Frugal Friday

[ecosophia]

Welcome back to Frugal Friday!  This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which may change as we proceed.

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc.  I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please keep it to one tip per person per week. Data dumps are tedious for me to moderate and also for readers to use. If you have lots of tips, great -- post one per week. This is an ongoing project. If you want to comment on someone else's tip, that's welcome, but again, don't use that as an excuse to post a second, unrelated tip of your own.

Rule #4:  please keep your contributions reasonably short -- say, 500 words or less. If you have something longer to say, please post it elsewhere -- a free Dreamwidth account is one option -- and simply put a link here. Teal deer comments won't be put through.

Rule #5:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #6: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!

Comments

Estate Sales

[(Anonymous)]

One online resource I know of to find estate sales or moving sales is:
https://www.estatesales.net/

I'm sure there are others out there. Usually pictures are provided, etc.
Most offer discounts (40% - 50%) the second day of the sale, more the next (if there is one). At one sale, on the last day, I had a fixed focus 35mm film camera in my hand, just looking at it and the organizer said, 'just take it'. Ha! I think it had a $5 price.

Re: Estate Sales

[temporaryreality]

Thanks for the link! At a nearby estate sale I scored a nice electric table-top sewing machine, pristine, from the 1950s or 60s (so, metal parts, rather than plastic) - for $10. It was the last day, the price had been 100 then 60. I left, but went back after thinking about it, figuring I'd see if they'd take 50. Another lady was considering it as I came panting up... and the seller said, "How about $10?" and the lady said "nah." Home it came with me :)

Energy Saving Cooking -The Wonderbag

[artsmith]

The wonderbag is a fabric version of a haybox cooker. If you are watching your gas or electric consumption or don't have access to either you can use this insulated bag as a low tech slow cooker.
The Instructables website has a step by step guide to make this simple sewing project.

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Wonder-Box-CookerCooler/

As with a slow cooker, browning your meat and frying off your veggies first will make for a more flavoursome, less watery meal. Get your dish up to a boil and put your casserole pot on a trivet to keep the bottom from scorching the fabric. Close up the wonder bag tightly and leave to cook for 4 to 5 hours.

Re: Energy Saving Cooking -The Wonderbag

[claire_58]

I have one of these and I second the recommendation.
They are great for cooking ahead if you have a large meal planned and great for bringing hot food to potlucks. I don't have a rice cooker so I just bring the rice to a boil and put it in the bag. Stays hot for a very long time. Great for making yogurt too.

At-Home Exercise and Injury Prevention

[kylec]

Save money on gym memberships and hip replacements by working out smarter at home.

I worked for years as a CSCS at a big university, and I can assure you that you don’t need all that junk in the gym. Much of it is poorly-designed and encourages or forces you to move in sloppy patterns, anyway.

The main barrier is knowledge. In fitness, everyone’s an expert, or so they think. There are tons of free resources, but many of them are harmful and you have to be an expert to spot who the experts are among the well-meaning novices.

One of the most valuable resources I’ve come across is the Postural Restoration Institute, which has opened a lot of eyes in the physical therapy and strength community to some problematic and ubiquitous human patterns that lead to joint replacements, poor breathing, and a host of other issues. These are biomechanical patterns that can be fixed with practice. The PRI folks identified them and came up with the exercise protools for alleviating and preventing them.

I won’t go into too much detail because it really dives deep into anatomy, but suffice to say that if you catch them early enough, most hip and knee replacements DO NOT need to happen. Most back/neck issues are completely fixable. Your sleep apnea can be addressed by changing your pelvis/spine/rib relationship. The list goes on. Doctors prefer to medicate and sell you surgeries and equipment, but it’s cheaper just to move your body in the ways it’s meant to move.

On youtube, I recommend Conor Harris https://www.youtube.com/@conorharris and Neal Hallinan https://www.youtube.com/@NealHallinan. The former has more exercises and sells a cheap program I can endorse for complete beginners, but both have great info.

While he isn’t PRI, I also like Ben Patrick https://www.youtube.com/@TheKneesovertoesguy. His program costs money, but it’s easy to search around and find the movements he uses and the progressions/regressions. I do modify his stuff to use PRI principles, since out of the box he is a little heavy into anterior pelvic tilt for my tastes. But his big thing is gently, patiently training connective tissues through full range of motion, what some would consider “dangerous” positions, to build resilience and injury-proof the body. He’s rehabbed a lot of people, including himself, to pretty impressive levels.

Mark Wildman is fantastic at club/mace and kettlebell, functional strength. https://www.youtube.com/@MarkWildman . For light clubs, https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicSport

The gamechanger in the strength world to me has been a shift away from isolated muscles toward integrated patterns and connective tissues.

Next week I will go over equipment I recommend having at home, depending on your goals, space, and budget.

