It’s a big expense that comes fairly often: tires. Replacing your tires is important, and if you’re trying hard to stick to a budget or save money, finding a great deal on tires is important too. The hardest part about finding a deal on tires is knowing where to look. If you want to learn how to save money on your tires too, keep reading!

How To Find A Deal On Tires

1. Shop around!
Whenever you’re looking for a deal on tires (or anything), it’s a good idea to shop around and compare prices before committing to make a purchase anywhere. Make some calls before you head out to get your tires replaced and see what prices are like at different dealers and stores. Make a notepad of all the prices you get to compare – and also ask if they do price matching for anywhere else!

2. Consider used tires.
Depending on what your budget is like, you might want to consider looking for used tires. You can find them on places like Craigslist and Facebook – but make sure to have someone with you when you’re meeting up with anyone anywhere. Additionally, inspect the tires before you pay to make sure they’re still usable! This is a great way to drastically reduce the costs of your tires and can also hold you over until you have more saved up for new tires as well.

3. Check online!
Shop around online for a deal on tires too! If you can install them yourself, that’s great too and will help you save money for installation. If not, many online tire shops will ship the tires directly to a mechanic for you so you can have them installed. Checking online is also a great way to research types and brands of tires so you can figure out what tires you need or want.

4. Keep the date in mind!
If you’re looking for a deal on tires – try to hold out until October or April if you can. Often times, tires will get marked down in preparation for winter and again when the weather starts warming up.

It’s important to take care of your tires all year long so they last longer and you’ll be able to use them more. Make sure whenever you’re buying tires that are used that you’re checking the dates to make sure they aren’t too old. By following all these tips, you’re sure to find a great deal on tires to save you a load of money!

The post How To Find A Great Deal On Tires appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Love gardening but are limited in your space? You can still garden friend!! Here are some awesome ideas for creative gardening for small spaces.

Gardening For Small Spaces

1. Kitchen garden!
If you’re looking to grow herbs and other things for your cooking, consider a kitchen garden. Whether you just put a few potted plants in a window sill or you create an entire herb garden, this is a great idea for gardening for small spaces. If you have access to a pallet, you can create an entire space for your herbs on a wall, however big or small you want it.

2. Hanging plants.
If you don’t have the wall space or outdoor space for a garden, consider hanging plants for your garden! Gardening for small spaces, especially in places like studios or small apartments, can be tough. Hanging plants doesn’t take up any window room or wall space and can give a nice aesthetic to your decor!

3. Tiered planters.
For those with small outdoor spaces who want to keep their gardening outdoors, consider using a tiered planter. This way, instead of spreading out your garden, it just goes up, instead of out! Tiered planters are a great use of space for those gardening for small spaces.

4. Use railings.
Have a patio with rails? Use them for gardening for small spaces! Hang baskets or pots along the rails to give a nice look to your patio and also allow for your garden to grow, get fresh air, and plenty of sunlight!

5. Plant a variety.
If you create a space for herbs, consider planting several varieties together. This way, you don’t have to have a container for each one, and you can have your herbs easily accessible in one place! You can plant certain vegetables together as well – just make sure to read up on which ones can be companion planted first so you don’t plant any incompatible plants together!

6. Ladders!
This is another excellent resource for layering a garden vertically to save space. If you have an old ladder, convert it into a small garden with containers on each step! It gives your garden a chic rustic look as well!

Any other awesome ideas out there? Please share!

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It’s almost time to spoil those wonderful fathers in your life this Father’s Day! Without having a large budget, it can feel tough to spoil them and show them you love them, but have no fear! Today we’ll be talking about budget friendly Father’s Day ideas that will make any guy feel special!

Budget Friendly Father’s Day Ideas

1. Portable speaker!
If you’ve got a dad who loves to be out in the garage or his workshop, give him the gift of music! With portable Bluetooth speakers, he can jam out anywhere with his favorite music! Portable bluetooth speakers are relatively cheap now and you can find them at Walmart and Amazon for a great deal!

2. Grill master!
Got a dad who loves to grill? This Father’s Day, spoil him with some new grill tools, a cool grill apron, and some new seasonings to use with his grilled food! Put together a basket for under $40 and show him you love the food he makes just as much as him!

3. Photos.
There are so many different gifts you can create with photos for the dad who loves photos and memories! Places like Walmart have tons of options from pillows to mugs, and if you want to create a long lasting photo memory for your dad this Father’s Day, it’s easier than ever to do so!

4. Relaxation!
For the hard working dad who deserves some time to relax, consider putting together a gift to help him do so! You can include things like slippers, new pajamas, a nice comfortable pillow or blanket, and some of his favorite soda!

5. Car wash kit!
If you’ve got a dad who loves his car, consider putting together a bucket full of car wash and detail supplies so he can treat his car too! Fill it with sponges, rags, soap, and wax! This is sure to make any car-loving dad feel special.

Father’s Day is a great day to spoil that special dad in your life but it doesn’t have to be all about money! After all, it’s the thought that counts and these gifts are all thoughtful!

Got any other creative budget friendly ideas for Father’s Day this year? Share in the comments below!

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Got a fruit fly problem? Have no fear – today I am sharing the best natural fruit fly trap using vinegar! It will save you, promise.

Last week when I canned peaches using my no-refined sugar recipe I noticed a fruit fly. Well overnight that one fruit fly turned into 20. And then 40. Seriously…what is up with how fast these little fetchers breed?  Before I knew it I was doing the icky dance, batting fruit flies away every time I opened my pantry. I knew that the breeding needed to stop and these fruit flies needed to destroyed.

My parents always used vinegar and dish soap to kill them little buggers.  Unfortunately at that moment they were traveling and I couldn’t get a hold of them for their recipe. Luckily on that same day I got an email from a reader named Stephanie who shared her recipe for a fruit fly trap using vinegar and dish soap.

How to make a Natural Fruit Fly Trap Using Vinegar

Take a jar and fill it 1/2 or 1/3 full of apple cider vinegar. Next,  gently mix in a few squirts dish soap (maybe a teaspoon amount) so there are no bubbles. Then, leave it on your counter overnight near where you see them. In the morning there will be drowned fruit flies in the bottom of it! If the first night doesn’t catch them all make a fresh batch the next day to catch the stragglers.

How this works is the apple cider vinegar smells like rotten fruit to the fruit flies and attracts them. The liquid dish soap breaks the surface of the vinegar and sucks them in when they try to land, which drowns them.

Now I am a lover of most creatures besides spiders, grasshoppers and flies of all kinds. So it still saddens me a little that I am having to kill these little fruit flies, but if I don’t they will breed and infest quickly. This method is natural and non-toxic so if my kids come by and happen to grab the jar off the counter it shouldn’t hurt them.

So it’s bye bye, fruit flies! Hope this recipe helps you out.

Thanks again Stephanie for your recipe!

The post The Best Natural Fruit Fly Trap using Vinegar appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Have fresh herbs all year round with this simple Preserving Herbs with Olive Oil hack.

Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to start harvesting my garden so I can take advantage of all of its beauty and flavors. I love growing herbs in my garden because I can just walk to my backyard and pick fresh herbs for my meals all summer long. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh Basil and Rosemary, and I want those flavors to last all winter long. Thankfully, they can! There are two different ways I like to preserve my herbs at the end of summer; drying or freezing. Today, I will be focusing on how to freeze your leftover herbs so you can enjoy them for months to come. They are even frozen in olive oil so that you can just pop them into your pans for instant flavor. This is such a helpful tip you can use all year round when you have leftover herbs. When stored in the freezer in an airtight bag or ice-cube tray, they can last for months.

Preserving Herbs with Olive Oil

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
Leftover herbs
Ice Cube Tray

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry your herbs so they are nice and clean.

2. Chop up your herbs so they can fit nicely into each ice-cube tray.

3. Fill up each ice cube tray with herbs and top with olive oil or melted butter.

4. Place in freezer and you’re done!

5. To use, any time you want to add some fresh herbs to your meal, simply pop an “herb ice cube” out of the tray and place it into a hot pan. The heat will instantly start to melt the oil and release the wonderful flavors and textures of the herbs.

