MOM: Conservation is Key

…to living frugally, of course

It’s been on “the Mind of Megan” that it can sometimes be the little things in life that add up and “cost” us- Whether it be emotionally, physically, spiritually for financially. Today, we shall talk about the financial side.

I have been thinking about conservation around the house since we’ve been doing the “No Lights Challenge” this January. I’ve noticed that there are all kinds of things around the house that I do as a habit, not because they are actually necessary- like how much toilet paper you use. Other things, I feel we have been influenced by the media to do. Imagine a toothpaste commercial….there stands a woman with glowing skin, nice thick hair billowing around her face and wait….how did you even notice those things with her shiny white teeth and toothbrush with that PERFECT glob of swirly toothpaste on it? You know what I’m talking about- the glob of toothpaste on there is bigger than the bristles!

The truth of the matter is, we probably all use too much of certain things around the house. Let’s look at these and a few other examples.

Toilet Paper: What single thing do we use around the house more than toilet paper? That’s a big one at our house! Now let’s say that you typically use 6 (or more) squares of toilet paper everytime you go to the bathroom. Try using about half of what you  usually do next time, and see if it’s not enough. My guess is, you’re over-using. If you used 3 squares as opposed to 6, you’d be using half as much paper- And buying half as many packs of toilet paper each year! Not to mention you’re saving the world from excess waste.

Toothpaste: Did you know the American Dental Association recommends you use only a pea sized amount of toothpaste? For children, they recommend an amount the same size as their little pinky nail. Brushing your teeth doesn’t take a ton of toothpaste! The real work comes from the brush and the operator. So cut down on toothpaste, and save a buck- Or if you’re like me and often get toothpaste free, save yourself a little deal finding .

Laundry Detergent: Read the instructions on your bottle of detergent. Many times a person will just fill up the measuring cup, not paying attention to the load size or how heavily soiled the clothes are. And if it were me…I’d see how my clothes do with even less detergent!

Dish Soap: When you wash dishes in the sink, did you know your main point of cleaning isn’t actually to kill all the germs on your dishes? Dish soap simply breaks surface tension so that all the yuckies can “slide off” of your dishes, right down the sink. This leaves your dishes germ free just because the soap captured the germs and the water washed them away. You really really don’t need much soap to achieve this…so try a bit less, until you need to add more.

Paper Towels: If I don’t have “select a size” paper towels, I simply fold the larger size in half longways and then tear it in half. I find that is all I typically need for a quick wipe down of the counters. You could use even less paper towels by cleaning surfaces and sticky fingers with a clean, damp dishcloth (with maybe a little soap on it). I use one dish cloth for sticky hands and one for counters, and then toss them in the laundry each evening. This saves me a ton of paper towels.

Dryer Sheets: Now, we actually no longer use these in our home, but when we did I would cut all the sheets in half. It was more than enough to de-static a large load of laundry.

Other things to try to use less of: Shampoo/Conditioner, body wash, hand soap, dishwasher liquid, fabric softener, commercial cleaners, mopping solution and make-up. Can you think of others? Leave them in the comment feed!

Here’s to living- Happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

The Frugal Map

Do you need help finding a frugal coupon blog that suits your needs? Well now you can find it, using Bargain Briana’s “The Frugal Map”! At it’s launch, the Frugal Map had 35 participants from all over the USA- And she’s filling it up quickly! Here are some of The Frugal Map’s unique features, as described on the website:

• Frugal Map Function: Allows users to find a blogger near their location in an interactive map format.
• Search Function: Allows users to search multiple blogs across the Frugal Map Network.
• Hottest Deal RSS Feed: Gives users the most recent hot deals from the bloggers in the Frugal Map Network.
• Specific Store Landing Pages: Allows users a one stop resource for for store deals including blogger store deal links, resources, and FAQ for the particular store.
• Specific Blogger Landing Pages: Allows users to read more about their favorite blogs and connect with them via Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and specific store deal links.
• Embeddable iFrame: Embed The Frugal Map on your blog as a resource for your readers.

Now, I don’t know if frugalmegan.com will ever be included on this map, since I don’t focus solely on coupons, but I think it will be a great resource for ALL of you!

Also, Go Here to enter for a chance to win one of FIVE subscriptions to All You Magazine

~~FrugalMegan~~

Lowes Food 1/22/10

There were some good deals this week at Lowes Food! I’m posting my finds since I did this during regular everyday couponing- And I’ll do my best to break everything down. Lowes Food offered double coupons with face values up to .99c every day. So a $.75 coupon is worth $1.50. Here is what I bought:

2 packs chicken leg quarters: $.19 per lbs: $.94 cents each (I am not sure if these are on sale or if they were discounted…looked like a sale but what in the discounted area with no sign. ??)

