Extend the Life of Your Shower Curtain

I usually buy our shower curtain liners for a dollar, but that doesn't mean I don't want them to last as long as possible.  Once our curtain gets to the point that mildew has taken over, rather than spending ages scrubbing, I simply trim the curtain.

Rather than cut it perfectly, I bunch the curtain, find the stopping point of the mildew, & cut. 

While the curtain is a little jagged it's no worse for wear & this process can be repeated until the curtain is too short to stay in the tub.  Also, if a hole at the top rips, simply use a hole punch to punch another hole.  Using these methods, I only have to replace our liners once a year, saving money & saving trash.

Hooray for Recycled Dishes!

I recently came upon these Re-Play children's dishes at our local Walmart.  They're inexpensive (approximately 5 a package), made from recycled milk jugs, BPA free, & manufactured in the USA.  The plates have deep wells, so it's easy for E to scoop her food , & the plastic very thick & sturdy.

While the plates are not microwavable, they're dishwasher safe & durable as all get out.  If you're in the market for some sturdy, environmentally friendly children's dishes, I'd highly recommend buying from Re-Play.  They're fabulous!

Little Boxes on the Hillside, Little Boxes Made of Ticky-Tacky

I love a tiny house.  It's a sort of cult movement in which people give up their regular sized homes in favor of smaller, more sustainable dwellings.  MSN recently did a collection of 10 Tiny Homes & they are anything but Ticky-Tacky.  I'm absolutely in love with the above home; if only it were practical for a family of four.

When Life Hands You Frozen Tomatoes

So our fridge makes me want to bash my head into a wall.  Try as I might to get the proper temperature settings, we still occasionally wind up with a tomato that gets frozen in the produce bin.  I used the throw them out because they become complete mush once they thaw.  That is until it occurred to me that I could actually USE THEM for something.  Um, Duh.

Now I just wash them, cut out the stem, & place the juicy/mushy tomato in a container.  I then proceed to chop it to bits with kitchen scissors.  (How cute are these Woodpecker scissors?!)

The tomato & juice are then perfect for sauces & soups, & I just keep it in the freezer until it's needed.

If only I had thought of this three years ago when we moved into this house...

Why I Mend Our Clothes

Back in the day people used to mend their clothes.  Back when people actually made their clothes rather than running down to the big box store to buy imported goods for a little bit of nothing.  My gram sewed, my grandma sewed, & her Amish relatives sure as heck sewed.  It's something that has been done for generations, & I have gotten into the habit of mending our clothes, & I'm not looking back. 

I'm not a great seamstress.  I don't think my skills ever improved past my 8th grade home-ec class, but I'm proficient enough.  I like the little labor of love sewing a button on JC's shirt, or mending the seam on a pair of Emerson's pants. I enjoy doing the same thing that my grandmothers & their grandmothers did for their families.  Our clothes last longer, our money goes further, & we put less in the landfill.  Mending our clothes is a simple act of love; love for my family & love for the Earth.  Simple. 

10 Things We Don't Buy

I was inspired by MoneySavingMom's list of 7 things she doesn't buy & thought I'd compile my own:

• Paper towels/napkins/plates--We use cloth napkins, rags, & real plates at all times. 

• Electric can opener

• Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash--I use our stockpile, send away for samples, buy things when they're free with coupons, & use what we receive as gifts.  I haven't spent money on any of these things in years.

• Clothes--I made the commitment not to buy any clothes over a year ago & I've been surprised how little I've needed.  (I did buy 2 maternity shirts when I found out I was pregnant, one for $5 at Goodwill & one for $1 at Target on clearance with a coupon).  JC & I often receive clothing as Christmas presents, & JC spends about $15 every 6 months to get his shirts & pants professionally washed & starched.  It's well worth the money as it helps him feel super professional & keeps him from buying new clothes.  I've also quit buying for Emerson & use what we have on hand unless I can find something for $2 or less brand new. 

