You may recall I recently moved across the country to Rhode Island. I made a video about how I scoped out ways to save in my new neighborhood.
domib34/flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I’ve written about ways to save money by gardening but here’s the real dirt on how to cut household costs by using herbs and produce that grow in your garden instead of spending money on store bought products.
Rosemary – Not only can you use rosemary to season your Thanksgiving turkey but you can also use it on your locks. Rosemary is known to stimulate hair growth, naturally darken it and battle dandruff. Simply pour one cup of boiling water over dried rosemary and steep overnight. Strain the tea and use it in the shower as a final rinse. Rosemary along with other fragrant herbs like lavender and thyme makes natural potpourris or sachets.
Parsley and Mint – Next time you’ve got garlic breath don’t reach for a mint candy, but instead chew on parsley or fresh mint. These herbs are great bad breath fighters.
Apples – If for some reason you do not have your toothbrush and toothpaste handy, chew on an apple or any food that requires a lot of chewing like celery and carrots. These can help keep teeth clean and whiten teeth naturally.
Tomatoes – They’re delicious in salads and sandwiches and combat bad sunburns. Sliced tomato can be directly placed on (more…)
McPrior / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
You’re in the office and your tummy starts grumbling. You have many options for lunch but which one is best for your wallet? Options include eating out, brown bagging and re-heating a frozen entree.
Eating Out
Pros: This option is convenient and depending on where you work, you have an array of foods at your fingertips. There is no need to pack a lunch the night before or wake up extra early to prepare something. Eating out with coworkers can be a bonding experience and if you can chose the eatery, you can make sure you have an Entertainment Book coupon. Cons: This can quickly become an expensive habit if you don’t find deals for eating out. If you stick to dollar menus to minimize the cost, your waistline and health may take a toll. Cost: $10 per meal x 5 days a week = $50 per week
Brown Bagging
Pros: Keep an eye on your wallet and your waistline with this option. Brown Bagging can be more environmental if you use a reusable lunch bag, bring utensils from home instead of using disposables and pack a reusable water bottle. Being your own chef allows creative meal planning, especially if you use a multi-compartment easy lunch box. Re-heat dinner leftovers for a tasty meal. You can eat quickly at your desk or find a nearby park. Brown Bagging is nearly as fun as eating out with a favorite co-worker. Cons: It gets boring fast if you stick to the same meals and requires advance planning. Cost: $2.60 for a sandwich + .40 for baby carrots or fruit slices = $3 x 5 days a week = $15
Frozen Entrees
Pros: Prepackaged foods are very convenient and easy to grab on your way out the door in the morning when you’re in a hurry. You can stock up when they go on sale and keep them for weeks in the freezer. You can eat quickly at your desk. TV dinners used to have a bad rap for being unhealthy but there are now healthy options. Cons: Many TV dinner are loaded with salt and lack fiber and vitamins, taking a toll on your health over time. Portions are often so small you head to the candy machine for an afternoon snack. Cost: The entrees cost around $5 and sometimes cheaper when you can find coupons. $5 x 5 days a week = $25
Eating out costs significantly more than brown bagging or relying on frozen meals, but also takes a lot more time. What’s your frugal lunchtime option?
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Being green is not only good for the planet but your wallet as well. That’s the premise behind Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet by Elizabeth Rogers. She describes green changes that will decrease your carbon footprint and lists the dollar amount each one will potentially save you.
Like many people, Rogers thought it was expensive to go green. Then she realized she was wrong and decided to write a guide to help people identify how to save money by being eco-friendly. She writes:
In my own experience, I’ve noticed that becoming greener has made my life richer and healthier, and, paradoxically, less expensive. This was a revelation. Like most people, I thought going green would put a serious strain on my finances. But I found, in reality, there’s no need to compromise ecological principles in order to save cash. And, perhaps surprisingly, you don’t need to give up comfort, convenience, or style in order to tread more lightly on the earth.
The biggest money-savings are for people who own their own homes. Changes like lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater from 140 degrees F to 120 degrees F can save up to $70 per year for an electric water heater, and up to $40 or more per year for a gas water heater. As an apartment dweller, my utility bill is included in my rent so I won’t see any savings for changing to energy-efficient ways. Everyone can save up to $200 per year if they replace standard household cleaning products with home remedies.
Shift Your Habit is more like a guide that can easily be skimmed to find specific information rather than a long drawn sermon that preaches about the benefits of green living. The book is laid out in an easy-to-read format as each chapter has a theme, tables, and charts for quick access and understanding. One cool chart is titled Vintage Baby and lists price comparisons on new and used “must-have” baby furniture.
One of my favorite features in the book is titled Swift Shifts. These are stories about families and individuals who have made changes in their daily lives and have noticed a difference in their checkbook. The testimonials are written in the first person and really help drive home the fact that anyone can afford to be an environmentalist.
The book is packed with practical tips that long-time environmentalist may know, but I had a couple “aha” moments when I asked myself why I hadn’t thought of the change before. If you have an aquarium, instead of pouring the old water down the drain, it can be used to feed your plants because it contains high levels of nitrogen and other nutrients that help plants grow. This adds up to a $15 per year savings on fertilizer costs.
If you would like to win my review copy of Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet, leave a comment by Friday, July 16 at 9 a.m. explaining your reason for going green. If you can’t wait, purchase it on Amazon for $10.08.
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?
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This post is brought to you by Mint.com, an excellent source for a budget planner.
I’m getting fed up with consumers – the little guys like you and me – taking the blame for the economy. We as a nation spent like crazy, lost a ton of money in the housing and stock market, and now are getting blamed for being careful with our money. “Even as the economic recovery plods ahead, many American consumers are refusing to come along,” says an AP story published today. “They’re not spending freely – and they have no plans to.”
The story makes it seem as if “spending freely” were a good thing. Craziness!
The headline of the story in my local paper (it might have been different in yours) is, “Economy’s new threat: frugality.” If so, here is the face of the enemy: Marjorie Feldman of St. Louis, who owns a home that lost 20% of its value and who saw her retirement account shrink by 15%. Marjorie’s confidence in the economy will “never” recover, according to the story.
That’s code for she’s not spending like she used to. Marjorie’s new frugal spending habits, which many Americans have adopted, are important because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of our nation’s economy. If Marjorie and others in her situation would max out their credit cards, we could see the economy recover, the story seems to say.
Or…we could recognize that our economy has an unhealthy dependence on consumer spending that is not sustainable.
Instead of spending beyond our means, we could budget and live within our means. We could save money to retire before we croak. We could save so that social security, Mediccare, and unemployment are not our only safety nets. We could save so our kids can get through college without crippling debt. We could save so that when times get tough we have emergency savings to rely on.
Americans currently save an average of 3.1 percent, down from last year’s peak of 6.4, the story says. I save 10-20% of my income because I feel responsible for my fiscal future. Why do you save?
