How To Save Money At Home Without Feeling Deprived

It may seem as if saving money at home cannot possibly be accomplished without serious deprivation. Saving money at home means a few simple changes that result in effective prosperity long-term. The first step is a change in attitude. Take stock of what you buy. Before you purchase anything, ask yourself if there really is a need. This is a question that should be asked before, not after, planning a purchase. It’s a question that saves real, hard cash.

Money Saving Habits To Acquire For Saving Money At Home
With a little bit of self-discipline, it’s possible to acquire new habits for saving money at home. As an example, view your home as if you were a guest. What would you see? Tasteful, adequate furnishings and surroundings? Or, a myriad of clutter that distracts the senses from the tranquil environment your home should be.

Make a habit of disposing of 10 items each month that have become obsolete. Don’t just throw them into the trash. Assess their value. Then, seek out the services of a second-hand shop, antique store or charitable foundation to sell or donate these items. Before you spend this “found” money, head straight to the bank and make a deposit in your brand new “Rainy Day” savings account. The fun of a “Rainy Day” savings account is watching newly acquired habits earn cash that builds savings. The secret to avoiding feelings of deprivation is to indulge yourself in things that enrich your life.

People used to believe that by blowing out birthday candles they were blowing away all the bad luck of past years. That is why there is a candle for every year.

How the first candle came about is not known. Perhaps, as primitive man was roasting animals, he poked the carcass with a stick to test its tenderness. The stick covered with animal fat was easy to light and burned brightly. Thus, the torch was created. An improvement was made by dipping twigs in resin, pitch, or oil to make the light last longer. Later, bundles of fat-dipped reeds took the place of twigs and were called rushlights.

The early Egyptians made candles. Their funeral services were lighted and possibly perfumed by cone-shaped lumps of wax or tallow (animal fat) stuck in holders. Bands of material that would burn were wound around the candles to keep the hot tallow or wax from spreading into a shapeless mass. The Egyptians may also have used wicks.

Candle making slowly became an established art. The early Roman Catholic Church made special beeswax candles for their services. By the 13th century candles were in general use. In Paris and other cities candle makers travelled from door to door restocking each household’s supply of candles.

Although machines that make hundreds of candles at a time have generally replaced the craftsman, the basic steps have not changed over the centuries. Many of us think of candles as just decorations. Yet when a power failure from storms or earthquakes takes place, we still need candlelight.

Candles have many uses, but perhaps their greatest appeal is that they add warmth and cheer. A dinner table lighted by candles becomes gayer. A Christmas candle shining in a window is a sign of goodwill toward all.

As swimming pool owners, you and I have a lot to be grateful for. If you have young children you know it is the place for hours of healthy family fun. Note, I say family in hopes that everyone is present. Dad, I know someone has to pay for this thing, but it looses its’ value, if you are too busy to be there.

This year we just had our youngest daughter’s graduation swim party, and that means that until grand kids arrive the pool is open for new groups of kids that would love the chance to enjoy the inviting waters of a pool. Well, that’s a noble thought, we will just have to see how energetic this empty nester is next season.

I really thought I was building the pool so my teens would bring their friends to our house rather than run around town to who knows where. I found out the autoMOBILE is much more important to a teen than a great pool. In fact, mobility which brings freedom, will not be trumped by anything else. Think about their MOBILE phone. Point is, those children that you love so much will best enjoy that pool with you up to jr high age, then the thrill subsides, so enjoy them while you can.

We did enjoy our young girls in the pool so much that some years a trip to stay in a motel, and swim in it’s pool was just not enticing at all. All summer long we vacationed at our pool, and slept in our beds, loving every minute.

Now as we see the activity at the pool and around the house slow down, I look back with fond memories aided by many pictures of the time spent raising our children. Even though I thought I would die of heat exhaustion the summer of ‘96 building the thing, I would do it again in a heartbeat, but next time I wouldn’t wait until summer to get started.

Baby Training Pants – Training pants help your toddler make the transition from diapers to underwear. While training pants don’t typically have the absorbency of cloth diapers, they do help catch accidents and trickles on the way to the toilet. They are made to be easily pulled up and down by your child. Visit Thanks Mama today to order. ]]> http://www.sevendaysgone.com/swimming-pools-and-wonderful-family-phases.html/feed 0 http://www.sevendaysgone.com/electric-blankets-to-stay-warm-and-comfortable.html http://www.sevendaysgone.com/electric-blankets-to-stay-warm-and-comfortable.html#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:18:22 +0000 admin http://www.sevendaysgone.com/?p=619

Electric blankets have been around for years, yet only in recent years the advances in technology finally allowed these devices to become safer and more economically viable than conventional heaters.

