The first thing to do is to think about what type of style you are going for and what windows you need covered. Obviously, this is pretty easy to do, just make a list of what windows you have that need covered!

Once you have an idea of what windows you have that need covered, and what type of style you’re looking for, you’ve got a lot of various options:

Sew Your Own: There is nothing easier than to sew your own curtains, even if you’re completely inexperienced at sewing and terrified of using a sewing machine. Sure, yours might not look like Martha Stewart’s, but they’ll probably still be pretty decent! You can usually get the fabric you will need for much less than you would pay for pre-made curtains and can simply hem them and then sew where the rod can go through.

Shop Thrift Stores: You can often find inexpensive fabric and often times curtains at thrift stores that will work nicely.

Use Hanging Wire: Rather than buying expensive poles or hooks, hanging wire can often work just as well, you simply need to attach it to the ceiling and then the curtain to the wire.

Use a Dowel Rod and Hooks: Something I did in an old apartment that looked great was I attached two small removable hooks to the wall, and then placed a dowel rod through these two hooks with some flea market curtains I had purchased. You couldn’t tell that they were attached that way and they still looked really nice!

Hire Someone Locally: If you go to a curtain or blind shop, you’re going to spend A LOT of money on getting custom window treatments. However, if you check sites like Craigslist, and even post your own ad there, it’s quite likely you’ll find a really nice and talented person nearby who can sew your curtains and is happy to do it for you for a fraction of the price of what you would pay through an actual window treatment company.

Use a Tension Rod: If your windows are recessed like mine are, you can easily place a tension rod and then place your curtains that way.

Who Says You Have to Use Fabric? You don’t have to use fabric to make curtains or window treatments. You can choose cheaper materials such as lace or ribbon, or even paper! I actually made a set of curtains out of collaged paper once, which turned out pretty neat. They added the decorative look, though they did not have the usefulness of curtains you could actually open and close.

Use Shower Curtains: Sometimes shower curtains are cheaper and just as nice looking if you can find them in the store. You can also usually get some nice $5 metal hooks to use to make putting up your curtains a breeze. If you buy two shower curtains as panels and $5 for the hooks, you can spend about $15-25 per window, which is still less than what you would pay per curtain panel.

Try Iron Fusing Tape: Another easy thing to do instead of sewing your own fabric is to use Iron-on Fusing Tape. You can usually find this at fabric and craft stores for just a few dollars.

There are a number of different ways to save money on curtains – learning how to make your own with a few easy short cuts or searching online for them at discounts or even buying them used from sites like Craigslist can be helpful as well.

Have any tips on how to save money on curtains and window treatments? Share your ideas in the comments below!

Because these foods can cost several dollars more per pound than other foods or need to be specially ordered or are only available in select stores, it can seem like it is more expensice at first glance. However, there are many health benefits of buying organic foods and better nutrition can save you in the long run instead of spending money on increased health premiums, doctors visits, vitamins, weight loss programs or even help you avoid spending your money on junk food like potato chips or cookies. Since I switched to buying only organic foods, I was quite surprised to see my grocery bill actually decrease instead of increase.

If you want to save money shopping for organic food, here are some helpful tips:

1. Plan Your Meals: Meal planning takes a lot to get used to. At first it seems like a complete chore to think about what you will eat for each day of the week. If you have a large household with many people living together it can be even more difficult, especially if everyone has different tastes and preferences. However, it’s critical to start planning your meals if you want to save money on groceries successfully. When you plan accordingly, it is much easier to make sure you have all of the necessary ingredients – and most importantly nothing goes to waste.

2. Choose the Right Stores:
There are many different places where you can buy the foods you want. Many grocery stores even have special sections for organic foods. However, many times you will pay extra for this compared to the usual standard pre-packaged things. Finding a store that offers good values and good products is critical. In general it is usually best to buy as much as possible at one store rather than going to several stores – but if you calculate the value of your time and the cost of gas and it will still save you significantly to go to different places then you may want to do it.

I have found that my local grocery store is good for some things, while the organic store farther away is better for other things. What I do is make a plan to shop at the one store near me for the things they have the best value for, then schedule a once a month trip to the other store for the other things that are a better value. I also really enjoy going to the farther away store, so it also provides some entertainment value as well!

