Years ago I was really, really strapped for cash and went back to basics as far as creating budgets and watching where my money went.  I logged in a notebook where every single cent was spent.  I was so surprised to find how fast cash money went through my fingers.  It became a habit for me and I have been tracking every penny ever since.  Though I may want something, usually, if I write it down and think about it, my “shopping fixation” goes away! I make a monthly budget, I make a shopping list, and I also put the extra cash (that I would normally spend or might spend on frivilous things) in savings.  So my number one frugal tip is to keep a watch where every penny is spent and put non essential money in savings!

Did you know Virtual water is the amount of water that is embedded in food or other products needed for its production. A water footprint is quite simply the volume of water used.  Examples of virtual water usage:
1 cup of coffee needs 140 litres of water.
1 litre of milk needs 800 litres of water.
1 kg of wheat needs 1100 litres of water.
1 kg of rice needs 2300 litres of water.
1 kg maize needs 900 litres of water.
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75% of people are chronically dehydrated

In 37% of Americans the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for   hunger

Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back pain for up to 80% of sufferers

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or a printed page

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50%

One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs.

Did you know that 50% of the water you may use originates from the bathroom.

A small drip from a faucet can waste up to 50 gallons of water per day.

A dishwasher can use up to 25 gallons of water per each full cycle.

The earth is a closed system, similar to a terrarium, meaning that it rarely loses or gains extra matter. The same water that existed on the earth millions of years ago is still present today.

Approximately 85 percent of U.S. residents receive their water from public water facilities. The remaining 15 percent supply their own water from private wells or other sources.

Governor William Bradford sent “four men fowling” after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term “turkey” was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

Coca-Cola would be green if coloring weren’t added to it.

On May 8, 1886 Dr. John Stith Pemberton made the first batch of syrup for Coca Cola. Another fun fact was that Coke was originally intended to be a type of medicine.

At one time, Coca Cola actually contained cocaine. How much cocaine each serving contained is unknown, but it was originally made with coca leaves and kola nuts, hints the name Coca Cola.

One 12 ounce can of Coca Cola contains approximately 45 mg. of caffeine.

Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl. Let the real thing sit for one hour, then brush and flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

Coca-Cola was first shipped in used whiskey kegs and barrels, but they were painted red to give them a distinctive mark. The color red has been associated with the product ever since.

By the 1950’s, automobile service stations sold more Coca-Cola than they did motor oil!

The Guinness Book of Records lists the largest snowflake at 15 inches across,

Newly fallen snow is usually about 90 - 95 percent air.

Snow is technically a mineral, like iron and salt.

At the centre of each snowflake is a speck of dust, volcanic ash or particle from outer space.

The snow in Antarctica is mostly so hard and flat that it reflects sound as well as light.

A blizzard with lightning is called thundersnow.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle.   The waste hierarchy refers to the “3 Rs” reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability. The 3 Rs are meant to be a hierarchy, in order of importance. As reported by Wikipedia.