Frugal

5 Ways To Conserve Water During Drought

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With climate change causing drier and longer droughts in the country, it’s important to be moreconscious of our water usage. Every drop counts in water conservation. Unfortunately, many ofus are oblivious to how much we waste until faced with a shortage. If you’ve ever lived in adrought-affected region or experienced an “abnormally dry” summer, you know this first-hand.The good thing is there’s plenty you can do to use less water in your home. Here are somesustainable practices you can adopt for extreme-weather seasons and the long haul. Harvest Rainwater Using Gutters When it does fall, rainfall can be an abundant water source. One thunderstorm can provideenough water to last weeks if you set up suitable rain-capture fixtures and reservoirs.Luckily, this doesn’t take cutting-edge technology. Install gutters and put tanks or buckets attheir runoff points to capture water that would otherwise go to waste.You can use the water as is for chores like washing your pavements or watering your garden, or invest in a collection and filtration system that makes it safe for drinking, bathing, and cooking. Reduce or Skip Lawn Irrigation Speaking of gardens, backyards and lawns are some of the biggest water consumers in homes.A great way to reduce this usage is to opt for drought-tolerant landscaping using elements suchas decorative stones and pavers and low-maintenance succulents.Or, you could circumvent watering entirely by using artificial grass. Not only does it maintain theaesthetic of lush greenery while saving water, it also allows you to divert and collect runoff andrainwater easily because the water isn’t absorbed into the earth. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle Recycling is not just a buzzword for its climate and environmental benefits, it is also a great wayto save money on house bills. The easiest way to get started is to gather and reuse grey water. This is the wastewater from showers and baths, laundry, and sinks around the house.Simply put down a bucket in the shower, or disconnect a sink trap and place the bucket underthe opening to collect wastewater, then identify what can be used to water your garden, washyour car, or flush toilets. Remember never to store grey water for more than 24 hours as bacteria can multiply to unsafe levels. Limit Bathroom Water Usage According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than half of household waterconsumption happens in the bathroom. You’d be surprised how much water long showers andrunning taps waste.Some practical ways to curb this are:● Install low-flow shower heads. They work just as well yet save a lot.● Try to finish your shower in 5 minutes.● Shut off the water when lathering yourself during a shower and when brushing yourteeth.● Put a bucket in your shower to collect water as you wait for it to heat up.These simple changes save a lot in the long run. Don’t Wash, Sweep Finally, dry conditions mean more dust than dirt, so get in the habit of sweeping downpavements and walkways instead of spraying them down with a hose. Your pavement will likelybe dry and dusty again a few hours after cleaning, anyway.If you must use water, sweep first before using a bucket to pour the water sparingly.As these tips and techniques show, it doesn’t take a ton of effort to be a water saver. Payattention to your water usage and you’ll come up with many more water-saving projects you canimplement around the house. Image Links:Image 1: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-lever-handle-faucet-2574664/Image 2: https://unsplash.com/photos/kBdssMci5EQ James Deutsch is a writer with a passion for interior décor and DIY projects. He writes about the art of decorating small spaces, home maintenance projects, and that #vanlife aesthetic.

Fun And Creative Ways To Make Your Life Easier

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Life is all about the journey, right? But along the way, with all of the trials and tribulations that are sure to come about, why not try to have some fun and make things a little easier while you are at it? After all, you really should try and make the best of it. Keep reading for some unique ideas to get things done a little differently and with a bit more joy. Image Credit Find a Creative Way to Get Around If you happen to live in an area or community where golf carts are allowed, consider investing in used golf carts. A golf cart is an easy and quick way to get from point A to point B without having to drive your vehicle. Just by keeping your car parked, you will save on general wear and tear, maintenance costs, and of course your gas bill. By using a golf cart, you reap the benefits of the fresh air and sunshine. A huge bonus of traveling via this mode of transportation is that you are more likely to have greater interaction with other people because you are more accessible via the open-air design. Add a Basketball Hoop When you can throw something toward its intended destination, it is usually a lot more fun for everyone than just walking over to the location. To make things entertaining, add clip-on basketball hoops to common items in your home, including: Garbage Cans – Do not add these to kitchen or bathroom garbage cans for sanitary reasons. Laundry Baskets or Hampers – Make sure the opening is wide enough so clothing will not get stuck in the net. Sock Bin – After doing laundry, ball matching socks together and shoot them into the hoop you have placed directly over a sock bin. Have Fun with Housework Make cleaning more fun by enlisting the whole family, assigning jobs, setting a timer, and then competing to see who can finish first. Make it a rewards-based endeavor to up the ante and make it a friendly competition. Watch this video to learn about fun ideas to get you motivated and have fun while you and your family clean your home. Get Creative with Seating If your children have a lot of stuffed animals, make or invest in a large fabric bean bag chair shell. Have your kids put most of their stuff into the chair. Once it is full, they can sit down and relax with a good book or pull it out into the living room for movie night.  This is also a viable solution for your pre-teen or teenager who does not want to get rid of their beloved stuffed animals but does not want them on display. They can simply stash them away and create more comfortable seating in the process. Image Credit Life gets difficult at times, but it does not have to stay that way. With a fun new mode of transportation and a little creative energy, you can make things more enjoyable while still being productive and efficient. Spread the word and bring your family on board. Play music, be competitive, and get the job done.

