ThriftThis article is dedicated to crafts! With the economy the way that it is (do I dare say “Recession”?) , we have had to get creative when the need arises for a present, or decorations within our homes. These are all ideas that either myself or my best friends have used in the past or recently. I was so impressed by these ideas that I wanted to share! If some of the needed materials are not common household items you can buy them inexpensively ( I would no steer you wrong).

Have a blank wall to decorate? How about post cards? You can frame them, or like one of my best friends did in her bedroom,stagger them all over the wall ( she had a lot of them). You can just tape them up or use push pins, whatever you prefer or are allowed to use. How about other collections? Do you have a large collection of anything you could hang? This could be any kind of picture. Some examples could be scenery, fairies, angels, sports. Take a look in your closet or basement. What about baskets or a beautiful, old quilt or blanket? Anything is fair game.

This is a great gift for just about anyone. You will a length of fishing line, maybe 10 inches or so, and a handful of beads. You can use any kind of bead you prefer, but make sure you have at least 2 that have small openings. Tie the beads you chose with the small openings about 2 inches in from each end, one on each end, so that they do not move. Add enough beads to fill each end of the fishing line and tie the line in a knot or around the ending beads. Now you have a creative and beautiful bookmark! My best friend has one, and it is very pretty. If you know someone who uses large book often ( like cookbooks) you could make them a few to mark their favorite recipe/pages.

A good universal gift idea is the “basket”. I use this often. You can use a basket you have on hand or that you got at the thrift store OR you could use a gift bag. In my area I can by them for $1.00. You can fill these with homemade baked goods (cookies, chocolate covered pretzels), small soaps ( I frequently get these as part of gifts and cannot use them myself so I save them), homemade body oils/lotions, homemade or inexpensive candles, a book. For men you could fill them with appropriate items that your man would like. I have done male fragranced cologns and facial products and other small, inexpensive gift ideas they liked. Check out your local dollar store for these.

I hope some of you try these ideas. Let me know what you think and please comment or email your ideas! I would love to post them!

Thanks to All!

The Domestic Goddess

My best friend and my stepmom and I were sitting around talking the other day, and knowing that I am a frugal person and have this website the conversation naturally drifted towards “thrifty” topics, and some mom topics. I decided to write a post about these ideas. They are very good tips and I hope you all like them. The first one was brought up by my step mom. She is a “hair dresser”, i apologize that i do not know what the current professional term for this is, and has been since before I was born. She gets an hourly wage, but mostly survives on tips, like a waitress does.  For years, she has “put away” $5.00 a day out of her tips into envelopes. She has an envelope for each month. She uses this money to pay for her camping expenses (she owns a very nice camper in a camp ground, where it stays permanently year round). She saves the money in her envelopes all year. She also uses this money as an emergency fund, and pays the envelopes back by increasing the dollar amount per day, say $10.00 a day instead of $5.00. This system has worked for her for years. Just in case you are all wondering, she does not trust banks and likes to keep her money close by. This is a very useful tip that all of us can use. I have an old tootsie roll container that i put all my spare change in. When the Tootsie Roll is full, I cash in or deposit the money into my bank account, depending on what I need at that time.

The second tip was provided by my best friend, Tonya Ramsey. She has a four year old son, and when her son was small, her and her husband wanted to combat the “scary monster under the bed/in the closet” problem all of us parents face. They took a unique, and frugal, approach. They filled a spray bottle with water and told him it was monster repellent. Every night at bedtime, they sprayed the “monster repellent” around his room. They also gave him an empty 24 ounce soda bottle, and told him to keep that by his bed, and if he got scared or needed to ” beat up the monster”, to use the bottle. These two things worked like a charm, they have NEVER had to deal with him waking up in the middle of the night crying because of “monsters in his room” I think this idea is brilliant! Hats off to you, Tonya!

I hope these two tips prove useful to many of you. Please comment or email me with your tips and hints, just follow the links on the website! I look forward to hearing from you!

“It is not quantity that should define our lives, but the quality with which we live it.”

