Frugal Friday

Welcome to another edition of Frugal Friday here at the Frugal Workshop. We stayed home again this week, so no gas money used here. 

In My Frugal Kitchen 

I used up a can of meatloaf starter from my pantry when I made a batch of chili last Friday. I didn't want to add it to any of my meatloaf recipes because I want my meatloaf to taste a specific way and didn't want this to change that. I'm glad it has finally been used up though.

Meals This Week:

Crispy Onion  Chicken, Rice, Brussel Sprouts

Bruschetta Chicken Bake, Broccoli, Dressing

Salmon Patties, Dressing, Green Beans with Onions

Macaroni & Cheese with Ham, Green Peas

Ham, Soup Beans, Carrots

Gather The Fragments

This week I took a small bowl of pumpkin and a small bowl of pizza sauce I had in the freezer and put them both into the chili I made. It was an easy way to disguise these items and use them up with no food waste. It also opened up that space in the freezer. 

Other Frugal Things

As usual, we use our cloth napkins exclusively.  We spend no money on paper towels. 

We also use cloth handkerchiefs. They are both pretty and save money. We have no need to buy tissues anymore, which is also a money saver.

We always save the twist ties on our bread bags. They come in handy for keeping extension cords neatly organized. I also use them to hold my fan cage together after the original clips broke.

We've been able to turn the a/c off at night every day this week, the cooler weather is a welcome relief. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I'm not going to debate the issues with homemade laundry detergent today, but wanted to share what we did this week. 

Image Credit @BaileyAlexInc

We haven’t been couponing for a while now and especially since the pandemic started and as I've been telling you lately, we are running out of commercial laundry detergent. ⁣

⁣

Bailey made a batch of homemade laundry detergent years ago and that batch lasted about three years. This week she mixed up a new batch, grated in the bar soap, and added in her favorite scent beads. 

Here is a breakdown of the cost:

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - 55 ounces/7 cups - $4.12

Purex Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar -  5.5 ounce - 97¢

20 Mule Team Borax Detergent Booster - 65 ounces or 9 cups - $4.47

Optional:

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda - 5 lbs/10 cups - $3.88

Downy Unstopables Scent Booster -  20.1 oz  - $11.97

OxiClean Stain Remover - 3 lbs/6 cups - $7.73

We spent $35.08 on our batch of laundry detergent and we dated our container to see how long it will last. We used all the optional ingredients, but you don't have to use them if you want to save even more money. 

Arm & Hammer washing soda is an excellent booster and whitener to commercial laundry detergent. I like to add some into my wash even if I'm using commercial laundry detergent because I can tell a big difference in cleanliness and whiteness when I do. 

Image Credit @BaileyAlexInc

The homemade laundry detergent cleans so well and only uses one or two tablespoons per load. We just keep a jar of it in the laundry room and have the tub in storage. ⁣

Image Credit @BaileyAlexInc

This is a good way to save on laundry detergent if you can’t or don’t have time to coupon. ⁣

The path to good money management will be a long road for some,  but people can change if they want to. We’re living in an age where we have plenty of resources at our fingertips that we can use to teach ourselves how to make the best use of our money, resources, and time.

How was your week?

  Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Frugal Friday

This week I sold one item on eBay and listed several more items for sale. 
We had to go check the mail the other day (we don't pick it up everyday) and decided to take the cash Bailey received and deposit it in the bank. We drove around for a little bit, which was a nice change of pace. 
On Monday I sent some new shirts back because of the quality. The material was very thin and I did not care for the fit. So many times Bailey gets brand new clothes with the tags still attached to sell in her online shops. I'm guilty of waiting to long to return items too, but not this time. 
Saving Money in the Kitchen
One morning I made some chocolate chip waffles using the Krusteaz pancake mix, which we already know is a money saver. 
One day I took out a large packet of chicken breast from the freezer and made those in my Instant Pot. 
That night I made white chicken enchiladas for dinner and had enough to serve the next day. And still had chicken left over for another meal later in the week. 

