Ways to Recycle

Got some great tips from Woman’s Day Magazine plus some of my own on recycling common household items. When you recycle household items you save money and the earth at the same time. A great thing to do and make you feel good about being an upstanding citizen of the planet Earth.

Old sheets and pillow cases - Fold them almost in half, leaving a top flap. Stitch up sides and use them to store blankets, comforters and pillows  dust-free. I use old sheets to protect my car seats and trunk when I am transporting plants from the nursery and also put them over plants in my yard to protect them from freezes.

Luggage - You can use these to store extra sheets and pillow cases or out of season clothes. I use them to store other luggage such as duffel bags. We also once used an old suitcase lined with a blanket for a dog bed.

Wastebasket - Use tall ones for storing rolls of gift wrap or use them to store extra paint rollers or outdoor toys in the garage.

Plastic grocery bags - Use them as padding in packages with fragile items or use them as trash can liners in small trash cans.

Trifle bowls - I seldom make Trifles ( a layered dessert) so I use my Trifle bowls to hold hair scrunchies and hair rollers.

Laundry baskets - I use these in the garage to store basketballs, soccer balls and some sports equipment.

Laundry hampers - I use these in the garage to store the old sheets I cover the plants with during a freeze.

Three Ring Binders - You can fill these with plastic page protectors and store recipes, kid’s artwork, school schedules, magazine articles you are saving or even important receipts.

Plastic Bins from ice makers - I use the plastic bin from the previous refrigerator to store lids to plastic containers. You can put them in size order for easy access.

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Weeds are always a problem in the garden. Sometimes they seem to do better than the plants we buy from the nursery. Graham and Rosemary Haley writing in Haley’s Cleaning Hints; have some clever ideas for getting rid of weeds cheaply and naturally. Here are some of their suggestions:

Weeds in spaces in between patio stones - A nice alternative to killing weeds between your patio stones is to replace the weeds with plants. Simply plant some attractive ground cover seeds between the walkway stones. They’ll stunt the growth of any weeds as they proliferate. My mother-in-law who lived in New Jersey said they always used Portulaca or Moss Rose. Purslane is related to the Moss Rose or Portulaca and would also be pretty.

Natural Weed Killer recipe - Heat a gallon of water with a pound of salt. Stir well and pour between stones.

Vinegar Weed Killer - Pour undiluted white vinegar between the stones.

If you have relatively small unwanted tree stumps, I have a method that works quite well but it does take a while to work. I had several Yaupon trees that had sprung up in an area bordering our yard. We cut down the trees but could not afford to have the ten or twenty stumps that were left ground down. So, I gathered several bags full of dead leaves. Then I took the bag that the leaves were in and covered the stump with it. I piled the leaves on the top of the bag to make it secure. Eventually, with no air to feed it the stump died. I was able to simply rock the stump back and forth a few times and it came out easily.

The Haleys also give some hints for cleaning your paving stones and walkways:

De-ice walkways with fertilizer - Your paving stones will last longer and will be easier to clean in the spring if you don’t use salt to keep winter ice off. Use fertilizer instead.

Make walkway slabs look like new - If your walkway slabs and stones are really looking bad, try painting them. Clean them thoroughly first and then give them a few coats of good concrete paint.

Concrete stains - To remove leaf stains from your concrete patio or walkway, mix a solution of 1 quart water and 1 cup bleach. Then thicken the mixture to a paste by adding flour and smear it on the stained area. Let dry and hose off.

Greasy mark removal - For greasy marks, mix a solution of 1 cup water softener (ex. Borax) and 1 gallon hot water and scrub well.

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Benefits of Apple Juice

If you have apples that are bruised or soft and you don’t want to make applesauce - you can make a great homemade facial. Not a well known fact but apples are excellent for the skin. Check out our sister site Curepure.com and see our post on Benefits of Apple Juice for your Skin

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Crockpot Cooking Recipes

This recipe qualifies as a cheapskate winner because the ingredients are cheap and it is easy to make. Stew meat is one of your cheaper but tougher cuts of meat. The slow cooker does wonderful things to cheap cut of meats - the slow cooking process makes stew meat tender and tasty. I found this recipe on a mini-site. Here is the link Easy Slow Cooking Beef Mexican Stew and I have placed the recipe in this post for your convenience.

Beef Stew Mexican Style

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of good tender meat chunks, sirloin or your favorite cut
• 1 can of whole tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup chopped onions, big chunks
• 1 tsp chili powder
• dash cayenne
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno with seeds, or one whole chopped pepper, small, seeded
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, or kidney beans, rinsed and drained (Pinto may be substituted for milder tastes)
• 1 can corn with peppers, drained
• cilantro, chopped for garnish - add when serving.

Procedure:

1. In a skillet with a small amount of olive oil, brown the meat for about 1 - 2 minutes. Drain, and place in cooker.
2. Add all other ingredients, with the exception of the red pepper flakes, which you can add during the last hour of cooking.
3. Cook on low for 9- 10 hours or on high for 7 hours or until meat is tender and breaks apart easily.

You can serve the stew with corn or flour tortillas, tortilla chips crumbled over the top or even corn bread. Add chopped avocado, green onions, cheese, hot peppers if desired.

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I found this great little mini-site which gives all sorts uses for coffee filters. Here is the linkBest Use of Coffee Filter.
Some of them are very clever and great for cheapskateliving.

