Money Matters MilitaryShoppers Page 13

Spring Cleaning Life Hacks on the Cheap

03/07/2014 By Amiyrah Martin

Before we know it, we’ll be hearing birds chirping, watching flowers bloom and catching the sunlight hit just right on the dust bunnies in the corner of our living rooms. That’s right, it’s time for spring cleaning. Every year, we see many people go overboard with how they’ll tackle this year’s must-cleans. They buy the newest cleaners on the market. They have to have to best storage bins to replace the ones they picked up years ago. But they forget the big secret: spring cleaning is all about the life hacks. When it comes to life hacks, the cheaper the better. Here are some spring cleaning life hacks for those of us that are on a budget.

Lemon and Salt for Cleaning

This dynamic duo creates one of the best, and cheapest, spring cleaning life hacks. While lemon on it’s own is responsible for getting rid of water stains in your bathroom and kitchen, the combination of lemon with kosher or coarse salt creates a scrub that can’t be rivaled by store bought scrub products. I love to use this to give our tub and shower walls a deep clean, and to get caked up grease off of our stove. Just cut the lemon in half, sprinkle salt on one of the halves, and go to town.

DIY Cleaning Solutions

Each and every year I make up a new batch of homemade cleaning solutions before I start my spring cleaning. The ingredients are always very simple and inexpensive: vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, essential oils, and sometimes olive oil. I’ve used these ingredients to make disinfecting spray, glass cleaner, and furniture polish. If you are looking for great homemade cleaners, just do a google search for your favorite cleaner with the word “DIY” placed before it. There are tons of great recipes out there.

Alka Seltzer Tablets For a Bubbly Clean

This is one of my favorite secrets to spring cleaning a truly nasty toilet bowl. Antacid tablets are not only great for your tummy troubles, but they clean the heck out of a toilet bowl. I place 2 or 3 tablets in our bowl, and let them bubble away for about 5 minutes. Once I’m ready to clean, I’ll splash in some vinegar to use as a disinfectant, and scrub away with my toilet brush. You’ll be surprised how clean your bowl looks after this.

Cleaning Schedule: 15 Minute Time Limit

Now this may seem like a peculiar item to add as a money-saving spring cleaning life hack, but time IS money. By setting a 15 minute time limit to your cleaning tasks, you make sure that you’re taking care of the essential items that need your full attention. Plus, you won’t exhaust or overwhelm yourself. I only spend 1 hour a day for a week spring cleaning. That hour is broken down into four 15-minute increments. Less time cleaning like a mad person, and more time to clip coupons, make a homemade meal or spend with your family.

What are your favorite spring cleaning life hacks on the cheap? Please share in the comments below so we can give them a go! We will choose one tip at random to win a Starbucks or Amazon gift card! Winner will be chosen April 1st, 2014 so get going!

Also be sure to check out the commissary specials to see if any of your favorite cleaning items are on sale.

[button link=”http://www.militaryshoppers.com/onsalethisweek/index.php?20140315″ size=”large” color=”green” window=”new”]Commissary Specials[/button]

Save money by packing lunch – in mason jars!

03/01/2014 By Julie Provost

I have always loved Mason jars. You can do so much with them. You can use them to decorate your home or put yummy drinks in them. You can also save money by packing lunch – in mason jars. If you tend to be on the run a lot, work outside the home or just want a simple and cost-effective way to eat your lunch, you should start making your lunch in a Mason jar.

There are a lot of different things you can do. I personally love the idea of salads in Mason jars. I am a big salad eater myself. I love how you can customize salads in so many different ways. They never have to get boring.

In order to make a salad in a Mason jar, you will need to gather up all of your ingredients. Figure out what types of salads you would like to make. Put your dressing in first. You want that to be on the bottom. Add vegetables, fruits and meats next to provide a buffer between the dressing and the lettuce. When it is time to eat, just pour everything from the jar into a bowl and you are good to go.

Other foods you can put in a Mason jar for lunch are lasagna, chili and cornbread, pastas and soups. You can also put dessert in a jar. You can do cheesecake, pie, pudding, muffins or even fruit and whip cream.

