8 Easy Ways to Save Money Without Changing Your Lifestyle

With the current state of the economy, we’re all looking for ways to save a few extra bucks here and there, even though we may not be ready to drastically change our lifestyle in order to save money.  There are many aspects of our financial life that we don’t have too much control over or that aren’t easily changed.  We can’t make the food we purchase in the supermarket any cheaper, nor can we stop driving our cars even though the price to fill up leaves us with a bit of sticker shock (though I can happily say that prices are becoming a bit more palatable than they were just a few short months ago!).  We also can’t drastically change the amount of our paychecks that go towards basic living expenses like housing and taxes, and most of us are subjected to whatever mortgage rates we financed our homes with, although mortgages can be refinanced at lower rates but that comes with a fee and isn’t always worth the effort.  However, we are still left with an opportunity to make minor changes in our weekly spending habits that can add up to rather hefty savings over time. [Read more]

An Inexpensive Way to Decorate for the Holidays in Your Own Backyard

The holidays are fast approaching and with that many people begin to think about ways to decorate for the holidays without breaking the bank.  With the current state of the economy, many people are considering scaling back on their exterior holiday décor, unless they already have an inventory of holiday decorations.  Another consideration in many people’s minds is how to focus more on how they can enjoy the spirit of the holiday among their own family and friends, rather than simply putting up elaborate displays for the neighborhood to see.

One way to really make your home festive for the holidays is to make your own holiday display in your backyard, rather than your front yard.  While you may still consider stringing up holiday lights along the front of your house or through the trees in your front yard, adding a bit of festive cheer to your backyard space can be a welcome addition to the season.

You can achieve your private holiday paradise without spending a lot of additional money, or any for that matter.  Simply take a few strands of your outdoor Christmas lights and string them around a small space on your deck or patio.  Add a wreath or a few exterior decorations that you may have to that space and voila! – You have your own personal holiday inspired retreat.  The nice thing about setting up this festive spot in your backyard is that you can look out your windows and really enjoy the display, or on a nice night you can spend some time outside with your family or friends enjoying the holiday themed atmosphere.  If you have some LED landscape lighting and can shine some light on your decorated areas, the effect is even more enjoyble.

When decorating your backyard space, you do not need to go overboard in terms of size or decorations.  Just take a small area that you can see from the interior of your home or where you can comfortably sit if you want to spend some time outdoors and add a few decorations.  If you already have an evergreen tree outside in the space, string some lights and extra ornaments that are not being used indoors on the tree and you have an instant Christmas tree right outside your window.

Once you have created your own personal holiday space, you now have the perfect retreat to sit back and relax with your family and friends to unwind from the stresses of the holiday season.  Spend a warm winter night sitting among your decorations or singing songs.  If you have a fire pit, light a fire and make some hot chocolate and enjoy the cool, crisp winter air.  You can even make some smores!

Putting some focus on how to make the holidays more enjoyable for you and your family, rather than trying to impress the neighbors with elaborate holiday light displays will help you better enjoy the spirit of the holidays without breaking the bank.  When it comes to lawn care advice, some of the best advice you can heed is to learn how to adapt your lawn and backyard space for some wintertime enjoyment. Happy holidays!

10 One Minute Cleaning Tips

Have you got a minute to spare?  Use it to clean!  Ugh, you think – why would I want to clean in my spare minute?  Well, there are plenty of cleaning tasks that can be done quickly and easily, without even having to dedicate specific time to completing them.   Consider using some of these speed cleaning tips while waiting for your kids to get ready before leaving the house, while you are put on hold on the phone, or in between commercials during your favorite television show.  By cleaning for just one minute at a time and following these easy cleaning tips, you can get many overlooked and simple cleaning tasks done, without taking any precious time out of your day.

The following quick cleaning tips can all be completed in less than one minute.  They require minimal effort yet go a long way towards keeping your living space clean and uh, well, livable.  If you’ve got a minute, you can accomplish a lot!  [Read more]

7 Ways to Save Money on Gas

With the ever-soaring prices of gas these days, and our ever shrinking wallets, we’re all looking for ways to save money on gas so that we can conserve our own resources, as well as those of the planet.  Short of running out to trade in our huge SUVs to purchase new fuel-efficient hybrids, there are some easy and painless ways to make trips to the gas station a bit less frequent and to save money in the process.

Here are seven easy ways to save money on gas, without much effort:

1. Get rid of excess weight in the car.  The more weight the engine has to carry, the more fuel it needs to do its job.  Don’t carry around extras in your car.  The lighter the better.
2. Check tire pressure.  Improperly inflated car tires decrease your fuel efficiency.  Check your owner’s manual to make sure your tires are properly inflated.
3. Turn your car off when waiting.  One minute of idling uses roughly the same amount of gas as it takes to start your car, so if you are going to be waiting more than that, turn the car off. [Read more]

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   10 Tips to Stop Yourself From “Losing It”

   November 2, 2008

   Do you have days where you just feel like you’re “losing it”?  Between stress at home, stress at work, and the added increased stress we’re all feeling over the financial crisis, sometimes it all seems to be a little too much to handle.  It’s normal to feel a little stressed out on any given day, especially when things don’t quite go as planned, but when things get to be too overwhelming, we need to take a time-out and re-evaluate how we live our lives so we can get though our day while maintaining our sanity.

   In talking to other moms about how they best get through the difficult moments of their days, I have compiled a list of what I think are the ten best tips to help us deal with stress and to make us better able to cope with the occasional curve balls that are thrown our way.

   10 Great Tips to Stop You From “Losing It” [Read more]

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