Today’s post is from Kyle at Rather Be Shopping. His site features online coupons and discounts. If you enjoy this post I hope you’ll consider subscribing to his RSS Feed. ~Nicki

photo credit: caseywest

A few weeks ago, my 3-year old daughter decided to see how much toilet paper she could stuff down our toilet. I plunged and snaked the commode for what seemed like hours, all to no avail. But I was not about to call a plumber! Instead, I researched the problem and was able to pull the toilet, remove the HUGE softball sized blockage, and put the toilet back with a new wax ring all by myself. Toilet is now good as new!

A plumber would have charged $65 just for the service call, then factor in labor costs, and I probably saved close to $100 fixing the problem myself. I am a big proponent of learning, and doing, small home repairs and maintenance yourself in order to save money. Here are a few tips for those do-it-yourselfers out there.

Seek Free Advice

While many employees at your ‘big box’ home improvement stores know very little more than how to tie an orange apron around their waist, there is always at least one expert in each department. Find out who they are and get to know them by name. They will be a great ally! Invite them to dinner, buy them a hot dog, whatever it takes. They have always given my great free advice.

Find A Great Resource Book

I have one book for the do-it-yourselfer that I carry around like a bible. It is the Readers Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself manual and it is fantastic. It has big ol’ pictures and great diagrams for those out there like me, who would prefer to look at a picture than actually have to read. Worth a look, and not very expensive.

Be A Good Neighbor

In every apartment or home that I have lived in over the years, I have always had at least one very handy neighbor. I immediately be-friend him or her and give them a cold beer! I have learned more from handy neighbors than from any book. I typically reciprocate his/her help by offering my brawn for any projects he or she may be working on at their home. Works out great, their brain for my brawn.

Please add your suggestion or tip. I look forward to any new ideas. Now in keeping with tradition, here are some of the better online coupons on my site that can hopefully help you save some money. See you next month!

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

Rent movies from Netflix. Try for free!

Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. 5 Ways To Save Money When Camping This Summer
2. How To Find Extra Money In Your Life
3. 4 Easy Ways To Lower Your Cooling Bill This Summer

Many, many of the ways I have learned to spend less money stem from me knowing how to do something, relieving me of the need to purchase it. Because I know how to make bread – I don’t have to buy it if I don’t want to. Because I know how to mend clothing – I don’t have to get rid of a piece that needs a minor fix. Because I’ve learned to cook a whole bunch of things from scratch, I don’t have to buy pre-made items if I don’t want to. The list goes on and you get the idea. I don’t have to do all of these things myself but I have the option because I have the know-how.

Oh how I wish that I or my husband had the know-how for fixing cars. Because we don’t, we pay more than some people would for regular maintenance or minor repairs. We simply do not have the know-how.

Learning a skill that you’ll need for most of your life is a great investment. There are many professions that have a real-life bonus that will save your family money as the result of a specialized skill. Just to name a few …

• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Hairdresser
• Auto Repair Person
• Baker/Chef/Cook
• Appliance Repair Person
• Accountant/Tax Preparer
• Seamstress/Tailor
• Gardener/Landscaper
• Computer Technician/IT Support

These are just a few professions with skills that translate into everyday life. There are plenty more to add to this list for sure. The good news is that you don’t have to have one of these professions to learn the skills. You can learn useful skills and gain the know-how in many ways.

Parents/Grandparents – Teach Your Children

I remember my dad teaching me how to change the oil in my car when I was a teenager. I could not have been less interested. I paid mild attention. I didn’t care about cars and just assumed if I wanted the oil changed then my dad could do it for me. Now that I have a family of my own … I wish I paid attention. My dad did the right thing. Many adults have skills, not because they went to a school to learn them, but because their parents invested the time into teaching them. Pass along the life skills that you have.

Shadow A Professional

If you hire someone to put an addition on your house – see if they’d be willing to have you tag along here and there, maybe help out a little. This is easier to do if you know the person. You probably will not be able to put an addition on your house after helping out – but you might know a little more about hanging drywall than you did before.

