money-saving tips & real money-making on the Internet | Tara's Place!

Money Saving Tips! - Updated!

All-purpose cleaner: I've tried just about every liquid cleaner and found you can eliminate a lot of them by using ordinary bleach diluted with water. I use a 1:5 to 1:10 ratio in a spray bottle, depending on what I'm cleaning. You can clean and disinfect just about any surface besides whitening your clothes. It's good for cleaning toilets and getting rid of shower scum; bleach dissolves organic matter. Just spray the solution on surfaces; no rinsing or scrubbing required, unless the surfaces are really filthy. It has destroyed every spray bottle I've used (probably eats the rubber valves), but since spray bottles are cheap it's not that much of an expense and they last months if you buy a good one (Ace Hardware has one for $2.50). Recycle the bottle when the pump dies.

The odor of chlorine can be nasty and it is a carcinogen. Have good ventilation, wear gloves and eye protection. Bleach is corrosive and should be wiped off metal surfaces after spraying. Lighting a match gets rid of bleach odor. Lighting a fart will blow a flame out your ass.

Spray hair conditioner: I got tired of paying four bucks for an 8 oz. bottle of Pantene spray conditioner, so I bought some inexpensive conditioner, poured a little in the empty spray bottle, filled with water and voila! Cheap spray conditioner!

Dry hair: I have very dry hair and have tried all manner of conditioning products, including conditioning my hair for an hour wearing a shower cap. None have worked. I now use about a teaspoon of olive oil spread through my hair and it brings back its luster. If I need some salad dressing, I just squeeze some oil out of my hair.

Cheap shower curtain: I've tried washing them in a clothes washer, but it just doesn't get them clean enough and hand-washing is a pain. The answer? A shower curtain liner. You can pick one up for three or four bucks. Though they don't look fancy they work and some have little magnets at the bottom that hold it to the side of your tub.

Baking soda: This cheap, versatile substance has many uses: general cleaner, toothpaste, refrigerator freshener, laundry aid (pour some in with wash and use less detergent), litter box deodorizer, etc. I brush my teeth twice a day, once with baking soda and once with regular fluoride toothpaste. It whitens your teeth though you won't get the dramatic whitening of peroxide products, like Crest White Strips. For more on teeth whitening see below.

Soothing bath: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into bath water and enjoy a soothing bath and silky skin.

Antacid: Got heartburn like there's no tomorrow? Mix a heaping teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Drink. You'll probably be happily burping away your indigestion.

If you don't want to spend a lot of $$ for teeth-whitening products, Rembrandt has some mouth washes that whiten teeth. I have gotten decent whitening from their mouth wash vs. none with "whitening" tooth pastes.

Whitening with peroxide cheaply! Hydrogen peroxide is the active ingredient in teeth whitening products. You can make your own teeth-whitening / mouth wash solution using cheap hydrogen peroxide, available for about a dollar in most grocery and drug stores. Mix a little 50/50 with water or mouthwash and swish for about 30 seconds once a week. Rinse with water. It has a funky taste, but you're not paying through the ying-yang for Crest White Strips with the fresh minty taste that makes your teeth sensitive to hot and cold (caused by the peroxide). It also disinfects minor cuts and wonds.

Recycle plastic baggies: I thought it was a waste to throw away zip-lock bags after one use, plus plastic takes millions of years to decompose. I wash them along with the dishes - just a few wipes inside and out, rinse and hang upside-down on some silverware or knife. It's cut my zip-lock baggie usage way down. After a while they'll rip or break and must be thrown out . . . err . . . recycled.

$$ Non Get-Rich-Quick schemes $$

Most online money-making offers are bogus. I warn about 'home-based' businesses and multi-level marketing (MLM) in 10 Ways to Pay for SRS though there are some that are legit. None will make you rich in 24 hours, they can help if you're on a tight budget or just want to make a few extra bucks.

MyPoints sends you emails (NOT spam) with links to various sponsors' websites. You earn 5 points for every website you visit and more points if you complete a sponsor's offer. You get 100 points for joining and are not obligated to buy anything. I've used MyPoints since their inception and have earned over $50 in gift cards at K-Mart and JC Penny. There are many other participating retailers to chose from.

If you decide to join MyPoints please send me an email so I can refer you and get credit! Then you can do the same with your friends!

e-rewards has surveys and pays for each one you take. I joined a short while ago and have already earned over $37 in e-rewards money. I recently cashed-in my earnings and got five Blockbuster video coupons.

Lightspeed is a survey website. Earn credit for taking surveys. They pay in cash.

Earn $1 - $5 (cash) for each survey you qualify for. If you don't qualify for a survey you get an entry in their sweepstakes.

MySurvey.com is another website that gives you cash in exchange for filling out surveys. If you decide to join and want to help me a bit, click here to email me and I'll send you a referral email straight away (I'll earn 150 points). Look at all this information I've offered. :-)

Not-get rich quick schemes

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