We had our house painted this spring, but I didn't have them paint the front door. I didn't know what color I wanted at the time. And it is pretty easy to paint a door.

I finally decided on black since our shutters and light fixtures are black. Turns out I already had the paint I needed! I had painted a dresser black about a year ago and had plenty of leftover paint for the front door.

The weather turned cool yesterday and I had a free day, so I tackled the front door. It turned out great and I didn't have to buy anything new!

Ah...another task accomplished on life's constant list!!

Today is going to be a desk decluttering day. I have to stay home this morning while I wait for someone to come by and repair my gas stove. It is definitely not heating right. While I wait, I will go through the desk and clean it up. Once I'm done with the desk, I only have the garage and the basement to do! Only. Ha.

I also have to make a run to the grocery store, the food offerings at the house are getting pretty sparse, especially when the oven doesn't heat properly.

As a result of the above, I can officially say today is a spending day. Joy.

I've mentioned in previous blogs that I made our own laundry detergent. I have now made dishwashing detergent as well. I'm actually very pleased with the results. Here's a

link to the recipe I used. It does require citric acid. I bought mine from Amazon in a 4oz container for around $5. It will only make two batches, so the cost savings are zero at that price. I hope to buy more in bulk when I run out and bring the cost savings down.

Yesterday, I went to clean the dirt and grime off my painted white cabinets and decided to use the washing soda diluted in a bucket of water. Wow! That stuff saved me quite a bit of scrubbing on those greasy areas. I used my microfiber cloth, as usual, but this concoction was awesome! It really broke down the grime fast.

Washing soda is only around $2.99 per box and can be used for many household cleaning chores. I really like that it comes in a cardboard box. No plastic. Have you tried washing soda? What do you use it for?

Washing soda...not the same thing as baking soda, but Arm and Hammer does sell it.

I'm looking forward to payday. I can make an emergency fund addition! The regular van payment hits. There should also be some extra for an extra principal payment. I could actually figure it all out today, but I'm going to wait. I have quite a few projects that need my attention today. It will be a good day to stay inside and stay cool with the heat index heading for 105 degrees.

A couple of months ago, I made homemade laundry detergent. You can read about it

here. Yesterday, I made another batch. The two gallons lasted us nearly two months! Personally, I think it works just as good as anything else I've used.

The three ingredients are: washing soda, borax, and bar soap, like fels naptha. I bought two bars of soap and the two boxes of washing soda and borax for $9.73 including tax. These ingredients should last my family at least a year!!

The soap does not suds in the washer, but it does clean the clothes. I think my washer is cleaner because it doesn't have the sticky residue other detergents leave behind.

My next project will be to make homemade dishwasher detergent. Citric acid is one of the ingredients and I have just ordered that online. Once I make it, I will post the recipe I used and my results.

I like making these homemade cleaners for the cost savings and the environmental impact. All three items I bought for the laundry detergent come in packaging made of paper or cardbord. No plastic!! And they are easily recycleable. Love it.

I mentioned in my last post that I was looking to sell some books for cash. I found three that could be sold. The rest of the online companies were not buying what I had, so they are listed on half.com in hopes someone may want them.

I am selling each book to a different company! They are paying the shipping. I expect to receive a total of $6.29 in my paypal account once they are received and processed. It's not a lot, but it is something towards my ebay challenge goal. I will add it to my totals once the cash is received.

Here's are the companies I used this time:

Powells.com
Bookbyte.com
Cash4Books.net

I have used all but bookbyte in the past with no problems. I will see how bookbyte does.

Do you have books around your house you could sell for cash? I encourage you to grab a stack and see what you might be offered.

I made a Goodwill donation today of three boxes. Yes, primarily leftover garage sale items. I did keep some things for our fall sale. Probably too many things!

I did finish sorting the books and clothes from my sister. I kept a shirt and a pair of pants. I also pulled two books to read. I will attempt to sell them at the next sale.

While sorting books yesterday, I attempted to see if any could be sold on the cash for books websites. There seemed to be two or three that I could sell. I just need to decide if it is worth my time for $3.

