Check out these 17 great money saving tips from Living Frugal Tips. Fast and quick ways to save without having to try (really hard). That’s how we roll here at LFT — fast, quick, easy and everyday ways to save!

1.  Save water by taking a shower (uses 8 gallons) versus a bath (uses 21 gallons). Also turn the tap off while brushing your teeth to save another 2-1/2 gallons.

2.  Save money on dry cleaning by purchasing a hand-held steamer (Walmart $19.00). Simply hang, steam and save big. Steam 4 – 5 pieces & it’s paid for itself. — Tipster: Becky Wilson

3.  Pre-portioned food costs more! From snack packs to individually wrapped cheese & chicken breast portions — they cost more. Buy regular or bulk size and create individual portions on your own.

4.  Improve your cars fuel economy by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. This improves fuel efficiency up to 5% & can save you $75-$100 a year based on mileage and gas prices.

5.  Get Living Frugal Tips on the GO. Living Frugal Tips is now Smartphone compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Opera Mini, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm mobile devices.

6.  What to do with fresh herbs that are about to go bad? Chop them up, put them in ice cube trays, add water & freeze to preserve. Then just add the herb cubes to soups or cooking as needed for fresh flavor.

7.  As water restrictions ramp up over the hot Summer months, a good tip is to pull your car in the grass when washing it so you can wash and water at the same time. Saves water & $$ — Tipster:  Becky Wilson

8.  Want a ‘green’ way to clean faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Rub a cucumber slice on the surface. It will remove tarnish, bring back the shine, & won’t leave streaks or harm your hands while you clean.

9.  If you enjoy eating out on occasion and want to save money, go to www.Restaurant.com and buy gift certificates for a fraction of the face value. Some restrictions apply, but it’s worth checking out!

10.  Trying to beat the Summer heat? Install more ceiling fans! the breeze of a fan can make you feel three to four degrees cooler. You can then raise the thermostat and still stay comfortable.

11.  Have a theme park visit planned this Summer? Take advantage of the current specials such as Buy One Day and Go All Year. You can’t beat that. A year of fun for the price of a day.

12.  Save up for big purchases and use cash to pay for them. During the time it takes you to save, you have plenty of time to make sure you really need it, and by using cash you won’t overspend.

13.  Don’t have a warehouse club membership card? Just give a family member or friend a check or cash and have them buy a gift card for you. You can shop and get the deals without paying the membership fee.

14.  The start of Summer is a great time to replace your air conditioning filter. By doing this every 2 – 3 months you will maximize your air flow and energy efficiency and save money.

15.  Save on clothing costs by buying things that coordinate. Solid colors that you can mix & match will minimize the amount of clothes you need. Black, tan, navy, gray and white are the basics to build around.

16.  Want new clothes? Hold a clothing swap with friends. Clean your closet of things you’ve not worn in a while and trade with friends who’ve done the same. What’s “old” becomes new again.

17.  Stop the need to go out for lunch or pick food up for dinner by making meals that are leftover friendly like casseroles and soups. Prepare, pack up and frig or freeze them for quick mid-week meals.

Please share all your money saving tips with Living Frugal Tips!

Quick money saving tips from Living Frugal Tips are sure ways to save money with minimal hassle and sacrifice. As I always say, it’s about making frugality a lifestyle and mindset. It’s an on-going thought process to find more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle for savings — without feeling deprived. Once you get going it actually becomes fun to find more creative ways to save. As I’ve gotten my friends and family into the mindset they all email me more useful tips to try and share. Everyone please keep sharing and together we will save.

Reuse Household Items for Greater Good

• Reuse an old plastic orange juice container, or any other container with a wider opening, to save your loose change. Empty pockets nightly and once it’s full you can roll it and bank it. It all adds up.

• Use old plastic bread tabs to mark and organize all your electric cords behind the TV, for example. Simply use a permanent marker and write on each plastic tab to identify each cord and item. Then just attach one to each cord and instant organization and minimized frustration.

Reduce Electric Bills with Some Easy Changes

• When cooking in the oven, turn it off a few minutes early. The heat will continue to cook your food for several minutes without the continued power use. A few minutes a day adds up over a year.

• You use less energy with a warm dryer. So, it’s more efficient to wash and dry loads back-to-back so that your dryer doesn’t completely cool down when it needs to heat up for the next load.

