Beauty
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Use old shampoo you don’t want as bubble bath
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Use conditioner can soften hair before shaving
- Mix fake tan with moisturiser as it can make it last longer
- Try to declutter by using up all your old shampoo bottles, soaps etc
- Out of date suncream can be used as a body moisturiser
- Use gloves to keep your hands soft & young when washing up
- Hand or even foot moisturiser can be made by mixing 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of sugar (Massage, leave for 2 mins then rinse off)
- For super white nail tips soak your fingers in lemon juice for 10 mins to take out any yellowness.
- A dab of toothpaste on a spot could get rid of the those spots as well as expensive spot cream
- To get help cellulite use coffee grinds & add to shower gel, rub over dimply bits. Caffeine is used in lots of fancy anti-cellulite creams. It’s also got oil in it so your skin is nice & smooth.
- You can get the last of your nail polish by adding a few drops of nail polish remover to a bottle & giving it a good shake.
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Freshly squeezed lemon juice has a slight bleaching effect on your hair (use for highlights) but don’t use too much or it dries out your hair
- Save sample bottles of shampoo to use on holiday instead of paying for them.
- Mayonnaise can be used on face & then rinsing it off.
- Cold tea bags or cucumber slices over your eyes can reduce bags under your eyes. Mashed up bananas for left for 10 mins can be used for the same thing.
- Add a cup of milk to your bathwater to make your skin feel fabulous (It worked for Cleopatra)
- Make a scrub made form half cup of brown sugar, one eighth of a cup of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of honey sand some essential oils like rosemary, mint or grapefruit.Use about 1 tablespoon esp on rough hands, elbows or feet.
- A handful of oatmeal to your bath will soften your skin.
- Skin of avocado can soften elbows.
- Rinse fine hair in beer to give more body.
- Egg yolk in the hair can be a great conditioner & makes it shiny, but rinse off with cold water.
- Shaving cream massaged into the scalp & washed with cold water can be used instead of clear dandruff without using expensive anti dandruff shampoo.
- Cold milk can be used as eye make up remover & cleanser.
- Make perfume last longer by applying a thin layer of Vaseline to your skin & spray it on perfume.
- Exfoliator- Sugar or salt mixed with baby oil can be rubbed on to the face
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You can often get a free make up makeover at some shops where they try to get you to buy their products but you don’t have to buy these
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Ask for a free sample
- Local beauty colleges often offer a discount on massage & facials
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Try a hair dressing college. Students are supervised so you wont come out with a shocking hair cut. Be prepared though as it may take some time compared to your local salon.
Sunburn Treatments
Dab cool tea on burnt areas
Aloe Vera
Try supermarket own brands of after sun
Natural live yoghurt, leave till it sets, then wash off with cool water.
Slices of cucumber
A-Z guide to stain removal.
White Vinegar
Masks lingering smells
Unblocks sinks (when mixed with bicarbonate of soda)
Household Cleaner (mix half and half with water & stick in old spray container to use on work tops, bathrooms & kitchens)
Prevents limescale build up (use neat)
De-scaler (use neat)
Bicarbonate of soda
Household stains
Cleaner for fridges, microwaves & ovens
Deodoriser gets rid of smells in the fridge
For ovens make a paste of couple of teaspoons of bicarb & a small amount of water
Use neat in pot in back of the fridge to great rid of smells
Cheap biological washing powder
Stain remover (carpets- soak with warm water & powder, cover with white towel, then walk on until most of water absorbed. Then leave to dry.)
De-greaser (cleans stubborn pans)
Boil up to bring burnt pans sparklingly clean (few tablespoons in hot water)
Value or Flat Cola
Clean toilet
Shifts burnt on food on saucepans
Borax
Stain remover for clothes
Toilet cleaner
Cleans cookers
Window Cleaner- use Vinegar & water in a spray bottle then wipe with newspaper.
Furniture wipes- use value baby wipes.
Polish woodwork- a drop of lemon juice to some olive oil. (stubborn marks equal lemon juice to olive oil & leave for a few hours before wiping off)
Clothes Shopping
When buying things, always ask yourself before buying:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Is it cheaper elsewhere (as you could save yourself a lot of money if it is a big purchase)?
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it? Even if you use it, will you use it enough to justify the cost?
- Is it cheaper elsewhere?
If no or don’t know to any of these questions then don’t buy
If you want new, always look in the sales. They are almost guaranteed at certain times of the year: Waitangi day, Queens Birthday, Labour Weekend and of course Boxing Day sales.
Sales?
Sometimes you rush to buy things you don’t really want! For example that suit reduced at 50% but never wear it!
Otherwise there are a number of second hand stores available to buy clothes should you not want to pay so much or there is always Trade Me where there seems to be more quality second hand clothes coming on.
