I make both liquid and dry detergent. The liquid is just dissolving a grated Sunlight laundry bar (for Canadians) in hot water and mixing it with the Borax and washing soda in a 5-gallon bucket. I use the dry mix for my whites.

Before making the homemade laundry soap remember its soap not detergent. This worked years ago because there was no detergent, but there is a reason grandma was so happy when synthetic detergent hit the market.

First lets look at the amount used of this in a load... 2T. So if you think about all 3 items used and measure out 2T your getting grams of each ing. Yet the back of the Borax box says...add 1/2 cup to each load...so what's a few grams going to do.

Soap needs some special steps taken if your using it to wash clothes. Hot water, very very hot, much hotter than a washer is going to produce on a normal cycle, it also requires soft water, very soft as in phosphate soft. It requires many rinses the first 3 needs to be in very hot soft water ...even than you won't get all the soap out of the fibers.

The soap will build up in the clothing trapping soils causing dull colors, dingy whites and odors.

But worse is what it will do to your washer. Think of how soap scum builds up in a bathtub darn near requiring chiseled off...that's what happens to your washer..inside where you can't see it. Than mold grows on the soap scum. This can only be cleaned by tearing the washer completely apart and using a scrub brush. It will not come off running a clean washer cycle.

This homemade brew has been all over the net for a long time.

Don't believe what I've said go ahead and try it for yourself and tell us how your clothes look in a few months.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade..I just want to save you a lot of problems and money in the future.

Our water is scalding. No worries about not having hot enough water.

I've been using this recipe for about a year or two. Our clothes look just fine. Come out clean and colors are fine also. I also take good care of our appliances making sure to give them a good cleaning from time to time. Thank you though :)

Jasdip such pretty laundry! :) Love the colors :D

A bag of Cuties will last about one hour at my house (if 3 grandkids visit us). :) My 10 year old granddaughter and 7 year old grandson will eat the end table if nothing else is available.

Mama is right. Homemade isn't the best formula for clean clothes and equipment maintenance.

Auto maintenance. Follow the owner's manual re: oil changes. Most brands recommend 7,500 miles or more. My DIL's Volvo extends the oil change interval to 10,000 miles. The retailers want you there at 3,000. Ignore them and put the extra $$ in good laundry detergent.

A great cleaner for windows and mirrors and I use it on countertops, sink, countertop oven etc is

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1/2 cup ammonia

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tsp dishwashing liquid

Pour into a half-gallon container (I use a 1.89 litre jug that cranberry juice comes in) and fill with water. Pour into a sprayer and spray away.

I use what Jasdip posted to clean my car windows. I recommend it.

One of the biggest money-saving tips I can attest to is using the internet to help you do home repairs. From Gardenweb to YouTube, you can fix so many things yourself these days!

We've had issues with our washer and dryer over the years ( ~14-15 years old each), and we've addressed problems without one single call to a professional.

I research the problem and buy an inexpensive part, and DH does the repair.

We've spent ~$130 on both appliances to keep them going over the years, which is probably hundreds and hundreds in savings by buying parts direct and doing our own repairs with online help and tutorials.

I also recommend joining your neighborhood's Nextdoor.com if you can. People are so kind and generous, and give away things they don't need, donate things when they can, and sell things cheap.

You can also get great recommendations for reasonably-priced repairs, electrical, plumbing, and anything you can think of.

Harnessing your good neighbors can save you a lot!

I second DIY. I've repaired a dishwasher I thought I was going to have to replace by looking up how to fix it on the internet. Also installed a kitchen sink with garbage disposal by watching a YouTube video. Saved $300-$400 doing it myself :D

We are not coffee snobs by any stretch, but we do drink flavored coffee. Several years ago, I started cutting the more expensive coffee 1:1 with "rotgut", the cheapest I could find. It is still flavored, and we thought it tasted fine. We have a grocery store here that frequently has "buy 2 get 3 free" specials. A purchase of 10 bags for the price of 4, when added with an equal amount of cheap stuff, will last us most of a year. I keep the unopened coffee in the freezer.