The Domestic Goddess

Everything we do impacts the environment. All the foods we eat, the products we use, the items we buy and put into our home affects our planet. It is up to us to make the wisest choices for our families to help clean up and preserve our environment and our planet. We only have one Earth. Let us all do what we can to keep it livable.

I watched the Ellen DeGeneres show last Wednesday. On her show she had a woman on that works with ocean creatures. She helps educate people about extinction of sea creatures (by the way- hundreds of species of fish are extinct now..never to return!)  Specifically, she spoke about how baby Albatross (birds) are dying because of the TONS of plastic in our oceans. PLASTIC! What happens is this: Either consumers (us) or manufacturers throw the plastic away instead of recycling it. At some point is gets broken down into little tiny pieces and then DUMPED in oceans. The Mommy Albatross goes out to get food to feed her babies, thinks the little pieces of plastic are food, eats it then takes it home to baby to eat. The babies stomachs get full of plastic and can’t eat, then they die. How sad! It proves my point, everything is related, from me going to the store and buying a soda then throwing the empty plastic bottle away….and a bird species becoming extinct.

My son is 15 years old. He just completed his freshman year of high school. He joined a group called “The Parker Green Squad”. This group is helping to educate the students about the dangers to our planet and the environment, recycling, etc. They are trying to raise money to put recycling bins through out the school. I couldn’t be more proud! He joined all on his own, and when he told me he said he felt that he was doing something important. Of course, I cried because I was so proud of my baby…almost grown up! It amazes me how a young man can do whatever he can to help save our planet and US, yet a grown person is to lazy and selfish to simply recycle a plastic bottle!

For several years now, I have kept a  ”junk cupboard”. In it I put odds and ends for future use. I should probably rename this cupboard,but it works. I have toilet paper/paper towel tubes, a baggie of soap slivers, bread bags, empty coffee cans, empty cereal boxes, empty/clean milk jugs. Whatever I might possibly find a use for later. Maybe for a craft project, maybe I have a need around the house. Whatever comes up, I go to the “junk cupboard” first to see if I something that will work instead of buying a new something. My bathroom garbage can is an old, re-used, large coffee can. It works perfect. I currently do not have a filing cabinet, soon but not yet. In the meantime I have a couple of clean, re-used cereal boxes; the tops cut off on a diagonal line; to store and keep my important papers seperate. It works well, actually. The wall above my computer is decorated with my son’s art work and his kindergarten graduation certificate ( it has his picture on it…very adorable). As I looked around my home the other day, I realized 99% of my possessions are used. Very little was bought new. I feel good about that because I know I am doing my part to keep items out of the landfill, taking up space and ruining our environment, killing species of animals that, once gone, will never come back.

By the way, I am now boycotting fish. I love to eat fish and will miss it, but I feel a higher calling and it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. I will never be able to eat a piece of cod, or orange roughy, again and not think of the dying baby albatross!

So, we all need to pay attention to the big picture! We need to realize that EVERYTHING we do affects the entire world around us, even the fish in the oceans, the birds and wildlife in the rain forests. We can ALL do something, however small a something, to make a difference!

“The quality of our life should not depend on the quantity of our possessions”

Thanks to All!

The Domestic Goddess

It seem that every year when spring arrives, so does something else new and exciting… babies! I am surrounded by new babies, pregnant women about to give birth. It is so exciting and such an awesome experience to become a parent. However, several of these mommies and daddies have expressed concern to me about how they are going to pay for their  babies/children’s expenses when money is so tight. So this article is dedicated to all parents, present and future, and I hope it helps.

First off, babies do not need brand new, expensive, designer stuff. Babies need clean, safe, functional stuff. More than likely we, as newborns on up, did NOT have $200 - $500 car seats. That price is absolutely ridiculous. Check out stores that are cheaper, like Wal-mart, Target, etc. OR maybe someone you know has one they are selling or getting rid of. Always  make sure the car seat of your choice meets current safety guidelines. I got my son’s newborn carrier at my baby shower, the others we used were given to us or bought at rummage sales. All were safe, he was never injured (this was tested by me getting into a nasty car accident with him in the back seat, his car seat worked-he didn’t even have a scratch). Check garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, etc to see if they have carseats for sale. Usually they sell for $50 dollars and lower

Baby clothes can be bought by the ton at rummage sales and second hand stores. Since babies outgrow their clothing so quickly, it is not uncommon for babies to have clothing they never even wore. That is where people like us come in, to snatch up those great deals. Never pay more than a couple bucks at most for a baby outfit. Check for stains or areas that need repair and offer a price accordingly or bypass that item. Most of my son’s, neices and nephews clothing came from second hand sources, and still do. There is nothing wrong with reused clothing. Just wash in hot water and dry before wearing.

