I love this super easy, natural and highly effective rinse agent (like Jet Dry) in my dishwasher! It is also a super compliment to our homemade dishwasher detergent!
After many years of trying and experimenting with many homemade glass/window cleaners....I finally came up with this perfect and cheap combination! Check it out!
We want to share this weekly planner with you as it is my personal favorite and fun to use to! It helps you cover every area of life and has helped our family tremendously!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on May 20, 2013
Right now you can get a FREE baby sling! This would even make a great gift.
Seven Slings wants to give you a promo code for a free baby carrier (a $40 value). The promo code is “ENBABY”. Go to their site HERE, click on ‘Shop Now”, select any baby carrier you would like – there are currently 16 different options!
Be sure to go to the sizing page so that you can get the right size carrier for you. Once you have selected your size, you will automatically be directed to the “shopping bag” where you can enter the promo code “ENBABY “ . This promo code will take 100% off of the baby carrier purchase and all you are required to pay are the shipping fees. You can use the code more than once- simply open a new browser window to do so.
The shipping is a little on the high side at $11.95, but to get this for $11.95 is even very difficult going into the store (like Walmart), so it is still the best deal you will probably get. We imagine that they are making up some of their cost in shipping too But still don’t miss this!
This is only available for a short time and we do not know when the “limited time” is up, but it is available right now!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on May 16, 2013
It looks like Amazon is doing a Mom’s Appreciation Event again! The last one was in February and so it is a nice deal to go into the summer for any summer gear! We received the email and you may have too. But even if you didn’t you are fine as the coupon code this time is not unique to each person, but a generic code for everyone to use and you may be able to use it multiple times during the promotion!
The coupon code is: BABY0513and is good for an additional 20% off savings on hundreds of eligible baby products, up to $100 in total savings. If you are an Amazon Mom’s member, you probably received this email. If not, you can still use the code since it is for everyone that is an Amazon Mom’s Member. If you are not yet a member, no worries, you can sign-up (details HERE) for free and then in 24-hours from registration, you will be able to use the 20% off coupon code!
It appears like this code is good for your entire purchase in the qualified items baby categories, BUT a one-time use code per Amazon Mom’s account. There are over 200 baby items that qualify (not as many as in the past, but still a good opportunity to save big).
With that, we wanted to share some ideas on how to use it! Unfortunately, it cannot be used on disposable diapers and wipes. BUT, it is valid for some cloth diapering options, so you may want to look into that!
It is also valid for hundreds of items in the baby section on Amazon, but not everything! We have a link to make it easy for you to find the items it is good on.
Just head to Amazon HERE and it will take you to these hundreds of items that your 20% off coupon code is valid on.
Our suggestion is to think about items you have been wanting or needing, even items that rarely go on sale as this is your rare opportunity to get it for 20% off the lowest price on Amazon right now (which is typically the same or lower than any other retailer to begin with).
After you consider those items, here are some additional things that are rarely on sale or things to consider getting that 20% discount on.
As there are thousands of items included, we’ve only scratched the surface in regards to ideas and sales for using your 20% off code. Please share in the comments what you found!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on May 13, 2013
If you are a mom, then there is a company that is looking to pay you for a few minutes of your time here and there by taking surveys related to things moms deal with. By taking these surveys, you are offering your opinion so that companies to make products or provide services and can real world opinions. They use marketing survey companies who then goes and recruits the survey takers.
You do get compensation for your time in the form of rewards and cash. As we have mentioned many times before, you will not get rich taking surveys, but you can pay a monthly bill or two or save up for your next goal (like a vacation or paying off debt a little quicker, etc.). If you were to sit down for just a few minutes each day, you can accomplish this! You don’t even have to do it daily, you can do it as little or as frequently as you want! Obviously the more you do, the more you will earn, but it is all in your control.
It is a quick sign-up, not much more than requesting a free sample. They will ask for your birthdate and ages of your kids so that they can find surveys more specific to your demographic and age. It took me just a couple of minutes to get started.
Once you fill-out the form, you are not done – before they start your account, they want to make sure you are legit and send you a confirmation email that you need to click on. Once you do this, then your account is ready and you can go in at any time and start working!
In addition, they do have an extra promotion by filling-out three 5-minute surveys (I already took them and it was only about 2-3 minutes for me), then you will be entered into a $5,000 sweepstakes. So if you want to take a few minutes and do this too, then you can!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on May 7, 2013
These are not only perfect for baby wipes, but as facial cleaning wipes, on the go wipes – essentially a replacement to Wet Ones wipes as well!