• Closing off an unused room in your home can actually cost you more in comfort and energy savings. It’s best to keep air vents and doors open so that air can circulate freely and properly.

• Want big savings with little to no effort? Raise your thermostat! You can save up to 10% of your cooling costs for each degree above 78.

Stop Wasting Water and Start Saving Money

• Save water and money by turning off the faucet when brushing teeth. An estimated 2.5 gallons of water are used when kept running x 2 brushes a day x 7 days a week x 52 weeks = 1,820 gallons WASTED!

• Save water by taking a shower (uses 8 gallons) versus a bath (uses 21 gallons). Also turn the tap off while brushing your teeth to save another 2-1/2 gallons.

Simple Suggestions for Household Savings

• Think before you print. The average consumer spends $240/year on ink cartridges and paper. Instead print only the text you need, save information and files electronically, reuse old paper and print on both sides if possible.

• If household items or toys require batteries, use RECHARGEABLE batteries. They can be reused hundreds of times which saves money and reduces waste over time. This savings quickly out weighs the cost premium for the initial purchase.

• Get rid of extra landline phone features such as caller ID, call waiting and call forwarding that are really not needed and may not be used often. Or, better yet, get rid of the landline all together.

Modify What You Buy at the Store

• Stop buying bottled water and drink from the tap. A 24-pack cost $4.00 – $6.00 depending on the brand. The equivalent water from the tap costs PENNIES! If you don’t like the taste, install an inexpensive faucet filter.

• Stop buying paper towels. Paper towels produce 3,000 tons of waste per DAY and wastes money. Use a dishrag instead and toss it in the wash. If you must use paper towels use 100% recycled paper towels which saves landfill waste, energy and water.

• Stop buying certain vegetables and instead grow your own vegetables and start with seeds. A packet of tomato seeds equals the price of ONE tomato but can yield 20-30 plants per packet. While time is required, the saved money and great taste are huge.

• The greenest products that you can buy are the ones that already exist. Buying a “pre-loved” sweater, for example, saves the energy equivalent of 68 loads of laundry. – ebay.com/greenteam

Travel Smart and Save Big

• If planning a plane trip, pack light to avoid the escalating baggage fees: $15-$25 for the 1st checked bag, $25-$35 for the 2nd, and up to $300 for overweight, outside the U.S. bags on Delta!

• Save money by flying at the right TIME. Flying off season to a destination, flying overnight, or scheduling departures and arrivals on a Tuesday or Wednesday will cost less.

• Budget your vacation and bring traveler’s checks versus credit cards so there is no temptation to overspend. You can track what’s spent and what’s remaining and there’s no big surprise bill later.

• Have your cable switched off while you’re away. Some cable companies will turn off your cable for the week(s) you’re away on vacation. It doesn’t hurt to ask and it could be an easy way to save money.

With school coming to an end and Summer vacations about to begin, these websites can help you save money on travel and help with planning your next vacation. The real-time web brings us real-time deals so your best bet to save money on travel is to do your homework in advance in terms of where you’d like to go and then be prepared to act quickly as some of the best deals go quickly. Every site has unique features depending on your travel preferences, priorities and degrees of flexibility.

Living Frugal Tips picks for travel savings:

1. Kayak.com – This is the travel site not to be missed. It searches hundreds of travel sites all at one time in search of the best deals. It will quickly compare sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Hotels.com, airline sites, car rental sites and more. It’s quick and easy and you can create fare alerts to be notified of hot deals.

2.  Yapta.com – With the high degree of fluctuation in airline fares and hotel rates, buyer’s remorse can be bad. You book a flight for $450 and then a few days later it’s 1/2 price. With Yapta.com you can say goodbye to buyers remorse. Yapta conducts daily price checks on the specific flights and hotels that you choose, and alerts you when prices drop or when they fall within your budget. And it will alert you if rebooking makes sense due to significant price drops.

3. Voyij.com – The unique feature on this site is it helps you save money on travel by searching for last minute deals, specials and unsold inventory. If you can plan a quick trip and have some flexibility you can find hotel rooms for as low as $29 on the Vegas Strip as an example. Another great feature is that it also tracks deals on Twitter.

4.  Twitter.com – As mentioned above, Twitter is a mecca of real-time travel savings. If you want to go right to the source, you can go to Twitter and in the “people search” section type in a travel provider, such as United Airlines or Marriott, to find their Twitter user name. Then just follow along to begin keeping up with the hot deals that they tweet about … but they go fast.