Babies do not need special bowls, silverware, or cups. They can use adult sized dishes just fine. Anyone ever notice those small spoons in your drawer? What a better use for them. What about the small toast plates that came with your dish set?  They work perfectly for small childrens’ sized meals. No added expense needed! Need I say more?

Diapers are a tricky subject to write about, but I wanted to include it anyways. Disposables are very convenient, easy to use, and highly accessible. However, disposable diapers are one of the United States largest land fill problems. Cloth diapers are a little messier but not as much as most people think. After changing baby, shake the “nasties” into the toilet and immediately drop soiled diaper into a bucket of soap and water. Keep bucket out of children’s access, not only for cleanliness issues but small children can drown in ONE inch of water. When you are ready to wash the diapers, just dump the entire contents of bucket into the washer and set on spin. When done wash as usual. So think carefully about all aspects of whatever diaper you choose.

Special baby food and toddler foods are not necessary. These items are simply made up “needs” from the manufacturers to fill their pockets! You can make your own baby food by processing unseasoned food in a blender or food processor to puree into baby food consistency. If you are unsure of what kinds of food to start with, check out jarred baby food at the grocery store then replicate in your own home. This one idea will save you thousands of dollars over the course of your childs infant and toddler years. To make foods ahead of time, process foods as stated above, then freeze into ice cube trays. When frozen transfer frozen food cubes to a labeled ziplock bag. Take out 1 - 2 cubes and thaw, then feed baby. You can take out an entire days worth in the morning to avoid defrosting before every meal.

I hope these ideas help all parents out their of babies and small children. Remember to always think of your child(ren)’s safety first. As always, please leave your comments so we can all learn how YOU save money!

Be sure to check the other articles for more money saving tips!

Thanks to all!

The  Domestic Goddess

I have had some requests to do a post on all natural beauty products. So I did some research to supplement the information that I already had. I do not know how to make homemade eye shadow and lipstick. These recipes and suggestions are all natural altenatives to other beauty products. Most recipes contain ingredients that you already have in the kitchen, making these recipes very inexpensive and affordable.  I hope some of you try at least one of these recipes and comment back and let me know how they worked for you. Include any improvements that you made to the product.

• wrinkle remover: Honey ( yes just plain old honey). Dab onto desired areas, around eyes and mouth for example. Leave on for approximatley 10 minutes, then rinse with warm/hot water. ( I have used this for about 2 years now, and nobody believes that I am 33- everyone thinks i am in my mid to late 20’s. Could just be a coincidence though!)
• Natural Exfoliator: combine 2 tablespoons corn meal, 1/2 cup honey, and 1-2 tablespoons hot water to make a paste. You can mix in aloe gel or olive oil for softening benefits. Rub on with washcloth, rinse with water.
• Homemade Lotion: 1/2 ounce Cocoa Butter (melted), 1 ounce olive oil, 1 ounce orange juice, 2 drops essential oil (orange if possible-smells great and combines well with cocoa butter). Mix all ingredients together. You can put in an reused lotion or squeeze bottle container. I put mine in a redused blue noxema tub with screw on lid. I suggest keeping this in the refridgerator because it will be cool when you put it on and it feels wonderful, especially in the summer time.
• Homemade body oil: 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice. Mix ingredients and store in airtight container. Does not need refridgeration. Shake well before each use. I use this every night before bed and my skin has never been so soft! I reused an empty lotion container for my body oil.
• lip gloss: this is incredibly easy! This idea is also a great way to use up that last little bit of lipsick that is stuck down in the bottom of the lipstick tube. Scrape out the remaining lipstick and put in a small, microwave safe container. Depending on how much lipstick you use ( you can also use multiple colors to create your own shade), Put in about a tablespoon  of vaseline ( the good old fashion petroleum jelly stuff that all of us have in our medicine cabinet somewhere). Microwave until melted. Watch carefully and microwave about 10 seconds at a time. I would suggest reusing an old Carmex container- the one with the screw on yellow lid. Reuse any container that will easily go into your purse and not leak.

