Cutting the Costs of Living~10 Ways

[homesteaderbelle]

Here are some things that my family does to save money:
(1) We grow a lot of our own food. This saves us on grocery bills and gas bills.
(2) We make our own laundry soap. We make a big 5 gallon bucket full with only a bar of Fels-Naptha, Arm and Hammer Washing ( not Baking) Soda, and some Borax
(3) We quit buying toilet paper. We make our own toilet wipes that we wash and reuse.
(4) We don't buy menstrual pads. We make our own.
(5) We don't go on vacations. To my family, life is a vacation. We don't have to leave our home to have one.
(6) Wedon't have cable, sattelite,ect... My family decided that we didn't need it, we have each other and our life for entertainment, when living on a busy homestead a person doesn't have time for it.
(7) We don't buy any new clothing ( ecept for underwear). We buy them second-hand from thrift shops, goodwills, yard sales, ect... Some clothing items we make our-selves.
(8) Most of our fabric comes from old clothing, so we really don't have to buy much from the sewing shop.
(9) We make due with what wev'e got.
(10) We don't eat out. We have some very good cooks in our family.
This is the way we cut the cost of living.
How do you save?
Belle

[Deberosa]

How exactly do you make your laundry soap? That sounds like a great project. I like the ones that don't take up alot of time because with growing your own food and preserving and all that it entails time is the shortest commodity I have since I work full time.

It's been great to work from home as I can get lots of inside chores done like laundry while I work and it's out of the way by the end of the day. I also now always do lunch at home which while going to an office was eating out alot. It makes a huge difference!

We heat with wood, grow our own food and I hope to make that process more sustainable as we get things set up so there are fewer inputs each year.

[homesteaderbelle]

This laundry soap is simple to make. It only takes us abou 15 to 20 min to make it.

You will need:
1 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap. The Dial company sells it by the case.
2 cups of Arm and Hammer Washing soda (not baking soda).
2 cups of Brax
Five gallon Bucket

Grate the bar of soap into a large pot. Cover the grated soap with hot water. Put the pot of soap and water on the stove on high heat. Ocasionally stir the soap until melted. Do not cook the soap or breath the fumes.
While the soap is melting put the Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing soda in the five gallon bucket with hot water, leave enough space in the bucket to pour in the melted Fels-Naptha. Now you will need to stir it, I use a broom or mop handle or a yard stick, you can even get a long stick out of your yard to stir with.
After the Fels-Naptha soap is melted, pour it into the five-gallon bucket, I put some water in the pot to get all of the soap and pour it into the bucket. Stir again and let it set.
You can use it immediatley after making, but I let it set a day or so. You will notice that it looks like jello after awhile, that is normal. When it get like that stir it. Stir before each use.
I put my laundry soap in juice containers and milk jugs. Before I pour it in the laundry I give it a good shake.
I have been using this soap for six years. I love it. My clothes always come clean, smell clean, and are very soft.
Now I do use some generic fabric softener from Aldi's, the one with the pink cap. I don't use a lot though.
If you try this recipe tell me what you thought of it!
Belle

[sher]

IHAVE BEEN MAKING MY OWN LAUBDRY SOAP ALSO, MY RECIPE IS ALITTLE DIFFERANT, BUT SAME INGREDIENTS, WORKS GREAT, I ALSO MAKE MY OWN DETERGENT FOR MY DISHWASHER, EQUAL PARTS 20 MULE TEAM BORAX AND BAKING SODA, IT COSTS PENNIES TO USE AND WORKS GREAT, IF YOUR DISHWASHER HAS A DISPENSER FOR PRODUCTS LIKE JET DRY, USE WHITE VINEGAR, I ADD A FEW DROPS OF FOOD COLORING TO SEE WHEN DISPENSER IS EMPTY

[ryanmercer]

Wow I think all of that sounds nice but the " (3) We quit buying toilet paper. We make our own toilet wipes that we wash and reuse. " haha I'm the kinda of guy that would rather just pay for the toilet paper. You are a braver person than me :)

[homesteaderbelle]

I do use the vinegar in my dishwasher. I have tried to the Borax and baking soda but it coated my dishes with a white powdery coating. I think it is because my well water has a lot of lime in it.
Thank you for sharing!
Belle

[flatwater]

