Trying to minimize your trips out these days because of what is going on with the pandemic? There are a host of things you can make yourself that will find you grinning ear to ear, saving money, and leaving the car in the garage.
MoneyTalksNews’ Donna Freeman says you can make your own dishwasher detergent for only 4 cents a load by mixing washing soda (yes, there is such a thing), kosher salt, baking soda, and lemon juice. Pour it into molds, and you’ve got just the right amount. Blogger Erin Huffstetler talks about this on her blog My Frugal Home.
This may have occurred to you long ago, but you can use whatever plastic shopping bags your market has not yet outlawed and use them for small trash can liners.
For all those panic-stocking-up on paper products, don’t forget that people never did that in the old(en) days. They used to cut up old T-shirts or other worn-out cotton clothing and then washed and sanitized them between uses. Need to blow your nose? Use a handkerchief. Even if stores no longer stock them, you can find them online.
Want to make your own version of Febreze? Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and cheap vodka plus a dozen or so drops of your favorite essential oil. Shake well and spritz your curtains, sofa, dog bed, rug, gym bag or anything else that smells a bit off.
To substitute for wet or dry Swiffer Sweeper pads (or you simply are not a bucket and mop type), find a microfiber cloth. Secure it to the sweeper with rubber bands. Be sure to make a half-dozen or more, because these clothes need to be taken off as they become wet and dirty, just like the throwaway kind. The difference is that you’ll be washing and reusing these until they fall apart.
Think you need a commercial product to clean off the stovetop and kitchen counters? Nope. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Vinegar is often referred to as “nature’s Clorox.”
For more ingenious but simple ideas, go to MoneyTalksNews and search for Donna Freedman’s articles. She can give you the recipe for homemade yogurt, iced tea, pizza dough, taco seasoning, baking mix, and peanut butter. Goin’ back to the basics, folks. And maybe that’s a very good thing.
Source:TBWS
