From the introduction:

The recent economic recession has a lot of people worried, about their jobs, their businesses, their homes and their bills. When your income is dropping or in jeopardy and you still have a mountain of bills to pay, things can get pretty scary.

However, tough economic times do not have to be a time of struggles! If you look for the opportunity in the middle of difficulty, as Mr. Einstein suggested, then tough economic times become an opportunity to transform your life.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. A Simple Lifestyle
2. Focus on the Essentials
3. Thriving on Less, Not Struggling
4. Focusing on Enough, Not More
5. Make Small Financial Changes First
6. Look at Large Expenses for the Long Term
7. Changing Your Spending Habits
8. A Guide to Getting Out of Debt
9. Tools for a Frugal Life
10. Resources

Window Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbls. cornstarch
1 gal. water
*used balled newspaper

Wall Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup washing soda
1 gal. water

Hardwood Floor Formula
1 cup Ivory Flakes
1/2 cup bleach
1 gal. warm water

Upholstery Stains (old stains)
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/4 cup vinegar
warm water

Whiten Whites / Brighten Polyesters
2 cups electric dishwashing detergent
cold water
Soak overnight; was as usual

Commercial Spot Remover
2 parts water
1 part rubbing alcohol
Put into mist spray bottle; use for clothing

Frost Prevention
Rub inside window with rubbing alcohol; wipe with newspaper.

Fabric Softener
1 cup ammonia to washing cycle along with detergent.

Clogged Drains
1 cup salt
1 cup baking soda
1 cup boiling water
*Do not use with garbage disposal

Or try

3 cups boiled vinegar into drain.
Flush with water.
OK to use with garbage disposals.

Homemade Pre-Wash
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup liquid detergent
1/3 cup ammonia
Mix well and put in empty spray bottle.

Carpet Stain Formula
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/2 cup vinegar

Urine Spot Remover for Carpets
1. Blot up urine with paper towel.
2. Apply carpet stain formula (above); blot.
3. Pour on club soda; blot.
4. Mist/spray with vinegar.
5. Layer paper towels; place a heavy object on top to pull out moisture.

Mildew Prevention
1/2 cup salt into wash cycle to cut down possible mildew.

Baby Formula Remover
1/4 cup bleach
1 cup dishwashing detergent
1 gal. water
Soak overnight; wash as usual.

Spot Remover
1. Flush with club soda
2. Mix together 2 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol
3. Mist/spray spot with above and wipe off.

Clothing

* Buy only because you need clothing and buy only those items that will fit into your present wardrobe. If you are choosing between two outfits, buy the one that goes best with what you already have.

* Buy good, usable clothing from thrift shops, garage sales, warehouse outlets, discount centers, and yard sales. Check any purchases first for stains or worn spots.

* Make purchases during sales time: clearance, end-of-month, or end-of-season.

* Buy versatile clothes that will expand your wardrobe, i.e., a sweater you can wear with two pairs of slacks you already have.

* Instead of buying new clothes, buy accessories that give a new look to the clothes already in your closet.

* Buy multi-season clothes such as an all-weather coat with a zip-in lining.

* Remodel or recycle an outfit you already own.

* Use cloth diapers and launder them yourself.

* If you know how to sew, consider saving by sewing your own clothes, but estimate costs carefully. You may be able to buy certain items on sale for less than you would spend on fabric and supplies.

* Share or trade sewing skills with family members or others in your community.

* Swap outgrown children’s and/or maternity clothes with neighbors or friends. Consider doing the same with shoes, ice skates, sports equipment, baby accessories, activity or school uniforms, etc.

Clothing Care

* Always consider care costs before purchase by checking the care label. Washing by machine costs less than dry cleaning.

* Keep clothes clean and in good repair. Remove stains promptly.

* Store clothes properly to protect from sun, moths, mildew, stretching, etc.

* Protect shoes and other leather items from water and salt stains.

* Buy minimum-care clothing: washable, dark colors. Dark clothes usually show wear less than light colors — especially coats, slacks, etc.

* Use self-dry-cleaning services and dry-clean your own clothes. Make sure all stains are removed before dry-cleaning. Self-dry-cleaning kits don’t usually work well on oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, etc.

* Share a dry-cleaning load with a friend if you don’t have enough for a full load.

Personal Care

* Use a mixture of baking soda and salt for brushing teeth.

* Buy personal care items from discount stores or wherever you find a personal care product on sale.

* Buy necessary items such as shampoo and toothpaste at reduced prices when stores offer “specials.” Stock up on specials but no more than you can reasonably use within the life of the product.

* Compare generic, store, and national prices — you may be paying for advertising.

