Money Saving Cleanser Recipies

This week, I am bringing you ways to save money on cleaning products.

Let's just dive on in with toilet bowl cleaners.  Why does everyone think they have to foam, and smell worse than the stuff they clean up after?  I use regular dish soap mixed with a little baking soda and a little vinegar.  In a pinch, shampoo works.  A little squirt, a swirl with the brush, a flush, and my bowl is shining and white.

This brings me to the other surfaces in the bathroom:  SAME SOLUTION works in the entire room...  for the floor, use the white vinegar diluted with water.

I have yet to find a dish washer soap that doesn't use borax, or a list of items as long as my arm.  However, instead of jet dry, I put a half a tumbler (those small glass) of vinegar in the top rack.  I also don't use thhe heated dry.  (I do use the heated wash.)

For laundry, I make my own soap.  My recipe is good, so I've been told, for HE washers because it doesn't make suds.  At first, my whites were dingy.  After a little playing around with the amount of borax in my soap, I now have whiter whites than the free and clear brand I was buying for four times the price each month.  Here's my magic mix:  1 part borax, 1 part ar and hammer washing soda, 1/2 part baking soda, 2 laundry bars (no dyes, no perfumes), 1&1/2 scoops of oxiclean (we bought the small container for around $3).  You put it all in a blender and mix it like crazy (you'll have to chop the laundry bars, first).

I also make my own shampoo.  2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 LIBERAL squirts from my small bottle of Dr. Bronners, and warm water all poured into a squirt bottle (add the doctor after the water) and shake.  Don't use on hair you have colored.  I have never had trouble with my bleached hair.    Need a conditioner?  Be sure to use sparinggly, and on top of shampoo, and apple cider vinegar mixed with EVOO works well.  You may need a bit more shampoo to get the oil out, if you have thick hair like me.

Toothpaste:  cocanut oil is a great disinfectant, but it is an oil...  some people use this as a natural tooth paste, mixed with a little baking soda.  I have read rave reviews.

I do use olive oil, cocanut oil, and maalox as a diaper rash cream.  Only problem I have had with it:  you must remember to shake it very well.

Well, there it is, folks...  how I save money on cleaners (and a few personal care items).  Maybe, you'll be able to squirl away a bit to help with your preps.

Next week:  You Never Miss a Real Good Thing...  be sure and stock up on these things (other than the obvious food items).

Finding Money for Prepps

I think I can predict how the economy will tilt, no matter who sits in the big chair, for the first year of the next presidential term.  It's gonna stink!  Sure, it's bad now, but it'll only get worse.

Now is really the time to be doing something about it; setting up one's own safety net, so to speak.  Now is the time to buy non parishables in bulk, put back cash for the parishables and fuel/electricity, and stock up on water.  Get yourselves a few solar lights from the home and garden area of your favorite store (they are generally around $10 for a set of 6), some candels, a few lighters (I'm always misplacing one)...  I'm not telling you to stock up on a year's worth of flour or rice (that wouldn't be a bad idea, however), or to but a fifty gal. rain barrel in your back yard (again, not a bad idea), but I am telling you that we need to prepair.

Here are a few changes your household may be able to make, in order to have a little extra for your preps:

1. Switch to cloth:  Napkins, Baby Wipes, Diapers, Femenine Products.  I know what you're thinking, eew, right?  But that's what laundry soap is for.
2. Let the Sun Shine In:  If you're not reading, or sewing, or doing something else detailed, open the blinds.  In the winter, this may also help lower the heating bill, if you get yourself some good weather stripping.
3. Hang around the house:  Do your laundry before you're out of clean underwear, and you can hang it on the shower curtain rod, in the laundry room, on the back porch...  maybe you can set up a clothes line in your back yard.  This will save on your energy expenses in two ways a) less power to run the dryer, b) less power to maintain a comfortable temp. in the home due to the heat from the dryer.
4. Go Out to Your Living Room:  For the price of six movie tickets, you and your family can pay a monthly bill for both internet and NetFlix, and you'll be able to stream movies every night of the week, as well as get one disc at the time. (How do I know?  I subscribe.)  Plus, the pop corn isn't over priced, and you won't have to step in anyone else's gum (personal experience, bad first date).
5. Try to schedule appointments and errands on the same day.  You'll use less gas if you can get it all done in one day.  Another good idea for this is to try to work your way around town in a counter clock wise fashion (less time waiting at stop lights, due to more right turns on red).
6. Use your Talents:  Do you know how to make or mend clothing, cook gormet meals, or repair furniture?  Do it yourself, instead of hiring someone else to do it.  Another bonus, if you know how to do something, and someone else needs it done, you could always be the one they hire for the job.

Our family is fortunate enough to be able to make ends meet (most of the time) with only my husband's income.  If we even tried making it with me working, he'd have to shell out money for my gas, because my entire check would go toward day care for our two children.  So, before anyone tries to say I'm lazy, the fact is we're better off this way.  In the past, things have been better financially, yet worse personally.  Things have also been worse in the finance department, at one point.  So, all in all I'd say we're doing really well, these days.  No, we don't have eighty friends who come over on the weekends for extravagant diner parties, but we did have a birthday party for our two year old on Sunday.  Kids' parties are easy due to the simple menu planning and the fact that there's no need for the fine china.  In the old days, I threw cook outs that cost more than $200, so this is a really good change.  I feel less stressed, and more blessed!

Next Monday, I'll post on money saving recipes for cleaning products.  I've found that making my own means I save money, and I rarely have to run out for that one must have product right before company comes over...  since I generally have the ingredients stocked, because they are multi purposed.