Save Money and Be Nice to your Clothes so they Last Longer
Some aspects of cheap home living require just a little attention and common sense to save time and money. Taking care of your clothes is one of those common sense actions that can save consumers money over time by making clothes last longer.
Constantly washing and drying clothes over time puts a tremendous amount of wear and tear on the garments and shortens their useful life. There are several clothes care techniques that can help extend the life of your clothing and in turn save money and save resources.
A big contributor to clothing damage is the dryer. One easy trick to avoid the damage caused by the dryer is to either limit the use of the dryer or not dry clothes completely through the use of the dryer. Using a clothes line or drying racks to dry clothes can reduce the damage done by the hot dryer. For those consumers that have limited space for drying racks or a clothes line, spreading the clothes out to do the last 10% of the drying will not only help reduce the wear and tear but also reduces static clean. Less dryer use also means less electricity or gas use which saves even more money.
When damage on a garment is spotted, it should be repaired as soon as possible. The longer the clothes are used, the bigger the tear is likely to become and the harder it will be to repair. Patching up the damaged clothes is certainly cheaper than buying new ones. Mending torn or ripped clothes can also turn into a fun process by altering the look or material in the damaged garment. Try repairing ripped jeans with a different fabric, such as fleece or leather, where the tear was.
Turning clothing inside out and washing them in cold water is a good way to avoid fading colors. This process may be especially important with jeans. Hot water is tougher on both the clothes and their colors. Cold water for washing has many benefits including, lengthening the life of garments and lower electric bills. There is some debate that warmer water helps release dirt particles better but the cost appears to make hot water washing unwarranted. The clothes washer consumes over 75% of its energy for heating the water.
Be careful about using fabric softeners. Fabric softeners, contain petrochemicals that can damage clothing. Fabric softeners add a film to the fabric which can spoil the colors as well as leave spots on the clothes. Fabric softeners are also not terribly environmentally friendly.
Be careful when hanging and separating your clothes in the closet or in a drawer. Poor handling causes wrinkles and wrinkles leads to having to iron the garments. Sweaters and delicates should be folded on a shelf to avoid using hangers, which can damage delicate knits. Wire hangers should also be avoided since they can harm shirts and blouses.
Careful clothing care can preserve the clothing longer while saving money and energy use.
Reasons to Spend Less and Save More
Cheap home living becomes more rewarding when the savings obtained from watching our expenses adds up to money in the bank. There are a number of reasons why starting early with cheap living and a frugal lifestyle will pay greater rewards over time.
Conspicuous consumption and spending today generally doesn’t buy long term contentment. Before anyone spends money or borrows money, they should spend some time contemplating the cost and rewards and whether the money spent will provide commensurate pleasure.
Saving regularly can give us peace of mind. If we knew were living within our means, we are more likely to feel financially content even when it means we are not eating out once a week.
The earlier we start saving, the easier the savings is and the greater the benefits of compound returns. Even for small sums of money compound returns add up significantly given enough time.
By starting saving sooner, there is a greater probability that the money saved will get a larger boost in return from the financial markets. Market average returns are higher when measured over long time periods unless, of course, specific short term high return periods are used.
Saving is a bargain compared with spending, especially if the savings is placed in a 401K or IRA. Every dollar we earn and spend will be taxed so we may end up with 60 or 70 cents worth of merchandise that eventually depreciates to nothing or close to it. Every dollar that is saved and invested in a 401 k plan or retirement plan grows tax differed. Any matching contribution a saver may get from their employer just increases the return substantially.
The tax code is definitely stacked in favor of savers. A slew of tax favored accounts exist 401k plans, Roth IRAs, 529 college savings plans, and more. Investors that invest through a regular taxable account can also take advantage of the low federal tax rate on qualified dividends and long term capital gains.
Becoming a big saver doesn’t take huge sacrifices. Often increasing savings requires a little attention to where the money goes and attention to where the best purchases for products and services can be made. Less waste can often be the simplest path to quick and easy savings.
In the long run, diligent savers will need smaller retirement nest eggs. A good life of maximizing resources while avoiding waste will help build a bigger savings portfolio and generally need less money to retire because they are accustomed to living less expensively.
It’s Summer Time, Save Money and Don’t Use That Dryer
The common clothes dryer is an energy hog and frequently damages clothing which in turn shortens their life expectancy. By limiting the use of the clothes dryer, consumers can conserve energy and save money. The money savings come from two fronts, less energy use and fewer clothes purchases with longer lasting clothing.
