Category: Frugal Living, Saving Money & Life Hacks

You’d know it if you suffered from restless legs syndrome. For people with this condition, going to sleep at night can be a challenge because while the rest of their body may be ready for sleep, their legs want to keep moving. The good news is that there are some natural remedies or things you can do to keep your legs from wanting to move while you sleep. The first is to boost the amount of iron-rich foods you eat. Green leafy vegetables and red meat are great sources of iron and it’s these that will prevent muscle problems that cause your restless legs. If you’re having difficulty getting enough iron from your diet, consider taking an iron supplement. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol at night is

If you’re a business owner, you’re likely familiar with doing what you can to reduce overhead costs. But have you thought about all of the ways that your company could save water? Whether you’re a full-fledged frugal living enthusiast or just interested in making more money, pay attention to these water-saving tips: Make sure staff knows that reporting any leaks or drippy faucets is a top priority Call your local water utility company and ask if there are any rebates of which you can take advantage. It might be that updating to more efficient fixtures and equipment could help you save money in a big way in the short and long term. If there are any unused areas in your building, turn off the water

Zucchini is a tasty and nutritious food and what’s amazing about it from a frugal living perspective is that it often grows in abundance in people’s backyard gardens. If, however, you find yourself struggling to use up all of the zucchini, give some of these frugal recipes a try: Baking: of course, there are the old favourites zucchini bread, muffins, cakes and even brownies Dips: in a bowl of Greek yogurt or slightly softened cream cheese, add some grated zucchini and garlic for an easy yet tasty veggie dip Sneak it into other foods: this is a great idea if you have picky eaters and struggle to get them to eat vegetables. Simply grate zucchini into your pasta sauces, soups and stews, add even pancake batter. Fry

Many frugal living enthusiasts choose to use cloth diapers because they’re more economical than the disposable kind, but the long and short of it is that you still have to wash the diapers. Instead of buying commercial diaper soaking solutions to keep your baby’s diapers stain, odour and bacteria-free, why not learn how to clean them with this amazingly versatile, totally frugal living, solution? All you need to do is add 4-5 drops of tea tree oil to a few litres of water. The tea tree oil is antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and this solution doesn’t contain any of the harsh chemicals that many other commercial products do. Just add your dirty diapers and that’s it! *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of simplyla

Most people at all interested in frugal living know that they will pay more for routine maintenance on their vehicles if they go to the dealership. With that being said, many people like to stay on top of factory recalls from manufacturers and this is often the reason so many continue to get their oil changes and other simple servicing done at the dealership. But, when you can easily hop online and learn about manufacturers’ recalls from a number of reputable sites, why not save your money and opt to take your vehicle to a less expensive local mechanic? The government’s site ‘Safer Car’ is a great place to start. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of dailyinvention

There can be nothing worse than seasonal allergies. Okay, scratch that, a sinus infection caused by your seasonal allergies would certainly be worse. The good news is that there are some effective natural remedies that can be used to ward off a sinus infection. What’s even better is that this home remedy is perfect for frugal living, too. All you need to do is to start drinking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (raw is best) in a tall glass of water each day, as soon as you sense that allergies are approaching. The apple cider vinegar helps to thin mucus and, for lack of a better explanation, keeps things flowing freely so that serious congestion and infection are avoided. This is a great tip for frugal living

When it comes to frugal living and saving money around the house, your hot water heater is one appliance you want to ensure is always working properly. A damaged or inefficient hot water heater can literally wipe out all other household efforts to save power, as this appliance is one of the biggest energy consumers you own. The great thing about today’s tip is that it will not only help you to save power, but also to save water. By doing quick, routine checks of the valves on your hot water tank, you can avoid costly leaks and malfunctions. If any of the valves on your tank are leaking or are not working as they should, it’s best to replace or repair them immediately; failure to do

If you’re like most families, busy summer schedules make it just that much more important to have easy, inexpensive meal ideas on hand. There are tons of frugal recipes for bean dips on the net and these tasty, nutritious dips can be used in a multitude of different ways. Change up your veggie and dip tray with a Mexican-inspired pinto bean dip, or spread a thick layer of a yummy black bean dip on grilled veggie sandwiches for protein and flavour. Use bean dips on grilled flatbreads, crackers or pita for snacks, enjoy with tortilla chips for a salsa or guacamole alternative. With virtually any type of bean (great for frugal living and totally nutritious), a few flavour ingredients (think garlic, fresh or dried herbs, lime

There are loads of commercial cleaners on the market that claim to cut through grease instantly and most of them do a great job of it. The thing about these cleaners is that they are often full of chemicals and aren’t always exactly cheap. So for those of us who aren’t crazy about dousing our kitchen in chemicals or continuously having to buy these products, are we destined to have permanent, dried-on, greasy messes in our kitchens or to spend way too much of our precious time scrubbing? Most certainly not. A great, more frugal living friendly alternative cleaner is baking soda. Simply sprinkle some baking soda onto a damp sponge and use this non-abrasive, natural cleaner to easily and quickly remove dried-on grease.

With the summer temperatures being on the up and up in these parts, frugal living drivers have got to remember that, just like our bodies, our cars need the right amount of fluids when it’s hot. Taking the time to check all fluid levels—engine coolant, radiator fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid—and making sure they’re where they should be could save you from a number of costly auto repairs. For frugal living, 9 times out of 10 the best way to save money is through prevention. Check under the hood today! *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of schwartz.mark

Dry skin isn’t just something that we get in the winter time. Swimming in chlorinated pools or salt water and being exposed to the sun can all leave our skin dry and in much need of some hydration. One of the easiest and most frugal living friendly natural remedies to relieve parched skin is to take an oatmeal bath. Oatmeal has natural fats that help lubricate and soften skin and will leave a protective film on the skin to help prevent dryness in the future. For best results, use finer flake oatmeal or simply whiz some large flake oats in the blender and add to a cool bath. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of Katie Tegtmeyer