The Frugal Bunny

Black Soap for Doggies!

2011-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

So I've been experimenting with different natural, gentle, eco-friendly and frugal dog soaps. I had an early post of links to homemade dog soaps, and I've tried the castile soap recipe. But to be honest, I am a lazy person and can't follow directions (hence, I'm a horrible baker, too!). I like to "eyeball" measurements. So if you're like me, recipes are crap. I'm not saying everyone should do what I do, but IF you don't have time or patience to measure stuff out, this is what worked for me...

I did some research and very little is said about using this on dogs, but there were a couple of articles. So I went ahead and tried using African black soap on my own fluffy babies, Millhouse and Mochi. African Black Soap is made from only a few natural ingredients - Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Pods and sometimes Plaintain Skins. That's it! I've been using it for the past 10 years on my own skin, and then I tried it on my hair. It's amazing how my sensitive skin feels and looks better from using it! And my hair is shiny, clean and isn't greasy (when I used to use regular shampoo/conditioner, it caused acne on my face). And I know that dogs have very sensitive skin and people should NEVER use regular human shampoo or soap on them! The picture I posted in this entry is Mochi, my newly adopted American/Olde English Bulldog. She has sensitive skin, so I was careful when I bathed her with black soap for the first time. Isn't she a cute squishy face? That's her, after her bath :)

When she dried off, her fur was soft and she smelled clean. Not perfumey - just clean! I was so happy to have discovered this paraben free, all-natural soap alternative for dogs (and humans!).

If you're a local Atlantan, I highly recommend using the local brand, Erzuli. They have awesome products at reasonable prices! Beware of purchasing black soaps with more than 3 ingredients. Those are not "genuine" black soaps, and some may even contain dyes and fragrances to make it look like black soap - but it isnt'!!!! So be very careful, especially when it comes to our beloved pets!!!!

NOTE: After use, store the soap somewhere so it can dry, and KEEP it dry. It contains no added glycerin or binders, so if it's left in the shower or somewhere wet, it will dissolve! Also, I designate one bar of black soap to the dogs, and another to myself - I wouldn't want to have a stray doggie hair on my face! :P

~ Jenny Bunny Bunns <3

The story of my Bunny Phone...

2011-09-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

So I went analog (talk and text only) for a while, for my phone. All was well. Until I found out that my cell phone carrier, T-Mobile, sponsors the TLC show "Tattoo School". Indeed, I sadly had to terminate my account with them in protest for sponsoring such a horrifying show, teaching the general public that any monkey can tattoo (and learn everything there is to learn in 2 weeks, no less) - which is the biggest crock of poop in the world.

Needless to say, I went to Verizon to find another phone. The iPhone lured me in after seeing that all the other phones (even the regular talk and text only ones) were well above 100 bucks, and even 200 bucks, and with a new contract I went back to smartphone mode.... Sigh.....

However, now I can get Scoutmob and a plethora of other money-saving apps, as well as all the other crazy yet useful apps there are. AND, while I don't have and ever HAVE had, an ipod, my iPhone will suffice as one. Also, since I'm an independent contractor and do a lot of my business on my smartphone, I can write off my expenses when it's time to face Uncle Sam again. I guess it's not all bad :)

Extreme Couponing: Why I love it, but hate it more...

2011-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Although the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence (or however that expression goes - I was never good an idioms), I have come to accept the fact that I thrive on challenges rather than the goal itself. So when I heard about extreme couponing, I became fascinated. Wow, I want to get $250 worth of groceries for only two dollars and eighteen cents! How do I do it???

But the more I researched, the more the concept turned me off, and this is why:

*It's REALLY time consuming to research, go through, clip through, look up, print out, file, keep track on calendar when expiration dates are, etc. I have a full-time job, as well as a plethora of other side projects... PLUS, I like to volunteer at the pet shelter and spend time with my friends and family, and most of all, I like to sleep and REST!!!! Perhaps things would be different if I had children and was a stay-at-home mom... but then again, maybe not.... why? Because...

*Most of these coupons and rebate offers are for products that aren't earth-friendly and/or socially responsible. And even if they claim to be, they are not NEEDED. I don't buy what I don't need when it comes to household products. For example, why do I need to save two dollars on Tide when I can make my own laundry detergent for pennies on the dollar??? I spent about 8 dollars in 2008 on supplies to make my own laundry soap. It is now 2011, and I still have not used up the ingredients I bought - not even half of it! I spend MAYBE a DOLLAR per year on laundry soap. Crazy, ain't it???

*I also feel like a lot of these coupons are for food products that are processed or canned. Canned food is great for a rainy day. But not for eating every single day - the preservatives and the fact that these foods have lost a lot of their nutrition from being canned is not healthful. Also, people are now developing all kinds of crazy food allergies/sensitivities and going through all these health problems, including neurological and behavioral problems in kids, because of highly processed food anymore. Did you know that Japan can't accept much non-perishable food donations for the tsunami relief, because Japanese people can't even digest that crap??? Yeah. Scary. I think I'll just stick to driving 30 minutes each week to the Dekalb Farmer's Market for my fresh (and cheap) foods - it's worth my health and livelyhood.

*I also heard that extreme couponing also includes purchasing products you don't even use just to "profit" from the coupon/rebate thing. It's awesome that you can buck the system... but I feel like it's way too superfluous for my taste. I hate clutter, why would I want a bunch of crap I don't use in my house? And why would I want to promote products I don't even like/believe in/use?

This is just a bunny's opinion. If it works for you and your family, go for it. There's nothing like taking from monster corporations. But for me and my household, we'll stick to our principles of social responsibility (or at least making it a goal to be socially responsible).

~Jenny Bunny Bunns <3

Going Analog!

2011-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

I finally did it... I said goodbye to my precious smartphone and got a regular, old-fashioned cell phone (yes, it still has a camera). I went to T-Mobile today, and got one of those "FREE" phones - of course, it's only free because I had to sign onto another 2 year contract. Then I downgraded my plan, getting rid of my dataplan. So no internet, no apps. No Facebook, no emails, no Twitter (except through text messaging), etc. It's 2008 all over again :P Hahaha!

This new plan will be saving me at least $27 a month. It doesn't seem like much, but that's $324 a year. If I keep cutting little things out, pretty soon I'll have a grand to spare by next year. Maybe (hopefully) even more! Another advantage to this, is to un-tether myself from my phone. If there was 10 seconds that I'd have to wait in line at the grocery store, I'd check my messages on my phone. Even if I had nothing to check on my phone, I'd still be messing with it. Whatever happened to standing in line for 10 seconds without having the urge to fixate on something? Also, looking down at your phone constantly is REALLY bad for your neck - worse than one thinks (but that's a whole other story), because it is a "silent killer" (no symptoms felt when the damage is done). So I felt I had to simplify my life. It was nice to know that some of my friends had already gone that way, and it inspired me to do it, too. If they can survive without it, so can I!

While I was waiting for the lady to transfer my data from my old phone to my new phone, there was another customer who was hitting on all the female workers. He was laying it on THICK. My first impulse was to Tweet about it. OOP! No phone, can't do it! Crap. Well, while I wait, I can finish replying to my client's email. GAH! Again, no phone! Oh well. I can play my word game. AUGH! Ok, ok, fine. Hmm.... my mind wanders... I wonder if I should take Millhouse to the dog park on Wednesday. It depends on the weather. Let me check the weath- YARGH!!!! Ok, SERIOUSLY, I was GLUED to that dang smartphone. When I got back home, I was customizing my phone. No live wallpapers that move and interact with you, no ringtones that you can download, then edit yourself... It really made me realize how user-friendly those smartphones are. Which is cool - but also dangerously addicting. Oh boy, what did I get myself into??? Is saving $27 a month really worth it??

By the evening, I had refreshed on myself how to use Twitter through text messaging. It's definitely limiting, but maybe limits are a good thing! With so much stimulation with technology, no wonder people are getting so-called "A.D.D." The quietness of these 8 hours going analog has actually been refreshing. I really felt like one of the civilians in the movie Wall-E, when their screens were turn off. They stopped yapping on their chat phones and realized the beauty that surrounded them right then and there! I saw the sun, I saw the trees, I saw the doggie poop... :P Well... I'm still adjusting, but I get spurts of excitement for doing something good for my wallet and good for my well-being. :)

6 Gym Alternatives

2011-04-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

image by Jenny Bunny Bunns

I love my gym membership. I get to go to any location around town that's most convenient for me, and I get to shower and get ready for the rest of my day there. I get to use any of their machines, take any of their classes... Unfortunately when life throws you a curve, and you have to tighten up your budget again, the gym membership is one of the first monthly expense that has to go. So how shall we ever get enough exercise in without our gym AND without spending a fortune on home gym equipment and/or having to have a huge amount of space at home? Well, here are some options....

Free Gym Membership Trials
There are a lot of free gym membership trials out there. Most gyms will give you a one week trial or a 3-day pass. Look out for flyers or brochures at your local coffee shops, health food stores, etc. Also, discount coupon sites such as Groupon, LivingSocial, etc. will also offer things such as unlimited yoga classes or $25 fitness boot camp sessions.

Mini-Trampoline & Jumprope
You can get one for about $40. Jumping can surprisingly get you sweating and your heart pumping! There are even DVD workouts for trampoline work-outs! Some can fold, so it can save you space, as well. Of course, if you're really strapped for cash, a good old-fashioned jumprope is just as good. A decent jumprope starts at $10. Just make sure you jump on softer ground such as your lawn or a carpeted area. Jumping on hard ground might hurt your joints or arches. Also, make sure your rope does not scratch your hardwood floor (if you have one).

Yoga Mat
You need one of these for almost anything you do - yoga, pilates, calisthenics, etc. These can start at $10. This is a MUST have!

Workout Videos
Gaiam puts out some great pilates and yoga videos for people of all levels. For strength and circuit training, I also use Jackie Warner's circuit training DVD. She is awesome her one-minute reps keep you on your toes. I haven't gotten bored yet, and you can use the video over and over, and as you progress, just use heavier weights. Start slowly and build a small collection of videos to rotate to avoid boredom.

Weights and Pull-up Bar
There are sets in which you can add weights onto each bar to save space. These can start at around $70, which is kind of a chunk of money if you're on a budget. So really what you'd need is one set of light weights (like 5 lbs for women, 8 lbs for men), and one set of heavy weights (like 8-10 lbs for women, 12-15 for men). Check on Craigslist for used sets. Or if you have a set of heavy bookends, use that, haha! I have not seen any new pull-up bars (the kind you screw above your doorway) for less than $30. I can't even do one pull-up, but my husband can. The pull-up bar is great, but definitely optional!

Volunteer Work
Why else did I volunteer to shovel gravel at Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption last week? I am SO not a manual labor person - but I knew this would work my upper body! And I got to help the doggies have a nice, fresh outdoor pen to play in :) Habitat for Humanity, even volunteering at a nature center - any of these kinds of things that require moderate physical activity would kill two birds with one stone. You'll get some exercise as well as helping your community!

Of course, there are always little things you can add into your lifestyle that would also help you become a bit more active. You can park far away from the store or take the stairs - that extra 20 yards or extra two-story stair climbing will do you more good than you think. When you're sitting at your desk at work, you can do some butt-clenches to tone your glutes, hehehe hahaha. What do I do? I like to skip, gallop, or even prance down the hallway at my workplace. Hey, it's better than nothing! So get active in your life - it'll add on so many more healthy years to your life and improve the quality of life. :)

~Jenny Bunny <3

Paraben-free Beauty Routine on a Budget!

2011-03-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

I know on a previous entry, I quoted Annie Leonard & Ariane Conrad about American women being exposed to over 150 chemicals just in their morning routine alone, and men are exposed to at least 60. A lot of these chemicals include parabens, which are preservatives that are found to contribute to the multiplication of cancer cells. I'm sure there are other chemicals that do the same. So I've tried to come up with a system that has the least amount of chemical ingredients AND being frugal at the same time. It seems hard, and maybe it is. But if you slowly add these good things into your routine (don't do it all at once!), and slowly faze out the bad stuffs, it might not seem like such a drastic change. So... let's start our morning/evening routine, shall we? :)

TEETHIES:

Toothpaste:

Tom's Flouride Free Peppermint Toothpaste. It's pretty tasty, and a little bit goes a long way. It's a little spendy than most major brands of toothpaste - but this is all natural and paraben free. You can find it cheaper if you go to www.vitacost.com or Google Shop it! If you go to Whole Foods or any other local health food store, sometimes there will be Healthy Clippings coupon booklets that may have a coupon for you. Just be on the lookout for those coupons - that's the secret!

But if you want to take this step even further, here is my recipe for homemade toothpaste. This is THE most frugal and natural option, but it's not for all palates.
You need a small jar, aluminum-free baking soda, xylitol (powder form preferably), vegetable glycerin, spearmint essential oil. Mix these ingredients up until you get a paste-like consistency. Start with a small amount, first!

Floss:

Now remember - when it comes to oral hygiene, brush your teeth at least twice a day, visit your dentist regularly, and floss, floss, floss!!!! Preferably floss with bio-degradable floss, such as Silk Floss. You can find this for a few bucks on sites like Amazon. This few bucks will last from 6-8 months. Not bad, for preventative care!

PITTIES:

Tom's Long-Lasting Aluminum AND Propylene Glycol Free
You need to read the label carefully, because not all of the Tom's Long-Lasting deoderants are propylene glycol free. But this one is my favorite deoderant that I've tried so far. It does its job and it doesn't irritate me.

Terra Naturals
This is another deoderant that smells pleasant and is paraben free. It works and I like it, but I noticed that it irritated my underarms. It triggered my eczema, so for those of you who have eczema or sensitive skin, you might want to go with the Tom's.

FACE AND BODY:

Face & Body Soap:

Black Soap - originating in West Africa, it's traditionally made with only a few simple ingredients. Its effects are very powerful (yet gentle) on the skin. I had been using black soap since I was 21. Whenever I would switch to another kind of face wash, my face would eventually break out in acne. Then I'd switch to black soap again, and within a week, it'd be healed. It's AMAZING. But when shopping for black soap (you can find it at your local health food store in the beauty section), read the ingredients, because some brands will add more than just the few ingredients (cocoa pod, shea butter, and plaintain skins). So get the purest kind. Also, since it's made without glycerin, just pinch off a teeny bit off the bar and lather it up. This will make the soap last longer, since it disintegrates faster than regular soap bars. A bar of this soap runs anywhere between 3-5 dollars, but it lasts one whole year if used just for the face!

