TMR Frugal Living Tip #90

Today's thrifty living tip is use baking soda to whiten your teeth. I know you can purchase toothpaste made with baking soda, but I don't find they work all that well. Those whitening strips are very expensive even with coupons and sales.

I find the very best way to whiten my teeth is to use plain baking soda. I make a paste with a teaspoon of baking soda, a pinch of salt, and add a little water. Use that paste to brush your teeth. You could also just sprinkle a little on a wet toothbrush. I find the paste cleans better. I then rinse my mouth well with water. You can use a little hydrogen peroxide, but be careful to never ingest peroxide (even food grade). I would suggest if you ever want to swish with peroxide then mix it with an equal amount of water.

I only use this mixture once to twice a month. Baking soda is abrasive and will wear away the enamel if used often. My dentist reassured me it is safe to use but not daily. He recommends no more than once a week at most, but said every other week would be safer. My teeth are not overly stained so I stick to once a month.

Have you tried baking soda as a tooth whitener? If you have, then what were your results?

TMR Frugal Living Tip #89

Today's thrifty living tip is to bathe the kids together or if they are too old, then bathe them back to back unless they are very dirty. If they are that dirty, then I might think about rinsing them off before bathing them. As a child, I remember taking a bathe with my brother until I was about three or four. My mom did it to save time and money.

Another way to save money on water and conserve water is only fill the tub partially. I never fill mine more than half and sometimes less. We are all taking showers now with a low flow shower head so I can turn it off while soaping up.

One more tip to conserve money even while showering might be to take a shower with your significant other. I know it sounds a little risque for a family orientated blog, but I'm just merely pointing out the fact that it does conserve water plus puts more money in your wallet instead of going down the drain. I hope these tips help you to find ways to conserve water plus time and money.

I Saved at Book Renter Textbooks

First I want to mention I am not being paid or reimbursed by the website. This is a review with all my own opinion. I truly enjoyed the site and savings so I had to share with my readers.

I needed three textbooks for my Spring college classes. These books were not cheap even if I rented them at my local stores and many online sites. When I came across BookRenter.com, I was excited at the prices I was given for my three books. The most expensive book was well over $100 to buy, but still would have cost me well over $60 to rent. I was given the same price for a digital rental. The Bookrenter.com price was $30 for the semester! That was a 50% savings. One textbook was only $3 cheaper. The last book I needed, I couldn't even buy at many stores as they were sold out. Their price was $27! Again that is a 50% savings.

My total for all three books was $94 with tax. Shipping is free both ways. You can upgrade your shipping to express for $20-40 depending on the weight. I ordered them a couple of days ago and will receive them by Tuesday. It took less than a week with free shipping. They shipped them the next business day after purchasing. I also went through Ebates (double money offer) and received $8 in cash back. I paid less than $90 for all three textbooks which is a huge savings. If I rented them at any of my local rental stores, then I would have paid close to $200 with tax. I saved almost $100 on my books. I can definitely use that money in my pocket.

If you refer 5 people to rent their books within 5 days of your purchase date, then you will receive your order for free! That is a great incentive. I'm still more than thrilled with my savings. If you or your child want to save more money on renting their textbooks, then please go check out Bookrenter.com! I also saw they will buy back textbooks. I don't know much about the program as I prefer to rent my textbooks. I did buy one textbook last year for Dreamweaver. I got it at Amazon for $50 used. It was in excellent condition.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #88

Today's thrifty living tip is to use baby wipes to spot clean your clothes. I know they have the Tide fabric wipes, but baby wipes do the same job and cost less to buy. Baby wipes are very effective at cleaning up spilled food or drink. I keep a small pack of wipes in my purse. They have the hard case or you can buy the small pack of samples. I also receive free wipe samples from time to time in the mail. My little one is a tween, but I still keep a box of baby wipes in my house to use for many things as they are so versatile. You can even use them as makeup remover especially for your eyes.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #87

Today's thrifty living tip is to take an inventory of purchased gifts. This is the time of the year I take advantage of clearance sales by purchasing gifts now to give throughout the year. I like to have a stockpile of gifts for teachers, last minute gifts, kid birthday parties, or gifts you know a certain person would love. You aren't saving money if you forget you have Aunt Sally's gift sitting in the closet so go out to buy her another one. What if no one else on your list likes poodles? Then you're either stuck with it or donate it to charity.

