50 Chores That Take 5 Minutes or Less
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Organize | Tags: Clean, home, neat, Organize 1 Comment
I am a mother to an infant. She doesn’t leave me much time for organizing and cleaning, so I’ve started relishing every 5 minute chunk of time she gives me. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in under 5 minutes!!
1. Empty the top rack of the dishwasher
2. Empty the bottom rack of the dishwasher
3. Sweep the kitchen floor
4. Switch the laundry from the washer to dryer
5. Clean a toilet
6. Wipe down a bathroom sink
7. Sweep a bathroom floor
8. Iron a shirt
9. Make your bed
10. Organize a small drawer
11. Wipe down the kitchen counters
12. Fill the dishwasher
13. Wipe down 1 shelf in the refrigerator
14. Shake out a small rug
15. Dust/vacuum a flight of stairs ( I guess this could take longer than five minutes if you have a TON of stairs 🙂
16. Dust a coffee table
17. Vacuum an area rug
18. Put five items away
19. Start a load of wash
20. Wipe down the stove top (obviously, your stove top can’t be completely crusty for this to take less than 5!)
21. Dust a lamp
22. Wipe the outside of your refrigerator
23. Wipe the outside of your dishwasher
24. Dust the top of your refrigerator (I did this the other day. Wow. I really need to do this more!)
25. Wipe down 5 cupboard doors
26. Tuck the kitchen chairs in
27. File 5 papers
28. Dust 2 shelves on a bookcase
29. Dust the baseboards in your bedroom
30. Sweep your laundry room
31. Switch out all of the hand towels in your bathrooms
32. Carry all the stuff piled at the bottom of the stairs up
33. Wipe the outside of the microwave
34. Wipe the inside of the microwave (Use this tip if yours is really dirty! It works)
35. Dust the baseboard in a guest/child’s room
36. Clean one shower wall every day. I do this while showering by using a dish wand filled with vinegar and dawn.
37. Wipe down the dining room table
38. Dust the TV
39. Take the trash out
40. Put some of the shoes in the entryway in their proper closet
41. Take the recycling out
42. Put one item of clothing you haven’t worn for a year in a give-away pile
43. Put all the remotes/coasters away
44. Put your hair styling products in their proper places
45. Dust your computer/printer
46. Find homes for some of your phone charger/ipad charger etc.
47. Throw away some old magazines
48. Empty the bathroom trash
49. Fold as much laundry as you can! Make it a game to see how much you can get done in 5 minutes
50. Dust a light fixture
DIY Granite Countertop Cleaner
Posted: February 18, 2013 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Frugal, Money Saving Recipes, Organize, Saving Money | Tags: Clean, DIY, Frugal, recipe, Save Money 1 CommentI love this cleaner. It works GREAT. It leaves no streaks. I also this on my mirrors, stainless steel and oven top. Make sure you test the product in an inconspicuous area before first use! I found this recipe here.
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
2 cups water
8 drops dish soap (I have used Kirkland and Joy..both work fine)
Mix together and store in spray bottle for easy use! I love using this on my mirrors. It’s streak free when I wipe with an old newspaper. I LOVE this cleaner.
I Tried It: DIY Drawer Divider
Posted: January 23, 2012 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Frugal, Organize, Saving Money | Tags: DIY, do-it-yourself, Frugal, Organize, Project, saving money 4 CommentsMy work out clothing has never been organized. It’s always bothered me. So, I tried Design Sponge’s DIY idea. I made my own dividers out of cardboard, except I didn’t measure because I don’t believe in using measuring tapes 🙂 Here are the directions, step by step:
1). Hold cardboard over drawer and estimate wear you need to slice it (or your can measure if you REALLY want to), by slitting it with an exacto knife. (Do this with all four pieces of cardboard)
2) Cut a slot into the tops of the cardboard that will serve as your base. Do the same to the cardboard that will help divide your drawers, except cut the slots into the bottoms of those.
3) Fit all the pieces together and organize your drawers!! Super easy!!
Slit cut with an exacto knife…believe me, it doesn’t have to be very exact!!
The finished product!
ahh…I can find stuff in my drawers!!
I would say this project was worth the effort! I even labeled the compartments when I finished. Now my husband can’t tell me he doesn’t know where my clothes go when we’re folding laundry!
Cost-$0
Money Saved-At least $10. I own a couple of drawer dividers that cost $12 for a pair.
Make Your Own Drawer Divider
Posted: January 21, 2012 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Gadgets, Organize, Saving Money | Tags: DIY, Frugal, Organize, saving money 2 CommentsYesterday, I gushed over pinterest. I know. I’m way behind. The world probably realized how great the site was 5 years ago!
I did find a gem of a blog via pinterest, though. I’m very excited because it includes a picture tutorial on how to make a drawer divider out of cardboard. CARDBOARD! I’ve drooled over drawer dividers for years. NOW I can make my own for FREE! Who knew?!?
Next week I’ll attempt (I’ve never been good at measuring!) to make these handy gadgets and post the results! No more spending $6 per plastic ugly divider at Bed, Bath and Beyond and no more messy drawers.