5.  BedandBreakfast.com – I love the quaintness of a B&B and there’s no better site for finding one. I also love that this site has a one click Hot Deals section for last minute trips that week. You can sign up for a weekly email and for hot deals in your preferred region. There is also a Value Vacations section and you gotta love a site that has a Beer Lovers Getaways section!

6.  TravelZoo.com – I’ve been using TravelZoo for years. The feature I love best is you can sign up for their Weekly Top 20 travel deals for travel savings. Quick, easy and right to your inbox.

7.  InsideTrip.com – If traveling in comfort is more your style, then you’ll love the quality scores that are presented with each itinerary. Points are awarded for nonstop, legroom, wait times and more. This makes finding the fare “gems” among the double layovers a breeze.

If staying close to home is more your style, then be sure to check out Tips for Planning the Best Staycation Ever so that you can make the most of your time and dial up the fun-factor in your area. Other great posts for free fun stuff — 50 Frugal Fun ideas for a Bored-Silly Saturday and 14 Ways to Pass the Day Trapped Inside.

Whether staying close or going far, enjoy yourself!

Bon Voyage!

Frugal living and saving money are best accomplished when they become an ongoing part of your everyday lifestyle. It’s a mindset. A little savings here … a bit more saved there … it really adds up.

Here’s a list of 14 quick and easy Living Frugal Tips to save money that can easily be incorporated into your daily life to cut costs without feeling like you’re scrimping and sacrificing.

Tip #1 – The best way to get cheap organic produce is to grow your own.

Tip #2 – Extend the life of your razor blades by drying them off after each use to prevent rusting.

Tip #3 – Wrap lettuce in paper towel & place in a plastic bag in veggie bin to extend life. The paper absorbs water & prevents mold.

Tip #4 – Speed up clothes drying & save energy by adding a dry towel to the load to absorb water. Better yet line-dry on a nice day.

Tip #5 - Save money by coloring your own hair. I can color my hair 20 times for the same cost as 1 time at an expensive salon (20 x $7 = $140).

Tip #6 – Save money by grating & chopping your own fruits, veggies and cheese. You pay a premium (almost double) vs. what you pay for whole items.

Tip #7 -  Spend less by using the library. A library card is free and you can rent books, music and even DVD’s. Mine has a used bookstore attached – $0.10 magazines and $0.50 books.

Tip #8 – Relieve red eyes by placing a chilled cucumber on each eye for 10 – 15 minutes. Puffy and red, use chilled used tea bags with caffeine. Both are anti-inflammatory.

Tip #9 – S.O.S = Save or Suffer!

Tip #10 – Save money by giving a gift from the heart. They cost less and mean a whole lot more. Make: a card, dinner, memory box, coupons to redeem for car washes, chores, etc.

Tip #11 – Take only what you will eat … and eat all that you take!

Tip #12 – Save money by knowing the best time to buy. Save money by purchasing fruits and vegetables when they are IN season. Save money on clothes when they are OUT of season (on clearance).

Tip #13 – Reheating last night’s dinner? Use your microwave or toaster oven to reheat and save up to 30 percent of the energy required to cook in a standard oven.

Tip #14 – If you’re wanting to dine out – go midweek when the restaurants typically run specials to drive customers in during slower periods. You can also dine early and get the early-bird specials.

Please share any other Living Frugal Tips to save money that you may have.

Today marks the six-month anniversary for Living Frugal Tips.

While a very brief period of time, it’s monumental in the web world as thousands of new blogs start daily and in mere weeks or months lay dormant with no new content, and then fall claim to the web wasteland for misfit sites. Blogging is a lot of work and takes time, energy and passion to keep it growing … keep it interesting … keep connecting … and keep people coming back.

With that said. Thank you!!! Thank you for finding Living Frugal Tips, thanks for commenting, contributing and coming back. My hope is that you find it useful and that I can continue to grow and evolve the site to keep it interesting and make some small impact that helps you — save money, save time, find balance, and ultimately help you create a rich life by living on less.

