These four sundae glasses we’re $1 each. Aren’t they great? My family loves them!

This Rubbermaid chip and dip tray and cover was only two bucks and is in excellent condition. We use containers like this all the time and when we can’t used it for food anymore, we’ll find another use for it, probably for storing craft supplies.

These banana split dishes were a $1 each and at first I only bought three because I didn’t see the other one. When I went back another day to donate some items, I spotted it. Needless to say, between the sundae glasses and these, we’ve been having a lot of ice cream lately. lol

This post is part of Frugal Friday and Second Time Around.

1. Make Your Own Curtains

You can save a lot of money if you can sew simple straight lines with a sewing machine. If you are inexperienced start with short sill length curtains such as those for kitchen windows and progress to full length curtains for your living room. Choose a light washable cotton fabric for your kitchen curtains and add a heading tape of your choice. If you work neatly and measure accurately you will have no problems at all. Later you can progress to using lining and making fancier items such as window valances and tie backs.

2. Choose Cheaper Fabric

Fabrics vary enormously in price but you can make very effective curtains with simple cream calico or cotton. You can create more effective window treatments by being generous with cheap fabric than you can by creating curtains from expensive fabric where you can not afford enough to create a full effect. You will find that plain fabrics are often cheaper than patterned ones. If you think they are too plain you can always add interest with trimming.

3. Buy Ready-Made Curtains

If you have standard windows you will usually find ready-made curtains work out cheaper than having curtains custom made. Your choice will be more limited but you will usually find something to suit if you check out curtain sites online.

4. Go Simple

It can be enough in a contemporary home to put up simple cream or gray window blinds which you can buy very cheaply. You do not have to get carried away creating elaborate window treatments when “less is more” is often more effective.

5. Add Layers

If you would like elaborate window treatments (and they suit your home) but you can not afford them purchase items over time. For example you could start with a simple blind and then later add dress curtains and then later still a window valance or wooden cornice.

Save money with once a month cooking and frugal recipes

Have you ever spent money on fast food because it was quick and easy?
Do you have your local pizza delivery place on speed dial?

If so, then you will be thrilled by how much money you save when you start cooking once a month. Your freezer full of meals saves you money by eliminating the need for fast and easy solutions. You won’t be tempted to buy the expensive pre-packaged food at the grocery store. Instead, you’ll be preparing nutritious meals at a fraction of the cost.

Perhaps you’ve heard of once a month cooking and would like to try it, but you don’t know how to begin. Frugal Mom’s Guide to Once a Month Cooking, written by Candace Anderson, will show you how.

Enjoy once a month cooking with easy step-by-step instructions

Candace has put together an easy 5-step plan to once a month cooking that will set you off on the right foot, and hold your hand through the entire process. The 5-step plan uses forms that she created to help you plan, and keep you on track. The forms that she included in this book will be your road map for your cooking session. It will organize your cooking day, your grocery shopping, and give you a plan for cooking.

Here are some customer comments about her book:

“The Beef Fajita marinade was very simple to prepare and took about 5 minutes” – Judy

“We will definitely do the Mexican Beef Casserole again – it was easy to prepare as well as put together for dinner. We all enjoyed it – there wasn’t enough leftover to have for lunch the next day. I would say that tells how much we all liked it!” -Cindy

“The Stuffed Burger Pockets were very easy to put together. They were tasty and easy. -Julie

“The Crock Pot Beef was great! Very easy recipe to follow and the whole house smelled great. My kids ate every bite.” -Keri

“We had this Sweet & Sour Chicken and it was yummy – everyone love it! I do have to say that I had never made sweet & sour sauce from scratch before and this is delicious, quick, and easy!” -Lisa

Once a month cooking support

Not only will you have a large variety of delicious meals to prepare for your family, you’ll also have an online community where you can turn to for help. Candace, and others just like you, will be walking right beside you, every step of the way.

~ Complete step-by-step instructions for giving you a freezer full of meals.
~ Over 70 family-friendly recipes tested by Frugal Moms.
~ The ability to save money with once a month cooking.
~ A simplified life that gives you more time to enjoy the things you love.
~ Once a month cooking forms that will organize your cooking sessions.
~ An online community to support you on your new journey.
~ Instant delivery! Since this is an ebook, you won’t have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.

