Back in 2008, I wrote an article for Yahoo! about easy ways to save money and increase the balance in your savings account when living paycheck to paycheck. At the time of that writing, I certainly was hoping that we would have seen far more significant economic improvement by now; however, that is largely not the case.

Folks are still losing their homes to foreclosure, people are still struggling to find full-time employment, and way too many people still can't afford things as basic and important as health insurance.

Since I normally blog about ways to save money using coupons, making DIY personal care or cleaning products, buying in bulk and using point programs for gift cards to your favorite stores, I figured this might be a good time to revisit these 15 tips that are not directly tied to grocery shopping or giving up your favorite deep conditioner.

Click the link below to read the full article:

How to Increase Savings when Living Paycheck to Paycheck:  Fifteen Ways to Increase Your Savings Account Balance when You're Broke

What do you do to increase the balance in your savings account while sticking to your budget?

If you've got a money-saving tip to share, consider leaving a comment to help others save!

(You can also tweet this post or like it on Facebook to share these tips with your friends and followers.)

Holiday weekends are a sad time for some couponers, but try to think of these no-insert weekends as a nice break from all that sorting and clipping. These are perfect days to take a walk, play a game with your kids or hit that snooze button a few more times.

But if you're seriously jonesing, I can't just leave you without a Sunday coupon fix, so check out these links to find online printable vegan coupons, vegetarian coupons and organic coupons:

Printable Vegan Coupons: Kiss My Face, Lundberg, Ecover & More

Printable Vegan Coupons: Pure Via, Clif, Barbara's Cereal & More

Hot! Vegan Printable Coupons: Alexia, McCann's, So Delicious, Eco-Me, Hinode and More!

$2.00 off Method Laundry Detergent - Printable Coupons

4 More Days for Double Swag Bucks with Coupon Savings

CommonKindness.com

I just wanted to post a quick reminder that there are just four more days left to get double swag bucks (redeemable points) for printing and redeeming money-saving coupons at Swagbucks.

Did you know you can get free printable vegan coupons (and lots of other coupons) on the Swagbucks site and earn points every time you use them? This is a perfect way to stack coupon savings and earning programs to extend your dollar as far as possible. Membership is free and signing up is fast, so it's definitely worth it.

Here is how it works:

Let's say you want an online vegan coupon for So Delicious products.

1. Login to your Swagbucks account (which is even easier if you are already using the Swagbucks toolbar to earn points while you search).
2. Print the coupons you want.
3. Save money on your next shopping trip when you use the coupons.
4. Earn swag bucks for printing and redeeming the coupons.
5. Save up those swag bucks and redeem them for gift cards, cash deposited in your PayPal account, donations to charity or a variety of prizes available on the Swagbucks site.

Normally, you receive 10 swag bucks for each coupon you print and redeem; however, they are giving out double bucks throughout the month of May -- which means you have four more days to get 20 swag bucks per coupon! Of course, even if you miss the May deadline for double points, you still get the 10 swag bucks they usually offer up for each coupon used.

Head over to Swagbucks to sign up and start printing free online coupons now!

Planet Shoes is having a pretty exciting Memorial Day Sale this weekend. The sale runs through May 28, and there is a number of ways to save, including:

• Save up to 70% off on items included in the Memorial Day Sale.
• Get an extra 20% off on all sale items.
• Free shipping on orders over $49.

The prices are already adjusted to reflect the discounts, so you don't have to worry about promo codes for this sale. Do keep in mind that not all of the shoes for sale on Planet Shoes are vegan shoes, but you can get directly down to some online vegan shoe shopping by visiting their vegan shop -- just click on the pic below.

Take advantage of this awesome deal on Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer!

Save 50% on Vega this weekend during their Memorial Day Sale. If you have not yet tried this vegan health supplement, this is a great time to take the opportunity to try it at half price. Of course, if you are already a Vega fan, then you know what a great deal this is!