Make sure to check out my “5 Top Herbs to Keep Around for Cooking” post for ideas on meals you can make with herbs.

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Help your fruit stay fresh longer with this amazing DIY Fruit Wash.

Did you know that pesticides are a common part of produce production in our country? I was a little shocked to find out that after the harvest, the pesticides aren’t washed off the fruit. Instead the fruit gets dipped (apples in particular) in a big vat of colored wax. We are told that this is to help the fruit stay fresh for longer…Well, I ain’t buyin’ it.

Okay, okay…I don’t buy that hype, but of course I still by produce. Especially apples. They are so crunchy and sweet! How can anyone resist a scrumptious apple? For a while I was putting my apples into a sink filled with equal parts apple cider vinegar and water. While this does seem to remove bugs, worms, and a good amount of dirt and grime, that waxy coating is still on the apple, and I just have this sneaking suspicion that all the pesticides are hiding in that wax. So, you know I had to find an inexpensive, all-natural solution to this dilemma.

This DIY Fruit Wash is perfect for stripping away all of your worries and suspicions about pesticides and what ever other cooties they put on our fruit during production and harvest. The lemon oil is amazing at cleaning produce when it is combined with just a couple other ingredients. For good measure, I created a fruit soak that also works way better than your standard apple cider vinegar soak.

Finally, we can throw caution to the wind and take a confident bite out of our fruit, and heck…why not take a confident bite out of life too?

How to Make DIY Fruit Wash

Ingredients for Spray:

1 Cup Warm Water

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

5 Drops Lemon Essential Oil OR 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Ingredients for Fruit Soak:

5 Drops Lemon Essential Oil OR 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

½ Cup White Vinegar

For spray: Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well.

*To ensure your brand of essential oil (if you choose this option) mixes into the mixture and doesn’t sit on top, mix the baking soda and oil together in a dish first and then add it to the water.

Fill bottle and spray on fruit and let sit a couple of minutes before rinsing under cool water.

For soak: Fill your sink with warm water or fill a large bowl with water.

Place your fruit in the bowl (be sure that you do not add too much fruit at a time and do not make the water too hot) and add either your juice and vinegar mixture or the oil and vinegar mixture.

Let the fruit soak for about 25-30 minutes then rinse thoroughly.

Love this recipe? Pin it for later!

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Did you know you can freeze salsa?! Let me say that again…you can freeze salsa! We just took money saving to a whole new level, people!

Salsa is definitely a staple in my house. Oh! Who am I kidding? Salsa is the number one, go to, condiments of my household! Not only is it delicious when you are dipping your chips in it, but it makes an amazing base for freezer meals of all kinds.

There is one thing that bugs me about salsa though… the container always seems to get pushed to the back of the fridge, and often times about half of the salsa goes bad before I manage to find it again. Well, you know I can’t handle food going to waste in this house. That means money in the trash, and I ain’t havin’ it!

Imagine my pure elation when I realized I could freeze salsa. It’s no secret, I live for this kind of thing. I mean, Freezing Salsa…it’s just so simple! Honestly, not sure that money saving can get much easier than this, folks.

I also have come up with some great little tips and tricks to share with you just to make sure that you are getting the best results possible when freezing your salsa. Now, you can have wonderfully spicy salsa anytime, and you won’ t have to inspect the container, or do one of those weird smell checks ever again! Hooray for money saving!

How To Freeze Salsa

1. First, pick a favorite salsa recipe!
Whether you have a tried and true favorite or you’re on the lookout for a new salsa recipe, pull one up and get ready to make it! Make sure you have all the ingredients on hand and any tools you’ll need to make it. If you don’t have a favorite recipe on hand, feel free to search Pinterest for some quick and easy salsa recipes!

2. Cook it down!
When you freeze salsa, you don’t normally just throw it in the freezer as is. You’ll need to cook it down to thicken it up. Let it simmer until some of the liquid evaporates or simply add some tomato paste in with the salsa to create a thicker consistency. This step is important so make sure you do this before throwing it in the freezer!

3. Prep for the freezer.
Now, you can get your salsa ready for the freezer. Start portioning it in freezer bags or containers (it’s up to you based on your preference and how much freezer space you have) that you have ready for the servings and don’t forget to leave some space at the top to allow for any expansion. Don’t put hot salsa in the freezer – make sure you let it cool completely before freezing!

4. Drain!
When you thaw salsa for use, there might be a little extra water on the top because it was frozen before. You can either drain it off if you want to get rid of it or just leave as is! If you’re cooking with it, just leave it as is, but if you’re just using it for a dip, you may want to drain the excess water to get the consistency just right.

Now you’re ready to freeze salsa for all your salsa needs! What is your favorite kind of salsa? Let us know in the comments below!

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A Maytag sponsored review and my own personal testimony regarding my recent upgrade to a Maytag® washer and dryer.

How To Choose A Washer & Dryer Set that is Best for You

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to purchase a new appliance. There are sooo many different varieties that my brain goes on automatic overload every time I think about what I should buy. Do I need a refrigerator that has a built-in hot cocoa maker (if that exists)? Does my dryer need steam refresh? Should I get a front-loading or top-loading washing machine? Ahhhh!!! This doesn’t even factor in the thoughts about the cost, the brand, the color, etc.! So, how exactly do you make such an important decision? You do your research of course!

With my recent upgrade to my new Maytag® washer and dryer, I scoured the internet for the top brands, the best models and the best prices available. I want to share a few tips I picked up along the way. I hope it helps you find a good deal and save some of your sanity… For some of the favorite Maytag models, check out these pages for washers and dryers!

Choose a Model that Has Everything You Need and a Little of What You Want

With so many options out there, the first thing I suggest doing is to choose all the things you really need first, then look at the other fun options after.

When you are thinking about buying a new washer or dryer, take into consideration:

• The size of your laundry room
• The size of your family
• Your dedication to washing clothes

If you have a smaller laundry room, a large family and massive loads of clothes to do each day, then a Maytag front load washer and dryer is a great option. They tend to hold larger amounts of clothes so you can tackle your laundry in a smaller amount of time. Front load laundry sets can also be stacked on top of each other, which is a perfect arrangement for small laundry rooms. For additional comparisons, try this helpful guide that breaks down the major differences between a front loader and top loader!

Know What Cycles You Need

Most washers will have your standard cycles, but if you have an active family or a husband that has a stain- or mess-prone job, you may need a little something extra. You may want to choose a washing machine that has a pre-soak cycle or a heavy-duty cycle that will attack those stubborn stains. While I was shopping around, I noticed that Maytag offers a washing machine that goes beyond the norm when it comes to optional cycles. Their latest front load washer helps eliminate odors with the Fresh Hold option. So, if you forget and leave your clothes in the washing machine, it’s no biggie! The Fresh Hold option keeps your clothes smelling fresh for up to 12 hours after your laundry is done!

If you tend to leave clothes in your dryer or hate to iron (guilty!), then I strongly recommend a steam refresh to get out all those wrinkles! My Maytag dryer has a Refresh cycle that uses steam to not only get out wrinkles but it will also remove odors. One thing I have learned lately is that you definitely need a dryer that can keep up with your washing machine. I do not want to have to start round two in my dryer when my washing machine has a new load of clothes waiting to go in. I love that my new dryer has enough room that I can put in extra-large loads and still have plenty of space for the air to flow and dry ALL my clothes evenly!

Shop Around: Find Deals!

If you have a budget, it is important to shop around for great deals. You want to get quality products without breaking the bank. Be sure to do research and find some awesome deals by looking on the brand websites themselves.
For instance, Maytag is offering powerful deals on select kitchen and laundry appliances from May 3 through June 6, 2018.

Visit Maytag.com/MayIsMaytagMonth to learn more about the promotion details. If you’re in the market for a kitchen upgrade, purchase select Maytag kitchen appliances and you could be eligible to receive a prepaid card by mail with values ranging from $250 – $600! Focusing more so on your laundry space? Purchase select Maytag laundry sets and you’ll be eligible to receive a prepaid card by mail with values ranging from $50 – $100. Moral of the story, if you are looking to purchase new appliances, I strongly recommend checking out Maytag. With more than 100 years of appliance greatness and these great deals, shopping Maytag in May sounds like a no-brainer to me!