Enlist A Friend

If you have a good friend with the know-how, hire them to do the work for you and teach you at the same time. It takes a special kind of relationship for this to work – but if you have it then it can be mutually beneficial. My dad learned a lot of carpentry skills from a very good friend. They took a lot of time remodeling together. I think it built the house and their friendship.

Learn It

If you’re really dying to know how to do something you can probably sign up for a night class and learn it. Most technical schools have classes that can accommodate an adult schedule. It will certainly be worth your while.

Learning new skills is good for many reasons beyond the money-saving value. I’ve shared before how being frugal has changed me. Learning to do new things has made me realize – I really like to learn to do things myself.

Please share! What skills or know-how do you have that save your family money on a regular basis?

Why I do what I do ~ Recently, after leaving a restaurant Chloe said, “Mama, I’m un-hungry now.”

photo credit: Bekathwia

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. Frugality Is Not A Contest

Today’s post is from Kyle at Rather Be Shopping. His site features online coupons and discounts. If you enjoy this post I hope you’ll consider subscribing to his RSS Feed. ~Nicki

On Sunday we returned from a weekend camping trip with the kids and another family. We have the dirt to prove it. Oh, do we have the dirt to prove it! There were times on the trip when I could only spot my kids when they smiled. Good thing we have them brush their teeth twice a day. But if you have a family camping trip planned this summer here are 5 easy ways to save both time and money:

1. Bring Frozen Meals From Home

Not only do you save money on your food bill but they double as great ice blocks in the ice chest.

2. Bring Your Own Firewood

No camping trip is complete without S’mores around the campfire, but the state park we stayed at wanted $7 for a small bag of firewood. Rip-off!! Bring your own.

3. Find Free Entertainment

Again, the state park we stayed at had a bunch of free activities for the kids. We participated in Junior Rangers and the campfire program and they were both free with your admission. Ask about what they have going on and be sure to take advantage.

4. Stay Close To Home If Possible

The park we stayed at was about 70 miles away from our home. With the price of gas, this was about as far as I wanted to travel. Ask around about nice camping spots close to home. They surely exist.

5. Improvise With Stuff you Already Have

If you are tent camping, you don’t need to invest in sleeping bags as well, just bring blankets from home. Try to bring as much camping stuff and food that you already have and avoid the big expensive trip to the grocery store or Wal-Mart.

Please add your suggestion or tip. I look forward to any new ideas. Happy Camping! Now on to some online coupons that can help save you money!

All Posters.com
Get 20% off your entire online purchase
Coupon Code: RBS601
Expiration: 6/15/10
See All: All Posters Coupons

Barnes & Noble.com
Save 10% off any 1 item in your online purchase
Coupon Code: T8M7A4R
Expiration: 6/13/10
See All: Barnes & Noble Coupons

Celebrate Express.com
Save $10 off your $65 or more online order
Coupon Code: Spring65
Expiration: 6/30/10
See All: Celebrate Express Coupons

Office Max.com
Save 20% off your entire online purchase

Coupon Code: SUMMER20

Expiration: 6/12/10

See All: Office Max Coupons

Shoes.com
Get 15% off your online purchase w/ Free Shipping

Coupon Code: SUMMER

Expiration: 6/30/10

See All: Shoes.com Coupons

Smart Bargains.com
Save 12% your entire online purchase thru this link (New customers only)

Coupon Code: None Needed

Expiration: 7/13/10

See All: Smart Bargains Coupons

Target.com
Save $5 off your $50+ online purchase thru this Link

Coupon Code: None Needed

Expiration: 6/30/10

See All: Target Coupons

photo credit: jon_a_ross

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

Rent movies from Netflix. Try for free!

Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. 4 Easy Ways To Lower Your Cooling Bill This Summer
2. Shop Safely Online And Save Money
3. How To Find Extra Money In Your Life

So yesterday I was a little hard on yard sales, telling you all that they are a waste of your money. Well, they can be a waste of your money but that doesn’t mean they have to be. Here are some of the ways that I think yard sales can save you money and be worth your time.