One time, I got a rain check because they were out of the flavor during B2G3. Soon after, it was on sale for something like $3.79 a bag. They allow you to combine that with the rain check. It took two people to ring it up, and in the end they said $4.00. I tried to argue that it should be $16, but they insisted it was right have a nice day. I got $80 of coffee for $4!

And now, if I happen to get the full flavored stuff, it tastes overpowering!

jasdip, the pH of water is usually around 7, that's the neutral point on the pH scale. Vinegar works for cleaning, in part, because it's acidic (pH<7). Ammonia works, in part, because it's basic (alkali, pH>7). If you mix the two together, they will counteract and neutralize each other to some extent and bring the pH of the combination closer to 7. I'd say pick the one you like better and leave out the other.

Hopefully everyone knows to never mix an acid (like vinegar) with chlorine bleach. The combination gives off poisonous chlorine gas.

Rain barrels to collect water for the garden.

Elmer, vinegar is cheaper than ammonia and smells a lot better. So I can just use vinegar, rubbing alcohol and a bit of dishwashing liquid? I'll try that next time. Hubby loves my mixture for the car windows, he hasn't found anything that works as good.

I thought I remembered that it was bleach and ammonia that you shouldn't mix because they'd produce toxic chlorine gas. However Elmer has it right, bleach plus vinegar (or other weak acids) produces chlorine gas, which can kill you. Bleach plus ammonia produces chloramine gas which is similar to chlorine gas and can also kill you.

I don't mix anything with bleach it's just about toxic on it's own. I have a hard time breathing with bleach around.

My sister gives me lemons from her trees. I squeeze the juice out and put it in ice trays to freeze it in Cubes. I store the Cubes in zip lock bags in the freezer. Need lemon juice just grab a cube. I zest it and freeze it too. I buy the big jars of peeled garlic at Costco and put them in zip lock baggies in the freezer it keeps it perfectly fresh.

We changed out most of the lights in the house to led, much cooler and less power and the price has really dropped on them. Plus I much prefer a brighter white light rather than the yellowish of the regular bulbs.

I did put the Cuties in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. I'm not sure how long they will last, but they only lasted us a few days before they were all eaten up.

When I bought my new car in August I had the front, side windows tinted more. The guy who tinted them said to use certain window cleaner (you can buy it anywhere) that will not damage the tint. Just make sure that any homemade window cleaner is safe for the car tint.

I save a lot of time and trouble by doing a little deep cleaning nearly every day. Yesterday, I took the veggie drawers out of the fridge, washed and dried them, and washed that part of the fridge before returning the drawers. (Then, I went grocery shopping!)

What triggered the task was the fact that the bins were nearly empty. I clean different parts of the fridge as the inventory is reduced to a point that enables it. Oh, this leads to a big money saving thing, too. We never have hidden, old, out of date, or moldy stuff that needs to be tossed. I can see everything.

We may spend ten to twenty minutes a day doing baseboards or under the fridge or turning a mattress or dusting a room, etc. Spring cleaning is a distant memory for us as is a frantic last minute whirlwind when company is coming.

I've never been much of a baker but have, over the course of a couple of years, learned to save time and steps and mistakes by assembling everything I need in advance....ingredients, utensils, bowls, and everything else. I enjoy the process of baking a lot more now as it seems like less of a task.

Forgot to add my biggest money saver....my garden! We are huge vegetable eaters and we can eat of the garden, with careful planning/planting much of the year.

I do a lot of the same things some of you do, buy in bulk and then repackage and freeze, garden and can and freeze. I have made the same liquid soap recipe that most of us on here use and have never had a problem with it. I do have soft water and very hot water. I seldom every use vinegar in my washer and they all come out nice. I have not made any laundry soap for a couple of years as I have just been too busy with taking care of my husband, but I have made gallons of it. I will make more when I have the time and energy. The men in the family can all do a lot of carpenter, plumbing and electrical work as well as tree work, so we seldom hire much of anything done. The girls and I have always done our own painting, never have hired that either. About the only thing I recall having hired someone to do was clean out the septic tank.

