Practical Tips On Lowering Household Expenses

March 17, 2012 by

With oil prices rising on a steady uphill trend, fuel, and food items naturally follow the same trend. Unfortunately, workers’ wages are on a plateau and can’t keep up with skyrocketing prices. We, consumers, have no choice but to tighten our belts and to deal with the high cost of living today, and we all need to be careful with your money.

Here are some tips on how you could lower your household expenses so you can allocate a greater part of the household budget to more important needs:

  • Always have a list before going to the grocery. And, stick to the list! Avoid impulse food purchases at all costs. Also, check out bulk sales as it’s more economical to buy items you frequently use in bulk. Additionally, you can always look out for discount codes that you can use for your grocery shopping. Even if you check out something like this Getupside Review, this could be a step in the right direction when it comes to eventually saving money on your shopping. We can all do with saving a little bit here and there, especially when you have other things to pay for in the home.

  • Take advantage of discount coupons found in newspapers and online. Be wary though of being swayed into buying something that you don’t really need just because you can get a discount. Purchase only the items that are necessary to take full advantage of these coupons. Frugal Dad suggests that you find coupon codes before ordering from helly hansen and other stores.
  • Lower your electric bill by using energy-efficient LED lamps and by lessening the use of electronic gadgets. You really don’t need a handheld mixer to prepare mashed potatoes and just about every meal you whip up. Do it the oldfashioned way and use those muscles – it’ll be great exercise too. 😀
  • Conserve water. By doing so, you not only get to save money with lower water bills but you also save the earth from further degradation. Taking shorter showers, using half flushes, using a water-efficient washing machine and checking for leaks are just some of the things you can do to conserve precious water.
  • Shop the sales. Especially for clothes shopping, sale season is the perfect time to update your wardrobe. Companies like NEXT have sales throughout the year, so keep an eye on the NEXT Sale Dates and How to get a VIP Sale Slot to save some big cash on that new best outfit.
  • Concoct your own natural cleansers instead of purchasing expensive ones. Sometimes, all you need is a little baking soda or vinegar to make a stubborn stain disappear. Aside from saving money, you’d be helping Mother Earth a great deal by going “green”.
  • Always, always, always pay your bills on time to avoid late charges. If you use a credit card for your household expenses, make sure you pay the full amount due before the due date. I know of people who have fallen into debt for mismanaging their credit cards. I’ve also known people who decided to use payday loans and it got them in a headspin over what to prioritise so they decided to use payday loan consolidation, I hear it was useful for them.

It’ll be wise to follow some, if not all, of these tips. Do remember though that frugal living isn’t only about scrimping on expenses to save money. Frugal living is about avoiding waste and efficiently using your resources for a better life. We really can’t do anything about the skyrocketing price of commodities, but we can do something to live a better life in spite of the high cost of living.




Filed Under: Handy Tips, House Matters Tagged With: , , , ,

Dine Without Worries With Clean Habits Spoon & Fork Wipes

February 22, 2012 by




At home, we always make sure that everything we use for our little ones are clean and germ-free. We have an arsenal of disinfectants and anti-bacterial dishwashing liquids to ensure that our little ones are safe from harmful bacteria.

But what happens when we dine out? We’ll look silly if we bring our cleaning arsenal with us just to be certain that utensils, plates, and glasses are clean enough for our children. Well, we have found a new ally that lets us “enjoy meals without doubts” – Clean Habits Spoon & Fork Wipes.

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I found these in a bazaar and bought several to use at home and to keep in my bag ready to be used when we dine out. Clean Habits Spoon & Fork Wipes are specially formulated from edible and natural ingredients which mean they are safe for our little ones. They don’t leave any odor or aftertaste. This may be because they contain no toxins or harsh chemicals.

Though meant specifically for making sure that utensils are clean, these wipes can also be used to clean plates, glasses, soda cans (which you should ALWAYS wipe before opening), and the phone receiver. You can also safely use them on children’s toys and accessories.