This 50% off sale suns from Friday, May 25 to Tuesday, May 29, so get over there soon!

Promo Code: VEGANHEALTH

There are several vegan printable coupons on the Mambo Sprouts website right now. To save big on some eco-friendly and vegan products, head over and print these vegan coupons before they are gone!

Here are a few of the vegan/vegetarian coupons I saw over there today:

$1.00 off any One Kiss My Face Hair Care Product (8oz or larger)

$.75 off any One Bag of Lundberg Family Farms Rice Chips

$.75 off any One Blue Diamond 4.25oz Bag of Baked Nut Chips

$1.50 off Any One Ecover ZERO Range

$.55 off any One 10oz San-J Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce, Asian Cooking Sauce or 8oz Salad Dressing

$1.50 off any Two Nature’s Path Eco Pacs

$1.50 off any One Kiss My Face Shower Gel (16oz or larger)

If you already make your own beauty products, personal care products and household cleaners, then you are well aware of the awesomeness of apple cider vinegar (ACV). If you are not yet in love with this simple, cheap solution for practically everything in your home, this apple cider vinegar hair rinse is a great introduction into how easy and beneficial it is to use ACV for multiple purposes, including your vegan, eco-friendly, DIY hair care needs.

In case you are a bit reluctant to listen to some stranger telling you to put an ingredient normally used in coleslaw on your hair, let me start by saying that I use this vinegar rinse all the time, and I have a lot of hair. And by a lot, I mean the kind of long, curly hair that gets caught in car doors and sat on by other people if I'm not paying attention. So I would never intentionally steer someone wrong when it comes to hair care.

I noticed a difference the first time I used an ACV hair rinse years ago, including softer, shinier hair that was easier to comb out and had less frizz. It accomplishes this by helping to restore the balance of your hair's pH, remove build up from shampoos and styling products, and smooth your hair's cuticles. I now use this apple cider vinegar hair treatment once every week or two, and I continue to absolutely love it.

Oh - also - if you have issues with dandruff, apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that seems to work well for lots of folks, so this rinse might also help take care of that problem!

I should point out that I use way more vinegar in my mix than most folks recommend, so I will give you my recipe along with a more common recipe to allow you to choose which is right for you. I don't normally use shampoo these days, but when I used to use it, I did the vinegar rinse before shampooing my hair. Most folks who tout the benefits of an ACV rinse for hair recommend shampooing your hair, doing the rinse, and then using your conditioner.

You can use conventional ACV (the cheap stuff) for your household cleaning needs, but you should use organic apple cider vinegar for health, personal care and beauty purposes. I prefer Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, which has the mother (the brownish stuff you see at the bottom of the bottle or floating around).

Here is how I roll with my DIY apple cider vinegar hair rinse:

I have a clear version of an old-school mustard or ketchup squeeze bottle that you would find at a diner or BBQ. I fill a little less than half of the bottle with apple cider vinegar, and then fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. I then place my finger over the hole in the top and shake it up. I keep this in the shower for multiple uses, since I use this mixture on both my hair and my face.

Since some people like actual measurements and whatnot, here is the basic recipe that I use:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

When I'm in the shower, I wet my hair, and then apply the apple cider vinegar mixture -- focusing primarily on my scalp and the hair on the top of my head. Since I have longer than average hair, I then hold my hair out at arm's length and squeeze the ACV rinse over the length of my hair. I then work the mixture through my hair (like you would work conditioner through your hair) and let it sit for about two minutes while I go about my normal showery business. I then rinse my hair and apply my conditioner, which stays on through the rest of my shower.

You will definitely smell the vinegar while you are going through this process and while your hair is still wet after you get out of the shower. If you use as much vinegar in your mix as I do, this smell will mostly dissipate as your hair dries, but you might still get a whiff of it every now and then until you wash your hair again.