I see you still have a computer or are you using the librarys? You could save even more by getting rid of the computer. I tried to get rid of mine but when the stamps went up to 41cents to send a letter , I got it back up and running.
Flatwater

[homesteaderbelle]

I see you still have a computer or are you using the librarys? You could save even more by getting rid of the computer. I tried to get rid of mine but when the stamps went up to 41cents to send a letter , I got it back up and running.
Flatwater
The reason I still have a computer is because it is my job and income. I have an online store and my sales are done through the computer.Most of the people pay through the computer. http://homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com
The internet bill is $9.00 a month and I make enough to pay for the bill.
Getting rid of the computer is a good way to save money and simplify a person's life.
Belle

[macgeoghagen]

1. wear the same clothes for a couple days if you can. I generally wear a pair of jeans for a week between washes.

2. don't try to keep your lawn manicured. I dont water or fertilize my lawn. this keeps me from having to mow it. brown and crunchy all summer is the way to go.

3. have deciduous trees along the south side of your house. they shade the house in summer.

4. get rid of TV and dont go to movies. not only do these cost money, but time as well. Time not spent watching TV can be time spent saving money.

5. learn to be still. If you have to be entertained every moment that you arent working, youll spend money. going to dinner and a movie every weekend will cost you a lot more than a pot of sweet ice tea and sitting on the porch.

6. buy a simple, non luxury car that is a few years old rather than a brand new car or a clunker with everything broken on it. new cars lose half their value in a couple years, so let somebody else take those costs. clunkers cost too much to fix all the broken stuff.

7. own rather than rent if you plan on staying in the area for more than a year. renting a house costs about the same as a mortgage payment, but renting doesnt build equity. therefore, staying in an area long term and renting wastes money.

[GoodDaughter]

I don't know if I can come up with 10 ways or not, but here are a few things I do. Some are pretty small and seemingly unworthy of the time spent, but with the cost of every single thing I buy going higher every trip to the store, I have to make every nickle and penny count.

I store a lot of food, so I buy good quality ziplock freezer bags and am careful to wash and reuse them. When I open a bag of sugar, flour, or macaroni and put in my regular glass canisters, I will wash and then refill the bags with more storage foods. Seems like a 1 gal. freezer bag will hold about 4.5 to 5 lb. sugar, rice, flour, etc.

I don't fertilize my lawn either; and I don't rake up the grass clippings. The blade on the mower does a good job cutting the grass into pieces sufficiently small to decompose and so the lawn more or less feeds itself. And when I rake leaves in the fall, I always leave a little behind and then when I give the lawn a final mowing for the winter, the leaves also get chopped up and break down and give the grass nutrition. I have a pretty patch of lawn (where it's not garden beds, that is)

Be more careful with clothing. When you get home from work, church, whatever, change out of your good clothes and into some worn jeans, sweats, or a dress. If you're a lady, find an apron you're comfortable in and put it on! It's amazing the number of coffee stains alone my apron has saved my clothing from, much less other stains like cooking splatters, blood, puppy barf, etc. Keep an old pair of tennis shoes or summer clogs to wear in the house and out in the yard, and keep your good shoes for wearing only in public. I've found that I can keep my 'good' clothing 'good' for a LOT longer doing these things.

I would also strongly suggest learning a new skill that you can implement into your homestead. I try to learn new things all the time. For example, I taught myself to knit from internet knitting websites. I can now knit useful items. Years ago I learned how to refinish wood furniture, and I have several really nice pieces in my home that were really ugly and needed some TLC to bring back to life. I would get wood items pretty cheaply and take my time refinishing them. I now have some pretty nice and very useful antiques. I've never been able to afford to pay skilled workers to do things around the place, so I had to learn how to do things myself. That way I could take my time doing them, as time and money allowed. Cultivating a new, useful skill is something homesteaders should really try to do.

[theresehirko]

We fix everything ourselves.
We buy old stuff for cheap and then repair it-like houses and cars.
We make all of our own cleaners. That A in chemistry has really paid off!
We buy in bulk for things like flour and grains and then repackage into vacuum sealed bags that we reuse many times over.
We wear some many times before they are washed. If they don't smell, they aren't dirty! The only exception to this is hospital scrubs which are soaked in hot water and disinfectants the minute I get home. I have collected about two weeks worth of scrubs over the course of a year so I can go the whole week before I need to wash a load.
We can our own food and buy on sale whatever we can't make or grow.
We get books from the library instead on buying them.