1. Put Cash In Your Pocket – Checkbook At Home

If you go to yard sales all summer long as more of a fun hobby, I can understand that. Be smart about it! Put cash in your pocket that you don’t mind spending and bring NO other form of payment with you. That way, you have your fun but don’t over-spend.

2. Something You Intended To Buy

Sometimes people are selling items that are nearly new for a small fraction of their value. If you’ve been looking around for a basketball hoop for your son, intending to purchase one, and then come across a nice one for $15 at a yard sale – then THAT is a great deal!

I was selling my old sewing machine at one of my yard sales. A lady came and was so excited because she had been planning on going to the store and buying one just like it. What a great thing to stumble upon for her!

3. Something You Didn’t Plan On But You Need

My mother sold a BUNCH of canning jars at a yard sale. Canning jars can be very expensive and they are a wonderful thing to buy at a yard sale. If you come across them, and you need them – get them. Other things fit in here too. If you find a winter jacket for your daughter to use this Fall or maybe a good pair of boots. Things like that sell for CHEAP at a summer yard sale and you know you’ll need them this winter.

4. Something Rare Or Difficult To Find

Perhaps there is a very particular type of old coffeemaker that you’ve been wanting but is no longer produced. Let’s say you’ve looked online and found they were either too expensive or non-existent. Then, one day you’re at a yard sale and you find one for an affordable price. You may not have planned on buying it, but it was a lucky find and something you’ve been wanting and haven’t been able to get – so it’s worth it to you.

Antiques fit in here too. Sometimes people sell things for cheap but don’t realize their value. Be sure you know what you’re looking for. It can be very easy to be fooled or get ripped off when it comes to antiques. However, if you have an eye for them – then yard sales are the way to go.

When done correctly, yard sales can be a great thing for both the seller and the buyer, yielding mutual gain. Know what you’re selling and know what you’re buying for the most success.

Have you ever found a steal at a yard sale? Ever found just the right thing at just the right time? Do tell …

Why I do what I do ~ Last night at dinner Chloe said, “Daddy, do you know what says ‘hunk, hunk?’” Amused, David said, “No Chloe, what says ‘hunk, hunk?’” Chloe answered, “A Hunkback Whale.”

photo credit: j.sanna

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. How Yard Sales Waste Your Money
2. Shop Safely Online And Save Money
3. Make Extra Money Selling Baked Goods

I’ve had two yard sales so far this year. I did one on my own and joined in on a multi-family sale too. Having a yard sale really doesn’t appeal to me very much. It’s a LOT of work and I’m just not a good salesperson. However, even though I didn’t like it very much, it was still worth it for me to do. I had things to get rid of – things that people were willing to pay for. So it all works out, right? I get rid of my clutter and someone else gets a good deal. Well … sort of.

I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to shop yard sales. If you shop yard sales every weekend – this could be painful to read. Here are some of the ways that I think yard sales waste your money.

1. The Lure of The Deal

Bargain hunters beware! If you have a hard time passing up a good deal then steer clear of yard sales! When someone is moving or very eager to get rid of things they will price their items at very tempting prices. It’s easy to justify an expense when it’s “such a good deal.” Even if something is a good deal it can still be a waste of your money if you have no use for it.

2. Instant Pressure

When making your usual purchases at stores or online, you usually have time to price compare, shop around and save up money if you need. When you’re at a yard sale – you have to make your decision right then and there. The pressure of passing up a great opportunity (even though you may not have the money for it) might be more than you can take. You may cave and purchase that snowmobile for $300 even though you know you don’t have the money and you could probably live without it.

3. Unknown Worth

Some people are honest – they price their yard sale items according to what they are actually worth. Some people are not. A good salesperson can talk you into an “antique” clock that’s worth at least $500 – assuring you that you’re getting the deal of a lifetime by paying $50. Maybe he’s right. Maybe he’s not. Unless you’re well-schooled on that particular type of antiques, there’s little chance you’d know.

4. Just In Case

I saw this happen a couple times at my yard sales. The first time, a pregnant girl and her mother were together. I had two infant car seats for sale – one blue and one pink. The pregnant girl was about to find out the sex of her baby in a week. They stood there debating which car seat to purchase for about 10 or 15 minutes. Do you want to know what they did? They bought both. I wanted to tell them that the blue one would be perfectly fine for a boy or a girl, but they loved the pink one and thought they better get it – just in case. I can see it now – she has a boy and the pink one sits in the garage collecting dust.

