Going green and saving green!

Well it has been far too long since my last blog post and we have been very busy in our home! So here is the Cliff's Notes update with more posts to follow to go into detail on some points of interest and hopefully some giveaways too!
Cloth diapering the second time around is going great. I am as addicted to fluff as I was with Canon and I am enjoying a much more diverse stash with Colt. I will be going into some reviews and maybe even some giveaways so stay tuned. The Econobum giveaway is still open- the original goal of 150 fans seems to be a bit of a stretch so stay tuned it may be lowered or possibly just given a date- so if there are only a few fans your chances are pretty good!

As a one salary, one car home I have to be pretty creative and resourceful to get what we need and also stretch our dollars and I have to say that I have found some great money savers and money makers over the past few months. I will absolutely go into more detail on this issue as I know many of us have similar needs and issues.
My #1 money maker/saver has been
joining EBATES! If you haven't already joined and used this site DO.NOT.WAIT! I joined in November and have received a $10 Target gift card, my husband received a $10 check and I am getting $80 directly deposited into my paypal account (you can pick a check or paypal). The gift card is a sign on incentive and there are some good choices of retailers or you can pick $5 cash back. Also, if you get referrals, must go through link you provide, you get extra cash back and other incentives.

I have also started buying in bulk, mostly through Amazons subscribe and save program and this has been huge for saving us money- but be careful to keep track of current costs- they go up and down, when the cost goes up I simply cancel or delay the next delivery.
Soap nuts! Seriously, these things are AWESOME and save me major cash! I bought in bulk (NaturOli on Amazon) and have been using these ultra green gems in all of our laundry. I also boil them down to make our own hand soap and household cleaner. They work great and I haven't even begun to dent the large bag!

Line dry our clothes and when not possible using wool dryer balls! Another green thing and money saver!
I just signed on with Swagbucks and its seems like a good deal. You use it as a search engine and you get points which you convert to anything you can think of, gift cards, etc. There are a ton of ways to earn points too, I've done a few surveys, you can play games, watch videos and they also have a referral program! Check it out!

The last thing I want to briefly touch on is something that makes me really proud. My four year old son Canon has decided to have and Alex's Lemonade Stand this summer. I am so impressed with him and his beautiful big heart. If you're not familiar with ALS it's a great charity that was started by a little girl with cancer. The charity raises money and awareness to help fight childhood cancer.
I am going to include links to EBATES, SwagBucks and Alex's Lemonade Stand. Please check them out and let me know how much it helps you save, earn and also any tips you may have to lead a greener, more cost effective existence.

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/nbkelly

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=gFkXhFsRDd%2FhTZb1VCo90w%3D%3D

http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/81803