MIsc

Aluminum foil is no longer for just cooking or grilling up some food. There are many uses for aluminum foil that can help you in everyday life. I love that aluminum foil has so many clever uses and today I get to share some ideas with you so that you can start making the most out of your aluminum foil collection.

Create Cookie Cutters

For starters, you can make some pretty clever cookie cutter designs by ripping off some aluminum foil from the roll and forming it into any shape you desire. Be sure to triple up the foil so that it’s sturdy enough for use as a cookie cutter.

Potty Training Protection

Take some aluminum foil, fold it up and place it on top of your potty training child’s mattress. Once placed in the appropriate spot, then lay a towel over it and put the child’s bed sheet back on. This will keep leaks from going through to the mattress during potty training time.

Prevent Static Cling

Who knew that you could prevent static cling using aluminum foil balls in your dryer? It’s true! Simply grab some aluminum foil, shape it into balls and toss about three of them into the dryer to keep your clothes from having static cling during the dry winter months.

Sharpen Scissors

Grab those dull scissors from your craft drawer and some aluminum foil. Cut through the foil a few times with the blunt scissors to find that you’ve now sharpened your scissors. This may take a few tries, but it’s much cheaper than buying new scissors or a sharpening stone.

Protect Steel Wool

If you use steel wool to wash dishes but find they get ruined quickly, have no fear! You can wrap steel wool balls into aluminum foil and place in the freezer for storage. This keeps your steel wool from getting ruined and ready for use to clean up those dingy kitchen dishes.

Keep Moisture Away

If you’re out camping during this lovely summer season, consider putting aluminum foil underneath your sleeping bag. This will help keep moisture away from your sleeping bag overnight. You can wake up feeling less soggy while camping.

Shape It Into A Funnel To Pour Oil Into Your Car

I never seem to have a funnel on hand when I have to add oil to my car. You can tear off a short piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and fashion it into a funnel. Put the funnel in the opening for the oil, then pour in the oil with no mess. It is handy to be able to throw the foil away when you are done. You can use this same idea when adding any other liquids to your car. No funnel? No problem.

As you can see, aluminum foil is no longer just an aide in cooking or grilling time, you can easily use this product for a wide range of clever uses such as the ones I shared here today.

Panicking About Retirement? Worry no More

Pensions are a major source of worry for many. Those who are saving wondering if they’ve got enough to fund a comfortable retirement and those who aren’t wondering how much an elderly kidney will fetch on the open market…

It appears that an alarming one in seven people aren’t contributing to a pension plan, with half of women aged between 25 and 39 not saving. All told, more than half of the workforce faces a penurious old age.

How much will you need?

The average retired couple will need around $24,000 to feed, clothe and house themselves each year. If they want a few luxuries and a bit of traveling, then this figure rises to $36,000.

If one or both partners gets a halfway decent pension, then they’ll need around $265,000 to $335,000 in a defined pension savings account.

It’s never too late to start

It’s better if you start early, though. If you start at 20-something years old, then you only need to save $200 or so each month to reach your target. Once you’re 50, this monthly saving needs to be ramped up to $840!

Don’t panic!

Work out how much you’ll need first. Do you already own your house outright, or are you planning to sell it and downsize? This move alone could fill the coffers.

If you’re renting you should consider downsizing or moving to a cheaper area, especially if you’re not expecting a huge income after retirement. Then you need to look at your lifestyle; if you want to do a bit of travelling or do that pottery course you always planned you’ll need to fund it somehow.

Then…

Save more if you need to

If you get a bonus each year, do something with it other than plan a holiday. The same applies if you get a pay-raise – siphon the extra money into your pension fund each month.

Alternatively, you could use the extra money to buy a valuable asset like gold. Click here to find out more about investing in precious metals. You never know, you may have a talent for it; if you do, it could make for a very comfortable retirement.

Use your existing assets

If you have a spare room, you could take in a lodger or maybe exchange students from a local college or university. Many colleges need reliable, responsible older people to host foreign students for a month or so and the rates can be very good indeed.

If you’re feeling time running out, don’t despair

Older savers can get tax relief on their pension contributions, so make sure you’re taking advantage of this each month – every little bit helps after all.

You also need to keep an eye on your pension pot as it grows to see what changes you could make to it to ensure it’s big enough by the time (or, even better, before) you retire.

It’s also a good idea to speak to a financial planner to find out where you are and what else you could do to make the most of your savings and your fund.

