Sunday, November 20, 2011

Frugal Living - Some Tips and Ideas on How and Where to Save

!±8± Frugal Living - Some Tips and Ideas on How and Where to Save

Frugal living shares tips and ideas that will hopefully help you run a more efficient household, and minimize on unnecessary waste. My mum always used to say, "Waste not, want not", and I think with the way the economy is going at the moment, this is as true today as it was in the past. Frugality is about changing your lifestyle, because if you do not change how you live, you will not save anything. We really need to tighten our belts and save where we can. It really is not that difficult, but you need to know the difference between living frugally and being a 'cheapskate', and a miser. That is not what I want to propose, because at the end of the day we need to enjoy life too. What we can do, however, is to be careful with resources and learn how not to waste. We are a consumer driven society and puppets of the advertising corporations telling us what we should be buying next. In order to be frugal one has to look at what one wants and what one needs, and to know the difference. In the end it becomes fun and challenging to see how clever you are at frugal living and creative in being able to save money. So here are some frugal tips for you:

FRUGAL TIPS FOR THE GARDEN:

Frugal Living and making your Own Compost

The most obvious saving for gardeners and homesteaders alike, is of course your household waste from your egg shells, vegetable scraps, newspaper and the like. Here is an ideal opportunity to be frugal make your own garden compost using what you have used in a recycling process that goes back to nourishing nature using nature. You can make compost in just 4 months with very little fuss at all. If you are interested in this area, I have written an article on this subject that is also with EzineArticles.

Frugal Living and Growing your Own

Another frugal tip is growing your own plants from seeds, which is a lot of fun, and very much cheaper than buying instant plants and vegetables for your garden. Growing these, especially herbs and cress in a decorative container can be a lovely cheap gift for friends and family. Growing sprouts is a great past time for children and as they have grown them, they will be more eager to eat them in their salads and sandwiches. And you do not always have to buy seed from seed suppliers. The next time you have a great tasting tomatoes take one and dry it out and save the seed. Save seeds from rock melons, papayas, green peppers etc. and plant them out when the season it right. As long as they are kept in an air-tight container after thoroughly being dried out, they will be fine.

Growing your own therefore also refers to growing your own vegetables. You can be totally self-sufficient on an acre of ground. And if you live in an apartment, grow vegetables and herbs on your windowsill, or create a container garden. If you have a rooftop, create a container garden there. If you live in the UK owning an allotment of about 150 - 200 sqm is a way of life for many, and allotments are cheap enough to secure from the council and the land will allow you to grow your vegetables, fruit and herbs on ground that you did not have before. By growing your own, suddenly frugal living also becomes a healthier alternative lifestyle. You will eat better and get more exercise!

Frugal Living and Using Vinegar as a Herbicide, Insecticide and Pesticide

What about a natural herbicide and pesticide, that costs next to nothing? Do you have a rabbit problem, or too many slugs and snails eating your lettuce? Or are you being invaded by ants? Or perhaps you have grass growing in between those pavers and your really don't want to use Roundup or something similar. Well have you thought about using vinegar? Using vinegar is a great frugal tip as you will be amazed just how many uses it has, and we all know how cheap it is, therefore a far cheaper method to use, and eco-friendly too. The full article is again with Ezine Articles on this subject.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR SHOPPING:

Frugal Living and Buying Bulk when you Can

Saving money starts in the kitchen and when you go shopping. Buy bulk where you can, and make sure that when you get home you divide this bulk buying into smaller packages and make sure that you have proper storage. Buying bulk meat for example is great if you have a big chest deep-freeze. Buying a whole lamb at your butchers and a hind-quarter may be expensive when you first buy it, but it will be a lot cheaper for you in the long run. If your butcher is any good, not only will he cut it and pack it according to the numbers of family members for portions, but he will also label it for you too, so that you do not end up with 'mystery meat'. However, too much red is not good for you, so your meat meals should be interchanged with fish, chicken and a meatless dish once a week. In that way, your meat will last longer and your health will be better for it.

