Homemade (recipes at the bottom of the Blog)

There are a few times in my life when I had to cut back financially. One of these times was after I had my first son Vance. Money was tight, and I needed to save. I noticed one of my friends using a web-site called “Frugal Girls”. I looked into it and found many ways to save. Some of them sounded crazy, but I tried them.

I wanted to share things I tried and tell others how they turned out. Sometimes it saves you money to make these items, but do they work as well as store-bought items? Is it worth the time to make them?

I finished making homemade Laundry Soap. It was so easy and if it works, it will save me about 20 dollars each time I make it. One container of laundry soap could cost up to 20 dollars and I made the same amount for like a dollar.

I also made homemade fabric softener. All I needed was a container and vinegar. Just finished a load of laundry with it and the clothes feel so soft. If you use Suave Conditioner and store brand vinegar, it only cost like 3 dollars for a gallon.

I made homemade wipes. I wasn’t sure about these, but they seem to be working. I took old t-shirts, cut them up, and then put them in a mixture of baby oil, baby shampoo, and water. You wash them and then reuse them. The t-shirts are softer than regular baby wipes and I use less of them because they absorb more. The wipes also smell wonderful, better than the ones I was using before.

I made homemade leave in conditioner. It is so easy. Just take your spray bottle, put a little conditioner in to it (whatever smell you like) and a little water, and shake it up. I tried it this morning, and it works great. I didn’t even need regular conditioner just the spray. I saved money because you only need a little conditioner for the entire bottle. I used Suave Strawberry Conditioner. The entire bottle of conditioner cost like a dollar. It could last me all year, and my hair feels great!

Update

The laundry soap is great but a pain to make. The clean up is the problem. It makes a complete mess out of your kitchen. It also makes great presents for teachers. Get a mason jar and out the mix into it, tie a bow on top and you have a homemade present for teachers and who ever else you need to give a little present to.

The fabric softener work well, but I noticed after a while the clothes smelled funny. I didn’t know if it was the laundry soap of the softener at first. I stopped using the softened and now only use the laundry detergent. The smell is gone.

The homemade wipes worked wonderful at first but my son developed a rash from them. They are still work and save money but test them on your child’s skin first.

homemade leave in conditioner this is the best. I use it all the time with my daughter. I will never buy detangling spray again. Just a little conditioner and your all set.

Homemade Laundry soap

What you need

1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}
1/2 Cup: Borax
1/3 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap {you could also use Ivory soap, but if using Ivory… use the whole bar}
Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}
Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with a lid to store detergent.

What You’ll Do:

Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap over a large pot or saucepan…

Add 6 cups of Water.
Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts.
Add Washing Soda & Borax and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Pour 4 cups Hot Water into a bucket and then add Soap Mixture.
Stir and then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water. Stir.

Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers.

Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up.

Homemade fabric softener

(I tried it and loved it. I will put more conditioner in next time to make it smell better.)

What You’ll Need:

6 cups HOT water

3 cups white vinegar

2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}

What You’ll Do:

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.
Add the vinegar and mix well.
Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}
Pour into a downy ball… or the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash!

Homemade Wipes

2 1/2 cup Water
2 tsp Baby Shampoo or Baby Bath
1 tsp Baby Oil
1/2 Roll Paper Towels (Bounty) I used scraps of old T-shirts.

Directions

Take old t-shirts. I had just gone through our closet and took out anything that was fading, ripped, or didn’t fit anymore. Cut them into pieces. Mix water, shampoo and baby oil in a container. Put the scraps into the mixture and let them soak. I would wring the out and then put them into the baby wipe container. Be sure to make extra so. While you are cleaning one load of wipes, you can use the others. I made an entire box full of scrapes. Keep a laundry basket one with a lid next to your changing area. I would wash these wipes by themselves in your washing machine.