2. Make your own cleaning supplies

Making your own cleaners will not only will you save a lot of money, but you can also feel good that you are “going green”.  I will warn you, you will need to really be committed to this one because a lot of the homemade cleaners involve vinegar.  Here is the website that I get most of my cleaning “recipes” from.

I am a bit of a Pinterest fanatic, so I have also seen a lot of ideas there as well.  I will share some of my successes and failures that came with making my own cleaning supplies. 

Dishwashing detergent:  Here is the recipe that I used.  I tried it with the Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid and ended up with a terrible white film that took 4-5 hand washes just to remove.  I almost gave up, but then read about a product called Lemi Shine, which is for hard water.  I already had this huge tub of detergent that I would never be able to use, so I thought I'd give it one more try.  Worked like a charm!  I will say that this detergent is not perfect, but it is just as good as the commercial stuff.  A side note to the Lemi Shine, it will make your detergent harden (think brown sugar that's been in the pantry for awhile).  I put a little sack with rice in it and it made it soft enough that I could scoop it out.


Laundry detergent:  This is the recipe I used for my laundry detergent. I use the powdered detergent version at the bottom of the page for a few reasons.  1.  I don't have empty jugs that I can put detergent in.  2.  It involves using the stove (hot water).  Ain't nobody got time for that!  3.  I don't have a 5 gallon bucket.  So, the powdered version was a no brainer.  I love this stuff.  The only drawback is that if you love a lot of scent (I'm looking at you, Tide) you are not going to get it from this.  You can buy the scent pellets that are everywhere now, but they are kind of pricey.  That does defeat the point of making your own detergent.  However, if you MUST have the scent and it is between an expensive detergent & homemade, buy the scent pellets and enjoy your savings.  I found the Fels-Naptha in the laundry aisle at Wal-Mart 
Note:  This does not get sudsy, so it is supposed to be safe for HE machines

Homemade Shout:  This recipe is a huge thumbs down in my opinion.  Without going into much gory detail, I tried this on multiple onesies that had "baby stains" on them and this didn't do anything for that.  

Dryer Sheets:  The link for homemade dryer sheets is here.  I didn't like these very much at all.  As the rags were soaking my house REEKED of fabric softener-it was caustic.  Using the sheets wasn't a whole lot better.  The first few loads smelled way too strong.  A few loads were the right amount of softener and then nothing.  Dyer sheets really aren't that expensive.  This one is not worth it in my opinion.


Wood floor cleaner:  I don't remember where I got this recipe from, so I don't have link.  Here is the recipe:

• 1 part vinegar
• 1 part rubbing alcohol
• 1 part water
• 3 drops Dawn dishwashing liquid

This is the best wood floor cleaner that I have ever used.  Hands down.  The vinegar cleans, the Dawn degreases, and the the alcohol disinfects, makes the floors shine, and evaporates the water quickly so that it does not sit on the wood for a long time.  I put it in a spray bottle and spritz the floor.  Then I use a Swiffer dry mop to mop it.  Another tip, use an old wash cloth on the Swiffer, don't waste money on the refills.

This recipe takes an iron constitution.  It STINKS.  I have to use it when my husband is at work and the kids are napping.  Otherwise, it is a chorus of "It stinks", "Mommy, why does it smell so bad?".  The good news, the scent does go away. 

All purpose cleaner:  This is an easy one.  Just equal parts vinegar and water.  Vinegar is a natural disinfectant.  Again...it stinks.  There is a popular pin on pinterest that says if you soak vinegar in orange peels it will make the vinegar smell go away.  Don't believe it.  I tried it and it smells like pickled oranges and vinegar.  I think it is a worse smell than just vinegar.  

While I was pregnant, I could not stand strong smells, so I switched to hydrogen peroxide.  It is antiseptic, great at killing mildew, and has no scent.  You can buy a pretty big bottle for a dollar or less. 

1. Make a budget

Ok, so this one is pretty generic, but since it is the most important, I had to put it first.  You have got to know what you are dealing with if you are going to succeed.  If you need help starting out, there are a ton of free budgeting spreadsheets online.  Just google it, you can't miss them.

I know a lot of people who follow the Dave Ramsey plan.  I have never used it, so I can't vouch for it.  From what I gather though, the basic principle is don't spend it if you don't have it.  That seems like such a common sense thing, but it is very hard for some.  Whether you get a high from having new things or you just feel like you deserve something nice, the urge to spend is there. 

Try going without a credit card.  Put all of your budgeted cash in envelopes for each month.  Once you spend it, it's gone.  Always, always have money in your budget for unexpected expenses.  Your car will break down.  Your child will get sick.  Your dishwasher and washing machine will make a suicide pact and die together.  That is just how life seems to go sometimes.  If you have emergencies in the budget and you don't use that month's amount, carry it over to the next month.  

Go through the last 3 or months or so of your bills and find out where your income is going.  You may surprise yourself at some of the areas that you can reduce.  You may not have realized how much your car insurance is or maybe that cup of coffee from your local coffee shop is adding up to huge amounts every month. 

If you are only trying to save in order to have a little extra cash, cut back a little bit for each month and once you are used to that, you can cut a little more--baby steps.  Now, if you are trying to save money because you are in debt or are about to lose your house, there are no baby steps.  Cut drastically and do it now.  As they say, "There is no time like the present".

Practical Ways to Save Money

I've been called cheap.  I prefer to say that I'm just good with money.  Whatever you want to call it, I love to find new ways to save money.  I was laid off about a two years ago and my husband and I decided that it was the perfect time for me to become a stay at home mom.  With that decision made, we had to start cutting corners in order to make it a reality.  This was not easy.  I was already pretty frugal.  The only thing we really splurged on was going out to eat.   

Throughout the past year I have been finding little ways here and there to save.  Some of these are very simple and some are a bit extreme.  It really depends on how dire your situation.  Below is a list of ideas on how to save money.  I will write a separate post on each item to give a more comprehensive look into how to succeed at each idea.  


1.  Make a budget
2.  Make your own cleaning supplies 
3.  Minimize driving    
4.  Do not buy ANYTHING that is not necessary to living 
5.  Never go to the movie theater     
6.  Make reusable “paper” towels 
7.  Use up all the food in your pantry, freezer, and fridge 
8.  Reduce food waste
9.  Eat at home
10.Make your own convenience foods
11.Add beans to meals to stretch the meat out
12.  Do not buy gifts for anyone   
13.  Know  your local grocery stores
14.  Do not buy meat/cheese from deli

15.  Make your own food

16.  When something that you eat all the time is on sale, stock up

17.  Couponing   

18.  Cancel phone, cable, internet

19.  Get the basic cell phone, no texting, no data plan 

20.  Save energy 

21.  Avoid uncessary fees 

22.  Cut out expensive drinks 

23.  Make your own personal care items 

24.  Find free entertainment 

25.  Craigslist 

26.  Swap skills 

27.  Have a garage sale

28.  Limit time with friends who are not frugal

29.  No matter how tight money is, tithe

30.  If your employer matches 401k, do it. 

31.  Minimize shopping.  

32.  Take every spare cent you have and pay off debt

33.  Be humble 

34.  Change your whole mindset.  

35.  Repurpose/reuse items.  

36.  Get a freezer 

37.  Be a team