Frugal Living Tips

• The Frugal Life – Frugal Fails

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  The Frugal Life Fails.

  

  We know that Mrs January readers are a savvy bunch – quite possibly the best deal-finders in all of Canada. You can whip out those coupon binders faster than someone can say Scanning Code Of Practice. You have coupon policies memorized by store, possibly in several languages. You dream of savings and calculate subtle nuances of WUB2 in your thrifty sleep.

  You live for Checkout 51, Optimum Points and Ebates. In fact, one day you may figure out how to buy a house with a coupon. And mail-in rebate. And create an overage so you get the hot tub for free.

  However, while we often celebrate frugal victories and bargain brags here, this is not that post. Oh no, my friends, this is confession time.

  Roll up your sleeves and send in your frugal fails! And, to get the ball rolling, I will send you mine. It’s only fair. I hope writing about it will ease the sting. It happened not too long ago.

  

  You may recognize me as the Frugal Family Fun writer — encouraging families to maximize their fun, while minimizing their spending. Recently, I had an awesome family night with my kids using balloons. I spent $1.25 on the balloon pack, and a few dollars on Tim Hortons Timbits to decorate. Everything else I had on hand.

  Balloon competitions, science experiments, and edible balloon desserts — we had it all.

  As a grand finale, I suggested borrowing the movie “Up” from the library, as it is the perfect family balloon film. I proudly found the last copy of “Up” in the Local Library System and had it sent to the library right by my house, saving both time and money.

  

  I scooped up the baby and headed in to pick it up. I wrestled the baby into his car seat, buckled up (safety first!) and drove home, only to realize that I did not have the DVD. Suspecting the DVD was on top of the van when I pulled away, I flew back to the library.

  The case awaited me just a few feet from where I had parked. But it was empty. A few more feet away I found the actual DVD. But it had been “puddled” and run over ever-so-slightly.

  

  Blast. Not-so-frugal family fun night DVD charge = $30.

  And my kids didn’t even get to see the movie. Lucky for me, they were more concerned about cheering me up, than missing the film: priceless.

  As a writer, I hear that rejection letters are good — they show that I am actually producing material. Likewise, wear your Frugal Fail badge proudly, as it shows you regularly strive to pinch those pennies. With much success, comes the occasional [ahem] learning opportunity.

  And tomorrow is a new day.

  So if you see me paying my lost DVD charge at the library, give a wave, and pass me a tissue. Probably from a box you got free with coupons.

  What “frugal fail” will you share? Big or little, we’d love to hear from you. Send your submission here.

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• Frugal Family Fun – Minute to Win it

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  Minute to Win it Games.

  

  Welcome to another edition of Frugal Family Fun. This week, we are excited to offer a few ideas to have your own Minute to Win It family night.

  Minute to Win It was a game show on NBC where contestants had one minute to complete crazy challenges using everyday objects. You probably have most of these items on hand (or can improvise/substitute), making it especially frugal and fun!

  This has been one of our favourite birthday party themes, but also works well as a family night theme. Invite a few friends over to join in on the fun as well.

  If you haven’t seen the original game show, you can watch others try some of the feats online at NBC.com.

  What you need

  • Stopwatch
  • Plastic Cups – 9
  • Ping Pong Balls – 5 each of two colours or 10 white, and put stickers on only 5 of them
  • 2 Pairs of Nylons
  • Dice – 10 of them
  • Tic Tacs
  • Tweezers

  Individual Challenges

  In true Minute to Win It fashion, players have 60 seconds to complete challenges. Here are a few challenges that work well for single players.

  Bucket Head: A player holds a bowl/bucket on top of their head. Someone else tosses balls, and the player has to catch 3 in the bowl within one minute.

  Breakfast Scramble: Cut the front of a cereal box into 16 fairly even squares. The player has to build the puzzle in less than one minute.

  Tweeze Me: Players use tweezers to quickly move 5 Tic Tacs from one bowl into another within one minute.
  
  Face the Cookie: Place a cookie on the player’s forehead. Using only facial muscles, they must wiggle the cookie from their forehead into their mouth. This one is hysterical to watch!

  Partner Games

  Baby Steps: I borrowed 2 pedometers from our local library. We strapped them onto 2 kids’ ankles. They have one minute to get the most “steps” by kicking furiously. We had some trouble getting the pedometers to pick up the kicks, so I recommend having someone count the kicks instead.

  

  Penny Hose: (2 pairs of nylons, 4 pennies) Place two coins in the ends of the legs of a pair of pantyhose. Using only their hands, players inch their way down the legs to retrieve the pennies and pull them out. Each arm must work independently and the player cannot use one hand to stretch or hold the hose for the other.

  This is hilarious to watch and is much harder than it sounds! We let the kids persevere well beyond a minute because it was so funny.

  

  Ping Tac Toe: (9 cups, 5 ping pong balls in 2 colours) We set up 9 cups (3 rows of 3). Both players get 5 ping pong balls in their own colour. When you say “Go”, each player bounces the balls onto the table and into glasses as quickly as they can. First player to complete a Tic Tac Toe sequence wins.

  

  Cup Hands: (10 dice, plastic cups) Each player places a cup over each hand and tries to stack as many dice as they can on top of each other in a minute using only their “cup hands”. At the end of the minute, the dice tower must be free standing and the player with the highest tower wins.

  

  Ready Spaghetti: (raw spaghetti, 3 empty pop cans) Partners each hold the end of a raw piece of spaghetti and use that to transport empty pop cans. The object is to build a 3 can pyramid as fast as they can.

  

  Edible Creations: Every Frugal Family Fun night needs a treat (at least that’s what my kids tell me). In honour of the Minute To Win It event, we thought clock cupcakes would be fun. Decorate each cupcake with a number from the clock. Here is a sample from Helping Hands.

  

  I hope these ideas set the stage for an action-packed family night for you and your family. Be sure to take pictures of your crazy antics – you will want to remember them for years to come!

  Would you ever want to be a contestant on Minute to Win it?

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• Frugal Family Fun – Play-Doh Pleasers

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  Play-Doh Activities.

  

  This is our fourth edition of Frugal Family Fun. We encourage families to have maximum fun while spending minimal money. In this post, I have included many options of different Play-Doh activities. Choose a few that suit your family and start play-(doh)-ing!

  What you need:

  • Plasticine Multi-Colour Pack ($1.25 at Dollarama) – 1 for each child
  • Empty CD Cases ($1.25/4 at Dollarama) – 1 for each child
  • Play-Doh Cans ($1.25 at Dollarama) – a few different colours (or make your own — see below)

  Fun & Games: 3-5 Year Olds

  Play-Doh Garden

  (cardboard base, found items)
  Form a rectangle with Play-Doh and put it on a cardboard base. Stick objects in the Play-Doh to create your own garden. Everyday objects like twigs, leaves and stones work perfectly.

  It’s a Jungle Out There

  Work together to build Play-Doh jungle animals. Use children’s books for animal inspiration.

  Match It Up

  Using 4 different colours of Play-Doh, make 2 balls of each colour. Hide all balls under 8 cups. Take turns looking under 2 cups at a time. If there is a match, remove those 2 cups and give that person 1 point. Play until all matches are found.

  Read Some Reid

  Every Play-Doh party needs a bit of Barbara Reid. She is a Canadian author who illustrates her books exclusively with plasticine. Try to get a few from your local library. Tumblebooks also offers her books online if your library gives you access. Two by Two and The Party are favourites of ours because of the detail on every animal-filled page.

  

  Fun & Games: 6+ Year Olds

  Sculptionary

  This activity has been a family favourite of ours for years. We use Pictionary cards (or nouns listed on slips of paper) and instead of drawing images, we sculpt them with Play-Doh. Two teams compete to make the object, and the winning team guesses it the fastest.

  Wacky Sack (balloon)

  

  See this video for a quick tutorial on making this object, which is like a stress ball. Googly eyes are optional.

  Barbara Reid (CD cases, plasticine)

  Your budding artist will love this page, where Barbara Reid gives 7 minute tutorials on illustrating with clay. Use empty CD cases to create your own plasticine scenes. This is a fun, mess-free way to frame your creations.

