A house only has to look tidy for it to be tidy. Even if your vacuum cleaner is covered in cobwebs and the shelves haven’t seen a duster in months, you can still easily and quickly give the impression of maintaining a clean and tidy house, between cleans.

If you have visitors dropping by and you need to do a mad dash to tidy, or just if you hate having a messy house but don’t have time or energy to clean just at the moment, there are a few things that you can do to have a presentable home that you’re happy to live in, without spending hours cleaning.

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Almost all personal care products today contain parabens. Parabens are preservatives. They extend the shelf life of our products. Without preservatives, most of our skin care products and cosmetics would either have to be kept in the fridge or used within a few days.

It is the water content in products that make them susceptible to spoilage. Water makes an ideal environment for mould and bacterial growth, and when we open our skin care products, air borne spores come in contact with the water and can potentially grow (this is why pure body butters are easy to make and preserve, there is no water). Parabens have bactericidal and fungicidal properties that prevent bacterial growth once personal care products are opened, thus preserving the product and extending its shelf life.

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In a world of increasing demand for fuel, rising fuel costs and peak oil concerns, spare a thought for the petroleum products(mineral oil, petroleum jelly) that get smeared on your skin every day. Yes, there is a good reason why Vaseline rhymes with gasoline: the inventor of petroleum jelly (petrolatum) as a skin care product came up with the idea when visiting an oil rig.

Petrolatum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that repels water and is used in skin care products where a smooth texture is required (as in lipstick) but is particularly common in “moisturising” creams and lotions. Almost all ‘mainstream’ moisturising creams and lotions contain petroleum products because it is relatively cheap, it gives cream a ‘nice’ texture, and provides an effective barrier on the skin, trapping in moisture.

This barrier quality sounds great, but is actually one of it’s downfalls. Using petroleum based products is often likened to wrapping the skin in cling wrap. It effectively prevents the skin from functioning properly or ‘breathing’.

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At some point a couple of years ago, I became aware of the chemicals in our personal care products. I can’t remember how, but I got really interested in the subject, so interested in fact I spent six months researching everything to do with skin care, including talking to manufacturers about starting my own private line of natural skin care products.

Recently I rediscovered my draft 60 page eBook I wrote on natural skin care and thought I would share some of the information I gleaned from doing the research.

It’s important to know what we’re putting on our skin and in our bodies. Up to 60% of what goes onto our skin gets absorbed into our bodies (that’s why nicotine patches work)! I thought I would start with the very common ingredient: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate / Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

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I glanced behind me at the supermarket checkout the other day (ok, I have a habit of looking at what other people put in their trolleys) and the bloke behind me was unpacking a trolley full of home brand and discount bulk items. I thought “Ah, a like minded shopper.”

It got me thinking about how we find partners who are financially compatible (did I mention he was also tall, dark and …) Of course, there are many values that should be considered when finding a life long partner, but with money cited as being the number one reason for divorce, should we be looking for a frugal partner right from the first date?

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When it comes to romance, how much money you spend isn’t important. Cliché as it may seem, it’s the thought that counts. 

A great romantic date is all about creating the right atmosphere. If you’ve got wine, chocolate and candles, it doesn’t matter that the kids are asleep upstairs, you’ve got a date.

Fellas, from a woman’s point of view, the most important aspect of a romantic date is EFFORT. It doesn’t matter if the date doesn’t turn out as planned, if we can see you went to a bit of effort, we will think it’s the best date ever!

Below are a few frugal date ideas that DH and I have used over the last seven years.

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Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is all about handmade cards and love notes (with flowers and chocolate for good measure). In recent times, Valentine’s Day has gotten pretty commercialised, and hand made notes of love have given way to mass produced greeting cards.

Despite the commercialism, I feel like we don’t celebrate enough special moments. I used the think that gestures of love shouldn’t be restricted to just one day a year, but then I thought about just how often we actually stop and make those gestures throughout the year (not often enough). Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to stop and think about that significant other in your life (or to approach someone you want to be your significant other).

A handmade card or gift, a lovingly prepared meal, chocolates (I’ll take chocolates any day) or a warm sentiment thoughtfully expressed are just a few ideas to make Valentine’s Day (or any other day) special.

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For many of us, the first day of university coincides with the first day of freedom, but with that freedom comes financial responsibility. All of a sudden we have to house, feed, and clothe ourselves, not to mention pay for textbooks and transport and beer…

I worked part-time (sometimes several part-time jobs at once) to pay for uni. I think this is much more common these days. Tutoring is always a popular option for uni students. Most of my friends at uni didn’t work, so sometimes it was a drag having to go to work when they went off to the beach or the movies, but you do what you have to do.

They say these are the best days of your life (and they’re not far off) but the life of a student can often be a poor one, so here are some tips on saving at uni.

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A popular frugal habit and one I subscribe to is turning out lights when a room is not in use. I find it a waste when the house is ablaze and everyone is in the same room.

But how much are we actually saving by getting into the habit of turning out the lights?

Well I like cold hard data, so I did some calculations and was a little surprised by the results.

I complicated things a  little by deciding to also compare the old fashioned incandescent light globes and the new CFL globes. I wanted to see for myself if all the fuss was warranted. So I did a comparison first between the cost of using the CFLs compared to incandescent, and then a comparison of the savings per year that can be made by reducing light globe usage.

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I admit that I’ve never been the fittest person in the world. I’d rather read a book than pound out the hours on a treadmill. Just the very thought of it is boring.

A few years ago I lost a heap of weight (I went down 3 dress sizes), without going on a diet or trying to lose weight. What happened? I moved out of college and started cooking (healthy food) for myself, I suddenly had to clean my own house, I walked everywhere, and I worked in a job that involved quite a bit of lifting, stacking and bending.

The key for me is that all the exercise I did was incidental. I didn’t try to do some boring training routine, I just had to get from A to B and walking was the only option. If you’ve tried starting fitness programmes and failed (I have many times), then try making a lifestyle shift instead and incorporate regular movement into your existing everyday routine.

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