5 Ways to Make & Save Money This Month

Now that we are a family of five plus two dogs, I am always looking for more ways to save money and cut costs. We are working the Dave Ramsey baby steps (though I admit I've been lazy with it lately) and every little bit helps towards the ultimate goal of paying off those pesky student loans.

I do a lot of things throughout the month to cut down on expenses and save money, but here are just a few of the things I have done so far the past couple weeks (and my apologies that this is a long one):

1. Purge the house of clutter! Whether you're looking to donate items, toss them or sell, this feels so good once it's done. The process is daunting, but by tackling one room or space at a time you can really start to feel the progress. One effective things to do is to take everything out of a room and enjoy the empty. You're probably less likely to fill it right back up once you've seen the calm of an empty and clean space.  I suggest starting with a closet, yours or a kid's. Be sure to order a ThredUp Clean Out Kit  and fill it up with quality clothing items you're done with.  Since I began sending items into ThredUp, I've made $342.43! If it doesn't fit, isn't worn, or you just plain don't like it, get rid of it. You can consign with a local consignment shop, send into ThredUp, have a yard sale, post on Instagram or a Facebook group. Or there is always eBay.  Whatever avenue you take, you'll be amazed at how much you can make on items you aren't using. And it will feel so good to have a clutter free space.

2. Start a Coin Jar: this might sound odd, I know. But we recently started a family coin jar and everyone puts their loose change in. The kids have the option of adding their pennies and coins to it if they want but they don't have to. We told them that when the jar is full we will roll the coins (with an awesome coin roller) and when we eventually save enough money we will take a trip to Disney. This has worked as motivation in so many ways. It gets us to use cash instead of the debit card (that always makes me watch my purchases more) because we look forward to the change. The kids are less likely to ask for things at the store because I keep reminding them of the jar. Everyone is working towards a common goal and it makes us stop and think about our purchases and also motivates us to literally save our pennies.  Just the other day my kids stacked wood for their Papa and were paid in coins and you would have thought it was Christmas morning they were so filled with excitement.

3. Join iRazoo: I know what you're thinking. Another survey company, come on, Amanda! But iRazoo is different. The idea is basically the same, do some surveys, earn some points, get a reward. In their case, you can earn gift cards to Amazon, Target, Home Depot and so many more places. This obviously cuts down your household expenses but also passes the time if you're waiting at school pickup, pumping or nursing, at the doctor's office and there is a long wait, waiting for a flight, you name it! Do a quick five minute survey, rack up some points and boom! You're on your way to a gift card. They also have a great Refer a Friend program where you can score some major points and get even closer to your rewards goal. They are very user friendly, have a excellent help team and don't have a million pop-ups attacking you as you're trying to earn your points.  So next time you're aimlessly scrolling Facebook, do a survey instead and you'll really be making your time worthwhile.






4. Join Stitch-Fix: Ok, this one I bet you're really thinking "you want me to shop to save money?" but hear me out! I get a Stitch-Fix box every quarter and I look forward to it so much, it actually helps me not to shop in between fixes. Knowing there is a fun, surprise, hand picked box of great quality items headed my way makes me empty my Target cart of wardrobe purchases I'll likely get sick of in ten minutes. New to Stitch-Fix? Not a problem! Here's the run down: you make a style profile, tell your stylist a bit about yourself and what you like and more importantly, what you grossly dislike. You can provide them with your Pinterest where you can have a style board and also your Instagram so they can get a sense of who you are and what you like. This helps a ton when they are picking things out for you. A stay at home mom like me doesn't need work pants and blazers, so they don't send that to me. I recently asked for my box to be nursing friendly and was so happy with what they sent. I also learned a couple weeks ago that their customer service is great. I get really excited when my box is set to arrive and I was disappointed when I received a box with a personalized letter to Teresa, not me!  It was all my size so I tried it on anyway and ended up buying a cardigan from it so it turned out ok. They sent me a new box and credited my account the style fee and they were wonderful about the mix up. But be careful here. Don't just buy the items because they're in your hand. Try them on, feel them. Keep what you absolutely love and what has a place in your wardrobe. And if you happen to love all five items, you get a 25% off discount. What are you waiting for? Go make your style profile now! 