BONUS: With your purchase of Frugal Mom’s Guide to Once a Month Cooking, you’ll also receive Bulk Cooking for the Freezer: Ground Beef. Save time and money with this detailed guide to bulk cooking 20+ meals with ground beef. This eBook has illustrated plans that include step-by-step instructions to guide you through the entire preparation process. The ground beef plan includes 14 different ground beef recipes for your freezer along with recipes to make your own seasonings. Bulk Cooking plans include both printed grocery list and Shopping List software (windows) grocery list file.

We’d all like to save money each month, but how to go about it is another story. Start by making a budget; that scary, imposing, restrictive plan that keeps you in line. Only it doesn’t have to be that way, a budget is really only putting down on paper your priorities and recognizing you absolutely cannot spend more than you make in any given time period. It also, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t have to come together in one sitting, start the first month with just writing down general categories and amounts. Over time you can refine and fill it out more completely. It took us three months to get a good handle on our budget, each month getting more and more detailed, even today we are constantly adjusting the numbers.

Once you know where you money is going it is now time to start trimming the fat. If you look at your monthly expenses, looking to saving $500 it will seem overwhelming and impossible. But what if instead you looked at shaving a few dollars off each item? As we began looking at our budget we decided to go through and renegotiate each item we could. After knocking out the cable and downgrade our cellphone plan – saving $65, reviewing our car insurance and changing our coverage – $25 less and changing our restaurant habits to only twice a week. This all totaled approximately $125 a month in savings. Besides the mortgage payment, food and general merchandise are our biggest expenditures.

Even with the constant coupon clipping and avoiding the pricier groceries stores we couldn’t make the budget numbers and the real world numbers agree. That’s where web surfing finally began to payoff. There are plenty of websites out there that can multiply you efforts. The blogs that track specific stores rewards programs, letting you know what items are free or worth the most rewards points/bucks, will give you an edge. Lots of promotional programs let you trade your name and email address for free samples and /or coupons.

Also look to farmer’s markets and co-ops, we spend $17 every two weeks for $50 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables. Little by little we have shaved almost $200 off our monthly grocery bill.

Due to the fact that we didn’t start our marriage with the financial acumen that we now possess there is a tidy sum sitting on credit card balances. This can be a dangerous lever, waiting to dump us over the edge at a moments notice. We headed it off by finding a low APR, zero interest on balance transfer offer and moved everything we could onto that card. Then we proceeded to cut up our physical cards except for one emergency card and have begun applying the snow ball methodology. The snow ball theory has you paying off the lowest balance card while making minimum monthly payments on the others, as you pay off a card you roll what you had been paying on it into you payment on the next one. With this consolidation we erased about $50 a month in additional interest fees.

Lastly, we began looking at efficiency around the house and in our travel habits. By lowering the thermostat by 3 degrees and running only full loads in the dryer, we cut $15 off the electric bill. Using public transportation and walking for quick trips to the nearby store translated into more than half a tank of gas saved every two weeks; which at today’s price means $50 a month left in our pockets. Together we have identified our spending priorities, changed our spending habits and challenged ourselves to find fun and rewarding ways to save a little bit in each category on our budget. This has tallied up to savings of almost $400 a month, which comes in handy when saving for the next rain day.

Food is the second highest expenditure in most people’s lives, yet they don’t pay attention to it. Pay yourself by using the information inside of 5 Meals for $5. This cook book is not only filled with delicious and plentiful recipes, it is filled with the information on how you can get the same prices and lower than the recipes listed!

You don’t need to change what you eat, just the way you shop! And you don’t need to rely on Spam or unhealthy meals to live in today’s debt ridden economy. It’s not all about coupons and Jaci will show you how!

If you think you might starve because of portion size, think again! If you’re single, freeze the leftovers and save or cut down the recipes and eat a fresh meal every day and using Jaci’s Buddy Shopping System.

5 Meals for $5 also has a weights and measures chart, free date night ideas, measure conversion tables, Jaci Rae’s “The Plan” on how to get out of debt and much more!

