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Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME/ Natural Products

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been using Homemade Laundry Detergent for at least 6 months now, and I LOVE IT!  It is easy, inexpensive, green, and it works!  When I tell people I do this, I often get “I just don’t have time to do that.”  I thought that, too, until I put it into perspective–it is like making a very inexpensive, 3 ingredient recipe that makes a huge batch, and lasts for months because you only use 2 Tbls/load!

I have tried 2 recipes, both are quite popular on the web.  This is the first one I used and it is the one I will stick with. It is easy to make (no measuring), uses a true soap with no fillers, makes a lot, and does not have an off- putting scent.

It uses:
1 box Borax (76oz)
1 box Washing Soda (55oz)
1 bar Kirks Castile Soap

If you click on this link, it will take you to a picture tutorial on Instructables of how to make it.  Be sure to read the comment section while you are there, the author answers many questions which I found very helpful.

{when I made it, I used my food processor to break up the soap, 
 in the link above, she uses a micro-plane to grate it, which would make it more fine}

The second one was a bit more pricey, used a soap that had ingredients that were not as pure, and I really didn’t see much difference.  Fels Naptha soap is pretty scented, which I didn’t care for.   I know people who really like this recipe, and it is very popular on the web, so I thought I would share it even though it is not my first pick.

It uses:
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Fels Naptha Soap, grated

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If you have ever seen the TV show “18 Kids And Counting,” you will know that the Duggar family work hard at being frugal.  They use a Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent which I have never tried, I like how my powder soap looks in my big jar, and I think powder is less messy.  The Duggar recipe needs some cooking and stirring, but if it works for 18 kids and is still being used even despite fame and fortune, it must work well!!

{my laundry room will be pretty like this someday…its on the doozy list. 
 I DO have that pretty jar, which makes me happy!}

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*TipNut has an amazing resource for Homemade Laundry Detergent FAQ’s.

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The first recipe is supposed to be GREAT as a toilet, bathtub and grout cleaner when made into a paste with some water.  I’m excited to try this, as I have been buying “Method” brand toilet cleaner from Target, which costs more than I would like to spend.

My husband and I went on a mission a few months ago, to STOP all unnecessary spending.  The first couple months we called “No Spend” months, and we really buckled down and tried our best to only spend when absolutely necessary!  We have been a bit more relaxed lately, but we are still very frugal.  We have been able to save a few thousand dollars by doing this, which is pretty amazing, as we were not big spenders in the first place.  It has been super fun…yup, I said FUN!  It really is all in the attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for, so I looked at this as a fun challenge, eager to see just how much we could save buy being purposeful about every cent.  We both have been surprised at how much we we’ve saved, and feel super blessed that we have been able to pay off debt.  I have learned that spending even a dollar here or a dollar there adds up fast!  When you make a bunch of little changes to save a bit here and a bit there, that also adds up fast!  Check this:

First Recipe Above costs about $10.00 for 137 Loads—that is only .07 cents a load!

The following are various commercial detergents in typical sizes and pricing. The numbers of loads are as per the manufacturers’ instructions.
– Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear Natural Laundry Detergent 2x Ultra: $11.99 for 50 loads. ($0.239 per load)
-BioKleen Liquid Laundry Detergent: $14.39 for 64 loads. ($0.224 per load)
– All’s Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate for HE washers: $8.49 for 32 loads. ($0.265 per load)
– ECOS Laundry Detergent, Ultra Concentrated with Soy Fabric Softener: $9.49 for 26 loads ($0.367 per load)
– Tide’s 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent: $14.99 for 32 loads ($0.468 per load!)
– Dreft’s 2x Concentrated Baby Laundry Detergent: $31.99 for 110 loads ($0.290 per load)

Making our own detergent is a great example of how we have been able to save in small ways that add up.  Making my own cleaners, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent has saved us A LOT of money, and I love that our home contains fewer harsh chemicals.

Off to go do a load of laundry!

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21
Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME/ Homemaking/ Natural Products

Homemade Household Cleaners

These are CHEAP, biodegradable, and easy to make!  I love that the ingredients are not harsh, and I can put my girls to work without worrying about them coming into contact with harsh chemicals.

I’ve already posted on this basic cleaner, here, but here it is again:

Basic Cleaner

1 part vinegar

2 parts water

Put in spray bottle, shake.  I use this for almost everything…glass tables, counters, microwave, sinks, etc. (some times I do 1 part water to 1 part vinegar for more strength)

Scrub Cleaner

Baking Soda

Splash of vinegar

Good for grout, showers, tubs, ovens, stoves, sinks…

Disinfectant Cleaner

Hydrogen peroxide

Put into a dark colored spray bottle (light breaks it down) and use it to disinfect cutting boards, toilets, whatever..