Yesterday was a no spend day. Today I purchased a sympathy card and a couple of stamps. Money well spent.

I put one item on ebay Sunday and it already has two bids. If it sells at its current price, I will be happy, but I expect it will go up a little bit. So...even happier!!

I received a $3 Pinecone Payment in my paypal account. I love how fast that is. There are no fees to receive the cash!!

My sister brought quite a few books to our garage sale. Some sold, but there are plenty left. I'm going to check today if any of them can be sold online for cash. I will also take them to the used book store if needed. She said I could have the money!!

My sister also had quite a few clothes that didn't sell, but are very nice. I'm going to try a few on. Maybe I'll get a new wardrobe! If they don't work for me, I will also consider putting them on ebay for some cash.

Okay...here are two photos of our garage sale set up. I took them pretty quickly, so they really may not do the sale and all my talk of organizing it justice.

Here they are:





We had lots of traffic. I'm not sure what our totals are yet and we have another day to go! I think we are suppose to have sun all day tomorrow...which should bring out some more people.

I have priced nearly all of our garage sale items! I have about 12 boxes worth of stuff. I have been finding a few more items each day as well.

Garage Sale Tip #4: Keep the change

We start our sales with $60-70 worth of change, in quarters, ones and fives. Five to ten dollars in quarters, and $25-30 in ones and fives.

Many people use a cash box for change, but this is actually a bit dangerous unless someone is able to literally sit by the money the entire time. We use a fanny pack! One of us gals wears it around our waist, so that the cash is with us even if we need to help a buyer with something. It can be so easy to get distracted and walk away from the money opening yourself up to possibility of it being stolen. As the cash accumulates from the sale, we pull the large bills out every so often and put them inside the house.

We also try to keep the bills in order inside the fanny pack, so that it is easier to make change. Ones in front, 20's in back and change on the bottom. It works for us!

have your house painted! Yep, the first step in the painting process, power washing, is scheduled for Monday. Our garage sale doesn't begin until Thursday and Friday and it isn't even at my house. Thank goodness for that.

It is forecasted to rain quite a bit next week, so they are likely to get delayed during the process. I guess that means I have more time before I have to pay them!!

Next week is the last week of my girls dance and tumbling classes. They have recital rehearsal next Friday with the actual recitals on Saturday.

How many votes that my next week is a little more stressful than usual?

There is no completely wrong way or right way to have a garage sale, however certain things just lend to a better sale! These tips are just based on my experience and I'm thrilled that you have been adding your suggestions along with me.

Garage Sale Tip #3: Setting the Stage

First a clean garage is very important. Of course, it is not possible in most cases to empty the garage completely. However, most things can be moved to one side, the back or a corner. I like to then cover those things up, so they can't be seen. I don't want to explain 50 times that my lawn mower is not for sale! I have used a tarp hung from nails to cover our things up. You could use duct tape if you didn't want to put nails in the wall or ceiling. If you don't have a tarp, consider a sheet, blanket, shower curtain, table cloth or painting drop cloth as alternatives.

Sweep your garage floor to eliminate much of the debris that tends to accumlate. If a clothing item is dropped on the ground it will get less dirty. Dirty clothing is hard to sell!

Set up tables. Personally, I avoid garage sales that are primarily boxes lining the driveway because I don't want to dig through boxes. I like to browse tables! Borrow tables from neighbors or relatives. You can make a table from a pieces of plywood and sawhorses. Maybe you don't have sawhorses, but can find something else that would prop up a piece of wood nicely. If you want to get fancy, cover the tables with plastic table clothes. We usually skip this, but it does make a sale a bit upscale.

Group like items with like items. It is easier for the buyer to look at things when they are grouped together. It's hard to find clothes for your child, if they are set up with toys and books. Seperate clothing by type, size, and gender. It is okay to use boxes or plastic bins to help group like things together. If they are small enough they can be put on the tables, otherwise it is okay to put them out on the driveway or under a table.

