How to Make a Large Dog Bed

Need to make a dog bed for a large dog?  If you are reading this, then you have seen the price of dog beds.  True, they go on sale for $10, however my furry friends can only get a paw on those! 

I have two, 80 pound dogs, and have been looking for dog beds for quite some time.  I finally broke down to purchase a bed that was on sale for $10 but, well, long story short, it was just too small.  Beds that are the correct size are between $25-$40 EACH, but I finally got smart.  This is an inexpensive way to give some comfort to your buddies without breaking the bank.

Purchase fleece throws on sale.  I happened to find mine at Wal-mart, two blankets for $5.  These are on the thin side, but perfect for what I wanted them for.

Purchase shredded poly foam or other filler.  I purchased two huge bags of shredded foam in the upholstery department at my local Mac's hardware store for under $3 per bag.

Carpet tape.  I purchased carpet tape for $2.19 so that I did not have to sew.  Unfortunately, it did NOT WORK.  Two-sided Velcro?  Tie the edges together?  I ended up using a stapler.  Yes I am that sad.  Just remember, though, I had those foamy things everywhere and needed a quick fix.

Lay throws out flat on the floor or other appropriate surface, stitch/staple/tape the edges together until there is only about half of a side left.  Empty bags of foam into fleece bag, then finish closing the edge of the blankets...and presto, a huge, comfy dog bed!

Birthday and Christmas: Frugal gift ideas

Over the years I have gotten used to my friends calling me cheap.  I simply remind them that I am thrifty and that I do not live with my parents. Following this comment is usually some snort, but not much of a comment.  Don’t get me wrong- I would love to live with my parents.  They are cool and everything they have is paid for…nothing like stress free comfort!

Over the years my friends have also gotten used to my gifts.  They are…different; but they are only as different as I am willing to admit to them!  Yes, Santa is better to my friends each year than Santa has been to me.  I recall opening a gift one year from a boyfriend while disappointment surrounded me.  It was cheap.  Cheap.  Cheaper than me!  And he had the nerve to say, “I paid a lot of money for that!”  Well folks, it is not the money that you spend, or where you purchase it.  It is the deal you get.  The finished product.  You know, the gift.  The gift that you are giving.  Isn’t that what this is all about? 

An 11 year old’s birthday has just passed in our house, and even though we went over on the budgeted amount, we still spent about 30% of what we would have had we not been thrifty.  We actually did pay full price for a gift, an MP3 player, so in this case, shop quality products.  Unfortunately this situation of paying full price was the result of a father hee-hawing around until the last minute and then suddenly wanting a really stellar gift.  For the amount paid though, it was a great starter, and still under $45 after Uncle Sam took his cut. 

In addition, he received a brand new coat for our 40 below zero weather.  Original price was $70…for a kids’ coat!  I don’t know who buys these things, but wow- that is a lot of money for a coat that will be unrecognizable by spring.  I found a special of half price if purchased on a certain-day-by-a-certain-time which dropped that price to $35.  On top of this I begged my sister to utilize her credit card for an additional 30% off, and in addition, because of the time we were there, an additional 10% came off of the coat.  Final price: $22.  That’s cheaper than Wal-mart!  Give yourself plenty of time to shop around and compare pricing and specials… and begging relatives to use their coupons on your stuff doesn’t hurt.

I also believe in books and reading.  Books, books, books.  While visiting a garage sale this summer I found 2 books that looked brand new; one was full of inventions of this century, and the other was about cars of this century.  Each one was 25 cents.  Stocking stuffers present themselves in a variety of ways, and books are one of them.  These books would have been at least $3 each if purchased in a store, and that is a conservative number.  Another fantastic garage sale find was a watch.  A cool, colorful- without-being- kiddish watch without a scratch on it.  Not a scratch!  Purchased for a buck.  You heard me, a buck.  When it is lost, will it matter too much?  Nope.  It looks new, except for the missing instructions, but come on- he’s a kid.  Did you read the instructions when you were a kid?  Exactly. 

The next birthday, today, is a female; in fact, a brand new teenager.  At a different garage sale on the same day, I found a completely unused pair of Sketchers.  Completely unused, as in not worn.  I paid $5 for these shoes, and they are new.  Now you do take a risk on the person not liking the item- and they cannot return it, and that is another reason to keep the purchasing price you pay very low.  So low that you think, “Wow- I cannot believe this price!  Even if Sally doesn’t like them, (insert name here) can use them!”  Also purchased for 50 cents were two small picture frames with beautiful colors on them, luckily matching her room.  Belts were also a great deal that day, I was able to find about 3 of them for, yes you guessed it, 50 cents each.  They also look brand new.

