I'm a money saving monster!

I've cut back on our weekly "allowance."

I'm trying to pay off some debt and cut some corners so that we can have the money to do cool things - like travel and finish our backyard.

One thing I thought I would never, ever do to cut corners is change my laundry detergent. I have loved Tide since I was in college. I would literally scrimp and save so that I could buy enough Tide to make it through the loads I needed to do. I tried the other brands and they were never up to snuff.

Now we buy Tide at Sam's Club. The last time I paid for the big orangy/red box, it was almost $30. That lasts me about 3-4 months. It seems like a pretty good deal when you think about how white it keeps my whites and that it doesn't prematurely fade blacks and that it smells good and that I simply love it.

I still love Tide, but this house that we live in doesn't like it. We've had plumbers come out and tell us that we need to stop using so much soap because it causes too many bubbles and it makes our toilet downstairs "burp." I guess it has to do with our city's plumbing and our water softener and the inability our pipes have to clear sudsy water. So I've cut back on how much Tide I use and I still like it, but I now have a new love.

It's homemade and requires a recipe. I love anything with a recipe! I discovered this a few months ago and bought all the ingredients for less than $13. Since you only use a couple of tablespoons per load, this makes about twice as many loads as my Sam's Club Tide! The difference between $30 and $6.50 started me on the journey, but the quality of this concoction is what is making me stick with it.

It smells lovely, doesn't fade blacks or denims (I've only been using it for a month, though), makes my clothes feel clean and has actually taken some stains out of my whites. I'm pretty sure I won't ever purchase a big box of Tide at Sam's Club again, although I might always have some on hand . . . for nostalgia's sake.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it . . .

1 cup Washing soda (not Baking Soda - I found it at a Basha's grocery store in the laundry aisle - I think Fry's, Harris Teeter and Publix has it, too)
1/2 cup Borax (you can find this at Walmart or Target)
1 bar of Fels Naptha stain remover, grated (this was the hardest to find, I actually found this at a Basha's grocery store - and there were only a couple on the very top shelf).

Mix it all together and use two tablespoons per load.

Some extra tips: I have actually had huge success with using double the powders and only one bar of Fels Naptha. That is the recipe I am currently using.

I have been told that you can use Ivory soap instead of Fels Naptha. I have made a batch and will test it out for you (aren't I nice). I really love the smell of Fels Naptha, though, so I probably won't use the Ivory very often. The Ivory would be great for someone who is sensitive to smells - it has virtually none. The Ivory is also cheaper.

Happy money saving to you!