Face & Body Moisturizer

Unrefined Shea Butter
I cannot stress enough what a miracle ingredient this is. I use this in combination with black soap on my face, especially when I get a zit here or there. It seems to heal and soothe my skin. It's seriously great for sunburns, wrinkles, stretch marks, healing tattoos, bug bites, small wounds, shaving, skin allergies, eczema, skin damage from heat, dermatitis, jock itch, cold weather, healthy skin. It's really great, and it's worth the extra cost for Grade A quality, too, so read your labels!!! Again, a little goes a long way, so just pinch off a little bit, massage it in your fingers - your body heat will "melt" it, then you can rub it onto your skin like lotion.

Acne Spot Treatment for Face

Alba Botanica Acne Spot Treatment Gel
Alba Botanica products are always paraben free. This is a little trick I use for "emergencies" - not that I go out often, but I do have to show my face to my clients every day at work :P A little bit of salicylic acid and the rest are natural, soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, witch hazel and flower extracts.

Sunscreen:

Alba Botanica Sunscreens
Alba Botanica makes a variety of sunscreens for different needs - sunscreens for the face, for sensitive skin, fragrance free, etc. And they're all not only paraben free, but they're, as their labels say, very emollient! It's soothing and contains a bunch of natural ingredients, such as aloe and other flower extracts. I love this stuff!!!!

HAIR:
It's very important to avoid parabens and other harmful chemicals in your hair. The skin on your scalp is very absorbent, and for those of you with long hair, it gets all over your face, neck, etc. Keep your hair healthy and as free of chemicals as possible! I've listed two of my favorite brands, but if you can suggest other brands you like, please comment and share! :)

Alba Botanica is always paraben free. Nice scents and light products. Although the only complaint I have is the coconut conditioner - I have to squeeze the bottle with all my might, because it's SO thick, and I have to use tons of it to work the knots out of my long hair.

Giovanni is my all-time favorite brand so far. Everything smells nice and pleasant without being too overpowering, and I've noticed my hair looking healthier. The conditioner is very efficient - I don't have to use much for it to work on my long hair, which is great on cost-effectiveness!

COSMETICS:

This is the huge kicker for crazy chemicals! These are the products I have found that are paraben free, have few natural ingredients, and is cost-effective IF you find them at sources like www.vitacost.com. These products last a long time, as long as you use clean practices, such as cleaning your makeup brushes regularly and not letting other people use your make-up to prevent cross contamination.

Aubrey Organics Silken Earth Foundation Mineral Powder AND Powder Blushes
This is a great company that uses very high quality, natural (non-man-made) ingredients such as mica and rice starches, creating a light, organic and natural foundation and blushes. They even have a shimmer powder that makes your skin look sparkly for a night out! :D I love sparkles :)

HoneyBee Gardens Eyeshadow
These powders are also as great as Aubrey's products. Their eyeshadow powders are really sparkly and it makes me feel so cute :) If you want to use an eye primer, use a tiny bit of shea butter over your eyelids! :D Love it! HoneyBee Gardens have a great line of other natural cosmetics, including non-toxic peel-off nail polishes! But get these products at www.vitacost.com. I cannot stress how much savings you'll get from doing that!

Beauty Without Cruelty Paraben-Free Mascara

I'm also going to throw in this article today, hehehe :)
11 One-Ingredient DIY Face Masks

So thanks for being patient with taking so long for this entry. It's been super busy lately, but this has been on my mind for the past few weeks. Thanks!

~Jenny Bunny <3

Energy Vampires

2011-02-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

What is Vampire Energy? It's the household appliances or electronics that suck energy while plugged in - even when they're off. If you're aware of which devices suck up most energy energy, then perhaps it'll be one step toward saving on your utility bills, yayyyyy!

So what simple things you can do to reduce your vampire energy?

1.) Unplug your devices! Especially if you're going on vacation, or even will be gone for most of the day, it's worth the extra effort....

2.) Check labels! When choosing appliances, look for the EnergyStar label!

3.) Simplify your life - and keep it that way! Don't be dazzled by all the fancy features of some devices that you won't even use. Those things will most likely use up your power!

Until next time, my little bunnies!
~Jenny Bunns <3

Supermarket Shopping 2011

2011-01-31T17:17:00.000-08:00

This SUPER cute and practical (form and function is my fave combo, haha!) bunny tote bag is available HERE!

It's convenient to do a one-stop shop at your local grocery store, but with convenience comes a higher price, of course. Here is a link to an article about what not to buy at a supermarket - it's better to purchase these items at a Target, a dollar store, etc. Well, just CLICK HERE for the specifics.

However, there are plenty of great things you can and should buy at your supermarket to save munnies! In Annie Leonard & Ariane Conrad's book "The Story of Stuff", they write "The average woman uses a dozen personal care products containing 168 chemical ingredients every day. Men use about six products a day with around 85 chemicals." I believe in coupling frugality with minimalism. Wow, that's amazing! Let's cut down the number of chemicals we're exposed to AND save money at the same time! You can...

* Give yourself a spa treatment at a fraction of the cost of a spa salon.
I remember when I was a tween and the first appearance of acne erupted on my face, my mother would spread egg white on my "T-zone" and tell me not to do any kind of facial expressions while it dried. After about 10 minutes, she'd tell me to rinse it off, and my skin felt much smoother and less oily. And sometimes after my parents were done hosting a dinner party, there would be a few leftover cans of beer. They didn't drink, so my mother would take a can of beer and wash my hair with it. She's wet my hair with water, then run the can of beer through it, then wash regularly with shampoo. Afterward, my hair felt silky smooth and it looked significantly shinier than before.

This is a great article that gives 9 facial mask recipes using whole foods. Simple, effective and CHEAP! :D

* Make your own laundry soap.
I had posted an article about making your own laundry soap a year or so ago. However, I'd been wanting to make it without using borax this time. Borax is generally safe, but it can be irritating because it's still a detergent. So, for those with very sensitive skin, here is a great recipe for borax-free laundry soap and you can find all these ingredients at your supermarket!

* The greatest two items you can get at your supermarket are Baking Soda and Vinegar.
Once you have these two things, it eliminates SO many other items that clutter up your home. BAKING SODA is not only great to put in your fridge to eliminate odors, but it is great for everything from washing your hair with to cleaning just about everything, from septic system maintenance to scrubbing your fruits and veggies. Vinegar (we've gotten a couple of gallons of it, which would last us a year or so) is also multi-functional. My favorite uses include soothing insect bites, making your pet's fur shiny, removing pet odors, keeping car windows frost-free, getting stains out and wiping grease off the stove, dishes or what-have-you. BUT, be warned - do NOT mix the two together, unless you want to launch a soda bottle rocket or make a volcano!

* Prepare your own foods.
Sounds kind of like "duhhhh!" but this article is practical and frugal! Yes! My favorite tip is using leftover fruit juices to make a yummy marinade for your meats (or tofu or portabella mushrooms for veggie lovers)!

~Jenny Bunns <3

A Slave to my Smartphone?

2011-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have been debating over and over in my head whether I should downgrade my phone from a smartphone to a regular cell phone. But here is my dilemma: I used the dataplan MUCH more than I use the phone for, uh, phoning!!!

* Since I'm usually at work, I hardly ever use my talking minutes - and the minutes I do use are usually with my travelling hubby, which are free.... but the rare times I've used it to, say, call a utility company and am on hold forever can add up fast, since I have the minimal amount of free daytime minutes. SOOO... I've tried and successfully used Google Voice. I already have a Gmail account, so it was easy to set up my G-Voice. It gives me my own number and I've made calls on my computer for free! I can also use it for texting and voicemails! I found an article that also points out other free phone service using the internet... Just CLICK HERE for the link.

* For my job, I'm always getting emails from clients, so I use my phone a lot to check those. I also use it to upload the latest pictures of my tattoo or other artwork on my Facebook and other networks.

*With some phone models, you can actually tether your cell phone to your computer's airport. Your phone becomes a tiny little wi-fi hotspot for your computer, so you can enjoy internet use for your laptop wherever you and your phone are! That might come in handy, especially for what I do for a living!

So then I went to my mobile carrier's website to look at their plans. I was hoping to find that they have dataplans only, and they most certainly do! It would cut down over 60% of my current phone bill if I can switch to using the internet only. Of course, this kind of scares me - what if it doesn't work? What if I get stuck in a non-hotspot? Or will all this technology make my brain go mushy? So just to check, if I downgraded to a regular cell phone and got the lowest plan there was, it'd be the same price as if I got the dataplan only. Should I cut back so I can open my eyes to the "real" world and experience all that the Bunny Gods have already provided? Should I cut back so it can motivate me to be productive? Or... will keeping a smartphone make me more productive? Which one would make my life more enriching? I'm leaning toward going deserting my smartphone... but it's the digital addiction that's justifying that I keep it. So herein lies the dilemma. What should I do?

Any comments would help, but when I finally make the decision, I'll be sure to follow you up on this!

~Jenny Bunns <3

The Frugal Pet (Owner)!

2011-01-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

photo from www.cuteworld.org

Hello my bunnies!

Boy, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be back on this blog :) I started this particular blog in hopes of inspiring others to adopt more socially responsible ways to spend money, and self-preserving ways to save money. But in doing so, I think keeping up with this blog has actually inspired ME more than it's inspired others because I'm looking and finding all these great sites and helpful tips, haha!

Anyhoo... I've stumbled across this website, Dog Health by lowchensaustralia. I linked this to the handy hints page of this site, because it is chalk full of frugal AND eco-friendly tips to help take care of your beloved furry baby, get rid of pests, and other household cleaning recipes :) I'll highlight a few of my favorites in the rest of this entry, but for the whole shabang, just click on the link above! :D

Backyard Bugs - Diatomaceous Earth.
This white powdery substance is actually the fossilized remains of diatoms, tiny little critters. To us it feels like talcum powder, but under a microscope you can see sharp jagged edges. The diatomaceous earth pierces soft tissues of insects when they crawl across it, causing them to dehydrate & die. So it's a mechanical killer, not a chemical one. If you decide to use diatomaceous earth, be sure to buy the pure kind that isn't chemically treated. Be sure the area you're treating is dry--wet diatomaceous earth has no effect on the bugs. Though it is non-toxic, it's not a good idea to inhale it, so when treating an area, don't let your pets near and wear a dust mask as you apply it to the ground.

Jenny Bunny's Note: This inexpensive powder is GREAT! I rub it into Millhouse's (my Jack Russell) fur in the summer months before he goes outside to keep the fleas and other insects off of him. I also sprinkle it on the rugs, bedsheets, doggie beds - I even sprinkle it in cracks and edges of the floors to help keep away ants and roaches in the hosue. It's non-toxic to humans and mammals, so it can be used anywhere in the house - again, just be careful not to inhale it. Last year, the outside walkway was riddled with little anthills, so I sprinkled diatomaceous earth on all the hills. The very next day, all the ants were GONE. SERIOUSLY, it was awesome, and it felt great knowing that I wasn't spreading poisons into the earth. I LOVE this stuff!!!!

Dry Skin Shampoo (for dogs)
Several people have reported using this with great success on dogs with dry, scratchy skin and for other skin problems that required frequent baths.
1/3 Cup Glycerin
1 Cup Lemon Liquid Joy
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Quart of Water
Mix in a bottle or an old large shampoo bottle. If you make up the solution in advance, be sure to shake it up before use to make sure the glycerin is mixed thoroughly.

Insect Repellent for Dogs (and People)
Use Avon's Skin-So-Soft as an insect repellent for people and pets (good mosquito repellent). It helps relieve itching caused by insect bites and dry skin. Also, mix five parts water, one part Skin-So-Soft and mist on animals. Brush in to make their coats gleam and keep insects off your animal.

And here is a simple, easy Homemade Flea Shampoo for Dogs that I've refined based on several recipes I've tried:
Combine 2 cups of purified water, half a cup of distilled white vinegar, and half a cup of liquid soap (Unscented Dial or Castile Soap).
Mix thoroughly. If you wish, add up to 3 teaspoons of your preferred essential oils.

You will need to shake the bottle before using it in order to remix the essential oils into the shampoo. Wash your pet gently, but thoroughly, starting at the neck and working your way down to discourage the fleas from fleeing to your pet's head. And there you have it, a squeaky clean doggie! :D

I'd also like to share a simple dog treat recipe. This is inexpensive, easy, holistic and healthy - good for almost any dog since it's grain-free! :)

Follow the link to the recipe HERE!

If you have any other tips to share that's frugal and/or eco-friendly pertaining to pets, post your comments! THANKS!

~Jenny Bunns <3

There are never REAL "Farewells"....

2011-01-14T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hello again! It's been less than a year - I knew I would come back to this blog! :P At the end of 2010, I felt a compulsion to get this out, which I posted on my Facebook, but it's much more relevant on this blog. So here it is... In my next post I'll be talking about my personal goals for 2011. Boy, I missed this site! :) :) :)

With each passing year, I try to refine my finance goals. I'm no expert, so don't take this message as me telling you what to do. I just want to share what I've learned in hopes of inspiring others to find their own way of managing their savings. Everyone has their own way of doing things according to their personality, and over the years I've found a way of utilizing my personality strengths and "tricking"my personality weaknesses in order to build up the means to pay for an emergency, to build up home equity, or to simply save money to take some leisurely trip I've always wanted.

I've set up my savings goals into several categories. There are long-term goals and short term. These are mine. What are yours? (don't answer to me, but answer to yourself!)
SUPER LONG TERM GOAL: set up another kind of "retirement fund", since, as an independent contractor, I do not have a 401K like most people do.
LONG TERM GOAL: my Roth IRA and my 6-month Survival Savings (they say to save 6 months worth of living expenses for emergency situations, like losing a job or something).
MEDIUM-TERM GOAL (like a year or two cycles): include fixing up my house. This is an on-going, never-ending process, but I try to renovate one thing a year on the house - this does not only improve my quality of living, but also raises my home equity. This goal also includes a smaller emergency fund, having about $1000 at hand at all times, in case the A/C needs to be fixed, or if Millhouse (my dog) needs to go to the vet, or if Hunnbot (my husband) or I need an emergency root canal. Omg, I hope that never happens. As an independent contractor, I also have to save for my annual taxes, since my tax money doesn't automatically get taken out of my paycheck like most people.
SHORT-TERM GOAL: If there's a new laptop I have my eye on, or if I want to meet Hunnbot somewhere in the middle of his tour, these are the things I want to save for so I can also enjoy the fruits of my labors, besides simply being able to pay my bills and eat food.

