Frugality: fru·gal adj.
The quality of being
frugal, sparing, thrifty
or economical in the use of
consumable resources and
avoiding waste, lavishness
or extravagance.
Not cheap, just frugal, it’s fun.
Really it is.
Trust me…
Last summer I used the
clothesline instead of the
dryer to dry our laundry
on, and ended up with a allergic
reaction to pollen and dust that
caused itchy rashes for weeks.
Then I started to make my own yogurt and if that’s not a scientific experiment ready to go wrong, I am not sure what is. The first time it was nerve racking to pour that much milk into the slow cooker, did I not mention that we make it in the slow cooker?
It turned out tasty, and just a little thinner then I liked it, no problem, eat it, and try again. The third time was no charm, unless you like to eat yogurt that tastes like that last night’s Korean beef tacos…which were delish, but not how I wanted my yogurt to taste. What a waste, it was inedible…I learned that no matter how much I cleaned the slow cooker, the condensation that dripped from the lid might taint the mild creamy yogurt…so now I put a piece of wax paper under the lid and no more problems.
Let’s move onto my new homemade “frugal” laundry soap…less expensive then the current organic laundry soaps we are buying. Great ideas abound on Pinterest, so I perused a few recipes and eventually choose a simple 3 ingredient laundry soap. Washing soda, Borax, and castile soap instead of Blue Dawn.
Thank goodness I didn’t pour it into a soap container…because it turned out thicker then the yogurt and now we have laundry paste. Thick, mushy, pure, no pour laundry paste, that doesn’t dissolve in cold water.
Great….another failure?
No a live and learn, and make do, kind of lesson.
After all how do you think they invented stuff if they didn’t make a few mistakes along the way.
I saved enough money to pay for the electricity the dryer uses all winter by making my own yogurt…next week we might give up the vehicles, and bike everywhere…... But I think we are going to have to stop experimenting with being our own Chiropractors, no matter what the tutorial on Pinterest tells us…my arm looks really funny sticking out backwards……
I’m kidding!
I doubled the recipe, and am wondering if the castile soap has made it gel up…anyone have any experience with making your own laundry soap, or your own yogurt? I’d love some hints, and I am not giving up….yet.
Frugally….Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I found a lot of the tips on Pinterest do not work, but the one I love is Baking Soda used as a weed killer. It really worked and it is cheap, but not so good for animals, so keep your pets away.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
you made me laugh but I 'm the wrong one to ask, I have also tried them all and failed, I also made my own liquid hand soap which has an unpleasant slime texture and we only have two more quarts to use up!
ReplyDeleteLol...love your post. Yes, there should be a Pinterest fail site because I have had many. But you are right we will never learn knew things unless we try.....:)
ReplyDeleteIt ain't easy being Dutch!!!! Call it cheap, frugal, or just plain tight. Its the Dutch heritage. I have the gene too!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh boy, you have saved me a lot of failed projects and given me a good laugh to start the day off. I use a plastic liner in my slow cooker. Maybe that would help :)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Laura
I'm sorry, but your tales of woe made me laugh! And, you reminded me that I'd love to have a clothes line too, ...but then there's all that wind that kicks up the dust...maybe not. So, far, making my own bread has been a wonderfully delicious success. I sincerely cannot imagine going back to the tasteless store bought stuff. And, it makes the house smell so good while it's baking! Good luck with your experiments!
ReplyDeleteOh I just popped over from Our Country Cove and I am sorry I could not stop laughing reading your frugal experiments. I have about the same kind of luck around here but yours sounds much more humour filled. Thanks for the laugh. I have no ideas I am still learning myself. B
ReplyDeleteDon't mean to giggle but your description of it all was funny ! I haven't tryed any of it as knowing my luck or there lack of it , it would be a disaster lol ! Well that sucks about the pollen allergy from the laundry being hung out side on the line , I love hanging my laundry out in the summers ! My slow cooker is one that the inside can be removed as well as the lid so it is easy to clean and a non stick surface so no left over flavors ! Hope it works out for you next time good luck ! Lovely photos especially on a day like today when it has been a heavy snow storm since last night .
