When we got our new washing machine I didn’t want to give up making my own laundry detergent, and paying a LOT to buy the high efficiency detergent.

So I discussed it with the salesmen BEFORE buying. He said as long as it didn’t produce bubbles it would be okay. He did say, because they use so much less water, I would probably have to adjust the amount that I use.

Well, I have been doing this since I bought the washer in April I use about half the amount of my homemade laundry detergent that I used before, and the clothes come out very clean.

Since the clothes don’t smell like laundry detergent, it’s easy to tell if they smell clean, especially D’s work clothes!

And it makes my laundry detergent last twice as long! Now, that’s frugal!

P.S. Ask questions of the salesmen, or call the maker of your machine to make sure it will work for your machine. I have had no problems with my machine.

Today’s Frugal Friday asks us to list Five Painless Ways We Saved $100 Last Year. So here’s my list:

1. I hang our laundry to dry. Winter or summer, outside or in. I think I only used the dryer a handful of times last year. And I believe it was only for D’s work clothes that didn’t get dry in time. In fact, our dryer is now unplugged, and the vent hole sealed. So now more using it at all! And I’m perfectly happy with that! Ya know what? If one plans ahead, and doesn’t wait until they are out of clothes before washing, there are NO laundry emergencies that would require the use of the dryer! And as a bonus: no more mice coming up through the vent!

2. I started getting serious about shopping at CVS. I saved hundreds last year, and I only did it for a couple of months! Definitely worth the time it takes to do it.

3. Bringing our own water bottles everywhere we go. And if we are out longer, we also bring snacks from home. Sure is nice to have your own water and homemade snacks everywhere you go! And I’m sure it easily saved more than $100. for the year.

4. I started going to more than one grocery store every week. I have gotten some great deals at Krogers. I usually only buy sales or clearance items. Or items that I have coupons for, that after doubling, come out cheaper than at Walmart. I regularly get bread, meat, dairy products and some produce on clearance. Even deli bread goes on clearance at our store. And they have some great meat sales, also. Since the Krogers I go to is practically across the street from Walmart, it hasn’t even cost me any gas to speak of, and I’ve saved hundreds here as well.

Ok, it’s hard to narrow the rest down to one, lol,

5. (A)Keeping the thermostat down low in the winter, (we set it on 62*, but the wall thermometer in the living room says 68*, not sure why the difference, maybe we need a new thermostat?),

(B)putting plastic on the windows (if it gets a hole in it, packing tape repairs the hole nicely, especially when the hole is were the repair is hidden by the curtain)

(c)Cutting the guys hair myself. I even do D’s. And I do the girls, until they start wanting styles that I can’t do!

(d)Shopping at thrift stores, and gladly accepting hand-me-downs, some yard sales, (but living in a rural area makes the cost of gas to go yardsaling prohibitive, makes more $ sense to go to the thrift stores)

(e) cutting our electric usage: not using the dryer, keeping the number of lights on at night to a minimum, unplugging appliances when not in use (did you know that most appliances draw electric, even when not in use?) we switched to CFS bulbs (although, I didn’t notice a drop in our electric bill when we made the switch)

(f)shopping around for the lowest gas price, since we live in one town, and D works, and we shop in another town and county, we are able to check gas prices in about a 25 mile area without going out of our way. (yeah, ok, a lot of that mileage is rural, but we regularly pass at least 8-10 gas stations) Sometimes saving as much as 10 cents a gallon. SERIOUSLY!

(g)I pack D’s lunch everyday. Sandwiches, leftovers, homemade soups, but he really likes a certain canned soup. But even buying that is LESS than what it costs him to eat out And better for him, because it’s easier to control carbs when you prepare the food yourself, which helps keep his blood sugars stable during the day. cheaper and healthier, sounds like a win win situation to me!

For more Frugal Friday Ideas, visit Biblical Womanhood Online

With all of us girls in the house having long hair, we have had more than our share of tangles and static. Those detangler sprays in the store are expensive. So I make my own! Make sure you clearly mark the spray bottle with a permenant marker. You know how little kids like to get into stuff!

I squirt about a tablespoon of conditioner into a small spray bottle and fill with water. Shake and your done! It doesn’t get any easier than that! It works great on tangles and static electricity in hair. And I’ve also been known to spray it on my skirts! lol

For More Frugal Friday Ideas visit Crystal at Biblical Womanhood

I’ve been making my own deodorant for quite awhile now. I really like it. And it works! No odor, of course, it’s not an anti-perspirant, so it won’t stop you from sweating. Here’s the recipe I use:

1/2 c baking soda
1/2 c cornstarch
antibacterial essential oil, such as lavender

I use about 8-10 drops of lavender. What can I say? I like lavender. lol But if you get any irration, try using less eo.

I got the recipe from another blog She recommends a book with lots of natural beauty products you can make. And a search of Amazon shows a few books on the subject. But I haven’t bought any, so I can’t recommend any. I do like this deodorant, though. It make a great body powder, also.

I keep mine in the bowl above. My mother gave it to me, it belonged to her mother. They didn’t keep their deodorant in it, though. lol

For my first Frugal Friday, I thought I’d share the recipe that I use for fabric softener. In the past I have used vinegar, which works well. I hang my laundry on the line, year round, so some the jeans can get a little stiff. But with this recipe, they come off the line softer. Now, not as soft as out of the dryer, but softer than with just the plain vineger. I found this online somewhere but I can’t remember where!

Homemade Fabric Softener

2 cups baking soda
2 cups vinegar
4 cups water

Put the baking soda in a large container. Add the vinegar, then the water.
I do this in one of the vinegar bottles that I saved. Just make sure you do mix it in a container large enough, or you will be cleaning up a volcano!
I use a fabric softener ball and fill it up to the line. If it’s a load of jeans, I will put in extra.