I absolutely can’t stand the popular magnet that reads: “A clean house is the sign of a sick mind,” and I was offended even more so when I found this graphic:

Since when was it to be applauded to live in dirt, clutter and outright filth?

No, a clean house is a sign of an organized, time-conscious and efficient mind! (But that won’t sell on a magnet.)

Too many people are willing to accept a dirty home is their lot in life. That’s sad — it’s just a matter of learning new habits. No one wants a dirty house — they just cite this over-used attitude that it doesn’t matter.

Ask ‘em if they want a clean house, and they will cheer. They just need to learn new habits!

For example, in 90 minutes, I cleaned the living room, dining area, powder room, cleaned the kitchen counters, wiped downed the vanities in both upstairs baths, and prepped a simple dinner. “A little every day is my motto,” and this was a big push! Sure, the dinner was simple, but that’s planning. You don’t make a big dinner when you have several other tasks.

Let’s learn some new habits! That’s going to be my focus this coming week.

I lucked out today and came across this great web site, which was recommended on the new forum area of Couponmom.com.

It’s a clearinghouse web site for free product samples, coupons, and free merchandise.

In less than 40 minutes, I ordered the following items:

I can barely wait for the mailbox to start netting all these free products. Sure, many are samples, but they are free, and I’ll use them. Plus, I am positive many will also offer great coupons.

You have to fill out forms with your name, address, email, and birth date, but I sped it up by cut and pasting our address. I also read that Google has a toolbar item to fill in forms automatically. But like I said, I only spent less than 40 minutes to get all these offers.

So, register for the web site, and start saving! Here is the link to MySavings.com. After registering, click “product samples,” and then go to “User Favorites” to net the most popular offers. Then, just start perusing the other categories for more savings.

Hope you enjoy it! I marked it as a favorite.

“Convenience” pulls money out of your pocket.

It’s a strong statement, but it’s true!

The American consumer has been wooed into spending more because they’re busy. But it’s a false economy, and you can fight back.

Here is a money-saving hint that applies to both kids and adults — make your own lunch!

This came to the forefront of mind about two weeks ago when I was at the grocery store. On sale these small individual snack packs of crackers were priced at $2.50. They weighed a total of less than 8 ounces — for all. A pound of crackers costs $3 at regular price. Why not package ‘em individually yourself, and save the money. (And you don’t need the more expensive zipper bags, use cheap sandwich bags.) Do it while you watch TV.

But this is just the beginning of savings. Lunchables are a popular product — but they cost $2 on sale! A high-quality loaf of bread on sale is $2.50. Why not just buy cold cuts, and make your kids’ lunch? No time in the morning? Make ‘em the night before — a 10-minute production line will net you so much in savings.

Sometimes, it takes looking at the money to realize how much you can save. Even if you don’t want to embrace this idea right now, track — in one week — how much you spend on kids’ lunches. But don’t end it there — add up how much you and your partner spend on lunch in one week. You will be amazed!

The cheapest “combo” meal (sandwich, fries and drink) at a fast-food restaurant is usually $3.99. I just added up, and you could make the a similar meal (sandwich, chips and soda) for $1.29! Multiply that by 5 days a week for 4 weeks a month.

Not a big deal? That equals a $54.20 monthly savings! Over a year, that’s $650.40. Wouldn’t that pay a bill? Add in the money if you make the kids’ lunches, and we are talking serious savings.

If any other point, I want to emphasize to look at how much you spend, and see how many ways you can cut that … and make your life richer and better.

This is not only a money-saving hint, but also a great cleaning tip: Use as much as you need.

That means, don’t douse the tub with cleanser, don’t spray liberally when cleaning the counters — use just as much as you need.

This was one of the edicts when I cleaned houses, because, the more product you use, the more time it takes to wipe it up or rinse it out.

Become more conscious of how much of a cleaning product you are using, and see how the job becomes that much quicker.

Quick post today, but wanted to ask: When you vacuum, does it smell up the house?

Time to check the vacuum bag — many folks forget to change ‘em.

But here’s a Prohomemaker tip … when you change the bag, add the contents of one of those sachets they sell in a paper container for about $1. The fragrance will fill the room when you vacuum.

Surprised at the subject of this post? Well, look at the calendar. We’re four months away from the holidays!

If you want a Norman Rockwell Christmas and not one ruled by chaos — and astronomical bills — I highly recommend you begin planning as soon as Labor Day is over. Don’t worry — these are not difficult tasks, but we are planning — planning for a budget, planning for gifts, and planning to make your life easier in December.

So I have three tips for the next 30 days:

This is so imperative in these tough economic times — be realistic on what you can afford. Add up the total, and then divide by 12 (the number of weeks before December). I used only 12 weeks, because, let’s face it, the food bills always go up in December.

