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Thriftiness

L

Love

Member
I thought it would be fun to share any ideas that anyone has on ways to be thrify. Sometimes the small things can add up to big savings. One of my friends started hanging up towels and jeans instead of drying them (she has 6 children) and this has saved $40/month on her electric bill.
Two of the main things I do to be thrify is that I make my own laundry soap and cleaning spray. It's so cheap, too. Here are the recipes if anyone is interested:
Cleaning Spray: Add 2 spoonfuls of baking soda and 15 drops of lavender oil to a spray bottle of hot water. Shake until baking soda is dissolved. I like this one because lavender oil is a natural disinfectant and does not have the harsh chemicals or fumes if you have family members who are sensitive to that. Also it make the countertops shiny. :)

Laundry Soap:

1 bar of Fels Naptha soap
4 cups of hot water
1 cup of Washing Soda
1 cup of Borax

So you grate the bar of soap and melt it in the hot water over the stove stirring constantly until the soap flakes are melted. Then, fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of hot tap water. Add the soap bar water, washing soda and borax and fill the bucket the rest of the way with water. Stir and let sit overnight to thicken. And voila ...you have 5 gallons of liquid laundry soap for about $2. You can add an essential oil for fragrance if you want...I would say 10-15 drops. **Note: If you really wanted to you could make this into 10 gallons by pouring half of it into another 5 gallon bucket and filling the rest with water...it just wouldn't be as concentrated, but it does actually still get the clothes clean. I just like it more concentrated.

So any other ideas? I'm not willing to ...say ...wash out paper towels and hang them to dry, but I'll do pretty much anything else. :)
 
Hey! I make my own laundry soap, too! I use Ivory soap, since I can't find Fels around here. I also line dry all of our clothes in the summer and some in the winter. I started cloth diapering because one of our kids is allergic to disposable diapers, but I'm so glad I was forced into it because it has saved us so much money.

I stock up the freezer in the summer so that we don't have to buy much food in the winter and I've tried to start canning, but it's hard to do with only two hands.

I also shop primarily at thrift stores and ebay for clothing. I love being thrifty, even if I didn't have to be.
 
I am so proud of you guys! I found some like new clothes from the Gap for my 7 year old last week at a thrift store.

Also, I got a PM from a guy who read the Ladies Forum on the sly (I won't rat him out). :) He suggested looking for a place where you can buy the whole cow instead of buying beef one pound at a time. He also suggested looking to see if you can find a milk coop in your area. He also suggested using 1/2 a cup of vinegar as fabric softener.

In any case, I was spending over $100 a month on milk until a friend of mine told me about how she gets powdered milk from Costco. The powdered milk retains the nutrients as opposed to dried milk which does not. There is only a slight taste difference when served cold, but it is only about $1/ gallon. You have to buy a 50 gallon bucket, but now I am only spending about $25-$30./month on milk.
 
Good Afternoon Ladies!

Finally to a point in my morning chores that the kiddos and I can take a quick break! :) Great topic, so thought I'd chime in real quick.(as if my postings are quick & to the point!) :lol: Gonna try my hardest though to be specific and short here. Anywho, I too love thriftiness! Love to shop at resale stores, garage sales, mom to mom sales, as well as giving my things away when purging that are in good shape to bless others with. People/friends in our church over the years have also been very gracious to us, with giving or the sharing of baby and kid clothing. I even have done shopping on the road sides, some people throw away the nicest things, crazy! :D

Btw, I also have those recipes for home made laundry soap and cleaners but have yet to make them! I either get too busy or I think that I'm gonna mess the recipe up somehow, silly I know! :lol: But thanks to you lovely ladies, you've encouraged me to go for it and just give it a try! I was blessed with fresh veggies and fruits for 2 summers now, from a dear friend/sister in the Lord. She has always made the offer for me to help plant and work her garden with her, and she offers me all the free veggies and fruit that our family wants. Also tried canning green beans with her last year as well, what a blessing! We live in a small city/suburb area, and our soil here is pretty yucky. I've never got the gumption to make those raised box gardens, but maybe next spring. Our dream has always been to move to the country, not too far removed though. Have a couple goats for milk and soap, some chickens for our eggs and a garden. Who knows what Yeshua has in mind for us in the future, as His plans are always better than our plans! I also think it would be such a fun blessing to have a dear sw to work in our garden with, should Yeshua ever call us to the plural family life. :) Well gotta jett outa here, before I end up writing another one of my famous mini novels! :lol: Take care ladies, as I look forward to hearing and sharing any other great ideas for our homes and families. God be with thee & bless thee.