2 bags steamfresh veggies: on sale for $1- Used .50c/1 coupon from Sunday paper= FREE

Hormel Natural Lunchmeat: on sale for $1.99, used coupon from hormel.com for $.75/1= $.50 each

Silk soymilk: on sale $2.79, used $.55/1 coupon from Sunday paper = $1.69 (there are also Blinkies at food lion if you missed these in the paper for $.55/1)

2 small canisters of Quaker Oatmeal: on sale $1.50, used $1/1 coupon from their website= .50c each

Quaker minis: on sale for $1, used $.75/1 coupon from the Sunday paper= FREE (and for some reason I received $.25 overage on each…Sometimes at Lowes overage is “rolled” onto a similar item, so I’m suspicious that it “rolled” onto the oats and took off more? Who knows. All I know is, that rocks)

2 Morton Seasoned Salt: $1.17 regular price, used $.60 coupon from Coupons.com= FREE

Total: $4.53 (should have been $5, but like I said I got overage!), used $5 Lowes $$ (fresh rewards) from last month= .16c in taxes.

Me? HAPPY CAMPER! Doing a trip at Harris Teeter tomorrow too…I have (2) $5 on your next order coupons to use up, and there is a sweet General Mills deal going on- $5 instant coupon off of 15 GM items . Want to educate yourselves on it? Go Here.

Happy Couponing!

~~FrugalMegan~~

Frugal Friends’ Friday!

“Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without!“

Welcome to Frugal Friends’ Friday! Hope you enjoy this weeks tips from our readers

“Use the hole at the bottom of a small flower pot to spread salt on an icy sidewalk. There are probably a lot better ways to do it, but that’s my fun thing this winter.”  Aaron, Midvale UT

–Perfect tip. I don’t want to hear about any of my readers falling this winter! Receiving hospital bills isn’t very frugal

“When toothbrushes are buy one, get one free – BUY ONE! Next time someone in your house is sick, change the toothbrush so they don’t re-infect themselves! Saves the aggravation and cost of getting sick all over again!” – Sue, Springfield OH

–Good idea! I know hubby and I have had a few bugs this winter already…there are quite a few new ones going around I think.

Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

For Women Only: The Diva Cup

This topic is for women’s eyes only! At least, I’m sure you’ll prefer it that way

Do you  ever get tired of paying for costly feminine products during “that time” of the month? TSK- I sure do! The coupons for those things STINK! And what about the health risks with tampons, “Toxic Shock Syndrome” and all?  Well, I just may have the perfect solution for you-

THE DIVA CUP

The Diva Cup is a menstrual cup that is used *kinda* like a tampon- Except it catches the flow, it doesn’t “absorb” it. You simply pop it in and empty it every few hours. On heavy days, I check it every 3-4 hours or so. On light days, you can leave it in for up to 12 hours- YES- 12 HOURS! That means more uninterrupted errands, running, volleyball, ice skating, yoga- You name it! Best of all, you can use it over and over and over, since it is made of quality silicone and is latex free. No danger of toxic shock syndrome here!

The Diva Cup comes in two sizes. Size 1 is for women under 30 who have not had a child. Size 2 are for women who have had a child or are over 30. Be sure to choose the right size for you.

I have found several sites that are helpful for learning insertion/folding methods: one from livejournal, and one from lunapads. Lunapads also did this neato video.

Here is my Diva Cup story:

I heard about the Diva Cup from my sister. She had discovered it one day while she was looking at a cloth diaper store online. She told me about it and I had a good laugh! How could that work? What a mess! But once I heard about it once it came up EVERYWHERE. The natural living forum on my local area mommies network. A friend of mine’s blog. It was in many online stores that I searched for natural toys and things for my son. So when my period returned after the birth of my son, I purchased my Diva Cup.  Since it was after my son was born, I of course purchased the size 2. It seemed like the perfect purchase for me- I love to save money and waste! And I don’t really like having to unclog the toilet!

So I got home, read the instructions and popped it in! Problem solved, right? No more pads, tampons and worries, right? Wrong! That thing fit funny…and it leaked. It didn’t feel funny, at least. While I certainly knew it was there, it is not nearly as annoying as a tampon. That was the very first thing I liked about it. I was using the “C” fold that the package directions describe.

