Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Being random is so much fun and the fact is that some tips don’t just get organized into under one specific topic very well.  This article brings you the odds and ends that can be very worthwhile, but may not always fit together in one cohesive package.

Pick a spend-free day
Pick one day per week and declare it a “spend free” day.  This means spending not one penny that day!  You can’t stop and pick up coffee for breakfast or cucumbers for the salad.  What you’ll find out is that you can get creative with alternatives to your normal spending habits.  You can dig through your pantry for other choices or simply do without.  Do this a few times and you won’t feel deprived at all because you’re doing it for a good reason. 

You can add on to this and create a day of fasting.  Many spiritually inclined people find that fasting helps them to pray more intimately, meditate better or center themselves more.  This type of fasting also cuts down on the grocery bill that day, so it can affect your bottom line 

Make your own cleaner
Several years ago, my mother started making her own cleaner and now she won’t use anything else.  She combines 2 tablespoons ammonia with 1 tablespoon dish detergent into a large spray bottle.  This works on windows, cabinets, kitchens, baths and more. 

Other solutions include a vinegar and water mixture for windows or glass or using baking soda to combat bad smells.  Other options for do-it-yourself cleaners include wood polishers, window cleaners and more.  Simply search the Internet for cleaning recipes and you will be inundated with choices. 

Just remember that ammonia and bleach can NEVER be mixed – it creates toxic fumes.  So – if you choose to use ammonia based cleaner for your kitchen or bath, don’t ever mix with Clorox based cleaners. 

Add water to shampoo
Shampoo comes extremely concentrated and the fact is that we often use way too much for a single use.  When you purchase a new bottle of shampoo, pour some into the old bottle and add water to each.  You may not double the use, but you should get at least 25% more use out of each purchase. You can also do this for hand soap that comes in a squirt bottle. 

Use fast-food napkins.
I always get a few extra napkins when doing the fast food trip.  Then – I keep these in my car.  They can be used to wipe up spills, runny noses, wipe off spit up from the baby and so much more.  And – they don’t cost me anything like purchasing extra supplies for the car does. 

Using the entire bar of soap
Keep the slivers of soap that no one seems to use.  Get them wet and mold them together. If you have older kids, enlist their help – they love to get their hands in the soap and form their own style of molds.  If you use the kids, though – just make sure they don’t rub their eyes.  It can hurt. 

Learn to fix stuff
The more you can do for yourself, the less you will have to hire out.  There are some great DIY home repair books on how to fix a washer in the sink, unclog a clothes dryer or build your own deck.  Not only can you save yourself the hassle of minor problems causing major problems (like a clogged dryer hose), you also can better maintain the appliances you already have.  Well maintained appliances run better and use less electricity. 

These may seem like random tips, but every little bit can help when you are trying to find ways to conserve your own hard earned money.