Saving Money on Entertainment
We didn't have movie night this week, but I have been reading Dr. Michael Greger's book, How Not to Die. I've also been watching Unsolved Mysteries on Peacock TV, which is free to download. 
Saving Money on Laundry
There are enough clothes in my wardrobe that  I only have to do laundry every other week, and this was the week. This system saves me money in electricity and wear and tear on my clothes. 

We used our last bottle of Tide this week. This was a batch that Bailey couponed for back in January of 2017.  Last year I mentioned that we would need to buy laundry detergent this year. 
We still have three bottles of Arm & Hammer left and a small bottle of Gain, so we've not had to buy any yet. It's great though that we haven't had to buy laundry detergent in years because we combined sales and coupons to add to our stockpile back then. 

Another way we save money on laundry is by using wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls are made from a renewable resource and are a good substitute for disposable dryer sheets. 
Dryer balls decrease drying time by up to 25% by distributing heat more evenly in the dryer, which also helps you save money on utility bills. Dryer balls will last for over 1,000 laundry loads and eliminates dryer sheet waste in landfills.
Of course the least expensive way to dry laundry is to hang it outside on a clothesline to dry. But, my daughter is allergic to so many thing outside, that we don't do that here. Back when I was growing up that is how we and all our neighbors dried our laundry. 
Christmas
Bailey and I have already been discussing Christmas this year. Due to me not working and less money coming in because of the pandemic, we are going to downsize Christmas this year. If you need to do that in your family, now is the time to start talking about this issue, so people can get used to the idea.
Other Frugal Things
This week I used up two bottles of shampoo samples and rinsed them out to get every last drop out of them. Even though they were free samples this helps to extend the shampoo we do have. 
The weather on Thursday morning was very cool outside when I fed the cats. It's been cooler in the evenings, so I've been able to turn off the a/c in the evenings, which will save money on our electric bill. 
This week I called my auto insurance company to see if I could get  a reduction on my auto insurance since I am not driving as much. I've read two different bloggers who have been successful with this. 
The representative told me that I was already at the lowest coverage for mileage and the only way to reduce my premiums would be to switch to liability insurance only. 
My car is a 2014 Chevy Impala, which I paid cash for when I bought it, so while I didn't have to have full coverage I still did.  So, I have to think about this and make a decision by October. 
How was your frugal week?
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Saving Money on Laundry

Laundry is one of those things that everyone has to do sooner or later. Let's discuss ways to save money while doing our own laundry. 

Michaelbluejay.com has a really neat laundry costs calculator located here: 

Laundry Costs Calculator

According to this website, in our home, it costs us 44¢ to do one load of laundry in the washer and 33¢ for 45 minutes in the dryer. We are on a well and do not pay anything for water, but our house is all electric, so we do pay to pump the water into the house. 

Make It Yourself

There are multiple ways to make your own laundry detergent. I don't make my own laundry detergent because we have enough laundry detergent, bought on sale and with coupons, to last us for a long time. 

I also don't make my own laundry detergent because of this article, Why you Should Stop Using Homemade Laundry Detergent. I read the article a long time ago and thought about this and realized how true it was. 

A bar of soap will leave soap scum in your bathtub and in order to be removed your tub will need to be cleaned and or scrubbed. 

The homemade laundry detergents made with soap will do that same thing to the insides of your washing machines and hoses and there is no way for you to get inside those hoses and clean that soap scum. This is why I steer clear of homemade laundry detergent. 

You can also save money by making your own homemade fabric softener and vinegar also makes a frugal fabric softener. We used to make and use the homemade softener, but don't use anything these days as it makes the cloth pads less absorbent. 

You can save money by making your own stain remover using one part Dawn dish washing detergent to two parts hydrogen peroxide along with some baking soda. This has gotten old stains out for me, so I keep it under the sink with a toothbrush for stubborn stains. 

Treating stains before washing helps to ensure the stain is removed and multiple washings are not necessary. 

There is also the stain remover recipe in The Tightwad Gazette you can use. 

Also, the University of Illinois had a stain solution guide on their website that can help with those stubborn stains. 

