All-Purpose Spray Cleaner - 7 Cents a Bottle!

As I was cleaning my kitchen today I thought it would be a good idea for me to share with you a great trick to saving a lot of money off of your bottled kitchen spray cleaner.  For years I did what everyone did and picked up my bottle every week or two and the average cost per purchase was about $3.00 plus taxes. I got tired of wasting so much money on it and thought there has got to be a better way.

I started with purchasing a 4.25 litre bottle of Pine Sol for approximately $11.00 (buying the largest size often gives better value for household cleaners).  I made sure to keep my last empty bottle of cleaner solution with the spray nozzle or you can buy a new spray bottle at the dollar store or general retailer.   I added 4 tablespoons of Pine Sol cleaning solution and then filled the bottle with warm water.  As you use this method you can increase or decrease the amount of cleaner you add to suit your desired solution strength and bottle size.  Keep in mind any of your favorite all-purpose cleaners will do – I just like Pine Sol as my house smells so clean afterwards.  Also make note the general cleaning solutions such as Pine Sol, Mr. Clean etc are not safe for all surfaces so when in doubt do a test area before using a new solution on your surfaces.

 

By making your own cleaner using this method you can get approximately 70 bottles of spray cleaner out of your 4.25L concentrated bottle.   The price per bottle is 7 cents as opposed to the standard $3.00 a bottle!  Buying 70 bottles of pre-mixed cleaner regular retail costs appromiately $210 or use this trick and pay $11.00 that is a $199.00 dollar savings.  I bet there are alot of better things you would like to spend that $199 on.

Happy Cleaning,

Specialty Coffee at Home on Budget

Did you try that pumpkin pie flavored coffee that was so popular around Thanksgiving and fall in love with it? Or the Holiday inspired lattes? Delish,right? Well, you can continue (or start!) to enjoy those special coffee flavors without breaking your budget right from home.

 

 For the pumpkin pie spice coffee, just add about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to your dry coffee grounds when you make coffee. Over time you can adjust spice amounts based on your desired flavor strength – better to start with less and add more as you go along.

As for the peppermint mocha, add peppermint candy. Stir you hot coffee with a left-over candy cane. Or, crush a couple candy canes or other hard peppermint candies and add then to the dry coffee grounds. The hot water will melt them.  Combine coffee with half a cup of hot chocolate for a great café mocha at home. A little sprinkle of cinnamon on freshly brewed coffee is a real treat.

Often you can find coffee flavor syrups at Home Sense or Winners which retail for approx. $10.00 a bottle which add a great kick of flavor to your java.

So don’t feel like the outrageously priced Starbucks, Second Cup or any other coffee houses are your only options to get your specialty coffee fix. Do a google search also and you will find other at-home recipes to inspire you.  Experiment with other spices, candies, and flavoring extracts to come up with some new favorites your taste buds and monthly budget will thank you.

Happy Brewin',

Meatless Monday - Great for your Pocketbook!

Can substituting the meat you eat just one day a week really have a significant impact on your monthly budgets?   You bet your pork chops it can!

A one-time World War I effort used to ration the production and consumption of meat, “Meatless Monday” households of today started a resurge of popularity as the realization came to more people of the financial, health and environmental benefits of having one day a week completely meat free.

According to Meatless Monday.com going meat-free just one day a week can save the average household 10-20% or more off of their weekly grocery bill.  Do the math for your household and you will see what a monthly savings this can be for you.  For our family this is an average savings of approximately $30-$40 a week!  Looking online for meatless Monday recipes will provide you with tons of inspirational, easy and delicious meals and I will also be spotlighting family tested meatless Monday recipes on this blog.

Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters: Over 150 Delicious Recipes

Environmentally also the impact is massive. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.

The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health also promotes the health benefits of a meat free day. Just one day a week without meat can reduce your saturated fat consumption by 15% and in turn can lower reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

So the benefits are clear – the change is easy….so why don’t you go meatless this coming Monday – save your pocketbook, your health and the environment!

Buy or Sell Gift Cards - Make Money...Save Money

Did you know that just last year alone Canadians spent a whopping $6 billion-dollars on gift cards?

As a professed shopaholic I can’t fathom the idea of having a gift card and not wanting to spend it almost immediately but according to CardSwap.ca $1-billion dollars in gift cards went  unspent in Canada last year alone (yes you read that right)!   It’s hard to image that much hard earned money given to retailers without product or service redeemed in return.  Seems so utterly wasteful but luckily there is now a fix to this problem!

In the past these abandoned gift cards landed in a drawer or tucked in a wallet collecting dust but now thanks to Canadian based CardSwap in a matter of a couple simple steps you can sell that gift card to someone who will appreciate it and you are left with money in your pocket.

Benefits to buyers are that these cards are often listed at a discount as low as 10 to 40 per cent off the value of the card.  Buying these cards at a reduced rate can really add a significant savings over time. Often you can find cards to retailers that you probably frequent often from Wal-Mart to your local grocery store.  It really is a wonderful means of reducing your monthly expenses.

The seller makes money; the buyer saves money and CardSwap takes a 6 per cent fee for the transactions (minimum of $4.50). What a fab concept! The whole process is a win-win for everyone. 

Happy Swapping!

Haggling 101

For some haggling down a price is gut wrenching concept and it seriously doesn’t have to be. As a professional fundraiser the statement “if you don’t ask you don’t receive" is a term I use everyday in my work but I also always apply it to my home life. Remember whether dealing with a store manager or a private seller of a used item as much as you want to buy at the best price the seller wants to sell so compromise is often attainable with the right approach to haggling.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK
Before starting set in your mind a goal price you are working toward.

MORE BEES WITH HONEY

Haggling with a store or a private seller is not an aggressive or competitive act and at the end of the day almost all people respond positively to friendly and polite behaviour. So smile and be kind.

WHAT'S THAT?

Point out any imperfections in the item. Albeit subtle it will help with your bargaining.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

If you are aware of other retailers or private buyers selling that same item or a very close equivalent at a better price speak up about it! Some stores have a price match guarantee so educate yourself.

CALM & COLLECTIVE

Never show excess excitement or eagerness to buy when interacting with the seller. Being calm and collective puts more power in your hands. Act like you are pondering whether you want to buy that item or not – like you just may walk.

TIME IT RIGHT

Don’t slam the seller right away with your request for a lower price. Pick your moment wisely.

WANNA WALK?

If you feel a lower price is the fairer price be prepared to walk should the seller not bend.

The bottom line is that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by asking for a better price. Don’t be shy – shyness gets you nowhere. So smile and ask “is that the lowest you will go?” because you just may be surprised how often it will work to your benefit.

Happy Haggling!