Highlights from the first 6-Months:

What’s HOT — Top 10 Most Popular Posts:

1. Save Calories with this Skinny Margarita Recipe
2. 7 Ways to Kick-Start Your Job Search
3. Lisa’s Nearly Famous Pulled Pork Recipe
4. 14 Fun Ways to Pass the Day Trapped Inside
5. Velveeta Rotel Chicken Pasta Casserole (a mouthful, oh my)
6. Purging Sucks: Purged Living Part 1
7. Target Wine Cube – Good Wine Great Price
8. How to Save Money When Filing Your Taxes
9. 50 Frugal Fun Ideas for a Bored-Silly Saturday
10. Five Alternatives to Deli Meat that Save You Money

What’s NEW:

Tip of the Day- Get a quick tip daily for how to save money. You’ll find this on the post-it-note stuck to the home page.

Live Streaming Money Saving Tips – Get real-time money saving tips from people around the world via the live Twitter stream, conveniently found on the home page.

Job Board – With the growing number of people that have had frugality forced upon them due to job loss, I’ve added a new page on Living Frugal Tips called “Job Board“. This is a direct connection to www.HotCareerSites.com which is another site/blog of mine. Here you will find the best job search sites conveniently organized by the type of job that you are looking for. you will also find career planning tools to help you with your job search and career growth. The goal is to have everything in one place so it’s faster, more efficient and makes the best use of your time as you look for a job.

Growth:

Fabulous Fans – New folks become fans daily. We’ve got 282 Facebook Fans that “like” Living Frugal Tips. If you’re not a fan … become one!

Growing Strong - More people continue to find Living Frugal Tips. Site traffic is up 42.8% from just the month prior.

Improving Popularity – Alexa Rank, a subsidiary company of Amazon.com, ranks all the websites in the world for popularity. When Living Frugal Tips first came on the scene our Alexa Rank was 13,134,689. In just six short months we’ve significantly moved up in popularity to # 530,125 globally and 63,064 in the U.S. When seemingly light-years away from the top 100,000 globally … we are headed in the right direction.

Some News:

Won New Writer Contest on HubPages.com for “20 Meatless Meals that Will Save Money on Groceries”

Living Frugal Tips is partnered with and featured on an exciting new site for women — WomenXchange.com.

Join the Fun:

Email

If you are not already on our email list, sign up now. It’s the easiest way to stay up-to-snuff on all the latest money saving tips from Living Frugal Tips.

THANK YOU again. Here’s to exciting things in the next six months.

The good old-fashioned ice cube tray is becoming increasingly scarce in most homes since the advent of the automatic ice cube maker. I actually had the need for an ice cube tray and picked up two for less than a dollar each.

My initial need came about a few months back with the approaching winter season and the need to pick the lemons and limes off my trees before an overnight freeze hit. With bags of citrus I then proceed to juice them and pour them into the trays to make cubes. Once frozen I put the lemon cubes and lime cubes into big Ziploc bags and have used them for months.

I have since found many creative uses for ice cube trays that I wanted to share:

Make Lemon Cubes

• Juice your lemons, freeze them in the trays and then store in a Ziploc bag. Add a cube to your ice tea for fresh lemon taste.

• Place a cube or two to a Ziploc bag with pork or chicken, add a few drizzles of olive oil and salt and pepper and marinate meat. Cube will melt slowly as in the refrigerator, or if meat is frozen it will melt as the meat defrosts.

• Make a homemade salad dressing with olive oil, lemon and garlic — 1 cup of olive oil, 1-2 lemon cubes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and salt and pepper.

Make Lime Cubes

• If you like a fresh lime wedge in a cold beer or with a Gin and Tonic, or Coke, for example, you can simply add a lime cube. It’s great because not only does it add great fresh lime flavor, but it keeps the drink cold too.

Organize Jewelery

• Another creative use for ice cube trays are great to organized your earrings by placing one set in each cube. And, because they are so flat they easily fit in vanity or dresser drawers.

Organize Craft Beads

• Sort different colors and sizes in each cube area.

Workbench Organizer

• Organize different sized nuts and bolts each in their own little cube area. You can place in your workbench drawer or on top of the work bench for easy access.

Seed Starter

• Place a little dirt and one seed in each cube and use to start growing your seeds. Once plants have formed they can then easily be planted in the ground or in larger pots.

Make Frugal Frosty Paws Ice Cream (Cubes)

• You can read my post on this — Frugal Frosty Paws Ice Cream Recipe for Fido. Dogs love them and they are quick and easy to make.

Make Popsicles

• Pour your favorite juice into the tray cover with saran wrap and then take popsicle sticks or tooth picks and poke a whole int he saran wrap and place one in each cube.

Freeze Foods

• Freeze egg whites if you make a recipe only requiring the yolks.

