Grandma

This section is devoted to inexpensive or cheap concoctions that make your life easier. Commercial products are available for lots of these things, but I do not like to use strange or weird sounding chemicals in my home if I don’t have to. I think the homemade items are better for my environment and yours. Saves the pocketbook as well. Pinching those pennies!!!

CHEAP HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP

• 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha laundry soap
• ½ cup washing soda
• ½ cup borax
• Water

Grate the bar of soap and put in a pan with 6 cups very hot water. Heat until the soap dissolves. Add washing soda and borax. Stir until it is thick. Takes
about 15
min. and the mix looks a little like honey. Take off heat. In a large bucket, pour I quart of hot water, add the soap mix and blend. Add another 5 ½ quarts of water, hot or cold. Stir until well blended. Makes 2 gallons.

Set aside for 24 hours, it should make a thick gel. If it doesn’t don’t worry, just shake before you use it.

Use ½ cup for a load of clothes, this soap does not create suds.

RINSE AGENT

Use a ½ cup of vinegar as a rinse agent instead of fabric softener. It is a lot cheaper and you can’t smell it in the clothes when they are dry.

SPOTS-AWAY FOR DISHWASHERS

Instead of buying the expensive Jet Dry or similar product, it’s cheap to make your own. Mix together 1 cup borax and ½ cup baking soda. Put in a pint jar along side the dishwasher detergent and add 1 teaspoon every time you run the machine. This is especially great for those of you that live in hard water areas.

CLEAN SPONGES AND DISHRAGS

To disinfect your sponges and dishrags, use 4 Tablespoons bleach and a quart of water. Let soak for about 10 minutes, rinse. Simple as that and cheap too.

SUPER WINDOW WASH

• 1 tsp washing soda
• ½ cup hot water
• ¼ tsp liquid soap (dishwashing detergent is fine)
• 2 cups club soda

Spray on your windows and use the newspaper to wipe it down. Your windows
will sparkle.

CHEAP STAIN REMOVER

Instead of buying expensive spray stain removers, try this cheaper version instead.

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup laundry detergent
• 1 cup household ammonia
• 1 cup tap water

Mix well, pour into a quart spray bottle. Keep near your washing machine. Spray the mix onto the stain and scrub it in, if necessary. Wash immediately!! Do not let it sit on your clothes, it may remove the color. In fact this is best used on whites and very colorfast fabrics.

MAKE IT YOURSELF CHEAP CARPET CLEANERS

There are two versions of this recipe; you will have to decide which will work best for your needs.

First:

• 1/3 cup borax
• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol

Second:

• 1/8 cup laundry detergent

Either of them is added to the carpet machine with the 4 gallons of hot water required by the machine. Pour into the reservoir of the machine and follow directions for use. Use the vacuum to suck up any excess water and dirt.

When the carpet is clean, follow up with a rinse of ¼ cup white vinegar in 4 gallons of fresh warm water, following machine directions. The vinegar will pick up any residual dirt and also remove the soap scum.

If you do not rinse, the soap scum will only attract dirt and make your carpets not only dirty again faster, but will also shorten the life of your carpet.

HOMEMADE BATHROOM CLEANERS

By using ingredients found in your kitchen and laundry room, you can make cleaners for your bathroom that work. They are safe to use on fiberglass or plastic as well as sinks and commodes. The best thing about them is they are
cheap and cost just pennies to make.

1. Mix borax and lemon juice to form a paste. Wet the surface to be cleaned and spread the paste. Let sit for a couple of hours, scrub and rinse well. In the case of the toilet, brush and flush to rinse.
2. Mix baking soda and white vinegar. Use the same as above.
3. Pour 1 cup white vinegar into the toilet, let set overnight, then brush and flush.

PASTE POT SCRUBBER

• ¼ cup Cream of Tartar
• ¼ cup baking soda
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup soap flaked (eg: Ivory Snow)

Combine cream of tartar and soda, add vinegar. Mix well. Add soap flakes and mix to form a paste. Apply to a stained aluminum or stainless steel pan and scrub with fine steel wool, rinse well and dry. (yes, stainless steel can look bad especially if used for pasta.) Keep the remainder of the paste in a tightly sealed jar. It can be kept up to 2 years.

