The Frugal Free Gal

Studies show more than 50 percent of American employees feel that they deserve more money than they’re currently making. Are you one of those underpaid workers? If you are, it might be time to ask for a raise – with a little help from these five tips.

Know What You Want – Of course, you know you want more money and you might even know how much money you want, but do you know how that amount compares to others in your position? Knowing what your position typically pays (with your level of experience) can help you build a case for getting the pay increase you’re hoping for.

Make a Case – Speaking of building a case, your chances of getting a raise are greatly improved if you go into the meeting with a list of recent accomplishments that warrant a raise in pay. What have you done in the past year? How have you helped the company win new clients, save more money, or become generally more successful? Create a list of at least five accomplishments and mention all of them to make it harder for your boss to say no to your request.

Focus on Professional Reasons – Tell your boss why you deserve a raise (see “make a case” above), but not why you WANT a raise. In other words, your boss doesn’t care that you need the money to pay off your rising credit card debt.

Let Your Boss Do Some Talking, Too – You’ll do some talking – in fact, you might do most of the talking – but let your boss talk, too. Ask questions about your performance, listen closely to the answers, and be ready to reply to those answers to help your case.

If At First You Don’t Succeed – You might not get a raise (or get the raise you were hoping for), but that’s okay. If you get turned down, ask your boss about a better time to talk … and then use the time off to prepare your next case for a pay increase!

For many, an herb garden is just as essential to them as their vegetable garden! After all, how would that pesto or tomato salad be tasty if you didn’t have a fresh snip of basil or oregano to add? But did you know there are other household uses for those herbs you grow? Herbs need not to be restricted to just the cooking pot! In fact, mint can be easily added to your beauty regimen and help you achieve great results for just pennies! Mint is a cinch to grow, and a start will cost you less than $2.00 per plant. Now that is a great value!

For more than just the kitchen, mint can help stretch your beauty budget as well. With just a few minutes and a few ingredients you may already have, you can make your own beauty products at home. Take a peek at some of these quick and minty concoctions that can help brighten and revitalize your skin as well as save you some serious cash! You might be surprised!

Natural Lemony Mint Foot Scrub

Lemon naturally softens and brightens your skin while mint cools and refreshes tired feet!

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
• 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped

First, slice the lemon into small pieces. Next, place them in a blender and form a pulp. Remove the pulp and place in a bowl, and then add sugar, almond oil, and mint leaves. Apply liberally to skin and allow to set for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water. So soothing!

Minty Facial Mask

Mint revitalizes skin and tightens pores. This mask is a great quick pick me up for a tired face!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of toothpaste (use the paste variety, not gel)
• 3 tablespoons of warm water
• 6 finely chopped mint leaves

Squeeze toothpaste into a bowl. Add the water an stir until it is pasty. Add in the chopped mint. Rub the mixture gently onto face while avoiding the eyes. Leave the mixture on the face for 10 minutes or until dried. Rinse with warm water. Presto!

Mint and Vinegar Skin Toner

Forget spending big bucks on name brand facial toners! Tone your skin yourself with this quick recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• 3 chopped mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix the ingredients well and allow to sit in a cool location for one day. Strain to remove any leaves that still remain in the mixture. Pour the liquid into a bottle with a secure lid to keep air out. Blot on a cotton ball and apply to skin to tone and firm!

As you can see, mint can become a staple part of your beauty regimen, and it can do so on a dime. Oh, and a word to the wise…mint spreads fast! If you plant it, you may wish to do so in a flower pot or it can quickly grow out of control! Also, you should check a small patch of skin before using any products on it to test for sensitivity.

So purchase a mint plant and see what wonders it can do for you. For just a few bucks, it is worth a try!

Labor Day is coming up (Monday, September 2) and you’ve probably already given some thought to how you’re going to celebrate the end-of-summer holiday. Or, if you’re like some people, you won’t give it much thought until about three days before the big day. Either way, you’ll be happy to know that you can have a great time on Labor Day with friends and family without spending a lot of money!

GO TO A PARADE – Memorial Day and Independence Day are well known for their parades, but Labor Day parades aren’t uncommon, either. What’s nice about a parade – besides the fact that they’re FREE – is that they provide lots of entertainment for the whole family.

VISIT A FAIR – The end of summer is often observed with a fair, festival or carnival of some sort, and admission is usually free (but not always). Simply walking around can often be the most entertaining and cost efficient way to enjoy a fair. Things can get a little costly if you want to play games, ride rides and enjoy some deep fried fair food, but with a little budgeting and shopping around, you should be okay.