So.. this probably sounds really freaking overwhelming to you. That's a LOT of savings, a lot of money to put away when there are so many things we need to spend on (like bills and other stupid grown-up stuffs). That's what I thought, too. It's taken me about 4-5 years to be able to establish all these goals, and I have yet to reach them. Saving is like taking 2 steps forward, one step back. But like the turtle in the famous parable - slow and steady wins the race!

Again, everyone is different when it comes to their money habits. For me, I have to trick myself into thinking I have a lot less money than I really do. In order to do that, I take out at LEAST 20% of each paycheck, no exceptions, and put it into my long and medium term savings. Once that money is out of sight, it's out of mind. Then I spend whatever I have to spend on bills, food, gas, etc. Whatever is left at the end of the week or month, I put into my short-term goals. The genuine sense of accomplishment makes you WANT to save money. Sometimes when I'm at the store and I see something cool, I'm like "Ooh, I want that! But... do I NEED it? Or would I rather go on that trip or fix up the house than have a moment of instant gratification?" I talk myself out of buying stuff all the time. Once in a while I do splurge, but my justification for those is that it's an investment for my mental health!!! :)

Once those major things are established, you start noticing the details of your financial life. Like, turning off the lights at home when you're not using them, or using less water when you shower or brush your teeth. Or reducing your night outs to every other week rather than once a week or more. Or shopping at thrift stores for clothes, or paying off your car instead of leasing. All these little change of habits make a big impact over the years - just do it slowly so as not to "shock" your system and therefore be tempted to go back to more wastefully spendy ways. Money is, unfortunately, an important thing in our lives whether we like it or not. But if we use it responsibly, we are more free to open our eyes and enjoy life as it is given to us rather than being a slave to it.

Happy 2011, may it be a prosperous one!

~Jenny Bunny Bunns

A Fond Farewell... (kind of)

2010-03-31T10:03:00.001-07:00

YARGHHH!!!! Life moves so quickly - with the marriage and my blossoming career, I have been neglecting this blog more and more. I've decided to move my Frugal Bunny tips to my Twitter account, username JennyBunnyBunns. I'm not even bothering to create a different Twitter account for this because that would be even MORE to keep track of! So I'm sorry if it might be annoying to get my personal tweets along with any frugal tips/links, but I've decided that it's easiest and the least stressful for me. And right now - that's just fine with me. Thanks for following me here and thanks for all your support! I hope you move to my Twitter account if you're not already following me. Otherwise, I will leave this blog up because there's still some good stuff in the archives!

Thanks again, love you all!

Bunny go Bye Bye!

~ Jenny Bunny Bunns <3

Money Saving Link from Marie Claire

2010-01-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to 139 Ways to Save Money I found. It might be helpful!

A Page Full of Money Saving Tips from MarieClaire

Sorry, this is a cop-out blog entry - I'm getting ready for my wedding, so I'm saving my blogging energy for posting about my DIY (and therefore money-saving) wedding. Stay tuned soon! Because I think blogging about my wedding and what I'm doing and how I'm going to (try) to do it will make me feel better (getting a little overwhelmed right now, eep!).....

~Jenny Bunns <3

Safe & Frugal Winter Tips for my Southern Bunnies

2010-01-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Chuck Jones. Warner Brothers.

This week has been unusually "wintery" for the Southern states. Coming from the Midwest, where all this ice and snow is commonplace, I kind of laugh at how everyone here freaks out and stocks up on bread and milk, but doesn't bother buying a small bag of sand (for their driveways). The whole city shuts down - schools close, offices close, business who stay open are slow as heck because everyone's staying in. But the reality is - people here aren't used to this kind of weather, and frankly don't know how to live in it. So I've listed a few tips that may also save you a little money in the long run (especially if your pipes freeze or heater breaks down)....

Driving & Parking

* I've noticed people here saying "USE SALT"!!! as the first solution to treat their driveways or to get their cars unstuck. But the reality is - salt should be used SPARINGLY. Salt is known for melting ice and snow. But once that snow melts off, it will surely re-freeze into ice, which is even worse and more dangerous. So instead, the best thing to use and to have handy is a small bag of coarse sand. Even better to use is kitty litter! Yes, kitty litter. I remember in high school we put together emergency winter car kits, and each of them included a freezer bag full of kitty litter. Pour sand and kitty litter in the way of your tires to create for traction if you're stuck in snow or ice. You can also sprinkle it on your sidewalk and driveway. When our short little winter ends - the snow and ice melts and the concrete dries up, it's easy to sweep up the remains.

* Make sure your windshield wiper fluid is filled with solution specifically formulated for cold weather - otherwise it might just freeze onto your windshield! Flush out your radiator and replace it with anti-freeze solution (let your mechanic do this!). These extreme temperatures may not last long enough to have to do all this in the South.... but this is something you should do for SURE.... LET YOUR CAR WARM UP!!! I myself had gotten into the bad habit of letting my car run for 10 seconds before driving it - but in this weather, you REALLY need to let it warm up at least 3-5 minutes before leaving the driveway or parking lot!!!

* Use your brakes sparingly. I know your first instinct, if you hit a patch of ice or snow, is to slam on the brakes. But this is the worst thing you can do since it will take you into a tailspin and you could potentially lose control of your car! Instead, just drive slower. I know that sounds lame, but it's true! This way, you don't have to use your brakes as much as you normally do, and you can control your car much better in inclement weather and road conditions. But if you HAVE to use your brakes, PUMP THE BRAKES instead of just pressing on them in warmer weather. This way, if you do slide around, by pumping them little by little, you are able to maintain control over your car.

* Keep your car cleaned off of snow and ice - this can accumulate and weigh down your car or, if you use salt, it can create salt deposits on your car which is bad for your paint job. It can also obstruct your vision, which is dangerous. So make sure your windows are clear, and your lights, too! Also, check your tires, snow and ice like to accumulate in that space right behind them!

Clothing

* Layers are the key. Each layer traps in the warm air you produce with your own body heat. Also, those puffy jackets work really great (because they trap in that warm air really well!).

* Cover your extremities! Hats, scarves, gloves, and wool (as opposed to cotton) socks work wonders to keeping warm. So don't forget those important accessories! Just think: the more ninja you look, the warmer! :P

* I also have to say from my own experience... Although I love these shoes and I am still wearing them as I type, my Converse Chuck Taylors are the WORST shoes to wear in cold weather! It makes my feet colder than if I just wore wool socks! So don't wear these, unless you want frozen feet like I have right now (and I'm indoors!).

House

* Weather stripping and window plastic - especially if you live in an old house, weather stripping is great to keep the heat in and the bad weather out. Also, if you have old or inefficient windows, you can wrap your windows with plastic sheeting and adhesive to prevent drafts.

* Keep your water on a slow drip! It sucks to do this because it seems wasteful. But it might beat having to suffer through frozen pipes, or worse - a bursted pipe!!! If you're concerned about the wasted water - contain it and save it for watering your plants or soaking your dirty dishes, etc. etc...

Mm, well, I think those are the basics. Happy winter! Let's keep each other warm with hugs! :)

~ Jenny Bunns

Great Group Coupons Thingies!

2009-11-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

image from furryanimalmagic.com

Wondering what to do for presents, or even just for yourself? Well, I've been seeing some sites, lately - mostly local, BUT wherever you may be, there are probably equivalents you can find - that can save you on gift cards & other services!

Groupon.com

Groupon.com - the link to this one leads to the Atlanta local link, but I know there are links to other major cities. This site asks businesses to sell, for example, a $50 gift certificate to their restaurant for only $35. Or a spa could sell $100 worth of services for only $40! The catch is - they have to sell the set minimum amount of these deals in order for these deals to manifest, AND these are daily deals, too! So act fast and check often!

HalfOffGreen.com

HalfOffGreen.com - this is an awesome site that I LOVE! This features green businesses who will sell gift certificates for half off their store value! I got $50 worth of food from Pizza Fusion (because they make yummy gluten and dairy free pizzas, sooo yum!) for only $25! I was SO excited, because I only go there like once or twice a year because they're a little expensive (justly so, but I AM a frugal bunny, after all!). I also found a new doggie daycare place close to my house that I didn't even know existed, AND they're green! So I'm thinking about looking into them, buying a gift cert and trying them out with my pup :) Yay! I love this site!

MyDailyThread.com

MyDailyThread - this one has a similar concept to Groupon. This site seems to really support local and independent businesses, much like the above sites.

I love these sites because they're social responsible AND gives us a chance to splurge on luxuries we normally can't or won't afford, without actually splurging :) :) :)

~Jenny Bunns <3

6 Things I Want to Live Efficiently

2009-11-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

I came across this article today: 10 New Ways To GO Green - Huffington Post
And it gave way to this wish list I have in my head about self-sufficient living, so I thought I'd list them here!

The Urban Homestead Book - Amazon.com
I have this book on my wishlist at Paperbackswap.com. But I kind of have a feeling that no one would want to give this book up! I'm sure eventually I will have to purchase it. I don't think I would do EVERYthing in this reference book, but I sure want to learn and see what I'm actually willing to do.

Ecolo Blue Atmospheric Water Generator
This device takes in water from the air - just like a dehumidifier - only this filters it into clean, healthy drinking water! Imagine - getting up to 7 gallons a day of FREE, CLEAN, drinkable water! Even with everyone in my household combined, we do not drink that much water a day - but we can use this free water for anything else! Screw city water! :P

Ambient Air Refrigerator
Use the outdoors to keep certain foods cooler. Hm, I don't know if I keep enough food like this to need one. But it's certainly a great idea for those who do! And who knows - maybe I WOULD keep more food if I had one of these!

Sink-Toilet Grey Water Combo
This might seem a little weird. But if you have a tiny 1/2 bathroom or looking to turn a small space into a bathroom, it'd be awesome to one of these... You wash your hands with the sink, the water used to do that goes into the toilet tank system and is ultimately used to flush down your, uh, presents for the sewer gods. Space-saving and efficient, this is something I'd want to do EVENTUALLY (when I win the lottery) when I install another bathroom in my house. This one's definitely on my wishlist.

Worm Composting Bin!
If we had a composting bin, we would eliminate a lot of our trash production. Our household doesn't produce TOO much trash - we only have to take the trash to the corner for pick up every 2-3 weeks instead of each week. But STILL...! And this could lead to more fertile soil to make one's own veggie garden. I think a bin would be better for our situation, because I wouldn't want my scampy little dog to get into this - he loves rolling in smelly things. Oh, dogs... So this would be ideal for all of us!

Rain Barrels
And of course - let's catch the rain sent by the Bunny Gods, to water our lawns and gardens! Properly made ones are mosquito-proof (thank goodness, because I hate those buggers!

Well, that's all I've got for now... Progress on my backyard is SLOW. Mostly because I'm allergic to mosquitos (sometimes people think I've fallen down stairs, but in reality I had been abused by mosquitos), so these Georgia summers are bad for me :( But SLOWLY but surely, my fiance is helping - in fact, he pretty much does all the work :) I hope that posting this blog, however, motivates me to pick up wherever he leaves off when he goes out of town this fall and winter. It might be colder, but at least the insects are kept at a minimum, and I can do what I can do help make use of the land I own! <3

Some articles, some Jenny Bunns tips... :)

2009-10-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hey!

I ran into this article that may help us cut down on expenses painlessly. If anything, it's inspirational and may lead to your own ideas on how to cut down expenses! Click below for the article...

25 Ways to Cut Down Household Expenses on Squidoo.com!

Here's another link to some water-saving tips (it's actually the link provided in the article above)!
Reduce Waterbill on Frugallife.com!

And for my own tips...

I've recently started going to the gym regularly. I finally found a location convenient enough for me to actually WANT to go!!! Thanks to my friends, Nicolette and Tasha, who introduced me to the location (only 5 minutes away from my house and I never even knew it!) is a fairly new YMCA facility. The "Y" is pretty inexpensive compared to most other gyms (possible all) in and of itself. On top of that, they also offer financial aid, if you qualify. I certainly qualified, so my monthly fee is $31! That's almost a dollar a day - not too shabby for a lifetime of personal health! :) :)

Another tip coming off this one is... that you can save a lot of water usage in your home if you use the showers at the gym. You should still use the same water-saving courtesies as you would at home, but it certainly saves time and a bit of cash for you too.

I've also tried to get into the habit of reading a bit more. I thought about getting a Kindle. It's portable and you can hold thousands of books in that tiny little thing! You save space for sure! But... at least for now, I'm still not convinced that it saves money - the books themselves are still about the same cost as a physical book. Still great for saving trees.... but at this very moment, I can simply put the Kindle on my Christmas/Birthday list and hope someone reads my mind (which is where I keep my Christmas/Birthday list)....

Soo.... I've found these great alternatives for saving money and space on books....

Bookswim is a website that's very much like Netflix - but instead of DVDs, it's books! There are different levels of membership you can sign up for. www.bookswim.com

And then there's Paperback Swap, a website that facilitates trading paperback books with other people! The books you order are yours to keep, and if someone orders your book, you drop it in the mailbox. Of course, you have to pay for the postage when sending a book OUT. But you get a "credit" from the site when you order from someone else. I think it's a small price to pay for a virtually free book. This saves trees, saves space in your home, and saves money! This is AWEsome!!! :)
www.paperbackswap.com

Saving Money on a Gluten-free Diet

2009-09-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I am gluten intolerant, so I have to be on a gluten-free (GF) diet. It's been almost 3 years since I've started on it, and boy is it still tough to this day!

