I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for cleaning products.

I hate forking out big bucks for household cleaning products. I am also not a fan of cleaning haha however, in saying that, I would enjoy cleaning alot more if the cleaning products were cheaper and still did the job quite well!

Bicarbonate of Soda, is my friend... everyone should have a box of bicarb in their kitchen, laundry and bathroom.

I think the two most versatile products for household cleaning, cooking and washing would be both bicarb and white vinegar.

Here is a site that I like with the different uses of bicarbonate of soda.

Some of the favourite uses that I have bicarb for are: placing a bowl of bicarb in small spaces like in cupboards or closets. It can absorb any musty smells. I also sometimes drop a bit of bicarb into a pair of trainer jogging shoes after a sweaty smelly walk in them. I sprinkle a bit of bicarb in the front loader washing machine along with washing powder to spruce up old towels and sheets. It also makes my clothes alot fresher and brighter!

A box of bicarbonate soda usually sets me back a mere $1.98c for 1 kilo. And that's a pretty good price for something just so so versatile!


Now for white vinegar; I found this site quite useful and very interesting to say the least! It has quite a few very valueable uses for vinegar on its own. IGA, safeway and Coles sell cheap white vinegar. Home brand is sufficient! $1.32c for 2 litres last time I was at the shop!

My favourite use for vinegar at the moment is to place 1 cup of vinegar in the washing machine along with washing powder for towels that have gone hard and old over time. The vinegar softens them quite nicely.
It's a pretty cheap idea for a fabric softener! Normal fabric softners tend to be the culprits which are making our towels all hard in the first place!

So, buy bicarb and some vinegar! Always have them stocked in your home! I'm all for saving money and still having a clean home without the use of expensive chemicals.

Bicarb and vinegar used in the home and on floors for cleaning are most likely alot healthier to use around young children, new crawlers and indoor animals.

How much do you waste?

So... how much do you waste? How much crap goes out your door into the garbage bins?

Did you know that the average Aussie family bins about $600 worth of food a year? What a waste. And it is probably healthy food too.

As a nation, we waste up to 3 million tonnes of food each year and in my own state of Victoria, the statistics are sitting at an average of 700,000 tonnes of wasted food per year.

Disgusting? Where does it all go? Gross?

If that's Australia, I would hate to think hat some of the bigger population's statistics would be like in countries like China and in the USA.


Another quirky fact that you might be shocked with? Did you know that the average Australian accidently throws out $180 worth of 5 and 10 cent pieces when cleaning or emptying out the contents on their bags?

So it all comes down to, "How much do YOU waste?" and "How much can you save?". I thought about being frugal with my lifestyle. I have read articles on the internet about living "frugal" to try and stop myself from wasting so much crap.

Many would disagree with my views of "frugality".

Frugal
1.
economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2.
entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

If you were frugal in your life right now? What could you cut down on? How much money could you save for yourself? How much space could you create for yourself? How much more simpler would your life be right now?