Clean, Green, and Cheap

I have been discovering and receiving a number of baking soda tips. It is the inexpensive, must-have cleaner that contains a greener, more earth-friendly chemical known as sodium bicarbonate.

Most of us are familiar with the uses of baking soda in the kitchen. In addition to using it as a baking ingredient, we will open a container and place it in our fridges to remove excess moisture and absorb unpleasant odours.

The following tips can also come in handy:

• Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of garbage bags. This will help control odours as you add trash.

• To give your dishwasher a good clean, run it through a cycle using baking soda instead of detergent.

• Wash chemicals and pesticides off fruit and vegetables in a pot filled with water and 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda.

• Stains on porcelain sinks and toilets can be removed by applying a layer of baking soda and then using a damp sponge to scrub.
  

• The following mixture can be used to clean jewelry: a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Allow the jewelry to sit in the paste for a couple of minutes, rinse off, and then polish with a soft cloth.

• After you have cleaned up pet accidents, sprinkle baking soda over the dampened area, allow to dry, and then vacuum. Baking soda lightly sprinkled and mixed into cat litter will help control odours.

• A half teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a glass of water can act as mouthwash. Sprinkle baking soda onto regular toothpaste to create a whitening toothpaste.
  

Sharing Recipes--Greek Meatloaf

Everyone has a favourite meat loaf recipe. This one takes ground beef and gives it an injection of flavour using feta cheese, spinach, and different spices. It is light, moist, and easy to make. Leftover meat loaf makes for wonderful sandwiches on any kind of bread.


Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
  
• Grease a loaf pan.
• Pack the mixture into the pan.
• Bake for 1 hour.
  

Thrifty Tips--Shopping for Clothes

We are constantly tempted by the latest fashions, new accessories, and endless sales. Our closets are filled to capacity and there is often overflow into our bedrooms and other rooms of our homes.

According to professional organizer, Peter Walsh, we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. So, it makes sense to limit our expenditures and carefully consider each new purchase.

We should use the changing of each season as an opportunity to review our wardrobes and get rid of last season's clothes.

The following tips will help facilitate this process:

• Do not impulse buy. Create lists for what you need each season, take time to shop carefully, and then purchase.

• When you purchase a new clothing item, get rid of an old one by donating it or gifting it to a friend.

• Save all receipts and apply the two-week rule. If you don't wear the item within two weeks, you can probably get along without it.
  

• Having too many choices can create confusion. It is easy to gravitate towards a particular style and colour of clothing. As a result, we often purchase too many identical items. This is especially true of t-shirts and pants. Eliminating and giving away extra items can free up our closets.
  

• Ask your family and friends to help you stop frivolous spending.

Smart Shopping

The best way to save money is not to spend it, especially on items you do not need. But, when it comes to large-ticket items or other essentials, the following tips come in very handy:

• When buying an expensive item or service, always bargain on price. It never hurts to ask, and if you are buying a television set or appliance, you could easily save yourself 10 to 20%.

• If you are using cash, ask for a discount. Whenever credit cards are used, the retailer pays a small percentage to the bank. So, if you pay cash, you are saving them money.

• Do not buy extended warranties. They are a major profit item for the vendor, and many of them are never used.

• Keep receipts and send in rebate coupons. Do not hesitate to return anything that disappoints you in even the slightest way. And, remember to mail that rebate coupon as soon as possible.

• Buy your furniture and appliances prescratched. You can bargain down the price even more.

• Don't shop hungry. If you are shopping for food, it will make you buy more. If you are shopping for anything else, it will make you hurry. And, avoid shopping when you are depressed. You will buy items you do not need and you may feel worse.

• Always use a list--do not buy anything that isn't on it.

• Don't wait until the last minute. Less time will give you less flexibility and you will lose any bargaining power.

Sharing Recipes--Sausage and Potato Bake

This family favourite comes in very handy when looking for a hearty lunch or brunch dish. It also makes for an easy-to-prepare and satisfying supper. I prefer using turkey sausages, but pork and chicken sausages also work well.

It is a very flexible recipe--I will often use whatever spices are on hand.

Ingredients

4 sausages
4-6 medium potatoes
4 red peppers (cut julienne style)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Boil water in a small pot. Cook sausages for a few minutes. Drain
  
• Cut potatoes lengthwise.
• Toss potatoes with spices and olive oil. Place at the bottom of a roasting pan.
  
• Place sausages on top of potatoes.
• Add cloves of garlic, red pepper, and water.
• Bake for one hour in a covered pan.
  
• Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

TFSA

It has been described as a Swiss account for the average Canadian.

On January 1, tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) were introduced to the Canadian public. Many bankers and financial planners consider these plans to be the most innovative savings programs since the creation of RRSPs back in 1957.

These plans help us acquire the full effect of the magic of compound interest because whatever we earn, we keep. We can choose to put our TFSA contributions into a wide range of investments, including savings accounts, GICs, mutual funds, and individual stocks and bonds. We can withdraw from the account at any time with no tax payable on the proceeds.

Since it is a government-sponsored plan, there are certain rules that must be followed.

• Anyone 18 or older can open a TFSA. There is no maximum age limit.

• At the present time, there is a $5,000 contribution limit, but many bank officers believe it will increase each year.

• Any unused portion of the $5,000 per year can be carried forward indefinitely, so we will never lose contribution room.
  

Nuts in the Afternoon

Trail mixes, or a combination of nuts and seeds, are similar in nutritional value to energy bars, with the exception of fat. Nuts mainly contain healthy fat and some protein.

Be aware of the amount you eat. A handful is fine, but it you eat two or three handfuls, you are consuming hundreds of calories.

Consider the following tips when buying trail mix:

• Many seed and nut mixtures have a great deal of added salt. Look for less than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

• Avoid any mix that contains sulfur dioxide; this ingredient dos not improve the flavour or quality of the fruit. Choose unsulfured dried fruit.

• Avoid any mixes that contain ingredients you cannot pronounce. Healthy trail mix consists of nuts, seeds, and possibly some unsulfured dried fruit.

Alive Magazine recommends the following trail mixes:

Eden Organic Wild Berry Mix With no added salt, this blend provides a great source of fibre and protein.

Sahale Snacks Nut Blends This blend is made with only natural ingredients and unique herbs.

Skeet & Ikes Organic Fruit and Nut Mix This certified organic mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits is hard to resist.