Frugal Living and Cooking and Baking it Yourself

As a working mum myself, I know that it is a struggle to find things to feed the family. But do a reality check the next time you shop. Are you buying tv dinners and pre-cooked meals or do you make your own from scratch? Do you buy packets of biscuits or do you make your own? Do you buy shredded vegetables and pre-made up salads? Buying convenience food like this, all comes with a price. If you are serious about saving money, make your own meals, biscuits and buy a cheap food processor to slice and dice those onions etc. I am a lazy cook, and if you have a look at my recipes, you will find a lot of quick and easy recipes for all occasions that you will knock up in a jiffy.

And it not just the pre-prepared meals but what you are throwing in your trolley that you should be looking at. How many bags of crisps, fizzy drinks, chocolates, sweets and other rubbish is going into the trolley that will send any child who is borderline ADD& H totally off into swinging from the light bulbs and hanging from the fans. The diet that you have your children on affects them, and buy buying loads of fruit and vegetables and staying away from foods packed with preservatives, tartrazine and other horrible beasties will not only be cheaper on the pocket, but you will notice a considerable improvement in your children's behaviour if they do suffer from ADD & H. So avoid impulsive shopping, buy only what you need, creating a list is good for this if you find you are undisciplined, and check and compare brand prices. Normally shop fitters place the more expensive grocery brands at eye-level. The cheaper brands are on the lower shelved. Look there first.

Frugal Living by visiting Farmers' Markets & Farm Shops

Farmers' Markets and Farm Shops are great places to visit for your cheap fruit and vegetables. You know that you will be getting quality produce at a fraction of the cost and because its fresh it will last longer in your fridge if it is stored correctly. Farmers' Markets are also places to ferret around for those little arts and crafts, jams and preserves that make cheap but attractive gifts for later on.

Frugal Living regarding Eating Out & Take Outs

This brings me to another related issue, eating out. It's fun to eat out, and we all love doing it, but how much money are you throwing away? Going out to clubs, bars, restaurants and take-aways on a regular basis all costs money. Frugal living does not have space for excessive eating out. You should limit these outings to once a month. By doing this, not only will you save, but you will actually appreciate times you do go out more, rather than taking them for granted.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR THE HOUSE:

Frugal Living and Cleaning your Kitchen with Vinegar

So, I'm back to vinegar again, and before you think I have a total fixation, I do not, but really it is a great little substitute as a cheap cleaning product and a must-have if you want to be frugal because it has so many good uses. Half a cup of vinegar added to your soapy dishwater will cut through the greasy pots and dishes, saving you on the amount of soap you would have needed. 2 teaspoons of vinegar added to your dishwashing cycle, instead of Rinse Aid and the like, will do the job just as well. Looking to clean those mirrors and windows in your house? Mix one half teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of water. Keep in a spray container and start cleaning those windows! And by the way, you do not need expensive cleaning cloths for cleaning windows and mirrors. Scrunch up some newspaper and use that, it gives a far better result. Finally if you have a clogged drain, take a quarter of a cup of baking soda and pour it into your drain. Follow that up with a half cup of vinegar. Let it fizz and then follow through with boiling water. It should do the trick.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR GIFTS:

Frugal Living: Card and Gifts

We all know how expensive Xmas time is and those family birthdays can be a killer. Commercial cards are exorbitant and at the end of the day will probably end up in the bin. Have you thought about making your own? For a fraction of the price you can download free software that allows you to create your own card that can be personalized for the occasion. And will be far more meaningful. Secondly, if you are good with your hands, create a card using dried grasses and pressed flowers glued onto card. Thirdly, if you like creating cross-stitch pictures, make a small sampler, paste it into a card border and write your message in your card. I have had several of these given to me, and have ended up framed and on display, rather than in the bin, where the commercial card would have gone.