How To Save Money Around the House

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Many people would like to see their monthly expenses reduced, and doing so can begin right at home. Here are some easy steps that can be taken right away to see positive results. What’s holding you back? It’s time to start saving money.  Photo by RF._.studio Make Cooking Cheap And Easy Everyone needs to eat every day, but it’s often one of the most expensive things we do. However, you can still eat healthily without going into serious debt. Use coupons and grow some of your own food to cut down on your grocery bill. Meanwhile, methods like meal prepping and Crock Pot cooking can cut down on both money and time spent cooking. You can also look at things like how long does beef jerky last so you never waste food and can keep it for as long as you need to. What more could you want from something that improves both your health and your bank account? Think About Smarter Spending We all have a lot of stuff we need to buy over the course of our lives. Those expenditures can add unnecessary stress if you aren’t careful. In the long run, buying in bulk can be a great money saver, but only if you take the proper precautions. You can save money by purchasing generic alternatives to popular brands in many instances. In other words, think about smarter spending; always consider alternatives and whether you need the item in the first place.  Lower Service Bills When it comes to subscription services, consumers are most likely to make a financial mistake. These days, it’s easy to save money on utilities like gas and electricity by using a price comparison website. However, it is more important that you review your wifi, broadband, and television service plans. Many people waste money on these things, but by switching to a more affordable plan, you can save hundreds of dollars annually. Stop Energy Wastage  Wasted energy is the leading cause of unnecessary financial losses. A good first step would be to upgrade the insulation. This can be even more cost-effective if coupled with the installation of money-saving fixtures such as LED lights and low-flow toilets. But in reality, the simplest way to get started with making your money work harder is to alter your routines. Even small changes, like turning the water off while brushing your teeth, can have a significant effect. Stop Hoarding  Getting the most use out of what you have is essential for a low-cost lifestyle. The sad truth is that millions of us are hoarders who delay moving unwanted items from the garage to the trash. You can get a quick infusion of cash by learning how to sell your unwanted items on sites like eBay. It makes no difference whether you put that money away for the future or use it to buy something you actually need. Rather than letting those items take up unnecessary space, any action is preferable. Try DIY Making repairs and upgrades to your house is important, and the need for expert assistance is something you’ll certainly come across at some point. However, there are plenty of tasks that you are equally qualified to complete. It doesn’t matter if you’re painting the walls or constructing a deck for the backyard. If you put in the extra effort to save money while improving your home, you’ll be able to do a lot more. The feeling of accomplishment is a positive thing too. 

