HOMEMADE SAVINGS

   Laundry detergent- it is a money pit. We bought a front loading washer last year ( we go through a washing machine about every year... 5 kids = a lot of laundry) So I had started buying the high efficiency detergent and it was killing my cleaning budget. Even the off brands are pricey and I figured about 25 cents a load if your kids or husband didn't put in a whole cap full instead of a third of a cap like the instructions clearly state!!!!

So I normally got about 50 cents per load. I found a "recipe" for making home made detergent, it is completely safe for front loaders, and is also safe for sensitive skin types.

1 cup Fels Naptha or Ivory soap (grated finely) less than 2 dollars/ bar or 10 bars of Ivory for 3.75 at Dollar General
1/2 cup washing soda  3.79 per box ACE hardware
1/2 cup borax  4.79 per box ACE hardware

   I actually prefer to use the Ivory soap, the Fels has a strong smell, not in a bad way but my husband has pretty sensitive allergies. That said, I have also made it with 3 parts Ivory and 1 part Fels or even half and half and it did make a difference in how strong it smelled.

Estimated cost: $1 for 32 TBS or 3-6 cents per load (depending if you add 1 or 2 tbs to the washer). Or cheaper if you get any items on sale or use mostly Ivory soap as it is cheaper than the Fels. 

Use the super fine end to grate the soap so that it will dissolve properly

   You can never have enough tomatoes. We cook with them, eat them on burgers, sandwiches, we have even been known to slice them and serve them with a meal in place of a vegetable. The problem with tomatoes is they cost too much. It is not uncommon for tomatoes to run between two and three dollars a pound.

   This year I invested 3 dollars in Tomato seeds, and 12 dollars on a jiffy tomato greenhouse to start the seeds inside the house because being March there is still a danger of frost on my area. The greenhouse came with 36 seed starter pod/disk things, but I decided to start out just using 16 of them. Tomato plants can run anywhere form 2-4 dollars depending on size, so at 15 dollars investment so far the same number of plants would have cost at least $32.00.

Yes i realize this looks like turds in a sock

   I will Add more information as I have it including what the garden costs and saves me.

   I haven't planted anything in years with the idea that I may eat it. Times being as they are I decided it was not only healthier but more economical to grow what we can in out little half acre lot. This is my first time attempting any sort of garden without guidance so I am doing research online for the best times to plant what, the best crops for my zone etc.

   Here are some helpful links

Find out your gardening zone

Food garden guide

Buy Seeds Online