My neigbor's husband made a clothing rack primarily out of 2x4's and a clothing rod. It's a bit unstable, but it works great to hang the adult clothing. We have hung clothes from the garage door rails. This helps buyers see the really nice items you have. I've noticed that putting the items up sells them better, we just keep restocking those hanging items! You could buy a clothing rack, or use a tension rod somewhere in your garage. I think we have even hung clothes from a tall step ladder! Think outside the box and look for places to hang the clothes.


Remember to set up a table for where you will accept payments. We prefer to have ours near the front of the garage where we are in the shade, but can see everything happening during the sale. You'll need a calculator, notebook, pens, tape, sissors, safety pins, additional price stickers, dust clothes and plenty of grocery bags. Put the items you will use the most on the table in a container, the remainder in a box or basket nearby. A small garbage can is very handy, too.

I like to use the slow times to reorganize the merchandise too. Things get moved around while buyers are looking and contemplating their purchase. They often just lay things back down anywhere. I put like items back together and fold clothing.

Don't forget safety! You want wide aisles for people to browse without tripping. If you don't have room in the garage, you will have to move those things to the driveway or yard.

What other tips do you have regarding setting the garage sale stage?

Single Guy commented on my last garage sale tip, regarding sale signs, that one must always take down your signs immediately after the sale! Please remember to do this for the safety of your neighborhood, your home and the beauty of your community.

Garage Sale Tip #2: Price to sell

My neighbors and I each price our own items for the most part. I'm a little more organized and have my pricing done before we begin set up. This year we each have a different colored dot. In past years, when we had white dots, we used a different colored marker to write the price on with!

We price everything to the nearest quarter. We really try not to price items for nickels or dimes. If something isn't worth a quarter, combine it with another item to make it worth a quarter. Otherwise, you should add it to your 'free' box. People love a free box. Last year, one man took the entire free box!

Pricing to sell, also means that you should be willing to accept a lower offer. With this in mind, just price each item and know that someone who is interested in the item will pay your stated price or will ask to buy it for less. Always say yes to a reasonable offer, or at the very least counter their offer.

You will get rid of more stuff if you say 'yes' to a lower offer. One of my neighbors doesn't say yes often to offers. Guess who still has some of those items in her house? Yep, she still items someone was interested in her home because she wouldn't take $5 less! I think she's getting more motivated to move things on this year.

We pull all stickers from our items as we sell them. Each person has a page in a notebook, marked with our name and divided with a paperclip. We stick our corresponding sales stickers to these pages. This makes it very slick to total each person's sale items at the end of the day. Personally, it is one of my favorite parts, counting the money! I'm sure that doesn't surprise you.

What are your pricing tips?

The garage sale I'm holding with my neighbors is next week. I am looking forward to the cash, but really looking forward to getting rid of a pile of stuff! Over the next week I will post my favorite garage sale tips:

Tip #1: Make bright easy to read signs.

I use fluorescent green, yellow or pink posterboard and a broad tipped black marker. I only use one color per sale. I fill the entire board with information. Include address or intersection, days and times. A large arrow on the bottom of the sign is also very helpful. Make sure the letters on your sign are thick and bold. In fact, aim for two inches thick and 4-8 inches tall.

I actually use two pieces of posterboard per sign and tape them together on the top and sides with clear packing tape. I slide it over an old realtor sign or a large piece of cardboard with a stake attached and then tape the bottom of the posterboard together. This makes for a very sturdy sign.

If you think it might rain, you can cover the entire sign in clear packing tape! Put the signs out during the late evening before the sale on nearby intersections. We live off a major street, so we put about 3 signs at major intersections about a mile away each. We also put one right at our main corner and a smaller one in our yard, so people know they found the right place!

Good looking signs are important. If you are not getting compliments on your signs from buyers, you are doing it wrong!

I made my homemade laundry detergent yesterday. I think it looks like it will work great. It seems like soap anyway!!

I also prepped our garden for planting. It was becoming overgrown with weeds and grass. Luckily, my girls were up for digging in the dirt. They dug out the grass and weeds, while I pulled much of the dirt off the roots. It felt good to get my hands dirty! I'm also glad the garden is only 64 square feet because that did take a couple hours. I have yet to decide what to plant. We have really enjoyed beans and peas in the past. They are plentiful, delicious and always available for picking.