This is the money you need to set aside each week, so you are not faced with huge bills in January. Cut back, squirrel away, but this is what you need to do. If the amount is too tough to save, that is a clear sign that you need to cut back on spending for one group or another. Be honest with yourself. Now, open a new (free) checking account, and put the money in each week. This is your working capital.

Haunt the clearance aisles. You can stretch your budget so much more by doing that. I am heading back to Michaels this week for scented candle jars at 30 cents apiece. These will be great gifts for the neighbors, because everyone needs candles during the holidays (and these are perfect for a powder room, and will be so welcome). Start thinking gifts when you are out on your normal shopping.

We all know how important it is to check your credit report, but did you know that — by law — all three credit-reporting agencies must supply you with a free one every 12 months? And you can get it online through one central site, which serves the Big 3 — Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian!

The web site is annualcreditreport.com.

Don’t be confused with those commercials for freecreditreport.com — they charge for the service.

With annualcreditreport.com, you won’t be able to get your FICO score (unless you pay a small additional fee), but you can correct any errors you find in your credit report — and do it online.

For instance, mine said I was working as an architect when I was 14 years old. No, that was my Dad. Trans Union emailed when when it was stricken from my report. They also had me taking out a mortgage that, again, was my parents. That, too, was corrected.

In these days of identity theft worries, it’s a free service of which you should take advantage!

I am always amazed with a simple recipe that works so great, and this is an example — omelet in a cup. I think it’s perfect for those who are prone to grab something on the run in the a.m., or those living alone. Let’s face it — it’s always cheaper to eat at home, and this is an example.

I found it on allrecipes.com and just had to tweak it a bit. Works great!

Omelet in Cup

Ingredients

2 eggs
Splash of milk
2 Tbs. cheese
2 Tbs. of any meat items, such as ham, bacon (if desired)
1 Tbs. of mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, etc. (if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Spray microwave proof mug or 1-cup Pyrex cup with cooking spray or wipe with oil.
Beat eggs and milk. Add cheese and any other ingredients
Microwave for 1 minute, stir.
Microwave for 1 minute to 1.5 minutes till set.

That’s it! I used a Pyrex 1-cup measuring cup, and it worked perfect with the cooking spray. Easy and cheaper than fast-food — and faster! Three minutes till eating! Less than the time you would wait in line. Hope you try it.

Bottled water is good, but the manufacturers have figured out ways to make us spend more by making those attractive smaller bottles.

But you can beat them at their own game by being a tad smarter at the grocery store.

I happened upon this idea when I had guests coming for dinner (the only time I buy bottled water) and was tired of purchasing those liter bottles (which are easier to store in the fridge).

Instead, I kept the last liter bottle I had, and decanted water from one of those more economical 1-gallon jugs. A simple kitchen funnel made it so easy.

Add up the savings — my store charges $1 for a liter and $1 for a gallon. I racked up a 66 percent savings by doing this. (1 gallon=128 ounces — 1 liter = 34 ounces)

If your family downs a lot of 16 oz. or smaller bottles, save them and fill up with the gallon size (you can fill up 8 bottles with 1 gallon. In my store, they charge $2.50 for 6 of these bottles. There’s a $1.50 savings). (You can run the smaller bottles through the dishwasher, if you wish to sanitize them.) You think it’s petty? Add up how much those flats of 8 oz. water cost!

As I have said before, a little savings here, and a little savings there, adds up to a lot in the end.

Did you know you can use coupons at Walmart? That’s my new strategy to keep our household in food and other items at discount prices, after our grocery store (Vons) followed Ralphs lead and will no longer double coupons past $1 in savings.

I was pleasantly surprised when I planned this week’s food shop via my favorite coupon site. My total savings will be 54 percent, which means I will walk out with more than $43 in merchandise for $21.10. I’ll get Smart Balance butter spread for $1, Lysol toilet bowl cleaner for $1.12, Skippy peanut butter for 98 cents, Hamburger Helper for 88 cents, and Ragu for $1.19, among other deals.

Note that couponmom will only research 3 weeks past for coupons, so if you need specific items, use its virtual coupon database (like I did for coffee).

Granted, I will need to fill in fresh products at my store, but I am going to pick up the milk and eggs there, too. Many other items I stocked up on before the coupon-policy change at my grocery store.

By the way, here is the link for the Walmart coupon policy from corporate. Print it out if you get a cashier who doesn’t know it (which I read might happen). Bottom line: You can use up to 40 coupons — both Internet and ones in the newspaper. I plan on packing the policy when I go tomorrow.

In these times, we need to save money where we can, and this is going to be my new plan. I’m hoping my store goes back to its double-coupon policy (they did back in 2006, after the profits were down). Read more of my coupon strategy in these past posts.

Like I said, nowadays, we’ve got to do what we can to minimize expenses. Even if things are not tight for you, take that extra money and open a secret Christmas savings account or one for a vacation!