Important Reminders & News

• Michael Jackson Tribute:  It’s not likely that you haven’t yet heard about Michael Jackson’s death last week.  Here is information about the Michael Jackson tribute that will be taking place next Tuesday, July 7, 2009. 

Since it will be streamed live on the web, they’re expecting that this historic event may take down much of the web on Tuesday.  Don’t be surprised if you have limited-to-no internet connection on July 7th.

I offer my condolences to his family and appreciate the happiness and joy he brought so many people through the music he created during his lifetime.  Michael Jackson has always been a part of my life and I am truly grateful to have experienced his energy in my existence.

• Holiday Closure: We’ve been closed for the last 2 days for the 4th of July holiday weekend.  We hope you’re enjoying some time together with your family this Independence Day weekend.  See you on Monday!

Hot Blogs & Websites This Week

 7 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child at Zen Habits.  “We might not be able to help the variety of our branches, but we are the ones who control the nutrients in their soil and the sunlight in their sky.”   I love his point about making sure to teach your kids at home, instead of assuming all the learning will happen while they’re at school.  Read the rest here.

The portable sandbox at Unclutterer.  This nifty creation has the mark of pure genius: a small sandbox for your kids that has wheels on the bottom.  Portable, sharable, and all-around-good.  Check out the pictures here.

Paper Mache: Recipes & Tips at TipNut.  This perfect paper mache guide has several recipes, materials to use for bases, and more.  This is a wonderful frugal project to keep the kids entertained during summer vacation.

Simplify Your Life by Bartering for What You Need at On Simplicity.  Bartering tips are essential info for anyone interested in living a frugal life.

Do you have something new or noteworthy that you’d like mentioned in The Watercooler? Let us know at tips(at)homemakerbarbi.com.

  Barbi

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While we can’t eliminate laundry from your list of necessary housework items, we can help you save money on laundry with these frugal laundry tips.

Laundry can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want it to be, depending on what measures you take to cut the costs.  Not all tips are right for every family; just choose the ones you can work into your current system today and enjoy lower utility and laundry supply bills!

Here are 13 different ways to save on the cost of doing laundry, ranging from quick and easy to long-term solutions. 

13 Ways to Save Money on Laundry Costs

1. Buy Energy Star rated appliances.  That Energy Star emblem means they use less energy in a more efficient manner and will cost you less to  use.  When replacing old or worn out appliances, check first for the Energy Star on your replacement choices.

2. Cut dryer sheets in half.  One box lasts twice as long when you cut the sheets in half.  As soon as you open the box, break out the scissors and enjoy cutting your dryer sheet expenses by 50%!

3. Dilute laundry detergent in the bottle with water.  Save your empty laundry detergent bottles.  When you open a fresh one, pour half into the empty bottle.  You now have 2 bottles half full of detergent waiting to be filled with water.  You can fill water all the way to the top or 2/3 full, depending on the savings you want.  Diluted detergent will get your clothing just as clean, and if you’re used to filling the cap (or your family members are), this trick will save you.  Most of us use more detergent than recommended or necessary anyway.

4. Use less detergent and liquid fabric softener.  Are you strong enough to skip the diluting and just use less?  More power to you!

5. Clean the lint trap before every load of laundry.  A clean lint trap lets your dryer work more efficiently and dry clothes faster.  Spend the extra 20 seconds and empty it before you start the dryer.  Plus, a clean lint trap cuts down the risk of a dryer fire – how about that! 

6. Line dry your clothes.  String up a line, buy some cheap wooden clothes pins, and you’re in business.  Zero energy use and it costs exactly $0 to use.

7. Create a hybrid drying routine.  Maybe you don’t like line drying because of the possible clothing stiffness.  Maybe you can’t use a clothesline because of space limitations, like living in an apartment with no yard.  If you can’t convert wholly to the clothesline method for whatever reason, create a hybrid routine that still has you using your electric dryer, but only half as much.  Hang items to dry over shower curtain rods, hang from ceiling fans, or clotheslines for part of the time, dryer for the rest.  Get soft clothes with half the energy use.

8. Do less laundry. Wear jeans more than once, use bath towels more than once.  Sweaters and jackets can also be worn more than once if you wear them layered with a shirt underneath.  Make sure you hang up clothes that can be worn again so that they’re not washed by mistake.

9. Double up 1/2 loads of laundry and only dry full loads.  Put your half load of washed whites in the dryer and let them wait until your next half load is complete.  Dry as one full load and cut the energy cost in half.

