Millennial Nextdoor

Looking for hand sanitizer but shelves are wiped clean? It’s out of stock everywhere. If you don’t keep a loot of this stuff stashed in your house like I do, you are in luck. There is a super simple DIY hand sanitizer recipe you can make in your own kitchen.

Make this recipe in big batches then distribute in small bottles that you can keep in your home, car, in your purse, on the go, whenever you need it.

Bookmark this post so you can come back to it later, or pin below!

DIY Hand Sanitizer

• 100% Aloe Vera Gel  (We used this brand.)
• Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca oil)   Plant Therapy Brand  $7  10ml  (use approx. 8 to 10 drops per 8 oz )
• Distilled Water
• Plastic container of choice
• Printable labels below & wide clear packing tape (optional)

Instructions

There are three different ways you can make this. Either a gel, liquid, or lotion.

The 4oz. or 6oz sizes are great for on the go or carrying in your purse.

DIY Gel Hand Sanitizer

A non-sticky gel you will love (using the aloe brand we suggest above) which can be squeezed out of a bottle. Water not needed.

Ingredients: 100% Aloe Vera Gel,   Tea Tree Oil

Instructions: Fill nearly full with 100% Aloe gel. Add tea tree oil. For 4 to 6 oz size use 1 to 2 drops of higher quality oil or 6 to 8 a of lower quality oil. (You do not have to be exact.) Mix well. Adjust as needed for size.

Use: Squeeze 2-3 pea-sized drops of gel into your hands and rub in. Use whenever needed.

DIY Liquid Hand Sanitizer

I love the spray bottle hand sanitizers. I first discovered them in HEB last year. They spray out in a fine spray that coats your hands and I love it.

Ingredients: Distilled Water,  Tea Tree Oil

Instructions: Fill your  spray bottle with distilled water. For 4 to 6 oz size use 1 to 2 drops of higher quality oil or 6 to 8  of lower quality oil. (You do not have to be exact.) Mix well. Adjust as needed for size.

Use: Spray lightly on hands and rub all over. Let them air dry. Use whenever desired.

DIY Lotion Hand Sanitizer

A lotion type consistency that you can adjust to your liking, based on the amount of aloe gel you add.

Ingredients: Distilled Water,  100 % Aloe Vera Gel, Tea Tree Oil

Instructions: Fill your bottle at least ½ full of distilled water. Add in Aloa Vera gel until it’s the consistency you like. Add more water if desired. For 4 to 6 oz size use 1 to 2 drops of higher quality oil or 6 to 8 of lower quality oil. (You do not have to be exact.) Mix well. Adjust as needed for size.

Use: Pour out of a soft plastic bottle. Use about a dime size amount and rub thoroughly into hands. Use when needed.

Enjoy!

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You’re in the midst of a crisis or national disaster and stockpiling is necessary. The only problem is, what the heck do you stockpile?

There’s a lot of question about this but the bottom line is, if you’re forced to create a horde of resources, food and water for yourself for weeks or longer, there are some KEY things you should have.

Make sure to bookmark this post to review it later if you’d like and keep reading while we share these 25 must have things to stockpile when S#*T hits the fan!

25 Must Haves to Stockpile

Ok, so when you’re creating your list of stockpile foods, you wanna have a mix of staples that stay good for a long time and indulgent treats.

Hear me out on this one.

First, the staples are a no brainer, right? You need canned goods, canned fish and meat, water and other necessities that will keep a long time. But why treats? Because eating staples can get boring and you need to keep your sanity during emergency.

What if you’re quarantined? Or, what is a natural disaster leaves you stuck inside your house or you’re stuck outside your house. What are you gonna do?

Rely on your stockpile.

Here are 25 foods you should have:

1. Water

Water is good to stockpile for so many reasons. In the case of a natural disaster, pipes might be burst or broken and water can be difficult to come by so having your own stock of water is great for drinking, washing, cleaning, and other purposes.