  

  DIY Play-Doh

  Here is a recipe for homemade Play-Doh that uses Jell-O to make vibrant colours, and is close to store-bought consistency. Plus, it smells yummy!

  

  Edible Creations

  Every frugal family night includes a creation that it is edible. We suggest the kids make sculptures of whatever you are serving for dinner. Mini hamburgers, spaghetti, ice cream sundaes – get that camera ready!

  

  I hope you are enjoying this series on Frugal Family Fun. This week, a few simple cans of Play-Doh can create hours of fun for kids of all ages.

  Which Play-Doh Pleasers activity will you try with your family?

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• Frugal Family Fun – Balloon Blowout

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  Frugal Balloon Fun!

  

  Is your family ready for a Balloon Blowout? This is our third post in a series of Frugal Family Fun. We hope you enjoy these activities for your whole family (parents have to take time out to play too!) and friends. As Winnie the Pooh promises, “Nobody can be un-cheered by a balloon.”

  What you need:

  • String
  • 2 paper plates
  • 2 popsicle sticks
  • Doughnut holes, toothpicks, sprinkles
  • Balloons (variety pack with different colours & shapes)

  Fun & Games

  Balloon Break (elastic bands or string)
  Every person ties a blown-up balloon onto their ankle with an elastic. On “Go”, try to break each other’s balloon and keep your own balloon safe. The winner is the person whose balloon lasts the longest.

  Balloon Ping Pong (paper plates, Popsicle sticks)
  Tape popsicle sticks to paper plates to make paddles. Try to hit the balloon back and forth on a table, without letting it fall. My boys took over our kitchen table for hours playing this fun balloon game!

  

  Keep it Alive
  Sit in a circle and toss the balloon to each other, trying to keep the balloon in the air as long as possible.

  En Garde (long balloons)
  Two people each get 1 long balloon (blown-up). Form a circle around these people (or mark the balloon with string) so they have to stay close. On “Go” they try to hit each other with their balloon swords. One point is awarded every time there is contact. I played this game with my boys and managed to lose every time.

  Now That’s Using Your Head
  Two people lie on the ground and push the balloon from a start line to a finish line using different body parts (example: nose, head). This is actually harder than it sounds (but lots of fun)!

  

  Balloon Rockets
  Each player blows up their balloon (but doesn’t tie it up) and then everyone gathers together. Count down from 5 and then everyone releases their balloons towards a target. The winner’s balloon lands closest to the target.

  Edible Creations

  Balloon Cupcakes (cupcakes, doughnut holes, frosting, sprinkles, toothpicks)

  

  Check out this tutorial for a fun cupcake recipe. Quick. Easy. Yummy. I wish we had used regular size cupcakes though, because the mini cupcakes couldn’t support the doughnut hole “balloons”. We also learned that coloured sugar holds better than sprinkles.

  Movie Moment

  I always like to promote unplugged fun, but I couldn’t resist mentioning the perfect balloon movie, “UP”. This is a great movie that is all about balloons! I borrowed it from our local library, making it free for us to watch.

  

  Exploring the Balloon Theme Further

  It’s Magic (funnel, baking soda, vinegar)
  I intrigued my boys when I told them that I could blow up a balloon without using my mouth. This experiment was easy and worked brilliantly. Here’s how I did it.

  

  

  Vehicles
  Build a car that can be powered by a balloon. Here are great balloon car tutorials.

  

  DIY Poppers (balloons, paper cups, duct tape, pom poms)
  My son’s friend had a spy birthday party, featuring these slingers. I found out that they are very easy to make, so I thought I’d give them a try for our frugal family fun night.

  

  What you do: cut the ends off paper cups (can double up the cups for stability). Knot an uninflated balloon and cut the end off. Stretch the balloon over the cup and secure it with duct tape or packing tape. Pop in a mini-marshmallow or pom pom, pull the knot back, release and aim!

  After a busy week, we need time to reconnect as a family. As part of the Mrs January team, I believe having frugal fun together is a great option for families everywhere. Try even 1 or 2 activities to launch your family fun this weekend!

  Which balloon activities will you try?

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• How to Have an Amazing [Cheap] Vacation

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  Save Money on Vacations!

