Whales

Screw the whales! SAVE THE GREEN!

Frugal can be sexy, right? ;)

Figured I should probably type everything up on here to be more organized and to share with whomever is creeping this blog!
Im hoping in 2 years to have my credit cards all paid off. Less if possible!

1. Keeping the temp set at 74 in the summer when we are home and 79 when we are at work or sleeping. Also staying at 69 when we are home in the winter and 63 when we are doing the latter.

2. Washing clothes in cold water. AS long as there are no stains. Also looking into checking out soap nuts, google it.

3. Putting a bucket or designing a system to catch all of the extra wasted water from showering. Plus getting a water saving showerhead. I had also made note of turning down the water heater a couple of notches. I'll have to mess around with that at the new house.

4. Another way to re-use water is a rain barrel! This would also help keep water from flooding into the basement. We can then use it to fill Danny's doggie pond for the summer and hopefully my future herb garden!(if I dont kill it)

5. Ive been reading that the fridge and freezer work more efficiently if they are full. Also heard that you want to push everything together so its not trying to freeze each thing individually and using more energy. Opposite for the fridge is to space everything out. Hmmmmm

6. Cut the dryer sheets in half!

7. Make bulk foods and freeze. We already freeze the bread we get for sandwich lunches but never thought of making a shart ton of muffins and freezing them now did ya?

8. Cheap meals include....Spaghetti, pizza(not the healthiest), hamburgers, hamburger helper, mac & cheese, hot dogs, and pizza dogs!

9. If I could get all of the boys to unplug their TVs in theyre not using them that would be amazing...but since they cant even set out the trash for pickup....doubt it :(

10. We've got a razor, I can cut their hair! But they dare not touch mine. I usually find coupons or deals for my haircuts.

11. Already dont have cable(NETFLIX FTW) or a landline.

12. I already do most of my shopping at Goodwill and I have yet to see any of the boys go shopping, except for Ron's trip to Platos Closet woot woot!

13. We cant cut down to one car being in a roommate situation trying to live as a half assed family but I can consolidate my trips! Especially how we will be slightly out of town now. Doing stuff on my way to work, after work before coming home, etc.

14. I try REALLY hard to remember my eco-friendly grocery bags. But when I do forget I re-use the plastic ones for the small cans around the house and the paper ones for taking cookies off the hot pan(soaks up some of the butter) and for transporting recyclables outside to the big container!

15. Soon I'll be buying the TP, paper towels, detergent, dish soap, etc in bulk so that should save!

16. Already planning on investing in CFL lights for the new house.

17. I woke up late and had a hair appointment this past weekend so I missed the farmers market but I did spy that the one at Kohls on Tuesdays is until 6pm! I get off at 5pm so just enough time left for me to browse and hopefully buy!

18. www.freebirthdaystuff.com ! I just signed up and my birthday isnt until January so someone cough, my mother, cough should sign up ;)

19. Clinique. As the time goes by Im becoming a firm believer. I used to buy $10 foundation and need to replenish in a 3 months or so. I bought my first foundation and powder set for $45 November 2011. It helps with my redness, covers everything amazingly without leaving my face feeling greasy by the end of the day. I still have 75% of the powder left but Im thinking by the end of July I'll need to get a new bottle of foundation. But thats 9 months! Plus only part of my original purchase so only spending $25. Besides. I feel fancy.

;) jk

20. Buy things off season. We move in 10 days or so. Its the middle of summer and instead of going out and buying all the usual yard tools, Im going to attempt to borrow for the rest of summer than get my own when they start clearancing! I try to do the same with Christmas stuff but this past year I just DGAF. Total opposite with food though. Plus off season fruit usually tastes bleh!

21. In relation to the beauty product #19...I never buy my perfumes full priced. I actually wait until Victoria Secret's SEMI ANNUAL(which is going on now until Sunday if I am correct) and stock up on all the travel sized bottles that are 75% off. Still have some I havent even used that I bought last time so if I do happen to ACCIDENTLY walk into the mall I'll be just grabbing some of the more recent scents.

22. By the way...go check your bathroom closet. Or your makeup drawer. Or maybe under the sink? How many times have you bought a new shampoo or body wash then used it 3 times and moved on? Yeah I have a WHOLE bunch, most of it being lotions! I still have one from high school! Ive vowed to use all of them up before I left myself get anymore.

23. I cannot stress it enough but here it is again... RESTORE! Habitat for Humanity! I already got one of the boy's room's paint purchased. Two gallons for $5 each. Not to mention their lighting selection that Ive been drooling over but not sure if Im replacing any in the new house. Saving some mucho dinero!

24. Light blocking curtains, or curtains just in general. Our AC is broken in the current house we are renting. Even with the 98 degrees it gets outside, we havent had it anymore that 87 inside. All by keeping doors, windows, and blinds closed.

25. Switch your bank account to a GOOD bank! Once Im out of escrow, aka keys in hand, Im opening a savings and checking at Voyage FCU. Their savings yields 4% interest rate, and absolutely NO fees on that or their checkings. I'll start out slowly by putting the emergency house fund in the savings account then treating that new checking account like a savings so I have money built up in there and can start moving this over from Wells Tardo. I mean...Wells Fargo :D

26. Putting all your change in a jar is a good way to save! Unless you're like me and you walk by it and see a new pair of shoes instead of nickles, dimes, and quarters that have built up. Paint the jar, block the view, easy fix!

27. Make a shopping list for groceries and stick to it. Ive got it figured out almost to the bone how much bread, meat, milk etc we use in a week! So I go and pick up that stuff and only that stuff.

28. Drink more water. Your health benefits from it too! We have a large Brita in the fridge so its easy to grab it and pour a glass of ice cold water.

29. Maintain your car! Huh? You're probably wondering why Im telling you to spend money when Im listing ways to save money. Installing a clean air filter, getting your oil changed, installing new spark plugs, and putting some of that carb/fuel cleaner in your gas tank occasionally really affects your MPG! So less you spend at the pumps. Need proof? I had a 2001 Chevy Impala I bought from a friend getting 22 mpg. When I did all of the above to it, I was getting 32 mpg. Then a semi pulled out in front of me, RIP Stella... :(

30. I have a problem with impulsive buying. Swear to god its not an excuse, but I am bipolar. Never had it this bad until I developed bipolar disorder. I also shop my emotions away(same with eating but thats another topic). If anyone has a solution to this...please share :)

31. Clean your appliances. Like a GOOD clean. Wipe off any dust, clean out the lint trap, dust off the coils behind the fridge. They use less energy if they dont have to work as hard to bypass the dirt to get it!

32. Don't tell anyone how much you have in your savings account. When it comes down to the Vegas trip your girlfriends want you to go on, you cant afford it. If they know you have $2000 in your savings theyre going to try to convince/guilt you into dipping into that.

Thats all that comes to mind. Maybe more tomorrow? :P