 10 pack of 4.5 ounce bars of Ivory Bar Soap (or another cheap bar soap.)
I plan to add a few drops of essential lavender oils to give my clothes a nice scent. I hope to pick up these ingredients later this week and will let you know how my first soap-making adventure goes!
Loading ...UPDATE: Reader Pauline recommends an alternative to Ivory:
The best soap to use is Fels Naphta, a bit more expensive but worth it. Where does Matt purchase the Washing Soda? Thanks
Rabbi Wendy has a great tip for home made cleaners.
The most amazing and effective book of recipes for household products is “Clean House, Clean Planet” by Karen Logan. It is still in print, with plenty of copies on Amazon. The recipe for spray cleaner on page 85 is the best spray cleaner I’ve ever used, hands down. Logan is so thorough in her explanations. She even sells bottles for the finished products. It’s a fun read, even if you don’t make any of the cleaning products. Check it out!
I went ahead and checked Amazon, which has Clean House, Clean Planet for $10.76 (orig. $15). I might buy it if my library does not have it.
SECOND UPDATE: Susan warns:
I made this detergent a few months ago, a word of caution, my dark purple towels faded a little using it. I now use it for whites and light colors but not black or really dark colors. Also the arm and hammer super washing soda is sold at Albertson’s. It is the only place around the valley I could find it.
EmergencyCafe.com
Months ago I decided to compile my own emergency supply medical kit because I thought it would be cheaper than buying a pre-made kit. Guess what? I still don’t have one. Now I wish I had just bought one because I’m still not prepared.
Emergencycafe.com is one place to buy an emergency kit. Owner Cari emailed me and offered a special 10 percent off discount just for BargainBabe.com readers that is good through March 31, 2010. Use code BB10. First aid kits start at $5 and a one-person emergency kits is $65. Cari also sells bigger kits for families and huge kits for the workplace. There’s also random stuff like a fire ladder, hand crank radio, and glow sticks.
Cari’s site has a checklist of what to put in your disaster kit and she shared 13 tips in case of an emergency.
1. Remain calm.
2. Have an emergency kit that includes food, water, first aid, search and rescue equipment, lighting, comfort and sanitation products to sustain each person for at least 3 days.
3. Keep all your important documents such as insurance (including medical, home and car), birth certificates, doctor’s name, medical records and passport in one place for easy access.
4. Keep cash on hand in small bills.
5. Make an evacuation plan with your family. Discuss it and practice it once every 6 months to a year.
6. Never hang anything over a baby’s crib.
7. Have an emergency kit in your car.
8. If you feel an earthquake starting and you are in your house, get over in the corner of the room away from windows, large mirrors and shelves.
9. The recommended amount of water you should keep on hand is one gallon, per person, per day.
10. It is important to know where your home’s shut off valves are for your gas and water. Know how to turn the gas and water off at your home. Keep a gas shut off tool next to your gas line.
11. Know the evacuation plan at your child’s school.
12. Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
13. To sterilize water, bring to a rapid boil for 5 – 10 minutes. Let cool.
You can buy some of these supplies at the 99 Cents Only Store, which featured flashlights, batteries, hand sanitizer, and rubbing alcohol in a recent ad.
Get discounted ski lift tickets at ski resorts across the country on Superbowl Sunday. If you don’t care much about the game, like me, this is worth looking into.
Here’s a Walgreens photo discount for 40 percent off through Feb. 6, 2010. Not bad!
Donate a gently used blanket and get a Sears coupon for 10-20 percent off!
A new month means online coupon sites are re-stocking their supplies.
Freebies!
Get free business cards, mugs, or address labels through Vista Print. You pay for shipping, however.
Snag a free sample of emergency food when you sign up for Prepare then Share’s e-newsletter.
Get a free Pampers Cruisers diapers when you sign up an e-newsletter from P&G, which makes Pampers products.
Denny’s is giving away free grandslam breakfasts (like they did last year) on Feb. 9 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you watch the Superbowl, you’ll see their commercial announcing the giveaway.
Check out all the coupons and freebies on my WalletPop blog.
Get 33 percent off the list price of many items at Borders with a coupon here.
Buy a sandwich and a soda at Subway and get another sandwich free when you build a sandwich.
Check it! Get 20 percent off your entire purchase at Ulta Beauty online with a coupon code here.
You can get a free lightbulb from Target when you print these coupons.
Did you know Target has a trade-in program for iPods, iPhones, and lots of other gadgets? When I compared the value of my ancient iPod to other sites, Target came out ahead.
Now through Jan. 31 get 15 percent off your order of Ghirardelli Chocolate. How sweet!
For more deals check out my WalletPop blog. Thanks!
I’ve been redecorating my bedroom this past week and in the process I have been hunting for rugs, bookshelves, paint, and much more. Here are 10 places to look for frugal or free items.
1. Your garage. Chances are you have a few half-full cans of paint or a funky old lamp that would add personality to your room. Perhaps you can transform a boring old piece into something new and exciting with a coat of paint.
2. Join your local Freecycle Network to get rid of your trash and collect other people’s treasure. Plus, you’ll feel good keeping items out of landfills.
3. Craigslist free pages. It’s amazing what people will give away. Their for-sale prices can be great, too!
4. Home Depot. I spent $9 building a bookshelf out of cinderblocks, above. Now to secure it to my wall. UPDATE: A friend helped me drill two brackets into each shelf, making the bookshelf much more sturdy.
5. IKEA. Some of the best deals at IKEA are on the ground floor and not heavily advertised. They sell sturdy planks of wood for $15 each and the wall mounts are a few bucks each (about $3). This allows you to customize storage space for very cheap!
6. Borrow or rent tools. Surely you know another home owner who’s itching to loan their tile saw in hopes they’ll never see it again!
7. Garage sales. Head to sales in upscale neighborhoods and the hipster parts of town for the best and most unique selection.
8. Thrift shops like Goodwill, Out of the Closet, and Salvation Army do not lack for furniture and furnishings. Just make sure to thoroughly check out the items as they are not usually returnable.
9. eBay. Review seller ratings and return policies carefully.
10. Recycling centers/reuse groups. These can be harder to find, but major metro areas usually have a handful of organizations that re-sell used windows, doors, and other building materials.