My Research & the Maytag Laundry Set I Picked

Now to give you some history and my laundry appliance back story! My last washer and dryer set were on their last leg. The washer was completely off balance and showed an error signal with every wash, and my dryer took two cycles to dry anything and had a super loud banging sound whenever it was drying. It was definitely time to upgrade. You know it’s bad when you haven’t seen the bottom of your laundry room floor in 2-3 months.

To begin my research, I scoured the internet for the top brands, the best models and the best deals available. I read all the laundry reviews from tons of review sites. Then I went to Facebook and asked all my FB friends if I should go with a front load washer/dryer set or a top loading washer/dryer set. And many people shared their opinions with me and experiences. It’s so funny to see how passionate my friends get about their laundry appliances!

So after all the research, opinions from friends & family and even praying about it, I picked a Maytag Front Load Washer (MHW8200FC) and a Maytag Large Capacity Dryer (MED8200FC).

What I love about my new washer:

It’s quiet! With my laundry room on the second floor of my home, I was worried about the spin cycle shaking the house but with this washer, it’s been smooth spinning, and I think it’s a very quiet machine!

Its PowerWash cycle with the internal heater is ah-mazing! This washer is cleaning my clothes better than I’ve ever seen any washer do before… and my clothes smell so fresh too.

I am one of those people who always forgets to change over the wash right away… so, like I mentioned before, I love the Fresh Hold option which tumbles the loads and circulates air with a built-in fan up to 12 hours to keep clean clothes smelling fresh after the wash cycle ends.

What I love about my new dryer:

My clothes actually dry in one cycle! With optimized heat and airflow (and a nice big 7.4 cu. ft. capacity) the PowerDry cycle gets your toughest loads completely dried fast! And I always use the Refresh cycle with Steam – I love that I can easily revive my clothes and get the wrinkles out.

I’m telling you guys, having this new Maytag washer and dryer set is amazing.

And now… my laundry mountain is gone for the first time in months. I can finally see my laundry room floor!!

Well, for at least today…

The post How To Choose A Washer & Dryer Set that is Best for You (+ a Review of My New Maytag Laundry Set) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

This post is sponsored by Maytag® with my own personal testimony regarding my recent upgrade to a washer and dryer from the brand.

I’ve gotta come clean.

I’ve developed a new relationship over these past six months.

Like all new relationships, we had to learn to trust each other.

I had to make sure not to overload the relationship or leave it sitting idle. On the other side, trust had to be earned and we had to get comfortable with each other.

After six months all I can say is that Maytag has become my new bestie.

I’ve totally been guilty of dumping so much stuff into my Maytag laundry set and each time it’s come out better than ever. What’s even better is that I’ve sometimes neglected and forgotten things in them and it still has worked out well. What I’m trying to say is that my time with has been totally one sided, with me getting all the benefits.

Of course, I’m talking about my front load washer and dryer. You can read all about how I picked the right washer and dryer set that best met my needs here!

I’ve been putting these appliances to the test these last six months and the results have been better than I expected.

Here are some of the ways I’ve fallen head over heels for my washer and dryer.

THE FRESH HOLD OPTION.  It’s the magic button on my washing machine which intermittently tumbles the loads and circulates air with a built-in fan up to 12 hours to keep clean clothes smelling fresh after the wash cycle ends.

Seriously, the Fresh Hold option on this baby has saved me! I can’t count the many times that I’ve forgotten about a load I put into my washer. With my old washer, I would come back to that old wash smell and have to rewash everything again. Well, those day are gone, my friends. Gone forever.

EASY TO USE. My washer and dryer are so very easy to use… even my lazy teenagers can figure them out. I love it so much when they do their own laundry, without needing me at all. No “moommmm.. how do I use this?” anymore. It’s so simple to use they just toss their clothes in and hit the power button to start.   I do however wish there was a button on the machine that would remind them to actually pick up their clothes up off the floor of their rooms every day! Wouldn’t that be nice? A mom can dream!

I’ve also found THIS guide that has helped me decode laundry symbols – such a time saver!

THE LARGE CAPACITY. I have noticed a huge difference in the amount of laundry piles from before to having this set just six months down the road. The bigger capacity makes it so I’m able to get more done in less time – 4.5 Cu. Ft. for the washer and 7.4 Cu. Ft. for the dryer! And even if I’m not perfect about doing a load a day, it’s never seems to get completely out of control like before.

And I’m even willing to share Maytag with YOU! So, if you want to start your own relationship with Maytag, now is actually one of the best times.

You can visit www.Maytag.com/November to get deals before they’re gone through November 28! If you’re looking for a new laundry set, you should check out their washers and dryers. Since its Maytag, you know it’s a brand you can trust, and that your clothes will come out clean.
And who knows…you may just fall in love like I did.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Maytag. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Me and My Maytag appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Baking soda is one of those things we all have in our home.  For some it is used often for cooking and for others it is shoved somewhere in their fridge hoping to keep the leftovers smells at bay.  I think I can honestly claim both of those.

But I bet you didn’t realize all the versatile ways you can use baking soda daily throughout your house.  Baking soda may look like a fine powder but it really is a chemical compound that releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. In baking it is as a leavening agent to make your bread and cakes fluffy.  But it is also a great cleaner around the home and is so affordable!  Who knows?  It may make you think twice when see that little box in your pantry.

Here are 10 Ways to use Baking Soda Daily.

1. Clean your toilets.  Put a cup of baking soda in the toilet.  Let it sit for an hour and then flush.  It cleans the toilet and gets rid of any odors without any scrubbing.

2. Wash your hairbrushes.  Over time there can be build up of oil and hair products on your brushes.  Soak your hair brushes in 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.  Rinse with clean water.  Leave it on the counter to dry.

3. Facial Cleanser. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to your usual facial cleanser or even just coconut oil and form a paste. Massage into your skin in circular motions to help exfoliate and leave skin feeling soft.  I do this about once a week and I swear it makes my face glow!

4. Clean crayons off of walls.  Apply baking soda to a slightly damp cloth and rub lightly.  Then use a dry cloth to clean off the crayon marks.  Yes, I know this works from personal experience.

5. Get rid of the itchy bug bites.  Make a paste out of baking soda and water.  I usually use about 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon of water.  Apply it on the bug bite. The itchiness and redness is eased!

6. Remove oil and grease stains on your garage floor.  It’s inevitable that sometimes the garage floor is going to be dirty.  Simply sprinkle baking soda directly on it, let it absorb as much as it can and then scrub with a wet brush.

7. Baking powder substitute. In cooking  it can be used as a substitute for baking powder by mixing it with cream of tartar or vinegar.  I love being able to substitute crucial ingredients when I run out of them which happens a lot lately!

8. Scrub your tubs.  I hate to use harsh chemicals when I know we are at our most vulnerable!  Baking soda, a little water and a hand brush cleans and deodorizes your tubs in minutes!

9. Relieves sunburns.  Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a warm bath.  Soak for at least 15 minutes in it to soothe the sunburn.  If you don’t have time for a bath combine baking soda and water and apply it to your skin with a washcloth or soaked cotton balls.

10. Neutralize your breath.  Sometimes you run out of mouthwash right before a hot date.  No worries!  Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Swish it, spit it and rinse.  It’s an easy, inexpensive mouthwash to keep your breath fresh!

Do you have any special ways that you use baking soda in your home?

The post Thrifty Tip: 10 Ways to Use Baking Soda Daily appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Have you ever seen the closet of a really wealthy person? Me neither.  But I have seen the closet of almost every Real Housewife on Bravo.  Every item of clothing has its own personalized home.  There are doors and compartments and sometimes even a beautiful chandelier.  Yeah, that’s not my closet. 🙂

My closet is full of disheveled clothes interspersed with empty wire, plastic and wood hangers. I have piles of sweaters and sweatshirts mixed along with my summer clothes that I tried to shove in the corner shelf.  Now before you judge me too much, I should tell you, this USED to be my closet.  I don’t have the money to make my closet as fabulous as a tv star’s but I have do have great tips on how to organize closet space on a tight budget.