Sue

Squeegees are one of the best ways to remove pet hair from your carpet....try it,it really works.

For me the best way to save money is through DIY. The biggest example would be the kitchen at our previous house where after getting a estimate from a contractor of $98000 + appliances I ended up doing the entire job myself at a cost of less than $30000 including appliances. For me no amount of gardening or buying in bulk or making my own laundry soap would ever come close to the amount I save by doing projects around the home myself. Plus with each project I tackle successfully I gain a little more knowledge, a few more skills and more confidence that I will be able to tackle the next job.

I did recently have a contractor redo the slate patio at the old house, but I did all the initial demolition which saved some on costs, I managed to remove the old tile in a way that it all could be reused, which saved even more on materials costs, plus I learned enough about how the job ought to be done, that I was able to determine that the first contractor who bid on the job wasn't going to do the job correctly, which saved me the amount he was going to charge, plus whatever it would have cost in time in money to rip it all out and redo it all.

save by doing projects around the home myself.

Ditto. From replacing parts on my cars (radiator, gasket on the power steering, etc.) to remodeling/repairing things (plumbing, washing machine, etc.). It's so much cheaper to fix it yourself. I have to say, I think we're lucky bob. We have mechanical minds and aren't afraid to try it. I think it's probably overwhelming to some or just not something they can do. It's a good place to be lucky!

Lucky, for sure. And skilled! I can't imagine the money some people have to spend on hiring repair people. Actually, I can. DH has a handyman business. He can fix anything home related, and does everything at home. He can't do some levels of plumbing and electrical in other people's homes, because he is not licensed at those levels. But he does them at home. In addition to auto/truck/diesel mechanics. And computers. And woodworking/carpentry. He's an electrical engineer by training, and that engineer brain is an amazing thing. My dad was the same way. The only time I can ever remember my parents calling a repair person was for the septic system and the oil furnace.

For years, I've kept a square bucket beside the sink. Anytime I run water to temperature, the water gets put into the bucket, until it's the desired temp. Anytime water is run, rinsing out glasses, etc, it's thrown into the bucket. When it comes time to rinse out cans/bottles for recycling, or rinsing a coffee mug, etc, I use the bucket water. It's amazing how much water gets wasted, just going down the drain, and I hate using potable water to rinse cans for recycling, etc.

I do something similar with pots of water. When I use a lot of water to clean vegetables, or defrost someone that's in a vacuum-sealed bag, I take that water outside and water plants and bushes whenever possible.

Oh, I always use the water for watering my plants, as well. I forgot to mention that.

To save money, I buy in bulk, divide up and run it through the Foodsaver. When canned goods, paper goods, cleaning and laundry items go on sale I buy multiples. I have well stocked shelves int he basement along with 1 large freezer, one small chest freezer and a fridge freezer that are always full to the brim. When kept full, they use less energy as one item cools the next and so on. If your freezer is not full, add jugs of water. Since there are only 2 of us, I often cook meals with planned left overs. Cabbage rolls, pot roast, sliced beef for sandwiches, you get the idea. Cook once and eat several times over the next six months. And never bake an orphan!

I grow and can some vegetables, enough to give away too. A two bin compost gets all the scraps for the worms and the soil.

At night, we turn down the heat to about 64 degrees and keep it at 68 during the day. Shades come up when the sun is out. In the summer, the A/C is set for 75 or higher and higher at night. If the sun is out, shades come down.

shop clearance racks first

we are DIYers, DH is a carpenter with other skills so paying someone is a rarity here.

keep our heat at 62 during the day and 64 after 3:00...64 all weekend... when very cold, we do bump up to 66-67....

buy in bulk

compost, use that for plants,

shred our leaves and use that for mulch in spring

repurpose &/or re-use anything we can

shop thrift stores, especially great for college kids when they need to outfit their apartment.

go to yard sales

i use equal part alcohol &water and a drop or two dish soap with essential oil for fragrance for cleaning my granite., got that recipe from the kitchen forum., love it!!

