Money doesn't grow on trees... and neither does time

As the old saying goes...

After the year that we had, i really could use a tree or two if it did, but i have to digress and accept.

The Serenity Prayer haunts me at times like this

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

God has bestowed pity on me and given me the serenity of accepting our financial situation... and the courage to change it... and even the wisdom to know the difference!

If i am going down, i will do so fighting!!

So, today i haven't felt good... fighting a migraine, my side is hurting... SSDD (same stuff, different day). It's times like this, when i am not feeling up to par that i seem to find fault with everything... my house, my financial situation, my husband (poor guy), me!!, etc. The list can go on and on. So, i tried to avoid the counter where the bills just seem to accumulate. I went around the counter with my eyes covered, pretending it just didn't even exist... acting as if it had the plague and did what i had to do and got the heck out of dodge!

It was then that God shook His head at me and laughed, bestowing pity upon me. He gave me courage. Or maybe it wasn't necessarily courage, but inspiration. SOOO... The Dude took Diva Tot out to his mom's and left me here to "mend". So i came up to my bedroom and layed in bed all day, while doing some laundry, and surfed the net. Let me tell you what... there are some smart, smart women out there that God has bestowed serenity, courage and wisdom on.

For some reason, i got stuck on bathrooms. Maybe in my negativity, i choose the one thing that i liked LEAST to clean? Not to mention, cleaning products are SO expensive! i didn't save the links to the different blogs i found these items at... i just put them in Notepad until i realized that maybe i should spread the love and share some of them. I know i am not the only one looking for ways to save more and spend less and save time and spend more of it having fun!

1. Make your own clorox wipes.

• Get a container large enough to fit a half a roll of paper towels down in and that has an air-tight lid. (a coffee can works really well (to get the coffee smell out, just fill it with cold water and 1/4 a cup of white vinegar and leave it sit over night.) I have some old Clorox Wipe containers that i reuse.)
• Cut BOUNTY (others get too soggy) paper towels in half with a serated knife and place into container.
  
• Boil 2 and 1/2 cups of water, add 1/4 cup of bleach, pour over paper towels. Remove wet cardboard tube. To use, pull out wipes one at a time from center

2. Make your own Windex wipes.

• Made much like the clorox wipes, except the mixture is
  1/2 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
  2 1/2 cups water
  1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Use the other half of the paper towels for these wipes.
  

3. Add 1/3 to 1/2 water to your liquid soaps. I use a hand-soap dispenser for my dishwashing liquid, so i even do this in the kitchen. I really don't see a difference in the cleaning ability of it and i am saving a little bit by stretching it out!

4. Use coupons!! When i use coupons, i sometimes save as much as $20 on my grocery bill! Use coupons for anything you buy. I use coupons at Borders, Target, Walmart, Kroger, restaurants, Hancock Fabrics, etc. You can sign up for most places to be on their email list. If yo are worried about spam, make an email address that will be strictly for wheeling and dealin' on the net. Check restaurant websites before going and see if they have printable coupons. When buying online, check for any promotional codes (% off, BOGO, free shipping, etc.) by Googling "NAME OF PLACE promotional code".


Part of being frugal is also being frugal with your time. Here are some tips that i actually USE to make my life easier!

1. Use clorox wipes to quickly wipe down toilets, sinks & bathroom vanities. Use windex wipes for mirrors, glass and hardware. For tubs... fill with water, add a cap full of laundry detergent. Let it sit for an hour or so. Drain, wipe, rinse. For toilets, i do splurge on the flushable-type cleaning, but only because the kids can do it (and DO!) and it's the easiest i have found. Sometimes spending more is worth the time it DOESN'T take! It only takes 5 minutes to wipe everything down and cuts down on the deep cleaning that has to be done. Usually only have to deep clean every month!

2. To clean your microwave. Put a bowl of water (you can add some baking soda or lemon juice for a fresh smell, but not necessary) into the microwave. Set the timer for 5 minutes so that the water boils enough that it causes steam to accumulate inside. Be very careful removing the bowl of water, use a clean cloth/paper towel to wipe it clean. The steam will loosen anything stuck on and make for a very easy cleaning job.

3. I keep a mop close to or in each bathroom. It's much easier to and you are more likely to use it if it's right there at your disposal.

Now, i don't know if anyone will get any use out of any of this, but it sure was cathartic for me. I have ways to save money, and time... giving me more time to surf and blog!! *grins*