You can make lunch even more efficient by making more than one meal at a time. You can get ready for the work week and put together 4-5 different lunches to have on hand. This not only saves money but will streamline your day. Lunch has already been made and is easy for you to grab and go. I love saving time by planning ahead.

As a Military spouse, I think sending Mason jars filled with foods is a great idea for care packages. Cake in a jar is a real favorite and a great way to make your Military family member smile.

Are You Ready To File Your 2013 Taxes?

12/05/2013 By Military Shoppers

Monopoly Income Tax image by Stockmonkeys.com via CC by 2.0.

Monopoly Income Tax by Stockmonkeys.com via CC by 2.0.

Military families all around eagerly wait for this time of year… tax time! As soon as the announcement is published saying W-2s are available, MyPay is a buzz with pulling and printing the valuable form so taxes can be completed and refunds can be processed. Many milspouses already have an estimate of what their refund amount may be due to tax credits and deductions, like the child tax credit.

I’ve talked to couples who already have their taxes filed and refund in their account before I even have all of my documentation in hand to go get my taxes prepared! There is just something about the possibility of receiving a lump sum of money, which is larger than any paycheck we may see, coming into our bank account that can make us all a little giddy.

Now, let’s take a deep breath, get over the fact we’re receiving a large chunk of money, and try and think responsibly about what to do with the cash.

Just Say No… To Rapid Refunds

You managed to make it a whole year without this money; you can wait another couple of weeks to receive your refund. Luckily refund anticipation loans (RALs) have been phased out and are hard to find. Many of the banks that would back these loans so a taxpayer could walk out the door with money in hand have now stopped participating in these loans.

Why? Because they were essentially conducting predatory lending. The taxpayer would wind up paying at least 50% interest plus fees to receive the refund they were owed upfront, and the company preparing the tax return would be paid back when the actual refund was received.

Now, there are new products out there to try and get you to pay for the money you should be receiving for free!

Some popular tax filing franchises have products that seem fast and convenient but will keep you from receiving the full amount of your tax refund. There is a rapid anticipation check (RAC) product and Instant Cash Advance product. Both charge fees that can total in upwards of $100 and only shorten your refund wait time by about a week or so. You can also “conveniently” pay the fee to prepare your taxes out of your RAC.

Remember, taxes can be done on your installation at no cost. If you are not near an installation, you can contact Military OneSource to locate a preparer near you, and there is also the VITA program available at your local United Way (income restrictions apply).

Most importantly, direct deposit of your refund into your bank account is free! FREE! We love free!

Looking for tax-time resources for military families? Check out our Tax Time Toolkit for Military Families!

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s spend that money responsibly!

3 Ways to Make The Most of Your Tax Refund

1. Build Up Your Emergency Savings With Your Refund

Throughout the year when money is tight, saving money is difficult and it is highly possible that if you have a savings, you dipped into it. Time to either replace the savings you spent or start saving! If there is one thing we know for sure, emergencies happen. By tucking away your refund in a savings account you’ll be better prepared.

2. Put Your Tax Refund To Work by Paying Down Debt.

While it’s not a very fun option, it can certainly save you money in the long run; especially if your credit card or loan has a high interest rate! Getting ahead of your debt now to pay off amounts early can free up money each month for you to decide how to spend it rather than sending money to a credit card.

3. Invest Your Refund in Your Retirement

With the military downsizing continuing and talks of military retirement benefits being altered, the idea of retiring comfortably after 20 years of service is no longer guaranteed. By opening a retirement account, you are taking the first step in ensuring that you will be able to retire with peace of mind. If you already have a retirement account, adding to it can only help that bottom line come retirement time!

The good news is we are being more responsible with our tax refunds. If that itch to spend just has to be scratched, try taking about 10% of your refund to just blow on whatever you feel like. Don’t blow your refund on meals out and unplanned shopping! Make your money work for you!

Originally posted on NextGenMilSpouse.com

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