I thought of another great money-saving tip today as I was at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned.

Take very, very , very good care of your teeth.

Dentistry is $$$$$$!

With the price of gas, whenever possible, I try to do several
errands in one trip …. so I do a circle rather than backtrack.

For out of town interests/events, several of us meet at a location and carpool.

We buy in bulk as well. We buy meat on sale and cook in large batches and freeze most of it. We make and freeze individual meals to save time and money as well.

DS goes to the store daily on foot and grocery shops. Saves in gas, ensures we have fresh veggies etc and gives him exercise. :)

We cut our own and the dogs' hair. Huge savings with our poodle mixes. Plus no one will cut the one dog's hair as she nips if anyone else but me does it.

Our heat is off all day week days until 3:30 pm until 8 pm unless DH is cold. :(

During the summer the water from the sinks is diverted to the rain barrel through a pipe. The rain barrel is attached to an in ground watering hose. Love that I convinced DH to do this.

Like Bob_cville we same thousands by doing things ourselves. DH is mechanically inclined with build-it/fix-it skills and he is fortunate to have an efficient cost conscious GC in me. :-) As DH is aging we do hire more help for back breaking labor. But most he still does himself.

Oil changes and general auto maintenance are done at home. Time is saved by utilizing the car wash.

Second huge time and money saver is shopping online. Another time saver is research. A little time spent learning and researching pays off huge dividends later.

I don't make my own household cleans but I stick to basics. Bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, one laundry detergent, clorox, dish washing power, liquid dish soap, furniture polish, Comet or Ajax, SOS pads are basic staples. Microfiber cloths from the auto dept. are bigger and better than expensive ones sold for the "kitchen". I don't buy into the hype of special cleaners for stainless, counter tops, the inside of dish and clothes washers, or feel the need for scented candles or chemicals to mask odors.

I save money by taking advantage of using credit card rewards quarterly programs. No fee, zero interest on large purchases even if I can afford to pay cash.

We live with things until they wear out. I am not inclined to like new and modern. I find the old stuff is better built and often more repairable.

White appliances. They are classic. They match. They don't need babying.

I am not into clothes or fashion. I buy clothes when they wear out or don't fit. Jeans from Walmart. I don't think saggy thighs and butt mom jeans that cost a hundred bucks are more flattering than my 20 dollar jeans that fit snug and right. Many of my tees are swag (freebies) and the rest are basic unisex. I don't want a ladies tee that is so thin it requires layers or looks like a sausage casing.

I buy a quality shampoo and conditioner online by the liter. Yes I pay a lot (around 80.00- 100.00 initially but it saves money over time. I used to go through drug store shampoo like water. 10- 20 bucks monthly over 80 per year. The good stuff lasts me about a year and keeps my hair in better shape meaning fewer trims needed. I splurge on color instead.

I treat my dog like a dog. No clothes, no fancy bathing and grooming, just good quality dog food and a lot of love.

No lights are on unless we are using them. No lighting up my house like a Christmas tree indoors or out. No tv or radio unless we are actively listening or watching. My observation is that the more energy conscious our world had become the more light pollution there is. Especially outdoors in the name of security. I guess people think using low energy bulbs means never having to turn off their lights.

I buy plastic grocery bags online. Two cents each instead of paying 25 cents at the register. Clean,reusable and I don't have to purchase expensive separate bags for trash or dog poop.

Our DS has demonstrated any instruction needed can be found on You Tube. He needed to replace the fabric on the flying bridge on his boat. The estimate was close to $3,000. Annoyed, he checked the "how to" info on You Tube, bought a used comercial sewing machine and higher quality material online. Took the original top apart and used it as a pattern. Sewed and installed he saved half the estimate. Had to ask him how the heck he managed to sew straight without a problem. Said he had to take Home Skills in high school.

He has taught all his children, 3 boys and 1 girl many diy skills. They all know how to put brakes on their vehicles. My DH is so inclinded, but priorities change as you grow older.

