Wealth Building Tips That Will Save Your Life and Wallet!

Money is one of the biggest sources of stress in people's lives. It can be hard to save money, and even harder to build wealth. However, it is not impossible. In this blog post, we will discuss some ways to save money and build wealth!

Automate Your Savings

Start saving money! It is the first step to wealth building. You need to have a plan and be disciplined in your spending. Figure out what your savings goals are and how much you need to save each month to reach them. Automate your savings. Direct deposit a certain amount of money from each check before you see it so that you don't have to think about it. Once you have a plan, stick to it! Keep this for your emergency fund!

High Yield Savings Account

Open separate savings account for long-term savings. Investing in a high yield savings account is a great way to grow your money while taking less risk than gambling or stock market speculation. A high yield savings account will give you a higher interest rate on your deposited funds, which means more money in your pocket. Look for an account with no fees and a good interest rate. Shop around and compare rates to find the best deal for you.

Invest!

Investing is another key element of wealth building. Investing allows you to grow your money while taking less risk than gambling or stock market speculation. There are many different ways to invest, so figure out what works best for you and your goals. A financial advisor can help you get started if you're not sure where to begin.

Keep Credit Card Debt Minimal

Another great way to save money and build wealth is by keeping your credit charges low. Credit cards can be a great tool if used correctly, but they can also be a financial burden if not managed properly. Keep your credit card balances low to avoid interest charges. Make sure you pay your bill in full each month to avoid late fees. If you use credit wisely, it can be a helpful tool in Wealth Building. You can usually get a free credit report annually from your bank so you can learn where you stand!

Finally, remember that Wealth Building takes time! Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a solid financial future. Stay disciplined, budget, focus on your goals and be patient. Wealth building is a marathon, not a sprint. If you stick to these wealth-building tips, you will save money and improve your financial situation. Wealth building takes time and effort, but it is worth it! Follow these tips and you will be on your way to a more secure future.

3 Must Have Apps For Beginner Couponers!

1.)    Ibotta- Ibotta is a cash back rewards app and is my most used cashback app. Before you start your shopping, you select cash back offers in the app for the items that you want to purchase. Then you go shopping at your favorite grocery stores or retailers (both in-store or online). After, you upload a receipt of the offers you previously selected and Wa-la cashback. You can have the cashback sent to your Bank, Paypal, or even receive an instant gift card from one of your favorite retailers. I’ve used this app all throughout college and I absolutely love it. They constantly have offers for free items in the app.

Use my referral code and you’ll receive $10 for uploading your first receipt!

Referral Code - yxevjuk

2.)    Fetch – Another one of my favorites! This app is similar to Ibotta but even more simple. With Fetch all you have to do is scan ANY receipt and you’ll receive points back. With these points you can get gift cards from many different retailers. Points add up fast, and it takes 5 seconds to scan a receipt. This one is a no brainer to me if you’re trying to make extra cash back here and there.

Use my Referral Code and you’ll receive 2,000 points when you scan your first receipt!

Referral Code – B3VEV

3.)    ShopKick – This is a fun money-making app. I’ve only had it for a few months and have made over $50 in gift cards. With Shopkick you use your smartphone and/or tablet to scan products while you’re shopping to earn points for rewards. You can also earn points by uploading receipts.

What I like to do is open the app before I start my shopping, gaze through the products that are listed to be scanned and scan them while I shop. Almost every time I go to     Wal-Mart I can earn a $5 gift card within this app alone!

Use my Referral Code and you’ll receive 250 Kicks (Points) if you earn 10 kicks in your first 7 days!

Referral Code – FREE946225

DIY Fabric Softener Recipe - How to Save Money on Your Laundry

DIY Fabric Softener Recipe - How to Save Money on Your Laundry

By Hannah Hauser

Ever read your receipt after a big shopping trip and wonder at how much of your hard-earned money you just spent on seemingly nothing special? This happens to me all the time - I mean, really, how can a few shopping bags cost so much?! It’s crazy how prices continue to rise, but last time I checked, my paychecks weren’t getting any bigger. So I started looking at some of the things I bought to see where I could cut back a little bit and save some money, and I found out I can make my own DIY fabric softener for half the cost with only three ingredients!

