Clever Household Tips

Do you know how to treat an underarm stain or stop the pain of a paper cut? Here are some clever household tips for you to try out at home. Underarm stains Underarm stains can be so frustrating. You’ve tried all sorts of cleaners, including bleach and Oxyclean, right? Here is a little trick that seem to get the job done for t-shirts and other cotton shirts. Dissolve nine aspirin into a cup of warm water. Saturate the stain with the solution and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. Then launder your shirt as usual. Pencil stains … Continue reading

The Biggest Ways to Save Money

Have you heard of the term, “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish?” Sometime we concentrate so much on saving pennies that we neglect where we can get the biggest savings. Here are some tips about how to make the biggest impact when saving money. While the pennies can add up, why not first concentrate on the dollars? Shelter, transportation and food are usually the biggest expenses in the average household, followed by entertainment. Combining Bills If you have home and car insurance, combine them with one provider to save hundreds of dollars a year. Likewise bundling other services such as cable, … Continue reading

Helpful Household Tips 2

Are you ready for more tips? I’ve been dusting off my magazine archive to pick out the best household tips I’ve seen in print as well as some of my own that have worked well for me over the years. Isn’t it amazing how little helpful hints can make a big difference in a task? If you missed the first collection of tips, you can click here: Helpful Household Tips. Saving Cut Flowers When your bouquet of flowers it looking pretty sad, you can still make use of whatever remaining blooms are left. Snip off any flowers that still look … Continue reading

Helpful Household Tips

Often, I come across many useful and fun household tips that are too short to use in a dedicated blog posting. These may be things that help you save time, save money or make things nicer in your home. Because the tips are too good to let go to waste, I’ve assembled them here in one place, so I could share them with you. Please let me know which tips are your favorite ones, and please also add your own helpful household tips below by leaving a comment. Many of the following tips were inspired by the print version of … Continue reading

Home Blog Month in Review: October

As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. October 1st Buy a Home for $1.75 It seems that the housing crisis has made some interesting news lately. Home Month in Review: September 2008 Has the weather turned cooler now that September has passed? Pretty soon, it will be time to get that heat turned back on! Meanwhile, check out all of the articles that were posted … Continue reading

Saving Money on Household Beverages

With summer here, your family is probably downing more beverages than ever to keep hydrated. And with an increase of beverages can come an increase in your budget. Here are some ways that you can curb the expense without curbing the drinks. If your kids love chocolate milk, choose the less expensive way to give it to them. Instead of buying chocolate milk prepared in a carton, flavor your own milk using inexpensive chocolate syrup. You can control the amount that is added. Also try a drop of vanilla or almond extra, or stir in a little bit of strawberry … Continue reading

Frugal Car Repair and Maintenance Tips

Cars are a place where saving money is not always possible. They are also a place that quality should not be compromised. However, there are a few ways you can save money on car repairs and car maintenance. Here are a few tips. Oil Change/Regular Tune Up – A regular oil change can add to the life of your automobile. A healthy car is a long lasting car. A good rule of thumb is to change the oil every 3000 miles or so. This tip comes from our local oil change store. The manager confirmed that a car with regular … Continue reading

Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation—Free Meals

If you are like me you don’t need a financial “expert” to tell you that the economy is in crisis and that your household’s budget is taking a direct hit as a result. For some families the thought of spending money on a vacation this summer is simply out of the question. However, in my continuing series on ways to save on summer travel I have been providing tips on how you can take advantage of travel deals designed to preserve your annual family tradition. Today, I’m turning the spotlight on free food. If the words “Kids Eat Free” makes … Continue reading

After Easter Tips

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Easter. Now that Easter is behind us, it is time to take advantage of certain after Easter bargains and ideas for your frugal living lifestyle. Here is what you could be doing this week to contribute frugally to your household with Easter-related stuff. Stock up on that bargain easter candy. Most of the candy can be frozen and then doled out during the rest of the year. You can also use Easter candy in baking. Pastel M&Ms that have been chopped or ground up make a really festive topping for … Continue reading

Home Repair and Maintenance Tips

You can’t go wrong when you review these tips that solve common household repair and maintenance problems. From hiding furniture scratches to applying caulk as a pro would, we have got you covered. Hide Those Furniture Scratches If you have a few furniture scratches that you want to hide, here is an easy solution that doesn’t involve refurbishing the entire piece. First, soak the area of the wood that has a scratch. You can do this using a wet cloth. The soaking allows the wood to open. Select a Crayola crayon in a color that is a close match to … Continue reading