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Soap Solutions — And why I’ve been away

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Friends, my apologies for the delays, I’ve been keeping very busy with a church project this year. My commitment to the project will be over in March, so I’ll have a lot more time for blogging then.

I wanted to share a recent discovery. For 2012 we’re trying to “green” our household cleaners, and one of my biggest concerns was eliminating liquid soaps. They’re expensive, and overused. I also don’t like regular soaps, as they can hang on to germs between uses, especially that bathroom counter-top bar that gets frequent use. It gets soggy and unappealing, gets stuck in rings, and begins slipping around.

You may remember those old “soap shavings” dispensers, which dispense a powdered detergent for hand-washing. Fairly sanitary and tidy, but I’m not interested in using detergents on skin.

My solution is shavings of castile soap, a vegetable-based, all natural soap.

While watching television a few nights ago, I took a potato peeler to a bar of soap (like any other crazy frugalista does on a Monday night), and made these beautiful soap curls! One bar of soap will fill this jar about six times. To wash hands or face, simply pick up a single curl, and scrub up! No sticky sloppy bar, no transfer of “used soap” germs, and not an egregious use of time. (A fine task for television watching).

Also, the soap curls smell delightful! With all the surface areas of the soap curls, it smells fantastic.

Just when they thought they lost it all…

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A guest post by Julie Barclay.

Take a moment. Think about the past nine months and how the economic downturn has changed your life. What have you had to give up? What were the changes, the goodbyes and the endings?

A year ago Holly and Craig Hunter were loving life. They both had jobs, a roof over their heads, and two beautiful daughters, Casey (2 years) and Rowan (4 years). Life was good. When the economy started to go sour in the fall, Craig lost his job at Jiffy Lube. As with thousands of others in his same situation, finding employment elsewhere became difficult. Holly was able to keep the family above water as she had been employed with Washington Mutual for 4 years. Although the banking system was shaky, she still had an income. When Washington Mutual was taken over by Chase, financially things began to slide further for Holly and Craig. More hours worked…less income.

The economic pressures took a toll both emotionally and financially on the family. Holly knew a change needed to happen. With the limited time and finances they had Holly went back to school and began the training to become and Emergency Medical Technician. One July 9th she passed the National Registry Exam and became a certified EMT.

Holly and Craig had a plan, and although financially strapped they were beginning to move forward and pick themselves back up. It would take months, maybe even years to build up their nest egg but they were on the right track. Until the bottom of their world fell out.

Their youngest daughter, Casey, was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in June. Nephrotic Syndrome is a condition that effects kidney function. They spent many hours this winter and spring in and out of doctors’ offices. Toward the end of July, Casey was admitted to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital with a kidney infection. Under special medical care and observation, Casey fought the infection and was cleared to go home. While getting Casey bathed and dressed to go home the family’s real nightmare began. Casey ‘coded’…her body went limp. A team of doctors and nurses descended on two-year-old Casey, but it was too late. Casey died. Cured of her kidney infection, and excited to go home to play with her big sister Rowan, Casey was dead. A pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung, killed her. The condition is not even related to Nephrotic Syndrome.

Holly and Craig have had to make some hard choices this past week. Never could they imagine that with this economy and their lack of funds they would have to ‘bargain’ shop for a cemetery plot for their precious little angel. Never could Holly and Craig have imagined they would have to make a ‘financially responsible’ option between the cheaper cremation over a traditional burial with casket, although Holly’s heart has chosen the option for her. Holly could not choose cremation, she could not fathom that for her baby girl. Never could Holly and Craig imagine they would have to ask the question, “What can we afford?” when it came to the funeral plans of their youngest child. To make matters worse, when Chase Bank was approached to set up a special account for Casey’s family to offset the cost of funeral expenses, the family was denied on grounds of a “confilict of interest.”

A year ago Holly and Craig would never have imagined the nightmare they are facing today. The loss of an income or the downsizing of a position seems small in comparison to the nightmare of how to afford a proper good-bye for their sweet happy little girl.