So if you have made the card, what about making a gift? You don't have to be artistic to do something clever. Put a basket together of goodies and ring the changes. You could create a basket of bubble soap, candles, lotions and potions, or a themed basket for an Italian or Mexican meal. If you are a good baker and cook people appreciate homemade biscuits, jams pickles, preserves and sweets because it tells people that you care. At Xmas time you can spend a little more putting a couple of luxury food items in a basket, but still end up spending a lot less than you would have done. Cover the basket with cellophane and top it off with either raffia string or a bow. Those sorts of things you can find very cheaply at those shops. A final gift idea is to buy some graphic paper and using your favourite family photos make a personalized calendar for family members who perhaps don't see you as often as they should. You can put all the birthdays down and other special events for your calendar.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR BOOKWORMS:

Frugal Living and Using your Library

I have to confess that I love my books and tend to spend more money than I should. However, I have an excuse in that where I live there is no public library. However, if you have access to a library and you love spending money on books, magazines and CDs join your local library and visit it once a week to read your book and magazines without having to pay for them. If you have a lot of novels and books at home that you have not read for a while, and probably are not likely too either, find a book-exchange shop and either sell your books to them or exchange your books for others.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR GAMBLERS:

Frugal Living and Weaning yourself off Gambling

More money is wasted in households on gambling then any other thing. Gambling only leaves the bookies rich and the Casino bosses gloating. These are the only true winners. Yes, occasionally you may get lucky, but how much have you spent to get there? It is only a million-to-one chance that you will strike it big. As a gambler you would know that the odds are really too high. Take that money and rather invest it in land and property which will always appreciate, especially between 5 - 10 years when you should see your investment either double or triple in value over that time period.

FRUGAL TIPS FOR FRUGAL LIVING:

Frugal Living and Learning to Budget

Learning to budget means that you have to live within your means, and that does not mean that when you have blown your budget for the month you bring out the credit card. If you have a credit card, cut it up. You don't need it. Start with what you earn and do the math. How much are you spending and where can your economize? You will always find ways of spending less if you are driven and committed to do so. Yes, there is always the unexpected expenses, and that is where so many people fall foul, because they don't anticipate these. They are so stretched financially every month, basically because they are living above their means, that when an unexpected expense occurs, the only way out is to bring out the credit card. This is a sure slide into financial hell. When you have your salary the ratio for spending it on housing should ideally be a quarter, and definitely no more than a third. If you are spending more than that, you are already way over your head. Start modest and live comfortably. Life is stressful enough without having to worry about finances as well. If you have read these frugal tips and take some on board, your finances should see a difference. Remember, if you are serious about frugal living, if you look after the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves.


Frugal Living - Some Tips and Ideas on How and Where to Save

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

K-Cups Variety - Taste the Best the World Has to Offer

!±8± K-Cups Variety - Taste the Best the World Has to Offer

One of the most enticing points about single-cup brewing systems and coffees is the variety and choice available to you. With the Keurig Single-Cup Brewing Systems, freshness and variety is as easy as selecting a different K-Cup of your choice. At Keurig, they have partnered with some of the biggest and best-selling coffee roasting houses to bring you the K-Cup collection of single-serve coffee. The impressive selection offered by Keurig in their K-Cup variety is second to none, and the quality is assured by some of the most respected roasters including Green Mountain, Diedrich, Gloria Jean's, Timothy's, Van Houtte just to name a few. Selected and prepared from only the finest of the 100% Arabica beans, you can be sure that the quality and consistency of each K-Cup will live up to its full promise.

So if you are after unique and exotic blends of coffee, there are coffee beans produced from all corners of the world, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sumatra. Choose from a range of Light, Medium, Dark, Extra Bold roasts to cater for your taste in coffee strength. No matter if you are after just a mild and subtle flavour, to something more strong and intense, you will always be spoilt for choices with Keurig. Perhaps you are interested in sampling new and interesting flavours of coffee like Hazelnut, Chocolate Almond, Creme Brule and many other flavours available now and in the future.

For those who are socially conscious but still want to enjoy the very best in quality coffee, Keurig also supply Fair Trade Certified blends, while those who are health conscious, the Organic Certified range of K-Cups are great for your health and even better for the environment. K-Cups are all gluten and gluten-by-product free, low in fat (for most items), so you can enjoy the rich and wholesome taste while still looking after your health.