                                          

5. Ask Other Moms: As a general rule thumb, if there is a baby item I need, I usually ask my mom friends, mom group or consignment shop before buying new. Especially with this being my last baby, I don't want to spend a fortune on things.  I recently bought a new stroller at Target and didn't like that it wasn't a system with my car seat so I asked my mom group if anyone was selling one and immediately found one. I got a great deal on a barely used stroller and another mom got some cash in her pocket. Now I'll be selling the original one I had so the circle continues! My sister is so good at consignment sales, she's like a thrifting goddess. But here is where it gets tricky-do not, I repeat DO NOT just buy all the second hand things because they are good deals. Don't do it. If you don't need it, or already have it (you don't need seven baby plat mats) just put it back. A deal doesn't mean you have to have it. Someone else will need it and scoop it up. You aren't looking for clutter or bad quality. You're looking for the same item you'd buy at Target only at a discount and from another family who will benefit more from your purchase. And to go back to number one on this list, when you're done with it, especially baby gear, sell it. It's a win win.

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Money Saving Monday-5 Things to do This Week

Happy Monday! Let's start it off right with some money saving tips to try this week:

1. Do you ever have those "I'm so proud of myself" moments where you want so badly to buy something, but you resist?  That pair of shoes, that amazing top, that hardcover book.  This happens to me a lot and it is hard to resist sometimes.  Something that makes it a little easier is to take that money I didn't spend, even it it's $5 saved not going to Starbucks, and put it somewhere meaningful.  Have a credit card you're paying off? A student loan? A savings account or a savings for a special house project (for us it's a fence)?  Put that money there!  You'll be surprised how quickly you forget about those things you didn't buy, especially when you see your monetary goals being realized.

2.  Remove the temptation to spend.  Do you get those millions of emails filled with deals claiming they will never be back (they will)?  Or those special coupons just for you that you have to you use? I mean come on! It's just for you! It's not. Every day I would wake up feeling so overwhelmed when I checked my email.  Instead of a positive step to get me saving, I was bombarded with retail peer pressure to spend.  I did the only thing I thought would help and clicked that liberating UNSUBSCRIBE button.  It takes a little while to kick in, but its wonderful to not have all those offers staring me down.  They are great, don't get me wrong, I'm a girl who loves a sale, but I can't have them all. 

3. Meal plan.  I'd like to tell you that I do this all the time.  That I plan it all out, and make my list with my coupons and get my cash envelope (so I won't go over budget) but that isn't true.  However, I am working on it.  I get a general idea of what we will eat for the week, and when I go grocery shopping, I get our essentials that we use and run out of weekly (like milk, eggs, etc) and then what I need for the meal plan.  If you can sit down with Pinterest and really make a plan, it will save time and money, and then you should come back here and tell me about it so I can be inspired to do it more.  Before I decide what we are going to have, I look at what's in the house. Sometimes we say we have no food and need to go grocery shopping right away, and then I look, really really look, and realized there are many options hiding in the pantry, fridge and chest freezer. Be creative and use what you have before buying.  You'll be surprised how much you actually have to eat!

 (Bow tie optional Build Your Own Burger Night)

4. Shop your own house.  This is one of my favorite things to do.  We change things around at our house a lot.  Because we live in an old home, we are working on updating (very very slowly) and to make things fresh on a tiny budget, and I like to shop my garage, or basement, or even other rooms and see what I can come up with add some flare to a room. Change the purpose of an item.  One of my favorite things to use for this is hanging fruit baskets. I have one in my office for sewing supplies and one in my bathroom for use as a catch all over the counter.  Re-purpose and use what you have, and if it isn't working, then go on the hunt for what you need.  (That's an old church pew below).

 (Before and after of one of our recent house projects, the sun room.  I shopped our house to furnish and decorate most of it.  It isn't done yet, and some was temporary until we buy furniture, but you get the idea)

5. Use up all your bath, body and beauty supplies before buying any more.  This sounds odd, I know. You're probably thinking, "But Amanda, if I have shampoo still, why would I buy it?"  Look under your sink. Look in your other bathrooms if you have them.  I bet you have some there, just waiting to be used.  Lotions, I know you have a million.  Use them!  Once you have purged your bathroom of all of them, then you can buy more.  Saves money, and reduces waste.  And you'll probably smell really good.

