What new frugal thing have you done? - Page 8

[mysticpi]

Some people have been posting about trying not to spend too much on toiletries so I thought I'd share what I do.

Instead of shampoo I use Baking Soda. I mix about 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of warm water, pour it over my head and rub it in as if I was using shampoo. it doesn't lather but it cleans as well as shampoo and doesn't strip your hair and scalp of its natural oils as much.

Instead of conditioner I use Apple Cider Vinegar. I mix about 1 tablespoon in 1 cup of warm water, pour it on my head, rub it in and let it sit for a bit. It leaves my hair nice and soft and it detangles great! If you use the BS as a shampoo be sure to use the ACV as well as it neutralizes the PH.

Instead of storebought deodorant I make my own. You can be as cheapy or as fancy as you need with this one.
I have made some with equal parts BS, talcum powder and petroleum jelly, but you can make it healthier with some coconut oil (or another oil or oil mixture that is solid at room temp.) , cornstarch/arrowroot starch and baking soda. You only need about a pea size amount or less on each armpit, just rub it in! It works very well (and natural deodorants never work for me!) and lasts forever! Some people are sensitive to BS, it can irritate your skin, especially on very sweaty days.
I have heard you can make deodorant without the BS just with coconut oil, arrowroot starch, lemon essential oil and cloves esential oil

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by ollineeba

Do any of you know where I can buy a metal drying rack? The one that I bought a while back from Target totally fell apart.. it was made of cheap materials. I need a solid one, either all wood or all metal. TIA!

We have the Frost drying rack from Ikea. Ours is 4ish years old and going strong. I like that it folds up very narrow, but opens to a decent size.

[pranamama]

I frequently see drying racks at the local goodwill

[berry987]

Great thread! I haven't read the whole thing yet, but thought I'd add my recent frugal changes:

-cooking from scratch most days and being really thoughtful about food usage (made a slow cooker chicken the other day, saved the stock for chicken noodle soup that I made a few days later)

-shopping at Costco and Shoppers Food Warehouse for groceries. I'm amazed by how much I save at SFW. I haven't noticed a huge savings yet with Costco, but mainly because I've stocked up for months on some items

-programmable thermostat set at 67 (day) and 64 (night)

-no more going to Target for anything (the ultimate black hole of spending for me)

-decluttering and selling stuff on Craigslist (exercise equipment, an old desk, etc)

-canceled HBO and my gym membership (which went unused for months)

-buying all my kids clothes second hand. We have a great kids resale shop and I am amazed that I ever spent full price on their short-lived clothes.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by slsurface

I bought my metal folding drying rack from Linens and Things about 8 years ago. I have no idea if they still carry something like it, but you may get a good buy since they are going out of business.

Good idea. I'll stop in to check it out. Thanks.

Originally Posted by woodchick

We have the Frost drying rack from Ikea. Ours is 4ish years old and going strong. I like that it folds up very narrow, but opens to a decent size.

Ohh, I love Ikea. We are actually planning to head there in two weeks or so, so I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the link. I checked it to see if our closest store (still about 45 minutes away) has it in stock and they do.

Originally Posted by pranamama

I frequently see drying racks at the local goodwill

I am seriously missing the Goodwill since we have moved. Their prices were never that great, but it was the thrill of the hunt that I enjoyed (and sometimes they would have 50% off which was great!). I remember seeing a thrift store nearby, I will check that out.

[cjanelles]

I'm driving less, that's for sure.

I'm also cooking more, even though I went back to work full-time recently (well, now I'm laid-off, but when I *was* working...)...

[mum4boys]

Originally Posted by KayleeZoo

the plastic bath and body foam soap dispensers can be refilled with regular liquid soap, and they're on sale for $3 right now- and that's for one full of soap that you can use. just unscrew the top when it's empty and refill. it's working great for us and we have lots of kids in and out of the bathrooms, haven't had one break yet.

If you use bar soap in the shower the slivers that are left over can be shoved into the liquid soap dispenser add hot wate shake, and you have liquid soap.

[Purple Cat]

I skipped buying our preschool "school portraits." Generally, I would have HAD to have them. But they really weren't that good. I get portraits of my children using coupons and have nice pictures of them. I decided it wasn't worth shelling out $12.50 for one "so-so" 5x7. I credit this board for helping me stop and think about what I was purchasing and why.

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by alaskanteach

A friend of mine bought some soap pumps from Pampered chef. I can't remember their name. But basically they make soap into foam. He said that although the pumps cost him about $8.50 each (I think??) he has been able to use the same bottle of soap to fill them for about a year.. If it really makes soap that more lasting- then about when would he break even financially? I am considering doing this- we use liquid soap in the bathrooms, too- but I don't want to get caught up in something that I *think* will save me money and then it doesn't, kwim? (plus the bottles' design doesn't really go with my decor )

Here's a link:
https://www.pamperedchef.com/orderin...634&words=pump

(oh, and I would need 4- one for the kitchen, and one for each bathroom, so..)

thank you! thank you! thank you!

dh *loves* the foaming pump, but the ones i've re-used always get clogged. oooooohhhhhh, i just had an awakening.........maybe it's the dr. bronner's that's clogging the pump. does anybody have any experience with using dr. b and foaming pumps? if those pampered chef ones work with dr. bronner's that would be awesome!