* Give haircuts and permanents at home. Adopt a hair style you can manage yourself and which doesn’t need expensive care products and/or upkeep.

* Try inexpensive cosmetics. Similar ingredients are used in like cosmetic products. The difference in price is often due to promotion and advertising costs.

* Watch for coupons and rebates for personal care products.

The last time I was at our local flea market (I had a table there, but found a few minutes to check around for goodies) I spotted this set of snowman dishes. It was service for eight and included a large plate, salad dish, mug and bowl. Figuring the price would be $15-$20, (reasonable but more than I wanted to spend that day) I passed them up and went back to my table. After a few minutes, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I asked my daughter to go back and ask how much they wanted for them. When she came back and said $5.00 (yes-FIVE), I almost tripped over my feet getting out from behind our table to buy them. Aren’t they great?

This post is part of Thrifty Treasures, Second Time Around, Thrift Store Thursday and Goodwill Party.

Air Fresheners
Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try
one of the following.

Ventilation. Open windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

Vinegar. Distribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

Cinnamon and Cloves. Boil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri. Buy or make your own potpourri from your favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Kitchen And Food Odors

Vanilla*. Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. It is reported to remove even skunk odors. Keep the cotton ball out of reach of children; vanilla has a high alcohol content.

Baking Soda. Place a partially filled saucer of baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottles by filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

Borax*. Empty the garbage frequently and clean the can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds and bacteria, sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

Vinegar or Celery Stalk. To avoid or remove onion odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a celery stalk will also remove the odor.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

Baking Soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner. Or use baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Carpet And Rug Cleaner

IF YOU PLAN TO SHAMPOO YOUR CARPET, FIRST TRY A PRE-CLEANING TREATMENT. Sweep the carpet, which will make the nap stand up and loosen the imbedded din. Next vacuum. With this work alone, the rug should show a noticeable improvement, so much in fact that you may decide to delay the shampooing.

To neutralize odors: Borax* and cornmeal. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal. Let this mixture stand for an hour before vacuuming.

Another alternative is Baking Soda. Making certain that the carpet is dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally over the entire carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly bad, before vacuuming.

Decal Remover
Vinegar. To remove no-slip decals from the bathtub, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price tags and other decals from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off.

Disinfectant
Soap. Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria. Keep things dry. Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without moisture.

Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water and clean with this solution.

Isopropyl Alcohol*. This is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge and allow to dry. (It must dry to do its job.) Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

Drain Cleaners and Drain Openers

Prevention. To avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain; or weekly put
some vinegar and baking soda down your drain to break down fat and keep your drain smelling fresh.

Plunger. A time-honored drain opener is the plunger. This inexpensive tool will usually break up the clog and allow it to float away. It may take more than a few plunges to unclog the drain.

Baking Soda and Vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. Let set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

Salt and Baking Soda. Pour 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit overnight and then flush with water. The hot water should help dissolve the clog and the baking soda and salt serve as an abrasive to break
through the clog.

Floor Cleaners and Floor Polishes
Vinegar. A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease panicles. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon water. Your floor will look sparkling clean.
For Linoleum: Mild Detergent. Damp mop using a mild detergent and water for day to day cleaning. Keep water away from seams and edges to prevent loosening of the tiles. To preserve the linoleum floor you may wish to add a capful of baby oil to the mop water.
For Wood Floors: Vegetable Oil and Vinegar. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.
For Painted Wooden Floors: Washing Soda*. Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can
also be used to remove mildew.
For Rubber Tiles: Mild Detergent. Avoid oils, solvents, and strong alkalies as they will harm the surface. Wash with clear water, a mild detergent, and a clean mop.
For Brick and Stone Floors: Vinegar. Mix 1 cup white vinegar into 1 gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.
For Ceramic Tile: Vinegar. Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into 1 gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.
Club Soda. Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.
Wax Remover
For Vinyl and Asbestos Tiles: Club Soda. Remove wax buildup by pouring a small amount of club soda on a section. Scrub this in well. Let it soak in a few minutes and wipe clean.
For Linoleum Flooring: Isopropyl Alcohol*. To remove old wax by mopping, mix a solution of 3 pans water to 1 pan rubbing alcohol. Scrub this in well and rinse thoroughly. Be sure the area is well-ventilated and wear gloves.
Special Problems
To remove black heel marks:
Baking Soda. Rub the heel mark with a paste of baking soda and water. Don’t use too much water or the baking soda will lose its abrasive quality.
To remove tar:
Scrape up excess tar with the side of a dull knife. Rub again with your fingernail, a popsicle stick, or anything that won’t scratch the floor. Finally, wipe up the tar with a dry cloth.
To remove crayon marks:
Toothpaste. Crayon marks on the floor may be removed by
rubbing them with a damp cloth containing toothpaste. Toothpaste will not work well on wallpaper or porous surfaces.
To remove grease from wood floors:
Ice Cube or Cold Water. If you spill grease on a wood floor, immediately place an ice cube or very cold water on the spot. The
grease will harden and can then be scraped off with a knife. Then iron a piece of cloth over the grease spot.