Do you guys have any tips on saving money? I'd love to hear them! Give a shout!

And to see more of our projects and gluten free meals follow @KnapTimeKnitter

Money Saving Monday-Dyson

You know you've entered a new realm of adult hood when the prospect of a new vacuum gets you excited.  For years, we dreamed of a Dyson.  With dogs and kids, carpets and hardwood floors, we were in desperate need of a vacuum that not only worked, but lasted more than three months. I kept reasoning with myself that someday I would invest, but for now it was ok to just get a cheaper, more affordable one. Who cares if it doesn't last, I thought, we'll figure that out later.  Well, my friends, long story short, we were replacing it every year and that adds up.  By the time I tossed our broken ones, we could have definitely just got a Dyson.

 

--I should note, that as amazing as it would be, this is in no way sponsored by Dyson or anyone else--

Ok, back to my fascinating story, here's where it gets good.   A friend mentioned that QVC had them. I was all, ok, yea, maybe, but aren't those limited time offers and do you even really save anything. I'm here to tell you: YOU DO! And the deals are still going on. I'm not certain if they actually do have a time cap.  They also have a payment plan which makes it even easier on the budget.

There's a few models to choose from, you can check them out here on QVC.  You might be thinking, "But Amanda, that is still a very expensive vacuum and we're on a budget here."  Yes, I know. But its worth it!  We went with the DC 39 Canister.  The best part of this deal is that it comes with five attachments, something you would normally need to purchase separate.  I chose canister because we have stairs, and I like to be able to easily maneuver into little corners of the bathroom and small spaces.

A couple things I don't like about it, but honestly, this probably is our fault and not the vacuum's.  The canister fills up quick.  I know, that's not really their fault, we have kids and dogs and it gets dirty on our floors. The other is that the carpet attachment gets clogged somewhat easily and won't turn. Again, with the amount of yarn I drop on our floors, this is more my fault than anything. The good thing is, you can take it apart and easily clear it out.

We have had ours for about a year now and its going strong.  Usually by this point in our relationship with a vacuum, we would have broken up.  One actually started smoking once, that terrible rubber smell.  I'm happy with it, and it has been worth the investment.  In hind sight, I would have gone with the Animal, which is more expensive but is for just that: animals.  And when you have a Pomeranian, you need that. All in all, my only regret is that we didn't invest in one sooner. 

 

   

5 Ways I've Saved Money This Week

As you've probably figured out by now, I am always looking for ways to stretch a dollar and get the best bang for my buck.  This week, I've had a few opportunities to save on those purchases I can't avoid.  Here they are:

1. Buy contacts at BJ's-I have two different prescriptions for my contacts, one for each eye, so when I purchase contacts I always have to buy two boxes.  This can get pretty pricey.  On average, a box is $35, plus shipping if you're using 1-800-Contacts.  At BJ's, they are just under $23 a box! 

*if you are a military family, be sure to ask for the military discount when getting or renewing your BJ's membership.  You save $15 off the yearly fee, and get an emailed $10 off purchase coupon

2. Use Monroe for oil changes-I hate getting oil changes.  Mostly when I need a tire rotation and everything too, so when I saw the sign for a $19.99 oil change, which included free tire rotation (even if you didn't purchase your tires there) I jumped on it! 

3. Meal Plan-This was my first week of meal planning and I am loving it.  Prior to grocery shopping for it, I looked for coupons and then hit the store with my list.  This has avoided extra trips to the grocery store, which almost always lead to unnecessary purchases.  (in case you missed it, here's the post for this week's meal plan).

4. Condense your errands into one trip-if you're like us, this can be tough.  I don't like leaving the dogs home alone for too long (for fear of the wreckage I'll return home to) and errand running with a three year old can be very hard, but by getting it all done in one outing, it save numerous trips, subsequently saving a ton on gas.  I found, also, that with our list in hand, we were less likely to make unnecessary stops, which often lead to purchases we didn't plan for or need.

