For the lucky few who have extra leisure time this summer, I thought I’d put together some suggestions for productive and fun activities that will help enhance your personal, academic and/or professional life. Some of these suggestions are addressed as if to young people (students, adolescents, etc.) but can also apply to grown-ups.

My suggestions are divided into the following subsections:

• Summer Hobbies - activities with lasting benefits and meaning
  
• Summer Studies - develop skills that will be useful in life
  
• Summer To-Do’s - a few ways to get your life or home in order
  
• Summer Fitness - ways to keep cool and stay fit
  
• Summer Pet Bonding - make your pet happy and you healthy

Summer Hobbies

Here are some ideas for catching up on tasks that may have been neglected during the year.

• Write in your journal
  Write about your past year, what’s on your mind, who and what you like and dislike, your daydreams, anything. In future years you will be glad you did it and also amused by your younger self. You think you will always remember what happened when, but as time goes by, memories do fade and become forgotten. (Trust me, I’m speaking from experience and I’m not yet 30 and have a memory better than most.)
• Make a family video
  Go around the house and take a video of your family going about its regular business. You will be glad for the memories one day.
• Scrapbook
  Organize family photos, report cards, birthday cards, artwork, concert programs and other keepsakes from the past year into a scrapbook.
• Reading
  Reading (even fun fiction) can help improve your mind, vocabulary, grammar and writing skills. If you go to the library, you can read in an air-conditioned environment without having to pay for the air-conditioning or the books.

Summer Studies

Yes, summer should be fun, but there’s no reason it can’t be both fun and productive.

• Learn a new language
  The benefits of learning languages are endless. Learning a new language can help you to:
  • Get ahead in your career
  • Make new friends from different parts of the world. When you show an interest in someone’s language or culture, they are often appreciative and take an interest in you in return.
  • Improve your English (or first language)
• Learn to play a musical instrument
  Music enhances the mind in many ways. Studies have shown that children who study music at an early age do better in school than those who don’t. Aside from that, it is also just plain fun.
• Learn to sew
  Sewing is a very useful skill to have regardless of your gender. You can learn to mend clothes, make your own clothes and other things for your house, which can save you a lot of money. Older and more skilled children can even make their own clothes for the coming school year. Check out one of our earlier articles for more info: Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.
• Take a computer class
  Learn to type properly, use a spreadsheet or database, design websites, make presentations, etc. Most jobs these days involve computer use, so knowing as much as you can about computers might help you get a higher salary.

Summer To-Do’s

A few suggestions for improving life at home and getting ahead on the coming year.

• Get a head start on your Christmas shopping
  This could save you time and money because you can shop at your leisure and take advantage of summer sales. Leaving your shopping to the last minute usually costs more because you are up against a deadline and usually have fewer options.
• Sort through your stuff
  Go through your clothes and things and prune out those you no longer want or need. You could donate the things you no longer need or hold a garage or yard sale and make some money to put into your college or retirement savings.
• Re-arrange your room or home
  Re-arranging your room or home can have a positive impact on your life. A change can be uplifting and produce an overall feeling of well-being and accomplishment, renew your energy and increase productivity.
• Clean out your computer
  Ideally you would do this several times a year, but if you use the internet and download a lot of things, it’s a good idea to clean out your computer on a regular basis. If there are programs you don’t use, uninstall them. If there are files that you no longer need, delete them. Clean your registry if you’ve had the computer for a while. Keeping your hard drive from getting too full will extend its life.

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Vinegar is the frugally-, environmentally- and health-minded person’s best friend. Vinegar derives its potency from acetic acid, CH3COOH. The acidic nature of vinegar gives it the ability to kill bacteria, dissolve unwanted substances, and kill and deter insects and pests. Keep in mind that vinegar will corrode certain metals if not wiped away promptly. Because vinegar is very potent, test a small spot or do a little research before using on delicate or very costly items. Here are a few suggestions for saving money and your health by substituting vinegar, which can be had for as little as $2.50 a gallon at your local supermarket, for common cleaning agents and pesticides around your house.

• Killing and deterring ants. In order to be effective, you must spray ants with undiluted vinegar. DO NOT WIPE AWAY THE DEAD ANTS. I find that ants only stop coming if you leave the bodies for their fellows to carry away and a lingering sour smell. Spray doors, windows, and perimeters of beds with vinegar.
• Spray flying or crawling insects. This is more effective than a fly swatter because flies don’t think they have to flee from a spray of “water”. It’s also nice to not have smeared insects or poison in your house.
• Removing water stains from glass, bathrooms, dishes, fish tanks, dish racks, etc. Hard water deposits are alkaline (basic) and vinegar being an acid will break them down.
• Removing tea and coffee stains from cups and teapots. Spray and let sit for a minute, then wash as usual. This is also useful for very greasy cookware or burnt grease.
• Washing dog dishes which are often coated with a thick layer of slimy saliva that is not easily removed with dish detergent.
• Disinfecting sink drains, shower drains, and your throat. When drinking, dilute with water and add honey. Honey is not necessary for drains.
• Cleaning windows. Much cheaper than window cleaners.
• Removing stains from fabric and carpets. Can be added to laundry.
• Polishing varnished wood and other surfaces.
• Clearing drains. Pour baking soda down the drain and then add vinegar.
• Cleaning your pets’ ears. Swab with a vinegar and water solution.
• Cleaning and conditioning hair. Mix with shampoo to remove styling products and excessive oil. I once read that vinegar contains enzymes which are good for hair.
• Deodorize your pet. Mix with shampoo and wash. May be good for pets with skin problems, but you may want to check with your vet in case certain conditions makes skin sensitive to acid. Undiluted vinegar is not recommended for cats as they have very thin skin.
• Soak your feet. Kills bacteria and odor and helps remove old skin cells.
• Polishing coins. We did this in 6th grade science class.
• Making a bang. My cousin once liked to fill a small resealable (Ziploc) bag with baking soda and vinegar. The bag expands with the gas produced by the two substances and explodes with a bang. Rather an exciting event for a kid.