The second time, a woman came and couldn’t remember whether her pregnant friend had a baby swing yet or not. She decided she better buy it – just in case.

Everyone listen up. There is a baby swing for sale every single weekend at some yard sale in your town all summer long. My baby swing is not the deal of the century. EVERYONE gets rid of baby things at yard sales. Go home and ask your friend and then go yard-saling next weekend.

OK, I know I was a little hard. I’ll redeem myself tomorrow … In the meantime – do you have a yard sale horror story? I’d love to hear it. Share it below!

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe and her cousins were showing me their Lego creations today. They were very proud of the things they made and I said, “They look great! I’m a fan.” They looked at me weird and my older niece said, “Auntie Nicki, you aren’t a fan.” Chloe echoed, “Yeah Mama, you’re not a fan.” Their puzzled faces clued me in – they were thinking I called myself a box fan I explained that being a fan of something means you really like it. They all laughed at me like I was trying to fool them. I gave up.

photo credit: frankh

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

Rent movies from Netflix. Try for free!

Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. Shopping Strategies: Shop Before You Buy
2. How To Find Extra Money In Your Life
3. Make Extra Money Selling Baked Goods

Have you had ants in your kitchen lately? A few weeks ago they appeared in my kitchen. For several days I killed them each time I saw one but I became increasingly annoyed as the number of them grew. My first thought was – I need to buy some ant traps. My second thought was – No I don’t. I bet I can get rid of them with something I already have.

A quick online search led me to a great article from Tip Nut. The article had some really useful information. One thing it cited was that ants leave a trail for their ant friends to find that is undetectable to humans – this would explain why, even though I was killing them, more were appearing.

The first thing the article suggested were a few repellents – one of which was vinegar. Are you surprised? There is very little that vinegar can’t do. They suggested cleaning surfaces with vinegar and that it would repel the ants. As many of you know, I use a lemon/vinegar all purpose cleaner anyway so this was’t tough for me.  I clean the counters at least once per day with vinegar but in-between time I usually just wipe them down with a dish cloth. After reading that article I kept my spray bottle on the counter, and every time I needed to wipe up any food at all – I used the spray. I sprayed around the trash can and all along the floor where I had spotted them. In less than a day – ants gone.

I was all ready to try out the other ideas – especially the bait, to see if they actually worked. Lucky for me, I don’t think I’ll have to bait and kill them in my kitchen. However, I’ve noticed a few in my bathroom lately – and there’s no way I’m walking in there multiple times per day to spray and wipe down with cleaner. So maybe I’ll get to try something else out in there.

Another great resource is the list of natural ant repellents. There’s a list of common items that ants naturally stay away from. The article suggests sprinkling the repellent in cracks or crevices where you see the ants appearing. I was going to try the cinnamon – I love the scent, so sprinkling a little here or there wouldn’t bother me at all. I really like that you can use ordinary things in your home, non-toxic things, to take care of an ant problem.

Have you had ants in your home and you found a way to get rid of them naturally? Please share!

Why I do what I do ~ On my birthday recently my husband gave me a gift that was a little more than I was expecting. As a result of my shock I gave him one of those slaps on the back of the head that wives occasionally give – in love of course, I was very grateful. The next day, Chloe was hanging out with me and we were chatting. She asked me if I liked my birthday present. I told her yes, I liked it very much. She said, “I don’t want you to hit Daddy when you like your present anymore.” She had clearly been thinking about it. Poor thing thought Mom and Dad were fighting. Guess I better cut down on the head-smacking.

photo credit: krow10

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. Growing Up In My Kitchen
2. Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
3. Ask My Readers: Homemade Cleaners

Today’s post is from Kyle at Rather Be Shopping. His site features online coupons and discounts. If you enjoy this post I hope you’ll consider subscribing to his RSS Feed. ~Nicki

I live in Redding, California where the summers are HOT! Typically Redding is the hottest spot in the state behind Death Valley. Come July and August we are often in triple digits for weeks at a time. We will top out at 113 to 115 degrees on certain days. These hot temperatures can turn into unbelievably high electric bills if we are not careful. Here are the top 4 things I have done to significantly lower our cooling bill. I hope they can help you this summer.