• Freeze stocks such as chicken stock for later use in recipes.

Use as a Mold

• More creative uses for ice cube trays — they can be used for candy or soap molds.

I hope that you find these Living Frugal Tips and creative uses for ice cube trays useful. I so love when one little product can be used and reused so many different ways.

Please share any other ways you use ice cube trays — just add a comment.

At the core of frugal living is the conscious behavior to REUSE  and RECYCLE things over and over again, and find creative new uses for old things. And by simply reusing items you REDUCE purchases which will save you money, and you also greatly lessen the environmental impact on the planet — a double whammy of savings.

Here’s a quick rundown of Living Frugal Tips for household items that I reuse and creative ways to recycle them for new uses.

Hotel Shower Caps – When traveling and staying in a hotel, take the shower cap. These are great to use to cover a food dish. There is no need to buy the pricey Cover Mate brand food covers when a shower cap will do just fine.

Wine Corks – I love my wine and these have served several purposes. First I made two trivets (hot plates) out of them as fun gifts for my girlfriends. You can glue together for a fun cork board too. I also use them in the bottom of my potted plants to provide proper drainage. I’ve done this for years and they work great. Buy now you’re probably wondering … just how much wine does she drink …

Tea Bags – Keep after making tea to later be used to relieve tired sore eyes like a hot compress. Simply reheat in warm water and gently rest on closed lids. Or, cut the bags open and sprinkle the contents on your garden plants as a natural fertilizer.

Ziploc Storage Bags – I rinse and reuse these all the time. You can even put them in the top rack of the dishwasher, opened up over one of the item separators for an extra clean. You can get many, many, many uses from a single baggie. Thanks to heightened airport security I now use and prefer these to pack all my travel toiletries as everything is visible.

Old Toothbrush – Use to clean jewelry, dirty tile grout and hard to reach places.

Glass or Plastic Jars – The plastic screw top canisters of peanuts I bought now hold my dry goods – flour and sugar – to keep them fresh and free of those darn little bugs. You can also cut the tops off plastic container and reuse for starter planters.

Egg Cartons – Great for crafts for kids (egg holder, bell and piper cleaner for a bell ornament), or use for starter planters for the garden.

Rosebud Salve Tins – They are the perfect purse size containers to store aspirin or vitamins. Or mints if you’ve bought a big money-saving tin and need something smaller to keep a stash. Also check out my past post for the other uses for Rosebud Salve.

Simply Orange (orange juice contain) – I’ve got two of these in the fridge that hold cold water for my two dogs. One perfectly fills there two bowls so there is always one that’s cold. No need for fancy pitchers.

Baby/Handy Wipes Container – No baby here, but keep the wipes in the boat or bring kayaking for cleanup. I now use the empty container to store my makeup. It’s a great handy size, the top clicks shut. Perfect.

Old Socks – I reuse old socks and put knots in these to make dog toys. I also put a tennis ball in one with a knot at the top for another dog toy alternative. My husband also relegates his old dirty looking socks as his yard work socks so he can keep his good socks lasting longer. Everything gets traded down.

Old Greeting Cards – Keep all the many holiday cards that you receive and you can easily create gift tags from old cards. All you need are pinking shears, a hole punch and some ribbon. Or, another use is to take the same crafty approach, but make them with the full length of the card and make bookmarks.

Plastic Knives and Forks – Save the little packs from the fast food restaurants. You can bring these with your bagged lunch and wash for continued reuse. Or, bringing your own silverware and keeping it at the office as I do works too and it’s better for the environment than all the plastic.

Reuse Plastic Bags – I use the recycle bags for 90% of my shopping, but in the event that I forget them I keep the plastic grocery bags and reuse old bags to bring my lunch or as “poop” bags. Not to worry I don’t mix these two. Also, I notice more and more stores asking for them back. Target is running a special. Send in 5 plastic Target bags and they will send you a $1.00 off coupon for on of there Recycle bags.

Old T-shirts – I’ reuse old t-shirts to add more stuffing to flat decorative pillows that need a little more fluff. I also cut them up and use them as cleaning rags.

Binder Clips – I use one to roll up my toothpaste tube as I use it. I also use them as chip clips.

Old Boxes, Bows and Gift Wrap – In my house I turned them into Quick and Cheap Christmas Door Decor.