CHEAP HOMEMADE MOTH BAGS

• ½cup whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks, broken
• ½ cup black peppercorns

Combine ingredients and place 1 Tablespoon into a square of muslin, tie with a ribbon or piece of string and hang in your closet with a thumbtack or a pushpin. This will keep the bugs away from your clothing.

Do not let it get near the clothes; it could cause staining from the oils.

DEHYDRATION REMEDY

You can use this recipe instead of going out to buy the pink stuff in a bottle. It has been tested by pediatricians.

• 2 cups hot water
• 5 tsp. powdered flavored gelatin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda

Mix very well, let cool and give it to the sick person. If the illness persists (same as any sickness) then a trip to the doctor is in order.

MINI-TRAVEL DESK

Using one of the cake pans with the slide off lid for a travel desk is great for children and adults alike. Fill the inside with what ever you need, paper, pencils, crayons, etc. The sliding top is perfect for a writing surface. This is really great for children if you are making a long automobile trip.

HOMEMADE BATH POWDER

Everyone has a favorite scent, perfume or cologne. But don’t use the name brands. You can find matching scents for these in the inexpensive, matching fragrance products. To make a cheap bath powder is quite simple. All you need is a box of cornstarch and your favorite scent. Using your nose as a guide put ¼ to 2 tsp. of fragrance. Stir well, the cornstarch will get lumpy, but stir until the lumps are fairly well gone. Spread the scented powder on a cookie sheet or foil lined pan and let the alcohol evaporate. Then put the powder through a sieve or a sifter.

Pour into a pretty container and enjoy. This is a nice gift for the ladies that you know or maybe for someone in a nursing home. You can check the discount stores for a new bath powder puff.

SCENTED BATH SALTS

• 1 cup Epsom salts, kosher salt or other coarse salt
• 1 cup baking soda
• 6-8 drops essential oils, your fragrance choice (found at craft stores)
• 2 Tbs glycerin
• Food coloring (optional)

Mix salt and soda together in a glass bowl. Add oil, 1 drop at a time and stir well. Add glycerin 1-2 drops at a time and stir well. Add color if you wish to match your bathroom or someone else’s because this makes a nice gift. Pour into glass jars, add a ribbon.

For yourself, light a candle, relax and enjoy.

CHEAP HOMEMADE WIPES – BABY OR OTHERWISE

1 roll of good quality microwaveable paper towels. (Bounty is a bit more
expensive, but works well.)

• 2 ¼ to 2 ¾ cups of water
• 2 Tbs baby shampoo or baby bath
• 1 Tbs baby oil

Used wipe container or any plastic container you can cut an X slit into the top.

Cut the roll of towels in half, using a serrated knife, go slowly and it takes a while. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and put into the empty wipe container. Place ½ of the roll into the container and close. Rotate the container so the towels soak up the mixture.

To use, fold the wet cardboard center in half and pull out of the middle. This will leave you with the end of the towel in your hand. Thread it through the hole. If the wipes dry out, just add a little more water.

There is no alcohol in these wipes, so they can be used by anyone of any age. Carry them in the car with you, sometimes you need to wipe your hands or your face.

REVERSE THE CASH FLOW

“Where did all my money go?” It’s a question you’ve asked yourself too often as you peer into your purseor your bank statement and notice all the numbers on the wrong side of the ledger.

There’s an answer to your question: The money went where it always goes – to bills, mortgage payment, home improvement costs, health care – and also to that amorphous category of “miscellaneous.”

That miscellaneous spending is harder to account for: the extra charge for a service you aren’t using, food spending inflated by lunches out, the shopping cart of impulse purchases while at the store for light bulbs or cat food. Instead of miscellaneous spending, call them what they are: money leaks. They suck the cash right out of your pocket and leave you wondering where it went. On their own, they’re not big draws on your resources, “but remember, it’s always the little things that will drain the pool,” says Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover. Start plugging those day-to-day money leaks instead.

BEWARE OF IMPULSE BUYS

That retail outlet that carries everything is great for saving time and money. But on your way to what you really need to buy, you’re going to pass displays for tempting gadgets and doodads, and pretty soon you may succumb to an impulse purchase or three, says Ramsey, who has his own collection of gadgets to prove it. Now he writes a list before he leaves the house. “And I don’t buy anything that’s not on the list period,” he says.

