So one year ago and 17 days ago I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent.
I wanted to try it after seeing it on Pinterest and wanting an alternative to the expensive detergents at the store and to find something that would stop ruining my clothing. All of my shirts were getting holes in them and after a google search I suspected that it was an anti-pilling agent in the detergent that was causing the holes in my clothes so I decided to try homemade, it was safer and maybe less holey.
A year later. . .
I am still making it and using it and LOVE IT!
I went from having at least 8 shirts with holes with no holes, or I should say no new holes.
It is so easy to make and so much cheaper. I also don't like a lot of smells so this is perfect for me.
I even made a liquid detergent to use when I wash cold because a few times I had problems with the powder not dissolving.
It also gets out stains better than I expected. It was and still is hard to get use to the fact that you only need 1 Tablespoon of detergent. I know that most people use way more detergent than they need, but 1 Tablespoon seems like nothing.
So I am officially a convert!
I have also quit using dryer sheets because of the waste and thankfully Method came out with a fabric softener for when I want a little sent and softness though I don't need it. I also use a lightly balled up piece of aluminum foil to prevent static.
So I have made the switch and haven't looked back since.
I am turning into a hippie one day at a time.
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Thursday, October 13, 2011
a real adult
I feel like a real adult now.
I received some inheritance money from my grandmother, it was a nice chunk of change so we invested in our future.
I set up a Virginia 529- an education investment account for the kids college tuition. It is only $5,000, but it is set up to withdraw $50 quarterly starting in January so hopefully we can have some money saved away for their education expenses when the time comes. I also hope that we can add more money than just $50 quarterly too!
I also set up a Roth IRA account, it too is only $5,000 (the max you can put in in a year), but I plan to add additional money into it so we can have money for retirement. We have no money currently for retirement, I had cashed out my Virginia Retirement when I quite teaching since I didn't know if I would return to teaching and it was very little ($2,000), now I wish we had kept it, but at 27, retirement doesn't seem necessary.
And finally we have $15,000 in mutual funds that will hopefully grow in 5-10 years so we can have money for a car or house or what it is needed.
It feels good having money set aside for the future, to have money in case the worst happens.
We also used some money we also used the money pay off our car so both of our vehicles are paid for, it feels good and I hope I won't have a car loan again (or at least one with interest).
I feel like a real adult now, a real responsible adult, a grown up.
I received some inheritance money from my grandmother, it was a nice chunk of change so we invested in our future.
I set up a Virginia 529- an education investment account for the kids college tuition. It is only $5,000, but it is set up to withdraw $50 quarterly starting in January so hopefully we can have some money saved away for their education expenses when the time comes. I also hope that we can add more money than just $50 quarterly too!
I also set up a Roth IRA account, it too is only $5,000 (the max you can put in in a year), but I plan to add additional money into it so we can have money for retirement. We have no money currently for retirement, I had cashed out my Virginia Retirement when I quite teaching since I didn't know if I would return to teaching and it was very little ($2,000), now I wish we had kept it, but at 27, retirement doesn't seem necessary.
And finally we have $15,000 in mutual funds that will hopefully grow in 5-10 years so we can have money for a car or house or what it is needed.
It feels good having money set aside for the future, to have money in case the worst happens.
We also used some money we also used the money pay off our car so both of our vehicles are paid for, it feels good and I hope I won't have a car loan again (or at least one with interest).
I feel like a real adult now, a real responsible adult, a grown up.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
how badly do we need a new window?
so much so that the plastic film we put up to keep the cold out has popped, twice!
The windows are old and need replacing.
Fortunately my mom gave me a gift card for Christmas so we could replace a window and with additional money from family we are getting a new front window!
Of course as luck would have it, we have to custom order one and it will two weeks to arrive, but today is the day I am going to order it.
YEAH!!!
The window film usually does a pretty good job insulating from the cold, but it has popped. I thought at first it was the kids doing, but after putting up the film and noticing the next morning that it had come undone without the kids coming near it that it had to be the wind and not little hands.
That is how bad out front window is, so much so that it can remove plastic film from adhesive.
I am hoping that the savings on our heating and cooling will allow us to purchase more windows.
1 down, 13 more to go!
The windows are old and need replacing.
Fortunately my mom gave me a gift card for Christmas so we could replace a window and with additional money from family we are getting a new front window!
