5 Old-Fashioned, Overlooked Ways To Save Time And Money

No doubt, technology can help save you time and money. Remember when you used to have to wait until after 7 p.m. to call long-distance because it was cheaper? Now, though, we can talk to our loved ones anytime we like!

But technology can’t do everything as cheaply or as quickly as we would like to think.

Here are five ways you can save time and money by doing things the old-fashioned way:

1. Turn off your phone.

My mother was quite a talkative person, but she would sometimes take the receiver off the hook. That’s good advice, even in the days of smartphones and cell phones. If you allow the phone to dominate your life, you literally could spend 24 hours of every day answering emails, sending texts, and chatting on Facebook. Whenever you really need to get something done and you find that you are constantly interrupted by your phone, turn it off.

2. Organize your life.

Spending a few minutes to make out lists, organize your closet into business and casual clothing, and write down important reminders (and put them on the fridge) will save you more time and money than you can imagine!

3. Know the difference between needs and wants.

Warren Buffett once said that if you buy things you don’t need, you will soon find yourself selling the things you do need. Be certain that you are buying (or paying for) what you need first.

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Do you have a gym membership that you pay for each month, but that you only use a half dozen times a year? Do you really NEED a rice cooker when a pot with a lid works just as well? Yes, “wants” are nice to have, but if you find that you are short on cash every month, perhaps it’s time to prioritize your needs and wants. Our ancestors were great at this, weren’t they?

4. Put your kids to work.

Many parents make the mistake of thinking that when they do everything for their child, they are showing them that they are loved. “They will have to work their whole lives, let them be kids now,” we hear.

Unfortunately, this will end up costing parents tons of time and money. Children might feel more loved, but they also will spend their entire lives feeling entitled to this sort of treatment. Show your children real love by teaching them that everyone needs to work and pull their weight. No, you don’t have to send them out to the fields to hoe weeds, but when I was only five, I made my own bed, dressed myself, put my dirty clothes in the hamper, got my own breakfast (cereal and milk), and did simple chores after school such as feeding the dog and putting the mail on the kitchen table.

5. Keep it simple.

I have a confession to make: I don’t own a food processor. Amazing, but true — although I did buy a used one once. At least in my case, I found that the effort and time it took to take it apart and clean it was far more time-intensive than if I used a simple knife to cut food. A blender and a knife does almost everything a food processor does for far less money and effort. This isn’t to say that I don’t love kitchen gadgets, but many of them cost a lot of money and are time-intensive.

What would you add to our list? Share your thoughts in the section below:  

5 Things STILL Worth Doing Grandma’s Way (That Is, Without Gadgets!)

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No matter how many fancy little electronic gadgets I get, sometimes there is just no substitute for doing things the way your grandmother did.

I’m not going to bash gadgets in this article. I am a big, big fan of anything that makes my life less complicated. (Yes, I am forever grateful for dishwashers, video doorbells and washing machines).

However, some things just don’t seem to work out as planned once they go electronic. I have found that there are a few things that simply work out better when you do them the old-fashioned way. Yes, it might take a bit more effort, but you will find it is well worth it.

1. Use a real camera.

Of course, having a camera on hand for those spontaneous videos or spur-of-the-moment pictures is a great thing, don’t get me wrong, but gathering the family around a cell phone or tablet to view Christmas photos just doesn’t cut it.

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You don’t have to lug around an $800 camera and a box of lenses. A simple digital camera will do nicely for pictures you know you are going to take, including family photos, Christmas and other holiday photos, birthday parties, etc. Save your cell phone for times when you simply must send a picture of these shoes to your sister to see if they go with her new outfit.

2. Make a real photo album.

Again, there is nothing heartwarming about passing around a cell phone to view Susie’s first birthday party pics. It really is worth the effort to take pictures with a real camera (digital is great) and then order prints of the photos you think are the best. Put those photos (don’t forget to write who is in the photo on the back) in photo albums. When your family gets together, sitting around an album is much nicer than a cell phone. In addition, albums can be passed on to other family members throughout the years. I really cherish the pictures of my parents and grandparents, which would most likely be lost in a computer crash.

3. Keep a paper address book.

I only know three phone numbers now: my husband’s cell, my cell, and our home phone. Why? Because I don’t have to. My cell phone keeps track of all my phone numbers and addresses for me.

