Save Green by going Green - Energy Savings!

Saving money is great, but when I can pair it with energy savings, it's a 2fer! My husband and I have had a freezer in our garage for years. It has always been used for bulk food purchases, and although the garage has not been totally convenient, I have loved having it. Lately, due to a tighter budget we have not needed all the space it affords. I decided it was environmentally irresponsible to continue using it right now with so little inside, so we unplugged it and brought everything into our kitchen freezer. I knew it would be a bit crowded in my small freezer, but I'd get used to it.

Then I realized how this energy saving change would also save money. First, it is easy to purchase more when I have the room to store it. So, I will save on groceries right away because I don't have space in the freezer. Second, having it all in my kitchen conveniently forces me to use what I have on hand before I even go grocery shopping. It is a great way to help manage our grocery budget...I wish I would have thought of this sooner. Cutting our family-of-4 grocery bill has proved to be difficult, and this change will help out. So, give it some thought...do you really need that extra freezer, or can you also save some more "green?"

Simple Soap Savings

OK, some of us will go really far to save a buck, and my blog will include many extreme ways to save. So, here is one of those ways to be frugal.

Do you have any idea how much liquid hand soap you go through in your household? Like so many other things, my family goes through more than I wish to buy in a year. But, stretching it out is easier than ever - here's how. First, buy one of those foaming hand soap pumps. When it is empty, use your regular liquid hand soap to refill it, but you need to mix it with water to get the foaming action. The recipe is 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of liquid hand soap. Combine, stir and voila! You can make one small bottle of liquid soap last about a year. And, if you buy in bulk, that huge bottle of hand soap will last so long it won't be on your grocery list for a ridiculous amount of time. Please note that the hand soaps without moisturizers tend to work better.

What are some of your "extreme" money-saving ideas? Share them here!

Save money on groceries

Here is a website that will give you a hand in saving money on the grocery bill. Visit the Living on a Dime site here to sign up for their newsletter and receive a FREE e-course loaded with budget wise tips on grocery shopping and getting out of debt. Plus, they have several other money-saving resources available - a great find!