Money Minute - 5 Quick Money Saving Tips

Have you ever wondered what little things around the house you could do to keep more green in your wallet?  I've got 5 quick tips for you. These have made a difference at our house!

1. Plan It - Use the sales circular each week to plan out meals.  Buy just what you need and stick to it. I plan 2-3 extra meals per week in case our finicky taste buds decide they don't want what was planned. Menu planning alone has cut $50 - $75/month off our grocery budget.
2. Unplug It - After charging electronics, unplug the cord.  To make this easier, try using a surge strip.  Plug electronics into surge strip.  When charged, unplug the whole surge strip rather than single electronics.
3. Cut It - See where you can cut back with the amount you use.  Can you use just a little less shampoo each time? Can you use half the fabric softener? Can you use that razor just ONE more time?  It's amazing how much the little things add up.
4. Hoof It - When you are shopping at open air malls or shopping plazas, park in a central location.  Make a quick trip back to the car between stores but don't move the car until it is just too far to walk.  Save on gas and wear on the car. Help your starter last a bit longer! Burn a few calories in the process.
5. Maintain It - By spending a little to properly  maintain your vehicles and appliances, you will improve performance and efficiency, extend the life, and avoid expensive catastrophes.

How do you save money around the house?  Let me know in the comments!  I may use your tips in my upcoming eBook and I will give you credit and link to your blog!

This post is shared at We Are THAT Family as part of Works For Me Wednesday.  Check out more great tips there!

Money Minute - 10 Ways to Lower Your Energy Bills

Oh how I hate those couple months with really high heating or cooling bills.  You know the ones - they come in January and February and then again in July and August.

Well, today I bring you some tips to ease the pain.

1. Check your duct work.  Head down to the basement or crawlspace.  Take a couple tissues with you.  Your goal is to check for big leaks.  If you feel a lot of air coming through joint in the duct work, you can hold a tissue in front to pinpoint the leak.  Repair with the shiny silver duct tape (works on most duct work).  We discovered one whole segment of ducting had separated from the main line so no cold air was coming up to our bedroom.  What a difference fixing it made!
2. Check your vents.  In the winter, close many of the vents upstairs.  Heat rises, so you'll want to make sure downstairs is comfortable. That heat will rise and heat the upstairs.  The reverse is true in the summer.  Open all vents upstairs and limit the ones open downstairs.
3. Check the temp.  To save energy, try keeping the thermostat at 72 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter.  For even more savings, try moving another degree or two.
4. Check your doors.  Rooms will heat and cool faster when closed off since open hallway spaces aren't being heated or cooled then. 
5. Check your fans.  Fans use much less energy than air conditioners or heaters.  Circulating air will make rooms more comfortable overall.  Use ceiling fans throughout the year.  Check the setting to see which direction the air is blowing.  Have it blow up toward the ceiling in the winter to circulate warm air without cooling the room.  Have it blow down in the summer to cool while circulating air.
6. Check your thermostat.  If you have a programmable thermostat, use it!  If the house is empty during the day, don't pay to heat or cool it.  Have the temperature set several degrees hotter or colder when the house is empty.  Have it change an hour or so before arriving home.  Consider lowering the temperature in the winter through the nights and use extra blankets to keep warm.
7. Check your filter.  Make sure your air filter is reasonably clean.  It will improve air flow and will clean the air better than an old and dirty filter.
8. Check your unit.  Be sure to trim back weeds and plants from the outside unit.  HVAC units need plenty of air flow to run efficiently.
9. Check your usage.  Get an energy audit.  Many local power companies have free energy audits online.  These audits will walk you through ways to make your home more energy efficient.  Some companies will send technicians to your home to audit in person (usually for a small fee).  Many companies will also do a free audit over the phone (mine has).
10. Check the efficiency.  When you do need to replace heating and air units, consider the efficiency of the new unit.  Spending a little more upfront could save thousands over the life of the unit.

 I hate those expensive seasonal bills.  Using this checklist works for me!  You may also want to consider getting on a budget bill pay plan where the cost is even through the year.

Want some more great tips?  Check out Works for Me Wednesday over on We Are THAT Family.

 Make sure you enter my giveaway for a $25 Kroger gift card!

WFMW: Making Money Online

Our budget is tight.  TIGHT.  We need to tighten our belts even more this year with increases in health insurance costs, the need to replace a vehicle, plus an income freeze at Hubby's job (thus no cost of living increase for this year).

How will we find that extra money, especially with a new mouth to feed?  Well, I've been earning a few extra dollars online.  I am able to earn enough to pay for most gifts for the family.  I also use this money to pay for coupons I order that help me cut down the grocery budget.