Even if coffee is not your thing, the K-Cups range incorporate an extensive range of teas, with brands such as Twinings, Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings providing their famous English Breakfast, Chai, Peppermint, Chamomile, Earl Grey and Green tea. Why not be more adventurous and try the Lemon Blueberry or African Rooibos tea? You can even make a cup of refreshing ice tea or a soothing warm hot cocoa - all in the ever-expanding range of K-Cup single-serve system.

With Keurig's K-Cup collection, the tastes and flavours of the world can be right at your fingertips, and at the touch of a button. Grab a pack of 5 flavour K-Cup coffee or tea sampler, or the large variety box from your favourite K-Cup roaster, and experience all that the world has to offer with your Keurig Single-Cup brewing system and K-Cups.


K-Cups Variety - Taste the Best the World Has to Offer

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Chocolate Creates A Unique No Bake Cheesecake

!±8± Chocolate Creates A Unique No Bake Cheesecake

Variety can be important in any recipe that you do. While some people will focus on making a tried and true recipe, others will add a unique twist to the dish that they are making. A no bake cheesecake recipe will be the same. We find that one of the things that a person can do is add chocolate into the mix and create a dessert that really impresses those that are enjoying it with you.

One of the most common types of chocolate you will find mixed in with the batter will be milk chocolate. Many people find that this added sweetness blends best with the creamy flavor that comes from the cream cheese. However, this is not the only choice you have. There are a number of other choices that will come up and some of them might help you to add to the level of uniqueness that you can get by mixing the chocolate in with the no bake cheesecake.

Spicy Mexican chocolate will be another approach that you can take. This will add a unique flavor to your no make cheesecake and will be great for those who like items that contain cinnamon and similar flavored items. To help make this chocolate really shine, you might want to add a quarter of a cup of prepared coffee as the acid from the coffee will bring out the flavors that this dish has.

Of course, there is another very popular dessert option as well. This flavor is white chocolate and many bakers consider it to be an extravagant and rich item. Because of this, it blends in perfectly when you make a dessert. It is typically an unspoken rule that you should avoid combining two dramatically different types of chocolates in one particular dish, so you might want to keep this in mind while you are getting ready to make your dessert for your family. What follows is just one option that you have for creating this unique treat. You can switch out items as needed to get the perfect dish done.

White Chocolate Cheese Cake

What You Will Need

1 Prepared graham cracker pie crust 1 Package unflavored powdered gelatin 2/3 Cup water 1 Package cream cheese at room temperature 3 Cups white chocolate chips 1 Can condensed milk 1 Cup whipping cream

How to Make It

Start with a large bowl and use a double broiler approach to melt your white chocolate chips. When this is done, blend in the cream cheese and condensed milk until it has become well blended. Next, take a saucepan and mix together your gelatin and water. Allow it to heat until the gelatin has dissolved. Then mix it into the cream cheese until it has been well mixed with a hand held mixer. When this is done, fold in the whipped cream and then spoon the mixture into the prepared crust. Chill your mixture until it has set, then serve.


Chocolate Creates A Unique No Bake Cheesecake

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Bigelow K-Cups HOT TEA Variety Sampler Pack * ENLGLISH BREAKFAST - EARL GREY - GREEN TEA * 3 Boxes of 24 K-Cups all for Keurig Brewers

!±8± Bigelow K-Cups HOT TEA Variety Sampler Pack * ENLGLISH BREAKFAST - EARL GREY - GREEN TEA * 3 Boxes of 24 K-Cups all for Keurig Brewers

Brand : Bigelow | Rate : | Price :
Post Date : Oct 10, 2011 09:44:55 | Usually ships in 24 hours


  • Includes 72 single-cup servings (K-Cups)
  • Designed for use in Keurig brewing systems
  • (24) K-Cups Bigelow English Breakfast Tea
  • (24) K-Cups Bigelow Earl Grey Tea
  • (24) K-Cups Bigelow Green Tea

More Specification..!!

