Tips Archives - Embracing Beauty

5 Ways to Save on Household Items

August 20, 2010 by Ashley Leave a Comment

A big thanks goes to Elizabeth Cutten for this post!

Whenever you go out and grocery shop, you’re going to find that you’re probably always purchasing household items such as paper towel, toilet paper, and more. While we can’t really get away from it, items like this really eat away at our budget.

Since I’m an advocate of saving money, I wanted to give you some tips that I use when I want to save some money on household items. You’re going to find that when you’re creative, you can save a ton of cash. Trust me, it does add up over the years!

Hit up the dollar store: There’s a good chance that there is a dollar store in your area. If you don’t shop here, it’s time that you do right now. They have about every cleaner imaginable, as well as toilet paper, paper towel, and more. The best thing about it is that everything will only cost you a dollar!

Create your own products: Did you know that you can create your own cleaner, as well as laundry detergent? Find some great organic recipes online to find out how you can create a cleaner, as well as detergent.

Use coupons: Yes, I know it sounds obvious but you can save so much with coupons when you print them online, as well as get them from your Sunday paper. Another great way to get coupons is by registering on your favorite cleaner’s website. Bookmark sites like EmbracingBeauty.com that can help you spot coupons.

Learn the tricks: There are some cool tricks that you can use that many people don’t know about. For instance, you can fill your detergent bottle back up with water when it gets about half empty. Since the bottle is mainly concentrate, you will find that it will work just as well. Another cool one is cutting your fabric sheets in half.

Buy in bulk: If you have a CostCo or any other membership like that, you’re going to find that you can take advantage of bulk purchases. Things such as diapers, paper towels, cleaner and more are all worth purchasing in bulk. Just make sure that you know what you’re paying per item to see if you’re getting the best deal.

As long as you’re creative, you follow a few tips mentioned above, and you have the motivation to save, you’re going to find that anything is possible. Try out the tips above and see how much you can save on your next shopping trip!

This post was written by Elizabeth Cutten. She’s a contributor for FindSecuredCards, a getting out of debt/secured credit card site helping those fight off the debt that they have, as well as get cost saving strategies.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: guest post, save

Top 50 Frugal Blogs That Can Change Your Life

July 30, 2010 by Ashley 12 Comments

Whether you’re struggling to get out of debt or want to save for the future, learning to live frugally will help you reach your goals. This list of frugal bloggers can teach you how to get things for free, how to save money on things you already buy, and how to live better on less. We hope you enjoy this list of bloggers (in no particular order) who are experts at living the frugal life.