3. Buy Bulk Wisely:  There are many different options available online, but the shipping costs are typically only worthwhile if you are able to buy in bulk to receive a discounted price. You will likely need to spend some time researching online to find out where to get the best deals, but it can save you significantly over time. There are also many stores that offer bulk sizes on many items.  Be sure that whatever items you decide to purchase in bulk that they are something you use often, regularly, and won’t sit on a shelf collecting dust. Buying something in bulk if you will not use that much within a reasonable period of time does not make any sense savings wise, because usually when you are buying a larger quantity it also means the price is higher too.  If you have a friend or family member you can buy bulk with and share the savings it can be even better.

4. Clip Your Coupons: Coupon clipping is another way to save on some of these products. You can often find coupons online that you can print out, though this is only smart if the savings is greater than the cost of printing them. (Inkjet printer owners – take caution! The price of ink is outrageous if you are printing a lot!!) You may also want to check out different newspapers or magazines that are free and cater to the local area or organic shoppers – often advertisers will include a special offer or coupon within their ad.

5. Sign Up For Mailing Lists: Do you have a product that you love? A company you think is wonderful? Signing up for their mailing list can help you get coupons, special offers, free product samples, and other incentives sent to your home. The only drawback to this is that you will likely get a little more mail than usual, especially if you sign up for multiple different offers. I’ve found that fanning certain companies on Facebook or following them on Twitter can also help you get some special deals from time to time.

6. Read the Nutrition Labels Carefully: There are a lot of manufacturers who claim to be nutritious or organic but then when you read their labels you’ll find a lot of refined grains or even chemicals and additives used as preservatives. Even on many Whole Foods items I have noticed this – so be careful. There’s no sense in paying a higher price for something that has relatively little better nutritional value for you.

7. Eat in Season: Some fruits and vegetables are cheaper during different times of the year. For example, right now it is winter, and so I was able to get oranges, kale, and a few other foods much cheaper than usual, while others were much more expensive. In the summer we’ll be able to enjoy all our favorites for a fraction of the cost than trying to buy them now in the winter months. You can also try freezing or canning foods your self to have them in the winter when less foods are in season.

8. Skip the Convenience: My kids love the organic gluten free chicken tenders I was buying. Unfortunately, they also cost like $8 for one box that only fed them for one meal. I found at my local grocery store I could get organic chicken for $9 for twice as much chicken and then bread and cook it myself for maybe just a couple of dollars more. Cooking from scratch isn’t as hard as you think!

Have any other tips on how to save on buying organic groceries and food? Share them in the comments section below!

It was kind of tempting, all these great sales and all. But you have to be realistic: You’re not going to get many of those sales. Oh sure, if you get there you might be lucky enough to get a $4 blender or something…but for the big ticket items you either need to be prepared to be the first person in the store and hopefully not get trampled or shot at (it has happened in the past)…otherwise you’re not going to get it. I get mad at all of this because really it pretty much is “bait and switch” – they get you in the store because of their sales, and then you get there and they don’t have them. I understand their whole supply/demand/etc. thing…but why not charge like $40 more and have more available to people? I’d still buy a $400 laptop for $250.

My hubby and I last night looked carefully at the stuff that was on sale, and we decided we’d rather spend the day working today and make more $$$ than what the potential savings would be.

This will likely even save us even more money because rather than spending $250 on a tv we don’t really need, maybe I’ll instead get snow tires for the car, which we do need. And there won’t be any impulsive spending moments in the store either, so that will likely save us a good bit also.

Yes, I will have to finish up my Christmas shopping eventually. I already got a few gifts from Amazon.com – and if you do want something that happens to be on sale today I definitely recommend you get it online. Not only does it save you the hassle and the stress and the exposure to germs everywhere (which would result in you buying cold medicine, caffeinated beverages, etc.) you will also save around $10-$20 in gas and another $25 for breakfast or lunch. (Hey, all that shopping makes you hungry!)

Hope you all have a safe, happy, and money saving Black Friday at Home!

