Deodorant

The other day, I was discussing deodorant with a friend. (Come on, don't you ever talk about odor control with your friends?) We were talking about the fact that neither of us are interested in putting anything on our skin that contains aluminum, but we aren't really interested in having stinky armpits, either.

So what's a health-conscious frugalista to do?

My solution = Deodorant Crystal.

I have used this stuff for three years and have been very happy with the results. You apply it to your wet, clean armpits - fresh from the shower. Apparently, the mineral salt crystals prevent odor by neutralizing the odor-causing bacteria in our armpits. Regular deodorants use chemicals to mask the odor that's already there.

Ok, so it works great. But is it cheap?

Well, at Alice.com, the price of the Deodorant Crystal is $6.49. The price of the regular deodorant I used to use is $3.19. BUT.......the Deodorant Crystal lasts 12 months and a container of regular deodorant only lasts 3-4 months. Meaning, I could spend $6.49 per year on something that is healthier for me and works great, or I could spend $9.57 per year on something that contains potential toxins. Hmmmm....

How about you? Have you ever tried anything like this?

Just to let you know - I wasn't paid or bribed to do this post. I just did it because I wanted to. How's that for a disclosure? ;)

Money $aving Monday - Quick Tip

Manufacturer Coupons

If you have products that you love, but would like to have some coupons to use when purchasing them, you could write to the manufacturer.  I've done this.  Most of the time I write to them telling them how much I like their product and why.  Almost always, I'll get a 'thank you' from them along with some very valuable coupons that can't be found anywhere else.

It's even easier to write to manufacturers now because of the internet.  I usually just go to their website and find the "contact us" link and send them a quick email.  The last one I did was from a free sample that I listed on the Household Cents' Facebook page.  I ordered the free sample, and liked it so much that I wrote to the company thanking them for the sample.  In return, they sent me some pretty sweet coupons good towards that product.  (Don't tell my kids that I just used the word 'sweet' in that context.  They'll roll their eyes at me and call me a dork.)

Money $aving Monday

Nice vase, eh?
It resides in my nephew's house. He and his fiance put it there to throw all their loose change in. I know lots of people who do this.....they have some sort of container that stores their spare change. Then when it's full, they bring it into the bank and deposit it into savings or exchange it for cash and spend it. This is a great way to save up some extra money. My mom does this and she even has a seperate container for each type of coin. The last time she cashed them in, she had over $300. Not bad for a little spare change. This is really nice for those with jobs involving tips - waitresses, waiters, bartenders, the Piano Man.....hmmm.....now why am I suddenly wanting to go listen to Billy Joel?

Money $aving Monday - Quick Tip!

This quick tip won't work for everyone, but it could work for some.

Instead of sending some of those monthly bills in, walk them in.  Our utilities company and phone company are both within walking distance of my home.  During the spring, summer and fall I try to walk to these companies to drop off our payment instead of using a stamp.  

This isn't huge savings by any means, but it does get me outside.  Fresh air, exercise, and saving a couple of stamps.  I can handle that.  :)

Money $aving Monday - Quick Tip

If you are getting the hang of menu planning (or even if you aren't), here is another little tip that I have used to save some money on the grocery bill:

Plan your meals around the weekly sales at your local supermarket.

I get a sales flyer in the mail every Monday from my local grocery store.  This can really be helpful in my menu planning.  For instance, if I see that they are having a big sale on ground turkey and there is also a markdown on buns, guess what will be going on our menu?  Yep, turkey burgers.

Some people love this challenge and others don't, but it can save money on the grocery bill.  It's definitely an opportunity to be creative with your menu.......and to stretch a few dollars.

Money $aving Monday - Drugstore 101

A great way to save money on your necessary purchases is to take advantage of certain drugstore coupons and reward systems.  With just a minimal amount of time invested, you can make some pretty big savings.....really stretching that dollar!

I don't have any of these drugstores within decent shopping distance of my home, so I am not super familiar with the in's and out's of the savings programs.  Instead of trying to explain it all myself, I'll provide you with some great links from fellow bloggers to help you get started.

CVS Pharmacy

Walgreens

Rite Aid

If you are like me and live in the boonies, you can always use Alice.  You can snag some great deals using their coupons and you don't even have to leave your house!

Money $aving Monday

One thing that I have done to save a few dollars:

I learned the basics of hair cutting.  

I am by NO means a professional, but I can cut my husband and children's hair.  In my corner of the world, a typical haircut costs $12-$15, and my family needs them every 3 months.  So, I end up saving around $200 a year.  And that's just the price of the haircut, that doesn't include the gas to get to the salon, the tip or the cost of a shampoo & style.