I also made cookie dough last night. Butter, sugar, vanilla and flour. We are going to wrap the dough around Hershey's Kisses to make Secret Kisses cookies. The girls recieved a Hershey's cookbook as a gift and this is the only recipe that I had all the ingredients for and probably the easiest!

Only spent money on haircuts for the girls yesterday. If only I were that much of a homesteader!! I've tried cutting their hair before, but I'm never satisfied with the results.

My neighbor decided to make her own laundry detergent on Earth Day. She loves it! She made a kit of ingredients for me to make my own batch.

The batch will make two gallons of detergent. I think she said the cost per load is $0.07! She didn't say how much the ingredients were but they had to be fairly inexpensive.

Here's the recipe that I plan to mix up this weekend:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap
1/2 c. washing soda
1/2 c. borax powder

You will also need a small bucket approximately, 2 gallons in size. I purchased mine yesterday with a lid at Home Depot for about $5. I sure don't want this stuff to spill!

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours to gel. Use 1/2 cup detergent per load of laundry.

This recipe is from this

website. I'll let you know how I like it soon!

fabric!



I'm going to make a valance for my kitchen window out of one fabric and some placemats out of at least one of the others. Reversible placemats maybe? I have yet to figure it all out. The fabrics only set me back about $8! This has got to be less expensive than buying new from the store and maybe even equal to a thrift store for used.

My sewing machine has been a great tool for us. Do you have a sewing machine you use or another great tool worth its investment?

are here today to bring me my May flowers!! Unfortunately, some of the rain came with some severe weather, so I'm staying in today instead of shopping.

The cleaning tasks went very well this week. Here's my final update:

[x]clean inside kitchen cabinets
[ ]clean outside kitchen cabinets
[ ]touch up paint kitchen cabinets
[x]dust intake vents
[x]wash out large trash can
[x]wash van (I'll probably go to a car wash)
[x]vacuum van floor & scrub floor mats
[x]hose out the garage floor

My kitchen cabinets are painted white. We bought the house this way. Unfortunately, white cabinets do not stay clean and develop a residue that more grime sticks to. Ugh! I clean them at least twice a year, probably more. It is a chore that does pay off in beauty, but it very hard to get myself going on. Honestly, right now I can't say when I will get to them. I'm that unmotivated.

I earned another $3 from Pinecone Research! It seems since I signed up to have them direct deposit my payment into paypal that I get more surveys. Or maybe it is just coincidence and surveys are just picking up in general. Any thoughts on my theory?

I now have over $10 in my paypal account. Once we get our mid month paycheck, I will include this with our emergency fund contribution. Maybe I'll have another survey or two before then!

I took a quick look at my capris and shorts. I have sizes for current weight and my lower weight from a couple years ago. I kept just one of each of the old size, and tossed the rest in the garage sale pile. I'd much rather be the lighter weight...but it is what it is!

One of my favorite cleaning tools is the microfiber cloth. They pick up dirt and grime with little effort and they are reusable. You can use them with your favorite cleaner, or water or just dry! Think about how many sponges, and paper towels you will save.

I just used mine the other day on my mini blinds. I did several of them by just dusting with a dry mircofiber cloth. A few of them needed more work, so I used a damp end of the cloth. When I was done, they were tossed in the washer.

To keep the microfiber cloths looking their best it is important to keep them out of your dryer. I honestly, have forgotten this step and they still work pretty well. It is important to avoid fabric softener too.

I have about six cloths in six different colors. While I don't personally do this, you could identify a color to be for a specific job. Orange for sink cleaning, blue for windows and green for dusting. I bought mine from a catalog company called Solutions. You can find them online. These seem to be heavier in weight then ones that you can find at discount stores.

The first time you use a microfiber cloth you will be amazed at how much dirt your other sponges and cloths have been missing. Everything will be extra sparkly!!