I like to keep a list either on my smartphone or computer with all the gifts I have purchased. I know what I have in my gift closet, and I know who is getting what. I do make changes if I find something else during the year, but I make sure to change it on my list. This keeps me organized and on budget. I also have a special closet where I store all the gifts. Lately I have started storing them in a chest, and I keep an extra list taped to the inside lid. I have my list in two spots. Do you have a system to keep you organized for extra gifts? I have also created a gift list that is printable for anyone to use. I would appreciate a link back to my blog if you decide to post it on your blog or website. Just save the picture and then you can print. Enjoy the free list.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #86

First I have to comment I never post two frugal living tips in a week so consider this a nice bonus for the end of 2011. I don't have any pictures to show for this daily tip so I apologize for cleaning it so quickly.

Today's thrifty living tip is to clean or fix appliances before replacing. I know this seems pretty logical, but many people get discouraged by older appliances and distracted by new shiny ones. My Kenmore gas dryer is 14 years old. I already replaced the washing machine a couple of years ago with a front loader. That was a great decision which has saved me money in water and electricity. I just want to say it wasn't worth fixing so it was time to replace. The dryer works great, and works less as my clothes are drier when they come out the washing machine. I do like to line dry which also helps extend the life of the dryer.

Lately it's too cold and rainy to put it on the line. I've been a little too busy to keep up with laundry because of the holidays. We noticed all these scuff marks inside the dryer while doing laundry this past weekend. It wasn't getting on the clothes so I wasn't too concerned. Hubby mentioned maybe it was time to replace it with our income tax refund next year. He tried to clean it but said the marks weren't coming out.

I looked at it again today as I needed to do laundry. I pulled out my Mr. Clean magic eraser, and viola! The marks were coming out quite easily. I did take a wet dish towel to wipe it out a couple of times to make sure no residue is left. I wiped it with a dry towel afterwards, and over 90% of the marks are gone. I'm not sure what caused them, but now they are all gone. I have dried a load of towels and all looks good. No marks on the towels or the dryer. I will keep an eye on the dryer, but I'm hopeful I can get a few more years of service. I will also start a new appliance fund just to be on the safe side.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #85

Today's thrifty living tip is to save money by coloring your own hair. I usually get 2 boxes of hair color for $5 after sale and coupons. My stylist charges me $35 so I was going every 3 months. I was spending $140 yearly not including tip so around $150+ with tip. I can color my hair every 8 weeks which costs me $30 a year. I am saving over $100 each year. It might not seem like much, but it does add up.

I use Garnier hair color, and I have used all of them. I prefer the ultra color as I find it covers the gray well and the color lasts. I have become a bit of an expert on coloring my own hair. I don't do streaks or frosts. I just want to cover those stubborn grays. I'm much too young to have gray hair. I love the dark auburn color as it is closest to my natural color. I love how the red looks when I'm outside in the sun. I get lots of compliments on my color so I must be doing something right.

Fun Sewing Project Perfect for Christmas- Towel Twist Turban

My mom surprised with me one she made about three to four years ago for Christmas. We call it a towel twists or towel turbans, or whatever name you want to give it. You can buy an already made one in the stores for around $5-6, but they look cheaply made and very thin. The one my mom made is still in regular use and well made. I made a total of five towel turban twists as Christmas presents, but I did keep one for myself. The first towel I used was a leopard print towel.

