I think I am really starting to go over the deep end when it comes to being "homemade" and loving it. My first blog post was about homemade laundry soap and every single time I scoop up 1/8 of a cup of laundry soap and dump it into the washing machine filling with water I am so proud of myself for starting down this road--it all started with a blog sent to me and all I had to do was crunch some numbers and make the soap and it was on. I am loving finding ways to save money and make my family's life better through doing what I can to make what I could normally buy in the store for so much more.
Right now, in the electric skillet, I'm frying bacon bits. The other day, I was at Safeway searching out bacon bits for our salads that night. I got to the condiments aisle and when I saw the price tag, I couldn't decide if I wanted to throw up or cry: $4.49 for a little 8 ounce bag of bacon bits. The package claimed they were real bacon bits--I don't give a crap if they're rolled in GOLD--I am not paying nearly $5 for a teeny bag of bacon bits. Tonight, after thawing out a pound of bacon from a meat shop, for about $1.99/lb., I cooked our very own bacon bits, ending up with this:
After they are drained and dried I'll put them into a zip lock bag ($.07 or $1/15 at the dollar store). For roughly double the amount I'd get at the store for $4.49, I have bacon bits, home made, no preservatives or fillers, for approx. $2.06. It took me a total of about 30 minutes to make it.
Here in Oregon we are sooooo lucky to have Tillamook Cheese and Bandon Cheese. It's fabulous cheese and Tillamook Cheese comes in several flavors. Two pound "baby loafs" average about $5.99-$6.99, but there are always coupons flying around to get them for $3.99-$4.99 if you watch closely for them. I buy them on sale and freeze them. They freeze well, thaw well, although they get a bit crumbly when thawed, but I use them for sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, shredded for salads and tacos, etc. I refuse to pay for bags of shredded cheese. I cut a baby loaf in half and shredded it with a hand-grater and now I have a 1 lb. bag of shredded cheese in the fridge for $2.50. If you're lucky you can get a 1 lb. bag of grated cheese at Safeway (I honestly don't know what preservatives are in them but I have the pure cheese here) for $3.99. The other 1 lb. block sits in the fridge ready to be sliced. The bacon and shredded cheese took less time to prepare than it takes to drive to the store, find it, stand in line with screaming kids, and drive home.
I have been making homemade wipes now for a few months and I LOVE them. You can make disinfectant wipes (I use $1/bottle Spic 'N Span from Dollar Store), window cleaners (vinegar is wonderful for cleaning windows and glass) or baby wipes (baby wash on these saves TONS of money and you have soooo many more on hand than if you buy them!
I use the Sparkle rolls so you can either tear them into full sheets or half sheets. Tear the towels apart and layer on top of each other. I have what some people would call a ridiculously huge container for these, but they peel off easier than if they were rolled up. Lay them in the container, measure one cup of water and 3/4 cup of cleaner. Let set until liquid is soaked up. It costs me about $.80 to make 100 wipes versus $2.99-3.99 for 35. HUGE savings. You can substitute 3/4 cup vinegar for window cleaning wipes, or 3/4 cup of baby wash for homemade baby wipes. So much less expensive than buying them at the store!
Finally, I think Swiffer products are ingenious--want a way to occupy your kids? Give them a dusting wand with a Swiffer Duster refill and send them out to dust what they want. Unless it's breakables, they really can't do damage and you get your house dusted. The Swiffer Sweeper/Mop is one of my absolute favorites but the refills can get to be spendy. I no longer buy the mop/wipe refills. Instead, I take one of my terry cloth washcloths for the kitchen, get it wet with hot water, douse it with cleaning solution, and attach it to the mop, pressing the corners of the washcloth into the same slots that the refill wipes attach to, and mop away. You get the same great clean floors without spending $7.99-9.99 for 24 wipes and you can just toss the washcloth into the laundry. Perfect for someone that's completely anal about clean floors but I save a ton of money!
Please feel free to share YOUR ideas--I'd love to hear some!
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