There are many benefits to using electric blankets and heated mattress pads, including comfort, electricity savings and convenience.

Using a heated blanket could significantly increase the quality of sleep. A perfect sleep environment always has the perfect temperature which varies with every individual. Having to tweak the thermostat every night to create the right atmosphere is cumbersome, and will not always bring the best results, especially when sharing a bed with someone who doesn’t have same temperature preferences. An electric blanket could solve this problem. Many modern devices feature adjustable temperature controls (some even have multiple zones with individual settings), pre-warm timers and automatic shut-off. Climbing into a bed that is “just right” could seriously increase the quality and quantity of sleep, which will have tremendous results on overall well-being.

It is common knowledge that supplying heat to sore muscles relaxes the tissue and alleviates pain and discomfort, relieves aches and increases the blood flow to muscles and joints. An electric blanket or a heated mattress pad can do all of the above with a twist of a dial. Those who suffer from rheumatic diseases will especially appreciate the extra heat. Using an electric blanket to relieve muscle stress is a key component to better sleep.

There are people who just can’t stand being cold. Your bed and the sheets assume the ambient temperature which is always lower than your body’s. Climbing into a cool bed is liked by some people, to others it is 10-15 minutes of extreme discomfort they have to go through every evening. Setting a heated mattress to warm the bed just before you snuggle in will solve this problem once and for all. Imagine always coming into a warm bed no matter what the outside temperature is.

Dust mites and bacteria thrive in sleeping areas. The moisture from night sweat and skin particles are absorbed the mattress creating a perfect living environment for all kinds of microorganisms, stimulating unhealthy conditions right next to your bare skin. A heated mattress pad or a throw can reduce bed moisture by up to 50%, eliminating the need for antibacterial treatment, extending your mattress’ useful life, making your sleeping place healthier and drier.

There are many other benefits, including reducing your heating bill that electric blankets and mattress pads posses. These appliances deserve a little more credit, as their role in a good night’s sleep is quite important.

Before purchasing an electric blanket, I suggest to read the reviews and see what other consumers are saying.

If you have been accepted to college then you are likely to need to find specially sized bedding for the extra long twin beds they use in residence halls. These twin xl beds are the same width as normal twin beds but are 5 inches longer. While that extra length does not sound like much, your bed becomes your couch/guest/dining/tv watching/video game playing and of course bed in a 15 x 15 size room for several months a year.

Don’t freak out as we will showcase to you what special size bedding you need to invest in as well as ways to stretch your limited dorm decor dollars for the end goal of a comfy dorm bed. While not every school uses twin xl beds we have seen statistics show that 90% or more of college dorm rooms use a 39 x 80 size bed – or as we call it a twin xl bed (or xl twin bed). These dorm beds are designed to be used in several ways including loft style bunk beds or the symmetrical room layouts of your imagination.

In general we always liked the non loft bed set up’s because of the practical nature of dorm rooms. For example if you decide to go with loft style bunk beds and your roommate has a friend come over – they will likely want to sit on the bottom bed to watch TV. So if you’re the ‘bottom’ bunk person your space is seriously crimped. The dual or side by side bed layouts allow a functional walkway with equal sides of the room – thus keeping everyone happier.

Not all of your bedding needs to be ‘twin xl’ only some specific items need to be so – especially your sheet sets, mattress pads and for the lucky feather beds. Dorm mattresses are firm and usually covered in a bio hazard like plastic material to prevent spill seepage. This means your sleep experience will be stiff, hot (because plastic does not breathe well) and crunchy at best. So we recommend a couple bed toppers plus your twin xl sheet set to be labeled ‘twin xl’. Items like your comforter would be nice if they were longer but they are not a firm requirement – only your basic bedding is. Actually to call it basic bedding is a misnomer because the bed is basic – those items are added for comfort.