Re: At-Home Exercise and Injury Prevention

[weilong]

All of that sounds great. I can attest that exercising at home is a great way to do it. I got a book about body-weight exercises called You Are Your Own Gym. Between a chinup bar and an interval timer, I think I have invested about $50 in exercise equipment, and I exercise at home. No travel, any time I feel like it, and completely free. I can even do it in hotel rooms if I am traveling. As you mention, there are also advantages over using the machines, like having a more natural range of motion.

Are you using too much soap?

[(Anonymous)]

I understand that this may have too much ick factor for some people but I have been doing this for years now with zero blowback from other people.

It's been over 5 years now that I haven't shampooed my long blonde hair. Since we've been abusing our locks since birth (stripping off our natural protective oils) it takes a long time (about a year) for nature to reclaim the territory but when it does, wow. Just use plain water and from time to time a soak with apple cider vinegar to exfoliate the scalp. A nice brush with stiff bristles is also de rigeur.

When we left the city, our new house in the country had a bidet in the bathroom. What a revelation. Being able to wash what is most necessary, daily showering isn't a pressing issue. One saves water, heating that water, and laundering towels etc. Also the chemicals in the soap or shampoo aren't introduced into ones body.

Another point I'd like to make is about cultivating a microbiome, not just in the gut, but on the surface of ones largest organ; the skin. Like any fully occupied area it cannot be invaded easily by the bad guys who don't want to live harmoniously with your body.

Re: Are you using too much soap?

[hearthculture]

I can vouch for the no-shampoo method.
I have long, thick brown hair and have not used shampoo for over two years (with the same protocol of water rinses, brushing, and occasional apple cider vinegar.) I get comments multiple times weekly on how nice or healthy my hair looks, and I always have to dither if someone asks how I do it... ;)

[(Anonymous)]

I posted this late in last week's thread without realizing that today is Frugal Friday and time for a new show.

Readers may find the following video interesting, where Chinese people are sharing how they save money after their youth unemployment has gone sky-high. It appears like "collapse now and avoid the crash" mentality has gone viral in China with their own slang term - "lying flat" (tang ping)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGpucmzKITY

DIY Bicycle Chain Lube

[dr_coyote]

Two ingredients:
(1) 90 weight grease — really more of a thick oil. Outboard motor “foot grease” is best because it has anti-corrosion additives, but any 90 wt. gear grease will do.
(2) Any one of those “miraculously restore your engine” motor oils. It’ll fill micro-cracks in your chain’s bearing surfaces. Shake before pouring to get any settled goodies off the bottom.

Mix 50/50 in small batches. I mix and use mine in an old chain lube bottle (original lube long gone). Anything similar that allows a small dribble of lube will work.

To apply, if your bike has a freewheel system, lean it against something so that you can spin the pedals backwards with one hand while working with the other. Lay old newspaper up against the back wheel and on the floor to protect from chain spray. Spin the chain backwards and dust it off with an old toothbrush. Dig the grime out from between the cogs with a scrap of plastic. Pedaling backwards some more, dribble lube on the entire chain. Let it sit a few minutes to soak in, then wipe everything you can off. Old terry towel scraps work well.

If your bike doesn’t have a freewheel system, you may have to flip it over and improvise, or put it on a bike stand, or figure something else, then pedal it forward.

After the first ride with a new coat of lube, wipe it down again to get whatever has squeezed out off the outside of the chain. A clean, wiped-off chain now lasts maybe 400 miles on-road and about 50 miles off-road in dry weather, somewhat less in wet, before it needs lubing again. Listen to your chain, it’ll tell you when it needs lube.

Looking up the cost of ingredients, this comes out to $2 per 4 oz. bottle, vs. $10 - $12 for similar pre-packaged lube. Admittedly, this comes to $32 for a half-gallon in one whack, but the ingredients last and you’ll have plenty to share over the next few years.

Preserving - Vacuum Seal Ball Jars

[(Anonymous)]

By using a series of valves air can be removed from glass jars, specifically mason jars in most cases. This extends the life and quality of many food items reducing waste. I use this daily to maintain the freshness of home roasted coffee. By removing oxygen (and moisture) it slows the breakdown of the oils in the coffee. Similarly when I open a larger bag of dried fruit, herbs, seeds, or nuts they can be placed in a glass jar(s) to be used over the next couple of weeks or months.

This emphatically does not replace canning or refrigeration BUT in a humid environment like Virginia it is extremely helpful and I believe worth the extra tools in the house.

I have a manual setup that uses this attachment from FoodSaver (https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FCARWJAH-000-Wide-Mouth-Regular-Accessory/dp/B016OL1AB6?th=1) along with a manual 'break bleeder'. I tried a more expensive version hoping that I will be able to repair as needed along with being more ergonomic and built to last. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IQM460/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1). It has worked well but not sure it is worth the extra price yet. There are many more reasonably priced versions or can be picked up locally from auto/tool shop.

I don't remember where I ran across this originally but the internet also has several detailed blog posts about this kind of setup. An example below.
https://foodprepguide.com/how-to-vacuum-seal-a-mason-jar/

Bill in VA

Re: Preserving - Vacuum Seal Ball Jars

[(Anonymous)]

We do this as well. It is great for dry food like dried kale chips, sun-dried tomatoes, beans, etc.

