I hate cleaning. However, it is a necessary evil for those of us who don’t wish to live in filth. Since I like a clean apartment, I know I need to clean it, and I need to buy cleaning supplies. However, I don’t want to spend a small fortune on those supplies. I have found some interesting ways to save money on cleaning supplies without digging through the Sunday paper for coupons.

Make Your Own

There are several recipes online for making various types of soaps. My favorite soap to make is powdered laundry soap. It’s also the easiest with three ingredients: washing powder, borax, and Ivory bar soap. The initial cost of the supplies is about $15. With a half a box of borax, 12 bars of ivory soap, and a box of washing powder, I can make enough laundry soap to last two years. Each load takes two tablespoons of powder. I save about $120 a year by making my own laundry soap.

Vinegar

I can buy a gallon bottle of vinegar for about $2, and it takes the place of almost every all purpose cleaner on the market. Vinegar sterilizes and cleans and it’s environmentally friendly. The only other all purpose cleaner I need is bleach, and that’s only to get tough stains out from my counters and floors. I save about $200 a year by simply buying Vinegar and Bleach. To save even more money, I water both down to 75% concentration.

Shower and Toilet Cleaners

I can use vinegar and bleach on my shower and toilet, but I don’t prefer to. I prefer to use chemicals specifically designed to clean showers and toilets. My favorite two bathroom cleaners are Oxiclean and Works toilet bowl cleaner, and I can get both of those at the Dollar Store. I also buy my dish soap at the dollar store. This saves me roughly $100 a year on bathroom cleaners and dish soap.

Trash Bags

I don’t worry too much about the cost of a package of trash bags. What I am more interested in is the size of the trash bag. I can go through a 13 gallon trash bag in a day, so instead of buying 13 gallon trash bags, I buy 30 gallon trash bags. They cost a little more, but I use one 30 gallon trash bag a week verses five to seven 13 gallon trash bags. It saves me about $15 a month on trash bags.

All in all I save about $420 a year on cleaning chemicals by making my own, and shopping at the dollar store. This decreases my cleaning budget substantially allowing me more cash for other items such as food and gas for my car.

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

With the sudden advent of Kleenex hand towels, another way to waste money on paper products has been invented. Unless you have frequent company or a guest bathroom that you never use and never walk into, you don’t need paper hand towels. Think about how many times a day you wash your hands. That’s a paper towel or two every time. Now think about how many of those boxes you’d go through a day, week, month year. It’s money you don’t need to be spending when a regular washable hand towel will do just fine.

With that being said, there are some household paper products that you do need.


Toilet Paper

This is a no brainer. We all need toilet paper. Otherwise, we’d be wiping our tail ends on wash cloths or hand towels and then putting them in the washer. While that might save money, I wouldn’t put butt-dirty towels into my washing machine.

What I do instead is look for coupons or store sales on my favorite brands of toilet paper. In truth, there are only two brands of toilet paper I buy: Scott and Charmin Basic, and I can find coupons in most Sunday papers that save me anywhere from .50 cents to a dollar per pack.


Facial Tissues

The cheapest box of facial tissues will do. I can find them for .84 cents a box, and when I can’t, I can find them for a dollar a box. Unless you have a cold or severe allergies, you don’t need the softest facial tissue out there. Also, don’t waste them by using them as paper towels and napkins. Facial tissues are not designed for that. You’ll end up using half a box a meal. That’s wasted money.


Paper Towels

Paper towels are very versatile. They can be used to wipe up spills, dry your hands, clean a counter, as napkins, and as nose wipes. I recommend using them for draining the grease from foods only. Hands can be dried on a conventional towel. Counters can be cleaned with wash cloths. Facial tissues can be used to blow your nose, and cloth napkins work just as well as any paper product.

By using your paper towels for draining grease off food only, you are saving yourself countless dollars on paper towels because you aren’t running through a roll every three days. A three pack of paper towels can last me a month or longer.


Napkins

I don’t buy napkins unless I’m going camping or on a picnic. For hand wiping needs during meals, I use cloth napkins. Cloth napkins can be washed with the regular laundry and reused, thus, saving me lots of money in paper napkin costs.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

There’s no denying that going to the gym improves strength, agility, stamina, and mood, but I have found that it also saves me money. The savings comes in various forms including food, health care expenses, clothing, and impulse shopping.


Food

Typically, I go to the gym within two hours of waking up, and the last thing I want to put in my stomach is greasy fattening food. This means that I’ll make a pot of coffee and eat two pieces of toast and a banana for breakfast. The cost is minimal. A loaf of low calorie whole grain bread is $2.14 and bananas are .52 cents a pound. Both items last me more than a week.

Prior to my morning gym routine, I would stop by Dunkin Donuts and buy an extra large coffee and two doughnuts for $6.50. Since I no longer want the fast food, I am saving over $40 dollars a week in out to eat food expenses.

Grocery shopping is the same way. I no longer stop by the snack food aisle. I don’t buy chips, cookies, or boxed meals. Instead, I buy bananas, bread, egg beaters, soy milk, and various other fresh fruits and vegetables. The cost difference to my weekly grocery bill is $20 which means between my lack of fast food and junk food, I am saving myself $60 a week.


Health Care

Prior to my weekly gym routine, I’d frequently catch colds and sinus infections multiple times a year. I was also plagued with bladder infections. The sinus and bladder infections would send me to the doctor for antibiotics. The cost of a doctor’s visit ranges from $100 to $250 or more not including the cost of the prescription, and I’d visit the doctor two or three times a year.

Since I started my gym routine, I have less colds and sinus infections, and the sheer amount of water I drink prevents the bladder infections. Not to mention, I no longer want to drink four Cokes a day. I’m down to two Cokes a day. I estimate the cost savings at $500 a year.


Clothing

Clothing is expensive. There’s no getting around it, and prior to going to the gym, I’d grow out of my clothes every year. That meant buying a new wardrobe every 12 months because I was too fat to fit into what I wore the year prior. I started going to the gym regularly a year and a half ago and have lost 20 pounds. The result is that I can fit into clothes that I haven’t been able to fit into in years. It’s like buying a new wardrobe except I don’t have to spend money on it. I just have to look in my closet. My shrinking body easily saves me $500 a year in clothing costs.


