BREAKING NEWS :

Making the transition from purchased cleaning products to more affordable, less toxic options is possible.  Keep in mind that homemade versions may not work as well as the commercially packaged products, and you must know what you’re using – and how it mixes with what you’re cleaning. 

Begin your changes slowly, investigating the possibilities and trying your new mixes with an experimenting-spirit.  As you become more versed in using homemade cleaning solutions, you will very likely save time, avoid common toxins and spend less money.

When researching this topic, the other tips I found most often repeated:

*Purchase new spray bottles and other sealable containers for your homemade cleaning mixes. 

*Label the cleaning solutions clearly, and keep a notebook (or file) of your successful recipes so that you can duplicate them easily later. 

*Maintain the same baby-proofing precautions with your homemade cleaning solutions as you would with commercial products.

*Essential oils and other ingredients may become as costly as commercial concoctions. Work with your friends to purchase them in bulk together or at least share when possible.

Baking soda, as you may have heard, is not just for baking.   As a kid, my mom always had us dip our toothbrushes in baking soda, now they have made Arm n Hammer baking soda toothpaste.  I guess Mom had the right idea!  Many products, following the trend of frugal and more natural cleaning, are boasting that they contain baking soda.  Baking soda is very affordable and can cut many costs of maintaining your home.  Make-Stuff. Com has a list of “Sixty Uses For Baking Soda”:

http://www.make-stuff.com/cooking/baking_soda.html

Vinegar is another more affordable product to use for your homemaking needs.  It’s not just for pickles, anymore!  As you’re gathering in fall apples, did you know vinegar will help deter the fruit flies?  Mixed with other common ingredients such as olive oil and lemon juice, you can freshen up your home.  Here is a list of “Vinegar Tips”:

http://www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7

Salt, I read is another wonder-product which can do more than season – it can clean, freshen and solve several kitchen conundrums.  Now, take it “with a grain of salt” (Trial and error is the spirit), but here are “Sixty Uses for Table Salt”, by BellyBytes.com (check out their long list of healthy recipes too!):

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/salt.shtml

Housework won’t kill you, but then again, why take the chance!
–Phyllis Diller

There are a few websites which will help you in your journey to keep your New Year’s Resolutions:

43 Things.com:

http://www.43things.com/

Be encouraged by people who have already accomplished what you’ve set as a goal for yourself, or find people to partner with in your shared goals.  You can even set up for automatic emails to be sent to you, reminding you of your goals.  There is also an iPhone app from 43 Things.com

SparkPeople.com: is the place to find free advice and assistance in meeting your diet goals.  Free diet plans, calculators, and trackers are some of the tools you’ll find.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

MoneywiseWomen.com: Washington State based network of finance authors, speakers and mentors who provide information to inspire women to have the best financial futures possible.  Sign up as an email member and you will receive free periodic articles, full on encouragement and vital information.

Moneywise Women is holding a one-day conference in several Washington State cities this year.  For their conference in Bellingham on March 20, they are offering half-price tickets (limited supply) for those that register soon.  Visit their website for a full list of upcoming conferences.

http://moneywisewomen.net/

Free Consumer Action Handbook ( full edition available online):

Order your free copy of this annual encyclopedia of all things money.  Consumers become instantly wiser when they get their hands on this free publication — or view it in its entirety online.  Anything you want or have to do with your money — it’s here.  Be aware of scams, “who to contacts” for when circumstances go wrong, and how to prevent your becoming a victim of identity theft — and more!  The processes of filing a complaint, investing, bankruptcy, and other topics are here in a convenient, easy-to-read format.

http://www.consumeraction.gov/

Share with us online resources which encourage you!

In the spirit of keeping learning fun and finding family fun!