  

  Taking a vacation is important to our health – to de-stress, recharge and refresh. Even just a little time away is really be important to your life and is certainly worth the boost it can bring to your quality of life and of your family relationships.

  The problem for many though, is that vacations can be costly, and we simply may not feel like we have the cash to shell out for a little time away.

  Here are a few cheap vacation ideas that will hopefully inspire you to take some time off.

  Staycation

  A staycation is really just a state of mind – you don’t leave your city. It simply gives you a chance to get away from the stress in your life and be a tourist in your own city. In recent years, more and more people have opted for staycations because they are far less costly than a traditional vacation involving lots of travel.

  Be sure to get into vacation mode and really step away from the day to day routine. Plan your staycation, too – scheduling activities at local attractions such as theme parks, museums, public parks, free shows and the list can go on and on. Be sure to check on discount sites like Groupon and WagJag for deals on attractions. For families, look for discounts and freebies for kids.

  Go camping

  If you are the type that loves adventure, a camping trip is a great budget-friendly vacation option. All across Canada, there are so many great camping spots. Check out this Camp Ground Search Engine and this Learn to Camp video from Ontario Parks.

  

  Book last minute travel packages

  If a tropical destination is what you desire, you can always find plenty of reputable last minute travel packages available at a highly discounted rate. The catch is that you need to be flexible – you need to be able to leave and come back on very specific dates. You also need to be flexible as to your destination.

  For example, after quick search on Travel Last Minute, I found a 7 night, all inclusive 3 star resort in Cuba for 2 people for $970 including taxes. Yes, including meals, hotel and airfare, departing on July 10th.

  Here are a few more last minute travel sites:

  • I Travel 2000
  • Red Tag
  • Last Minute Club
  • Sell off Vacations

  Save on hotels & lodging

  The costs of a hotel room can be extremely costly. You can save on hotels by:

  1. Going for a 2 star over a 3 or 4 star hotel. Of course, don’t stay in the slums, do your due diligence and read reviews on TripAdvisor, but don’t pay for a room you’re not going to spend much time in (and if you are planning on spending lots of time in your hotel room, you may want to stick to the 3-5 star hotels).

  2. If your group is large enough, or if you are vacationing with another family, you can check out vacation rental homes and condos. This is also a more spacious option as well, equipped with kitchens (this helps you to save money on food) and laundry facilities.

  A few popular sites for home and condo rentals:

  • VRBO
  • Owner Direct
  • Air BNB

  
  3. Stay away from main attractions, but close enough that it doesn’t take you forever to get there when you want to. Often, hotels in the core attraction area will be double or triple the price of the hotels just a few kilometers away.

  4. Stay with family or friends. If you are looking to visit an area where family and friends live (and if your relationship can handle it!), try to arrange staying at their place. Perhaps offer to return the favor at another time.

  

  Book smart – be informed

  Do your research and compare. There are so many booking sites that offer discounted flights, hotels, car rentals, attraction tickets and vacation packages.

  Look around for the best prices, and if you can be flexible with the dates, you will notice a big savings. In some places, one week in August half the price of one week in July. It really depends on the location and the time of year. Generally, summer is considered peak season and is more expensive – with weekends being the highest.

  Websites such as Hotwire.ca (my favorite, always seem to get the best deals), Expedia.ca, Kayak.com and Travelocity.ca offer great deals where you can get unpublished rates on hotel rooms. These are bargain basement prices on great rooms that the hotel hasn’t sold at their standard rate. the only catch with this, is that you don’t know what hotel you are staying at until after you book.

  Save money on food

  Another big expense while away from home is usually your food costs, but it doesn’t have to cost so much to feed yourself while you’re away.

  1. Eat in your room. If you are lucky enough to have a fridge where you are staying, you can stock up on drinks and snacks at a local grocery store. Eat breakfast, such as fruit and cereal, in your room and you’ll save a bundle.

  2. Buy and bring your own snacks. Try to avoid food stands as much as possible, by packing your own snacks and drinks for the time you’ll be out.

  3. Eat lunch at restaurants instead of dinner. Since you are on vacation, you probably do want to eat out and treat yourself. If that’s the case, consider eating a late lunch out, as many restaurants offer great lunches for a lot less than the dinner price. Then, simply eat a light dinner.

