Save Money by Growing a Vegetable Garden

Springtime is almost here…which means its time to think about gardening! Growing your own vegetable garden can help stretch your budget and is an essential part of frugal living. If you have kids, they are sure to love the idea of helping you take care of the garden and watch their creations grow. You may even be surprised to see them actually want to eat their vegetables because they will be so proud they helped to grow them!

Starting your seeds indoors.
If you are planning on growing a vegetable garden this year, now is the time to start growing your seedlings indoors. You can also purchase seedlings that are pre-grown from a store in a few weeks, but it will cost a lot more. Simply purchase a few packets of seeds and a bag of soil. You can start the seeds in just about any kind of container. Save money by planting your seeds in old egg cartons, cut-off milk cartons or even old paper towel rolls by cutting each paper towel roll into four pieces and laying the pieces side by side on a tray. Follow the directions on the back of the seed packet to know exactly how much sunshine and water each different kind of vegetable needs.

Which vegetables should you start indoors and when?
Leaf crops like tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and peppers, to name a few, can be started indoors in early March. Other vegetables such as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash can be started indoors in late March and April. Carrots, beets, beans and peas can be sowed directly into the ground once it’s warm outside. Early April is usually a good time to take your garden outside depending on the temperature.

Frugal tips for growing your garden.
Plant only the vegetables that you will actually use in your cooking. There is no sense in wasting time and money on growing vegetables that no one in your family will eat. Also, remember that you do not really need all the expensive plant foods and other products you will find in the gardening section of your local store. You can find tons of frugal gardening tips online such how to make your own pesticides, compost and fertilizer using simple household ingredients you probably already have.

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve helping my parents in the garden. I love the taste of freshly grown vegetables and the feeling of satisfaction you get when harvest time comes around. As an added bonus, growing your own vegetables can really help you stretch your budget and be eco-friendly at the same time. Now that I am a mom, I can not wait to share the experience of growing a garden with my daughter and all the memories we will make in the process!

Look Stylish on a Budget

When shopping on a budget, the easiest way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank is to update your accessories. You can be sure your clothing will last from year to year when you buy classic style clothing instead of the trendy stuff. Think solid colored fitted t-shirts, great fitting jeans, pencil skirts, tailored button down shirts, simple cocktail dresses, black slacks… etc. No matter how much trends change, those key pieces never go out of style.

Simply accessorize those classic styles with some trendy accessories and you’ll look trendy without having to spend money on a whole new wardrobe every year. Plus, you can find the trendiest accessories at stores like Charlotte Russe or Forever21 for under 10 bucks!

So what’s in right now?

Chunky Bracelets- Bold chunky bracelets look great with any outfit.

Long Necklaces- Long layered necklace and long pendant necklaces are all the rage right now. Wear these pretty necklaces with dresses, sweaters or even over a turtleneck for an instant wardrobe update.

Ballet Flats- Comfortable and o so cute! While shopping for diapers at Target a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised when I passed the shoe aisle. They had a ton of super cute ballet flats at unbeatable prices. You can preview some of the cute styles on their website. Save even more with this coupon for $5 off any $50 Target.com purchase!

Save with Homemade Beauty Treatments

Chances are the cold winter holidays have left both your skin and budget a little strained. Skip clipping coupons this season to save money on beauty products. You can find some of the best beauty treatments right in your own kitchen. Whipping up one of these simple, all-natural masks can help you save money, time and the environment. Now that’s a bargain you can’t beat!

Firming Facial Mask- I don’t know whether its genetics or this mask, but my grandmother swears this firming mask is what keeps her looking great. Simply beat one egg yolk and apply the mixture to your skin with a cotton ball. Rinse your face after 15 minutes and voila!

Exfoliating Mask - Avoid harsh, expensive exfoliating treatments that can damage your skin and use this simple mask instead. I couldn’t believe how well this worked after I tried it. Just mix ½ cup uncooked oatmeal, 3 tablespoons honey and 1 egg yolk. Rub mask on face in circular motion and leave on for 10 minutes. Be sure to avoid the eye area when applying this mask.