SHOP THE SPECIALS

Check out websites that help you plan your grocery buys around weekly specials – you’ll save about 20 percent, says consumer advocate Clark Howard, co-author ofGet Clark Smart: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Rich from America’s Money-Saving Expert. If you spend $200 a week, that’s $2080 each year. Two of Howard’s
picks: Cool savings.com and CouponMom.com.

BUY OFF LABEL

Try store brands on prepackaged items. Many times products are made by the name-brand makers, but the prices are usually lower, says Ephraim Leibtag, economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Example: cereal, for which store prices are usually 10 to 20 percent less.

SKIP DESSERT

At restaurants, the profit margin is the highest on dessert, says Howard. “Something that might cost a quarter to make, they will sell to you for $5.95 or $6.95,” he says. If you and your spouse normally eat out with dessert twice a week and abstain instead, you’ve saved $1,248 in a year. Can’t beat the thought of doing “without”? Order one and split it. You’ll still save
$624.

RECLAIM THOSE REBATES

Next time a manufacturer offers you a rebate, take it. Most of us factor a rebate into the price when we buy. But only 21 percent of us actually claim that money, according to a study by the Promotion Marketing Association.

ESTIMATE AHEAD OF TIME

When Paul Brown picked up his car after buying four tires; he discovered the garage had added $44 for an extended warranty, and $15 for chrome valve stem covers. “It was more than I had estimated in my head,” says Brown, a consumer advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. He made his garage remove the charges. His advice: Figure in advance what something’s going to cost. Better yet, have the store or service provider figure an estimate for you – in writing. This gives you leverage to lower the price if it comes in higher than projected.

FIGHT FEES

Your bank levies a $35 “insufficient funds fee,” and yes, that little math error might have been your fault. But many financial institutions – from banks to credit card companies to your local utility or cable TV provider – may waive the charge if you ask nicely, especially if you’re a first-time or infrequent
offender. The same goes for companies that assess fees for letting you talk to a human being, such as banks and other companies with customer support lines.

DEMAND A DEAL

Phone, cable, and Internet service providers often give specials to attract new business yet do nothing extra for the loyal customer who’s been a subscriber for years. You can change that, says Edgar Dworsky, founder of
ConsumerWorld.org, an online public resource guide. Dworsky’s phone/cable/Internet package cost $105 and he knew the company was offering a better rate to new customers. He called and requested the same deal. His savings: more than $30 a month. If the company won’t play ball, become a new customer elsewhere.

PLAY DETECTIVE

Pick just one or two different bills each month and go through them line by line. Look especially for small, unexplained charges,fees, and add-ons. Many of these will be for services you never requested, but the terms of service allow the company to bill you automatically until you complain or request the charge of service be removed. Do it. It may only amount to $6 or $7 a month, but it’s one more leak that, once plugged, saves you a lot over time.

ASK “WHY”? Several months after buying a fixer-upper home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Daniel Butler noticed that his gas bill, normally $60 to $80, had climbed to almost $200. He did a quick tour of his home and found that a window hidden behind a curtain had opened just enough to let in the cold air. Sometimes your money leak can be as simple – but as costly – as that.

THREE SIMPLE MANAGEMENT TIPS CAN HELP YOU REDIRECT YOUR MONEY

PLAN AHEAD

Put your financial goals in writing, says money expert, Dave Ramsey. “Something happens when you write it down,” he says. Be specific. “Saving for a boat or vacation gives me focus – and keeps me out of the mall.”

PAPER – TRAIL IT

For the next month, jot down everything, from your biggest bill to your smallest daily expense (carry a notebook and keep track). Seeing your money “spent” on paper is the first step to budgeting and controlling cash flow.

ALLOW YOURSELF “FUN MONEY”

When you do your spending sheet, set aside an amount you can afford to spend in cash in an envelope. “When the envelope is empty, you have to quit,” says Ramsey. It’s a handy spending safety valve.

Buy At the Right Time

Timing is everything. Knowing the best times to buy items can make a difference of a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars in savings. The best time to buy something is when it’s not in demand. Think about it, holiday decorations are cheapest right after the holiday passes. December 26th came and now every Christmas decoration and accessory is marked 50-90% off. That’s the time to swoop in and buy.

This principle applies to every category of product out there. The best time to buy a boat? In the winter months. Cheapest months to visit my neck of the woods (South Florida)? July and August. You’ve got to know the best (read: cheapest) times to buy things to save yourself the most money. Here’s a quick list of the best times to buy items:

* Furniture. New models and styles come out twice a year, in February and August. Retailers slash prices of current models just ahead of those times in January and July in anticipation of new inventory.