Why You Should Be Making Fabric Softener Now

Let me start by saying that for YEARS, I did laundry just fine without using any fabric softener at all. My husband was the one who first suggested making a change, and I’ll be honest - I was reluctant. I had been washing my own things since high school, thank you, and as a true creature of habit, I just didn’t feel like changing up my laundry routine. 

I was comfortable with buying whatever detergent was on sale, throwing all my laundry in the wash (sorting be damned), and measuring out an approximate capful of detergent. Dump it in, hit start and forget it until the washer sounds the come-get-your-shit-it’s-clean alarm. Throw it in the dryer with a dryer sheet or two and leave it there for…. days? We won’t get into that.

So the idea of adding fabric softener to my lazy yet mostly effective routine just sounded incredibly… domestic. I somehow imagined fabric softener as laundering on a whole new level: I was afraid of turning into a Laundry Connoisseur. 

You probably know one - that person who ALWAYS separates whites and colors and actually uses different spin cycles for different items. They know what temperatures to run, and what Borax is (HINT: it’s not that comedy you watched once). They are the person you call frantically when you get a stain on your favorite shirt because they will be able to tell you - drawing from some sort of 1950s domestic housewife gene - exactly how to treat it, and you do the thing and breathe a sigh of relief because It. Always. Works. 

So despite my fears of becoming more domestic, I decided to give fabric softener a try. I picked one with the nicest sounding scent and added it to a load of towels.

I wish I could tell you there was a night-and-day difference when I smelled them after drying. But I really didn’t notice anything special with that first load - except that they didn’t smell old or musty. That was enough for me to keep using it, and the more I used fabric softener on my laundry, the more I began to notice a difference in the overall softer feel and slight scent boost in my things.

Now I’ve become accustomed to using fabric softener along with my regular laundry detergent. My new problem was that my preferred fabric softener (Gain Moonlight Breeze) was EXPENSIVE! Like, unsustainably so. Not good when you’re trying to pinch pennies wherever you can.

So my husband and I decided to try making our own fabric softener. Turns out there are tons of recipes out there, and we took bits and pieces from several to make our own. This version only uses 3 ingredients and takes about 2 minutes to mix up. This recipe makes about 96 ounces.

DIY 3-Ingredient Fabric Softener Recipe

1 15 oz bottle of conditioner

3 cups distilled white vinegar

6 cups water

You’ll also need:

A large mixing bowl

A whisk

A funnel

A 96 oz jug or storage container

1. Combine the conditioner and vinegar together in the mixing bowl. 

2. Whisk together to avoid fizzing and to better break down the mixture. Whisk until well-blended - there should not be big chunks of conditioner. 

3. Add the water to the mixture, stir, and pour via funnel into the storage container. 

I use an old Gain fabric softener or vinegar bottle to store it. You’ll want something with a lid so you can periodically shake the fabric softener just to keep it mixed well. I usually shake it every 1-2 loads to keep it fresh. After shaking, it’ll be mildly fizzy but that is normal.

I use one capful or approx. ⅓ measuring cup per full load of laundry. Experiment with the right amount for you - it may vary depending on your water, machine or laundry load.

Homemade for Half the Price

That’s it folks! Talk about going domestic - I’m all about it now! And it saves me money! Here is the cost breakdown:

Vinegar = $2.69 for Great Value brand (large jug)

Conditioner = $1.06 for Suave Essentials conditioner (strawberry is my current favorite!)

So for less than $4.00, I can make the same amount of fabric softener when I used to pay $8-10 or more for the name brand stuff. Half the price?! Yes, please!

Try out this fabric softener recipe and let us know how you like it! Or if you have other money-saving tips or laundry recipes to share, leave us a comment below!