One recipe example:

Pot Roast
Cost per person $0.97
Total cost five people $4.87
2 lbs chuck roast ($1.92)
(my store just had a sale for $0.69 a lbs. A lot less than listed here!)
1 lb. potatoes, diced ($0.40)
4 carrots, chopped ($0.10)
1 onion, chopped ($0.30)
1 beef bouillon ($0.16)
1 garlic clove, minced ($0.01)
Salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)
Iceberg Lettuce and Cucumber Salad ($1.45) (recipe listed in book)
Basic Vinegar and Oil Salad Dressing ($0.42) (recipe listed in book)
1 lemon, sliced in 5 wedges ($0.09)

Saute chuck roast in a dash of oil until both sides all dark brown (about 2 minutes on each side on high). Combine all other ingredients into a large stew pot or crock-pot. Once meat is browned, put into pot with other veggies and spices and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until Meat is tender and fully cooked. Make salad and serve with chilled water and lemon wedge.

Click Here To Purchase

There are tons of ways to save money on monthly expenses but most of these ways consist of cutting back on day to day luxuries that we don’t really need. I’m always trying to find good ways of saving money and I always end up finding something new to “get rid” of in my life. But this can sometimes be a good thing. Let me talk about a few ways.

The first for me would definitely start at home. I live in Texas so the weather gets a little crazy here. I find that weather sealing my windows and doors saves me a ton of money during the winter. Spending a mere $50 dollars in the first month to make my gas bill in the low $100′s the rest of the season is way better then spending close to $300 a month for almost four months in a row.

Next in home would definitely be energy saving bulbs and fans during the summer months. I once had an electricity bill of close to $600 bucks in a one bedroom apartment. That is all it took to wake me up and make me more aware of how much electricity I was using each month. I found that the energy saving bulbs cut it back about $8 bucks a months so they pay for themselves in the first month.

Next I bought some plug-in stand up fans for each room. I figured that the air conditioner cooled the whole house, but why would I need to cool the whole house if I’m only in one room at a time? Well I don’t! So for about $100 bucks at a place like Wal-Mart or Target you can almost cut your electric bill in half depending on the size of your house.

Now we move on to eating habits. Eating fast food everyday like the average American can lead to it becoming a habit of spending $15 to $20 bucks everyday just to eat! I pride myself on breaking that habit and spending $15-$20 bucks on food a week. That’s roughly a $120 a week difference. But not only do you save a ton of money, you can lose weight, feel better, and overall end up healthier. Plus you learn a lot of fun fruit and vegetable recipes. So just remember, the grocery store is the way to go.

Last but not least is saving money on gas. This one isn’t for everyone, but for some of us, its huge. I personally live about a half a mile from work. So of coarse, I walk or ride my bike. Some people spend close to a grand a month on gas. That to me is insane. I drive only when I have to. Which is going out of town, across town to see friends or family, or in a minor emergency. And in this case, just like with food, you lose weight and become more healthy from walking or riding a bike.

These are just a few simple ways to cut back on money each month. You can always come up with new and improved ways to save money. So feel free to use mine and come up with some new ones of your own.

From the introduction:

The recent economic recession has a lot of people worried, about their jobs, their businesses, their homes and their bills. When your income is dropping or in jeopardy and you still have a mountain of bills to pay, things can get pretty scary.

However, tough economic times do not have to be a time of struggles! If you look for the opportunity in the middle of difficulty, as Mr. Einstein suggested, then tough economic times become an opportunity to transform your life.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. A Simple Lifestyle
2. Focus on the Essentials
3. Thriving on Less, Not Struggling
4. Focusing on Enough, Not More
5. Make Small Financial Changes First
6. Look at Large Expenses for the Long Term
7. Changing Your Spending Habits
8. A Guide to Getting Out of Debt
9. Tools for a Frugal Life
10. Resources

Window Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbls. cornstarch
1 gal. water
*used balled newspaper

Wall Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup washing soda
1 gal. water

Hardwood Floor Formula
1 cup Ivory Flakes
1/2 cup bleach
1 gal. warm water

Upholstery Stains (old stains)
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/4 cup vinegar
warm water

Whiten Whites / Brighten Polyesters
2 cups electric dishwashing detergent
cold water
Soak overnight; was as usual

Commercial Spot Remover
2 parts water
1 part rubbing alcohol
Put into mist spray bottle; use for clothing

Frost Prevention
Rub inside window with rubbing alcohol; wipe with newspaper.