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While gifts are a great way to show that you care, an important thing to keep in mind is that most mothers and grandmothers would probably prefer to spend quality time with their families on Mother’s Day rather than receive a fancy and expensive gift. The most frugal and meaningful gift would therefore be a family get-together: watching movies at her house, a backyard barbecue, playing games, a picnic at the park or going to the zoo with her children and grandchildren. If you do have such as family outing, make sure someone takes lots of pictures and provides her with an album or photo CD of the day. This is, of course, unless your mother lives with you and your kids and what she would like most of all would be an entire day of peace and quiet to herself at home.

As for actual gifts, we believe most mothers would appreciate something you made or put some thought and effort into. Below are some suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts. Ideally, you would do some of these things all year round, but Mother’s Day is a good time for them too. Not all of these ideas will suit everyone, but hopefully some of these will work for you and your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife, or any other maternal figure in your life.

Note: Not all of these suggestions are really “frugal” as in “cheap”, but they are frugal in that they are ideas for prudent, useful and practical, but still meaningful gifts that show you’ve put thought and effort into it and, therefore less likely to go to waste as many commercial Mother’s Day gifts tend to.

Hobby Gift Baskets

A few suggestions for baskets you can assemble. You can often find nice baskets at dollar stores or at thrift stores for a very low price. Many of the items recommended in the following list (i.e. books and music) can be purchase used and still in good condition. Used items often clean up nicely with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. And even purchased new, these items still make useful gifts with lasting benefits.

• For the Literary Mom
  If she likes to read, scour used books stores and library sales for books she would like (mysteries, vintage books, classics, etc. - paperbacks suggested) and assemble a book basket. You could even include a few snacks to enjoy while she reads (cookies, chocolates, cocoa, tea or coffee mix).
• For the Crafty Mom
  A basket of yarns, fabrics, sewing, knitting or crochet supplies. You could pick out a craft instructions book, find a project she might like and assemble the necessary supplies for that project.
• For the Musical Mom
  CD’s, sheet music, and music books. You might pick a particular theme such as Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, romantic piano, or Italian opera or music from her youth. For older moms, you might have to include a CD player. For pianist moms make or buy a cushion for the piano bench (the unpadded ones are incredibly hard even for young bodies).
• For Moms with Pets
  Assemble inside a new litter box or pet bed: treats and necessities such as grooming supplies, pet vitamins, hair catching tools, odor control, collars and leashes, training equipment, hair bows, super odor suppressing cat litter, car restraints (seat belts), and/or an obedience class paid for by you.
• For the Gardening Mom
  An assortment of seed packets with flowers, spices, fruits, and vegetables. The frugal mom may save a lot of money growing her own produce. For areas with insect problems, herbs such as lavender may deter bugs from the home. You can also include a book on using herbs for health and beauty and include seeds for the plants described.
• For Culinary Moms
  Collect free recipes online to present on index cards or a handmade book. You might choose recipes based on a theme, such as appetizers, a certain ethnicity, a favorite ingredient, or health benefits. You might wish to include few kitchen gifts like a baking pans, knives, silverware bought on clearance (we got ours for under $5), cheese graters, rolling pins, seeds for herbs or young herb plants. Instead of a basket, you could give a blender filled with fruits and smoothie recipes.
• For the Scrapbooking Mom
  Scrapbook supplies and the promise to provide future memories for her to document. Look for creative scrapbook materials such as pretty paper salvages from greeting cards, gift wrapping paper, and nice packaging from things you buy. Ribbon, beads, lace, small toys, letters of the alphabet cut from magazines, cards, and used books. Doilies and decorative embellishments can be purchased at half price or less after a holiday. Glue and scissors might be useful too.

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These are some ways we save money without sacrificing the management or enjoyment of our home:

Clean with Rubbing Alcohol

Our favorite cleaner is isopropyl, which looks pretty in clear spray bottles around the house. It is not perfumed, does not leave toxic residue like other cleaners, and costs only $1 to $2 for a large bottle. We acquired the mentality of scrupulous sanitizing from singing teachers, some of whom insist upon spraying everything with Lysol before touching. Lysol, however, damages the skin and leaves you with toxic fingers while rubbing alcohol evaporates cleanly away. Only be aware that rubbing too hard with alcohol might remove a little paint or varnish.

Left: One of our handy all-purpose isopropyl alcohol spray bottles that we keep around the house.

A few things we regularly use rubbing alcohol to clean are:

• Library books before reading
• Pillowcases before going to bed (in case pets have used our pillows in our absence)
• Doorknobs
• Cosmetic containers and surfaces (where we keep and apply makeup)
• Closets where we store pillowcases, clothing, and towels
• Office equipment such as phones and computers
• Mirrors
• Washer and dryer openings that come into contact with dirty laundry before we take out our clean laundry

Exterminate with Rubbing Alcohol

Yet another use for the wonderful isopropyl is in killing unwelcome insects. Because we have pets, Penelope and I are very reluctant to use poisons. A squirt of alcohol, which can even reach a tiny bug on the ceiling, makes most insects drop dead (no squashed guts!). A spritz can also drop airborne flies and gnats. There are no worries of children or pets touching and ingesting insecticides, and even adults can reduce cancer risk by avoiding exposure to many household chemicals. For tougher insects, white vinegar is more effective and although it leaves a smell, is healthier for everyone except the bug. A spritz of vinegar is more effective than a fly swatter because the fly thinks it’s water and does not try to escape.
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