Economical

Holy Cow! It's been a long time since I've posted. Sorry about that. I have been busy finishing a college degree - which means more student loans - which means me trying to save money and cut corners. There are a few things I have done to save money that I feel I will stick with even should I win the lottery. They just make sense. So I thought I would share some of my favorite do-it-herself recipes with you.


Laundry Detergent

Even before student loans I really hated spending money on laundry detergent. That stuff is expensive! One day a fellow science teacher handed me a recipe for liquid laundry soap. It was okay but a bit of a pain to make. After I discovered pinterest I found the following recipe that I love:

      1 (4lb 12 oz) box of Borax
      1 (3lb 7oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - I usually find this at Ace Hardware
      1 (3lb) container of Oxyclean - optional but highly recommended
      2 bars of either Zote Soap or Fels Naptha - found easily in grocery stores or hardware stores
      1 (4lb) box Arm & Hammer baking soda - yep, they make them that big!
      1 bottle of Purex Crystals or Scentsy washer whiffs

Use a cheese grater on the bars of soap - the most time consuming part of the project. Mix it up with the rest of the ingredients. I use a giant bowl but a bucket would also be a good choice. After all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed put in any type of receptacle. I bought a giant glass jar and lid from Shopko. It makes me feel very Martha Stewart.

I made my last batch in January - it's now July and I still have a ways to go!

Body Scrub

I love body scrub - but I found myself not using very much to make the pricey stuff I like last longer. Well that's no fun!  So I concocted my own recipe. Billy loved it - I love it and now Ella begs me to make it for her. Make it fresh before your shower:

                            Sugar -  how much? - depends on how much scrubbing you want to do!
                            Olive oil - add to the sugar until slightly moistened. About 2-3 Tablespoons.
                            Moisten the rest with your favorite body wash - I prefer Dr. Bronner's
                                   Make sure it it just moistened - too much liquid and it's not a scrub anymore

Scrub away - yep, that's it. Sometimes I add some fresh squeezed lemon. It's great for your skin.


I'm thinking about experimenting with dishwasher detergent and fabric softener next. I'll let you know how that works out...