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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Saving Money on Car Gas
Saving Money on Car Gas
With the cost of gas today, we are all looking for ways to save money. Below are several tips that will help you save on car gas. Every little bit adds up.
*Get A Gas Card
Almost all major gas stations offer their own brand of gas credit card that will allow you to save 3-5 percent on all your gas purchases at their stations. Saving 5 percent off every gallon of gas means a savings of around $3.75 per tank.
*Avoid Aggressive Driving
Hitting the gas pedal hard when the light turns green and braking hard when you stop will increase the rate at which your car using its gas.
*Use Your Cruise Control
Cruise control not only helps you drive at a steady speed but also saves you gas. On average, you'll save about seven percent more gas than if you don't use cruise control.
*Slow Down
Sure, going fast can be fun. It can also get you a nice collection of speeding tickets, but more importantly, the faster you drive the more gas you use.
*Stop Idling
If you going to be sitting and waiting some place without moving for more than about a minute, turn off the engine. It probably goes without saying that if you can avoid rush hour traffic, you should.
*Plan Ahead
Map out the places you will need to stop at and figure the shortest route. This not only saves gas, it save time..
*You have legs - use them
Really want to save money on gas? Then use your legs. A lot of trips aren't really that far, and while it takes a little longer to walk somewhere than to drive, it's a good chance to get outside for some fresh air and get some exercise in the process. If you don't want to walk, think about getting a bicycle.
Supermarket Smarts
Supermarket Smarts
We all have to eat, regardless of what the financial situation happens to be. When trying to reduce the amount of money you spend, you don't have to sacrifice a lot in order to save money. Below are a few ways you can save at the grocery store.
Before you leave the house check your pantry and do a swift inventory so that you can see precisely what you need. Also, if you have some odd ingredient hanging out in the cupboard, you can purchase something to go with it while you are out.
Check weekly supermarket ads to see exactly what's on sale. Combine that information with what is already in your cupboard, and you should be able to come up with some recipes for the week that integrate both.
When you see something on sale that you often buy, buy it. When you buy things that you would buy anyway on sale, you're saving yourself plenty of cash in the future.
Do your best to avoid making small purchases at places such as convenience stores. These smaller stores usually charge more when it comes to their grocery goods.
When you make a grocery list, stick to it. Do your best to avoid impulse buys.
Red meat can be very pricey. If you're looking for ways to get your protein without spending a whole lot, your best bet is to go for poultry, tuna, peanut butter, and eggs as an alternative.
When buying poultry, go for the whole chicken instead of breast meat. They are a much cheaper way of getting chicken.
When you see something advertised as a sale, be sure that it is in fact a deal. Compare the product to comparable products in the area to decide whether or not you'll be saving money by buying the sale item.
Frugally Safe
Frugally Safe
You don't have to spend a fortune to insure the safety of your family and home. I have listed several things you can do for little money to help make your home a safer place without having to install a complete home security system, which is definitely not frugal. In fact, few have the money to install such a system.
*Install alarms
First things first. You might want to buy one of those small door-installed alarms that cost about $20 or less. Powered by cell batteries, once it's turned on and the door is opened, the alarm emits a sharp warning to alert you. It's cheap, unobtrusive and it works.
*Bolts and locks
For doors and windows, you can install bolts and locks to reinforce an existing lock. As long as the bolt is solid and the hinges are properly screwed in place, you will have little worry. If you have sliding doors that don't have an anti-lift device, it would be a good idea to install one. Or, you could install two door locks - one on top and another at the bottom - to reinforce the hook lock.
*Keep the light on
Illuminate your porch, back door and garage. If you're willing to spend a little, invest in dusk-to-dawn lighting powered by photoelectric cells. These save a lot of energy and will be cheaper to use than electric-powered lights. Even less expensive is a solar-powered spotlight that collects the sun during the day and lights the yard at night.
*Keep things thorny
If you don't have a fence or wall, keep thorny plants and shrubs around. Plants like roses, holly and hawthorn have spiny leaves and thorny stems are great deterrents because they can produce punctures and tear at the skin. They not only provide you with security, they are also great ornamentals.
Knitting as a Home-Based Business
Knitting as a Home-Based Business
The word “knitting” used to conger up thoughts of grannies sitting in their rockers and making baby blankets to pass the time, but thankfully it has now taken on an entirely different connotation. Knitting has seen a major resurgence in interest in the past ten years or so. People young and old, from all walks of life, are discovering knitting in an entirely new way. And, the best part is that now some stay-at-home parents are using their love of knitting to create income for their families. As owners of a home-based knitting business, many are finding they can earn some extra money to support their family, while enjoying their craft as well.