This project is for the novice as well as the advanced sewer. I cut out all the towels which saved us time, and my mom did all the sewing. I think doing two from the same towel does save time by using the same colored thread and bias tape. She estimates one twist takes about 15-20 minutes sewing time. If she doesn't have to sew on the bias tape, then it takes her less than 10 minutes to sew and serge a twist. The tape is the longest part of the process other than the cutting. We estimated we spent around 2 hours total for cutting and sewing. I think that is pretty good considering we made 5 towel twists. I did spend a little under $20 so about $4 for each one. It might not save a lot of money over buying a store bought one, but it is a unique and creative present. I have yet to see a leopard print or any fun decorative twists yet. You could save more money by buying the towels on sale.

You buy an ordinary bath towel which you cut out the shape using a pattern template you make yourself. My mom used wax paper to make the pattern template. You will measure 22" straight across the bottom. Then make a right angle straight up 7" and then curve the top to another 3" which is about 10" up at the highest point. Then you will just angle the line to meet at the corner. It should be shaped similar to a head in the back. The points are angled to make the twist and pull into the elastic loop. Now you will cut out your template.

I folded the towel lengthwise so I could cut a total of two twists. You might have to play around a little with the template to make sure you can get two. On your template you need to mark on the straight edge about 5" up for your elastic loop. I used a bright colored pin for this part. I then pinned my pattern and cut it out. You can save yourself a step by folding the towel inside out which eliminates the step of pinning right sides together. You will only sew the sides and curved top of the towel. You topstitch the pieces using at least 1/2" seam allowance.

Now you want to use about 4-6" of elastic and fold in half for the loop. Insert the loop leaving the two pieces where your pin is marked. You will go over that spot at least twice to ensure it is properly secured. She then used a serger to finish the raw edges leaving a nice finished edge. She did tell me if you do not own a serger, then you just have to use bias tape to finish that edge. It will last last longer, and the towel won't leave fuzz in your hair. It opens up flat when you use it in your hair.

I want to make a note here. If your towel has a decorative or colorful binding, then by all means use it in your finished towel twist. The white colorful towel had a lime green binding so we cut it out to use it in one of the twists. It saved me time and money. For other my two twists, I had to use bias tape. I bought it on sale for 99 cents each, and you only use half of the package for one twist. If you do not own a serger, then you have to use one whole package for each one you make. My mom had hot pink so we used it for one of the twists. I used plain white for the one I kept for myself. You will use extra wide double fold bias tape. The bias is what you use around the bottom edge of the twist.



You start the tape at one end and the fold will go around the edge of the towel. You just slowly work your around to the other side using a topstitch. As you near the other end, you have to leave one inch past where you started. Then you will turn it back 1/2" on the cut edge, and finishing sewing that section. This gives it a nice finish. You finally finished and turn it right side out. You might want to shake it out well to get all the towel fuzzies off you and the twist. I am giving mine along with spa goodies so it's a nice addition any girl would love.

Great Shopping Day!

I received several coupons and offers in the mail from different companies in the last week. I wanted to take advantage of a few of these offers to snag more Christmas presents. I needed to look for printed bath towels to make towel wraps as presents. I will post an article on what those are and how to make them soon. I made a day of shopping on Friday with a good friend. I have to share with everyone my great deals.


FREE COFFEE
She wanted to stop at McDonald's on our way out, and there was a sign stating Free Small (12 oz) coffee for the month of December. We were thrilled and we each got one, and she bought a breakfast sandwich. I'm not much of a breakfast person. She only spent $1.52 for her sandwich. That was a great way to start off my morning. This offer is good for the whole month of December!

ROSS DEALS
My friend wanted to hit Ross to look for her Christmas presents. I went to the towel section. I did find a really cute girly pink and other pastel stripe towel for my project. I ended up putting it back since I wasn't sure about paying $5.99 for the towel. That was actually a great price for printed towels. Oh well. Live and learn.

