The dangers of high fructose corn syrup as well as aspartame are well documented. Blue Sky soda is healthier but expensive. So if you still enjoy soda (like I do), what are your options?

Make your own. The equipment is very basic and the key is choosing your extract. While there are many sites to get the goods, I use Leeners. It's a one stop shop for making all sorts of stuff - beer, wine, mead, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, even mustard and hot sauce.

Let me know if you already do this in the comment section. I'd love to get your recipe!

I'm going to save you from $30,000 to $100,000 on this one.

• The Internet is full of free learning tools - from online videos, to wikibooks, to PDF documents.  The best directory for these is here.
• Another great site for high quality video is Studio 4 Learning
• Even Goodwill is providing free education
• Listen to thousands of lectures from the world’s top scholars at Academic Earth
• Self Made Scholar

• 10 Sites to Learn Something New in 10 Minutes a Day

• And don't forget my do it yourself posts and my college posts.

From USA Today

Stockpiling. When the stock market drops, orders surge for freeze-dried food, survival kits and emergency supplies, says Nitro-Pak president Harry Weyandt. One best seller: a $3,375 food reserve that feeds four people for three months.

Gardening. Sales of vegetable seeds and transplants are up 30% from 2008 at W. Atlee Burpee, the USA's largest seed company. The National Gardening Association says 7 million more households will grow food this year than in 2008 — a 19% rise. A book on building root cellars is the top seller at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine, supervisor Joann Matuzas says.

Canning. Jarden Corp. says sales of its Ball and Kerr canning and preserving products are up more than 30% from 2008. Sonya Staffan, owner of The Jam and Jelly Lady commercial cannery in Lebanon, Ohio, is offering twice as many classes this year.

Sewing. More people are learning to sew so they can mend clothes and make home décor, says Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for SVP Worldwide, owner of sewing-products makers Singer and Husqvarna Viking.

Relocating. Steve Saltman, general manager of LandAndFarm.com, a national real estate company, says more customers want to "live simply in a less-expensive place." Jonathan Rawles of SurvivalRealty.com says more people moving to rural areas "are specifically worried about economic and social instability."

In urban areas, thrift stores and Goodwill do well. Donations are down, but buyers are coming in droves.

Many products today have toxic chemicals. They also try to convince you that special cleaners are needed for every situation.  A nice site (Make Stuff) shows you how easy it is to make your own.

Remember to feed the pig!

The key to keeping a car running through 100,000+ miles is maintenance.  Both our vehicles have over 120,000 miles.

1. Change the oil and air filter per manufacturer recommendations
2. Replace your timing chain per manufacturer recommendations
3. Flush your coolant every 2 years
4. Check your belts and hoses every oil change
5. Check you tire pressure every fill up
6. Replace your spark plugs every 2 years or so
7. Hose down the underneath of your car if you live in an area where salt is used

If you have saved money or made money because of this blog, tip me. For $3 you get to download my seminars. They teach you how to save $130,000 over your lifetime by smarter spending, how to make a 7% return on your investments every year, and how to earn $800 a month in your spare time.

Paper Clips
Use as a hook  - drapery, pegboard
Use as cotter pin to hold lawnmower wheels
Use to replace a broken or lost door hinge pin
Use as a zipper pull

Fishing Line
Kite string
Toilet flapper chain
Sew into screen door hole

Safety Pins
To fasten new upholstery onto existing cushions
Replaces missing eyeglass screws (the ones that back out at the arm hinge)

Baking Soda
Toothpaste
Pour one cup into clogged drain; follow with one-cup vinegar, flush with hot water

Clear scotch tape
Use to replace the plastic tip on shoelaces

If you have saved money or made money because of this blog, tip me. For $3 you get to download my seminars. They teach you how to save $130,000 over your lifetime by smarter spending, how to make money in bear markets, and how to earn $800 a month in your spare time!

I'm saving my brown eggs from the farmer's market so I don't have to pay the extra $1.50 for cage free eggs at the supermarket this winter.

To freeze whole eggs, crack the egg and beat until just blended, then freeze individually in a muffin tin. Then pop them out and store in a Ziploc bag once frozen. To use, simply thaw in refrigerator.