Here is a post we did on it with pictures.

https://www.brunettegardens.com/p/kale-chips-and-the-brake-bleeder

Purposely look at what you won't look at...

[hearthculture]

When budgeting early in my marriage, we trimmed and reduced and still overspent. Something was amiss... I finally realized that because we valued food so much, treating it as medicine as well as nourishment, it had become sacrosanct - other than eating out or "treats" I didn't even track it in the budget and everywhere we saved ended up being redistributed into food.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a large organic honeycrisp apple a day for two people also ended up amounting to $120 or more a month. So, when we purposefully looked for what we weren't looking at, we found clear (if not easy) solutions.

This has held at later points in life. We cloth diapered but spent tons on toilet paper which seems like a "necessity." Then we found the concept of family cloth and other ways of cleaning that can be just as sanitary with much less expense and much less waste.

These solutions might not work everyone, but I believe everyone can benefit from a purposeful review of the constants in their life, and what they consider necessary.

Re: Purposely look at what you won't look at...

[jprussell]

I'd add that sometimes "what you won't look at" might come from childhood patterns. When I was a kid, my parents were careful not to spoil me with toys and games and such, but since they were readers and wanted me to be a reader, anytime I wanted a book, I got one. I was well into adulthood, paying my own way, before I realized that I didn't "count" book spending - I had to worry about eating out and buying games or other leisure-related gear, but not books. It's been hard to accept that the money spent on books is the same as all the other money, but likely helpful :)

Cheers,
Jeff

Cultivate Your Local Auto Repair Shop

[(Anonymous)]

If you own a car and you like to work on it yourself, find a local repair shop that will cooperate. Case in point: my car went in for state inspection and the shop told me I needed brake pads and control arms. I said, "Sure! I'll take the car home and get it back to you ASAP." Since we know each other, I could sign a piece of paper that basically says they think it's not fit to drive but I'm taking it anyway, take the car home, do the repairs, take it back and save $800. They also know that anything REALLY big is going to be done by them - I know my limits! (They put a new clutch and transmission in that car last year.)

Re: Cultivate Your Local Auto Repair Shop

[(Anonymous)]

The hard work is diagnosis anyway. Replacing parts, not so much. Sometimes special tools become required. That's also true with bicycles.

Cellphone data plans

[(Anonymous)]

Stop using mobile data and move to a talk/text only plan. These can be had for $10-$20/line - compared to $50-$60 dollars per line for a plan with data.

For those of you who aren't ready to do that, read on...

The big three carriers (TMO, VZW, ATT) charge a lot of money for their products. Many of the smaller companies that resell coverage on the big three networks (MVNOs) like Tello or Mint offer much cheaper plans but they suffer from de-prioritization: their users' data traffic is set to a lower priority than the postpaid subscribers on the parent network so it ends up being slow.
There are currently only two MVNOs that offer full priority data relative to their parent networks: US Mobile Warp 5G, and Google Fi.
Google Fi runs on the T-Mobile network, now that Sprint is a part of T-Mobile and US Cellular has backed out of their agreement with Google Fi.
US Mobile Warp 5G runs on the Verizon network. They also offer another option called 5G GSM that runs on T-Mobile but that one is de-prioritized. They have a tool on their website to see if your phone is compatible with their Warp 5G (Verizon) network.
Both services offer cheaper alternatives to the big three with no tradeoff in data priority. Of course that could always change. Here is a link to a Reddit post that keeps track of what is de-prioritized and what is not: https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/oaophe/data_prioritization_policies_of_the_carriers_and/

Save Money on Alibris.com

[jprussell]

This one may be a bit niche, but I've been almost entirely successful in moving my online book ordering away from the big, slimy river and to bookshop.org and alibris.com. One of the bad habits the 300-pound gorilla of online retail taught me was to not think about shipping costs or pay much attention to what seller a book was coming from, so long as it was Prime. Another habit was to not really look for sales or coupons.

After a couple of orders from alibris, I realized it was worthwhile to ditch those bad habits. So two parts to this tip:

1) If you subscribe to their email list, alibris sends out links to coupons every other day. They advertise the maximum amount you can save, which requires a minimum purchase, and the maximum amount varies between $10 and $25 that I've seen. If I have a book I want to order, but no particular rush, I generally wait until one of the bigger coupons comes out and then add in a few others from my wishlist to hit the minimum. I also sometimes check out what the actual percent savings is, and generally speaking, the higher value ones are a larger percentage of the minimum required purchase, so they are actually better deals, unless you go way over the largest minimum purchase.