If you are like me, you need to either find more money to add to your income, or you need to budget what  you do get. Fabgrandpa and I are both retired. We both get a Social Security check, and that’s about it. We have enough money to be happy, and get the things we want. Right now. But, with changes being made in Washington every day that could affect our income, we need to find ways to save whenever possible. Here are five ways to save money in 2018.

Cook More Meals At Home

Cooking meals at home for two may seem at first glance to be more expensive than eating out. But, when you consider that you can buy the ingredients to make a meal with four large servings for less than the price of one meal in a restaurant, it makes sense to cook at home. For instance, when I make a meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, it is enough for us to eat three meals, sometimes four if I make meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. 

Look For Mark Downs In The Grocery Store

I know a lot of people won’t buy meat that has been marked down and marked “For Quick Sale”. But, if you look at the label, the sell by date has not passed on these meat items. It is usually a sell by for tomorrow or the next day. You can reap significant savings on meats by selecting the ones that have been marked down. I got a very nice T-Bone steak last week that had been marked down to $5.85. I took it home and put it in the freezer. You can find mark downs in every department of the store if you keep your eyes open. 

Use Coupons

Clipping those coupons from the Sunday newspaper, monthly magazines, and flyers that come in the mail can save you lots of money. The store I shop at regularly sends me coupons on items  I buy all the time. They make it easy to add coupons to my loyalty card with their app, too. Those coupons are automatically deducted from my grocery bill when the clerk scans my card. Coupons are available on just about everything, even on automobiles. Reedman-Toll Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Springfield has a coupon good for $1000 off the purchase of any 2018 Pick-up Truck. Keep your eyes open for coupons for whatever you want to buy. 

Recycle and Reuse

There are so many things that people just throw away that can be reused in some way. I had a closet full of clothing that I no longer wore, so I gathered them up and took them to a consignment shop in town. I might not get much for them, but the money that I do get can be added to my savings account. Many people recycle aluminum cans and other scrap metal. Selling these items can put money in  your pocket and keep tons of “stuff” out of the landfill. Next time you think about throwing something out, try to think of a way to recycle it or recuse it. 

Plant a Garden

Home grown vegetables taste so much better than those you buy at the store because they are so much fresher. Whether you plant in movable bins, a raised bed garden, or directly in the ground, you can save money and get some exercise by planting your own garden. Some vegetables that are very easy to grow and produce a big harvest are green beans, tomatoes, summer squash, zuchinni, onions, and peas. Plant basil, oregano, thyme, dill, and marjoram for delicious fresh herbs for seasoning your food. 

What do you do to save money? 

Nobody would choose to live on a construction site, particularly over Christmas, right? Well, maybe not, but if you have a major remodeling project going on at your home, you can’t simply snap your fingers and make it go away just because of the holiday season. Of course, as well as being an inconvenience, construction activities present an ideal opportunity for people to injure themselves.

When Fabgrandpa and I  moved into our home in West Georgia, there was plenty to be done My husband and I thought we should have bought a ton of construction signs and hung them all around the place – of course, to inquisitive grandchildren, all that does is increase the mystique of the secret arts of hammering, drilling and sawing all around.

It’s only natural. Children are always interested in new things or unusual activities that are going on, so when Grandma’s house is being ripped apart and put together again, you can hardly blame them for wanting to see what’s happening. Of course, the down side is that construction areas are among the most high-risk environments for adults and children alike.

Know the dangers

I might joke about us putting up construction signs, but that is of course essential so that everyone is aware of what’s happening. If there are signs up, visitors are aware of the risks, and it will, at least, serve as a reminder to the parents of any younger visitors to keep a close eye on their charges.

Agree on a schedule

Any successful project needs good communication. Depending on the type and scale of work being undertaken, there will be times when the things will get noisy, and also when you will be put to greater inconvenience, for example when large pieces of equipment are in use, or when the electricity might need to be shut off.

Make sure you have a firm schedule agreed with the contractors, so that you know what they will be doing and when. Also discuss your own needs. Obviously, over the holiday season you want to be as close to normality as possible for a couple of weeks, but you might also have plans for family visits during the summer. The trick is to work around each other and coexist effectively while the work is ongoing.

Cordon off the danger area

As I suggested earlier, a “keep out” sign might be effective for adults, but it can be just too tempting for the youngsters. While the work is on hold during the holidays, the best plan is to have the construction zone completely cordoned off. Similarly, though, you need to make sure it works both ways, and you have completely construction-free areas, so that you can still live your life away from the noise and dust.

Shoes on

However careful everyone is to keep the construction hazards contained, there is always the possibility for debris to find its way into the most unexpected places. Advise everyone to keep their shoes on to avoid a festive visit to the emergency room!