Not only is seemingly everything I grew up eating has gluten in it, so therefore was thrusted into a totally foreign lifestyle that I did NOT enjoy (I still have dreams of cakes and cookies and pizza and mac 'n cheese). But it also took a hit to my wallet. A significant hit. Where I was completely satisfied with living off of ramen noodles (supplemented with veggies and an egg dropped into the boiling pot) and mac 'n cheese (extra cheese, please! and pass the Sriracha sauce!) before, I had to go to health food stores to look for ready to eat, prepackaged gluten free alternatives, like frozen dinners, breads, baked goods, snacks, etc. But it was EXPENSIVE. It was a struggle to realize that I wasn't as limited as I thought - it's just that I had been eating a horrible (and typically American) diet of processed foods and junk food.

I still treat myself to a gluten-free frozen meal (for work), a rice noodle bowl, or some GF cookies. But through the years, I've learned that there is an unlimited GF menu at my disposal, and it doesn't have to cost me 90% of my earnings (after bills)! The article link below PRETTY much sums it up. But if anyone has any questions, comments, etc. for ME, just add a comment and I will try my best to answer them!

5 Tips to Optimize the Financial Sustainability of the Gluten-Free Diet

~Jenny Bunns <3

MobiQpons

2009-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I got this email this morning from MobiQpons. I wanted to share with you, to see if this would help anyone. I'm going to try this out, and I'm hoping we could share our thoughts on whether this is helpful or not.... thanks! ~Jenny Bunns

Hi,

Am very excited to talk to you about the launch of our new company MobiQpons. As Americans brave the economic situation, we offer invaluable coupons to people on the go and in the know! When was the last time you remembered to actually clip the coupons and carry them with you to the store. Well, now you don't have to! Just get your phone along and show the cashier the large list of coupons we offer to start your savings today!

The application is currently available on our website (www.mobiqpons.com), on the iPhone, and coming soon on the Blackberry & Android phones.
You can see our demo here: http://www.cysmic.com/Clients/Mobi/Design/IPHONE/mobiQpons%20demo.swf

My favorite stores to use Mobiqpons is Carter's & Borders. With 2 kids, can't have enough trips to the store for me, so the Mobiqpons for these stores are hugely welcome :) Give us a try and would love to hear which is your favorite store where you used/would like to use a Mobiqpons coupon!
We are also looking to partner with moms bloggers and writers like you to work with us on making the site better and becoming brand ambassadors for Mobiqpons! We were recently voted as one of the cool mobile shopping apps by Shop Smart Mag: http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2009/07/cool-iphone-shopping-apps.html. Also had some fantastic coverage on MomsLikeMe.com, Little Miss Knowitall, Mobile Insider, Mobile Marketer and the like. You can see the detailed coverage here: http://mobiqpons.com/news

Look forward to hearing from you at honeyleen@mobiqpons.com

Cheers,

Honeyleen

Extreme Frugality

2009-09-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

My friend, Liz, sent me a link to this interesting website: www.gourmet.com/extreme frugality

If you're a foodie, this has great articles, and if you're a frugal foodie, this is even better! :)

~Jenny Bunns

For the Frugal Fashionistas

2009-08-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

For the Frugal Fashionistas

I got an E-vite from an old college buddy, Heather, the other day. Unfortunately I couldn't attend because I work over the weekends, but this great idea was brought to my attention, thanks to her.

It was a clothing swap party!!!

What a great idea, an idea that's been around for a while, I'm sure. I know I have some fashionable friends, and it'd be fun to get your buddies and their buddies together and throw a clothing swap party.

*Declutter. I love this word, "declutter". Intrinsically I'm a minimalist, but I do admit I struggle with it, too. Sometimes stuff accumulates until I can't stand it anymore. That's when I go through my stuff and throw aside what I never use anymore. It's a great feeling - it gives me more space, and in a way, it helps my mind "declutter" too, giving room to new thoughts and ideas (or new clothes).

*Invite. The more the merrier - the more people participating, the more numerous and diverse the clothing picks are.

*Bring. You wouldn't want your best friend to wear some raggedy ol' sweatshirt with mustard stains on it, would you? Of course not! So whatever items you decide to bring, make sure they're in good to excellent condition. The goal is to get rid of this stuff to make room for new cool stuff, isn't it?

Well, good luck everybunnies! Leave a comment - tell us all how yours went!!! :)

Cell Phones Go Public August 2009!

2009-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

At first I was going to post this as a public service announcement. But when I thought about it more, I realized... this MIGHT actually save someone some money, too! So yay for relevancy!

Cell phone numbers go public this month. This is scary - just when we thought we escaped! Companies can even TEXT you their ads - which, if you go over your texting limit (or if you don't even have a texting plan), this could cost you money! This SUCKS!

What can you do about it? Register your phone on the Do Not Call List. It keeps your phone relatively safe for 5 years, and it's also the same number you can call to report if a telemarketer got past the registry.

Call 888-382-1222 Do Not Call List

Remember - when you call, you need to call from the phone you want to register. It's an automated system and it literally only takes 2 minutes of your time. It might be worth it!

~Jenny Bunns <3

Staying In: The New Out

2009-07-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Pic from dankimart.com/ projects/artwork/

More and more people are realizing they have to readjust their spending/saving habits. The credit system is screwed up and has screwed many many people. And to avoid that, people are starting to spend below their means. One of those ways is that people are taking "staycations" and staying in for entertainment and hanging out with friends. I'm still a strong believer in supporting my local pub or restaurant - but sometimes I DO have fight the urge to splurge without sacrificing my social life.

Potluck Parties
If everyone brings a little something, they can enjoy a great meal while learning about some dishes or two from their friends. Sometimes groups of friends alternate homes for a change in environment (and to alternate clean up/set up/etc. duties).

Sometimes these parties can have themes. I personally enjoy hosting potluck parties in which everyone has the option to interact with the food prep. For example, I've held a sushi party before, in which people have the option to roll their own sushi. It was interesting and funny to see the results - but hey, everything looks the same once it goes into the stomach, right? There was nothing leftover by the time everyone left, so it must've been good :) Earlier this week I also hosted a dumpling party - everyone brought beverages and a fruit or veggie snack, and those who wanted got to wrap the dumplings. I spent $20 to feed 8 people on delicious dumplings, WOW! You can do all sorts of foods - Fajitas, Tacos, Eggrolls, even Pizza (pick your own toppings)! And if everyone contributes, you really do save a lot of money.

Barbeque
On that same vein, BBQ's are fun, too! And people can contribute to this as well. Especially on a nice day, these are wonderful, and even more especial, if you do it at a pool, it's even more awesome! Don't own a pool? I'm sure you might have a friend who has one at their apartment complex or some such thing. No? Ok, how about a kiddie pool? Ah, shucks. I ran out of ideas... Well... either way, they're still fun because you've got your friends :)

Movie Night
This can be done in themes, too. Boys night, girls night, horror movie night, Twin Peaks marathon, Lord of the Rings marathon, etc. etc. etc. People can bring snacks and beverages!

Cooking/Baking Night
Do you know a friend or two who makes a dish you absolutely love and always wanted to know how to make? This could be a great way to get that secret recipe from your friend - in exchange for a recipe of your own, of course...

Book/Movie Club
Ok, this might sound too nerdy for some people. But there can be creative ways to do this, too! Read some Paluhniuk or some Murakami for some spooky quirky reading. Or do a graphic novel themed book club! Comic book these days span WAY beyond those superpowered mutants in tights and underwear. Some can be just as moving or intellectually stimulating as any other prose novel.

Craft/Construction Time!
Even people without any artistic ability can have fun doing crafts or scrapbooking. Or you want to build a custom made bookshelf? Invite some friends to help while sharing some beer and pizza amongst each other.

These are just basic ideas, but I hope this gives some inspiration for some creative Inny Outings :) I'm curious to see what else people have done to entertain themselves at home! Yee! :)

How Stuff Works link

2009-07-09T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hey, I ran into this fun little article on HowStuffWorks.com. It also has links to other fun (and maybe even useful!) information!

Check this out:

"10 Ways To Cut Grocery Spending"

Kellogg's Deal!

2009-06-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

OMG, it's been a while since I've posted a, uh... post. :P I feel like slacking on this blog has also reflected on my frugal habits. Not that I've been spending frivolously lately, but I feel like I haven't been active or as meticulous in watching my spending habits. So I'm hoping to get my momentum back!

This is an email that got sent to me. I personally don't consume Kellogg's products (due to my gluten sensitivities), but perhaps this would interest/help some of you. Here goes!

Jenny,

I wanted to let you know about a great new program from Kellogg Company that makes it easier for consumers to help feed the hungry while helping to fill their own pantries too! You can visit www.kelloggs.com/feedingamerica to make a donation to Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger relief organization. For consumer donations of $5 or more, Kellogg will reward you with Kellogg’s cereal coupons worth a total of $5. The consumer donation program will run for three months or until we reach our goal of $1 million in total consumer donations, and distribute coupons to 200,000 consumers.

With so many feeling the pinch these days, especially food banks, it’s important for people to lend their support. This program encourages Americans to pitch in and give what they can, and makes it easier for them to do so.

Recent reports show that:
One in eight Americans is struggling with hunger and food banks across the country are challenged to keep up with rising demand.
Food bank network agencies are seeing an average increase of 30 percent in the need for food assistance.
More than 36 million Americans don’t have enough food to go around at mealtime. That number includes 12 million children.

This consumer donation program is part of an ongoing commitment from Kellogg Company to help fight hunger. In April, the Company announced that it is donating an entire day’s worth of cereal production – more than 55 million cereal servings – to Feeding America. Just this week, the Company launched a new “people-powered” Web video, directed by Demi Moore and produced by Ashton Kutcher. The video, which encourages donations to Feeding America, can be found on the KelloggCares Facebook® Page at www.facebook.com/kelloggcares. You can also donate directly through the Facebook page!

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like any additional information on Kellogg’s efforts or the consumer donation program. I’ve attached a few logos/images in case you’d like to use them in a post.

Regards,
Kathryn
For Kellogg Company

Kathryn Beeler
Associate Account Executive
202-835-9469

Motor Club Savings Tip

2009-04-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've done a new post. Sowwee! Been soooooo busy, pant pant pant! Whew!

Just wanted to share this quick tip...

There may be cheaper ways to get roadside assistance than AAA. I'm not trying to say AAA sucks - in fact, they've got great benefits! BUT... we're all on a budget and have to par down our needs. Someone told me that AT&T offers roadside assistance through the iPhone. But I'm not quite sure, since I don't have an iPhone...

But one thing I DO know... I've contacted my friendly insurance company and asked about roadside assistance. $7.50 per pay period per car later, I have as much reassurace as AAA gave me, saving me about $50 a year! YES!!!!!!!

~Jenny Bunns

Little Articles for Little Things You Can Do To Save Moolah

2009-03-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

It's been a while, I've been busy! But lately there have been a slew (is that a word?) of articles about money saving tips. Here are just a few. Click on the ones that might pertain to you! :)

How To Save Up To 2,000 A Year

Biggest Money Worries Solved

More on How to Save Up To 3,000 A Year

Insane THings to do To Save Money!

100 Steps For Saving Money

20 Tips to Save on Gas

Ideas For Saving Money Eating Out

Ways to Save on Groceries

A Frugal Getaway...

2009-03-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy www.elijaycabin.com

Since the beginning of the year I've been working at work (oh, wow, really?) and working (on artwork for art shows) at home. I rarely came out to catch up with friends because of that reason. I think it caught up with me when my fiance came home from tour and shortly after my body broke down and I got sick! It was time for this A-type personality to force herself to be treated with a mini-vacation (though still I brought artwork stuff to work on).

I have so many things I need to save money on, so how does this frugal bunny do this?

Well, take advantage of your area! I've lived in Atlanta officially since 2003, and I still had NEVER spent time in the North Georgia Mountains (the foothills of Appalachia). Only an hour and a half away, there are tons of secluded cabins for rent for awesome prices. For a cabin for two, you can have a cabin with a fenced in yard for your pet (some cabins require NO pet deposit!), a hot tub, gas grill, hockey table (or other such entertainment), full kitchen with accessories, etc. for the price of a mid-grade hotel. All you need to bring besides your belongings, is food and beverages, which you can get at the grocery store, or better yet - your local farmer's market (which is cheaper and fresher!)!!! If you get a group of friends together, there are cabins that sleep all the way up to 9 people comfortably (and maybe more if some don't mind sleeping in sleeping bags on the couch or floor), and it would be EVEN less expensive! WOW! FUNNN!

Of course, always make sure you read everything the cabin renter owners give you - beware of animals, be responsible and don't leave trash around or leave lights on at night to attract bugs and animals. You know the drill - just don't mess up this great trip for you or others, okayyyyyy????

If you don't live in Atlanta, check out your own area. There are so many great deals for a Nature getaway. You can even bring your car and camp in campgrounds for less than $15 a night if you want to "rough it". Or take a trip during off-season - there are tons of discounts offered, even AT THE BEACH!!!! That's even cheaper! And it's getting you away from the hustle and bustle of urban (or suburban) life, getting you a whiff of Nature. It's good for your soul! :)

Tiger Balm.

2009-03-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

A little story...

My fiance's neck was hurting and he ran out of Tiger Balm. So one day I was shopping at my favorite health food store, Return to Eden on LaVista Rd, and found Tiger Balm for $6.99. I was like, "Hm. When I was little, my parents got Tiger Balm at the Asian grocery store." So I waited till the next time I went to my local Asian Food Store (First Oriental Food Store by the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur) and asked for Tiger Balm. It was $4.50. I was like "YES!!!!"

When shopping for Asian produced products, especially medicinal ones, it pays to go to the Asian food store. They usually buy in wholesale and sell it for dirt cheap (at least, as cheap as you can find in the States).

So, if you're looking for dumpling or eggroll wraps, rice, rice noodles, seaweed, nori wraps, even ramen noodles! You'll probably save more when you support your local Ethnic food store - plus, you might experience new things, which is always good for the soul! :)

Eating at the Workplace

2009-02-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

Eating Out at Work

I didn’t get a chance to get groceries on my designated grocery day this week. So I hardly have any food at home, which I usually bring to work everyday to save money and to make sure I’m eating somewhat healthy. I’ve decided to take this opportunity to do an experiment:

How frugal can I be, eating out during my 10 hour work day?