Impulse Shopping

My impulse shopping is directly related to my mood. When I’m upset or agitated, I go shopping. I’ll hang out for hours in clothing stores and bookstores and buy whatever is on sale. The purchases would improve my mood, but they were devastating to my finances. More than once, I’d come home with $200 worth of blankets and bedding and $50 worth of new books. It was money I didn’t need to spend, and items I don’t need.

These days going to the gym improves my mood and makes me feel productive about my day. I no longer buy items I don’t need. It saves me $1000 dollars a year in impulse buys.

My gym membership costs me $150 dollars a year. Going to the gym saves me over $2000 dollars a year in miscellaneous expenses. That’s incredible to me, and one of the reasons I will continue to go to the gym seven times a week.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories
  

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

When it comes to eating, I often fight between saving money and saving time. To spite the numerous 30 minute dinner articles, I’ve never found a dinner that took 30 minutes. Usually, it’s more like an hour to an hour and a half, not including cleanup. I don’t have that kind of time. Chances are if I’m cooking, I also need to be doing something else. Tonight was no different. I needed to eat, go to the gym, and write.

One solution was to put on my gym clothes, run to subway, buy a $5 sub, go to the gym, and skip the writing, or try to write after the gym in the hour that I’d have before bed.

The five dollar sub saves time, but it costs money. I have frozen chicken patties in the freezer and frozen Rallys French fries. Both take 20 minutes to bake, and I can write while the food cooks. Since I had already eaten out twice today (breakfast and lunch), I decided no matter how healthy Subway is, I didn’t need to spend $15 on food for the day.

I opted to save money versus saving time.

Now, let’s say I really wanted that sub, but I didn’t want to go to Subway for it. Buying a sub kit can cost anywhere from $8 to $13, but that also means that I need to drive to the store, buy the sub kit, drive home, assemble it, and eat. I’m not saving money, and I’m not saving time.

The third solution involves everything separately during my normal weekly shopping run: ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños, mayo and a package of sub rolls. A half pound of ham and a half pound of turkey will run me somewhere between $7 and $8. Shredded lettuce is $1.50 to $2. Tomatoes run $1.50 a pound. Mayo I can pick up for $2 and jalapeños run about $1.80. The pack of sub rolls could cost me anywhere from $1.50 to $4. The out of pocket cost is around $20. I know I can make at least four subs taking my per sub cost down to $5.00, and I can use the leftovers for other things. However, if I don’t feel like making and eating four subs in a week, the food rots which translates into wasted money.

For the single person, it’s the eternal catch-22. Do I potentially save money and risk wasted food, or do I save time and spend more? It depends on the day. However, for the sub example, I’ll almost always eat out. It’s cheaper, faster, and I don’t have to worry about rotting food in my refrigerator.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

If you’re like me, having $10 to go out to eat at the end of the week is a good week. You don’t buy $5 lattes every morning. Your at home coffee is Master Blend in a Folgers container which you then put in your free plastic reusable Dunkin doughnuts mug because you don’t want your coworkers to know you drink generic coffee and had toast and peanut butter for breakfast.

So, how do you get ahead when you can’t make ends meet in the first place?


Plan ahead.

By plan ahead, I mean budget for everything. This includes food, gas and miscellaneous expenses. I always start my shopping with a dollar amount and a meal plan. My dollar amount is typically $50 a week for everything including toiletries, soap, paper towels, Kleenex and food. On bad weeks that means that most of my shopping trip is paper products and not food. I’m not above wiping my tail with a wash cloth, but I’d rather not.

Off hand, I know that 24 rolls of toilet paper are going to cost me $11, and I use roughly one roll a day. I’m a girl, I can’t help that, so I budget for it. Twenty four rolls is 24 days, and I try to do that the week after rent is due. Rent is always a tight week for me.

I also know that every week I need at least five 2 liters of Coke. That’s between $5 and $6.25. Bread is $1.00. Sometimes I can find it for .75 cents. I also run through a large container of coffee twice a month. I budget for $6.00 twice a month for coffee. Generally, the first week of the month and the third week of the month. I can’t afford bottled water so I buy one 24 ounce plastic bottle and refill it until I lose it. Generally, one bottle costs me $1.50 and I use it for 10 to 14 days.

I run through about three boxes of Kleenex a week. I tend to use for napkins more than anything else. I can buy generic Kleenex for .84 cents a box. I can buy Suave for .87 cents a bottle. A bottle of Shampoo and Conditioner tends to last me between two and three weeks. I also keep my hair short in order to use less of both. Paper towels I can find in three packs for $2.85. I generally need one 3-pack a month.

The things I have listed so far total $32.61 before tax. This means that I have roughly $15 dollars to spend on food. What do I buy? Bananas, soy milk, cereal, eggs, butter, potatoes and ketchup. That’s it. I know that’s what I’ll eat. I know those foods will last me a week until I can spend another $50 dollars on mostly food instead of mostly paper products and coffee.

Notice that I didn’t say I clip coupons. I don’t. I buy generic, and as a general rule, there are no coupons for generic products. When I do have coupons, I always look at the coupon, subtract it from the price of the brand name good and then look at the generic equivalent. It is very rare that a coupon will bring the price down below the cost of the generic. With that being said, I only buy Colgate Total toothpaste, and there are coupons for that. When I find one I grab it and use it, but that’s the exception and not the rule.

I also don’t tend to buy in bulk. Bulk costs more up front and with a $50 a week limit on my grocery and paper products bill, a 48 ounce container of handsoap at $5.00 is typically out of the question. Plus a small .98 cent container will last me at least a week, and I wash my hands about 20 times a day. A dollar bottle of dishsoap also lasts me about a month.

Planning and budgeting is really about knowing what you need and how much of it you need to meet your needs. I have a pretty good handle on the things I use regularly, and I have a good handle on how much I eat every week. It makes a huge difference when I go shopping, and I tend not to overbuy.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Whenever I see an advertisement for a product or get an email for a discount, the first thing that enters my mind is that I have to spend money to save money. I received an email from JCPenney. The subject read “Save 80% on clearance merchandise.” Another email from Victoria’s Secret read “Free Summer Tote With Purchase.”

In both of those instances, I have to spend money to receive whatever discount the company is offering. Most of the time, I opt to keep my money. However, when I do decide to spend it, I ask myself three questions.