10. Dry loads back to back if possible to keep the dryer from heating up again (save time and energy).

11. Double spin clothes in the washer.  After your washing machine is done, turn the knob to "Spin only" and spin the clothes a second time.  The centrifugal motion (spinning) helps to get extra water out of the clothes, which in turn take less time to dry in the dryer.

12. Use vinegar in the wash instead of fabric softener (1/4 cup).  Smaller loads need smaller amounts, unless you want to smell vinegar on your clean clothes!  This cheap alternative to liquid fabric softener will save money on your laundry supply budget for certain.

13. Wash in the coldest temperature recommended for your clothes.  Save your water heater from firing up to heat the water when possible.  Cold wash temperatures will also help to preserve the fibers in the material of your clothing, meaning it won’t wear out as fast.

Frugal challenge:  Choose a few of these great money-saving frugal laundry tips today, and see how much you can drive down your laundry expenses!  Subscribe to the Frugal Living Department today to get more money-saving articles delivered to your for free.

Originally published June 26, 2008.  Photos courtesy of MorgueFile.

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The winner of the drawing for our 1 year supply of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese giveaway (thanks to our generous sponsor, Kraft Foods) is…

#93 – Barbara Leatham

Congratulations!  Thanks to everyone who entered for this wonderful prize from Kraft.

We draw 10 numbers in a contest like this to be sure that if the winning entries are disqualified for not following the rules, we have valid entries from runners up.  Below is the random number drawing, provided by Research Randomizer. 

The winner will be notified by email on Monday, July 6, 2009 (we’re currently closed for the holiday weekend).  If for any reason the winner does not respond within 3 days of notification, the next eligible runner-up will be declared the winner.

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Welcome to our summer series on Family Vacation Road Trip Planning with the best travel tips from a mom of four!  If you missed the last two family vacation articles, you can check them out here:

• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Departure Time
• Family Vacation Road Trip Planning: Kids’ Entertainment

Road Trip Breaks & Stops

Road trip bathroom break detours are inevitable, but you can decrease the number of times you need to pull over for food by packing a cooler before you leave. In addition to filling it with juice boxes, water, some sandwiches and the kids favorite snacks, you may want to add in a few specialty snacks that are normally off limits.

My children always follow a healthy diet and have come to appreciate the ‘vacation food’ they are allowed to eat whenever we travel. With that said, be careful not to overdo it. A car full of kids in sugar overload will definitely back fire.

Plan on stopping for one full meal during the road trip. If possible, opt for a nice rest area that offers outdoor space for the kids to run around and stretch their legs.  Making a detour from the highway is also a good idea if you are not pressed for time. Once off the main interstate you should be able to find a full service family restaurant where you can all unwind and enjoy a decent meal.

Hotels

If you will be making an overnight stop during the road trip, try to plan for it in advance. If you know you will be traveling for 30 hours and stopping halfway through, you can go online, map out your route and locate kid-friendly hotels along the way. Check availability the day before you leave and if there are ample rooms left then you can just wing it without a reservation. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to reserve a room in advance.

If possible, stay in a hotel that offers a pool for some midway relaxation and family fun time. If you can coordinate your arrival to be around dinner time, you may all be able to enjoy a nice swim after dinner, a good night’s sleep and a nice breakfast before you hit the road.

Try to take advantage of specialty perks offered by hotels to attract families, such as kids stay free, kids eat free and free continental breakfast. This is a great money saver and if planned correctly, can even serve as a little mini-vacation before the vacation!

What are your best tips for breaks and stops during family vacation road trips? Let us know in the comments below!

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomemakerBarbi.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Live a frugal life, live below your means, save more money, spend less money, save money on household expenses… we hear and read about these things all the time.

If you’re just getting started with budgets and thriftiness, it can be hard to know where to begin. Or maybe you’re a frugalista already and could just use a little reminder of little things that make a big impact on our budgets.

No matter which scenario best describes you, here are 5 things you can do right now to live a frugal life (and cut unnecessary spending):

1. Don’t Pay for Things You Can Get for Free.

We wrote previously about Top 13 Free Things to Stop Paying For Now  and How to Save Money by Getting Almost Everything for Free.  You’ll want to read these 2 articles for tips on free things you could be getting now.  Samples and freebies are plentiful and ready to be requested and used.