[HockeyFan]

Learn how to do the coupon thing. My wife is doing it. She's studied the matter and there are entire websites on how to get the most from coupons. For instance, she's used coupons on items that go on sale, so we get the sale price, plus the coupon savings, and then in addition, she's found that the manufacturers sometimes also have rebates. So in many cases, we actually get paid for taking stuff out of the store. This has happened frequently for us.
On a typical trip to the store for groceries, I have seen my wife save 60% of the grocery bill easy. And for the most part, we never buy anything that we wouldn't have bought anyway. And the only exception is items where we're actually making money to buy the item (sale, coupon and then rebate).

I've also seen that there are certain credit cards that give you rebates when you buy gasoline. So you're cost per gallon might be as much as 20 cents lower than the posted price. Check out gasbuddy.com for more information on that.

[richard]

Some small things I do. I don't feel strapped for cash.

1. Bicycle everywhere. Man, bikes are just so much FUN to ride (downhill more than up ;D) that I don't really even want to drive anywhere shorter than 5 miles.

2. Cheat on my taxes! This one is just to see if the feds are monitoring this message board.

3. Don't go anywhere where I want to spend money. Also, just bring enough money to buy what you need at the store. These are little head games I have to play with myself because I'm impulsive, but whatever it takes.

4. Get books and movies from the library. I used to be somewhat of a book fetishist, but I've realized that all I've gained is an extra 500 pounds whenever I want to move. The library doesn't have the best movies, but you can always find something to watch if you're that bored.

5. Second-hand clothes.

That's all I can think of now. Y'all had some great tips... you've obviously been at it longer than me.

[Pudlmom]

I don't know if I can think of 10 things either. So many measures are specific to the areas in which we live. I can't make an 18-mile bicycle trip to the grocery store or any other store, for instance.

I'd recommend the Tightwad Gazette books to those who aren't familiar with them.

I think reusing common items is a good idea. Those plastic grocery bags can be reused for so many things. Some people are now not purchasing garbage bags at all, instead filling many of these smaller bags.

I've been using little yogurt containers to plant seeds in.

If you use dryer sheets, cut them in half.

I give more thought about using the car and often wait until there are a few different errands to be run to drive into town.

Repair items to make them last longer. I had a plastic laundry basket for well over fifteen years. As it would crack, I would use wood and glue on hand to keep it going. This can apply to so many things, from clothes to umbrellas on our deck. I recently glued, braced, bolted and stained our wooden ones for another season of use. I only had to purcahse one small bolt and nut.

If you drink soft drinks or eat lots of pre-cooked snacks, consider giving them up. It's healthier. We are making more tea in our house.

I always change out of my "going out" clothes when I get home and wash them only occasionally.

[Dawgus]

1- We grow all of our own vegetables, and eat within seasons to avoid buying anything else. We also can a LOT so we never buy any vegetables.
2-We get beef and pork from a friend who raises both, we just split the costs with him all the way through initial purchase, to feed and butchering costs. Better quality and far cheaper per pound than grocery (ICK) meats.
3-I use as much of my yard as possible for gardening. More food and less to mow at $3.59 a gallon. I also traded off the gas weedeater and use hand trimmers and a sicle.
4-We tossed the microwave. This was for many reasons, but without one, the desire to buy anything pre-packaged and frozen disappeared. Plus stove top popcorn is soooo much better!
5-We quit buying any kinds of drinks, pop, juice, etc. All we buy now is tea bags and milk. I've been making and canning my own v8 style juice and drink that regularly, plus a lot more water than before I lost the coke addiction.
6-We found someone local to buy eggs from at $2 a dozen, the stores here are pushing $4 a dozen, and these are far better eggs anyway.
7-I get my workclothes at goodwill. I'm a pipefitter by trade, so my clothes get pretty nasty, I saw no point in ruining new clothes, so I get $2 jeans at goodwill or other thrift stores.
8-We only buy other grocery items when they're on sale or with a coupon.
9-Same with vegetables and my v8 style juice, we make and can spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato juice. At the end of the summer/early fall season, the last of the tomatos (bruised or not) and peppers get made into salsa and canned. We havent bought any of those items from the store in years.
10-I keep my neighbor in vegetables all season long and he plows my drive in winter. Its 100 yards long,plus parking for 4 vehicles, a bit much to shovel, and people around here get $40-50 to plow a drive. Was a great trade this winter since we had a few days of 24" of snow, well worth a few tomatos and cukes!
11-We use used drier sheets to dust. (wouldnt have em if stepdaugher didnt buy em) I dont think we've bought any canned dusting spray in over a year.
12-I'm a huge dumpster diver/scavenger. All the landscape timbers around fruit plants are from work, they come on every truckload of pipe so towmotor forks can get under them, and they're just tossed when unloaded. (they arent treated)I saved them all winter long and a few weeks ago I counted 40 of them sitting outside. I found the windows for my cold frames in someones trash. I have 2- 4x8x1 foot shelf units in the garage full of misc nuts, bolts, screws, nails, etc picked up from jobsite floors over the years.
13-I'm a yard sale/flea market/goodwill/salvage store junkie. Used doesnt mean old, it means already broken in lol.