[Dar]

We have a couple of the cheapie foaming ones that we've been refilling with Dr. B's and water for a long time now... no clogs. One was originally Dial, and one was Softsoap. Maybe you're using too much Dr. B's? It really only takes a little bit to make nice foam...

Dar

[GoGoGirl]

What a great thread!

I quit my job, so now we're trying to survive in NYC (where there's an insanely high cost of living, plus a super pervasive sense of entitlement to living the "good life") on DH's salary alone. The upside of me not working is that I have tons of time to be frugal.

Here's what we've done since I quit:
- We canceled cable (DH still cries about this)
- I switched to a gym that's 1/3 of the price
- I'm trying to get away with wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes as long as possible (so far it's working, at 23 weeks, with the help of my Bella Band)
- We're only going out to eat twice a month instead of about six times
- I've been making all our home-food from scratch, including sweets, and packing a lunch for DH
- I'm secretly watering down the soy milk. DH would FREAK OUT if he knew, but it's expensive, and I figure it's the same thing as the "lite" soy milk
- I made a price book for grocery shopping, and I'm trying to stock up on pantry things when they're on sale

Sometimes I feel like all these little things here and there don't make that big of a difference, especially since we pay 50% (!!!!!!!!!!!) of DH's take home pay in rent. (And it's only a 450 sq foot apartment!) It's hard to stay motivated, you know?

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by Dar

We have a couple of the cheapie foaming ones that we've been refilling with Dr. B's and water for a long time now... no clogs. One was originally Dial, and one was Softsoap. Maybe you're using too much Dr. B's? It really only takes a little bit to make nice foam...

Dar

hmmmmmmmm..................... we probably use 6:1. that's too much isn't it? what is the ratio you guys use?

[es1967]

Originally Posted by ScarletBegonias

thank you! thank you! thank you!

dh *loves* the foaming pump, but the ones i've re-used always get clogged. oooooohhhhhh, i just had an awakening.........maybe it's the dr. bronner's that's clogging the pump. does anybody have any experience with using dr. b and foaming pumps? if those pampered chef ones work with dr. bronner's that would be awesome!

I just bought this one and it works awesome with Dr Bronners

http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?it...roductID=11013

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by es1967

I just bought this one and it works awesome with Dr Bronners

http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?it...roductID=11013

that one looks * really* nice! i read the review and one said this:


Cons: must use both hands to dispense foam soap, not worth the price-too expensive

"I have to say I DO NOT recommend this product and paying almost $15! While the idea of saving on dish detergent is a fantastic idea, the quality of this foam pump is very disappointing. You have to use both hands in order to press down as well as lift the dispenser head back up if you want to use a few pumps of soap! This part should automatically lift back up to position on its own. I have other soap pumps in my bathroom where I have no problem using just one hand to press on the dispenser pump. Like I said, the concept is great but I would not recommend this one at all; especially for the price. You should not have to pick up the pump and use both hands to dispense soap! I was very disappointed since I was going to purchase several for family and friends for Christmas! :-("

do you find this to be true? this is the same problem we are having with our foaming pump, which is why i thought maybe the dr. b was clogging it.

[mnnice]

I've had very good luck refilling the Dawn pump. The pump itself it really well made. Frankly the smell of Dawn if gross to me and I was excited when I used it up. I refill it with water, 7th generation dishsoap and some essential oil to make it smell nice.

[cera]

bump...what a good thread, thought it needed some life breathed back into it.

[freespirited]

Looking forward to reading this thread. Noticed the conversation about foam pumps. What I did was buy a big refill of Softsoap for $2 on sale and I dilute it 50:50 with water in the foam pumps and it works out great.

Latest frugal thing I've done is to turn the thermostat off when I leave the house. Another thing is to make banana bread muffins and give them to my kids for breakfast everyday for like 3-4 days. This is more of a convenience thing although it is cost-effective too. I am not a morning person so it's great not to have to fix something and just give em' a muffin. When they lose interest I will try making another kind, maybe add some chocolate chips. Can't be worse than the cereal or oatmeal packets they like to eat.

[Overproducktion]

I came back to Mothering to try and find a thread like this.

My dd wants an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas, so today I found a bunch of "home-made" mixes to use, instead of the expensive packs at the store. (She helps me cook daily, so I have no clue why she wants an EB so badly. )

I've made "stay-at-home" days. The past few months have been crazy. We found that between our errands, appointments and homeschool activities that we were hardly home. Instead we were blowing gas, in a Suburban mind you... and money on last minute things like food, throw-away diapers, etc.

Since we've been staying home more, we've been reconnecting, saving money, eating healthier, and I'm getting back to cooking, freezing foods, preserving...all that good stuff.

I think this week I'll be swapping fall quarter's college text books for the ones I need for next quarter with another student.

That's all I got.

[Pinoikoi]

I've been borrowing books from my new neighbor (and returning them!) and also reading books out of my collection that somehow I never got to.. I also was given our new pets free!

[ollineeba]

this thread!