Here are some examples:

You’re stressed out while you’re grocery shopping. Maybe you just want to get in and out, so you don’t take the time to really compare prices or look for the best deal. You’re also more likely to overeat if you’re stressed out, which can make groceries even more expensive.

You feel stressed out and so to compensate and to make yourself feel better you buy stuff you don’t really need, such as a triple chocolate cheesecake and maybe some new clothes.

When you’re stressed out you become forgetful, completely losing track of time and missing your bill payments – and now you have late charges.

Many couples fight over money and finances, which can lead to expensive marriage counseling sessions and possibly even divorce.

You might start experiencing stress related health problems, like not being able to sleep and getting sick. Now you’re spending money on sleeping pills or visiting the doctors.

You need more money so decide to work a second job that you hate which leaves you tired and irritable – and performance at your first job is starting to suffer.

Stress effects everything – and it can easily cause people to spend money each month that they didn’t really have to or want to spend – which for some may even result in more stress!

There’s no denying it: money causes stress – and stress costs money.

So what can you do? How can you reduce stress? Here’s some ideas:

1. Stick to a Routine: Routines might be boring and predictable, but they’re also a great way to alleviate a lot of unneccessary stress. For example, it’s our routine to have everything ready for the next day the night before. This makes it way easier for all of us to get ready in the morning and starts the day off with a lot less stress than we would have if we were running around the house looking for shoes, coats, and trying to pack lunches. My six year old has ADHD – the routine and a set schedule is critical for him just to function, and it makes life much easier for all of us.

2. Get Organized: Not knowing where everything is and tripping over stuff usually causes more stress for most people. Getting organized takes some time and effort, but if you find a system that works for you, you’re going to see amazing results pretty quickly. For example, I decided to organize all of our pens and paper in the kitchen. This took me all of five to ten minutes to do. It saves me a ton of frustration now every time I need to write a school excuse note or a shopping list. I also organized all of our clothes in a way so that putting them away and doing laundry now takes much less time – and we’re never searching for clothes to wear. Start off small and you’re going to see big differences to help keep motivating you to organize more.

3. Eat Right & Exercise: You’d be amazed how much a good diet can instantly improve your mood and give you more energy. Try cutting out sugary foods and swap refined grains with whole ones. Eat more protein and more veggies and you might just feel like a new person. Don’t worry about healthy foods costing more – you’ll soon find it saves you a lot of money when you stop buying junk food and processed meals. Don’t forget to exercise – it helps you workout a lot of pent up frustration and anger you might be bottling up.

4. Make Bill Paying Simple: I’ve signed up for auto billing with just about all of our regular monthly expenses where they just deduct it from the checking account or charge our credit card. This helps me make sure they are always paid on time. Rather that worrying about when the phone bill or insurance is due, it all gets automatically billed to one source. This saves not only a lot of time and frustration, but everything is always paid on time which means no late fees. The only thing I have to make sure each month is that there is enough money in the account.

5. Start Saving: I don’t know why, but it just feels good to know you’ve saved some money somewhere. Whether you’ve got a stash of pennies and quarters in a jar or a separate bank account with saved money it makes a difference. It’s like walking a tight rope and knowing there is a net below you in case you fall.

6. Stay Out of Debt: Chances are if you are like most people you have some debt. Some of us have a little debt, some of us have a lot of debt. The best thing to do is to stop going into debt. Don’t be tempted by that 18 months no financing charge card, don’t get a loan on a car you don’t really need, etc. etc. To start paying off your debt, start with the easy to pay ones first and knock them off little by little. You can also try paying an extra $30-$50 a month (or more if you can afford to) to help knock that down a little bit faster.

7. Schedule Time to Relax: Relaxation time should be as important as a meeting or doctor’s appointment. Make it part of your routine and give yourself at least 10 minutes of it each day with a longer 30 minutes to 1 hour time at least once a week. Life is always busy and crazy and taking just a short time out to do nothing or something you just enjoy doing will definitely make a huge impact on how well you do and deal with everything else.

