Little Changes= Big Savings

After so unexpectantly losing my job, I have learned a lot. I had already been looking at ways to save my family money, but now I am finding new ways. And I've also found that some attitudes have changed a lot.

I have shared in the past about making laundry detergent and also dish washing powder. Well I had kind of let those things go - for one thing I don't use my dishwasher very much any more and so I just let that go. The laundry detergent - well I ran out of what I had made and then life got in the way. 

This past week end my husband had to fix our kitchen sink on Saturday evening - it had begun to leak. Well the next morning we realized that the knob that turns the water off and on had gotten damaged - I think he said because it does not get used much and then once it got moved some damage was done. Anyway, there had been a leak ALL night long and when we woke up there was water up under our wood panel floor in the kitchen and in the dining room.

So I had to pull everything out from under the sink. This ended up being a great thing because there was some stuff that I was able to get rid of and was able to organize things much better and make it much easier to see what we had under there. Anyway when I pulled everything out I realized I still had the ingredients to make the laundry detergent. So I went to look in my folder for the directions of how to make it. I ended up making two batches of laundry detergent, and one batch of the dish washing powder - since I don't use the dishwasher very much.

Another thing I did this week end was make up a new batch of Taco Seasoning. It's quick and easy to make and saves money as well.

When I had a job- if I were out running around and I wanted a sweet tea from Chicken Express - I would just swing by there and get myself one($1.00) or if I ended up running errands and I got hungry in the middle of them - I would stop by Taco Bell and grab something - (usually less than $4.00). Now- before I leave the house - I make sure I have something to drink with me so that I don't have to stop. And I plan my errands so that I am home or will get home for or around meal times so I do not have to buy lunch out. Little changes - but they help out our finances a lot.

Another change that I have been able to do to save a few dollars a month. When we got our Boys several years ago- since I fed my cats canned food in the morning and in the afternoon - I found that it worked best because we have 3-4 that will eat on the food, that it worked best to put food on 3 plates. So I had one larger plate and would put food on it and then put food on two small disposable plates. So I would have to buy a package of those plate about once a month. I finally realized that if I just looked at Goodwill - I could find a couple of small plates and get them and then I could wash and reuse. So last week I found 2 plates - $.50 each and bought them. Now I don't have to pay the couple of dollars for the disposable plates. Little changes can equal into big savings.

My son is taking some classes and on his way to class he was stopping and getting himself a Sunny Delight. Well the last time that I went to get groceries, I picked up an 8 pack of 8oz bottles of Sunny Delight- this way it would save him some money. And yesterday I stopped by Krogers and picked up a large bottle of Sunny Delight. I have told my son to save his bottles and I am refilling them. The large bottle - only a dollar. That helps save money too. And get more vitamin C down him. And that is always good.

I will be posting how I do the powdered laundry detergent and the dishwasher powder. I learned something new that helps make it much easier to make the powdered laundry detergent and I will be sharing that as well. See ya soon! :O)