We also buy meat in bulk and repackage and freeze, but I make my own marinade and BBQ sauce as well. When freezing steak or chicken, I add the sauce or marinade right into the ziplock before freezing. Then when I take the package out to thaw it marinates at the same time. When freezing portions of ground beef for making meatloaf, I add the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, and seasoning into the bag before freezing. When I want to make the meatloaf, I thaw the package and mix by kneading the bag...No mess! I also save vegetable peels in the freezer and make my own broth. If we have a whole chicken, I freeze the carcass and add it to the vegetable bits and simmer all together for broth. The broth can be frozen for later use.

I'm sure I've had more tangible benefits from the four years of shop class I took in high school than from several others of the "college prep" courses I took.

Judging by the line up at Tim Horton's drive through, some people must spend a 'fortune' on coffee, not to mention time waiting, and gas from idling the car. I fill a travel mug from home, and also pack a muffin, if needed.

I'm saving money that I don't even have right now. A few days ago the toilets started bubbling indicating a clog in the main...my two sons sure did find the clog but they also found a cracked pipe in the main..sigh...I suppose most people would call for a backhoe and a plumber. My sons however dug it all by hand and will be ready to lay all new drainage pipes as soon as our rain decides to stop. I'm sure this is saving us a lot of money. Between hubs and sons I've saved many times over the years doing home repairs.

Mimi you're scaring me. Have you defrosted many people?

LOL Skibby. I went right by that when I first read her post.

I make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them after cooking. They're easy to pop in to sauces, spaghetti, stroganoff, etc for a quick meal.

I do what a lot of U all do: Thrift stores for clothes or closeouts. REI had Keen boots on closeout 50% off. Amazon had 95% off flannel sheets I love, purchased 3 sets. Buy non-perishables in bulk when on sale, ie: toilet paper(12/$3), laundry detergent(.99/ gallon for Sun w/ Oxy, 6 qty will last a yr). Coupons! Coupons! Coupons!

Cut back on serving sizes. It seems like at home the portions had been getting larger like they are at restaurants. I cut back, we're still full, and groceries go a lot further.

Just thought of one more. No funerals, expensive caskets, grave sites or niches. Prepaid cremation, ashes tossed. Done. Dust to dust.

This is not a recommendation, but Watchmelol's comment made me think of this. Depending on the laws where you live and decide to be legally buried, you could just skip the embalming if your body is buried within 24 hours. You could also be buried in a cardboard casket and save on the fancy, expensive one. Most of the funeral home stuff with hearses, flowers, formal funeral, etc., is not necessary. You could have an end of life celebration with friends anywhere.

One way to save money (that I do not recommend) is to not have any pets. Beside the basics required, vet bills, specific diets and unexpected emergencies............ouch.

Let's take that a step further and say no kids too. Very expensive. lol

Like with humans a good way to save on vet/dr bills is to take care of them/yourself now so you aren't paying for it later. Paying a little extra now for a proper diet will save in bills later on down the road.

Yes, healthy eating saves money and pain later for pets and people. Being overweight causes expensive problems later.

Not able to do too much in my current situation but---this thread reminded me that we (mostly my husband) did many things that were huge savings, He was knowledgeable about almost everything to do with keeping up a house. For instance-he completely rewired our home. The inspector said it was the best job of wiring he had seen. He also re-did our kitchen from top to bottom, built me a pantry I thought I didn't want, but learned to love. I was spoiled because everything in our home "worked" the way it should. He learned these skills from his father who was a civil engineer whose specialty was building bridges. Their big family moved often, usually to an old house needing work. My husband was in the Physics department of the Air Force Institute of Technology where these skills also came in handy.

I was getting something out of the top cupboard and thought of this thread.

I use long tongs to reach something from the back of the top of the cupboard.....jars, my small cider vinegar jug, etc etc. When I'm too lazy to get the stool, this works perfectly. :-)

Let's take that a step further and say no kids too. Very expensive. lol

A wise person once said, "You can have kids or you can have money, but you cannot have both". :)