2. Canned goods 

Canned goods like canned beans, canned fruits and veggies, and other canned goods stay good like forever. This is why they are excellent stockpile foods. You can store them in your pantry for years without worrying about spoilage and if s#*t were to hit the fan and you had to rely on your stockpile for nutrition, you know your canned goods would be good for a while.

3. Canned meat and fish

Same as described for canned goods. Canned meat is good because it’s meat which is protein and good for you. If you’re in a place where you can’t cook food but need meat, there are few options that you can eat as is, canned meat and canned fish (like canned tuna) are staples to rely on.

4. Bars

These are protein bars and granola bars which are great travel foods. Plus, you can pack a lot of calories and nutrition in them, while they tend to be pretty small (fits in your hand). They are a great travel food, good for camping, and excellent for a stockpile food.

5. Oatmeal

This is good for breakfast as all you need is hot water and you’ve got a hearty, nutritious meal (a reason why this is a solid camping food).

6. Flour

Flour for baking. You can bake in a microwave, you can bake on a campfire, and other ways. You just aren’t limited to your stove. Flour is a good way to get interesting in the kitchen because if you are in a place where you need to eat your stockpile, the foods can get boring and flour is a great way to make breads, loaves, muffins, use as a thickener, and other uses.

7. Sugar

Same as for flour. Sugar keeps things interesting. It can help you keep your sanity when you’re in a dire situation like under quarantine or away from society (like out in the country).

8. Salt

Salt is good for a variety of reasons for the survivalist.

• To season foods
• Food preserving
• Cure meat
• Ease sinus congestion
• And, other uses

9. Beans

This is dried beans but, canned beans would be excellent too (canned goods above).

They’re great for protein and pretty filling. They make a great side dish and have fiber and add variety to your meals. Plus there are so many varieties, you’ll never get bored: pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, red beans, and garbanzo beans.

10. Spices

You wanna keep your meals tasty and the opposite of boring. Spices last a really long time and are perfect for this!

11. Cereal

Cereals are dry and keep well. They are great eaten plain as a snack, ingredients in meals, and alone with milk as cereal for any meal of the day. Can you tell I’m a cereal nut?

12. Coffee

Because we need our caffeine fix right? Sames goes with tea. Stock up on both if you love both.

13. Freeze Dried Foods

This is like freeze dried fruits and other freeze drieds. They last and keep well.

14. Honey

Honey never goes bad. Really. It never expires. This is great in tea, as a sweetener and cooking ingredient for everything and a staple in our household.

15. Jerky

Jerky is a great source of protein and perfect when you need a protein-rich snack.

16. Hard Liquor

Great for many uses, aside from drinking, you can clean with it, disinfect, and more.

17. Nuts

Yummy proteinful snack. Great ground up as an ingredient in meals, atop cereal and more.

18. Pickles

These are great to add some pop to meals.  Ideal for sandwiches, tuna and more meal ideas.

19. Popcorn

Store this stuff indefinitely. Great as a quick, easy snack.

20. Potatoes

One of the long lasting veggies that you wanna keep stocked in your cupboard. You can also dehydrate or freeze dry them.

21. Powdered Drink Mix

Like Crystal Light or other powdered drink mix. Just add water and you’ve got a great alternative to water or milk, to keep things interesting.

22. Ramen Noodles

The ultimate staple food during an apocalypse. It’s cheap, great for soup, tastes good and has a long shelf life.

23. Powdered Milk

Good for when you need milk but don’t have a refrigerator. A must for emergency food supply.

24. Corn starch

This is a must have baking ingredient and thickener for soups, stews and meals you prepare.

25. Rice

No Braine right. Rice lasts forever is a great, hearty and filling food. You can also get pretty inventive with it for recipes.

Final Word

So, go stock your pantry and fridge.

What do you think? Share some stockpile foods you like to horde.