What do I do?  I take surveys and participate in programs.  You can read all about what I do on the Online Income tab.  I want to showcase a few for you today to help you get started.

My very favorite program is Swagbucks.  It is basically a search engine that pays you to use it.  Earn money by doing what you already do online.  I have explained the basics of how it works in this past post.  To date, I have earned about $225 since March '09 just by searching the internet using this engine.

ExpoTv is another favorite program of mine.  By simply creating and posting  2 minute product review videos, I earn points that quickly add up to be swapped out for great prizes.  I just cashed out for a $25 iTunes gift card for a Father's day gift.  Want to learn more?  Check out this post.

Lastly, here are a couple survey companies that are reputable and are favorites of mine.

• Opinion Outpost
• Mindfield Online
• Toluna Surveys

I love how these surveys and programs have enabled us to tighten out budget so I can remain at home with our kids.  It works for us!

Do you make money online?  How do you do it?

Works For Me Wednesday - My Cleaning Crew

Our new house has a lot of floor space. A lot. I spend a lot of time using the vacuum. I spend even more time with the Swiffer. That happens when you have a long-haired shedding machine that barks. In the past, Little Man has enjoyed Swiffer Chases. He still does. However, he is growing more independent by the day and has wanted to do it all by himself. Today, I took a few sections out of the handle to make the Swiffer his size. He's been at it for nearly 20 minutes. He's as happy as a clam! He's even moving furniture to clean underneath!

I think I found my cleaning "crew!" Click over to We Are THAT Family for more great tips!

Works For Me Wednesday - Going With the Flow

So, yesterday, Baby turned ONE!  Boy, that year flew by!  I scampered around like a madwoman to throw a birthday party for family and friends.  I learned an important lesson during this scampering:

Thou shalt not "wing it" with fondant.

The cake turned out well, just nothing like I had planned.  I had envisioned a beautiful cake that liiked like 2 presents wrapped in dark chololate with colorful ribbons and bows stacked on each other.  Um.  No.  That didn't happen.  I read a few fondant recipes (my first try using it let alone making it) and found one I liked, however, it was for WHITE fondant.  I wanted CHOCOLATE fondant.  So, I dumped in some cocoa powder at the last minute.  As I put the fondant in the fridge overnight, it resembled either a shriveled brain or a giant turd.  Yeah.  The color didn't work the way I had expected.

After baking all morning, I began to assemble my "present" cake.  Shaping a box mix cake isn't the easiest task.  After a half hour of making a crumbly mess, I realized the cake looked more like a vehicle than a present.  Add in the turd color of the fondant and you get:

MATER!

I am thankful for one piece of advice from the recipe I decided to not follow:

Advice from Peggy: "One of the first things that I learned in cake decorating is to relax and have fun. Try to remember that you are working in a medium that is meant to be eaten. It won’t be around 50 years from now. The memories and pictures might be around, but I can promise you that the important part of all of this is that you went to the effort and everyone was delighted.

Lesson two is that no cake decorator creates a perfect cake; the pros just know how to correct the errors and go on. The cake that I’m going to use today is a dense, moist cake that will hold its shape under the weight of what can be a heavy bit of icing and decorations."

I am thankful I didn't go all out with a specific theme.  Going with the flow works for me!

Oh - to add to the excitement of the birthday, Baby started walking on Monday and we found out we are PREGNANT on Sunday!

Oh - a cleaning tip for this themed edition of WFMW!  I love Flylady and some of her routines.   The one that works for me is the shiny sink routine.  Each day, I try to go to bed with a clean kitchen and an empty sink.  The day just starts off better that way.  My favorite cleaning tip - after wiping the counters with water to get the gunk off, I pour a little vinegar on them and wipe.  The vinegar naturally disinfects.  Another plus - the kitchen smells like EASTER!  You know - the smell of dyeing Easter eggs in vinegar?  Yeah. 

Head on over to We Are THAT Family to see other great tips!

Works for Me Wednesday: Stove Cleaning Tip

I saw a great tip on TV the other day, probably on Good Morning America.  This tip is great for being safe in the kitchen as well as saving money on appliances!  If you have a gas stove, you MUST try this.


Here is my stove.   It's ancient.  It's dirty.  I could get it a little cleaner, but I'm a mom.  I have more pressing issues.  Note the tiny holes where the gas comes out. (I am purposely being technical here)

Those little holes can get clogged with gunk and cause uneven cooking and extra energy costs.  If they get really gunky, they become a happy little fire hazard.  How do I clean them?

