The Frugal Life News

Where To Sell Your Stuff For Most Cash

2008-10-12T03:15:00.000-04:00

Check out Frugal Living at About.com for the best places to sell items for cash. Books, Clothes, Furniture, Antiques and Collectibles, Sports Equipment, Electronics, CDs/DVDs/Video Games, Housewares, Appliances, Jewelry, and Musical Instruments. Be sure to check out the other articles with ways to make money. Frugal Living About.com.

Uses For Plastic Newspaper Bags

2008-10-11T03:19:00.000-04:00

From Frugal Living About.com

Plastic grocery bags can be used for all sorts of things, but what about those plastic sleeves that your newspaper comes in? Are they good for anything?

Indeed they are:

1. Pooper Scooper Bags
Newspaper sleeves are the perfect tool for cleaning up doggie droppings. Just pull a sleeve over your hand; use it to pick up the droppings; then, grab the bag at it's opening; pull it back over your hand; and toss the whole thing.

2. Travel Bags
Protect the contents of your suitcase from shampoo and lotion spills by sliding the bottles into plastic newspaper sleeves, and tying the bags shut. Do the same with shoes, to protect your clothes from dirty soles.

3. Yard Sale Bags
Have small things to sell at your next yard sale? Place them in newspaper sleeves, and you won't have to spend money on plastic, zipper bags.

4. Work Gloves
Slide your hands into two newspaper sleeves, and you have instant work gloves.

Finding Free Entertainment and Free Classes

2008-10-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

Public education takes on new meaning at many area stores and community centers. From decorative painting to dance instruction, there are many free classes and events in our neighborhoods. What's more, public libraries offer free fitness, cultural and literary classes at neighborhood branches.

Every month, Whole Foods Market, a national chain, provides free classes on ...

Read the entire article.

Economic Meltdown Survival Guide

2008-10-09T03:13:00.000-04:00

Banks are closing or being taken over by the U.S. government, brokerages are getting massive multi-billion loans, insurers are going belly-up and the Dow Jones has been on quite a roller coaster ride lately. Images of soup kitchens, massive unemployment and doom and gloom come to mind as some wonder aloud if the U.S. is headed for another Great Depression.

Even so, some people aren't worried. They aren't even nervous. I happen to be one of those people. If you took steps a year ago, or even six months ago, to get your financial house in order, you'll weather the storm just fine. You could even start sorting out your finances now, and you'll still be fine. It just takes calm, cool reasoning...and a game plan. With that in mind, Savvy Frugality presents the Economic Meltown Survival Guide.

Basement Smell Stinks Whole House

2008-10-08T09:18:00.000-04:00

Please help me. My house stinks so badly. It is from my basement. I have added water to my drain, and it still stinks really badly. I have been burning candles to cover the smell up. I need to get rid of the smell. Is this harmful to my family? Please let me know. Read other responses and leave your own.

Make Your Own Toilet Bowl Cleaner

2008-10-07T11:26:00.000-04:00

From Planet Green.

Have you ever thought about making your own toilet bowl cleaner? I think a lot of us believe that we have to have strong chemicals to clean dirty items like toilet bowls. That's simply not true. You can make a great cleaner for your toilet bowl at home and with natural ingredients.

Check out this toilet bowl cleaner recipe that worked for me:

Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of your favorite scent (lemon always works for me). Throw this into your toilet and scrub away! It always gets my toilet clean.

By making your own home cleaners, not only are you saving on our planet's resources and reducing the toxic chemicals in your immediate environment, but you're saving money, too!
Read more about detoxing your bathroom.

Save Energy: Laundry

2008-10-06T11:20:00.001-04:00

Your dryer checks in at number two (#2) on the list of household energy hogs (right after your fridge), according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and uses more than you might think.

By cutting the dryer out of the equation and using the ample solar energy that falls to the earth every day, you can save some bucks, and prolong the life of your clothes, too. Get the full scoop in How to Go Green: Laundry.

Disney Free 2009 Admission On Your Birthday

2008-10-05T15:09:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to pass this along. Disney World and Disney Land are giving you free admission on your birthday for their 2009 promo! I verified it through the Disney website!

Here is the link:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=FreeOnYourBirthdayPage&bhcp=1

Submitted by Pam on The Frugal Life Forum

Mirror Stuck On Wall

2008-10-04T15:01:00.002-04:00

Hi, I have a huge mirror stuck on the wall - with I don't know what - as there are no visible screws etc. Now this has developed a crack on one side and the crack line is growing slowly. Can someone suggest anything I can do to avoid the whole thing being cracked over a period of time? Post your answer or read the ideas.

Switching Children To Healthy Lunches

2008-10-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

Getting your child to eat right doesn't have to be such a losing battle, however. Experts say parents, by working with their children, planning ahead and being creative, can get their kids to eat and enjoy healthy lunches.

