Southern Savers February 25, 2010

SouthernSavers.com is my new best friend. For anyone looking to save some big bucks on groceries and household goods, this is the place to go!!! After only a couple of weeks, I’ve already saved almost $30 [which is a lot since I only usually spend about $30 per week on groceries anyway]. In other words, I practically cut my grocery bill in half just by knowing what is on sale & having coupons to take off even more!

I’ve always been shy of “couponing” because it seemed to monumentally time-consuming and difficult. How in the world would I even know where to begin, or how to keep track of all that stuff? And who has time anyway? Well, it turns out that I do have time because this site makes it so easy!

Just watch the short tutorial videos, start buying a Sunday edition of the newspaper, and you’re off and running. Check the SouthernSavers site before you go to the grocery, print off your self-customized list (that also tells you which coupons you’ll need), then clip or print your coupons, and go. To make it even easier, I became their fan on Facebook. Now I don’t even have to remember to check the site periodically. The updates just appear in my news feed & I can look at the ones that interest or apply to me.

This is well worth a little time for all the money it can save you!

[Note: Please beware; You may just find yourself permanently addicted!]

Laundry Detergent February 25, 2010

Laundry Detergent

1 bar Ivory soap, finely grated

1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda

Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load (depending on soil level of clothes).

I decided to try making my own laundry detergent because I was having difficulty finding a detergent that didn’t eventually irritate my son’s sensitive skin. This one has done the trick and is incredibly simple. Best of all, it works just as well [if not better than] any “regular” detergents & costs only a fraction of the price. Smells great too!

Each batch only looks tiny…this stuff goes a long way. I have liked it so much, in fact, that I am now using it on all our clothes, as well as on the cloth diapers.

Until I started looking into laundry detergent recipes, I’d never heard of washing soda. Turns out it’s a close cousin of baking soda, but is much stronger. I didn’t have any luck finding washing soda at my Wal-mart, though yours may possibly carry it. I found mine in the laundry isle at Kroger. It’s made by Arm & Hammer, and comes in a yellow box [looks almost exactly like their orange baking soda box]. Borax can generally be found on any laundry/cleaning isle.

easy cleaning September 20, 2009

The other day I ran out of shower/tub cleaner. The tub was REALLY dirty. Nate was taking a nap and I had just gone shopping the day before, so running out to the store was not a viable option. Fiddlesticks! What else could I use? Then I remembered a recipe that I’d seen in a magazine for concocting a simple bathroom cleaner using baking soda, dishwashing soap, and lemon juice. Score! I have all that stuff! My best friend had also mentioned to me recently that she used straight dishwashing soap to clean her tub. What did I have to lose?

It worked great, and I haven’t bought anymore regular tub/shower cleaner since then! Why bother? It’s cheaper and just as easy to use the stuff I already always have around anyway. Not to mention, my hands didn’t feel slimy and as if something was eating at them by the time I was finished. Fewer harsh chemicals used; less money spent. Now that’s my kind of cleaning.

Needless to say, that experience has left me curious about other natural cleaning recipes. I’m not interested in “going green” just for the sake of doing it. But, you know, when it has other advantages too…I had to ask myself why not? I thought that some of you might be interested in some of the recipes that I’ve found. Happy Cleaning!!!

baking soda

tub/shower cleaner:

Pre-wet your tub. Form a little pile of paste in the bottom of your tub using the following approximations:

2 T. baking soda
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. dishwashing soap

[Make more as you go if you need it.] Scrub around with scrub brush or sponge with white scrub pad. Rinse clean.

cinnamon

ant deterrent:

Sprinkle some cinnamon along the edge to your counter top, window sill or wherever you suspect the ants are coming into the house. It won’t take very long for the ants to leave you alone, and then you can just wipe it up. It may look a bit messy while you’re waiting for the ants to take a hint and scram, but it will make your kitchen smell nice while you wait!

from the household of: Whitney Moody

vinegar

stainless steel cleaner:

Spray stainless steel surface with undilluted white vinegar. Wipe clean with soft, dry cloth.

all-purpose cleaner:

Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in spray bottle.

