Just curious who else is living super frugal

[lazy gardener]

When my current stash of laundry detergent is used up, I'll be making my own. I haven't bought detergent in over a year, and have perhaps enough for 3 - 4 months left. A friend gave me some of hers to try, and I have to say, I loved it, and can't wait to make some, but no sense doing it until i need to. Picked up an old blender at the town dump (second time around building) and will either use it to make natural bug repellents for the garden, or laundry detergent. Either way, always checking out the dump for freebies that will make life easier. People throw out stuff just b/c it's not pretty any more!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I need to do a bit of research on lambs quarters. I think i know what it is/looks like, but need to be sure before giving myself a serious case of "trots" trying it out! If any of you are looking to get debt free, and who isn't! You might want to check out "Financial Peace University" by Dave Ramsey. He offers an excellent program. basic home finance management based on Biblical teaching.

Haha---I was afraid of exactly the same thing when I realized a week after plucking what I THOUGHT was dandelion greens for my morning smoothie only to find out that my "dandelion" plant had grown a red ribbed central stem and was about 1 foot tall... I mean who doesn't know what dandelions look like?? Apparently a lot of thistles masquerade like dandelion and I had eaten smore sort of young thistle. BAD FEELING not knowing what I'd eaten, even though I'd suffered no ill effect. Lambs quarters has serrated edges and tastes very much like spinach, starts tiny but grows tall into 3 foot stalks with leaves the whole way up.
young plant

close up of leaves.

Be advised-----it has NO ODOR. There is a plant called goosefoot that looks nearly identical to lambsquarters, but it has a foul odor to it. A lot of people say that it smells almost piney, but noxious.

I have a friend who has Dave Ramsey's book that has offered to lend it to me. I think maybe it's time for me to actually read something other than herbal/homestead books, and ask to borrow it.

 

[LindaB220]

When my current stash of laundry detergent is used up, I'll be making my own. I haven't bought detergent in over a year, and have perhaps enough for 3 - 4 months left. A friend gave me some of hers to try, and I have to say, I loved it, and can't wait to make some, but no sense doing it until i need to. Picked up an old blender at the town dump (second time around building) and will either use it to make natural bug repellents for the garden, or laundry detergent. Either way, always checking out the dump for freebies that will make life easier. People throw out stuff just b/c it's not pretty any more!

Oh, honey, have you checked the price of the ingredients out. They have doubled or tripled in a month or so. I was going to buy Fel Naptha soap and it's up to $5 and the boxes of borax that was so cheap are $8-9. Heaven forbid that the big corporations cut us a break and let us make it cheap.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

We have been through a lot to get where we are today. Sometimes God pulls everything out from under you to get your attention. In the end it sure does help you get your priorities straight. You find out that you can do without so much of what other people deem necessary and that your family is really the most important.
It sounds like you are on the right track. We are a work in progress here. I learned to can out of necessity when my husband lost his job a few years ago. By the time he found another job we had learned to live differently. We moved to the country, bought some chickens and plan on putting in a bigger garden each year, along with fruit trees and grapes. Your children learn a lot through the process too. Very few of today's generation seem to know how to be frugal. We are equipping our children for the future.

I agree totally. I want my children to thrive and to literally be able to survive in whatever world it is they grow up in. I just got my Burgess fall catalog in the mail and am looking at ordering some more fruit/nut trees for our property.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Oh, honey, have you checked the price of the ingredients out. They have doubled or tripled in a month or so. I was going to buy Fel Naptha soap and it's up to $5 and the boxes of borax that was so cheap are $8-9. Heaven forbid that the big corporations cut us a break and let us make it cheap.

Eek! That's highway robbery. The last box of borax I bought was 3.99$ Now I use a recipe that uses soap and washing soda and it seems to do the job with a vinegar rinse. I've started making my own soap too (facial/body and then a recipe for all purpose cleaning). Have any of you tried that yet? I infuse my olive or grape seed oil with herbs over a few weeks with low heat and the soaps are so awesome and customizable. I get about 5lbs of soap for as many dollars. It's pretty cool, especially knowing exactly what is in the products I'm using. Saves a lot of cash in the end for my family, as I use it for dish washer detergent and laundry detergent. 5lbs lasts me about 7 months (after giving away a large portion to family and friends for Christmas presents, etc)

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

When my current stash of laundry detergent is used up, I'll be making my own. I haven't bought detergent in over a year, and have perhaps enough for 3 - 4 months left. A friend gave me some of hers to try, and I have to say, I loved it, and can't wait to make some, but no sense doing it until i need to. Picked up an old blender at the town dump (second time around building) and will either use it to make natural bug repellents for the garden, or laundry detergent. Either way, always checking out the dump for freebies that will make life easier. People throw out stuff just b/c it's not pretty any more!