If you like this idea, please “Pin” it to Pinterest so that you don’t forget about it and can find it easily when you need it!
I know that we have had the Spring Cleaning theme and we have been sharing our 26 recipes for homemade cleaning products for $12 by sharing a few each week this Spring, but I am taking a slight bunny trail.
I mentioned that I make many of our personal care items too – not just natural cleaning items. I also shared that this will be a theme in future months/seasons so that we can get through sharing our homemade cleaning products.
But…. I don’t want to wait to share this next recipe because I want to save as many baby’s bums as soon as I can!
I make my own baby wipes. It is so ridiculously easy, so rewarding and so, so, so good for baby, baby’s bum and for general health!
I am going to share two recipes… a popular one that I see floating around and one that I developed which is my personal favorite and that I regard as much better for baby. But I also believe that both are a much better option than any commercial ones anyway!
It took baby #5 and a lot of rashes and sore baby bums for me to figure this out. You see, I have super, super sensitive skin, which means that our kids have super sensitive skin. We very often would have to switch diaper and wipes brands because all of the sudden, one brand would cause redness, rashes and ultimately flare ups. We would switch products, they would be fine for a while and they they would flare up again. Then one day I was sick and had been for a few days and thought I would use baby wipes to bring relief. I grabbed the baby wipes and used them. I started screaming!!! It was so painful!
I then just began crying and crying and realizing that my poor baby’s bums would get a little sore and rashy and then I was rubbing them with these commercial alcohol filled wipes… no wonder why they would scream… it was the wipes, not the rash! I felt so bad!
I was determined to find a way to clean them up without problems. One thing I did for a long time, I used Witch Hazel with a cotton ball to clean them up when they had a rash. I then would dab a bit of diluted lavender essential oil (diluted in another carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil) on the rash. This actually worked well and I still use it to this day for extra cleaning, but not on every diaper change. I wanted a quick wipe that was comforting and nice for them to use everyday!
So I found a really popular recipe that used 2 cups of water and several drops of Johnson’s baby shampoo. I am not opposed to this and think that it probably does well based on the popularity! So you can use this recipe if you want!
But, I wanted something more simple, more natural and something that wouldn’t leave a residue on baby’s bum. I always figure that if you can find a way to make something homemade with the simplest ingredients possible – especially for baby- you have lowered your cost and have introduced less ingredients to your baby.
So, I am going to share the second recipe, which is very simple, very cheap, loved by baby with evidence of happy diaper changes, less rashes, and more subtle, clear, happy skin!
Here’s the ingredients:
2+ cups of filtered water (I didn’t want chlorine or anything else in the water)
15 drops of lavender essential oil…. I do believe that this is the BEST essential oil for baby and baby’s skin. I have dozens of different essential oils for many purposes, but this is my #1 and only pick for baby wipes.
Roll of paper towels and please note… the higher quality paper towel, the better baby wipe you will get. I use all kinds of paper towels, including the cheap ones, for my homemade antibacterial cleaning wipes. But for baby wipes… I use the soft and high quality Viva paper towels. Even though they are one of the most expensive paper towels on the market, you will still be able to make baby wipes for much less than the name brands! So invest in nice paper towels!
Now before I share the steps, I wanted to talk about Lavender Essential Oil as it relates to using it on baby’s skin! Lavender Essential Oil as many health benefits including:
Antiseptic
Cellular renewal (which is why it is often used on burns, cuts, scrapes)
Here’s the simple steps to make my Homemade Natural Baby Wipes:
Cut the paper towels in half. The best way to do this is by using a serrated knife. The sharper the knife the easier too!
Then set aside one half for a future batch of baby wipes and keep one for this batch.
Place your half roll in a container. I am using a Glad storage container, but anything will work including baby wipes tubs.
Then add your 15 drops of Lavender Essential Oil to the 2 cups of water.
Pour the water/oil mixture over the paper towels, turning the roll to cover it all in water.
Let it sit and let the water soak in for several minutes.
Then identify “dry” spots to pour just a bit more water in. Most often, these will be on the ends.
Add a bit more water to your measuring cup and just pour little bits over the dry spots.
Let it soak for another minute or two.
Then pull the middle cardboard roll out of your wipes.