8. Evaluate Your Job: Jobs can create a lot of stress for people, whether you’ve got deadlines and pressure from your boss or chasing your tail trying to please a customer. While changing jobs is a huge stress at first, it may end up saving you a lot of stress later down the road. Consider if you could find a similar one with your skills and experience that pays more or find a job that is truly something you enjoy. My husband, stressed out from his job that has him working over 60 hours a week last year decided to quit his job and deliver pizzas while starting our own business. People thought we were insane to say the least, but now we are making even more than he did at his old job – and working about a fraction of the time. Sure, there was some stress in the beginning, but now we’ve managed to reduce that stress dramatically.

9. Figure Out Your Spending Habits: Something interesting to do is to track your expenses and see where and how you are spending money. A lot of spending is habitual and can be changed. Maybe you are buying drinks at work out of a vending machine or at the gas station or every time you check out at a store for example. An easy way to save money is instead fill a reusable water bottle with water or tea, or try buying the drinks you like in a bulk quantity and keeping them in the car. Little changes do add up, even if you don’t see a difference right away. When you have some ideas on how to save more money you can definitely reduce stress.

10. Don’t Fight About Money: Whether you’re married with kids or living with a room mate, most of us are going to have people to fight with about money. Take some time and think about what problems are causing the most stress and what can be done to resolve these problems. If you share your money with someone, such as your spouse, it’s important you each have a clear idea of how its okay to spend money and how it’s not. If you each are on the same page with spending and saving goals it is considerably easier to stay on track, fight less, and as a result see less stress.

You don’t have to stress about money, and stress doesn’t have to keep you back from being able to save and get out of debt. Doing just a few simple things to make your life a little more simple will make all the difference!

One simple way to help you save money is to start using less.

Liquid soaps and shampoos are a good example, especially if you have small kids who are in charge of administering how much soap they should use. For awhile there it seemed like I was refilling the bathroom soap almost daily. I couldn’t figure it out until I realized my son was using waaaaaaaaaaay too much soap each time he washed his hands. Washing your hands is important. I’m glad he does it. But you only need a small little dab of soap really…you don’t need half the bottle.

There are other things you can get away with using less of. Yesterday morning I made banana muffins. Instead of 3 bananas, I used 2. Instead of a half cup of butter I used a third. Instead of using up the last of my flour that I had, I decided instead to use a cup of oatmeal, which I have a whole container of. And I left out the egg completely. Guess what? They tasted fine and I still got the normal 12 muffins either way. And, because I found something else for the flour, I still have the flour to last a few more weeks for cooking other things without having to buy it.

It’s quite simple really: the less you use, the less you need to buy. And that saves you money without you even thinking or realizing about it.
Here are some things you can start using less of to see little differences:

Kitchen Spices: Things like Flour, Salt, Pepper, Seasonings, and other spices are usually best in moderation. I only use a tiny bit, then taste it first to determine if more is actually needed. Most of my spices last far longer this way and the food tastes just as good, sometimes better.

Butter, Oil: Not only is this healthier for you, but again you won’t likely notice much difference in taste.

Paper products: Things such as TP, Paper Towels, Tissues can run out really quickly, so I tend to just use a very small amount. Sometimes cutting paper towels in advance can help you use less. I also cut my new kitchen sponges into four pieces so I can regularly use a “new one” but make it last four times as long.

Plastic Wrap & Foil: I’ve found I could probably use a whole roll of these items if I’m not careful. Getting reusable leak proof containers or using baking dishes with washable lids may end up being a better investment all together.

Dish Soap: Especially if using a dishwasher – about 1/3 the amount is only actually needed. If washing dishes by hand, try squirting a little into the water to make bubbles and only add more if absolutely necessary.

Laundry Detergent: Most laundry soaps are pretty watered down, though more and more have started to sell you smaller, more concentrated bottles. I’ve found that if I pre-treat stains correctly, I only need about a half a capful to get the clothes smelling fresh and clean.

Toothpaste: If you ever read the directions, they actually say to use a pea sized amount – that’s a lot less than most people use and what you see on commercials or on boxes.

Drive Less: Whenever I have errands to run, I always think about the best way to drive less and make sure that I don’t drive any more than need be to get somewhere to use less gas.

Cigarettes: While it would probably be far better for you to quit entirely, I have seen many smokers buy the 100′s or extra long cigarettes and only smoke half at a time. This can drastically make a pack of smokes last longer.