Floor Cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup vinegar

2 gallons hot water

1 tablespoon dish soap

 *Can add 1/2 cup borax to make it a disinfectant 



This post is linked to:
Thrifty Thursday @Tales From Bloggeritaville


13
Frugal/ HOME

Eat From The Pantry Challenge

Here are the groceries I bought for the week.
Keeping it minimal, people, keeping it minimal!
I am determined to stick with the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge” until my freezer is void of all meat and my pantry is very empty. We are getting there! I’d say this is the last week of the challenge for me, just because there is nothing left! I will spent the rest of the month only buying necessities for that week and being very intentional about they types of food I bring into our home.
Meal Ideas For This Week:
  • Chicken W/ Thai Peanut Sauce and Brown Rice
  • Lemon Pepper Tilapia W/ Brown Rice
  • Spaghetti W/ Homemade Bread
  • Chili W/ Homemade Cornbread
  • Chicken Pot Pie
Lunch Plans
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Potato Soup
  • Peanut Butter/Jelly Sandwiches
Snack Ideas
  • Fruit
  • Smoothies
  • Homemade Vanilla Wafers
  • Crackers/Cheese
  • Homemade Brownies
  • Oatmeal Cookies


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Frugal/ HOME/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Pantry Organization #2

Like I said in this post, holidays have a way of wrecking havoc in my kitchen. All the extra baking and leftovers from get-togethers seem to just take over and my organized refrigerator and pantry end up CRAZY! Now my refrigerator no longer looks like a Christmas bomb went off in it, and last night I worked on the pantry.
Here is before

Here is after
Big difference, huh? See my new little mason jars? I took advantage of the after- Christmas sales and went shopping yesterday with birthday money from my in-laws. I bought the 2 smaller size jars at Target. They make me very happy. I will share some of the other super great deals I found to spend my birthday money on, in another post.
Oh, here is something I bought that I can share now. My sister-in-law (the one I talk about here who always buys great gifts, and did it again) bought me a great big glass canister with a brushed silver lid for Christmas. I knew the minute I opened it what I would use it for. I have been baking ALOT more than I ever have,and have been frustrated with flour storage. I have been experimenting with whole wheat flours, (pastry flour, coarsely ground flour, etc) and really wanted a simple, big, stylin’ jar with a mouth big enough to fit my one cup measure into, and one big enough to hold a five pounds of flour. I didn’t communicate this to Wendy, but somehow she knows what I would love and use. It’s weird.
I loved the jar so much I used some of my birthday money to buy another one the same size, and one smaller. I put my coffee maker away (trying to cut out daily coffee as a New Year’s goal) and put these beauties out instead. I like how accessible they are, it makes me want to bake just looking at them! (wish I had a better picture, this one does not do them justice, but I’m too lazy to go try for a better one)
Now I am very ready to participate in the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge” (read about it here.)
Today was my first day, it went well– I made Potato and Corn Chowder Soup. Tomorrow is more of a challenge because it is New Years Eve, and we like to celebrate with good snacks and food. It will just be our little family this year, so I am trying to get creative…I have ingredients for homemade pizza and some cookie dough that my sister made in the freezer for sweets. My family is used to a tradition of chocolate fondue with lots of dippers, but Christmas cooking/baking shot our grocery budget for the month so we will skip that this year. We will make popcorn, our trusty fudgy buttons, frosted grapes (post to come); cookies, and homemade pizza decorated with pepper strips to look like a clock, in honor of time passing and the New Year!
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Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME/ How-Tos/ Organizing/ RECIPES/ Simplifying

Eat From Your Pantry Challenge

Our last Christmas family celebration was here at our home yesterday.  Boy, did we have fun!  We had a “come wearing a silly hat theme,” a pancake bar, games, an insane amount of gifts from Grandpa John and Grandma Pam, a Christmas craft with Grandma Sheri, a Christmas movie, and constant food consumption from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. —  We made such great memories!   Everyone came nicely dressed in normal clothes, and within a few hours most of us were in our new pajamas that we had just unwrapped.  Time with family was extra sweet, because a blizzard kept us from seeing each other on Christmas day.

My Silly Christmas Hat And A Platter Of Pancakes!
Although we constantly consumed food throughout the day, there were lots and lots of leftovers.  A great thing about being the host house is getting stuck with all the leftovers!  I’m very stuffed as I sit here typing!