1. Do I really need it?

Say you've been thinking about purchasing a Nook for the past week. The most basic Nooks are selling for $50. That’s a really good price considering they were $119 at one point, and about $200 when they first came out. I researched the specs. It’s just an e-reader. All I can do is buy books and read them. If I want to check email, I have to buy a Nook Color which costs $129 or pull out my laptop which already has an e-reader on it. Needless to say, I decided not to buy. While it's not a lot of money, if it's not something you actually need, you should save that money instead.


2. Can I afford it?

If I determine I really do need it, do I have the cash to purchase it without harming my financial stability? I have a 50% rule for large purchases. I will only spend 50% of my savings for large purchases.

In 2008, I needed a new bed. I had been sleeping on a futon for 10 years. The mattress was worn and no longer comfortable. The result left me with a sore back more mornings than not. The problem was that beds are expensive. The cheapest bed frame I could buy was an adjustable metal frame from Walmart for $35.00. The cheapest mattresses were between $300 and $400. I also knew that if I bought that combination, I’d be looking to replace it within two years.

I decided to search for a good price on what I really wanted – a Queen Canopy. I found one at Value City Furniture for $999.99. It was perfect. It was just my style. However, the frame plus the mattresses were going to total about $1700.00. I spent the next year and a half saving all my extra money. I saved until I had twice the cost of the bed. Then I purchased it. It took me six months longer to save twice the total, but I was much happier in the long run. I had the bed, and I still had money saved.


3. Will purchasing the item enhance my life?

In October 2009, I decided I had had enough of running to the Laundromat every time I needed to do laundry. It wasn’t that it was expensive; it was that it was time consuming not only to do laundry but to plan a week or two weeks worth of outfits. I decided to buy a washer and a dryer. However, I didn’t want to spend $1000. I only wanted to spend about $500, and if I could get away with paying less, I wanted to. I scoured websites.

The cheapest washer/dryer set I could find was $650. I didn’t want to pay that much. I decided to wait for the Black Friday sales after Thanksgiving, and I kept my eyes peeled for any early deals. The week of Thanksgiving, Sears had a sale. It was a washer/dryer set for $499.99. I jumped on it. It was a better washer and dryer than the set for $650, and I’d save $150 on the purchase.

The catch was that I had to purchase it online. I was leery. I had never purchased anything so expensive online before. I sucked it up and placed the order. It didn’t go smoothly. At first, I was charged twice. I called the company and they looked into it. After two days of tense waiting, I was only billed once. Thankfully, I did not see an overdraft charge. Like the bed, I made sure to have double the money in my account.

By using these questions, I very rarely make a frivolous or unneeded purchase. They force me to think about what I really need verses jumping on every sale that crosses my eyes.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

Are you looking for the best job in this bustling economy? Here are some tips to make sure you don't get screwed.


We don’t allow second jobs.

Watch out for this one especially if the pay is low. Typically, this requirement should only come from a job paying $35,000 or more a year. It has to be a livable wage, and trust me, the company interviewing you knows what constitutes a livable wage. The individual applying and interviewing should also know his or her minimum livable wage. If the job is below those thresholds, proceed with caution.


The pay is salary instead of hourly.

Typically, a low wage job is also an hourly job. I didn’t see salary until I was making $40k a year. Even my $35k assistant manager job in 2007 was hourly. At $20k a year, you really don’t want to be answering phones all night after you’ve left the office or checking work email in the middle of the night. The company isn’t paying you for that, but if the job is salary they will expect it even if they didn’t specifically tell you.


The company is in transition.

Two companies I worked at were in transition. At the time of my hire, the latter had just fired quite a few of their middle managers. The goal was to hire new middle managers with better qualifications and fresh eyes. By the time they downsized me in 2009, they had let most of those new hires go and reposted the jobs with a salary decrease of $13k, and reduced requirements. If they can transition the old out, they can transition the new out just as easily.


You are extremely overqualified.

The last job I applied for required a high school diploma and a couple years of office experience. I applied because I wanted office experience. At that point, I had ten years of retail experience, a year and a half of sales experience, and a Masters degree in Human Resources Development. In other words, I know how to handle and deal with people. The job was phone and computer-centric. I figured if they were a growing company, I could run my own office in a couple years. I was wrong. What they wanted were my ideas. After that, they didn’t need me.

Needless to say, I didn’t give up my other income when I started the job. I did share my ideas. One of them was used against me during the exit interview which I found slightly amusing. They had yet to implement the idea.

The bottom line: apply wherever you like, but pay attention during the interview process. The interviewer will give hidden clues to the company’s direction, viability, and expectations. If you choose to accept the position, great, but keep your night job. The company may have a hidden agenda for hiring you and once that agenda is met, you will be let go.

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Starting a new job is exciting especially if it comes with a significant pay increase from your last job. In five years, I tripled my income. What I didn’t do was increase my standard of living, and it was tempting. One job added $5000 a year to my income. I figured out that I could buy a new Cadillac and a house, but I held off. As exciting as the pay increase was, I didn’t want to jump into more debt and bills than I could handle. Plus, if the job didn’t work out, I’d be financially screwed.

Here are the things you shouldn’t buy for the first three months after starting a new job.


New Clothes

When I’m looking for a new job, I typically buy new clothes for the interviews. I want to look fresh and presentable at each interview. Plus, if the company requires multiple interviews, I’m not stuck wearing the same outfit for each interview.

The interview shopping sprees typically mean that I’ve already increased my professional wardrobe. I shouldn’t need to buy new clothes for the job itself, and I don’t want to. If the job doesn’t work out, then I’m stuck with hundreds of dollars worth of new clothes that I don’t particularly need, and can no longer afford.


Lifestyle Upgrades

It’s tempting to take the new job and pay increase to the store or the car lot, or to the real estate agent’s office. Hold off. I’ve had a lot of friends and family take their $2000 a year raise and spend $2000 in the first week on new computers, cars, home upgrades, and even new houses only to have the job not work out. In the worst case scenario, they’ve had to file for bankruptcy.


Items For The Office

Upon entering a job, I always want to make the space comfortable. This could mean buying a new office chair, bringing in my own coffee and coffee maker, buying pens, pencils, paper, notepads, and phone upgrades. Don’t do it. Aside from your new company not liking your changes, it’s money you don’t need to be spending straight out of the box, and items you may not be able to recover if they let you go.

