Well aren't you clever!

We've made some major lifestyle changes in the last 6+ months, mostly after our decision for me to stay home.

Some of those changes involve becoming more frugal. The benefit of doing so (other than saving money) is that many frugal tips are "green." I have a new respect for green living and though I can't see myself being able to be 100% green, I have no problem making some large leaps. Here are just a few things that help us save a few dollars a month, which adds up over a year!

Laundry Detergent:
This will last anywhere from 6months-1year depending on your use.

- 1, 4lb 12oz box of Borax
- 1, 4lb box of baking soda
- 1lb box of super washing soda
- 3 bars of pink Zote soap
- 3 or 4lbs of oxi-clean (this is really up to what you need, we have a toddler so more is better!)

Grate the soap and just mix all the ingredients together! I mixed everything in the pictured Rubbermaid container, sealed it and gave it some shakes! I also always date it, just to give myself an idea of how long it is lasting (to calculate my savings!).

Plastic Bags:

I almost ALWAYS reuse them. My only exception is raw meat. Otherwise, I just wash out the bags and let them dry out. My husband is still not sold on this, so I've started labeling the bags. This way they are used for the same things (bread, extra flour, candy, veggies, etc).






Homemade cleaner:

-2 c warm water
-1/2 c castile soap
-2tsp borax
-1/4 c vinegar












Cloth Diapering

This is about 1/4 of our collection. We made the switch when C was around 4 months. Warning: this can become an unhealthy obsession.