Homemade Dishwasher Detergent November 13, 2008

Recipe for Dishwasher Soap

I found this recipe for dishwasher soap and not only is it safe but it washes the dishes well also. Dishwasher soap is easy to make, and cost effective. I mix up a batch in an empty canister, and pour it in the dishwasher as needed.

Mix in a container:
2 Cups Borax
2 Cups Baking soda

Use 2 TBSP per dish load and add a TBSP of vinegar to the rinse cylce and there you have it…Inexpensive dishwasher detergent.  FYI  I bought the big box of Borax at Walmart for $4 ( I still have most of it left after making the detergent) and a large box of baking soda for $1.  I still have enough to make maybe 5 more containers.  With this economy you have to learn how to make your dollar stretch.

Budget 101: Christmas Gifts November 10, 2008

                               

Being a stay at home mom I’m learning the importance of staying within budget.  With the holidays quickly approaching I feel like any other red blooded American…I want to shop!!!  Even though the craving and desire to spend money I don’t have and to max out my credit cards is quite strong and have made up my mind to become more thrifty and conscious about my spending.  Afterall, I have to live after the holidays.  So my solution to this problem is not to give up the fiestivities but to learn how to stretch my dollar and enjoy the holidays without going broke. 

One of the things I’ve decided to do is to make some homemade gifts.  I know it might sound cheesy to some but I think it takes alot of love to create and make a gift for someone.  Yes it’s easier and probably more fun to go out and buy but considering the economic times we are in it would be wise to find alternatives. 

Now I’m not a seamtress but I love to bake and I’m pretty good with crafts so I’m in the process right now of finding things I could make.  Some ideas I have come across was jar gifts.  You put dry ingredients in a jar with the recipe attached.  So recipes include cookies, cake mix, soup ingredients, etc.  You decorate the jars and make the ingredients look pretty in the jar by layering.  I thought that was a cute idea and a very cheap one.  Here is a link for some creative Jar Gift Ideas and Recipes: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

Another idea I had was making soap and bubble baths.  I’ve always wanted to learn how to make soap so here is a great opportunity to learn.  Below is a great website for making soaps.  It has some pretty easy recipes.  The website also have great Jar Gift recipes.

http://www.craftbits.com/viewCategory.do?categoryID=SOA

My last idea is to bake, bake, bake, and bake some more.  Find out family favorites and bake them and put baked items in pretty cellophane with ribbons.

Well there you go, some of my ideas for gifts this Christmas!  Let me know what ideas you have for this holiday season.

Amusement Park Savings June 23, 2008

Some friends from my church and I thought it would be nice to take our children to the amusement park together.  With the economy burning holes in pockets we thought it would be wise to contact the group sales to see what the price differential would be if we were to gather everyone as a group and go.  Let me tell you there was a great difference in price.  If we were to pay at the gate and meetup at the park the price would’ve been $32.99 + tax for adults and $26.99+ tax for children and 2 and under are free.  With the group rates we have to mail the group payment in two weeks prior to going to the park.  That might seems like a hassle but it was well worth it.  The group rate was $19.95+ tax per person and two and under are free.  That’s a savings of $13.04 per adults and $7.04 per child!  Worth the trouble, right!  Below are some other money saving tips for amusement parks

 

Visit on weekdays

Saturdays are parks’ busiest days, so many offer discounts for weekday attendees. AAA triples its regular $4 discount on Six Flags theme parks tickets to $12 on Wednesdays, while Wet ‘n Wild knocks $30 off the price of its season pass (regularly $80) if you want weekday access only.

 

 

Buy online

Ticket prices are often 35% cheaper, plus you’ll save time waiting in line. Online-only promotions are also more plentiful this year — because the date-specific tickets let parks estimate headcount, they can cut overhead on slow days, says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Cedar Fair’sflagship Cedar Park launched an online specials section this year, with bargains like an “Amusement Stimulus Package” of four adult tickets for $132 (a $40 discount off the gate price) and a “Pay Once, Visit Twice” deal that gets you an additional day in the park this season for just $10 (a $32 discount). Both offers are available through June 15.

 

 

Scale back

With lots to see and do — and long lines for everything — aiming to visit multiple parks in one day is overly ambitious for many people, says Danielle Courtnay, a spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Save with a single park pass for short visits. At Walt Disney World, it’s $45 cheaper than a one-day Park Hopper, while Universal Studios charges $8 less.

 

 

Pay with plastic

Discounted theme park admission is a common credit-card perk. Check with both your card brand and issuing bank for specials. Through Aug. 31, for example, American Expressoffers $10 off at SeaWorld, Aquatica or Busch Gardens, plus a $10 rebate when you buy through its Going Once site.

 

 

Go late

Arrive at the park once the afternoon rush has dispersed, and you can easily save 20% or more with so-called twilight entry passes, says Mandt. Knott’s Berry Farm cuts its $50 ticket price in half after 4 p.m., which gives you four to seven hours in the park. Disneyland charges $43 instead of $56 starting at 4 p.m. or six hours before closing, whichever is earlier.

 

 

Watch what you eat

Look for coupons on the groceries you buy, and at the restaurants you frequent, urges Ruben. McDonald’sstores in Tennessee, for example, hand out coupons for $1 Wednesday admittance to Chattanooga’s Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park (regularly $5). Or bring any Pepsiproduct to Kennywood Amusement Park in Pittsburgh to save $5 on adult admission ($32).

 

 

Consider a season pass

Passes typically pay for themselves in just two visits, and offer additional value through freebies and special access, says Niles. Six Flags Great Adventure’s $100 season pass includes free passes for a friend on 32 specific dates, free access to 15 other Six Flags parks nationwide and $300 of in-park coupons. The $100 VIP season pass at King’s Dominion provides first-in-line ride access, early entry to the attached water park, half-price deals for friends and free, specially-designated parking.

 

 

Check your wallet

Employers, banks, professional organizations and clubs may offer discounts or specially-priced tickets. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers employees $34 tickets to Carowinds (regularly $45), and a $20 discount at Six Flags Over Georgia ($40). Even your driver’s license may be helpful in securing a deal. Walt Disney World offers Florida residents discounts on both daily tickets and annual passes. A three-day park hopper would be about $148 — $100 cheaper than out-of-state visitors pay.