Here are some conditions pre-set in place:

*I’m gluten intolerant, so this is going to be even harder for me to find food I can eat. It’s easy to get a cheap meal from Mickey D’s for most people, but you also sacrifice health! I think in ANY food take-out, you’ll most likely be sacrificing some healthy aspect, but I’ll try my best.

*At home I have cream of buckwheat or millet and agave syrup for a quick breakfast, so it’ll tide me over till I get to work. I also still have a bag of tangerines that I’ll be bringing to work or eating at home for a snack.

*The week that follows this, I’m going to keep track of how much I spend on buying groceries and preparing them for food at work to compare how much time, healthy eating, and money I’ve spent on both methods of fueling my body.

Okay, let’s start this 4-day experiment!

Eating Out Without a Plan

DAY ONE:

I spent 9.62 on corn tortillas and some Mexican platter from next door at work. I was hoping I could stretch it and make more than one meal out of this. It did – somewhat – but it only lasted one day’s worth. I also spent 3.19 on a McFlurry. I needed my ice cream fix – I hadn’t had any for weeks! I knew I splurged on the ice cream, but I knew it’d be the last ice treat I’d give myself. Still, though, I spent a hefty bit of money for one day. Tonight as I go to bed, I shall strategize….

TOTAL: $12.81

DAY TWO:

I went to Publix grocery store this morning before work. I got:
-celery (I had peanut butter at work)
-cheese spread (I had gluten free crackers at work too)
-a small salad
-gluten free frozen enchilada
-box of wheat-free oat bars (oats are ok for me, as long as I eat sparingly)

TOTAL: 14.05

It only saves me that I had a couple of things at work waiting for me just for occasions like this when I’m desperate for something in my tummy. Today I ate the enchiladas, half the cracker box, the small salad and a couple of oat bars. So I should I have enough for tomorrow without having to buy anything. See, even grocery shopping for easy-to-make or ready-made meals/snacks is cheaper than eating out, whether you’re on a gluten-free diet or not! So… hopefully tomorrow I’ll have enough snacks to get me through the day. We’ll seeeeee!!!!

DAY THREE:

I ate most of what I bought from the grocery store the day before. Yes! Though… it wasn’t really good I WANTED to eat, and it was mostly snacking, as opposed to having meals. Not that I mind snacking… it was just slightly limiting and unsatisfying, but it did the job – filled my stomach and fueled my body.

TOTAL: $0.00

DAY FOUR:

I bought an Amy’s gluten free enchilada frozen meal, and sweet potato pancakes today. I was FULL!

TOTAL: approximately $7

CONCLUSION:

On average, I spent 8.46 per day. That’s a little high… but it wasn’t AS bad as I thought it’d be, thanks to Return to Eden, a great health food store, and Publix. I would have spent a lot more if those stores weren’t so close by my work. Plus, I was also blessed with already having a few items on hand. So technically, I spent a little more. Also… going to the grocery stores might’ve been cheating. But really – it’s almost impossible to eat out everyday decently when you’re gluten-free, and all there are around are fast food joints. Let’s see how next week fares with buying groceries and preparing my own food.

MEAL PLANNING & GROCERY SHOPPING

I went to the Dekalb Farmer’s Market, the cheapest yet most quality grocery shopping I have found in Atlanta. Without that pesky middle man and clever (yet ethical) businessmanship, the DFM is AWWWWWESOME!!!!! Or, as my Southern fiancé would say, “OHsome!” Everything, from the dairy and meats, to the seafood to the breads and produce… everything is fresh, and they make much of their own products, such as fresh-roasted coffee, freshly ground peanut or cashew butter, all baked goods are made there, etc. etc. They even have a little cafeteria. Anyway, with the high quality of food and the very low prices, it’s totally worth the trip over there every week. Sometimes it’s hard to get over there with my hectic schedule, but I try my best!

So… for this work week I got…

Kamut bread 2.99
Earth Balance Buttery Spread 3.49
Tomatoes .97 (yes, three whole tomatoes for under a dollar! The secret? Buy their pre-bagged produce!)
Cucumbers 1.29
½ lb. Deli Turkey Meat 2.39
Sliced Muenster Cheese 2.17
Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese 1.81
Roasted Red Peppers 1.69
Blackberries 1.29 (yes, that’s cheap for berries! The secret? Buy fruits IN PEAK SEASON!)
Dozen Free-range Eggs 2.39

TOTAL: 20.48

CONCLUSION:

Divided over a four-day, 10-hour work week, that’s an average of 5.12 per day. But WAIT! I still have half a loaf of bread and half of my deli stuff left, and other small items left! So let’s readjust… Okay the more accurate total is… $2.07 per day!!!! WOWWWWWWWW! Plus, I’ve still got plenty to get me through the rest of the week on this humble grocery list. Yayyyy! I might even have some money left to treat myself (in moderation, of course) to some ICE CREAM!!! Yayyyy!!! :D

See? It really helps to meal plan and grocery shop for your work week food. Eating out sucks the wallet thickness outta ya, bleh!

For my Atlanta Peeps!

2009-02-05T06:15:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll! Hehe, I've always wanted to say "ya'll"....

I got friended on Twitter (my Twitter username is JennyBunnyBunns) by a gal who has a blog just about great deals she finds in my great home of Atlanta, GA. So for all you locals out there, this ones for you...

www.atlantaonthecheap.com

photo from dept. of justice website

Frugal Grocery Shopping 101

2009-01-28T18:09:00.001-08:00

After all our stupid grown up bills, the next thing we spend the most amount of our money is FOOD. Food is essential to survival (it's also quite enjoyable), so though we can't eliminate it, we can certainly takes steps to cut back on our spending by using clever strategies.

Many people who've tried living on a dollar a day or whatever crazy-extreme things do, usually suffer the consequence of inadequate nutrition. Remember folks - it's better to be broke than to be unhealthy. HEALTH IS YOUR PRIORITY. Although many processed/boxed/premade foods can be cheap, they're not good for youuuuu! Why do you think there are so many people like me who've developed gluten intolerances? Because our digestive systems have not evolved fast enough for all this modern processed, mass-produced foods. So let's challenge ourselves in a positive way, by figuring out how to grocery shop frugally AND healthily.

My roommate, Jonathan, had read something that said that one should shop in the perimeter of the grocery store. You've got your fruits, veggies, fresh dairy, meats and seafood in the perimeter of every store. These are WHOLE foods. The healthiest, most basic of foods. I'm not telling you not to venture into the aisles, I'm just saying... it should be a general rule to have whole foods as the majority of your grocery purchases. With this said, let's get to some tips on how to save money on these perimeter-found foods....

* Do you have a farmer's market in your area? By cutting out the middle man, you save so much on whole foods. I used to live in Decatur, which had the Dekalb Famer's Market, just minutes away from my condo. When I moved to Atlanta (about 25 minutes away), I started shopping at the regular ol' grocery stores, and my produce was SOOO expensive in comparison. AND they were NOT fresh, blechhhh! So now I make it a conscious effort to go to the farmer's market. A longer trip is worth it in the end. At my farmer's market, they sometimes have pre-bagged produce for really good deals. They're usually cucumbers or tomatoes or apples or what-have-you that will spoil the fastest if they don't get rid of them, so they bad em and put em on sale. So make sure you're able to get to them within the week!

* Watch out for SALES! Whatever produce is on sale, for example - that's what you're eating that week (or however long it will sustain you). Usually prebagged stuff is cheaper, but it wouldn't hurt to calculate it in your head to make sure it's worth it to you. Some pitfalls of this is - if you're shopping for one, make sure you're able to eat everything before it spoils. Solution? Shop with a friend or two and split your bulk items!!!!

*Costco or other kind of bulk store. You have to do your own calculations on whether paying for a membership will be worth the savings - everyone has a different lifestyle. Again, if you're shopping for one this may not be worth it - but it would if you shared the membership with friends!

* Mealplanning - you don't have to spend a whole Sunday afternoon on this. You don't have to be rigid about it. Just have a general idea of how much you eat in a week, and what you can eat. This is my personal list for a typical week. This doesn't mean I buy ALL these things every single week, but these are the basic items I try to keep in stock at most times.

peanut butter
butter
juice or milk (I use a milk sub, like almond milk)
eggs
bread (I buy gluten-free kamut bread from the farmer's market - it's the cheapest gluten free bread I've found - usually they're a ridiculous $6 a loaf!!!! - so I won't buy anything else. If there's no kamut bread, then no bread at all!)
sandwich condiments (store brand kind)
deli meats
sliced cheeses
lettuce or dark leafy greens, like collards or kale (LOADED with minerals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc.)
cucumbers
tomatoes
rice noodles
dehydrated wakame or some other seaweed (LOADED with minerals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc.)
tofu or something similar (bean curd sheets, tempeh, etc.)
whatever fruit is IN SEASON, usually pre-bagged on sale (if you buy produce only when they're in season, you save tons and they tend to last longer in your fridge or shelf!)

So for work I make myself a sammich, throw some fruit and/or veggies in. It usually lasts me my 10 hour work day.
At home, I make noodles with veggies, tofu or similar stuff, and seaweed. I also throw in an egg while the water's boiling, for added protein. Then you just splash on soy sauce and whatever spices you like for flavoring. Simple and still nutritious.

You don't have to follow my regimen. In fact, I encourage you to make up your own. EVERYbunny's different, so play on your strengths. What do you like to eat that happens to be healthy? Or how can you turn your favorite meal into a healthy one and still be yummy? If you're not enjoying what you eat, you'll never stick to a good plan. Ah, that reminds me....

* You should also add in some rewards for your frugal shopping. Once in a while, you should splurge on something nice and yummy for yourself. Variety is also good for your stomach and taste buds alike. If you see some salmon on sale, even the frozen kind, go for it. If you've been really good about saving grocery money, get a small thing of ice cream! Go ahead, it's okay! Live a little! It's very important that you don't deprive yourself. Smart money habits are very important, especially in these times, but you also have one life to live. So enjoy yourself when you've been responsible!!!!!

*If anyone has any more suggestions, as I'm STILL trying to refine my frugal ways... please feel free to comment and share!

Happy grocery shopping and even happier eating! *NOM NOM NOM!!!*

~Jenny Bunny Bunns!

Homemade Cleaning Products are CHEAP!!!

2009-01-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

I came from a Money Group meeting last night, with some amazing women. I was reminded about how cost-effective and eco-friendly making one's own soaps and cleaning products are. When I first learned about them, the first thought in my head was, "I just don't have the time to make that stuff..." True, I was working 70 hours a week at the time. But now that my work week hours have been reduced, I really have no excuse anymore. One afternoon on a slow day off is all you need. Most of the recipes I'm featuring will last you 6 months to a year, so it's not like you even have to spend much time making the stuff! All of these recipes are also eco-friendly. We're going back to our roots - the simplest cleaning solutions are often the most effective, cheapest, and eco-friendliest. Hard to believe with all the crazy products out these days - but it's so true! They all have the same effectiveness, if not better, of standard market cleaning products.

Without further ado...

LAUNDRY SOAP

Ingredients (most of these are found in the laundry and handsoap sections - if the borax and soda are hard to find, they sell them on Amazon.com, too):
1 PURE BAR SOAP - Ivory, Dove, or your own homemade soap
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda)
grater
medium sauce pan
2 gallon bucket (preferable with lid, unless you plan to put the soap in other containers)

Grate the bar soap into the sauce pan. Add 6 cups of water, and heat until soap dissolves. Then add the washing soda and borax, stir till dissolves. Remove from heat. Now pour 4 cups of hot water into the bucket. Add the soap solution to the bucket. Then stir in 1 gallon and 6 cups of room temp water. Let the soap sit for 24 hours. Use 1/2 cup of soap per load of laundry. Makes approximately 64 loads. This ends up being about 1 cent per load!!! CRAZY COOLNESS! Your clothes will come out looking and smelling clean, though you can add some essential fragrant oils if you want, though I haven't played with this, therefore don't know how much to put in.
Note: The soap solution will not consistently gel. It will look kind of like a weird, curdley solution. You can even youtube it to see exactly how it looks (because it's too hard to photograph). But this is natural. Just make sure you take some gelled parts and some liquid parts in each 1/2 cup per load. Also, this is a low-sud soap. If you don't see many suds or none at all, it's okay. It's still working hard for you!

DISH WASHING SOAP (2 recipes!)

RECIPE 1:
Ingredients:
2 c. grated bar soap (Ivory, Pure & Natural, Pears, etc.)
2-3 c. hot water and some more to dilute
lemon juice or vinegar
few drops essential oils for scent (opt.)
large container or bowl
squeeze bottles

Cover soap shavings with 2-3 c. hot water. Let sit for several hours or overnight to soften. The mash the soap solution till smooth. Add more hot water to dilute to desired consistency. Add lemon juice or vinegar to cut grease when washing. Add essential oils (like orange or lemon), as optional fragrance. Pour into squeeze bottles. Shake well before each use.

RECIPE 2:
Ingredients:
2 c. castile soap
few drops essential oil (orange or lemon)
1/2 c. warm water
squeeze bottle.

Combine castile soap and water in squeeze bottle.. Add essential oil. Shake well before each use.

TOOTHPASTE

Ingredients:
6 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp glycerin
7 drops peppermint essential oil
7 drops spearmint or wintergreen essential oil
stevie or xylitol (as sweetener)

Mix ingredients except for the sweetener thoroughly. Should be toothpaste consistency. Add stevia or xylitol to taste. Store in container with lid. You'll be surprised how fresh your mouth will feel. Flouride and chemical-free!

You can even play with this recipe - using different essential oils, such as cinnamon, vanilla, etc. Perhaps you can even add tea tree oil for added cleansing action. Be careful when experimenting, always remember - LESS IS MORE!!! TOO much of these oils CAN be toxic! So don't sue me for putting too much!! Peaz?

BEAUTY PRODUCTS!

I personally haven't tried these, but I found a link to many natural homemade beauty products. If you try them, please leave a comment and tell me how they work. Thanks, and happy soap making!

Click here for Ultimate Cosmetics' Recipes to Homemade Beauty Products!

Love,
Jenny Bunny Bunns!

We Use Coupons!