Plant A Tree

When we first moved into our home we had several windows that took the brunt of the afternoon sunlight. So my wife and I planted a tree in front of each window. It was literally instant shade on those windows. As the trees have grown over the past several years, it is incredible how much cooler those rooms stay in the summer time. The trees are beautiful and functional, a great combo.

Whole House Fan

If your home is not equipped with one, you can have one installed in your home for around $400. But believe me, you will recoup that money pretty quickly. It works by opening the windows at night after it has cooled off outside. You then turn the fan on and it pulls in the cool air. It is awesome! TIP: If you live where it stays humid all the time it obviously won’t work as well.

Be Sun Smart

I am always amazed how our neighbors keep their curtains open all day long and then complain how high their electric bill is. If the sun is shining right on a window and you don’t have any trees to block the sun, close the blinds! It is sort of like keeping your refrigerator door open all day long. Keep the warm sun out and the cool air in by closing blinds or curtains.

Let Technology Be Your Friend

Please feel free to add any frugal tips you use to lower your summer cooling bill. I look forward to your comments. Now on to some coupons that will help you save some money on blinds, thermostats, plants, and of course the best way to stay cool this summer, swim suits!

Ace Hardware.com
Get $15 off your $120+ purchase thru this link (Discount appears at checkout)
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 5/31/10
See All: Ace Hardware Coupons

Gardener’s Supply Co.com
Save 10% off your $50+ online purchase thru this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 5/20/10
See All: Gardeners Supply Coupons

Kmart.com
Save 30% off all Pools & 20% off all Pool Accessories
Coupon Code: APOOLSAVE20
Expiration: 5/15/10
See All: Kmart Coupons

Kohl’s.com
Save 30% off your entire online purchase w/ Kohls Card
Coupon Code: SUMMER30
Expiration: 5/19/10
See All: Kohls Coupons

Oriental Trading Company.com
Free Shipping on your $49+ online purchase
Coupon Code: OTC7575
Expiration: 7/04/10
See All: Oriental Trading Coupons

Sears.com
Get $10 off your $100+ online Tool purchase
Coupon Code: AFDEAL
Expiration: 5/16/10
See All: Sears Coupons

photo credit: HairyLime

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. How To Find Extra Money In Your Life
2. Shop Safely Online And Save Money
3. Shopping Strategies: Shop Before You Buy

Yesterday I posted about how I keep up with our laundry. Today I want to share how I try to keep it frugal.

Re-wear Your Clothes

No, not all of them. Sometimes you can though. If you only wore a pair of jeans for half the day and didn’t get them dirty then there’s no reason to toss them in the hamper. I feel the same way about sweatshirts. If I just wear a sweatshirt in the evening (and I’m not near a camp fire) then I’ll hang it up again. I know some people feel a little strange about wearing clothes more than once but if you’re open to it and can encourage your kids to do the same then it can definitely help decrease the number of loads of laundry you do in a week.

On that same note, do you re-use your bath towels? Again, I know some people don’t like the idea but I don’t have any problem with it at all. I find that I can easily use a bath towel 2 or 3 times before washing it. I’ve heard that putting a little baking soda in the wash helps them stay fresh. Anyone ever tried it?

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

I’m still very happy with my homemade detergent. Laundry detergent can be very expensive, especially if you go through it quickly. I believe it’s one of those cases where the really cheap stuff doesn’t work all that well so you almost have to buy the more expensive brands. That used to strain my food/household budget quite a lot some weeks.

As far as fabric softener goes … umm, I don’t use it. To be honest, I don’t feel like it makes that big of a difference and the only reason I ever bought it was to make my clothes smell nice. Now I know I can get the freshest smell of all by line-drying my clothes outside. Again, not everyone shares my feelings on this one and that’s fine. I’ve heard some great ideas for diluting fabric softener in a spray bottle. When I used to buy it I just used half the recommended amount.