And then they are ready to use!
A few tips on usage and storage:
I use a Glad container and keep the wipes on their side. Then when I change baby, I just unroll the roll and take off the wipes I need. If we go somewhere, I have pull several of these off the roll and put them in a sandwich size ziploc baggie for diaper bag storage.
If you have any container tall enough and wide enough, you can pull your new baby wipes from the middle (sorta like we show on our Homemade Natural Antibacterial Wipes!).
If you are using an old baby wipes container, you will not be able to pull them from the middle (as you have manually unroll them to get them off), but BEFORE you pour water on them, you can unroll the entire roll and (keeping them all connected at the perforation) stack the towels going back and forth. Then add the water. With this method, it will be easier to pull them from the middle of the container opening.
I personally don’t mind unrolling as I go and being able to whip up a batch in just a few minutes, but it’s all up to you!
So now it’s time to discuss the cost!
Walmart sells 3 rolls of Viva paper towels for $4.97.
There are 63 sheets per roll and this will make 6 rolls. Most wipes that come in the tub are 64 ct. so it is going to be about the same number of wipes that you are probably use to!
1/2 roll of Viva paper towels for .83 ($4.97/6 = .83)
Essential Oils – I estimate them to be around .01 a drop at the MOST, so in total, you are probably maybe using .15 worth
TOTAL per tub of wipes = .97 per 63 ct. of wipes! If we told you that you can get a tub of wipes for .97, most of us would run to the store and stock-up!
If you get any of the items on sale, it would be even less!
Here’s a printable recipe that you can put in your home binder:
A great, cheap and natural alternative for healthy baby wipes that also soothe and repair skin! Using a high quality paper towel, you can make these for the equivalent of .97 per 63 ct. tub!
Ingredients
2 Cups of filtered water
15 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
Viva paper towels (Viva paper towels is highly recommended for this recipe)
Storage container of some sort
Instructions
Cut the paper towels in half. The best way to do this is by using a serrated knife. The sharper the knife the easier too!
Then set aside one half for a future batch of baby wipes and keep one for this batch.
Place your half roll in a container. I am using a Glad storage container, but anything will work including baby wipes tubs.
Then add your 15 drops of Lavender Essential Oil to the 2 cups of water.
Pour the water/oil mixture over the paper towels, turning the roll to cover it all in water.
Let it sit and let the water soak in for several minutes.
Then identify “dry” spots to pour just a bit more water in. Most often, these will be on the ends.
Add a bit more water to your measuring cup and just pour little bits over the dry spots.
Let it soak for another minute or two.
Then pull the middle cardboard roll out of your wipes.
And then they are ready to use!
Notes
A few tips on usage and storage: !I use a Glad container and keep the wipes on their side. Then when I change baby, I just unroll the roll and take off the wipes I need. If we go somewhere, I have pull several of these off the roll and put them in a sandwich size ziploc baggie for diaper bag storage. !If you have any container tall enough and wide enough, you can pull your new baby wipes from the middle (sorta like we show on our Homemade Natural Antibacterial Wipes!). !If you are using an old baby wipes container, you will not be able to pull them from the middle (as you have manually unroll them to get them off), but BEFORE you pour water on them, you can unroll the entire roll and (keeping them all connected at the perforation) stack the towels going back and forth. Then add the water. With this method, it will be easier to pull them from the middle of the container opening. !I personally don’t mind unrolling as I go and being able to whip up a batch in just a few minutes, but it’s all up to you! !See more homemade recipes and alternatives that are cheap and healthy at TheThriftyCouple.com
This is a good sale to stock-up for summer, you are able to get the clothes now and not wait for after season clearance too!
They have clothes on sale for summer priced at $4 which would make them as low as $3.20. The price in the picture above are actually going to be another 5% cheaper by using the 20% off coupon code we found for you instead of the 15% off code that they are advertising. We did test this 20% off code today with a sample clearance cart of stuff and it took the 20% off everything!
They also have accessories in the clearance for $1.49 = final is $1.19 and clothing as low as $1.99 (seasonal, but good time to stock-up for next year!) for $1.99 = final is $1.59.
Please note: this is TODAY ONLY, Tuesday, April 30th, 2013.
Welcome to our Thrifty World! We are glad that you are here! We offer a lot of information to help you improve your finances and your life – grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, explore and stay connected with us!
But still don’t miss this!