How to Organize Closet Space on a Tight Budget

1. Keep an empty bin in your closet for empty hangers. This could be a box from Costco or the old laundry basket with the broken handle!  When you take an item of clothing off of the hanger,  place it in the bin.  It makes the hangers easy to find on laundry day and also keeps a cleaner look in your closet.
2. Store your most-used items at eye level, less-used items below, and least-used items up high because let’s face it–no one likes to reach all the way up in the top of the closet in the morning!
3. Do your dresses fall off the hangers like mine do?  An easy solution is to wrap pipe cleaners around your hangers so that your clothes don’t fall off.  Speaking of hangers shop at garage sales or second-hand stores for them.  I love having matching hangers but buying them can get expensive.  Buying them used is a great way to get them a bargain price.
4. Use command hooks on your closet wall for purses, bags or even jewelry. These hooks are cheap and sturdy and help the purses keep their shape without being smashed against one another.
5. Always keep a laundry bin in your closet. Then as you are changing your clothes they instantly go into the laundry bin—and not on the floor!
6. Organize your clothes into categories. For example short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, dresses, etc.  This makes it easier to find what you are looking for on a busy day and also to stay organized when putting your laundry away.
7. Get rid of old clothes no matter how attached you are to them.  You are never going to wear your old ratty high school basketball shirt so part ways and let it go.
8. Add a lamp or battery-operated stick-on tap lights in those dark corners.  When your closet is well-lit you can make decisions faster and you are less likely to shove things in that dark corner.  C’mon we’ve all done that at least once…right?
9. Make more room in your closet by storing out-of-season clothes in boxes up high or under the bed.  I love to save the bags that new comforters come in.  They are pliable and see through so you can see what clothes are stored in them in case you need to get an out-of-season item out of storage.  You can also use suitcases to store out-of-season clothes, blankets or sweaters.

Do you have any budget-friendly closet organization tips?

If you like this post, check out these tips.

• 17 Thrifty & Cute Modest Swimsuits
• 100 Beautiful & Cheap Womens Jewelry
• The Top 10 Most Essential Gardening Equipment
• Unique and Cool Camping Equipment For the Whole Family

The post How to Organize Closet Space on a Tight Budget appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

I am going to show you my thrifty homemade bbq smoker plans today. I LOVE my grill! In the summer I think I use it at least four times a week, and the only reason I don’t use it more is so my neighbors don’t think I’m a crazy lady! This summer I have a goal to up my grilling game, and part of my goal is to smoke more meat. However, I have never smoked meat before, so I want to gain a little experience with the process and see if it is for me before I go out and buy a $300 smoker. So if you want to join me this summer and improve your BBQ prowess, join me! These homemade bbq smoker plans are just what we need to get started!

Smoking on a gas grill is surprisingly easy! You can buy smoker boxes, which are great, but many of them cost between $15-$25. I would rather make my own for about $0.75!

You will need:

• Disposable aluminum bread pan
• Foil
• wooden skewer or paring knife
• Hickory wood chips

Let your wood chips soak for at least 2 hours (but overnight is best). This step is important because it allows the chips to smoke, and not just catch on fire and burn up.

Drain your wood chips and cover with aluminum foil. Poke holes in the top to allow the smoke to escape.

Now it’s time to put it on your grill. You want it directly over ONE heating element. Turn this heating element on high and leave the rest off. This should produce enough heat to keep your grill between 225 and 250 degrees, which is optimal smoking temperature for most meats. If this doesn’t really make sense, refer to the picture below.

I realize not everyones grill is set up this way. Some heating element run horizontally, and some may have fewer heating elements. However, the important thing to remember, is the smoker box goes over direct heat, and the meat should be over indirect heat (read: a burner that is turned off)

Turn your grill on and let it heat up the wood chips for about 10 minutes (you want to start seeing a little smoke) before you place your meat on.

Smoke for the recommended amount of time or until desired temperature of your meat is reached, and impress your husband with your awesome grilling/smoking skills. (But really, he will totally be impressed).

Disposable aluminum foil bread pan: $0.70
Sheet of aluminum foil: $0.05
Skewer, knife or fork to poke holes with: Free

That is only $0.75! Your average smoker box costs about $16.00, using our DIY smoker box you save 95%! I vote that this diy smoker hack is definitely worth it!

If you love grilling, check out some of my other recipes below:

Perfect Grilled Pizza {Hawaiian BBQ Chicken}
Garlic Lime Chicken Kabobs
Make Ahead Hamburger Patties

The post DIY Thrifty & Easy Homemade BBQ Smoker Plans appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

I hate to break it to you but winter is here. I don’t know about you but I am still in denial about it. I do feel better knowing that I am prepared with all of my families winter gear. Have you found  all of your family members winter things? If you answered no then I am here to save you. I have found 20 items including cheap boots, gloves, and winter gear for less. Come and check them out!

• If you have a dollar store near you, the absolute BEST PLAN is to get a few extra pair of gloves there. You can go HERE to get some gloves for only $1.00.

Cheap Boots, Gloves and Winter Gear for Less

These Totes Classic Snow Boot (Little Kid/Big Kid) would be a great snow boot to purchase for your kids this winter. These come in 4 different colors for boys and girls and range in size from toddler 11 to big kid 5. These blue and black boots are priced at only $17.40 which is a great deal. Go read the great reviews and check out these boots!

Your son would look great in this Carter’s Cool Dude Baby Boy’s Camo Fleece Midweight Jacket.  This jacket is available in sizes 12 months-4t and the 3t size is priced at only $13.49. This would make a great snow jacket for your son this winter.

This Accessories 22 Big Girls’ Fox Girl Plush Earmuff and Glove Set would look adorable on your daughter. These earmuffs and gloves would be sure to keep her warm this winter. I love the fun colors and the adorable fox decal. Go grab this set for only $3.69.

This Rothco Adjustable Polar Fleece Balaclava  is extremely soft and comfortable. It will keep you very warm and keep the wind off your face. With 6 different colors to choose from and this color priced at only $8.81 you’ll definitely want to pick one of these up.

These Disney Baby Boys Frozen 3 Pair Pack Mittens are priced at only $3.61.  These are perfect for a 1-2 year old. With 3 different sets you can put one in a coat, car and diaper bag so that you will always have a pair with you. Plus the cute decals make these extra cute, go check these out!

How adorable are these Kali Footwear Little Girl’s Zello Glitter Pom Pom Boots. I’d love for my daughter to own these cute boots and at a price of only $14.25 for these black ones how could you not purchase them. They come in 6 fun colors so what are you waiting for go check these boots out.

These Arctix Men’s Cargo Snow Pants are perfect for the men in your life that might be hitting the slopes soon. These come in 6 different colors and also have black ones with the logos of several NFL teams. This would make a great christmas present to stick under the tree. At only $29.49 for these tan pants you can’t beat that price.

Have a wrestling fan? This Berkshire Big Boys’ WWE Wrestlers Brimmed Beanie and Glove Set is only $3.99. They have a few different patterns and decal sets available to choose from. These would make a great stocking stuffer so go grab a set your son would love.

How cute is this Pink Platinum Girls’ Puffer Coat In Heart Print. This coat looks so warm and comfy. It comes in toddler and big girl sizes. The 2t in this fuchsia coat is only $16.99. That is a great deal for a cute and comfy winter coat. At this price, you might want to grab one to save for next winter.

With 14 different colors to choose from in these A&R Sports Knit Gloves, you can definitely find a color you like. Theses gloves are very inexpensive so you might want to grab a few to coordinate with your outfits. These are just your basic gloves but will be comfortable and warm for winter. The berry color is only $2.99.