So I tried it out that whole first time (about a week for me) and it leaked and leaked. Frustrating when you expect it not to, like so many sites say. Yet leak it did. Sometimes a lot. And sometimes, like, not at all. I wondered if I had folded it correctly, if I had it in the right position, if it had opened up all of the way. *Shrug* How could I know? So I just kept using it! It got easier, and it seemed to leak less. The first week I used the Diva Cup I used about 10 pads and no tampons (about one pad for each day and each night). And I have long periods. Not to shabby…

Round two and beyond. I had discovered there are more than one type of fold! Yay! (See, you’re starting out with more knowledge than me already!). I settled on the “punch down” method for my body type. It works wonders. I had a much more confident experience the second time around! I would say for round two I decreased it to about 4 pads (on my heaviest days/nights) and a few pantiliners at the end (just in case).  Since then I have worn it during the night on my heaviest day and not one drop leaked onto the pad. Yippeeee! Now, that is NOT to say I have this thing all figured out. I still deal with a bit of leaking the first three days when it is the heaviest. I have determined that perhaps because of the way Caspian made his entrance into this world, there is no menstrual cup that can stop every bit of leakage for me . But who knows, I’ve still only been using it now for 6 months. There may be more to learn.

The way I figure it, even if it leaks a little the first 2-3 days of my cycle, this thing has still brought all kinds of value and savings to my life. 4 pads for my whole period? A few pantiliners? That means a pack of pads will last me through 4 whole cycles. 4 months! WOW! And no tampons? C’mon. And I think there is much less trash, mess and other unpleasantness involved. I’m sold.

You can read more about the Diva Cup HERE or do a Swagbucks search on it for more information. I have found the best price on the Diva Cup HERE. Now, when purchasing a Diva Cup, it makes sense to purchase it from a reputable buyer…none of this “Never used” stuff on Ebay. What if they’re lying? :-/

Go ahead- Give it a try!

Here’s to living- happier, healthier more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

“No Lights” Challenge- How’s it going?

I have been perhaps a bit too into this challenge…Heading into dark pantries to retrieve something (and I *think* I know where the item is!), using the bathroom in utter blackness . Luckily it has been a rather sunny week down here in North Carolina.

I wanted to make mention of a few things:

#1- It’s probably best to leave mini blinds and curtains closed if you won’t be in the room long, and to make sure you close them if you leave an area of the house for more than a few minutes. There is most certainly a balance here, as leaving too many open can have a negative effect on your heating bill- And I say this especially for all of our northern readers. Here in our home, we spend most of our time in the family room and kitchen, so those areas had the blinds open and lights off- The rest of the house had blinds closed and lights off. When hubby is home, the front room blinds are open as well. When I went upstairs for an hour of laundry, I opened those blinds but closed them when I left.

#2- I was reminded of an episode of “Mythbusters” I watched a few years back. They were trying to discover if it was beneficial to turn off a light every time you leave a room, or if you should leave it on, if you’d be back shortly…kinda the whole “it takes more energy to turn ON the light, so you’re saving money by leaving it on”. They found this was absolutely true if you could leave and come back to the room in less than .25 seconds. Even with fluorescent tube bulbs, you’d have to leave and come back in less than one second. HAHAHA, I loved that episode! Case in point: Turn off the light when you leave the room. Always. Unless you’re Superman…

#3- How gray and dark is it today? We had one very cloudy sad looking day last week, where there was barely and light coming in, and I could just feel the cold coming in the windows. This was NOT a good day to go “no lights”. So I closed up the windows and used the inside lights that day. I did however stick to only keeping lights on when I needed them and being sure to turn them off when I left the room.

That’s it! I’m looking forward to comparing our January electric bill to a few past ones!!

Oh, and just for my southern friends…Cut off the lights!

Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

Homemade Sunbutter

I am just all about the recipes this week, aren’t I? Well, that will happen, since one of my primary ways of saving money on groceries is making things from scratch!

I have had a wonderful time getting to know my KitchenAid food processor- Hubby did a great job picking it out. Today I decided I should make sunflower seed “butter” for my son. We’re waiting to try peanut butter because of a history of allergy in our family. He LOVES sunbutter, but it is so expensive! So what do I do? Make it myself of course!

It happens to be really easy to make. First, you’ll need:

1 cup sunflower seeds (raw- uncooked, unsalted)

3-4 TBS oil- I used extra light olive oil, but I’ve read you can use walnut, almond or canola oil. Using nut oils kinda defeats the purpose for me though

dash of sea salt

Optional: Sweetener. I used “local” honey from northern Ohio . Thanks Mom! You could also use agave nectar or maple syrup. If you use honey, do not feed this to a child under 1 year old.