CASEY CHRISTEEN HUNTER
8/24/2006 ~ 7/30/2009

Casey Christeen Hunter passed away Thursday, July 30, 2009 at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, OR. She was born on August 24, 2006 in Vancouver, WA.

Even though she was only on this earth for a short time, she touched many people. She had a special way about her that made people smile. Casey enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, and trying to keep up with her big sister, Rowan. Casey was always such a happy little girl. She enjoyed being outdoors, and also really loved dogs especially her stuffed dog “Pepper.” Everyone who knew her appreciated how she was so “Casey.” She was very polite and continued to be her adorable, loving self, even during her recent hospital visits. Although diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome in June, Casey’s death was sudden and unexpected. She will be missed forever by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived at home by her parents, Holly (Gillespie) Hunter and Craig Hunter II; and her older sister, Rowan Hunter. Casey is also survived by her grandparents, Joy and Vern Earhart; grandfather, Craig Hunter; aunt, Kendall Freeman; aunt, Cristi (Rick) Dahlstrom; and cousins, Jordan, Jocelyn, Austin, Zach, and Brandon. She is also survived by her Papa and Nana, Al and Sundii Gillespie; uncle, Geoff Gillespie; uncle, Ryan J. Gillespie; as well as cousins, Elliott, Celia, Samantha, and Allie. Casey also is survived by her great-grandmother, Wilma Gillespie; as well as numerous other well loved family members and friends.

If you would like to provide additional support to the Hunter Family in their time of need, Casey’s parents have established an educational needs account for Casey’s sister, Rowan, at www.caseyhunter.com.

Take a moment. Think about the past nine months and how the economic downturn has changed your life. What have you had to give up? What have you had to say good-bye too?

This post was a guest post from writer and mommy-friend Julie Barclay. This darling little girl is almost the same age as my youngest daughter, and I was eager to allow Julie to spread the word–not just for the Hunter family, but also for a reminder to all readers to treasure what we hold dearest. I don’t doubt that the Hunter family would do anything to have even a few hours with Casey back–in your struggles with employment, money, debt or stress, please take a moment to put yourself in the Hunter’s shoes and ask if you’re prioritizing your stressors appropriately. If you are spending your time and energy within your values structure. Ultimately, you may also need to be asking if you are prepared. I’ll be posting soon as a semi-follow-up about economical and respectful funerals–as I’ve recently experienced a loss in my family, I’ve noticed a few stories and ideas in the news that might be of value to others.

Just when they thought they lost it all…

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A guest post by Julie Barclay.

Take a moment. Think about the past nine months and how the economic downturn has changed your life. What have you had to give up? What were the changes, the goodbyes and the endings?

A year ago Holly and Craig Hunter were loving life. They both had jobs, a roof over their heads, and two beautiful daughters, Casey (2 years) and Rowan (4 years). Life was good. When the economy started to go sour in the fall, Craig lost his job at Jiffy Lube. As with thousands of others in his same situation, finding employment elsewhere became difficult. Holly was able to keep the family above water as she had been employed with Washington Mutual for 4 years. Although the banking system was shaky, she still had an income. When Washington Mutual was taken over by Chase, financially things began to slide further for Holly and Craig. More hours worked…less income.

The economic pressures took a toll both emotionally and financially on the family. Holly knew a change needed to happen. With the limited time and finances they had Holly went back to school and began the training to become and Emergency Medical Technician. One July 9th she passed the National Registry Exam and became a certified EMT.

Holly and Craig had a plan, and although financially strapped they were beginning to move forward and pick themselves back up. It would take months, maybe even years to build up their nest egg but they were on the right track. Until the bottom of their world fell out.

Their youngest daughter, Casey, was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in June. Nephrotic Syndrome is a condition that effects kidney function. They spent many hours this winter and spring in and out of doctors’ offices. Toward the end of July, Casey was admitted to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital with a kidney infection. Under special medical care and observation, Casey fought the infection and was cleared to go home. While getting Casey bathed and dressed to go home the family’s real nightmare began. Casey ‘coded’…her body went limp. A team of doctors and nurses descended on two-year-old Casey, but it was too late. Casey died. Cured of her kidney infection, and excited to go home to play with her big sister Rowan, Casey was dead. A pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung, killed her. The condition is not even related to Nephrotic Syndrome.