oops, was I supposed to only list ten? haha

[MotherCharlotte]

This is a fun thread. :)

Some things we do:
1. I try to use cloth instead of paper products as much as possible (rags instead of paper towels, hankies instead of kleenex, cloth toilet paper and menstrual pads). For our baby arriving in July we'll be using cloth diapers as well.
2. I do not purchase cleaning products at all, I use only baking soda, vinegar, and a few drops of tea tree oil where disinfecting is needed.
3. Although where we rent we're not allowed to hang laundry outside, my husband strung some clothes lines inside and I try to hang laundry to dry as much as possible.
4. We use Freecycle to find things we need before running out to buy them (and we give away tons of stuff we don't need too).
5. We only have one car and we try to avoid using it uncessarily--for example, the nearest grocery store is only a 20 minute walk away from us so I will walk there in good weather to pick something up.
6. We have no cable or satellite tv, we don't go to the movies or even rent movies. For entertainment we get DVDs from the library (our library has a great selection), watch stuff on Youtube, play cards or board games, read etc.
7. We have only a basic land line for phone, no voice mail etc, and we have never owned a cell phone either.
8. I do not buy garbage bags, I only reuse shopping bags as garbage bags.
9. I make most of our bread, cookies, muffins etc. I will only purchase baked goods at the store if they are on sale.
10. Food: I have learned to make many simple meals from scratch and to make meat stretch by making things like stew. And I never waste food! I also never buy premade or frozen meals. The only "junk food" we buy is store brand potato chips (cheap!) and occasionally ice cream when it's on sale. Lastly, I try to really stock up on non-perishable food when it's on sale.

I can't say that I was always a frugal person. I have learned to be this way over the years through necessity. But now that I have learned to live this way, I think I will always do these things, even if we were to become more secure financially.

[annabella1]

I am not on any land yet. But I am as frugal as I can be.
I also make my own laundry detergent. but I use my own homemade lye soap instead of the fels naptha. It works just as well when mixed with the washing soda and borax.
I also do not own a washing machine. So I do a bathtub dance to clean my clothes. (I also have the cleanest feet in town) I rinse them well, and then soak them in cold water with a cup of vinegar added for about 1/2 hour. Then rinse them again and wring them out in a wringer bucket I have. Some things I hang inside other things I lay out under the ceiling fan in my bedroom I smooth them out with my hands and in a few hours they are smooth and dry and look like they were starched and ironed. Some of the thicker things like jeans need to be turned over and dried on both sides. I don't have much garbage I avoid prepackaged food as much as possible. Food garbage (peels, cores, bruised pieces, leftover to death stuff) goes in the vermiculture bins along with the shredded paper trash. I try to buy poultry and rabbits live from the farmer if I can, and process it myself. The meat is cooked and put into meal size portions and either dried or canned. The bones are made into bone broth for soup and stews and and the broth is canned. After the bones are processed like this they are broken up and added to the vermiculture bin. I use the castings to make potting soil for my container garden. I currently have an herb garden, and hanging strawberry planters (made from plastic buckets I got free from walmart). I will soon be starting some vegies in a container too.I buy wheat and barley and rice in bulk. I sprout the wheat and cook it for breakfast cereal. Barley goes into soup, and rice makes a great side dish. My uniforms for work are supplied by my employer. I have a Sunday outfit, and jeans and t-shirts for the rest of the time when I am not working. It's been a while since I bought any jeans I don't remember if I got them at a thrift store or bought them on sale but they still look new. I also use aprons, I have two that cover from neck to knees and have lots of pockets. I use a wall paper steamer that has cleaning attachments to clean with. I don't have to buy any cleaning stuff. I will also use vinegar and soda for cleaning other stuff. I am always hollering at my family to hang up their towel when they are done with it. You don't have to wash it when it's just used to dry something clean.