University of Illinois stain solution  

Other Ways to $ave on Washing

Take your clothes out of the washer right away. Letting clothes sit in the washer until you end up having to rewash them is a waste of time, energy, and water. Steer clear of this bad habit. 

Do your clothes need to be washed after every wearing? Check them and see if they can be worn more then once. Oftentimes, items like jeans and pajamas can go longer between washings. 

Hang your towel after bathing and showering, so it will dry and you can use it multiple times before needing to wash it again. 

Protect your clothing. Use cloth napkins and wear an apron when you're cooking in order to avoid any splashes on your good clothing. 

Back when I was growing up our neighbor was a great seamstress. She made herself a beautiful apron to wear over her good work clothes since she usually always started cooking the minute she came in from work. 

Use Less Everything

Always measure your detergent as it is too easy to overuse detergent. And, use less detergent than the laundry detergents experts call for and see how clean your clothes become. 

If you can get away with even less try that and see how low you can get it before you can tell the difference and then bump it back up again. Also, cut fabric softener sheets in half and they can be used more then once.

Wash Only Full Loads

Common sense tells us to wash only full loads of laundry to save the most money. If you have one or two items that need washing before laundry day, consider hand washing them and hanging them to dry. 

Wash in Cold Water

According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, the hot water used to wash your clothes uses 90% of the electricity while only 10% of the energy is used to operate the washing machine motor. 

Switching to cold water can save the average person anywhere from $30 to $40 per year while washing full loads and can save more than 3,400 gallons of water per year. 

Dryer Savings

The best way to save money on drying clothes is to NOT use the dryer. 

Now I know that is impractical for some people, but one time I did state that  If my dryer broke down again I was not going to replace it. But, for those of us who do use a dryer, here are a few ways to save. Again most of these are common sense. 

Use the dryer less or for a short time to remove wrinkles and then hang your clothes on clothes hangers to finish drying.  

Use an outdoor clothes line or a shower rod indoors or a homemade drying rack. 

Laundry drying racks can be expensive unless you find them inexpensively. My solution until then is to use homemade drying racks like the one I made here using the backs of two chairs and two broom handles: 

If you do use the dryer to dry clothes and your machine has a moisture sensor use it to automatically turn your machine off when the clothes are dry. 

Make sure to clean your lint trap after each and every load. Your lint trap can be an important energy saver. If your lint trap is not clean it will take longer to dry your clothes, which will use more energy and cost your more money on your electric bill. 

Do you have other ways that help you save money on your laundry? Please share your tips and suggestions in the comment section, so we can all learn from each other. 

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Final Frugal Week of August 2017

Hello to all my frugal readers. This week I was able to work Monday & Thursday and then a surprise 1/2 day on Friday. Next week we are off on Monday for Labor Day, and then I'm scheduled to work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 
On Tuesday I woke up and started working in the kitchen. I picked grapes off the vines from three packages of grapes and washed them and divided them up into twelve individual containers. We picked these up at Aldi where they were on sale for 79¢ per pound. These went into lunch bags this week until they were gone. 
I also cut up a watermelon, made some black bean burritos for dinner and baked some sweet potatoes for the week.

Our washer stopped working this week, so we went to Lowe's to replace it. We bought the lowest priced Roper model they had because of planned obsolescence. I figure I might as well go with a basic, no frills washer since they are designed now to not last as long.  
This is a high efficiency washer without an agitator. The employee told me that's how all washers are made nowadays. She said they only use one to two tablespoons of detergent, so looks like we will be saving money there as well. 
The reviews were very good on the model I chose and the price was $299 plus new hoses, taxes and delivery fee, which made the price come to $420.97 and that is with a 5% discount for using my Lowe's card.  I will pay that off as soon as I receive the bill. The savings amounted to $17.14.
We could have bought a Maytag or Whirlpool machine online for $279, but I didn't want to buy one online. I'm glad I didn't too because when we arrived at the cash register the employee had just gotten off the phone with someone who was having trouble with her online order, so she told me to never to buy a washer online. LOL
On Wednesday I found a penny on the ground while I was dropping off garbage. It reminded me of something that happened when I was subbing one day last week. 
One of the students found a quarter behind the door and picked it up to keep. He told me there was also a dime back there, but he didn't bother to pick it up. I told him he should get it too and he said it wasn't worth it. I found that odd. 
It was cool on Saturday morning, so much so that we didn't need to turn on the a/c and I even put on a sweater to keep warm. Very odd for this time of year here. 
We have family visiting us today, so we will be busy visiting with them all week. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Final Frugal Week of June 2017