5. Consign unwanted items-I became a consignor at a kids and baby consignment shop this week and I'm so excited! We are saving up for a two seater stroller, and dropped off some items we no longer need and didn't plan on keeping for future babies.  I don't know if we've made anything yet, but this is a great way to either get some cash for your items, or store credit to put toward what you need.  I have an account with an adult clothing consignment store, as well, and I've made a few hundred dollars since starting there.

Have you saved money recently? Please share your tips!

DIY Laundry Detergent

One of the biggest grocery expenses for us is laundry detergent. I have sensitive skin and tend to be a allergic to some brands, so many of my detergent purchases have been a waste of money when I realize I can't use them.  So when my sister from The Mommy Stories did a series on money saving DIY things, I was intrigued by this laundry detergent.  Because of my skin, I tested her's out before making a batch of my own, and I loved it!  My clothes smelled yummy, were clean, soft and the best part of all: a batch costs an estimated $2!

What you will need:

The initial cost is about $10, but you only use a little bit of the washing soda and Borax, so they last awhile.  The washing soda was a little hard to find, but I did end up finding it at Hannaford, and I have heard that Wal-Mart and Target usually carry it too.

1 1/2 bars of Yardley soap (also found at Target or Wal-Mart)
3/4 C Borax
3/4 C Washing soda
2 gallons of water

 

The first step is the most annoying to do.  With a cheese grater, grate a bar and a half of Yardley soap.  Heat 6 C of water in a large pan--like the kind you would cook a lobster in.  When heated, add the soap and let it dissolve, stirring it to blend.  Next, add the soda and Borax and mix until dissolved.  Add 1 gallon of water, and then 6 C of water.  Let it sit, stirring often until most of the clumps are gone.  The more you can smooth it out here, the smoother it will be when done.  Once it looks basically melted together (there will be some clumps), turn the heat off and leave it alone for 24 hours.  At that point, you can give it a good stir and bottle it.  One batch filled both of these detergent bottles!

Be sure to shake it well before using and it takes about 1/4 C or half of the laundry detergent cup per load.

Our DIY Wedding on a Budget

When my husband and I began planning our wedding, the first concern was money.  We have large families, and most of them had to travel to attend the wedding.  But, being the budget-er and do-it-yourself-er that I am, we made it happen.  Our wedding, which had about 130 guests and was held in Saratoga Springs, NY was made a reality for about $8,000 total, including our stay-cation honeymoon and an open bar.  Here's some things we did to cut down on costs:

The Dress

I went into dress shopping with no real idea of what I wanted, so off I went with most of my bridesmaids, my 3-month old son, my mom and mother-in-law.  I tried on a bunch, but (probably because I had just had a baby) a lot of them looked maternity and I didn't like any of them.  Except one, which when I walked out of the dressing room and in front of my clan, it was an overwhelming SAY YES TO THAT DRESS!  I was lucky enough to find my dress on the first stab at dress shopping; a one-of-kind dress, no less.  There weren't even any photos of it anywhere.  Best part: to my utter shock and surprise the price tag read $99. 


Bridesmaids

I wanted to be sure my bridesmaids didn't need to spend a fortune for our wedding, so I gave them a color, and let them choose what they wanted to wear.  Because we had a fall wedding, it was perfect, because the dresses reminded me of leaves changing in the fall.  For their gifts, I wanted them to personal, so I made each one a crocheted clutch.  Even if you don't crochet, there are so many awesome options on Etsy.  (if you want some just like these, visit my shop Crooked By Design and just send me a message!)

Date and Location
When it came time to set a date, my husband immediately told me he wanted a fall wedding, specifically on 11.11.11.  To our surprise, the venue was available and we booked right away.  Our reception was at the Saratoga Elks Lodge, and the menu was a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.  Of all the things at our wedding, the delicious food was the most talked about part.  It was amazing. 

Though we were on a tight budget, we wanted to treat our guests to an open bar, since most of them were traveling and had the added cost of hotels.  I didn't think it was going to be budget-friendly, but it was only $8 per person the entire reception.  This did include even children, who could get sodas, but still, it was an amazing deal.


Invitations
We went with Vistaprint for both save the dates and formal invitations.  They were a great deal, and once we purchased the dates, we received a coupon 20% our next order, which was used on our invitations. 

