Free $$$

Basically free money anyways...you do have to click a few things once in a while, or do a generic, random internet search, or some surveys, but nothing that really gets on your nerves for any length of time.

I've been doing Swagbucks for a while....kinda. I don't really pursue the bucks hardcore, but I do well enough, in my opinion, especially for it to equal free money.

To date I've cashed in my Swagbucks for a $10 in Barnes & Noble gift card and now $30 in amazon.com gift cards.

Of course there are thousands of other cool prizes, if you have the dedication some are really awesome prizes, such as a Wii Console even!

To get started click the banner below. It really is simple. Download the toolbar, use the Swag search engine for points, do surveys, daily polls, hundreds of other free offers, its not hard, really doesn't take a ton of time each day. It'll seem like it takes forever to get used to it, but once you do it's awesome! But that's just my opinion...says the girl who hates to spend money, but will never turn down free money, especially free money for things I do all day anyways - internet searches!

Get started today! Use me for a Referral ((username: StephiLinn)) if you wouldn't mind, PLEASE!




Don't neglect to follow Swagbucks on Twitter @SwagBucks . They're also on FaceBook and have a Blog! Free Codes are often posted daily!



And just for a simple 'hint' If you're pursuing Amazon.com gift cards it's 'cheapest' to buy them $5 at a time, as opposed to the $25 or $50 denominations....

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Homegrown Ingredients :
7-8lbs pureéd tomatoes - a great variety of what I had in my garden...Roma is best, but I only had 2 this time
LARGE head of garlic - equal to about 15 cloves diced
10 small green bell peppers diced
15 small carrots chopped
handful of chopped parsley leaves
handful of chopped oregano leaves
medium red onion
two twigs of celery - yes! I FINALLY have some celery ready in my garden...its only taken 9 months since starting it from seed. :D

Ingredients I did not grow :
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
3 T - white sugar
1 T each of ground - Marjoram, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Sage, Rosemary, Basil, black pepper, and salt
1/2 of a 46oz bottle of veggie juice - for thicker sauce also use some tomato paste - around 24oz
1 lb package of mushrooms sliced & chopped

Put all ingredients into a large pot. Simmer on low for about an hour, long enough for some of the liquid to cook down a little & release the flavors. After simmering pour into a slow-cooker, leave uncovered, or just covered with a towel, for at least 6 hours on low. Cover and continue on low for up to 8 more hours, until the sauce is thickened to your desire. Separate into containers with lids...if canning you must can it in a pressure cooker, I don't have a pressure cooker, so froze mine...I left it on the counter to cool overnight before transferring it into my freezer.

Enjoy!

This made 4 jars of spaghetti sauce - I re-used the jars I'd saved from buying my spaghetti sauce in the past.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This is the recipe that I use, there are other variations and it's fairly easy to variate it according to your personal needs.

You will need :
**1 good sized clean bucket, with a lid, I use the Scoop Away kitty litter buckets
**Arm & Hammer Washing Soda - this is different than Baking Soda, do not confuse the two! can usually be found at some grocery stores - HEB, Kroger, Reasor's to name a few.
**Borax 20 Mule Team - easy to find at Wal-Mart, etc
**Bar Ivory soap or Nel Fals bar soap, grated
**Large pan for boiling - I use an old stock pan that I don't make use of otherwise.
**Funnel
**Wooden spoon, paint stir stick, something durable that you can stir with, plastic doesn't seem to do quite as well as wooden.
**Old laundry detergent bottle(s)

**Optional :
OxyClean powder (or similar product), including the OxyClean does make the price a bit higher, but for badly grimy clothes it works great as a booster to the detergent itself.
Essential oils, scent of your choice

Directions :
1. Put large stock pan on the stove, add a half gallon of water.

2. Grate the bar of soap, add it to the water, start it boiling.

3. Boil the water, with the soap, until the soap is completely liquefied - VERY important! You do not want to see any solid flakes, at all. I use an old wooden spoon to stir & check.

4. After the bar of soap is liquefied, add 1 cup of the washing soda, 1 cup of the Borax, & one cup of the OxyClean (or similar product), if using the OxyClean, and add in another half gallon of water, boil until all ingredients are dissolved.

5. In your bucket have 1 gallon of cold water waiting.

6. Add the boiling water to the cold water.

7. Mix well.

8. Add in another half gallon of water, mix.

9. Add in 10-15 (or so) drops of the essential oils - basically whatever your desire is on strength of scent.

10. Use the funnel to pour into old detergent bottles, but leave room to shake the bottle.

11. As the detergent cools it has a tendency to separate & thicken - shake well before each use to remix.

12. Store any left over detergent in the bucket with a lid, stir well before refilling your container.

13. Use as you would regular detergent, safe for both HE and regular washing machines. For more soiled clothes just add more detergent, up to 1.5 cups.


Estimated initial start-up cost is less than $20. When making the detergent without the OxyClean the cost per 2 1/2 gallons of detergent is roughly $1.25. Two and a half gallons of Tide will run you an average of $60. Adding the OxyClean ups your start up cost to roughly $30, if using the Name Brand, off brand can be found for $2-4, and the price per 2 1/2 gallons is about $2.50. This, in my person opinion & experience, out preforms Tide & similar products.