The reason to hold off buying any new and/or expensive items is to make sure the job is the right fit for you and the company. Waiting three months also gets you past the initial evaluation stage. After that you can feel comfortable in your new position and newly increased budget.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

Why buy at thrift stores? Most people argue that thrifting is a great way to make some money on the side and that it can become some sort of hobby. That is perfectly possible. In fact, I greatly encourage supporting these stores.

I believe everyone should shop at thrift stores, but not because of the price. I believe people should frequent thrift stores so that we are consistently reusing things people no longer had any use for. There are plenty of perfectly good things worth buying used. Why waste them by buying new? It saves money, but also makes economical sense.

But, of course, you have to have enough people donating useful enough items for people to want to shop there.

Back in 2014, we lost a hometown thrift store that I frequented, AMVETS. Honestly, the quality of their donations had declined to the point that no one shopped there anymore. There’s a Salvation Army store across town, but it’s not exactly convenient for me. It’s a beautiful store with a donation center with people that actually help you with your donations, which is really cool. I still donated things there, even being that far, because I don’t want to see another thrift store fail.

I’ve wanted to write something for a while about why shopping at thrift stores is a good idea. But when I did a little research, I discovered something that I probably should not have been surprised to find. There are plenty of guides out there on how to buy items at thrift stores. On the first page of Google alone, there are five or six solid lists of what to buy and what not to buy at thrift stores. The advantages of shopping at thrift stores are obvious: major bargains that can save you a bundle, convenience of having a very wide variety of items available to you, and finding items you might not otherwise find outside of a specialty store.

Sure, you can donate unneeded items for charitable tax donations. That’s a perfectly fine reason. Many thrift stores do represent certain charities; the Salvation Army, in particular, has a famous chain of thrift stores. Of course, there are many thrift stores that don’t support charities, but they’re no less legitimate; they are still promoting reuse, which is good.

Many thrift stores do benefit from great acts of charity from people who are moving or downsizing the “stuff” in their house. But most of the time, people just dump whatever they don’t want on these stores. And there's a lot that's purely junk. The employees there are often forced to sift through to separate the trash from treasure. Sometimes, they don’t, of course, and navigating the store’s wares becomes a sort of treasure hunt.

Of course, isn’t the sifting through the chaff part of the fun? The point is, you’ll always have donated junk. But it seems like junk is becoming the majority of what’s being donated. We need more quality donations.

Things like baby clothes and maternal clothes are well-known items that make fantastic bargains at thrift stores. Heck, there are people that buy them from thrift shops and sell them on EBay! Is there anything wrong with that? Of course not! Selling people things that they need at a discounted price is still excellent, especially if their local thrift shop either doesn’t have those things, or they don’t happen to have one.

What I’m saying is that the perception that I’m seeing on Google is that people want to figure out how to game the system to profit the most from it. It’s important to remember that we must sustain these types of stores. In that case, knowing what people need most at a bargain is good to know, but we need to make sure that enough supply remains in the stores themselves.

As it turns out, there is often no need to buy new for most things. As many thrifting guides will point out, there are plenty of things out there that have certain novelty factors to them and many of them end up at thrift stores. Once you’ve gotten one or two uses out of them, they’re often thrown to the back of closets or thrown in some pile in the basement or attic (or both!)

If people were more open to donating the items they didn’t need, think of how thrift stores would flourish. Not only are you helping charities, but you are helping low-income families make ends meet by giving them valuable items at deeply discounted prices that are often very lightly used, or well-used but still functional. You’re also saving other people a lot of money.

Yes, there are those sorts of “thrift” stores that sell actually new merchandise at discounted prices because of overstock, liquidation sales, or because they have been otherwise “misplaced.” Those are sort of different. There is another kind of thrift store in my own hometown called Chic 2 Chic, which also has a thrift shop version, Chic 2 Charity.

At Chic 2 Chic, they take donations of designer items. Some of them have never been worn. It’s also a sort of consignment boutique where donators can actually make some money if the item sells. It’s a cool concept. I’ve never been much for designer brands, but from what I hear, the prices are definitely low.

That being said, I don’t think there should be any stigma about shopping at thrift stores, especially with all of the specialty sorts of thrift stores popping up. But despite the good stuff that Chic 2 Chic is doing, making nice clothes available for cheap, I think the classic general thrift stores need more help than ever, especially in our current economy.

If each household in the United States donated one item a week to their local thrift store, you’d be amazed at how much stuff we keep in our homes that we really don’t need. You don’t have to actually go down there. Put one item aside a week and after a few months, you may be surprised just how much you have to give.

We need to start giving more away and stop spending our money on things for simple novelty reasons. And if we really don’t need or want something that we can’t return, donate it, don’t throw it away. There’s a reason dumpster diving has become such a huge thing today. People throw away a lot of useful things.

I’d like reach out to everyone reading and ask if you have anything that you don’t use anymore that you could let go. As long as it’s still usable and in decent condition, I urge you to donate it to your local thrift store. If you can get a charitable tax deduction for it, that’s excellent.

I’m just sad with seeing thrift stores fail because the majority of people that shop these days at many thrift stores are bargain-hunters looking to buy out all of the valuable items. This doesn’t allow the low-income families that need the stores to carry things that they need to buy them.

What do you have to donate today? Chances are, if you get people to donate just little things here and there, thrift stores could actually thrive even more than they already do.

By Stacey Carroll, Write W.A.V.E. Media Contributor

Do you have or want liability car insurance? Individuals that own their cars and drive older cars often opt to reduce their monthly premiums by dropping their car insurance from full coverage to liability only, but what is liability insurance and what does it cover?

Liability Insurance Basics

A certain amount of liability car insurance is required in every state, except New Hampshire, which does not mandate a specific amount of insurance. Instead, drivers who wish to forego car insurance, must prove financial responsibility in accordance with the state’s insurance laws and regulations.

When you purchase and maintain a liability car insurance policy, it protects you against a catastrophic financial loss in the event that you are in an auto accident and are determined to be the at-fault driver. This type of insurance policy pays for the another driver’s auto accident-related injuries and for the repair or replacement of his or her vehicle.

