DIY Diaper Pail Powder/Carpet Powder

I got this "recipe" from Thrifty Reader, Kelisa. I can't wait to try it!

What you need:

• 8 oz. box of baking soda
• 25-50 drops of Essential Oil (EO) of your choice (depending how strong the smell is, like tea tree oil has a very strong scent so I'd use the 25 drops range while sweet orange has a softer scent, so I'd use closer to 50). After making this once, you can't even tell I used any of the EO, so it will really last a LONG time!
• Empty (and clean) Parmesan Cheese Shaker

Directions:

1. Dump the baking soda into a bowl.
2. Add 25-50 drops of EO.
3. Mash with a fork.
4. Let sit for about 30 minutes.
5. Sift.
6. Let sit for another 30 minutes.
7. Sift again.
8. Put into a shaker container
9. Sprinkle into diaper pail as needed!
10. For carpets, sprinkle on carpet, let set for 10-30 minutes, and vacuum off.

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about the filter on your vacuum, try dissolving it with water in a spray bottle container, spray on, wait, and vacuum. - Thanks to Thrifty Reader Marlo for that tip!

Homemade Wine

Thrifty Reader Christine told me one of her biggest areas of unnecessary spending is wine. I'm not a wine fan, myself, but it's one of those things I wish I liked (similar to coffee, which I don't like either). So many options make it intriguing!

This link is all about homemade wine (this is obvious once you click on it).

In this link, I found a whole host of recipes on making your own wine. They even break it down by what you can make the wine with. Herb wine? Really?

I'm not sure this will save you all that much given the ingredients, equipment, and time you'll need, but at least you'll have a great experience!

This is definitely not all the information out there, but hopefully it will help you move in the right direction!

6 Money Savers in Your House

Me.

Thanks to Thrifty Reader Christine for sharing this article. There are some great tips in here!

And also thank you to Thrifty Reader Heather for sharing that Monday is REDHEAD APPRECIATION DAY and that Marble Slab Creamery is going to be giving away free ice cream to redheads. Be sure to appreciate me on Monday. :-D

DIY: Flokati Rug for Under $25

Thanks to Thrifty Reader Amanda for sharing this great tutorial.

A fair warning, the rug might only cost you pennies, but it will take a LOT of time. This is great though if you are looking for a project. SUPER easy and inexpensive. The results are fabulous!

I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie - Ode to Cloth Diapering

I don't currently cloth diaper, but I know some that LOVE it. If you are even a tiny bit interested, visit this Cloth Diapering 101 tutorial by Little Bean Tree. She does a great way of explaining everything with several breakdown links.

There are several reasons to cloth diaper. It is environmentally friendly, safe for your baby, and... you guessed it, thrifty! You buy products that grow with your baby so you use them over and over again. Want to see real savings? Use them with a second baby. You can even buy stashes on Craigslist and Ebay. It can be addicting to get that new cute cover or scoop up that sale off the internet, so watch yourself. It still probably beats buying diapers by the box every month.

Minimalism

A friend posted this link on Facebook. It really hit home to me.

When we were facing low balance alerts in our checking account - our only account - we had to really reevaluate our lives. We started selling everything we could.

When we went through the thought process of what we could sell, we had to evaluate what we could live without. Sure, we got that ping pong table for free when my husband pulled it out of the garbage, but did we NEED it. No. We ended up selling it for $50. The same story goes for our air hockey table. Sure, those things provided great fun for our kids, but we needed to be able to pay our bills and put food on the table.

As it turned out, getting rid of a bunch of our junk allowed our basement to become a very open space. Since our daughters were sharing a room at the time, the extra space lent itself to an extra bedroom. It's not a finished basement or anything, but it has a sliding glass door and a closet, so it could technically be used as a bedroom. One thing led to another and it became a bedroom for my husband and myself. We love it down there. It wouldn't have been possible to do without getting rid of some of our stuff that cluttered it.

As a design major, I also find that minimalism is the most aesthetically pleasing to me. We live in an uncluttered home (just ignore my desk). It makes it easy on the eyes, easy on the checkbook (since we're not trying to constantly fill it with stuff), and it makes it easier to clean.

After reading this, I urge you to evaluate your life and see what you could live without. Where can you minimize?

Coupon Alert!

Michaels Stores has a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase. Follow this link and print your coupon before you go to the store or just show the coupon on your phone at checkout!