Mary “Everyday Cheapskate” Hunt proudly wears the badge of the cheapskate.
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Mary picked up a set of LG Washer/Dryer for $1300 plus tax… about half of retail.
Mary has labeled a tiny ding on one side, down at the bottom as a “Badge of Thrifty Honor” .
In the article, we learn that Mary’s research moved her away from buying a front loader washer.
63 Bright Ideas from Charity Land on Pinterest…
Here are a few examples:
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Time Out in the Naughty Corner
By Mary Hunt – Everyday Cheapskate
09/05/2011
Americans are up to their eyeballs in credit-card debt, much to the delight of lenders everywhere.
Despite student loan debt surpassing credit-card debt, the average credit-card debt per household with credit cards is $14,788, at 16.82 interest. The majority of card-carrying Americans cannot seem to say “no.” Temptation is everywhere, as is the pressure to keep up.
The problem is that we are shortsighted. We make spending decisions based on emotion, not calculated reason. Why else would any sane person walk into Costco needing only milk, eggs and cheese and walk out with a lovely piece of Waterford crystal, too? It’s that sense of urgency plus the ability to have it now and pay for it later that’s given us the label: Overspent Americans.
We must take responsibility for our behaviors and personal discipline. Of course, some of us have temperaments that are more conducive to a mind-blowing spending spree, but so what. That does not mean we shouldn’t do all we can to control that kind of behavior. Supernanny would not approve.
If you’ve seen an episode of the hit television show “Supernanny,” you know a little something about the “naughty corner.” It’s a place where a firm yet loving adult places a misbehaving child who failed to heed the one obligatory warning, and who must remain to reflect on the offense—one minute for every year of age.
The naughty corner requires the offender to be physically removed from the conflict to think about his behavior. Of course, on the show, “reflection” is more like wailing and gnashing of teeth, but that makes for good TV.
Remarkably, the naughty corner always wins, and just in time for Supernanny to speed away to help another family in crisis.
If you are prone to behaving badly, it’s time to find yourself a naughty corner—a place to take a time-out when you’re tempted to spend compulsively and your behavior is out-of-control.
The rules are simple. At the moment you sense things are spinning out of control, give yourself a single warning as Supernanny would advise—a firm and clear command to “stop!” If this does not immediately reverse the behavior, march yourself straight to the naughty corner for a much-needed time-out.
Once you have removed yourself from the site of the temptation, ask these questions:
Just those few minutes in the naughty corner will put the brakes on out-of-control spending. Nine times out of 10, once you contemplate your behavior you’ll end up walking away from the temptation empty-handed—and you’ll be happy about it.
And if you adhere to the age rule, you might get a nap out of the deal.
Gub’s YouTube Freecycling Playlist
Collection of 23 YouTube videos related to the topic of Freecycling.
via DIY Vertical Garden with Reclaimed Gutters | greenUPGRADER.
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If leaving dandelions in your yard is not an alternative, you can make your own dandelion and weed killer using inexpensive and safe household ingredients.
Ingredients
Instructions
Mix vinegar and salt in a pan on the stove top. (If you use a stainless steel pan that is grungy looking, it will acquire a like-new bright finish).
Bring to a boil so that the salt dissolves into the vinegar. Turn off the stove.
Stir in the dish soap.
Allow the mixture to cool enough so that it won’t burn you or melt your spray bottle. (You can let it cool completely if you aren’t in a hurry to go out and kill dandelions).
Pour the mixture into the bottle and spray on plants.
It is best to use a stream setting on your bottle and aim directly into the middle of the dandelion rosette so that you do not kill the surrounding grass.
Your dandelions will be dead in less than a day.
Cost Analysis of the Earth-Friendly Alternative
A one-gallon jug of generic vinegar cost $2.00. A one-pound container of salt cost $1.00. The cost of dish soap is nominal. The total cost for one gallon of non-toxic dandelion killer is $3.00.
So if you’re not into making salad, don’t want to substitute your coffee for roasted dandelion root, and not into making wine…you can brew up a batch of DANDELION KILLER – not sold in stores – distilled in the privacy of your own home…
Good luck with those nasty little beasties…
Shelby Cooper is the Cheap Chick with Green Tricks for almost anything.
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