Holly and Craig have had to make some hard choices this past week. Never could they imagine that with this economy and their lack of funds they would have to ‘bargain’ shop for a cemetery plot for their precious little angel. Never could Holly and Craig have imagined they would have to make a ‘financially responsible’ option between the cheaper cremation over a traditional burial with casket, although Holly’s heart has chosen the option for her. Holly could not choose cremation, she could not fathom that for her baby girl. Never could Holly and Craig imagine they would have to ask the question, “What can we afford?” when it came to the funeral plans of their youngest child. To make matters worse, when Chase Bank was approached to set up a special account for Casey’s family to offset the cost of funeral expenses, the family was denied on grounds of a “confilict of interest.”

A year ago Holly and Craig would never have imagined the nightmare they are facing today. The loss of an income or the downsizing of a position seems small in comparison to the nightmare of how to afford a proper good-bye for their sweet happy little girl.

CASEY CHRISTEEN HUNTER
8/24/2006 ~ 7/30/2009

Casey Christeen Hunter passed away Thursday, July 30, 2009 at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, OR. She was born on August 24, 2006 in Vancouver, WA.

Even though she was only on this earth for a short time, she touched many people. She had a special way about her that made people smile. Casey enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, and trying to keep up with her big sister, Rowan. Casey was always such a happy little girl. She enjoyed being outdoors, and also really loved dogs especially her stuffed dog “Pepper.” Everyone who knew her appreciated how she was so “Casey.” She was very polite and continued to be her adorable, loving self, even during her recent hospital visits. Although diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome in June, Casey’s death was sudden and unexpected. She will be missed forever by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived at home by her parents, Holly (Gillespie) Hunter and Craig Hunter II; and her older sister, Rowan Hunter. Casey is also survived by her grandparents, Joy and Vern Earhart; grandfather, Craig Hunter; aunt, Kendall Freeman; aunt, Cristi (Rick) Dahlstrom; and cousins, Jordan, Jocelyn, Austin, Zach, and Brandon. She is also survived by her Papa and Nana, Al and Sundii Gillespie; uncle, Geoff Gillespie; uncle, Ryan J. Gillespie; as well as cousins, Elliott, Celia, Samantha, and Allie. Casey also is survived by her great-grandmother, Wilma Gillespie; as well as numerous other well loved family members and friends.

If you would like to provide additional support to the Hunter Family in their time of need, Casey’s parents have established an educational needs account for Casey’s sister, Rowan, at www.caseyhunter.com.

Take a moment. Think about the past nine months and how the economic downturn has changed your life. What have you had to give up? What have you had to say good-bye too?

This post was a guest post from writer and mommy-friend Julie Barclay. This darling little girl is almost the same age as my youngest daughter, and I was eager to allow Julie to spread the word–not just for the Hunter family, but also for a reminder to all readers to treasure what we hold dearest. I don’t doubt that the Hunter family would do anything to have even a few hours with Casey back–in your struggles with employment, money, debt or stress, please take a moment to put yourself in the Hunter’s shoes and ask if you’re prioritizing your stressors appropriately. If you are spending your time and energy within your values structure. Ultimately, you may also need to be asking if you are prepared. I’ll be posting soon as a semi-follow-up about economical and respectful funerals–as I’ve recently experienced a loss in my family, I’ve noticed a few stories and ideas in the news that might be of value to others.

Saving Money on Medical Needs

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I don’t know about you, but medical bills have been hitting our house like no body’s business! I honestly can’t believe the rate they’re flocking in right now despite our relatively good health, and decent health insurance.

An ear infection here, a broken tooth there, and routine prescriptions are a truly massive part of our monthly budget.