• A Minivan--Though it was tempting to upgrade when we found out our family was expanding we decided we just really didn't need a minivan/ accompanying loss of savings or car payment/bad gas mileage.  We're sticking with our 1996 Honda Civic & 2008 Ford Fusion, both of which are paid off, & will use a car topper when necessary for long trips. 

• Professional Hair color--The Troyer's go gray early, so I had to start coloring my hair when I turned 24.  I've been using Loreal at home hair color & with coupons & sales I only pay $3/box. 

• Laundry Detergent/Fabric Softener--I make our own, use vinegar, or we go without fabric softener

• Commercial Cleaners--I was able to get some 7th generation for free after coupons & rebate several years ago, but as that is getting used I simply rely on borax, baking soda, vinegar, & salt to get the job done. 

• Bottled Water--We've got a filtration system in our fridge & fill reusable water bottles.

• Candles/Air fresheners--I use a candle warmer to use up scraps of wax or I make our candles.  Instead of air fresheners we use old body splash that has been sitting around for years.  It works just as well & doesn't include any propellants. 

Things We Hardly Spend Any Money On--Many of these things I thought that we didn't spend any money on, but when I REALLY thought about it, I could find occasional exceptions.

• Cloth Diapers & Wipes--Despite using cloth diapers & cloth wipes that majority of the time, we do use disposable diapers for church & at night & use disposable wipes for nasty number 2s.  It's still a huge savings & it definitely saves on our trash output.  

Dryer--I air dry all of our laundry, but if & when JC does laundry, he does use the dryer.  I'd say we're 95% dryer free, which still seems pretty good to me. 

What do you go without?

Keurig: Convenient Coffee at What Cost?

I don't have a Keurig, nor do I have any intentions of switching from the coffee maker we received as a wedding present nearly four years ago.  Truthfully, I haven't given much thought to the Keurig, except to puzzle over its popularlarity & the (in my opinion) exorbitant price of owning one. 

That was until today when I saw this video that shows that the non-recyclable Keurig cups are quickly cluttering up our already taxed landfills. To me, that hot new kitchen appliance isn't looking so attractive anymore.

 
So what to do?  If you own a Keurig, consider purchasing a refillable K cup like the EkoBrew.  You can fill it with any standard hot beverage of choice AND prevent those little Keurig cups from winding up in the landfill, saving both you & our environment.  After the initial $12 investment, that's a pretty sweet deal. 

Panic Mode Update

Several months ago I wrote about feeling like I was in panic mode when it came to unexpected expenses.  The health care costs of having our second child are significantly more than they were with Little E & I wanted to find a way to pay our monthly $174 doctor bill WITHOUT dipping into our savings.  So far we've done a pretty good job of making it work & I've found sharing this challenge with all of you makes me more motivated.

Here's what I've done so far: 

• I sold broken/unused jewelry to a gold dealer & made $100.

• I returned diapers that I bought when we first found out we were pregnant with Little Baby & used the $54  toward a payment. (They weren't a good deal either, & I know better, but I guess I was just excited to purchase tiny diapers again!)

• I returned a fancy dress I bought for E & bought her a booster seat with the store credit.

• I used the $20 I earned from consumer testing toward a payment.

• I emptied out a checking account we never use, which netted us $151 toward a payment.

• I've been using the $25/week I earn for picking up my friend's son from school toward the payments, instead of using it as blow money.  

• I used credit card rewards to purchase a $25 Christmas gift card which saved us $25 in cash. 

• I've sent away for reimbursement through our flex spending account; that will put over $400 back in our pockets. 

Future Goals:

• I still need to apply for the rebate on JC's contacts ASAP.

• JC's applying for a rebate through his health insurance/wellness program.  If he gets it that would be $500 we could use toward Little Baby's expenses (or a big girl bed for Emerson)!  

• We're planning on primarily eating out of the pantry for the month of December.  We'll be traveling for a large portion of the month anyway, but this could save the additional expense of groceries. 

• I've been trying to be more vigilant about turning off power strips while not in use & hopefully that will continue to lower our energy bills.  