Warm Wishes,
Faithful Servant
 
If the taste of powdered milk is too foreign, you could try mixing it with regular milk so that there is more of the "milk" flavor. Another thing I have heard is that when drinking skim milk you can add a touch of vanilla to improve the flavor. I wonder if that would work with powdered milk.

When it comes to buying a whole side of beef, remember your storage space. It would not work for me at all in my little apartment, but maybe when I get a house and can have a chest freezer.

SweetLissa
 
I'm a terrible cheap skate. I hang clothes out all year long, unless it's raining or snowing, of course. I buy the normal size bottle of Lysol, or whatever all purpose cleaner and dilute it 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on how strong the cleaner is to start with) to 2 quarts of water and put it in my own spray bottles. Works just as well and saves money. Since we entertain so much and I tend to do semi-homemade appetizers (veggies mixed with fresh herbs and rolled in egg roll wrappers or tortillas) I buy frozen store brand veggies, use what I need and refreeze the rest. They usually last through 4 recipes. Those single bottles of chili powder,( available at most dollar stores) are much cheaper than the packs of chili seasoning in the market. The chili powder mixed with cumin(also at the dollar store) makes great taco seasoning. With the exception of toilet paper, papertowels, coffee and peanut butter we buy the store brand of everything. And of course we "hand down" clothes. I shop at yard sales for grandkids clothes so they have something here that doesn't matter if it gets dirty or ruined. We keep the empty coffee cans cause you just never know when you'll need a small container for something.
Clyde
 
Great post! I hang clothes on the line in the summer time, shop at Thift stores for my clothes and used cloth diapers when my daughter was a baby. In addition, I can green beans, tomatoes and corn.

BTW, where can you get lavendar oil?

Michelle
 
The cow guy sounds like my hubby, so I'll rat him out if it was him. If it wasn't him, it's a big coincidence since we buy whole cows and I run a milk co-op (every other week I cross state lines to buy raw milk because it's illegal in our state. I'm such a bad girl). It is true about the freezer space needed for a cow. We have a freezer that's as big as our side-by-side and it's full, praise God!

I buy spices at the dollar store, too! Especially cinnamon. I didn't even buy kindergarten curriculum this year. I just bought ABC books from the dollar store.

So tired. Can't type. 'Nite all!
 
No, it was not Paul..it was Sadanyagci..who has informed me that guys are allowed to read the Ladies Only forum, just not allowed to post. I did not know this! I thought only women were reading here. In any case, he has some good ideas. :)

So anyway, you can get essential oil at any health food store...like Whole Foods Market for example. Lavender Oil is about $8 but it last forever.

I will have to look for a milk coop, I think the issue over here is manpower. I'm probably already doing as much as I can do.

Hope everyone has a good night!
 
I re-use the bath water for the first cycle in the washing machine. Mostly for enviro reasons though. After the children have taken a bath in it. Because they are little I know that will be short lived. When you have a shower you can also rinse yourself off then put in the plug leaving some grey water. Try not using cleaners on the floor every time you mop. If it's pee obviously use a disinfectant but If no one in your house is crawling it often doesn't need it.

Making foods from scratch is usually cheaper. When you make chilly or soup try putting it in the freezer in single serving sizes so that it truly can be a quick microwaveable meal. To avoid cooking in plastic try poring hot water around the container than dropping the frozen meal in a bowel.

Re-using veggie scraps. Example Celery leaf in a container freezes dry so you can scoop a desired amount to add to soup, sauce ext... Maybe save the stem on a cabbage, lettuce or chard ..... chop it up and put it aside for soup.