"You can't hit the person over the head with changes right off the bat," says Tosca Reno, author of the new book The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids. "You've got to begin slowly. But kids are smart. Once they see how good they feel, they'll want more."

If your child seems to have an aversion to all things healthy, you're not alone. There's no shortage of statistics showing just how much children in the U.S. struggle when it comes to eating right, as well as getting enough physical activity. Read the entire article.

DYI Home-Built Solar Panels

2008-10-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

When Mike Davis moved to Arizona to get away from the light pollution so he could enjoy his hobby of astronomy, he didn't have any way to connect to electricity. The wind power worked most of the time, but generally not when he needed it.

He used common tools and inexpensive and easy to acquire materials to produce a solar panel that rivals commercial panels in power production, but completely blows them away in price. Read the entire article for step-by-step instructions.

Homemade Heat Wrap

2008-10-01T14:55:00.001-04:00

Fill a men's white cotton sock with two cups of white rice. Tie a knot in the top. Place in microwave for one minute. You now have made a flexible heat wrap. After several uses it will smell like popcorn...time to wash the sock and make a new one. I have also used smaller white cotton sock to make a heat wrap for children..heat for only 30 seconds. Good for ear aches, tummy aches etc. Decorate with magic marker.......they love them.

Submitted by teatime44 at The Frugal Life Forum

Music Replaces Hormone Therapy

2008-09-30T12:07:00.000-04:00

Music, the universal language of mood, emotion and desire, connects with us through a wide variety of neural systems. Researchers have discovered evidence that music stimulates specific regions of the brain responsible for memory, language and motor control. They have located specific areas of mental activity linked to the emotional responses elicited by music. Now new research conclusions have identified how the affect of music could replicate the effects of hormone replacement therapy in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Music affects levels of such steroids as cortisone, testosterone and estrogen, and it is believed that music also affects the receptor genes related to these substances and related proteins. Unlike supplementing the brain through hormone replacement therapy which can have side effects, music is natural, and its existence is universal and mundane. If music can be used in medical care, the application of such a safe and inexpensive therapeutic option is limitless.

Studies as far back as 1990 found that the brain responds to harmony. Using a PET scanner to monitor changes in neural activity, neuroscientists at McGill University discovered that the part of the brain activated by music is dependent on whether or not the music is pleasant or dissonant.

This new research is beginning to help those involved in cognitive rehabilitation. Music is now used with patients with stroke, schizophrenia, Huntington's, Alzheimer's and traumatic brain injury among others. Read the entire article.

Corn Mazes

2008-09-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

Fall is a great time to get outdoors and corn mazes are this season's delight. Corn seems to go with Autumn and good family fun. There are also other types of mazes besides corn, but you can find a corn maze through the Corn Maze Directory online. Here's another website with a corn maze directory.

A couple years ago I scheduled a 'girl day' with friends and we went to The Garden Maze in the Shenandoah Valley in Luray, Virginia. It was great fun. They even had misters throughout the paths to keep you cool. It's amazing what you can do with one acre of land. We felt like we'd been hiking for miles but were so entertained time went quickly.

Mazes create challenges with tricky loops and dead ends, so plan on laughing a lot. Take some water and a pocket snack and have a reward for the family member who gets to the end first.

California Rules Homeschooling Illegal

2008-09-28T09:23:00.003-04:00

Update!
This ruling has been overturned. (See comment below with link provided by a subscriber.) I am leaving this here so others will realize that they need to stay tuned into such legislation to protect the rights of parents and homeschoolers in all states.

A California appeals court has ruled that homeschooling of children is illegal unless their parents have teaching credentials from the state.

"California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," said Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association.

The decision stunned parents of the state's roughly 166,000 homeschooled children. While the court claimed that it was merely clarifying an existing law and not making a new one, the decision leaves the parents of homeschooled children at risk of arrest and criminal prosecution.

Teach About Junk Food Ads

2008-09-27T12:21:00.000-04:00

Children are constantly exposed to advertising messages designed to make them believe they can't live without a certain product. Hence the influential power of the medium. But how does it work?

Understand that we purchase based on emotions. How we feel about a product determines if we will buy it or not. It all begins with what advertisers have coined as the think-feel-do model of message effects, which presumes that we approach a purchase situation using a sequence of responses.

In other words, we think about something, then we form an opinion or attitude about it (feel) and finally we take action and try it or buy it (do). Advertising helps shape our attitude favorably about a product to entice us to buy.

The effective way to handle the influence of advertisements is to live the healthy example you wish your children to practice. Build a pattern of behavior that is consistent with what you want for your child. In fact we should be flesh and blood advertisements to our children. Get some ideas in the article.

Estimate Retirement Benefits

2008-09-26T10:48:00.000-04:00

The Social Security Administration recently launched an online Retirement Estimator. This allows you to view expected levels of Social Security benefits for all possible retirement ages.

