Homemade Laundry Stain Remover

Homemade Laundry Stain Remover

1-cup hot water

1/2-cup baking soda

1/2-cup hydrogen peroxide

Living with Less and Liking it More

Originally written in January of 2009.

Nearly two years ago now, in 2007, we took a trip to visit my husband's family in Brasil.  As always, leaving the United States of Stuff for a while caused me to reflect on the current state of materialism in this country.
Now just to set the record straight, Brazil is the most developed country in South America, and while not wealthy, my in-laws live a very comfortable life in a new apartment just blocks away from a beautiful beach which boasts the largest beachside garden in the world.  However, their home is not cluttered with the typical american array of various and sundry miscellaneous.

How to Sew Your Own Cloth Diapers

Using cloth diapers is frugal, even if you have to invest some money initially on the diapers. So, making your own is *more* frugal, right?  But, as long as you are making your own, why not take frugal to the one hundreth power and make them from recycled fabrics??

Following is a tutorial on how to do just that.

Inflation Busters

 My mom passed along to me this list of "inflation busters", which she got from my grandmother.

 My grandmother grew up in the Great Depression, and learned to be very resourceful with simple ingredients! It would serve us well to learn to be that resourceful again – and we may have to soon out of necessity! This is a LOT of information, on how to make your own baking mixes, how to make your own cleaning supplies, and much more!

How To Give a Boy a Haircut All by Yourself!

Giving a boy a haircut is really very simple, and in the long run, it will save you a *bundle* of money! I have always cut my children’s and husband’s hair, and it would be fun sometime to do the math to see how much we’ve saved…. but for now, I will just tell you how I cut my son’s hair. I do basically the same thing for my husband as well, just a little bit longer. It takes all of about 10 minutes, too – way less stressful than going somewhere else!

Ways to Save and Be Healthy

*Buy foods as close to possible in the way they were originally made .For example, whole chicken rather than boneless, skinless chicken breast, or dried beans rather than canned. It is much cheaper to buy that way, and healthier too!

Potty Training with Wool -Longies and Bum Sweaters

Did you know that if you felt wool, it becomes waterproof? “Felting” it simply means “washing it in hot water”.  I will explain how this knowledge can make your potty training experience a happier one! I only discovered this “secret” when potty training my third child, and it is one I wish I had known about sooner.  If you can get an old wool sweater and you have some *very* basic sewing skills, you can take advantage of this strategy when you potty train your child.

How to Wash and Care for Cloth Diapers

In the eleven years I have been cloth diapering, I have tried many different methods of washing them. This is what I have settled on, at least for now.

Keep a pail in a convenient area.
I currently use a plastic garbage can; in the past I have used a five gallon drywall bucket. Whatever works!  I use a dry pail method, that is, I don’t keep water in the pail. I do however, usually sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the bottom to reduce and control odors.