Clothes dryers along with refrigerators and the clothes washers are the biggest energy using appliances in a home according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Technology options such as more efficient appliances combined with a change in behavior can save money each and every month.
Savings from leaving the dryer dormant comes from the energy savings and longer lasting clothing. Clothes dryer damage can come from a variety of different forces caused by the tumbling and heat. The movement and heat often causes the clothes fibers to be rubbed thin. The heat from the dryer also shrinks clothes and cause stains that were not removed in the washer to be become much more difficult to remove.
By avoiding the use of the dryer for all washing, consumers can conserve energy to help save money and reduce the impact on the environment as well as save money over the long term by having the clothes last longer without the wear and tear brought on by frequent dryer use.
For many dryer users, the primary reasons they don’t use a line dry method for their clothes are that they think it is too inconvenient, they are not sure about the alternatives and they are often not aware of the total costs created by using the standard clothes dryer.
The first solution to end excessive dryer use is to start using a clothesline. If you have no clothesline, perhaps because you live in an apartment or your homeowners association won’t allow clotheslines, a drying rack or a clothes rod will work just as well.
Don’t exclude using a clothesline if space is tight, consider a clothesline in the basement or attic or an outdoor retractable line. There are a variety of have many ingenious items along the lines of retractable clotheslines that may be fond at the local hardware store or homes good store that can be used in tight spaces or used outside without drawing a lot of attention.
Drying racks are handy because they can be moved to speed up the drying process. A drying rack can be placed outside on a sunny day for quick drying and fresh smelling clothes. Inside the house, try putting them over a vent and the heat or air conditioner will dry them faster.
Hanging clothes on a clothes rod can save money and is a very versatile alternative. With a clothes rod, clothes can be draped over the rod or individual hangers can be used. Hangers are efficient because less space is used. Be sure not to put the hangers too close together or the clothes will not dry.
Not using the clothes dryer all the time may sound complicated at first, once you get familiar with the practice times it becomes fast and easy and certainly helps the environment and the bottom line. Air drying clothes uses the best renewable energy sources, wind and sunshine, in the simplest manner. Less energy used means less money spent which appeals to those who like cheap home living but less energy also yields fewer carbon emissions. Cheap living to save money and save the environment.
Cheap Home Living Tip for those Who Don’t Need It
This week’s top cheap home living tip for consumer that don’t cheap living tips, involves conserving left over champagne. There are certainly those times in our lives or in some of the lives of the hoittie toittie, when the Friday night get together comes to an end and you realize that you have an open bottle of Dom Perignon or Cristal sitting around. Now, nobody wants to waste some Dom or Cristal.
Instead of wasting the remainder of the bottle, which generally cost in excess of $100.00, the leftover champagne can be used to make a nice beurre blanc for an elegant dinner the day after the bubbly was busted open. There is no need to let the unfinished bottle go to waste, live it up – you can afford the Champagne so you should live a little.
A beurre blanc is a classic French white wine and butter sauce that is used as frequently with seafood dishes. A beurre blanc can be used for fish, chicken or even vegetables. To make a basic beurre blanc sauce, the main ingredients are wine, shallots and butter or similar ingredients close to these.
Here is a simple beurre blanc recipe that can utilize the excess the Champagne, courtesy of Marthastewart.com.
Step 1. Heat 1/3 cup of minced shallot and 1/4 cup Champagne over medium heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
Step 2. Whisk in 2 sticks of chilled butter by slicing into small cubes first. Whisk in several pieces at a time until all the butter is completely incorporated before moving to the next step, but do not let the sauce simmer.
Step 3. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl: discard the remaining solids in the sieve. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and finally add some salt to suit your taste.
Viola! Incredible beurre blanc using left over $100.00 bottles of Champagne. A lifestyle of cheap home living can save money and save resources for everyone even those in higher income brackets.
Cheap Home Living with Second Hand Purchases
Buying second hands goods opens up a number of oppurtunities for cheap home living. Second hand items can be found from a variety of sources including; garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and estate sales. Shopping for second home merchandise doesn’t have to be a way of life. There are a number of shoppers that acquire most of their household goods and clothing in this manner and save 100’s if not 1,000’s of dollars but this is the exception not the norm.
Simply making it a habit to shop for slightly used merchandise at garage sales and second hand outlets can deliver big rewards. This doesn’t mean you have to buy a refrigerator or dining room table second hand, but items such as lawn mowers, end tables, lamps, shelving, toys and related items can deliver big savings compared to buying new.
