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Beauty on a Budget!
DIY Lemon and Sugar Scrub, $2 Dollar Tree Recipe!
DIY Homemade Sugar and Lemon Scrub, Frugal $2 Dollar Tree Recipe!
June 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
DIY Sea Salt & Olive Oil Exfoliating Scrub, the 99 Cent Store Version! Beauty on a Budget
June 1, 2013 by 1 Comment
DIY Sea Salt & Olive Oil Exfoliating Scrub, the 99 Cent Store Version!
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Beauty on a Budget
Ever since I moved to Phoenix my skin has been so dry, my feet especially since indoors I’m mostly barefoot and outdoors I’m usually in flip flops. During the summer months I get pedicures regularly and I hear those magic words, ‘Scrub $5 Extra’. I end up indulging because my feet are a dry mess. Every so often I splurge and buy a scrub that I find on sale at Marshall’s or Ross only to discover my daughter gets into it when she’s taking a bath, she’s a 7 year old with silky smooth skin.
I started researching DIY scrubs. You just basically need a salt (or sugar, but that’s an upcoming post) and an oil using the ratio of 2:1 and then you are ready to go!
I decided to use ingredients I could easily find at the Dollar Tree or the 99 Cent Store or even have at home already. This week I hit the 99 Cent Store and picked up a bottle of olive, canola oil blend and a container of sea salt. I am growing mint in my garden so I cut some from my stash to add for scent. I also bought a nice glass jar but that’s optional. Out of pocket it was $2 for my scrub that will yield a little more the 16oz of exfoliating scrubbing goodness. That comes out to 13 cents an oz as opposed to somewhere around 63 cents an ounce if you buy a 16oz scrub on sale for about $10
16 oz of sea salt
8 oz of olive oil
mint leaves
First I took 2 cups of the sea salt and mixed in 1 cup of the oil blend. Once this was mixed well, I took my little food processor to chop up the mint. I folded it in and mixed well. AND THAT WAS IT! It took under 10 minutes.
The fresh mint gave it a wonderful smell and I did not smell the oil one bit (that was a main concern for me). I did the Madge test on my hand (remember Madge from the old Palmolive commercials? Did I just date myself? LOL) and I was amazed at the results! I didn’t smell of olive oil, I had a nice fresh scent to the area I used the scrub on, and my hand is super soft. Even my husband came over to feel my hand and do a smell test and was really surprised at the results!
I can’t wait to scrub up my dry feet tonight and show them some TLC.
What’t next for me? Dollar Tree Sugar Scrub, Stay tuned!
Princess T ☺
Free Summer Meals for Kids Across the US – Feeding America
May 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Free Summer Meals for Kids Across the US – through Feeding America
Kids are near and dear to the hearts of the Couponista Queen and Staff. Summer is particularly hard on low income families and they need extra help feeding the children.
Here are a few child hunger facts: 1 in 5 kids is not sure where the next meal is coming from. 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food. Usually the meals that the kids of low income families get at school every day are the only sure meals they have on a daily basis. Thankfully, the end of the school year doesn’t have to mean the end of meals for these kids. During 2011, over 31 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. 2.3 million children participated in the Summer Food Service Program although many more were eligible.
Feeding America has a list of states and the food banks that will be providing these meals all summer long. Click on your state and you will see the food bank or banks serving your area, contact them to find out dates, locations and times for the Summer Meal program.
Please share this wonderful resource with everyone you know, your families, friends, neighbors, churches, and organizations. 1 in 6 Americans faces food insecurity. Chances are good that someone YOU know is hungry. If YOU need help, please check for local emergency food assistance.
Lets get the word out and please remember to support your local food bank.
Have you ever wondered? Dollar Tree Carpet Cleaner, worth it or not?
May 21, 2013 by 1 Comment
Have you ever wondered? Dollar Tree Carpet Cleaner, worth it or not?