I did find a pair of Dockers brand shoe style slippers for my husband's grandfather. The best part was they were marked down to $6.99! That was the cheapest price I have seen including Black Friday. I found the last pair in black in his size. I also found a bamboo remote caddy to replace mine for $7.99 which is a present for us. The caddy I currently have is being held together by tape. I know pathetic. I also found a great deal for my hubby. He needs a new wallet and is always needing new belts. They had a package deal for both for $12! Both are Dockers and leather so I'm thrilled to have 2 presents for the price of one. I usually pay $15 for his wallet so it was like getting the belt for free. This was the most I spent all day for a total of $30.

TARGET DEAL
I had printed out a coupon to receive a $10 gift card when you spent $50. I did find several things at the dollar hot spot area for stocking stuffers and extras for some of my gifts. I had a $10 gift card to use when I redeemed my rewards. I spent exactly $10.66 so I had to pay the 66 cents out of pocket. I was thrilled to get some more goodies for basically nothing. Since I couldn't find any towels or bigger items, then I decided to hand my coupon to the lady behind me. She had lots of toys and was so excited that I gave her the coupon. I wasn't coming back and hated to throw it out so I did a kindness by paying it forward. She hadn't heard about this deal so she was so excited to receive the $10 gift card for free. I responded with a Merry Christmas and left her all smiles. I was glad I could help someone else save money, and it does feel good to do random acts of kindness.

BED, BATH, & BEYOND DEAL
I had a $5 off coupon when you spend $15 or more. I found a mini-flashlight for my son's stocking which was $5. He is always begging to use a big flashlight but mostly wants one for bed at night. I know this will make him happy. Again I couldn't find any towels for my project, but I did find a six pack of washcloths. I always need them and seem to lose them. These were on sale for $12 and so super soft. I hate buying the cheap thin ones as they are so rough to use on my face. I'm glad I spent the extra money as I used one last night. These cloths are wonderful to use when I take off my makeup and especially my eye makeup. You know what, I'm definitely worth it. I spent $14 after coupon. My son's stocking stuffer was free and just paid for the washcloths.

BURGER KING DEAL
We ate lunch at Burger King to take advantage of the BOGO deal on Whoppers. We each bought a small soft drink. We split the cost on the whopper and we spent $3 each with tax. We didn't buy any fries. I had a coupon deal for Auntie Ann in the mall and I knew we would be eating a pretzel there so I saved room for it. That deal cost us less than $3 each as well as it was a BOGO coupon. I had a bottle of water with me for both of us. I hate spending almost $2 on a bottle when I can pack a small ice chest for the road.

VICTORIA'S SECRET DEAL
I'm especially thrilled with this deal. I picked up a pack of four smaller sized lotions. It was marked $18 but rang up $10. I had my $10 off any regular priced purchase so I paid $0.87 cents! I had no idea as I really thought it was priced $18. I'm not sure if I am going to give this as set or take out the bottles to make 4 presents. I'm thinking the latter as teacher gifts. My son has 4 teachers and the teacher aide. I love giving them a little something to show my appreciation. I feel this was my best deal of the day!

TOWELS
I finally found a leopard print towel at Kmart for $7 which wasn't too bad. I also found a wonderful wrist watch for my mom. She had a very specific type in mind and it was the only watch I found for what she wanted. I found the other towel for my project marked $9! I know that towel was much more than I wanted to spend, but it is perfect for the recipients of this project. I bought the bias tape at Hancock's fabric store and spent $3 with tax for two packs. I wasn't expecting it to be so cheap but they were on sale. I will break down the prices on that project and all the details in my other post soon.

Total for the day was around $75! I used the money I received in rewards to pay for my purchases. I didn't spend a dime of my money on any of these purchases. I spent $5 on food for a grand total of $80. I didn't count the cost of gas, but I don't do have many shopping excursions. I do most of my gift buying online. I was happy to get items and use coupons to save more money. I have a very gas efficient car which gets averages 37-38 miles to the gallon. I had a full tank and only used a quarter of a tank for the whole day including going to the town and coming home which is 50 miles round trip. I had a really fun day with my friend shopping and saving money. You can't put a price on a shopping day with the girls.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #84

Today's thrifty living tip is take your own Christmas pictures. When I received photo studio coupons in the mail, I would bring my son for his Christmas pictures to save money. The catch was you could only pick the first pose. The whole time I had my fingers crossed the picture turned out nice. I know some photographers would retake the picture if I wasn't happy with that pose, but many of them are making minimum wage. Taking my child's perfect Christmas picture is not high on their priority list.