Here are my tips for reining in your medical costs.
1. HAVE Insurance. Find a way. Consider groups that you could join that would allow you to access medical insurance, but just because you have medical insurance doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask your provider if a cash price would be lower than your actual deductible. Investigate this possibility. I was surprised to receive a bill for insurance for my $80 co-pay for an outer-ear infection (a scratch on my ear that needed an antibiotic to heal). The cash price for the visit since it was just 3 minutes would have been $30. I said a bad word.

2. Understand your policy. Completely. Deductibles, co-pay, in-network and out. Use in-network when you can. Here’s a great resource for the National Endowment for Financial Education.

3. Use a health savings account or cafeteria plan if it’s available to you. These can save a bundle and be used to pay for all kinds of things!

4 Rx Tips are their own little post I think but I can sum it up below:

a: get a discount card. AAA has a great one, Rite-Aid and Walmart and Target all have cards/programs, but don’t give up on a quality pharmacist who’s going to check your meds vs your allergies and contradictions.
b. Use generics when you can.
c. Ask your doc for samples if you’re starting a new medication, esp for long term use. I had a doc give me antibiotic samples recently, which was wonderful, as it turned out I was allergic. I’m sure glad I didn’t buy a month’s supply!
d. There are many prescription assistance programs, including the Partnership for Prescription Assistance which you may be able to turn to depending on your condition.

5. Dental care: if you don’t have dental insurance, you should still get your cleanings–this little expense may save you a lot in expensive repairs later. You can do this at a dental school, but pack your patience. I have had this done once (in college) and got my teeth cleaned just before graduation for $15. What a steal! It took two hours though, and the hygienist in training used a purple dye, which she cleaned off. Simple enough, but as sweet as this lady was, she was extraordinarily clumsy, and dropped the dye–on my nose. The purple dye was guest of honor at graduation, but my teeth continue to serve me well and I’ve still never had a cavity.

6. Perfect time for a segue–preventative care will save you a bundle. When you have insurance, its usually covered. Get those annual exams, the tests, mammograms, paps, and shots. You need them and early detection will save you a fortune and provide peace of mind.

7. When was the last time you had an eye exam? I recently found this great source for Rx Glasses. I always have three pairs, which costs a pretty penny–so next time, I’m giving this site a try: http://www.clearlylenz.com/ They advertise a full set of glasses for $36, but you do need to have your Rx information.

8. If possible, use a nurse hot line, emergency appt at your regular doc or a urgent care center before opting for emergency room care. Deductibles are very high in the ER, and waits can be very long.

9. Eat out less, drink less alcohol, quit smoking and walk more. Your bottom line (and your bottom) will thank you.

10. If you can’t pay, and medical bills are threatening to push you into bankruptcy –first try negotiating with your provider for a write-off or a lower rate. I’ve working on a review over at ProsperLending Review of a company called “IOUSOS“, which facilitates negotiation and collection of medical debts between patients and providers. The National Endowment for Financial Literacy also offers a manual about managing medical debt here.

Bonus item: Don’t forget to save reciepts on all medical costs for tax time. Some are deductible! (Ask your tax-preparer for more info).

Saving/Creating Money While Reducing E-Waste

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I don’t know if you’ve seen the art exhibit about e-waste recently, but it’s shocking how many electronic gadgets we “consume” worldwide in the form of mobile phones, batteries, cameras, etc. Some of these have lived beyond their usefulness. I have on my desk, and old mobile phone/PDA and a digital camera that no longer works, and I went looking for a savvy way to recycle them.

I found Gazelle, which will PAY ME for the gadgets, and also, they’ll manage the shipping, and even send me a box. (So I do NOTHING, Literally).

Oh, and I get $53 (varies depending on the make/model of your equipment. Give it a try–the link is below.


Get Cash For Your Gadgets at gazelle.com!

Innovative Cost-Savings-Clothing Swap

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First off, my profound apologies for falling behind on my 31 days of financial literacy. I have some posts in the works to finish out the month, but I’ve been battling an illness this week, so once I’m fully back on my feet, I’ll finish those and post them.

Also, I’m contemplating a redesign for Pennywise Family. If you think it needs a fresh face, would you email or comment with your ideas for improvement? A wish-list will be created and prioritized.