If people offer you hand-me-downs, always say yes.  This way they’ll get in the habit of asking you first. Hand-me-downs are great for baby supplies, kids’ clothes, small kitchen appliances, etc. You never know what someone else can’t wait to get rid of that may be on your shopping list. Free entertainment is all around you, just monitor your newspaper for community activities. Finally, don’t rent movies or buy books when you can borrow them from the library for free.

2. Get Magazine Subscriptions Instead of Buying at the Store OR Get Free Magazines.

To some people this is a no-brainer, but I didn’t fully subscribe to the idea (get it- subscribe?!?) until a few years ago. I bought every issue of Parenting Magazine at the store, spending $47.88 for 1 year. Then I subscribed for 1 year and it cost me only $12. I could have spend $35.88 less for the same magazines, gotten them before they hit the stores, and delivered to my door!

I only buy subscriptions when I can’t get the magazines I want for free.  Watch for our freebies lists to get listings of the latest free magazine subscriptions.

3. Make a Menu Plan and Stick to it.

Menu planning is SO important. If you don’t believe me, visit OrgJunkie on a Menu Plan Monday and you’ll see what I  mean. You’ll buy only the foods you need to make meals, which means less food will be wasted (no rotten unused produce in the refrigerator).

Since you’ll only be buying what you really need, your grocery bill will go down dramatically. If the menu doesn’t say “McDonald’s”, chances are you won’t go there.

If you’re just getting started with menu planning, visit us each Sunday to print out a ready-made Take & Make Menu Plan just for you. It has a week’s worth of meals listed with recipes and a printable grocery shopping list.

4. Don’t Pay Retail Prices Unless You Have to.

This goes for books, movies, clothing, household goods, and many more things. Learn to keep a list of things you want, then be watchful for them at garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, eBay, Amazon, consignment shops, etc.  Check out used book stores, trading in old books if you can.

Buying kids’ clothes 2nd hand makes sense when you realize that they grow so fast that it will be worn only for a short time. To find out how we pay next to nothing for clothing, read How to Save 90% on Kids Clothes.  This goes especially well with our guide on Buying Cheap Kids Clothes: Store Sales and Clearance Schedule.

5. Go for a Walk Instead of Driving.

Remember the old saying, “Getting there is half the fun”? It’s true, especially when gas prices fluctuate greatly and you want to spend gas money on other necessities instead.  If you can find alternatives to driving, take them: walking, carpooling, bicycling, public transportation. You’ll help the environment and your checkbook at the same time.  For when you can’t avoid driving, follow our 13 Tips to Save Money on Fuel.

There you go – 5 quick tips you can use to spruce up your frugality right now!  What are your favorite frugal tips?  Let us know in the comments.  Check out Thrifty Thursdays at Amanda’s Cookin and Frugal Friday at Life as Mom for more frugal tips.

Originally published May 4, 2008.

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The winner of the drawing for our Flip video camera giveaway (thanks to our generous sponsor, Lever 2000) is…

#87 – Katrina V for an entry on Twitter

Congratulations, Katrina!  Thanks to everyone who entered this awesome giveaway for this cool portable Flip video camera.

We draw 10 numbers in a contest like this, to be sure that if the winning entry is disqualified for not following the rules, we have valid entries from runners up.  Below is the random number drawing, provided by Research Randomizer.  If for any reason the winner does not respond within 3 days of notification, the next eligible runner-up will be declared the winner.

Remember that 7/1/09 is your last day to enter for the 1 year supply of Kraft macaroni & cheese giveaway, which will be drawn tomorrow.  Go enter now!

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4th of July tablescapes for the picnic table from my front yard, perfect for Independence Day! 

I hope you love the photos of our Fourth of July tablescape and seeing the many elements broken down simply.

Red, white, and blue patriotic accessories adorn this (mostly) child-friendly table setting with plastic dishes, including plates, chargers, and stemware.

This table was set up for a dessert-only meal late one night prior to the Fourth of July.  You can see that the only foods on the table are sugar-free fruit popsicles, bowls of red and blue M&Ms, and red and blue cupcakes!

The cupcake platter was our patriotic centerpiece for the 4th of July tablescape.  The middle cupcake has “USA” spelled out in red hot candies.  The poor cupcakes were starting to melt due to the heat, so the USA is sliding off of the side in the photo!

Here is one table setting (minus eating utensils, because we had finger foods only).

Some of the little pieces which went into this 4th of July holiday table setting are easy details that make a big splash:

• Decorative colored glass gems in mini dessert bowls.  These were also sprinkled across the tablecloth to reflect sunlight and add shimmer.