I began taking all of my son's Christmas pictures when he was about 5 years old. I was already taking pictures of the items I sold on ebay so why not take his pictures. I take shots in front of the tree, in front a white sheet (just like the studios), outside, and maybe on location. I do not own a high quality digital camera, but it is a decent camera. I upload all my pictures on Snapfish. I can edit all the pictures and have the ones I wanted printed. You can add fun borders and other neat options. I'm not sure if you can order the pictures with borders. I think that might be for online use only. I usually spend $20-30 for many pictures in different sizes such as 8x10, 5x7, and wallet. This price even includes the price of shipping.

You might be thinking...well, I don't know. This idea might not work so well if you want to be in the pictures such as a family picture. You might be lucky and know someone who takes good pictures that might do you a favor or barter for taking your pictures. I have a couple of people in my family who love to play photographer for fun. They would never dream of asking for money. Save some money and have fun taking the pictures. I also love the editing. The picture shown is one I took a few years ago and added a fun holiday border.

Earn Money While Christmas Shopping

If you aren't taking advantage of reward programs, then you are missing out on free money. I don't mean doing offers where you have to pay like trials, but just for doing the things you already do like shopping or reading emails. You can do those offers especially if it's for something you will use. I have taken advantage of deals where I wanted to try a new service and then I earned points on top of it like Netflix. Many banks have reward programs on their checking accounts and credit cards. I bank with Capital One and earn over 10,000-20,000 points yearly for banking. Some cable companies are offering reward programs. I have a Charter bundle package and I also earn points with their reward program. I don't know if all cable or phone companies offer reward programs. I would check and most are free to sign-up.

I'm part of several reward programs like My Points, Big Crumbs, and now Ebates. I received a $15 bonus for signing up with Ebates. I had to spend $50 online before Christmas. I already made the requirement since I had certain presents to buy that I could only find online. I love to snag deals online as well as in the stores. I spent $60 yesterday on presents and will receive double rewards since it was Cyber Monday. I also use My Points when shopping and it just depends on who is offering the better deal. I can't cash out my Ebates since I just joined. I want to share with you the other rewards I'm getting to use for Christmas shopping. I love using these programs which really helps to lower my Christmas expenses. What are you waiting for and start earning rewards while you shop! I know there are many reward programs available, but these are the ones I have used and know have been around for many years. I am looking into Swagbucks.

• Charter- $25 gift card and $10 gift card
• Capital One- $50 gift card, $25 gift card, and $10 gift card
• My Points- $25 gift card and $10 gift card
  
• Grand Total- $155 in rewards= FREE MONEY!

TMR Frugal Living Tip #83

Today's thrifty living tip is to stop throwing money in the trash. You read that correctly. I am guilty of buying perishables that never get eaten. Fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc. It never fails I will buy items that just don't get eaten before they go bad. I don't do it too often, but I'm still throwing a few bucks away each time. Sale items are the biggest temptation. It's not a good deal if you won't use eat it in a timely manner. One method I now use is by keeping track of which items were getting thrown out. Now I rarely have to throw out bad food.

Black Friday is Coming!

Yes it's that wonderful time of the year again where you begin to make those infamous Black Friday plans. It's just as important, if not more important, than your Thanksgiving Day plans. I'm actually getting a bit of a late start on making my plans. This year I already promised myself one store fighting the crowds. The rest of my shopping will be done online.

