On average how much do you spend on household items per month?

[Sativarain1]

This would include everything from dish soap, laundry detergent, toilet paper etc to toiletries. Each month it may vary because you don't need toothpaste every single month but just an average.

I think somewhere between $35- $40 would be for basic necessities only...... just wondering Thanks!!

[zebra15]

With coupons I try to get most of those things for free.

[Callimom]

I mostly make my own soaps, cleansers/detergent and personal care stuff. The only thing we would buy would be TP, dish detergent and toothpaste - so it's hard to categorize.

I can't see more than $20 per month and would guess that's on high end even allowing for supplies to make our things.

[JesKace]

Well, I was spending a ton of money on household items but over the past year I reduced the amount a lot.

I was spending...

Every month or more than once a month if we ran out I was buying laundry detergent ($18), fabric softener ($15), TP ($20), dishwasher detergent ($15), dish soap ($5), paper towels ($20)

Every couple-few months I was buying shampoo and conditioner ($20), body wash for DH ($10), body wash for me ($10), hand soap ($10), Soap for the kids ($10), Toothpaste ($10), deodorant for DH and I (20), razor cartridges ($35)

I get everything at BJ's so I usually can get most things in large amounts and they last longer than if I just bought the one package at the grocery store/walmart.

Recently I have reduced the amount a lot by

Making my own laundry detergent probably cost $5/mo now.. I use vinegar for the fabric softener $2 for more than a month, TP has cut down because I use family cloth for myself and try to get the kids to use it as much as I can.  I've been using less dishwasher detergent because I've been washing more by hand so it probably evens out with the more dish soap I use though.  We don't use paper towels at all anymore.  I stopped using shampoo and conditioner (never used it on the kids anyways), DH still wants to use shampoo so I bought him the cheapest kind I could get ($2) that will last him a couple months.  I stopped buying all body wash, liquid hand soap, and separate soaps for the kids.  We all use bar soap, even for hands now which is like $10 for a 4-5 month supply.  DH goes through the razors in about 6 months because he grows a beard in the winter.  I use my razors for as long as I can and don't shave every day either.  I started using natural deodorant which is slightly more expensive, but I cut back on the amount I use and I'm hoping to find a homemade one that doesn't irritate my skin to make it cheaper.  DH refuses to give up is regular old antiperspirant, but I'm working on it...lol Tooth paste is still about the same :)

So I went from spending about 93/mo, with another 120/every few months to now spending about 40/mo, with another 65/every few months.

[Sativarain1]

interesting,

I try to buy recycled toilet paper, and biodegradable soaps and aluminum free deodorant so it would never be free or under $20.

Jes, what is your recipe for laundry soap?

[crazyms]

I think we probably spend on average between $20-40 month on household items. A lot of our items though could be eliminated or I think done cheaper and I'm about to start working on this. Have a lot of other 'reduce the budget' projects going on right now though so I'm hoping to start on this for next month.  
My goal this month is to keep a record of what we buy/use and start finding ways to lower it that I want to start on next month. (This would be stuff like making more things homemade and replacing reusable items)

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by Sativarain1 

interesting,

I try to buy recycled toilet paper, and biodegradable soaps and aluminum free deodorant so it would never be free or under $20.

Jes, what is your recipe for laundry soap?

Jumping in - I use a recipe similar to this one http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/05/on-the-laundry-line.html but use my own cold pressed soaps and I blend it rather than grate it. Sometimes I add a laundry stain bar I have grated as well (usually in the summer when the kids are more likely to be getting muddy or have grass stains etc.

I also make something similar to this deoderant  http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2008/07/homemade-deodor.html

 - very easy and inexpensive and it lasts a long time. I just form it in an old dispenser.  
 

hth

Karen

[JesKace]

The recipe I use is similar, but in liquid form...

I take a bar of soap grate it up, boil a big pot of water on the stove and melt the soap flakes in the water...

I took a big bucket (used an old cat litter bucket) put in 1c of borax, 1c of washing soda and filled the bucket half way with hot tap water

I then mixed in the soap/water mix from the stove. 

I filled the bucket up the rest of the way with more hot tap water and mixed it really really good... I let it sit overnight and it was really thick and gloopy.  I used a funnel and filled up my big jug from my last bottle of store bought laundry detergent, to make it easier to pour.  I give it a good shake before I add my detergent to the wash.

The recipe I had said to use a 5 gal bucket and to use the tap water to fill all the way.  Using 1c of laundry liquid per load.  Since my bucket wasn't 5gal, my liquid is more concentrated, so I use less than 1c, more like 1/2c.

*I'm just finishing up my first batch and I used the soap I had on hand (dove) I don't think it worked great, most people use Ivory soap or Fells Naptha (can't find it anywhere).  My next batch I bought some Ivory soap for and I think that will make it work slightly better.  I'd love to try it with Dr. Bronner's like SouleMama does, but sometimes it irritates my skin, but maybe using it as a laundry detergent wouldn't since it would be rinsed out really well.