Go get a pin.  Any old pin will do.  Here's my pin.  Pretty, eh?  Note to reader - do not get this color countertop - it is a nightmare to keep clean!

Now, take that little pin and poke it in those teeny holes.  The pin lets you get all the gunk out of the all important tiny holes!

Repeat this procedure for all burners - it really only takes a minute.

Click on over to We Are THAT Family to see other great ideas.  What works for you?

Also, click over to my other blog to take part in a bloggy fall festival!

Works for Me Wednesday: Swiffer-chase

I used to really enjoy housework.  I still actually do, but I just have a hard time getting much done with a soon-to-be toddler on hand (can you believe his first birthday is in THREE WEEKS?!?!?!).

Well, I found a solution.  It actually has two benefits.  What is it, you ask?

Swiffer-chase.

The rules are simple.  Mommy uses the swiffer.  Baby crawls around and tries to catch it.

Benefits?  Mommy gets the floor cleaned.  Baby gets tired.

I guess there is a third benefit.  Mommy gets a workout.  Baby is fast.  Amazingly fast.  He caught the Swiffer a few times and I was trucking around the kitchen!

Does Swiffer-chase work for you?

Join Kristen on We Are THAT Family to see other things that just work!  What works for you?

Works for Me Wednesday - Anti-Choking Tip

I am a first time mom.  I like to think that I am fairly laid back.  I don't freak out if my son eats dirt - I know it actually has good organisms in it that he needs.   I don't rush to the ER for each bump and bruise.  I do, however, worry that he will choke on something when I am not looking.

I heard somewhere - I'd love to cite the source, but it fell out of my brain - a practical way to quickly decide if something is a choking hazard or not. 

A paper towel roll.  Simple.  Anything that can fit down a paper towel roll could choke a child if swallowed.  Now it is easy to eyeball an item and quickly judge if it is safe for Baby or not.  Paper towel rolls - works for me! 

Have a great tip?  Something that works for you?  Link up with We Are THAT Family for Works for Me Wednseday!

Works for Me Wednesday - For the LOVE of Shoe Racks

Have you ever gotten excited by going to an office supply store? I don't mean just happy to go and get what you need. I mean EXCITED. Jumping-up-and-down, pouring-over-the-catalog-three-days-in-advance kind of excited? I have. Regularly. That same excitement hit at the start of each school year back when I was teaching. I'd have CATALOGS just devoted to classroom organization. All those glorious cubbies lined up nice and neat! As Grandma always said, "A place for everything, and everything in its place!"

Well, I love baskets. I wrote a whole post about them just a minute ago, but realized there is an organizational tool that I love even more - the shoe bag! No, I don't keep shoes in my hanging storage bag. I keep extra office supplies. Our home has one small closet on the first floor. One lonely closet.

(our lonely closet)

My home office space is on the first floor - the command center. No storage. This storage tip (not my own unique idea by a long shot) has more than quadrupled our storage space! I love the clear pouches. All my items from bargain shopping trips can be kept "like with like" and can be kept from touching each other while being completely visible.

(our lonely closet all decked out)

Hanging shoe bags work for me! I am currently looking for a more fashionable one to hang from the wall beside my desk - just a few pouches. Maybe a corkboard or whiteboard above it.....

Works For Me Wednesday - Organization for Ex-Teachers

I'm a dork. A certifiable dork. People think I am somewhat normal, and then they get to know me.

This fall, I am beginning my second year of not teaching. Last year I was a little preoccupied with moving across the country at 7 months pregnant and having a preemie. I never realized how hard the transition from working full time to being a stay at home wife and mom could be. I felt so disorganized all year. Part of it was the roller coaster of postpartum issues and thyroid issues. Some of it was just me not figuring out how to organize myself without the normal confines of the school day.

Well, now I am feeling nearly 100% each day. You can read an update in an interview I did on a friend's blog (if you suffer any postpartum issues, I highly recommend her blog). I am starting to get my act together. How, you ask? By implementing structures that worked before!

I had a lightbulb moment one day and got my dorky self to Target's Dollar Spot. I picked up a nifty Teacher's Lesson Plan Book! Why in the world? Well, normal planners just don't have the space for the lists that I need to make and all the information I need to write down for my day. I also want to be intentional as Baby gets older so time doesn't just slip by - we actually DO things and LEARN things.

I told you I am a dork. What else did I do? Well, I printed out a chart I used for grade keeping. No, I'm not grading myself. I am using that to track bill payments and such. Now, if I could only find a new use for a seating chart.....

Hey, it works for me!