Free Learning Games, Ideas and Printable Resources:

http://funschool.kaboose.com/

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=30&e=gameslanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,game_preschool&site=us

http://preschoolprojects.net/sample.php (Sign up for their free newsletter and view a free preschool product sample)

http://familyfun.go.com/printables/

http://www.freeprintable.net

http://www.starfall.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

Online Reference Tools:

Online Medical, Financial, Languages, and other types of Dictionaries.  Fun Feature: “Hangman” game on the homepage:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Lots of ads, but the dictionary, crossword and translator tools are there:

http://www.reference.com/

Online Encyclopedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Search National Geographic (also features games, videos, and activities)

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

http://kidshealth.org/ (Features a Parents, Kids and Teens Site)

Learning into (Fun) Action Resources:

Free Online fieldtrips through Yellowstone Park (includes lesson plans & more):

http://www.windowsintowonderland.org/

Find Fieldtrip Locations and Opportunities in Your Community.  Locate, Book and Review available fieldtrips:

http://www.fieldtripfactory.com/

More Resources and Educational References for Parents:

List of Organizations and Websites Geared to Parent Education and Learning Inspiration:

http://www.preknow.org/families/athome/learnathome.cfm

Before make that purchase from your favorite online retailer, be aware there may be coupons codes which can save you money.  Want to make some money back from your purchase?  There are websites for that too!

Rebate Websites:

Ebates.com: When you begin your online purchase at Ebates.com, you will receive a percentage refunded to you.  Ebates.com offers retailer coupons and discounts via email updates and at their website.  Some discount coupon codes you find elsewhere can be combined with your Ebates.com refund.  Receive $5 just for signing up, and $15 for referring two friends (who make qualifying purchases.)  There’s a blog featured which informs you of updates and promotions.

UPromise.com:  A free program that refunds a percentage of your participating purchases into a college savings account. Receive contributions to college funds when you register your grocery rewards card and purchase participating products.  Relatives of yours who register at Upromise.com can add to your savings account with their purchases. 

Swagbucks.com: Use this free website as your search engine and you’ll be rewarded with “Swagbucks”.  Earning of “Swagbucks” can also be done by shopping, inviting your friends (when they win a “Swagbuck” for searching using the site, so do you), promoting Swagbucks.com and by trading in particular electronic devices. 

When you have accumulated a number of “Swagbucks”, you can exchange them for merchandise, gift cards, magazine subscriptions, ITunes singles/albums, PayPal cash and more.  Tip: Instead of using your “Favorites” feature of your internet browser, type the name into Swagbucks.com and you’ll accumulate “Swagbucks” much more quickly. 

Coupon Code Website:

CouponChief.com:  CouponChief.com is one of the largest and most user friendly coupon code websites.  Coupons can be easily found by a keyword search, alphabetically and by category.  Users report back to each listing, letting you know the recent validity of the discount.  Register with CouponChief.com for updates on discounts from stores you prefer to shop with.  Visit CouponChief.com and you’ll immediately see where others are saving money, as they offer a list of the most popular coupons. 

CouponChief.com’s online discounts vary by retailer, ranging in percentage discounts to offers of free shipping.  Some offers can be combined with the refund site Ebates.com.  When you find a discount coupon code, they have a “Pays-2-Share” program which will pay you 2% of purchases made through that discount code.  CouponChief.com offers a Google Group Forum where users can discuss discounts and use of the site.

Money Saving Example:  I began my shopping with Ebates.com.   I clicked on “JCPenney” and received an immediate rebate tracking ticket from Ebates.com.  (Tracking tickets are your “receipt” from Ebates, confirming for you that this purchase will result in a refund when you move to the online retailer’s site from Ebates).  Through Ebates.com, I was taken to the JCPenney website where I was able also use a 15% off my order coupon code from CouponChief.com.  I combined the offers, saving 5% on my purchase (which I’ll get back in PayPal cash), and a 15% discount on the JCPenny purchase.  What a great deal for my pair of jeans!

We’d love to hear about your money-saving tips and websites.  Where are you finding great discounts?