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21 Insanely Cool Gadgets That Are Going to Sell out This February

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Raise your hand if you hate grocery shopping?   That is totally me. Ever since I was a child I have truly dreaded going to the grocery store and that did not change going into adulthood. I don’t know what it is, I just dislike the experience. It’s time-consuming to drag your tired body through the grocery store, while managing small children and trying to stick to your list, avoiding throwing extra temptations  (like frosted poptarts) into your shopping cart and other obstacles.   I have tried many different tips and tactics over the years to help make the grocery shopping experience more enjoyable for me but I have failed. Until now.

If you’re looking for an excuse to switch over to grocery pickup then you are going to fall in love with this article. Make sure you bookmark this post so you can come back to it later. 

Here we go…

What is Grocery Pickup?

Grocery pickup is a service offered by more and more grocery stores where they will do your grocery shopping for you and all you have to do is drive to the store and pick up.

First, you go to the grocery store website and you do your shopping online.

So, with list in hand your browse the grocery store website and add all of your grocery items to your shopping cart and then when you’re done you will pick a store pickup time and check out.

When it’s time for you to pick up your groceries you’ll drive to the grocery store to do your pickup.

Some stores will have a dedicated pickup area. 

In my town, the grocery stores that offer pick up have a pick up section where you drive to you a special area, call or text the store and they take your groceries to your car and load in your trunk.

You don’t even have to leave your car.

It’s super easy and convenient.

Benefits of Grocery Pickup

• Saves time
• Saves money
• Convenience

Drawbacks to Grocery Pickup

• Service fee

So, is grocery pick-up really all that great?

I certainly think so though it is slightly more expensive than if you go in store and do your shopping.

This is why:

First, there is usually a service fee for doing grocery pick-up. When I do pick up at the two stores that I usually go to which are Walmart and HEB, the pickup fee is generally $5 to $6.

Then in addition to that, you’ll find that the grocery items that are picked up do you have a small markup.

For example, our family is mostly dairy-free so we pick up dairy-free coconut yogurt which costs $1.58 in store and $1.72 through grocery pickup.

You can see that that’s very small markup and all the items have tiny markups like that so a few cents here and there though, it may not seem like it, can add up and add a couple dollars to your order but in my opinion even with the additional cost, I still come out way on top with the savings that I get by doing grocery pickup.

How Do I Save $200/Month with Grocery Pickup?

When you go grocery shopping there is really a whole strategy and a specific mindset that you need to have in place to shop the right way.

You have to shop with a list.

You can’t shop hungry.

You have to have time and not rush your grocery shopping.

Plus, other things that you have to keep in mind and do to have a successful shop.

If any of these things are not in place, then your whole grocery shop can be sabotaged.

If you shop without a list, you end up getting double or triple items that you don’t need, like picking up 2 bags of spaghetti when you already have spaghetti in your pantry at home.

Or, you’ll spend way too much time shopping because you don’t know what to shop for.

This adds to your trip and the more time in store, the more you will spend.

If you shop hungry, you will overshop, guaranteed.

This is the worst thing you can do.

Not to mention all the temptation on the aisles, even sale items, which are super easy to just throw in your cart.

All this is avoided with grocery pickup.

You do your shopping right online from the comfort of your own home.

Then, you check out and that’s that.

No adding extra items to your cart, no overshopping. It’s a simple, streamlined experience.

How Do I Save 3 Hours/Month with Grocery Pickup?

One of the major benefits of picking up your groceries through a grocery pick-up service is the time savings. Because a lot of time is dedicated to grocery shopping.

When I go grocery shopping I will usually spend a minimum of an hour in the store and I shop weekly so that’s a total of 4 hours in a grocery store every single month.

And for me, because I really dread grocery shopping and I dislike the entire experience, that is a long 4 hours a month spent in grocery stores.

When I do grocery pickup, the trip takes about 15 minutes so I save 45 minutes a week on my grocery trip.

It takes about 5 minutes to drive to the store and then with the time to notify the store that I’ve arrived at my pickup time and for them to come out and load my car, the total time ends up being about 15 minutes and again that does include the drive to the store.