Keeping the Kingdom First – Alyssa will share creative ways to reduce spending in order to increase giving.
Mommy Snacks – Andrea shares with you her saving strategies, freebies & coupon database.
Freebies4Mom – Heather never runs out of hot freebies to spoil you with.
Money Saving Mom – Crystal helps you become a better home economist one post at a time.
Frugal Dad – Frugal Dad informs about financial resources & his passion for a conservative approach to personal finances.
Deal Seeking Mom – Tara is a stay-at-home mom who teaches that spending less is possible with just a little effort.
Faithful Provisions – Kelly is dedicated to showing you how to save money by encouraging, equipping and empowering good stewardship.
Embracing Beauty – We couldn’t leave ourselves off now could we? Alongside our sister site, Beauty 4 Moms we seek to help you pinch pennies, count your blessings, and find the beauty in life.
Mighty Bargain Hunter – Gives guidance on personal finance, commentary, and spending less the easy way.
Moms Need to Know – Mindi helps you stretch your dollar so you can have more fun.
Living Rich With Coupons – Cindy will give you the resources to save money on your grocery budget and more.
Almost Frugal – Learning all about frugality.
Coupons & Freebies Mom – Formerly Engineer a Debt Free Life, this husband & wife team bring you coupons & freebies to maximize your savings.
This Side of Eternity – Saving dollars & sense this side of eternity.
Couponing to Disney – Teaching you how to pay for things you thought were out of reach.
Baby Cheapskate – Helping you save big bucks on baby stuff.
Christian Clipp ers – Resources to help you spend God’s money wisely.
Coupon Dad – Offers coupon resources for printable coupons, free food coupons, grocery coupons, online coupons & more.
Nicole’s Nickels – Offers the best money-makers & money-savers.
Couponing 101 – Will help you earn your free coupon education.
Fashion Cents for Mom – Daily shares bargains & deals for the fashionable mom.
Surviving the Stores – Will help you bring more of your money home.
Saving with Shellie – Shellie teaches you that saving doesn’t always mean sacrifice.
Saving Cents with Sense – Offers you the resources to live sensibly within your budget.
The Happy Housewife – This housewife describes how she lives well on less and how you can too.
Northern Cheapskate – Nurture your frugal nature with Christina’s guide to frugal living, coupons, and more.
For the Mommas – Shannon helps you find values for your family.
Centsable Momma – Will help you be able to save your cents.
Money Saving Methods – Carrie gives the gift of how to earn and save in everyday life.
Life as Mom – On the road to joyful motherhood, Jessica shares parenting tips, budget living and good eats.
Nickels n Dimes – Teaches you how to avoid being nickeled and dimed.
Koupon Karen – Gives you the know-how to conquer the stores with a coupon plan in hand.
My Frugal Adventures – Charlene’s writes for people who want to learn how to seriously stretch a dollar.
Living as Mom – Tiffany shares shopping strategies, frugal deals, and more.
Beauty and Bedlam – Jen shares her secrets to finding balance between beauty and bedlam and how to live on less and love it.
Amy Loves It – Amy, a work-at-home mom, shares about couponing, frugality, marriage & ministry.
Penny Pinching Diva – Shynea helps you pinch your pennies, one penny at a time.
$30 Weekly Grocery Challenge – A blog designed to challenge you to live large on less.
Pocket Your Dollars – Tools and tips to help keep your money where it belongs.
Frugal Femina – Katie explores new ways to use her resources wisely.
Mrs. Moneysaver – Helping you do more with less.
Southern Bella’s Way to Save – Kasandria writes on topics about mystery shopping, cutting out extras, budgeting, freebies and sales.
The Krazy Coupon Lady – Heather & Joanie teach couponing for beginners and verterans.
Coupon Cravings – Erin shares great drugstore, restaurant, retail and online deals.
Coupon Geek – Jaycie enjoys helping others stretch their budgets.
She Saved – Keri Lyn loves to shop, save, and share her how-to tips with you.
Free Snatcher – Helping you buy more for less.
Bargain Briana – Briana is here to help because bargains don’t find themselves.
The Thrifty Mama – Crystal blogs to help others save money and live healthier.
Thrifty and Thriving – Christy, a stay at home Mom to my five, teaches others how to live a frugal, debt free, and generous life.

We know that this is in no way a complete list! Since we’re pretty sure we’ve missed some great ones. What are your favorite frugal blogs? Please share in the comments.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: blogs, frugal living

How to Save $20 a Year by Switching Fonts

April 12, 2010 by Ashley 2 Comments

Take a look at this fascinating article from Associated Press.

I never would have thought of this!

MILWAUKEE – Here’s a way you might save $20 this year: Change the font in the documents you print.

Because different fonts require different amounts of ink to print, you could be buying new printer cartridges less often if you wrote in, say, Century Gothic rather than Arial. Schools and businesses could save thousands of dollars with font changes.

Data on the subject from Printer.com, a Dutch company that evaluates printer attributes, persuaded the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to make a switch. Diane Blohowiak, coordinator of information-technology user support, has asked faculty and staff to use Century Gothic for all printed documents. The school also plans to change its e-mail system so it uses Century Gothic.

“The feedback we’ve gotten so far has been positive,” she said. “Century Gothic is very readable.”

The school of 6,500 students spends about $100,000 per year on ink and toner cartridges. Although students and staff can change the default font to something more ink-intensive, Blohowiak said the university expects to save $5,000 to $10,000 per year with the font switch.

When Printer.com tested popular fonts for their ink-friendly ways, Century Gothic and Times New Roman topped the list. Calibri, Verdana, Arial and Sans Serif were next, followed by Trebuchet, Tahoma and Franklin Gothic Medium. Century Gothic uses about 30 percent less ink than Arial.

The amount of ink a font drains is mainly driven by the thickness of its lines. A font with “narrow” or “light” in its name is usually better than its “bold” or “black” counterpart, said Thom Brown, an ink researcher at Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s top maker of printers.

Also, serif fonts — those with short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of characters — tend to use thinner lines and thus less ink than a “sans serif” counterpart.

Filed Under: Tips

Coupon Lingo

February 2, 2010 by Ashley 1 Comment

Probably one of the most frequent emails, instant messages and Twitter message I receive is in regards to all the abbreviations that I use. This list contains all the abbreviations I use regularly and a few that I choose not to but other frugal friends do. I’ve been compiling this list for months. I hope you find it useful.

AR: After rebate, the cost of an item after you receive your rebate.

Blinky: Grocery or drugstore coupon dispensers with blinking lights.