Since I’m a Mom, I own a minivan. A martyr of a minivan really. Poor thing has been abused by my kids which is why I do not want to upgrade my car for another year or two because I want to ride their messy age a little longer. That being said I can not splash money out frequently to get the interior carpets washed at the local car wash. That’s why a $1 carpet cleaner sounded like a great idea to me.
Now the next picture is a little embarrassing but I will show you. The mat on my daughters side is a stained mess. I didn’t expect all the stains to come out but I did want to spruce it up a bit.
The directions will have you spray the foam, use a sponge or a wet rag to spread it around and let it dry for one hour, afterwards you need to vacuum. I was worried that this stuff was going to be too harsh and I’d get discoloration. No such thing! I like how my mat looks, and I’m going to had my son a nice sponge and have him do the rest of my car!
I also did a smell test and it was fresh smelling.
Until next time! I can’t wait to go back and pick something else out to try out ☺
up&up Hydrogen Peroxide only 2 cents a bottle – Plus 10 uses for hydrogen peroxide
May 21, 2013 by 1 Comment
Want some hydrogen peroxide for 2 cents? Print this $0.50 off up & up® first aid item Target coupon and use it on the up&up hydrogen peroxide priced at $0.52
► Check out these 10 Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide ◄
30 Frugal Date Ideas
May 17, 2013 by 2 Comments
Dating does not have to involve a lot of cash. Oftentimes the best dates are quality time spent doing things that you don’t normally do. Check out some of these frugal date ideas, and add some of your own in the comments.
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1. Visit a used book store.
2. Rollerblade together.
3. Spend the evening at the library.
4. Make your own ice cream sundaes.
5. See a play or musical.
6. Give each other a massage.
7. Create a treasure hunt.
8. Have a picnic together.
9. Visit a cave.
10. Go swimming. Heck, go skinny-dipping!
11. Do some puzzles together.
12. Go bowling.
13. Play a sport together at the park.
14. Take an art or cooking class together.
15. Attend a free outdoor concert.
16. Learn to play an instrument together.
17. Volunteer together.
18. Stargaze.
19. Dinner & a movie – at home.
20. Walk on the beach – or around the lake!
21. Have a dessert only date.
22. Work out together.
23. Bird watch.
24. Have a water fight!
25. Go on a tour of a historical building in your city or town.
26. Wine tasting!
27. Play Pictionary, Scrabble, or Charades.
28. Try Frisbee Golf. Or, regular golf! 🙂
29. Take a walk downtown and window shop.
30. Go on a hike together.
Dollar Tree the $1 Keep It Cold Bag…Worth it or Not?
May 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Dollar Tree the $1 Keep It Cold Bag…Worth it or Not?
Well I really never believed these would work, doubting Princess T that I am. But I bought a few and gave a few to my mom who always forgets them so she’s not a good guinea pig, lol. I have some sturdier ones that I had bought but I wanted to get these for $1 to keep in my car for those unplanned trips to the grocery store. (yes its also suppose to keep stuff hot but I’m not testing that this time)
Today was the day I’d take them out for a spin and document my findings. I took out a tub of Breyers Snickers ice cream, much to my husbands dismay. It was 80 degrees out and climbing. I put the ice cream in the bag and put the bag in the back of my mini van for the next two hours. Temperature climbed to 86 degrees. I was expecting to find a leaky melted mess. But I was WRONG!
(Yum, see still sealed nice and clean)
Happily for my husband and kids, the ice cream had survived and had done so nicely, no leaks, and no excessive melting.
(No leaks, no drizzled melted ice cream on the carton, just a little softening around but nothing major)
Worth the $1? Yes especially for me here in the desert these bags will stay in my minivan and help keep my groceries safe if we should need to stop after the grocery before they arrive at their final destination…my Fridge ☺
Happy Saving, Princess T
AMF Summer Unplugged Kids Bowling! Turn off the TV, Turn on the FREE FUN! In Most States!
May 7, 2013 by 2 Comments
AMF Summer Unplugged Kids Bowling! Turn off the TV, Turn on the FREE FUN! In Most States!
Another wonderful FREE program for kids 15 years and under to bowl two games EVERY DAY during the whole summer! Parents can add a summer pass for $34.95 for themselves and up to 3 guests 16 years and over to also enjoy two games a day for the summer with their kids. I’ve signed up my kids for these because with the Arizona summer temps I will gladly take bowling indoors ANY DAY!
Let’s line up plenty of free or frugal activities so we never hear, MOOOOOM WE ARE BORED!
Dollar Tree Space Saving Vacuum Bags, Good or Trash? Have You Ever Wondered?
May 6, 2013 by 6 Comments
Have You Ever Wondered? Dollar Tree Space Savings Bags, Good or Trash?
Well have you? I have. There are lots of products that I see and wonder if they are worth my money and time. Today was such a day. I went to the Dollar Tree to get my papers and I always always make time to meander around cause you just never know what goodies you are going to find. Today I walked by the Space Saving bags and thought WHY NOT?
I usually buy the ones at Walmart that cost way more or maybe sometimes I score a deal at Ross.
For $1 I got 1 space saving bag size Large. I came home opened it up and noticed a few things right off the bat. First, its not Large, its more smallish but what can I expect for $1 right? I think its a perfect size to store pillows. I have a queen size pillow that needed protection so I can put it away in my sons closet. Actually I have 4 that need to be put away.
I popped it in the bag, brought out my vacuum and put it to the test.
I’m going to go back and buy more! Before I wrote this post I waited over an hour to make sure it stayed vacuumed, IT DID. No leaks, no air seeping out, its there nice and compact. I love the idea that for $1 I can store my pillows in their own bags and not have to have a great big bag with them that take more room. This is also perfect for kids clothes I think, or small blankets, you decide. Last year for my cruise I used a few to over pack like I usually do, next time I won’t have to spend so much.
All in all a lot of different things and possibilities I like about these handy little bags but more then anything
I LOVE THE PRICE.
Until next time! Princess T…Frugal Princess on the deal beat ☺
25 Ways to Cut 100 Calories or More
April 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you Like this post, please share it or Pin or Repin these 25 Ways to Cut 100 Calories or More on Pinterest
If you have any tips I would love to hear them. Please leave me a comment or send me an email!
Also check out these 30 Snacks that are 100 Calories or Less
1. Choose nonfat milk instead of using whole milk. Bonus: Lower fat milk has more calcium!
2. Use a smaller cereal bowl.
3. Trade regular eggs in for egg whites.
4. Grill your food using nonstick spray instead of butter.
5. Don’t eat while distracted. Eating in front of the TV or your phone can add more than 100 calories to what you eat!
6. Swap a bagel for an English muffin and save 300 calories.
7. Drink light beer instead of regular beer.
8. Instead of mayo, use mustard.
9. Split that piece of cake or dessert with two friends.
10. Use fat-free mayo in your chicken salad.
11. Eat slowly, concentrate on chewing and enjoying your food, and eat less.
12. Cut the amount of cheese you use in half. You may not even notice the difference!
13. Use lettuce wraps instead of bread.
14. Remove the skin from your chicken.
15. If you must have soda, drink a a small can instead of a bottle.
16. Eat pizza with grilled chicken instead of pepperoni.
17. Use fat-free sour cream in recipes.
18. Freeze blended fresh fruit into a sorbet for dessert.
19. Try raw veggies, instead of chips, with salsa.
20. Eat canned fruit in water instead of syrup.
21. Instead of creamy soups, eat broth-based soups.
22. Skip the croutons and use half the cheese. Add veggies instead.
23. Instead of butter, top whole grain waffles with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or blueberries. Antioxidant boost, too!
24. Try fat-free cream cheese instead of regular.
25. Dip your fork in the dressing and eat your salad, instead of pouring dressing on top.
Fabulous and Frugal DIY Glass Cleaner (No Vinegar)
March 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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Check out more of Couponista Queen’s Homemade DIY recipes for household products
Princess T…In my quest for frugality I’ve tried to clean my mirrors and glass with vinegar and water, much to my husband’s dismay. My husband just can’t stand the smell of vinegar. And quite honestly I was never too keen on it either, even with essential oils. I have a recipe for vinegar-free glass cleaner and I gave it a try!
Here’s what you will need:
Empty Spray bottle Large container for mixing, you will also need a container to store this or 2 more empty spray bottles because you will have that much left over for future use.
1/2 cup ammonia
1 teaspoon dishsoap
1 pint (2 cups) rubbing alcohol
1 gallon water
Optional – Essential Oil Drops (I used lavender)
I used warm water from the tap. I feel that warm or hot water mixes the ingredients better, but DO NOT put this mixture on the stove as the alcohol could ignite. I was channeling very much my inner Elizabeth Montgomery (remember Bewitched?) and twitching my nose during the mixing, but that’s up to you ☺ Do not add more then the 1 teaspoon of dish soap or you are going to get residue (trust me on this one I learned the hard way hehe).
Now, I didn’t like the smell, because it has a strong odor of alcohol, so I added lavender essential oil drops. This made all the difference in the world! Now I can clean and it smells wonderful!
Time for the big test. My two huge gripes are my bathroom mirror and my back patio door. The results? This stuff is amazing!
Windex, thanks for all those years together, but I think we have to see other cleaners now. It’s not me, it’s you.
There is our new puppy Lady! The dogs get my door super dirty everyday. The bathroom mirror also gets cleaned daily.
Now time to crunch numbers. What are you going to spend?
You will need alcohol, 99 cents at the Dollar Tree. Ammonia comes in a 64 ounce container and we need just 4 ounces so one jug is good for 14 batches, which makes each batch 7 cents more or less. One teaspoon of dish soap, and water. So out of pocket is $1.07, you will get 160 ounces of the finished product which comes out to less then 1 CENT PER OUNCE, its .006 per ounce!
Like we say in Spanish, BUENO, BONITO Y BARRATO…Good, Cheap and (your glass will look) Pretty!
Until next time, Savers!
Watching what you eat? 30 Snacks that are 100 Calories or Less
March 7, 2013 by 1 Comment
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Delicious and satisfying snacks don’t have to ruin your entire day’s calorie count. Snacking on items that are 100 calories or less is a good way to stay full without gaining weight.
1. 8oz “skinny” latte (fat-free milk)
2. 10 animal crackers
3. 15 almonds
4. 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
5. 3/4 cup Kix or Cheerios
6. 40 goldfish crackers
7. 8 saltine crackers
8. 2 cups broccoli
9. 1oz beef jerky
10. 25 grapes or cherries
11. 1 apple, orange, peach, or pear
12. 1 1/4 cups watermelon
13. 2 tangerines
14. 2 graham cracker squares + 1 teaspoon peanut butter
15. 17 chocolate covered raisins
16. 2″ slice of angel food cake
17. 1 black bean garden burger
18. 1 slice raisin bread + 2 tsp honey
19. 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with cinnamon + 1 teaspoon honey
20. 3/4 cup Wheaties
21. 1 small banana
22. 1 grapefruit + 1 teaspoon sugar
23. 1 cup sugar-free jell-o
24. 1/2 cup chocolate soy milk
25. 1 hard boiled egg
26. 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
27. 3 cups air-popped popcorn
28. 4oz of chocolate pudding
29. 3 squares of dark chocolate
30. Mini Ham Sandwich — 2 slices ham, 2 teaspoons mustard, rolled in romaine lettuce
What’s your favorite healthy snack?