I have found these suggestions are easy to create in my kitchen, very inexpensive to make and work just as well, usually better, than anything I can buy in a store. An added benefit is that I have Eczema, skin allergies and EXTREMELY sensitive skin. I can use all these products and not worry about an allergic reaction. The ingredrients are all natural, therefore not harming my body or our earth. I hope you enjoy these recipes. Leave your comment and let me know how you like them!

The Domestic Goddess

Imagine your sitting in your backyard or on the porch, it’s warm outside, the flowers and trees are blooming. The kids are playing and laughing in the yard. Maybe your working on a craft or reading a book. Suddenly, your throat feels dry. Nothing sounds better than an ice cold beverage. Here is the  dilemma: do you reach for an expensive soda, energy drink, or juice? Do you drink water, or could you make your own satisfying beverages for much less money than soda, energy drinks, etc? The answer is Yes.. you can! For years now I have been making homemade lemonade, sun tea, or drinking other inexpensive drinks.

Homemade Lemonade: 1 cup real lemon juice, 1 cup sugar or splenda, 2 quarts cold water. Stir to mix and enjoy! I can buy a 1 quart bottle of 100% lemon juice for between $1.00 and $1.50. A large bag of sugar sells for around $1.49.  This is by far cheaper than store bought juice, contains real lemon juice(which is good for you) and delicious.

Sun Tea: I use a re-used, clean milk jug. I fill this with water and put 5 to 7  Lipton orange-pekoe tea bags in through the top, leaving  the paper tags to hang outside the jug. Let sit in the sun for approximately 4 hours and remove tea bags. Refridgerate and enjoy. You can sweeten with sugar or artificial sweetener, add lemon if you wish or any other add ins. I drink this all summer long and it is very nutritious and delicious. You can use your favorite tea and adjust the amount of tea bags used for weaker or stronger tea.

Kool Aid:   I have been buying generic kool aid for years, usually on sale at 10 for $1.00. You can use real sugar or artificial sweetener, I have used both and recommend using slightly less artificial sweetener as it is stronger. You can’t beat this as it is extremely inexpensive. Obviously if you use sugar it is not “healthy”, however you can use this drink to make homemade popcicles, add gelatin and make homemade jello. It is far better than soda or other sugary drinks. A wide variety of flavors are available to please any tastebuds.

Juice from concentrate or ready made :  In my area a large bottle (around 25 - 32 oz.) sells for between $3.00 and $4.00. You can buy a container of frozen juice concentrate for less than $2.00 and it makes about 2 quarts. Do I need to say more?

I hope these ideas help make your summer most enjoyable and refreshing!

Thanks to all!

The Domestic Goddess

For those of us who get the “spring fever”  and feel the need to scrub our entire house with a toothbrush to make it sparkle, you know how manufacturing companies have created “needs”, things we supposedly absolutely have to have or our dwellings are not clean. Obviously, this is a myth. It does not take $100 worth of products and “stuff” to make our houses sparkle. I do a major cleaning twice a year, towards the end of spring and the beginning of winter. Never have I spent more than $15.00 on cleaning products  to clean my home. New items like the Swiffer products are not necessary, convenient and time saving, yes; but not necessary. The chemicals in the cleaning solution on the swiffer and like items can actually be harmful, while the pads take up landfill space. These are all the items and cleaners that you need to spring clean your home.

Broom, dustpan, mop, bucket, rubbing alcohol, baking soda, all purpose cleaner or a bucket of mild soap and water, rags, and yes: a toothbrush.

Use the bucket of soap and water and the toothbrush to get into any cracks or small areas of furniture to clean away winters grime and dust. Rinse tootbrush with clean water and wipe any soap out of crevices. Use a rag to dry.

