All Posts Tagged With: "backyard garden"
25 Healthy Living Tips You Can Use Today
Many people don’t realize the hidden costs of not being healthy. When you consider the long term costs being healthy can save you thousands of dollars. If being healthy doesn’t motivate you then maybe saving some money will. Here are 25 tips to help keep you living healthy while saving you time and money.
Eating Healthy At Home
1. Drink water instead of sugar-laden juice or soda. And you don’t need expensive bottled water. If your tap water isn’t tasty, get an inexpensive filtering pitcher. Better yet buy a reusable water bottle to take with you on the go.
2. Cut out the fast food. Even dollar menu items add up. And you can do without all that fat and salt.
3. Eliminate junk food snacks such as chips. They are empty calories and they empty your wallet. View our 10 top cheap and healthy foods.
4. Start a vegetable garden. Recently backyard gardens have been gaining in popularity because it provides healthy and fresh vegetables at great prices. Here is 10 tips on starting your own backyard garden. You can also use frozen vegetables. Fresh veggies can be pricey. Frozen ones are just as nutritious, require less prep time, and are cheaper.
5. Buy at wholesale prices and cut your grocery bills. How to do this? Join a food cooperative. Or order inexpensive, nutritious food from Angel Food Ministries.
6. Downsize your portions. Most people eat larger portions than they need to. Eat a little less, lose weight, and save money.
Eating Healthy Away From Home
7. When eating out at casual or fast food restaurants, try the kid’s meal. It’s cheaper and often provides enough for an adult’s appetite.
8. Skip the beer and cocktails, it adds calories and drains your bank account.
9. Share an entree with your dinner companion. Many restaurant’s portions are big enough for two people.
10. Avoid appetizers and desserts. You can have those at home.
11. Pack a lunch for work. You’ll save money and eat healthier compared to eating lunches out.
12. Don’t get coffee to go. The cost, and calories (if it’s sweetened) add up.
Your Health
13. Get enough sleep. You’ll have better resistance to illness. Create a sleep ritual. Example read a book and drink a glass of milk.
14. Check with your local health department and local pharmacies for free or low-cost health screenings and flu shots.
15. Go for a walk during your lunch hour; it’s a great way to squeeze in exercise and it’s free.
16. Can’t walk at lunch? At least use the stairs in your office building.
17. Take up dancing to have fun, meet new friends, and get exercise. Ballroom lessons can be expensive – so you might want to try soul or country line dancing, folk dancing or square dancing for beginner-friendly, low-cost events.
18. Use sunblock. Yes, this costs money, but it’s cheaper than needing treatment for skin cancer.
19. Don’t smoke. We all know this by now…smoking is dangerous as well as expensive. For more information, visit the American Cancer Society.
20. Cut your stress – it will improve your health and potentially save you medical bills. Figure out what you have control over in your life, and make some positive changes.
21. Watch less TV. Chances are you are watching way too much TV when you could doing so much other fun and rewarding things. Learn how to live without a TV and start living healthy.
Your Grooming
22. Drugstore skin creams are just as effective – and a lot cheaper – than the department store products. Check out our Drugstore.com coupons.
23. Can you get your hair cut less often? Space out your salon appointments to every eight weeks instead of every six.
24. Ladies, do your own nails and skip the expensive manicures. Learn more on how to look good on a budget.
25. Unless you have very oily hair, you may not need to wash it daily. Bathe the rest of yourself – but skip some shampoos to save money on hair care product consumption.
Photo credit via Flickr
10 Quick, Easy and Cheap Gardening Ideas
Hooray, spring is here! We can look forward to beautiful and blooming gardens. Some people spend a fortune on gardens and landscaping, but you don’t have to. Here are ten thrifty tips for a great looking garden.
1. Do your research for free
You can read back issues of Rodale’s Organic Gardening magazine from 2005 through this year and get lots of great tips to grow a healthy, organic garden.
2. Easy post-winter cleanup
You’ll need to wait until the snow is thawed and your garden is no longer muddy. Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris. This allows light and air to the soil level, encouraging your garden to grow.
3. Fix the bald spots
If your lawn is mostly okay but just has a few bare patches, rake the soil, then mix some soil with a couple of scoops of grass seed and spread in the patch you’re fixing. Rake again and keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass grows.
4. Lawn Mower Maintenance
Get your lawn mower checked and blades sharpened before you start using it for the season. Sharp blades cut better and leave your lawn grass healthier, and a well-maintained mower is less likely to break down and require expensive repairs or replacement.
5. Forget the fancy pots
If you’re starting seeds indoors, you don’t need to drop a lot of cash on fancy pots or drip trays. Hit your local thrift store and pick up plates to use as drip trays; they’ll likely cost you only 25 cents each. You might find flowerpots there too. For example, find your nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army Store. Or you can use empty plastic containers, and just punch holes in the bottoms with a nail.
6. Skip the seeds
True, starting plants from seeds is the cheapest option to obtain plants for your garden. But it’s not quick. If you really want to save time, you’ll want to buy plants that are already started for you. When you’re ready to start planting, scour the sale prices at places such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Home Depot and your local garden stores. I’ve found potted flowers for maybe a dollar or two per pot. Be prepared to compromise on the kinds of flowers and plants you select. In most locations, very exotic, unusual plants will cost more; stick with simple geraniums and pansies or whatever flowers are appropriate and cheap in your climate. For maximum impact, choose an array of bright cheerful colors.
7. Cheap tools
As always, your local dollar store is a treasure trove. You’ll find garden tools, gloves and more.
8. Make your mark
Use slats from broken mini-blinds to create easy-to-see, durable plant labels. Get a fine point marker to write with.
9. Plant away
Okay, now your garden is ready for planting your flowers. Use your dollar store tools to dig the holes. If you are transferring potted plants, take them out of their containers and gently loosen up the roots so they aren’t all tightly compressed. Just be careful not to rip the roots apart. Then carefully place the plant in the hole you dug, and lightly pat the soil down around it.
10. Water, water everywhere
Of course you’ll want to water your garden unless you live in a constantly rainy climate. No need for costly watering cans. An empty, clean plastic gallon milk jug will be just fine. Once a week watering is enough, if you live in a moderate climate such as mine along the East Coast.
Photo Credit via Flickr
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