OK, now on to the main event for today. I recieved an email this week about this clothing swap site, for “occasions” clothing. Think Easter dresses, Prom, and holiday duds. This would be great for those families with multiple kids especially. If you’ve got a teenage daughter with a prom dress, but then four little boys not needing the hand-me-down, what about swapping the prom dress for a few pairs of slacks? I’ve seen similar swaps elsewhere, but I thought this was really innovative, especially since if your kids are like mine, they have already grown out of their Easter outfits.

This also works great for moms and dads for that Company party formalwear you don’t need hanging around. I’ve got a few things I was thinking about consigning, but may swap for kids Xmas dresses.

Here’s the site: www.PriorAttire.com

Day 16: Paying off Credit Cards With Home Equity?

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I know a lot of people who’ve tried to “borrow themselves out of debt” recently.

It makes sense at first glance to pay off your credit cards at 10% with a home equity loan at 6 or 7 percent. Especially if you’re in really deep. And after all, you’ve got all that home equity just sitting there.

First off, does your house look like a piggy bank?

Second, a credit card has a higher interest rate becaues the debt is not secured. That means there’s no collatoral. If you don ‘t pay, they can’t come take something to pay back the debt, like with a home or auto loan. You’re paying the higher rate in exchange for the lender’s higher risk.

If you borrow against your home to pay off un-secured debt, your buying your way out of debt by putting your home at risk. YIKES!

In the event of a real estate collapse like this one, if you lost your job and had to sell your house, the sum of your home equity loan and mortgage balance could end up being worth more than your house can sell for. A term also called being “under water.”

Think about this if you’re being tempted by the lower rates on secured loans right now. Borrowing your way out debt doesn’t work. I heard Dave Ramsey on TV last night say that nobody has ever dug their way out of a deep hole. Makes sense to me. Hard work, cost cutting and serious budgeting is still the way to get out of debt.

Just my $.02 for today.

We’re halfway through our special month on financial litercay. Do you have topics that we should feature? I’ll do the research and the legwork and offer a completely unqualified but “if I were in that position” opinion, followed by my usual disclaimer that for financial advice you should seek out the paid advice of a qualified professional. But I always enjoy the learning experience!

Day 14: Spend Less Than You Make

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Are you spending less than you make? Are you sure? Better double-check, just in case.

I’m getting ready for the Town Hall for Hope on Thursday and thinking about what are the true, simple and basic facts about personal finance. The bottom line really is that you must spend less than you make.

The origins of PennyWise Family are pretty sad. I started this blog the day after I was laid off from my “secure” job in hopes of helping other families adjust for layoffs. We had to slash our household budget immediately and needed to figure out how.
I’ve posted tips here ever since then, but thought maybe it was time for some more frugal living tips. Hands-down, the biggest hit so far has been the home-made laundry detergent. I’ve converted many friends to making their own, and we love it. To find other savings tips use my “Ligit” search bar and enter the subject of how you want to save money and it should direct you to the right posts.

I posted earlier about how we found we had cut $1500 a month from our household budget with ordinary and small cost-cutting.

Today I’m featuring a reader’s tips. These come from Abby S., in Washington State, who used to teach school in Alaska. A lot of necessities are expensive there, so she learned some spiffy ways to cut corners. Here are a few of her list:
  • Cut dryer sheets in half to make them last longer.

  • Use dehydrated eggs for cooking sweets (I use dehydrated milk for baking Abby, but I’ve never seen dehydrated eggs).

  • Make bread from scratch

  • Make milk from powdered milk and mask the flavor with chocolate powder or syrup.

  • Buy milk in bulk and freeze it.

  • Make home-made deodorant (if it works, please send us the recipe Abby… if it doesn’t, please warn us ).

  • Learn to can/preserve and freeze.

I’m also learning about making my own dishwasher detergent, but I want to experiment with my dishes before I post a recipe here. I’d hate to etch or damage someone’s dishes with a bad one, so when I’ve got it perfected I shall let everyone know.

Thanks Abby for sharing your tips!

