Ok, so you will probably look around and say 'none' or 'well I have £1.10p in my purse'... but what if you were to find out what's really in your home and imagine it like a little pile of cash?
I spent the day doing this and here are some examples:
- Thai money from an old holiday - £3 worth
- Dollars from an old holiday - £4 worth
- Books that I will try to sell on Amazon - £4 worth
- Books that I can't sell online as a bit tatty - £2 worth
- Collectible items I bought for selling on ebay but haven't done yet - £8 minimum or £16 max if they actually sell
- Clothes I keep meaning to put on E-bay - £6 worth
- Cash in an old savings account I keep meaning to draw down £0.90
- Small radio brand new that I need to sell - £4
- Old kitchen handles - selection - that I could sell - £2
- Next voucher I keep meaning to use but always forget to take into town - £10
- Kitten accessories we no longer need as our kitten is a teenager cat now - £5
- Old computer we could sell for spares - £10
So there you have it - around £61, and that's the things we *know* we have.
As Spring approaches - is there an empty box you can start filling for e-bay, or a car boot sale?
Maybe that cash could then be used to buy something in Spring at a discount that will come in handy for Winter for example. Anything bought now in the sales, or obtained free, could save money for the future. Question is - what to buy!
I think I will start to make a list so I can keep an eye out for things we will need later this year as our tule in the new home is to buy as much either cheap or second hand as we can... or even better - free! This week we got a free poster on Freecycle, so that's a start!
Sunday 28 February 2010
Tuesday 23 February 2010
£0.15p recipe to save money on your pearly whites...
Ok, so the best way to save money on your teeth is to not eat sweets, no wine, no coffee and no smoking. However, if you have no way of giving those up (most of us have little addictions that get us through the working week)... then how about making some toothpaste and saving a little money that way? On average a tube of the stuff costs £2 - I am pretty sure we could cost the recipe below at, ooooh - £0.15p max?
Even if we said £0.30 it's still a huge saving and it's freshly made compared to a tube of the stuff packed with preservatives and all sorts of other stuff.
The reality is, most toothpaste these days has a) sodium Laureth Sulphate which many people prefer to avoid, and b) Fluoride which can supposedly be toxic.
So making your own is not only better for health but also for your pocket, as you can make some from fresh for pennies. Will it have the same brand factor as Colgate? No. Will it look as exciting as stripy mint fresh? Probably not. However, next time I run out I am prepared to give it a go, as our current £2.99 Tom's of Maine toothpaste is fluoride free but it's also very expensive...
So here's the source website:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/way_5278502_recipe-natural-toothpaste.html
And here's their suggested recipe if anyone wants to test it our and report back with results:
Ingredients to make toothpaste
For this gentle toothpaste, you will need:
6 tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. salt
4 tsp. glycerin
15 drops of peppermint oil
The baking soda works to whiten and cleanse your teeth. The salt has the same effect as an antiseptic, cleaning the teeth. Glycerin is a base to help with flavoring and make the mixture thick and creamy. The peppermint is used for flavoring and to provide fresh breath.
Process
Combine the ingredients in a small storage container. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick consistency. This natural toothpaste can be used daily, just like other toothpastes. Store at room temperature in a plastic storage container or jar.
Use
Put a small amount of the toothpaste on your toothbrush. Begin at the back of your mouth and go forward. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes.
I still have a couple of tubes of om's toothpaste left, but the money saving bug is calling on me to try this recipe very soon as I like the fact that it would have no SLS.
Even if we said £0.30 it's still a huge saving and it's freshly made compared to a tube of the stuff packed with preservatives and all sorts of other stuff.
The reality is, most toothpaste these days has a) sodium Laureth Sulphate which many people prefer to avoid, and b) Fluoride which can supposedly be toxic.
So making your own is not only better for health but also for your pocket, as you can make some from fresh for pennies. Will it have the same brand factor as Colgate? No. Will it look as exciting as stripy mint fresh? Probably not. However, next time I run out I am prepared to give it a go, as our current £2.99 Tom's of Maine toothpaste is fluoride free but it's also very expensive...
So here's the source website:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/way_5278502_recipe-natural-toothpaste.html
And here's their suggested recipe if anyone wants to test it our and report back with results:
Ingredients to make toothpaste
For this gentle toothpaste, you will need:
6 tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. salt
4 tsp. glycerin
15 drops of peppermint oil
The baking soda works to whiten and cleanse your teeth. The salt has the same effect as an antiseptic, cleaning the teeth. Glycerin is a base to help with flavoring and make the mixture thick and creamy. The peppermint is used for flavoring and to provide fresh breath.
Process
Combine the ingredients in a small storage container. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick consistency. This natural toothpaste can be used daily, just like other toothpastes. Store at room temperature in a plastic storage container or jar.
Use
Put a small amount of the toothpaste on your toothbrush. Begin at the back of your mouth and go forward. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes.
I still have a couple of tubes of om's toothpaste left, but the money saving bug is calling on me to try this recipe very soon as I like the fact that it would have no SLS.
Thursday 11 February 2010
Smells like… Coconuts!
OK so we've all been through the January 'must get fitter' phase, which includes the 'I will eat so much more fruit and veg' and 'definitely no chocolates'. Well, this week I have been reading up about, of all things, coconut oil.
Strange but true – this seems to be one of the latest super foods that does wonders for the body. Apparently, the structure of coconut oil is very different to the other oils we cook with, making it much easier to digest. This means that as your body is working less to digest it, you digest food quicker, which helps metabolise faster thus losing weight for some people. I won't go into the technicalities, but the suggestion seems to be to consume between 1-3 tablespoons a day in varying ways – cooking with it being the easiest, followed by shakes and spreads on toast (ok but my main preference).
