Get Organized - 100 Money-Saving Tips


Become an Early Bird




If you're exhausted, waking up early doesn't sound like a great idea at all. In fact, if you are a mom of newborns or kiddos who aren't sleeping through the night, I want you to skip this post. Go get yourself a drink of water, put your feet up, and relax.

For everyone else, getting up early can be a great way to help you recharge your batteries. It seems counterintuitive, but by creating time for yourself, you'll feel better about yourself and feel more energetic. Here are some things you could do if you wake up early:

  1. You'll be able to enjoy quiet in your home. If no one else is up, you get to be by yourself and do what you want.
  2. You can work on projects that you would put off during the day. 
  3. You can eat breakfast in peace.
  4. You can take a shower.
  5. You can exercise.
  6. You can enjoy a beverage without having to hide it or use a cup with a top so it doesn't spill.
  7. You'll be able to accomplish something before the craziness of the day begins.
  8. You may end up sleeping better at night!
Waking up early is all about carving out time for you. A lot of people prefer to have time to themselves late in the evening. That's great if you're a night owl, but there's something to be said for getting a jump start on the day - on your own terms!

My family wakes around seven, so my favorite time to wake up is five. That way I can get ready for the day, do a little exercising, and enjoy some time doing something I'd like to do before the day begins. I usually make that morning time "me" time. If I don't carve out the morning hours for myself, it doesn't end up happening.

For more information on the benefits of waking up early, visit my Become an Early Bird Pinterest board

photo from reclaimorder.wordpress.com.

How to Connect Directly to Someone's Voicemail


Need to return a call? Don't want to? Wish you could just leave a message and not have to talk to the person? Now you can!

Slydial is a service that you can use to be connected directly to someone's cell phone voicemail. As far as I can tell, it doesn't work for regular landlines. The service is free, but you do have to listen to a short advertisement before your call goes through. In my mind, it's well worth it to listen to the advertisement to be able to save time by just leaving a message.

I used Slydial the other day to leave a message for my friend while she was in a meeting. I didn't want to disturb her, but I wanted to give her specific information about where we were going to meet for dinner. I actually told her that I used Slydial so I wouldn't embarass her during her meeting, and she was very appreciative.

Others use Slydial to avoid making calls that might be awkward, long, or difficult. Whether this is ethical is up for debate. It's up to you to decide how you want to use this free tool.

To use Slydial, do the following:


1. Call 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425) from a cell phone or a landline.



2. One you are connected, you'll hear a short ad and then a voice prompt. When you hear the voice prompt, enter the phone number of the person you want to "slydial."



3. As your call is connecting, you will hear another short advertisement. It's about 10 seconds long.



4. Your call will be connected directly to the person's voicemail.



5. Leave a voicemail, and hang up. You're done!



Slydial also offers a premium service for $2.95/month that doesn't have any advertising. Personally, I don't use Slydial enough to make it worth the expense, and I don't mind the advertisements.

There you have it! You can use Slydial to call someone's cell phone voicemail directly. It saves time, and could potentially get you out of some awkward situations.

What do you think about using Slydial?

(Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By using them, you will be supporting this site. Thank you!)

Save Time and Get Better Results from Your Moisturizer



We are in the midst of winter.  Furnaces are blaring, heat is dry, and skin is chapping.  To save time, moisturize your skin while you are still in the shower.
1.} Bring a bottle of baby oil gel with you into the shower, and when you’ve finished bathing, apply the gel to your skin. 




2.} When you get out of the shower, dry your hair off with a towel, and then wipe off the excess gel.  

The baby oil gel “sticks” to your skin, and doesn’t evaporate away as quickly as lotion.  You may find that this is so effective that you don’t need to purchase moisturizing lotion any more.
Do not try to do this with regular baby oil.  It could spill and become a slipping hazard.

This post may contain affiliate links.

How to Cure Cracked Heels



Ugh. Cracked heels are a huge bummer. This year I've been battling dry skin even more than usual, and my heels have been a mess. I finally found this regimen that helped to reduce the dry skin build up and cracking on my heels. Here it is:

1. Before you go to bed, wipe feet with Stridex Pads. This helps to break down some of the dry skin already on your feet. If you don't have Stridex pads, you can use other types of acne-treating pads like Oxy or even store brands.

2. Apply petroleum jelly to heels and rest of feet.

3. Immediately put on socks.

4. Leave socks on overnight while petroleum jelly moisturizes your heels.

That's it! Do this for a few weeks, and you'll see a huge improvement in your heels.

What do you do to get rid of cracked heels? 

(Note: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this site!)

How to Remove Salt Stains from Hardwood Floors




If you live in a part of the country that gets a lot of snow, you are probably constantly cleaning up salt stains from when people enter your home. Even if visitors have the best of intentions, and take their shoes off before entering your home, salt stains are pretty much inevitable. Keeping up with cleaning the salt stains is a huge pain.

One strategy for making cleanup easier is to prepare a solution of 1/2 gallon of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar.  Put the solution into a spray bottle so you'll have it handy for frequent cleanups. When you see a salt stain on your floor, spray it with the solution, and then use a wet sponge to wipe up the mess. Dry off the floor and check to see if the stain is gone. Repeat as needed. 

This is much more manageable than mopping the floor each day. Of course, if you have a lot of traffic in your home, mopping may be a simpler solution. For the occasional tracking in of snow, this spray bottle strategy is much easier.

Looking for more cleaning tips? Check out my Cleaning Board on Pinterest.

What tips do you have for getting salt off of hardwood floors? Leave your tips and/or links in the comments.

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Thank you for supporting this site!)

This link was shared on Thrifty Thursday.

Three Ways to Fit in a Walk




If you have young children, or if you live in a climate that doesn't allow for walking outdoors everyday, figuring out a way to get in a daily walk can be tough.  Here are some ideas for getting in a daily walk:




Walk at the mall.  

You'll be surprised at how many other people do this too. You can window shop, socialize, and get out of the house. If you have little ones, bring them along so they can burn off some energy.

Walk with the WiiFit.  

If you have a Wii or any other type of video game that has a running or walking game, this is a great solution.  My toddlers love doing "Mommy's Running," and I'm able to get in a good walk.  

Walk in place in front of the TV.  

Yes, this gets old really fast, but if you're desperate, it works.  You can even dragged out an old aerobics step and walked on it while watching your favorite reality shows.  It will make the time go by faster, make the workout more intense, and keep you from getting too sore.