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Frugal budget trimming


greenbeanmama
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The dryer!  My husband doesn't like "crispy" clothes, so I gave up line drying years ago.  I think it's time he adjusted, or at least if I only used the dryer for his, that's still four other people's clothes NOT using that electricity.

 

 

How about line drying and then just putting stuff in the drier for a short period of time to do away with the crispness?

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So far my wife is extremely happy with the laundry detergent we bought in the store her sister recommended where they sell out of carton no credit cards no bags no person to pack. She said it is excellent. Possibly better than FAB she has used for many years. Way cheaper than FAB. She also likes the soap bars I bought there very much. We went there Saturday and bought a lot of stuff. The Cooking Oil for example is much less than the name brand we have been using so she is trying that. Also their Canola cooking oil. We bought their 3 ply toilet paper and that was less than the 2 ply store brand I had been buying in the supermarket. With time we will know which products to buy there and save some money. At least 2 of our neighbors shop there.

 

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About laundry detergent...I became sensitive/allergic to most detergents. I find one that works for awhile (years, maybe), but eventually I begin to get rashes and have to find another option. As a result, I've developed a habit of using minimal detergent in each wash, in order to reduce my exposure. When using liquid detergent, I pour just enough in the measuring cap to cover the bottom of the cup by a small amount -- perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 an inch.  I only use a tiny fraction of the normal amount, but our clothes always come out clean.

 

Laundry detergent is expensive, so if you normally use the manufacturer's recommended amounts, you can stretch your 40 load bottle into 120 loads or even more.

 

You can also extend the volume of liquid hand soap by diluting it with water.

Edited by Storygirl
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re: detergent; When ds was small I had to use All Free and Clear because he reacted to anything else. 7 or so years ago when we went uber tight I made my own but only did that a year or so as I found that it do a very good job over time. Currently, I just use the Aldi generic that has the least amount of smell. 

 

re: using less: One frugal principle is to keep using less and less until you find the minimum amount needed to do the job. I need to do that with the detergent I'm using now. 

 

Joyofsix has a great list and it is so much about attitude. We have a constant push towards consumerism in our culture. A constant push that we have to have these things to be successful, our kids have to do XYZ, etc. BUT how we treat our kids and the time we spend with them is what matters.

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About laundry detergent...I became sensitive/allergic to most detergents. I find one that works for awhile (years, maybe), but eventually I begin to get rashes and have to find another option. As a result, I've developed a habit of using minimal detergent in each wash, in order to reduce my exposure. When using liquid detergent, I pour just enough in the measuring cap to cover the bottom of the cup by a small amount -- perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 an inch.  I only use a tiny fraction of the normal amount, but our clothes always come out clean.

 

Laundry detergent is expensive, so if you normally use the manufacturer's recommended amounts, you can stretch your 40 load bottle into 120 loads or even more.

 

You can also extend the volume of liquid hand soap by diluting it with water.

 

I am not aware that any of us have ever had a reaction to the FAB powder detergent, which we used for many years. But if they change the formula,  things can change, drastically...

 

My wife's initial impressions are that using the same amount of powder detergent, the clothes are Whiter and smell good.  The price differential, between this detergent and the FAB detergent is enormous.

 

We have tried Liquid detergents in the washing machine, a few times, in fact I believe many years ago that is what we used, but then switched to FAB detergent, about 1997 or 1998.  

 

My Stepson signed up to sell AMWAY  and she tried their Laundry Detergent which is a "Green" product, a few times, but I don't think it cleaned as well and was probably more expensive in each load, for the quantity she needed to use.  And my Stepson lost interest in AMWAY so that worked out well. I think my wife was his only customer?

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About laundry detergent...I became sensitive/allergic to most detergents. I find one that works for awhile (years, maybe), but eventually I begin to get rashes and have to find another option. As a result, I've developed a habit of using minimal detergent in each wash, in order to reduce my exposure. When using liquid detergent, I pour just enough in the measuring cap to cover the bottom of the cup by a small amount -- perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 an inch.  I only use a tiny fraction of the normal amount, but our clothes always come out clean.

 

Laundry detergent is expensive, so if you normally use the manufacturer's recommended amounts, you can stretch your 40 load bottle into 120 loads or even more.

 

You can also extend the volume of liquid hand soap by diluting it with water.

 

Costco's Kirkland brand is quite highly rated by Consumer Reports and ranks up there with Tide.  We buy it and stock up when there is a sale.  It ends up about 50% of the cost of Tide.

 

Then we use half the recommended amount.  Many washing repairmen have said that detergent makers set the recommended amounts and it is too much and hard on the washers.  So we use half.

 

So, we essentially spend 1/4 of what Tide is.

 

We did make our own for a while, but honestly, I didn't like it that much and I calculated that the homemade was .03 per load and the Kirkland is .07 per load.   That is about $1-$2 more per month.

 

It is worth it to me.

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I forgot my favorite thing. It goes along with finding the least amount that does the job. I mix shampoo, hand soap, dish soap (I don't have a dish washer) etc half and half with water. My kids always use too much so this keeps me from buying bottles and bottles. I also use 1/2 to a 1/3 of the recommended laundry detergent and chuck a handful of borax in there. My laundry seems as white and bright as any. (Maybe it's the line drying ;-) ) Another thing, jeans and pants don't really need to be laundered every time you wear them unless you spill or do yard work. None of that makes you rich but when things are super tight every penny counts.

 

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Edited by joyofsix
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