When it comes to adding comfort to your dorm room – we recommend a mattress pad and a feather bed for maximum comfort. The twin xl featherbed needs to measure 39 x 80 and will add 3 to 4 inches on top of your mattress. Feather beds provide soft squishy comfort like home. An xl twin mattress pad on the other hand provides protection from the bed as well as preventing any stray feathers from poking through. As for materials – down and feather blends are the ultimate choice for softness, plus feathers allow air to circulate versus being trapped like plastic or foam. Sometimes finding a twin xl down mattress pad is touch so we recommend even adding an extra twin comforter on top of your twin xl featherbed in place of a mattress pad. This will make the feather bed extra soft and create bed envy amongst the dorm.

Finally sheets are pretty straight forward – make sure you buy two sets for laundry changes and be sure the fitted sheet is 39 x 80. The flat sheet is optional and in a pinch you can grab an extra one from home assuming it matches and you like it.

The nuclear family has changed over the years and continues to adjust and grow and the dynamics that once made families strong can be a bit too easy to let fall by the wayside. It’s important to bring people together and enjoy family time, and this doesn’t include watching television in the family room. While television is nice, it’s also addicting and it doesn’t promote healthy, heartfelt interaction between members of the family unit.

Getting outside and playing games with adults and children is one of the best, and healthiest, ways to spend time with your family. It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you’re all together and enjoying it. There are numerous sports and activities that families can share including baseball, volleyball, badminton, soccer, and tennis, to name a few. But if you’re looking for something a bit more exciting, and something that everyone can compete at and laugh with, then the cornhole game is the answer for you.

Cornhole for the ages

The cornhole game became popular in the Midwest a couple of decades ago, though its origins are considered murky. Some claim that it started in Cleveland, but there are references to a very similar game dating back to Europe in the fifteenth century. Wherever it originated, cornhole has increased in popularity in recent years.

It’s a simple game that is played with bean bags and two cornhole boards in which the players toss the bean bags with the intention of getting them through a six-inch hole in the board. While the regulation distance for the boards is 27 feet apart from one another, families can determine, on their own, what works best. It is also perfectly normal and natural to allow younger children to stand closer to the cornhole boards since their strength and agility will be less than the adults.

Cornhole doesn’t discriminate

Perhaps the best thing about the cornhole game for families is that it doesn’t discriminate based on age, size, or strength. Certainly ability and practice will make a difference, but it is easy to handicap a member of the family who has either natural talent or simply practices a great deal more than anyone else in the family. For example, you can make Uncle Rob -who plays in cornhole tournaments around the country- stand ten, fifteen, or even twenty feet further back when he throws his tosses. Wherever he has to stand to even the playing field will work.

Cornhole boards are simple to store and setup, which means that anytime is a good time to play cornhole. It doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions, such as a birthday or anniversary party or even a reunion; cornhole can be played everyday, if a family chooses.

Cornhole is such an easy and versatile game and offers hours of entertainment for the entire family. It goes without saying that family time should be spent laughing, talking, and simply being together. With cornhole, you get the added bonus of being outside with the ones you love.

Pegs are a boon for people who dry their clothes on the clothesline. At the same time they are pain too, because, you just can’t find one when you need one. Sounds familiar, well the peg bags are designed to relieve you of that very pain. Well that was the original intent, nowadays though these bags are as much about utility as they are about creative expression.

Most popular peg bag designs include a clothes hanger that is used to hold the bag in place. There are other variations too like the use of handles to have the bag hanging from your shoulder rather than from the clothesline. But hangers seem to be the most common ones. If you are planning on making your own clothespin bag pattern, going for the hanger-based model is simple. The best pattern would be a dress pattern. We hang our dress on the hangers all the time, so why not make a dress-like clothespin bag?

You can choose any dress that would fit an infant. For the boys it can be shirts and for girls it can be a frock or some other cute dress. Cut out the shape accordingly and stitch it along the edges. Now place the hanger appropriately and you have your clothespin bag ready.

The next question is the size of the bag, how big do you want it. That to a large extent is determined by the hanger you choose. The bag cannot be too small that the hanger sticks out nor too large that it doesn’t fit the hanger. So fix the shape and size of the bag based on the hanger. You can use multiple pieces of cloth to make your bag or fold a single large piece as you desire.

Lastly come the finishing touches. Use some props to enhance your peg bag. Pockets, and other accessories stitches on the bag pattern enhance its looks.