So that’s how I save 3 hours per month with grocery pickup.

Trying Grocery Delivery to Save Even More!

So, whats the deal with grocery delivery?

Grocery delivery has all the same benefits of grocery pickup PLUS, you get your groceries delivered to your front door.

This is perfect for people who can’t get away to go shop, like overworked or too busy moms, people without transportation and for the lazy, like me sometimes, who don’t want to even go drive to the store to pick up groceries.

Not to mention, there are times when you’re tired or sick and you need food in your fridge.

You just can’t drag yourself to your car, so why not do delivery, right?

Advantages to Grocery Delivery

• Save money
• Save time
• Convenient

Disadvantages to Grocery Delivery

• Service fee
• Membership might be required

You save money in all the ways described above with grocery pickup.

First, shop online for your groceries. Then, checkout and pick your delivery time. You’re done!

So you avoid overspending which can happen when you visit the store and throw extra items in your cart when you’re hungry, tired, or can’t resist temptation.

You save time because you can do what you need to at home while your groceries are shopped by the store and delivered to your home.

How convenient, right?

The disadvantages can include a service fee. All stores may not have service fees but most do, I think. This fee can range up to $8 to $10 per grocery trip.

It’s more than the pickup fee usually but considering the upper end of that range for a weekly delivery, or $40 in fees. It’s still less than the $200 extra I’d be spending if I visited the store in person.

So, it’s still a savings!

Then, some stores or delivery services may require a membership, where you pay a flat amount every month to have your groceries delivered.

Unless that monthly membership is $200/month (in my case), which will not be the case, it’s still cheaper.

In short…

Grocery pickup and grocery delivery saves money and saves time.

It’s super convenient and makes you not dread the grocery shopping experience any longer.

These are some of my favorite stores that offer grocery pickup and grocery delivery:

• HEB
• Walmart
• Kroger

This service, Instacart offers grocery delivery.

I love them because they work with a ton of different stores, like Whole Foods and possibly Trader Joes. I’ve been a member with Instacart and had a stellar experience.

Click here to read more about Instacart.

Would you do grocery pickup or grocery delivery? Why or why not? Share with us down below in comments!

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner and you’re stuck on what to get your boyfriend or spouse. We dig these gifts and gadgets and we think you will too.

Technology is advancing at a crazy fast rate. The speed at which technological innovation and advancement is occurring is incredible and the rapid development is causing retailers to get more and more creative with the innovative products they create. Innovative products range from cool toys and tools to health devices and problem-solving gadgets.

We’ve put together some of the most trending products that are going to sell out in 2020.

We also listed great prices and discounts, so scroll down and enjoy!

7 Amazing Valentines Gifts for Your Boyfriend

1. The Airbolt Smart Lock

AirBolt lets you easily protect and monitor your belongings right from your phone.

Always know where your luggage is and who’s handling it, secure your bags while at work or at the gym.

What is it?

It’s a smart lock/phone app combination that provides advanced hi-tech security with tracking capabilities to keep your valuables from being lost, stolen, or opened without you knowing!

It’s unlike any other lock. AirBolt gives you the unique ability to track and control multiple AirBolt locks right from their free app – making it INSANELY EASY to manage ALL of them right from your phone.

They call themselves the world’s most intelligent keyless smart lock.

• Control Access from your Phone
• One App to Control ALL Locks
• Never Lose Your Stuff Again
• Share Access with Friends and Family
• Advanced AES 128-bit Encryption
• 100% TSA Accepted
• Long lasting Rechargeable Battery
• Engineered for Life
• 30-Day Money Back Guarantee & 1-Year Warranty

What People Are Saying about Airbolt..

Your boyfriend/spouse will love this if he’s a traveler and would love to track his luggage right from his cell phone!

Learn more about the Airbolt Smartlock.

2. Dodow Sleep Device

If your guy has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, tossing and turning all night preventing a good night’s rest, you will LOVE Dodow.