Baking Soda – One product with so many uses to clean your home. Take it from your fridge as a deodorizer and then use to clean your drain. Read 30 Ways to Clean Your home with Baking Soda for many more uses for how to REUSE.

Plastic Scoops – The scoops that come in my protein powder contains are now used for scoop out my morning coffee. Two scoops is the perfect amount to make a full pot. I also have one to scoop my sugar and one for my flour.

Old books or Notebooks – Learn How to Make a Secret Gadget Holder or to stash your treasures by using old books and notebooks.

Cigar Boxes – I got these from a friend and use as decorations on my plant shelves, and for storage — cards in one, electronic gadgets in another.

The list of Living Frugal Tips and ways to reuse and recycle things goes on, but these are some creative thought-starters for now. Please share any other items and their suggested new uses and let’s keep the recycling dialogue going.

Peace to the planet … and our pocketbooks!

Spring is in the air making it the perfect time to do a little Spring cleaning. But all the different cleaning products on the market can be costly, not to mention very harmful to the environment. Fortunately there are more environmentally friendly products on the market now, but there’s no need to buy the high-priced cleaning products when there’s an effective, safer cleaning product that is super cheap and has been around for more than 155 years. The featured wonder product is Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.

It’s always recommended to try the least-toxic cleaning products first before you move on to the super strength toxic killers. For example, start with baking soda and water to clean your oven before using a strong commercial oven cleaner.

While there are likely hundreds of uses for baking soda, Living Frugal Tips is featuring 30 ways to to clean your home with baking soda in a safe, effective, and more earth-friendly manner … and of course it’s cheap. ONE product that does the job of many. Think of how much money you can save.

Deodorize and Eliminate Odors

1.  Place an open box in the refrigerator or freezer to get rid of unwanted odors. The odor absorbing power will last approximately 30 day.

2.  When pulling the old box out of the frig or freezer you can then use it to deodorize your drains by pouring ½ cup baking soda into drain while running warm water. A side note: if you have a septic system, this can also help maintain favorable PH levels.

3.  Sprinkle in wastebaskets and garbage cans to eliminate odors.

4.  Eliminate pet odors by sprinkling on carpets and rugs. Sweep or brush into the carpets a bit and then let set for a minimum of 15 minute and then vacuum.

5.  Deodorize fabric upholstery by sprinkling on, wait 15 minutes and vacuum.

6.  Sprinkle in bottom of diaper pails.

7.  Add to your laundry basket to eliminate musty smells between washes.

Clean Kitchens and Bathrooms

8.  Baking soda has scrubbing power without the harsh abrasives and won’t scratch surfaces. To scrub away kitchen stains or clean the oven, mix a paste of 3 parts warm water to 1 part baking soda.

9.  Make your own bathroom cleaner by mixing a dish washing liquid (I suggest Dawn) with baking soda to make a thick paste. Then scrub away all the soap scum with ease.

10.  Periodically clean wastebaskets with solution of baking soda and water. Depending on the size of the wastebasket add 2 cups of water to ¼ cup baking soda and wipe down inside.

11.  Clean floors by mixing ½ cup of baking soda in a bucket with warm water.

12.  Use the same solution above and wipe down vinyl liners of shower curtains.

Clean Dishes

13.  To clean burnt-on food, add baking soda to hot water and let soak overnight.

14.  Add hot water and baking soda to coffee pots and let set several hours or overnight and rinse clean.

Whiten and Brighten Laundry

15.  Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is an effective deodorizer, cleaner and fabric softener.

16.  Remove stains by applying a paste mix of 4 tablespoons baking soda to equal parts water. Scrub gently and let set. Repeat if necessary.

17.  Add ½ cup to laundry to give detergent a boost. A better Ph balance gets clothes cleaner.

18.  Add ½ cup to rinse cycle to eliminate odors and soften clothes.

19.  Brighten whites by adding ½ cup baking soda with a ½ cup bleach (versus 1 cup bleach). This whitens without the lingering bleach smell.

Tackle Tough Cleaning Outside the House

20.  Sprinkle on grease or oil stains on garage floor or driveways.

21.  Clean patio furniture with baking soda a water mixture.

22.  Clean grills with paste mixture (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water).

23.  Add to pool to improve clarity by increasing Ph levels.

24.  Use paste mixture to clean corrosive car batteries.

25.  Remove stubborn grease or bugs on cars with paste mixture.

Pet

26.  Use as a dry bath for your dogs. Just sprinkle on their fur, rub it in and then comb or brush for a quick way to keep your dog smelling fresh (If you’ve got a dog, you know how they love to roll in stinky stuff. While technically not “home” cleaning, I thought this use was just to darn good not to include).