2) Since alibris is primarily a used bookstore aggregator, most books come from different sellers. If you're ordering multiple books, it's often useful to look for finding as many as you can from the same seller, as they'll charge you far less for shipping a slightly larger package than two or three different sellers will charge you for two or three packages. Some books come directly from alibris (mostly new or books that were remaindered, meaning there's a larger inventory of them), and these are eligible for free shipping if you buy above $39.00 total (after coupon). It can be a bit finnicky to work out whether it's better to get a cheaper book from another seller, or pay a bit more to get it from a seller who has another book you're ordering, but it can save a fair amount of money if you play around with it (money better spent on books than on shipping!). Half-Price Books (HPB) has a big presence and several locations with large, varied inventories, so they're often good to check as potentially carrying two or more of the books you're looking for.

Happy reading, and my blessings to any who welcome them,
Jeff

Re: Save Money on Alibris.com

[(Anonymous)]

AbeBooks is another good one for used books.

- Cicada Grove

Making Medicine

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG and Fellow Readers,

I am a career asthmatic, having had severe infantile asthma that didn't go away. I have been working with a Naturopathic physician to get off my pharmaceutical drugs. Mostly, he treats me with diet, as in , "Stop eating food you know you are allergic to!" By following his advice, I have been able to reduce my consumption of pharmaceuticals by over 75%.

I have also spent the last five years or so experimenting with making my own health products such as sting stop, antihistamine cream (plantain and chickweed!), antispasmodic preparations from Pacific gum weed, antiseptic and astringent ointment, eye washes (chickweed again), anti-viral potions for cold sores (yarrow and other things) elderberry syrups for colds, and nerve pain creams from Saint John's wort. All of my products work better than their industrial counterparts and are very inexpensive to produce. My friends and family love them.

I started with Rosemary Gladstar's book, Medicinal Herbs, a Beginners Guide. That is still the text I use the most. I have a garden of medicinal herbs and it is widely used by my herbalist friends, for free of course. Making potions is fun and simple and I get great results. We also save a great deal of money.

I love this new Frugal Friday club.
Maxine

On Prolonging the Life of your Septic System

[methylethyl]

I've written up a post on my page, summarizing our experience and reading on the subject of reducing maintenance needs, and prolonging the life of your septic system, here:

https://methylethyl.dreamwidth.org/31430.html

It's important to maintain your septic system in good working order, and some maintenance is essential! But if you are careful, and treat it gently, there's a lot you can do to keep it working well, and extend the time between necessary (and expensive) maintenance calls.

Re: On Prolonging the Life of your Septic System

[jbucks]

Thank you for this, I have bookmarked it. We're already doing some of what you suggested but there's always room to improve.

Store brand rice crispies

[(Anonymous)]

The brand name dry cereal was over $5.50; the store brand was ~$3.00. I got more cereal in the store brand box, enough more that I had to empty my nut jar into a zipper baggie and fill it with dry cereal overflow. The taste was pretty much the same.

Patricia Mathews

Re: Store brand rice crispies

[(Anonymous)]

I think the cheapest breakfast cereal is oatmeal in bulk packaging. If I'm wrong, I'd love to know.

Structure life to avoid car

[quietmagpie]

Owning and operating a motor vehicle is quite expensive. If you live in a city or suburb, it is often possible to structure where you live and what you do to avoid the necessity of a car. We live in a small city and we can get anywhere in the city by bike, and walking. One of the benefits of being a renter is that you can change house locations to be located somewhere that you can use other forms of transportation. If you live somewhere with good public transport options, those are good as well.

Not having a car insulates you significantly from the volatility of gas prices, and is cheaper even when the price of fuel is low. The other benefit is that you will get regular exercise. If you get a good-sized backpack and panniers, it is amazing how much you can get onto a bike. It isn't that much less than you can fit into a car trunk. We both regularly transport 20kg bags of dried goods.

After walking and biking regularly for years, it now feels uncomfortable if we have to drive places (we both drive for work), and not having to wait in traffic or look for parking feels so much better, even if getting to your destination is somewhat slower. No parking in the city center? Just tie your bike to a no parking sign!

On the odd occasion that we have to go longer distances we carpool, take the bus, or, rarely, rent a vehicle.

[ganeshling]

I don't think it was mentioned last time so here we go:

Consider discarding shampoo altogether. Just Duckduckgo "no poo" and it will give plenty of instructions and troubleshooting guides.

I haven't used anything but water on my head in the last nearly 20 years. I had problems with my hair and scalp before that and I still remember my shock seeing how the problems went away a few weeks after stopping any shampoo use.

Switch to cold showers at the same time and save on water and water heating bills to boot! :}

The Gifting Season Approaches...

[methylethyl]

With the budget tighter than ever, and the profligate gifting season fast approaching, this seems like a great place to ask:

What have y'all done for low-cost/homemade gifts?

I'm pretty handy with a sewing machine and I can cook, and back when we had fruit-bearing shrubs, we did very well with making up batches of jam to cover small gifting obligations (housewarmings and hostess gifts). But I'm low on both fruit and ideas right now, and Christmas looms! I'm contemplating lavender sachets... I'd love to know what folks here have tried in this line-- and which ones were flops, and which ones were well-received?

Re: The Gifting Season Approaches...