For example, let’s say that you impact another vehicle because you were driving distracted. After an investigation into the accident, your insurance company determines that you are the at-fault driver. If you have liability insurance, your insurance carrier will pay for the other driver’s accident-related expenses and any injuries that occurred to the passengers up to your policy limits. You would be responsible for paying for your own car repairs and medical expenses.

Liability Auto Insurance Coverages

Liability auto insurance includes provisions for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage. Some states also include underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage in their liability insurance policies. When looking at your insurance policy, you will see a set of numbers separated by slashes, usually in the format of 30/50/10, that indicate your policy limits.

The first number indicates the maximum your car insurance company will pay for bodily injury for one person. The second number indicates the amount of money your car insurance company will pay for injuries to all of the occupants of the other vehicle. The last amount indicates the policy limits for property damage, which includes the repair or replacement of the other driver’s vehicle.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Policy Limits

The caveat to getting the right liability insurance policy for your vehicle involves choosing the right policy limits. You should choose policy limits that would cover most accident and injury scenarios, which means you may want to choose a policy that has higher limits than your state’s minimum insurance requirements. If you choose limits that are too low, you could still be sued by the other driver for the remaining amount of their vehicle repairs and medical bills. You car insurance agent should be able to help you choose car insurance policy the right limits for your local area and driving habits.

Determining When to Purchase a Liability Only Auto Insurance Policy

Drivers who drive older vehicles that aren’t worth much or who have recently paid off their car loans are free to purchase a liability only policy. If you are still paying money to a financial institution, your lender may not allow you to purchase an auto insurance policy that only includes liability. This is because the financial institution wants to protect their investment in the event that you default on your car loan. In order to determine if a liability auto insurance policy would be good for you, you can ask yourself a few simple questions.

• Do I own my car? - If your car is paid off, you are free to choose any type of car insurance policy as long as it meets your state’s minimum requirements because you are no longer beholden to the loan requirements of your lending institution.
• Can I afford to fix or replace my car in the event of an accident? - If you can afford to fix or replace your car if you get into a car accident, you may want to consider dropping your full coverage policy for a less costly liability policy.
• How much is my car worth? - If your car is only worth a few hundred dollars, and it’s paid off, it may not make sense to carry full coverage car insurance on your vehicle. This is because car insurance companies only pay for the repairs or replacement of your vehicle up to its per-accident value minus any applicable deductibles. If your are is worth $800 and your deductible is $500, you’d only receive a maximum of $300 for the repair or replacement of your vehicle.

Getting An Affordable Liability Auto Insurance Policy

In order to get a liability policy that meets your needs and your budget, you need to shop around. This means filling out quote forms and getting estimates from several different insurance companies. Once you have all your quotes, you can quickly compare them against each other. Just make sure to pay attention to more than the monthly premium amounts. Car insurance policies that are well below the market may have numerous detailed exclusions, or they may not meet your state’s minimum insurance requirements.

Sources:

by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer

When I won my wedding in 2009, I was relieved. At the time, my husband-to-be was unemployed and we had no idea how we were going to plan or afford a wedding. On a whim, I entered a contest and received a call from the contest organizer, explaining that I had won.

Following the sense of relief, I realized something: we had less than a month to plan the wedding. How did we pull it off?

Decide what's important. When you have a limited time to plan, you need to decide what's important and what isn't. Since my husband-to-be was unemployed, I simply gave him a list of things to take care of. I was working full time and had no way to do everything that needed to be done. My notes looked like this:

• Get flowers. 3 bridesmaids. I want hydrangeas. No preference on other flowers.
• Order cake. 75 guests. Colors: navy blue and white. No fondant.

When it came to other items, however, I was fully involved. Although I didn't have much time to select a dress and have it altered, I crammed as much dress shopping as I could into two days. My matron of honor graciously accompanied me on this quest and kept me on task.

Trust others. When you're short on time, you need to trust others with the details. Two of my bridesmaids flew across the country on short notice for my wedding. I didn't want to burden them with the additional expense of a dress. Instead, I showed them a photo of my dress, which included a navy blue trim, and asked them to match the navy. I just had to trust them and didn't even see their dresses until the big day. They coordinated on their own and all picked something similar. Their outfits also cost under $50 each, and they were able to select dresses they'd wear again.

A friend also offered to design our wedding website. She updated it with details as they were added, which was seriously important considering it was all so last minute. My mom (a very organized person) also stepped in and managed the RSVPs for me. I just sent her my list and handed everything over to her. My matron of honor hand made chocolate favors for me as well. I loved what they did on everything even though I didn't have a huge role in each aspect. (Those chocolates helped with lingering wedding stress, too.)

Use the Internet. Etsy became my best friend when I planned my wedding. I was able to find simple, affordable, handmade personal touches that really made our reception sing. I searched using our theme (nautical) and colors (navy blue, white and yellow). In some instances, I just sent the designer samples of our wedding invitations and clips of things I liked along with the money and let them design it. They all did a great job.

DIY last minute items. There were a few last minute touches and decorations I wanted, but didn't have time to order them. Armed with $30, I hit the local craft store and purchased some supplies such as ribbon and cardstock. Using my existing scrapbooking equipment including a papercrafting machine, I personalized my reception in the last 48 hours before my wedding.

Patronize local businesses. When my husband had a list of things to take care of in a limited time, he went to local businesses to tackle the list. He was able to accomplish multiple details in each trip. We were also able to check on the progress in person. This eliminated a lot of stress from our wedding planning.

Despite the fact that the wedding was last minute, people really enjoyed it. I was really worried about ordering food from a place I'd never even patronized, but it turned out to be a highlight of the reception - all because I went on a friend's recommendation.

This post was originally published on Examiner.com.

by Alicia Bodine, Contributing Writer

1. Salsa's and Dips for your next party. Most dips taste good when you mix them with sour cream and leave them in your refrigerator over night. The Twist n' Loc containers are perfect for this. Mix right in the container, lock the lid, refrigerate, and serve.
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2. Cheerios. Mom's are always on the go. What do we take with us most often? Cheerios. They are healthy for our kids and easy to transport. The Twist n' Loc containers are great to keep the cheerios from spilling all over the car.

3. Lego's. Those Lego's are small. They could easily fit in to the Ziploc containers for quick clean up and storage.

4. As a measuring cup. Twist n' Loc containers come with measuring lines on both sides. Cooking has just become a little easier. This is also helpful for the person who is watching their weight and needs to keep an eye on their portions.