We only have 2 doctor payments left (thank God!), so now we just need to plan ahead for the hospital portion for Little Baby.  We also need to figure out how much a big girl bed/mattress will cost & come up with a plan for those purchases without dipping into savings.

I have to say, I've been thinking more creatively about bringing in money & spending & it has really gotten me excited about our spending habits.  Nothing like being a total & complete frugal living nerd!

Waste Management Inspiration in San Fran

We went to San Fransisco for Thanksgiving to visit family.  While we had a wonderful time, I couldn't help but be impressed by the many options for waste management I saw around the city.

At the Academy of Sciences they had these receptacles with recycle, compost, & landfill options.  Additionally the white labels have little pictures of what is appropriate to throw in each bin.  I also find the use of the word landfill far more effective than trash; it's a good reminder that everything thrown in that container will actually wind up in a landfill.   

The bins at the San Fransisco airport were less thorough. but they still offered the options of composting & recycling at EVERY container, in addition to trash.

If the city of San Fransisco is offering these options I certainly hope more cities will follow suit.  It also got me thinking about everything that I throw away, recycle, or could potentially compost & where it might actually end up.  Well done San Fran, well done. 

Function Over Fashion--Staying Warm During Winter

I am generally freezing by nature.  We keep our thermostat at 68° in the winter (high, by some frugal standards), which means that frequently, when the sun goes down I'm cold.  While many, many frugal sites will just suggest layering I'm going to give you some practical & somewhat unfashionable specifics.

Wear a scarf--It's doesn't have to be a fashion scarf, it could be some hideous hand knit monstrosity.  It doesn't matter, covering your neck can make such an immense difference.

Poncho love--This warm & lovely blanket fashion statement is back in style.  Be still my beating heart.  Need I say more? 

Tuck in that shirt-- Keeping your stomach protected from little drafts can make such a big difference.

Invest in some slippers--Generally the thicker & more foot area covered the better. 

Wear a hat--This makes my head itch, but if you're a hat lover, consider this as an option. 

Bust out your bathrobe--I know a lot of people might this is bizarre, but I don't have a sweater that goes all the way down to my ankles & keeps me warm.  I do believe if I had a Snuggie perhaps I'd wear that around the house.  Anything in the name of warmth.

Wrap up under blankets--We always sit with afghans while on the couch, but most nights, once Emerson goes to bed we head back to our bed & sit under the covers while reading, watching tv, or working.  I honestly think the only times when I'm warm in the winter are when I'm in our cozy bed.



My philosophy in the winter is function, not fashion.  While I'm at home I don't care if I look like some sort of bag lady as long as I'm warm.  That's what home is for isn't it?

Old Ink Cartridges Turned Cheap Toilet Paper

A little while ago I found out about Office Depot's ink cartridge recycling rewards program & give it a shot.  Basically, for every ink cartridge you recycle per quarter Office Depot will rebate you with $2 of store credit.  There is a little bit of fine print:  you have to spend the equal amount that you will get back in rewards during that quarter, & they won't credit you unless you recycle at least $10 worth (5 cartridges) per quarter.  

I recycled 6 cartridges for a credit of $12, but I had to spend at least $12 in order to get the rebate.  Make sense?  I decided to spend  $14.99 on 24 rolls of Office Depot's 100% recycled toilet paper.  

At the end of the quarter I got my $12 rebate and went back and bought another pack for $14.99.  Grand total I spent  $17.98 OOP or $0.37/roll.  Most recycled TP goes for around $0.70/roll, so this is a really good deal.  Previously I have used my swagbucks to purchase some recycled TP, & we still have some, but this will help my swagbucks go towards cheaper items & it should help our grocery budget as well.  Plus, I'm getting paid to recycle!

Whether you use/want the rewards, if you have old ink cartridges lying around, please look into recycling programs.  It's a great way to help the environment & potentially help your pocketbook as well. 

How to Recycle Anything

My friend Hillary sent me a link to Real Simple's (LOVE Real Simple) list of how to recycle anything.  It is a huge comprehensive list & extremely helpful to any recycler. Check it out here.  

