Budget Ideas

I'm a woman on a budget. I haven't always been this way, and actually I was the worst when it came to money. I spent, spent and spent whenever money was in my account. Not only that but I'm a single young mom and receive no child support. So even though money was hard, I had to look decent right? Well that's what I thought. Lucky for me, my boyfriend has helped me in a way that I didn't know I knew how to manage. MONEY! He put me on a strict budget (which I'm still on), and I'm learning ways to eat healthy, clean and organize my life. If you are like me, I was eating out almost every single day! I didn't care which Fast Food Restaurant it was, I just didn't want to cook. I also bought all sorts of cleaning supplies all the time to make my life easier in ANY way. Now that I'm on this strict budget I'm actually improving my credit, saving and spending less on items I really don't need.

Because everyone is on a tight budget I thought I would offer advise that has helped me, and I hope it helps you too. I will be doing several of these so keep coming back to check on how you can save as well.

I find this subject to be very useful, eco-friendly, cheap and easy. BAKING SODA! Now some people just use it for baking or sticking it in the fridge to take out the gross smells, but it actually helps you with so much more. I found some sources online and I actually have a book about it. Here are a few and helpful ways of using Baking Soda:

Electric Stove Top Cleaner

- I have an electric stove top (I love gas burners though) and we bought a cleaner just for an electric stove and it did not even work. Took a long time and it just frustrated me because it was about 70% effective. So I brought out my orange box of Baking Soda, poured water over the area that needed cleaning, sprinkled some Baking Soda, got a pot/pan nylon scrubber, let it soak for about 5 mins and wiped it off. 

Hand Deodorizer

- Ok I know what you are thinking..."what???"...don't think I'm weird, but now that I stay at home, I cook every night and I use garlic and onions in most of my meals. Even though it makes my meals taste yummy...it's not a wonderful smell on  your hands. So pull out that lovely orange box again, wet your hands and scrub with Baking Soda, rinse and dry.

Mouthwash

- For a fresh-feeling mouth, mix a teaspoon of Baking Soda and a half glass of water and rinse!

Shampoo Helper

- To help remove conditioner buildup, massage Baking Soda into wet hair, rinse, then shampoo and condition as normal. Do this once a week.

Fruit Cleaner

- To help clean fruits from wax and pesticides take 3 tablespoons of Baking Soda and 1 tablespoon of water and rub on the fruit. You can use this on Apples, Plums, Pears and Nectarines.