Salt Free Herb Blend

5 tsp onion powder

2 ½ tsp garlic powder

2 ½ tsp paprika

1 ¼ tsp thyme

½ tsp black pepper

2 ½ tsp dry mustard

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spoon herb blend into a shaker. Add a few grains of white rice to keep the mixture dry.

Create Your Own Cooling Mister

You can easily create your own refreshing cooling mister and rather inexpensively. Simply fill a spray bottle with filtere or spring water, add a couple drops of pure peppermint essential oil, just a few fingers full of MSM powder, and a few drops of GSE (grapefruit seed extract). Shake it and voila! Every time the heat rises, you can keep yourself cool and refreshed!

A Versatile Long Strap

Accessories make the outfit. It's a chance to express your own individuality and uniqueness. A creative opportunity waiting to be seized. And what better way to do it than to be versatile with a single piece? Take for example a strip of quality leather. You can loop it around your waist and wear it as a belt. Make it your own by adding pendant(s) on it. You can also wear it around your neck and turn it into a necklace with a few layers. I personally have a bracelet that wraps around my wrist a couple times or I wear it as a choker. I always have the chance to dress it up differently depending on my mood by adding a pendant or pendants that suit me that day. :)

Prescription Discounts for Medicare Beneficiaries

Extra Help (also known as L.I.S.) is a program that provides prescriptions as a discounted price for eligible individuals. If you qualify, you can pay as little as $2-$6 per prescription. To be eligible, your income must be less than $1,353.75 for 1 person or $25,010for couples, excluding your house and car. Call the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging at 213-252-4089 and ask for the Extra Help program.

Hot Red Pepper Spice Level

Hot red pepper gets hotter during cooking, so start with small amounts.

Enhance the Flavor of Dried Herbs

Crumble herbs in the palm of your hands before adding them to your dish to get the full flavor.

When to Add Dried Herbs

Add dried herbs and spices at the start of cooking to get the full flavor.

When to Add Fresh Herbs

Add fresh herbs near the end of cooking or just before serving.

Make Your Baked Potato Fun!

You can add baby arugula, sour cream, and crumbled bacon on top! Yum! Or roasted grape tomatoes and ricotta cheese! For the tomatoes, lightly coat in extra virgin olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, and bake until they burst. You can also try oil-packed artichokes, Kalamata olives, and grated lemon zest.

Paperbackswap.com

Consider swapping books instead of buying new ones. It's wayyyyy cheaper!

Buy Concentrated Soaps and Cleaners

Go to the 99 cent store and buy a spray bottle for your cleaner. Add concentrated soap or cleaner and fill the bottle up with water as instructed. Less packaging means less waste. But often times you also save money this way, too, as well as time because you aren't running back to the drugstore to replace your cleaning products. My personal favorite is Dr. Bonner's magic soap. I use it as an all purpose cleaner, as well as for hand soap and to hand wash my delicates. You can use this marvelously versatile product as a body wash, shampoo, bubble bath, toothpaste, laundry detergent, facial pack, dish soap, and all purpose cleaner!

Unload Your Truck

Remove all unnecessary items from the trunk of your car. The lighter the load, the less gas you consume. You're being environmentally-conscious and saving money.

Bring Your Own Water Bottle

Many of us don't drink nearly as much water as we should. A great way to resolve that is by buying your own BPA free water bottle. You can refill it throughout the day, ensuring that you're properly hydrated. It's also much more affordable, environmentally-conscious, and time-efficient than buying water bottles. Save!

Bring Your Own Garment Bag

Save on plastic and minimize trash by bringing your own garment bag to the dry cleaners. Small changes like these become a regular part of your habit. By doing stuff like this regularly, you get in the practice of reusing and recycling. Many people, I suspect, don't reuse as much as they should because they aren't in the practice of it, so they forget to do so by not making proper preparations. I know I was like that. But if you go to the dry cleaners often, this is a solution worth incorporating.

At Home Dry Cleaning Kits

There are many at-home dry cleaning kits available. It comes with a ball that protects your clothes from the abrasiveness of the washer that can damage clothes. It's a fraction of the cost of going to the dry cleaners. You save time and money on your gas bill and dry cleaning bill, allowing you to spend your time more productively.