I spent some time in my kitchen today, clearing out the Christmas decorations (I am REALLY excited to get the house back to its simple self!) and organizing my refrigerator and freezer.  I could not tell what- was- what when I opened the refrig this morning, and I knew if I didn’t get in there and figure it out, that all those great leftovers would go to waste.  I now have leftovers that won’t get eaten today or tomorrow, packaged and into the freezer (shredded cheese leftover from nachos, bacon leftover from making quiche, pancakes leftover from our pancake feast, cookie dough that didn’t get baked, etc).
I know what I have, and feel confident that we won’t waste all that good food!  Tomorrow I will tackle the pantry, it is so disorganized right now that it is hazardous to open the door! Holidays have a way of reeking havoc on my kitchen in more ways than one!  I am so very eager to get back to simple and healthful eating, to get as much processed sugar and foods out of my house as I can, and fill my pantry up with ingredients from my little neighborhood health food market.

Today I stumbled upon this post and it really excited me.  “Eat From Your Pantry” is a concept that I love and have tried before.  We did it for 2 weeks in the month of October.  It was so rewarding to see how much money we could save by just paying attention to food we already have.  I loved seeing my cupboards become bare, and I loved filling them back with only healthful, necessary foods.  I only spent $40.00 the first week, and $48.00 the next week.  We usually spend about $120.00-$130.00 a week, so that was a substantial amount saved!

I am a bit apprehensive to commit to a whole month, but it seems like they are a bit flexible with the challenge.  I think the goal is just to be extremely thoughtful about what groceries you do buy, all the while using up what you already have.  This came at a perfect time for me, here is why:

* I have lots of leftovers hanging out in my freezer

*I am VERY MOTIVATED to get our kitchen back in order

*I miss shopping at my health food grocer

*My husband is back on track with healthful eating (as of today) & I want to support him in that

*It is soon-to-be a NEW YEAR, which gives me motivation to start anew with food.

I will occasionally post about our progress and experience.  Let me know if you think this is a good idea and if you want to do it, too!

5
Frugal/ FUN/DIY/ HOME/ Seasonal

Homemade Wrapping Paper

We have been saving our paper grocery bags for awhile now (I  talked about it here)  I didn’t want to spend any money on wrapping, so we decided to make our own out of grocery sacks.  It was a bunch of fun, and kept my girls busy for days.  I told them they had to use silver, black and red.  We talked about how most wrapping paper has patterns, and how larger images would get cut off or folded, so we would want to stick with smaller patterns unless it was for a larger gift.  I also told them to think circles, just because i LOVE circles and we have a lot of round things on our tree.  I was very proud of what they came up with!
This is the first one my 10 yr old made.  I love it.  I wanted to frame it!
My 8 yr old made this one.

Simple stamps

my 8 yr old made…another favorite of mine

I made this one!  I was inspired by my own daughter:)

Made by my 6 yr old

Aww…made by my 6 yr old
supplies we used: red crayon, red marker, black marker,
stamps and silver ink, silver puffy paint
We started on this project before Thanksgiving, so the rest of my Christmas stuff was still packed away.  Little did I know that I had bought wrapping paper at an end-of-season sale last year, and when we started bringing the Christmas decor out of the attic I was pleasantly surprised! I forgot I had purchased it. The mixture of both under the tree is nice.  My girls were so excited to see their work used to make pretty gifts and I am excited because I think grandparents will love getting a package wrapped in original art!



I wrote about handmade package toppers, but honestly, I needed to keep it simple! I didn’t make any I posted about, but everything I did use we had on hand so I didn’t have to spend money.  I’m getting crafted out, and I am ready to just sit, read and snuggle with them.  They love projects, but sometimes for me, its too much of a good thing!  This was a super easy project, but added to others we have done lately– I am project’d out!!

**I’m happy to be linking up to these link parties:
BCD Show and tell
giveaways
7
Frugal/ HOME

My Husband ReCharges My Batteries:)

Great title, huh?  Well, he does!

I am married to a wonderful man whom I respect in many ways.  One of the things I highly respect him for is the decisions he makes with money.  He has always been a great provider for our family, the wise decisions he makes with our budget makes me feel loved, protected, secure and cared for.

We both believe it is important to be thoughtful with all the purchases we make, big or small.
We are amazed that making the smallest changes in those decisions can make a huge difference in the long run. One way we do that is by using rechargeable batteries instead of buying regular batteries.  I know it is saving us a bunch of money.

If you don’t use batteries very often, this might not be the most economical thing for you.  But, if you have several tv/ dvd player remotes and gaming system (wii!) remotes, or a couple of  wireless mice?! (that sounds weird, but it can’t be mouses..hmm.. a wireless computer mouse or two, how’s that?)  it might be something worth thinking about.

Good Housekeeping magazine featured the Duracell pocket-size Energy Star-certified GoEasy Charger ($13.00;two AA batteries included),which works for AA and AAA rechargeables.  I think that is a pretty good deal!

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