It’s fairly easy to use a dryer as they have preset cycles. Using these cycles cuts the drying time needed and can save the need to iron afterwards. Let’s look at some tips and guidelines that will help you use your dryer in the most effective and cost cutting way.

Overstuffing the dryer with clothes can be a big problem. Instead, split the clothes into categories and give each one its own cycle. This is the main reason you need to leave some room in the dryer. In a washing machine, you need some space to allow the washing action to be most effective, and it’s the same with a dryer. The items must be able to rotate easily in the drum so they can dry effectively and be wrinkle free.

To make sure you don’t burn the garments, read the labels on the clothes for guidelines on which temperature you should use for drying them. It’s also important to clear the filter after each cycle to prevent fires or burn out. Also, it’s better to under-dry the garments than burn them. When you leave them in too long, they’re more likely to wrinkle, shrink in size,and lose their color. If you make the effort to fold your garments when they come out of the dryer, you won’t need to iron.

There are some safety guidelines to follow, such as not throwing something with rubber in the dryer to heat. Also, any garments that have had contact with chemicals (e.g., wax, acetone, turpentine, and cleaning chemicals) that will ignite, don’t dry them in the dryer unless you can guarantee you got these chemicals out in the wash. It’s better bet to hang them on a clothesline.

Special hand-knitted sweaters and other heavier items may require you to lay the garment flat to dry, and you’ll need to tug them back into shape as they dry. It’s important to flip them over at some stage so both sides are exposed to the air and they can dry thoroughly. If you’re going to hang laundry on the clothesline, take it out of the washing machine as soon as the cycle is done, so it doesn’t wrinkle.

Fabric softeners are now available to add to your wash cycle, and you can always dry the garments in the dryer for a few minutes before hanging them out. If you prefer not to add fabric softener to your wash, throw the garments in the dryer with a dryer sheet for some minutes and then hang them out to dry. Remember, the sun can lighten colors depending on their material so it might be an idea to hang them inside out or dry them indoors.

There are many times that you receive your parent’s advice and purposely choose to ignore it. This is often because you think they know nothing about things today, whether it is about something as simple as fashion or as complicated as child care.

Experts say that you may only be harming yourself and losing out on some valuable insight if you choose to ignore your parents in that way. One of the most common excuses for not listening to their parenting guidance is that thing called the generation gap. However, while it is true that the world does change constantly, there are some basics that remain the same. There is no substitute for life experiences, which is exactly what your mum and dad have. They have been through trials and errors in many aspects of life.

Today’s parents stubbornly refuse to ask for their parent’s advice. Often they claim they want to be better parents that the previous generation, so why bother to ask them. Instead they will turn to doctors who do not even have any experience with raising children. Or they will peruse parenting books, yet when it comes down to it many of these books are basically cultural documents that repeat acceptable ideas about the correct way to bring up children.

When first time parents go to their pediatrician asking for advice on everything from sleep habits, discipline and even toilet training, they are looking for someone to tell them how to bring up their child. The problem is that a second or third year pediatric type of residency is completely hospital based; meaning that they have been trained to treat sick kids, not the ones who simply refuse to eat their vegetables. If you think about it most pediatricians have no idea what to do with a healthy baby who doesn’t want to take a nap or even what can make a toddler smile.

While getting your parent’s advice is indeed valuable, you can also look inward for some of your parenting concerns and questions. Getting to know your kids, staying close to them, listening and paying attention, using common sense and having the ability to stay flexible are all great ways for you to learn what is best for you and your family. It is not wrong to look for help in other parenting resources as they can be a good aid, but remember that you will make mistakes too, perhaps just like your own mum and dad did.

Here are some fun and free activities to do with your family.

Game Night. Our family frequently had a game night growing up and those nights are some of my most cherished and funniest memories. We would have friends and family over, and spend hours playing games like Charades, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit, and our later favorite Cranium. If you don’t own any games, you can still play free things like Tag (come on admit it, it’s still awesome), a homemade version of Win, Lose or Draw, Charades, card games, and even internet games as a family. Also try a jigsaw puzzle together, that can be days of free entertainment.

The Library. Your local library is an amazing and completely free resource. Everyone knows you can rent books, but did you know that you can also check out audio books, DVD rentals, art, and even check out free passes to museums and parks. Some libraries are better than others, but most have come a long way.