Clean all windows, glass, and mirrors with rubbing alcohol and a rag. They will really sparkle. If you worry about lint on these surfaces, use newspaper(black and white print only).

Use a bucket of mild soap and water and a rag or scrub brush to clean walls, base boards, floors, etc. For grungy looking wood furniture you can scrub the wood with mild soap OR my personal favorite, Murphy’s wood oil soap. Rinse with a clean, wet rag then use an oil like olive oil or linseed oil to make the wood shine again!

Use a paste of baking soda and water for “soft scrub”. Use on sinks, tub, and tile.

Don’t buy expensive smelly powders for your carpet. Just sprinkle your carpets with baking soda, let sit for 15 to 30 minutes and vacuum as usual.

Wash all washable rugs, curtains and table cloths in the washing machine. Curtains can actually be hung back up wet and let them air dry. The smell from the soap will make your rooms smell wonderful.

Sweep and mop all washable floors. Apply any floor wax treatments if you choose to do so.

Open your windows and let the entire house air out. Bacteria, dust, possibly mold, and other allergens build up in enclosed houses over the winter. Let them all out!

Following these steps will make your entire home smell and look wonderful! Don’t forget to declutter also! Most often we let mail, magazines, newspapers, old clothing build up over the winter. Recycle and donate whenever possible!

Thanks to all!

The Domestic Goddess

Hello All!

As I look at everyone around me, very few people are “doing well” in this terrible economy. Many people are out of work and looking everywhere for a job to support themselves and their families. Unemployment claims have gone up, people going to our local food bank have increased in numbers, more people are shopping at thrift stores and other discount stores. Many people however, have not re-evaluated their lifestyles, several are still living the lifestyles they have become accustomed to, without thought to their shrinking bank accounts and wallets and their needs in the future. So, I wanted to address this issue.

Desperate times sometimes need desperate measures. People cannot go along spending money as they did before their job losses, or whatever it is that has changed their financial lives. For example, my boyfriend recently lost his job and I currently only work part time. Both of us have been applying at places that are both hiring and not in the hopes that he gets a job and/or I get a better one. Just to pay the rent and other bills we have had to cut expenses down to the bare minimum. I do mean bare minimum. My back porch, which was my “Zen Spot”, where I went to read my books, do homework or just relax, is now strung with clothes lines. I wash my clothes at the laundromat or in the sink myself then hang them up to dry. We have not eaten out in 3 months, we do not buy anything but the necessities of life. We both are smokers and are working on quitting. In the meantime, we now roll our own cigarettes, as a result we smoke less and hope to quit very soon. I am a Diet Coke junkie, however, it is not a necessity so I have been drinking “sun tea”, iced tea brewed in the sun in the jug. This is a very cheap beverage. I cannot have much sugar so I drink  it unsweetened but you can sweeten it with sugar if you like. I make real lemonade from lemon juice (one cup lemon juice, one cup sugar in a 2 qt pitcher) It is very tasty. I bake our “treats”, cookies, cake, brownies, pies, from scratch here at home. I love to bake and am good at it, my family likes my homemade items much better than any store bought treat.

I only drive to the store, work, or to put in applications at businesses, and to take my son to and from school. I combine trips to save gas. I do not leave my car running, this wastes gas. My son’s birthday is in July, we had a huge party planned that cost a lot of money. We have changed plans and are now having it in a beautiful local park ( no rental fee). My family will all be making some of the food to help defray some of my costs. 

We have to keep internet services, as my boyfriend is going to school online and I have my website to run. However, if we could get away with it, I would happily have it shut off. We still have cable, but I did contact our cable company and am having our services reduced to save money. We turn the lights off and unplug appliances when not in use. My mother struck an agreement with the 0wner of her apartment complex, she now cleans and shows the apartments for rent and gets a significant amount of money off of her rent.

There are all kinds of measures one can take when financially strapped. Think outside the box. Do you have more than one vehicle, do you need both? Maybe you could sell one? Write letters instead of making long distance phone calls. Buy inexpensive foods instead of pricier versions.

I hope this gets people thinking about things they can do to decrease their spending. Thanks to all for reading, and check out my “Recommendations” page for inexpensivly priced books you can buy on all kinds of ways to save money!

