WD-40

Uses for WD-40

Challenging Question

Is it possible to get by on using freebies and samples? I sure hope so. Check out my list of freebie websites and groups.

Guide to Financial Freedom

Primerica Financial Services

Look in your local directory under "Primerica" for a representative. They will give you a complimentary Financial Needs Analysis and help you get out of debt. They are the marketing arm for CitiGroup companies. I'm a representative and can vouch for their "always do what's right for the client" policy.

A tip from the "Modern Girls Guide to Life Show"

They consulted a M.A.C. cosmetician on how to reuse old makeup. I take it a step further. I think the easiest way to break it down is combining the old to make new updated makeup.

This is what I do:

1. Scrounge up my saved mini containers: baby food jars, contact lense containers, etc.

2. Use powered makeup as "pigments"; ie: bronzers, blushes, eye shadow. Place close together in one area.

3. Gather your lotion remnants (those bottles sitting in your beauty cabinet that you haven't used for a while but can't bear to throw away). You can also use leftover sunscreen & vaseline (for lip colors.) Place together in an area next to the "pigments".

4. For the pigments that you are sure you're going to "revive": take them out of their packaged containers and makes sure you work out the clumps.

5. Use your imagination to combine the lotions with the pigments and put them in your minicontainers. (I.E. old blush mixed with vaseline = colored lipgloss)

6. To use up old lipstick: use a brush to get the stuff in the barrel. And if the color is not right, add a little of your new "colored lipgloss" to the old lipstick.

Impatience leads to non-frugal behavior

Sometimes I think that frugality has a religious tone to it. It's a way of life, a mindset, a discipline. Sometimes I feel like a monk- I live in abundance, want for nothing, need nothing.

Convenience, whimsy, impatience can derail your financial goals. But then again- there's always tomorrow to hop back on the frugal train. =)

Disdain for SAHMs?

Let's face it. A lot of frugal families have SAHMs. But does staying at home require/impune frugality on a family that loves carefree living? It's a matter of opinion and perspective in my mind.

I admit that frugality can be tiring at times- but I feel that it's always worth it. But let's consider a terrible thought: should SAHMs be scorned for their frugality. And in a way, wouldn't negativity about this issue really say that some people don't value what stay at home mothers do? It's a horrifying thought to me.

I do realize that there are mannies out there...but few and far between. But is that also saying that men would only do our job if they were paid? And that they see no rewards, benefits of or even value to our "contributions"? In the same token, you don't see many men jumping to "volunteer" to share or take over our "worthless duties". So, being a logical person, I came to the conclusion that some men out there expect us to take all of the household duties, child rearing duties AND work?

I admit that I feel a lot of guilt for not bringing in the income I'm expected to make. But it really gets me mad that there are a lot of other SAHMs that feel guilt too. That means that we don't give ourselves credit/worth, OR that our male counterparts are imparting negativity within our family system.

This has to stop!

CHECK OUT http://www.flylady.net
She thinks we have some mending to do- within ourselves

Uses for empty contact lense cases

* Spare buttons for the suitcase

* loose powder/ broken eye shadows or blush for your purse

* baby powder and vaseline for the baby bag

* lipstick or lipgloss left in the "holder"

* spare change in purse

* jewelry in your purse or suitcase

* prescription medications

* finger paints

* storing plant seed for next year

* scrapbooking sequins, and hardware


Rack your mind...there have to be many more uses out there...

Overloaded by baby jars?

Here are some ideas to reuse those abundant and itsy-bitsy jars by place.

Garage:
* for nail/screw/supply storage. You could nail the tops to a shelf for easy organization/viewing.

Kitchen:
* to store your own grown and dried herbs
* convenient take with food containers
* store your own infused salad/cooking oils

Craft room:
* beads, button, thread, etc storage,
* scrapbooking materials

Bathroom:
* loose powder
* makeup brush holders

My contempt for the Beast

This is a fight until death; a battle against our materialistic, consumer weakening, capitalistic society. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I have to use all of my genius and creativity all the time. Don't I deserve a rest- a reprieve- once in a while? (wink)

I'm an all or nothing type of personality. Ok- I'm a perfectionist; a perfectionist doesn't do well dealing with frugality. Perfectionists need to be in control and we perfectionists cannot control inflation or pricetags. The super rich 1% of people out there are putting a price tag on my ability to stay home with my daughter- and defining our financial deficit within the normal statistics.

When I cannot stand thinking about it anymore, I change my focus to my daughter. And that- is when I remember why the fight is worth fighting. I can't put a pricetag on how much I love the fruits of my frugal labor.