Even though I already have six, I'm ready to invest in some more. One cloth was used by my husband to clean his hands of caulk. And let's just say caulk doesn't come out of a microfiber cloth!! They do lose some of their kick over time, but I've been using them for years.

Do you have a favorite cleaning tool? Is is eco friendly? Is it inexpensive?

Yesterday was a no spend day. I like those. This is good news too, because I have quite a few things I'd like to buy right now. I will get some of them eventually, but they can wait. At least until payday!

I've made pretty good progress on the cleaning. I have only two more window blinds and windows to clean. I did get all the intake vents dusted. I even pulled down the vents from the bathroom ceiling fans. My bathroom was the worst. I think I might not have cleaned it after we moved in three years ago. Yuck! They are shiny and dust free now.

While I was cleaning, I watched (okay more like listened) an episode of Hoarder's online. That is motivation! Today, I might tune into Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey online. It helps to keep my mind entertained while I do some of the mundane cleaning tasks.

My daughter raked the front yard last night. I agreed to give her a dollar. It only took her 10 minutes. The grass had really become matted down from the 65 inches of snow that sat on it all winter!!

Today, I must finish those blinds. I will also clean the insides of the kitchen cupboards. Luckily about half of them don't need to be done.

I think my reward for all this cleaning will be to buy fabric for a kitchen window valance. I have the rod and I think I will only need about half a yard or less. Do you reward yourself for big tasks completed, financial or otherwise? Or is the completion enough?

It feels like spring more and more each day. Yipee!!

Today, I've made our grocery run and done a little picking up around the house. I started a cleaning cycle on our washer, that includes hot water and bleach. I added an additional 5 gallons of water to get the water to the top of the washer. Unfortunately, I put a little too much in and it overflowed from the tub onto the floor underneath! Opps. I have to let it sit for half an hour to clean out the lint/soap buildup and then run it through the cycle. I tried vinegar last week and it didn't go as well as the bleach method.

I'm going to dust some blinds later and wash the insides of the windows. That will take some time, so it probably is my last project for the day.

I will tackle some other spring cleaning projects this week primarily because they need to be done and to keep myself from going shopping. I seem to have a big desire to add a few things to my wardrobe, buy a purse, a new wallet, get a better haircut, as well as invest in some home accessories. I'm sure eventually I will break down on some of those, but for now I need to stay out of the stores.

Here's what I need to accomplish:
clean inside kitchen cabinets
clean outside kitchen cabinets
touch up paint kitchen cabinets
dust intake vents
wash out large trash can
wash van (I'll probably go to a car wash)
vacuum van floor & scrub floor mats
hose out the garage floor

Whoa! That is a lot. So, if you don't see me around here much that's what I'm doing! Tell me about your spring cleaning projects. It just might get me motivated to know others are doing the same.

I just sold an item on ebay for $12.50!

2010 Ebay Challenge Total
January: $201.89
February: $46.40
March: $68.00

My monthly average is now: $105.43

The girls and I finally got back to doing a little sorting in their rooms and a basement storage area. We found quite a few things to toss, recycle and sell! In fact some of the toys they chose to get rid of surprised me a bit. But I'm okay with it since it feels so freeing to move this stuff on.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I did a little cleaning up in our basement yesterday. I found two things to give away for free. One to sell. I posted them on craiglist. And the responses? Geez, I've never had so many emails arrive in my inbox at once!!

The free items were a non working printer and garage door opener. One has been picked up, the other is sitting outside now waiting pickup. I have four other people to email if it doesn't go soon. People love free non working things apparently.

The one item I have up for sale should be sold tonight. I had the most responses for this item, which makes me think I may have underpriced it. I will make $15.

I also listed another collection of toys my girls have decided to part with on ebay. I started it last night as a five day listing, so it would still end on Sunday. I like Sunday endings, so I can get the item in the mail on Monday. That is if they pay promptly!

In my basement cleaning, I put all my garage sale items in boxes. I have about 10!! They are on a table and ready to be marked with prices. I need to go get labels before I can start. It's still two months away and I expect to find some more things to sell!