There are many aspects to knitting which can be made into a home-based business venture. The most obvious one is selling the items which you knit. However, even more in demand is teaching knitting to others, and selling knitting items to others who knit for their hobby. With the proliferation of the Internet, you can now set up shop and be in business in just a couple days’ time.
Whether you choose to sell your items online, teach or sell retail, there are a few basic business guidelines that you will need to follow to be successful. Some of them are:
The Business Plan
No matter what business you decide to start, you 100% have to have a solid business plan. There is no way possible to have a successful business venture without one. The best way to develop your business plan is to think about all of the variables which go into your unique business, and what your ultimate short-term and long-term goals are for the business. With all of this information, you can sit down and formulate a business plan without it taking you a lot of valuable time. You can easily make a business plan with a pencil and a piece of paper.
Financial Records
The best thing you can do for yourself is to keep good business records from day one of your business. Start with the fees to get a business license, and start recording every single business expense that you have. By doing this as you go you will save both yourself and your tax preparer a ton of headaches come tax time.
Setting Your Prices
The number one mistake many home-based knitting businesses make is to charge too little for their services. You need to make a living, and you need to be pricing your items and services accordingly. Whatever you do, do not sell yourself short! Ask a going rate for your items and services and expect that people will pay you what your time and product is worth. This allows you to work smarter and not harder! And, it allows you to stay in business because you are seeing some profits from your time investment.
Marketing
Marketing is simply getting the word out and letting others know your business exists. You can market online, through a press release sent to your local newspaper, flyers, brochures, craft fair booths, etc… Anywhere you come into contact with potential customers you can market your items and services. You can even do simple things like always carry business cards, available these days very inexpensively online, and hand them out to everyone you meet as you go through your days.
The absolute best way to market your business is through word-of-mouth. Once your business gets going, if you treat your customers well, then they will tell their friends and family about you; this will bring you more customers without having to pay a dime to advertise.
As you can see there are a lot of things for you to consider when you are thinking about starting a home-based knitting business. However, your business can be very successful and profitable if you take the time to make it so.
Adding Beads to Your Crochet Projects
Adding Beads to Your Crochet Projects
With the popularity of beading and jewelry making today, there are literally millions of different beads which you can purchase and add on to your crochet projects. Beads are very readily available and inexpensive to purchase. They can be found made of many materials and of all shapes and sizes. Whether you want to add a single focus bead to your crochet projects, or add many of them, it is simple to do and will produce great results every single time.
No instruction about beading crochet would be complete without a warning about babies. If you are crocheting baby items, they are not appropriate for beading. The baby’s hands can work beads loose and they are a possible choking hazard if swallowed. The best way to deal with this is to avoid the issue all together by not adding beads to your baby crochet items.
No matter if your crochet project is simple or complex, adding beads is a simple process which you can learn very quickly. However, one very important thing is to remember is that your bead holes need to fit over the yarn or fiber which you are crocheting with. If the bead hole is hard to get on your yarn then you will find the entire process frustrating. And, the bead, if hard to string, will rub your yarn and cause it to fray. This fraying will cause your finished product to look less than professional.
The first step in adding beads to your crochet projects is deciding how many beads you need and where you will place them on your project. Your options are limitless when you are adding beads to crochet. You can add one bead, you can add just a few beads or you can add many beads. You also have the option of forming patterns with your beads or making them appear more random. Once you have decided some of these things then it is time to hit the craft store to purchase your beads.
While you are selecting beads, take care to decide on the quality of the beads and the wear they may receive. If your item will be machine washed then it is a good idea to stick with sturdy beads. If your item will be hand washed then you can use more delicate beads. Whatever your choice in beads, make sure you use quality beads so they will last the lifetime of your finished crochet project.
You will be placing your beads on your project in the reverse, so you will want to line up your beads in reverse order, if they are not all the same. When you are going to embellish your crochet with beads you have two choices of how to do it. The first choice is to add your beads as you crochet. To do this you will want to feed your beads onto your crochet hook when you are at the stitch where you want the bead to be. Place the bead right where you want it to be, and then make your last yarn over. This will secure down the bead into place. If you are working on an open or lacy design, you will need to add your beads as you crochet.
The second choice you have is to sew on your beads after your fabric has been crocheted. To do this, you will want to use the same crochet yarn or thread to sew on your beads that your fabric is made of. This will allow the thread to blend in and not stand out on your finished design. This is a good technique for tightly woven crochet fabrics.
Adding beads to your crochet projects gives you a way to make a simple item really have some sparkle and visual interest. Whether you choose to add a single bead or thousands, the process is simple and you can do it well with very little practice.
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