Getting Rid of Fleas, the Cheap and Green Way.

Fleas.  I hate 'em. 

It's been a tremendously bad year for bugs here.  We have two boxers that are in and out the back door, so now they have fleas.  I should say WE have fleas.  What I really hate is that my dogs have fleas...uh.. on their rear ends.  In some research, a vet referred to them as "asshole" fleas.  That pretty much says it all.

Alrighty, then.  First thing I did was fill up an empty shaker bottle (it used to have cinnamon in it) with some DE (diatomaceous earth).  It was an easy way to powder my dog's butts and undercarriage.  Yes.  And under the tail-ish.  I'd sprinkle it in my hand and just pat away.  The dogs ended up loving this extra attention.  I ended up wishing I had a brain scrubber.  We had the male dog neutered when we adopted him, but you know......  Try to keep the dust down and be careful if you're going close to their face.

I powdered dog butts two or three times a day for about a week before our dogs totally quit trying to scratch (they couldn't reach the area!).  Remember that it takes a bit of time for the flea to die, plus most likely, there are fleas in various cycles. 

That's step one.  Next is to attack the yard!  It doesn't do any good to treat Fido if you aren't going to deal with the area where he's getting the fleas to begin with.  Get a couple boxes of Borax from the laundry aisle of your local store.  Sprinkle that all over the yard where Fido runs.  Do it again the next day.  Water it in a bit if you want to.  It will stay effective for all kinds of bugs for two to three years.  DE won't work after it's wet, but Borax will.

Back to the house.  Dogs powdered, yard treated.  Now wash their bedding and vacuum, vacuum.  You can sprinkle some Borax or DE in the vacuum bag to take care of any fleas that end up in there.  If you have a bagless unit, don't just empty the cannister in the kitchen trash or you'll have recycled fleas.  You have to be vigilant with vacuuming.  Every day.  Every crack (not dog crack, though).  Plan on doing this for a few days.

It took about a week or so for our dogs to quit scratching.  Initially they stopped scratching after a few days, then started again for a couple days.  I'm guessing it was the last batch of flea eggs that hatched and we're done with them.

One of the best pages I have read about fleas is Paul's: http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp
He doesn't like Borax, but since I'm not using tons of it that often, I'm not afraid of it.  People have added it to their laundry wash for generations.  You decide what you're going to use.  :o)

Low Tech Termite Traps

Here in Kansas, termites are the norm.  When we lived in town, if one house in the neighborhood had their place treated for termites, the following year the neighbors had to, then down the street it went.  When the cycle started in the neighborhood of our friends, they had the outside of their place treated right away and signed a contract for monthly checks of bait traps.  I don't know how much they pay each month, but this has been going on for several years now.  I bet he's spent $1000 for those monthly checks by now.  Ouch.

Edited to add:  I talked to my friend yesterday.  She said they spent $800 to $1000 just to have the Tox-eol bait traps put around their house.  The cost is determined by the number of traps they say you need based on how large your structure is.  Now they pay $250 a year to have the traps checked monthly.  Double ouch.

The termites serve a purpose in nature, being part of the decomposition cycle.  That doesn't mean that I like them.  And even though I try to do the green thing, I'm not willing to risk my home and hard work by spraying with soapy water and keeping my fingers crossed. Termites were in a couple areas on our property when we bought it, so we considered it a 'known termite area' and acted accordingly.

After we got our foundation done, I bought several boxes of borax (20 Mule Team, Borateem) and threw it all over the crawl space area plus inside and outside of the foundation (before and after backfilling).  One neat thing about borax is that it keeps working for 2-3 years after it gets wet vs. DE that is ineffective after it gets wet.  A couple years later we were in the crawl space and saw one spider, that's it.  I was impressed. 

Fast forward two years and we're adding on to the side of the house and attaching to the old garage.  Bill thought he saw active termite activity on the back of the garage.  *Sigh*  So we called the local pest control guy and paid him $700 to treat the outside of the house and garage.  Come to find out, it wasn't termites that Bill saw.  I wished I would have done the borax thing around all the outbuildings and then just kept an eye on them, you know?  But at the time, we thought we'd be tearing it down in the future.

I learned from the termite guy that ants hate termites.  In the areas where we know there was active termite activity, there was also major ant activity.  He also told me that the purchased termite baits were 'iffy'.  Sometimes they worked, other times they didn't.  Well, he also makes a living spraying and doesn't live in the cheap seats in town, either.  But if they are 'iffy', I might as well make my own and check them myself.

So, instead of doing commercial bait traps, here's how to make your own.  Simple stuff.  First, dig a hole at least a foot deep, about 6' away from your building.  Throw in a chunk of wood, like a hunk of scrap 2x4.  Put a short piece of 1" PVC or any kind of metal pipe in the hole.  You want it to be long enough to reach the wood yet short enough so it's not really sticking out of the ground too far.  Pour sugar water on the wood, let it soak for a bit, then fill the hole back up with the dirt. The only reason for the pipe is so you have some way to add some more sugar water every once in a while.  PVC will degrade over time in the sun, but use what you have around there.  If your bait trap is in an area where you mow, obviously you want it short enough to mow over it, or have it stick way out and mow around it.

If there are termites around there, they will be attracted to the wet wood.  The sugar will attract the ants initially and they'll take care of the termites.  Next year, dig up one and see what ya got.  No termites and ants?  Good deal.  Put the trap back together.  Repeat on the next trap. The traps aren't going to create termites, but hopefully if there are any in the soil, they'll aim for the trap instead of your house.

Is this a sure fire thing?  No.  Will termites that are already in your building leave for the homemade trap?  No.  But it's cheap, green and it might save you a few bucks.

And even more ways to save money

Here's a few more things to save money - I don't think I've listed them before, but a million other bloggers have...

Crank out the vacuum cleaner and hit the things you normally don't think about vacuuming - the refrigerator and freezer coils, anything with a fan.  This one I probably have listed before.

Canned air is great for some things, but not always great for your computer.  I use the vacuum instead (sucks dust out instead of blowing it deeper inside of some sensitive parts) BUT use some caution.  You don't want to suck out any sensitive part, either.  I put my hand loosely over vented areas and then vacuum on top of that hand.  Bill (on the other hand) just goes to town with the vac.  He had to retrieve his keyboard's G key from the bag one time.

Replace the furnace and a/c filters often.  We buy the cheaper ones and try to remember to replace it once a month.