[jprussell]

A few options that have worked well for us:

1) Canned goods (habenero jelly to be put on cream cheese was a big hit)
2) Homemade Chex Mix (my sister is a realtor and makes a big batch to put in either baggies or mason jars and gives it to her clients). Recipe is basically the cereal (3 or 4 varieties), mixed nuts, pretzel sticks, butter, Worcestershire Sauce, and maybe some sugar
3) For a little more, cookbooks, especially if they're from a local organization and not super expensive (my wife was in Junior League for a while, and we gave away copies of the local cookbook, which she got a discount to buy in bulk)
4) Used Books - if you know the person well and can accurately gauge their taste, this can be a good way to get something he actually wants that can still be pretty cheap
5) Actually useful handmade stuff - if you can sew, maybe tote bags? Close family may appreciate arts and crafts projects that are purely decorative, but for friends or acquaintances, I think that something more like a bag or a set of coasters or the like is more likely to go over well

Hope these help, and look forward to seeing what other folks say,
Jeff

alternate to laundry soap and other cleaners

[fringewood]

I would like to recommend Sodium Percarbonate as a cheaper and better alternative to laundry soap. We have been using it for 5 months to wash our clothes and to clean up greasy messes in the kitchen and elsewhere. It is basically solid hydrogen peroxide. I am amazed how much brighter and cleaner my clothes are and how quickly it cleans the stove and other greasy messes. Sounds like a '50s commercial, I know, but it's true :^)

We live off grid, farm and get our clothes very dirty.We wash our clothes with a small plunger type washer and spin them out with a fantastic stand alone electric spinner. That's another story for later. We have tried washing soda, baking soda and vinegar. This beats them all. There is no smell, it removes bad odors from the wash, and the clothes dry on the line soft and pliable, including my husband's overalls and our sheets and towels. We do not rinse, but I know most people do, yet our clothes are clean and fresh and soft. Here is a pdf with lots of info https://www.chemistrystore.com/sodium_percarbonate2.pdf It costs us about $5 per month for washing and cleaning. Can't beat that.

More info below:

This is the primary ingredient in OxyClean. Sodium Percarbonate (PC) is a white granule produced from Soda Ash and Hydrogen Peroxide. It serves as an alkaline oxygen-based bleaching agent stable at normal temperature. It provides powerful cleaning, bleaching, stain removal capabilities- yet it's environmentally compatible. It will break down into water, oxygen, and soda ash.

Can be use in Laundry formulations for these benefits:

*No environmental hazards - breaks down to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate (soda ash) in your wash water.
* Color safe and fabric safe. It brightens colors.
* Continual use will not cause yellowing or graying of cotton fabric.
* Effective stain removal in a broad range of water temperatures.
* Lengthens time between linen replacement.
* Prevents fabric from becoming yellowed or darkened.
* Does not weaken the strength of fabrics like chlorine bleach.
* In the laundry Sodium Percarbonate is used to destain, deodorize, and whiten. It is very effective as a laundry pre-soak for heavily stained articles.

Usage Guide


Sodium Percarbonate is a powerful oxygen based alkaline cleaner that attacks the toughest organic dirt including mildew, blood, pet messes, mold, wine, juice, baby formula and much more. After removing your stains, it will break down into harmless oxygen and sodium carbonate. It works over time, and some stains will require several treatments for best results. It has no odor so you clean without the harmful fumes. For the most effective stain removal, follow the mixing instructions on this instruction sheet using the lightest solution suggestion first and increase the cleaning solution as needed.

Hints and Suggestions: Always follow manufacturer's specifications and test for colorfastness first by applying product in an inconspicuous area and allowing it to dry. Do not leave solution in a sealed container as it will continue to give off oxygen and the container may leak. This product will remain active for up to six hours. If you have completed your cleaning for the day and have left-over, empty unused cleaner into the garbage disposal or toilet to clean and deodorize these areas. This product will be most effective when mixed with warm to hot water. Stir or shake the solution until all crystals are dissolved. Do not use boiling water. Do not use on wool or silk.

MIXING

1 scoop =1/4 cup

GENERAL CLEANING SOLUTION
Use any clean spray or squirt bottle. Mix 1/8 of a scoop with 1 pint (2 cups) of warm to hot water. Mix or shake thoroughly. Product will remain active for six hours.

EXTRA STRONG SOLUTION
Use any clean spray or squirt bottle. Mix 1 scoop with 1 pint of warm to hot water. Mix or shake thoroughly. Product will remain active for six hours.

SOAKING SOLUTION
Mix 1-4 scoops of Sodium Percarbonate per gallon of hot water.

MAKING A PASTE
Use one scoop of Sodium Percarbonate and add just enough drops of water to form a paste.

Use the guidelines below when cleaning:

Carpet, Carpet Padding, Couches, and Upholstery
To de-stain and deodorize your carpet, start by mixing a general cleaning solution. Remove as much of the dirt or liquid as possible. Squirt product on spot and let stand 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly by pouring fresh water over spot, soak up with a clean cloth or towel and vacuum thoroughly when completely dry. Always test for colorfastness before applying product.


