frugalfriday

  • Homemade Laundry Detergent, is it worth it?

    The ingredients are Fels Naptha laundry soap, borax and washing soda.  Prices vary according to store. The prices you see below are approximate.  

    Fels Naptha soap at $0.99 per bar.  The recipe calls for 1/3 bar. 

    Washing Soda at $2.99 for a 55 ounce box.  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup or 4.2 ounces.  

    Borax at $3.99 for a 76 ounce box.  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup or 3.5 ounces. 

    Divide, multiply, and add.  It all comes out to $0.74 for 2 gallons of detergent.  Using 1/2 cup per load, you should be able to do 64 loads. Bringing the cost to $0.01 per load.  That is a great deal!  Don't ya think? 

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    My container holds a little over two gallons.  As you can see, I'll have to make some more detergent soon. 

    Want to try making your own?  Read here

  • Halloween Do's

     Dressing up girls for halloween is so much fun.  Lots of princesses and fairies, right?  Well save some money and do not buy that tacky cheap wig that in reality won't work out when you go trick or treating.  Instead, go to my favorite little girl hair do blog and learn how to do the princess do with her own hair.  So much prettier,  comfortable and less expensive.  There's a bunch so keep scrolling till you find the right one!

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  • Why are we frugal?

    Why are we frugal?  Why be frugal if we don't need to be? 

    It is helping us to accomplish some wonderful things! 

    You see, we don't have to make our own laundry detergent.  I suppose to some it may even seem a little extreme.  The truth is that I like homemade laundry detergent.  Even as a multimillionaire I would still choose to make my own laundry detergent.  It's simple to make.  It doesn't require a bunch of time.  It's really really inexpensive.  It's really really good detergent. 

    Finding easy enjoyable ways to cut corners allows my husband and I to achieve our goals.  Big holy audacious goals! 

    We want to know that we can easily provide for our family's needs.  Sufficient food and proper shelter are big on our list of things to provide our children. 

    We also like the idea of paying for college.  Pretty tall order for our more than average size family. 

    Being frugal allows us to give more to the causes we care about.  Money and time. 

    It's important to us to give our children experiences rather than things.  Being frugal gives us more time for these experiences.  If our focus was things, my husband and I would work 100 hours a week to provide those things.  Living simply allows us to spend more hours at home than away. 

    All this talk of cutting corners, pinching pennies ... isn't glamorous.  Don't worry, I do know.  I just don't care.  I like living simply.  Practicing frugality adds humility to my life.  I don't want to be flashy or flaunty.  My worth is not measured by what I have. 

    We enjoy our life.

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    Go to Biblical Womanhood for more Frugal Friday.

  • Laser Monks

    Want to save money on ink cartridges, copy toner?

    Read this.

    Place order here.

    I'm amazed at how much the color ink is discounted!  Gotta love it!

    Frugal Friday is normally hosted each week at Biblical Womanhood but she's taking some time off to move her family.   

    Edited:  She's back!  Go read more Frugal Friday!

     

  • Window Cleaner

    My last Frugal Friday post was homemade furniture polish.  So, of course we need some window cleaner.  I had lots of fingerprints, handprints and nose smudges to experiment on.  I tried several recipes before I found this one. 

    My favorite homemade window cleaner:

    3T vinegar

    1T rubbing alcohol

    2 cups water

    Pour ingredients in spray bottle.  Shake well. 

    Works great!  Super cheap! 

    Biblical Womanhood is the place to be for lots more frugal tips!

     

  • I Have Nothing

    It's Frugal Friday and I have nothing.  Well, I had something but I didn't get around to it.  So, maybe next week? 

    I'm certain that a hundred or more other frugal ladies will come through for us, though.  Here's your link: 

     Frugal Friday

     

  • Homemade Furniture Polish

    This Frugal Friday is thanks to my dear friend, Kim.  She told me about homemade furniture polish.  Here is the recipe I tried:

    1/2 cup baby oil or olive oil, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar

    Pour into a spray bottle. Shake well with each use.

