Filed under: Cleaning
There are lots of ways to save in the laundry room. We’ll start with laundry detergent which costs, on average, $.09 per load. There are homemade laundry soap recipes out there which boast a $.03 price tag. I can’t find washing soda in my town so I’ve chosen a low cost laundry detergent which costs $.05 per load. I do let the laundry soak for 30 minutes before beginning agitation.
My washer has lots of water level settings so I can adjust for any load size without wasting water. All outer garments get washed in cold water. It’s better for the clothes and saves electricity. 85 percent of the cost of washing is heating water so washing in cold after soaking saves quite a bit.
My fabric softener consists of filling half the dispenser with vinegar. Another good recipe is 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar, and 2 cups water. Be careful when mixing. I dissolve the baking soda in the water before adding the vinegar. You can pretreat stains with inexpensive shampoo or Ivory bar soap.
Use the dryer minimally. I do dry my towels and sheets. Some clothes like jeans I start in the dryer for 10 minutes and then finish by hanging them on one of those wooden laundry racks. The rest of the clothes don’t even see the inside of the dryer. This not only saves electricity but it’s better for the fabric. An added bonus is that the dryer has a lot less wear and tear.
Filed under: Cleaning
Diluted white vinegar is great for cleaning windows and mirrors. I buy it in the gallon jugs.
Use baking soda to clean sinks, counters, and bathtubs. I buy it in bulk at the restaurant supply store. Once per week (don’t worry, I clean my shower more often but this I do once per week) I sprinkle some baking soda on the shower floor, take a wet sponge and keep dipping it in, and gently scrub all the walls and floor of the shower/bathtub. Then I take my morning shower which rinses away the residue. That is followed by my normal daily spray and wipe of the area.
Diluted vinegar makes a great air freshener.
For furniture polish, I mix 1/2 lemon oil with 1/2 white vinegar, put in spray bottle, shake well, and spray a soft cloth.
To clean linoleum, diluted white vinegar works well.
Can you tell I love my white vinegar?
Using homemade cleaners has the added benefit of leaving a healthier environment than chemical cleaners.
Filed under: exercise
80% of the people with gym memberships would actually be money ahead if they had opted to pay the day use fees instead. My church is holding their annual rummage sale and they asked that no one donate exercise equipment. Seems that all that equipment really does is give the UPS driver a good work out as he delivers and subsequently picks up the returns. Neither infrequently used gym memberships nor home exercise equipment that sees more service as a coat rack are typically frugal choices. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work for some. Obviously, 20% of those with health related memberships make good use of them. And I’m sure there is at least one person out there who uses his cross trainer religiously.
But companies make money selling you the latest and the greatest. They don’t want you to use the same exercise bike for 20 years. And you do have to renew your gym membership once per year so it’s really money spent with no tangible gain. What is a frugal person to do?
The first thing to decide what is realistic for you. If you’re shopping for exercise videos, collagevideo.com lets you preview 743 different selections. I found that very helpful because, although exercising to salsa music sounded appealing, after previewing the video, I realized it wasn’t for me. That doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial for others. It’s just not me. So shop around. Try various inexpensive methods of getting your exercise. I have a friend who has a piece of exercise equipment sitting in her house which she rarely uses. But she loves walking and gets lots of exercise doing it.
We have some pretty outrageous winter weather here so most of my exercise needs to happen inside the house. I bought a stability ball, a set of weights, a good pair of shoes, three exercise DVD’s and an inexpensive step aerobic thing which came with its own DVD. My favorite DVD includes 20 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of strength, and 20 minutes of flexibility. If my time is limited, I do the cardio and 10 or so minutes of the strength. I rotate the four DVD’s so that I’m doing a pretty strenuous workout one day and one that is less taxing the next. Think I probably spent a total of $100 if you don’t include the shoes and I use it all. It’s made a huge difference in my energy level and, after three months, I’m quite a bit firmer. I can see that I’ll add to my collection from time to time to break the monotony but I don’t think anything will end up collecting dust or going to rummage sales.
I just read an article about low cost meals to serve your family. The author acknowledged that they weren’t exactly healthy meals but then went on to say that they weren’t the health police so it didn’t matter. Yipes. Being unhealthy is about the least frugal choice a person can make. Not only is health care expensive, but existing with less than optimum health reduces energy and as well as productivity.
I recently underwent some medical tests which required about 48 hours of liquid only nourishment. Not the most enjoyable experience but, afterwards, I was able to reintroduce foods slowly so that I could determine how individual substances affected my body. Wow. As a result, I am now caffeine, gluten, and refined sugar free. I also know how to balance my meals and snacks so that I don’t end up binging or feeling listless.
I bought one of those 2.2 liter bottles so I can track my water consumption. I take it everywhere to make sure I’m consuming liquid regularly to stay hydrated. Confusing hunger with thirst used to be a big problem for me.
I no longer just grab an apple when I’m hungry. I always combine my fruit snacks with a bit of protein so the fructose doesn’t spike and then drain my blood sugar. I eat more vegetables and fewer fruits than I used to because most vegetables are lower on the glycemic index.
Three months after beginning this healthier way of eating, foods taste completely different. The other day I tried to sample a gluten free waffle with some real syrup on it. Yuck. The syrup tasted like molasses to me. Even baked potato chips are unappealing because of the high salt content. And I don’t go near chocolate. It honestly doesn’t taste good anymore.
Between my new eating habits and my exercise routine, I can actually eat my fill without gaining weight for the first time in my life. As an added bonus, my moods have leveled. I no longer have those moments when everything seems to irritate.
Healthy eating has definitely been a frugal choice.
