How To Save Money During a Move

We recently moved and while in the time leading up to the move began to realize how pricey it can be to relocate. You have so many things that just add up plus bills at both places and things don't get back to normal for a couple months. This is from my experience on how you can save some green in a major relocation.

First of all, your going to have to pack up all your things and this is also where you start realizing you have added alot more stuff to your collection of things. Don't throw these things out! We are in a recession and there are still plenty of people out of jobs. Donate your items that you don't need anymore to Goodwill or any kind of charity. This helps you get rid of things, someone now has that one item they haven't had the money to buy, and also helps you on your taxes for the following year (keep the receipt!).

Your going to need boxes to put the things that you can't part with in. Don't go out and buy new boxes when your going to just turn around and recycle them when you move. There are plenty of grocery stores or restaurants that you can ask if you can reuse the boxes that items are shipped to them in. This saves you money and them time from breaking down boxes.

Next is the vehicle that your going to move all those boxes in. Most of the major moving truck companies can get really pricey. You might want to look into small local companies that rent out trailers. I know this really isn't reasonable for all people but if it is it can save you $600 or more. Rent a truck from a local company and then rent a truck or borrow a truck from a friend. We were even so lucky to have a couple friends able to drive out and drive the truck and trailer back. That was just gas money and trailer rental for us.

The small things add up too! So remember to keep your overnight bag with you and pack a cooler for your meals in the travel. Just buying water or coffee can be $3-$5 in one stop. The biggest time and money saver is to plan ahead! Also, sell what items you can before you move to save on the amound that you are moving plus some extra money is always good. You can always replace items later on. Happy moving!!

Baby Time

I have taken a little break due to our new addition finally making her appearance and the holidays right after. But since baby has arrived I can now test out all these ideas I have been throwing out at you.

I am really enjoying the amount of money we have saved using the cloth diapers! Even though some people gave us disposable diapers we haven't used them. I'll probably use them for someone else, for their baby shower. The diaper pail and liner that we have been using is awesome! It's waterproof and the lid to the pail keeps the smell in. The washing of the diapers hasn't really been that difficult either. I have just been putting them on the rinse cycle twice, wash regular, then on the final rinse cycle put in a cup of vinegar to take away the smell. Also, I found out that if your baby starts to get a diaper rash you can boil clean diapers to get the detergent out that is causing the rash.

Thankfully we just bought used clothing off of www.craigslist.com and received some outfits as gifts because she was a big baby and didn't fit into newborn clothing anyways. I'll continue to buy used since babies just grow so fast and will be saving her sisters clothes for her.

Now, I'm just waiting to recover completely to get to my detox program and exercising to get the little weight that's left off. You always learn with your first child so I have made huge changes this time around. I will keep you updated to what you can do to help yourself save money even if it is your first child, or your trying to live healthier, or you just need some advice to make it through a tough economy.

Cloth Diapers

While looking into some ways to reuse and recycle items for children I kept running across cloth diapers. To my surprise cloth diapers today aren't like the cloth diapers I remember my mother using. The new and improved diapers seem easier and much cuter! However, I wasn't convinced right away. I thought it would cause more work and how am I going to have the time for more work with a new baby? I have since then looked farther into using cloth diapers and am currently adding to my collection every chance I get to prepare for the little bundle of joy that will be joining us shortly but now that I am convinced I thought I should show you the information that convinced me and hopefully everyone will see how easy it is.

Cloth diapers are beneficial to babies, your pocketbooks, and environment. 78% of babies that have been in disposable diapers get a diaper rash compared to 7% of babies using cloth diapers. The cotton used for cloth diapers let the skin breath when disposables diapers are made of plastic. Also, using cloth diapers the child is more uncomfortable when wet and will want to be changed more than a child that is in disposables which then helps when potty training time comes around. Children using cloth diapers have been known to potty train easier and sooner.

The effect on the environment is huge. Solid waste is typically kept in the disposable diaper after changing which are then sent to the landfill and the waste could contain intestinal viruses. These viruses are then put into our air, groundwater, and the insects that then transport the viruses. When using cloth diapers the waste is shaken into the toilet and disposed of. About 16 billion disposable diapers are put in the United States landfills alone! These are made from plastic and trees which could still be standing if more people used cloth.

Not knowing how the economy will be day to day made the savings of using cloth diapers stand out to me the most. The average savings for one child is around $1,500 depending on when your child is potty trained. You can also reuse these diapers for your next child which then increases the savings.

Now, if all this useful information has helped you make up your mind you are probably still a little uncertain about washing and storing dirty diapers. While, our newest addition hasn't yet arrived and I can't tell you from personal experience what has worked for me, I will let you know what I have found and will be using once she does decide to arrive. When storing dirty diapers you can use a dry pail or a wet pail. A wet pail is used to soak dirty diapers in water. This can be a drowning hazard around toddlers. I will be using a dry pail which can be any kind of pail that works for you. I will be using a kitchen trash can with a diaper pail liner. The diaper pail liner can be used as a laundry bag, emptied into the wash, and washed with the diapers. You shouldn't use fabric softeners as this will cause the diapers to stop absorbing and also shouldn't use bleach as it will break down fibers. I currently use vinegar in the rinse cycle of my laundry especially with towels to get rid of the musty smell and will be using this same technique with wet diapers. To deal with stains you can hang the diapers in the sun. If you will be using formula instead of breastfeeding with your child you might need to rinse a couple of times before washing.

I am also looking into cloth wipes as the wipes you buy in the store have additives you are putting onto sensitive skin. I am looking forward to finding many other ways to help the environment and our pocketbook with a small child. I have already saved on my cloth diapers by watching craigslist.com and ebay.

{picture via greenbabyguide.com}

DIY Gifts

So as we were talking about making it a greener holiday season it got me thinking about what to do about Christmas gifts in this recession. Turns out a lot of people think about this. There are so many different websites with some great ideas!

I found some wonderful ideas that I will be using this year and will probly only have to spend $20 to make around fifteen to twenty gifts. I'm really excited to get started on them too. I even found some for the kids. The one that really caught mine and my husbands eye is the homemade wine. Your own concoction and then you can make your own labels and reuse those empty wine bottles that you would normally recycle. I'm even thinking of making wine carrier bags to go with these for next year as we want to experiment with some different wines. To go along with wine there are many other options with beer or different liquors either distilling your own or just finding a recipe to make your own while buying the liquor.

Everyone knows a mom who doesn't take enough time for herself. How bout you help her out with some DIY spa ideas. Bath salt has so many different recipes to try out. You can put these in a nice jar with your own label. Try this holiday bath salt:
1 cup epsom salt
1 cup baking soda
4-5 drops of red food coloring
4 drops peppermint essential oils
Mix salt and baking sode in a medium ball. Add food coloring and oils mixing quickly to avoid clumps. You can make another batch without the food coloring to layer in a jar to give it a candy cane effect. Use two tablespoons for a bath.
Bath bombs, bath soaks, body scrubs, masks, and the opportunities keep on going. I'm already coming up with birthday gifts along with who is getting what for Christmas and I'm so excited to get started.

Don't forget the kids! There are so many organic playdough recipes and silly slime I couldn't pick just one. I know these are found in family and church cookbooks along with so many other options on multiple websites. Check out what they can help make for the grandparents and teachers at www.ecobites.com.

There are so many options to help you save a little cash and also help you recycle some items around your house. Don't forget to check out www.treehugger.com and www.thedailygreen.com which will both help you on your search.


{picture by photobucket.com}