These black Arctix Youth Snow Pants are great for a child ranging in age from about 5-15 in sizes X-small to X-Large. These will be perfect for cold weather because you can layer underneath and still have these be comfortable. The X-small is only $9.81. You can’t beat that price for a pair of snow pants.

At only $3.83 you can’t beat this price for these Snowboarding Black Frame Amber Color Uni Lens Goggles. They would work for both women and men. These are not top of the line goggles but would definitely work as a back up pair to keep on hand.

Check out these Toby & Company Big Girls’ Embellished Automatic Glove Sets (Pack of 2). These would be adorable for your little girl. They look soft and comfortable and the white ones could even be worn to a fancy event if needed with the fur and diamond. You can pick these up for only $5.60.

This Rothco GI Type Polar Fleece Watch Cap for men comes in several different colors and will definitely keep your head warm during those cold winter days and nights. The digital camo one is only $6.07. Go check out the reviews and pick your husband up a beanie for christmas.

These Arctix Women’s Snow Pants are rated very highly. These will keep you warm and will be great for layering other clothes underneath. These come in 5 different colors. The blue in a size medium are only $29.95.

These Simplicity Kids Winter Set Knitted Hat and Scarf have several different patterns for both boys and girls. People are rating these very highly and saying that these are very warm and comfortable. This cute pink snowflake set is only $9.99.

These Agloves Unisex Sport Touchscreen Gloves are perfect for using your phone on those cold winter days when you still want to wear gloves.  They are warm and will still allow you to use your phone without getting your hands cold. The small/medium is priced at only $6.79.

I love this Thick Slouchy Knit Oversized Beanie Cap Hat and I want one in every color. I love the look and style of this hat and it would be perfect for those days when you still want to look cute but you might not have time to do your hair. This ivory color is priced at only $5.00.

These Arctix Toddler Overalls Snow Bibs would be perfect for when your kids want to play in the snow or even if you take your kids on the slopes. These come in 9 different colors and have the adjustable straps on top making these nice so you can get just the right fit for your child. These black ones in a size 4t are only $16.98.

This WantDo Men’s Waterproof Mountain Jacket Fleece Windproof Ski Jacket has gotten great reviews and will be a great all around winter coat. This coat comes in 7 different colors and the green coat in size small is only $41.88. This would make a great Christmas present so go check this coat out.

Were you able to find something for you or a family member? I hope this list helps you save money and tackle this winter by being ready with all your winter gear. Happy Holidays!

The post SAVE Money / Where to find Cheap Boots, Gloves and Winter Gear for Less appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

I hate to break it to you but winter is here. I don’t know about you but I am still in denial about it. I do feel better knowing that I am prepared with all of my families winter gear. Have you found  all of your family members winter things? If you answered no then I am here to save you. I have found 20 items including cheap boots, gloves, and winter gear for less. Come and check them out!

• If you have a dollar store near you, the absolute BEST PLAN is to get a few extra pair of gloves there. You can go HERE to get some gloves for only $1.00.

Cheap Boots, Gloves and Winter Gear for Less

These Totes Classic Snow Boot (Little Kid/Big Kid) would be a great snow boot to purchase for your kids this winter. These come in 4 different colors for boys and girls and range in size from toddler 11 to big kid 5. These blue and black boots are priced at only $17.40 which is a great deal. Go read the great reviews and check out these boots!

Your son would look great in this Carter’s Cool Dude Baby Boy’s Camo Fleece Midweight Jacket.  This jacket is available in sizes 12 months-4t and the 3t size is priced at only $13.49. This would make a great snow jacket for your son this winter.

This Accessories 22 Big Girls’ Fox Girl Plush Earmuff and Glove Set would look adorable on your daughter. These earmuffs and gloves would be sure to keep her warm this winter. I love the fun colors and the adorable fox decal. Go grab this set for only $3.69.

This Rothco Adjustable Polar Fleece Balaclava  is extremely soft and comfortable. It will keep you very warm and keep the wind off your face. With 6 different colors to choose from and this color priced at only $8.81 you’ll definitely want to pick one of these up.

These Disney Baby Boys Frozen 3 Pair Pack Mittens are priced at only $3.61.  These are perfect for a 1-2 year old. With 3 different sets you can put one in a coat, car and diaper bag so that you will always have a pair with you. Plus the cute decals make these extra cute, go check these out!

How adorable are these Kali Footwear Little Girl’s Zello Glitter Pom Pom Boots. I’d love for my daughter to own these cute boots and at a price of only $14.25 for these black ones how could you not purchase them. They come in 6 fun colors so what are you waiting for go check these boots out.

These Arctix Men’s Cargo Snow Pants are perfect for the men in your life that might be hitting the slopes soon. These come in 6 different colors and also have black ones with the logos of several NFL teams. This would make a great christmas present to stick under the tree. At only $29.49 for these tan pants you can’t beat that price.

Have a wrestling fan? This Berkshire Big Boys’ WWE Wrestlers Brimmed Beanie and Glove Set is only $3.99. They have a few different patterns and decal sets available to choose from. These would make a great stocking stuffer so go grab a set your son would love.

How cute is this Pink Platinum Girls’ Puffer Coat In Heart Print. This coat looks so warm and comfy. It comes in toddler and big girl sizes. The 2t in this fuchsia coat is only $16.99. That is a great deal for a cute and comfy winter coat. At this price, you might want to grab one to save for next winter.

With 14 different colors to choose from in these A&R Sports Knit Gloves, you can definitely find a color you like. Theses gloves are very inexpensive so you might want to grab a few to coordinate with your outfits. These are just your basic gloves but will be comfortable and warm for winter. The berry color is only $2.99.

These black Arctix Youth Snow Pants are great for a child ranging in age from about 5-15 in sizes X-small to X-Large. These will be perfect for cold weather because you can layer underneath and still have these be comfortable. The X-small is only $9.81. You can’t beat that price for a pair of snow pants.

At only $3.83 you can’t beat this price for these Snowboarding Black Frame Amber Color Uni Lens Goggles. They would work for both women and men. These are not top of the line goggles but would definitely work as a back up pair to keep on hand.

Check out these Toby & Company Big Girls’ Embellished Automatic Glove Sets (Pack of 2). These would be adorable for your little girl. They look soft and comfortable and the white ones could even be worn to a fancy event if needed with the fur and diamond. You can pick these up for only $5.60.

This Rothco GI Type Polar Fleece Watch Cap for men comes in several different colors and will definitely keep your head warm during those cold winter days and nights. The digital camo one is only $6.07. Go check out the reviews and pick your husband up a beanie for christmas.

These Arctix Women’s Snow Pants are rated very highly. These will keep you warm and will be great for layering other clothes underneath. These come in 5 different colors. The blue in a size medium are only $29.95.

These Simplicity Kids Winter Set Knitted Hat and Scarf have several different patterns for both boys and girls. People are rating these very highly and saying that these are very warm and comfortable. This cute pink snowflake set is only $9.99.

These Agloves Unisex Sport Touchscreen Gloves are perfect for using your phone on those cold winter days when you still want to wear gloves.  They are warm and will still allow you to use your phone without getting your hands cold. The small/medium is priced at only $6.79.

I love this Thick Slouchy Knit Oversized Beanie Cap Hat and I want one in every color. I love the look and style of this hat and it would be perfect for those days when you still want to look cute but you might not have time to do your hair. This ivory color is priced at only $5.00.

These Arctix Toddler Overalls Snow Bibs would be perfect for when your kids want to play in the snow or even if you take your kids on the slopes. These come in 9 different colors and have the adjustable straps on top making these nice so you can get just the right fit for your child. These black ones in a size 4t are only $16.98.

This WantDo Men’s Waterproof Mountain Jacket Fleece Windproof Ski Jacket has gotten great reviews and will be a great all around winter coat. This coat comes in 7 different colors and the green coat in size small is only $41.88. This would make a great Christmas present so go check this coat out.

Were you able to find something for you or a family member? I hope this list helps you save money and tackle this winter by being ready with all your winter gear. Happy Holidays!

