DIY Life

After a long, cold winter, the bountiful seasons of spring and summer are here. Fruits and vegetables that often disappear from local markets over the winter are plentiful and inexpensive. With food prices soaring, it's tempting to take advantage of sales on produce, bakery items, and meat. Unless you have a way to store those perishables, however, buying in bulk will just lead to throwing away in bulk when the food goes bad.

The freezer is the perfect place to keep food good for a longer period of time. Most foods can be frozen for at least three to eight months, making that "buy one get one free" sale you just discovered a lot more tempting!

Suite 101 has several tips for freezing fresh foods, including breads, cheese, milk, and herbs, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. While those tips are relatively simple and straightforward, a user at Epinions has some more advanced techniques, for those of you who are really trying to squeeze pennies out of your food budget. Finally, Love Food Hate Waste has five tips for preventing food waste (and dollar waste) in the kitchen. When every penny counts, these tips might help.

When I was young and admittedly foolish, I supported myself by waitressing. Though I was constantly broke, I once dug through all of my coat pockets/waitressing aprons/jeans and came up with $150. I couldn't pay my bills, but I was floating in cash. I was a victim of a disorganized lifestyle. (Fortunately, a lot has changed since then!)

There are a lot of reasons to get organized -- a cleaner living space, less clutter, simpler routines, less stress. But did you know that being well organized could also save you money?

By knowing what you have and being able to actually find it, you're less likely to take a trip to the store (where you're sure to buy more than that one necessary item). Getting your financial life in order will help you avoid late fees when you miss a payment. And donating the things you don't need any more can help you at tax time, when you receive a deduction for charitable donations. Lifehack has eight valuable opportunities for getting organized and padding your pocketbook in the process.

Yesterday, I put $20 worth of gas into my car. I can remember the day when that would have filled it up, but instead it gave me just over 5.5 gallons. Gas prices are definitely at a high point, and it's predicted they could rise further by summer.

Though you can save money at the pump by reducing the number of miles you drive, sometimes it's impossible to cut back enough to make a difference. You can, however, save a few bucks by following these few tricks from Yahoo Finance.

• Consider checking a website like GasPriceWatch.com, which is fed by tipsters but also has a Certified Pricing Program. (Driving all over town looking for low prices, however, will burn any pennies you save. Look for a station near where you'll be anyway on your daily travels.)
• Fill up at low peak times when prices are likely to be their lowest -- before sunrise, late at night, and -- in some states -- mid-week.
• Fill up when you hit 1/4 tank. Make sure the price on the sign matches the one on the pump and that it's set to zero when you begin fueling.
• Investigate ways to improve your gas mileage.
• Take good care of your car. Check your tire pressure regularly and unload seasonal items such as snow tires.
• Though many financial experts don't recommend using credit cards, according to Yahoo Finance, using a credit card with cash rewards can help you earn rebates when you buy gas.
  

It may not take all of the sting out of today's rapidly rising gas prices, but by planning ahead, you may be able to save a few dollars off your monthly gas bill.

A few years ago I saw a beautiful trio of white Christmas trees constructed out of what appeared to be white feathers in the window of a ritzy home decor shop. They were so stunning that I entered the store only to discover they were far beyond my holiday decorating budget. I have never forgotten the trees and recently set out to recreate the project on my budget, under $10 rather than the three figure price tag I originally spied in the fancy shop. At a local craft store I found a package of two styro foam cones for $2.98 and a some white feathers for another $2.89. Then it was home to visualize the final project and figure out how to do it.