[lostinthewoods]

I'm sooo not worthy to be here with the likes of you all!

We do our best to be frugal, but it seems to be harder and harder all the time.

1. We can and grow a lot of our own food and are always adding more to extend the season and add variety.
2. We start our own plants (mostly, this year I seem to be able to kill cabbage plants like no bodies business)
3. We try not to go to the grocery store hungry!
4. We cut and burn our own wood.
5. We've changed most of our lights to CFL (OK stop laughing!) The only lights that we use that are not CFL now are the halogens over the island and the sink. We also have 1 incandescent in the ceiling fan in the living room, for some reason if we put 4 CFL in it the blasted thing will hum like a bee hive!
6. We only buy meat at the store that is marked down.
7. We don't buy name brand anything except firearms.

I guess all in all we're just cheap folks too. Don't buy new if it can be fixed, function over form.

This is a great thread.


lost

[quietH2O]

Belle,
How much of your homemade laundry detergent would you use for a standard load of clothes in an automatic wash machine? I'm excited to try this out. Thanks for sharing!

[annabella1]

I don't know how much homesteaderbelle uses of her version of the laundry detergent. But I use about 1/2 cup per regular load. Use more for dirtier loads and less for cleaner loads. This is if I use a washer, a bathtub load is about the same as 2 regular washer loads, so I use about a cupfull (thats total I put some directly on the dirtiest spots like a pre-treater). If you are using a front loader machine you will need to use less I would start with 1/4 cup and adjust accordingly.

[Shamrock1121]

From everything I've read in this thread, you guys are my kind of peeps! My husband has told me many times, "There's nothing too good or too cheap for me". ;) I do many of the things everyone has shared.

1. I use a solar oven as much as possible for cooking and baking to save on utilities. It's an investment that has paid for itself over and over.

2. Always check unit prices. Just because the large size of peanut butter is on sale, it doesn't mean it's the best buy - more often than not I get the 18-oz. jar for several cents less per ounce than the large size. Be sure to check the price compared to the small size PER OUNCE.

If you were to figure canned tuna by the pound, you may be able to get other cuts of meat cheaper. If a can of tuna costs $1.29 (6-oz.) - that equals $3.44 cents a pound (may as well get hamburber at $1.99/pound). While .59 cent/can tuna is $1.57 cents a pound. Some of those individual serving packets may be convenient, but they REALLY cost a lot when you figure it out per pound. It may be as much as steak...

Same with frozen concentrated fruit juice you add your own water to. The price is a fraction what it costs when you buy it in the refrigerator case as ready-to-use. Even more expensive per ounce if you figure out the price for single-serving juice boxes. Add your own water and serve it in your own glasses (remember, 3/4 c. - 6 oz. - is a serving of juice and counts as a serving of fruit if you use 100% fruit juices like REAL orange juice or grape juice).

3. I use very few coupons because I just don't generally purchase those kinds of foods, laundry and personal care products to begin with. I don't support many name-brand things at all... If I do use a coupon, it's in conjunction with REAL food (like frozen fruit/veggies or 100% frozen concentrated fruit juice) AND they are on sale AND I get double or triple coupon which will make the unit price lower than purchasing store-brand.

4. I avoid processed foods and process it myself rather than paying someone else to do it for me. If it comes in a bag, box, or can with a list of ingredients that takes up 1/4 of the package, I tend to stay away from them. Whole foods are much better buys, overall, and much better for you.

5. Plan your menus. Since I go "shopping" from food I have in storage, I plan my menus using those foods that get rotated. Shopping is for loss-leaders and bargains that go into storage.

This is what I base my menus on. The nice thing about it, any one day can be changed for another without too much trouble. If you have more time for that big dinner on Sunday, then make it Sunday instead of Monday like I do.

