Before we get into today’s rather serious post (can I ever really be serious? Come on now), I want to take a second to thank another fabulous sponsor…Heather and Ivy from Home Ec 101.
One day when I was feeling especially whiny and petulent, I wrote three blogger-idols to gain insight and information about how in the heck I was going to make this carnival work. One of them sort of kindly ignored me (who was I, anyway, but a lowly peon in blogland?). But Heather and Ivy took compassion on my tendency to blow matters completely out of proportion, and pushed me in the right direction. For that we are all grateful, aren’t we? So I’m sure you’re already visiting Home Ec 101, but if not, you should go there now. It will make you happy. And be sure to visit my other favorite people.
Moving on…
Eco-Fab is a rather confusing term, I admit. In this sense, I used it as “economical.” Basically, anything related to saving money or doing things on the cheap. Our picks for today are a little less illustrated with pictures…it seems all of those eco-fabulous bloggers don’t really need images to show that the cost of gas is going up, and cheese, and butter, and…everything.
We’ve all got to deal with the rising costs somehow (our employers sure aren’t doing their part…or at least mine isn’t!). Here are a few articles that especially caught our eye. (Entrants, forgive me if I’ve re-categorized your entry. It’s amazing how many categories some of your posts can fit in! But rest assured, it will be covered if you’ve gotten an email from me. Email me at sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com with any questions.)
Toblerone from Simple Mom has made me pine for carnations…a flower that I’ve never been particularly inspired by. Now I’m imagining all sorts of places I could stick them. On my nightstand! In my bathroom! Next to my dog’s bowl! (Yes, they really are that cheap of a flower.)
Frugal Wedding Present: Creating a Cookbook. Stephanie from Stop The Ride has put together a great idea for a wedding present — a personalized book of recipes. I would definitely have appreciated such a heartfelt gift at my wedding, and you can spend as much or as little time on it as you have available to you.
Eating Well on Your Budget Vacation. Sarah from The Eclectic Female has some interesting ideas that I’ve never thought about — going to a farmer’s market at your vacation spot, for instance. (Not that we GO on vacations, mind you. That sounds like something for the especially time-privileged at this point in our lives!)
The Use of Grocery Credit Cards to Save Money at the Supermarket. I can’t even type the phrase “credit cards” without grimacing. I haaaaaaate them. Hate them. They gobble up my money every month without ever seeming to slow down with their insatiable appetites. So if someone out there can actually get the better of the credit card companies by making money off of them, go for it. I have tried and failed numerous times. Perhaps this article from Money Blue Book can help you succeed at it.
5 Ways to Use Vinegar. As far as household products go, you can’t get much cheaper than a bottle of vinegar. Samantha from Some Healthy Savings shares 5 of its little-known uses.
Virtually Organized Giveaway: Mrs. A’s Coupon Organizer. I always get so flustered with my coupons in the check-out line. I can feel the people behind me boring their little beady eyes at me like laser beams. I sheepishly hand them to the cashier in a little wad and pray that I pulled the right ones. Oh please let there not be a problem! (I know, I have self-awareness issues.) I seriously need to enter this giveaway from Virtually Organized, in other words.
A Better Way to Organize Coupons. But let’s face it, folks. I rarely win anything in my life, and you probably don’t either. There’s hope for us yet! Nichole from A Call to Higher Places has put together a guide to creating a handy coupon book all by yourself. Yippee!
The Benefits of Line-Drying Your Clothing. The much-revered Amy Clark of MomAdvice.com has put together a thorough article convincing me that line-drying is definitely a good thing. And for those of us who sheepishly wonder the process of this quaint past-time, she even includes a bit of a how-to.
How to Live on Less: A Guide to Thrifting. Ivy from Home Ec 101 is a bit of a thrifting pro (actually, she’s kind of a pro at a lot of stuff). Her readers have also chimed in with a lively discussion on the topic.
The Debtor’s Toolkit: 12 Effective Tactics to Use when Tackling Debt. Debt can be a nasty opponent. (Believe me, it seems to always be winning in our house.) Trent from The Simple Dollar can help you get mean and nasty right back at it.
The Secrets Credit Card Companies DON’T Want You to Know. The title sounds like the title of a late-night infomercial, but it is all so completely true. Credit cards are truly evil. Here’s proof from Gather Little By Little.
And the winner in the Eco-Fab category is…
Amy from Mom Advice for her helpful and informative article about getting started with line-drying (And be sure to shoot me an email with your address so that I can send your prize package!)
See you tomorrow for the next installment!
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