Best painless "stretching things" budget tips?

[SGMCO]

Homemade Dishwashing powder for the Automatic dishwasher.

Here is the formula I found (works great):

1 cup Borax (20 Mule-Team Borax-found at Walmart, Target and
King Soopers--most supermarkets)

1 cup Baking soda or (1/2 cup Baking Soda 1/2 cup Washing Soda)

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup Citric Acid (I had to use 2 packs of Lemonade Unsweetened Kool-Aid--only lemon)


This was also part of the recipe(but I didn't have any so made it without--still works good)--
30 drops Citrus Essential Oil--Lemon, grapefruit, orange.

Put all of it in a container with a tight lid and shake well.
I use 1 tablespoon per load.

 

[mjantz]

This is a bit of a 'Spend Now to Save Later' thing but I get out every year the day after Christmas & get ornaments & other holiday gifts & supplies. Then, come Christmas when life is crazy & I have tons of obligations instead of having to buy gifts for all the non-family on my list (teachers, co-workers) I just pull stuff out of my 'stash'. My favorite places are Pier One & Target although if I can hit a Dillards I'm there as well.

 

[pampam]

Homemade Dishwashing powder for the Automatic dishwasher.

Here is the formula I found (works great):

1 cup Borax (20 Mule-Team Borax-found at Walmart, Target and
King Soopers--most supermarkets)

1 cup Baking soda or (1/2 cup Baking Soda 1/2 cup Washing Soda)

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup Citric Acid (I had to use 2 packs of Lemonade Unsweetened Kool-Aid--only lemon)

Thanks for posting this. I knew one could make their own laundry detergent, but have never tried dishwasher detergent.
This was also part of the recipe(but I didn't have any so made it without--still works good)--
30 drops Citrus Essential Oil--Lemon, grapefruit, orange.

Put all of it in a container with a tight lid and shake well.
I use 1 tablespoon per load.

Thanks for posting this. I knew I could make my own laundry detergent but never knew about homemade dishwasher detergent.

 

[semo233]

I'm so glad that people are still interested in reading this thread.
Now that we are in to the Holiday....I mean spending....season, are there any little things we can do to save money?

For instance, I have a reusable red plaid fabric draw string gift sack that I use instead of wrapping paper. It was free a few years ago with an LLBean purachase of over $50. It is nice to keep it in the family and keep reusing it.

Any other ideas?

 

[Chicklogic]

I'm so glad that people are still interested in reading this thread.
Now that we are in to the Holiday....I mean spending....season, are there any little things we can do to save money?

For instance, I have a reusable red plaid fabric draw string gift sack that I use instead of wrapping paper. It was free a few years ago with an LLBean purachase of over $50. It is nice to keep it in the family and keep reusing it.

Any other ideas?

Hi Semo :*)

I am planning to switch to LED lights this year to save on electricity. $$ output at the begining but big savings in the end

I'm making turkey carcass soup as I type and have an extra turkey in the freezer while they are cheap that will provide MANY meals at only $1 per pound or less

Last year I purchased beach towels that were much needed and "wrapped" christmas presents in the towels The kids were impressed and I saved time and money on wrapping 8 gifts!

 

[semo233]

Last year I purchased beach towels that were much needed and "wrapped" christmas presents in the towels The kids were impressed and I saved time and money on wrapping 8 gifts!

Back at ya chicklogic!!!

that's a wonderful idea!!- We put in a pool this past summer and that's a great way to make sure everyone gets an "invitation", brings their own towel and then takes them home!! I'm goin to start shopping for them right now!........Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be saving money, not spending money!!!

 

[SGMCO]

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Cibahwewah]

1) Shop at Costco. Buy anything in bulk that you regularly use--vitamins, toiletries, paper goods, food, etc.
2) Buy whole hams and turkeys, and divide the meat into 1 lb packages (freeze extra) to make sandwichs for weekday brownbag lunches. Sure beats deli prices, and tastes better.
3) Repeated and endorsed from previous posters: Use a fraction of the laundry soap. 1/4 cup per load is plenty.
4) Hamburger helper, pasta-roni, rice-a-roni, Knorr sides, Suddenly Salad all go on sale for $1 (before coupons) around here. With a little meat and some creativity they make a kid-friendly meal.
5) Buy bread and buns when on sale and freeze until needed.
6) Make own coffee. (This is why Starbucks is closing stores, because I stopped buying $5 coffee).
7) Combine coupons with sales and you can get stuff for a fraction of the cost, especially if your grocery store doubles coupons.
8) Buy store brands.
9) We got a zoo membership for $79 a year, versus $35 per trip. Go 3 times over the course of the year and you have broken even plus some. Go monthly and you're getting cheap entertainment.
10) Put everything on your Disney Visa, then pay it off in full each month. You get Disney Reward Dollars to spend on your vacation.

 

[Disneyluvr]

There are some great ideas here! Can someone please post (again ) the recipe for homemade laundry soap. Thanks, I really don't want to try and find it in all the past posts.

 

[minnie1928]

This one takes some effort, but it's worth it. I've been canceling catalogs that I receive. I've found that if I don't have a reason to look at something, then I'm less likely to buy something. Plus, it's less stuff to recycle and less things going through the mail system. Same thing with emails, I'm unsubscribing so I have less to wade through each day and I'm not tempted to buy things that I really don't need.

We've also decided to get our xmas tree through one more season. Then hopefully next year we will be able to find a LED pre-lit tree easier.

 

[Forever42]

My company is "reorganizing" and so many of us lost our jobs recently - my job is terminated on Dec 31 - scouring the internet for threads/websites on budget information!

