This Week in Frugal: Homemade Everything, Financial Independence and Swapping

Man vs Debt who has a great guest post by Miranda Marquit which links to 25 essential items you can make for cheaper and better at home, like laundry detergent, cosmetics and even candy.

Elsewhere on the Web:

• The Frugal Girl offers a balanced perspective on living frugally: in essence, you don’t have to make yogurt if you don’t want to.
• The Simple Dollar has a guest post written by Vicki Robin who’s written a book called Your Money or Your Life. She unpacks the notion of “financial independence.”
• The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced six new recalls on window blinds and shades because of reports of three recent strangulation deaths—and seven near-deaths from strangulation—due to cords. Check GoodyBlog for details.
• Toys R Us is offering 20% off a new baby item when you trade in an old car seat, crib, stroller, etc.
• And finally, if you ever had the crazy desire to make your own stickers, here’s how to do it.