Curtains, Sheers, Wedding Dresses, and Tennis Shoes
To de-stain and deodorize curtains/sheers that are yellow, dingy or smoke-stained, mix a soaking solution and allow items to soak 30-60 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and let dry. For wedding dresses and tennis shoes, use warm water and begin with a light solution of product (1-2 scoops per gallon). Soak 10-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly with fresh water, and let dry.

Carpet Cleaning Machines
Add 1 scoop of product per gallon of warm water. Use product with a carpet cleaning solution to increase the cleaning power.

Ice Chests & Garbage Cans
Mix a soaking solution directly in the ice chest or garbage can, allow to stand for 1 hour up to overnight. Rinse thoroughly.

Mops and Sponges
Mix a general cleaning solution in a bucket or sink, place mop or sponge into bucket and let stand for 30-60 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Tile & Grout Cleaning
For light maintenance on porcelain tubs, tiles, sinks and toilets, mix a general cleaning solution. Spray on, scrub lightly and rinse thoroughly. For extra tough mold and mildew, make product into a paste and apply. Let stand for 1 hour up to overnight, scrub and rinse thoroughly.

Jewelry & Dentures
For jewelry, use 1/8 of a scoop of product in 4 cups of water and soak for 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. To de-stain and deodorize dentures, soak in a general cleaning solution for 1 hour up to overnight, rinse thoroughly.

Cutting Boards, Tupperware, and Kitchen Counter Tops
To clean and deodorize your whole kitchen, use a general cleaning solution and apply with a soft cloth, squirt bottle or sprayer, let stand 5-10 minutes and rinse. For extra strong stains, soak item with an extra strong solution for 15-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly.

Coffee Pots
To de-stain your coffee pot add one scoop of product directly into a coffee pot of hot water, soak 10-15 minutes and rinse thoroughly. To remove build up inside the coffee maker, mix a general cleaning solution into squirt bottle, allow solution to cool completely, then pour into coffee maker. Turn on coffee maker and allow solution to run through machine. Rinse by running cold, fresh water through the cycle.

Refrigerators
To eliminate mold, mildew and other organic stains, mix a general cleaning solution in a squirt bottle and apply with a soft cloth, let stand 10-20 minutes, wipe and rinse thoroughly.

All Weather Carpeting, Fencing, Concrete, Siding, Wood Decks, and Stucco
To remove weathered stains from wood decking, fencing, siding, concrete, and stucco, use a general cleaning solution and apply with a clean lawn sprayer. Let stand 10-30 minutes, scrub if necessary and rinse thoroughly. Or mix a general cleaning solution in a bucket and apply with a broom or brush, then scrub and rinse thoroughly.

Window Awnings, Patio Umbrellas, Wicker Furniture, Lawn Furniture
To remove weathered stains and dirt from your outdoor patio furniture, mix a general cleaning solution and apply with a lawn sprayer, or mix product in a bucket and apply with a scrub brush or broom. Let stand 10-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Pet Stains & Urine
Sodium Percarbonate will clean and deodorize carpets, carpet padding and upholstery stained with pet messes. Always test for colorfastness first. Remove dirt or soak up liquid thoroughly before applying product. Mix a general cleaning solution of product in the squirt bottle, apply to affected area and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and soak up with a clean cloth or towel. Vacuum area when completely dry.

Fireplaces & Bricks
Use the general cleaning solution and apply to fireplace or bricks with a scrub brush or broom, allow to stand 10-20 minutes and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Scrub before rinsing if necessary.

Water Damage Cleanup & Mildew Removal
To remove mold and mildew prior to painting or to clean up water damage, mix a soaking solution, apply to surface, and scrub with a brush or sponge. Let stand 20-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Shower Curtains
To remove mold and mildew from shower curtains, mix a soaking solution, let shower curtain soak for 30-60 minutes, scrub if necessary and rinse thoroughly.

Re: alternate to laundry soap and other cleaners

[jbucks]

Thanks for this tip! Have you tried using Sodium Percarbonate with material made from animal products? Doesn't it damage wool, for example?

Is it an issue for the surrounding environment if it goes out in your gray water system?

Anglo-American Onion Powder Gravy, Tested Today

[saturns_pet]

Anglo-American Onion Powder Gravy, Tested Today

Ingredients:

2 cups decent water, preferably not chlorinated or heavy aka hard;
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour;
2 tablespoons onion powder;
about 1 tablespoon butter;
pinches of salt and sage leaf powder

Lightly toast flour in a little sauce pot on low heat until it smells a little sweeter. I've used an electric stovetop. Use the same pot you intend to make the gravy in, by the way. Add butter to the flour. Keep on low heat until it bubbles. Lift from heat. Stir, with wood or bamboo. Repeat until rawish smell of flour is gone, probably not many times. Don't brown. It ought to taste a bit like unsweetened pie crust. Mine tend get a little crumbly. Add a little water to the pot, not cold water. Make a slurry. Put back on low heat. Add remainder of water to pot, again not cold. Make the mixture bubble to thicken it into a gravy, stirring as needed. Remove from heat. Stir in onion powder bit by bit to prevent dreaded clumps. Salt and season with sage.

