Kim Danger, nationally-recognized savings expert and founder of www.mommysavers.com, has teamed up with Uniroyal Tire to release a series of e-books for the frugal-minded. The team’s e-books and videos can be found at www.uniroyaltires.com/moremileageforyourmoney, and they are available for free.

My latest e-book, “Pamper Yourself for Less,” is all about making yourself a priority and creating some “me time.” The best place to start pampering yourself is in the home, so I have some tips to make your home more relaxing.

Remove the Extras

When you de-clutter your home, you’re not only getting rid of unwanted belongings, you’re removing “dead weight” from your life. This can surely be an overwhelming process, so I recommend starting the habit to clean for 15 minutes a few times a week. Once it becomes part of your routine, it’s going to be much easier to keep things tidy. After all, we bring things into our home on a regular basis, so it’s only natural that we remove what we don’t use. Make sure to keep a box somewhere in a central location for unwanted items that you don’t want to throw away: you can donate them to Goodwill, or you could sell them on either eBay.com or Craigslist.com if they are still in good condition.

Feng Shui

Many people have adopted the Chinese art or practice of Feng Shui (“Fung Shway”) to create harmony in their home. The aspect of Feng Shui that relates to creating positive effects in your home relies on the orientation of objects. For example, the way you arrange furniture in a room. When you decorate your home by allowing “chi” (energy) to flow through your home freely, your home becomes a more open, peaceful and relaxing place to be. The easiest way to put Feng Shui to use in your home is to remove clutter. Unnecessary junk hinders the flow of good energy through your living space. Color selection and décor are also factors. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to put Feng Shui into practice in your own home:

Aromatherapy

As one of our most powerful senses, smell stimulates the part of the brain that connects memory and emotion. Aromatherapy has been connected with relieving stress, energizing the body and promoting general well being. Health claims aside, fragrances can help create a welcoming and calming home environment. Some frugal Do-It-Yourself ideas include:

Essential Oils — Essential oils are scents created from plant extracts. I like to put about 15 drops of lavender in a spray bottle of water to make a homemade air freshener. You could spray your pillow (or just put a few drops directly on your pillowcase) to get a more restful sleep.

Sweet Smelling Fabrics — Combine four tablespoons of fabric softener with a half gallon of water in a spray bottle to create a homemade fabric spray. Try it on sheets and towels for a fresh scent.

Do It Yourself Simmering Scents — Peel an apple or an orange and simmer the peels in a little water on the stove. Add some cinnamon, clove or nutmeg to get a great scent throughout your house.

By Farnoosh Torabi | MainStreet.com

The country’s personal savings rate rose to 5% of disposable income in January, the most in about 14 years. But people still need stuff even if they’re spending less.

Short on cash? Trying to save? Still need braces? The Internet can help straighten things out.

At FavorPals a dentist in Cincinnati says he’ll offer free orthodontics in exchange for some network maintenance on his computer.  He is not the only one offering a cashless exchange for services.

On Craigslist, a New York skin care specialist with experience in “all types of laser treatments” will offer her services if you’ll professionally groom her dog.

A Facebook member will houseclean, launder, baby or pet sit (your choice), in exchange for mechanical help on her Jeep.

And a Twitterer will teach you English  in exchange for teaching him how to program software.  (Then maybe he can help the dentist in Cincinnati in return for a retainer.)

The Bartering Bounce
Across the country bartering requests—asking to swap goods and services for other goods and services without involving money—is penetrating the web. “People are looking to save any money they can,” says Greg Boesel, co-founder and CEO of Swaptree, a web site dedicated to trading books, music, DVDs and video games.

Craigslist has reportedly seen a 100% rise in bartering ads since January 2008. At Swaptree, Boesel says the site has doubled its listings every three to four months since launching in July 2007. There are now about 1.5 million items listed for trade. And John C. Moore, co-founder of four-year-old U-Exchange says page views on his free barter site have skyrocketed 172% in the last 30 days, compared to the 30 days before that.  “When gas prices were just sky high people were looking to get rid of their gas guzzlers in exchange for motorbikes,” says Moore.  “Now,  people are  looking for renovations and bartering for vacations.”

New Online Swap Sites Emerge
New web sites continue to pop up.  Joseph Denton started SwapGiant in September 2008 and is now seeing close to 2,000 unique visitors a day. Many items bartered on the site are children’s toys, clothing and bikes.

At FavorPals, which launched in October 2008, most trades are service-oriented, like a cleaning lady who recently offered her services to a law firm in exchange for legal help fighting a traffic ticket. The site now attracts some 6,000 unique users a month.

And in January Scott Larsen and John Patton launched FriendlyFavor, a free “all-purpose request tool” that lets users ask favors of their trusted social network of family, friends and friends of friends. The site lets users post a variety of requests including charity contributions and advice, but the top-growing trend is barter requests, the founders say.  “We anticipate that being half or more than half of our traffic by the end of the summer,” says Patton.

Select Sites Cater to Your Needs
Here are a few sites to consider if you have specific bartering plans in mind:

HomeExchange, Homeswap and HomesForSwap
Barter Bait: Homes for vacationers. (Use it if you’re interested in staying in Europe for a week but don’t to pay for housing. You can offer someone in Rome your place for theirs).

SwapAGift and Plastic Jungle
Barter Bait: Swap un unused gift card for another.

Swaptree
Barter Bait: Books, DVDs, music and video games. (Added bonus: Your only cost is shipping your item.  The site advises you use the post office’s Media Mail service which lets you send almost everything for less than $2.50.)

SwapStyle and DigNSwap.
Barter Bait: Clothes and accessories.

By Althea Chang | MainStreet.com

Getting laid off is hard enough, but when a loss of income means your emergency fund is being drained to pay rent, you may be forced to downsize.  And you’ll have to convince a landlord to rent to you, when you have no money coming in.

When you’re unemployed, you’ll have to look at your whole financial status, including how long you think you’ll be out of work and whether you’re getting help from your parents, says LaLa Wang, president of MLX, a real estate services company that provides no-fee rental listings. 

“You probably want to be conservative,” says Wang.  “Live at home. Live with friends. Roommating is probably a less costly alternative to taking on the whole rent yourself.”

Broker

If you’re considering using a broker to find a cheaper apartment, find out what kind of background checks they do.  The main consideration will probably be your credit history, so know what’s on your credit report.

Many brokers work with large building management companies, which can have stricter credit score credit score, income and employment requirements. These days it’s doubtful you’ll find a broker who won’t ask for some proof of income. 

If you plan to live with a roommate or significant other who is employed, they should be the one getting their credit checked and income verified.  But remember, their name will be the one on the lease.

Friends and Family

If moving back in with your parents is out of the question, tell your friends and family about your situation.  With all the recent layoffs and pay cuts, you may know other people who are hard up for cash, need help with rent and are looking for a roommate to help make ends meet.

Local Listings

Through your local newspaper, Craigslist and other listings, you might have more luck connecting with an owner and renting directly from them. 

You might improve your chances by being honest and explaining your situation. You could mention your previous income, job prospects, savings and any severance payments and unemployment benefits you’re receiving. (Just remember not to post personal information like this online.)

“You may be able to work out a deal if you agree to pay an additional month’s security, or sometimes a whole year’s rent upfront,” notes Wang, who’s planning to launch a roommate matching service by the end of this summer.

Local listings like those on Craigslist often include week-to-week and month-to-month room or apartment sharing ads as well.

Get a Co-Signer

If you’ve been turned down by brokers and landlords and scoured ads in your local newspaper and online to no avail, you’ll need to find a co-signer or guarantor in order to get a new apartment.  They’ll be subject to even higher credit score and income requirements. And they’ll be taking a serious risk by agreeing to be held responsible for your missed payments, so don’t give them any reason to think they might get burned.

By Althea Chang | MainStreet.com

Moving into a new space and on a budget?

Furnishing an apartment doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars, and working with a tight budget doesn’t mean you have to use cardboard boxes for furniture.

If you’re resourceful, here are a few things you’ll never need to buy new:

1. Book Shelves
People who are upgrading their furniture, or in this economy, downsizing their apartment, may be getting rid of their shelves, so check with friends and family.  Thrift stores also tend to have a lot of bookshelves. Online, consider Craigslist or search for a Habitat ReStore for shelves and other “gently used” wood furniture. (If you’re feeling ambitious and you’re considering building your own book shelves, Habitat ReStores also sells cheap leftover lumber. Add a few bricks or cinderblocks and you’ve got shelves.)

Hot tip: You may want to avoid used hanging shelves. Removing the brackets may damage the integrity of the shelving materials.

2. Couch
Finding a good, clean one could be tricky. Check flea markets, thrift shops and Craigslist. (In search of a good local flea market? The National Flea Market Association is a good place to start.)

To make sure you’re choosing from the best selection out there, go to thrift shops that emphasize their standards for accepting used furniture. Housing Works, for example, only takes used furniture that’s in great condition.

If you can, ask where it’s coming from and why the seller is getting rid of it.  If you’re still concerned with cleanliness, you can spot clean or vacuum it, or buy a snug sofa slipcover. 

And you’ll want to make sure it hasn’t been in an apartment with bed bugs. Check for brown or black marks along seams and forget it if there’s a strong musty-sweet odor, a sign of infestation.  If you’re opting for a futon, use a zippered mattress encasing.

