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.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
It's all about Attitude - in Life and Retirement
As Bill and I get older, I find myself Googling retirement stuff. Holy shit! The bulk of it is people freaking out because they don't have the millions of bucks they have been told they need to live after chucking their jobs. Right now, I'm feeling rather good about life in general, so I'll be brave and say 'boo hoo'. You can live quite happily with just a little. I'm glad that I have the brains to know that all the money in the world isn't going to magically make me happy. I know that we also have choices and options, right this minute and also ten years in the future. Some of them might end up being ... well, not pleasant, but hey, that's life. You can still be happy in between plan B and plan C. You might end up really liking plan C after you get to that step, too. Some of the happiest people I have ever known have been the ones living in what a lot of us would consider dire straits most of their lives.
Some of the goofball retiree comments I have heard:
I have worked too hard all my life to do with less than what I have now - So you've been miserable for 40 years, working the job you didn't like, but have the big house, two cars, eat out, drive around because you're bored, watch the tube...and stay miserable counting your nickels trying to maintain that lifestyle.
I'm retired now so I have time to bitch - First of all, courtesy is cheap, so acquire some. The first step in resolving any problem is communication, not bitching. The poorly paid person you are bitching at didn't create your problem/issue. Remind yourself to "be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".
I can't afford a hobby - Finding something you enjoy doesn't have to be expensive. And you don't have to succeed at it, either. Try something different! Try a lot of different things! Here's a few options:
1. Don't think you would like to garden? Then try a tomato plant or an herb in a pot on your porch. You might discover that you actually do have a green thumb. Most gardeners will happily share plant starts or extra seeds. If you don't have a big flower pot, you can probably get a 5 gallon bucket from the deli section at the grocery store or the local fast food restaurants and poke some holes in the bottom and lower sides for drainage. You can also make your own natural bug spray.
2. Take up walking - get to know your neighbors.
3. Do some volunteer work without expecting anything in return - Meals on Wheels, help someone weed their garden, paint their house, repair their fence, give them a lift to their doctor appointment. The best way to feel good about yourself is to help someone else.
4. Read a book. Not the same news in different newspapers, a book. That's something in print meant to be enjoyed. If you're reading this, you have access to a computer. There's gobs and gobs of stuff to read on the web.
5. If you can afford it, adopt a pet. As pet owners everywhere know, there's no such thing as a free cat, dog, chicken, lizard, whatever. But having some living creature to care for will give you hours of joy...and frustration at times. Definitely not free, but for a lot of us, it's still worth it.
Some things are not hobbies! If you're doing any of the below on a daily basis, you need a hobby. See above. For example:
Constantly checking the expiration dates on your food. Once in a while is good, put the older stuff in front.
When people casually ask 'how are you', you tell them...in great detail.
Holding the store clerk hostage with your lengthy story about your gall bladder surgery.
Calling companies daily and complaining about their product, like the M&M's are smaller now, etc.
You get the drift. All the complaining in the world isn't going to make you happy. The hobbies may bring you some happiness, but if you start every idea with 'I don't think I'll like this', then you may be doomed.
If you want some changes in your life, you have to be willing to make some changes.
Now then, some options if you're retiring semi broke:
Be willing to live in a smaller place. Sell your house, rent a smaller place, buy an RV or boat and go experience life while you still are healthy enough to do it. Go through your stuff, keep what you need and actually use, sell or donate everything else.
ASK for what you need and choose 'used' over new - Most areas have Freecycle, Craigslist, DAV, Goodwill, etc. But tell people that you're in the market for a good used ____. You might get exactly what you need for cheap or nothing.
Need more to eat? Check the web for groups that forage in your area, local Food Banks, churches usually have some info on where you could get emergency food. Quit buying convenience foods, paper and cleaning products, etc, so you can make your food dollars go further. Yes, you really can use rags instead of TP if you need to. Read up on square foot gardening and container gardening. Tons of forums and blogs about those things. Yes, you really can produce some of your own food.
Get your vitamins from food, not pills. My usual diet is so crappy that I need to take a couple vitamins, but overall, I'd rather eat a banana than take a potassium pill. Do some research online to see what you can eat to get the vitamins you need. Overall, a more vegetarian lifestyle is cheaper and healthier. (I'm getting better at that...)
And while you're checking that out online, check into the free online herbalism courses. You'll probably still need some big Pharma drugs sometimes, but if you can make some 'food' type medicines, what do you have to lose? Millions of people have done it throughout the generations, and it's still very common in other cultures. Maybe not on your block, but it's still practiced. And a lot of it works. Just my opinion, as I'm no doctor. One thing that I do when I have loose stools is drink some cornstarch water. Yep. Just a spoonful of cornstarch in a half cup of water, chug it down. Hold your nose, it doesn't taste the best. Then drink some water to get the taste out of your mouth. You need the extra fluid anyway if you got the poops. Repeat if necessary. That's what they used to use before Kaopectate and Imodium hit the shelves.
Google everything. How to make _______. Frugal living forums. Cheap living. Tightwad living. The full time RV'ing websites have some interesting information, even if you aren't going to do the RV thing. They have some pretty nifty ideas for storage in dinky spaces. We have friends doing it now, and it sounds like a great community of rich and not so rich. You can live in an RV for $500 a month, or of course, way more than that. Again, Google everything. Then you can make some informed choices of what's going to work in your situation.
Some of the goofball retiree comments I have heard:
I have worked too hard all my life to do with less than what I have now - So you've been miserable for 40 years, working the job you didn't like, but have the big house, two cars, eat out, drive around because you're bored, watch the tube...and stay miserable counting your nickels trying to maintain that lifestyle.
I'm retired now so I have time to bitch - First of all, courtesy is cheap, so acquire some. The first step in resolving any problem is communication, not bitching. The poorly paid person you are bitching at didn't create your problem/issue. Remind yourself to "be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".
I can't afford a hobby - Finding something you enjoy doesn't have to be expensive. And you don't have to succeed at it, either. Try something different! Try a lot of different things! Here's a few options:
1. Don't think you would like to garden? Then try a tomato plant or an herb in a pot on your porch. You might discover that you actually do have a green thumb. Most gardeners will happily share plant starts or extra seeds. If you don't have a big flower pot, you can probably get a 5 gallon bucket from the deli section at the grocery store or the local fast food restaurants and poke some holes in the bottom and lower sides for drainage. You can also make your own natural bug spray.
2. Take up walking - get to know your neighbors.
3. Do some volunteer work without expecting anything in return - Meals on Wheels, help someone weed their garden, paint their house, repair their fence, give them a lift to their doctor appointment. The best way to feel good about yourself is to help someone else.
4. Read a book. Not the same news in different newspapers, a book. That's something in print meant to be enjoyed. If you're reading this, you have access to a computer. There's gobs and gobs of stuff to read on the web.
5. If you can afford it, adopt a pet. As pet owners everywhere know, there's no such thing as a free cat, dog, chicken, lizard, whatever. But having some living creature to care for will give you hours of joy...and frustration at times. Definitely not free, but for a lot of us, it's still worth it.
Some things are not hobbies! If you're doing any of the below on a daily basis, you need a hobby. See above. For example:
Constantly checking the expiration dates on your food. Once in a while is good, put the older stuff in front.
When people casually ask 'how are you', you tell them...in great detail.
Holding the store clerk hostage with your lengthy story about your gall bladder surgery.
Calling companies daily and complaining about their product, like the M&M's are smaller now, etc.
You get the drift. All the complaining in the world isn't going to make you happy. The hobbies may bring you some happiness, but if you start every idea with 'I don't think I'll like this', then you may be doomed.
If you want some changes in your life, you have to be willing to make some changes.
Now then, some options if you're retiring semi broke:
Be willing to live in a smaller place. Sell your house, rent a smaller place, buy an RV or boat and go experience life while you still are healthy enough to do it. Go through your stuff, keep what you need and actually use, sell or donate everything else.
ASK for what you need and choose 'used' over new - Most areas have Freecycle, Craigslist, DAV, Goodwill, etc. But tell people that you're in the market for a good used ____. You might get exactly what you need for cheap or nothing.
Need more to eat? Check the web for groups that forage in your area, local Food Banks, churches usually have some info on where you could get emergency food. Quit buying convenience foods, paper and cleaning products, etc, so you can make your food dollars go further. Yes, you really can use rags instead of TP if you need to. Read up on square foot gardening and container gardening. Tons of forums and blogs about those things. Yes, you really can produce some of your own food.
Get your vitamins from food, not pills. My usual diet is so crappy that I need to take a couple vitamins, but overall, I'd rather eat a banana than take a potassium pill. Do some research online to see what you can eat to get the vitamins you need. Overall, a more vegetarian lifestyle is cheaper and healthier. (I'm getting better at that...)
And while you're checking that out online, check into the free online herbalism courses. You'll probably still need some big Pharma drugs sometimes, but if you can make some 'food' type medicines, what do you have to lose? Millions of people have done it throughout the generations, and it's still very common in other cultures. Maybe not on your block, but it's still practiced. And a lot of it works. Just my opinion, as I'm no doctor. One thing that I do when I have loose stools is drink some cornstarch water. Yep. Just a spoonful of cornstarch in a half cup of water, chug it down. Hold your nose, it doesn't taste the best. Then drink some water to get the taste out of your mouth. You need the extra fluid anyway if you got the poops. Repeat if necessary. That's what they used to use before Kaopectate and Imodium hit the shelves.
Google everything. How to make _______. Frugal living forums. Cheap living. Tightwad living. The full time RV'ing websites have some interesting information, even if you aren't going to do the RV thing. They have some pretty nifty ideas for storage in dinky spaces. We have friends doing it now, and it sounds like a great community of rich and not so rich. You can live in an RV for $500 a month, or of course, way more than that. Again, Google everything. Then you can make some informed choices of what's going to work in your situation.
