Prolong Your Dish Soap

As you begin to run out of dish soap, add a bit of water in it and swish it around. You'll be able to wash  several extra loads of dishes this way. The little effort goes a long way.

Mix & Match

For a two piece bathing suit, don't be afraid to mix and match pieces. Not every bikini or two piece bathing suit come in sets. Sometimes they're sold individually. Mixing and matching offers a unique combination and you can even save money or get more style varieties. There are so many choices available; don't be afraid to just buy one reasonably priced piece before finding the other one. This is a fun and easy way to get creative. We change our outfits daily, but sometimes we hit the beach everyday. Why not have multiple pieces?

Lemon Halves

After cutting a lemon in half and extracting the juice from it, save the lemon halves for cleaning. You can cut a cutting board with salt and use the lemon halves like a spongy cleaning brush. The salt will work as an abrasive and the lemon juice has antibacterial properties. Put them in an attractive bowl with a lid on it and leave it in the fridge. That way it won't look trashy or aesthetically displeasing, but you'll have an affordable and healthy way of cleaning. You can even fill the bottom of the bowl with a thin layer of salt for convenience. You can use the lemon halves several times, possibly up to a week before discarding.

Customize your Necklaces

Buy a collection of staples that are versatile and can be worn differently according to your mood. For example, you can buy a few different lengths of white gold or yellow gold chains. For something more affordable, try sterling silver. You can then buy some pendants. It's cheaper just to buy the pendants and you can create a different look by combining them with different pieces. You can check out flea markets, craft stores such as Michael's, or your local department stores. You can wear a single pendant or add multiple pendants on a single chain or add different pendants on different chains and wear them together to give it a layered look.

Potlucks

Invite some good friends over for a potluck. It's an affordable way to have guests over without taking on the full financial burden and stress of having to plan dinner parties. You can make it as casual as saying potluck or designate each person to bring a specific type of dish i.e., vegetarian, side dish, salads, etc. You can even ask some guests to bring plates, utensils, and things of that sort to make clean up easier.

At Home Movie Days

Gather a few friends over for a movie day or night requesting each one to bring a few movies of their choice. You can even define a theme, so you don't go from having to watch a suspense thriller to a chick flick. Select a genre everyone will enjoy watching. Ask that everyone brings something to eat, as well. You can have a concession stand feel to it with big tubs of popcorn and candy or choose to go healthy with hummus, carrots, celery, and things of that sort. Have a few friends over and enjoy some good movies!

Make Muffins with the Little Ones

Make muffins healthy by adding yogurt and chopped fruit. Kids can help by pouring in the ingredients, stirring, and placing muffin liners in the tin. They're fun for the kids, and they make terrific snacks!

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!