Online money making

So I don't have tons of time to be online and research all the different companies that you can get free samples from, or earn money from - but I will occasionally share the best resources that I have found so far.

One thing that I take part in is Inbox Dollars. You have to have $30 to cash out (they will send you a check) and I haven't gotten to that level yet. I have heard pretty good thins about them overall, and their program is easy to take part in. You get $.02 for every email you read from them. You confirm reading the email by following a link at the bottom of it.

They also have surveys and other ways to build up the account, which I sometimes partake in too.

If you are interested in joining, follow this banner!

Beans for beginners

I was talking with a friend and fellow vegetarian the other day about some of our favorite recipes. I believe that beans are a wonderful staple for every one's diet but is even more true of vegetarians and vegans.

Beans are good for us, filling, and cheap. Dry beans are cheaper and more pure than what is canned. No don't get me wrong, I'm do eat canned food but when I feel something is better for me and cheaper I love it.

The biggest problem is most beans need to be soaked and have long cooking times. My solution? My trusty crock pot. I rinse the beans in cool water, dump them into the crock pot with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Cut the crock pot on low and walk away.

Beans can be added to nearly any dish to fill it out or make it more hardy. They also accept most flavorings really well, so experimentation is key.

I'm in love

So there has been someone special in my life for a few months now.

I'm in love with my bread machine. (Maybe addicted is a more accurate word - do you think there is a 12 step program somewhere?)

I am shocked at how simple it is to use and clean. It has saved lots of money and created a healthy eating style too. It is easier to avoid snack cakes filled with preservatives and more when you know you can have a piece warm homemade bread with butter and jam.

Homemade croutons are so easy and yummy with real bread too. Using the dough cycle for pastry dough, pizza dough and even veggie burgers is just wonderful.

I found a my machine at Wal-Mart for about $50. It also has a jam cycle which I am looking forward to using in the near future - I'll have to report back on that one.

If you really love bread, investing in a bread machine might be for you. It doesn't put of a lot of heat, especially compared to our oven so it is wonderful to use in the summer. And in the winter - well when isn't homemade bread good?

For Thanksgiving we used the bread to make homemade dressing. It was wonderful!

If you get a machine, don't be discouraged if some recipes don't turn out right. I've had a couple duds, but also many wonderful loaves.

Like the commercial says - the most expensive bottled water is...

If you watch TV as much as I do, you might have noticed a commercial talking about how nearly all laundry detergents are water down. Now the point of the commercial is that their brand is more concentrated - the moral that we should learn is that making your own soap is cheap and easy.

I want to say that I love being frugal but if something takes forever I'm less likely to do it. I will think, "Hey! That's a great idea," but won't actually follow through. I can handle making laundry soap.

We already bought those big containers of liquid laundry detergent - so we kept the last one aft it was empty. There are lots of specific recipes and ideas that are helpful when you are just starting out, this site and this site are good starting points.

This is roughly the way we do it:
To make the process easier we have a glass container that always has a bar of soap sitting in water. It will slowly dissolve on its own so if we need to make dish or laundry soap on the run it comes together a lot easier.

The soap making ingredients are a bar of soap, washing soda (can find it in most grocery stores), borax and water. We do about 1/4 bar of soap, 4+ quarts of warm water, 1/2 of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. That's it. Pour it a container and use 1/2 cup or so per load of clothes.
This is what we have been using for about 3 months. It is a lot cheaper, and the clothes are cleaning up well. What more could you ask for?