Cut Down on Utilities: You don’t need every light and television on all the time, neither do you need to have the heat on all the time. You can also save water by taking faster showers. There’s plenty of ways to save on your utility bills.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Work the lather up in your hands, and then into your hair. For things like conditioner, you only need to apply it from your ears down to the tips of your hair. On average a bottle of shampoo and conditioner will last me about 6 months, sometimes longer. You only need a tiny amount, so try to start with less and only add more if needed.

Watch Less TV: Do you really need to watch TV? Could you do without some of the premium channels? Not only will this save you on your cable bill if you reduce your package, but it can also save you electricity as well.

The less you use, the more you save. While these savings aren’t going to be apparent immediately, they can save you several hundred dollars over the course of the year.

What can you do with the savings? You can enjoy higher quality products if you would rather do that, or you can set the money aside into a savings account or keep it for something else you’d rather buy. These little savings can make a huge difference over time, and are definitely worth it.

What are some things you can use less of to save money? Share your ideas in the comments section below.

I got the idea for this post the other day when my husband was ready to rush out the door to go buy the latest Madden Xbox360 game. I like xbox, I like video games. But the game costs about $60. And I don’t think $60 is a lot of money to pay – but the idea of buying it bothered me because it wasn’t something that was absolutely important. There’s plenty of other things on my list of things we need to buy/should buy – and I’d rather see the $60 go towards those. So while they were disappointed, I think I may have convinced them it would be worth it to wait until the Black Friday sales when we could probably pick it up for $30 (who knows? Maybe even less!) instead.

Sometimes, to get the things you want, you have to wait. And by nature, most of us hate to wait for anything. But, it all comes back to priorities. Things like getting gravel for our driveway so we don’t get stuck in the inevitable mud and snow seem like a better way to spend the money to me While video games are fun, the long term usefulness doesn’t always justify the expense.

Before you spend your money on anything, you should have a clear idea of how to prioritize it. Everybody’s list is going to be different, because clearly you’re going to have and need different things than I do. But if you use my list below as a guide, you’ll be able to come up with a list of your own and it will help you with reaching your savings goals.

Here’s how I prioritize my spendings:

1. Utilities:
You don’t want to go without electricity or gas or water because you didn’t pay it on time or at all. There are a lot of things you can do to save money on utilities and cut down the costs or find alternative solutions such as solar power -  but all in all, these are an expense you have to pay. For some, having these things isn’t just a convenience – it’s a matter of safety. If you can’t pay your utilities, call the company and work something out or apply for programs that will help you reduce your bills. I don’t believe in welfare a single bit, but if it’s available and you qualify, you’re an idiot if you don’t take advantage of it.

2. Debts With Collateral:
If you have a car loan, chances are if you don’t pay it on time, mean people come in the middle of the night and repossess your car. I have never had a car repossessed, but people I know have. Let me tell you, it is one the scariest things to wake up in the morning and realize the car is gone! Same thing goes with your house payment if you own a house. If you fall behind on a mortgage payment, it can get really hard to get back in the swing of things and before long you’ll be faced with foreclosure notices.

3. Insurance:
If you managed to keep your car from being repossessed, now you have the problem of it needing to be insured. Not only that, but in most states you are required by law to carry insurance.  So, this is one I also always pay no matter what. You don’t have to have a huge insurance policy – but if you have one, you should pay it. If it’s too much, think about comparison shopping or finding a better plan that is more suitable for your budget. Keep in mind you don’t need all insurance (ie: I’m against dental and vision insurance) – so you might want to reconsider some plans if you have some that you never need or wouldn’t be a total disaster if you had to pay out of pocket for.

4. Gas for the Car:
You’re paying the car payment and the insurance – if you can’t afford gas, you shouldn’t probably have a car. If money’s tight though, limit your driving as much as possible – I usually go at least one week if not two on a single tank of gas, depending on what’s going on. (Of course, I’m fortunate enough to work from home also, and if I didn’t have to drive my kids to school I probably would use even less!)