MONDAY - Big Meal - large piece of meat like roast beef, chicken, pork tenderloin, turkey and all the fixins. This will end up being divided into portions for other uses and other meals. It's usually the basis for sandwich meat for lunches rather than purchasing expensive deli meats.

TUESDAY - Leftovers from Monday. It may take on a completely different form than what they were served as on Monday.

WEDNESDAY - Stir-fry. This can include leftovers as well from Monday and Tuesday - fresh veggies and leftover meat = stir-fry. Add a fresh fruit for dessert and some homemade bread and you've got a meal.

THURSDAY: International. This tends to be foods that use small amounts of meat, often made with hamburger or chicken. Spaghetti and meat sauce, or Mexican something-er-other, Chow Mein...

FRIDAY: Vegetarian/Meatless. Lots of great foods that include beans, rice, whole grains which take on the form of pasta, soup, wraps and sandwiches. Even good old pancakes and eggs are a welcome.

SATURDAY: Soup, Sandwich, or Salad - something warming in the winter like soup/chili/stew in serving sizes from the freezer, or a black bean taco salad with fresh greens from the garden when it's warmer weather. Our Saturdays are usually really busy and cooking doesn't get the focus it does during the week.

SUNDAY: More often than not it includes a homemade pizza or sometimes something grilled.

6. I mill my own flour and make all my breads and baked goods. We certainly eat better because I control the ingredients and can increase nutrition and decrease the unhealthy things.

7. This past winter we covered all our windows with plastic bubble wrap. It certainly helps keep away the cold and I suggest everyone do the same to help save a bit on the utility bills. http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm

8. Quit wasting food. One of your bigest budget items goes for food. Food that goes into the trash is the most expensive food you pay for. Many things can be dehydrated to preserve them instead of finding them limp and wilted in the veggie drawer in the refrigerator. Get a dehydrator and learn how to use dehydrated foods. I just purchased 10 bags of frozen food that were drastically discounted and dehydrated it. It doesn't need to take up space in the freezer (all I have is the freezer in my refrigerator).

Take advantage of found food. I can pick all kinds of fruit - free. I just drive down the alleys of the older homes in town until I find one with fruit trees in the backyard. Ask if I can pick from their trees. Occasionally I've had to pay a little, but usually I get it free. I always offer a portion of what I've picked to the owner. I usually dehydrate the fruit. Dehydrated apple slices make a great snack food, can be made into applesauce or apple pies and cobblers. Beats paying a dollar an apple like they are at the grocery store now :o.

9. Make your OWN convenience foods. You can not only make them cheaper, but better. I make a wholegrain Bisquick-type mix that includes wholegrain flour, oatmeal and cornmeal and works in any recipe that calls for Bisquick. I make my own wholegrain pancake mix. Make Jifts-in-a-Jar mixes and keep them in your pantry. These mixes can be placed in quart canning jars and vacuum-sealed with a FoodSaver for a longer shelf-life.

10. Hang your laundry on a line rather than using a dryer. We installed enough line in an unfinished room in the basement that I can use it or hang outside. With the addition of a ceiling fan in the basement room where I hang the laundry, things dry pretty quickly.

11. Use it less, or use less of it. Just a general practice of mine.

-If you apply a full 1-inch of toothpaste on your brush, that's probably 10X more than you need to use. I even dry brush my teeth at least once a day - it's the brushing and flossing that does the job, not the super-duper foaming mouth full of toothpaste.

-We heat 5-cups of water in an electric kettle (which are much more energy efficient than a kettle on the gas or electric stove for heating water), and add it to approximately 5 cups of cold water (which is saved from water that would have gone down the drain waiting for the water to get hot before a shower). This is placed in a small plastic tub in the sink for doing dishes in. We rinse with either a trickle of cold water or saved water. It takes us about 1 gallon of water to do dishes and clean up after a meal. We do use a dishwasher, but only run it once every 7-10 days. Our pots and pans, silverware and serving dishes are washed and dried by hand. You have to use a dishwasher to keep it in working condition, so this is my compromise.

-I use the car once a week for a well-planned outing for running errands and shopping. When I lived closer to the grocery store, I used to walk to the store and brought the groceries home in my "old lady" cart on wheels (as the kids called it).

-Karen

[Katlady]

I'm so greatful for this thread! I've learned so much today. I wanted to share a couple of the things I do to save.