I secretly dislike the lamp shades in my master bedroom. I know. This is a minor problem, but I think I may have found a solution. Pinterest. This site is CHALK-FULL of frugal yet creative ideas! Here are some other reasons I love this site:
1) There are inspirational ideas for EVERYTHING. Not only can I look up a pin on how to fix my drab lamp shades, I can learn how to organize the cans in my kitchen and make my own wall art.
2) There are so many DIY tutorial’s. (This is a frugal person’s dream!)
3) The site lead me to some other blogs I am in love with.
So, before you go buy a new lamp shade, light fixture, piece of art or etc…check out Pinterest. You may be able rig up something you like on your own and save a few benjamins while you are at it!
*I was not paid to write about Pinterest. I just tried their site and really like it!
Old Nail Polish Uses
Posted: November 26, 2011 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Organize, Saving Money | Tags: Frugal, Nail Polish, Organize, saving money 6 Comments
Do you fumble with your keys when trying to open your front door? Try this cheap trick. Color code your means of entry with nail polish. Now your keys can look as cute as your toes. Plus, you’ll find that darn house key so much faster!
Do you have left-over nail polish you don’t want to throw away, but don’t know what to do with it? Click HERE for some more nail polish tips.
Organization and Contact Lenses…
Posted: November 25, 2011 Filed under: Organize, Saving Money | Tags: Health, Organize, Saving-Money 5 CommentsI wear disposable contacts. Throwing them out after two weeks of wear is a must. Over the past few months I’ve found myself scratching my head and asking myself, “Did I open this package 1 or 2 weeks ago?” I’ve thought about keeping a little calendar in my make-up bag, but I came up with a better solution. Here it is.
1) Find a DRY ERASE pen.
2) Write the date you open the contacts on the corner of your mirror.
3) Make a dash EVERY time you wear them (see picture below).
4) Throw contacts out when your two weeks are completed (or per your doctor’s recommendation).
5) Simply erase the marks on the mirror and start over!
Due to this system, I no longer wear my contacts too long or throw them away too soon. This saves my eyes and my money!
I also write surprise notes to my husband, reminders and lists on my mirror! Just make sure you are using a DRY ERASE pen.
How To Hang A Sweater
Posted: November 10, 2011 Filed under: Do It Yourself and Save, Organize | Tags: clothes, how to hang a sweater, saving money 7 CommentsI abhor ironing (click HERE for wrinkle releaser recipe). I also do not like donning a sweater with funny bumps on the shoulders formed from plastic clothes hangers. I needed a sweater storage solution. My sister came to the rescue and taught me how to hang my sweater correctly. My fall fashion apparel is no longer wrinkly or sporting a shoulder goiter (my junior high friends always referred to the bump as a goiter…it stuck with me). Hanging my sweaters correctly has increased their longevity which therefore decreases my clothing bills. It’s a win-win situation.
1) Start by folding sweater in half
2) Place clothes hanger under the arm as pictured
3) Fold bottom half of sweater over hanger
4) Do the same with the sleeves
5) Tuck sleeve under bottom portion of hanger
6) Hang and enjoy a wrinkle/goiter free sweater!
*My sister learned this technique from Rachel Coleman
Repurpose Your Furniture and Save
Posted: November 1, 2011 Filed under: Organize, Repurposed Furniture, Saving Money | Tags: repurposing furniture, saving money 2 Comments
I have wanted a sideboard for my dining room for a long time. I’ve dreamed about this for three whole years, in fact! As a new bride, I had no PLACE to store any dishes, because I lived in a house with a shoe-box sized kitchen. I looked on-line. I thought about saving up for it, but in the end I could not even imagine spending that kind of money on a piece of furniture. So, I waited. Then we moved to a different state.
Now, I have a delightful regular size kitchen. I can no longer touch both walls with outstretched arms. I still wanted a side-board, though. So, I got creative.
The dresser pictured above is from one of my husband’s friends. Apparently, the friend wanted to throw it out. My hubby stepped in. Now, I have a side-board! Many people comment on this piece! I didn’t pay a DIME for it. Think about how much THAT saved me! Repurposing saved at least $600!
*This blog reflects the opinion of the author. Please understand that all information or opinions gleaned from this blog are done so at your OWN risk*
Organize Your Home and Save Money
Posted: October 31, 2011 Filed under: Organize, Saving Money | Tags: saving money Leave a commentHave you ever:
1) Forgot to pay a bill on time? (This will usually incur late fees)
2) Gone out to eat JUST because you didn’t plan ahead? (Eating outside the home costs more)
3) Lost a paycheck? (This is self-explanatory)
4) Bought an item because you can’t find the one you already own? (You’ve doubled the cost of that item)
5) Bought an item because you FORGOT you already owned one? (Ditto to what I said above)
6) Stayed up WAY too late paying bills because they were due the next day? (This is just plain stressful!)
You may want to think about organizing (or re-organizing) your home. I must admit that ALL of these scenarios have happened to me in the past. I am continually working on my organization skills so I’ll never have to face these problems in the future. HERE is a list of organization blogs…You can always check out books from your library regarding this topic!
*This blog reflects the opinion of the author. Please understand that all information or opinions gleaned from this blog are done so at your OWN risk*
ihavetriedit 