This is day 14 of 30 in a series for April, which is “Financial Literacy Month”

Day 13: Saving Money on Energy Use

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Let’s face it, much of the energy that is consumed and paid for in your house is likely for things you haven’t noticed. Phone charger left plugged in so you don’t have to climb behind the TV every day to plug it in, etc.

Well, my Twitter friends tell me it’s Earth Week, and they wanted to know what I’m doing about it. I’m doing a few things, but not because it’s Earth Week. Doing something different that I could do every day just because it’s the right thing to do. That’s dumb. If it’s the right thing to do, I’m going to do it every day. I hope you do too.

However, I could stand to learn a little bit more about energy-efficiency, so I imagine that’s why they have the “week” and I think the timing is nice that it falls within Financial Literacy Month.

Let’s find the crossover between the two and tackle away!

I visited The US EPA’s Web site for energy efficiency today and found it very helpful!

I know I have a leaky door–there’s quite a draft in the winter, and in the summer, we’re thankful for the cooling breeze…but needless to say, we need to tackle that energy sucker. I was relieved to find that the Web site has tips on what weatherstripping to choose and how to install it! Score!

It also explains that leaving our cell phone chargers plugged in when they’re not plugged in to a phone will deplete energy as well. YIKES! I’ve got at least 8 chargers hanging around the house plugged in with nothing attached to them. I had no idea.

Take a quick spin around the US EPA’s Web site and see if you can save a few bucks on your utility bills!

This is the 13th in a series of 30 post for April, specific to financial literacy. Today is a short distraction for financial/ecological instruction.

Living great, despite the layoff

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Try it Now! Join Lending Club.We’ve now reached the point (just a few months in) where I’ve completely replaced my previous work-outside-the-home income with my mobile notary business and my freelance writing. By implementing the tips I’ve been outlining here–even post-layoff our family is coming out ahead of where we were six months ago financially, as well as in peace of mind.

Here’s a brief list of what we’ve done so far, and where it’s getting us. Remember, my layoff was December 7th, and today is April 2nd.

  • Called all lenders and negotiated lower interest rates. Followed up by shredding all credit cards. Value: Priceless!
  • Learned to cost-cut around the house: home-made laundry detergent. Saves $7/mo.
  • Budget and track all expenses with Mint.com.
  • Renegotiated and repriced insurance, dropped the gap coverage on our paid-off/high-mileage cars. Saves $4/mo.
  • Used the library more. Estimated savings $20/mo
  • Developed passive income streams (adding advertising on this web site and others, as well as Lending Club interest). Earns $1.10/mo.
  • Rolled-over my fee-intensive 401K into a more affordable IRA Savings TBD
  • Found tax advantages to starting my mobile-notary and freelance writing business.
  • “Re bundled” our cable-TV package to the same service and same company at a lower introductory price. Saves $25/mo.
  • Received our tax refund and paid off an adoption loan ($150/mo, a credit card $100/mo and a student loan $110/mo). We have just one credit card left. Saves $360/mo in debt payments.
  • Refinanced our 30-year fixed mortgage, and rolled in our home equity loan ($329/mo). We put both into a 15-year fixed mortgage and will be paying just $89 more than we were paying on our old mortgage payment. (We used Smarthippo.com to find a better rate). Saves $240 per month and 15 years off the life of our mortgage.
  • Testing out some meat-free recipes for dinner. Last night the kids loved eggplant parmesan (they thought it was pizza!). Saves $24/mo.
  • Renegotiated cell-phone plan (due to new business). Saves $100/mo.
  • The layoff reduced our household’s commuting cost. Saves $200/mo in fuel.

    These tricks save us $981.10 per month, but we’ve noticed that now that all expenses are tracked, our household expenses have been reduced by about $1300 per month.

Here’s a few things that we’re not doing.

  • Working more than 45-50 hours per week.
  • Missing out on time with our kids.
  • Cutting our daughter’s preschool (we may do this to ‘snowball’ an extra $660 per month, but she’s having so much fun, we’re having her stay for now).
  • Clipping coupons.
  • Stuffing envelopes or participating in “get rich quick schemes” and “pyramid sales.”