27.  Sprinkle in the bottom of the kitty litter pan and then fill with the litter.

28.  You can also sprinkle on pet beds, let set and then vacuum.

29.  Deodorize pet accident odors by sprinkling on carpets after spot is cleaned.

30.  Clean pet toys with water and baking soda solution.

Please share other ways to clean your home with baking soda or other uses for baking soda that you find work well.

Meat tends to be one of the most expensive items in our grocery baskets each week. One big way to save money on groceries is to plan some meatless meals during the week and Monday is a perfect day of the week to start – Meatless Mondays. While meat is a great source of protein, there are also many great meatless protein sources to keep your muscles fueled. If you’re like my husband, Mike, who can’t imagine life without meat, here are some great meatless meal suggestions that even meat-lover “Mikey” likes.

While these may not be fancy, gourmet dishes, living frugal certainly does not mean eating “war-rations.” All of these meatless meals can be enjoyed simply, or dressed up with the suggested serving options for delicious money-saving, meatless meal alternatives.

1.  Baked Potatoes

Options: Stuff them up with broccoli, cheese and anything else that strikes your fancy. Or swap them out and try baked sweet potatoes.

2.  Black Beans – Plain or make a soup. Quick and cheap store bought versions are great or you can make your own with fresh or canned black beans, stock, sautéed onion and jalapeño pepper.

Options: Top with salsa, sour cream and cheddar cheese.

3.  Cheese Pizza – So delicious plain. We have a Friday night pizza night ritual and we get the Walmart Take and Bake Pizzas and dress them up.

Options: Add fresh tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil to a store bought cheese pizza. Pesto also makes a great addition. Jazz it up with whatever fresh and affordable vegetables you have on hand (onions, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives) or even try a can of pineapple for a Hawaiian twist.

4.  Christmas casseroles – Think about all the great casseroles we only make at the holidays.

Options: Green bean casserole, spinach casserole, sweet potatoes casserole … the list goes on.

5.  Edamame – Store-bought, frozen is great. Shop around as prices vary. I’ve found the lowest price at my local Target store with their Archer Farms store brand. It’s full of soy protein!

Options – Steam and serve with a dash of garlic salt or with a soy wasabi sauce 9love it this way).

6.  Egg Sandwiches – This is a personal favorite even for dinner. Just toast an English muffin and add a cooked egg (fried or omelet style) and a slice of cheese.

Options: Use any other bread options you may have handy, or add a tomato.

7.  Cereal – Any on-sale, store-bought brand will do.

Options: I prefer using whole oats (uncooked), raisins, bananas, cinnamon and soy milk.

8.  Eggs – Scrambled Eggs or Omelets

Options: Add some veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, spinach, etc.) and/or cheese.

9.  Grilled Cheese

Options: Add tomatoes. Or experiment with different types of breads and cheeses for a gourmet grilled cheese version.

10.  Grilled Vegetables

Options: Grill in foil or as shish-kabobs on sticks. Onions, yellow squash, zucchini, grape tomatoes and red potatoes work the best.

11.  Macaroni and Cheese – Store bought is great or you can make your own with elbow macaroni and a can of cheddar cheese soup.

Options: Feeling adventurous, add other mixes of cheese you have on hand (cheddar, Swiss, Velveeta, pepper jack, etc.). You can also make a veggie mac by adding sautéed or steamed broccoli, onions and/or mushrooms. Top them all with some breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and bake in the oven

12.  Pancakes or Waffles

Options: Add blueberries, bananas, or chocolate chips to the batter. Or top with fresh strawberries, apples or whipped cream.

13.  Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Options: Plain is great, or toast the bread for warm, yummy, goodness. You can also add honey and bananas.

14.  Protein Shakes – I love these! I use soy protein (chocolate or vanilla) and soy milk.

Options: Add peanut butter, bananas, strawberries, and/or flax seed.

15.  Quesadillas

Options: A flour tortilla can be dressed up many ways with cheese, black beans or refried beans, tomatoes, avocados, and more.