I love going to our local thrift store. Everything is so reasonably priced and it helps support our community (GED classes and they help with winter heat for families in town who can't afford it), but it is recycling, just like what you do with picking up stuff. It's such a good feeling knowing I've scored a personal victory with acquiring something my family needs, and helping out other people at the same time. Do you go to auctions ever? We have a local auction house and it has estate sale items and other things that would otherwise be pitched (a lot of times, like older but not antique furniture). I like going on a spare night and enjoying the atmosphere (they have old fashioned pop corn and home made pie and it is very rural and homey feeling).

 

[KentuckyMom]

When my current stash of laundry detergent is used up, I'll be making my own.  I haven't bought detergent in over a year, and have perhaps enough for 3 - 4 months left.  A friend gave me some of hers to try, and I have to say, I loved it, and can't wait to make some, but no sense doing it until i need to.  Picked up an old blender at the town dump (second time around building) and will either use it to make natural bug repellents for the garden, or laundry detergent.  Either way, always checking out the dump for freebies that will make life easier.  People throw out stuff just b/c it's not pretty any more!

Eek! That's highway robbery. The last box of borax I bought was 3.99$     Now I use a recipe that uses soap and washing soda and it seems to do the job with a vinegar rinse. I've started making my own soap too (facial/body and then a recipe for all purpose cleaning). Have any of you tried that yet? I infuse my olive or grape seed  oil with herbs over a few weeks with low heat and the soaps are so awesome and customizable. I get about 5lbs of soap for as many dollars. It's pretty cool, especially knowing exactly what is in the products I'm using. Saves a lot of cash in the end for my family, as I use it for dish washer detergent and laundry detergent. 5lbs lasts me about 7 months (after giving away a large portion to family and friends for Christmas presents, etc)

Willing to share some recipes for soap and laundry detergent?

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Willing to share some recipes for soap and laundry detergent?

This is the first recipe for soap I ever tried out. It is hot process vc cold process which means it saponifies (turns into soap without leftover lye and can be used immediately) right away, vs the cold process which needs to cure for at least month. It is definitely more rustic in appearance, but still very pretty ( I added bee pollen to my last batch and had a beautiful golden soap). The nice thing is that you can use a crock pot and still use the crock pot for other things, as when the product is finished you've got soap and a really clean crock pot once you rinse it out! I do want to do cold process soon, for making decorative gift soaps, but this hot process is so wonderful and takes virtually no time away from my children (and doesn't present a dangerous situation with hot lye etc in pots on the stove) that I haven't deviated to try anything else yet. Here is the link: http://chickensintheroad.com/house/crafts/hot-process-soap-in-a-crock-pot/

I used that recipe, but I added French green clay to it, for added "drawing" purposes (like pulling toxins from skin when washing or extra scrubbing power in cutting grease from my stove, etc). Works awesome.. and is a lovely shade of moss green.

My laundry detergent is: 1 bar of my soap melted + 2.5 Gallon of water + 1 cup washing soda. I put the water in a large soup kettle that I only use for that purpose (and just carry it down to my laundry room to use as the container when it's cooled). I heat the water and the bar of soap and once the soap is dissolved I add the washing soda and stir. You can use right away. It does not gel up but stays liquid and you should agitated prior to using (I use a 1/2 c measuring cup-----One 1/2 cup per load, I double it for extra grubby kid loads/pee pee kid bed sheets). You can always substitute homemade bar soap for a bar of glycerine soap from the store. It'll get more gel like in nature once cooled. I've had no issues with it, and it completely takes out all smells of urine (my son is still working on the potty training for night time).

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

When my current stash of laundry detergent is used up, I'll be making my own. I haven't bought detergent in over a year, and have perhaps enough for 3 - 4 months left. A friend gave me some of hers to try, and I have to say, I loved it, and can't wait to make some, but no sense doing it until i need to. Picked up an old blender at the town dump (second time around building) and will either use it to make natural bug repellents for the garden, or laundry detergent. Either way, always checking out the dump for freebies that will make life easier. People throw out stuff just b/c it's not pretty any more!

I'd love to hear what recipe you use, too. This is turning out to be a wonderful thread to have joined.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: My mom did not use cones and I learned how to fold when I was very young. THe cones seem to be more int he way. She taught a few classes on her living room table and I remember the newbies using the cones. My mom just used clothes pins instead of the cones. She did use a special lacing needle and special thread. I have a few of the rugs she made and her mother made. I keept hem in the upstairs to reduce the wear.