Yes I will be shopping at Wal-Mart which I know many people hate this particular store. I have my eye on a few items like the sheets, jeans for hubby, video games, and a couple of toys. I haven't had to deal with any stampeding crowds since Wal-Mart has always let people in before opening the pallets. So people would crowd around the hot items they wanted, and many were very friendly by handing out the stuff to others around them. The electronics department would hand out coupons, but I have yet to buy any big items like tv's, video game systems, or such. I mainly hit the bedding, clothes, and toys on sale plus any dvd's and games. Many times I could still find everything I wanted on sale the next day and not fight any crowds. I get what I want and get out. The older the kids are getting, then the less toys I need to buy. I give out more gift cards to my nieces as they prefer Itunes and such.

If you haven't already seen the ads, which I'm sure the avid shoppers already have, there are a couple of good websites to see the ad scans. I am not getting paid for this post, and these are sites I have bookmarked for every Black Friday. One site is BFads and the other site I frequent is Black Friday Info. Happy shopping and remember that nothing for sale is worth hurting someone else over. Be courteous as everyone is just trying to save a buck.

A Guide to Sucessful Budgeting

Budgeting is something a lot of us would like to be better at. But the thing is, successful budgeting isn't actually that hard - you've just got to go about it in the right way.

So, what should you do to create a successful budget?

Well, first of all, it's important to understand what budgeting is all about.

It's about having full understanding and control of your finances - your income (the money you earn) and your expenditure (the money you spend).

To create your budget, start with writing down absolutely everything you earn each month (that includes your wages, any benefits you receive, child maintenance payments, etc.).

Once you've got this written down, you need to move onto your expenditure. You should write down everything your household is spending each month. Start with your priority debts (your mortgage/rent, secured loans, utility bills, etc.), and your everyday expenses (food, transport costs, etc.).

At this stage, you shouldn't include your non-priority debts (credit cards, unsecured loans, etc.) - as you'll account for these later on.

Once you're happy that you've written everything down, you should subtract your essential expenditure from your income - this will leave you with what's known as your disposable income.

Your disposable incomeis basically the money you have available to pay towards your unsecured debts each month - as well as saving and spending on non-essential/luxury items.

Working with your disposable income
Now you know how much your disposable income is, you need to figure out if it is enough to cover your monthly unsecured debt repayments.

To do this, simply subtract the amount you spend on debt repayments each month from your disposable income…

If your disposable income is more than enough to cover the cost of your debts, did you know you could save yourself a lot of money in interest if you paid more towards your debts each month? So, if you've got spare money left over after covering the required monthly payments, you should consider overpaying your debts. Just find out if you'll be hit with any 'early repayment charges' for doing this.

For advice on how to make the most of your income, you could read some of the budgeting, debt and money saving guides on this website.

If your disposable income isn't enough to cover the cost of your unsecured debts, you should take action straight away. You need to contact your creditors and explain your situation, and it might also be a good idea to seek professional debt advice.

The right advice can help you improve your situation - you might get a few tips on how to tighten up your budget, for example, freeing up the money you need every month.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #82

Today's thrifty living tip is to use sports bottles or commuter mugs. I do have some plastic Tupperware mugs and big sports bottles to bring when I'm traveling and to use at school. It's an environmental friendly way to cut down on trash and of course it does save you money.

It saves you money by making your own coffee to bring with you instead of buying it on the road. This can easily save you $20+ per month or even more depending on the size of coffee you purchase. It might not seem like much, but that is $240 per year! You can also save money by not spending $1.25-1.50 for a 20 oz bottle of water. Now if you bought a case of water (16 oz) you still spend $4-5 per case. You won't save as much money unless you buy a bottle daily at the vending machine. But you can refill your bottles or mugs, and it cuts down a big amount of trash. Even if you recycle the bottles, it still isn't as environmentally friendly.

There is a big debate of plastic bottles vs stainless steel. Many of the plastic sports bottles and mugs were made with BPA which we found out was harmful since it leached into acidic (orange juice) or hot liquids (coffee and hot tea). Now you must make sure that your stainless steel bottle doesn't have a liner as it will contain BPA. I'm not going to have that debate and will leave it up to each individual.

