Everything But The Kitchen Sink

Budget Tips

DECEMBER

Years ago I purchased two ready-made planters for my front porch.  At the end of the season, I threw out the flowers and I put the planters in the garage.  In the spring, I purchased flowers in various vibrant shades and re-planted them in my planters.  For about half the price of the ready-made planters, I had lovely planters for my front porch.

NOVEMBER

When eating in restaurants, eat dinner at lunch time and lunch at dinner time. Lunch menus generally cost less than dinner. Also, they give you less food and therefore, are figure friendly. Better yet, why not split a meal and each order a side salad? You will save money and calories too.

OCTOBER

Throw rugs help save carpet and add interest. I have a small needlepoint design rug in front of my kitchen sink and at the door wall. I also have a small floral rug in my half bathroom and a large Persian rug in my front entry. Check the discount stores. A couple of mine were a super steal!

SEPTEMBER

Lamp a little bit too short? Stack a few hard cover books, on an angle, underneath it. Use the book idea to add height to anything, including under a silk or natural floral arrangement, underneath an alarm clock, or underneath a picture frame.
 

AUGUST

Be creative with a cedar chest. Use it as a coffee table with your photo books inside. Use it at the end of your bed with extra pillows and blankets inside. If you have a large enough bathroom, put a cedar chest with a large wicker basket on top holding your towels, all rolled up! If you have young children use it as a toy box.

JULY

With the use of mirrors you can do a lot of things. Take a mirror off an old dresser or pick up a few at garage sales. There are so many different ways to use mirrors throughout your home. Hang a large one over a fireplace. To that, add several candlesticks, using the same color candles, on one side of the mirror. On the other side of the mirror add a silk plant with a couple of small hard cover books, crisscrossed, and with the binding showing. Place a mirror in your hallway and add a silk floral swag neatly tucked on top. Do a wall grouping of different size mirrors, antique and new. Hang a long one on a wall by itself. Place a mirror on a wall near the door you exit most often. You can do a last minute check of hair/make-up before dashing out the door.

June

Years ago I purchased two ready-made planters for my front porch.  At the end of the season, I threw out the flowers and I put the planters in the garage.  In the spring, I purchased flowers in various vibrant shades and re-planted them in my planters.  For about half the price of the ready-made planters, I had lovely planters for my front porch.

May

Be creative with a cedar chest.  Use it as a coffee table with your photo books inside.  Use it at the end of your bed with extra pillows and blankets inside.  If you have a large enough bathroom, put a cedar chest with a large wicker basket on top holding your towels, all rolled up!  If you have young children use it as a toy box.

April

Have one  extra set of sheets for each bed. That set, along with the set you have on each bed, is all you need.  Fold the fitted sheet, then the top sheet, and place then folded together.  Roll your pillow cases. Besides saving space, they will look nice on your linen closet shelf.

March

Purchase greeting cards two or three times a year.  Go to a discount card store and buy the cards that you know you will need to send in the next four to six months. Purchase extra Get Well, Sympathy and Thank You cards.  Put them in the basket and then when you need a card you will have one handy.  No need to run out to buy one card.  Buy stamps and put into your basket.  Now there's no excuse for cards to be late!

February  

I just love fresh flowers.  Any kind, any color, cheap or expensive. I adore them all.  Therefore, even on a budget, I try to always have a bouquet of fresh flowers in my home.

During the summer I can bring flowers in from my yard each week.  However, during the rest of the year I purchase a bouquet of flowers every other week from the local grocery store.  Many times you can find a bunch that are on sale for as little as $6.00.  It brightens my day whenever I have a fresh bouquet.

January

When purchasing make-up, perfumes, lotions and potions, less is truly more.  How many tubes of lipstick, eye shadows, perfumes and lotions do you really need and use?  Invest in good quality make-up in neutral shades.  Purchase two bottles of perfume. I use perfume everyday, alternating which one I use, and two bottles last for a couple of years.  Limit your lotions to two bottles and alternate them as well.