by BlondieWrites on October 8, 2008
Holidays and birthdays come around whether you are living a frugal life or not. You don’t have to break your budget in order to give a gift that will not only be loved by its recipient but also used often.
Gift boxes or baskets make wonderful, thoughtful gifts for everyone and are only limited by your imagination. Once you start making these up, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner. They are fun to make and give, can be worked into nearly every budget and can be tailored for the pickiest on your list. Below are a few ideas to get you started.
Frugal Food Basket
Mix up some master baking mix, pancake mix, cookie mix, or muffin mix. Pick and choose or give them all in tightly sealed containers or jars and attach recipes for using and the mix recipe.
Specialty rice and rice mixes, bean mixes, bean and rice mixes, oatmeal, and the like can be put in mason jars and decorated appealing. Don’t forget instructions on how to use the mixes.
A gift basket of herb seeds or starter plants for indoor herb gardening makes a great gift basket idea for those that love to garden.
Treat Gift Basket
Now this one is great frugal gift basket to give the frugal person: food items that his or her budget, or frugal mind, just won’t allow. Everyone has favorite gourmet items that they love but rarely treat themselves to. If you don’t know exactly what the person likes most, it won’t take much investigating to find out.
Coffee or Tea Gift Basket
Pack this gift basket with several different brands of gourmet or specialty coffee or a lot of the one brand you know she or he loves. Include a permanent coffee filter to fit the brand of coffeemaker she uses to show you haven’t forgotten her practical side! You can easily adapt the contents to fit the tea lover instead. Top it off with a nice coffee cup.
Samples and More Samples
Do you get loads of freebies and free product samples but don’t use some of them and just don’t know what to do with the freebies? Make frugal gift baskets and give as holiday gifts, birthday gifts, baby shower gifts, etc.
The ideas are endless for making frugal gift baskets as gifts. Just use your imagination and create!
Popularity: 29% [?]
by BlondieWrites on October 8, 2008
Just because there aren’t thousands of dollars available for decorating doesn’t mean that a bath can’t be unique, dramatic and thoroughly satisfying. Here are a half dozen frugal ways to spice up any bathroom.
1. Collections of inexpensive mirrors add both light and space to any bathroom. They reflect colors, faces and other decorations and add character and interest. Mirrors are much more effective when grouped together rather than being a scattered mass simply hanging on a wall.
2. Pictures or prints can be massed on a wall. For maximum impact hang them closely together rather than separated. Pictures can be striking if they have a ‘theme’, such as:
The frames or photos have a uniqueness in common - oval shapes, women only, pets
This decorating tactic works best in a powder room, rather than a full bathroom, because of the high moisture.
3. Needlework makes a striking wall accent. For instance, sampler patterns from Colonial America are easily available and a few samplers grouped on a wall create a totally unique bathroom.
4. For color and charm, throw a rug on the floor. In a dull or drab bathroom, a rag rug or oriental carpet will add charm and beauty. Just be certain to use a non-skid pad underneath, especially if anyone will be stepping out of a tub or shower.
5. Collections can spark interest and admiration. Pottery is an unusual accent piece for any bathroom. Or you might consider old bottles, perfume atomizers, shaving mugs or other flea market collectibles.
6. Color is the quickest, cheapest and easiest ways to change any bathroom. Unusual colors on a bathroom wall, like melon, chocolate brown or peach, will add drama. Accents like brightly colored towels in a monochromatic bathroom will provide an outstanding accent. Add living color with plants or freshly cut flowers.
Popularity: 30% [?]
by BlondieWrites on October 8, 2008
Frugality is simply the practice of living within your means, looking for the less expensive alternatives. Frugality doesn’t have to mean being a scrooge or living without comfort. Is it really worth the time and effort you put into things like homemade cleaners and clipping coupons?
Search the Sunday paper for coupons and clip them out. Make a list of things on sale that you can stock up on in order to get your average cost down. Plan and run a route of four stores in order to get everything where it is the cheapest. Total extra time spent: three hours. Now, save sixty dollars. This translates into twenty dollars an hour-a pretty good deal, don’t you think?
Sometimes the small stuff is the big stuff, especially when it is repeated over and over. This is why it makes sense to save money on groceries. They are something you buy every week. Saving sixty dollars every week or two adds up over time. How you do it makes a difference though.
For example, suppose you don’t want to clip coupons or spend time looking at sales flyers. Why not invest just an hour or two to figure out which store is cheapest for the things you buy? Then shop only there, and buy more of the things you use and like when they are on sale. You might still save $20 per week, with no additional investment of time. That’s a $1,000 per year!
You need to sit down and decide how much time you have to spend on your efforts. If you do this and then figure out what your yearly savings can be, you will have a much clearer idea of how you want to proceed. It will also give you encouragement on those days when it feels you are missing out on something.
Popularity: 28% [?]
by BlondieWrites on October 8, 2008
A frugal shopper has skills that help him or her gain benefit of the money saving opportunities in life. Below I have listed several traits found in frugal shoppers. By incorporating these into your life, you too can become a frugal shopper.
1. A frugal shopper studies other people. There are probably people near you living a good life on half of what you make. Learn how others do things, so you’ll know your options.
2. Frugality requires knowledge of values. It’s hard to get a huge deal on a car if you don’t recognize what a big deal is. Start enlightening yourself on prices, especially before you’re ready to buy anything that costs a lot.
3. Frugal shoppers pay cash. Things are cheaper when paid for in cash instead of credit. Want that new patio set? The cost divided by the number of weeks you can wait to get it equals how much you need to set aside each week. You’ll not only save on interest when you pay cash, but you’ll often get a better price.
4. A frugal shopper looks for alternatives. Maybe you’d have just as much fun taking that discounted trip to the Bahamas as you would going to Jamaica. If you happen to enjoy pizza just as much - or more, skip the expensive restaurant and call Dominoes.
5. Frugal shoppers tell people what they need. Just mention it in conversation. Do you know how many people get free or cheap things, just because they talk?
6. Do the math. You didn’t really save $400 on that car if it costs you $500 more in gas each year. Also, be aware that some stores are cashing in on shopper’s assumptions that larger is cheaper. Yes, the gallon of pickles might actually cost more than four quart jars. Be ready to do the math if you want to be a frugal shopper.
Popularity: 22% [?]
by BlondieWrites on October 8, 2008
Cleaning floors doesn’t mean spending a lot of money on floor cleaning supplies. You don’t need high priced name brand commerical floors cleaners to keep your floor sparkling clean. Try a few of thefrugal living ideas below and clean your floors without spending a lot of money on floor cleaners to do it.
Vinegar: A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into half a gallon of water.
For Wood Floors
Vegetable Oil and Vinegar: Mix a one to one ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.
For Painted Wooden Floors
Washing Soda: Mix one teaspoon washing soda into one gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can also be used to remove mildew.
For Brick and Stone Floors
Vinegar: Mix one cup white vinegar into one gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.
For Ceramic Tile
Vinegar: Mix one quarter cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into one gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.
Club Soda: Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.
For Vinyl and Asbestos Tiles
Club Soda: Remove wax buildup by pouring a small amount of club soda on a section. Scrub this in well. Let it soak in a few minutes and wipe clean.
For Linoleum Flooring
Isopropyl Alcohol: To remove old wax by mopping, mix a solution of three pans water to one pan rubbing alcohol. Scrub this in well and rinse thoroughly.
To remove black heel marks
Baking Soda: Rub the heel mark with a paste of baking soda and water. Don’t use too much water or the baking soda will lose its abrasive.
Popularity: 13% [?]