Moisturizing Mask - Say goodbye to dry, flaky skin with this moisturizing mask. Mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon honey and a teaspoon olive oil. Smooth on and leave on for 15 minutes. Mixing a half cup of natural yogurt, 1 tablespoon of honey, and ¼ ripe banana also works well.

Soothing Mask - This mask really helped me sooth my skin after getting some sunburn last spring break. It’s perfect for soothing chapped, sunburned or irritated skin. Combine 1 cup yogurt with ½ cup cooked oatmeal. Add a couple drops of lemon juice for oily skin or a little bit of honey for dry skin. Leave the mixture on for about 10 to 15 minutes and wash off with a steamed washcloth.

For an added bonus, put cucumber slices or used tea bags over your eyes while you are waiting to take off your mask to refresh tired and puffy eyes.

Save on College Textbooks

If you’re a college student, or the parent of one, you know that the price of college textbooks gets downright ridiculous at times. A single college textbook can cost well over a hundred dollars! Fortunately there are things you can do to save on college textbooks. I overpaid on textbooks by using the campus bookstore my first couple of semesters, but I learned a few things along the way that helped me save a lot of money. Hopefully passing on these tips will help you save on college textbooks too.

Plan ahead- Don't wait until the first day of class to find out what books you need. Try to find out as soon as possible what textbooks you will need so you can find the best price possible. If your school doesn't provide that information online, try emailing your professor. You can also visit the campus book store (check if they have a website first) and write down the ISBN numbers.

Borrow- Once you know what books you need, see if any of your friends already have them. It never hurts to ask and borrowing or trading textbooks with them can save you both a lot of money. If that doesn’t work, visit the library! I wish I found out sooner that you can borrow textbooks from the library because I would have saved myself a lot of money. Since I was a commuter, I simply visited my local library at the start of each semester and the librarian helped me request the books I needed. The books would arrive from various neighboring libraries about a week or two later. I had to renew the books 2-3 times and usually paid a 10 cent a day late fee for the last few weeks when the book was not renewable anymore. Nevertheless, paying 3 bucks in library fees is much better then paying a 100 to buy the textbook. The textbook you need may not be available at the library, but if it is you can save yourself some money.

Buy Online- There are a ton of great websites where you can find cheap used textbooks or discounted new textbooks. The great thing about shopping for textbooks online is that you can easily compare prices on different websites. I would recommend checking out half.com first. Just note that some people sell the international version of textbooks in their auctions (it’s basically just a soft cover version.) They are a great value, but if you plan on selling your textbooks most bookstores do not buy back the international edition. You can always re-list the textbook on half.com though. Another one of my favorites is ecampus.com. They have a great selection and very competitive prices. Coolsavings currently has a great coupon to save 5% on your ecampus.com order. Definitely check out the coolsavings.com website often for updated online bookstore coupons.

Buy only what you need- Although I have never bought anything through iChapters.com (it wasn’t around when I went to college unfortunately), I have heard a lot of great things about it. Students can purchase a full electronic college textbook a.k.a e-book for half the price of a new hardcopy textbook. You can also choose to buy only the chapters you need for $1.99 per chapter. Both the full textbooks and chapters can instantly be downloaded from the site which makes this site perfect for late night study sessions. iChapters.com also sells hard copy books at 25% off retail price. Definitely factor in the cost of printing pages when you buy through this site though. You can also choose to be eco-friendly and read the electronic textbooks off your computer.

Sell back books- If the textbook is not something you want to keep as a reference for future classes, sell it asap. If you wait too long, a new edition might come out and your book may not be in demand anymore. You can try selling the book to your campus bookstore (although they will probably only give you a few dollars), another student, or online. There are a ton of great sites that buy back used textbooks such as webuytextbooks.com. You can also try listing your book on half.com, but there is no guarantee that it will sell.