One of the ways we've saved money here this week is by turning off our air conditioner at night to save on the electric bill. It's been cooler here than what is normal for this time of year, so that will help save on our electric bill next month. 
Another way I saved money this week was to use residual heat to finish any cooking I do on the stovetop, such as making popcorn one night.

My neighbor set his free produce basket out again this year, so we picked out three cucumbers. 
We traded board games at McKays Used Books this week. We paid $4.50 for nine board games at yard sales last week and earned $43.00 in trade credit. 
We picked out two TV shows on DVD and several books with the credit. We do not have streaming services here (which also saves us money), but are able to still pick up DVDs on the cheap here.  
We found Princess and the Frog last weekend at a yard sale for $2.00. It had been on our wish list for about six months. 
We stopped at Food City on Wednesday to pick up some red bell peppers, which were on sale. I also picked up five bags of 15 bean soup beans. 
We also stopped at Cooke's on Wednesday as they had their bags of coleslaw for 99¢. I picked up five of those and also the last two bags of Cajun 15 bean dry soup beans. 
I made baked vegetable eggrolls with some of the coleslaw. They are easy to make. You take one package of the coleslaw mix and microwave it for four minutes. 
Meantime in a separate bowl you add one tablespoon cornstarch, two tablespoons soy sauce, one teaspoon sesame oil, one teaspoon ginger, one teaspoon garlic, one teaspoon salt, and mix together. 
Mix with the cabbage and place a spoonful an egg roll wrappers and roll up. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

My daughter picked up a scrub shirt jacket last week at a yard sale, so I cut it into useable fabric pieces. I was able to make two pads with it for her. 
This week I was able to make four cloth pads for her, which has resulted in doing less laundry.  
I've made her a total of 19 pads now and she isn't having to wash them everyday like she did when her stash was smaller. 
She went three days without doing any laundry this week, so that will be an additional savings on our electric bill next month.  :)

Another way we've been saving money this summer is by not buying any meat. The last month I bought meat was in March and our grocery bill for that month was right at $300. 
I've not bought any meat since then and our grocery bill has dropped over $50 each month. I do have some canned salmon on hand if anyone wants meat, but we've been eating a plant based diet all summer and have even dropped a few pounds. 
We went to the yearly SDA church rummage sale on Wednesday. We only found a couple of things this year, nothing to write home about. Same with the 40% off sale at the Habitat Restore sale this week. We didn't buy anything there and yard sales were rained out on Friday. 

On Saturday we headed out to our local Goodwill stores for their first Saturday of the month 50% off sale. 
You can read about our trip in June here.  
I'll be posting about this month's trip next week. 
I hope you have a great weekend.  :)
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

My Frugal Week

Thanks to a sale at Walgreen's and several valuable coupons, we are now stocked up on 15 bottles of Purex laundry detergent with Clorox. 

My daughter did this deal for us and combined coupons from Coupons.com, which also reset, along with Walgreen's reward points. She used $10 worth of her Walgreen's reward points, so the majority of the laundry detergent was free to us. 

The sale is going on through Sunday. 

There are several sales going on this week, which I hope to take advantage of, which include:

Aldi
Eggs 69¢ (limit 4)
Red Onions 99¢ (2 lb. bag)

Publix
Raisin Bran B1G1F + doubled coupon - $1.45 box

Piggly Wiggly
Ground Beef $1.99/lb. (wow!)

Kroger
Milk - 1/2 gallon - $1.00

Any good deals going on where you live?

Thank you for reading,
Belinda ~ Living within my means in Southern Tennessee ~
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