The other great thing is that it is meant to do wonders for anyone with a sluggish thyroid, as anything that speeds up metabolism helps. So cutting out the other types of fats (vegetable oil, soya oil, corn oil etc) and replacing them with coconut oil overall is a great change apparently. Supposedly soya oil has now been found to be one of the least beneficial, and indeed suppresses some of the body functions, sometimes on ingredient lists it is merely shown as 'vegetable oil'.
You can still enjoy extra virgin olive oil and organic butter in moderation, but all other fats seem to have had 'human involvement' and extremely high temperatures rather than someone pressing the oil out of them. Supposedly once the fats get into the body, the oxidise (rust) in your cells, wheareas a more natural fat like coconut doesn't and in fact helps the body along with lots of processes (the liver benefits a lot).
It is a natural antibacterial product and can also help with digestive products.
Beauty Regimes
It goes without saying that you can then use the coconut oil in beauty regimes – it works really well as a make-up remover (rub some between hands and once melted delicately apply to eye area, then remove with a damp warm cloth). Also for full beauty treatments, melt some in hands, massage on face and leave for 2-30 minutes depending on skin condition, then remove with a damp warm cloth. In the shower you might also use it as a body treat for soft skin,
A small amount can also be applied to lips as a lip balm.
Hair Treatment
Apply to hands and once melted apply to ends of hair and work up to around half the length of the hair. Wrap hair up in a towel and leave for an hour or overnight, then rinse out with some shampoo.
Soap Making
I imagine it could also be used to make soap, perhaps combining it with dessicated coconut or ground almonds for an exfoliating treat. It is so natural and so good for skin, plus would add a scent of the tropics to your shower. A few drops of lime might add a nice zing…
Buying coconut oil
If you buy some, a large jar will cost around £7 but can of course serve more than 1 purpose. I would also recommend you buy it in a glass jar rather than plastic. It should keep well for 2-3 years if kept cool and in the dark.
Make sure you buy Extra Virgin/Raw or cold pressed – this means that no bleaching / high temperatures were applied to extract the good stuff.
Whilst some may be skeptic, I am going to give it a go – have had some for a few days now and my energy is up but this may just be because the sun is out and Valentines is coming!
Lots of people on Youtube swear by it so see these links for more information to make up your own mind or type 'coconut oil benefits' for example into Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMJUdAyaVBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wpsik0W4NU
http://www.sharonmaas.co.uk/html/coconut_oil__why_it_is_good_fo.html
A study on coconut vs Soya oil:
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Cheesy Goodness - Another Cashback Site to click!
Hello everyone,
As you know, I love cashback clicking - it's a free way to earn a few pennies regularly, for free, that at the end of the year you can use towards something nice. For me, it's almost always free food and booze at Christmas.
Well I now have a new site for you to click on and add to your daily routine - do see the Cashback menu on the right for other sites you might like to look at and consider using.
Thin Cheese Cashback Site
Link: Click here to join
This is a sister site to the great FatCheese Clicking Site and both of them offer great ways to earn cash for free (by clicking), or for buying things you were going to buy anyway. Examples of these are below:
- Sky+ gets you £100 cashback!
- Hastings Direct Car Insurance £46.50 + FREE £30 Fuel vouchers + half price MOT
- T-Mobile £35.00 for phone contract
- Synovate. £1.50 cashback when you register.
- Coral - if you sign up to Coral, get £10 cashback instead of £5 by following my link above.
- Bingo Day - £45 Cashback - sealed with the FatCheese Guarantee!
These offers change, but ised in combination with Daily Clicks as shown on my Routine, van earn a tidy sum over a year.
My recommendation though would be to only join 2 or 3 sites to start, until you get a feel for it.
As an example, I have earned £6.50 cashback for free from a Vistaprint order I wanted to place anyway, and in a few months will earn roughly £30 for changing gas and electric to a new supplier, something we had in mind already.
I hope thi shelps you save some cash in 2010 towards a treat, debt reduction, or Christmas - enjoy!
As you know, I love cashback clicking - it's a free way to earn a few pennies regularly, for free, that at the end of the year you can use towards something nice. For me, it's almost always free food and booze at Christmas.
Well I now have a new site for you to click on and add to your daily routine - do see the Cashback menu on the right for other sites you might like to look at and consider using.
Thin Cheese Cashback Site
Link: Click here to join
This is a sister site to the great FatCheese Clicking Site and both of them offer great ways to earn cash for free (by clicking), or for buying things you were going to buy anyway. Examples of these are below:
- Sky+ gets you £100 cashback!
- Hastings Direct Car Insurance £46.50 + FREE £30 Fuel vouchers + half price MOT
- T-Mobile £35.00 for phone contract
- Synovate. £1.50 cashback when you register.
- Coral - if you sign up to Coral, get £10 cashback instead of £5 by following my link above.
- Bingo Day - £45 Cashback - sealed with the FatCheese Guarantee!
These offers change, but ised in combination with Daily Clicks as shown on my Routine, van earn a tidy sum over a year.
My recommendation though would be to only join 2 or 3 sites to start, until you get a feel for it.
As an example, I have earned £6.50 cashback for free from a Vistaprint order I wanted to place anyway, and in a few months will earn roughly £30 for changing gas and electric to a new supplier, something we had in mind already.
I hope thi shelps you save some cash in 2010 towards a treat, debt reduction, or Christmas - enjoy!
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