5 Professionals You Should Hire Rather Than DIY

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Living a frugal lifestyle is great. It gives you the opportunity to learn about things, and you get to cut corners in order to save money. In fact, frugal living helps create self-sufficiency, something that everyone could easily benefit from. However, while the frugal life is great, there are times when you should just pay up. Sure, hiring a professional can be expensive, but there are some things that just need to be left to the professionals. So, here are some professions that you’re better off hiring instead of DIYing. Image credit  Professional Mechanic These mechanics are trained in automotive technology and are able to diagnose problems more rapidly than DIY mechanics. They also have access to more tools that allow them to do their job more efficiently. While you may be able to do certain things like an oil change, you’re still far better off just having a professional mechanic help you out with your car. Professional Car Painter It’s obvious if someone did not hire a professional painter for their car. A professional painter will be able to paint your vehicle in one day and give it a good look-like new again. Those who DIY this usually end up having their care look worse. Remember, car paint is a special paint, and regular paint will just not cut it. You’re much better off visiting a professional painter. Plus, there’s a chance that if you did DIY this, you’ll be spending about the same money. Health Care Professional This can include dentists, doctors, and even therapists. While you could easily go online and self-diagnose yourself from info on WebMD.com, you’re better off seeing a doctor. Plus, there are some things that you may not be able to do such as dental care or procedures. So, make sure that you see a health care professional. Home Improvement Contractor While there are more than enough home improvement YouTube channels online, you’re still better off forking over that extra money and just getting some help from a contractor instead. Plus, this may end up being cheaper because if you’re doing a DIY project you’ll need all the materials while contractors can get them for a steep discount. Barber During the pandemic, so many barbers were temporarily closed down. This meant people couldn’t have their appointments, and the hair just kept growing. Then, there was a huge rise of tutorials online for cutting your own hair, and even dying your own hair. While dying your hair in-home is natural, it’s strongly not recommended to cut your own hair or someone else hair. If you don’t have that special training then you may do more harm than good. Overall, while it’s great to have a few things that you can DIY yourself to save money, this shouldn’t be something that you should do for everything. There are some things just worth spending the money on, and these five professionals are definitely going to be well worth the investment. 

Frugal Living: Getting More Out Of Your Garden Spaces

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Pixabay CC0 License Beautiful garden spaces can be the secret weapon in your bid to lead a frugal home life. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are utilized to their full potential. Otherwise, the potential benefits will be lost. Here are six of the best tips to help you get more out of your garden spaces to encourage more time spent outside. Island when you do, the value for money provided by those spaces will be incredible. Select a low maintenance style Nobody wants to spend all their time weeding the garden instead of enjoying it. So, when hiring a landscaper, it’s vital to think about long-term maintenance. The Japanese garden design style is particularly popular because it is easy to maintain. More importantly, the results are simply incredible and will deliver the peaceful atmosphere that you crave. Grow fruit and veg Growing your own fruit and veg is one of the very best ways to adopt a frugal lifestyle. It can promote a healthier approach to nutrition while simultaneously reducing your food bill. Better still, it will give you an incentive to get out in the backyard on a daily basis. Start with some of the easiest produce to grow, and you’ll be amazed by the results that you see. Make good use of old items When dealing with the concept of upcycling, there is no doubt that the garden is a great place to start. After all, many of the upcycled storage and furniture won’t need to carry the same aesthetic standards as internal items. This guide to the most popular upcycling projects should provide ample inspiration. Above all else, it’ll truly put you in the frugal mindset. Add lighting One of the most effective ways to spend more time in the backyard is to extend the possibilities into the evening. Solar-powered garden lights achieve this without any negative impact on your carbon footprint. Meanwhile, patio heaters are a great option for the colder months. Evenings spent on the deck, alone or with friends and family, are great for the soul. Make a compost Creating your own compost can support your bid for frugal living in many ways. It makes good use out of your kitchen scraps and waste materials while also ensuring that your soil will be supported by the richest compost. The fact that you can also remove the need to buy commercial products can save the environment as well as your financial health. Create a Dedicated Seating Area Making the most of your outdoor space during the summer months is a must, so why not create a dedicated garden space that you and your family can enjoy? Consider low maintenance and affordable pressure treated decking for your backyard, and invest in comfortable furniture to suit your style. A separate decking area is extremely appealing to the eye, and it will last for many years to come too. It serves as the ideal place for hosting guests and your family and it creates an entirely new area in your garden too! Collect water Frugal living and energy-efficiency are very closely linked. So, any opportunity to make natural resources work harder is great. While you will need to check that you are permitted to harvest rainwater in your area, it is one of the most effective options. You could create an irrigation system or use it for some household cleaning duties.  When you use the garden to its full potential, it’ll have a telling influence on your finances and quality of life while also aiding the environment. If that doesn’t give you the incentive to start right away, perhaps nothing will. Create a Dedicated Seating Area Making the most of your outdoor space during the summer months is a must, so why not create a dedicated garden space that you and your family can enjoy? Consider low maintenance and affordable pressure treated decking for your backyard, and invest in comfortable furniture to suit your style, such as poly outdoor furniture, which is durable and made from recycled materials. A separate decking area is extremely appealing to the eye, and it will last for many years to come too. It serves as the ideal place for hosting guests and your family and it creates an entirely new area in your garden too!

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