* Men’s suits. “Suit up” in the months of January and July. Buy classic styles in fall colors and textures in January. In July you’ll find the best value on spring styles and patterns.

* Electronics. Retailers slash prices on last year’s models to make room for new inventory in April and May. Japanese electronics retailers release new models in March which is the end of their fiscal year.

* A mattress. This is one you can save quite a bit on if you buy in May. New models are on their way to showrooms at this time and manufacturers allow retailers to cut prices to make room for it.

* Airline tickets. Buy tickets on a Wednesday at least 21 days before you want to travel for the best price. The more in advance you buy, the better the deal. Airlines also drop prices on fares 2-3 days before the flight so last minute
shoppers can get good rates too!

Plan out Purchases

Impulse buying is what we are trying to avoid. When you buy things as soon as you see them you are most certainly not getting the best deal. Plan in advance all major purchases at the beginning of the year so you can space them out. This will reduce the number of frustrating shopping trips you must make as well as help out your wallet.

Studies show people tend to spend less when they pay cash instead of using a charge card. This means you must be prepared with cash in hand when making purchases. You can control your spending by only taking along with you what you can afford to spend. Once the fiat money is gone, you’re done shopping.

When you need to purchase big ticket items check online before heading out to find out which retailers are offering the best deal. You can do this fairly quickly by using websites that pull sales information from multiple retailers at once. Pricegrabber.com and pricewatch.com are two of my favorites.

You should also check out EBay and Craigslist before you pay full price for an item. Buy second hand to get the best deals. Garage sales and other second hand retailers are great places to buy furniture, kitchen items, clothing and toys.

Frugal Entertainment Finds

Mr. Patterson and I paid $40 last month at the movie theater to see a movie we only half liked. Ticket prices have ratcheted up in the last few years driving movie goers away from theaters. Sales have slumped 5.4 percent from 2009. That’s the biggest percentage drop year over year since 2005. Making 2010 the second lowest attended year of the decade for movie theaters.

It’s just too darn expensive to see a movie or go out on the town anymore. And usually the first thing to get reduced after the holidays is the entertainment budget for families. This year make it a point to find more free entertainment choices.

Consider hosting a poker night at your house. Invite over your family and friends just after the dinner hour and tell them to bring their own booze. If poker isn’t your thing or if it’s a school night, throw a board game party.
You’ll get to bond with your children or closest friends while having a cheap night in.

You could also opt to spend a few hours at the library instead of Starbucks. This will save you from indulging in calories you don’t need and save you money. Plus you won’t find a quieter place to work or read at.

Re-use Items

Take a look at your linen closet or underneath your sink to see all of the products you hardly ever use. If you can find a second use for these household products it will reduce the amount of new purchases you need to make, saving you money.

There are hundreds of household items that you can reuse. For instance take baking soda. Not only is it necessary for baking cookies and breads, it can be used for deodorizing and cleaning. An open box in the refrigerator or freezer will take away bad smells for up to 30 days. Use it to eliminate odors from waste receptacles and furniture by sprinkling a little bit wherever you need it. Pour a one cup of baking soda down the drain followed by one cup of hot vinegar. Let it foam up for five minutes before flushing it out with hot water. It’s much cheaper than buying Drain-O or other expensive cleaners.

Old toothbrushes are another household item you can give a second life too. Use them for cleaning around faucets. They are great at removing hard water spots and soap build-up. They are also useful on computer keyboards instead of buying that expensive “canned air”, though you may want to clean the toothbrush first for that.

While you might have made a new year’s resolution to live more frugally this year it can seem overwhelming at first. Instead of going all out frugal right from the start, pick one or two habits to change each month. In January try to reduce your entertainment budget. Next month search EBay and Craigslist before buying any big purchases. It takes 21 days to form a new habit so go slow! By December 2011 you’ll be able to look back over the year and see how many changes you have made. Plus your wallet should be a great deal fatter!

Keeping Money In Your Pocket,

Nancy Patterson

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

1. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
2. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too
   easy.
3. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
4. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
5. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters.
6. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
7. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
8. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.
9. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.
4. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm
   system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.
8. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis , who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.