The post SAVE Money / Where to find Cheap Boots, Gloves and Winter Gear for Less appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

This post Tips on Buying Land is the first post in a series on building a home on a budget. Stay tuned for more in this series as I share all I have learned about staying within my budget while building the house of my dreams.

I’m gonna start this out by letting you know that I looked for 2 years almost every single day for the perfect piece of land to build my new house on. Now I know that not everyone out there has the patience to wait like I did and honestly I didn’t think it would take that long to find the right land to build on in my budget.  But it did.  And this was out of necessity really as land in my area can be rather expensive. Plus I am picky and on a tight budget.

Here is how my land is looking right now. Yep, it’s basically 5 acres of weeds that are slowly drying out. We have moved into our home, however we really haven’t done anything to develop the land as of yet. We need to start with irrigation, and then we can do some landscaping, gardening, fencing, grass, pastures, chicken coops, outbuildings, barn …oh my!  It’s a little overwhelming.  We we are in the process of getting an irrigation design figured out and then we can get to work digging trenches. Thank goodness my husband can do a lot of the irrigation himself as that is gonna save us a ton of money. But for now, the land is just full of weeds. Weeds and dreams.

Tips on Buying Land

Okay, so let’s talk about how to find the right land to build on when you’re on a budget.

First things first, time to make a list…

The first thing you need to do is decide how much you can afford. Your budget is a big decision! Be realistic about how much you can afford.  Many people purchase land and then slowly pay it off before building a house on it. Or live in a small trailer on their land while they pay it off. Others save up and pay cash outright for their land.  Did you know that land loans and construction loans can be rolled into one if you’re prepared to begin building right away? Yes they can!  That was what my husband and I chose to do and we are really happy with how it all worked out in our budget.  So whichever route you are planning figure out how much you can afford and try hard to stick with it.

After you get your budget figured out decide on all the other factors. How much land? 1/4 acre, 1 acre or more? Decide on what you want the land for. Do you want to have animals? Do you want some pasture land? Do you just want a small backyard? A garden? A pool? Write down on paper your “dream” lot of land. Once you have your budget and your dream lot you can start researching to find your land.

Here was my “dream” land list and why:

1-2 Acres: I wanted a mini farm and this seemed the perfect amount for me to take care of. If you were looking to have a big farm you may want more acres than this. But for me, I knew how much work goes into a big lot and this is how much I wanted to handle personally.

Have no covenants (or limited covenants) so that I can have farm animals: Always check what kind of covenants the land has to make sure you are happy with it. I have never really been a huge fan of covenants that are super strict because I love my freedom to do whatever I want. However with having not many covenants you run the risk of having a neighbor with a metal collecting junk yard next door which can devalue your property in the future so keep that in mind. Even though I keep a clean house and most of the time well maintained yard I am not too judgy of others and how they run their lives. So no covenants works great for me, especially if the lot is far enough away from others. 

Water – must have full water rights so I can irrigate all my acres: Make sure you look to see if you have full watering rights to your property and what type of water you can have. This can be devastating to buy a lot of land and find out you cannot even drill a well to get water. If you have irrigation rights find out if your lot has full water rights. Over here where I live in the Tri-Cities, WA you will find many people that purchase a 2 acre lot find out they only have water rights to water ½ an acre of it. So you will see many homes with green right around their house and then it cuts off into brown un-watered desert for the remainder of their property. What good is the land when you cannot even water it? Always, always, always look into what kind of water rights.

Must be under $70,000 in price: my budget.  Do some research to see what prices are in your area for land and decide what the right price point is for you.

Would love old trees on the property: trees take so long to grow so it would be nice to have some old trees already there.

Flat land, not on a hill: Mowing on a hill is not too much fun and I like being able to see my land. Some people may like hills but having them can come with hidden challenges and sometimes can be more costly to develop if you have to make retaining walls.

In a good location with great schools for my kids: I want my kids to get a great education so I researched all the schools stats in my town. Then printed out a city map and highlighted the areas to choose from with better schools so I made sure when I saw a lot it was in an area I wanted before I went any further in the process.

Quality soil for growing: I plan on growing a garden and even some orchards so I wanted to make sure the soil was great. When I went to view the lots for sale I took a little soil sample and mixed it with water in a jar, then let it settle to check what kind of layers it had. See a tutorial here on mason jar soil sampling.

Have a lovely view of something:  I hoped for a nice view. Hey, a girl can dream, right? 🙂

That was pretty much my list. I didn’t end up actually getting everything on my list when I found my lot. My land lot didn’t have old trees and I ended up with 5 acres instead of 1-2 but overall I was really happy as everything else was on my list and the price was within my budget.

You want to keep your list handy or in the back of your mind when you are searching for your land. It’s okay to be picky because this will be the land you will stay in for a very long time, well at least you hope right?

How to Find Land

Like I mentioned before I looked almost daily for 2 years to find my perfect lot. Searching online, and going on Sunday afternoon drives. A lot of praying was happening too. So yeah, 2 years is a long time! But your perfect lot may be already waiting for you when you start looking. I hope that for you, I really do.

Some places to look for land:

Craigslist: This is where I ended up finding my land. Search for words like “land” or “lot” or “acres” and scroll through it all.  When people list land for sale they don’t always categorize them into the land for sale area so I found it better to search using keywords instead of always in the land for sale category. When my lot became available there were actually (4) 5-acre lots for sale in my budget.  It sounded too good to be true but I called anyways. Long story short … all (4) of those 5-acre lots were sold within a few days. When a great deal comes along you have to be ready to jump on it quickly!

Real Estate listings: Keep an eye out for new land listings in your budget. You may even call a real estate agent so they can know you are looking and contact you right away if something is in your budget and meets your dream land list. I found that with the real estate fees and the competition this way was really difficult for me to even have a chance to look at land because of people always beating me to making offers.

Driving around: Sometimes I would just drive around the areas on my list and look for land for sale by owner signs. I would snap a pic with my phone and contact them when I got home to ask about the prices. This can be a great way to find land lots too.

Other publications like Giant Nickel – sometimes you can find land listings here too.

Word of mouth: Tell all your contact and friends you are looking for land so that if they hear of anything before it goes out on the market to tell you.

Other Final Tips on Buying Land

Be pre-approved for a land loan: Have a land loan pre-approval letter ready (unless you are paying cash) so if the perfect lot in your budget comes up you can be ready. Great deals go super quick on land sometimes. In my area there was only one bank that does land loans – First Community Bank. So look into getting a pre-approval before searching for land if you can. If you have saved up cash, even better!

Drinking water: look into what kind of drinking water the lot has. Whether it’s city water or if you have to drill a well. You can search your county listing for well listings of properties near yours, how deep their wells were and the pressure they get. Then take that average and contact a well driller for an estimate. Water development can cost a pretty penny so add that into your budget.

Septic system or connecting to city sewer:  Something to look into before you buy. If you need a septic system get a quote on how much it will cost to put that in. Mine costed around $5000 for the whole system, which was an average price comparatively in my area for the system needed. If you need a specialized septic system costs can be a lot more.

Electricity: Check to see if you have a connection to electricity or not. If you are really far away from any power poles or boxes it could be an expensive addition.

Stick to your Budget: It’s really important to be smart and realize how much you can afford and not be swayed by higher priced lots. Be wise and stick to your budget.

I hope these tips on buying land to build on help you out!

Have you purchased land before? How did you find your lot? How big of a property did you buy and what are you doing with it? And most importantly, any tips for me on what I am supposed to do with acres of weeds? 😉

The post Tips on Buying Land (Build a Home on a Budget Series) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

This is the second post in my Build a Home on a Budget Series. We’re talking all about which house plan or layout to choose from that will be the most cost effective.  Every step of my house building process sent me into a crazy must-research, price comparison mode. I searched on Pinterest, Googled, and read articles after articles. I wanted to get the best quality home with lots of upgrades and still keep my budget. I really really HATE wasting money and wanted to do the whole process right.  I spent way too much time trying to get everything perfect (I can admit it!) and even though I went through countless days of feeding my kids cereal for dinner and building mounds of laundry up by neglecting my daily routines for research purposes, I feel like it was worth it. I adore my new home. It’s even better than I dreamed it would be and I was able to stay within my budget.