Make DIY Homemade Weed Killer pesticide free for pennies
March 2, 2013 by 1 Comment
Princess Thanya tackles DIY Homemade Weed Killer that is safe to use around kids and pets and costs mere pennies! Check it out…
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See more of Couponista Queen’s Tips for ways to DIY and save
Princess Thanya…Feeling empowered by my previously successful attempts at DIY Homemade Household Items, I decided to try my hand at something else, DIY Homemade Weed Killer. Not only do I have kids but I also have an older dog and a new puppy to consider when I want to use any type of pesticide.
There are a lot of different concoctions for homemade weed killer, and they all have the same base, Vinegar. Some people just use Vinegar straight or pour it with hot water. I think I needed something with a little umph! Here is what I found that I tried on my weeds.
You need:
1 Gallon of White Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dish soap
1 cup table salt
What do you do?
You mix everything in a pot on the stove over medium heat until the salt dissolves. There is no need to boil it. Once the mixture cools completely, pour it in an empty container of your choice. Use a spray bottle to squirt the weeds dead I say ☺
How did it work?
We got rain here in Phoenix and overnight we now have an abundance of weeds, so I had plenty of little weeds to choose from to use as my guinea pigs. I sprayed them in the evening, although some recommend you spray the weeds during the hottest part of the day. It’s winter so I took my chances. Now, I have desert landscaping which means I have no grass so I sprayed with liberty. If you have grass or other vegetation you will want to be careful to only spray the weeds at this is suppose to kill any vegetation it comes into contact with, not just weeds. You will need to spray at least twice, I’ve read its not as quick as the store bought pesticide.
- My Victims
See the wet area? That’s where I sprayed!
I waited until the next afternoon to check on my victims. The verdict. Cue the funeral music because it works!
- RIP Weeds
SO…How much did I spend?
$1.50 for a gallon of vinegar at Walmart, salt I had (but it is less than 50 cents to buy a whole container) and also the dish soap I had. But if you have to buy the salt or the dish soap you are looking at out of pocket for those items $2 or so, so in total $3.50 or .03 cents per ounce since you are making a gallon. If you have everything but a gallon of vinegar then you spent $1.50 and it comes to be .01 an ounce.
That’s pretty darn cheap! Considering I just checked Walmart.com and 1.25 gallon or 160 ounces of Round Up is $18.82 or .12 cents an ounce… for stuff you probably don’t want your kids or pets around anyhow!
What’s next for me in the DIY realm? I am not sure…leave me some ideas of things you want to try!
If you are low income, you could qualify for free pet food through Pet Food Stamps
February 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In these tough economic times, many families are finding it hard to feed their treasured pets. This even forces many to surrender their pets to shelters. That is heartbreaking to think about. A wonderful (non-government funded!) group based in New York called Pet Food Stamps seeks to help low-income families feed their pets. You must qualify, but if you do, you will receive all the food necessary to take proper care of your pets for 6-months. ► Apply for Pet Food Stamps, and if you want to help this not-for-profit with needed funds to keep this program going, you can donate to Pet Food Stamps
DIY Homemade Laundry Stain Spray: The Dish Soap Version
February 18, 2013 by 1 Comment
DIY Homemade Laundry Stain Spray
If you Like this post, please share it or Pin it or Repin this DIY Laundry Stain Spray recipe on Pinterest
See the other DIY Laundry Products including Liquid Laundry Detergent, DIY Frugal Fabric Softener, DIY Green Fabric Softener, and anther recipe for DIY Homemade Laundry Stain and Spot Treatment
This week, Princess Thanya whips up a batch of DIY Homemade Laundry Stain Spray. See what happens…
Princess Thanya…When I started this project I found a lot of different versions for stain fighters aimed at saving money. I saw this one enough times to make me think we should try it out. I like that its made out of stuff I already have or can cheaply obtain.
What do you need?