Save your sugar and flour bags.  Cut off the bottom and up one side and you have a heavy, flat sheet that can be used to drain bacon, etc.  I was using a coffee filter for a while, but it's just not quite big enough.  We have bacon a lot during tomato season, so now I'm going to save all those bags during the baking season.

Do you buy cold cereal in boxes?    All of the following I found at http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/ .  The link is to her home page.  It's a pretty interesting read.

Here's what you can do with the wax paper liner:

Store bread ends for bread crumbs
Cut to the size of your cake and then put the frosted letters on the liner and freeze, then peel off the letters and place on your cake
Roll into a funnel and pour your spices into the little jars
Crush nuts and graham crackers in them
Use as a cover for nuking items in the microwave
Line the top of cabinets that don't go to the ceiling for easier cleanup
Cover your cutting board with a liner or two to cut down on meat juice soaking into the cutting board
Wrap a piece of liner around the cork to cooking wine for easier removal
Use in freezer to protect food products from moisture and preserve freshness
Easy to wash and reuse due to their sturdiness
Freeze meat in them
Place food on to cool, such as cookies
Use for your lunch to place your sandwich in
Roll out your pie or cookie dough on an opened bag
Use to separate meat, cheese and other food products
Cover your hand and push down rice krispy bars

Now as for the cereal boxes here are a few items to try:

The standard use as a magazine holder. Just cut diagonally in half.
Cut them up into hundreds of bookmarks, punch a hole in the top and add a ribbon
Open them up, tape the creases open and you have a temporary placemat or something to color on.
A mystery gift box for clothing
Fill with shredded paper and use as a lightweight box filler when shipping
Give them to kids for playing house and shopping

Great for the block builder in your family, and cheaper too.
Cut off the back and flaps and use as a temporary tray
Store your plastic bags, printer paper and other desktop items
Use them as backing in frames for posters and pictures
A quick file folder or mouse pad

The Cost of Working Calculator

Years ago I was working a job that I truly hated, but felt I had to keep since we needed the extra paycheck.  It was one of those things that I couldn't even enjoy my two days off, as one of those days was spent in dreading the following work day.

Then we did our taxes.  I was in the middle of check registers and paper shuffle when it hit me.  I went through the check registers (pre-debit card and computer era), adding up everything that I had spent for the year that was even remotely associated with my job.  Most of it was eating out because I was too tired and too disorganized to put a meal together.  There were a few checks written for clothing and I figured in the extra gasoline.

So, how'd I fare?  Drum roll please....I was actually clearing $1.35 an hour.  That sucked.  I don't know that it would have felt any better if I had actually loved the job.  I stuck it out for a few more months until I decided that I'd rather sit out on the curb with a 'will work for food' sign.

Here's a nifty little calculator that will help you decide if it's worth working a crappy job, or any job for that matter.  Make sure you subtract what you pay in taxes before you enter your amount in the 'net income' field.  http://www.anycalculator.com/costofworking.htm

This still won't give you the total picture.  There's the wear and tear on your vehicle to consider (oil changes, tires, tune ups).  Sure, you'll still have those expenses whether you work or not, but a set of tires will last you many years if you're only driving 5000 miles each year.  Okay, maybe you aren't in hermit mode like I am.  Last year I drove 1750 miles.  But you see what I'm talking about.

There's also the flip side to consider.  If your employer pays for part of a health insurance plan, you probably get cheaper rates from the group insurance plan.  Buying health insurance on your own is really expensive.  Or you can go without it.  Many people can't afford it.

Would you go nuts staying home?  I thought I would, but I was going nuts working crappy jobs, too.

Things are different today than what they were years ago.  The internet has tons of information available with some mouse clicking.  I could have learned how to save that couple hundred bucks that I was actually clearing each month and not stressed about it. 

Maybe this will help you decide if it's time to quit working for someone else, live a more self sufficient lifestyle, or if it's time to look for a better job.

Even MORE ways to save money and end up with money

Put your debit card away.  It's pretty easy to grab that thing and use it, huh.  You're less likely to buy impulse items if you have to dig out the check book or use cash.  Vow to never get cash from the ATM that charges you a fee.  If your bank charges you fees for checking, look for another bank.

Now that you have the checkbook in your possession again, there are some things you can do.  First, start a coin can.

Write the check at the grocery store to the next highest dollar so you get some change back.  When you get home, put the coins in your new 'savings' can.  Every time you have a few coins in your pocket, add them to the can.  A lot of people save $300 a year doing this simple thing.

Use coupons?  Rebates? Put that money in your coin can when you get home.

Talk yourself out of buying something extra at the store?  Put that money in the coin can.

Got an expensive habit, like tobacco or alcohol?  Try to cut it in half.  You're already used to the money leaving your pocket, so put the 'saved' money in the coin can.

If you usually have cash in your wallet, can you add a dollar a day to the can? Or even just a dollar a week?

Now that you have your own little stash at home, use it to your advantage. Do the debt snowballing thing to stop paying interest.  If you saved up $30 in your coin can this month, take it to the bank and then pay an extra $30 on your credit card payment, car payment, etc. You can get a good idea of how much your loan is costing you (and how much you'll save by paying a little extra each month!) by using an online 'what's missing' calculator like this one - http://www.hughchou.org/calc/missing.cgi  .  Hugh has a ton of different calculators to help you.

Round up to the next dollar when you subtract the check amount in the register. Write a check for $39.03?  Subtract $40.  By the end of the year, you could have another $300.

You can also write 'saved' amounts on a calendar. This comes in handy when you get back from the store and only used $2.15 worth of coupons, or decided not to buy that bottle of water from the convenience store.  Put that amount on your calendar.  At the end of the month (or sooner!), make an extra online payment on  your credit card.  Seems like another bill going out, doesn't it.  But it's money that you would have spent in your previous lifestyle.  If it's just a few dollars at the end of the month, add it to your usual payment.

Need to buy a car?  Buy a used one instead of the new hybrid you really want.  The money you'll save over all by lower cost, insurance and taxes will more than offset what you'd save in gasoline costs.  I hate this one, but it's true.

Sometimes you have to look at quality over cost.  We could save $500 by buying a used riding lawn mower, but by spending the extra, we'll get a three year warranty and know that we aren't buying someone else's problem. We'll take good care of it, so it should last us for as long as we're here or will need one.

Rent a movie instead of going to the movies.  More popcorn, whatever drinks you want and as much as what you want, plus you won't miss part of it if you need to make a pit stop halfway through.  Write down what you normally would have spent on the calendar.