They really are quite handy! I can’t seem to find them though in major supermarkets so I’m always on the lookout for them during bazaars. Do let me know if you come across them in any supermarket.

Filed Under: for the KIDS, Products We Love Tagged With: , , ,

Light Up Your Home The Proper Way

February 16, 2012 by

Although it would be easier to just purchase energy saving bulbs and use them for every room in the house, we should take note that each room in our house has a specific purpose and use, if you’re wanting to start to look around at different lighting look at stores like Lampsy that offer a wide variety of lighting solutions for your home. Each room, thus, has unique lighting requirements. Ambient light may be perfect for the living room but is defnitely not fit for the kitchen. Halogen lighting may be too harsh for the bedroom but works great in the bathroom. Remember that if you are looking to have new lights put in, it is best to have an electrician carry out this job for you to avoid any shocks or worse. Anyway, here are some ideas on what lighting material would best suit each room in your house:

Ceiling pendants and track lighting work best in the living room. If this is the place where the entire family spends most of their leisure time watching television, dimmer switches would be advisable to control TV screen glare. Lighting in the living room should be functional yet easily controllable.

In the dining room, ample lighting directly above the table ensures that the family can see each other and their food as well. Track lights or pendants would be perfect for this room.

The kitchen is probably the busiest place in the entire house. Lighting here should be utilitarian. You may want to consider using recessed ceiling spotlights and under cupboard lights to ensure that all work areas in the kitchen are illuminated properly.

For bathroom lighting, halogens can provide bright white light that would be perfect near your vanity mirror. This is because white light from halogen bulbs best show your natural skintone. A bathroom ceiling lighting placed at the center of the room will brighten it and will enhance the wall decors and fixtures.

Bedside lamps or wall lights in the bedroom can provide soft lighting that is perfect for setting the mood for relaxation. As for your home office, halogen lamps are best for your work station as they provide clear light. After making changes to the home office with the addition of lights, it might be useful to double-check your current homeowners insurance policy, because different policies have different levels of coverage and might not cover home lamps or other valuable electronics. For example, we often keep expensive personal computers in our home office which if they were damaged or stolen would cost a lot to replace. As would our lovely lights if they were smashed during someone breaking into your home at night. If this happened it could end up costing you a lot of money to rectify, so make sure you’re covered.

There are hundreds of choices available in lighting up your home. Whatever your style is, you will surely be able to find lamps, shades, and bulbs that would complement your style. Do remember though to take utmost care in installing lighting. If you are unsure about the electrical wiring system in your home, it’s best to call in the professionals.

Filed Under: House Matters Tagged With: ,

A Penny Pincher’s Home Makeover

January 13, 2012 by

Most, if not all, of us want everything to be new at the beginning of each year. Revamping our wardrobe and getting a new haircut seems as important as vowing to stick to our New Year’s resolutions.

While buying new clothes and having glamorous hair are well within the budget, purchasing new furniture and home furnishings are not. However, you could still give your home a new look without spending much – although, you may still need to call out an electrician, like the team at SALT https://saltle.com/electrician-texas-service-areas/austin-tx-electrician/, if you’re going to be re-wiring or installing things like new light fixtures as part of your project.

I was inspired to write this post after speaking to one of my friends. She is currently in the process of designing a brand new house from scratch! For a long time now she has been planning how she wants everything to look and is currently contacting a number of custom home builders to work out a budget and timeframe for her home building project. I cannot wait to see the results as she always has such ambitious plans where her properties are concerned.