Put on toast, then add beans? A thrill begins...

I like the purpose affirmed by Frugal Friday. Therefore I have returned to respectfully haunt your folklore-commentariat.

saturns_pet

[ecosophia]

My contribution to this week's Frugal Friday is a forgotten resource: old home economics textbooks.

Back in the 19th century, as public schooling became standard, schools in a great many countries had to take over some of the work of teaching girls to be housewives. The result was a plethora of textbooks that cover most of what any homemaker (of either sex) needs to know in a low-tech home. Thanks to online archives, you can get quite a few of them free for the downloading these days. Here are seventy-odd examples:

Archive.org home economics textbooks

Titles include Practical Homemaking: A Textbook for Young Housekeepers, Shelter and Clothing: A Textbook of the Household Arts, Home Nursing and Child Care, and many more.

[methylethyl]

Oh, those look marvelous! Thank you!

Get a bidet

[(Anonymous)]

My tip for the week - get a basic bidet addon for your toilet. They're not that expensive (you can get fancy ones but a basic cold water bidet attachment last time I looked was $40), they will drastically cut your toilet paper use and they will save your septic tank if you have one.

I'm still on the same bale of toilet paper I bought back before the C***D craziness. And when the toilet paper shortage hit, I didn't notice it at all. The thing has probably already paid for itself in all the toilet paper I haven't bought in the last 3-4 years.

Re: Get a bidet

[(Anonymous)]

Hi,
I picked up a small pewter jug from the free store and use that to wash myself over our composting toilet. Works great to clean the bum.

growing annual herbs as perennials

[randomactsofkarmasc]

I started several basil plants (indoors) in Spring '22 from seed. I kept them in pots and moved them outside after the threat of frost had passed. I replaced bulbs in some table lamps with LED grow bulbs (shaped like old-fashioned incandescent bulbs). Before the first freeze, I moved the basil indoors (after a serious pruning). I won't say they thrived inside, but they stayed alive. Spring '23, I moved them back outside. They grew like crazy. I have added a few more herbs (sage, marjoram, oregano, dill, and cilantro) and a few more grow lights. I'll let you know if they make it to next Spring. (I've also kept catnip alive indoors under a grow light. I actually have five plants, and I rotate them in different positions, because my cats like to self-medicate.)

Re: growing annual herbs as perennials

[jbucks]

Thank you for this tip! I was thinking of trying something like this, so I'll give it a shot, too!

Hand held bidet

[kayr]

I have been using a hand held bidet sprayer to clean myself after urinating or defecating as a way to save on the use of toilet paper. They are easy to install on the supply line of your toilet and provide a very refreshing method of cleaning your self with out the use of paper. To dry myself, I use some squares of cotton jersey knit. Since I am just patting myself dry from water rather then bodily wastes, I can get several uses out of each cotton square before throwing it into the wash.

If perchance I missed with the spray and the cotton square comes up brown, it is a simple thing to rinse it with the spray of the hand held bidet in the nearby tub and toss it in the laundry. No toilet paper used. Since I started using a bidet, I have not suffered a UTI.

The water is cold, but in the summer, that makes it very refreshing. I got use to it in the winter and it really wasn't that big of a deal. However if you think that idea of spraying your nether parts with cold water is beyond your endurance, you can get fancy toilet seats that will heat the water before spraying you clean with it.

Stock Up on Cheap Meals

[(Anonymous)]

I hate to grocery shop, especially if the weather is at all unpleasant, which can lead to eating out (expensive! and not as healthy!) when there are not enough ingredients for meals left in the house.

The best way I've found to overcome this is to stock up on cheap, shelf-stable meal ingredients. So come up with seven different main dishes that can be made with canned goods, dried foods, and other cheap, long-lasting ingredients. Then buy enough for twelve meals (because there are twelve cans in a flat, making it easier to transport and organize). A sample meal would be bean chili - 1 can kidney beans, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can black beans, l can diced tomatoes (preferably petite), 1 chili seasoning packet, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. So buy 1 flat each of the canned ingredients, 12 chili seasoning packets (French's Chili-O Original is my preferred choice), and 1 jar of garlic powder.

Another meal could be a black bean soup. Figure out how many cans of black beans you need for a meal for your family. Get that many flats of black beans, plus a flat of diced tomatoes, a flat of whole kernel corn and/or whatever vegetables you like, plus 1 jar of each kind of spices you want to season it.

Another possible meal is spaghetti - buy 12 boxes of dried spaghetti noodles and 12 cans or jars of spaghetti sauce. If you like spices beyond what's already in the sauce, then don't forget to buy those too.

You can make salmon and rice patties (cooked rice, canned salmon, and salt, plus an egg replacer such as ground flax seed). Instead of salmon, you can use any kind of canned fish or meat you like. You can add any spices you enjoy.

