I dated a Greek Cypriot guy in college (a full-on AGE ago) and he used to say this expression when making fun of his friends: peen-diis malaga (sorry for the spelling...trying to be phonetic). The second word meant something naughty, but the first meant "cheap" and there was a back-story to its translation...it basically meant "someone who has crabs in their pockets" referring to cheapskates who are scared to reach into their pockets for a dime! LOL! Hence "pocket crabs homemaking!" I don't want to spend one more penny than I have to!
So, to get started on my new frugal lifestyle, I went out and did what anyone trying to save money does - I bought a whole bunch of stuff and spent a lot of money! :-) But, as I assured my budget-conscious hubby-man, the start-up costs would be made up and surpassed very quickly!
So here is what I figured out would be essential for getting going on the basics...
- baking soda (5kg)
- white distilled vinegar (5L)
- apple cider vinegar (500ml)*
- calcium carbonate powder (12 oz)
- Dr. Bronner's Baby-Mild pure castille soap (32 fluid oz)
- virgin coconut oil (20 fluid oz)
- vegetable glycerin (16 oz)
- xylitol sugar (500g)
- essential oils (lemon, orange, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree: 1-4 oz)
- Rosemary infused extra virgin olive oil (340ml)
- 20 mule team borax (have to buy in England next month)
- desiccated coconut
I spent just over $120 with shipping on all this stuff, and it should last me more than a year. "But that's not saving very much" you say? Wait till you see everything those ingredients are going to make! Here's my next list!
*About the apple cider vinegar...If you live in Korea like me, you will look and look and never find "apple cider" vinegar. But you will find TONS of "apple" vinegar, and sometimes this apple vinegar says "fermented apple" vinegar. From everything I have been able to find, "fermented apple vinegar" is the same thing as "apple cider vinegar". It is most likely not organic, but it will work for you. If you are keen to have organic here, or you just want to have your own with the "mother" included, here is a nifty recipe I found to make your own "apple cider vinegar!" Happy homemaking!
- re-mineralizing toothpaste
- mouthwash
- shampoo
- conditioner
- body wash
- deodorant
- vapor tabs for the shower
- hand soap
- liquid dish soap
- laundry detergent
- fabric softener
- wrinkle releaser
- all-purpose cleaner
- bath, shower and tile cleaner
- daily shower spray
- disinfectant spray
- room freshener spray
- aromatherapy diffuser
- coconut milk
Super excited to get moving on these projects, and will be turning out the first batches of several this weekend. As I make this stuff, I will post estimated total costs, effort costs, and what I normally would have spent on the purchasing of commercial brands. This way, we can all keep abreast of how much money I am actually saving my family!
Check back soon for posts about my first forays into "pocket crabs homemaking", and their results.
Check back soon for posts about my first forays into "pocket crabs homemaking", and their results.
*About the apple cider vinegar...If you live in Korea like me, you will look and look and never find "apple cider" vinegar. But you will find TONS of "apple" vinegar, and sometimes this apple vinegar says "fermented apple" vinegar. From everything I have been able to find, "fermented apple vinegar" is the same thing as "apple cider vinegar". It is most likely not organic, but it will work for you. If you are keen to have organic here, or you just want to have your own with the "mother" included, here is a nifty recipe I found to make your own "apple cider vinegar!" Happy homemaking!
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Cheers for the 2 cents!