Line Dry Your Laundry

3 seasons a year I line dry almost all of our laundry. I say almost because sometimes it just doesn’t work out. If it rains for 3 days straight then I’m probably just going to use the dryer. Generally, I check the forecast and as long as there isn’t a chance of rain I hang clothes. My clothesline is in a very convenient spot for me. There’s a door that goes outside from my laundry room and right outside that door is the clothesline and the swing set – perfect for dragging three young children along.

If you make line drying convenient, then you’ll be more apt to do it. If you can avoid it, don’t install a clothesline that’s far from your house. You can also line dry indoors. I don’t have the space for that, but if you have a large, finished basement then you may be able to string some line indoors. That would be very convenient. If you’re new to line-drying then ease yourself into it by committing to hang one load per week. Start with bed sheets or towels – those are the easiest.

Buy clothes you can wash at home

Even if an article of clothing is on sale for a fantastic price, I will not buy it if it says “dry clean only.” The only exception would be a suit for my husband for work. Other than that – I am a wash and wear kind of a girl. Not only is it annoying to have to bring things to the cleaners, it’s expensive, so I avoid it.

I wear mostly blue jeans and t-shirts so my wardrobe is pretty low maintenance. David has to dress up for work every day though, so he has dress pants, dress shirts and ties that all need to have gentle care. His work clothes tend to be more expensive so I do my best to take good care of them and make them last. I’m sure many business people take their dress clothes to the cleaner but I don’t have any problem caring for them at home. I wash all of those things on the gentle cycle and dry them on low heat – much less expensive than a dry cleaner.

So – how do you keep your laundry frugal?

Why I do what I do ~ Right now my younger niece says, “Take this on” instead of “put this on,” and “put this off” instead of “take this off.” It can be very confusing trying to understand what exactly she’s asking you to do.

Clothes pins photo by Monica Arellano-Ongpin

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

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Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. How I Keep Up With Our Laundry
2. I Tried It – Homemade Laundry Detergent
3. Imperfectly Frugal

Laundry is one of those things … Some people like it, some hate it, some ignore it, some obsess over it. Here’s the thing though –  EVERYONE has to do it (unless you’re wealthy enough to hire someone to do all of it for you of course). Ignore it, let it pile up and take over your closets – it still needs to be done.

Here’s where I’m at. I don’t love laundry but I don’t hate it. Putting clothes away annoys me for some reason. I truly detest ironing and find as many clever ways as possible to avoid it. Most importantly though – I almost never let it get behind.

This wasn’t always the case. In the past I would wait as long as possible to do my laundry. I have no earthly idea what nonsensical reasoning was telling me that waiting to do my laundry all at once, in one miserable marathon session, would make it easier, but that was exactly my habit. In college I could go through $15 in quarters in one day, trying to catch up my laundry. I think that’s pretty typical for a 19-year-old. I’m not 19 years old anymore though and I’m guessing that you’re not either.

As a former laundry piler, I’d like to offer a few tips on how I keep our laundry under control.

Have a place for dirty laundry

You can’t be mad at your husband for leaving his dirty socks on the floor if there isn’t an accessible place for him to put them. Where should your kids put their dirty bath towels? Make it easy on your family members and yourself by having designated spots. I have one hamper in my daughter’s room, two in my room and one in the laundry room that’s for towels, napkins, rags, etc. This works well for me. Find out what works for you.

Avoid catch-all spots

We have a glider in our bedroom that always seems to have something thrown on it. It was in a convenient spot where it was easy to toss things. I moved the glider and made a decision that nothing was going to be on it. Every time an article of clothing ended up there, I threw it on the floor. Maybe that doesn’t sound any better to you but for some reason, I’m much more apt to pick things up off the floor rather than off my bed or the chair. I have a point to all this – if you have a catch-all spot where clothes pile up in your room, do something about it.

Have it sorted

I don’t like to handle dirty laundry any more than I have to. With kids in the house the dirty laundry can be pretty icky sometimes (I assume the same applies if you have teenage boys?). So, I sort-of pre-sort. For instance, the hamper in the laundry room that holds towels, dish cloths and napkins – only holds those things. When it’s full I toss it all in the washer. No, or very little, sorting required.