Land Lines- Ditch or Keep?

In this digital age where almost everyone owns a cell phone, the question becomes do I even need a land line? I have a packaged bundle with Charter which recently ended. My husband and I use our cell phones much more than the house phone. Actually the majority of the people calling on my house phone are those pesky telemarketers. We will receive the occasional call from a relative who doesn't call us often. I'm in school all day and even the school has my cell phone. The teacher texts me if she needs to get in touch with me as I usually have to put the phone on silent during class. I keep it in my pocket in case of an emergency so the cell phone is so convenient.

It seemed obvious it was time to ditch the land line. I called Charter to negotiate my rates when I was told it wouldn't make sense for me to drop it. It would cost me more to not have it, but I felt like maybe that was part of a scheme to keep me bundled. More money in their pocket. After talking to a couple of higher-up's, I got a great deal on a new contract and yes the land line is included. I have a great rate for all my services for two more years. It's not terrible having the land line. It's probably better to have it for 911 but that's a decision everyone has to make for themselves. I know many people ditching their land lines so you really need to consider all the benefits or negatives like an extra bill. Sometimes it also pays to call the company and negotiate for better rates. You never know unless you try.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #81

Today's thrifty living tip is to be more creative in making your child's Halloween costume. I personally don't have anything against store bought costumes except that most are overpriced junk. Some years I have purchased a $10-15 costume from Wal-Mart that would basically fall apart during the first wearing. I have also bought better quality costumes from the Disney Store that would last several wearings, and then sell them used on ebay for more than I paid new. I would purchase them on clearance and sometimes spring for the extra accessories which completes those costumes. The problem now is my son is too old for most of the Disney costumes as those are for babies. *SIGH*

Most people are not going to sew a costume from a pattern, which can still cost a pretty penny in fabric and not to mention the time, unless of course you really enjoy sewing. I don't enjoy sewing so we have gotten more creative in putting together a costume for my son by just digging in his closet. There might be times I have to purchase an item to complete his costume, but most of the time I don't as he already owns most of it. I put up a picture of his homemade Halloween costume from last year. He was his favorite wrestler, Ray Mysterio, complete with the mask, a jacket, a Ray shirt (you can't see but it's under the jacket), a pair of jeans and tennis shoes. He used one of his toy wrestling belts to complete the costume. He already owned everything so cost to me was FREE! He actually received a ton of compliments from other kids and adults on his costume. I think the authentic mask was the true gem of this costume as a friend of mine gave this to my son. This was one of those expensive replicas they sell and not the cheap plastic masks.

This year he is going as a military man. I don't have a picture but he already owned a camouflage shirt, shorts, and hat. I have a pair of military issued combat boots that I wore when I was in the army many years ago that he can wear now at age 10! Since we are trick or treating, we are not bringing any toy guns. Everyone will know what he is supposed to be anyway. Again total cost to me= FREE! These creative costumes are actually his idea as he complains about how the store bought costumes are itchy and fall apart. I have taught my little grasshopper well. I would love to hear other creative solutions for Halloween Costumes. Happy Halloween and be safe tonight!

Paint- It's Cheap and Comes in a Can

"It's called paint- it's cheap and comes in a can." This has to be one of the best quotes I've heard while watching a tv show. I really wished I could remember which show I was watching, but this is exactly how I feel about paint. Paint is a wonderful inexpensive way to spruce up just about anything. I didn't want to replace my kitchen cabinets since they are actual wood and not cheap particle board. The cabinets are in excellent condition but just needed a facelift. To paint or not to paint was the question. I really wanted the kitchen to be brighter and stained wood darkens spaces. In the end, I decided to paint them. Below are the steps that I took and some pictures. (Oh quick note, that picture was drawn by my husband. I asked if he could draw me a paint bucket with brush for this post. I outlined it in paint, but will eventually figure out how to actually paint in photoshop. I think he did a fabulous job!)