At the end of my day, like many days, I wanted to know “what’s for dinner?” I pride myself on being the organized one in my social circle (at least I am known for it) — but dinner eludes me more days out of the week than I would publicly admit to.

This day was no different.   Bored with cooking dinner — and having watched some television with fast food looking so easy and so good — I challenged myself to take the “better road”.   I wanted something better than burgers — and I wanted it for the cash I had in my pocket.

Kids in tow, I was on a budget for both time and money. 3:30 in the afternoon is past my shopping curfew.  My kind, with coupons and averaging unit prices, aren’t too welcome at this time of day.  Shopping today, after my better hours, I was unarmed.   

It nearly hurts me physically to pay full price for anything. This day, even with kids and without my coupon file, I would stay within budget – and eat well tonight.

Produce came first, as I wanted a salad.   I like to “up-do” a bagged salad with any fixings I can find for a reasonable price.  Right away, I see that Fresh Express Salads are BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) — and I do happen to have one coupon for them in my wallet (I carry coupons for my favorite things).

Avocados are $10/10 (an ingenious marketing tool by most grocery retailers– and so easy to match with coupons when they’re name brand products).   I grab one to top the salad. I pass by all of the other vegetables.  When my kids beg to buy apples, I compliment myself. We’ve already got apples at home (bought cheaper at a competitor store earlier in the week) — but I like to mentally record the price of produce to compare prices later.  It’s a good idea to know what items of produce sell for in the area.

Fresh Meat, up next.  (No, I’m not describing myself to the grocery manager — It’s the department I find myself in.)  I want something “good”, but I have walked into the most expensive store in my city.  No problem, I say. I walk past the “premium beef” displays, visualizing my husband’s falling lower lip, and head for the meat’s clearance department. On first glance, and between refereeing the kids, I don’t see anything of great savings.  I do see though, that family packs of pork chops are $1.99/pound.

I do love pork chops — and, they’re not chicken. Chicken is the least favorite of my Navy husband.  (He tells me frequently how on “on the ship, it’s all chicken…chicken this and chicken that…)  Pork then, so far, has been the great compromise.  I tell him, ‘It’s the other white meat’ — it’s meat, its lean and it’s better for you than red meat — so eat!”   I grab a package large enough for two meals.  Only my husband and I eat meat at our house (unless it’s breaded or on a stick, the kids choose cereal or soup.)

A quick glance back to the clearance meats; a roast catches my eye. I picture it over the potatoes and onions I already have at home, with steamed carrots and just the right amount of hubby’s “poor man gravy”.  It’s 30% off? No, wait, it’s 50% off!  My money savings-brain instantly calculates the sale price of the roast and figures out that for the original price of the roast; I’ll get nearly everything in my shopping basket.

Success!  Spending under $15, I brought home at least 4 meals for the price of a roast!  We took the challenge head-on; only one coupon, two kids and shopping after 3 PM in the afternoon.

My advice, if not plain in this narrative already, is to look for the savings and know where they can be found.  For a fast food price, following these guidelines will feed you well for a meal or more. I could have filled the basket with faster, more expensive food (or bypassed the grocery store completely and just ran through the drive through).  But, then I’d have heartburn, both fiscally and physically.

I bring my kids along to make things interesting and to entertain the older couples who think my kids are fun. While we’re entertaining the public, I hope to be teaching my kids something about making good choices and getting the most for their money. They raid the coupon feeders in the aisles (that always gets the “looks”), but they also have learned to read the labels and count for themselves how much money we’re saving.

They’re taking part in the choosing of and enjoying a variety of meals. Granted, they don’t eat roast or salad (their dinner was waiting at home), but they can tell their friends (and Grandma) that they helped me save money. That makes them feel pretty smart too.

The roast was delicious; the pork chops were enjoyed for two later meals.  I loved the thought that I was eating a $15 roast (and got all of dinner for that price) and husband loved eating a $15 roast.  Add to that, he had something to brag about at work the next morning.  I had money for the next “need” the kids came up with. I think it was ice cream.