2009-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

It's great to see couples and families teaming up to make money-saving websites to share to others. I just wanted to give a shout-out to WeUseCoupons.com. It's a good starting point to finding sites that feature coupons.

www.weusecoupons.com

I remember when I was a little girl, my mom would spend Sunday afternoons looking through the newspaper, clipping out tons and tons of coupons. It was actually fun for me to take a few coupons at a time and run around the grocery store, finding those items. Ok, maybe I'm a nerd, even back then. But now - especially with a wedding to save up for and all these home improvement projects that can't wait any longer to get done - I need to pinch pennies as much as possible, especially on mundane everyday items. You can even go to your local food co-op to find a book of coupons for health food items. Yay!

Freebies for Bunnies!!

2009-01-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Unexpectedly, I've been getting emails from people who are suggesting these great sites that might save someone some moolah.

Ever heard of that housewife in Ohio who raised her 8 kids off of looking for freebies? Well, I wouldn't go that extreme, but a little bit might go a long way if you find samples of products you usually use or have always wanted to try out.

There's a site called www.absurdlycool.com (click to get to it!) that updates every couple of hours. It features links to freebie deals, like samples and money for surveys, etc. that have been filtered for spam and pyramid referrals. These are the real deal, I've tried it myself! It also gives you smart tips on how to get these freebies without compromising your privacy, such as using an email account used solely for these freebies, and only getting samples of products you'd actually use, so you won't waste product AND you won't have a pile of random crap sitting in your house.

Absurdly Cool's sister site, www.ohbigdeal.com also constantly updates the best deals on the shopping web. I've noticed they feature a lot of sales that Amazon.com has that I didn't even know they sold! Crazy!

Of course, you should always be weary of the sites they take you to. Some sites are ones you have to register for, so unless you REALLY want to, DON'T do it! But you WILL find some good deals and freebies. Be careful, be smart, use in moderation. Thank you, my bunny pals. Happy New Year!

~Jenny Bunns!

Saving for Internet Shopping!

2008-12-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you're as busy as I am, or you don't have easy access to going shopping, or if you're stuck behind a computer most of the time, you might like internet shopping. And there are great deals out there on the world wide web, but don't you hate that you have to calculate in shipping costs??? I DO!

I'd been informed of this great website, www.freeshipping.org, recently.

This FREE site (you don't even have to register, yes!) gives you codes for free shipping coupons to over 850 stores, including JCPenney, Kohl's, Macy's, Dell and Gap! It also tells you when an internet store has a free shipping special. It's well organized, easy to navigate. You can locate free shipping coupons by store name, category, soon to expire and most recent free shipping coupons. And a cute little bonus is, this site is run by a husband and wife team of Luke and Maisie Knowles. Let's support small sites who help people save munnies.

~Jenny Bunns!

Frugal Holiday Shopping

2008-12-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

image from www.petafoo.com

What a tough year, eh?

I found a good article from Mr Cheap Stuff that'd be a good start to Frugal Holiday Shopping. Click below!

Mr. Cheap Stuff's 15 Ways To Spend Less On Holiday Shopping

Okay, now a tip from the Frugal Bunny herself. As always, this is just what's worked for me - this should just be inspiration to think of what would work for you.

I'm grateful for those who've helped me through the year and my career, so I've made it a tradition (inspired my my tattoo shop alma mater's tradition) of sending holiday cards to, not only my beloved friends, but clients and anyone else who've helped me along my professional and personal life. This is the solution to reaching out: I make my own cards, a limited edition each year. You don't have to be an artist to do this. You can be crafty. If you're not crafty, there's always clip art :) The receiver will see the effort you've put into it, even if it's just stick figures, when they see that you've custom made your own cards, and made your own personal message. I either go to Kinko's to print, or if I hadn't procrastinated (ahem), I use Overnight Prints. They print my snazzy business cards, too.
Between the printing costs and postage, you've said "HAPPY HOLIDAYS! THANK YOU FOR BEING IN MY LIFE!" to everyone while not going terribly broke. Feel spread too thin? Don't feel guilty. It's tough times, everyone will (or should) understand. And however small a token, the whole point of gift-giving is just to let someone know they matter to you. And you do, my bunny friends :)

My Water Bill Went Down!

2008-11-29T13:26:00.001-08:00

Well, I'll be a bunny's uncle.

Last month's water bill (as I groaned about in a previous entry, Water Conservation) was the highest I've ever had in the one and a half years I've lived in my house. Well, this month's water bill, I can happily say, was one of the lowest!

I'm sure there are a lot of factors going into why - no guests during last billing period... um... well, I think that's pretty much it. But I'd like to think that most of the reason why this month's water bill was so low is because those water conservation tips I've mentioned before ACTUALLY WORKS.

I wasn't a total stickler for each and every tip mentioned, but I did the best I could. The main thing is to always be aware of conservation, and it really does help to be rewarded with a low water bill! YAYYY!!!! :D

Video Games Sucking Energy?

2008-11-20T10:14:00.001-08:00

I happened upon this article about the worst culprits of energy sucking video game consoles. If you have any of these, try unplugging them when not in use. Annoying to do, I'm sure. But it might be worth the lower energy bills!

CLICK HERE FOR
Energy Wasting Video Game Consoles

Articles on the Psychology of Money

2008-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Psychology of Money

How Thinking Globally Can Save You Money

3 Reasons Money Brings Satistfaction, Not Happiness

Money and Self-Control

Water Conservation

2008-11-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

I got my water bill a week ago. It was twice as much as it was the month before. Granted - I have been home more, therefore having more time to cook (which requires water usage), and I DID host 3 extra people for a week, all of whom took showers every single day. But TWICE as much??? Really?? I'm not going to blame anyone or anything - it's time to take matters into my own hands. I have to be more ever more conscious about conserving water - not only to save money, but also to help the environment and my community. So I've compiled a list of things that could help conserve water. It's not that I have to do every single thing on this list, or that I feel that I have to completely change your lifestyle. I'm just going to keep the ones in mind that I know I can do, and slowly integrate it into my lifestyle. Once I get that lower water/sewer bill, I'll keep it up because you've reaped in the benefits in a concrete way.

*Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
Actually, the cost of sewage is waaay more expensive than the actual water itself, according to City of Atlanta Dept of Watershed Management. So you might want to examine your own water bill, if you live outside my neighborhood. So this might actually be a good idea. Problem is - I don't wash dishes in a tub or anything. This one might take me some time to figure out how to do without having to consciously think about doing it.

Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.*Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks.

Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.
Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)
I just fixed a badly leaking toilet. It cost me a chunk, but at least I know it isn't wasting water, causing water damage to my walls or floors (which could cost 10 times more than the repair in the long run). It really is worth fixing leaks, however small.

*Speaking of toilets, create your own low-flow toilet by placing a half-gallon milk jug filled with water and putting it in the toilet tank.
I also put a teeny bit of bleach in the milk jug full of water, to prevent algae and what-not from growing. One should probably replace the water once in a while - but replace it with used water!!!!!

*Take shorter AND fewer showers. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs.
When it comes to showers - I'm all business. Get in, wash, rinse, get out. I've also replaced the showerhead with a water-saving unit I got at www.waterpikecoflow.com. Singing in the shower's great - just pick a short song, to abridge your shower routine!
Also, during the colder months, I tend to shower every other day, as opposed to every single day. Unless one sweats profusely or partakes in hard physical activity every day or shovels poop (sorry for speaking so frankly), showering every other day can actually be ideal. THe natural oils on your hair protects it from damage and can help keep it shiny and soft.

Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
I had a couple of roommates in my life who put everything and anything in the toilet and flushed it down. Hair, q-tips, tissues, etc. Eventually it clogged up the toilet and we had to get a plumber to fix it. BAD roommates, bad! This is what a trash can in the bathroom is for!

Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.

Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using. Also, if the season/weather is okay for this, line dry your laundry.
I never saw the point of washing A blanket, or A pair of pants. I guess it's the anal retentiveness of my conservationalist personality that really irked me about people who do that. I also had an ex who, instead of ironing his clothes or pulling his clothes out of the dryer and folding/hanging them up right away, every morning he'd put his outfit for the day in the dryer and dry it for 30 minutes. OMG. HORRIBLE. I'm getting hives just thinking about that.

When washing dishes by hand, quickly splash some water over the pile of dishes. Wet the soapy sponge, and scrub/soap up all the dishes in one sink or basin. Then, quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
I remember this is how my parents washed dishes when I was a kid. I was re-introduced to this easy and quick method of dishwashing from my Spanish friend, Lara. Leave it to the Europeans - they really know how to unclutter and live a more minimal lifestyle.

Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
Or if you can get used to room temperature water, then you don't even have to worry about this step!

Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Mr. Cheap Stuff's Energy Saving Tips!

2008-10-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is a great article that Dean (Mr. Cheap Stuff) wrote:

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE!

A Money Disorder??

2008-10-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ah, how I love intelligent friends and their Deliciouses (thanks Jonathan). I found this article from Heather M - it's about "money disorders". What is that? Well, I'll let you read the full article if you're interested, because if I told you, it'd negate the whole reason for posting a link to it. Also... I get paranoid about copying someone else's work. Oh, and because I'm lazy.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
.

Anyway, this article reminded me of my friend/financial planner's money group. It's just a small group of pals who talk to each other confidentially, of course, about money issues and how to deal with them practically and even mentally. The meeting I was able to attend had everyone share their own story about how they came to have their attitudes toward money. My own - well, without going into gruesome detail...

My mother was a spender, my father was stingy. Both had clever ways of saving money, though they both saved for very different reasons. My mom saved so she could spend it on lots and lots of things, some of them big purchases. My dad saved in case of emergencies, or for helping his children pay for their educations. I don't mean to make my mom seem like a bad parent - a lot of things she bought was for us kids, too. She also helped me set up my first mutual fund when I was 16. Anyway, when I was very young, my primary caretaker was my mother. Up until they separated and divorced when I was 11-12, and from then on my primary caretaker was my father. Because my upbringing was split up, I've noticed, as an adult, that I've taken traits from both parents (as most people do in this situation).

The more responsibilities I got, the less I bought "things". I had no desire to purchase trinkets, leisurely items such as books, CDs, DVDs, accessories, etc., a trait I'd picked up from my dad. I started saving as much as I could (something they both do), for rainy days or large purchases, such as a laptop or remodeling parts of my home, justifying it - and rightly so for the most part - as an "investment", a largely "mom" trait. I don't really suffer from "buyer's remorse" as much as I suffer from "OMG, what if my car breaks down or I break my leg and I can't pay for it because I bought this important, but not THAT important, item?" - a reactionary trait my father inadvertently cursed me with. When I go out with friends or with Jason, I spend money freely, because I want everyone to have a good time and not to worry about silly things like money - that's my mom talking. But then again, I also hate spending on myself, and when alone I eat gross combinations of victuals because I don't want to spend the money going to the grocery store - that's my dad. This is the dichotomy within myself.

I, too, suffer from - perhaps not as severe as a "disorder" - but I certainly suffer from money-related issues stemming from my upbringing. I can't blame my parents for my financial stresses, though. They've taught me the valuable lesson of saving money, investing it in long-term funds, spending only on essentials and investments but also splurging responsibly - and most of all, they taught me the value of money and the correlation that goes with hard work and perseverance. People are also influenced by their environment and the people around them.

I just want you to think about where you came from, and why you do the thing you do. Sometimes knowing where you come from can help you find the root of problems - and triumphs - you may be struggling with pertaining to your financial habits. :)

Frugal Modern Home Interior Painting 101

2008-10-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

With the immense help from my darling Jason, I've FINALLY started doing something with it. After a year and a half of financial ups and downs (mostly downs, and the ups were more like "uphill battles") and having an absorbingly hectic schedule, I've finally gotten to a point in my career where I have more time to pay attention to my home - my abode, my sanctum sanctorum. It's a little overwhelming to think about all the plans I'd like to do to the house, so I have to slow down and just take one thing at a time. But knowing myself, it'd be more like 2-3 things at a time.

I wanted to share with you my experiences with this because between coming to the slow season for my business, the economy, the gas crisis - a girl like me has no choice but to be frugal about her home investments. My friend, Heather M. posted this NYTimes article on her Delicious account about becoming inspired by the frugal, yet creative mentality of many college students. I LOVE stuff like this - taking found objects and turning them into cool, creative, and functional household furnishings/items. ReadyMade Magazine is also one of my favorites, its namesake inspired by one of the masters of modern art, Marcel Duchamp and his avant-garde "readymades". But I digress.

Let's start with one of my first goals: PAINTING (interior)

I used to do murals here and there before I became a tattoo artist, so I've learned a few tricks that I was excited to utilize again. First, choose general color schemes. For example, I wanted the hallway to have a terra cotta kind of feel to it. I want the bathroom to have spearminty greens on the walls and inside the cabinets. Now that I know what colors I want, off we go to Lowe's and Home Depot in search of good quality paints - but for less than half the price.

HOW?!!! If you're adventurous (I'd say "like me", but I would NEVER go bungy jumping), you'd go to the "OOPS PAINT" section. This is my favorite shelf of the paint section.

oops paint n. house paint sold at a discount because it is deemed of unsatisfactory or wrong color, has been returned by a previous customer, or was specially mixed but never sold.

Oops Paint is usually sold for $5-7 a gallon at Home Depot, and $7-12 at Lowe's. But most of them are good quality paint brands, they were just orphaned. Even when I'm not looking for paint, anytime I go to those stores, I'd take a glance at the Oops Paint shelf. If I see a color that has potential, I'll snag it. If it's not the EXACT color you want, it's no big deal. You can mix paints! Do you remember what your art teacher taught you about the color wheel? Okay, so not all of you did.

But here's a good general rule of thumb, even for the most inexperienced:

*When choosing Oops Paint, try to choose a color of the same HUE as the color you want. For example, my hallway paint is to have terra cotta colors, which is like an earthy orange tone. I found a paint called "ginger", which was way too dark for what I wanted, but it was the HUE I wanted. It was muted like a plant pot, not bright and saturated like a creamsicle. So all I had to do was buy a can of white paint to lighten it to my liking.

*Better the Oops Paint be too dark than too light. Dark paints can always be lighten little by little by white paint. Light paints are harder to darken, unless you have a good grasp on the color wheel AND how paints mix with other kinds of colors.

*Make sure the paints have the kind of finish you want. If your Oops Paint is a matte finish, but you want an eggshell, then lighten your paint with a white with an eggshell finish or even a step above that - a satin finish, to compensate for the matte.