Every once and a while make cold fruit tea at the fraction of cost of fruit juice add a bit of sweetener.

For envro reasons wash and hang dry plastic bags for veggies or better yet get a mesh bag to put your produce in if you shop at a grocery store.
 
Welll....Ummmm.... welllll...does sharing hubby with a sw count as being thrifty?? expensive beasts that they are! :lol: :roll: :D
 
It was decided long ago that this forum was just too much temptation to keep the men out. That is why we created the private ladies forum. With that one, the guys don't even see it there. It is also not searchable so no one can accidentally see our posts on that one.

We try to post interesting subjects that are not too private here so that the public can see what we have to say about all kinds of things. Things of a very personal nature are reserved for the private forum and for personal emails and PMs

SweetLissa
 
What do goats and soap have to do with each other? Please forgive my ignorance, I am a city girl.

SweetLissa
 
Hey there City Girl - Ms.Sweetlissa!

You're too funny & cute! :lol: Goats & Soap have to do with each other, in that you can make soap out of goats milk. At least that's what I've read on other Home stead/Home School blogs. :D Not sure as I haven't tried it yet, as we have no goats around these here parts! One day Lord willing, we'll have our little homestead to share good hard honest work with our precious kiddos and Lord willing, maybe one day share the work with a sw! ;) Anywho, good funny question. Laughter is the best medicine, as is a Merry Heart! :lol: Thanks for that, I needed a new spring in my step! Yesterday wasn't a good day, but God is Good. So onward & upward to that which lies ahead in Christ Jesus! :)

Take care City Girl, and have a Blessed day and weekend ahead!

Warm Wishes,
Faithful Servant
 
Okay, I get it. I read your post wrong. That will teach me to read too fast. (I get in trouble for that in school all the time.) Anyway, I thought you said you already had a couple of goats, not that it was part of the dream.

A word of advice, when you get the goats don't get fainting goats. The first time one faints on you it will freak you out. An old friend of mine had some and when he heard about them, DaPastor wanted to go scare goats so he could watch them faint.

SweetLissa
 
Oh my Sweetlissa,

You're just too funny today, keep it coming! :lol: Sorry for not being very clear, but by now you know how I can ramble and end up with my thoughts/ideas being lost in translation! So yes, the whole goat, chickens and garden thing is for now just a dream! My dh grew up north in the "thumb area of Michigan," in farming community. However his family owned a bowling alley and were more like city people up in the middle of nowhere! :lol: So dh's dreams aren't exactally the same as mine, all though I'm working on bringing out the country boy in him more one day! :lol: I know I know, I should just follow and obey, but can't a girl dream?! ;)

Hey btw, didn't you live in Michigan for a while? Where did you live, if ya don't mind me asking? Also besides me & lutherangirl, where are all the poly-minded, poly-friendly Michiganders?! ;) Do you know of any? Just wondering, as Lutherangirl & I have been able to connect and fellowship a few times for coffee and study, and we thought it would be nice to connect with other like minded Christians here where we live to study & fellowship with. Well take care CityGirl and God Bless! :)

Warm Wishes,
Faithful Servant
 
I have not ever lived in Michigan. I did spend lots of summers along the shores of the Lake that bears the same name. Always at Indiana Dunes State park. My grandparents lived near there and that was where we went for summer time. Very cool place, the home of the singing sands.

Anyway, my parents live in Michigan and they are not poly and probably have never even considered it as a lifestyle. I have lived in Illinois, Iowa (as a child) and I moved to Nevada when I was 16 and stayed there until March, 2008 when I moved to Texas.

I am such a city girl that I call it white meat and dark meat and my veggies come from a can. For me a trip to the produce department is an adventure and a trip to a farmer's market or vegetable stand is a special occassion for which you have to have recipes with which to justify all that spending. My first trip to a "whole foods store" I spent $16 on apples cause I couldn't decide. (Talk about thrifty.)

I grew up believing that meat came from the grocery all wrapped up in that packaging. The first time I ate food that had previously had a name it was shocking and traumatic. Ask me about my pet lobster, Herman.

SweetLissa
 
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