*more to come*

Almost immediately after I wrote the review, several readers wrote to me and strongly encouraged me to pick up Morgenstern’s earlier book, Organizing From The Inside Out, Morgenstern’s first book that uses essentially the same philosophy. I picked it up, gave it a read, and actually quite liked it.

To me, Organizing From The Inside Out is one of those books that’s so sensible that while you’re reading it, it seems almost like common sense, but when you sit down and actually apply it, it’s as smooth as a hot knife through butter. That’s a high compliment, in my opinion. This is an astounding book for organizing your home or workspace, well worth reading if you have clutter issues either at home or at work.

Peeking At Organizing From The Inside Out

Right off the bat, the book makes an interesting statement: sometimes quick solutions are the best ones. This book is all about framework, much like Getting Things Done works for task management. Once you’ve got the framework down, solving organization problems is quite simple because everything just falls into place.

Part One - Laying The Foundation
Morgenstern is a big believer in tackling any problem with a three piece approach: analyze, strategize, and attack. This philosophy works quite well for organization, too - look at a space, analyze what’s wrong with it, develop a strategy for what you would like it to be, and attack it head-on.

Most people stumble at this because of one of three things: technical limitations (like inadequate storage space), external limitations (like working conditions), and psychological obstacles (like anxiety over changing your routine). If your limitations are technical, the best approach is usually to minimize as much as possible - get rid of stuff you don’t use, for starters. If external elements are limiting things, look for options to reduce your workload for a bit so that you can get organized, as this will enable you to tackle more work efficiently. If the limitations are psychological, interestingly, the chief recommendation that Morgenstern offers is to throw yourself into focusing on something else and let organization just be something that’s an assistance, not a primary focus. I find that in various ways, all three of these are very helpful, basic tips - they all lead to a truly functional organization that matches you, not a generic system for everyone.

Part Two - Secrets of a Professional Organizer
This portion of the book focuses on the analyze/strategize/attack plan mentioned above.

Analyze
Ask yourself these five questions about the area you wish to organize:

1. What’s working?
2. What’s not working?
3. What items are most essential to you?
4. Why do you want to get organized?
5. What’s causing the problems?

The first questions seek to identify the good and bad elements in the situation, while the third seeks to minimize. The fourth and fifth are more introspective, but they actually form an interesting cycle with the first three. Try answering all of the questions twice - I found that it helped quite a bit when trying to use Morgenstern’s philosophy for organizing my home office.

Strategize
Julie really recommends evaluating what you actually do in the area you’re organizing and define “zones” that are focused on each activity. For example, I have a writing space, a GTD/paperwork space, and (soon) a reading space in my home office. Each of these spaces has different things that are easily available - for example, the writing space usually has the books I’m currently reviewing, my list of writing ideas, and my laptop, while my GTD space has an inbox and lots of files in it.

Attack
Solving the problem boils down to five steps:

Sort
Purge
Assign a home
Containerize
Equalize

One key thing to take out of this is that you shouldn’t buy a single container or organization material until you reach the fourth step. Before you buy a bin or a filing cabinet or a box, instead first go through all of the stuff, get rid of the stuff that’s unnecessary, and figure out your general groupings and where they go. Once you have that done, you’ll have some idea of the containers you actually need and they’ll meet your functionality needs.

Part Three - Applying What You’ve Learned
Here, Morgenstern applies all of the information from the first two parts to specific situations: a traditional office, a home-based business, a cubicle workstation, a mobile office, a “household information center,” attics, basements, garages, bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, kids’ rooms, kitchens, and living rooms. Whew! Each one is addressed on a few pages in order to give an outline of a healthy plan of attack.

For example, I gave her information a shot in my home office, which is actually a mix of a traditional office, a home-based business, and a household information center. I read those three sections in detail before diving in and found that I also wound up using the closet information as well, as I began to utilize the closet in there.

The end result? Actually, the process is still ongoing, but I can already feel how much more organized and efficient it’s going to become.

Part Four - Tackling Time and Technology
This final section is very brief and is just a several-page summary of the material in Morgenstern’s Time Management From The Inside Out.

Buy or Don’t Buy?

