How to save over $50 a month in electricity

I bought this drying rack a few months ago and since I started using it with almost every load (except bed sheets) I have saved over $50 a month. Of course, this depends of your electricity cost and usage or/and wattage. Here is a Usage List to determine the estimated cost of electrical items in your home. How about using a Slow Cooker instead of your stove top or oven? Check out that list for Slow Cooker. $1.17 a month?!?! I started using my slow cooker a couple of weeks ago and I promise to update you when I get my next electric bill. Check out THIS interesting blog, one of my favorites - she posts one crock pot recipe a day for a whole year. You can also set your water heater low, I promise you'll see a huge amount of savings! :)

Note: I live in an apartment and use it indoors!

Planning for Christmas...

I have an extensive list for Christmas, mostly close friends and family but I have to keep it simple and affordable. This year we are counting the pennies but mind you, I am LOVING staying at home. It's a sacrifice I take in exchange of enjoying my kids at home and raising them myself. Anyways, I have so many ideas of what our Christmas gifts will be - they are all handmade/homemade. There is a total of 17 adults (this may include some set of couples - so in reality they are more but I am counting them as 1 - better on my pocket this way lol) and 14 kids. WOW, you got some work to do mamacita...!

Here are a few items that I have in mind:

Guilt-Free Cookies (from my own recipe!)



Crayon Rolls for the kids



Felt Toys



Christmas Themed Bag Books (probably 2 of these)



Handpainted Block Print Napkins



or like these



Check out this quilted placemats using fabric scraps!



Cloth Coasters wrapped in a nice ribbon! :)



What about this?



This too!



How about eye pillows? These are sew simple to make, filled with rice and lavender?!?



Anyways... I could go on and on... but definitely we are going handmade this year! :)