*If you want to do more than one color in a room, make sure you do some sample painting. Pick a small section of wall and paint an even coat of each color right next to eachother so that there's no space in between them. Colors may "look" different when juxtaposed with other colors. So make sure you have an idea of how they'll look together.

This may seem like a dangerous chemistry/art project - and it certainly can be a trial and error process. But if you have the mentality that anything can happen, and just freaking go with it kind of attitude, this can actually be really fun! And once you're done painting, you can tell people "I custom mix all my paintwork". That really gets them impressed. And it's even more fun when you've only spent $15 worth of designer brand paint on your new hallway.

For paint equipment, like rollers, dropcloths, etc. I've found the best place to go are places like Big Lots. The quality is just as good as at Home Depot or Lowe's, but cheaper. Use the plastic dropcloths over and over again. Rollers are re-usable, you just have to replace the actual roller covers. Buy a paint tray (or 2 or 3, depending on how many colors you're using in one session), and then buy paint tray liners. You can get 10 for just a few bucks. The liners are disposable, and you've still got paint trays to last and last. Paintbrushes can be re-used, as long as you clean them thoroughly with mild soap and warm water. If you take care of your equipment, they can last a long time.

(note: the blurry thing of brown and white is my dog, Millhouse)

Vampire Energy!

2008-10-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Jason sent me this link about Vampire Energy - energy spent on items in your home that are plugged in, even though not in use. This article shows how much energy is used annually, to give you an idea of how much it is included in your electric bill. It'll take me a while to get used to unplugging various items in my home and at work! It might be that much money, but it DOES add up AND it's not good for the environment. Any little bit helps!

CLICK HERE for the article on Vampire Energy!

Thanks, Hunny Bunny! :)

The "Bailout"

2008-10-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you an article that my financial planner sent to me. It's really important for us to put things in perspective when all this sensationalist news is coming out about our economy. It's bad, but it's not that bad. DON'T PANIC. If we do, things will get that bad, because we feed into our own fears.

CLICK HERE for "Don't call it a Bailout"

It's a mad, mad max world (tips on SAVING GAS!).

2008-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I procrastinate on refilling my gas tank, so when I get close to the 'E', I start hypermiling - a cost-efficient way of driving to save gas! It includes the use of coasting, slowing down on highways to that "sweet spot" of 55 mph, the most fuel-efficient speed, accelerating slowly, etc. On my Honda Fit, it's gotten me pretty far in times of need- but now, because of the gas shortage in the Atlanta area, I'd made a permanent conscious effort to change the way I drive.

I've taken these steps in hypermiling from ehow, but I've edited some of them because some steps are actually kind of dangerous (like shutting of your car when you're driving, that's too crazy!)!

Step
1. When you go above 38 mph in most cars, you lose mileage. For every 5 mph above 55, you can lose as much as 10 percent of your fuel economy. So slowing down can save you gas. Drive the speed limit.

Step
2
Driving without brakes or in hypermiling lingo,d.w.b. is all about coasting. You need to maintain a constant speed and not let it get ahead of you when you are driving in traffic, so that when traffic starts to slow back down you'll catch up. This can be tricky as in a lot of cases when ever you allow distance between you and another car, another car will take advantage of it and cut in front of you.

Do it when possible -- but be careful.

Step
3
Avoid big hills and stop-and-go traffic by trying different route because a longer route may have better driving conditions and less traffic which uses less gas. Also, changing your work schedule 30 minutes to half an hour can mean less traffic. Try working out at a gym next to your job and then driving home. Test different routes to see which is the smoothest ride.

Step
4
Scheduled oil changes result in better fuel economy because as the oil gets older thus thicker it is harder to push through the engine.

Step
5
Traffic lights are the biggest cause of you using gas while idling. If you see a red light in front of you, take your foot off the gas and let your car coast up to it. Hypermilers practice riding the "waves and jams" caused by congestion to minimize time accelerating, decelerating, and sitting stopped. When you can turn off your car, like when you are waiting to pick up someone, or in your car in line, like at the bank or drive through, turn off your engine to save gas.

Step
7
Accelerate slowly. The longer you take to achieve a speed, the less fuel it will require to get there. In many cars, using cruise control to slowly approach the desired speed will help regulate accelerations. A rule of thumb is to press down the accelerator an inch at a time.

Step
8
Using cruise control on the highway, though, really does have a noticeable effect on fuel economy. In Edmunds.com's test using a Land Rover LR3 and a Ford Mustang, the Land Rover got almost 14 percent better mileage using cruise control set at 70 miles per hour rather than cruising at driver-controlled speeds between 65 and 75 miles per hour. The Mustang got 4.5 percent better mileage.

Using cruise control cuts down on unnecessary speed changes which can eat up gas and it prevents "speed creep." the tendency for a driver's average speed to gradually increase with time spent on the road.

If you want the biggest gain in fuel mileage, you need to lay off the pedals when driving around town. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption in Edmunds.com's tests by 35.4 percent for the Land Rover and 27.1 percent for the Mustang.

Slamming down the gas pedal pushes more fuel into the engine while it also keeps the engine running faster.

Tips & Warnings

Tests have proven that turning off your air conditioner or inflating your tires has little effect on saving gas.

Say your car gets about 22 miles per gallon. By adopting a laid-back driving style you should soon realize 30 percent more in fuel mileage, which means an increase to about 30 miles per gallon

To learn more about hypermiling, click here for more resources and articles. Happy fuel-efficient driving!

~Jenny Bunns

MealPlanning Entry #3

2008-09-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Week Two

I think it's now become more of a habit to go grocery shopping each week to cook food each morning for the rest of the day. It's good to integrate a new lifestyle change SLOWLY, so that it feels more natural to you, your subconscious, and your body. If you change everything all at once, you might keep it up for a little while, but most likely you'll revert to your old ways. It's too much of a shock to change too drastically.

Some things that happened this past couple of weeks: I still have to get a hold of quantity. I've had to throw away some veggies that've gone bad because I didn't use them in time. So I need to use the philosophy of - better too little than too much. If it's too little one can always go out and get more - I hate wasting! But on the other hand, if one buys non-perishables or freezable foods in bulk, THEN DO IT!

Of course, the REAL challenge is to see how I do once my boyfriend goes out of town for weeks again. I like cooking for more than one, and when it's just me - I just slop a bunch of crap together, trying to use as little effort as possible. Buuuuuut I really shouldn't, because it's a) unhealthy and untasty and b) a little frozen dinner here, and little snack bag there - the cost can add up.

So... we'll see what happens! Eeeep! :P

MealPlanning Entry #2

2008-09-18T11:00:00.002-07:00

Okies, it's been a week. I spent a little extra last week (first week of mealplanning) because I was running out of condiments (like oils, apple cider vinegar, etc.). I also had no idea how much would last a week. This is what I learned so far:

*unless you want to eat ready-cut-washed kale in a bag every single day, it's not worth getting. My bag of kale smelled gross before I could finish it! So... fresh kale might be the way to go - it's smaller amounts, even though you have to wash and cut it yourself, but no biggie. I'd rather do that than waste foods.

*this one's for people with dietary restrictions like me (no gluten, no dairy!)... I come from a family who cooks Chinese food, and at first I was REALLY sad to find that most soy sauces have wheat (gluten) in them, and most Asian foods are made with soy sauce! So I had to find gluten-free soy sauces to make food at home. But once I started getting into it, it's really quite good! And even going out to restaurants, I can find stuff I like to eat, like watercress sauteed with garlic, my FAVIES!

*I'm not used to making leftovers on purpose, but I think I'll have to start doing that. If you're strategic about the kind of dish you make for leftovers, the flavor actually magnifies (in a good way) when it sits in the fridge overnight. It's also a time-saver!

So today I had Jason get us some groceries for the week, and it only cost us $30 for the whole week. We plan to eat out maybe once or twice, so let's take that into account, too. I think we're doing well for now. More in the next few days! :)

Economic Fall-out? DON'T PANIC!

2008-09-18T11:00:00.001-07:00

The economy is crashing. You can't get a loan for anything anymore. The US dollar is weak. Job security is teetering. Omg, what are we going to do???

I say... do what we've BEEN doing (that is, if you've already been practicing frugal habits AND saving your extra moolah into savings accounts and/or mutual funds, etc).

The other day, my dad made his weekly phone call to me and suggested that I cash out my mutual funds. I totally understand where he was coming from. Things seem hopeless (almost). The market's way down, let's just panic and cash out and stow our munnies into our mattresses instead!

But let me tell you something. It's a REALLY simple concept that everyone should know, especially young people. When you invest in mutual funds, and the market gets really low - it's actually the best time to put more money into those funds! How is this possible? Well... think of it as a sale. WHen the market is low, shares are priced low. So you buy more shares for your money. THEN, when the market recovers again and makes a rise, your shares blow up, when you bought a whole bunch of them when they were "on sale"! I am no financial expert, so I will say no more. I just wanted to throw this out to you. If you need more information on this, please contact your friendly neighborhood financial planner. I, of course, recommend my own planner (who is the most socially responsible and genuinely caring money person ever!), Ellen Coleman of the Oak Tree Group. If you want her contact info, shoot me an email or comment and I'll give it to you.

Um... okay, I think that's it for now. I'll be writing more about these rough times we're having when I get more moments to do so! (me busy! eeps!)

ps- I'll also be giving more tips on being frugal and saving munnies so that you CAN benefit in the long run with these mutual fund investments :)

The Meal-Planning Experiment Entry #1

2008-09-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

So on Thursday, we bought our groceries. I'd been SO tired and busy, I just couldn't sit down and make a rigid schedule of meals for the week. So I just wrote a list of things we needed, some ingredients that could be used to multiple meals. Because of my diet restrictions (gluten and dairy free), we mostly got meat, veggies, and rice or quinoa products. I DID stray a little from the original list - I had Jason get me a whole bunch of celery sticks and peanut butter as an all-day snack at work. But other than that, so far, so good. We have plenty of fresh foods for the week so far, and eating quite healthy.

It's only been a couple of days, but things I need to improve on (which I know will probably take some time to get to my goal, so my "things to improve on list" will be repetitive, thanks to being human):

*make a REAL list of meals per day
*include snacks when meal planning, or it'll throw everything off - plus, I'm more of a snacker anyway
*note to self: I also need to try to fit morning cooking into my work out routine, which I have yet to start, haha! Also, it's been easier cooking in the morning because Jason is visiting, and it's easier to cook for two than just myself. When he's out of town, I eat like a bachelorette - frozen dinners and crappy snacks galore!

I guess that's it for now. I think it'll take a few weeks to also know HOW much to buy, as I think what we have might take more than a week to go through, unless the veggies go bad by then. Or maybe we hadn't gotten enough! I guess that's the whole reason for planning each meal for each day - duh! :P

At the end of the week, I'll go through how much I spent on these groceries, and how much I USUALLY spend on groceries AND eating out or buying frozen dinners (gluten and dairy free, of course, which also happen to be twice as expensive as normal frozen meals).

Mealplanning.

2008-09-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Time and time again, it's been suggested to me to mealplan. So dangit, I'm going to try it.

The reasons being is... I have a lot of diet restrictions (gluten and dairy-sensitive), so it's REALLY hard, sometimes, to find food I can eat without breaking my diet and suffering the consequences. Another reason is, is that because of my career and my workplace's teeny tiny little refrigerator, there are more restrictions. I have to adjust myself to this new situation (my old workplace had a full-size fridge, so I could just store a whole work week's worth of groceries in there), and I have an extremely busy schedules, full of working my regular full-time job, freelance work, teaching piano, traveling, networking, and all my little side projects while juggling my properties, bills, and all that stupid grown-up stuffs all by myself. Sometimes it feels so overwhelming for one person to do, but the only thing that keeps me from exploding is I'm using this blog to help me through the process.

I found this great website - not necessarily about saving money, but about keeping one's life organized. But for me, being organized is synonymous with being cost-efficient. This site is called The Unclutterer. Click on that, and it'll also show an article about meal-planning, which I'll model my own meal planning techniques after. Here is also a pdf of a mealplanning chart you can use! Click here for mealplanning chart!

This'll be great for ANYone who wants to save time and money, but it'll especially great for those with crazy dietary restrictions like me. Here is my tip on how to approach this new habit:

When getting yourself into a new habit, it'll take several months to get it down pat. So if you mess up, skip something, etc. don't be hard on yourself. You can't make a lifestyle change overnight, and when you do, you'll always revert back to your old ways. Remind yourself that this is a gradual process. Just be persistent about making this a habit for yourself. It's all about conditioning. At first you'll find it hard or pointless to do this, but once you see the benefits, you'll start doing it until it becomes second nature.

Well, I'll keep you updated on my progress on the mealplanning habit.... Wish me luck!

Free Software tips!

2008-09-04T15:28:00.001-07:00

I got this email from my Skinwerks family member, Scotty Padget - graphic designer extraordinaire!

I get a lot of tips/tricks from friends who do nothing but test / search / and use free software’s across the net for different purposes. So I thought I would pass some of the latest versions your way.

AVG - www.grisoft.com

(free light weight antivirus protection, uses very little memory, # 1 download)

Syncplicity - www.syncplicity.com

(Online Data Backup, It’s really good when you have 2 or more computers that you have all the same files on, ex – laptop vs desktop)

SOAP!

2008-09-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I was at Target, with my roommate, Jonathan. I needed laundry soap. I only do laundry once every other week to a) save water and b) my clothes are small. Needless to say, I don't often need to buy laundry soap. Anyhoo... I was standing at the laundry soap aisle for what seemed like an eternity, while Jonathan stood there patiently for me to decide on what kind to use. I was baffled. There are SO many choices, now. AND they're super expensive! Did I just go through a time-warp??? Geez!

Shortly after I finally decided on something (only because I needed to not spend my life at the laundry soap aisle and get on with it), I received an email from an old friend of mine from my hometown of Rochester, MN. She directed me to this website about how to make your own laundry soap! My friend said that, at first it seems painstaking, to find all these ingredients. But they're easier found than one would think. And once you do a batch - you really don't need to do it for a LONG LONG time. My friend calculated that (she has two children and owns two daycares, so she goes through a lot of laundry!) she saves over $300 a year on laundry soap alone! For us non-daycare-owning people, we'd still save a good bit. It's also GREEN! It's natural and hypoallergenic, biodegradable, so it's easy on the earth and our skin, too. My friend says it makes her clothes surprisingly clean AND cleaning smelling!