Put off Spending Today What you can easily spend Tomorrow

Procrastination has its rightful place- in your pocketbook! My new mantra is: "Do I really need to buy this today? Is there anything else I can use in its place?"

But, it's not our fault that we have a natural tendency to want to "buy today". Everyday we battle the commercials telling you that you're missing out on a great product; and fending off our children's materialism.

I believe we have a genetic instinct, a defense mechanism, to be prepared for "lean-times". But we are no longer the cave people that existed many many years ago. We have credit cards... government aid...etc. In many ways, we are preparing for and stocking up for an event that usually won't happen. And that's where our "spending" and hoarding comes into play in our modern times.

Bottom line: You are going to survive. You have the mental tools to make do with what you have. And with the right mindset, you have plenty. BTW, media is over-rated. =p

Are "Disposables" really trash worthy?

I know that if I were a true "frugal zealot", I would avoid "disposables" at all cost. (excuse the pun)

But, let's say I had signed up for a free sample. Should I just throw it in the trash after one use because the packaging told me to do so? Would they make money on the line of items of we didn't do as they suggested? No.

So, I will stand in the middle. If "disposables" are a real relief for us- why not stretch out their use?

********

On a tangent, predictable, but still a "tanget" nonetheless.

The manufacturers out there have feed our consumerist mind with the notion that we need a product for every little task and chore. In truth, there are a plethora of uses for a few products out there. Meaning: we only need a few products! They've tricked us into spending more money!

This is where you should google "many uses for". In most cases, you don't necessarily need a plastic bottle with a solution that says "cleaner". Vinegar and baking soda do wonders on your everyday cleaning tasks.

Rice Cooker: One pot meals

Expand your thinking to explore other uses for your
underestimated everyday technology!

As an Asian person, I could say "Got rice?" instead of "Got milk?". But let's not pidgeon-hole rice cookers into being merely rice "cookers". Use them in an entirely new way: to cook your whole meal, with or without rice!


CHECK OUT THESE LINKS FOR RECIPES:

~Sally's Kitchen: Recipes for the Rice Cooker

~Meals for You: Rice Cooker Recipes

Now you're thinking frugally! Get Cookin' =)

Be Rewarded for talking to your kids about not smoking

http://www.keepkidsfromsmoking.com/talkingToKids_pledge.asp

Go to the above website and get a free voucher for a movie ticket
for you and your child. (While supplies last)

Back to the Priorities

I read on "Living on a Dime" (the website) that if we are trying to find cheaper ways to do our laundry, then perhaps there are bigger issues behind the "mole hill" of laundry. How skewed are our financial priorities that the proportionally miniscule amount of money we spend on our clean clothes becomes so monumental?

I agree. If you are trying to skimp on the little issues the bigger ones will only get big if you ignore them.

Now- in my mind- I make my own "adjustments" if need be- but they aren't permanent. For instance, if I've spent more than my "target" for the week on groceries- then that's when I do the substitutions. But- I try to monitor my spending and consumption (often more than what is necessary) all the time.

We should train our minds to think in terms of abundance, rather than need. It's amazing how little we actually *need* to have a comfortable, and dare I say, "happy" life. =)

Note from the Blogmaster...

I acknowledge that a lot of the tips I might disperse may be repeats. I will keep my own "tips" to a minimun and offer more "ideas" and "realizations".

My main goal for this blog is to become "the site" for frugal people and pass along great resources within your community and on the web. I've done most of the "searching" for the majority of the inquisitive people out there- why not provide a shortcut?

Make your own frugal, or not so frugal, choices; develop your own unique spendthrift habits and lifestyle- befitting your situation.

PEACE

We're a Nation of Debt and Over-consumption

We would have a lot less debt looming over us and perhaps better "figures" if we just cut down on our consumption and stuck to what truly made us happy.

Wouldn't stretching the use of something out save you money and gas, and even calories? Do we really "have" to have the $5 dollar somethings that seem so irresistable and cause "spontaneous purchases". They add up fast and take away from saving/buy what we truly need/want and would use to the fullest in the eminent/near/distant future. We take the smaller purchases for granted.

Grocery Savings Tip. (I'm not taking credit for it- but am happy to pass it along.) A particular thrifty lady would ask for the grocery savings back in cash and deposit it into her savings account. It's a great idea since we would've spent the money anyways. Either way, we would not have been able to "touch" the money and probably would not miss it. Imagine if we applied this savings strategy to other purchases.

