what busy busy busy times. but even in busy-ness, i have found many ways to save money. 

laundry soap is made by hand. i first saw this at a church activity and have used it ever since!

5gallon bucket

4 c. hot tap water

1 fels-naptha bar (or ivory i've heard, but not tried)

1 c. arm&hammer washing soda (NOT baking soda)

1/2 c. borax

8-10 drops of essential oil (if ya want)

grate bar of soap (or put in food processor) and put into hot tap water into a saucepan over medium heat. stir stir stir until the soap is dissolved.

fill 5 gallon bucket with hot water, add the soapy water, soda and borax (and essential oil). 

stir and then cover. let sit over night. 

stir again and then put into a clean laundry container (use a funnel, otherwise it gets messy)

i made one batch last august. yes, 6 months ago. i have given some away too. and i still have half left. i didn't use essential oil, but i think i will next time. i always think about it, but never do it. 

i use about a lid full of soap for an extra dirty load, but this is a concentrated formula, so you don't have to use tons. and it won't be foamy. the hubz does manual labor and gets dirty and sweaty. and all the clothes come out clean and smell free (shocking!) and this is totally hypo-allergenic and great for babies and kids. 

and add vinegar to all loads. works wonders!

dishwasher soap is made by hand, thanks to this recipe.

1 cup baking soda

1 cup borax

1/2 cup table salt

mix together

i put it in a recycled applesauce container and doubled the recipe (after i tried it first, of course, to see if it would work---which it did and i love it). i just sprinkle it into the dishwasher holder thing and make sure the jet-dry thing is full of vinegar and my dishes come out so pretty! plastic and glass alike! let me know if you try it!

later, i'll talk more about soap and how to save a lot of money with it. thanks to blogland, i have learned a lot, but i'm still learning, so you'll have to wait a bit longer. 

how do you save money?