Center Pieces
Center pieces are a very DIY friendly part of the wedding.  We made ours from mason jars, filled them with frozen cranberries (which were in season and super cheap) and then added a plain white candle in them.  Around we put some leave printed ribbon (about a dollar for a roll) and created a wreath like bed for the jar sit on.  They were easy and quick to assemble and looked great.  To add a little to it, we put ceramic pumpkins on each table too. 

One of my favorite parts were the table numbers.  We had my brother take photos of us holding up a chalk board sign and made a different one for each table.  We loved the idea of our guests seeing personal photos of us together and we had fun with the editing, making some very saturated and some black and white.  To assemble them, all we did was cut a slit on a wine bottle cork and placed it on the table.

Flowers
Arguably one of the most expensive parts of a wedding, I was determined not to spend a fortune on them.  One of my bridesmaids gave the idea to make a brooch bouquet and it came out wonderful.  Ok, truth be told, I had absolutely nothing to do with it since my husband surprised me by staying up one night and assembling it for me.

You're probably wondering where we got all the brooches, and that's the best part! For my bridal shower, the invitations asked each guest to bring a brooch and we made it from all the ones we received.  At the reception we set it in a vase and it made for a great talking piece for our guests.  One of my favorite parts about it was that I will always have it.

For the bridesmaids bouquets, we went to the grocery store the day before the wedding and got a bunch of bouquets (I believe we spent $40 total for six bridesmaids and both moms) and had them assemble their own using all different flowers while they waited to get their hair done.  Add some ribbon and ka-bam! Bouquets on a budget.

 

The Cake
I'm gluten free so we were unsure what to do about the cake situation.  We opted to do a cupcake tower for our guests and a small gluten free one for us.  This cut way down on cost and people loved them!  The cupcakes were $90 total and the gluten free cake was about $40 and made by the amazing Cake.

Photography
Another huge cost is a photographer.  We were so lucky to have an amazing photographer friend who helped us out and saved us tons, but there are other ways to save too.  A lot of new photographers are looking for experience and are fabulous, so look into college students studying photography or friends who are great with a camera.  Having someone who knows you take the photos makes them that much more personal.

 

The Stay-cation
We had a one year old to think about when planning our honeymoon and I wasn't ready to leave him for a prolonged period of time.  Also, we had recently moved to Saratoga and were still getting to know the amazing town, so we decided a staycation was just what we needed.  We had the grandparents stay with Atticus and we stayed at the amazing Gideon Putnam Resort.
Because we didn't have to pay for airfare or travel, we explored our new city and went to all the restaurants we otherwise wouldn't have been able to go to and indulged in a couples massage at the spa.  We went bowling and saw a movie.  It was a great few days away!


In case you're dying for a sappy love story video, I have prepared this one about how we met:

5 Money Saving Family Fun Ideas

As the mom of an active toddler, we're always looking for fun things to do as a family, that won't break the bank.  Sure, costly family adventures are wonderful too, but even a trip to the local children's museum can end up costing us $18 for a small family.  Some weeks, that's just not in the budget.  So here are some ideas (most of them, my husband's) for fun things to do, that don't cost a lot, if anything.

1.Take a nature walk
Fall is right around the corner, and with it comes the perfect time to take the family outside and exploring.  Have your kids look at the trees, grass, dirt, everything and talk to them about it.  Have them bring a sketchbook and draw their favorites and write down any questions they want to look up about their findings.  When the walk is over, take them to the library and see what kinds of fun books they can find about the outdoors and possibly answer some of the questions they wrote down.  If you have a younger one, like I do, just tell them about what's around them.  My guy, nearly 2, has been pointing to everything and starting to ask (in his own way) about things and its amazing how much he remembers.  Let them touch things like bark, and explain the textures, smells etc.

2. Camp in your back yard
As the summer comes to an end, its a great time to pop the tent, make some smores and cook those hot dogs on an open fire.  In your own back yard.  Have your kids leave all electronics in the house, and pretend like you're actually camping.  This is a great way to teach your older kids some skills such as how to set up a tent and fire safety when camping. 

3. Have a picnic at the Airport
If you're near a small airport, you're kids could be lucky enough to have a picnic while watching the planes go by.  My little guy is obsessed with planes right now and I bet kids of all ages would think it was very cool to get to watch and hear the planes go by.  You may even get them to eat those veggies in exchange!  And I know I'm obsessed with libraries, but you could make a stop on the way and pick up a book about different types of planes and look them up as you see different kinds.