I'm adding $41 to the emergency fund goal. This is from ebay sales primarily.

Old Balance: $779
Add Funds: $41
New Balance: $820

Right now this money is sitting in a checking account. I intend to move the money to our money market account each time we have $1000 saved.

Only $6,180 to go to the goal!

I definitely found some things to sell at the garage sale in the spring when going through the girls closets yesterday. We still need to go through their dresser drawers. Maybe today? I have a cold virus that is wearing me out.

I had two auctions end last night on Ebay. The sales were $40.50! I'm pretty happy with that. One item is a collection of toys from my girls younger days. Now I have a whole empty bin to use elsewhere in the house!

2010 Ebay Challenge Total
January: $201.89
February: $46.40
March: $40.50

I need at least $11.21 in sales before the end of the month to meet my challenge goal. The challenge goal is to average $100 a month in sales. I'd say three months into the year, I'm doing pretty well.

The girls are on spring break this week, so today's task is to clean their rooms. I'm sure we'll find some things they have outgrown. Many of which can be sold.

When they go back to school, I'm going to dive in with some deeper cleaning. I think the dirt and sand in the garage will be the first to go!

Spring cleaning gets me into organizing! Although, I didn't plan this one.

Yesterday, I went looking for a specific photo of my daughters that I would like to get up on the wall. I found it! In the process, I realized I should get the photos from 2003-2006 a little better organized. Luckily for me, most of them were dated.

I have pulled the pictures from their processing envelopes, seperated the double prints, thrown out the negatives, and stacked them by year. Next step, was to organize the year from January through December. Once I have them by year, I keep them in archival photo boxes. I'm realizing I may eventually want to pull some pictures for some type of album. I've seen some VERY cute pictures of my kids in the last few hours!

This was a free activity for me and as a result I had another no spend day. Third day in a row!

I typed an entry and lost it. Here's the condensed version:

1) Pinecone survey payment $3.00. Paid by Paypal. Love how quick it is.
2) Shopped for shoes. Bought nothing. Now two no spend days in a row.
3) As part of my spring cleaning: cleaned my washer with bleach and washed out garbage can.
4) Not motivated to do ebay right now. Have lots of items. Deciding on date with neighbors for garage sale. Need snow to melt and warmer temperatures.

No spending for me today. I spent more than enough the last few days!

I started some spring cleaning today. I washed two bathroom shower curtains and bath mats. Tomorrow, I'm washing comforters.

It doesn't seem that much like spring when snow is everywhere. However, it is getting warm enough for a little melting. Primarily off the roof!! I'll take it.

I can't wait for tomorrow when I will make an $1,800 payment to the home equity loan!!

Wow! I'm already ahead of my self imposed goal of $100 for the ebay challenge.

I sold 15 cd's for cash earlier this week for $57.56. I am still waiting on the checks, of course.

Last night, I had 5 of 7 listings sell on ebay. The sales were $47.95! Three people have paid. I'm waiting on the other two. I relisted one item and added two new items that will end this Sunday. (For the purge: the 5 listings were equal to 8 items)

2010 Ebay Challenge Total
Jan: $105.51

I'm going to keep working on this challenge hard now, while I'm motivated, since I'm working toward an average of $100 per month for the whole year.

Purge Points
Previous Total 45
New Total 69

I might have mentioned that we went through our movies and music recently. I finally got around to selling 15 CD's to two different companies that buy them. My total is $57.56! I'm getting a good start on my sales challenge.

The best deal was for a copy of Annie, the original motion picture soundtrack. The company is paying me $22.64!! Ebay recently sold one for $46. I thought about selling ours that way, but as time went on they were selling for less and less, so I decided this was the best way to guarantee a decent amount of cash! Seriously. Check and see what your stuff sells for online, you may be surprised.

I sold our discs to secondspin and preplayeddiscs.

Purge Points: 45

I'm off to recycle about 80 other compact discs (at Best Buy) that were back ups for various things. Quite a few were TV shows DH's brother copied for him last time he was overseas. I guess no desire to rewatch!