In my bedroom I have a green hamper and a white hamper. They fit nicely in the closet, out of sight. The green hamper holds all the colors/darks and the white hamper holds the whites/lights. Again, when a hamper gets full I just take it to the washer and put it all in.

Put it away

Earlier this week I found myself in an annoying spot – I’d gotten a little behind on my laundry. It’s unusual for me to be that behind so I determined to spend the whole day catching it up. I had 6 loads of laundry. 6 loads of laundry makes a LOT of folded piles. As I stated earlier, I don’t like putting laundry away. However, I purposed beforehand that I wouldn’t get behind on the putting away and that I’d try to have one load put away before the next was dumped on the couch. By the end of the day I’d done it – all of the laundry was washed, dried, folded and put away. I thought to myself – I like keeping up with it MUCH better.

Let me tell you friends, it feels good to be caught up on laundry on a regular basis. I’m not perfect at it but I’m much better than I used to be. How do you fare? Is laundry the dreaded chore that’s always behind or have you found a way to manage things that works for you?

As a side note, I found a blog a little while ago about all things laundry called Mama’s Laundry Talk. It’s cute and definitely worth checking out!

Why I do what I do ~ I think dentists need to change what they are called to something a little more kid-friendly. Chloe is going for her first cleaning tomorrow. I said, “Chloe, tomorrow you get to do a grown up thing and go with Mama to the dentist!” She started crying. I asked if she knew what the dentist was. She said, “No, but I don’t want it!” Oh boy … I can see this is going to go well.

photo by .j.e.n.n.y.

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Related posts:

1. I Tried It – Homemade Laundry Detergent
2. Washing A Shower Curtain Liner
3. Good Reads: Laundry Soap Update

A while back I had an “Ask The Readers” post, soliciting advice for all-purpose cleaners. I’d been trying out several variations of a vinegar-based cleaner, but I was NOT a fan of the scent – yes, it evaporates but still. There were some great ideas in the comments of that post but there’s one in particular that really influenced me. Beth commented and directed me to this post about using lemon to clean your home.

Reading that post prompted me to go and find the biggest bottle of lemon juice I could buy. I had no idea I could buy anything bigger than 6 oz. I always had purchased small amounts of it. It turns out they sell large bottles of lemon juice … right in the juice isle at my grocery store.  I was able to purchase a quart of lemon juice for $1.99. I have no idea if this is a good price but I do know it’s a MUCH better value than buying those little plastic lemons that they sell it in.

Armed with my large bottle of lemon juice and my large jug of vinegar – I began mixing and here’s the recipe I think I’m sticking with:

• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar

Pour into a spray bottle and use as an all-purpose cleaner.

Here’s what I like about it – It’s non-toxic. I can use it right around the kids and not be worried about it. They also like to “help” me with cleanup, so I feel completely comfortable allowing them to help out a little rather than shooing them away and telling them it’s dangerous. The lemon juice greatly cuts down on the strength of the vinegar smell – which I was wanting. It makes faucets sparkle and does a nice job cleaning up light messes.

The downside – this is not a powerful cleaner. For extra scrubbing power against grease  or anything difficult add a good squirt of dish soap to the bottle and give it a good shake. However, the dish soap cancels the safety around kids thing. I don’t have a spare squirt bottle in my house right now, but the next time I actually remember to pick one up … I’m going to make a separate bottle with a squirt of dish soap in it so I have a light-duty cleaner and a heavy-duty cleaner.

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was getting congested and her nose was all stuffed up. I said, “I’m sorry your nose is stuffy sweetie.” She said, “It OK Mom. I forgive you.”

photo credit: David Paleino

YNAB-You need a budget. Yeah you do.

Rent movies from Netflix. Try for free!

Use coupon codes to get UPrinting Discounts on printed products.

Related posts:

1. Ask My Readers: Homemade Cleaners
2. Keeping Ants Out Of The Kitchen
3. I Tried It – Homemade Laundry Detergent