Charity or second hand shops
Buy from charity shops in expensive towns or areas of the cities.
Check out the smaller charity shops as bigger chains
Check what you really need in clothes before shopping that way you won’t buy more of the same thing
Note your family’s size in a notebook & keep a tape measure with you.
Only buy if you need it, it fits, you like it or you’ll actually wear it.
You can buy fancy dress items cheaply
You can buy items to use for DIY or just use some of your old clothes you never wear.
Auction sites or car boot/garage sales you can sometimes bag a bargain.
You could repair old shoes with a cobbler who can rescue them often much cheaper than buyer new.
Check out whether you can use your clothes with something else in your wardrobe you hadn’t thought of.
Buy in January if you want Christmas dresses etc as they are often in the sale. Dress hire shops can often sell off last season’s dresses.
The same goes for items for skiing or snowboarding as you can often pick up these items just after winter at bargain prices.
Children’s clothes
Set up clothes swaps with friends who may have older children. Otherwise they may be prepared to just give you the clothes as their child may have outgrown them
You can always keep clothes if you’re expecting more children.
Charity shops & garage/car boot sales can again be a great source of hardly used children’s clothing and at a bargain price too!
There are often 2nd hand shops selling old clothes or prams/cots etc.
Knitting sites www.knitting.about.com or www.chicknits.com
LEARN TO SEW
You can take a sewing course at a local college
Free patterns are available at www.sewingpatterns.com & you can download it from there.
Sewing machines can be picked up 2nd hand from car boot sales or off auction sites.
Ripped jeans can be turned into shorts
Baby socks can be turned into scratch mitts
Old socks use
Use for extra warmth in the winter.
Dusters, shoe polishers, car cleaning rags.
Cover shoes
Make them into puppets for your kids
Add pot pourri ,sew them up & stick them in your shoes.
Old tights & stockings
Store flower bulbs or onions
Plant ties
Swapping Parties
Meet with a group of friends or people to swap any unwanted stuff.
This can be from clothes, shoes to unwanted CDs or DVDs. The items are brought and piled up in the middle of the room (this way you won’t get embarrassed with your crazy items). The host/hostess lifts up one of the items and asks if there are any takers. If there are a few takes then they can be decided over later on.
You can make a night of it buy having nibbles & even some wine if you fancy.
Any unwanted items can then either be sold on auction sites, garage/car boot sales or more likely given to charity shops. (But make sure everyone agrees to this before the start of the night)
Wedding dresses
You could hire, make, borrow or even use an old family dress. However if you buy what can you do with the old dress.
Sell on an auction site
Keep it for your future daughter or relative
Have shortened to use as a cocktail dress or dye it and wear as evening gown
A few tips to help you save on DIY or home maintenance
Keep a box with old screws, nails, nuts & bolts as you never know when you’ll need it
Borrow power tools from friends or neighbours.
You may be able to get helpful advice from a local trade electrical or plumbing shop
Some handy hints to remove common problems around the house:
Mildew
Use bleach instead of fancy cleaners
Stick on transfers
Can be removed with razor blade and hot soapy water
Condensation
Allow air to circulate
A bowl of salt can help.
Run cold water before hot water in bath.
Descale shower head
Unscrew it & leave in a sink full of white vinegar & hot water for at least an hour. It may need to be done again if particularly stubborn.
Stop a dripping tap
Turn off the water, remove the body of the tap with a spanner, then fit new washer.
Decorating
Get rid of glue after stripped wallpaper.
Wash down with sugar soap (from hardware store) & rub hard to remove.
Smooth finish on walls
For newly finished walls, mix one-third PVA & two thirds water & brush on. Let it dry before painting.
Clean painted walls
Use sugar soap or washing up liquid with warm water
Doctors Visits
Doctors visits in New Zealand can be made cheaper by ensuring that you are registered with your doctor’s practice. This will help you get a subsidy from the government for your health treatment if you are a NZ citizen, resident or have lived in New Zealand for over 2 years.
It takes time for this subsidy to come through (up to 3 months) so make sure you register with a doctors practice as soon as you move to a new area even if you’re not ill.
See your registered doctor if you can
Make sure you try to see your own doctor where you are registered as if you go elsewhere you may not receive the subsidy offered to your own doctor. This could work out a much more expensive visit as most consultations with your own doctor are now subsidised.
They will also have all your past medical history which another doctor won’t have.
Cheaper PrescriptionsRegistering with your GP also reduces the cost of prescriptions from the $15 previously.
You can get subsidised prescriptions for contraception but only certain oral contraceptives are subsidised.
Always ask if the medicine you are getting is subsidised otherwise it could work out quite expensive.
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