Letting your husband cut your hair and other money savers...

I have had some scraggly, nasty hair ends for about a month now. Usually my husband's grandmother cuts my hair but she's been out of state for quite awhile and I had become desperate. Now, not desperate enough to PAY someone to cut my hair or anything! I don't think I'll ever be that desperate. So I picked up a pair of shears (because no way am I messing up my best craft scissors on my stupid hair!). I then explained to my husband the extreme faith and trust I was putting in him by letting him anywhere near my head with a sharp object. I then patted him on the arm and tried to inspire him with my words, "Mess it up, and I'll kill you". He did a good job, just trimmed the ends and they were nice and straight. I then used this tutorial to fix things up a bit and TA-DA! Semi-free haircut (the scissors cost money, sadly). I like to think that I saved around 20$, not to mention the last time I actually got a cheapo haircut the stylist did such an awful job that I had to fix it anyway. So I also saved some sanity! Then I got to thinking...what other things can I save money on so that I can put more $$ towards paying off the mortgage?

1.) Magazines

Personally, I love magazines. Pretty colorful pictures and lots of recipes and ideas to try. But paying 4$ to 7$  an issue? No freakin' way man. Yes, I know subscriptions are cheaper than the list price but those still COST MONEY. So instead I signed up for Recyclebank and read and clicked some things and got POINTS which I then use for FREE MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS! So far I've gotten Martha Stewart Living, Whole Living, Everyday Food, Woman's Day, Country Living (that's a flippin' good one!), another Martha Stewart for my mom, and Real Simple. Holy cow that's a lot of free magazines! Plus, you don't have to keep them for yourself you can give them as gifts as well.  Who wouldn't like to pine over pictures of beautiful flower arrangements in Martha Stewart Living? Well, probably your dad....Not to mention, once you're finished reading them you can give them away to someone else. RECYCLING! HOORAY!

2.) Making new stuff from old stuff

I work at a credit union, so I see a lot of the same people all the time. One of our neighbors comes in quite often and knows we have some rabbits (and that we love free stuff, apparently) so he brought us over two rabbit hutches when his daughter's rabbits went to the big carrot farm in the sky. They are not the style we like to use (not to mention large and cumbersome for housing just one rabbit). My husband is also of the making stuff work persuasion so he ripped one of those puppies apart and made me a cold frame for the garden. Now, it's not the prettiest thing and you won't see it in Organic Gardening or anything, but it gets the job done and it was FREE (because he even rescues reusable hinges and all that jazz). The best present is a FREE present I say!

I've also rescued old tin cans by crocheting a little can cover. Now you can put whatever the heck you want in that can and it even looks snazzy! I mean, if you're into the look of plain 'ol tin cans that's cool but I like things pretty. I do have some standards you know.

3.) Grow it, baby!

We are big fans of sprouts and those fancy schmancy microgreens. Unfortunately they are super expensive and not so fresh in the store. So I bought a reusable sprouting top kit for $4 at the health food store that you use with a quart size wide mouth canning jar. These things last FOREVER and if you're a mason jar nut like me you have at least one jar hanging around. Our favorite are mung bean sprouts and they are super cheap and a half pound bag gives us loads and loads of sprouts. My husband then made me a planting flat out of a bunch of crap laying around in the garage and I planted microgreens in there. They were super tasty! Again, the seeds are pretty cheap just look around for the best deal. I also keep those plastic containers lettuce blends come in from the supermarket and use those like mini greenhouses. I have some wheat grass growing in a couple on the windowsill right now. Even in the winter IN MAINE you can grow something tasty and good for you!

4.) Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without

I should probably get this tattooed on my arm since it is my personal mantra. Is it ripped? Sew it! Is it worn beyond repair? Re-purpose it! Do you really need it, or can you live without it? Do you really need 5 of those if you only use one? I have piles of sheets with rips and tears waiting to be made into rugs, cut up holey jeans waiting to become potholder gifts (thank you Tightwad Gazette!), old mugs waiting to be filled with candles, and old carrots trimmings and the like in a bag in the freezer waiting to be veggie stock! Options are endless. If you can't think of a use for something, try googling it! You'd be surprised!

5.) NEVER, EVER TURN DOWN FREE STUFF

Since we have moved in this house the amount of STUFF people have given us is outta control. If the word is out you'll take anything they'll offer it to you first. Sometimes things will be duds, but just put it up for free on Craigslist or offer it to someone you know can use it. Just in the last week the ladies at work have given me celery scraps for our rabbits, the solids from juicing for the chickens, and three boxes of Morningstar Farms faux meat goodies. Dude, I'll take it all. Of course this goes both ways and if you have a surplus or something you can't use make sure you return the favor. Nobody likes a mooch.

These are just a few of the LOADS of money saving ideas you can find around on the internet. If you've got any awesome tips, feel free to comment with them! I'm off to eat breakfast thanks to my wonderful chickens. See? Even the chickens know I like free stuff! Keep 'em coming, Buckeye!

Yo Stacie, I'll lay so long as you keep feeding me all those scraps!

Until next time,

xoxo Stacie