We are in a drought here in Georgia still. My water is gravity fed from the stream back on the mountain behind mt cabin. I catch rainwater in my rainbarrels to water plants with. I also save rain water in milk bottles.

I don't have a place inside for a washing machine so mine is out back. I catch rain water in the washer, I have a old sheer curtain I screen the water with. I use vinger and soda to wash with then have a long hose from the washer to the garden. I use the wash water to water plants and wash out pails, furniture or other outdoor stuff.

I can wash all my sheets, towels, rugs, jeans etc and they dry on the clothesline in the sun.

Not too much I know but I'm learning from here some other things I can do.

Thanks!!

[REDnMORA]

Hi, I just checked out your handmade pads, and although I found them nice to look at I would rather pay the extra money to purchase them; also I would also pay the extra to buy a good supply of toilet paper and then burn them in an outside fireplace. ;D

[Country_Mike]

Me and my wife are rookies at this but we are trying. Here's a few things we do:

1. Dry clothes on a laundry line
2. Shop at Christian thrift stores, yardsales and Goodwill
3. Garden and can food
4. Don't buy carbonated anything
5. Trade things with friends and family
6. Be happy with what one has

[sbemt456]

Well here is my 1penny worth:

1. When every day general cleaning gets done if ya think about it you really dont need more than just soap and water. Most any substance will wipe off most any surface if done soon after a spill. Saves water, cleaner and toxic substances in the house.

2. As for a window cleaner, believe me lye soap is one of the best I have found to remove nicotine from windows, even in the car. Wet a cloth with plain water and lye soap, wash and rinse then dry with lint free cloth. It dont leave a residue.

3. Save weeknight leftovers in small containers in the freezer and on Friday night have a buffet style mix and match, every one can have what they want and no waste.

4.Oh and definately Goodwill stores for clothing. I got so excited to find 2 nearly new pairs of Levis brand jeans at Goodwill for 3.00 a pair. The store I went to had probably 150 pairs all in super condition.

5.If you have a weakness for a particular food product in the store , buy it only once. Then when you get home taste and write down all the different taste you detect and start then to recreate that product while you have it there to compare what and how much of each ingredient you put in your creation. I finally got enough umph to recreate something as simple as my version of Uncle Bens Wild rice mix and the family thinks mine is better because it dont have as much salt. All for about 1/3 the cost.

6. Our house has 2 bathrooms and as mom and domestic engineer I clean the showers. I always wash all the scrubbies form our baths in the washer with the towels, so when it is time for my morning shower after I scrub me with the scrubbie and it still has soap left or I add a few drops of cheap shampoo and scrub the shower and tub. Just rinse me and the shower, Saves water and cleaner and no harsh cleaners in the septic tank, and a clean shower to boot.

7. Keep a list in your wallet or purse or in the family car for things you need that you think you may be able to find at garage and yard sales, with colors, sizes or descriptions as need so when you do see a sale and stop you know what you are really looking for and wont be tempted to spend for things you dont need any way.

Ok not 10 but this is my input.
Have a great day!

stella

[homefirst]

The less you have the less you have to clean therefore the less cleaning products you have to buy

make your own cleaning products. Laundry soap (or at least keep ingredients on hand for tough times), lye soap, carpet cleaner....etc. *

Get ride of the dryer and hang dry your clothes

swap stuff with co workers. My jar of jam for you jar of salsa, my oregano for our pepper plant

Never buy any plant from a store that you can grow yourself from seed. Unless it is a perennial it will pay for itself.

If you must eat out save the ketchup and mustard packets and add to your condement bottles

Save extra veggies left over from a meal for by putting it in a large freezer bag. Keep adding until you have enough for soup.

Never turn down any reasonable thing that is free. If you can't use it someone else can and later they will do the same for you.

Feed left overs to the dog. Saves on dog food....my dog loves it and who says dogs have to eat only dog food if that was the truth in history there would be no dogs now....saves on food bill.

feed yard clippings to the rabbits as much as possible (weed killer free) this will cut down on the feed bill.

Have only one phone and e-mail as much as possible

Learn what's edible in your back yard.

etc, etc, etc....