A Peek At My Frugal Bathroom

Once upon a time I shared a peek at my frugal shower, and I wanted to share other aspects to my frugal/green bathroom.

I've got a crowded toilet tank--Adding items to your toilet tank displaces water when your toilet fills, resulting in less water used per flush.  We already have a low flow toilet, but I have added a 1 liter bottle, a brick, & a hang it & save pouch my mom gave me from Scott toilet paper.  Even if you only tried one of these items, you would be saving water & money, while getting the same necessary flush.

I don't buy air freshener--I know a lot of uber green people suggest not using air freshener at all, but it's better for my marriage if some smells are covered up. ;)  Instead of buying aerosol cans of air freshener or matches, I've begun using my unused body splash.  It only requires one spritz, so it last a long time, & I'm using up stuff that has just been sitting around.  Win, win. 

I've minimized the cost of paper products--I've started using my Swagbucks to purchase toilet paper made from recycled paper.  It's great for the environment & because I'm using my swagbucks, it's a help to our budget.  Additionally, I use hankies when I'm at home instead of Kleenex & have cut my consumption entirely.  I've had that little sample box of kleenex in my bathroom for months & I've yet to use a single tissue.  I still have to keep some on hand because JC uses at least a box per cold, but at least I've cut down on my usage.

I'm always trying to find more ways to cut down on our budget & footprint, & I'm finding the more I think about it the more ideas I come up with.  I just don't know that I'll be buying a composting toilet any time soon...

45 Uses for Vinegar + 31 Uses for Baking Soda

Vinegar & baking soda are some of my absolute favorite products to use around the house.  I use vinegar as a fabric softener as well as a cleaner.  I use baking soda in place of  to scrub our pots, sinks,  &  our tub, & I always sprinkle a little in our diaper pails.  Both products are cheap, environmentally friendly, & easy to come by. 

tajagroproducts.com

 

 

 So I was pleased to find that both were capable of much more than I had ever dreamed.  Check out 45 uses for vinegar (I can't wait to try 22, 24, & 25)

And 31 uses for baking soda--I'm going to have to remember number 17!

I'll never look at vinegar & baking soda the same!

100 Extreme Ways to Save Serious Money

smallbiztechnology.com

I frequently like to search for "extreme" ways to save money.  I'm not always willing to try the suggestions (living in my car, for example), but often times the lists get me thinking & I'm able to find new ways to save.  This is by far the most comprehensive list I've EVER found.  It might not line up with your ethics, level of hygiene, or lifestyle, but at the very least, I hope it helps you think about things in your own spending habits & where you can reduce.  Enjoy!

Green Celebrity Field Guide

Photo: RRE/Ian Garland/WENN

MSN's Wonderwall has put together a list of green celebrities & their green habits.  Just in case you needed a little famous inspiration--check it out! 

7th Generation Cardboard Bottle

If I didn't make my own laundry detergent, this would be my detergent of choice...

7th Generation has unveiled a brilliant change to consumer laundry detergent--a bottle made out of molded cardboard.  The bottle is recyclable, compostable & made from 100% post consumer recycled fiber. An interior plastic pouch holds the detergent, & according to their website, "the entire packaging system (fiber bottle, pouch, spout, cap) system uses 66% less plastic than a typical 100 oz 2X laundry bottle - while delivering the same number of loads!"  I love this & truly hope it revolutionizes the packaging industry.

For more info, check out 7th Generation's website. 

Handling My Lady Business--The Keeper Cup

FAIR WARNING:  This post will contain personal graphic matter.  If you know me, don't run me out of town, I'm sharing this because I wish I had had someone who could give me their first hand experience .  If you don't want to hear about my favorite Aunt Flo, DO NOT read this post.  Come back tomorrow for some lighter fair.  Consider yourself warned...


I first heard about The Keeper menstrual cup back in high school when I was on my I-love-anything-written-by-a-radical-feminist phase.  I then heard about it while reading The Tightwad Gazette and much a I value the opinion of Amy Dacyzyn, the idea of a reusable cup in my nether-regions wigged me out.