5. For freezing leftovers. Make sure you leave 1/4" to 1/2" of air space at the top for freezer expansion. Ziploc containers work just as well as the Ziploc freezer bags except your leftovers can go right from the freezer to the microwave.

6. A candy bowl. Fill your container with M & M's or Hershey's Kisses. Place in the center of your coffee table as a holiday treat for your guests.

7. Pen/Pencil holder. Keep your office organized by placing all your pens, pencils, markers, etc. in a Ziploc Twist n' Loc container. I personally keep all my paper clips in the containers. The containers can be used to keep any of your office supplies in order.

8. Gifts. Pack your favorite cookie recipe ingredients in the Ziploc containers and wrap as a holiday or birthday gift. These containers transport perfectly and are much safer than glass jars.

9. Craft Supplies. Need a container for all those cotton balls? How about your scrap booking stickers? Store your craft supplies neatly in your craft closet with the new Twist n' Loc containers.

10. Packing your lunch. Take soup to school or work. Ziploc containers are microwavable and safe from leaks.
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Now you can see why I have become a big fan of the new Ziploc Twist n' Loc containers. You can buy these containers at just about any grocery store for about $3.14 (double pack). After time your containers will wear and you can replace them without spending an arm and a leg.

This article was previously published on the Yahoo Contributor Network. 

Various essential oils are known for a variety of medicinal and aromatherapy properties. Lemon  essential oil is no different. In fact, more uses are being discovered all the time. Here are ten of the most common household and medicinal uses for lemon essential oil, accompanied by  instructions on how to use the oils for each. Orange oil and other citrus oils have some of the  same uses as lemon oil. However, lemon oil seems to be more effective.

Respiratory Ailments

Lemon essential oil can be used in conjunction with a steam  inhalation treatment for wheezing, colds, cough, and other upper respiratory problems. Note  that this should not be used in those with asthma.

To take a steam inhalation treatment  with lemon essential oil, fill a large bowl or pan with boiling hot water and a few drops of lemon  essential oil. Place the afflicted person's head over the bowl and then place a towel over the  head and bowl (in a tent-like fashion), so that no steam escapes.

The person should take a few  deep breaths, breathing the vapors in deeply for a couple minutes. If at any time, the treatment  causes you to feel uncomfortable, stop right away. Be careful to not get burned by the water from spills or beng too close to the bowl. As with any medical treatment, contact a  licensed medical professional before starting any medical treatment.

Disinfectant

Lemon is a disinfectant and can be used as a deodorizer, neutralizer, and air sterilizer. Simply add a few drops of the lemon essential oil to a spray bottle filled with water. The same concoction can  also be sprayed onto tables, counter tops and other surfaces. Test an inconspicuous area on the surface before use by adding a small amount and waiting 24 hours for the effect (if any). The oil can be good for many surfaces, but it also could damage some.

Mouthwash

Lemon essential oil can be used as a mouthwash. Add a couple drops to a 4 oz glass of water  and gargle. The disinfectant properties are great for germs in the mouth and for neutralizing bad  breath odors, as well.

Energy

For a quick, refreshing energy boost, combine a couple drops each of lemon essential oil and  peppermint essential oil in a glass of water and drink up.

Insect Repellent

Put a few drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle filled with water and spray onto the skin  as an insect repellent. However, do not use this repellent method in the sun. Lemon oil can do damage to the skin if the treated skin is exposed to the sun. Avoid sun exposure for 12 hours after applying lemon essential oil to the skin. This method is best used at night or on cloudy and  cool days.

Heartburn

Add a couple drops of lemon essential oil to a glass of water. Drink the full glass. This is said to  relieve heartburn symptoms by neutralizing the acid.

Cough, Sore Throat, and Fever

Adding a couple drops of lemon essential oil to your glass of water can help soothe a sore  throat, calm a cough, and quell a fever. Lemon oil fights against bacteria, as well as viruses.  There aren't many substances around that can do both. Many will do one or the other.

Hair, Skin, and Nails

Lemon oil can be used to fight against oily skin and hair. It also has cleansing properties and is  often an ingredient in homemade hair products. One thing to keep in mind with using lemon in  the hair is that if you go into the sun, the lemon oil might react in such a way that it lightens your  hair up a bit. In my experience, this can make for some good highlights, if applied in the right  manner. Lemon oil is also great nourishment for the nails and can help fight against nail fungus.

Anxiety

Lemon essential oils are often used in aromatherapy, specifically for anxiety and depression.

Memory & Thought Clarity

Lemon essential oil, when used in combination with rosemary may  help increase memory, increase concentration, and provide more clarity of thought. To create  this helpful blend, use 3 drops of rosemary, 3 drops of lemon oil, and diffuse it.

* The author is not a medical professional. Before using any treatments, natural or not, a  licensed medical professional should be consulted.

Moving with kids can be a real chore, both physically and mentally. But did you know you can also use it to teach them lessons? Many aspects of moving are educational, as I've learned by moving with my kids several times over the years. Just sorting and packing offers many learning opportunities.

Packing to move teaches organizational skills. What better way for kids to learn organization than by actually doing it? Kids will learn how to organize in several different ways with packing. They can learn to reduce clutter by getting rid of unnecessary items. They'll also learn how to put away items both neatly and gently, depending on what's in the box, how breakable it is, what room it goes in, and more.

Teach kids to give by donating unwanted and unneeded items. There will likely be many items you do not wish to move into your new home. But don't just throw it all away. There are many people who can use even the simplest of items. Have the kids help in sorting and donating these items to the less fortunate. This teaches them compassion, as well as green living skills. Reducing and reusing is always better for the environment than needless waste.

Capacity lessons come from packing, weighing, and measuring. Have the kids weigh, measure, and pack items to learn about capacity. How much weight can fit into each box. If certain items weigh a particular amount, how many of them will fit in the box, based on both weight and size. These are all great hands-on lessons to accent what the kids know or will learn in future math lessons.

Sorting and packing items helps teach value to kids. By determining which items to pack, which to give away, and which are non-salvageable, kids learn value in more than one way. They learn what things mean the most to themselves and to others. They also learn that when you mistreat things, no one can use them.