BOGO: Buy One Get One

B1G1F: Buy 1 Get 1 Free

BTFE: Box Tops For Education

Cat/Catalina: Catalina coupon, a machine near the cash register that prints coupons when your receipt prints.

CRT: Cash Register Tape – Coupons that print with the receipt

DH: Darling Husband Not exactly a couponing term but one I’ve been asked a lot about. : )

DND: Do Not Double, Sometimes found on manufacturer coupons.

ECB: Extra Care Bucks from the CVS’ loyalty rewards program.

ESRs: EasySaver Rebates, Walgreens monthly rebates program

FAR: Free After Rebate.

IVC : Instant Value Coupon – Walgreens’ store coupons found in ads

MFR: Manufacturer

MIR: Mail-in rebate

MIR: Mail-In Rebate

NAZ: Name Address and Zip Code

NED: No Expiration Date – I like those!

OOP: Out Of Pocket. Meaning the actual cash you pay after any discounts & coupons have been redeemed.

OOS: Out Of Stock

OYNO: On your next order

P&G: Proctor & Gamble Company or sometimes referring to P&G’s Sunday insert

Peelie: Coupons on the product packaging that you peel off.

POP: Proof of Purchase

PP: Purchase Price

PSA: Prices starting at

RC: Rain Check

RP: Red Plum – Sunday Newspaper Insert (fabulous coupons!)

RR: Register Reward – Walgreen’s name for their Catalina’s.

SMP: Specially Marked Package

SCR: Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid monthly rebates program

SS: Smart Source – Sunday Newspaper Insert (more fabulous coupons!)

TMF: Try Me Free, some products have a mail-in rebate that refunds the total money you spent to purchase the item, so you can “Try It Out” for free. (I won’t use this abbreviation)

UPC: Universal Product Code, bar code on a product

V: Valassis – Sunday Newspaper Insert

WYB: When You Buy

YMMV : You mileage (or manager) may vary, some stores may allow you to score a deal, some may not.

If you can think of another I should add just email me to let me know and I’ll update the list. I’m sure there are some I’ve forgotten!

Filed Under: Tips

My Sweet Talent

November 19, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

Here’s my favorite fondant roses and I’m going to show you how to make them.

Here I am!

Okay, okay, so it’s not such a talent as much as it is a hobby. I love to bake and decorate cakes. I’ve done them for birthdays, baby showers, and just about any excuse I can find. Here’s my short video on how to make a super simple rose. I think it’s quite elegant and only takes a few moments (and no skill) to do. I hope you enjoy the video.

They can be quickly add a little something extra to your cakes.

Below are a few recent cakes I’ve made:

Baby shower cake for a darling little girl! : )

I love this cake! It’s a mom’s bum sticking out of the washing machine. : )

Please let me know if you have any baking questions that I might be able to answer for you.

Have a sweet & beautiful day ladies!

Filed Under: Tips

9 Unusual Things to Wash in the Dishwasher

September 9, 2009 by Ashley 26 Comments

Here are 9 unusual things to wash in the dishwasher that you might not have thought of!

1. Kids’ & pet toys. Eliminate dirt and germs periodically with a nice wash in the dishwasher (You don’t have to wash them in the same load with your dishes!)

2. Vegetable brushes, scrub brushes, & baby bottle brushes. Eliminate the bacteria in your kitchen brushes by sanitizing them in the dishwasher.

3. Kitchen & cleaning sponges. Kill the germs on your sponges instead of spreading them around.

4. Tooth brush holders. Toothpaste and water can build up in the bottom of your tooth brush holders. Wash them in the dishwasher from time to time to keep them clean.

5. Refrigerator shelving. Most modern refrigerator shelving is designed to be dishwasher safe (older appliances may not be). You may need to remove the top rack of the dishwasher to fit larger shelves.

6. Cup holder inserts from your car. Many cars now have removable cup holders that are dishwasher safe. No need for sticky cupholders!

7. Glass globe covers for light fixtures (use normal or a light setting). The top rack of the dishwasher is safest for these. You can even wedge them into place with sponges or plastic cups to keep fixtures from possibly moving.

8. Trash can lids and trash cans. The bottom rack will fit a small to medium sized garbage can (some may require removal of the top rack).

9. Dog food & water bowl. Keep your canine’s dishes clean too!

Filed Under: Tips

9 Ways to Save Money on Laundry Costs

September 9, 2009 by Ashley 10 Comments

While I can’t eliminate laundry from your to-do list, I can help you save money on laundry with these frugal laundry tips. Laundry can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want it to be. Not all tips are right for every one; just choose the ones that will work for you and enjoy lower utility and laundry supply bills! Here are 9 different ways to save on the cost of doing laundry, ranging from quick and easy to long-term solutions. Enjoy!

