Starting a new year always makes me want to start over with a clean sweep. I started out my new year by washing my car inside and out. I didn't have any car wash soap, so I made my own. I mixed Dawn dish washing liquid with laundry soap and borax in a large bucket of hot water. Adding borax eliminates the necessity of wiping your car down after rinsing. It leaves the car sparkling clean without any streaks.
So my first frugal tip is to make your own car wash soap with items you already have on hand. If you don't have borax, you can get it at Walmart. Here's the recipe:
1 cup liquid dish detergent (I use Dawn)
12 tbs. of powder laundry detergent (use a capful of liquid detergent in a pinch)
1/4 cup of borax
1 large bucket of hot water
I just got a raise at work and as of January 1st, my social security withholding dropped 2%. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with the extra money. To help me manage my money, I have a written monthly budget. I don't carry cash, which makes it easier to avoid temptations like stopping for coffee or to grab a candy bar. I tithe first before I write any other checks. I know some folks are not part of a church community, but if you are, I strongly encourage you to tithe regularly. Second, I pay myself; I save a set amount each month to build up my emergency fund. My goal is to have three months salary set aside; currently, I have two months saved. I contribute each month to my Roth IRA. I'm trying to finish paying off my debt, around $3,000, so any extra money I have goes toward my debt. I should have the debt payed off by June. By the way, I do all of this as a single woman, making a little over $30,000 a year. It can be done, it just takes discipline and baby steps. You can do this.
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