Frugal Home

This page is for 'all things home'. 

All-Purpose Cleaner

After zesting and juicing all citrus fruits, I toss the leftovers in jars and cover with vinegar. I steep for several weeks, just covered at room temperature in quart jars. I strain the vinegar very well and pour into my spray bottles and top off with water and a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil if I have it. .....Great smell, deodorizes, and disinfects! (Lime post.)

I use this all over the house; from the bathroom to the kitchen. Sometimes I call in the bleach, but this is my daily frugal cleaner. I use it to spot clean the carpet or couch. I spray a cloth lightly and even dust with it. I keep a bottle in every bathroom and in the kitchen.

(A few other cleaners are here.)

Baking Soda

This is my all purpose scrub and I use it for many things around our house. I clean sinks and bathtubs with it.  I keep it by my kitchen sink to scrub pots and pans when necessary. I also frequently brush my teeth with it and exfoliate my skin with it as well. Very good for oily skin! It's used in my homemade toothpaste recipe found here. I sometimes sprinkle it on the laundry if odors may be a problem and paste of it can sometimes scrub loose food such as dripped egg yolks from breakfast. If you have pets, it can be used in pinches in their beds and litter boxes to keep out odor from these areas...and your pet! It can also be a good scrub for shampoo and hair spray build up from time to time.

Cloth Napkins

Why buy, what you can reuse? In a couple of afternoons, you can make enough napkins to get your family through several meals before you need to wash and reuse. I keep a bucket on the dryer just for my napkins. They get washed alone or with other kitchen items to keep them hair free :-) I keep them on the table.

HAIR

With 5 boys, the best investment we ever made for haircare was a Flowbee. Not so cheap on the start up but after really botching one of their precious locks with a regular set of clippers, this was very wise (and appreciated by the formerly scalped child;-) and it really paid for itself within a few months since I didn't have to take anymore little boys to the barber and ask him to "fix this"!

Look for these on ebay etc. I only gave $59 for mine. You can't mess up with these as you can only go as short as your guard. Once you've cut the hair all over, simply use a trimmer for the side burns and nape.

                                                         Tissues:
                                                                                            Kleenex are expensive.                                                                                                 Remember hankies?
                                                                                                  Or make them.

 Cloth Pads for Women

Although store-bought ones can come in handy if you must travel or be away from home, these are a nice homemade version and if you look at the bottom of that post, she has another style. (You could keep a small lidded container with soapy water under that bathroom cabinet for privacy, as you would a diaper pail.)

Beauty

Here is a post called Kitchen-Beauty Tips with several things you can do and make in the kitchen for your skin. Here is a great site with tons of homemade beauty items. I love it!  Xylitol is supposed to be very beneficial for your dental health. Here is a recipe to my homemade Xylitol Mints. I have a post here with shared information from Weston Price about using natural means for hormonal balancing. My favorite nutritional and vitamin supplier is Botanic Choice.

Make Your Own and Do-It-Yourself

Between library books and the internet, there's almost nothing that a homemaker can't figure out how to do herself. There are videos for learning how to decorate cakes, learning to sew, making lip balm, liquid soap (I use leftover pieces), simple baby toys(mine played with lots of empty containers and the pots and pans;), your own board game (my kids make these out of household items),..........and even how to replace the seal on your refrigerator. When anything breaks, a strange need arises, or you need a quick gift, always dig around on the internet for a frugal alternative. You can even type in specific, on-hand items in your search. (like: make a gift with clothespins) Brandy has a great post on birthdays with tips on making your own decorations and much more. Also, check out her Sewing for Less and Frugal Gifts.

Books and Homeschool Supplies

We look locally at our used book store and the Goodwill when we can. Before buying I always try to compare the cheapest prices online starting with ebay.  Then on to:

and

                                                                    

Gadgets, Appliances, and Machines

Our local Habitat for Humanity has building supplies and appliances for a considerable discount. I know a lady who is slowly remodeling her home and getting her supplies very cheaply from them; everything from toilets to windows. Click here to go to their site. Find shop on the blue bar and click resale outlets to see if there is one near you. Goodwill, Freecycle, your local papers, and LSN are great places to find used items at great prices or free. I bought my garden tiller for $50 from someone on LSN, as well as an old refrigerator for $40 that I keep in the garage for storage from the garden, fermenting, and Once-A-Month-Shopping.

Also, see if you have a local "scratch and dent" appliance store. The town we used to live in had one and I still have a freezer from there that is almost 12 years old. The closest one to me now is Nashville but if I were buying multiple appliances and had a truck- it would be a considerable option ;-) 

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I will continue to try to add more tips and links to this page.

As always, your use of my links are a huge blessing!

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