  

  Watch for discounts

  Try to take advantage of whatever discounts are available to you. Wherever you’re doing, always ask about group discounts (sometimes groups only need 6 people to qualify), membership discounts (CAA), senior discounts (sometimes 55 and up get the discount), kids eat free, etc.

  As you can see, it really is possible to have an amazing vacation without spending a ton of money to do it.

  You can take time off by yourself or with your family and not have to worry about a hefty credit card bill when you get back. Now that’s something to smile about.

  Do you have any cheap vacation ideas? Please share in the comments.

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• Frugal Family Fun – Marshmallow Moments

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  Frugal Fun with Marshmallows.

  

  Our series on Frugal Family Fun continues – this week, with marshmallows. Get that camera ready! There are a variety of marshmallow activities for kids of all ages and young-at-heart parents.

  Activities range from 5 to 15 minutes each. Choose a few and let the gooey games begin.

   

  For these activities, you will need:

  • Mini Marshmallows
  • Large Marshmallows
  • Chocolate Chips/Sprinkles (Optional)
  • Toothpicks
  • Straws

  Edible Creations

  Polka-dot milkshake (coloured ice cream, milk, large marshmallows)
  I was pleasantly surprised by how well this idea worked with my kids! Blend ice cream and milk, then cut large marshmallows into thirds (width-wise) and place them on the inside of a glass. Press firmly. Slowly pour in the blended milk and ice cream. Enjoy! (Idea from here.)

  

  Marshmallow Fun Pops (jumbo marshmallows, toothpicks, melted chocolate, sprinkles)
  Place marshmallows on toothpicks (or candy sticks). Dip them into white or dark melted chocolate. Swirl the ends into the sprinkles and enjoy! Note: Our sprinkles only cost a total of $1.12 at The Bulk Barn.

  

  

  Marshmallow Faces (markers)
  I could not resist this blogger’s adorable idea for marshmallow faces. If you do a lot of baking, you may already have food decorating pens on hand. I did not, so after seeing these fun faces, I invested in a few of these markers (from Michael’s, with a 50% off coupon!) to send silly marshmallow faces in my kids’ lunches. You could also use regular markers if you don’t want to eat the creations.

  

  Marshmallow Goldfish (graham crumbs, chocolate melts, goldfish crackers)
  There are infinite possibilities of marshmallow creations on Pinterest, but this one I especially liked. Melt blue chocolate melts, dip marshmallows in and place the goldfish crackers and graham crumb bottom.

  

  Marshmallow Fun & Games

  Deep Breath (straws)
  Every person gets one straw and each team has their own bowl. Place a mound of marshmallows on the table. Without using their hands, everyone sucks a marshmallow to the end of their straw, runs and drops it into their team’s bowl. The winning team has the most marshmallows in their bowl when the marshmallows are all gone.

  Balancing Act (spoons)
  Put a marshmallow on a spoon and try to walk from one end of the house to the other. If the marshmallow falls, start again. Mix it up by adding challenges – climbing stairs, dancing to tunes and putting the spoon in your mouth. You can also make it a relay race with teams.

  Marshmallow Dodge Ball
  Play traditional dodge ball using marshmallows instead of a ball. Just make sure they don’t smush into the carpet!

  Marshmallow Fling (muffin tin)
  Everyone takes turns throwing marshmallows into a muffin tin that is on the floor. Make certain muffin openings worth more points and see who can rack up the most points.

  Build It

  Marshmallow Engineering (toothpicks)
  Construct a house, tower or animals using toothpicks (or icing) to join the marshmallows.

  

  Marshmallow Challenge (spaghetti, tape, string)
  See if your family can do this team building challenge in 18 minutes. Build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one meter of tape, one meter of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top.

  What marshmallow idea do you think your kids will most enjoy?

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• Frugal Family Fun – Marble Mania

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  Frugal Family Fun!

  

  This is the first edition of our new series, Frugal Family Fun.

  Throughout this series, my boys and I will select a theme and try out relevant activities. We will offer many different ideas to get you started on having more frugal family fun that youc an do on the weekend (or whenever you’d like)!