How did I do this?  I purchased a basic hair cutting kit.  Many kits come with a dvd showing how to cut hair with the tool kit.  I also purchased a book that "teaches" you how to cut hair.  This book wasn't necessarily the greatest, but it was cheap and it taught me the basics.  (I think that Hair Cutting for Dummies or How to Cut Your Own Hair (or Anybody Else's) also look like good books to learn from.)

So, for the price of two haircuts, I had everything I needed to cut my family's hair on a regular basis.  I also cut my own hair (I do go into the salon once every 2-3 years just for a break, though.)

Other tips:

• I asked a hair stylist about different ways to cut hair and she was more than happy to show me.  I don't know if all stylists will be that willing to hand over their tips, but this helped me a lot.
• If you don't want to try to cut your own hair and still need to go to a salon, shampoo your hair right before going and arrive with a wet, clean head.  Your stylist won't have to shampoo your hair and you won't get charged for it.  
• If you get really good at cutting hair, maybe you could try to find other families who would be willing to let you cut their hair in exchange for something (like babysitting).
• Ask your stylist not to bother styling your hair (blow drying, curling iron, hair spray, etc.).  Just have them do the basic cut.  Some salons charge for the hair cut AND the style.

Frugal Dating Ideas

Dating.

It seems like every marriage/relationship book suggests to regularly "date" your significant other.

But what is a date?  Does it always have to involve getting a babysitter, going out to eat and then going out to a movie?  Not necessarily.  That can get really expensive, really fast.  I personally think any time spent together can be considered a "date."

Here are a few ideas for frugal dating:

• Go for a walk or a bike ride
• Stay home and make a meal together
• Borrow a movie from the library (or rent one from the $1 redbox)
• Go ice skating
• Go for a drive and park somewhere to watch the sunset
• Go on a picnic
• Go swimming
• Visit a state park
• Have a date in the morning over some coffee - before work and before the kids get up
• Play a board game
• Go to a book shop (like Barnes & Noble or Borders) and sit and chat
• Visit local free museums or zoos
• Read a book together
• Window shop

The other night, my husband and I had a date at home.  He took the kids to Grandma's house while I got our meal ready.  We put out the nice tablecloth, used nice dishes and lit some candles.  It was great!  We didn't have to cut anyone's food and we could complete a whole conversation without any interruptions.  Then we watched a movie in the comfort of our own home......and we were able to turn the volume up without worrying about waking up the kids.

The main point is that we didn't have to spend any money to have a great evening together.  Dating can get expensive but it doesn't have to be.

So be creative!

Money $aving Monday - Quick Tip

Find a cheap meal (or two) that your whole family enjoys and make it often. Homemade soup and bread is a very common meal around here. So is rice and beans. Yummy, healthy, filling and CHEAP.

Money $aving Monday - Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I have been wanting to try to make my own dishwasher detergent for quite some time, but it has always ended up at the bottom of my "to-do" list. After one reader asked specifically for a recipe and another shared her recipe with me, I thought it was high time I move it to the top of my "to-do" list. So, I did some research and experimenting over the weekend.

The two basic ingredients that you need are Borax and Washing Soda (which is similar to my homemade laundry detergent recipe). I get mine from Alice.com. You can also add salt and citric acid (which can be found in the canning section of the grocery store). The salt helps, especially if you have hard water, and the citric acid helps to get your dishes sparkly. I didn't bother adding the salt, and if you use a rinse agent, you shouldn't need the citric acid. A great (and cheap) rinse agent is vinegar.

So here is my recipe:

1 Tablespoon Borax
1 Tablespoon Washing Soda
Mix and use!

Yes, it was that simple. And my black dishes came out sparkly clean and my clear glasses were shiny and clean. My regular (and expensive) dishwasher detergent usually left spots on my black dishes, so this was a definite improvement.

Today I will be making a larger batch (one cup of each) and storing it in a container with a lid. Then when it's time to start the dishwasher, I'll just add a tablespoon or two of the mixture.

Here is the recipe using salt and citric acid:

1 C Borax
1 C Washing Soda
1/4 C Salt
1/4 C Citric Acid
Mix together and add about 2 T to each dishwasher load.

Remember that white distilled vinegar is a wonderful rinse agent.

Money $aving Monday - Quick Tip!

Here is a quick tip for saving a few dollars:

When getting groceries, make a list before you go to the store. Make sure that you are NOT hungry when you make the list. Then go to the grocery store, again when you are NOT hungry, and just get the things on your list.

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