Saving Some Green

I’ve known for a while that I have to get a handle on the wayward finances in this house so I am turning where everyone else in the free world turns for answers. The internet. And Pinterest. Because, duh.

Let’s see what I turn up:

Idea #1; save every 5 dollar bill that I come across. Hmmmm..... won’t work, we use our debit card. Can't say when the last time was that I even saw a 5 dollar bill.

Idea #2; Open a savings account. Check. We drain it every other week to get through hubby’s 2 week pay period.

Idea #3; DIY. What?? Now this idea speaks to my very soul. But seriously, what good will this do for our bank account?? Oh the possibilities!

Laundry soap. With 4 teenagers, 2 boys, 2 girls, we go through an INSANE amount of laundry soap. I, like many others, decided to give a recipe I found online a shot. Initial cost? Borax, under $3. Washing powder, also under $3. Bar of Ivory soap. .99 cents. Grand total under 7 bucks and guess what?? With the exception of the bar soap, those two boxes make SEVERAL batches of soap, so it works out to be pennies per load!! What goes best with your own homemade laundry soap? Fabric softener of course! With just 3 basic ingredients, it really is a major penny saver! I started doing this about a year ago and I will never ever go back to buying it again. Ever. I figure I’ve saved over $200 in this year alone. $200!! I can handle that, so where else can I save that kind of cash by not having to buy a commercial product, make it myself, tailor it to my family’s needs and leave the world just a little greener?

Laundry Soap

*this stuff doesn’t suds up much, but its not the suds that clean, its the soap. Trust me on this one.

You need a clean bucket to mix in, a ladle, a couple of gallon size empty jugs and a towel to put it all on so you don’t make a huge mess.

Whole bar Ivory (nuke it for about 3 minutes, cool for the kids to see, crumbles up super easily!)

½ c Washing Soda

½ c Borax

(all of this is found in the laundry aisle in any big store like Walmart, Meijer...you get it. Even Amazon carries everything you need if you hate the store as much as I do haha)

In a saucepan, crumble up the soap and add 6 cups water. Melt the soap, stirring often. Add in the Borax and washing soda, stir until dissolved. I bring it to a rolling boil just to be sure its all melted and blended together. Here’s where my special touch comes in. Add a cap full of your favorite Downy Unstoppables. Smells amazing!! (You can also use a few drops of your favorite essential oils)

In the bucket, add 4 cups HOT water, add soap mixture and stir it all together. Then add 1 gallon PLUS 6 cups HOT water. Mix it all up, funnel it into your bottles and let sit for 24 hrs.

*use ½ cup per load

Seriously Easy Fabric Softener

2 cups hair conditioner

3 cups white vinegar

6 cups boiling water.

Seriously, combine and stir! How easy was that??

* I add a cap full of Unstoppables so my soap and softener smell the same!!

I'm always looking for new ways to save, but these are my all time favorites so far!