ReplyDeleteHave a good day !
I just used the last bit of the dry laundry soap that I mixed. The batch gave me 22 loads with great results. I've learned that the age of the bar soaps and their moisture content can result in various volumes which may affect the recipe. I have grated some old Ivory bars I had in the linen closet for the next batch and will see how they clean compared to the Fels Naptha bars I used in the first batch.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link for the recipe I used and liked:
http://thepatrioticquilter.blogspot.com/2012/08/laundry-detergent.html?showComment=1346427375008#c6531858345694055748
Love that you post about failures, too. I've not tried making my own yogurt, although my daughter does. She does not use a slow cooker. I've never tried laundry soap, either, and don't know if it's worth it. I do make all of our bread and use very very few prepared foods, so I save my money elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have a clothesline!
That is so funny!! Not that you failed in your attempts but that you can laugh from it. You started my day off with giggles.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Judy
Very amusing post, Jen! I will be trying my hand in making homemade toothpaste, using coconut oil. Will let you know how it works out.
ReplyDeleteWe're on the same wave length today :<) my topics are homemade veggie burgers (and some BAD commercial ones) and buns!
ReplyDeleteSo true Jen, frugal is tres cool these days, not with the negative connotations it used to have.
Great post, great photos.
Happy Weekend, G :<)
Frugal is good, Jen. All winter long I have been treating myself to grocery store fresh flowers on Fridays ~ today I bought a red cineraria (tag: small colorful, daisy like flowers. Wonderful indoor color in winter). The price was less than cut flowers and I probably won’t kill it for a least a month. All is well.
ReplyDeleteHa... isn't it fun being frugal... I think it's exciting no matter how it turns out because there is always the anticipation of whether or not the experiment will succeed! ...but if you're like me you probably thought you did something wrong and then do the whole thing over again (maybe even twice more) just to realize that no, you did it right, it just doesn't work (maybe I'm just a slow learner)! LOL! Cheers~
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the garden, I am financially very inconsistent. A typical experience: I will dig a new bed, then fill it with my own divisions and volunteers to be frugal. Then I decide I don't like the new bed, pull out all my free plants and replace them with expensive plants from the nursery.
ReplyDeleteNope. I've not made anything from scratch so I could be frugal. I'm sure it was worth a try though Jen.
ReplyDeleteI've tried several concoctions myself, Jen. It's fun being a mad scientist though, isn't it? I enjoyed your post. :-)
ReplyDeleteI made yogurt many years ago in a yogurt maker. As I remember it was easy and came out pretty well.. Doesn't hurt to try and save a little.
ReplyDeleteI love your adventurous spirit! I don't make yogurt, love my dryer, and buy laundry soap from the store. You didn't make any mistakes, You simply learned what NOT to do. :o)
ReplyDeleteI have not made my own laundry detergent but I used to make yogurt all the time with an inexpensive yogurt maker. It works great. My oldest son still has it and yes...still makes yogurt with it. I'm wishing you great success! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHmmm . . . could it be that my dry, itchy skin is from my year long experiment with line dried sheets . . . someone suggested a cure . . . organic coconut oil . . . ???
ReplyDeleteI make a hand soap from pinterest that is great..the foaming one. I have not tried the laundry soap..but I suspect there are many recipes out there.
ReplyDeleteI don't like yogurt..so I commend you in just being able to eat it..and here you make your own..maybe you need a slow cooker just for yogurt and nothing else:)
Hi Jen - I use Elaine's (Sunny Simple Life) recipe for laundry detergent but it's a dry one. Do you have new HE washer so need liquid? If not, try Elaine's - I swear by it.
ReplyDeleteI am frugal too! I prefer the powder homemade laundry detergent over the liquid. It is a pain to grate the soap but it makes a lot!
ReplyDeleteI have tried the yogurt, first time was a success the second time wasn't! Since I am the only one in the family that eats it I will splurge on store bought.