To make the process easy, stick close to home. For garage sales, starting early and staying relatively close to home makes the process quick and efficient. And if there is nothing worth buying, a little family time early in the morning on the weekend has its own rewards.
For those shoppers that don’t like buying items second hand the biggest issue is that the used items are dirty or damaged. For damaged items an assessment has to be made to either repair the item cost effectively or simply take a pass on the purchase. For dirty items there are several alternatives. Clothing can be washed or for the more antiseptic buyer, dry cleaned. Small items can be washed or for the more antiseptic buyer, placed in boiling water or cleaned with alcohol. Most bacteria can not survive for even short periods of time in boiling water and alcohol also kills most all bacteria.
For the more environmentally conscience buyers, used items cuts costs along with saves from more manufacturing and waste used to create new items and saves any waste that may have been headed towards the landfill.
Think of how many items we discard each year. Unwanted kitchen goods, household goods, electronics, books, toys and more. Not only do we save by buying another person’s discards but these items often don’t last long in our own homes because we soon discard them for something different. Children’s clothes and toys probably have the shortest life expectancy in a household. Buying these items new is just lining the pockets of the big retailers and manufacturers.
There is a wealth of cheap items that can purchased second hand but for people who have not been accustomed to this type of shopping, a good start is to go to your first thrift store or consignment shop and garage sale. Take a mental inventory of what is available at what price and in what condition. To avoid making unnecessary purchases or risky purchases it is a good idea to write down items or categories of items that may be of interest to compare what is available second hand and the costs compared to those same items new.
Cheap Living and Saving Money Relies on Knowledge
Saving money is not a hard task that requires hours of work per week. But saving money does require knowledge. Knowledge on how to find the best savings for groceries, household products and services as well as how to manage your resources and time. Almost anyone can engage in cheap home living but with a little knowledge or a lot of knowledge, the savings can really pile up. And the more information the easier the process of savings becomes. Information that can be found right at your fingertips.
Not having timely information on the right products, services and actions can leave a consumer open to paying higher prices unnecessarily as well as purchasing inferior products and wasting resources. Saving money requires only a small investment in time but an investment that should not be ignored. All the resources to save money, time and natural resources will not be found on this site but this is the starting point and the information obtained can guide consumers to many other easy to find resources that are available.
The resources needed to save money include information on where the discounts are, which stores are offering the steepest discounts. This information should be segregated on the savings by merchant or retailer to see who is selling the cheapest goods by product category. There is abundance of coupons available now, coupons for groceries to coupons for household products as well as the standard promotions and discounts that are promoted. Obtaining this information on your own would be a daunting task. Finding all the best coupons and discounts to use with the right resources can be done quickly and easily.
Knowledge about savings will also include identifying what not to buy. Finding the right product for the job which may entail spending more money initially to save more money or environmental resources down the road is a key element to savings. Unnecessary expenditures account for a great deal of waste in resources and waste of money. Knowledge teaches us not just where and how to save but how not to be penny wise and pound foolish.
Knowledge on optimal resource utilization may also include DIY projects. Identifying what projects and items can be made at home for less cost than store bought and often works better. Do it yourself projects that can also be accomplished to spend more time together. Savings involves not just money but time and natural resources.
We all need to know how and where to stretch our dollars. Learning more can never be done enough but does not require hours of reading, clipping, sorting and shopping. The more time that is dedicate to learning how live a more frugal and rewarding lifestyle the more money and resources that can be saved.
The great thing about learning how to save and where to save is that most of the resources are free including all the information on cheaphomeliving.com.
Composting Saves Money and Resources
Composting is a great way to save some money while helping the environment. The biggest savings with composting is the saving it does for the environment, but composting also helps save on fertilizer costs for outdoor gardening and indoor plants as well as saves on the cost of removal or disposal of organic waste. By reducing food waste that is carted off to the local landfill, consumers can to help the environment and save money.
Composting is an effective way to reduce waste and recycle organic matter. Creating compost involves the natural process of decomposing plant remains and other once living or organic material. Compost is simply an assortment of organic matter that is commonly used for fertilizer since it very high in nutrients needed for plant growth. Decomposition occurs naturally anywhere plants grow but is not terribly efficient or effective in landfills with organic waste created by us.
Composting is a natural form of recycling. Compost is produced by a process in which microbes decompose the organic matter such as food scraps and plants into an organic fertilizer. Naturally occurring microbes are the primary agents for degradation of organic material that results in compost whether the compost is happening naturally on the forest floor on in a backyard compost bin. The compost can be used to enrich soil, provide plant nutrients, or help with natural erosion similar to mulch use.
