Economizer

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Makeup can be dangerous.

Looking at the rows of toners and powders, lipsticks and rouges packing the corner drug store, cosmetics seem innocent enough. But under the bright colors and attractive packaging, the sex appeal and huge advertising budgets, dangers lurk -- industrial solvents and carcinogens, deadly metals and petroleum distillates. And even beyond the health dangers, there are environmental worries -- concerns about where these ingredients come from and what their extraction does to the Earth.

On the other hand, it wasn't always this way. Sure, the ancient Romans sometimes mixed lead with their cosmetics, and 19th century Americans occasionally killed whales to get the raw ingredients for their perfumes. But, on the whole, cosmetics and skincare have gotten a lot less friendly over the past few decades.

Luckily, many of the classic cosmetics and skincare products your grandmother used are still going strong today. Here are nine of our favorite brands that are gentle on your wallet and will leave your skin and hair feeling great.

By Ken Ilungas, Special to The Motley Fool

On the first night I tried to sleep in my van, I was lying in my sleeping bag sprawled out on the backseat, parked in a mostly empty Walmart parking lot. I'd wake up every 15 minutes because I was nervous that the security guard driving past my van would knock on my door and make me leave.

My new home had 60 square feet and four wheels. While most people would consider living in a van an embarrassment, a low point, or even a "rock bottom," it would -- though I didn't realize it then -- turn out to be the greatest financial decision I'd ever made.

No one would end up waking me up in the Walmart lot, and, over the next two years, almost all of my other fears would prove to be entirely unfounded.

Debt-free; Dirt Poor

In January 2009, when I'd decided to move into the van, I was nearly broke. I had just $4,000 in the bank and no possessions other than a laptop, camera, cellphone and a suitcase full of clothes and a backpack full of camping gear.

I had next to nothing because I'd just finished paying off my $32,000 undergraduate school debt. Still, after two-and-a-half years of working, I wanted nothing more than to go back to school and get my master's degree in liberal studies at Duke University. But how could I afford tuition and not go back into debt?

My answer: a $1,500 '94 Ford Econoline.

I'd cook in it, sleep in it, study in it, and live in it. I'd do whatever it would take not to go into debt again.


A Nation of Potential Van Dwellers

I'm not the only student in America struggling with the high cost of education.

Currently, there are over 36 million debtors saddled with more than $1 trillion in student debt. In 2011, two-thirds of graduating students left with an average $26,600 in debt.

But the problem isn't always tuition. The enormous cost of room and board -- averaging $8,500 a year for students living on campus -- can set students back just as much. For freshmen at Duke University, which would be my graduate school, the cheapest dorm option is $5,464 an academic year. The cheapest meal plan is $5,540 an academic year, or $27 a day.

By living in a van, I figured, I could reduce (if not entirely do away with) many of the costs that are drowning students in seas of red ink. And if I picked an affordable graduate program, then, well, maybe I could leave school with a debt-free degree.

Amazingly, it worked. This is how I did it:

By Caroline Bennett
Daily Finance

Salacious shopping sprees, supersized bar tabs and parties that run well into seven-figure territory dominate the celeb gossip headlines. But not all of Hollywood's elite burn through money like it's going out of style.

There are some stars who have excellent financial track records, and you don't have to have a celebrity-sized paycheck to follow their lead. From saving money to making smart investments, these actresses are great role models for financial advice that anyone can use. Here's how they do it.

Clearly the best way to use aluminum foil is to fashion it into a cone-shaped hat to block aliens or the "Government" from reading your thoughts. However, aluminum foil has other uses -- even beyond cooking.

Here are a few ways to transform a cheap and durable kitchen staple into a marvel of home economy.




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Toothpaste was created to do a myriad of things: clean, polish and whiten those 32 incisors, canines and for some us, wisdom teeth.

But what about its use around the house?

This product went from a tooth powder with disparate ingredients such as charcoal, cream of tartar, cinnamon and even burnt toast back in the day to the modern paste and now gel, with fluoride and peppermint oil.