4. Check your local community events calendar
Usually posted in the local papers, at the library, and/or the town's chamber of commerce website, the community events calendar is the perfect place to start your search for a fun family day.  It's usually filled with free, or inexpensive activities run by local groups.  If they do cost money, typically its not much and goes to a good cause.  A great way to talk to your kids about giving back and the importance of getting involved within your community.

5. Make a healthy family friendly meal together
Get the whole family involved and come up with a meal to cook together.  Everyone can help with this one.  Let the kids tell you what they are in the mood for, find the recipe, get the groceries and put everyone to work.  Kids love to help cook!  For example, if you're family decides on homemade pizza, let your older child help spread the sauce, and your wee one can help put the toppings on.  If you have a really small one, give them some bowls and spoons and have them "cook" something up themselves. 

5 Money Saving Tips of the Week

The focus of this week's money saving tips are bills, and how to cut down on them.  My husband and I are trying to cut costs everywhere (who isn't?) and these are a few things we do to keep the bills from taking over our lives:

1. Use Skype
I think its safe to say the days of long distance calls being costly are over, but as with everything else, another expensive thing will take its place.  In most cases: cell phones.  Many people don't have landlines (I still do, however) but using all those cell phone minutes can be very expensive.  A wonderful and free solution (let's FACE it, its way more fun har har) is to video call using Skype.  As long as you have internet and a webcam (which most laptops and computers have built in these days) you can video call anyone with a Skype account for no money at all.  You're already paying for internet, so why not get more bang for your buck?  I use Skype all the time with my family who are 4 hours away.  Don't have it yet?  Get it here.

2. Use Pre-Paid Cell Phone Plans
Before I get into this, I will say, this isn't for everyone.  I am not attached to my phone (probably because no one calls me!) and I can go a day or so before I realize the battery died.  Lately, however, since I got my Android, I have fallen a little more in love with it.  Before I made the switch to Virgin Mobile, my monthly AT&T bill was about $65 and that didn't include internet and unlimited talk/text.  After what seemed like an eternity, my contract finally expired and I was able to free myself from the abusive boyfriend that was my cell phone bill.  It seemed like no matter how many times I tried to break up with AT&T or fight the hits my wallet was taking, I couldn't get out.  At last, my moment came to break free.  For a few months, I didn't have a cell phone at all.  That got old fast.  I started researching good phone packages that actually had good phones to go with them.  The best I could come up with is my current Virgin Mobile package for my Android.  I now pay $25 a month for unlimited internet, data and text and 300 minutes.  That's more than I need (a savings of $516/year, not including overage costs AT&T always charges you).  The best part is, if you forget to pay your bill you won't get charged.  You're phone won't work until you pay it, but you don't have to go through the headache of re-activating it.  Aside from sometimes having spotty service, I really can't say enough good things about it.  To find out more about the plan, go here.

3. Ditch Cable
I know, how could I ask you to part with such a thing?  But really, do you really need, or even use it?  We had cable, DVR and everything for a few months and just couldn't justify the bill we got each month.  Including internet we were paying well over $100 a month and usually just used instant Netflix anyway.  Now that we only have internet through the cable company we save about the cost of grocery shopping trip each month, and I'm way happier with that than I ever was with cable.  I should note: we are not the "We don't watch t.v." type of family.  We love our shows and probably watch too much of it.  We just like to use the money saving methods of watching them (see item 4).

4. Use Instant Netflix in Lieu of DVD Delivery
When Netflix first came out, it was a great deal.  You didn't have to go to the movie rental store where you always spent way to much money and racked up tons of late fees.  The movies came right to you and there was no rush to watch them.  But, like all things, they inflated the price so much, it wasn't worth it anymore.  They sort of shot themselves in the foot with the instant movies and shows, because we stopped getting the DVDs delivered and opted for only the streaming (about at $120 per year savings).  Also, there's other ways of renting movies now, with Redbox being only a $1 a day (or free for a day if you use promo code BREAKROOM) and of course, you can rent from your local library. 