Of course as luck would have it, we have to custom order one and it will two weeks to arrive, but today is the day I am going to order it.
YEAH!!!
The window film usually does a pretty good job insulating from the cold, but it has popped. I thought at first it was the kids doing, but after putting up the film and noticing the next morning that it had come undone without the kids coming near it that it had to be the wind and not little hands.
That is how bad out front window is, so much so that it can remove plastic film from adhesive.
I am hoping that the savings on our heating and cooling will allow us to purchase more windows.
1 down, 13 more to go!
Monday, January 05, 2009
my dirty little secret
To try and save:
my hair color,
money spent on water,
money on hair products,
electricity,
time in the morning,
my skin from getting too dry,
the environment,
I have been only showering every other day and it has been a hard. I am currently on week 3 of the every other shower experiment and I don't know whether it has made much of difference yet, but I hope so.
There is nothing like a nice hot shower in the morning, but with two kids I don't always have time or the energy. I also would like to save my hair color since I did get low lights with more red in them then usual and I don't want them turning brassy by washing them too frequently especially since I bought inexpensive shampoo this time around, though it is for color treated hair ( I am also trying to figure out whether there really is a difference between the expensive and inexpensive shampoos and conditioners).
So my dirty little secret is out, I never would have thought years ago I would be able to make the transition, but so far I have survived, I don't know if I can keep it up in the summer, but in the winter it isn't a problem. I read somewhere that your hair will adjust to being only washed every other day, but so far it really hasn't. By the end of the non-shower day it is a bit greasier then I would like which is bothersome because I can't really pull it back right now, it is too short.
So not showering every day is one step I am taking to cut back on spending and going green, more like greasy, but every little bit helps, especially when you are like me and love long, hot showers. I must say, I now relish my morning showers now that they are half as often.
my hair color,
money spent on water,
money on hair products,
electricity,
time in the morning,
my skin from getting too dry,
the environment,
I have been only showering every other day and it has been a hard. I am currently on week 3 of the every other shower experiment and I don't know whether it has made much of difference yet, but I hope so.
There is nothing like a nice hot shower in the morning, but with two kids I don't always have time or the energy. I also would like to save my hair color since I did get low lights with more red in them then usual and I don't want them turning brassy by washing them too frequently especially since I bought inexpensive shampoo this time around, though it is for color treated hair ( I am also trying to figure out whether there really is a difference between the expensive and inexpensive shampoos and conditioners).
So my dirty little secret is out, I never would have thought years ago I would be able to make the transition, but so far I have survived, I don't know if I can keep it up in the summer, but in the winter it isn't a problem. I read somewhere that your hair will adjust to being only washed every other day, but so far it really hasn't. By the end of the non-shower day it is a bit greasier then I would like which is bothersome because I can't really pull it back right now, it is too short.
So not showering every day is one step I am taking to cut back on spending and going green, more like greasy, but every little bit helps, especially when you are like me and love long, hot showers. I must say, I now relish my morning showers now that they are half as often.
Friday, January 02, 2009
2-for-1
Right now I am into 2 meals with basically one set of ingredients. I love being able to buy one main ingredient and making two meals from it, it is my new favorite thing. It saves money and waste. Also, with swimming taking up a lot of my time I have needed to have easy meals and 2-for1 meals have come in handy. Some examples:
Sunday night: rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables then I took the leftover chicken and made Chicken tetrazzini with it which is now in my freezer waiting for a night when I don't feel like cooking
Christmas Day: ham with typical holiday casseroles then a few days later cut up the ham and made a quiche
Baked Ziti and Stuffed Shells, I make a whole batch, but put half in the freezer.
I need to find some more recipes to broaden my frozen food selection, but I am so happy that we aren't being as wasteful because we are not always the best at eating leftovers.
Sunday night: rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables then I took the leftover chicken and made Chicken tetrazzini with it which is now in my freezer waiting for a night when I don't feel like cooking
Christmas Day: ham with typical holiday casseroles then a few days later cut up the ham and made a quiche
Baked Ziti and Stuffed Shells, I make a whole batch, but put half in the freezer.
I need to find some more recipes to broaden my frozen food selection, but I am so happy that we aren't being as wasteful because we are not always the best at eating leftovers.
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