By creating compost at home, consumers are making their own natural fertilizer and mulch and help alleviate the stuffed landfills. Yard trimmings along with some residual food waste can be thrown into a compost bin and this very same material accounts for roughly 25 percent of the solid waste we dispose of.
Composting can takes many different forms, from simple and inexpensive backyard composting methods to more expensive and high tech methods of composting. All organic material will eventually decompose. The speed at which it decomposes can depend on the temperature, moisture content, oxygen content, surface area and the mix of carbon and nitrogen in the material. Composting can vary in its complexity on how the material is manged and controlled as well as in the range of organic materials that can be recovered.
Here is a simple list of some of the items that can be placed in a compost bin:
Yard trimmings, wood chips, tea bags, leaves, houseplants, hair and fur, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, eggshells, nut shells, sawdust, grass clippings, fireplace ashes, shredded newspaper, cotton rags, hay and straw.
Here is a list of some of the items that should not be placed in a compost bin:
Pet wastes, dairy products, fats, grease, lard, or oils, meat or fish bones and scraps ( mostly because they attract pests ), yard waste that is treated with chemical pesticides, diseased or insect-ridden plants.
There are a number of options for making and containing compost. Some people go with a simple binless compost pile on the ground, some people build compost bins from lumber or barrels and more and more consumers are buying commercial compost bins because of their ascetics and added features.
Finished compost can be applied to lawns and gardens to help condition the soil and replenish nutrients. Depending on the contents of the compost, the compost may or may not be used as potting soil for houseplants because of the possible presence of weed and grass seeds.
There are several different reasons why composting is a great, cheap environmentally friendly activity. Yard and food wastes contribute to the waste stream in landfills. The waste that is sent to landfills cost money to transport and dispose of can often be useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead. Composting therefor offers the benefits of resource efficiency as well as creating a useful product from organic waste that would otherwise have been wasted and is absolutely free to create. Cheap home living that saves money and helps the environment, another win – win.
Family Activities for Cheap Home Living
Choosing entertaining and fun activities doesn’t have to cost tons of money. One of the greatest benefits of cheap home living is dedicating more time to friends and family and less time chasing activities that involve conspicuous consumption and unnecessary financial expenditures.
It can be very rewarding to spend more time with friends and families with inexpensive activities that involve more interaction. In order to be prepared for short term outings and activities it is helpful to have some ideas in advance so when the time comes you can be ready to engage your family and / or friends. When preparing a list of low cost activities and entertainment it is good idea to get helpful ideas from family members too.
Some great ways to enjoy time together without spending large sums of money can include:
Visit the local library to see their selections of videos, books, and programs. With the number of new libraries that has been constructed recently, the services and selections will surprise many visitors regarding books, movies and activities that take place at the library.
Visit the local museums on free days or days with reduced rates. Many big city museums and zoos have reduced rates or free admission on select days. In Chicago, the Art Institute is free on Thursday afternoons and the Zoo is free on Thursdays during certain times of the year. The kids love both outings and since the price is right we don’t feel obligated to stay and see all the attractions in one visit.
Cook a family barbecue or family dinner together. Have fun, make something special or creative. When possible, add a little science and education to the process to help show how various ingredients react during the cooking process. When cooking and especially when experimenting with cooking at home, failure can be as much fun as a gourmet meal.
Play outdoor games that involve the whole family. Or, take indoor games out. My children like chess, Pass the Bomb, Stratego and other games that we often play indoors and out. It always appears as though the outdoor version is more entertaining. So entertaining in fact, that we often play chess well into the fall bundled up on the deck.
Read the local newspapers to see what activities in the community are available. Activities that may include planned community events, educational seminars or plays. With some educational seminars, my wife and I have sometimes bribed the children with a promise of ice cream or some other treat after the event. With the use of coupons, the treats are relatively inexpensive, the family learns together and just to help the project along we will get material on the subject of the seminar in advance to help prepare for what we are going to experience.
Work on new craft projects together. Crafts can range from beading necklaces and bracelets to building a bird house. My wife loves bead projects, hers can be expensive, but cheap material is readily available at local craft stores. The children love learning, creating and producing something for themselves.
Plant a small vegetable garden or flower garden outdoors or indoors. Planting indoors can involve a little more work to make sure the plants get enough light and space but plants provide a great deal of beneficial properties when grown indoors. Of course, vegetable gardens have the added benefit of yielding a low cost food source. Using artificial grow lights indoors can be an added fun and educational component but can add costs as well.