2/3 cups Dish Soap, I used Dawn
2/3 cup Ammonia
6 tbls or 3 oz baking soda
2 cups warm water (warm helps everything mesh better)
(I spy my DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent jug in the background ☺)
What do you do?
Combine the ingredients in a container. The mix will suds up so be careful you don’t make a huge mess.
Then wave your spoon over like a magic wand and say COUPONS COUPONS COUPONS!
Nah just kidding! But that was a fun step I added.
All in all took under 10 minutes. Pour it into a spray bottle and you are ready to kill those stains!
Each time you use it you will need to shake it because the baking soda will settle.
This is safe on all colors, but do not use on anything you will be washing with bleach as it does contain ammonia and you will have a chemical reaction on your hands! See the danger of mixing bleach and ammonia.
How much does it cost?
Well, if you coupon already the dish soap is usually free or almost free. Mine was free. Now this is a small bottle so if you want to buy a larger bottle at the 99 cent store or Dollar Tree then you might be out of pocket 75 to 50 cents and this will be enough for 4 batches or .19 cents a batch (99 cents less .25 cent coupon usually at the Dollar Tree). I bought a jug of Ammonia at the Dollar Tree and a box of baking soda so out of pocket was $2. I will have enough to make more, as since I have a small bottle of dish soap I have enough to make this twice. The Ammonia will make 13 batches so that was .07 cents a batch, and a box of baking soda is enough to make 6 batches or .17 cents per batch. After all the calculations you are looking at .43 a batch for this type of stain spray (about 27 oz)!
Ok so the million dollar question is how did it work?
Again there are times when I do wonder if these concoctions work. I sprayed/treated my ketchup/hot sauce stained tshirt that had sat in my hamper for over a week (I did this on purpose, I don’t get this dirty when I eat LOL).
TICK TOCK…(I have Ke$sha’s song Tik Tok playing in my mind LOL)…since it had been a very old stain I let it sit 30 min before adding to a load of laudry with my trusty DIY detergent and running in the washer. Like with all stain fighters I believe that if you spray it when it happens its best.
Out it came! Clean it IS!
Will I continue to make this version? Not necessarily. I like to have a simple routine so the one that I wrote about last week where I use the undiluted DIY detergent is probably going to be my favorite. That being said, I have a batch of this so I will use it for the laundry.
DIY Homemade Stain and Spot Treatment
February 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
Continuing her quest for frugality, Princess Thanya now tackles homemade stain and spot treatment. If you LIKE this post, please share if or Pin this DIY Stain and Spot Remover Recipe on Pinterest.
Princess Thanya…During my research I found that many that make their own detergent use that same detergent found HERE — undiluted — to treat stains on their clothes before the wash.
Seems like a fantastic idea since I already have a 10 gallon bucket filled with my DIY Homemade Detergent.
I bought a kids size sports bottle at the Dollar Tree and filled it up with my custardy detergent. Happily (or not) I had discovered just today that my son had a nose bleed “a couple nights ago” he guessed???? lol BOYS! So we had a set-in, days old blood stain on a white pillow to test. No time like the present to check this method out.
I took my sports bottle and applied the mixture directly to the stain. I bought this type of bottle over a spray bottle because I liked that I could directly apply to the stained area and it would stick, and wanted this method since my detergent was not watered down. I purposely missed a little spot to see how well the stain remover would work.
I let it sit for 30 min before throwing it in the washer.
…TICK TOCK…
Now to be perfectly honest with you, sometimes I do have my doubts. Especially with this stain in particular. Since it was blood and a couple days old I really thought I had set myself for failure. BUT I WAS WRONG! The Pillow came out WHITE! There IS a small spot where I didn’t apply the stain treatment. WOW. Shout has just lost this customer. I can make my own! Next week I will post another recipe that I found for DIY Stain Treater and Spot Spray.
(Can you see the little spot I left?)
The Quest continues, stay tuned ☺
Check out some of the other DIY Tips posted for more homemade versions of laundry products!