Works for Me Wednesday - Puddle Jumping

We have a huge deck. It is about 5 years old. It hadn't been cared for well by the previous owners. Hubby and I decided to tackle the project of cleaning, staining, and sealing the deck last week. It turned out pretty good!

Today we had a few big storms. Have I told you that living in Nebraska taught me to love storms again after the close call with a tornado in Tennessee? Anyway, after the storms, Baby was itching to get out of the house. He's a man on the move, a guy on the go. What to do? It was too late to go OUT anywhere. Sooo... I put him in a swim diaper and took him to the deck! Why? tons of water was pooled on the deck now that it has been sealed!

Baby had a great time crawling laps at warp speed all over the deck. He was a bit offended that our neighbor did not say hello even after Baby shouted his greeting over and over with a big hand-in-the-air-hail-type wave.


Diaper only, puddle jumping on the deck? Works for me!

Works For Me Wednesday - Weight Loss Tip

I totally did not come up with this tip on my own. I also realize this is a Back to School themed Wednesday. I guess my tip could be applied to back to school by cutting the cravings while packing lunches or making cupcakes for the class!

So, what works for me? Brushing my teeth works for me. I have lost all my baby weight. I have 10 pounds to go to get to my ideal weight. I'd be happy with just 5 more pounds. I am having a hard time losing because I am still breastfeeding and struggling to keep my calories high enough to make enough milk. No, breastfeeding does NOT help every mom lose weight!

When I am done eating for the day (or any time I feel particularly tempted), I brush my teeth. Not only is it good for my pearly whites, it keeps me from eating. I mean, who likes to dirty up a freshly cleaned mouth? If I need to pull out the big guns, I use mouthwash. The A-bomb of battling temptation - Listerine Total Care. This product says ON THE BOTTLE to not eat or drink for 30 MINUTES! The yummy kitchen smells and other temptations are usually GONE in 30 minutes.

What works for you?

Works For Me Wednesday - Entertaining Baby

Baby is nearly 10 months old now. He gets into EVERYTHING! For example, today he tried to climb up our console stereo and tried to climb the kitchen drawers. He crawls so fast - I spend my whole day chasing him around and trying to keep him occupied. I think the last time I vacuumed the house was about 2 weeks ago (granted, we were on vacation for one of those weeks, so the house isn't quite as gross as it sounds).

Today I found something that works for us. Baby LOVES water. He LOVES swimming and taking baths. He LOVES playing in the dog dish and LOVES trying to play in the toilet. Today, I decided to go with his loves rather than against them. I gave Baby a chance to play in water in the kitchen while I got some cleaning done! I see this being a daily occurrence.

I simply put a blanket down with a plastic lid. I filled the lid with water and put some toys in.

It kept him occupied for a good 15 minutes! Works for me!

Works For Me Wednesday - Painting Tip

We moved in to a new-to-us house just about a year ago. We have only done minor things so far such as painting the nursery (while I was in the hospital recovering from an early delivery) and replacing a bathroom faucet. We are currently finishing a re-do of what was our guest room and what is now our music room/office. Pictures are almost ready to be posted!

Our last house was essentially a flip house. We bought it with the intention of being in it 3 years to fix up and sell for a small profit. Fix it up we did, but thanks to the housing market, profit we did not. In all the fixing up, I picked up a few tips that we are bringing out now that we are starting to make this new house our own.

The best tip is how to keep from washing out the paintbrush multiple times a day if you are taking breaks from painting. Simply wrap the paintbrush (or roller or paint tray for that matter) in plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for about a day. If you need more time, put the wrapped paintbrush in the fridge! That tip will buy you about 3 days.

Works For Me Wednesday - Crock Pot Tip

I hate having a hot house in the summer. I am currently enjoying a vastly cooler summer here in the mountains of West Virginia compared to the plains of Nebraska. Still, I hate a hot house. I also hate spending the money to cool it! So, I try to use my crock pot a lot in the summer. It saves energy. It's good for the environment. It produces much less ambient heat than the oven. It makes for a super easy meal!

Downside - cleaning the darn thing. I have been known to put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple days until the smell is even making the dog run away. I hate cleaning the crock pot.

I have found a simpler way to do this nasty task. Just a few short steps and the crock pot is gleaming!

1. empty all the gunk while it is still warm - chicken parts are much less gross before they congeal at the bottom of the crock
2. fill the crock with water just past the line of gunk on the crock
3. add a little dish soap and a splash of lemon or vinegar
4. turn crock pot on and let the water heat through
5. about an hour or two later, CAREFULLY wipe the sides (I use a brush with a long handle since the water will be HOT)
6. dump out the water, rinse and wipe down
7. your crock should be nice and shiny!