3 quick household saving tips that can save time, money and stress!

1. Dropped an egg on the floor? Spilled some cooking oil? Instead of using paper towels to wipe up a messy spills like those, try pouring salt on the spill. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. The salt should absorb the liquid and clumps should form, which make it easy to scoop up the mess with a spatula (save the paper towels!)

2.  Use lip balm to help keep outdoor light bulbs from getting stuck in the sockets; coat the threads in the base of the light bulb with lip balm before installing it in the socket.

3. Add 2 - 3 Tbs. of white vinegar into your bottle of liquid dish soap. The vinegar doubles the effectiveness of the dish soap so you will use less when cleaning the greasiest pots and pans!

When we try to save money, one of the areas that is always challenging is food. How do we eat healthy without spending too much money? When shopping on a budget, we have to make smart food choices....I always find myself asking what food is affordable, easy to use in recipes (and stretch!) and is healthy?

There are definitely good food choices and not so good when trying to watch our pennies. But some of the best foods we can eat for our health just happens to be some of the cheapest in the grocery stores-- 

1. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have a high concentration of beta carotene, which has been shown to help every cell in the body stay healthy. And this vegetable is good for your skin as well: studies have shown it neutralizes wrinkle and sun spot-spurring damage from the sun and helps generate new, healthy glowing skin cells. Sweet potatoes are also full of fiber and B-vitamins (good for energy). So instead of rice or regular potatoes, try baking a sweet potato instead!

2. Dried Cranberries

Dried cranberries have very high amounts of antioxidants -- more than that of most fruit. Another benefit of cranberries is that this little fruit can help fight urinary tract infections. Dried cranberries are cheap, about .50 per cup, and are so easy to use in recipes. Toss them in salads, bake in muffins, add to cereal in the morning, or just eat them alone --makes a better snack than chips!

3. Pinto Beans

Pinto beans are both cheap and healthy! And these little beans can be stretched and incorporated into so many meals. Pinto beans contain protein, fiber, energizing B vitamins and heart-helping antioxidants. Actually, Pinto beans also have one of the highest antioxidant counts of all beans and cost the least, about 13 cents a cup.

4. Canned Salmon

Canned salmon is budget friendly and healthy! And it is much cheaper to buy salmon in cans than it is buying fresh salmon fillets. Fresh or canned, experts say a 4-ounce portion of salmon provides a day’s worth of omega-3 fatty acids, the beneficial fat that has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Salmon also provides vitamin D, and other important minerals. 

Canned salmon can be used like a can of tuna-- use in salads and sandwiches. 

5. Mango

Mango is full of immune boosting vitamin C, vitamin A, and phenols and plant compounds that have potent antioxidant activity. A very healthy fruit that is easy on the budget! A delicious and healthy way to use mangoes is in a smoothie: just blend mango with a carton of yogurt, a handful of ice and a touch of honey. 

Source:  iVillage

You may have heard of these money-saving websites, and are hopefully already using them, but if this is not the case, you really should be using them.

 Like now.

The first is Ebates. An awesome way to shop, save gas, and earn money. Yes, earn money. The caveat here is to shop when you really need something...not just because you are bored and want to see what deals are available.  Ebates is linked up to tons of department and big box stores, in addition to niche retailers like Verizon, Sephora, and Harry & David, and every time you buy something, you get up to 25 percent back—in cash. Most cash back rewards are credited to your account within 48 hours, but there are some stores, that cannot confirm your purchase until the return period has elapsed and may take up to thirty days to confirm your cash back.

Now, the best part -- every three months Ebates will check your account, and if you have earned more than $5.01 (if less, it rolls over to the next pay period) they send you a cash back payment to your Paypal account or they can mail you a check! It's kind of like getting free money! You can also choose to donate your earnings to a preferred charity.  And remember, every time you shop, you get cash back. Period. Great deals and cash back! See why I love this site so much? If you are going to shop online anyway, I can see no reason not to start there! (www.ebates.com)

The second site I love and am using even as I write this post is Groove Shark. If you love music, especially free music, head over there right now (well, after you finish reading mu post, of course.) You can listen to any song at any time as many times as you want—for absolutely free. And you can even save playlists. Having a party? Put together an awesome list of songs without spending a dime! (www.grooveshark.com)

And last but certainly not least, is Plastic Jungle. I have used this site to get almost full value on a gift card I was never going to use. It took me just a few minutes, and I had instant cash in my Paypal account!  But you can do more than just redeem gift cards on this site. You can also trade gift cards with other people as well as buy gift cards for a discount. If you want to buy something at Pottery Barn, lets say, and that something happens to cost $100, go to Plastic Jungle first and where you might be able to buy a $100 Gift for just $75! Then go back to Pottery Barn and buy that something knowing you have just saved $25! Kind of like your own instant sale! (www.plasticjungle.com)

Now that you have finished reading, go on and check out these sites-- really, go now!

(Just so you know: You may have noticed I have not included links to these sites. I use them and love them, but do not have affiliate accounts with them. I just really want to pass on information about these sites as I think they may provide value and be of interest to my readers.)

Getting plastic outdoor furniture ready for summer can be easy and inexpensive! Just grab some shaving cream, spray some on a sponge and wipe down the plastic parts of your patio chairs and tables. Wait about 10 minutes or so, then use a hose to rinse the furniture.

Shaving cream has mild cleansers and softeners that make it easy to rinse away the grime and dirt on plastic surfaces.

Personally, I think that nothing feels better than a foot massage. But before you bribe, beg, plead ask nicely for said foot massage from your significant other, try this simple foot soak to remove rough skin on those feet:

Pour about 1 cup of warm milk into a basin of warm water. Soak feet for about 15-20 minutes, then scrub gently with a pumice stone or body scrub.

Then go get the massage, confident in the knowledge your feet are clean, smooth and soft!

Saving time and money is important to everyone! Here are 3 more websites that can help you find great deals on designer clothing, get free shipping, and one that will save you time (and frustration) when ordering clothes online!

1. ThreadLounge.com: This website offers sales on designer clothing brands like Michael Kors and Tory Burch. They take their sample sales on the road, and go all over the country. To find their latest sale location, visit their site!

2. FreeShipping.org: This is a great site to visit before you buy anything online! They have more than 4,000 stores as members, and offer coupon codes for free shipping on almost anything you buy. 

3. MyTrueFit.com: If you like to buy your clothes online, but get frustrated when the clothes you ordered arrived and you find they don't fit, check out MyTrueFit. Here you can enter your measurements and style preferences, and the site sends you suggestions of clothes that cater to your size and shape. It just may help you save time, money and your sanity!

Oh yea, a definite money saver is making natural cleaning products at home instead of buying them at the store. You have probably found many home made dish washer detergent recipes online already, but just in case you have not, and have been desperately searching about for one, I have one here that is easy and cheap!
( And even if saving some money is not enticing enough for you to make your own cleansers, think of how much better it is for the environment!)

All Natural Home Made Dish Washing Detergent
Just combine the following-
1 cup of borax
1 cup of baking soda
¼ cup of table salt
2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

Do you make your own cleaning products? If so, what recipe works best for you?