The libraries in my area have an extensive DVD collection, not just PBS specials, but new releases and popular movies too. They have far fewer copies than your local video rental store, but there are waiting lists and they are completely free. The audio books are great for car rides or floating in the pool or to listen to while you all clean the house. Some facilities have movie night or other special events. My niece and nephews just got to go to story hour and trick or treat and lead a parade around the library. They loved it and it cost nothing.

Libraries have special copies of books for book clubs, this means they have dozens of copies of the same book. Attend the book club at the library or start a family book club. If your children are older you can all pick a book, read it together or separately and then discuss it at the dinner table or before bed.

One of the most surprising things I discovered about my library is they have passes you can check out for many different places. My local library when I lived in Connecticut had half off passes to the zoo, free passes to several museums, to an amusement park, and an aquarium. You usually have to pick them up the day you would like them and return them by the next day. Go talk to your head librarian and the children’s librarian and ask them what their library offers. The different departments have different passes. These free passes can save you a lot of money. When my family was in town I rented the zoo passes and half off our admission for 6 of us saved us over $40.00.

You could even take an afternoon and just go to the library together and wander around. I love the feel and smell of the books, it always gets me excited to learn something new. The cost to you $0.

Exercise. Oh yea, I said it. While it may not sound like fun to some people, it really can be a lot of fun. My Dad and step Mom bought us a Nintendo Power Pad when we were children. It’s an electrical pad that lays on the ground like a Twister game. It’s hooked up to a video game and there are games you play such as running races. The pad registers when you pick up your feet and put them down, thus gauging who is running faster. It was competitive and really good fun. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we all played it together for hours and I never realized I was working out. We also would take turns on the exercise bike, rowing machine and treadmill seeing who could last longer, who could ride further or who could get the most rows in a minute.

You can take a bike ride together, go for walks, jog, or buy a Nintendo Wii and Wii fit. A Nintendo Wii is a video game system that gets you moving instead of sitting and playing games. You swing your arms for tennis, you dance around for dance offs, you run, you do a lot of fun activities.

Most of us have exercise equipment sitting around with dust on it, make it a cool family night. It’s always free to go for a walk.

Get Creative. Most households have art supplies sitting around in closets and on shelves. Dig it out and make something cool. My sister started with her 3yr old when he was an infant. She put his hands in paint and made cards for everyone. Then as he got older it got more sophisticated. He finger painted when he was one and she framed them and hung them on the walls. It was such a wonderful way to see his artwork and when he got older he could point to them and know he created it.

My sister, a single mother, has very little extra money, so she gets creative with their projects. Instead of buying expensive stickers, they go for nature walks and find leaves, flowers, sticks and other great finds to glue onto paper.

Don’t underestimate this suggestion thinking it’s just for little kids either. Kids of all ages like to create art, especially when it’s appreciated, framed and put in a special place. My ex boyfriend made fun of me when I said I wanted to paint, he hadn’t seen any of my artwork and thought it was something only artists did. He begrudgingly went with me to the art supply store where I got the largest canvas they had and some inexpensive acrylic paint. I made him help me and together we made this very cool abstract painting that people raved about when they came over to the house. That wasn’t exactly free, but you can find old paintings in the attic or basement and paint over them.

Older kids who are more computer savvy can create cards and art on the computer to be printed and given away. Grandma would prefer a card handmade with love and creativity than a store bought one any day. Use buttons, string, and cord, anything lying around to give your art some 3D wow.

Lights, Camera, Action. Get that digital camera out and have a ball. It’s free to take those photos or video and put on the computer for a good laugh or to reminisce over one day. Play dress up, let each family member take a turn being the photographer and posing everyone. Set the camera up and use the timer to get everyone in the picture.

Try recreating famous paintings in photography, make patterns with your bodies and photograph yourselves. Such as laying with all your heads together or spelling out the family name with your arms and legs. Then print and frame it.

You can make a family videography, taking turns telling your favorite, most touching or funniest family memories to cherish forever. You can also make a how-to or funny video for YouTube. Then on another night play them back and have a good laugh.

Community Events. Check your local paper or webpage (also check the webpages of nearby cities) for events in your area. Many are completely free, including parades, movies, sporting events, and more. Some museums have a free admission day, call and find out when that is and take the whole family.