  Choose a few of these ideas, and you can have a lot of family fun, for very little money out of pocket (if any at all). Most activities require minimal preparation and only basic items. At the end, there are extra activities that are a bit more involved, in case the kids want to keep exploring the theme.

  Frugal Family Fun – Marble Mania

  This weekend’s activities require marbles, which can be found at your local dollar store, and a bit of imagination.

  Full of Hot Air

  One person stands at each end of a table. Try to blow a marble off your opponent’s edge of the table – and don’t use your hands! If it rolls off their end, you score a point.

  

  

  Have You Lost Your Marbles?

  One person hides a set amount of marbles. Everyone tries to find them. Whoever finds the most, hides them the next time. Although this was the most basic game, it quickly became a favourite. The boys enjoyed giving each other clues if the marbles were hidden so well that the others couldn’t find them.

  Speculation

  Guess how many marbles are in a jar – winner gets a prize (maybe a marble-themed prize?).

  Tasty Treat (Marble Cake Mix)

  All parties around here must involve food. It’s a non-negotiable. We took an official vote to choose our snack for this frugal family fun project. Marble cake beat out marble cheese — by a landslide. Since we did not have a marble cake mix on hand, we made vanilla cupcakes and then swirled in melted chocolate chips. Yummy!

  

  

  Marble Games

  Play any marble games that you own (or can borrow from friends): Aggravation, Kerplunk, Hungry Hungry Hippos or Rebound.

  Marble Run Sets

  Quadrilla (I bought the boys this set for Christmas from Kijiji. It has quality, solid wood pieces.)

  

  

  

  Discovery toys are great, too (I got ours very reduced by hosting a Discovery Toys home party years ago).

  

  DIY Marble Runs

  Use paper towel tubes for tunnels and flat objects for ramps. Try building different marble runs. Have races to see whose marble goes the fastest.

  Here’s a simple marble run built with popsicle sticks. For more inspiration, look up “marble runs” on YouTube or Pinterest.

  Ayden built this one with our magnet set on an angled white board. See the marble in action?

  

  The Good Old Days (String)

  Play like children used to play on the playground. I recommend Joe Marbles for easy marble games and basic terminology.

  Marble Toss (Muffin Tin)

  Assign points to each section of the muffin tin. Take turns standing at a distance and tossing the marbles into the tin. Lowest score does the dishes that evening!

  Once Upon a Time

  Write a story as a family, about how marbles might have been created. Be as silly as you want. The first person says one sentence and then the next person continues the story and so on. Then look up the true history of marbles.

  More Advanced Frugal Marble Activities

  Marble Art (cookie sheet, paper, paint)

  Place a white sheet of paper on a cookie sheet or other pan with taller sides. Place several drops of paint (different colours) on the paper. Then, place a few marbles in the pan, roll them around and see what designs you can make.

  DIY Marble Run (wrapping paper tubes, magnets, paint)

  This takes a bit more effort, but there is value in creating the tubes, and experimenting with the set up. Build on a magnetic white board, or the refrigerator. Here’s a great example.

  

  Liam used his marble run to attack unsuspecting Lego guys.

  

  

  We started our marble fun last Friday and the kids kept coming back to it throughout the weekend. I love that the television was hardly on, and the boys did what children were meant to do — use their imaginations.

  I hope this first edition of Frugal Family Fun was inspiring for you. Come back next Friday to see how my boys and I had fun with marshmallows!

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• Homemade Diaper Rash Cream

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  Diaper Rash Cream DIY.

  

  Did you know you can make your own homemade diaper rash cream? You can – and you should, too. Here’s why:

  Penaten cream costs how much?! And what’s in it?!

  

  No thank you – Mama’s cream is much better.

  Penaten diaper cream costs over $8 and is full of chemicals. This homemade version costs about $2 (and makes a much bigger batch than Penaten) and is completely natural, and safe for baby’s bum.