Friday, January 7, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Getting more from your oven
I love the forum at http://permies.com/ . It's the greatest place to learn new stuff from some really hands on people. The focus is on permaculture - alternative building and energy, critter care, wild crafting, that kind of thing. Head on over there and plan on bookmarking that site as you'll want to check back.
Yesterday someone had posted that they kept their baking stone in the oven. There was more even heat and the oven didn't kick on as much. I have a large square baking stone that was re-gifted to me (hey, I'll take about anything). I put it on the middle rack of my oven before I baked some vegetarian lasagna for supper. I can't say that I watched or rather listened to know if the oven clicked on more or less, but what surprised me was how long that stone held the heat afterwards.
I always leave the oven door cracked after turning it off so the heat comes into the room. I bet there was heat still coming from that baking stone half an hour later! So that's the new storage place for that baby. It won't help when you're baking something for a short period of time as it will take a while for that stone to heat up, so take it out if you're just browning a pie crust. For long time baking, even half an hour, it makes sense that it would help.
Simple stuff, but it works!
Yesterday someone had posted that they kept their baking stone in the oven. There was more even heat and the oven didn't kick on as much. I have a large square baking stone that was re-gifted to me (hey, I'll take about anything). I put it on the middle rack of my oven before I baked some vegetarian lasagna for supper. I can't say that I watched or rather listened to know if the oven clicked on more or less, but what surprised me was how long that stone held the heat afterwards.
I always leave the oven door cracked after turning it off so the heat comes into the room. I bet there was heat still coming from that baking stone half an hour later! So that's the new storage place for that baby. It won't help when you're baking something for a short period of time as it will take a while for that stone to heat up, so take it out if you're just browning a pie crust. For long time baking, even half an hour, it makes sense that it would help.
Simple stuff, but it works!
Make your own Endust & Static Guard substitutes
My latest finds are substitutes for Endust and Static Guard. I gave them both a try and they work great! Saves me money, is earth friendly and I almost always have the ingredients!
The anti-static dusting spray is nothing more than one part of liquid fabric softener to maybe 5 parts water. As usual, I tend not to measure, I just eyeball it. Put it in a little spray bottle, give it a few shakes to mix, spray it on a cloth and dust away. I used this yesterday and by cracky, there is NO dust, and I mean NO dust on the furniture that I used this on. Wahoo! I wiped down one little table with a barely damp cloth so I'd have something to compare it to, and it shows some dust today. I did some light sprays on the recliners and no static pops last night, too! I do get a little nervous spraying fabric softener directly on upholstered furniture, so I'll probably get another spray bottle and water it down a bit more...maybe. I'll see how long the anti static part of this trial lasts. Label the bottle!
I also tried the homemade dust mop treatment this morning and I give that two thumbs up. All that involves is 4 drops of olive oil (or any cooking oil, or lemon oil, etc) in one cup of warm water. Again, into a little spray bottle, shake it up and spray on your dustmop, or in my case, a rag covered Swiffer. It doesn't take much, just a couple of light mists, then dust those floors. Worked like a charm! Grabbed up cat hair and dust just like the purchased stuff. I then took the rags outside, gave them a couple shakes and into the laundry basket. Label the bottle!
What's cool is that I'm not bring more plastic or aerosol cans into the house, thus keeping them out of the waste stream. I'm almost out of spray bottles, so I'm going to ask friends and relatives to save them for me. Some folks just don't want to get on board, but hey, they're willing to help out the eco-fanatic person they know and love. Well, know, anyway.
The anti-static dusting spray is nothing more than one part of liquid fabric softener to maybe 5 parts water. As usual, I tend not to measure, I just eyeball it. Put it in a little spray bottle, give it a few shakes to mix, spray it on a cloth and dust away. I used this yesterday and by cracky, there is NO dust, and I mean NO dust on the furniture that I used this on. Wahoo! I wiped down one little table with a barely damp cloth so I'd have something to compare it to, and it shows some dust today. I did some light sprays on the recliners and no static pops last night, too! I do get a little nervous spraying fabric softener directly on upholstered furniture, so I'll probably get another spray bottle and water it down a bit more...maybe. I'll see how long the anti static part of this trial lasts. Label the bottle!
I also tried the homemade dust mop treatment this morning and I give that two thumbs up. All that involves is 4 drops of olive oil (or any cooking oil, or lemon oil, etc) in one cup of warm water. Again, into a little spray bottle, shake it up and spray on your dustmop, or in my case, a rag covered Swiffer. It doesn't take much, just a couple of light mists, then dust those floors. Worked like a charm! Grabbed up cat hair and dust just like the purchased stuff. I then took the rags outside, gave them a couple shakes and into the laundry basket. Label the bottle!
What's cool is that I'm not bring more plastic or aerosol cans into the house, thus keeping them out of the waste stream. I'm almost out of spray bottles, so I'm going to ask friends and relatives to save them for me. Some folks just don't want to get on board, but hey, they're willing to help out the eco-fanatic person they know and love. Well, know, anyway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)