The Domestic Goddess

Many of us have had to give up our luxuries just to be able to pay the bills and put food on our table. I have given up most of the few luxuries I had. I no longer get my nails done every two weeks. I only get haircuts once a month ( I have short hair), and then it is done by my stepmother, who is a hair stylist, at my house for $10.00. I love purses, but have been rotating between the five I have instead of buying any new ones. These are just luxuries, not things we have to have in our daily lives, but things that reward us. However, there are little luxuries that do not have to cost alot, that we can all still do to pamper ourselves or make ourselves feel better. Here are some ideas: if your a reader who loves to buy books you may not be buying them right now, but you can still read “new” books by going to the library. Thousands of titles are at your fingertips. While your there, check out their cd’s.   You might  just find one you like. Take your book, run a bubble bath, grab a hot beverage and relax in the tub while listening to some music. Another luxury many people have given up is going out to eat at restaurants. One way you could still have a little luxury is to go out for coffee and dessert. Eat your meal at home then head to your favorite restaurant for their yummy cake, pie, or whatever you like. Most of us women, and some men too, love to shop. However the economy has left most of our wallets thin. If you need a clothing item, or maybe something for your house or your children, head to the nearest Goodwill Store. These stores are packed with good quality clothing and household goods. They do have a return policy if you change your mind about a purchase later. Your purchase will also go towards helping someone with developmental disabilities receive training and a job. So you can have the peace of mind that your purchase is actually a contribution towards helping others who need it. Instead of going out to the movie theater ( who wants to deal with those crowds anyway), head to your rental store and rent a couple of movies, make some homemade popcorn and enjoy a night of entertainment in the comfort of your own home.

We all need to find little ways to perk ourselves up, to help us not feel deprived but to actually be grateful for what we do have. I have discovered new ways of having fun and treating myself that do not cost much money. Sometimes it doesn’t cost any money at all. Leave a comment and share your little luxuries! You might just give someone an idea to use themselves!

Thanks to all

The Domestic Goddess

Hello All!

Summer is approaching and with it comes the desire to get out and have some fun. However many people are staying home more for different reasons. One reason is lack of money. I won’t go on about that topic because we all know how the economy is today. However you can get out and have some fun and not have to spend much money. In some cases you do not have to spend money at all! Sounds nice, right! Here are some ideas that will help you get out of the house without having to spend a lot of  money.

- Visit a botanical garden. The one we visit, in Janesville, Wisconsin, is quite large, features a gorgeous pond with benches and decks,  a large koi pond, and to many varieties of flowers, trees, and shrubbery to name. I have been there many times and it is absolutely beautiful, as well as relaxing. Even my teenage son likes to go there. The cost is free. If you decide to visit a public garden bring a picnic lunch along, toss a ball or frisbee around with the family and make a day of it!

- If you decide you want to go to an amusement park this summer, many of the parks sell their admissions tickets through banks, credit unions, or local businesses for a discount. Investigate this option, it will save you alot of money. When you go bring along a picnic lunch, coolers of beverages and cold foods. When it is lunch or dinner time just go out to your vehicle. Bring along refillable water bottles to avoid the high beverage prices in the park, just refill your bottle for free.

- Check your local papers or city website for free or cheap entertainment. Our city has a water ski team that performs shows free to the public during  summer months. It is a lot of fun for the whole family.

- Living in southern Wisconsin we are surrounded by small towns. Many of these towns have parades, small festivals or carnivals during spring, summer and fall. This is an inexpensive way for the entire family to get out, mingle with people and have some fun. One family I know saves up soda cans all year and turns them in to the recycling center around mid-spring. They use this money for entertainment during the warmer months.

- Visit an apple orchard! Not only is the air fragrant with the smell of apples, it is also an educational experience for the kids, only they don’t know it! They can commune with nature, learn about the growing and processing to make apple cider and have fun doing it. It is free to get in and wander around and many of the orchards in this area have hay rides, gift shops and other entertainment. You can do a search for apple orchards in your area and see what they have to offer.

Please email your summer fun ideas and let everyone know how you and your family have fun and save money!

Thanks to All

The Domestic Goddess