I have so many friends that are either having their first baby or adding to their family. It’s so much fun shopping for all the great baby items. It’s also a lot of fun picking out a theme for the nursery and choosing the baby bedding. If you aren’t sure of the baby’s sex, then make sure to go with a theme and colors that could be used for either one.
Today’s thrifty tip is clean out your dryer lint trap. Make sure you cleaning out the lint trap often so it doesn’t have a chance to build-up in your machine and dryer vent. If you don’t, then it takes much longer for the clothes or towels to dry which is wasting energy. This makes you pay more in your electric or gas bill. It’s also a good idea to clean out your dryer vent every 1-3 years. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, then hire out a qualified technician. There are great articles online that explain how to clean the dryer vent and the tools needed. This keeps your dryer running efficiently which keeps you with more money in your pocket. It will also extend the life of your dryer which again keeps more money in your pocket. I have listed a few articles listed below.
Wikihow-Clean Clothes Dryer Vent
How to Clean Stuff-How to Clean a Dryer Vent
Laundry Alternative-How to Clean Your Dryer Vent
Halloween is one my favorite holidays. I love the decorations, costumes, and all the tasty treats and candy. Now you can spread some Halloween cheer with Halloween gift baskets. You can choose from flowers with a cute plush to a decorative container with tasty treats. One of my favorites is the Web of Treats Cookie Basket. It’s a spider web basket that contains yummy Halloween shaped cookies. Who wouldn’t love to have one of these at their Halloween party? This would definitely be a hit with your guests. You could treat your friends at the office with one. These spooky gift baskets prove that Halloween isn’t only enjoyed by kids.
Today’s thrifty living tip is get your house prepared for winter. Some of you are already having winter weather. Take the time now to keep the heat in and the cold out. I have 22 windows in my house. I would love to replace them, but that’s an investment we can’t afford to make right now. Instead we are going to weather strip all the doors and windows. We also redid my front door this year by filling in the small cracks on the door and staining it. I no longer feel the air being pushed in. Here are some great suggestions to help you cut down on your heating bill.
1. Caulk your windows or doors or put the weather stripping
2. Clean your gutters removing all debris
3. Trim any trees that could fall and damage property
4. Wrap your exposed pipes and drain all garden hoses plus shut off water to outside plumbing
5. Clean or replace your heating filters and clean all vents
6. Clean your fireplace and chimney since creosote can build up
There are many other ways to prepare your house for winter. We don’t have snow so many of these tips don’t apply to me. I am sure I missed a few, but no matter how you heat your house, test it to make sure it’s running properly. Also, clean it out and the vents so it will run better. We still don’t have to run our heater for at least another month, but we are ready when we do. If you can afford it, then insulating your house is another great way to conserve energy. I will post some more great tips all winter to help you lower your bills.
Do you ever get tired of running to answer the phone only to have a recorded message or they hang up. I know I am. I do have caller id, but some numbers won’t display their information and it just says unknown. I usually don’t answer, but now I’ve noticed some companies are getting sneaky. They will use a local phone number so I don’t know if it’s a real call or a sales pitch. I have found a great website for Phone Number Reporting. You just type in the number to check if someone has already left a comment about it. If not then you can you submit that number and leave a comment about it. Was it a recorded message, telemarketer, scam, or collection agency? This is a site that will allow you to help others. It’s a great website that I intend to visit regularly.
Today’s thrifty tip is have a date night with your spouse or significant other. All couples should make this a priority, and especially if you have children. I know it’s harder to get out when the kids are younger so just have a date at home. Put your kids to bed early, and just snuggle on the couch watching a movie. There are lots of quality ways to spend time together as a couple. You might not want to do some of these on a date, but it’s just an idea of how you can spend more time together connecting as a couple. I think one problem is that many couples don’t make enough time to be together as a couple.
1. Play board games
2. Watching a movie
3. Cooking a nice dinner
4. Listening to music in front a fire
5. Talking to each other (remember how you met)
6. Folding laundry together
7. Snuggling and kissing on the couch (like teenagers)
8. Laying under the stars on a blanket in your backyard
There are so many great ways to spend time with each other. I hope some of these ideas have helped. My husband is off all next week on vacation, and we already planned a lunch date. We will also paint the kitchen so we will get lots of quality time together. Though remodeling can be a tad stressful so it won’t be all roses.
I know many international buyers love to buy from U.S. stores and sellers on ebay. The problem is that many of them won’t ship overseas. Now you can have your packages shipped to a U.S. address and just pay for mail forwarding. Shipito.com is a service that will provide you with an address in California, and they will forward it to any address in the world. This is a great solution, and the prices are very affordable. They also offer a yearly service which is great for people that love to do lots of shopping. You can also make money by signing up as an affiliate. Place their banners on your site, and you will get paid for each new customer that uses their service that came from your site. Happy shopping.