Many more gift ideas will be coming up; please check back.  Thanks for your visit!

Save Your Wood with Olive Oil

Brighten up the wood around your home without having to purchase more cleaning products.  This is a very green way to take care of your home, keep cupboard space for the items that need it, and save money.

Olive oil can be used for the wood in your home to prevent drying out instead of using furniture polish.  For a nice smell, add a drop of lemon oil.  Lemon oil can be purchased at your local health food store for around $4, and it lasts a long time.  Olive oil is considered to be expensive, although there are a couple of generic brands found at money-saver-stores that are finally selling cheaper.  Also, keep in mind that grape seed oil is similar to olive oil, but less expensive.

Gently massage the oil in to the wood, and watch as the wood soaks up the moisture.  On really dry wood you may need several coats.  I have a wooden couch that just drinks up the oil, and looks fantastic afterward...but I have to use 2-3 thick coats on it.

I recently purchased a cedar chest at an auction sale for $40.  It was from the 1950's, and is made of all wood, no padding on the top.  It is in decent shape, not perfect, but didn't look dry.  I used olive oil on it anyway, and I cannot believe how the grain of the blonde portions of the wood just shine.  They are illuminated in the least, little bit of light thrown on the cedar chest.

I have heard that olive oil only works if the wood was originally treated with an oil finish, but I am very unsure of whether or not this is true.  If anyone has any information regarding this topic, please feel free to share, if you are so inclined to do.  Thanks for reading today!

New Use for Borax

Borax has many uses that I was not aware of until today.  On this fateful day, I decided to give the bathroom sink its weekly cleaning.  This sink gets bad; I would like to clean it daily, but who has time for it?  In addition, a mechanic lives at my house...you must know what the mechanic's sink looks like.  Even though he insists that he washes his hands at work, he still gets pretty dirty at the house.  Add this on top of kids grime, and we then have what I have.  A really gross sink that doesn't come all the way clean.  It always looks like it is dirty, at least a little bit.

I recently purchased some products to make some homemade laundry detergent.  I read the Borax package, and was surprised to read that it can be used to wash more items around the house, so I tried it on my sink...and to my surprise, it sparkled!  I had minimal scrubbing; and it looks almost new.  All the old, rubbed in dirt came right out.  I had to wonder what else it could do...here is what I found out!

Borax will unclog your drains.  Add some down your drain with a funnel, then add some boiling water.  Wait for about 15 minutes, try again for stubborn clogs.

Rubbing it into mildew on fabric will remove the stain.  Use Borax in a little water to form a paste, rub on stain then let sit until stain is gone.  May take several hours.

Borax dissolved in water will clean your windows to sparkle and streak free!

There are plenty more uses to try, I will keep you posted.  Thanks for reading!

5 Ways to Reduce Heat Costs Without Spending a Dime

Winter is on the way, even if we have been quite lucky in having the warm weather this year.  If you are continually looking for ways to save money, here are some items to help you save on your heat bill without spending a dime.

Bundle up-  Winter is not the time to run around the house in shorts and t-shirts.  Winter is here; it is time to have sweaters and sweatshirts on, socks and/or slippers, and pants.  Place throws or blankets onto the couch for snuggle time in front of the tv.

Reuse oven heat-  After making supper, don't let the heat in your oven go to waste.  Leave the door cracked open to allow the heat into the kitchen.  This helps more than you realize.

Recycle dryer heat- This idea is much more tricky.  By allowing the air from the dryer to circulate in-house, you must remove the vent from the outside, however keep in mind that by doing this, moisture also stays in-house.  In addition, you will need to develop a heat resistant cover to prevent all the lint from "linting up" your home.

Minimize the length of time the doors are opening and closing- When a person opens the door, much heat is lost.  Minimize the time the door is held open as much as possible.

Open shades-  Opening the shades to allow the sunlight to shine in to warm up the area is quite helpful in the southern facing windows...just beware of furniture fading issues.

Cutting corners doesn't need to be dramatic and expensive;

all the little things we do (and don't do) add up too!