Here's a link for making your own dish soap, too.

ALSO... and this is something that I do now, after an experiment with foaming hand soap dispensers...
You can save tons on liquid hand soap by getting those foaming hand soap dispensers (like Dial Complete). Instead of buying the refills of soap that's made specially for those kinds of dispensers, you can get a refill of regular hand soap. When refilling your little dispenser, pour one tablespoon of REGULAR hand soap in the bottle, and fill the rest with WARM water. Shake well. Viola! That's all you need! This will last you a very long time, and save you a few bucks! :)

Happy sudsing! :)

My friend, Jenn.

2008-08-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to repost this comment my friend, Jenn, made on my myspace. It's funny, because I was just paying my end of the month bills last night and thought of something I did that I could post on here.... which Jenn also mentions - when balancing my checkbook, I round up. I started this when an ex's grandmother's furnace went kablooey. She was able to pay for a brand new one (that's about two grand!) with all the little change she accumulated in her checking account by doing this. Awesome. Anyhoo, without further ado, I now repost Jenn's comment!

I hope you don't mind that I comment here instead of on Google.. I don't have a Google account and already have more user names and passwords than I have toes and fingers...Your blog is full of good information!! You are welcome to use any of this info on future frugal bunny blogs, if you would like...

For those who aren't ready to open all those accounts, there is also the change-saving method.. pay with paper money, do NOT give a cashier coins from your pocket or the bottom of your purse. EVERY DAY, take ALL the pocket change that has collected and dump it into a box or a jar that you won't be tempted to open (glue it shut if you have to). As often as you can, toss in some paper money too.. all the single dollars, or a ten/twenty once in a while.. this cash adds up SO fast, in a few short months you might have $300 (I have done this a few times in my life)

Hell you can even do that method by putting the money in the jar instead of making that daily Starbucks run, or that pack of cigarettes (helps you quit too lol), magazines or anything like that .. items that only cost a couple bucks, so we don't mind buying, when really we can buy a can of coffee and make our own for a fraction of the cost, or read the magazine online, etc. Small purchases are typically a HUGE portion of spent money; usually it results in thoughts like, "Where did all my money go?"

Also, if you are one to balance your checkbook, always round up.. if you spend $23.39 at the grocery store, note it in your bank register as $24.00 or even $25.00. These few pennies also add up fast and provide a cushion to your account.. no more worries about bouncing a check.

The cash method is especially great for saving if you are in a position where you earn tips. bank round up better when you have direct deposit.

Also, if there are special purchases that you want to make, simple pleasures or even daily necessities, try to hit a sale with a friend and split the cost on BOGO's or bulk items.. For instance, where I work, we're doing a Buy Three, Get Two Free sale.. well this will save a person about $20, but means they have to spend about $30. For customers who KNOW they would be buying the item next month at full price, it benefits them to buy it all now.. no reason friends can't go in on this sale together and each spend $10 or $20 for twice the amount of product.

A lot of people don't realise how much money goes into the simple packaging that something comes in.. for instance, individually portioned or wrapped foods for the single person are astronomically more expensive than a family pack of the same item. This is what freezers are for lol

ok those are just a few off the top suggestions that can certainly be written more effectively, just thought I'd throw in my few cents on the matter. It's funny.. or sad.. how many people don't realise how much they spend on crap they really don't need.. I have a friend who buys every DVD she sees on sale. The infamous ol' "oh It was only five bucks!!!" Three months later I ask, so how was that movie (knowing it was terrible), and hearing the response "oh, we haven't watched that yet".. This friend has over 300 DVDs.. most of them have not been watched, but they were all on sale for cheap.. to me, that's at least $2,500.00 collectively that were wasted on stuff that now clutters the home, and required spending more money on shelving to put them on, etc.. Personally, I will only buy a DVD if it is a movie I KNOW I will watch several times over, and let my friends borrow, so it gets used enough to make the cost worth it.

sorry to write a whole blog in your blog comments =(

Jenn, don't be sorry! THANK YOU for your contribution! I heart my friends! :D

10 No-Budget Budget Tips from the Frugal Bunny!

2008-08-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

I don't have a budget. I've tried a few times, but it feels to hindering and I never follow through on it after a while. But knowing my own personality, I do things to help me save money, and then save money. This may not work for everyone, but hopefully this will help people with a similar personality as I do, and/or inspire others to look into their own personality and develop their own little frugal tricks!

NOTE: Because of my career as an independent contractor (I'm a tattoo artist), I have to handle my money a little differently than most people, so some of my habits have evolved through that. BUT I hope it still inspires others to make their own system...

1. No matter what, I always put 20% of my weekly paycheck into my savings account. No exceptions.
I developed this habit when I came out of my apprenticeship and became a full-blown professional tattoo artist (independent contractor). For the moment, I pay my taxes all at once, once a year. Most of you have the convenience of your tax money taken out of your paycheck for you. Because I don't have that luxury, I had to take care of it on my own, so I made this system. That way, when tax season comes, I won't be worried about having to fork out a huge chunk of money and not having it! After paying taxes, whatever I have left over, I split into 3 categories - fun money (a reward for 12 months of disciplined savings), Roth IRA money, and money to just keep in my savings account.

2. Open an Orange Account with ING Direct.
Speaking of savings, this is something I JUST started. This gem of advice was given to me last week, by my friend/financial advisor/client, Ellen Coleman from Resource Horizons. This is a convenient way to put your savings into an account with a much higher interest rate. Right now, ING Direct's APR is at 3%. My bank only gives my like 0.01%. I earn about a dollar and some small change per month at the bank, while at ING, I earn about $16. That's a big difference, yo! So if you're going to sit on your money, you might as well earn a little more than what your stingy bank gives you, right? Check it out!

3. Open a Roth IRA.
Again, because of my job, I don't get a 401K like most people. I have to handle all that by myself. So for now, I figured a Roth IRA would be a good start to insuring my retirement will not put me into a cardboard box on the street. Depending on which kind you choose (let your friendly neighborhood financial advisor explain things and help you choose the kind that best fits your lifestyle), they can be tax-free or tax-deductible. Roth IRAs are less risky than playing stocks and bonds, and are the best kind for long-term savings/investments. I encourage all people, but especially young people, to open one.

4. Write down your monthly bills.
You'll see a pattern of seasonal ups and downs, and will help you prepare for what you need to fork out each month on essentials - like mortgage, utilities, cell phone bills, etc. Knowing what you need to pay for at what times of the year will help you lay out the rest of that no-budget budget. I also right down my weekly earnings, since it fluctuates seasonally in my kind of job. This also helps me lay out the my no-budget budget.

5.Give yourself a weekly allowance - and stick to it.
Each week when I get paid, I give myself an allowance in cash. This is money I use for the week (mainly my days off) for groceries and leisure activities. If there's something I need to buy, like a ladder or toilet paper, I also keep that in mind when I give myself the allowance. Anything left over from a usual week, I put the cash away for when I need to buy that ladder or toilet paper. I call this microsaving.

6.Only use a credit card if you know you can pay it off in X amount of time.
I use a credit card for when I purchase supplies for work, when I travel, or buy big things, like computer software. All these things I write off in my taxes, too. Anyway, only use it when I know I can pay it off when the bill comes in IN FULL. For larger purchases, I tell myself to pay it off in x amount of months, as a goal. This way, I won't get into credit card trouble! You must know yourself enough to do this. You have to be able to keep your own promises to yourself. If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?

7.Save your receipts!
Again, because I'm an independent contractor, I get to do business write-offs. Do some research and see what you can write off. And then DO IT! If you have lunch with a friend or a group, and you talk about your business once, it's a tax write-off. If there's a pair of jeans you only wear to work because you know you'll get ink stains on them, it's a tax write-off (as work uniform). If you get that Wacom tablet you've always wanted so you can use it make more artwork, it's a tax write-off. If you fly somewhere to do a guest spot at tattoo studio, your plane ticket and other expenses are a tax write-off. If you buy white-out, it's a tax write-off. Your mileage to work or work-related places is a tax write-off. That album you bought from iTunes, so you can listen to it at work - it's a tax write-off. Okay, so these examples are from my own job. But you get the drift - the amount of time and effort you take to find out what YOU can write off is worth every penny you save on taxes!!!!!

8.Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Spread your money out. That way, if one fund runs out for whatever reason, you have a backup or two or three. For example, I've kept my bank accounts from Minnesota, and I put a little in there for safe-keeping and emergencies. My main bank account here in Georgia, is the one I use to pay my mortgage and bills. Then I've got my ING account, my Roth account, a safe deposit box full of cash for other emergencies and/or savings goals for things I want, and my weekly allowance. Yes, it seems like I'm spreading myself too thin. But with patience and discipline, I do eventually get the things I want, and I can pay it in full, instead of going into debt like most Americans do.

9.Live Well Within - If Not Below - Your Means.
Too many Americans don't do this, which is why we're in such financial debt. If you live simply and cost-efficiently, you can still have style and comfort without having that debt. I hate seeing people who have these crazy expensive cars, but only have like two dollars in their bank accounts. They are living BEYOND their means, and are in horrible debt - all for what? To look cool? To impress the ladies? It's not worth it to me! I don't like buying STUFF. In fact, the less stuff I have, the more mentally happy I feel. I often go through my crap and always find things to give to Goodwill (ooh, another great tax write-off!). When digital TV starts next year and my rabbit ears will be useless, I'm going to throw out (okay, give to Goodwill) my television. When I have less clutter in my home or work station, it makes me feel like there's less clutter in my mind, too. And when there's something I want, I save up for it so I can buy it without debt. Yes, it takes time, but the rewards are worth it in the end. The simple life is a happy life.

10.To Save Money, Give It Away.
Yes, I said that right. Giving to charities and non-profit organizations is a tax write-off. To go even further, you can volunteer, and your travel/commuting expenses can be written off, as well! The more you give to the causes you believe in, the less money you have to give to Uncle Sam. So you not only save money on taxes, and not only do you feel good giving to good causes, but you also are empowered by the fact that you're taking control over your world and helping shape your community.

~Jenny Bunns!

Whole Foods Budget Shopping

2008-08-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods is trying to wipe away their "whole paycheck" reputation by giving special tours of the store, highlighting cost cutting solutions to those who are on a budget, but want to live healthy. Click here for the original article.

Whole Foods tries to shake 'whole paycheck' image with free value tours
BY RACHEL WHARTON
Friday, August 8th 2008, 4:00 AM

Handschuh/News
Allison Smith leads budget-minded shoppers on 'value tours' of the Union Square Whole Foods to point out smart shopping techniques.

Handschuh/News
Bold yellow signs indicate sale items, like these raspberries.
Think Whole Foods means whole paycheck? The national supermarket chain wants to change your mind.
Faced with rising food prices and a national recession, Whole Foods has launched free value tours, leading groups of bargain hunters through the aisles of natural, sustainable and organically made goods.
"It's the economy," says Whole Foods' Allison Smith, who leads the tours for the Union Square store, "everybody's looking for a deal now."
Just a few weeks old, they take place mainly at suburban stores, says Smith, but the three she's led at Union Square have been well-attended. (To sign up, call any store or look for notices on their bulletin boards at the entrance.)
While Smith's ultimate goal is to change our perception that the store has high prices — some Whole Fooders float the theory that "whole paycheck" is from someone wishing they could spend their earnings at the store — there are real take-away tips from the exercise.
The tours move their way through Whole Foods like any shopper would, highlighting great buys along the way. There's the bulk bins at the newest Tribeca store, where their fanciest granola mix is $2.99 a pound. Or the fact that Earthbound Farm organic bagged lettuces are always same price or cheaper than any other supermarket, says Smith, because "we just buy so much of it."
Other Whole Foods' deals include their house line of 365 shampoos and conditioners (16 ounces for $1.99; 32 ounces for $3.79). There's their Whole Catch line of frozen prepared foods ($3.99 for a 10 ounce box of fish sticks) or their fresh, 6-ounce individually portioned filets of fish for roughly the same size per pound as bigger cuts, nice for one or two people.
For all proteins — like chicken, beef, pork or fish — there's a case of family-sized "value packs" that are at least a $1 per pound less. And for literally any dry good item in the store — meaning everything from diapers to spaghetti sauce to bottled water to energy bars — you can get a 5% discount if you buy it by the case.
Beyond these specific deals, however, the tours are also designed to highlight overall strategies for cutting costs on your bill.
That's reading and shopping from the weekly sales flyers, shopping seasonally for produce, buying in bulk to cut waste and save per pound and using store brands, which are just as great quality.
These are the ideas, says Smith, to keep in mind where ever it is you're shopping. And with any luck, there'll be plenty of your paycheck left over.
Allison Smith's Whole Foods Bargain Hunting Techniques:
USE WEEKLY SALES FLYERS: Like most other markets, says Whole Foods' value tour guide Allison Smith, the store puts out its new yellow weekly sales sheet on Wednesdays, marking each sales item in the store with a large yellow sale sign. So once you learn what tags are used for sales at markets, you can easily scan the store for deals.
SHOP SEASONALLY: "In produce," says Smith, "the really big thing to look for is seasonally and locally." When you buy local food some of the transportation costs have been cut out, she says, and when you buy what's in season, there's more of it, meaning the price goes down.
BUY STORE BRANDS: Many house brand items are just as good as brand names, and some stores even contract with the same people who make brand name products to create their versions. They're often much cheaper than sales items or even post-coupon prices.
BUY IN BULK: If you can buy just the amount you need from bulk bins, says Smith, food won't go to waste and you'll save on packaging costs. Or if you can buy in larger quantities, you'll save on cost per pound or unit, too.
CONSIDER COUPONS: Many times store brands are cheaper than items bought with a coupon, but you should still check out weekly newspaper circulars and mailings for brands you buy regularly.

Free Information.

2008-08-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just dial 1-800-FREE411 for free 411 info on your landline or cell phone. The only catch is, you have to listen to a 20 second ad during the session. But it's a small price to pay for free info, right? Try it!