Pioneer Woman in the Making

As I've noted in previous blog posts, a lot of things started changing in my heart and home this summer. In my reaching out to others about the ins and outs of being a SAHM, I began to learn a few money-saving tips that I've started to apply to our lives in the Mitchell Household. 

I decided to begin learning about couponing, and have found a few websites that have really helped cut our grocery budget down some. If you're interested in having someone do most of the work for you, check out Fabulessly Frugal. These gals will shop for you, and then share all of their amazing deals! We don't take it to the extreme that a lot of people do, but saving $10-$20 per grocery trip certainly helps a lot! I've also gotten really good at MENU PLANNING! My poor husband...for 6 years he has lovingly and patiently dealt with my utter HATE for cooking. But I'm telling you, since I've found Pinterest, our lives have certainly changed in the kitchen! Every other Sunday, I sit down and search my trusty Pinterest Food & Drink board for the next 2 weeks of meals. (I even have a board dedicated specifically to my menus.) It is SO simple, and it helps me (a very forgetful person) remember to actually thaw that meat out that I have in the freezer! The menu gets posted on the refrigerator every week, so there's no excuse for not getting a home-cooked meal every night. This has helped cut down spending, too, because we're not running down the road to Dairy Queen for dinner every few nights. 

Another big part of my money-saving venture has been creating homemade cleaning products. (I also have a Pinterest board dedicated to this! Find me on Pinterst!) Here's a list of the recipes that I use around my house:

• For a bathroom cleaner, I use 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of Blue Dawn Soap. I heat the vinegar in the microwave for about 2 minutes, add the Dawn, and pour both into a spray bottle. Sometimes I have enough left over to use for 2 weeks of cleaning, but usually I add another new batch to the spray bottle each week. This solution works WONDERS on a grimy bathtub and dirty counter tops. You can sprinkle baking soda before spraying to add some extra scrubbing power!
• I use a simple baking soda and vinegar combination to clean our toilets. 
• To clean my kitchen sink, I sprinkle baking soda, add a little water to make a paste, and work it around with my hands. The first time I did this, I was amazed (and disgusted!) at the dirt that came off of my sink! Now I do this every week or so in my cleaning routine. About once a month, I put vinegar ice cubes down my disposal and run cold water through the drain. You can also add citrus slices to your disposal for freshness and cleaning.
• For my granite counter tops in my kitchen, I use a simple solution that lasts a LONG time! I mix about 1/2 cup of Blue Dawn Soap with about 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. Add water until the mixture is diluted to your satisfaction, and scrub away! The alcohol helps the cleaner dry quickly, eliminated streaks on your counter tops. Again, you can add Baking Soda to your counters before spraying if they need a little extra scrubbing. Even with using this daily, a bottle lasted me all summer before I had to make another batch.

The best thing about all of these cleaners is that they are SUPER inexpensive! When you break down the cost of these cleaners, it is quite literally pennies per use. My next venture is to make my own floor cleaner, invest in some microfiber cloths, and hopefully stop throwing my money away on my Swifer refills. (And I DO love my Swifer!)

Another big thing that we have started to do around here is make our own laundry detergent. It is RIDICULOUSLY easy! There's no reason NOT to make your own detergent! I made my first batch in early summer, and just had to make my second batch 2 weeks ago. Here's my easy-to-follow recipe. Just set aside approximately 20 minutes for cooking. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha soap (found in the detergent aisle)
• 8 cups of water
• 1 cup of Borax
• 1 cup of Washing Soda
• 2 empty containers

Start by grating the bar of soap into a large pot. Add 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, and continue to cook until all of the soap is dissolved. Add the Borax and Washing Soda. Bring to a boil one more time. Use a funnel (or any cup with a spout) and divide the soap evenly into the 2 containers. It doesn't have to be perfect measurements, just guess! Let the soap sit in the containers overnight, and then add water until the containers are almost full. Shake well, and enjoy the mere pennies that you're spending every time you wash clothes! Don't fret about chunks and such, it's perfectly normal. Every few washes, I add a little more water to make the soap last longer. Most recipes call for storing the mixture in a 5-gallon bucket, but if you're like me and have your washer and dryer in a small closet, there's just no room for that! This is the same concept, and the soap lasts just as long because you are constantly adding water. I haven't added up the costs, but I estimate that my detergent probably costs $5-$6 per large-sized detergent container. Try it! I dare you!

Trek washed dishes while Mommy cooked the soap. Sometimes my plans to do these projects during nap time don't pan out. Especially when my busy boy only sleeps for an hour. Thank goodness for simple entertainment!

Also, (side note) I'm learning to sew! I've literally learned one step, but hey...it's better than where I was! Here's hoping I can get fairly good at this new endeavor!