You can plan another meal around dried beans and biscuits (12 bags dried beans, 1 25-pound bag of self-rising flour, 12 cartons shelf-stable coconut milk, and 1 bottle concentrated lemon juice). If you briskly stir 2 tablespoons lemon juice into 2 cups coconut milk and let it set for 5 minutes, it can replace buttermilk in biscuits. The texture will end up better than buttermilk biscuits, but the flavor will not be the same.

I've done this in a limited way with bean chili and black bean soup, and found it extremely helpful, but haven't done it yet for a full week of meals. Mostly because even with cheap meals, that's a big upfront price tag. I'm planning to try to do this over multiple pay checks in November and early December. It looks like this may be a bad winter, and no one wants to lug groceries around in freezing temperatures and snow and ice.

We'll see if I succeed. My kids are already getting winter sicknesses, which makes it harder to schedule big grocery shopping trips. Maybe I should also stock up on hot cocoa mix for the winter. The kids like it, and it's soothing for sore throats.

-Garden Housewife

Re: Stock Up on Cheap Meals

[(Anonymous)]

I used to make my own hot chocolate, using milk, Hershey's cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't know if it is cheaper than store-bought mix, but I liked it better. For one serving:

1) Fill your cocoa cup or mug with milk. This will be the quantity of cocoa you make.
2) Pour the milk out into a saucepan.
3) Add the sugar (or other sweetener) and stir to mix/dissolve.
4) Drop a teaspoon of the cocoa powder on top of the milk, then dust the cocoa powder with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
5) Turn on the stove burner. DO NOT STIR YET.
6) As the milk warms up, the cocoa powder wets and sinks into it. Once the cocoa powder has wetted and is sinking in, THEN is the time to gently stir. This way it mixes well into the milk without forming lumps.

Enjoy!

- Cicada Grove

salvage asphalt shingles, cheap designer roofing

[(Anonymous)]

--edited to add link ! ---

Save money now on roofing a shed or small outbuilding, like a garden shed, chicken or goat shelter, wood storage room, but the skills could come in handy if you ever need to make yourself a shelter ( aka a shack or cabin somewhere/sometime)

Shingles at the cheap bog box store are about $40 a packet right now, that is about 32 sq ft of shingles for $44 after tax.

First step is to determine how large the roof is, and figure 1 package is 32 sq ft, and then you need extras, there are directions for application and how much to buy on the back of the package of shingles, or look online. You can look at a package of shingels at the big box store to see how much coverage is, and you are probably going to go there anyways to by other supplies for the project. SO, then you will know how many shingles you need.

There are 2 ways to obtain cheap or free shingles, and they can be combined.

The first is to go to your large roofing supply distributer, not the bog box supply store. When I asked, the large independent roofing supply store has an area or list of the shingles that are discontinued and not enough packages for a standard roofing job. These are brand new, first quality and they are selling them for $20 a packet.

If you want to save even more, ask around for homeowners extra shingles. You can ask on Freecycle, buynothing, or look at those lists or craigs list. I have managed to get most of mine this way for free, but realy, in the city, people do not store as much supplies as some do in my area. So, you may need to default to method 1 for half off. You may also find a partial roll of 30lg felt ( roofing underlayment, also called tar paper) Check to make sure that shingles or tar paper is still sound before bringing it home. so, stored outside covered is good. Out in all weather for toolong is not. see that they will come apart and aren't stuck together. Free shingles are often open packages, so just count or estimate what you have.

Then, count up how many of what color you have and decide on layout. You might decide that all the darker greys are color 1 and all the light greys and greens are color 2 or whatever you decide.

I am giving a link here I posted at Green wizards ( titled barn raising). https://greenwizards.com/node/1615. Scroll down, and you will see a photo, titled Inspiration, of a house I drove by in the city near me that has purposely done 2 color shingle roof. Thaat one is done with 2 high contrast colors alternating every other one. Shingles overlap the one beneath by a third, which is why you see the pattern you do. Scroll down a bit further to see the photo I titled "scavaged roof" and you can see the work in progress that I did. My pattern was 2 red, one light. The light was mostly grey with every so often a light green in place of grey.

I did the actual labor myself, as a slightly built retired woman. Well, for more than half of it, then a male friend joined me for the day and we did the rest together. He certainly could carry more onto the roof at once, I carried about 3 shingles at a time up there. I handed the correct colors over to be hammered on that day. But, even in my slowness, it would have gotten done, and it is good to build skills.

Right now, I am working on the other half of the building. And, soon, in a week or two, will have to start its roof. Looks like it will be majority green with bits of other colors on the south side...as a friend of mine had wuite alot of green 3 tb shingles, and people these days usually use the more 3-D looking ones

Re: salvage asphalt shingles, cheap designer roofing

[(Anonymous)]

There was an episode of Maine Cabin Masters where they moved an old cabin and then re-roofed it using all leftover shingles in many colors. It looked absolutely gorgeous.