How I Transformed My Kitchen Cabinets
I must have looked up almost a hundred articles and websites looking for information on properly painting previously stained cabinets. The problem is so much of the information, even from the "experts", varies by technique and even properly cleaning or degreasing the doors. I decided to use a no rinse TSP cleaner. Then I did lightly sand the doors since the stain was pretty old and faded. After I wiped them down with a clean tack cloth, I have knotty pine wood so I used a shellac primer in a spray can just on the knots. The knots vanished after I primed the doors with a regular primer.

Finally I did use 3 coats of white Kitchen and Bath enamel paint. It is a little more expensive than a semi-gloss, but it's made for specifically for a high humidity. I used a paint brush and not a sprayer. I didn't know how to use a sprayer and I definitely was not willing to experiment. I used a very high quality paint brush made to eliminate brush strokes. I have to admit it came out great. I can barely see any strokes, and I am very happy with the results. The whole process of cleaning, sanding, and painting took me about 2-3 days. I had 16 doors so I had to paint eight one day and paint the remaining eight the next day. I did let the doors dry for about 4-5 days. I was a little paranoid. Most experts recommend at least three days. I know many people would not use a white, but I have found it very easy to keep the cabinets clean. I just wipe them a couple of times a week after I do the dishes. The best part is my kitchen is much brighter, even with the lights off.

Spray Paint- Who Knew?
I really wanted to replace the door handles, but we couldn't find new handles to match up as the old ones are hung differently than today. I cleaned them, but couldn't get all the rust out. My brilliant husband suggested we just spray paint them. We got a flat satin black and one with the primer already mixed in. It cost us about $8 with tax and it worked perfectly. The handles look brand new again! I am thrilled with the results, and it was much cheaper than buying 20 new handles. The total project cost us $90! That includes all the paint, primer, brushes, and sandpaper. I did get some discounts with coupons that I was mailed. I think that saved me about $12-15. I have brand new cabinets and handles for under $100! We did splurge on the better paint, but I think it was worth every penny. I think a picture is worth a thousand words...literally!

Warehouse Clubs-Big Savings or Money Drain?

First I want to mention I only have a Sam's club near me so my experience is limited. I been a member for a couple of years. Lately I haven't noticed much in the way of savings. I'm finding better deals by just watching the other store sale ads. For instance, Sam's has a 30 roll package of Scott's toilet paper for over $22. I can buy 3 packs with the 12 rolls for $6-7 on sale and end up with more toilet paper for the same price. I'm not saying there aren't good deals to be found at these clubs, but you should just ask yourself a few things before buying.


Can I get this cheaper on sale somewhere else?
Do I really need such a big size of this item?
Will we just eat it all quickly since it's in the house?
Will it go to waste before we can use it?
Do I have enough room to store these bigger packages?

I am guilty of some of the above. I like buying my groceries and health/beauty items in bulk, but I have noticed some of the snacks don't last as long as they should. Or I've had some items go to waste before we could use it all. I mostly try to stick to dry goods and frozen foods for this reason. I live in a bigger home, well big for 3 people, but I do have plenty of space to store items. I hope these questions can help you stop and think before buying something you don't need or can't use.

There are other savings such as the pharmacy, travel discounts, office supplies, tires, appliances, and such. I split my membership with my mom. I have a card and she has one so it does save money by only paying $20 yearly. I asked and it's acceptable at Sam's. I do save money on gas but I will be doing some more number crunching come renewal time next year. I would love to read your thoughts.

50 Free Spooktacular Disney Movie Rewards Bonus Points

Today is the last day to redeem your 50 Halloween points for the Disney Movie Rewards program. Here are the 5 codes to enter:

PUMPKIN 10pts
SCARY 10pts
BOO 10 pts
AUTUMN 10 pts
HOOK 10 pts

Just remember these free "BOO"nus points ends today on October 16th so hurry before they RIP! I have embedded the new Monster Mash video for the Spooky Buddies DVD. Very cute.