Spend some time volunteering or doing charity work. Local housing organizations and shelters can almost always use some extra hands. Charity work may not quite be on the top of the to do list for fun activities but it is cheap to do and psychological rewarding.
Natural Home Cleaners, Safe and Less Expensive
Becoming a green consumer has been a growing trend over the past few years. Fortunately for those who also enjoy cheap home living, going green and saving money can go hand in hand. One such aspect of home life that can be green and inexpensive is household cleaning products.
Many consumers are trying to help the environment by buying eco-friendly cleaners at the local home improvement store or super market. These household cleaners are generally made with a greater concentration of natural, nontoxic, and biodegradable ingredients. Sales of these natural cleaning products have rapidly rising sales year to year. Unfortunately, these products are unregulated which means their true environmentally friendly value is hard to assess and they are costly.
The best solution to go green with cleaning supplies and save money is to revert back the natural ingredients and make your own cleaning supplies. You will find that even the dirtiest of cleaning tasks can be handled effectively with just baking soda, vinegar, borax, lemon juice and more. The ingredients are far cheaper than premixed or manufactured compounds and they save money and help the environment with a far greater impact.
For many home cleaning tasks, natural cleaners can be made right at home with these easy to find natural ingredients. You can make your own cleaning products right at home on the cheap. And while you will spend a lot less money to make these cleaning supplies you also reduce the waste that is an inherent part of prepackaged goods.
Non toxic and environmentally friendly cleaning compounds are good for the overall health of the environment and are also safer to use in the home. But be somewhat cautious about these ingredients, just because they are natural that does not mean it is automatically safe to use everywhere and on any item or service.
The following is a list of common basic ingredients for making cleaning supplies at home.
Baking Soda – Baking soda has been using as cleaning agent for years. It cleans, absorbs odors and deodorizes, softens water which helps cleaning and is good for scouring. Baking soda is a naturally occurring material but is also produced artificially. It has a slightly alkaline and resembles washing soda. It is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and safe for nearly all surfaces, making it ideal for household use.
Borax – Borax is used for general cleaning, deodorizing, disinfecting and can be used to soften water. Borax is also known as sodium borate or sodium tetraborate and is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral. Borax is gentler than most chemical cleaning compounds and is not particularly toxic but it can cause skin reactions
White Vinegar – Common white vinegar is a versatile cleaner. It is especially useful for dissolving dirt cutting through grease, removing stains, mildew and odors. White vinegar is a mild acid, which makes it gentle enough to use in common household cleaning for most surfaces. Do not use vinegar on marble surfaces.
Washing Soda – Washing soda is good for cutting through grease, removing stains, cleaning wall, tiles, sinks and tubs it can also neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Washing soda is a crystalline form of sodium carbonate. Washing soda is chemically similar to baking soda but is more strongly alkaline. Do not use it on fiberglass or aluminum.
Lemon – Lemons and lemon juice work as a mild but effective cleaner and deodorizer. Lemons are very acidic. Lemon juice can be used to remove dirt and grime, used as degreaser, dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits as well as fight bacteria.
These basic natural cleaning compounds can be used for a variety of home cleaning tasks and can be used in combinations for more thorough cleaning. The following formulas are combinations of these ingredients to make different, inexpensive and eco-friendly home cleaning products:
General Purpose Cleaner: Start with two quarts of water and mix in 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda and a touch of lemon juice. This cleaner can be used for removal of dirt and grease, water deposit stains, cleaning bathroom fixtures, windows, mirrors and similar uses.
General Disinfectant: Start with one quart of water and mix in ¼ cup of borax and approximately 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
Drain Cleaner: Start with 2 cups of water and mix 1/4 cup baking soda and heat the mixture until warm but not boiling and pour down the drain. For added strength a 1/4 cup of vinegar can be added to the mix. After about 20 minutes, pour a quart of boiling water to clear the pipes.
Window Cleaner: Start with one quart of water and mix in 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Pour 1/4 cup baking soda and a ¼ cup vinegar directly into the toilet bowl and let it set for a few minutes. Clean the bowl with a standard brush or sponge and rinse.
Mold and Mildew Cleaner: Mix white vinegar or lemon juice with very little water and pour into a spray bottle to spray directly on moldy area, let it sit without rinsing. After 30 minutes it can be gently wiped to remove any residue.
These simple combinations of products from your kitchen or grocery store make effective household cleaning solutions. These natural products will not only do a great job but are more environmentally friendly than chemical alternatives. In most all of these combinations, the cleaning product is also far less expensive than the commercial products designed for the same tasks.