Unclaimed Money

Are you hosting the Thanksgiving dinner? The family Christmas party?  A New Years party for friends? Or maybe just having a few friends over during the holiday?  There are so many preparations to make, but the one that seems just hover over you like  a cloud (of dust that is) is cleaning the house.

Few of us actually enjoy cleaning, and the cost of all those cleaning products just adds insult to injury. I am here to to tell you don’t do it! No, not the cleaning, that needs to be done, but don’t spend a fortune on a bunch of different products for every task.  A few basic, and cheap, ingredients are all you need to make the house shine before your friends and family arrive.

White Vinegar - Vinegar is an extremely versatile and powerful cleaning agent. A cup of vinegar in a gallon of water is a wonderful floor cleaner. It is also great for washing down walls and other painted surfaces. Vinegar also takes care of mineral deposits from water. It can be used to clean the coffee pot, the bathroom, and the dishwasher. Use it on your windows. Use it as a substitute for fabric softener in the laundry. Wipe down the bathroom surfaces, and even clean the toilet with vinegar. Its uses for cleaning are almost with out limit. Find more ideas at Vinegar: (Almost) the Only Cleaner You’ll Ever Need.

Baking Soda - A paste of baking soda and water is good for scrubbing your counters,  stove top and  sinks. If you need a little more muscle to it add some salt. The salt will act as a mild abrasive. It can also be used to clean floor, but you will have to rinse after mopping. Baking soda can get the black scuff marks off the floor, and  remove coffee and tea stains from surfaces.

Borax - This a great alternative to bleach. Use it for cleaning and deodorizing. Use it in the laundry. Bleach itself is cheap, but can be harsh. If you want the power of bleach, but not the chemical and the smell, Borax is wonderful. And it will not bleach out your colors.

If you are hosting any holiday gatherings this season, a thorough cleaning of the house is probably something that you want to do. Spending a lot on cleaning products is not something you have to do. Use basic and natural cleaning products to make the house shine, and spend your money on more interesting things, like the food and wine.

The leaves are turned, and quickly falling. The air is crisp, yet the temperatures are still enjoyable. The day of ghosts and goblins has passed, and it will soon be time for turkey. These first few weeks of November are a nice time to reflect, plan, and prepare before the rush of the holidays begins.

While life is relatively quiet these weeks, take some time to reflect on the things we do have; the things we are thankful for. Take this time to list the things that are most important in your life. Prioritize them and  keep them in mind. You may even want to write them down and keep them somewhere you will see them daily like on the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator. Focusing on these things will help put the craziness of the holidays in perspective.

Use this time to plan for the upcoming busyness. Make a list of the things that have to be done between now and the first of the year. Make a list of things you’d like to do, but aren’t musts. Keep your lists realistic. Prioritize these lists and make a plan of action. Write it on your calendar, “Make pies for Thanksgiving,” and “Get Christmas cards in the mail,” and “Take the kids to see Christmas lights.”  There can be flexibility in those dates, but writing them down helps to keep the plan in mind and to track the progress

During these weeks you are less likely to have social commitments and other things vying for your time. Now, its the time to get a jump start on the holiday preparations. If you do a lot of baking and cooking for the holidays, start buying your ingredients now. The sales on basic ingredients like flour and sugar have begun. Don’t forget about fantastic deals on turkey and ham now too; worth buying extra to stock the freezer. Many items like rolls, cookies, pies, and other holiday favorites can be made now and kept in the freezer for the big day. If you are hand making any of your Christmas gifts, it is also good to work on these now, before the pressure of a looming deadline sets in.

Reflecting, planning and preparing now is not only good for your mental state, it is good for your finances. The stress and pressure of busy schedules, long to do lists, and fast approaching deadlines greatly increase the odds of impulse buying and excess spending.  Entering the holidays with a focus on what is important, a plan to get things done, and a jump start on those tasks  will allow you to be truly thankful this Thanksgiving and enjoy a less stressful holiday season.