This amazing gadget is a sleep-saver! You must get Dodow.  The best thing you can do!

Dodow created waves in the market in early 2018 by helping millions fall asleep naturally, without having to resort to toxic pills & OTC drugs and all without any side-effects!

This unique gadget is an all-in-one sleeping solution, which combines the latest research in cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga, and mindfulness with cutting-edge technology to retrain your brain to sleep naturally.

In fact, Dodow users fall asleep 2.5x faster. Not to mention that Dodow actually improves your sleep quality, so that you wake up refreshed and ready for the day! And it is  super simple to use.

Dodow is portable, you can take it anywhere, and it will even help you fall asleep when you’re jet-lagged! It can lull you to sleep at any time, anywhere!

And what’s more, you even have a 30-day money back guarantee. Really. How can you go wrong? You either get your sleep back or your money back. In just 30 days. It’s that simple!

Grab Dodow as the perfect Valentine’s gift for your boyfriend.

3. Aculief Headache and Migraine Relief

For headache sufferers, what if you could ditch the pills in lieu of this cool gadget that provides relief almost instantly?

This accupressure device provides drug-free headache relief.

How it Works?

The LI4 is an anti-inflammatory pressure point is located on our hands. And, it activates our body’s endorphins.

According Johns Hopkins University “Proper stimulation of the LI4 pressure point is effective in relieving headaches, pain of the eyes, toothaches, jaw pain, and pain of the limbs and bones.”

It works out of the box and it starts working in minutes.

Check out Aculief to learn more.

4. Kailo Nanotech Pain Patch

What if you could turn off pain in seconds by applying a patch?

Meet Kailo.

This nanotech patch turns off pain in seconds. Perfect for your boyfriend who might have sore spots from working out, suffer from back pain or other chronic or sporadic pain.

Kailo has zero side effects and can be worn every single day. Pain relief has never been this simple, effective, or affordable.

This is a Millennial Nextdoor favorite!

It looks like this…

5. Neck Hammock

Oh my gosh, this next one gets me so excited. You have GOT TO try this. It’s a hammock for your neck.

It helps with neck pain, improved posture, increased circulation, and fewer pinched nerves. It pulls the tension out of those tight, inflamed muscles in your neck while you rest!

Why Customers Love the Neck Hammock…

Neck pain is a common problem with very few solutions. Whether the pain comes from sitting at a desk, looking at your phone, physical activity, or stress, living with neck pain is…well, a pain!

After raising over $901,058 in crowdfunding, from a start up idea, Neck Hammock quickly became a reality and went viral after celebrities shared pictures of them using it across social media channels.

This new revolutionary gadget was designed by an actual physiotherapist and uses cervical traction to relax tight neck muscles and promote better neck mobility, reducing pain and allowing you to live life again.

Learn More About the Neck Hammock

6. ThePhotostick-Instantly Back Up All Your Photos & Videos

Have you ever had your computer crash only to realize that you’ve lost some of your photos and videos?

Or maybe you signed into your cloud backup only to find you’re missing precious photos and videos?

That’s why this neat gadget called ThePhotoStick is currently one of the top purchased products worldwide. But don’t just think about getting it for yourself, it makes the perfect gift for anyone who has a slight distrust for computers (think the baby boomer crowd).

With new computer viruses emerging everyday and hackers gaining access to computers around the world, this is the perfect solution to making sure your photos & videos are protected.

It’s the ONLY product of its kind that makes saving up to 60,000 photos and videos painless, and completely hassle free! It is a small thumb drive that you plug into your Mac or PC. You just open the program and click and it’ll automatically find all your photos and videos and back them up to the PhotoStick. That’s how simple it is.

Learn More About ThePhotostick.

7. Xtra-PC – Speed Up Your Old Computer With This

If you are tired of waiting on a slow Windows PC or Mac, then you can try this impressive Xtra-PC USB drive.

This extra cool gadget contains a BLAZING FAST operating system built on Linux that can bypass your old, slow operating system when inserted in your computer’s USB port.