Bigelow K-Cups HOT TEA Variety Sampler Pack * ENLGLISH BREAKFAST - EARL GREY - GREEN TEA * 3 Boxes of 24 K-Cups all for Keurig Brewers

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Gift ideas for coffee lovers

!±8± Gift ideas for coffee lovers

If someone on your gift list this year has a penchant for coffee, choose to make your job much easier for her gifts. Anyone who loves coffee, are easy to buy gifts for. Let's look at some simple ideas, but popular.

1 cup A personal or unique. Anyone who loves coffee and usually have a favorite cup or two, drink regularly. Some coffee lovers actually have a collection of cups and mugs to choose from. What makes them great gift ideas forthe coffee lover on your list. If you find a personalized mug, which would be even better. Try one that has their name on it has done, for example, or get one that has its own favorite photo opportunity instead. What makes them unique, the only ones.

2 travel mugs and cups. If traveling java lover on your list, or just a long walk to and from work every day, then you get a nice cup of coffee of the trip is a great gift idea. When you combine this idea with thatabove and a travel mug to get unique, personalized just for them, then it is even better.

3 Coffee Bean Grinders. There are a variety of bean grinder on the market today, and you're sure to find one that coffee lovers satisfy the tastes and style. Make them look vintage hand grinder, for example, or for the person always in a hurry, instead of a fast electric sander.

4 A coffee sampler. This is a particularly useful gift idea for theCoffee lovers who enjoy specialty coffees. Think of coffee or buy a sampler, the different types and varieties of coffee contains. An alternative to this gift idea is to put together a selection of coffee flavors and syrups instead.

5 A coffee gift basket. Combine one or all of the above suggestions in a coffee gift basket for the coffee lover on your gift list. The "basket" of things can an airtight container to store the coffee for your floorCoffee and keeps it fresh. You can then hand or with a small electric coffee mill, various types of coffee beans, a cup or two, or syrup and flavors.


Gift ideas for coffee lovers

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

19 Different Flavors - 100 Count Variety/Sampler Pack K-Cups for Keurig Brewers - Coffee People Donut Shop,Green Mountain Coffee Hazelnut,Nantucket Blend,Donut House Light Roast,Newman's Own Special Blend,Hazelnut,Caribou, Tully's, Van Houtte

!±8± 19 Different Flavors - 100 Count Variety/Sampler Pack K-Cups for Keurig Brewers - Coffee People Donut Shop,Green Mountain Coffee Hazelnut,Nantucket Blend,Donut House Light Roast,Newman's Own Special Blend,Hazelnut,Caribou, Tully's, Van Houtte

Brand : Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's, Van Houtte, Caribou, Coffee People | Rate : | Price :
Post Date : Sep 02, 2011 01:35:17 | Usually ships in 24 hours

Exclusive sampler pack of 100 coffee K-Cups for Keurig brewers - variety of 19 different coffee flavors, including flavored coffee.

2 Gourmet Selections Black Silk from Folger's
2 French Vanilla from Van Houtte
2 Donut Shop from Coffee People
2 Kona Blend from Tully's
2 French Vanilla Iced Coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
2 Espresso Blend from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
2 Breakfast Blend from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
4 Gourmet Selections Lively Colombian from Folger's
4 Nell's Breakfast Blend from Newman's Own
4 Hazelnut from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
4 Daybreak Morning Blend from Caribou Coffee
4 House Blend from Tully's
8 Breakfast Blend Decaf from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
8 French Vanilla from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
10 Special Blend Extra-Bold from Newman's Own
10 Colombian Fair Trade Select from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
10 Donut House Light Roast (Extra Bold) from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
10 Nantucket Blend from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
10 Caribou Blend from Caribou Coffee

Try SEVEN different roaster's best varieties, Caribou Coffee, Coffee People, Folgers, Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's and Van Houtte.

This variety pack is a great selection and proportion of "everyday" coffees and special blends for those special occassions.

And, great for the breakroom to please all the tastes or even for a new Keurig brewer fanatic!!!

  • 100 K-Cups
  • 19 Different blends/flavors
  • 7 different coffee roasters
  • Includes the best selling varieties in a value pack
  • Great proportion of everyday vs. special occasion coffees. Also, great variety for different times of the day, moods or weather/seasons.

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