[KarenBC]

I've been using 1 -2 tbsp. of dishsoap (Sunlight brand) for a full load of laundry in cold water for a couple of years now. It works great, and is much cheaper than laundry detergent.
I kept a liquid detergent bottle with the spigot type end - and keep refilling it from a super sized bottle of dishsoap. I keep a 1/4 cup measuring cup beside the washing machine and half fill it for most loads.

SOS pads I cut in half with scissors - a full sized one always rusts before it gets used up.

[nancy1340]

Well here is my 1penny worth:


5.If you have a weakness for a particular food product in the store , buy it only once. Then when you get home taste and write down all the different taste you detect and start then to recreate that product while you have it there to compare what and how much of each ingredient you put in your creation. I finally got enough umph to recreate something as simple as my version of Uncle Bens Wild rice mix and the family thinks mine is *better because it dont have as much salt. All for about 1/3 the cost.

stella


There is a lady that has a cook book on recreated food stuff. Everything from McDonald's Screat sauce to Shake-N-Bake. I can't remember what's it's called but I just bet someone here knows who I am talking about.

[nancy1340]

SOS pads I cut in half with scissors - a full sized one always rusts before it gets used up.

They don't rust if you put them somewhere they can drain well and dry after you use them. I use one of those two piece bar soap dishes that has holes in the top dish and water drains down into the bottom dish.

[MotherCharlotte]

They don't rust if you put them somewhere they can drain well and dry after you use them. I use one of those two piece bar soap dishes that has holes in the top dish and water drains down into the bottom dish.


We stick SOS pads in the freezer (in a sandwich baggie) when we're done using them. In the freezer they will never rust.

[Shamrock1121]

I've never used SOS pads EVER! *I thought they were a total waste of money. *My MIL swore by the things. * I use stainless steel scrubbing pads instead. *They are great for cleaning the "gunk" out of my distiller after each use, scrubbing carrots (instead of peeling them), scrubbing potatoes, cleaning crud off pans. *Great for cleaning your gardening tools, so I keep several outside and have used them for years without having to replace them. *You can get them dirt cheap at Big Lots.

They look like this: *http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Wood_Teak_Care-STARBRITE_MAGIC_SCRUB_STAINLESS_STEEL_WOOL_PAD.htm l, and they last nearly forever and never rust. *

-Karen

[bookwormom]

I just got a bag of four at the amish salvage store. You are right Karen, best stuff around.
However, if you MUST use sos pads or equivalent, they last longer if you make the the surface to be cleaned wet, then use the pad without wetting it.

[LeatherneckPA]

There is a lady that has a cook book on recreated food stuff. Everything from McDonald's Screat sauce to Shake-N-Bake. I can't remember what's it's called but I just bet someone here knows who I am talking about.

I have a BIG yellow book titled "Top Secret Recipes" that has all of that stuff in it. If I remember, when I get home I'll post the particulars.

[Cowgirl]

1. Grow our own vegetables and roots and a fair percent of our grain.
2. Raise all our own dairy and make cheese, yogurt, ice milk, etc. from our home produced milk. Meat is one by-product of this process also.
3. Eggs and chicken produced here.
4. Fruit trees and shrubs.
5. Homegrown animal feed.
6. No TV (no satellite bill, no brainwashing that we NEED the latest consumer gadgets, more time for US so no marriage counseling).
7. Clothesline. Saves electricity and wear and tear on clothes. Plus clothes smell cleaner and towels are thirstier.
8. Work from home. No commuting costs.
9. Canning.
10. Buying in bulk for things we buy, and buying from a restaurant supply store over a grocery store.
11. Making soap and cleaning products.
12. Raising our own medicinal herbs.
13. If it breaks we fix it. Sometimes we learn new skills in the process.
14. No newspaper subscription. Read several online instead. We don't get coupons as a result, but I rarely buy anything for which they print coupons anyway!
15. Cook from scratch.
16. Make gifts.
17. Make many things we need.

[homesteaderbelle]

Belle,
How much of your homemade laundry detergent would you use for a standard load of clothes in an automatic wash machine? *I'm excited to try this out. *Thanks for sharing!


I use 1 cup of homemade laundry soap. I hoep you enjoy your homemade laundry soap!

Belle

[homesteaderbelle]

Wow! I can't beleive how long this thread has been active! I posted this in December. I haven't visited this forum since December or January. This is so neat that this thread is still here!

I have learned some new things today!!!

Belle