Fabric Softener
1 cup ammonia to washing cycle along with detergent.

Clogged Drains
1 cup salt
1 cup baking soda
1 cup boiling water
*Do not use with garbage disposal

Or try

3 cups boiled vinegar into drain.
Flush with water.
OK to use with garbage disposals.

Homemade Pre-Wash
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup liquid detergent
1/3 cup ammonia
Mix well and put in empty spray bottle.

Carpet Stain Formula
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/2 cup vinegar

Urine Spot Remover for Carpets
1. Blot up urine with paper towel.
2. Apply carpet stain formula (above); blot.
3. Pour on club soda; blot.
4. Mist/spray with vinegar.
5. Layer paper towels; place a heavy object on top to pull out moisture.

Mildew Prevention
1/2 cup salt into wash cycle to cut down possible mildew.

Baby Formula Remover
1/4 cup bleach
1 cup dishwashing detergent
1 gal. water
Soak overnight; wash as usual.

Spot Remover
1. Flush with club soda
2. Mix together 2 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol
3. Mist/spray spot with above and wipe off.

Clothing

* Buy only because you need clothing and buy only those items that will fit into your present wardrobe. If you are choosing between two outfits, buy the one that goes best with what you already have.

* Buy good, usable clothing from thrift shops, garage sales, warehouse outlets, discount centers, and yard sales. Check any purchases first for stains or worn spots.

* Make purchases during sales time: clearance, end-of-month, or end-of-season.

* Buy versatile clothes that will expand your wardrobe, i.e., a sweater you can wear with two pairs of slacks you already have.

* Instead of buying new clothes, buy accessories that give a new look to the clothes already in your closet.

* Buy multi-season clothes such as an all-weather coat with a zip-in lining.

* Remodel or recycle an outfit you already own.

* Use cloth diapers and launder them yourself.

* If you know how to sew, consider saving by sewing your own clothes, but estimate costs carefully. You may be able to buy certain items on sale for less than you would spend on fabric and supplies.

* Share or trade sewing skills with family members or others in your community.

* Swap outgrown children’s and/or maternity clothes with neighbors or friends. Consider doing the same with shoes, ice skates, sports equipment, baby accessories, activity or school uniforms, etc.

Clothing Care

* Always consider care costs before purchase by checking the care label. Washing by machine costs less than dry cleaning.

* Keep clothes clean and in good repair. Remove stains promptly.

* Store clothes properly to protect from sun, moths, mildew, stretching, etc.

* Protect shoes and other leather items from water and salt stains.

* Buy minimum-care clothing: washable, dark colors. Dark clothes usually show wear less than light colors — especially coats, slacks, etc.

* Use self-dry-cleaning services and dry-clean your own clothes. Make sure all stains are removed before dry-cleaning. Self-dry-cleaning kits don’t usually work well on oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, etc.

* Share a dry-cleaning load with a friend if you don’t have enough for a full load.

Personal Care

* Use a mixture of baking soda and salt for brushing teeth.

* Buy personal care items from discount stores or wherever you find a personal care product on sale.

* Buy necessary items such as shampoo and toothpaste at reduced prices when stores offer “specials.” Stock up on specials but no more than you can reasonably use within the life of the product.

* Compare generic, store, and national prices — you may be paying for advertising.

* Give haircuts and permanents at home. Adopt a hair style you can manage yourself and which doesn’t need expensive care products and/or upkeep.

* Try inexpensive cosmetics. Similar ingredients are used in like cosmetic products. The difference in price is often due to promotion and advertising costs.

* Watch for coupons and rebates for personal care products.

Air Fresheners
Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try
one of the following.