  Furthermore, if a rash should occur, with the addition of one simple ingredient, it can be made medicated and still only cost you $2.70 for a great big tin. And I bet it’s an ingredient you already have…

  Ingredients

  • 3/4 Cup Coconut Oil ($1.50)
  • 3/4 Cup Cornstarch ($0.25)

  

  Instructions

  Put 3/4 cup of coconut oil into a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters for about 8 minutes.

  

  Coconut oil is very soothing and nourishing to your baby’s sensitive skin. It also has anti-fungal properties.

  Add 3/4 cup of cornstarch and stir until well mixed.

  

  Cornstarch acts as a natural (and much safer) talcum powder, protecting your baby’s bum from wetness.

  Store in an air-tight container for up to one month.

  If you would like this cream to be thicker – more of a Penaten consistency – add more cornstarch. Vitamin E can be added to help keep your baby’s bum soft as well.

  Total cost = $1.75 (non-medicated)

  

  Should your child develop a rash that is not going away with just the above cream ingredients, you can make it medicated to stop that rash right away.

  Simply add to the above recipe: 1 Tablespoon Polysporin ($1)

  Stir in to your cream. Polysporin is not natural, and does have a petroleum base. For this reason, I would only use it on my baby for a very short time and only if the above cream is not working. As soon as the rash is under control, I would return to the natural cream.

  Total cost $2.75 (medicated)

  The best way to prevent diaper rash is to ensure your baby’s bum stays dry. Changing his or her diaper often and using a diaper cream that protects the sensitive skin of the bum will help you beat that diaper rash once and for all!

  Having a baby can be expensive (or can it?), but there are many ways to keep the costs under control. Making your own baby products is a great way to save your family money and protect your little one from unnecessary chemicals.

  Other posts you may be interested in:

  • Homemade Baby Lotion Bars
  • Homemade Baby Wipes

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• DIY Liquid Hand Soap For as Little as 5 Cents

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  Liquid Hand Soap Recipe.

  

  Liquid hand soap has to be the easiest of all DIY projects. Better yet, you can fill a hand soap pump for pennies.

  Most recipes have a slimy consistency and do not lather well at all. I understand that most of the lathering from commercial hand soaps comes from chemicals that are not actually good for us – but I am fond of a little lather.

  I am going to share two liquid hand soap recipes here today. The first one is beyond simple and costs a nickel (that’s right, only five cents!). The second is also very simple and costs about fifteen cents – and it lathers!

  DIY Liquid Hand Soap (5 Cent Version)

  Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Bar Soap (About half of a bar)

  Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil on the stovetop.

  

  2. Add 1/2 cup grated soap. Stir until soap is melted.

  

  3. Remove from the heat and stir after 10 minutes, after 1 hour, and after 5 hours (or overnight).

  

  You really cannot mess this up. If your soap is too thick, add a little more water. If it is too liquidy, heat it up and add more grated soap. If you forget to stir it, stir whenever you remember.

  4. Pour into soap hand pumps. This recipe makes enough for 3 average soap dispensers.

  Approximate cost: 5 cents per soap dispenser (if using the 10 pack of Ivory bar soap from Walmart, which costs $3.50). If you use coupons, or get this item on sale, the cost will be less than 5 cents.

  DIY Lathering Hand Soap

  The above recipe is very simple, works great, and is incredibly inexpensive. But it has an odd consistency, almost mucous-like, and does not lather.

  The following recipe is still very easy, but has two added ingredients which give the hand soap a gentle lather.

  Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut or Castor Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Bar Soap

  Instructions

  1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

  2. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and dissolve completely.

  

  3. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or castor oil and melt completely.

  

  I use coconut oil which can be bought at any grocery store. It makes the soap smell delicious. I use coconut oil in a lot of my DIY projects (baby bum cream, lotion, lip balm, etc). I will be sharing all of these recipes here on MrsJanuary.com, so it may be a worthwhile purchase if you intend to try some of those as well.

  Tip: There are a lot of health benefits when using coconut oil for cooking as well.

  4. Add 1/2 cup of grated soap and stir until melted.

  

  5. Remove from heat and stir after 10 minutes, 1 hour, and 5 hours (or overnight).

  6. Pour into your soap dispensers. For added “foaminess” pour into a foaming soap dispenser.

  

  Approximate cost: 16 cents per soap dispenser.