THROW A BARBEQUE! – There are three holidays upon which a barbeque is almost a requirement: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Thankfully, the tradition is a relatively affordable way to celebrate with friends and family members. Of course, that’s assuming you follow the “budget barbequing” tips I discussed in a blog entry earlier this summer!

HAVE A PICNIC – How is a picnic different from a barbeque? Good question. They’re actually not all that different – both feature good food at a good price – but a picnic lets you take the meal away from the home to a local park or another picturesque location. When planning a picnic menu, choose foods that are all eaten at the same time (spreading the food out on the blanket is the best part!) and be sure to keep everything at the right temperature in a cooler packed with plenty of ice.

CELEBRATE AT HOME – If you don’t feel like going to a fair or parade, planning a picnic, or even firing up the barbeque, you can still have a good time with the family at home. Instead, order some takeout (or save money by making something yourself) and try a Labor Day movie marathon!

One way to save money is to buy items in bulk when possible. While you may be spending a little more up front, you’ll be buying items less often and paying less for them per unit price. If you pay attention to a few tricks, you’ll be able to save money on a variety of items, from cleaning supplies to home office items to everyday necessities. Here are 10 quick tips on how to save money by buying in bulk.

1. Storage – Prepare a place to keep the extras until you’re ready to use them. Use shelves, cabinets or large containers to minimize the clutter.

2. Start Slow – Don’t go out and buy everything you see at once. Start with a few items that you can stretch out over time, like cleaning supplies or paper products.

3. Keep Inventory – For larger households, the extras can move quickly. Keep a list of what’s running low when you pull the last or second-to-last item off the shelf so you don’t run out. If you do run out, try to avoid buying products at convenience prices.

4. Budget – Set a budget and stick to it.

5. Share the Load – If you have friends or family members who are also trying to save money and spend less, talk about what items you both need, then share the load and split the items and the costs down the middle.

6. Be Selective – Great deals can be tempting. Try to stick with what you need and what you will eventually use. Items like office supplies for work-at-home-moms and paper products are examples of what you will eventually use.

7. Unit Versus Case – Pay attention to the quantity required for purchase. Some products are available in cases or in multiple units. Cases typically cost less per item.

8. Special Events – Plan ahead for special events. If you know you’re going to have a wedding shower, birthday party or house guests for the holidays, start picking up bulk items like party supplies and decorations ahead of time so you can stay on budget.

9. Special Deals – Some discount stores offer special deals on seasonal items when you buy in bulk. Take advantage of the ones that make sense.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post brought to you by Nikki. Nikki is an independent writer for DollarTree.com. Dollar Tree offers great deals on office supplies, party supplies and more.

Saving money is a challenge for some and saving money for the future and your retirement can be a bigger challenge. Are you saving for your future? If not, remember it’s never too late if you start now! There are several ways for you to save for your future!

My family started saving money after we graduated from college. We started putting a little bit of money away each month. After several years of saving, we feel we are on the path to a healthy future. The younger you are, the more potential you have to place your money away so that it can grow. It’s always a good idea to invest your money several different ways. You don’t want to place all of your eggs into one basket!

Here are a few ways that you can save for your future and your retirement!

1. Open a basic savings account at your bank. It’s great to use this account for a rainy day or to save for your future, however with this type of account you may be tempted to take your money out earlier because it’s more liquid. The interest rates may also be lower than you’d like and your money may not grow very much.

2. Buys bonds. Bonds are a great way to save for the future and they are aren’t as easy to get into as a basic account. Your money is still pretty liquid when you buy bonds but you don’t want to cash them out until they reach their maturity level. Interest rates can be pretty decent and your money has the potential to grow a little more when you buy bonds. You can choose between a Series I bond or a Series EE bond. Do a little research to see which is right for you.

3. Sit down with someone at your bank to discuss opening up a CD (certificate of deposit). There are several different options to choose from and your money has the potential to grow at a higher interest rate. I’ve tried CDs before but didn’t feel the interest rates were good enough so I cancelled them. You may have to pay a small penalty for withdrawing early.

4. Open up a no fee IRA to save for your retirement. Many places do charge fees to invest in an IRA so if you can save more money, do what you can to avoid the fees. The money in an IRA is not very liquid, so if you want to withdraw early, you may be hit with a large penalty!

Remember, if you want to save for your future, the time to start saving is now!

Note: I am not a financial advisor. This information is based on my own understanding. Please seek advice from your financial advisor to see what investment options are right for you.

Disclosure: GigaSavvy is the contributor for this review.