WHO WILL BUILD YOUR HOME?

If you have the ability, know-how or connections to be your own builder/contractor you will save the most money doing it that way. However, as a newbie building my first house there was no way I was going to be able to do that. Looking back now though, it seems I could have easily done it as all it takes is someone who’s really great at scheduling and (ahem) nagging.  As I mentioned in my dream house post here I looked into all the local home builders in my area to find the one with the best prices per sq. ft. and one that had great prices for upgrades as well.

There are all kinds of builders and building companies out there.

Spec Home Builders: these builders usually purchase a large lot of land, subdivide it and build many houses on the lot with their floor plans. Often times the builder saves money doing this and so they seem to have the best prices from what I’ve found. Some of them will do a custom house plan and some won’t. Some will build on your lot and some will not. Make sure and research all the different companies, visiting them, picking up their price sheets for home base prices as well as upgrades, viewing their homes and asking them if they will do a custom layout and what the price starts at. You must do your research. Even when you find a house plan you LOVE check into all the builders in your area. Because you never know if you can find a builder that can make nearly the same plan you just fell in love with for a lot less.

All other builders: the other builders out there will usually have great reputations as making quality homes and maybe that is important to you. But honestly whether you build with a spec home builder or a “more quality” builder you can oversee every step in the building process to make sure everything is done right if you want to. You can usually upgrade your windows or doors to get the best quality you desire. Plus the quality builders seemed in my area to charge 50% higher prices per sq. ft. than the spec home builders – Yikes! I found that building my house with a spec builder saved me money, and I still have a wonderful quality house.

So, my advice is to research, research, research. Find a builder that will give you the most for your money and one you can trust.

PICKING YOUR HOME LAYOUT PLAN

A lot of the time when you go to spec home builders they have a whole bunch of house plans for you to choose from. Sometimes they allow you to tweak their plans a little bit by adding a closet, changing a door location, expanding a bedroom etc, so keep that in mind. If the plan is almost what you want you may be able to tweak the plan and make your dream house. But those changes can cost money so make sure and check on those prices.

If you don’t find any layouts that you like in your price range, you are most likely a custom home plan person like me!

I kind of liked one spec house plan, but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. So I went online and searched house layouts. There are tons of different sites out there that let you search by house type, bedrooms, sq. feet and more. Yep, you got it…more research.

Seriously, the research never ends! 🙂

Tip #1: to save money on a house layout look for house plans without too many edges. The more exterior corners, the more expensive it can be to build.

I searched until I found a layout that was almost exactly what I wanted. My dream house was a combination between the spec house and the online house layout. I went and used a free online program called floorplanner.com and started making my own layout. Here is my house layout – as you can see there is not too many edges or pop out exterior rooms. This saves money as many times builders have to pay more for framing houses with many edges.

Tip #2: Try to find a spec home builder that will do a custom built home for a great price.

I feel so fortunate to have found my builder (Olin Homes). My house plan was around 2700-2800 sq. feet and they gave me the same starting base price of one of their homes with the same sq. footage. I would have to pay a little more for my layout having additional windows or doors, but this was the best price around by far. So I got a custom house design for the spec house builder price. Basically the best of both worlds.   The best part was that the builder took my online designed layout and for a fee re-created an actual blueprint design for building with. Bada – bing- bada- boom.

Tip #3 The more square footage of the house, the more expensive it can be. Make a few rooms smaller & save big.

When making my custom house plan with the free online program as mentioned above I reduced room sizes whenever I could to save money. Even reducing a foot off of a room can save thousands of dollars. So I made my master bedroom smaller, and had a two story opening in the family room. I could have used that space above the family room for a bonus room, but by opening it up I saved money and made my home feel much more open and spacious. I kept my master bathroom and kitchen area big however because those are usually rooms that add value to a home. So figure out what rooms you can shrink and save yo’ self some money.

Well, that’s about all I can think of right now. Do any of you out there have any other awesome tips for saving money on your house plan design? If so please leave a comment below.

The post Build a Home on a Budget: How to Save Money on Your House Design appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Sponsored by Frigidaire Gallery®.

I don’t know about you, but to me it sounds like an oxymoron to clean your dishwasher. Isn’t it cleaned every time you use the dishwasher? I mean it is what the dishwasher does—wash dishes. But just like with your washer machine, soap scum can build up along with food particles and other yuck.

So what should you do to clean your dishwasher? Just follow these steps …

How to Clean your Dishwasher

1.  Take Out and Clean Dishwasher Parts

Take out all parts of the dishwasher that can be removed by hand. Typically dishwashers have a filter in them to remove and clean. In my Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher I have a fine grade and coarse grade filter, and so I only need to check and clean it when necessary if large food particles become trapped or when I notice a drop in cleaning performance.  The filters on my dishwasher are self-cleaning, but when I want to do a deep clean or get out tough gunk I do clean those filters out.  Here is the gunk I found when I cleaned my filter out….I know…ewwwww!

Take them out, and clean them with warm, soapy water. You may need a sponge to get all the gunk out of your filter.

2. Wipe out the inside of the Dishwasher with Soap & Water

Gunk—everything from food particles to bits of plastic—can get stuck in on the edges of the dishwasher door, or on the walls of the dishwasher. Take a dishcloth with warm soapy water and wipe it all down well.

3.  Clean and Sanitize Dishwasher with Vinegar

Make sure the dishwasher is completely empty of all dishes. Then take a dishwasher-safe cup, such as a glass measuring cup, and fill it with vinegar. Place the cup with the vinegar in the dishwasher on the bottom rack and run the dishwasher on the hottest cycle.  The vinegar will sanitize the dishwasher removing any odors that linger. If your dishwasher has a lot of hard water stains you may need to do this routine more than once.

4. Clean the Outside of the Dishwasher

Once the inside is clean, next you’ll want to clean the front of the dishwasher. Start by wiping down the top of the door that meets the top of the dishwasher. Then take warm soapy water and wipe down the front of the dishwasher. Then dry it all off with a soft towel.

When I clean my Frigidaire Gallery® Dishwasher regularly once every 2-3 months, I find that my dishes come out sparkly clean which saves me time. No more irritating little food particles to have to rewash! And I really love the soft rubbery prongs that keep my cups from banging all around while they are getting cleaned. It’s probably my favorite feature about my dishwasher.

Cleaning out your dishwasher not only helps with odors and ickiness, but it can also help your dishwasher keep your dishes coming out sparkly clean.

The post How to Clean Your Dishwasher in 4 Easy Steps appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Frugal living is often looked at as something that can be picked up and dropped whenever someone wants to, but the truth is that living a frugal lifestyle is exactly that; a lifestyle. It is something that you will do on a daily basis for as long as you’re looking to save money. It is also often viewed as something that is hard to do. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, but it is very easy to overwhelm yourself if you’re new to frugal living.

These 17 frugal living tips for the frugal beginner are a great place to start if you’re new to saving money. Tackle them one at a time until you’ve got them all down and then move onto more advanced ways to save.

17 Frugal Living Tips for the Frugal Beginner

Buy Only What You Need – Obviously if you’re looking to save money, the very first thing you should do is to stop buying so much. Knowing the difference between a want and need is so important to living frugally. Buying only what you need and letting your wants wait until you can afford them will help get your frugal journey off on the right start.

Shop with a list – When you shop without a list, you end up buying things willy-nilly and adding whatever happens to look or sound good to your cart. It is a fantastic way to lose money. Instead, never step foot in a store without a list and you’ll save more than you could imagine.

Use cash envelopes – When you go out to run errands, do you often find yourself spending more money than you meant to? If so, cash envelopes are a great option. Fill your envelope with no more money than you want to spend. When the money’s gone? Your spending is done.

Use less – Along with buying less comes using less. When you use less in every area that you possibly can, you save more money. Use less soap. Use less gasoline. Eat healthy portion sizes instead of double. Use less water and so on. The more you can use less of, the more money you’ll save.

