Category: Frugal Living, Saving Money & Life Hacks

In our efforts to help you save power in the biggest ways possible, one aspect of your household that seems to get constant attention is the hot water heater. That’s because, to put it simply, the hot water heater is an energy hog and doing whatever you can to make it a little more frugal living friendly in how it operates will undoubtedly save you money. Today’s tip is all about removing the sediment (or mineral deposits like calcium) that get left behind in the hot water heater’s storage tank. These deposits can form a layer along the heating element which makes the transfer of heat to the water less efficient and costs you more money. Then, the sediment can also cause your tank to overheat and,

If you love souvlaki, I hope you’ve been treating your family to homemade meals with fresh pitas stuffed with souvlaki, Greek salad and tasty tzatziki. I love tzatziki and find that it goes so well with a variety of things, Greek or not. The only thing about this yummy spread is that a small container will set you back about $4 in these parts, so it isn’t very frugal living friendly, to say the least. The good news is that tzatziki can be frugal living friendly and whipped up in a pinch using a few simple ingredients: plain yogurt, cucumber and minced garlic. That’s it. Just combine the ingredients and chill. For best results, grate your cucumber and then set it in a strainer so that you

Salmonella, E. coli and the like aren’t something you want to mess around with, but just because you don’t want dangerous bacteria lurking in your kitchen doesn’t mean you have to spend money on chemical-laden commercial cleaners. There are more frugal living friendly and, get this, effective ways to kill this bacteria. Fill one spray bottle with white vinegar and another with hydrogen peroxide. To clean your surface, simply spray one solution first and then the other. For whatever reason, this one-after-the-other process has actually been proven to be more effective than commercial kitchen cleaners at killing yucky bacteria. Give it a shot and save your money. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of Samuel M. Livingston

Many drivers know that large trucks produce a draft when driving on the highway—you’ve probably felt it. One way to get the best gas mileage going is to make sure you stay about 10 car lengths from the back of a truck. Tailgating a transport isn’t only dangerous but it will also keep you out of the draft and put you in a better position to optimize your car’s fuel efficiency. Just one way to make your commute to work a little more frugal living friendly. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of didbygraham

If you don’t already have some in your pantry, it’s time you purchased some of this frugal living friendly tea that can be used in a large number of different natural remedies. In weeks previous, we mentioned how red raspberry leaf tea is beneficial for women, especially during menstruation, pregnancy and birth. There are, however, a number of lesser-known uses for this tea in thrifty natural remedies: To help heal a wound, wet red raspberry leaves and apply to the affected area as a poultice. The leaves will not only help reduce inflammation, but they will also help tighten the area, helping to close over the wound. The tea is rich in absorbable calcium, making it a great tea to drink if you suffer from muscle

If you’re finding the heat unbearable and have been forced to use your air conditioning, be sure to make your use of this potentially costly appliance as efficient as possible. While many people know that by bumping up the temperature by one or two degrees they can save a lot of money in the long-term, they may not realize that the placement of their appliances could affect their ability to save power and their money. If you place an appliance such as a TV next to or near your thermostat, the heat from the appliance can skew the thermostat’s reading of the temperature in your house and cause it to run the air conditioner excessively. This is a waste of money and not conducive to your

There is at least one app you can really justify buying and that’s the iPhone Shopper or BlackBerry’s Smart Shopper. For a mere $1 to $3, depending on which app you buy, you could have a nifty tool that will help you track your spending on groceries. Playing on your phone just got a lot more conducive to frugal living! With these applications, you can load your list and then check the items off as you go. As you add them to the cart, plug in the price of each item so that you can see a running total. If it looks like you’re going over budget, you may want to consider putting an item or two back or opting for a less expensive version of some

Despite your best efforts to hide them, your child found a package of permanent markers and proceeded to ‘decorate’ your wood flooring or kitchen table. While they might be the next Picasso, you may not want their art work permanently displayed on these surfaces. The good news is that there are frugal living friendly ways to remove the marker. Simply apply some rubbing alcohol to a clean cloth or cotton ball and dab at the marker stain. The marker should start to lift off onto the cloth. Then, wipe the surface down with a dry, clean cloth. By learning how to clean and remove permanent marker yourself, using ingredients already in your home, you could save yourself a bundle. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of Crystal

The great weather may have you in the mood to finally replace your old clunker but, if you can, resist the urge to buy now and wait until the fall or, for a really great deal, the winter. You see, you’re not the only one that feels like spending money when the weather is nice and dealerships know this. With more people shopping for cars in the summer, dealerships can get away with charging more for their vehicles. By waiting even a couple of months, you could take advantage of dealership markdowns and sales, saving hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars. So, take a little more time to shop around and wait until the weather is more conducive to big savings. Be patient, for frugal living’s sake.