Time Management From The Inside Out was a good book that I quite enjoyed, but Organizing From The Inside Out thoroughly supercedes it. The underlying philosophy is the same, but that philosophy applies so much better to organizing rooms than to organizing time.

If you have trouble organizing a room efficiently and effectively, take a serious look at Organizing From The Inside Out. My experience in our home office with the ideas in this book have been tremendous - I’m quite convinced that it works, it just takes some thinking and analysis instead of just diving in and “organizing” without a plan.

**written by Trent at The Simple Dollar**

We went to two thrift store in our neighborhood over the weekend. Here’s some of what I picked up.

This candle and flowerpot have found a home on my kitchen windowsill. I put in an order with the Easter Bunny for some kind of small plant for the flowerpot. Each item was $1.00.

This bunny is made of wrought iron (which I love!) and has a place for a tealight candle. It was $3.00.

I have a bunch of rectangular heavy-duty plastic trays that I bought several years ago and we use the all the time, for a bunch of different things but mostly for carrying snacks and drinks out to the back yard. They’re starting to crack so I’ve been trying to find more (without having to buy them new). I didn’t find any rectangle ones but I did find a round one for $1.00.

The two plastic dishes were .25 each and they’ll go under a plant somewhere outside. The butterfly trivet was $3.00, new in the package. I’m not going to use it as a trivet though…I’m going to try and mosaic it over the summer and hang it up outside. We’ll see what ends up happening. lol

This was my favorite find of the day! I love this handpainted, wooden bowl. It’s on my kitchen table right now waiting to be filled with treats and fruit. It was $3.00. Also, in both stores everything was 30% off.

I also picked up a binder (with some paper inside it) for $1.00, a pack of bird stickers for .25, a package of party invitations for .25 and a new (in the package) game of Cribbage for .50. We don’t know how to play and I know my daughters like learning new games so I bought it for one of those days when the weather is not so great and we’re looking for something new to try.

PS: This post is part of Second Time Around, Thrift Store Thursday and Junk Party.

1. Write down your monthly take-home pay. Or if you’re out of work, your unemployment compensation. If you’re in sales – or work on commission – you may have to estimate, since your income may vary from month to month. List income you receive from any source, like a part-time job, a tax refund, gifts, unemployment, public assistance, dividends, and alimony or child support. Add the entries to determine your actual income for that month. Keep in mind, some of these amounts may fluctuate.

2. List how much you deposit in savings each month from your take-home income, even if it’s only a small amount.

3. List your fixed monthly expenses – the predictable, set amounts for the must-have items and services that you pay for each month – like rent or mortgage, car payment, and telephone, cable, or Internet access.

4. List your variable expenses – the amounts that change, as well as the expenses you pay weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or every year – like groceries, clothing, haircuts, property taxes, auto and homeowners insurance, and gas and electric.

5. List estimates for once-in-a-while expenses – like birthday and wedding gifts, or holiday gifts and entertainment.

6. Total your fixed and variable expenses and divide by 12 to get a monthly estimate.

7. If after paying your bills and putting money in savings, you still have funds, you can carry over the balance for the next month or use it for unexpected expenses. If this month’s balance is negative, look for ways to cut back on the variable expenses.

If you’ve ever heard the advice, “never go to the grocery store without a list or when you’re hungry,” chances are you know why: you’re likely to buy more than you need and spend more, too. Regardless of where you’re shopping and how you pay for your purchases, remember to:

1. Shop around. A “sale” price isn’t always the “best” price. Some merchants may offer a sale price on the item you want for a limited time; other merchants may offer items at a discount everyday. Other merchants may offer a deep discount on one item – but only if you agree to spend a minimum that is several hundred dollars more.

2. Go online. Check out websites that compare prices. If you decide to buy from an online merchant, keep shipping costs and delivery time in mind.

3. Look for price matching policies. Some merchants will match, or even beat, a competitor’s prices.

4. Clip coupons. Coupons are useful when they save you money on what you’re already planning to buy. You can find some coupons in the Sunday paper or often, at coupon exchanges at your local library. Or you can download others – full coupons or simply codes – from manufacturer and retailer sites online. If you are shopping online, you simply enter the code at checkout.

5. Use debit and credit cards sparingly. To minimize interest and other charges, try to limit credit card purchases to an amount you can pay in full at the end of the month. If you use a debit card, don’t rely on an overdraft feature to spend money you don’t have. When you leave your house, carry only the card you may need to use rather than all your cards “just in case.”

6. Keep track of your spending. Incidental and impulse purchases add up. Jotting down what you spend after every purchase helps keep you mindful of your limits. At least once a month, use credit card, checking, and other records to review what you’ve bought. Then ask yourself if it makes sense to reallocate some of this spending to an emergency savings account.