All you have to do is restart your PC, boot into USB, and you’re set – no technical skills required!

The new operating system maintains the familiar structure of your old one and gives you access to all the files you previously had.

Not to mention that it comes with your favorite programs which allow you to browse the web, send & receive emails, listen to music & watch your favorite videos and more!

With Xtra-PC you can do everything you did before, except that on a super fast computer. No wonder that hundreds of thousands have started using Xtra-PC in 2019 to boost their productivity.

With Xtra-PC, you feel like you have an entirely new PC at a fraction of the cost!

Not to mention that Xtra-PC works even with faulty or missing hard drives, and gives you the opportunity to recover files you thought you had lost forever after a crash. It’s like having your own data recovery team in your pocket.

Learn more about Xtra-PC.

Final Thoughts

There you go, 7 ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts for your boyfriend. Enjoy!

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Everyone loves a good freebie, right? When I was in college I started paying attention to my receipts. Have you ever looked at the bottom or back of your grocery store or Wal-mart receipt? There are offers that people don’t even pay attention to, like coupons, free stuff, a chance to win money from sweepstakes, etc.

Think about how many people ignore offers like those. I started paying attention and redeemed my first one at Baskin Robbins, I got 2 scoops of icecream free, one for me, one for my boyfriend (now husband). I was hooked after that!

There are plenty of ways to score free samples and free stuff.

Keep reading to learn the sneaky way to get free samples.

How to Get Freebies

There are a couple hidden resources that let you get freebies, and some of them ship right to your doorstep!

• Bath and Body Works samples
• Birthday samples
• And more!

For Bath and Body Works samples, head to this link and get started.

For birthday samples, this is how it goes, and I’ve been doing this for years.

You get free stuff on your birthday.

This is usually through a loyalty or rewards program tied to a retailer. You join the program and then get a coupon or offer for your freebie once your birthday rolls around.

I have gotten Free Denny’s, Free Starbucks, Free Jersey Mike’s and more.

Pro Tip: Join the loyalty program ahead of time

For example, with the Starbucks program, you need to have the app at least 30 days before your birthday to get your birthday sample. The first year I tried this the hard way and joined day of my bday and it didn’t work. The next year it worked like a charm though.

Don’t miss out on the free stuff!

Final Word

Comment below to let me know what free stuff you scored!

For more on money-making and money-saving hacks, check out these posts:

• 17+ Online Weekend Jobs for Extra Money
• How to Start a Blog and Make Money
• 5 Things This Millennial Did to Pay Off Her Car Loan in 6 Months
• 10 Easiest Things to Flip

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Making $1,000+ in 5 hours pretending to run a small business..did that headline catch your attention? It’s arbitrage and something that millennials are doing successfully year after year.

Here’s the story of how one guy did it, making $2,000 in 5 hours without working.

How to Make $1,000 in 5 Hours Pretending to Run a Small Business

One day this guy was bored at work so he was browsing Craigslist for gigs he could work. He came across this gig where a family needed a valet company. He reached out, met with the family and found out they were looking for a valet company for a party they were running. They lived in a wealthy neighborhood at the top of the hill and parking was a big concern.

After he spoke with them about details like, where he could park the cars, how many guests they were expecting, etc., he told them he’d chat with his staff and get back to them with more info.

He then, sought out several valet companies, ultimately finding a reputable one to work with, who quoted him $1,000 for that job. He quoted the family $3,000 and THEY ACCEPTED!

He told the valet company he was a party planner.

He told the client he was the valet.

The goal was to execute the night flawlessly without the actual valet company talking to the client. So, he was a middleman, connecting the two parties, accepting a fee for his work.

During the night, it went smoothly and the client was so happy they even fixed him a plate of food from their event.

And, that’s how it went!

Pretty genius, right?

What a great example of arbitrage. This story was taken from this reddit.

Head there if you’d like and make sure to support that thread.

Would you do something like this? Have you?

Share down below!

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