The system calculates your benefit based on current earnings and your retirement date. You can also find out how payments might change if your earnings increase or decrease. Visit now.

Penny Pinching

2008-09-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

Conspicuous consumption is out, frugality is in. Spiraling food and fuel prices, a gyrating stock market and a sagging economy are forcing more people to cut expenses and alter their lifestyle.

Even the wealthy and well-connected are starting to feel the pinch, scaling back on luxuries. In lieu of expensive hotels, they’re exchanging homes with friends, for both summer and winter vacations. At restaurants they forgo bottled water, split pricey entrees and order a side salad to complete the meal—a boon for both wallet and waistline.

Get a few ideas from this AARP article.

Passing Time At Airport

2008-09-24T03:15:00.000-04:00

Being stuck at an airport, especially big ones, can be an unpleasant experience for you in many ways. You can hardly move because of the enormous crowds, temperatures have rocketed, and your arms are aching because of the amount of luggage you have been carrying around. All this and then you discover that your flight is going to be delayed for a long time. Thankfully, there are ways to pass the time. Read the article.

Make Your Own Compost Tumbler

2008-09-23T04:17:00.000-04:00

This video gives detailed instructions on building an inexpensive compost tumbler which, according to the creator, can produce rich compost in 14-21 days! Cost was $8 plus two hours of labor. View the video.

Couch Surfing vs Hotels

2008-09-22T05:55:00.001-04:00

In 2004, Casey Fenton co-founded a nonprofit service that helps travelers find a "friendlier alternative" to unfriendly hotels. They find homeowners who are willing to offer their spare beds and couches to others.

The group boasts almost a quarter of a million friendships that have been formed from their service. "The more we network," said Fenton, "the better chance we have of this world being a better place."

Here is a statement off of their website:

As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world! Read the entire article.

Dog Scratching and Biting

2008-09-21T16:53:00.001-04:00

On July 4th, I went with my Mom to one of her friend's houses for a cookout, and to watch the fireworks etc. I got to talking with one of her friends that was there, Debbie, who has a little dog with severe allergies, skin problems, itching etc. Apparently, this poor little guy has been on several different medications, and nothing has helped him. Debbie was telling me about how he has been biting himself so much that he actually has numerous bald spots, his feet are completely bald from the biting and scratching, and it even got to the point of bleeding.

I asked her what kind of food she was feeding him, and she said Science Diet. So, I told her what all I went through with Murphy, and explained how it was the corn in the food that he was allergic to. I told her what a difference the Flint River food has made - going from 3 times a week vet visits, to once a year for his check-up! I advised her to give the food a try and see if it made a difference.

I'm not sure how long it was before she ordered a bag of the food, but my Mom called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that the dog had been on the Flint River food for about 3 days, and had completely stopped biting and scratching himself. Debbie said that his skin looked like it wasn't inflamed, and that she was just amazed at the difference in such a short amount of time!

Flint River Ranch ... another dog saved! I just had to pass the story along.

Alicia

Health and Cell Phones

2008-09-20T06:27:00.000-04:00

There's a lot of research finally going on regarding cell phones and health, especially when it comes to children. Being informed on this topic would be a wise choice, as would redesigning your use of cell phones.

Mobile Phones More Dangerous Than Smoking

Cell Phone Precautions - Analysis of Studies - Concerns For Children

What about Bluetooth?

Clothes Hangers

2008-09-18T16:04:00.000-04:00

Sometimes statistics are the best way to get a sense of scale on our effluent of affluence. Try this one:

The U.S. consumes 8 billion hangers each year. Picture the Empire State Building packed from basement to observation deck - all 102 floors - with plastic hangers. Now multiply that by 4.6 to get the number of skyscrapers needed to hold 8 billion hangers.

Put another way these hangers would fill 46,296 semi trucks stretching 464 miles.

According to Green Progress, over 8-10 billion plastic and wire hangers are sold each year, with only 15% ever being recycled. While clothes hangers, both metal and plastic are pretty small, 8 billion each year begins to add up. Fortunately, there are alternatives to hangers and plenty of ways to reuse them and keep them out of landfills.

Source: Read the entire article.

Rain Barrels From Trash Cans

2008-09-17T14:50:00.000-04:00

If changes in trash collection rules have made your old garbage can obsolete or you simply have a spare can, put it to good use collecting rainwater. A 32-gallon plastic trash can is ideal for this, and if it has wheels, you can even move it as needed.

The easiest way to turn a garbage can into a rain collector is simply to tuck it underneath a gutter with the downspout removed and fill ‘er up. You can get a little more efficient by positioning the downspout so it goes into the can. Keep debris out of the rain barrel by cutting an opening in the lid a bit larger than the downspout and feeding the downspout through the hole.

To prevent mosquitoes from making a home in the barrel and to keep even small leaves out, stuff an old pair of pantyhose into the gap between the downspout and the lid.

Read the entire article and get more tips at Care2.com.