Make a Recycling area & easy storage.

I was looking at my craft organizer full of knitting/crocheting items and realized that it would be a perfect place to neatly store a variety of sized things to use/recycle for later.

OT: I forgot where I saw this tip, but I read that tissue boxes are good to store your plastic bags compactly and neatly. I'm thinking that keeping one in the car would be a great idea.

On the idea of uses for plastic bags, two moves ago, I used my overwhelming stash of the bags for packing. They were light and great to fill in spaces.

A website for more about plastic bag storage.
Plastic Bags & Frugal Living @ About.com

Reusable Bags.Com

It's easier to add, than to take away/or take back

Are your eyes bigger than your stomach? Are you overzealous about your consumption? Do you throw a lot of "excess" away and regret it?

I, personally, need to work on this concept. But- I've improved, and I find the evidence in the reduction of our trash/waste.

My brain likes to trick me into thinking that I need something now rather than later. And, as I mentioned yesterday, that will cause me trouble because my goals will collapse if I can't delay gratification on things that are necessary to a certain "moment".

I've learned to trick my brain by using smaller bottles, plates, glasses, etc. It's an ongoing tug-of-war. =p

Many uses for Everyday things

Take a second to consider what you are about to throw away. Many household items/common things have unusual or alternative uses. The more "use" you get out of an item, the less you have to spend/buy on other things, and the less trash you''ll add to the landfills.

For example: stockings : can be used as spice bags to add in soups and stuff, or as tea "bags" for your loose tea leaves. If you keep an open and creative mind, you can put everything to good use.

In my life, I recently decided to use some popsicle sticks as cute "markers" for my potted seedlings so that I can (a) label what will be growing; and (b) have a visual of how tall the baby plants are. I actually used a ruler and copied half inch and inch marks on the sticks; and some extra 1/8th, 1/4th, and 1/2 inch marks for when I'm actually planting the seeds to their recommended depth. And, I'll use them over and over again as much as I can.

Otherwise, there are plenty of creative and frugal people in your community who could make good use for your would-be "trash". Join your local "Freecycle" group and pass on your bounty.

http://www.freecycle.org {It has links to a freecycle group in your area}

The Essence of Frugality

All of the efforts we pour into saving money and being frugal boil down to a main idea: our priorities.

When you want something badly, why wouldn't you trim other areas of your life to make it happen? Priorities provide ample motivation and committment to the goals; and you can attain through your frugal efforts.

For me, I've always been on the frugal end of the consumer spectrum, but now I have passion behind it. I know that my efforts will be rewarded in the future. Delayed gratification is the name of the game; if you can't stomach it- you're bound to get derailed from your goals.

Another part of frugality is understanding what a certain "thing" is worth and what it means to you. If something doesn't make you happy or excited, why would you rob your goals for it? Today, we went to the nearby Dollar Store. Even at such a discount place, I took much consideration for what I was buying. I don't take even lowly coins for granted.

My life of frugality doesn't impune me with wants or doing without- but gives extra value to what I cherish and fuels my goals.

Peace.

Don't Hide your Ice-Cream Obsession! { GARDENING }

Use those pint sized indulgent containers waste away in the trash!

For a contemporary spin or "disguised" however you like, use the ice-cream containers for a planter container and the lid as the "liner". Just remember to poke holes in the bottom of it or drop some marbles/rocks in the bottom to allow for adequate drainage.


Confession:
This was a wacking idea that popped into my mind today as I was planting rosemary seeds in an all-to-formal clay pot. BTW: it was Low fat YOGURT!

FYI: I worked for my mother in her flowershop during my highschool years and then at another floral company in IL in my early twenties for four years. And I named my daughter after a flower and Disney character: need I say more?

Hello out there

Most of you "happened" upon this blog from my other blog http://gardenofjasmin.blogspot.com.

I figured that the pennypinching alter-ego of mine should get its own blog. "Frugal Does a Body Good" is devoted to creative/substitutive frugality in every facet of life in a laidback presentation. My approach is that frugality (by necessity or by choice) is healthy for your bod' and bank.

I grew up in a rich- so, I don't want to give you the idea that I'd "settle" for giving up what's important to me. If I can't swallow the next best thing- the homemade, self concocted, time consuming version- I would rather do without. I might be the only person who views frugal thinking in an ingenius light. Perhaps- after reading my blog- you'll agree.

I'm not a "freelance" writer- so all contents will be attributed to other blogs/sites, my random crazy ideas, and the like.

So- enjoy!