Directions: Process sunflower seeds for 4-5 minutes, or until it looks like sand. I found that after 4 minutes mine started piling on the sides of the food processor pretty bad, so processing further seemed pointless. I scraped and tried a minute more, but it seemed good to me.

*NOTE* If you’ve made peanut butter before, sunbutter does NOT act like peanuts do when they are ground. Peanuts have more natural oil and will turn fairly creamy during processing- you have to provide the oil for sunflowers, they just will not do this on their own.

Once your sunflower seeds look like sand, you can add the oil, one TBS at a time, scraping the sides between oil additions. After the oil is in, you can add your sweetener and salt to taste. Here is a picture of my seeds after 2-3 TBS oil- They were kinda like playdough at this point, and CR reaaaaallly liked it.I actually thought I was done at this point, but decided to add more oil, just to see what would happen…and Voila! Just a couple more TBS of oil, and I had CREAMINESS! Yay!! I went ahead and processed it for a few more minutes once it turned creamy. Why not?

Ahhhhh, SUCCESS! Even Hubby game me a closed-eyed “Mmmmmmmmm”. What more could a girl want? Now, since all the ingredients here are pantry items, I’d say you have a good 4-6 weeks to gobble this stuff up before it isn’t so good anymore. But why would it last that long?

I’ll leave you with a picture of CR signing “Please” for more with sunbutter on his face

Here’s to living- Happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

Homemade Baking Powder

To be completely honest, I found this recipe today from an old copy of “Bon Appetit” magazine, and wanted to record it somewhere I wouldn’t lose it

I have been wanting to purchase “natural” baking powder because it seems the commercial brands have lots of preservatives and a specific ingredient I really don’t like- aluminum sulfate. If I don’t use regular deodorant because of the aluminum, why on earth would I consume it in my everyday baking??

It looks SO easy:

1/4 cup cream of tartar

2 TBS baking soda

Directions: Sift both ingredients through a fine strainer 3 times into a small bowl. Can be made 4 weeks ahead and stored airtight at room temperature. You may want to resift before using.

That sounds like a big batch for me- Plus I don’t know when I’ve ever purchased 1/4 of a cup of cream of tartar at once! So for quick reduction, you could do:  2 TBS cream of tartar and 1 TBS baking soda (about half the orginal recipe) or 1 TBS cream of tartar and 1/2 TBS baking soda (about 1/4 the original recipe).

Enjoy!

Here’s to living- Happier, healthier more FRUGAL lives!

~~FrugalMegan~~

Target Toy Sale

If you’ve been to Target in the last few weeks, you may have noticed a few isles dedicated to toys that were 30-50% off. What a great deal right? Well, sometime between today and next Thursday (Jan. 21) any of those remaining toys will start being marked down to 75% off (this will vary according to store and is really only determined by these sales in the past). Its a fantastic time to stock up for birthdays and even next Christmas! So head to your favorite target soon, before all the good toys are gone!!

If you can’t make it though, no worries- Target generally has another round of these toys sales around mid-summer!

Happy deal hunting!

~~FrugalMegan~~

The “No Lights” Challenge

Perhaps it’s because I splurged all Christmas Season long on warm fires (gas run), the glow of Christmas lights and lots of baking. Maybe it’s because after the New Year I get all hyped up about saving even MORE money that I did the year before. Or maybe it’s because I haven’t been outside much this winter and miss the sunlight.

Whatever the reason, I have decided to embark on something I’d like to call the “No Lights” Challenge. In every situation where I can avoid turning on the light, I will!! Right now I am sitting in my kitchen with the blinds open and letting the sunlight in. Not one light is on in the house. If I have to go into a dark room (ie, the laundry room) I will turn on the light if necessary, but only while it absolutely needs to be on. I think just by making a conscious effort, I will be able to cut our electric bill quite a bit- Maybe even in half! I’ll have to let you know when we get our statement.

I’m quite excited about the challenge. I have already noticed what a habit I have of turning on certain lights, whether or not I actually need them on. Challenging myself periodically resets my mind to a more conservative place. It’s also exciting that I not only will save my family money, but I will be conserving energy for the environment too. It’s a win win situation!

I plan on focusing on this one habit (not turning on lights and turning them off when I’m done) until February…although I expect the effects to last much longer. Will you join me?

~~FrugalMegan~~