However, after losing my cell phone for a few hours one day, I realized that I would only have access to whatever backup I had as far as those names and addresses go. When was the last time you backed up your cell phone? Exactly! And what would we do if we had no way to access even our backup files?

For this reason, I now keep an old-fashioned paper address book in my home. I write in pencil and can make changes as often as needed. If I should lose all my contact information, even if it’s slightly out of date, my paper address book will still be there to help me out.

4. Use a paper calendar.

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Phone calendars can be a great thing when you are on the road or away from home, but how many times have you relied on your Google or phone calendar, only to find that you forgot to set the alarm or that you put the appointment for 2 p.m., when it should have been 12 p.m.? It has certainly happened to me.

For this reason, I use a paper wall calendar in my kitchen to write big notes or achievements, as well as a small paper calendar in my purse, in addition to my electronic calendar. When I make an appointment, I write it in my paper calendar in my purse, first. Just a simple “John Dr. 12PM” will do the trick. Once I am home and not so rushed, I add it to my cell phone, then to the wall calendar. This way, my husband doesn’t have to ask me six times when his doctor’s appointment is and I have a backup I can check in an instant if my electronic calendar should fail, or if I should misplace my phone. Again.

5. Paper invitations and/or thank-you notes.

Yes, I’ve heard how e-vites and thank-you notes are all the rage because they are “greener” than using paper, but if you use sustainable paper sources, such as bamboo or hemp, that argument quickly falls by the wayside.

There is nothing more personal or sweet that you can send someone than a handwritten, paper invitation or thank you-note. If someone took the time to go to the store, buy a gift, have it wrapped, and show up at your event, is it too much to ask to write a three line thank-you note?! Invitations and thank-you notes are also great mementos to keep in your scrapbook or photo album.

There are plenty of other old-fashioned things that I like to do, but when it comes to electronic gadgets, I prefer my grandmother’s way to the Apple way.

What would you add to our list? Share your thoughts in the section below:

5 Old-Fashioned Herbal Remedies For Kidney Stones

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If you have ever had a kidney stone, then you know how painful it can be to pass them. Kidney stones are made up of hard, crystallized deposits of uric acid, calcium and amino acid cysteine.

If you are fortunate, then you can pass several kidney stones at one time and not even be aware of it when they are the size of a grain of sand. But often, they are larger.

Prevention is far better than any “cure” when it comes to kidney stones, at least in my book. If you have suffered from them in the past, then your chance of having another one is much more likely in the future.

Ever wonder what our ancestors did to get rid of kidney stones? They used natural diuretics that would help the stone pass as quickly as possible.

In this article, we will discuss five old-fashioned herbs that our ancestors used to both prevent and pass kidney stones.

1. Dandelion

Dandelion root has been used as a diuretic for thousands of years. Increased urination is one of the best ways to make a stone pass quickly. Dandelion root also has been shown to help clean out the urinary tract, and it has a mild analgesic effect. Dandelion root is best consumed as a tea, but you can also take 500 mgs twice each day if you have supplements.

2. Plantain

Plantain can be consumed on a regular basis to help prevent stones from forming. In fact, many people with a history of stones drink plantain juice each day to help prevent stones from forming. This plant is also a natural diuretic, which can be effective in removing stones.

3. Horsetail

You might think of horsetail as a pretty border plant for your garden, but did you know that it also can be used as a medicinal herb?

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Horsetail is a natural diuretic, which is great for helping stones to pass, but it also can reduce the amount of bleeding and pain while passing the stone. This herb is best consumed as a tea. Drink three cups or more each day until the stone passes.

4. Chanca piedra

This herb comes to us via Brazil. Its name means “stone breaker,” which probably gives you a clue as to what it has been used for traditionally. It was shown in one study to help normalize calcium levels in subjects who suffered from recurring stones, and in another, those consuming this herb for six months had a much lower rate of forming new stones than those who took a placebo. This herb is generally consumed as a supplement, but it can also be consumed in tea form. Take as directed.

5. Rosemary

This fragrant herb is not only good as a culinary spice, but it’s one of the most popular treatments for kidney stones. Rosemary, when consumed on a regular basis, helps to increase urination, which can prevent the formation of stones. Rosemary also prevents the enzyme urese from taking effect, which helps stop stones from forming. Consuming a cup of rosemary tea each day can help prevent kidney stones from forming in the future.

Do you know of other all-natural remedies for kidney stones? Share your tips in the section below: