Savin' the Big Bucks

Hi Everyone! I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post. I know y'all must be so tired of hearing that. Grad school has taken over my life these days which definitely makes life a bit tougher. Today, I want to share a little something that has been making my life easier for well over a year now and helps me save a ton of money each month. Drum roll please.....

Laundry Detergent! That's right! The stuff you wash your clothes in. This may not seem like too big of a deal to you right now, because at this point, I'm sure you don't pay much attention the cost of how much it costs you to do 32 loads since you just have to buy the stuff once a month anyway. 

In economics, we call things like this necessities or normal goods. You have to buy them, and as your income increases you buy more (or better) of the product. When you're really pinching pennies you buy the generic brand and then when your income increases to a certain point you switch to Tide with Febreeze.

Last year when I was living along, I used about 6 gallons of laundry detergent. Guess how much it cost me?? $0.001 per load with leftovers to last me until about two weeks ago. I made exactly a year's worth of detergent for less than $5.00. Obviously, this will not last a family of 4 for a whole year, but it surely will cut down your costs, and once you make it, you'll be happier than a pig in mud. After I made my first batch, I called my now Mother-in-Law to give her the recipe. She made it and loved it so much that she prefers it to other detergents. 

Here's the great thing about this detergent. You can completely customize it. If you like your laundry to smell wonderful after you've washed it, you can add essential oils (for a break down on what essential oils are, see One Good Thing by Jillee) or Purex crystals (in the laundry isle). If you have small children who tend to get their clothes pretty messy, you can add OxyClean. If you have sensitive skin, you can replace Fels-Naptha with a bar or two of your favorite soap (I usually use 2 bars of Ivory or 1 bar of Dove Sensitive Skin). This soap is perfect for both top-loading or front-loading machines!

I make this soap liquid because I think it breaks down better in the washing machine better than dry

 Here's how you do it:

The Duggar's Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

(Makes 5 gallons of concentrated soap=10 gallons of regular laundry detergent)
4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)
½ Cup Borax
1 5 gallon bucket 

First, grate your bar(s) of soap. You can also use a food chopper or a food processor to speed things up. 

 Add the grated soap to a large pot with the 4 cups of hot water.


 

 

Stir constantly over medium heat until the soap has dissolved. You don't want this to boil (but it is okay if it does). 

When the soap dissolves, take it off the heat. Add the washing soda and borax to your 5 gallon bucket.

Add the hot melted soap, and stir until the borax and soda are dissolved. 

Now, add more hot tap water until the bucket is as full as you can get it. It will get nice and foamy.

If your bucket has a lit, put the lid on it. If it doesn't (mine doesn't), just cover it with a kitchen towel. Now you'll have to wait for about 24 hours for the soap to set up. 

You'll wake up to 10 gallons of laundry detergent! I transfer my detergent from the bucket to old milk jugs for easy storage. I just fill the milk jug up with the concentrated detergent, and when I transfer it to an old, rinsed out laundry soap container (use your last Tide bottle to give it a last laugh that it won't be getting any more $$$ from your purse anymore).  Fill your container 1/2 with the concentrated soap and 1/2 with water. 

Use as much detergent as your would of your old soap.  And voila! Cheap laundry detergent just as good as the store bought stuff for a fraction of the cost!

Now that you have stuff to clean your laundry with, you'll need to make sure your towels come out soft. If you thought that laundry detergent was a drain on your wallet, fabric softener is just a thief. Here's how to make your own! 

Fabric Softner

You'll need: 

A really big bowl
2 cups of Hair Conditioner (I use whatever is less than $1)
3 cups white vinegar
6 cups of HOT water

Mix the conditioner and HOT water up in your really big bowl. 

Once it dissolves, add the vinegar. You're done!! Transfer this to a container and use whatever amount you normally do for your laundry. I use my Downy Ball and fill it to the full line. 

Enjoy your clean and wonderfully smelling clothes, and remember that pretty is as pretty does!

McKenzie
 



Find the original recipes at: 

Laundry Detergent 
Fabric Softener 

Out of This World Blueberry Muffins

Today couldn't get here quick enough! I'm so glad y'all are here!

I have been craving blueberry everything lately. I wanted to make blueberry bagels, but I couldn't find any dried blueberries in this tiny town. I was this close to buying a packet of "just-add-milk" blueberry muffins, but I resisted the temptation. While I was sick, my husband made our weekly grocery store run and came home with a pint of blueberries. I was tickled pink!! I just didn't know what to make with them (I'm one of the few who prefer blueberries cooked). 

I made muffins!! So as promised, here are some of the best, darn blueberry muffins you'll ever put in your mouth! This recipe is originally from Allrecipes and adapted at Annie's Eats and now adapted again right here!

Best Darn Blueberry Muffins...ever

 

 Yields: 8 or 9 muffins depending on blueberries

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg
~1/3 cup milk
1 cup blueberries (or more...I like more)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 8 or 9 holes with muffin liners or a non-stick spray. 

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Pour the vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add the egg to the oil, and fill the measuring cup with milk.

 Mix the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients. Mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Be careful not to break them or else you get blue muffins. Yuck. 

Now, you need to make the topping for the muffins. 

You'll need:

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP + 2 tsp flour
2 TBSP butter, cubed and extra cold
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix this together with a fork until it is crumbly.

Fill the prepared muffin pan with the blueberry muffin mixture about 4/5 of the way full. Top each muffin with the prepared topping. You'll want it completely full. Trust me. 

Toss them into your hot oven for about 20 minutes.  Take them out and let them cool. (In my opinion they get much better the next day)

Y'all enjoy and be sure to share because pretty is as pretty does.You'll have to wait on saving big time $$$ until tomorrow. Anxious yet?

-McKenzie

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll love ya tomorrow!

I have had over 200 views. Thank you so much for coming to Pretty is as Pretty Does!! I feel beyond blessed to be able to share with y'all.

Please forgive me for the delay in writing my next post. I am working on several to be posted soon. I was sick last week, so I'm a bit late, but tune in tomorrow for the best blueberry muffins you've ever put in your mouth and how to save $$$$$ around the house. 

Now, on to more homework. I'll see y'all tomorrow, and remember that pretty is as pretty does.

-McKenzie