3. Desks
Desks of all sizes, and some in excellent condition, may be left out on roadsides on garbage night. But if you’re not into dumpster diving, check with friends who might be moving. Offices that are closing or downsizing are another option. And consider bookmarking a couple of the government auction sites to see when desks, or other office furniture, becomes available at a site near you.

Hot tip: Don’t make a purchase until you’ve put a tape measure to work and know exactly how much space you have. New apartments can mean more or less desk space, and sometimes none at all.

4. Tables
Flea markets always seem to have a variety of coffee tables and end tables. Larger, sturdy tables could take the place of a TV stand.  Browse thrifts stores or yard sales.  If all else fails, a sanded piece of plywood (about $4) on top of a couple of plastic storage bins (about $10 each) draped with a nice tablecloth might do.

5. Kitchenware and Appliances
Checking with your family is a great place to start when hunting for good used kitchenware.  Your parents might be tired of the flatware and dishes that they’ve used since you were a kid and be looking to update their kitchen.

And flea markets are heaven for lovers of knick knacks as well as kitschy kitchenware.  You can find drinking glasses, dishes and flatware, sold singly or in sets.  You may even be able to find kitchen appliances like toaster ovens, microwaves and coffee makers at flea markets.  Craigslist is also an excellent resource for cheap kitchen appliances that would otherwise be thrown out after an upgrade.  Just make sure what you’re buying is fairly new and in good working order with secure wiring.

Related articles:

• 8 Items To Consider Renting Instead of Buying (geezeo.com)
• Five Ways to Cut Down on Your Expenses (geezeo.com)
• Ways to Make Money Even if You’re Unemployed (geezeo.com)

By Chelsea P. Gladden

Before the onslaught of the holidays further hits, it’s time to make a little extra cash while also making a little more elbow room. Part with the toys that are never touched even if you’re the one who’s attached. If the jeans on your top shelf are only a few short years from coming back in style, their decades of time with you has passed. And if you’re hanging on to that baby swing strictly for sentimental purposes, it’s time to unload it and rejoice that sleep filled nights are here again. Saying good-bye may be tough, but in doing so, there’s ways to say hello to some profit.

Post Items Online
No matter how ugly that bachelor sofa you compromised in keeping as long as it stayed in the garage may be, there’s someone out there to treasure it. Take a photo and set up an account on eBay and have fun as you watch the bidding begin. Or list it without giving a percentage away from the final sale price by posting it on craigslist.com for free.

Donate Items
For a faster approach, take a truckload of unwanted items and sell them to a second hand store. Feeling charitable? Donate them to establishments such as Good Will or Salvation Army and get a tax-deductible receipt. Find a smaller organization in your area, for example IRC in San Diego who gives items to refugees and then emails photos of the happy recipients treasuring items that had essentially become your trash.

Trade with Friends
Sure the Thomas the Train Table gave you visions of an occupied child for hours only for that idea to crash and burn with your child’s disinterest. Ask friends to swap for items their children never play with as well. Or swap out clothes you couldn’t possibly imagine wearing one more time with a friend’s you would love to own.

If you’re feeling claustrophobic from your clutter, cleaning it up can not only give you a little breathing room, but also help you pocket some holiday spending money and/or possibly even some holiday spirit.

Lynnae at Beingfrugal.net gives some great tips on how to be able to pay your bills and buy the things you need, despite a job loss.

Here’s some of her suggestions:

1. Declutter your house and sell what you can on Craigslist. While these things won’t necessarily bring in a lot of income, they certainly can help in a pinch.  Just remember, one persons trash is another persons treasure!
   
2. Scour Craigslist for short-term jobs.  Again, while these may be short term & only part time, they may be able to help bring in something while you are looking for more permanent work.
   
3. String together a couple of part-time jobs while you look for full-time work. If you find the the previously mentioned work just isn’t cutting it, considering getting a few.  You can set certain times to work at one job, and then the other times can be at the other job.  Just remember to not overdo it!

Check out Lynnae’s other suggestions as well.  Also, you might consider subscribing to her feed.  She’s always offering some great, practical suggestions such as moving tips, or how to have a frugal thanksgiving.

Here’s what she has to say about getting out of debt: “Most people can get out of debt if they really want to. It’s not easy though. The best way to get out of debt is to increase your income and decrease your spending. Because I’m a stay at home mom, and my husband and I both agree that’s what I need to be doing right now, I focus on decreasing spending. I’m already a fairly frugal person, but I know I can still learn a lot. And that’s what this blog is about. Me learning to be more frugal. And hopefully my readers will learn as well. And then we can learn from each other’s experiences.”

You can also learn from others experiences by connecting with Geezeo users in our groups section.  Feel free to jump right in and join the conversation.  Or you can even start your own!

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