Try more private label stuff at the grocery store.  Some of it is lousy, but many items are just as good as the name brands. Jot down the price difference, then add it up when you get home.  Put the difference in the can, or write it on the calendar.

Every two years, check around for insurance rates.  Insurance companies have a way of sneaking the rates up.  Look for an insurance broker that doesn't represent just one company or look online.

Ideally, come April 15th, you don't want to have to send a check, but you also don't want to use the IRS for a savings account, either.  But some people qualify for money back that they didn't send to them to begin with.  Don't go buy that new computer!  Pay off your debt or put it in a savings account.

Just got a raise at work?  Lucky you!  Use that extra money to pay off debt or save.

More ways to save money

And hopefully the list will keep going on and on, right?

Instead of buying those cedar blocks to hang in your closets, pick up a cedar fence board at the lumberyard.  First, sand the rough parts off the board. Then count all your closets, cut the board to that many pieces and drill a hole in the top of each one.  Sand off any rough edges.  Hang a chunk of the board on each closet rod with heavy wire (fashioned like the top of a clothes hanger), loose wire tie (zip tie), heavy string or cord, etc.  Every few years, hit it with some coarse grit sandpaper to bring the scent back again.

Use vinegar in the Jet Dry do-hicky of your auto dishwasher instead of Jet Dry.  There's a rinse or two after it's dispensed, so you won't smell any vinegar at all.  The dishes come out sparkly-clean and it keeps any soap crud out of the dishwasher plumbing parts.  Don't buy that auto dishwasher cleaner as the vinegar will take care of any funky odors that suddenly appeared and hard water deposits.

Now that you're using vinegar in the dishwasher, set the timer so you know when to beat a path to the kitchen and open the dishwasher door.  My newer dishwasher's heated dry cycle wouldn't come on unless there was something in the Jet Dry do-hicky.  Twice I tried to listen for when it sounded like it was finished washing, and twice I missed it.  I timed it this morning and it took a whopping 1 hour and 15 minutes!!  Back to hand washing, I think.  I think you have to use the dishwasher once in a while to keep the seals wet and working right.  Otherwise, you end up with an expensive dish drainer.

Love those flavored coffee creamers?  You can make your own powdered flavored creamers at your convenience with just a few basic items -
1 cup instant dry milk powder
1/2 cup powdered coffee creamer
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup (about half the package) of instant pudding mix, your choice of flavor.  I like French Vanilla the best.
Blend it all together and put it in a resealable container.  I put the dry milk and sugar in my Magic Bullet (blender thing) to make it really fine, then add the rest of the ingredients.  Use 1 to 2 TBSP per cup of coffee, or to taste.  Agh, and here I told myself that this wasn't going to be a blog of recipes!

Got a neighbor that recycles, too?  You might be able to strike a deal with them to share the cost of the trash service, then take turns going to the recycle center.

If you know you're going to have to repaint a room sometime in the future, start looking at the markdown paint area at your local home improvement store.  I got most of the paint for an entire house for $5 a gallon, but lately I don't see it that cheap anymore (usually $10 a gallon).  There's probably 40 different shades of white, but if you mix three different shades in a big 5 gallon bucket, you still have white.  Mixing colors comes pretty easily to me, so I have a hard time trying to explain it to someone who struggles with that.  The best thing to do would be to stick to basic colors that you like.  Then if you don't think you'll have enough paint, add a can of white to it for a lighter shade.  Of course, if you're mixing paint like this, you have to make sure that you have enough to do your entire project.

Need a 5 gallon bucket?  Ask at the deli in your grocery store.  Most of the time they are getting something in 5 gallon food grade buckets that have lids.  Perfect for storing food and for mixing up paint!  You just can't use it for food after you mix your paint in there, ya know?

Get to thinking about creative leftovers.  Repeat after me, "there is no such thing as food going into the trash".  Any leftover corn, green beans or peas can go into a container in the freezer.  Pour the juice in there as well.  Then when you make a pot of soup, use those veggies.  I love leftover spaghetti sauce in beef or hamburger soups.  I'm not too sure that leftover cooked broccoli would make the cut in this area, so eat it up.  Or make chicken Alfredo the next night and put the chopped up broccoli in it right before you eat.  You get the drift.

Defrost or thaw frozen food in the refrigerator instead of on the counter.  Takes longer, but it's probably safer (not that I ever poisoned anyone, but ya never know) and it might help keep your frig a bit colder so it doesn't kick on as often.

Don't compare yourself to others.  There will always be people that have more money, a bigger house, the latest fashions, the newest computer, etc.  Focus on your own goals, your own situation and look for ways for improvement.

Grow some of your own food.  You don't have to live in the country to do some gardening.  Did I mention this before?  Anyway, container gardening can be cheap if you scrounge for containers like 5 gallon buckets from the deli or bakery, etc.

Buy smaller trees or bushes instead of the bigger ones and be willing to wait a year or so longer for them to get full size.  Cheaper yet would be if you could get a start from another gardener or grow something from seed.  I have three peach trees in my yard now that were grown from seed.  Will they have wonderful peaches?  I don't know.  I think the peaches that they came from were grown on a tree started from seed, so I'll probably have the same results.  But I was after shade more than I wanted peaches.  They're a bonus.

Buy seeds over plants for your garden.  I'm always surprised to hear that people will pay $2 for a couple little cucumber plants.  I could get a packet of cucumber seeds for $0.15 for a lot of years.  Now that I'm buying strictly Non GMO seed, that packet ran me close to $2.  The difference is that this year I'm planting a realistic number of seeds instead of the plethora that I planted a couple years ago.  Looked like a jungle of cucumber vines...sigh.  Picking 70 cucumbers in one day was, well...tiring.  The hens even got tired of them.  So this year, it's four hills and the rest of the cucumber seeds are stored in a zipper bag in the freezer for next year.  This year I'm going to try to save seed that can grow chow next year, too.  And they'll be free.

If you left your clothes in the dryer and now they're all wrinkled, you don't have to crank on the dryer again or buy that wrinkle release stuff.  Hang up the shirts and give them a spritz of water from a spray bottle and let them air dry.  Jeans will usually smooth out on their own after you put them on. When I was traveling, I'd hang my dress in the bathroom while I showered, then move it outside of the bathroom while I did makeup, hair, etc.  Usually it was dry and wrinkle free by the time I put it on.

When you buy socks, get the same brand, color and style.  Then there's no sorting socks on laundry day.  If one ends up in the rag bag, you still have a mate for it unless you go through all of them in between wash days.  I just stack them up instead of pairing them.

Whenever possible, use what Nature gives you.  We had to cut down several elm trees that were severely storm damaged.  With some work, we got some lousy firewood that will do fine in our wood burning stove when it's not freezing cold, but we still need some heat.  The smaller branches were hauled to the back to be used as kindling when it's time to burn.  Instead of buying shredded bark, we used the bark from the trees.  They're big pieces now, but they will break down in time.  Some of the sawdust was raked into deep depressions made by falling logs.  It too, will break down and support plant growth.  At our place, it's whatever wild grass seed blows into it.

Right now, vow to never throw leftover food away!  Well, unless it's really crappy or burned.  If you aren't going to eat it in a couple of days, make little entrees or tv dinners, label and pop into the freezer.  That half a cup of green beans can go in the freezer.  Add more veggies to it when ever there's leftovers you won't eat.  Later, make a pot of soup.  Even the soup can be frozen if you have a couple servings left over.  I don't know how many times you can keep cooking and freezing this stuff before you have some major quality control issues, so plan on eating it, k?

Clean the dust bunnies from anything that has a fan.  That includes your blow dryer, refrigerator, freezer, furnace, computer equipment, etc.

Learn new skills.  About any skill.  It's either DIY or PAY.  If you're reading this, you have a computer.  Get to typing in the search bar.  There are some things that shouldn't be messed with other than by someone who really knows what they're doing, but there are many things that YOU can do if you take the time to search online for instructions, tips, trouble shooting, hints.  We have friends that paid someone $80 to come out and change the battery backup in their CO2 monitor.  He wasn't happy about it, either.  Had he taken the time to get on the computer, he probably would have read what the beeping was all about.

50 ways to save money

Here's some tips on saving your hard earned cash.  Most have been all over the web for a long time, but maybe you'll find a new one here.  This list is in no particular order:

1.  Don't go shopping because you're bored or feeling sorry for yourself.  You may have lost your job and haven't figured out what to do with all this time in between updating your resume.  Stay home and do something productive there, even if you have to force yourself.  It's okay to cry while you're cleaning out a closet.
2.  Don't run out and buy those CFL bulbs you have been thinking about to save on your electric bill.  Turn your lights off, then replace with CFL's as they burn out.
3.  Eat at home.
4.  Learn to cook so you can do #3 more economically.  There's lots of good recipes online that can be made on the cheap.
5.  Don't buy any more paper products.  You really don't need paper plates, napkins, paper towels, etc.  If you're really broke, you can use rags instead of toilet paper.  Yes, you can.
6.  Unplug everything when you aren't using it.
7.  Use your cooking appliances in the following order to save electricity:  slow cooker first, microwave, any small appliance before cranking on the oven or using the range top.
8.  If you're going to use the oven, bake several things at once, or one after the other.  Saves power by not preheating the oven again.
9.  Make enough for at least two meals when you cook.  Freeze some or have it again in a couple days.
10.  Plan your meals from what you already have in the kitchen.  No running to the store to pick up a couple things.  Got nothing but ramen noodles and eggs?  Ramen fritattas cheap to make and taste better than they sound. 
11.  Jot down some menu ideas and then make your grocery list from that.  Make sure you have some simple to throw together meals for when you don't feel like cooking or are short on time.  Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are pretty fast.  So are pancakes and eggs.  Stick to the list, but check the sales on meat, staple foods and the mark down baskets.  Then plan other meals using those things.
12.  Make your own convenience foods.  Think about what you buy and then do a search for 'make your own ___'.
13.  Make your own cleaners for around the house.  All you need to make a plethora of products are simple and cheap items like baking soda, white vinegar, borax, etc.
14.  Don't buy any more plastic film stuff and limit aluminum foil.  Try to bake things that normally would be covered with foil in a roasting pan that has a lid.  Better yet would be to try to make it on the stove top or in a slow cooker.  Use resealable containers for leftovers or put a plate over the bowl before you put it in the refrigerator.  Wash out bread wrappers and use them for dividing up bulk meats.  Throw plastic bags away if they have had raw meat in them.  If you bake bread, a loaf doesn't fit into a gallon size bag.  But it sure fits in a recycled bread wrapper.  I usually double bag it before I put it in the freezer.
15.  Google everything to see how to make it yourself or cheaper.  We eat better meals for a lot less money now. 
16.  If you have zipper plastic bags, wash 'em and reuse 'em.  You can use your auto dishwasher for drying the bags.  Just stand them up over the prongs and leave the door cracked.
17.  Cancel the HBO on your television package.  If you can't abide going without the tube, see what they have on cheaper packages.  Check out Hulu online, or other free viewing shows/ movies on the computer.
18.  No, you don't need to have all the bells and whistles and internet on your cell phone plan.  While a lot of us are locked into contracts, some are not.  Check out the cheap pay as you go cell phones that allow you to keep your phone number.
19.  When you have to purchase something like a garden hose, think long term.  This might be the time to spend more for a garden hose that will last forever instead of buying a cheap one from the dollar store every year.
20.  Make your own non toxic bug sprays, compost and nitrogen fertilizers (green grass clippings are great, and even your diluted urine (10 parts water to 1 part pee) is great for plants...once you get past the ewwww factor.  Google it and see why a lot of gardeners call it liquid gold.
21.  Unwrap those bars of bath soap right this minute.  The drier they are, the longer they'll last.
22.  Make your own laundry soap (tons of recipes online) and use vinegar instead of fabric softener.  You may be surprised at how well it works.
23.  Line dry your clothes if you can.  Hate stiff clothes?  Throw them in the dryer with a couple of dry towels, set the dryer on LOW heat then set your timer for 10 minutes.  Get the clothes, hang 'em up on the line or hangers to finish drying and they won't be stiff.
24.  If you can't line dry, then just throw the dry towels in with the wet clothes and dry on LOW heat.  Clean the lint trap every single load, and shake out the wet clothes as you put them in the dryer.  Those things alone can reduce the drying time by as much as 10 minutes.
25.  If you have an electric dryer, vent it into the house during the winter.
26.  Store your baking stone in your oven during the colder months.  It will hold the heat when you bake - more even baking and release heat longer after the oven is off and you have the door cracked.
27.  During the warmer months, use your slow cooker outside so you don't heat up the kitchen.
28.  If you can be there and WATCH, use your slow cooker on low, wrap a towel around it and it will cook like it's on high heat but use less power.  I can do this with one cooker, but dang near melted the cord on the other one...eeeeek!
29.  Make a 'hay box'.  It's basically a well insulated box that you put a boiling hot pot in to finish cooking with no added power.  Don't have to use actual hay, either.
30.  Make a solar oven using a cardboard box or pizza box and aluminum foil.
31.  Got a wide mouth thermos?  You can cook foods for one in a good thermos.
32.  Freeze water in a couple of milk jugs outside during the winter and put in the frig to keep it from kicking on as much.
33.  Heat water in milk jugs during the summer by putting them in the sun and use for washing dishes by hand.
34.  Wash dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher.  Check the post on here somewhere for how to do that using less water.
35.  Wash your clothes in cold water, on the shortest wash cycle if your machine has a 'soak' cycle.  Your clothes will come out cleaner, and you'll save about $1 a load on electricity.  If you're used to washing in hot water and switch to doing this, you'll save about $2 a load.
36.  Turn up the temperature on the airconditioner and crank on some fans to move the air.  You'll feel cooler.  Shut the curtains.
37.  Turn down the temperature on the heater and use a heating pad to keep you warmer if the sweatshirt just doesn't cut it.
38.  Consider a vegetarian lifestyle.  It's generally healthier and can be cheaper, but if you gotta have some meat (like me), plan on at least one (or more) meatless meals a week.
39.  Use more oatmeal in your cooking.  You can make meatballs and meatloaf stretch a lot further by adding oatmeal and plenty of onions, seasoning, etc.  You can make great homemade granola, protein bars, granola bars, cookies, cakes, breads, different flavors of oatmeal, etc.  My mother loves butterscotch oatmeal.  I had never considered it until she told me about it.
40.  Embrace the 'half theory'.  It's nothing more than seeing if you can get by using half of whatever you usually use - half the shampoo, half the toothpaste, etc.
41.  Consider bartering, borrowing, renting or stealing before buying.  Well, not actually stealing, but you know what I mean.  I loaned a very fancy dress to a friend for a wedding so she didn't have to buy one.  If you need a pickup or trailer, what about renting instead of buying?  Can you rent from a friend or neighbor?  Or barter skills?  I put together a basic website for someone and he mowed my small acreage a couple of times when our mower had shot craps.  We didn't barter or anything, it was just mowed when we got home one day.
42.  Clean out your closets, garage, storage unit and have a garage sale.
43.  Clean out that storage unit and quit paying rent on it.  If you have had it for more than a couple months or so, you must not really need anything that's in it.  Sell the stuff or donate it.
44.  Learn to cut hair.  This may involve a learning curve...but it will grow back, honest.  Choose a simplier style.
45.  Cancel magazine subscriptions.  With all the information online, I can't understand why anyone would pay for a magazine any more.
46.  Do all your errands in one trip to save gasoline, instead of making daily runs here and there.
47.  Accept that you may have to have some 'not so healthy' meals when you're really broke and you're just trying to fill bellies.  You probably won't die if you have to eat hot dogs, oatmeal or beans unless you have some major allergies.
48.  Re-evaluate your entertainment.  We used to go out to eat with friends once a month, now we do a pot luck dinner instead, or buy take-n-bake pizza and split the cost.
49.  Re-evaluate the common greeting card, etc.  I hate spending $5 for something that's going to get thrown away in a week. When a friend had surgery last year, instead of balloons or a get well card, we gave him a watermelon after he got home.  Honest.  He loved the old seeded watermelons that NO store had around here.  My husband was on his way home from another state and saw a roadside market that had the watermelons, so he snagged a couple.  Perfect.
50.  Learn to drink water again.  You can spend a ton of money in a year buying soda pops, flavored drinks, expensive coffees, etc.  That doesn't mean that you go buy bottles of water.  A lot of thrift stores will have a used Brita pitcher.  Even buying a new one will save you money in the long run.

Remember that even if your spouse, kids or significant other doesn't want to make some of these changes, you'll still save money overall if YOU make the changes.

Just One Step

Our daughter made a comment the other day that when you really get into the eco-friendly lifestyle, you're more aware of how wasteful other people are.  Isn't that the truth.  Some of them just don't know there are alternatives, some have limited time and others just don't give a rat's ass.

Recently when Bill and I were at the grocery store, a woman was in the aisle, clutching a handful of coupons, staring at the 'Mr. Clean ' eraser things.  She commented that she couldn't make up her mind if she should buy the name brand with the coupon or the store brand, which would still be cheaper.  She asked which one I would buy.  I was polite when I told her that I was probably the wrong one to ask, as I would use baking soda to clean anything that needed the eraser thing, so I wouldn't buy either one.  As she was explaining in great detail all the money she saved by using coupons, I was looking at what she had in her cart.  There must have been at least 10 different cleaning products in there.  Sure, she saved $4 because of coupons, but she spent $20 or more when she probably had everything at home to make alternatives that would work just as well.  I have to admit that I was a little saddened because of all the plastic bottles, too.  I hope she recycled, but so many people don't.

I don't want this to be some kind of rant, so I'm putting out a challenge:  Can you take ONE STEP, just ONE STEP each month towards a better world for the future?  Even something as simple as taking your lunch to work one day a week, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hamburger, is making a difference.  Another easy step is to unplug things that you aren't using.  Or using a Brita filter pitcher instead of buying bottled water.  Or drinking one less soda pop a day.  Or using your slow cooker more often.  You get the drift, these aren't difficult or truly lifestyle changing, but it all adds up.

I am more extreme than ever since I watched 'No Impact Man', but I'm still looking for ways to be more eco friendly yet not too labor intensive.  And there's a comfort level that I want, too.

My latest change is the cat litter. Over the course of a couple of years, I went from purchased, silicone kitty litter to Feline Pine to making my own w/ recycled newspaper and baking soda to now scooping up straw bits and leaf crumbles from the garden into a 5 gallon bucket to store by litter boxes.  I have a coffee canister with some pine sawdust to sprinkle over the top after I scoop out the poops AKA composting toilet for kitties.  I have five cats inside, but I don't want my house to smell like I have five cats inside, you know?  Oh, I also scooped up a trash can full of straw/leaf crumbles and put that in the shop so it wouldn't freeze solid in the winter. It's easy to go out, dip up a bucketful and bring it into the house.  A lot easier than hauling 20 lb. bags back from the store, I'm telling ya.  Edited 3/9/11:  Well, that didn't last too long as the cats tracked it all over the place.  I think I didn't have enough dirt type stuff in it.  I also quit making the newspaper litter as I had to keep a batch going constantly since I have too many cats.  So, it's back to Feline Pine.  But I did read that some people use chicken scratch grains, so I might try that next.  Or a bale of pine shavings used for bedding.
Another edit 5/1/11:  Well, the pine shavings worked as far as odor control, but man, that stuff can travel when it's clinging to a long haired cat!   We even found a piece on our bed!  So, back to the Feline Pine.
Now, I admit that most people wouldn't go that far, or don't have a garden, etc, but how about makng the switch to a litter that is more eco-friendly like Feline Pine, Yesterday's News or another recycled litter?  No huge life changing step there, but it does make a difference.

Just one step - can you find some little thing to change each month?  Heck, you'll feel so good about yourself after a bit, the next steps will be easy!

More Creative Re-Using with T-shirts

There are those that thrive on finding different uses for 'stuff'.  I'm in that category, just in case you haven't noticed.  I like learning things, even if they aren't things that I am going to do.

Take the lowly old t-shirt.  Most of us have them, right?  Most of us have a few too many, too.  So, other than going to the rag bag, what do you do with them when they're past their prime?

I have seen or read that you can (and these ideas have been around for a long time):
Tear strips and crochet a rug or bathmat
Ditto on tearing, but then crochet a grocery bag or tote
Make a quilt
Make a dog toy

Other t-shirt stuff that I recently read:
Sew a tote from the t-shirt.  Sure would be faster than crocheting.  Mine would look crappy either way.

Make diapers for baby.  I guess there are patterns online for them, or you can buy them at a luxury price of $8 each!

Sew into sanitary napkins.  Lots of patterns online for this.

Cut into wide strips, fold lenthwise a few times and use them for sanitary napkins.  The post that I read about doing this pretty much told you that you were stoo-pid to take the time to sew your own personal products.  It was kind of funny, she was really ranting about it.

Use them in place of toilet paper, AKA family cloth.  Now, this gal had the system down!  She had four daughters and was constanly buying toilet paper.  She put the cut up t-shirts in a tissue box (easy dispensing and no folding) and kept a plastic coffee canister next to the toilet.  Then she added a tablespoon of white vinegar to some water in the canister for easy, odor free collection.  When it was fairly full, she'd drain the water off, add water and shake with the lid on for a pre-rinse.  Drain and add more water, add a shot or two of liquid hand soap, few more shakes, drain.  Then into the washer with her other clothes.  With all those kids, she did laundry every other day anyway.  She kept TP on the roller so their friends didn't freak out.

The posts that followed hers were interesting, too.  (My comments in italics.)
There was the 'ick' factor from poo - she responded that each person was responsible for rinsing out their cloth before it went into the container.  You're going to wash your hands anyway, aren't you?  What about doing the initial wiping with TP and follow up with cloth? Added bonus would be if the sink was close by so you could use a damp rag, too.
Some were concerned about washing them with other clothes, stating that they should be washed seperately.  Her response was that you wash your underwear with other clothes, don't you?  And that makes sense.  These aren't diapers, completely soaked with urine.  There would be just a very small amount of urine on the rag, and it's getting a prewash before it goes in with the rest of the clothes.

The comment that cracked me up was from a gal from another country that had never used toilet paper in her life.  She said that using TP was about the nastiest thing she had ever heard of - you wouldn't rub your dirty hands on a piece of paper and then call them clean, would you?  She has a point...

It is kind of funny that so many people will spend more for toilet paper that feels as soft as cloth, but freak out at the thought of actually using cloth. I sure wouldn't go buy flannel (or take the time to sew around the edges), or buy any product stated for said use.  Use those old t-shirts - I suggest you cut off logos and paint goobers.

Creative Re-Using instead of Recycling - Yeah!

Our daughter is returning some wicker furniture today.  I originally bought the set for our living room over 15 years ago.  It was on a summer clearance sale at K Mart and I was desperate for furniture at the time.  Years later, the set went to her when she bought her first house and was desperate for furniture.  The wicker is still in good shape.  It's needed a little glue a couple of times, but that's not bad for something that old.

When I look at my furniture, the best pieces are the oldest ones.  I have a wooden rocking chair that I bought new in 1976.  It doesn't even have a loose joint.  I have a two year old recliner that Bill has repaired twice and now it's sitting crooked again.  I hate that chair.  I'm not convinced that I should donate it, either.  I would hate to pass the aggravation on to anyone else.

A couple years ago we ripped up an old sofa that also wasn't worth donating.  That sofa had been the dog sofa for some time, so it wasn't worth trying to do anything with it.  It took some time, but we ended up with a pile of wood to use in the woodburner, metal to recycle, a pile of very dirty upholstery fabric and the dirty foam cushions.  I tried to wash them with the garden hose and soapy water, left them outside in the rain and sun...and got 'the look' from Bill more than once.  Okay, they had to leave.  It's all about compromise in a marriage, right?  At least it was less bulk in the landfill.  And these days, I'm all about not putting stuff into the landfill.  But I still didn't feel too good about it. 

Some things can be recycled only so many times, like plastic, before you end up with a glop of something toxic or unusable.  Perhaps the better course of action is to not put it in the cycle to begin with (especially plastic).  So save those plastic salad dressing bottles to use when you make a batch of homemade chocolate syrup.  The bottle will be perfect for that.  Then look at recipes for salad dressings, too.  You'll save money, have fresher ingredients without the preservatives and wa-lah!  No more plastic coming and going.

There are tons of possibilities online for fixing up and re-using old furniture, even for the handyman impaired.  Get to Googling and you'll see what I mean.  I have an old dresser that is slated to be a coffee table eventually.  I never liked the thing because of the legs, but cutting the legs really short, or completely off will give it new use. 

It might even look pretty cool with my 'new' wicker furniture that's being delivered today.

Save $$ by NOT Spending

A bargain isn't a bargain if you don't need it.  

I cringed when I recently read a blog about saving money.  The gal suggested that first you get organized to see what you actually had and then listed a few places where you could buy cheap plastic storage bins and containers to sort out and store all your stuff.  Wait a minute, wasn't the point to save money?  Ever hear of using a cardboard box?  You can get them free at the local grocery store or liquor store, or etc, etc.  They aren't as pretty, but hey, they work pretty well and cost nothing.  And if you feel like stocking up on the plastic bins because they're on sale, maybe you have too much stuff?  Just a suggestion...

Some people are compulsive buyers, especially if they spot a bargain.  My all time favorite experience with the compulsive buyer was an employer.  I had a job at a greenhouse a few years ago.  Great job, doing what I loved to do for minimum wage.  Time after time, the owner would tell me that she couldn't afford to pay me until next week.  Okay...she had always made good on what she owed me...and I loved the job, right?  Okay, so one time I took some of my pay in plants, but I loved the plants and it was still a great job...maybe just not the best boss.  A few weeks later, same tune.  She couldn't afford to pay me that week.  She was going to run to the bank, back in 20 minutes.  Two hours later, she comes in the door, all breathless and excited.  She had hit a couple garage sales along the way and stopped at the Dollar Store (damn that store and all their bargains!).  Bags and bags of Halloween decorations, including two statues that were 'only' $15 each, etc.  I guess she had forgotten about the 20 boxes of Halloween decorations that she already had stacked next to the cash register. You get the drift.  Suddenly the job wasn't so great any more.  I stuck it out a while longer, hoping to get actual cash for my labors, and finally told her that I'd take that nice wrought iron arbor for my pay.  That was the end of the great job and lousy boss who didn't know that a bargain isn't a bargain if you don't need it...and that you should pay your employee.

There is a blog that makes me smile, http://manvsdebt.com/ .  He's a real in your face kind of guy that's right up front about 'Sell your crap.  Pay off your debt.  Do what you love.'  That's it in a nutshell for him.  While his lifestyle isn't what I want, nor is it for everyone, he's got some pretty decent advice for the common joe.

For myself, I happen to like my crap.  I promise not to bring any more crap into my life since I'm trying to lower my consumerism.  Oh, that gold elephant plant stand over there?  It was a bargain, only $6.99 at the DAV.  I saw it when I was taking some of my old crap that I didn't need any more to donate.  At least I donated a lot more than what I brought back home, right?  Yes?  Hmmm......okay, a bargain isn't a bargain if you don't need it.

Going 'Poo-less?

I bet that caught your attention, but I'm talking about shampoo.

My initial reaction to the idea of going without shampoo was EEUUUUWWW.  I had visions of yukky, smelly hair, and put that idea into the mental file labeled 'too extreme for me'.

I guess I just needed a while to wrap my mind around the concept.  So I decided to take the plunge after watching the film, 'No Impact Man'.  I looked at a bunch of different recipes online and then started to look for traditional ingredients: Castille soap, glycerin, nice smelling essential oil.

We're rural, so had to do some searching for these things.  Here's what I found:
Castile: $14.99 plus shipping - couldn't find it within a 30 mile radius.
Glycerin: $9.99
Lavendar EO: $22.99 (gasp)

Besides not digging the idea of ordering something that had to be shipped, the thought of spending $48 for experimental shampoo just didn't sit just right, ya know?

Back to the drawing board.  I found another site that suggested Borax (yep, honest!) and vinegar for the primary ingredients  for shampoo and conditioner replacements.  I had both on hand already, so I was ready to go!
Shampoo replacement:  1 TBSP Borax mixed in 1 cup of hot water, stir to disolve, then allow to cool.  One cup Borax to one gallon of water if you want to make a jug of it.
Conditioner replacement: 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 or 5 parts water - I didn't measure.

The verdict:  It worked!!  I was shocked. 

I put each in one of those little ketchup squeeze bottles.  Since I was in the shower, my hair was wet when I got started.  I just squeezed some of the now cold Borax/water around on my scalp and worked it into the rest of my hair... the whole time thinking that this isn't doing anything.  No suds, no cleaning, right?  Or so I thought.  When I rinsed that out, I was surprised that my hair felt softer than what it usually did after using regular shampoo.  It also kind of squeaked, you  know, when you rub something really clean and it squeaks?

Now the vinegar/water conditioner - I did the same thing, just squeezed some on my scalp and rubbed it in the rest of my hair and rinsed.  It didn't smell as bad as I thought it was going to.

After I dried my hair, it looked clean and smelled clean with no vinegar odor. The best things were no tangles, more volume and shiny hair.  I also had an itchy bump that had been there for a while, and now it's smaller and doesn't itch.  I think I like this stuff.

It's weird, washing your hair with something that is watery and non-lathering.  I'll probably keep using it, but I'm not taking the regular shampoo and conditioner to the other bathroom yet.  I might decide to lather up once in a while.  Even if I just use the alternative every other time, I'll still be cutting my 'poo and conditioner consumerism plus the plastic bottles in half.

Later:  I now have used it twice, and honestly, I do like it.  It rinses out so much faster than gobs of suds, and seems to dry faster.  My naturally wavy hair seems a little curlier, too.  The purchased shampoo and conditioner probably won't be in my shower much longer.

The Cost of Green Cleaners and the Bathroom

I love making green cleaners.  They are so easy to make and work well.  I also feel so virtuous, doing what's right for the earth, and hey!  The added bonus is that they're cheap to make!  In one calendar year, I spent about $25 to make a years supply of:

Laundry soap
Laundry pretreat or stain stick
Fabric softener
Dishwasher detergent
Bathroom cleaner
Daily shower spray
Hand soap in pump foam dispensers for kitchen and bathroom sinks
Eyeglass cleaner
General cleaning
Wasp spray
Non toxic bug spray for plants

What I bought:
Zote laundry bar
Washing soda
Borax
Bleach
Vinegar
Baking soda
Dawn dish soap (I'm a huge fan of this stuff)
Rubbing alcohol
Peroxide
Cheap brand of 'Jet Dry' type product


Now then, for the bathroom:

I have labeled spray bottles of the following that I use to clean the bathroom and general cleaning:
Dawn and water - tub, shower, sink and pot
Bleach and water - pot and to spray the shower pan and liner in between washings
Vinegar and water - ceramic tile floor

If there's something that needs a little extra attention, I have a designated box of baking soda for cleaning.  I usually keep some in the bathroom cupboard brush my teeth occasionally, too.

In a closet, I have several bars of bath soap unwrapped so they dry out.  I put them in a basket with a washcloth over them.  They gradually dry out and last longer when you use them.

Daily Shower Spray
The daily shower spray has been a big time saver!  I only have to actually clean the shower about once every 6 months if the spray is used faithfully.
Mix together one-half cup of hydrogen peroxide, one-half cup of rubbing alcohol, about six drops of Dawn, a capful of Jet Dry and twenty-four ounces of water. Using this on a daily basis will keep your shower and liner clean for a long time.

I'm experimenting now with just some Dawn water with alcohol in a spray bottle.  I still haven't decided if that works as well as the other formula.  You can use your regular cleaner that's diluted, too.

The easiest way for me to clean the shower?  Right before I get in it.  I spray the walls with Dawn/water mix, hit it w/ a wet cloth, then turn the shower on.  Undress, hop in to finish rinsing the walls and get to showering.  I wonder if Bill knows that I do that...  I wonder if I can get him to do that in the other shower...probably not.

Foaming Pump Dispenser Refill
Fill it 3/4 the way full with water and give it a good squirt of dish soap.   I like Dawn Green or 7th Generation, but use what you have.  My dispensers have the pump gadget inside the bottle, so I ended up overfilling it the first (two?) time I did this.  What didn't work for me was diluting the 'pearl' looking liquid hand soaps, or melting my own bars.  I put them in the blender and still ended up w/ pieces that would clog up the pump dispenser.  For a regular pump dispenser, the ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part liquid soap.

Eyeglass cleaner:
A safe formula no matter what type of eyeglasses or coatings you have on your lenses:
Fill a spray bottle (any size will do) with 3/4 rubbing alcohol and 1/4 water. Put in a few drops of dish soap.

Laundry Day and the Indian Clothesline

I make my own laundry soap.  I don't plan on ever buying expensive laundry soap from the store as long as I'm able to stir a pot.  There are a million recipes online, but they all use basically the same ingredients.  It's also not rocket science, so variations are allowed.

Our well water here is very hard, even with a water softener.  I wash almost exclusively with cold water, too, so decided to go with a liquid soap instead of the powder.  I also didn't want to mess with a five gallon bucket of glop.  I have used gallon milk jugs, the blue water jugs (from when we had to buy water from the grocery store) and vinegar jugs.  Use whatever you have.

The recipe I use is:
1/2 bar of Zote laundry soap (pink, grates easily)
1/2 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda, found in the laundry aisle)
1/2 cup Borax (20 Mule Team is a popular brand, also in the laundry aisle)

I put 6 to 8 cups of water in a big pot on the stove.  I tend not to measure this.  Heat it until it's really hot but not boiling and stir in 1/2 bar of Zote that you were grating while the water was heating.  Turn the stove off, and walk away for 10 to 15 minutes. 
When the soap has all dissolved, stir in the washing soda.  Then stir in the Borax.  Carefully pour half of this into each of your two jugs.  I use a big measuring pitcher for this, but you can eyeball it in the jugs.  You just want to divide the mixture between the two.  It won't matter if you have a bit more in one jug.  Be careful, it's still pretty hot at this point.  Add a couple cups or more of hot tap water to each jug, put the lid on and shake.  Let the steam out a couple times.  Keep adding hot tap water and shaking until the jug is most of the way filled.  You may have to let the suds settle a bit before you add the last bit of water.  Then just leave the lid off of it until it cools, and Wal-la!  2 gallons of laundry soap!

This will jell somewhat in your jug.  I usually have to take the handle of my wooden spoon to break it up a bit the first time I use each jug.  You need to leave some room in the jug to allow for shaking that first time, too.  After that, it's just a couple of shakes before I use it, measure out maybe 3/4 cup for each load.  Our clothes get pretty dirty here so sometimes I use a full cup.  Clothes that aren't grimy would only require less.  Don't expect to see a lot of suds in your wash water, but it's still working.

I have used the bar of Zote for a stain remover 'stick'.  I also just pour some of the soap onto our jeans that are really grimy for pretreating.

I have to admit, I was a little surprised after I did that first load of clothes.  I was so used to the perfumed scent of commercial laundry detergents, and I wondered if the clothes were actually clean.  They were.  They just smelled like clean clothes with a faint 'Zote' scent that was gone when the clothes were dry. 

Edited to add: And the cost?  At our little country store today (12-1-10), Zote was $1.05 (I'll get two batches, or 4 gallons), the Borax was $3.75 and washing soda was $2.55.  Using 1/2 cup each of Borax and washing soda for every two gallons of finished product...well, I'll get gobs of laundry done.

I don't buy fabric softener sheets, either.  I bought a jug of liquid softener, measured out one cup and added two cups of water.  I dampen a designated washcloth with this solution and toss it into the dryer for the 10 minute drying time before I hang them up.  Most of the time I can use it a second time before I dampen it again.

You might want to start labeling these jugs in case someone else does some laundry.

The Indian Clothesline

Our oldest son, Dan, has traveled overseas a lot.   He spent quite a bit of time in India on one of his first journeys.  Carrying what he needed on his back, everything had to have several uses.  He has a length of para-cord in his pack and he would use that for his clothesline.  He would tie loops, knots, whatever it took to put up a clothesline in whatever was in his space at the time.

While he was here one time, he asked if he could put a couple of small nails on the sides of the window trim in a room to string up his clothesline.  He tied a loop on one end, hooked that over the nail, stretched out the cord across the room to the other nail and made the other loop where it was needed.  Ta-da!  Portable clothesline, easy to put up and take back down.  That's the Indian Clothesline, plain and simple.

He doesn't use clothespins, even when he's here.  He straightens the clothes out and drapes them over the line.  A couple hours later, he'll take the clothes off one at a time and drape them the other direction so there's no crease in the middle.  And do it again.  By the time he takes the clothes off the line, there's no wrinkles and no crease.  I guess he's had a lot of practice.  I'll probably just keep using clothespins.

I wash only full loads, so one line wasn't enough for me, even with draping socks over the sides of the laundry basket.  I can get by with two lines by staggering.  I hang T shirts on the back line first, then go back and hang shorter items on the same line, staggering where I put the clothes pins.  If I run short on line space, I'll hang socks, etc, over the shirts.  If I want to do two loads, I'll put work shirts on plastic hangers and hang them on the line.  If there's shoulder bumps, I'll pat them down with a damp hand when I put it on.

What I like best about doing laundry this way?  I'm saving a boatload of money, doing the green thing, don't have wickedly stiff clothes (read post below and see how) and I can take the dry clothes off the line when it suits me.  I don't have to worry about rain, sun bleaching, blowing dirt, dogs, or wrinkles from sitting in the dryer.