5. Save Electricity!
You're heard this your entire life, I'm sure.  It's not that we go out of our to waste it, but shouldn't we go out of our way to save electricity?  It is, after all, one of the easiest ways to cut down your bill.  This summer has been terrible with heat, so I'm sure you can relate to stress we've been experiencing over the AC running so much. But summer also means you can cut down in other ways.  Our dryer has been broken for months, and I'm in no real hurry to get the repair man in here because I've hung every load since it broke.  It takes a little longer to get it done, but you'll be happy you did it.  Also, in the summer we certainly don't need as many lights on as the other months and as soon as the sun goes down, turn off the fans and AC and let the cool night's air in your windows.  Cooking on the grill, or eating fresh from your garden are some other examples.  I've even cut back on my toddler's bath times in the summer months since he's in his little pool so often anyway, I figure he's getting clean!

5 Money Saving Tips of the Week-For the Home

Whether you're like my husband and I and just starting out with our home, or you are just trying to spruce yours up a bit, you know how expensive working on the house can be.  There's a bunch of stuff we would like to do (ie. tear up the carpets, paint one of the rooms etc.) but that's not going to happen anytime soon.  In the meantime, we used these 5 Money Saving Tips to add a personal touch to our home:

1. Go shopping in your own house
Nate Burkus talks about this a lot on his show.  Take the time to walk through your house, look in your closets, attic, garage etc.  I bet you'll find treasures hiding out that you forgot you had.  You can also do what we do, and go shopping in family member's homes.  My mother-in-law recently went on a de-cluttering spree throughout her house and we shopped around and found some great stuff that they didn't want anymore (like this corner cabinet). 

2. Find and display vintage items
I love vintage stuff.  There's something so special about an item that other people have had.  Often times you can find vintage items for super cheap at thrift stores and yard sales.  You don't need to spend a boat load on things.  For example, I inherited a couple sewing boxes over the years from grandparents and in them was loads of wonderful thread, many on wooden spools.  The thread is pretty useless to me with regards to sewing, so I display them in my house in glass jars.  I have one in a mason jar (on my awesome corner cabinet I acquired while shopping the in-laws house-see above) and another in a glass vase.  Another quick and cheap idea is to line your stairs with old books.  They are a dime a dozen at thrift stores and I love the look of them. 

3. Put away things you don't use and take them out when you need them
I know I've had times when cleaning or organizing my home that I was so frustrated by the furniture that we had that I would just get rid of things (for no reason other than my temporary insanity).  In the end, you just end up buying new stuff and getting sick of that too.  Our new solution is to put said items in storage.  Countless times we've had things in our house just because, and since we've started doing this method, we've gone shopping in our own garage and house so many times and avoided having to buy something new. 

4. Whenever possible, make it yourself
I know, this is easy to say when you're a do-it-yourself-er but really, anyone can be if they just try.  I'm still new to sewing, and I've already made curtains, pillow cases and blankets for my house.  This can save loads of money and you get something that is unique and no one else will have.  I'm in love with my curtains now and every time I look at them, I feel sense of pride that I made them (yes, they are crooked...but so is my house)  I even made one set of my curtains out of some that a friend asked me to hem.  Her's needed to be shortened quite a bit, so I took then ends and made my breakfast nook some.  Total cost: $0 and about 45 minutes of my day.  If you're not sure how to sew curtains, just google it.  I simply looked up tutorials and was making them in a matter of minutes.  You don't need much in terms of sewing skills, just a straight line and a ruler.  *Just a little tip about curtains: If you want your room to appear bigger, put the curtains as close to the ceiling as possible.  It makes the room look taller.

 

5. Re-purpose things
Use your imagination!  Don't go rushing to the store when you need something (like a storage solution).  Instead, think of other ways.  One idea is to use a hanging fruit basket in your bathroom for storing items you use all the time.  This way, you save counter space and it gives your room a unique feature.  My husband still raves about this idea.  Another fun one I read the other day was to use a cupcake stand as a place to throw your mail and items that usually collect on your table.  The possibilities are endless and I'd love to hear you ideas!  Please post a comment and share the creativity with us!

 (and yes, I'm fully aware of how terrible this picture is.  Ignore my bathroom's current state.  It's next on the house to-do list)