    Spray or pour the homemade solution on a soft cloth.

    Because I love you fellow "frugal fridians" so much, I let my piano get really really dusty.  There's nothing I won't do for you. 

    I dusted half the piano with Pledge the other half with homemade.  The dual began...

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    vs.

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    Y'all want to see the results? 

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    Beautiful Shine.

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    So, here's the low down on what you can't see in the pictures.  I actually preferred the shine of the homemade!  You just had to be here to see it. 

    So, without further ado, I present to you the furniture polish champion:

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    Try it for yourself.  

    Without finding any exceptional bargains or sales, I was able to make this for $0.75.  By the way, a little goes a very long way. 

    Check out Biblical Womanhood for a gazillion more Frugal Friday tips!  

    May you find the best deals and receive many coupons! 

  • Creative and Frugal Wrapping for Presents

    It's Frugal Friday.  Be sure to check out all the great links!

     

    With two daughters celebrating birthdays in recent weeks, creative frugal wrapping has been on my mind.  Here are my faves:

    Bandanas are quick, easy, cheap, and colorful! Use hair accessories or flower clips to embellish. 

    Brown Paper Bags are very durable for wrapping.  Simply cut bags with writing on them so they lay flat. Turn them so the print is on the inside. I’ve also used brown shipping paper.  Tie with raffia.  Adorn the wrapped package with things from nature: pinecones and twigs. Use stamps to make a design for extra embellishment.

    White Paper Bags are a blank canvas.  All they need is your creative touch.  Again, if they have printing on the outside, cut them open and turn them inside out. Add designs with paints, markers, stamps or crayons.

    Laundry baskets, plastic or woven baskets make excellent gifts and serve double duty as the wrapping.  Line them or decorate them according to the type of basket, the gift, and the recipient.

    Butcher Paper is pure white and shiny. It is a good medium for finger painting. Find it in the grocery store by the freezer bags and aluminum foils. The rolls are large and will last a long time. 

    Shopping Totes are my personal favorite.  I can buy inexpensive shopping totes (many stores sell their reusable shopping bags for around $1) for less than fancy gift-wrap and gift bags.  The recipient can use it again and again for shopping. 

    Finding alternatives to expensive wrapping paper and gift bags provides so many opportunities for creativity and uniqueness.  I love it!  Don’t you?

    I would love love love to hear your creative wrapping suggestions!

  • What to do with those single or worn out socks?

     

    It is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood.  Y'all know how I never miss it. 

    Remember the homemade dryer sheets?  Well, that has been a great way to use our matchless socks and our wornout "holes in the bottom" socks.  But another great use for these socks...  Dusting! 

    They are perfect for dusting furniture.  Slide the sock on your hand (you know, like a sock puppet), spray a little polish and get busy dusting.  For my littles, I just dampen their sock with a little water.  They love to help. 

    Go read you some more Frugal Friday.

     

  • One Income

    Occasionally another gal will express to me her desire to be an at home Mommy.  I'm an at home Mommy who homeschools, helps self-employed hubby, and co-manages a Gymnastics Academy (two evenings a week, while the kiddos are taking gymnastics). 

    I've never regretted the things we don't have because of our lifestyle choices.  My husband and I agreed a long time ago that our parenting style would be to give our children experiences rather than things. 

    Being an at home mom doesn't mean that you can't add to the family income.  There are lots of creative things you can do from home.  Importantly, there are also lots of creative ways you can save money by reducing your household expense. 

    Never let circumstances keep you from fulfilling God's calling on your life.  Live the dreams God has placed in your heart!   

    Set your mind to finding a way.  Pray that God will bless and add to your efforts!

    My family is a testimony to what God can do. 

    The TrentTribe has been snowballing debt for one year.  We started in August of 2007.  In one year, with our single income the Lord has blessed us to pay off well over $30,000 in debt!

    "Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow."