Have you ever been somewhere, turned on the tap and smelled that faint (or stronger) odor from the water faucet? Maybe at your own house? That's bacterial crud growing in your pipes.
Years ago, I did the realtor gig for a while. I always knew which houses had the water heater turned way down and that they didn't use the hot water tap in that sink often enough. Yummy, mold stench...and someone is rinsing their mouth with that water??
We had the same problem here, but we plumbed our house with a Pex Manifold system, so we were able to disconnect each pipe, run a bit of bleach water into it and turn the faucet on to a dribble for a while to disinfect the pipes. After that, the water heater went back up a notch and I started using the hot water tap more often.
If you don't have a way to clean those water pipes, you might want to consider different ways to save power. Perhaps a timer on the water heater, insulating blanket if it's electric, pipe insulation over exposed pipes, or 'on demand' type water heaters in the bathroom and kitchen. Beats mold in the pipes.
Monday, November 22, 2010
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.
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.
This Changed My Outlook
I recently saw the film 'No Impact Man'. And here I thought I was doing a good job of lowering my impact. I have to admit that it inspired me to try to do more.
Today I tried to watch 'Meat the Truth'. Tried and failed. I couldn't stick it out just because I knew it was going to put me in a sad mood and I already knew some of what she was talking about. But mostly because I was getting low, really quick. And I'm in a really good mood today! I'm sure it's a great film to watch, so I'll try it another day.
Another really good one is 'The Story of Stuff'. It gave me a new prospective with everything I buy (what little that is).
There is also one about how farmers ended up fighting Monsanto (the bastards). I wish I could remember the name of that documentary. One thing for sure, it left a HUGE impression on me, and was quite enlightening. I did some research and found that Monsanto (the bastards) own a boatload of seed companies, so I will always get heirloom plants and seed from organic outlets that have NO connections to Monsanto (the bastards). Do some research and you'll see how they are helping to starve poor communities with their suicide gene in all their seed.
Today I tried to watch 'Meat the Truth'. Tried and failed. I couldn't stick it out just because I knew it was going to put me in a sad mood and I already knew some of what she was talking about. But mostly because I was getting low, really quick. And I'm in a really good mood today! I'm sure it's a great film to watch, so I'll try it another day.
Another really good one is 'The Story of Stuff'. It gave me a new prospective with everything I buy (what little that is).
There is also one about how farmers ended up fighting Monsanto (the bastards). I wish I could remember the name of that documentary. One thing for sure, it left a HUGE impression on me, and was quite enlightening. I did some research and found that Monsanto (the bastards) own a boatload of seed companies, so I will always get heirloom plants and seed from organic outlets that have NO connections to Monsanto (the bastards). Do some research and you'll see how they are helping to starve poor communities with their suicide gene in all their seed.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Meatless Monday and the PB&J Campaign
Bill and I are carnivores. And we rarely eat in restaurants. When we do eat out, it's good advice not to get caught between me and the buffet tables. But for an everyday life style, I don't need or want the Hungry Man size portion of meat.
If you haven't already heard about the Peanut Butter and Jelly Campaign, stop what you're doing and head to http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivinginthekitchen/a/peanut_butter.htm or PB&J Campaign .
As members of the PB&J Campaign like to say, “You don’t have to change your whole diet to change the world. Just start with lunch.”
So in an effort to eat healthier with more plant based meals, we have Meatless Mondays. We have our own hens, so eggs are a good fit in this plan. So are bean burritos, salads, vegetable soups, etc. There are great vegetarian recipes online. The rest of the week? I cut back on the amount of meat and see if I can add beans or veggies instead. It works out pretty good. Instead of getting 2 meals from that pot roast, I can get 5.
I also try to use as much as I can that has come from our own property - potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, etc. But not my chickens. I can't eat Ozzie and Harriet (hens don't care what you name them).
If you haven't already heard about the Peanut Butter and Jelly Campaign, stop what you're doing and head to http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivinginthekitchen/a/peanut_butter.htm or PB&J Campaign .
As members of the PB&J Campaign like to say, “You don’t have to change your whole diet to change the world. Just start with lunch.”
So in an effort to eat healthier with more plant based meals, we have Meatless Mondays. We have our own hens, so eggs are a good fit in this plan. So are bean burritos, salads, vegetable soups, etc. There are great vegetarian recipes online. The rest of the week? I cut back on the amount of meat and see if I can add beans or veggies instead. It works out pretty good. Instead of getting 2 meals from that pot roast, I can get 5.
I also try to use as much as I can that has come from our own property - potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, etc. But not my chickens. I can't eat Ozzie and Harriet (hens don't care what you name them).
Friday, October 8, 2010
Passing through the Paper Aisle in the Store
I keep asking myself what people did before we had all these modern convenience things that we take for granted. I also ask myself what I would do if this was the very last time I would ever have ____. How would I use it?
The first product in this aisle that I stopped buying was paper towel. Actually, it was pretty easy and painless. Most of my 'rags' weren't even decent enough to keep around as rags. So, into the trash they went and out came the scissors to make new rags of varying sizes out of Bill's old T shirts (shhhhhh) and some ratty old towels. I keep them in a kitchen drawer, handy to grab whenever I need to clean up a mess. Give it a rinse, and into the laundry room, no problem.
Napkins? Well, I don't use many, and I can live without them. I have some designated washcloths in the kitchen drawer that I'm comfortable using as napkins. Bill? Not so comfortable with that system. Most of our friends and family? Really not okay with that system. What's the big deal here, people? Granted, I don't expect you to carry washcloths or cloth napkins so you can wipe special sauce off your chin at the local burger place during your lunch hour, but is it so bad to use cloth instead of paper at my house or (gasp) at your own house?
Plastic wrap - I have a roll that has lasted several years. Most of the leftovers go into refrigerator dishes that have lids. If it's staying in the serving bowl, often times a plate will fit as a lid. I haven't decided if I'm going to buy those reusable plastic things with the elastic yet. For some reason, they remind me of my mother's shower cap. I remember her using them when I was a kid, though...and I hated washing them.
Aluminum foil - I now buy the recycled foil, and I recycle it, too. I use it as many times as I can before it heads to the recycle bin. I still try not to use it though.
Freezer bags - When I have to buy them, I usually buy freezer bags. They are thicker, and I can use them many times before they spring a leak. I had some that were almost three years old before they ended up in the trash. I wash them and put them in the empty dishwasher to air dry (with the door cracked), or hang them on the Indian clothesline. If they have had raw meat in them, they go into the trash. But I try not to use them for that. I usually keep a few plastic bread wrappers around here for when I bake bread, so sometimes other things can go in them, too.
Paper plates, cups, bowls, plastic spoons, etc. - I don't buy them, won't buy them.
Toilet paper - Ehhhhhhh, this is one thing that I won't ration or go without. If I had to, I could do something else, but you know? As long as I don't have to use rags, or leaves and grass, I'll probably keep buying this. Ditto with personal products.
Tissues - I don't have a stash of hankies. Bill does have a stack of hankerchiefs, but we both use tissues. Funny, now that I think about it, it's been a while since I saw a hankerchief in the laundry. I had to ask him about it just now. He said that he still carries one in his pocket for emergencies when he's working. Like when he feels a sneeze coming on or thinks he has a booger hanging. Ahhh, that's my Bill, he's very tidy.
Trash bags - I almost forgot about those. I use plastic grocery sacks in the bathrooms and laundry waste baskets. We take our cloth bags when we get groceries, but still end up with some plastic bags. We also have friends that refuse to recycle, so I can get a mountain of plastic bags from them if I need to. I do buy cheap kitchen trash bags, but since I recycle and compost everything, it takes a while before it's full. Often times, I can just empty the trash and use the bag again. I'd like to use a waste basket in the kitchen, (and of course, the 'free' plastic bag) but Bill thought he was taking out the trash way too often.
Did I miss anything?
The first product in this aisle that I stopped buying was paper towel. Actually, it was pretty easy and painless. Most of my 'rags' weren't even decent enough to keep around as rags. So, into the trash they went and out came the scissors to make new rags of varying sizes out of Bill's old T shirts (shhhhhh) and some ratty old towels. I keep them in a kitchen drawer, handy to grab whenever I need to clean up a mess. Give it a rinse, and into the laundry room, no problem.
Napkins? Well, I don't use many, and I can live without them. I have some designated washcloths in the kitchen drawer that I'm comfortable using as napkins. Bill? Not so comfortable with that system. Most of our friends and family? Really not okay with that system. What's the big deal here, people? Granted, I don't expect you to carry washcloths or cloth napkins so you can wipe special sauce off your chin at the local burger place during your lunch hour, but is it so bad to use cloth instead of paper at my house or (gasp) at your own house?
Plastic wrap - I have a roll that has lasted several years. Most of the leftovers go into refrigerator dishes that have lids. If it's staying in the serving bowl, often times a plate will fit as a lid. I haven't decided if I'm going to buy those reusable plastic things with the elastic yet. For some reason, they remind me of my mother's shower cap. I remember her using them when I was a kid, though...and I hated washing them.
Aluminum foil - I now buy the recycled foil, and I recycle it, too. I use it as many times as I can before it heads to the recycle bin. I still try not to use it though.
Freezer bags - When I have to buy them, I usually buy freezer bags. They are thicker, and I can use them many times before they spring a leak. I had some that were almost three years old before they ended up in the trash. I wash them and put them in the empty dishwasher to air dry (with the door cracked), or hang them on the Indian clothesline. If they have had raw meat in them, they go into the trash. But I try not to use them for that. I usually keep a few plastic bread wrappers around here for when I bake bread, so sometimes other things can go in them, too.
Paper plates, cups, bowls, plastic spoons, etc. - I don't buy them, won't buy them.
Toilet paper - Ehhhhhhh, this is one thing that I won't ration or go without. If I had to, I could do something else, but you know? As long as I don't have to use rags, or leaves and grass, I'll probably keep buying this. Ditto with personal products.
Tissues - I don't have a stash of hankies. Bill does have a stack of hankerchiefs, but we both use tissues. Funny, now that I think about it, it's been a while since I saw a hankerchief in the laundry. I had to ask him about it just now. He said that he still carries one in his pocket for emergencies when he's working. Like when he feels a sneeze coming on or thinks he has a booger hanging. Ahhh, that's my Bill, he's very tidy.
Trash bags - I almost forgot about those. I use plastic grocery sacks in the bathrooms and laundry waste baskets. We take our cloth bags when we get groceries, but still end up with some plastic bags. We also have friends that refuse to recycle, so I can get a mountain of plastic bags from them if I need to. I do buy cheap kitchen trash bags, but since I recycle and compost everything, it takes a while before it's full. Often times, I can just empty the trash and use the bag again. I'd like to use a waste basket in the kitchen, (and of course, the 'free' plastic bag) but Bill thought he was taking out the trash way too often.
Did I miss anything?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Paring Down the Grocery Bill
My goal is to stay at $200 a month for groceries for the two of us. We have grown kids and friends that visit, so there are snacks, desserts, and extra portions included in that goal. To me, it sounds like a lot of money. I have read that other families have kept their food budget that low, but I have yet to reach it...and eat what we like to eat. Our grocery bill usually runs $225 a month. I do stock up when something is on sale, but on the flip side, I'm using from my pantry on a regular basis, too. A friend, who is really struggling financially, recently told me that she spent almost $350 for groceries for just her last month. I don't know who gasped louder.. me, when she told me that, or her, when I told her what I usually spend for two people.
I tried the OAMC (once a month cooking) and it just wasn't for me. I don't have a Sam's or Cosco a block away. We live in a rural area, with a little grocery store about 15 miles from here. Running to the store for just a couple things...how do I say this... just ain't gonna happen. I can't remember what I needed but didn't have when I started searching 'make your own _____'. Wow. Wasn't I surprised! There are decent substitutions for practically everything you would use in every day cooking. You really can save money AND eat well!
I buy almost no convience foods at all now. I do buy some things that I could make, but don't want to, like tomato soup (my homemade was so-so at best) and cream of mushroom soup (I don't use enough to warrant trying to keep mushrooms in my frig or yard, either). But I make a pretty good cream of chicken and cream of celery soup. Soooo simple, too! Oh, I do buy various cereals and some breads. I don't want to try to make crackers, but I have made flour tortilla chips. The bulk of my cooking is from scratch...really scratch.
The point here is that there are tons of recipes for making about any convience food that you would buy. You don't have to do it all at once, either. I started out with cream of chicken soup mix. The batch of mix equals 9 cans of soup (and only cost $1.25), so I didn't have to make it again for a while. When I make noodles, I make enough for several meals and pop them into the freezer. Ditto with soups. Most of the time I plan for leftovers that I can put in the freezer. Then I have easy meals for when I don't feel like cooking. Make sure you label everything that goes in the freezer. Things, especially soups, have a way of looking alike after a while. I have a cool, low tech labeling system - masking tape and a permanent marker.
I really watch pricing in the grocery store. When they first started coming out with bulk foods and bigger packages, it was cheaper per ounce to buy. Now - ain't necessarily so. A 2 lb. bag of brown sugar is the most commonly sold size. Two 1 lb. boxes are cheaper than the 2 lb. bag now. But, it's cheaper yet in the 4 lb. bag, and I use enough of it to warrant buying that size. (Edited on 1-4-2011 - I don't even buy brown sugar now, I just make it when I need it, really cheap!) White sugar is cheaper per pound to buy 4 lb bags where I live.
I also have a garden every year and in a perfect world, I'd can/freeze enough goodies to last an entire year. I keep trying, but Nature has a way of keeping you humble.
If you haven't tried looking at everything you can make from scratch, get your mouse clicking and head over to http://busycooks.about.com/ for a starter course. Just type 'make your own' into their search bar and you'll be on your way to pages of money saving ideas.
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