Here is how other people roll with their apple cider vinegar hair rinse:

If you are concerned about the smell, you can simply use less vinegar in your rinse, which will result in the vinegar smell completely dissipating by the time your hair is dry. This is probably one of the reasons why some people like to use this watered-down version for their hair care needs.

Here is a more common recipe that uses much less ACV than I do:

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups water

Also, remember that many folks recommend shampooing your hair before using this hair treatment, and then following the rinse with your regular conditioner.

Commercial bath powders (aka body powder, dusting powder, baby powder) can be expensive and generally have a long ingredient list that includes unnecessary chemicals and talc, which has been linked to a variety of health concerns. These conventional bath powder options usually come in single-use containers that may not be recyclable, are often made from ingredients that are sourced from around the world, and require all sorts of energy, water and transportation to gather the ingredients, produce the product and deliver it to your local store.

While they might provide a luxuriously smooth, silky feel to your skin or help prevent diaper rash, these chemical and talc-laden baby powders are bad for you, your baby and the environment. Besides, once you see how easy and cheap it is to make your own bath powder, you will be wondering why you ever bothered buying baby powder at the store.

Here are four all-natural bath powder recipes that are simple, cheap and made from ingredients that you probably already have on hand:

DIY Bath Powder Recipe #1: Simple, Unscented Baby Powder

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup baking soda

Mix them together, and you're finished. It really is that simple to make your own baby powder that is eco-friendly and safer for your family to use. You can purchase both cornstarch and baking soda in the bulk section of your local natural foods store. You can scent this simple bath powder with 10-25 drops of essential oil*, if you choose.


DIY Bath Powder Recipe #2: Simple, Scented Baby Powder

1 cup cornstarch
10-25 drops of an essential oil* of your choice


DIY Bath Powder Recipe #3: Arrowroot Baby or Body Powder

1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 cup cornstarch
Optional: 10-25 drops of essential oil* for scent


DIY Bath Powder Recipe #4: Even Easier Arrowroot Body or Baby Powder

1 cup arrowroot powder
Optional: 10-25 drops of essential oil* for scent


Tips for Making Your Own All-Natural Body Powder

You can store your bath powders in an old-fashioned sugar shaker (with holes in the lid) or repurpose an old powder container with a puff. If you use the sugar shaker option and don't plan to use the powder right away -- or would like to give it as a gift -- a simple square of cloth (organic cotton would be best) can be placed under the lid to block the holes.

If you prefer scented products, make sure you use essential oils -- not fragrance oils.

*If you are not familiar with working with essential oils, please take some time to educate yourself before using them in DIY personal care products. I would recommend using unscented baby powder for babies and toddlers. Also keep in mind that some people can experience adverse effects from essential oils. For example, rosemary should not be used by pregnant women or people with high blood pressure, and lavender can seriously dry out some people's skin - and even cause peeling in some cases. Essential oils have wonderful healing qualities and are perfect for use in home remedies, homemade personal care products and homemade cleaning products; we just need to make sure we know the possible side effects or contraindications for each oil we use.

Head over to Coupon Network to print these vegan coupons while they are still available. Don't forget -- you can print them twice!

Here are the vegan printable coupons you will find over there at this time:

$1.00 off Six (6) Clif Bars
$1.25 off any One Barbara's Cereal (Try the peanut butter Puffins!)
$.50 off any One Pur Via Sweetener (any size)
$1.10 off any One Sundown Naturals Product (not all supplements in this line are vegan)

If you are not familiar with bambeco, you really must run over to their site and check out the eco awesomeness that graces every page. If you are looking for any type of home goods or decor (or gifts), bambeco is a great place to peruse eco-friendly options.

The picture above shows the promo code to get free shipping on orders over $75 (MEM75), but you can save even more by using the following promo code to save 20% off your entire order!

This is only good through May 31, so head over there soon if you want to take advantage of this month's 20% discount.

Here is the promo code for 20% off your bambeco order during the month of May: TAKE20

Shop the site, fill your basket, and then use the promo code during checkout.