How to Save Money

[ILG]

Now is the time of year to buy next year's Halloween costume. (Since I don't need one, I won't be buying one, unless I just saw something adorable that I know I would use for a couple of bucks. Don't buy just to buy!) Halloween candy is on sale.

Now is the time of year to look for harvest decoration bargains.

Christmas is very soon. Now is the time to start watching for bargains for things you are going to buy anyway. Baking supplies start going on sale about now. If you bake a lot of Christmas stuff, watch the flyers and buy in bulk while they are on sale.

Look at clearance stuff that would make good Christmas presents. (This should go on all year.)

Now is the time to buy summer clothes for next year.

When the Thanksgiving sales are on, buy in bulk.

Buy summer bulbs and shrubs now.

What not to buy right now:

Fall/Winter clothing.

Christmas decorations.

[missourimary]

LOL, ILG, I was fascinated a few nights ago to find that a cheap plastic tree costs more at this time of year than a living spruce would in the spring.

Summer deck stuff is on sale now too... BBQ grills, fire pits, grilling utensils, and landscaping materials like mulch. I got mulch for half price and a fire pit for 20% off. I should have waited longer on the fire pit, but they were out of town and there were only about 5 left.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by missourimary

LOL, ILG, I was fascinated a few nights ago to find that a cheap plastic tree costs more at this time of year than a living spruce would in the spring.

Summer deck stuff is on sale now too... BBQ grills, fire pits, grilling utensils, and landscaping materials like mulch. I got mulch for half price and a fire pit for 20% off. I should have waited longer on the fire pit, but they were out of town and there were only about 5 left.

Hmm, yeah, good point. In my part of the country it's past time to buy those things, but I'm sure where you live makes a difference.

[missourimary]

LOL Yeah, I'm sure you're right about that! Oddly enough, most of the summer clothes here have already been clearanced and sold, yet the outdoor equipment has more recently gone on sale.

[deacon blues]

great thread!

[ILG]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

great thread!

Thank you! I think saving money is always timely, but especially right now with the economy going how it is, people need to save money now more than ever before and I believe it is going to become even more needed in the years to come. I do not believe this recession is over.

[Blubayou]

A family relative has made this Electric Dishwasher Detergent- She said it cost about $1 to make a large batch of it.
2 cups Baking soda
4 packets of sugar free lemonaide Kool Aid or 4 tablespoons of citric acid
2 cups Borax
2 tablespoons per load.
Use White vinegar in your rinse aid receptacle to aid in getting the glasses sparkling clean.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Blubayou

A family relative has made this Electric Dishwasher Detergent- She said it cost about $1 to make a large batch of it.
2 cups Baking soda
4 packets of sugar free lemonaide Kool Aid or 4 tablespoons of citric acid
2 cups Borax
2 tablespoons per load.
Use White vinegar in your rinse aid receptacle to aid in getting the glasses sparkling clean.

Hey, thanks!! This is one recipe I never even thought of! It's amazing how after all these years, there is still more to learn! That is why I love the sharing of this thread.

Have you tried it?

[Blubayou]

No, I have not tried it yet. I just bought some dishwasher detergent. But she tried it and said it worked fine. I have all the ingredients at home, so I will make up a batch soon.

[seguidordejesus]

I'm working on a page for my Guatemala site about flax seed gel - my wife made some the other day and it works great. Here's the text - perhaps I will post the link when I get it up with the photos, but this will work for now.

Guatemala Recipe for Natural Hair Gel

Many people are searching for ways to look presentable without introducing toxins to their body. If you have decided to go without buying hair spray or hair gel, here is a natural, safe alternative to keep your hair in place.

In Guatemalan markets, there are sections dedicated to different types of seeds and herbs. One of the grains commonly found there is linaza, or flax seed. Flax seed has been known to benefit the hair and body internally, but here's a way to manufacture it into your own eco-friendly hair gel.

The recipe is quite simple - you really only need two ingredients: flax seed and water. I would recommend only making a small amount so that you don't make two months (it's generally good for a little more than a week, unrefrigerated).

To begin, put 2 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of flax seed in your pot.

Put on the stove and wait until it begins to boil. The mixture needs to boil for 10 minutes.

After the mixture has boiled for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pot cool. You should notice that the mixture has thickened.

While the mixture is cooling, you should get a sieve/colander and a funnel, and a large measuring cup with a pour spout.

When the mixture has mostly cooled, you are ready to strain the flax seeds out of the gel.

This should make around 1.5 cups of gel.

We used a recycle squeeze bottle of honey (well-cleaned, of course) to store the gel in.

At this point, you can use the boiled flax seed to add fiber to breads, pancakes, granola, or anything else you might normally use flax seed for.

Et voila! You now have a bottle of homemade eco-friendly toxin free gel that works just as well as any gel you could buy, and it's cheap, too!

In Guatemala, you can buy a pound of flax seed for less than a dollar, so using only 4 tablespoons means that this hair gel mixture only costs pennies to make!