Fun memories can arise and be created through sorting and packing. The action of packing and sorting may trigger memories related to the items or to past moves. It creates great conversation fodder and it can also be nice to reflect on those things together. Kids also are likely to enjoy the action of sorting and packing and dream of what it will be like in the new place. This in itself creates some great memories. Plus, it's just fun! What kid doesn't like playing with boxes?

by April Paul, Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

Summertime is the time of year when everyone wants to go swimming. Not everyone has access to a beach and not everyone who does have beach access feels like going to the beach for whatever reason. Maybe it's too crowded, there's no beach, or you don't want everyone seeing you in your swimwear. No matter your reasons, here's a fun solution. Create a  beach in your own backyard.

Materials Needed

• 1 large sandbox or boxed-off area in your backyard
  
• beach sand (enough to fill the box or area plus some extra)
  
• 1 pool or baby pool (size-appropriate for everyone)
  
• sand toys
  
• beach towel for each person
  
• cooler with drinks and lunches
  
• sunglasses for each person
  
• sunscreen or sunblock lotion
  

Creating Your Backyard Beach

Step1: Forming Your Backyard Beach Shore

To make your beach shore, you will need to fill your sandbox or boxed-off area with beach sand. Beach sand can be bought at retail stores that sell gardening supplies. It is also sold at many home improvement warehouses, such as Home Depot.

If your city has neither of these, you may want to ask someone at a local hardware or garden store. It can also be purchased from gravel and rock manufacturers as well as from playground manufacturers. Beach sand is readily accessible.

Keep in mind that in order to create the full effect, you are going to need a large amount. You will want to fill a space that when full, the whole family can spread out onto comfortably. When filling your area, make sure to get the beach sand as high up as possible.

You want your surface to rise at least 2 feet from the ground. If you cannot find something that is this high, you can purchase a second baby pool that is 2 feet high and fill it with the sand. Save enough beach sand to line the entire bottom of the water pool 2 inches high. Line the pool bottom with sand before filling it with water.

Step 2: Creating Your Backyard Ocean

The pool will serve as your ocean. It should be placed directly in front of your shore. It is helpful to get a square or rectangle-shaped pool, but not necessary. The square or rectangle-shaped pool will align better with the shore and create the best mock beach. The sides of your pool should be 2 feet high to match the height of the shore.

Most standard baby and family pools are 2 feet high. After aligning your "ocean" as best as possible to the "shore", you will need to fill the bottom 2 inches full of sand. Pack it tight. You may need to add a small amount of water to make it firm. Once that is done, fill the pool with water to the desired fill line. If any sand is clouding the water, let it settle before swimming.

Step 3: Setting Up For the Day At Your Backyard Beach

A day at the beach usually consists of playing in the sand, sun bathing, swimming, and eating packaged lunches. For the full effect, pack your cooler with everything you'll need and put it in the sand. Lay out all your beach toys in the sand. Do not forget anything in the house.

Do not use the house for anything but a restroom. Lay out your towels on the sand as you would at the beach. Spend the day playing in the sand, lounging in the sand, swimming, and doing what you would normally do at the beach.

Maintaining Your Backyard Beach

If you enjoyed using your backyard beach, you will want to utilize it more often. If you bought a pool and sandbox with a cover, this will be easy. If not, there is still hope.

The first step in maintenance is to get a toy sand sifter or kitchen strainer and sift out all the grass and other large residue. Once this is done, put a small amount of chlorine in your pool to disinfect the germs. If your family cannot tolerate chlorine, vinegar is an alternative. It will likely take an entire gallon of vinegar. Pour it in the pool and let it sit for at least a few hours before swimming in it again.

Repeat this after each day of swimming. Cover the pool and sandbox after cleaning and adding the disinfectants mentioned above. If you don't have covers, tarps also work well because you can cover the areas. Then with sticks or stakes, you can secure the corners to the ground. This will keep out leaves and other debris.

The water will likely need to be refilled at times because as people play in it, some will naturally get lost. Evaporation also takes some water. Remember that whenever you have to refill your water, you will also need to add more vinegar or chlorine. Always check the labels on the chlorine for proper amounts. For the vinegar, if you can smell it very strongly, you have used too much.

The sandbox in your backyard beach may need to be sifted through for debris to keep it clean. Always keep it covered when it is not in use. This will keep neighborhood animals, as well as your own, from using it as a restroom or digging it up.

*Note that this content is for informational purposes only. Please check with your health provider and use your own discretion when it comes to health, safety, and sanitary practices.

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

Oh no! It will soon be time for summer fun in the yard. Excited to begin but your lawn isn't? Whether you have missing patches of grass to fill or need to seed an entire lawn, this easy step-by-step guide will help you learn how to plant grass seed.

Before planting grass seed, keep in mind the best temperatures and seasons for planting. A temperature of above 70F is optimal. Anything below (especially freezing temperatures), will create a longer wait time for the seedlings to start sprouting. Late spring and early summer are the best planting seasons for starting new grass seed.

Loosen Soil

The first step in planting grass seed is to loosen the soil. For smaller areas, a regular garden hoe will do the trick. For larger areas, you may want to use a till. Your goal is to bring up the second layer of soil to the surface.

Prepare Soil

Prepping the soil comes in a few steps. First rake the soil to clear it of any leaves or other unwanted items. Next, mix some topsoil in with the original soil from the ground. Spread that mixed soil over the area where the grass seed will be planted.

Fertilize Soil

The next step is to fertilize the soil. This can be done with the use of a handheld spreader for small areas. For larger areas, use a traditional spreader. Spreaders can be purchased at a fairly decent price at home improvement stores and warehouses, such as Home Depot.

Spread Seeds

Now that the soil is ready, it is time to spread the seeds throughout the planting area. For smaller areas, this can be done by hand. Just as with the fertilizer, a spreader can be used if necessary.

Water Seeds

Now that the seeds have been spread, it is time to water them. Be sure that the seeds get plenty of water. Soil should be moist and the water should run deep into the soil. Watering daily will help the seeds germinate properly. It may take up to three weeks for the planted seeds to grow into grass. Once it has grown to almost 3 inches, it is safe to mow, but never mow off more than 1/3 of the original height.