1. Buy Energy Star rated appliances. That Energy Star emblem means they use less energy therefore it will cost you less to use. When replacing old or worn out appliances, check for the Energy Star rating when making your replacement choices.

2. Cut dryer sheets in half. One box lasts twice as long when you cut the sheets in half. As soon as you buy the box, break out the scissors and cut your dryer sheet expenses by 50%! Or you could use each dryer sheets twice, this works just as well with less work!

3. Use correct amount of laundry detergent. Be sure to read and follow the recommended amount of detergent for your size load. Detergent caps are misleading! Often they will have 4 or 5 lines but only require detergent for the first line or maybe the second for a large load.

4. Use less detergent and liquid fabric softener. You can usually get by with using only half of the recommended amount without sacrificing performance. Give it a try! This works great even on heavily soiled garments.

5. Clean the lint trap before every load of laundry. A clean lint trap lets your dryer work more efficiently and dry clothes faster. Spend an extra 20 seconds and empty it before you start the dryer. Every 3 months scrub your lint trap with soap and water to eliminate invisible dryer sheet residue. Your dryer will run more efficiently and a clean lint trap cuts down the risk of a dryer fire!

6. Line dry your clothes. Hang items to dry outside or inside over store bought racks. Personally, I don’t use a dryer for undergarments (they’ll last a lifetime longer and hold shape better if you don’t!), nice shirts or sweaters, & t-shirts with large print on them (they will crack & look older faster if you dry them).

7. Do less laundry. Wear jeans several times before washing, use bath towels more than once (change wash cloths daily). Sweaters and jackets easily be worn more than once if you wear them layered with a shirt underneath. Make sure you hang up clothes that can be worn again so that they’re not wrinkly or washed by mistake.

8. Dry loads back to back if possible to keep the dryer from heating up again (save time and energy).

9. Wash in the coldest temperature recommended for your clothes. Save your water heater energy when possible. Cold water temperatures are proven to clean just as well as hot and will also help to preserve the fibers of your clothing so it won’t wear out as fast.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: Homemaking, Tips

9 Things Everyone Should do Daily

September 9, 2009 by Ashley 7 Comments

Of course, these are only my opinions but I think they’re good ones. : )

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day, and while you walk, smile. This will lift your spirits every time!

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Thank God for what He’s done, talk about what is going on in your life, & read the Bible (The first two parts of this can be done while walking…the last part if you have the Bible on an Ipod).

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
“Today I will__________ . I am thankful for______________ .”

4. Drink plenty of water & eat a piece of fruit.

5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

6. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college student. : )

7. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Remember to agree to disagree.

8. Do at least one sacrificial thing for someone else each day.

9. Each night, before you go to bed complete the following statement:
“I am thankful for__________.”

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: Homemaking, Live Simply, Tips

Going on Vacation?

July 12, 2009 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Are you going on vacation and looking for a quality pet sitter? If so, I have the perfect resource for you! Care.com offers affordable membership (after your free trial) where you can search for an experienced sitter, review their profiles, read past reviews, and even run a background check. My husband and I adore our pup and are very choosy about who we’ll hire to watch her. Care.com gives us full profiles of local people who we can meet and informally interview to make the best choice possible. I always hated the idea of locking our girl up in a cage and now I don’t even have to think about that!

Filed Under: Tips

Your Skin Might Not Be Getting Enough H2O

June 18, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

The other night my husband and I were flipping through TV channels when we discovered Food Detectives. Have you seen the show? I love it! Their crew performs studies to debunk myths through the use of science.

Does drinking sufficient amounts of water daily really help improve the appearance of skin? After giving one identical twin the appropriate levels of water for a week and the other twin half the serving, not surprisingly, the one who drank more had radiant, luminous skin. As for me, I sure need to drink more water! Here are some fun facts from the episode I think you’ll enjoy.

It’s in the numbers: Our skin is made up of two to three gallons of water.
Find your number: Figure out your daily intake by using the formula: weight/2 = how many ounces of water to drink each day.
Are you dehydrated?: According to Dr. Jeanine Downie, who appeared in the episode, Caucasian skin tends to show dehydration with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while darker-toned skin appears blotchy.
The solution: If your skin lacking luster and your water consumption is low, don’t fret. Start drinking the acceptable levels now and you’ll notice an improvement within days. What a wonderfully fast, easy, and cheap way to get luminous skin!