~ More Frugal Tips ~

I want to say a big "welcome" and thank you to my newest follower, Katie over at the blog, Gates Place.

This post is part of my short series on how I personally save money so that I can give to causes I support and also help myself get out of debt. If you are interested in other the other articles in the series you may read here and here.

1. I make my own laundry detergent and use vinegar and baking soda for household cleaning. Check out these uses for vinegar and baking soda here and a recipe for  making laundry detergent here.
2. A new tip I've learned from Ilona at Life After Money ~ use bubble bath to clean the toilet.  This is a great tip for using bubble bath someone gives you as a gift when you don't know what else to do with it.
3. I reuse plastic bags and various store containers where possible. The best repurposing I've seen for plastics came from a quilter who uses plastic take away food containers as storage for notions and fabric. Awesome!
4. I purchase inexpensive plastic bins from the dollar store to store my potatoes and onions as well as other dried goods. I prefer to use wood, glass or other natural materials where possible but the cost is quite prohibitive. I will use the plastic bins as long as possible instead of discarding them just because I get tired of them and want a change.
5. I also purchase inexpensive plastic bins to use in my bathroom and in storage areas like closets,
6. There are many containers that I need for storing other foods and making sure they don't go bad. I don't always use plastic especially if they are to be stored on my kitchen counter (noodles, rice, raisins, brown sugar etc.). I look for attractive containers from the variety store where the cost is 1/3 to 1/2 off of the regular prices.
   
   

   

   All these containers were purchased on discount. I don't need them to be "matchy matchy". In fact, I dislike things that are overly matched.

     
7. I purchase inexpensive white towels wherever I can find them. I like the thin, fluffy kind.  I bought my last ones at Field's and I think they cost me $2.00 each. Perfect for throwing in the wash with some disinfectant.
8. I do not buy furniture very often and I use most things until they are quite worn out. My home, though comfortable, does not look like a a feature in a decorating magazine. I sometimes wish it did but  having time to enjoy life, and giving to the Kenyan Missions of Hope  is more important to me.
9. To compensate for not buying furniture, I use slipcovers on my sofa and chairs.
10. I give “lost” furniture a home. For example, I have a dresser/desk and a chair in my bedroom that came from the garbage out back of my home. They are in fine condition.
11. I look for household items at the thrift store. I purchased a wing chair, lamp, and side table there in the past few years.
12. I try and buy direct from the manufacturer for items like mattresses.
13. I shop for appliances and large pieces of furniture when they are on sale. I also shop and wait around  if I am looking for something that costs more than I am willing to pay.  I ask stores to price match also if I find something close by for a higher price which is cheaper somewhere else. This saves on cost of delivery too.
14. I buy furniture that needs to be put together especially if it will save money (shelves,closets and a TV stand are recent examples).
15. I shop on Craigslist and am a member of my local Freecycle where I can list items I want to give away or look for items I want.  This doesn't always help me because I am limited in my ability to get around but it is an option, especially if you have wheels.
    
    

    I have plans for another two posts in this short series on saving pennies. Please check back again soon if you are reading/participating in this series. I'd also love to hear your ideas for saving money on household items.

    
    I want to add here that I have been challenged and inspired to make a change in terms of my habit of using plastics due to the efforts of one woman, Beth Terry, who has championed the cause of reducing plastic usage in her own life for the health of our bodies, our oceans and the planet.  Once you read this inspiring woman's blog you will see just how reliant on plastics we have become.  You can read more about the cause at Plastic Free Living. Before you go, please stop and leave a comment or your frugal tip for saving on household expenses.  Until next time, happy savings!

My Safari in Nakuru Park Comes to a Close

It has been fun showing you around the national park located in Nakuru, Kenya. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. It has been great reliving the memories of my safari there.  Today will be my last post on the trip to this wonderful park. If you've missed out on the rest of the safari, please be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post.

In the late 1970s and 1980s poachers decimated Kenya's rhinos, of which there are only two species in the country, white and black rhinos. Before the rampant poaching Kenya had an estimated 20,000 black rhinos in 1973. Today, black rhinos number only 610, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service.  The David Sheldrick Trust was instrumental for the conservation projects related to preservation of the rhino in Kenya. You can read  much more about their wonderful efforts here.  The link will take you to the efforts to save the black rhino.

White rhinos are even more endangered in Kenya with only 240 in the country.  The Nakuru Park is home to a rhino conservation project and I consider myself very fortunate to have seen a group of white rhinos as we were driving around in the park.

The white rhino's name comes from the Dutch word "weit," meaning wide, which refers to its wide, square muzzle, adapted for grazing. The white rhino, whose real color is gray, has a pronounced hump on the neck and a long face.

These photos are of the extremely rare white rhino.

 

I feel very blessed to have seen the rhino up close as I did. As we sat in the vehicle and watched them graze, I felt an sense of awesome wonder.

It is sad that just just after my visit to Kenya a group of poachers was arrested for killing a southern white rhino for its horns.  The horns sell for more per weight than gold and are used in Asia to make medicines, and in the Middle East to make dagger handles.  The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) is doing a great job to try and project the country's wildlife but they face huge challenges.  If you are ever in Kenya, please take time to learn about the KWS and ways you can help them or you can read here and see that there are different ways to support their work, including wildlife conservation.

As we move on in the park, I see many other types of antelope, both in the wooded areas and on the Savannah. I just love to watch them.

 

I also love to see the many birds feasting in the lake.

They provide many photo opportunities too for the tourists.

As I was going through my photographs I came across this water bird who I forgot to feature when I did my post on the flamingos and pelicans. I'm not sure what kind of a bird this is but it is obviously some kind of water bird with it's long legs.  Perhaps one of my African readers can identify it for us.

Now I must say that for me it is always a highlight to see the majestic lions of Kenya. These truly are magnificent creatures and unfortunately they are a dying breed in Kenya.

My driver was not so sure I would see a lion before I left the park but I had a sense of certainty about it.  Just as we were leaving the park, we came across this female lion. It was a little difficult to get a good photo but I did the best I could.  She was just going to find a resting perch on a fallen tree.

Here she is making her way to the end of the tree when we spotted here.

Ah, there she is now resting on her perch.

I thought it fitting that my last shot of the wild animals in this park was one of a lioness taking a rest. We make the journey back to the main part of the city, passing by the park sign and other photographers. I hope to pass this way again some time.

Click here to read Part 1 in this series. It starts with my stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to read Part 2 in this series in Kenya. It continues with my sojourn in Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to read Part 3 in this series on Kenya where I stop to view a stunning lookout.

Click here to read Part 4 in this series on Kenya where I stop at Lake Elementeita.

Click here to read Part 5 in this series on Kenya where I talk about some hotels in Nakuru.

Click here to read Part 6 in this series on Kenya where I show you some tourist sites around Nakuru.

Click here to read Part 7 in this series on Kenya where I show you the Castle Without a Princess.

Click here to read Part 8 in this series on Kenya where I feature a collection of scenes from around Nakuru. 
Click here to read Part 9 in this series where we enter the park and begin to tour it. 
Click here to read Part 10 about the flamingos and water buffalo. 
Click here to read Part 11 about  the Baboons of Nakuru Park.

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