• Curled metallic ribbon, leftover from Christmas.  These small coils of ribbon were sprinkled on the table and also used to accent the napkins (which were gracefully folded by my daughter, London).

• Small square mirrors (available at craft stores) were placed under the popsicle bowls to add depth to the tablescape.

Our tablescape came together quite nicely, as the result of a whole-family team effort.  Happy 4th of July!

Love Independence Day?  Check out our 4th of July party menu with recipes and our 4th of July party house cleaning tips.

Find more beautiful tablescapes with Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

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When we think of garden parties, we probably envision having our friends over to a perfectly manicured dream garden, teeming with roses and perfect combinations of colors.  We don’t all have the time or resources to create the garden we may want, which is why we bring you the most gorgeous pictures each week of dream gardens that we wish were our own!

Dream Garden of the Week

This week’s dream garden is tall enough to have a garden party inside!  Thanks for the dream garden photo, taken by hortulus_aptus.  Aren’t those pinks the most perfect shade?

We hope you’ll join us next week for the Dream Garden of the Week!  If you have a dream garden you’d like to nominate, please email us (with photos) at tips(at)homemakerbarbi.com.

Get more Wordless Wednesday at WordlessWednesday.com and 5 Minutes 4 Mom.

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On her website, Homemaker Hero, Courtney keeps things simple by blending the 1950s housewife with the modern housewife. She features tips and tricks of how things were done “back then” and applies them to modern living. You can also find Courtney on Twitter @HomemakerHero.

Housekeeping Heaven: 4th of July Holiday Housekeeping

While your family is boasting over 4th of July parades, bonfires and fireworks, you might be silently praying that they’ll all agree to go somewhere public rather than invite over your friends and family on the 4th.

Holiday housekeeping is at the top of the “most dreaded” list for most homemakers. In reality, holiday housekeeping is the easiest cleaning you’ll ever do because you don’t have to do all of it!

Let’s think about the holiday parties you’ve been invited to. Have you honestly ever gone through someone’s entire house (including closets and dresser drawers) and complained that it wasn’t spotless? Probably not. If you have children, have you ever walked into some other child’s bedroom and expected it to be neat and tidy? Definitely not.

Unless you have a friend or family member that has serious Mysophobia (fear of germs), you won’t have to worry about it either. Your friends and family are there to have fun – not rummage through your home wearing white gloves.

4 Tips for Fourth of July House Cleaning

1.  Start by making a list of the obvious high traffic areas that your guests will be viewing. Estimate how much time it  will take you to clean each area. This way, you will know if you should schedule an entire afternoon or the entire day prior to the party to get it done. Check things off your list as you complete tasks and you’ll feel that much better about all that there is to do.

2.  Delegate tasks. Your list won’t seem to overwhelming if others pitch in to help. Only delegate tasks to other household members if they are capable of doing that task in a timely manner. For example, do not delegate the task of cleaning mirrors to your daughter if she is easily distracted by her own reflection. This is housekeeping – not acting school.

3.  Think ahead. Plan the food menu days ahead so that you can get a head start on the cooking and baking. If a cookout is your thing, remember you can make pasta salads, cookies, pies, and more ahead of time (and reheat the day of if needed). This will save you time on party day.

Try to spread out your to do list as much as possible. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to do all of the cooking and cleaning the day of the party. If you plan on polishing silverware or need to put the leaf in the table, these are tasks that can be done prior to cleaning day.

4.  Keep it simple. I know some holiday parties are going to require more detail than others, but stick to the norm as much as possible. In other words, don’t bother digging out the fine china and family heirloom silverware when you host a backyard barbeque. Don’t worry about cleaning your teenager’s bedroom when you plan to host the party in the living and kitchen areas. Close all of the doors to the rooms you will not be using during the party.

However, do put a sign on the bathroom door to make it easier for your guests to find it when you direct them down the hallway to do their business. Don’t bother cleaning rooms that you don’t plan to use during the party – unless you have the time and just want to. This is about having fun! You won’t have any fun at all if you wear yourself out beforehand.

Enjoy yourself and your guests will enjoy your 4th of July party.

Next week, check out Housekeeping Heaven for “How to Clean Your Garage”. Make sure you don’t miss any of Courtney’s housekeeping and cleaning posts by getting our free updates now! Learn more about how to subscribe.

Get more helpful tips at Works for Me Wednesday.  Photo by stock.xchng.

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