A little bottle of Woolite (mine is toted in an old holel shampoo bottle) although if your hotel will supply shampoo, it will do fine for hand washing clothes too.    Those free little sample packets of shampoo, hair gel, toothpaste, body wash, cosmetics, lotions.  Get em on line, in magazines, at the salon, make ...more

Wow, I never thought of it but why couldn't our purchases come wrapped in something useful to begin with?  For instance, I still use a blue plastic box that held perfume I got probably 25 years ago for jewlery.  Before my time, flour sacks were used for dish towels and clothing.  It wouldn't work for everything but eve...more

Love my job (but I paid my dues for about 15 years first before I got what I really was shooting for).  I don't see ever retiring unless my heath prevents me from working.  Go for a job you love so if you have to keep working its a joy, not a prison sentence.

Things are different now, but not more difficult.  I grew up in the 70s/80s.  My mom worked like a dog as a waitress at the holiday inn to buy a tiny house and keep food on the table -but she did it and it was a matter of priorities.  We had basics and that's it.  Vacation?  Whats that?  new clothes?  Maybe for Christm...more

Remember you don't have to do all or nothing.   Buying a big frozen lasagne is more expensive than making one from scratch, but still cheaper than 4 people going out to eat (even fast food).   Getting the 20 single serve packs from costco is still cheaper than buying individual packs at the convenience store or gas sta...more

Good article!  Savings in some area makes it possible to splurge on what we really want.  I will go to great lengths to reuse aluminum foil, shop for loss leaders, use it up/wear it out, etc, but  once in awhile I do splurge (shoes? specialty food item? something for the kids?) and it's OK because I make it up with fru...more