16.  Salads

Options: To turn leafy greens into a protein packed meal add sliced hard boiled eggs, diced tofu, and slivered almonds. Or just max it out with an assortment of chopped veggies (cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, onions, scallions, mushrooms, etc.). Another idea, slice some ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, add some fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar (see picture above). Serve with some crusty bread. Delish!

17.  Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce

Options: A store bought sauce will do, or make your own with a can of crushed tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil (I grow my own) for a light, healthy option.

18.  Veggies – use fresh, grilled or sautéed veggies

Options: veggie tacos, veggie sandwich

19.  Veggie Chili – Make your old standby chili recipe minus the meat.

Options: Add a variety of beans beyond the red chili beans – black beans or northern beans are good.

20.  Vegetable Soup – A box of chicken stock, fresh or frozen veggies, and some seasoning and you’ve got a quick, healthy meal.

Options: Turn a soup into a hearty stew by first creating a roux with some butter and flour, then add the stock and veggies and simmer.

The above meatless meal suggestions, brought to you by Living frugal Tips, are quick and simple recipes and serving suggestions that I use daily to save money on groceries.

Bon Appetit!

Entertainment costs typically tend to be where a lot of money is spent … almost unknowingly. Movies, dinners and more … all add up quickly. Being resourceful becomes an art form when it comes to frugal living and you’ve got to be creative in terms of finding ways to save and have fun. So, to help you out when you are bored-silly on a Saturday, or any other day for that matter, here are some Living Frugal Tips for frugal fun:

Act like a tourist.

1  Go to your local Chamber of Commerce or Visitor’s Center and find out about all the free stuff to do in your town. Most cities have complete brochures on fun, free things to do.
2.  Or, go online and check out the same Chamber or Visitor Center resources.
3.  Go to a local museum.
4.  Check out your city-center or downtown area.
5.  Visit the historical sites in your town. Most people know very little about the history of the town they live in.
6.  Take a ride on public transportation. You see things differently when you are not driving.
7.  Visit a state park.

Get out and play.

8.  Start a neighborhood game of kickball (it’s making a huge comeback).
9.  Take a walk.
10.  Walk your dog.
11.  Go to a local park.
12.  Find one of the local rails-to-trails areas in your town and explore your area by bike.
13.  Go roller-skating.
14.  Go ice skating.
15.  Go fishing either for the sport of it (catch and release)e or heck, catch your dinner.
16.  Go for a bike ride in your neighborhood.
17.  Have a picnic.
18.  Go bird watching.
19.  Hike through the woods.
20.  Go nature-watching.
21.  Go to the beach.
22.  Watch a sunset.

Volunteer!

23.  Whether it’s Habitat for Humanity or the Humane Society (two of my personal favorites), find a non-profit that you are passionate about and get involved. There are all sorts of local charities in need, especially given the current economic state with reduced donations. It’s a great family thing to do together. It teaches responsibility and allows you to embrace the feeling that doing good … feels good.

Nest inside your home.

24.  Play “Design on a Dime” and change up a room in your home – swap out towels, placemats, flower vases, etc. and recreate a room with stuff you already have.
25.  Bake something – cookies, a cake or a pie.
26.  Make crafts that can later be given as holiday gifts.
27.  Make a home movie.
28.  Make sock puppets.
29.  Have your kids put on a play.
30.  Write a letter to a friend or family member (preserve the lost art of hand-written notes).
31.  Plant an indoor herb garden.
32.  Plan an indoor picnic if the weather is lousy – complete with the blanket on the floor.
33.  Scrapbook.
34.  Play board games.
35.  Put a puzzle together.
36.  Make a pine cone and peanut butter bird feeder.

Chill out.

37.  Listen to music.
38.  Plan an at-home spa day.
39.  Rent a $1.00 movie at BlockBuster Express or Redbox.
40.  Read a book or magazine.
41.  Take a nap.

Play on the Computer.

42.  Find free games to play online.
43.  Connect with friends on Facebook.
44.  Reconnect with an old friend and send them an email.
45.  Catch up on your favorite TV shows online.

Other frugal fun.

46.  Find a $1.00 movie theater.
47.  Pile up in the car and go for a ride in the country
48.  Go to a drive-in movie theater (yes, they do still exist).
49.  Go to the library.
50.  Power walk through the mall if it’s cold outside (leave your wallet in the car).

My hope is that one of these Living Frugal Tips and frugal fun ideas will help make it a great day for you. Please continue to add to the list via the comment field and let’s see how many frugal fun ideas we can come up with.

Enjoy you day!