I have been suggesting the same as the 2nd commentor, to my neice who has three daughters. The recession has had quite a impact on her family. Calendars with pictures of her family for the months, would be more than enough for all the grandparents of the girls
I have a calendar with the names on each date, of when their birthday is, otherwise I have been known to space it out. And I have a book, Avon put out years ago, that has the months, with day numbered lines, to put people's names on.
And on one of the blog's it suggested a gift closet, but I don't have one with room. So I have a good size container, as my gift place, to put finds that I pick up throughout the year. Like right after the holiday sales, for name ornaments, or things like that.
Or I run into clearance sales(my boyfriend just gave them a name,"Clarence"..there's Clarence!)at different places.
I'm married and 25 years old and want to pay cash for a house. Can you kind of give me some advice on how you saved up? How much were you putting aside each month? Did you make investments? What kind of savings account?
My Best tip for beautiful yards is to invest in an edger. An edger makes the sidewalk edges really stand out and make your yard look absolutely beautiful!
My Green Tip? Don't buzz your grass so short. Keeping it trimmed longer actually makes it stronger and makes it start growing not so fast (as it begins developing root structure rather than leaf structure). This means less time spent mowing, more time for life, a healthier yard and less pollutants in the atmosphere.
Oh, and I don't need one I've got the this and the hedge trimmer and blower... like them all.
PS - Gumhos is pretty dead one with the pros and cons. However, I'm shortish so don't have the neck / reach problems so the lack of strap really doesn't matter to me.
My best tip? The Fiance bought a push mower, instead of a gas-powered mower. It takes him just as much time to do the yard with the push mower, gives him a good workout, and doesn't burn gas!
A green and Wisebread-worthy tip is to talk to the local tree crew(s) and let them know you're interested in wood chips, and many will drop off a load of chipped wood the next time they do work in your area. This is decent free mulch, which will cut down on your watering needs and slowly build organic matter in the soil. Not quite as attractive as bark mulch, but still better than patches of weeds growing up around your trees and planting beds!
Not only does this save you money and improve your soil, but it's greener than buying bagged mulch or having mulch delivered because it uses zero packaging and extremely minimal transport distance.
Luke, that totally differs from family to family and friend group to friend group.
I come from a cheapskate family and we usually give $25-and-under gifts, with regifting encouraged and books or music we already enjoyed and recommend considered a perfect gift - and that limit is true for birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays (mother's day, father's day, wedding presents for friends & distant family)
My boyfriend's family spends >$50/person at Christmas but no more than $15 at birthdays, and the year I did the gift buying I dismayed everyone by being too cheap at Christmas and too extravagant at birthdays. So now he's in charge of gifts for his family.
And friend groups vary widely too - we have different circles of friends with expectations from $0 to $50 "sponsor the birthday guy for dinner" gifts.
You just have to observe what other people do & judge for yourself.
As a new homeowner, I am actively SEEKING lawn tips. We have a townhouse with a small yard that would be perfect for a trimmer, so I think that B&D trimmer has my name on it! However, if I had to provide a tip of my own, it would be to buy a condo or townhouse instead of a free-standing, that way the HOA will cover the bulk of the maintenance and with a group of mowers who all come out at once to do everything, surely they're saving on gas and resources! :)
My best garden tip is to cover your garden with plastic and leave holes in it for the plants. This keeps the weeds from growing. Also, cover your garden walkways with grass to keep weeds from growing there.
I always recommend using a mower that will mulch your clippings instead of bagging. It saves money on Fertilizer and is much easier on the mower operator!
I tried freeshipping.org for an LL Bean order and was shown only an offer for free shipping if paying with an LL Bean credit card. Then I Googled LL Bean free shipping and found various promotion codes that I was able to use to get free shipping.
Sorry! The survey can no longer be edited. Please leave tell us what you want to see on Wise Bread in the comments at the end of the survey, or right here!!
Some people call them weeds, I call them native ground cover. In Wyoming Yarrow grows in anything, with very little water. Find what grows in your without your contributing toxic chemicals and unnecessary water. My tortoise also loves to eat the yarrow.
I used to love POM, despite the steep price.
I'd always cut it with water, cause straight up was just too intense, sweet & tart at the same time. I'm almost willing to bet that it used to be "not from concentrate", at the very begining, but I may be wrong.
Costco carries now the half gallon bottles for $9.99 which is what Publix used to have sales on. But unfortunately the quality went waaaaay down. A bottle purchased yesterday that tastes like blueberry juice, none of the distinct pomegranate taste and it's translucent... Boo. Now looking for a new brand.
Dig up your lawn and plant whatever vegetation is native to your area instead. It's a lot of work up-front, but once it's established you'll never have to do anything with your yard again--no chemicals, no watering, no nothing!
Raised-bed gardening is almost foolproof because you create your garden bed with new compost and topsoil, instead of relying on your original dirt. It's also easier on your back since you don't have to stoop down as much.
One of the best things I've done is research and then use square foot gardening. It's a perfect way to provide just enough for my family, not too much waste!
I have been suggesting the same as the 2nd commentor, to my neice who has three daughters. The recession has had quite a impact on her family. Calendars with pictures of her family for the months, would be more than enough for all the grandparents of the girls
I have a calendar with the names on each date, of when their birthday is, otherwise I have been known to space it out. And I have a book, Avon put out years ago, that has the months, with day numbered lines, to put people's names on.