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Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes

Here is a quick and easy recipe for you can make with your kids. The recipe comes from Prevention Magazine and has just 56 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. No baking either.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

25 chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Confectioners’ Sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter

Make 36 cookies

Procedure:

1. Mix the cookie crumbs and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl.

2. Whisk together in a medium bowl the honey and peanut butter until well-combined. Add to the cookie crumb mixture and stir well (mixture may be crumbly).

3.  Shape the mixture with your hands into 1 inch balls (the mix should hold together as you shape it).

4.  Store in a airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Just before serving, roll the balls in the remaining 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. (for a fancy look you could roll in colored sugar)

See our related post Cheap Healthy Snacks for Kids

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Freelance Writing Work

Are you looking for a way make money from writing but don’t want to write at the going rate of a penny per word? If you enjoy writing, consider starting your own site and using your writing skills to help sell a product or generate leads for a company that is looking for potential clients.

There are many, many affiliate programs out there that need people who are good writers to attract people to their product. Affiliate programs work like this:

A company has a product to sell. They provide you with the advertisement to place on your site. You write a post about the product and include the advertisement. A visitor to your site reads the post and clicks on the advertisement. They are taken to the company website. If that visitor purchases something from the company, you get paid. It is easy to find affiliate offers because there are companies out there who are called affiliate networks and they have hundreds of products to choose from. You can sell pet supplies, vitamins, toys for kids, ringtones, games etc.  You can also help generate leads for a company. Insurance companies, debt relief firms, credit card companies are all looking for leads to qualified customers.

A good way to begin is to consider a product you would be interested in buying. If you like to play golf or tennis try promoting products related to the game. If you are an avid camper consider selling camping gear. If you have had debt problems you will know how to appeal those looking for debt relief. You generally are more successful with a product you yourself would enjoy using or have experience with.

Writing good sales copy and getting traffic to your site are the keys to making sales. Writing sales copy is different from other types of writing and attracting traffic to your site is another field entirely. An eBook has recently come on the market which is geared toward the non-technical website owner and covers these topics in an easy to understand manner.

The eBook is called LeadCallsYou and though the title would make you think it is for someone who needs to generate sales leads, the information provided can be used for any type of website where you are trying to sell something. The author specifically wrote the book for the novice web site owner and includes some great references on how to write internet sales copy and how to bring traffic to your site. It is one of the few eBooks out there about internet sales that can be understood by everyone. Click here to check it out LeadCallsYou and start making some money from your writing skills.

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Lower Your Utility Bills

Here is one of those two-for deals. You can conserve water, save energy and save money on your utility bills at the same time.

Save on your water heating bill:

1.  Don’t heat the water so hot

Lower the temperature setting on the water heater to 120 degrees— that temperature will prevent bacteria from building up and will still be sufficient to generate enough hot water for most uses.

Add an insulation “jacket” to the tank and wrap any exposed pipes to save up to 15 percent of hot water cost.

Every 3 months drain one quart of water from the tank to remove any sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of the hot water heater.

When you replace the heater look for the Energy Star and EnergyGuide labels.

2. Use less hot water

Bathroom - Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints -save 20 gallons a day per leak.

Install low-flow shower head - save 800 gallons a month.

Install aerators on faucets - if added to bathrooms and kitchen sinks save 1000 gallons a year.

Take shorter showers - one or two minute reduction saves 700 gallons a month.

Laundry room -

With many choices of cold water detergents, “warm” or “hot” water settings can be reserved for only really dirty clothes.

Run full loads.

Wash bulky bedding and/or towels separately from lighter-weight clothing items. This will help dryer work more efficiently. While the dryer doesn’t use water directly, maximizing its performance is key to cutting energy cost.

When purchasing a new washing machine look for Energy Start and EnergyGuide labels. Also, front-loading horizontal axis types save energy and water.

Kitchen -

Install 7 gallon per load dishwasher to replace older model (9.5 to 12 gallon). You can save 940 kWh per year.

Make setting adjustments to conserve water and energy. Check manufacturer’s instructions for your options.  For example, choose no-heat drying option.

Scrap don’t pre-wash dishes.

Wash only full loads.

Select light-wash option. Experts say that it is rarely necessary to use the normal setting on a dishwasher.

Don’t let water for cooking run until it’s hot that’s heating it twice.

Use the disposal less, and the garbage can more — even better COMPOST!

See our related post Cheap Air Purifier Filters

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Green Air Filter

Want to know the very cheapest way to clean the air in your house. I found this great tidbit in Woman’s Day magazine. Dr. Neil Schater of NYC Mount Sinai Medical Center, a spokesperson for the American Living Association says “To get get rid of airborne toxins released by certain paints, carpets and plastics like shower curtains, get a non-flowering plant like bamboo. It can purify the air in a 10 x 10 room in 24 hours.”

I have a son who has really bad allergies and it seems to have helped. I used an ivy plant and a fern but if you want to combine clean and fung shui, get some of that lucky bamboo. You can have good fortune and clean air and an attractive addition to your decor. Sounds like a good deal to me.

If you are unsure about how to locate non flowering house plants, go to your local nursery and ask what indoor plants are non flowering. Generally people at the local nurseries are more knowledgeable than the garden centers at the hardware store.

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Want to know how to give yourself a professional manicure at home? Check out this post on HubPages on Tips On Home Manicures Find out why white vinegar should be part of your nail care routine and how to properly store your nail polish so it lasts longer.

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