Ventilation. Open windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

Vinegar. Distribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

Cinnamon and Cloves. Boil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri. Buy or make your own potpourri from your favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Kitchen And Food Odors

Vanilla*. Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. It is reported to remove even skunk odors. Keep the cotton ball out of reach of children; vanilla has a high alcohol content.

Baking Soda. Place a partially filled saucer of baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottles by filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

Borax*. Empty the garbage frequently and clean the can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds and bacteria, sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

Vinegar or Celery Stalk. To avoid or remove onion odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a celery stalk will also remove the odor.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

Baking Soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner. Or use baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Carpet And Rug Cleaner

IF YOU PLAN TO SHAMPOO YOUR CARPET, FIRST TRY A PRE-CLEANING TREATMENT. Sweep the carpet, which will make the nap stand up and loosen the imbedded din. Next vacuum. With this work alone, the rug should show a noticeable improvement, so much in fact that you may decide to delay the shampooing.

To neutralize odors: Borax* and cornmeal. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal. Let this mixture stand for an hour before vacuuming.

Another alternative is Baking Soda. Making certain that the carpet is dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally over the entire carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly bad, before vacuuming.

Decal Remover
Vinegar. To remove no-slip decals from the bathtub, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price tags and other decals from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off.

Disinfectant
Soap. Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria. Keep things dry. Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without moisture.

Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water and clean with this solution.

Isopropyl Alcohol*. This is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge and allow to dry. (It must dry to do its job.) Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

Drain Cleaners and Drain Openers

Prevention. To avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain; or weekly put
some vinegar and baking soda down your drain to break down fat and keep your drain smelling fresh.

Plunger. A time-honored drain opener is the plunger. This inexpensive tool will usually break up the clog and allow it to float away. It may take more than a few plunges to unclog the drain.

Baking Soda and Vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. Let set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

Salt and Baking Soda. Pour 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit overnight and then flush with water. The hot water should help dissolve the clog and the baking soda and salt serve as an abrasive to break
through the clog.

Floor Cleaners and Floor Polishes
Vinegar. A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease panicles. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon water. Your floor will look sparkling clean.
For Linoleum: Mild Detergent. Damp mop using a mild detergent and water for day to day cleaning. Keep water away from seams and edges to prevent loosening of the tiles. To preserve the linoleum floor you may wish to add a capful of baby oil to the mop water.
For Wood Floors: Vegetable Oil and Vinegar. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.
For Painted Wooden Floors: Washing Soda*. Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can
also be used to remove mildew.
For Rubber Tiles: Mild Detergent. Avoid oils, solvents, and strong alkalies as they will harm the surface. Wash with clear water, a mild detergent, and a clean mop.
For Brick and Stone Floors: Vinegar. Mix 1 cup white vinegar into 1 gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.
For Ceramic Tile: Vinegar. Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into 1 gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.
Club Soda. Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.
Wax Remover
For Vinyl and Asbestos Tiles: Club Soda. Remove wax buildup by pouring a small amount of club soda on a section. Scrub this in well. Let it soak in a few minutes and wipe clean.
For Linoleum Flooring: Isopropyl Alcohol*. To remove old wax by mopping, mix a solution of 3 pans water to 1 pan rubbing alcohol. Scrub this in well and rinse thoroughly. Be sure the area is well-ventilated and wear gloves.
Special Problems
To remove black heel marks:
Baking Soda. Rub the heel mark with a paste of baking soda and water. Don’t use too much water or the baking soda will lose its abrasive quality.
To remove tar:
Scrape up excess tar with the side of a dull knife. Rub again with your fingernail, a popsicle stick, or anything that won’t scratch the floor. Finally, wipe up the tar with a dry cloth.
To remove crayon marks:
Toothpaste. Crayon marks on the floor may be removed by
rubbing them with a damp cloth containing toothpaste. Toothpaste will not work well on wallpaper or porous surfaces.
To remove grease from wood floors:
Ice Cube or Cold Water. If you spill grease on a wood floor, immediately place an ice cube or very cold water on the spot. The
grease will harden and can then be scraped off with a knife. Then iron a piece of cloth over the grease spot.

*more to come*