Flash forward to 9 months into breast feeding Emerson--it seems that after 18 months of not making an appearance, my period came back WITH A VENGEANCE.  Seriously, it had a vendetta & I could hardly catch a break.  After getting my period every 20-24 days for several months I was SHOCKED at the amount of waste I was creating.  Box after box of tampons wound up in the trash.  Finally I couldn't stand creating such waste & used my Swagbucks to buy The Keeper, a reusable rubber menstrual cup that is used in place of a tampon. 

I went with The Keeper because to my knowledge, it has been around longer than similar products, so I figured if I were to have a problem they could help.  After reading the instructions thoroughly I decided to try it out.  I have to say figuring out how to properly insert The Keeper was hairy for a minute, but after it was in it wasn't that bad.  Sort of like wearing a thong for the first time, at first it feels weird & you think everyone can tell, but after a while you get used to it & forget about it.

My first removal was also a tad strange, the cup sort of suctions, so you have to break the seal to pull it out.  From there you simply dump  the cup (I rinsed mine) & then re-insert.  In my experience it can be worn just as long as a tampon, including overnight, which to me is fabulous.  I have to say I was worried it would leak, or be gross, but I was truly surprised.  As bizarre as it may sound I actually found wearing The Keeper more reassuring & hygienic than a tampon.   


Things you need to know:

•  The Keeper comes in two sizes, before birth & after birth, so if you order choose B for BEFORE & A for AFTER.  I was a little confused at first.

• The Keeper is made of medical grade rubber, but if you happen to be allergic to latex you can try The Moon Cup, which is made by the same company.

• I have read that wearing The Keeper can also cut down on menstrual cramps, & it seems many women get cramps due to the chemical in the tampons, rather than their periods.  I didn't have any cramps, but I can't be 100% certain that was due to The Keeper without a few more months of use.

• The Keeper is economical. Though it is around $25 to purchase initially, it can last up to 10 years. Think of all the money you will have saved over 10 years!

• The Keeper keeps A TON of trash out of the landfills.  The average woman uses 11,400 tampons during her lifetime. Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation, states the average woman throws away up to 300 pounds of feminine hygiene related products in a lifetime.   In the U.S. alone, an estimated 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons are disposed annually. Imagine if those tampons weren't adding to our waste. 

I know this might not be for everyone.  I realize that. .  I do however encourage you to at least consider looking into more reusables  in your life.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a menstrual cup, it could be cloth napkins, real dishes, or the like.  I think the important thing to remember is the daily impact of EVERYTHING WE USE & if it is possible to keep some of it out of the landfill, even tampons. 

Hangin' In the Moonlight

It is obscenely hot here.  Today it was 111 degrees & tomorrow it is supposed to be 113, with humidity.  I know some people can handle this degree of heat, but I, my friend, am not one of them.  Anything over 105 feels like an oven to me.  That being said, I have been really frustrated that the heat is disrupting my life, particularly my laundry schedule.

I've been letting the laundry pile up & have been getting more frustrated by the day; but today my sister suggested I hang the clothes over night, so I took her advice.  I know it's rather unconventional & you might be asking yourself why I don't just break down & use the dryer, but I just can't bring myself to increase our carbon footprint.  It's times like this, when our air is running 24/7 & the house is still 84 degree inside, that I feel I need to do everything in my power to cut back elsewhere.  Call me a tree hugger, I'll own it proudly. 

Truth be told, it felt rather miraculous to get outside.  Even though it was still in the high 90s at 8:30, it felt so good to feel the breeze on my face.  I realize that hanging wash overnight depends on the forecast & limits me to one load of laundry a day, but I feel it's well worth it if I get outside & I can still hang laundry. 


I wonder if my neighbors think I'm nutty...

In the Bag--An Early Start to Environmentalism

I recently was able to recollect enough information about a childhood cartoon to locate it on Youtube.  Upon watching it for the first time in 20 years, I was struck by the lasting impact this seemingly innocuous video had on my views of environmentalism.  While it is silly, the point still hits home today, 55 years after it was written.