The acetic acid in vinegar kills viruses, germs, bacteria and mold. It also dissolves tough mineral deposits and stains like those found in sinks, toilets and tubs.

Benefits of Cleaning with Vinegar

• inexpensive
• no harsh chemicals
• effective sanitizer
• effective stain remover
• safe for most surfaces [exceptions: marble and some finished wood or tile surfaces]

For 1001 more ideas visit VinegarTips. com.

If you have tips for easy cleaning solutions, please do share! I’d love to find more ways to save time and money by using things that I already have sitting around the house.

bad hair day August 15, 2009

Okay, okay, my husbands hair hasn’t actually been this long in years. He no longer looks like John Lennon. But his hair was getting pretty unruly nonetheless. So, a few mornings ago, I got the scissors after him.

We invested in a set of clippers from Walmart a couple of months ago and they are definitely paying for themselves already! I was a bit nervous at first, but before we bought the clippers, I went with him to the barber’s and observed the hairdresser. I figured she already knew what she was doing, so I might just as well learn from her how to do that particular style. Yes, it was a little rough the first time and took a while, but guys’ hair grows fast. And after a couple of times I’m getting pretty good at it [and faster too]!

I do not; however, attempt to cut my own hair. Getting my haircut at JCPenny Salon is one of my luxuries. [I LOVE Crystal. She is amazing with fine/thin hair. If you live in Cookeville, I highly recommend her!] One of the ways I save some money when I go there is to only have her cut my hair but not style it at the end. Another way I save a bit over time is to schedule my appointments for every 7-8 weeks instead of every 6 weeks. And, boy, does it all add up!

Over the course of a year, we save over $300! I cut John’s hair about once a month. When he went to a barber, we were spending $15 per cut [incl. tip] or $180 per year. If I went to the hairstylist every 6 weeks and got a cut & style [$35 incl. tip], we would be spending $315 per year. By going every 8 weeks and only getting a cut [$25 incl. tip], we actually spend $175 per year [for a savings of $140]. $180 +$140 = $320 total savings per year!

doing better than just making ends meet August 6, 2009

Time is a precious commodity; none of us have as much of it as we would like. So, I’ll try to keep my posts as short and concise and to the point as possible.

Money also always seems to be in short supply. It is more necessary now than ever [at least in my lifetime, and probably most of yours] to find ways to not use as much of it and to use it wisely when we must. The purpose of this blog, then, is to share ideas for saving money and making it go further.

the art of frugal homemaking and creative stewardship: God made everything, God owns everything, God lets us borrow some of His stuff while we are here on earth and we need to learn to take good care of it. Learning to be a good steward of what God has given us requires first that we learn to be content with whatever we have been given. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says this:

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Contentment is not the easiest thing to learn [I still have to work at it every day.], but it is infinitely worth it! In Proverbs 31, we see the picture of a woman who does the best she can with what she has, and the Lord honors that. She finds all kinds of creative ways to use her time and money wisely. I believe that being a “Proverbs 31 Woman” doesn’t mean that I have to try to be some kind of superwoman, but rather that I do the best I can with what I have and that I do it with an attitude that blesses/encourages others. I will never be able to do this on my own, though. I can only be everything that God expects me to be by realizing that He is in control and that I need His strength to be effective and complete.

Homemaking requires creativity and dedication whether you are single, married, a stay-at-home mom, or a work-at-home mom. Living within your means is sometimes a challenge, but it’s not impossible. So, let’s help each other out. Make comments. Share ideas. Try out suggestions and comment on whether or not it worked. Share deals, sales, helpful websites, etc. that you find too!

My goal is to post about once or twice a week in order to start a new topic which I hope will generate related discussion and comments!