And on one of the blog's it suggested a gift closet, but I don't have one with room. So I have a good size container, as my gift place, to put finds that I pick up throughout the year. Like right after the holiday sales, for name ornaments, or things like that.
Or I run into clearance sales(my boyfriend just gave them a name,"Clarence"..there's Clarence!)at different places.
When planting grass seed, do not cover with straw. Use compost. It works wonders.
Jane,
I'm married and 25 years old and want to pay cash for a house. Can you kind of give me some advice on how you saved up? How much were you putting aside each month? Did you make investments? What kind of savings account?
Thanks if you have time!
WHA? No unicorns? I quit!
My Best tip for beautiful yards is to invest in an edger. An edger makes the sidewalk edges really stand out and make your yard look absolutely beautiful!
~ Joy
Ground up chrysanthemums make a natural insecticide that makes all the little buggies run to your neighbor's yard! Try it -- you'll be glad you did!
Use pepper spray to keep insects at bay
I have to agree composting is the way to go!
My Green Tip? Don't buzz your grass so short. Keeping it trimmed longer actually makes it stronger and makes it start growing not so fast (as it begins developing root structure rather than leaf structure). This means less time spent mowing, more time for life, a healthier yard and less pollutants in the atmosphere.
Oh, and I don't need one I've got the this and the hedge trimmer and blower... like them all.
PS - Gumhos is pretty dead one with the pros and cons. However, I'm shortish so don't have the neck / reach problems so the lack of strap really doesn't matter to me.
My best tip? The Fiance bought a push mower, instead of a gas-powered mower. It takes him just as much time to do the yard with the push mower, gives him a good workout, and doesn't burn gas!
A green and Wisebread-worthy tip is to talk to the local tree crew(s) and let them know you're interested in wood chips, and many will drop off a load of chipped wood the next time they do work in your area. This is decent free mulch, which will cut down on your watering needs and slowly build organic matter in the soil. Not quite as attractive as bark mulch, but still better than patches of weeds growing up around your trees and planting beds!
Not only does this save you money and improve your soil, but it's greener than buying bagged mulch or having mulch delivered because it uses zero packaging and extremely minimal transport distance.
Luke, that totally differs from family to family and friend group to friend group.
I come from a cheapskate family and we usually give $25-and-under gifts, with regifting encouraged and books or music we already enjoyed and recommend considered a perfect gift - and that limit is true for birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays (mother's day, father's day, wedding presents for friends & distant family)
My boyfriend's family spends >$50/person at Christmas but no more than $15 at birthdays, and the year I did the gift buying I dismayed everyone by being too cheap at Christmas and too extravagant at birthdays. So now he's in charge of gifts for his family.
And friend groups vary widely too - we have different circles of friends with expectations from $0 to $50 "sponsor the birthday guy for dinner" gifts.
You just have to observe what other people do & judge for yourself.
As a new homeowner, I am actively SEEKING lawn tips. We have a townhouse with a small yard that would be perfect for a trimmer, so I think that B&D trimmer has my name on it! However, if I had to provide a tip of my own, it would be to buy a condo or townhouse instead of a free-standing, that way the HOA will cover the bulk of the maintenance and with a group of mowers who all come out at once to do everything, surely they're saving on gas and resources! :)
My best garden tip is to cover your garden with plastic and leave holes in it for the plants. This keeps the weeds from growing. Also, cover your garden walkways with grass to keep weeds from growing there.
I always recommend using a mower that will mulch your clippings instead of bagging. It saves money on Fertilizer and is much easier on the mower operator!
I tried freeshipping.org for an LL Bean order and was shown only an offer for free shipping if paying with an LL Bean credit card. Then I Googled LL Bean free shipping and found various promotion codes that I was able to use to get free shipping.
Sorry! The survey can no longer be edited. Please leave tell us what you want to see on Wise Bread in the comments at the end of the survey, or right here!!
Some people call them weeds, I call them native ground cover. In Wyoming Yarrow grows in anything, with very little water. Find what grows in your without your contributing toxic chemicals and unnecessary water. My tortoise also loves to eat the yarrow.
I used to love POM, despite the steep price.
I'd always cut it with water, cause straight up was just too intense, sweet & tart at the same time. I'm almost willing to bet that it used to be "not from concentrate", at the very begining, but I may be wrong.
Costco carries now the half gallon bottles for $9.99 which is what Publix used to have sales on. But unfortunately the quality went waaaaay down. A bottle purchased yesterday that tastes like blueberry juice, none of the distinct pomegranate taste and it's translucent... Boo. Now looking for a new brand.
Dig up your lawn and plant whatever vegetation is native to your area instead. It's a lot of work up-front, but once it's established you'll never have to do anything with your yard again--no chemicals, no watering, no nothing!
Raised-bed gardening is almost foolproof because you create your garden bed with new compost and topsoil, instead of relying on your original dirt. It's also easier on your back since you don't have to stoop down as much.
One of the best things I've done is research and then use square foot gardening. It's a perfect way to provide just enough for my family, not too much waste!
This year are lawn had a lot of bare spots so we tried out some of the Scotts lawn patch. It worked great and we had new lawn in a few weeks.
To kill weeds in cracks in sidewalk/driveway - pour boiling water on the cracks.
Thanks Cammy! I'll be sure to pass this along. =)