Hang Dry Your Clothes

In the modern society we live in, many people prefer throwing their wet clothes into the dryer but we can save a lot of money and become energy-efficient by hang drying our clothes. Make small changes to make hang drying your clothes easier such as hand washing smaller items and/or washing smaller loads of laundry. It becomes less overwhelming this way. Place a hang liner at the most convenient spot, so you're likely to use it. You can simply buy a nail and a strong rope or thread and tie it in place. It's an inexpensive and effective hang liner.

99 Cent Store for Christmas Ornaments

Instead of spending a fortunate on Christmas ornaments that's used only briefly, visit your local 99 cent store. They have a generous selection of ornaments, Christmas decorations, and even Christmas lights. Some even have small Christmas trees.

Hiking!

Hiking is free, fun, and a great way to workout! You can go by yourself to collect your thoughts, turn it into a romantic retreat, or go with a bunch of friends to catch up. Take in nature, enjoy the scenery, and just get away from the city life or wherever you're normally exposed to. Sometimes a break is a good thing.

Cardio Alternative Indoors

If you're unable to go for a walk or run because it's running or late at night but you're able to move, consider jump roping. 10 minutes of jump roping is the equivalent of a half mile jog. Be warned that jump roping is a lot more strenuous and exhausting than running or at least that was my experience. But it's a great resource.

The Real Dangers of Minty Lips

So many lip balms claiming to moisturize your lips contain mint. It leaves a refreshing feeling that cools your lips. It also dries your lips out and/or impedes the moisturizing process. Mint is used on oily skin for a reason. Quite a bit of lip products for eczema contain mint because it soothes the irritation but it's also delaying the treatment. Mint in higher dosages are used as natural collagen boosters to make your lips appear fuller by irritating your lips until they swell.

Home Dyes Work Best When You Go From Light to Dark

Home hair dyes seem like such an affordable alternative to salon prices but only if you're going from light to dark. It's possible to find success when you go from dark to light but if you find your hair to be exceptionally dark and you're going for a contrastingly lighter shade, you may find that you're still wasting money because you're not lifting the color deposited on your hair so the lighter shade may not become visible. Something to think about.... Cheap doesn't always mean bargain.

Become a Hair Model

Getting your hair cut, colored, or styled is a costly investment. Call your local salons or beauty schools to see if they offer free services to hair models. If you live in the Los Angeles area, Fred Segal salon offers free services. In San Francisco, Vidal Sassoon offers similar programs during certain times of the year.

Farmer's Markets

I've been described as a farmer's market diva. So I don't have to explain that I love the farmer's market. I think everyone should go at least once. You get to sample the food. The produce is much fresher than what you'll ever find at the supermarket. There's even prepared meals if you're not into the idea of cooking. It's a great place to meet people, come up with great recipe ideas, and just get to know your community.

Beach Day!

Going to the beach is such an enjoyable experience and the best part is that it's free!!!! :D Go during the day by yourself with a book for a quiet day of reflection and much needed break from the world. Or gather or friends and family for a fun group day! You can even go at night and enjoy bonfires if you prefer.

How to Flavor Food Without Salt, Sugar, and Fat

Sweeten foods with spices such as allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.

Season foods without salt by adding herbs and spices that have zesty flavors such a s black pepper, hot pepper, garlic, coriander, onion, and curry.

Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Yogurt Delight

Plain yogurt is more affordable than flavored yogurt and offers more versatility. Transform boring plain yogurt into a delightful treat by filling a bowl with yogurt and topping it with raspberries, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. It's best when the coconut is slightly toasted.

A Tropically Fruity Water

Make a commitment this summer to drink more water. Many of us forget because it's not a part of our daily habits. A good way to be conscientious about it and to encourage you to maintain this healthy habit is by flavoring the water naturally. Try adding fresh pineapple, ginger, and mint for a refreshingly delightful combination. In a clear pitcher, it's beautiful and enticing. You can refill the pitcher several times, too.

Healthier "Juice"

Commercial juices contain added sugar making it less healthy. You can dilute it and still enjoy the flavor by freezing the juices in ice cube trays. Fill a glass with sparkling water and add a few juice cubes in there. If you do this with cranberry juice, it's yummy and pretty.

Strawberry and Lemon Flavored Water

For a more fun flavored water, add thin slices of strawberry and lemon to it. I like to make a big batch the night before and enjoy it throughout the day.

Cucumber and Lime Flavored Water

Make your water more refreshing and enjoyable by adding thin slices of cucumbers and lime.