Trying to Live Simply

by Kara

Remember when we started this a million years ago, Kimmie? I think it's time to open it once again--plus I am procrastinating, avoiding writing an article that it going nowhere.  

So, with that going nowhere, here's this:

I recently resigned, and in the interest of saving some money, I've begun looking into making things from scratch to avoid shopping at Target and Walmart where I spend oodles of money on impulse buys and sales items.  

What have I learned so far about saving money by making it yourself?  
1. Start-up costs are large.
2. There's a lot about natural, "natural," and synthetic ingredients that I need to learn. 
3. When it comes to body care and cosmetics, PH balance and preservatives are worth researching. 
3. I can spend just about as much on Amazon and TKPtrading as at Target and Walmart. 

What have I made and will I keep making them? 

1. Hand soap (actually dish soap--why did I think it was hand soap? . . .  anybody?)

Thoughts: Let it sit for a couple days before using it.  I used too much super washing soda, so it's incredibly thick.  I liked the feel of it for the first few days, the olive oil left my hands feeling soft, but over the course of the last few weeks, it became a little drying.  Admittedly, it's probably because it's meant to be used with dishes.  I used lemon essential oil because I love J.R. Watkins Lemon Hand Soap and I am pretty happy with the final product, but I will probably use a different recipe next time, since it's drying. Is it cheaper than the $2.98 I usually spend on Method or the $4.78 I spend on J. R.  Watkins?  Probably.  So, win!?

2. Laundry detergent
Thoughts: I made the dry detergent, and after a month, I'm out.  I think I'll make the liquid this time only because the bits of soap didn't always dissolve when I washed clothes in cold water. I certainly saved money.  I usually spend $8 on laundry detergent from Trader Joe's, but this cost me just $5 and next time I will have everything but the bar of soap, which I ordered in bulk from Amazon. 

In the next two posts, I am going over some of the free resources I've found and some of the cosmetics I've attempted.