By Stacey Carroll, Write W.A.V.E. Media Contributor

When switching from renters to homeowners insurance or choosing a new homeowners policy, it’s important to understand the details of the policy as well as the cost. In general, homeowners insurance protects you against financial loss in the event of fire, theft, vandalism and covered natural disasters (rain, hail, lightening and wind). It doesn’t normally protect against floods. To be fully protected in the event of a flood, a separate flood insurance policy is generally required.

Homeowners Insurance Pitfalls and Mistakes

While homeowners insurance is designed to protect you against financial loss in the event that your home is damages by a covered event, it is important to read the details of the policy, including any specific exclusions, coverage amounts and the deductibles.

Exclusions

Along with floods, there are specific things that most home insurance policies do not cover, including mold and mildew damage, roofing replacements caused by the roof being past its useful life, sewerline backups, sinkholes on your property or under your home that damage its structure, insect damage, especially termites and carpenter ants and acts of war, including bombings, explosions and fire. If you expect to incur any of these damages, it may be best to purchase a home warranty along with your homeowners policy or explore other financial options that would provide you with extended coverage for the repair or replacement of your home in the event that your homeowners policy specifically excludes the cause of damage.

Coverage Amounts

The amount of coverage you choose for your homeowners policy should be an amount that would cover rebuilding your home or purchasing a similar home. Choosing lesser coverage amounts can save you money on your monthly home insurance premiums, but if your home were destroyed, you may not be able to afford the repairs or the purchase of a new home. If you purchase an amount that is higher than your home’s value, you may not see that entire amount. This is because insurance companies typically only replace the current value of your home just prior to the unforeseen disaster that damaged your home.

Deductibles

Homeowners insurance policies come with deductibles, and it is extremely important that you choose a deductible that you can always afford. This is because insurance companies will pay you for the repairs or the replacement of your home minus your deductible.

For example, your home was burglarized and the criminals took $5,000 worth of valuables. If your deductible is $10,000, you would be responsible for replacing those items with your own financial resources. If your deductible were $1,000, your insurance company would pay you $4,000 for your loss, and you would pay $1,000 towards the replacement of your items.

When you choose a homeowners insurance policy, make sure you do more than scan the monthly premium amount. Before you make a purchase, you should ensure that the items you want covered are covered under the policy and that the policy covers the types of damage you may incur during the time you live in the home. If you can’t find an insurance policy to cover certain causes of damage or critical system failures, you will want to purchase additional insurance coverage, like flood and earthquake damage and consider purchasing a home warranty if you are buying a new home.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

"I can't find my shoe!" "I want my red skirt!" Organizing a kid's bedroom with him in mind helps prevent these and similar scenarios. Offer space-saving solutions that are also convenient to your child for the best results. Being a mom to many has taught me many things about storage and organization. Here are some of my top must-have items for organizing a kids bedroom.

Canvas bins offer many solutions. These come in many sizes and can be used all over the room. Slide a flat canvas bin under the bed for storing shoes and extra blankets. Choose canvas bins of all sizes to organize toys and other items on a shelf. Have a certain bin designated to library books or toys that travel in the car or to Grandma's house. The possibilities are endless when it comes to canvas bins and kids.

Hanging rod organizers help kids keep track of items. Need an easy way to be sure your kids always know where there shoes and matching outfits are? Try closet organizers that hang from the clothing rod. Some have compartments and some keep clothing condensed. You can find shoe racks, sweater racks, and even special hangers that help kids keep their items neat and easily accessible.

Hanging storage solutions create more floor space. Need a way to get all those stuffed animals or other collections off the floor? Try hanging the stuffed animals in a fun design or finding a ceiling storage rack for them. These are generally very cost-effective and can be found in varied shapes, sizes, and materials. It also keeps the items in the child's room, while keeping them out of the way at the same time.

Wall storage helps organize smaller items. Too many items strewn across the dressers and shelves? Try wall organizers. These could be made of wood, canvas, or metal, depending on your child's décor and their intended purpose. You can even make your own if you're feeling inventive. Use up all that wall space, instead of letting it go to waste. You'd be surprised at how much more space your child will have.

Drawer dividers help kids keep clothing neat. Tired of going to grab something from your child's drawer and seeing everything disorganized. Try drawer dividers. By sticking these in between certain items, it helps your child see that everything has its place. This must-have bedroom organizational item is especially handy for younger kids.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

"But mom, I need a couch, a desk, a bed, and a dresser all to fit into my room. Oh, and I also need a card table and a vanity." If this statement worries you, think about choosing versatile furniture for a kid's bedroom.

Choose flexible colors and patterns. Ever seen a child's room where the colors and patterns just don't mesh? Many times this is due to lack of planning. The parents may have picked out one pattern when the child was younger and blended several over the years. Choosing solid colors and neutral patterns can help prevent this. Does your child like a particular character or item? Choose furniture of those colors and keep the character or object pattern to the bedding and draperies. Those are easier and less expensive to switch out as your child grows. Solid colors make furniture more versatile, as it can be used for years to come as the child's tastes grow with him.

Use transitional furniture. Another way to keep kids furniture versatile is by choosing pieces that can transform into stages as your child grows. For instance, choosing a convertible crib that changes from a crib, to a toddler bed, then a twin sized bed is a wiser purchase than a simple crib. Choose furniture that easily changes when your child's needs do.

Choose multipurpose items. Rather than choosing items that have only one function, save space by choosing things that are good for more than one purpose. For instance, you might choose a bench that also doubles as a storage space. Another option is a futon or other seating area that also doubles as a bed. This helps save space in your child's room. But at the same time, it gives them all the items they would like to have.

Choose items with multiple age levels. Rather than buying small items that will not grow with your child, choose those that are appropriate for all ages. For instance, one table and chair set may accommodate only preschoolers. Yet another may work for preschool age on up to teens. The second option is more versatile. It will last longer and also will come in handy when friends of relatives of varying ages come over for a play date.

What are the benefits of choosing versatile furniture for a kids bedroom? Items that work for many uses and a variety of age levels are beneficial in many ways. These items, though sometimes pricey, can actually be a savings in the long run. This is because they will help prevent the purchase of other items in the future. These items often grow with the child, which means they don't have to give up their favorite items. Another great benefit to versatile items is that if your child decides he does not like a piece as he grows, it can be re-purposed for another family member or friend.