Make more – Again, along with buying less comes making more yourself. These days, you can buy the supplies needed to make almost every single item that you buy on a regular basis. Convenience foods, beauty products, cleaning products and more are all fantastic places to start. If you need ideas or help, Pinterest is a great place to search.

Learn to say no – Sometimes, especially if you’re a parent, saying no can be an extremely hard thing to do. If you can’t say no though, you’re very likely costing yourself quite a bit of money each month. Learn to tell people no when you’re not able to do something or spend money on something. Your budget will be much more comfortable.

Use coupons – Coupons are a great way to save money and if you’re not using them on products that you already use, you’re costing yourself money that you don’t need to spend. You don’t need to become an extreme couponer to save, but using a few here and there will only help your budget.

What other ways have you found to save money when you’re just starting your frugal journey? Please share so others can save too!

The post 17 Frugal Living Tips for the Frugal Beginner appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

This homemade all purpose orange cleaner will not only save you money, the smell will have you craving cleaning your home with only 2 ingredients!

Can you believe spring cleaning is around the corner? Because at least for me time has gone so fast! Between all the Christmas shopping, the NYE celebration and the winter bundled up (+ the resolutions that are a staple around January) the months and days have come and gone so fast that I barely had enough to blink.

But with this new season coming around the corner I’m excited. It’s the time of the year that we do a deep cleaning, that we take the time to go through our stuff and Mari Kondo our heart out. But better yet, it’ the time of the year that gives us an excuse to DIY all the cleaning supplies we want.

Really, there’s nothing better than the homemade version of the cleaning supplies you need. They are chemical free, they smell great and honestly, they work as good as the ones you can purchase at the supermarket. Oh, and they are really cheap and frugal which is always a plus around here.

My all time favorite is this homemade all purpose orange cleaner. Simply put, it works.

Actually, it works so well that I don’t buy any other thing to clean surfaces. It’s tough on the stains and gentle on the surfaces and it smells delicious which gives it a definite bonus point and makes it a delicious spring cleaning product. seriously… can’t you smell how fabulous this is even by the photo!

The BEST Homemade All Purpose Orange Cleaner Recipe

And the ingredients? They are literal scraps!

Gather a mason jar, oranges, and white vinegar

Add your orange peels to the mason jar.

Add your white vinegar.

Close it up and give it a good shake!

Store in a dark cool place for 2 weeks and then remove the peel.

Told you this was an easy project!

I like to store it in a spray bottle or the mason jars and then just pour a bit of it on top of the surface that needs cleaning and rub it with a cloth.

Basically use it on top of the same things where you would use an all purpose cleaner.

Print

Homemade All Purpose Orange Cleaner

This simple homemade all purpose orange cleaner will have you craving cleaning your home!

Course homemade diy

Cuisine Cleaners

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 8 minutes

Servings 1 quart

Calories 74kcal

Author Karrie

Ingredients

• 2 Cups White Vinegar
• 4 Orange Peels Clean off all fruit
• Distilled Water (optional)

Instructions

• Clean and dry a mason jar.
• Make sure that the peels have no traces of fruit left, add to mason jar.
• Add in white vinegar.
• Close the lid tightly and let it sit in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks. 
• Remove orange peels.
• Use as needed as is or dilute with distilled water to clean your home surfaces.

Notes

This is a concentrate so you can either use it as is or dilute with distilled water.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quart | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.2g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 11.8g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 89.9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Happy Cleaning! 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SCHLAGE. The opinions and text are all mine.

You all know I love a good makeover, but now that my own home is complete, I’m running out of rooms to re-do! It’s a good thing I have no shortage of friends who are willing to let me bring my funky farmhouse style into their own homes. What do my pal, Tracy and I do with a day to hang out… refresh her bathroom of course! We did this DIY bathroom makeover in one day, for under $300! Just in time for her company to arrive.

Many people shy away from home renovations because it seems too daunting, or they don’t have the experience. Never fear… most of the biggest impacts in home decor, are small, easy and inexpensive fixes.

Tracy’s main floor bathroom is like many, on the smaller side and a bit dark. There was nothing “wrong” with it as is, but the paint was dark and dull, the light barely enough to light the room, and the hardware was a mix of gold, bronze, and white. She was really seeking to brighten it up and give it a fresh new look before her out of town family came for a visit.

We made a pretty hefty list of things we wanted to get accomplished for one day, but with the two of us and her two daughters being home from school (another snow day), we had plenty of helping hands and we set our goals high. We started by addressing the obvious things that were easy fixes.

Hardware & Fixtures: We needed to replace the ugly worn plain gold door handle, update the light fixture to something brighter, and replace the white plastic towel hanger. Upgrading door hardware is a quick, affordable and impactful way to express personal style.

Paint: Dark green… hmmm… not the best for a small space. My farmhouse chic style tells me we need to update with a fresh light modern gray and accent with some clean whites! For the white, we will paint the existing Maple cabinets to give them a new look and brighten the space. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE maple, but in this small space, it was giving a yellow hue that made the space dreary.

Decor: One of the easiest and one of the most fun to shop for updates. There was an old broken shelf and dated photo on the wall that we would replace with fun decorative items in our accent colors and a super fun update to a plain old mirror by adding glass tiles.

What do you think?

Can we get this DIY Bathroom Makeover ALL done in ONE day?

Off to Lowes we go! We had an idea of what we wanted to do, but we needed to find all the hardware, fixtures, tools, paint and accessories to make it happen.

Well, who would have thought our whole design inspiration would come from new door hardware! We started looking for the new hardware first since it was literally the first thing we walked by in the store. Dollar for dollar, updating your door hardware makes a bigger impact on your home than many other afternoon projects and can match the other finishes in your home to complement your home’s unique style and décor.

Tracy was instantly drawn to the accent aged dark bronzed sleek style of the quality brand, Schlage. Schlage believes that style lives in the details because the details bring everything together in a home. Isn’t this Accent Lever beautiful! Best of all, right now you can get 20% off these amazing door handles at Lowes… SCORE!

Off we went to find the new light fixture, we used the color of the door hardware to guide us on the rest of the hardware for the room. We both instantly knew we had to have the farmhouse style light in the same finish with those amazing Edison Bulbs. BONUS… it has 4 lights compared to the existing 2-light fixture, so it’s sure to give the room a bright new look, AND was clearance priced!

Some paint, small glass tiles, a new shelf, some fun decor items, and we were set to get this DIY bathroom makeover started!

We decided the best strategy was to divide and conquer. While Tracy and I painted the bathroom in the new shades of gray, the girls took on painting the base and wall cabinet (white chalk paint), assembling the wall shelf, and putting together the new flower arrangements.

While the paint dried, we tried our hand at the hardware and fixtures. GIRL POWER! The four of us girls were left to install the Schlage door hardware, the new towel ring and the new light fixture. We both had a little experience in a few areas but had never done any of these things on our own. With each other for moral support, WE DID IT! and guess what… it was soooo much easier than I ever thought possible.

It literally took me 2 minutes to change the door hardware by myself and what a BIG impact getting rid of that ugly old gold thing!

We finished painting the cabinets, hung and decorated the shelf and then sat back and enjoyed a glass of lemonade.

The kids took over giving the mirror a new look with glass tiles and sticky tape while we relaxed. YES… it’s that easy!

Is it weird I want to just hang out in the bathroom all day? I just can’t stop looking at it and what a difference a handful of small, easy projects can do to make a really BIG impact.

Tracy is already asking me when I’m coming back over and bribing me with sweet treats so we can finish the whole downstairs. She’s even bought two matching sets of Schlage door hardware for the closet doors and has paint ready! (Pssst….. From 2/15/17-3/13/17, get 20% off your Schlage interior hardware purchase at Lowes online or in store!) Guess I better get into full DIY mode and have my screwdriver handy!

Follow Schlage on social media for more easy and affordable inspirations for your home:

• Facebook (@SchlageLocks)
• Instagram (@SchlageLocks)
• Twitter (@Schlage_Locks)
• Pinterest (@SchlageLocks): 

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SCHLAGE. The opinions and text are all mine.

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