  • Rearrange your furniture. You may be surprised at how spacious your home will be when you move your furniture to optimize every square inch of your house. A new layout will also change the ambiance of your home. This doesn’t just mean move the furniture from within one room around, but move furniture from room to room. If it used to live in your bedroom, it might look nice in the lounge. I love modern Miami furniture, and when reading about it the other day I saw a tip to contrast different metals together. I always thought this was a big no-no, but I moved some things around in my house and I now have both steel and brass in my lounge… and I love it! This won’t cost you a single cent. Well, except if you’re like me then you’d still have to shell out a few dollars for pain medication to ease muscle aches you might get from moving the furniture around. 😀
  • Change your curtains. New drapes provide a brand new look without costing you much, if you want to change the whole feel of the exterior and interior of your house then looking at companies similar to Graceland Replacement Windows Austin can do just that for you, hopefully creating your dream home. Retail stores usually offer post-holiday sales so take advantage of the huge discounts you can get for new curtains. If you’re quite handy with a sewing machine, you could save more by purchasing drapery fabric at FabricOnTheNet.net and sewing the curtains yourself.
  • Decorate walls with decals. Home improvement stores carry decals you can use to give your walls color and style without having to paint the entire room. Aside from being easy to apply on walls and furnishings, decals are also a lot easier to remove and to change if you want an entirely different look for your home.
  • Go Green. Bring in a potted plant or two from your garden to spruce up a room. Take your “Go Green” mantra to the next level by being more selective of cleansers you use. Messy Bessy has earth-friendly products you can use for all your household cleaning needs. The Messy Bessy Disinfectant Aroma Spray and the Messy Bessy Tea Tree Mold and Mildew Spray are among my favorites.

These are just a few options you can use to give your home a makeover without putting a hole in your pockets. Try one or all of them and let me know how it turns out.

Filed Under: House Matters Tagged With: , ,

Save Money and Reap Rewards With Responsible Credit Card Use

August 18, 2011 by

5% rebate on ALL grocery purchases, 5% rebate on Meralco bills, and 0.5% rebate on ALL other purchases – these I get from our Citibank Cashback Card. Aside from all these rebates, I also get other freebies when dining out and when shopping.

Now, Citibank has given me another reason to love it all the more. They’re offering a 20% discount for our much-awaited concert this year – the Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Hooray! The 20% discount is only available until the end of August so get your tickets now. It’s always great when you have a credit card that gives you perks too. It’s not just Citibank that offers rewards either. You can get some nifty perks with an American Express Credit Card too! I don’t have one of these credit cards just yet but I know people who do and they all say that the perks are great. You can use them in stores, for Airmiles and much more.

Perks like these are one of the many reasons why I enjoy having my own credit card. I have heard though of people who shun plastics and of those who have overwhelming debts because of their credit cards and because they didn’t use a credit card interest calculator to calculate their interest. Whether you have found yourself in a situation like this, you’ll be able to find help for veterans in debt to single moms looking for a solution to help manage their finances better. There’s no harm in asking for some help, especially when it comes to money. To make your credit card work for you by giving you loads of freebies and discounts, you may want to consider these pointers:

  1. Keep your charge slips until you receive your billing statement. This will make it easier for you to check any discrepancies in your billing statement.
  2. Monitor your purchases. To avoid going over your monthly budget or your maximum allowable purchases, keep track of your current charges. Better yet, set a ceiling amount for purchases each month and make sure you don’t go over it.
  3. Always pay the full amount before the due date. It may seem great to have to pay only P5000 for P40000 worth of purchases but high finance charges would mean that you would eventually be paying up to P60000 if you don’t pay the full amount each billing date. So you have to make sure that you have enough cash to cover your purchases before you swipe your credit card.(figures may be a little exaggerated but you get the thought, right?)
  4. Take advantage of perks and privileges. All credit card companies now offer a host of privileges for credit card holders. These can range from free movies, free meals, rebates, and premium items which can be redeemed through points earned or minimum purchases met. There are even companies online, such as GoBear, which can help you compare credit card providers to help you find the best one for you.
  5. Keep your card safe and make sure that your transactions are secure. Credit card scams abound so be extra careful when using your cards. Immediately report any lost or stolen card. Also report any discrepancies in your billing statements.

We’ve heard how credit card companies have kept people in debt, but with wise and responsible use of your credit cards you’re bound to actually SAVE money and reap scores of rewards.

Filed Under: Mom's Corner, Products We Love Tagged With:
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