  Liquid handsoap can be made so simply and inexpensively – please don’t ever pay full price for it! This is a wonderful, simple way to save your family money (while also avoiding chemicals in commercial hand soaps).

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• How to Buy a House – Lessons Learned From a First Time Home Buyer

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  How to Buy a House.

  

  How to buy a house is something I am often asked about now that my husband and I are homeowners.

  When we started looking for a home last summer, we learned a few things. The first thing, which is so obvious now, but wasn’t at the time: buying a home is not easy.

  You don’t just check out a house or two, love one of them enough to buy it, can afford the price tag, can find zero problems with the property, and move into your new home within weeks. That is not how it works at all.

  1. Find a good realtor

  My husband and I planned to buy a home on our own. We thought it would be a waste of time to look for a realtor to represent us, because we’d heard so many horror stories from friends about realtors that didn’t do what they’d promised.

  We looked at listings online and found a home we were very much interested in, so we contacted who we thought was the seller. It turned out to be the sellers real estate agent. We set up an appointment to see the home and although we didn’t end up purchasing it, we did keep the agent.

  Kirby Chan took us to multiple homes, found the perfect one (for us), and helped us to negotiate the cost of the home we now own. If it wasn’t for him, I have no doubt that we would still be living in our rental.

  2. Shop around

  With any major purchase, you always want to look around at everything that is available. You need to be able to compare things and determine what it is you truly want and need in a home.

  Always visit multiple homes when you’re looking to buy. Never visit one home and put in a bid right away, otherwise, you could possibly miss a golden opportunity to buy a better home for a better price.

  I don’t care how many homes you visit – just visit more than one.

  

  photo

  3. Always sleep on it

  There was one home that we looked at that I loved so much, I wanted to call the sellers right away and offer them all of our money. My husband talked me out of this, of course, and said we needed to sleep on it because it was a huge purchase.

  We had to make sure that we were certain we wanted to pay the hefty price tag for the home.

  It’s a good thing he is so rational, because after sleeping on it, we decided that the home was not right for us after all.

  4. Research the area

  One very important thing we learned about how to buy a house was to research the area very well. The first home we wanted to buy was perfect – until we did our research and found out how high the crime rate was in that area.

  We fell in love with that house and it was extremely difficult to walk away, but we knew we had to. From that moment on, we vowed to research areas before we viewed any homes.

  We found a bunch of areas we liked, told our realtor, and he found us homes to look at in those areas. When he sent us the lists of homes, we did even more in-depth research on those particular neighbourhoods.

  Before bidding on a home, always check the school ratings, crime rate in the area (we used the Toronto crime rate page) and the demographics of others in the area (if you are a young family, you will likely want to live in an area with other young families).

  5. Never judge the decor in a home

  I know, black paint is not the most inviting. Neither is lime green or bright pink with yellow polka-dots. But guess what – that is an easy thing to change when you move in.

  Pay no attention to the small cosmetic “problems” you see in homes and instead, focus on the bigger picture. Does the home have a good layout, lots of natural light, enough bedrooms to accommodate your needs? Those are the things you want to look for when shopping for a home.

  Ignore paint colours, carpeting, cabinet hardware and what someone’s shower curtain looks like (seriously, I saw someone complain about the colour of a shower curtain on a home buying TV show!).

  

  photo

  6. Be patient

  I thought I was prepared for a very long process when we started looking for a home, but I wasn’t. I wanted to move so badly that looking for a home started to take over my life. I wanted to look at homes all the time. It eventually got to the point that I would want to bid on a home just so we could “get it over with already”.

  I was impatient and very unprepared for the emotional roller coaster that a home search brings.

  If there’s just one thing you take from this article, let it be this: be patient. Don’t give up hope that you will eventually find the home you’re searching for. With time, you will.

  Buying a home is no easy task. It takes time (lots of it) and perseverance. You also need to accept that you will not be able to get every single thing you want in a home. You will need to compromise. Quite a bit, actually.

  If home ownership is your goal, you need to mentally prepare yourself for the ups and downs that come along with house hunting. They’re inevitable, but nine times out of ten, they’re worth it.

  What lessons did you learn when buying a home?

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