5. Groceries:
It probably seems strange that I would put groceries down here at 4th on the list. Isn’t food a basic need for survival? I put this 4th because:

1. You can always beg for food somewhere somehow (hey mom, dad, next door neighbor, long lost cousin twice removed, we’re coming over for dinner!
2. Food programs exist in this country so you should never go hungry (look up local food banks in your area)
3. Chances are you already have something you could eat sitting in your pantry, even if it is a box of something you bought on a whim and then decided you’d probably never ever be in the mood to actually make and eat it.
4. You would probably spend too much on food than you absolutely had to if you really were in a starving situation.

So, yes, that’s why groceries are down on this list. Now, grocery lists should probably be prioritized in their own sense, because most of us are way overspending on food, I know I do it myself even sometimes without realizing it. If you’re in dire straits, buy a gallon of milk, a loaf of whole grain bread, a jar of peanut butter, a dozen of eggs, and a bag of potatoes. Meal planning is a better way to go, but that’s what you can buy for $20 at the grocery store. I also lump TP, baby wipes, and diapers in this category, too. Because trust me, those are three things you don’t ever want to be without! Other basic items like soap, toothpaste, etc. can also go into this category.

6. Health Needs:
Don’t put off going to the doctor or the dentist just because the co-pay is too much or you don’t have the insurance. Most health problems will get worse if not treated, leaving you with bigger, more expensive, and even possibly life threatening problems if you let them wait. Usually these kinds of things don’t happen often – so I don’t worry about this too much. If I owe someone a million dollars because I get some wacko disease and they save my life or someone I love’s life – it was a million dollars well spent.

7. Household Needs:
This can range to everything from needing lightbulbs to gravel for your driveway as I mentioned earlier. Basically anything for your house that’s necessary – if you’ve got a leak in your roof, then you better fix it before it causes bigger more costly problems.

9. Other Debts:
If you have credit card debt, student loans, or other debts you owe, then you’ll want to make sure you pay these because what will happen is they will start slapping you with high interest rates and late payment fees. That is not going to save you any money.

10. Savings:
You have to start saving somewhere at some point if you’re going to ever really actually save money. I don’t care if you start with $1. I know $1 is nothing really anymore, but it’s a place to start. Stick it in your piggy bank and forget about it. If you have larger sums of money, like maybe a couple of hundred dollars, then put it into a low interest bearing account or somewhere else where it’s really a pain in the neck to access it. I love statement savings accounts – the kind where you can only get them by going into the bank with that little book that they stamp. (Yes, they really do still exist at most banks!) Don’t be tempted to just let the extra money sit in your checking account with the rest of your funds – you probably won’t be able to resist the urge to spend it on something you really, really want.

11.Vices:
We all have our vices, and for some it will be a lot harder to put those vices way down on this list. If you’re one of those people addicted to coffee or like to drink beer or have some other quirky habit, you’re going to think these things are just as important, if not more important, than groceries. But, you really can live without them.

12. The Nice to Have’s
There are all things we think might be nice to have, but the truth is we probably don’t even really need them. For example, I was thinking last week it would be nice to have a new sweatshirt since the weather’s been cooling down and mine from last year is looking pretty ragged. But, I have other sweaters and shirts I can wear. I don’t like them nearly as much as I’d like a new one, but it will serve the most important purpose of keeping me warm.

13. The Absolutely Unnecessary
Personally, I don’t even buy anything from this category, but sometimes I know some people will. A good example of this is an HDTV. We have a television that works – so we certainly don’t need a new TV. And while it’d be nice to have, it being nice to have doesn’t justify the cost. So, that’s how it gets put under the absolutely unnecessary but still something we may want to buy someday.

So there you have it, a quick overview of how I prioritize my spending habits. You certainly don’t have to follow my way completely – after all, there is a good chance that you are in a different situation or have different circumstances than I do. The key is not how you prioritize it necessarily – but just that you do. When you have a list of priorities, it’s a lot easier to make sure that the important things get taken care of first and you’re not stuck in a situation of worrying about not being able to meet your basic needs.

How do you prioritize your spending? Do you think my way is a good way or is there something else I should consider? (Hey, while I’m good at saving money and not spending any, that doesn’t mean you don’t have something new to share with me!) I always welcome comments on all of my blogs – so don’t be shy and share your thoughts below.