Best Money Tips: Homemade Cough Drops
Discover smart money-saving tips including a simple recipe for homemade cough drops, top iPhone apps, and easy ways to boost your savings.
Best Money Tips: How to Make Homemade Cough Drops
Welcome to Wise Bread’s Best Money Tips roundup. Today, we dive into practical ways to stretch your dollars with a simple recipe for homemade cough drops, a curated list of 50 top iPhone apps for everyday efficiency, and nine straightforward habits to enhance your financial health. These tips blend frugality with functionality, helping you save on health remedies, optimize your smartphone, and build lasting money smarts.
How to Make Homemade Cough Drops
Making your own cough drops is an easy, cost-effective alternative to store-bought versions, especially during cold and flu season. With basic pantry ingredients like honey, lemon, and ginger, you can create soothing lozenges that rival commercial products while saving money. This recipe yields about 15-20 drops and costs pennies per piece compared to $5-10 for a bag of name-brand drops.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup for a vegan option) – provides natural sweetness and coating for the throat.
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar, orange juice) – adds acidity to balance flavors and boost vitamin C.
- 1 to 1.5 tsp fresh grated ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger) – offers anti-inflammatory benefits for cough relief.
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon – enhances flavor and provides warming antimicrobial properties.
- Coating options: arrowroot powder, powdered sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, or vitamin C powder to prevent sticking.
Equipment Needed
- Medium saucepan
- Candy molds (optional) or parchment paper/silicone mat
- Spatula
- Candy thermometer (recommended for precision)
- Waxed paper for wrapping
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep your workspace: Set out molds or a parchment-lined sheet. Work quickly once the mixture is ready to avoid hardening in the pan.
- Combine base ingredients: In the saucepan, whisk honey and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in ginger and cinnamon.
- First heat: Over medium-high heat, stir until it foams. Turn off heat, stir foam back in – the mixture turns creamy and opaque.
- Cook to hard crack: Reheat to medium-high, stirring continuously until 300°F (hard crack stage). This takes 9-10 minutes; it thickens, shines, and darkens. Avoid burning.
- Pour and cool: Spoon into molds or drops onto parchment. Let harden completely (20-30 minutes).
- Coat and wrap: Toss in coating powder, then wrap individually in waxed paper for storage. Keeps for weeks in an airtight container.
Pro Tips: Double the batch for gifting. Customize with orange juice for kids or extra ginger for potency. These drops soothe sore throats naturally, leveraging honey’s antibacterial qualities supported by health studies. Total time: 30 minutes active, plus cooling. Savings: Up to 80% vs. retail.
50 of the Top iPhone Apps
In the era of smartphones, the right apps can transform your iPhone into a powerhouse for productivity, savings, and entertainment. This roundup highlights 50 top apps across categories like finance, health, travel, and utilities. Selected for high ratings (4.5+ stars) and utility, they help users save time and money daily. For instance, budgeting apps track expenses automatically, while deal-finders alert to discounts.
Finance and Budgeting Apps (Top 10)
| App Name | Key Feature | Why It Saves Money |
|---|---|---|
| Mint | Auto-tracks spending | Links bank accounts to prevent overspending |
| YNAB (You Need A Budget) | Zero-based budgeting | Teaches proactive allocation, users report 20% savings |
| Acorns | Round-up investing | Invests spare change from purchases |
| Personal Capital | Net worth tracker | Free financial dashboard with retirement planner |
| ShopSavvy | Barcode scanner | Compares prices in-store for instant deals |
| Honey | Coupon auto-finder | Applies codes at checkout, saves avg $10/order |
| Ibotta | Cashback rebates | Scan receipts for grocery rebates |
| GasBuddy | Fuel price finder | Locates cheapest gas nearby |
| Credit Karma | Credit monitoring | Free score updates and tips |
| Expensify | Receipt scanner | Simplifies reimbursements for freelancers |
Productivity and Utilities (Next 20)
- Evernote: Note-taking with search; syncs across devices.
- Todoist: Task manager with reminders; integrates with calendars.
- Forest: Focus app plants virtual trees to curb phone addiction.
- Scanner Pro: Turns phone into document scanner; exports to PDF.
- LastPass: Password manager; auto-fills logins securely.
- And 15 more like Duolingo (free language learning), Pocket (read later), and Shazam (song ID).
Health apps like MyFitnessPal track calories for free, aiding weight loss without gym fees. Travel picks such as Hopper predict flight prices, saving hundreds on tickets. Entertainment: Spotify and Netflix for on-demand without cable. Download selectively to avoid clutter – prioritize based on needs.
Gaming and Fun (Remaining 20)
Free games like Candy Crush and Among Us provide hours of diversion. Puzzle apps sharpen minds without cost. These apps monetize via ads or in-apps, but free tiers suffice for most.
9 Simple Habits of Financially Successful People
Financial success isn’t luck; it’s cultivated through consistent habits. This list distills nine practices from self-made millionaires and experts, emphasizing mindset and action over get-rich-quick schemes. Adopting even a few can compound your wealth over time.
- Live Below Your Means: Spend less than you earn. Track every dollar to identify leaks like daily lattes ($1,000/year).
- Automate Savings: Set transfers to high-yield accounts on payday. Rule of thumb: 20% off top.
- Avoid Debt Traps: Pay off high-interest cards first (avalanche method). Use cash for non-essentials.
- Invest Early and Often: Leverage compound interest. Start with index funds; historical S&P 500 returns avg 10%/year.
- Continuous Learning: Read finance books (e.g., “Rich Dad Poor Dad”). Podcasts like Planet Money build knowledge free.
- Multiple Income Streams: Side hustles like freelancing or rentals diversify risk.
- Budget Religiously: Use 50/30/20 rule: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings/debt.
- Negotiate Everything: Salaries, bills, purchases. Avg raise: 10% via negotiation.
- Giving Back: Philanthropy fosters abundance mindset; tax deductions sweeten it.
Track progress quarterly. Tools like spreadsheets or apps from the iPhone list amplify these habits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How long do homemade cough drops last?
A: Properly coated and wrapped, they store for 2-4 weeks in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate for longer shelf life.
Q: Can I make vegan cough drops?
A: Yes, substitute honey with maple syrup. Use plant-based coatings like arrowroot.
Q: Are these cough drops safe for kids?
A: For ages 1+, supervise to prevent choking. Consult pediatrician for infants.
Q: What’s the best iPhone app for budgeting?
A: Mint or YNAB, depending on automation vs. manual control preferences.
Q: How do I start investing as a beginner?
A: Open a Roth IRA via Vanguard; invest in low-fee ETFs. Start small.
Why These Tips Matter for Frugal Living
In a world of rising costs, these strategies empower proactive saving. Homemade remedies cut health expenses, apps streamline life, and habits build wealth. Combine them: Use a budgeting app to track cough drop ingredients, invest savings from app deals. Readers report 15-30% annual savings. Share your tips in comments!
References
- Easy Homemade Cough Drops with Honey, Lemon and Ginger — Homestead and Chill. 2023-10-15. https://homesteadandchill.com/homemade-cough-drops-recipe/
- Best Money Tips: How to Make Homemade Cough Drops — Wise Bread. 2009-12-01. https://www.wisebread.com/best-of-personal-finance-roundup-how-to-make-homemade-cough-drops
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Honey for Cough Relief — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2024-05-20. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Budgeting Best Practices — U.S. Government (CFPB). 2025-01-10. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/budgeting/
- App Store Rankings and Reviews Analysis — Apple Inc. Official Documentation. 2025-11-01. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/
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