Commonly found in every bathroom in the country, there are many more ways to use toothpaste than just to clean the pearly whites.

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Strolling through the household cleansers section of a grocery store can sometimes seem like a trip through a chemical wonderland, a cross between Willy Wonka's factory and a high school science lab. Multicolored potions peek from hundreds of bottles and lurid labels advertise the latest miracle cleansers. Bizarre and beautiful brands abound: Some claim to be they're easier on the environment, others promise that they won't harm your family. All seem to guarantee that they will make even your toughest stains disappear.

It would be natural to yearn for something simpler -- a few household cleaners that are effective, not too expensive, and not too rough on the environment. The wonderful thing is, these cleaners exist, and have existed for decades. They are, in short, the tried-and-true brands that your mother and grandmother used.

In the search for cleaner, healthier homes, it's easy to dismiss the harsh chemicals of the past. Yet, it's also worth noting that the active ingredients in many popular cleaners -- things like ammonia and borax, alcohol and vinegar -- are basically the same things that grandma used, albeit with the addition of lots of water and a little food coloring.

And therein lies one of grandma's secrets: Filling bottles with water and shipping them across the country is expensive, and the manufacturers charge you for the extra gas. If you add the water from your tap, instead of relying on Windex and Mr. Clean to do so, you can save a lot of money. As an added plus, you're also cutting down on the gas used to ship your products around and the number of harsh chemicals that you're adding to the environment.

Every month Walletpop searches through the MLS site, to find interesting properties for sale for less than $400,000. This month we decided to try something a little more challenging: properties for sale for less than $100,000. It was difficult to find anything that inexpensive in hot markets like Toronto, but we did manage to find a house in Calgary (no land, it's yours to move) and a mobile home on a large lot in Victoria. Have a look and see what you think of our choices:

With summers getting hotter and drier, homeowners should think about how they can conserve more water - in their homes and in the garden. It's easy to put these practices to work and that will pay off big time when it comes to your water bills. This is especially true now that many municipalities are moving to a consumption based model, where homes are metered and charged accordingly.

In Toronto for example, a typical water bill for a single family home runs about 600 dollars. The city has had a long-term plan to increase water rates by 9 per cent each year, so home owners are looking for savings anywhere they can find them. So heed our advice, and start saving with these easy-to-implement fixes.

SLIDESHOW: 10 EASY WAYS TO CUT YOUR WATER BILL

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Youth hostels were once the domain of teen and 20-something youngsters who didn't mind sleeping on a bed-bug infested bunk bed in a 20-person dorm room. But these days, youth hostels are a thing of the past. For starters, the term 'youth' has long since disappeared from the description, and a visit to what is now simply called a 'hostel' will reveal people of all ages present.

Hostel accommodation has transformed as competition drives standards higher and higher. Clean kitchens, hot water in the bathrooms, free wireless internet, free coffee and tea (and sometimes breakfast), and now, the latest fad in hostel accommodation - the private room. I've spoken to two hostel owners in BC in the past few weeks who are expanding their hostels to meet growing demand for private rooms.

It seems time has transformed the backpackers of years gone by into flashpackers; that is backpackers who still want budget accommodation, but with all the bells and whistles. It's a trend that is happening all over the world, as pointed out in this article in the Guardian. The cost of a private room in a Canadian hostel varies depending on whether the room includes an en suite, but usually sits somewhere in the $50-$80 range. The rooms generally do not include a television (they can be found in the common room). You can search for hostels on websites such as Hosteling International, Hostel World and Lonely Planet, which also include reviews.

Let's admit it, weddings are expensive. This TD infographic highlights just how much an average wedding costs the couple and their families. A venue has an average cost of $9,430 and if you get a deal, $6,000.

It might be a bit late for couples getting married this year, but if you're a bride or groom and you're looking for inexpensive venues for your day, there are several ways you can save money with an alternative venue.

They do take a a little creativity and asking around, but a unique venue can make your wedding that much more memorable for you and your guests. And remember to ask friends and family for suggestions: that uncle with a gorgeous old cottage might welcome the idea of hosting a family wedding.