Thankfully it's just DH and I and the two furry kids (cats). I'm vegetarian, and DH eats whatever I cook, so we don't have to worry about meat prices. Vegetable prices have been crazy lately, so I guess back to frozen vegetables for us.

SO......Has anyone tried my advise on making Sangria with the boxed wine?? Could you tell any difference (except a heavier purse??) ?

I regularly make sangria with boxed wine! I usually go for the Target boxes, as well.

My recipe (it's STRONG)

2 bottles red wine / 1 magnum / 1 "two bottle" box
3 cups rum (yes really)
2 cups orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 sliced orange
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced lime
Cinnamon sticks

Combine and refrigerate overnight.

Of course, this isn't really budget!

 

[pampam]

Believe it or not can be found practicilly anywhere for the least amount of money. Crisco. The original, not the butter flavoured. I've been using it since June or July, and my face and hands hands have never looked better. My skin is softer and my eye wrinkles have almost disappeared.

 

[mel63]

I was surfing around looking at different budget guru sites and was stopped at Clark Howard's site when I read about him drying his 17 cent razor blade which lasted a year. Since my kids and I (all girls) all have been shaving now with our Schick Quatros, replacing blades for 3 is expensive, so I figured what the heck. I use the Howard method and simply blot the blade on a towel and put it away. I've had the same blade in for a couple of months now, works great! Getting the kids on board has taken some nagging, since they like to leave their razors in the shower. But mama ain't buyin' no blades, so that's an inspriation to start. Seriously, I am going to have to buy one more four pack because I know they haven't started out drying them, but now that I know I'm not going to be buying them constantly, it's going to be a huge $ saver around here!

I hadn't heard about drying the blade, but rinsing the blade in cold water and then dip it in rubbing alcohol.

 

[happycampers]

For the person who asked for a laundry detergent re-post:

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup Grated Fels Naptha or Kirk’s Castile Soap
½ cup Washing Soda
½ cup Borax
½ cup Oxyclean (or store brand oxygenated cleaner)
For light load, use 1 tablespoon.
For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

don't know if this has been mentioned, but if you put Hershey's syrup in your kid's milk, they make a Dark Chocolate version that is stronger so you only have to use half as much or even less.

 

[happycampers]

I'm glad this tread is up and rolling again!

Here's one we've been working on lately:
Unplug anything and everything you aren't using! Things that are on standby (things with a remote like TVs, DVD players, VCRs, Tivos, video game systems, empty battery chargers and other items) are like vampires and draw "phantom" power. Even though you turned them off, they still draw a small amount of electricity while they are plugged in. One quote I heard recently is that the electricity for all of those plugged in unused electronics and appliances totalled together for the year can amount to at least one month's electric bill. Our entertainment center is hooked up to a power surge protector strip that we turn off when we aren't using the TV or stereo which is supposed to block that draw according to one electric company website.

Another electricity-saving trick:
Get the kids involved. Kids are some of the worst offenders in our house for leaving the lights turned on when they leave a room. Show the kids the electric bills and challenge them to help you lower it by a certain amount and use the savings for a family outing, or give them a "bonus" if that works better.

 

[SGMCO]

For the person who asked for a laundry detergent re-post:

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup Grated Fels Naptha or Kirk’s Castile Soap
½ cup Washing Soda
½ cup Borax
½ cup Oxyclean (or store brand oxygenated cleaner)
For light load, use 1 tablespoon.
For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

I also use ZOTE SOAP instead of Fel Naptha (because I haven't
found it in my area)
Zote can be found at Walmart or Target (it is a large pink bar soap-
found in the laundry isle).
I also don't add the Oxyclean.
Everything comes out clean and fresh smelling.
Plus, I used to have to buy the detergants without perfumes
or dyes and this mix doesn't cause any allergic reaction with
my Family.

 

[SGMCO]

Also, we live where it's very dry so eventhough I use
the Vineger in my Laundry rinse I still have to add
some antistatic in the Dryer.
I got tired of spending so much on the dryer sheets so
I got the liquid fabric softener and soaked a washclothe
with it and now toss it in with every load--works great.
Last forever.

 

[sunnyday123]

Believe it or not can be found practicilly anywhere for the least amount of money. Crisco. The original, not the butter flavoured. I've been using it since June or July, and my face and hands hands have never looked better. My skin is softer and my eye wrinkles have almost disappeared.

Really???

I would think the regular would be better then butter flavored. My cats would be licking my face all night if I used the flavored one!

 

[reginaastralis]

We did away with cable. I didn't tell anybody. I just did it. I thought I would catch a rash of you know what...a week later my DH finally noticed. Guess you don't watch as much TV as you thought, huh? Kids didn't know until daddy said something. Its been over two months and we have found that we do a lot more as a family together. The girls read more, DH plays more music, and I get more stuff done(I read a ton anyway). Plus we've all become very good card players. The "oldies", as we call our family elders, better watch out at our summer reunion, the girls are armed and dangerous. I even took the TV thing a step further...I unplugged the darned thing. It took over a week before DH noticed AGAIN...hahaha...the girls could have cared less. We found we don't really miss it. I'm convinced the TV was used more for noise than anything else. Myth Busters is the only thing we seem to miss. I guess that means I'm gonna be buying a DVD set from the Discovery Channel Store. Still Beats that $100 cable bill. Wish we hadn't wasted the $$$ on the two, yes two, HD TV's that DH insisted we NEEDED.

I did this too. The only room with tv right now is our livingroom. I have "rabbit ears" in here and can get our regular channels. We don't need anything more than that, honestly. I have to admit, I miss being able to fast forward during shows, lol.

My toddler really likes watching Sprout and Noggin, and she can watch those online. AWESOME! I'm saving a lot of money every month, and I don't feel like we're missing anything. I think we're getting more momma time in, which is better than I could have thought.