Homemade Cleaners Series: Laundry Detergent

   Commercial cleaners can take a chunk out of your grocery bill. No need though. Many cleaners can be made at home with a combination of a few ingredients you probably already have at your house, or can purchase in bulk for just a few dollars. My cousin, Mike Fisher, shared with me that he makes his own laundry and dishwasher detergent from recipes he found online. He was kind enough to share them with me, and I will share them with you. This series will highlight a few household cleaners that are simple enough to make at home and will save you a lot in the long run.

   This weekend I started my homemade cleaner adventure with laundry detergent. There were several recipes to choose from that range from diluted (use more per load) to concentrated formulas (use less per load). I picked one in the middle.

• One Bar of Soap - Light or Fragrance Free
• 2 cups Muleteam Borax
• 2 cups Arm & Hammer Cleaning Soda 
• 1 quart water

   Directions: Shave bar soap (I used a cheese grater). Boil quart of water and add soap shavings. Stir until melted. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water. Add melted soap mixure. Add the Borax and cleaning soda. Mix until disolved and top off bucket with more hot water. Stir again. The solution may form into a gel, it may not. It need not be a gel to be effective. Use 1/2 cup detergent per load for this recipe. Find other laundry detergent recipes here http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

   My tips: If you choose a frangrance free bar soap, you can add a few drops of essential oils in a scent you prefer - lavender, orange, etc. If you choose a soap with a light, fresh scent, don't add scented oil as the combination may not work well. We built our homemade laundry detergent container out of a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and put a spigot at the bottom. (See photo) So we have a storage container that works as a dispenser as well.

   Share with friends: Try a big batch yourself. If you like it, send a gallon home with a friend and share the recipe.

   Cost difference: Leading commercial brands such as Tide or Gain average $15-$17 for the largest container, 1.17 gallons. The ingredients for one recipe of this homemade detergent cost be $3.75, which I get 5 gallons out of. $3.75/5 = $.75 per gallon. As you can see, it's an incredible cost difference.
  **Stay tuned for more household cleaner recipes in this series!

Credit Card Rewards

   When I was in college, I signed up for an American Express credit card. By putting all purchases on this card and not using my debit card at all, I have maximized the return for myself. I have received an average of $500 a year in cash back rewards. I usually put it towards paying the next credit card bill. A credit card that earns you points or cash back is a big way to save. If you earn travel points, that's less dollars out of your pocket when it comes time to book plane tickets and hotels. There are tons of credit cards out there with consumer benefits that will suit your needs. Just do the research!

  Although the Amex card earns us a lot of points which equals cash back, there are many businesses that don't take Amex. For this reason, we decided to get a second credit card that was a Visa. I did the research and found a Marriott Rewards Visa that would give us 2 free nights stay and 30,000 points just for signing up and keeping the card active for 6 months. Now that we have it, we only use it at places that don't take Amex, because it doesn't earn as high of a percentage on return - we earn 5% on almost all purchases with Amex and only 1-2% with the Marriott card.

   This weekend, we are cashing in our 2 free nights at the Fairfield Marriott near Universal to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It's a small, conservative anniversary vacation, but it will have to do for now since we're in savings mode. When we reach our $10K goal, we'll see about a cruise to the Virgin Islands :o)
   If we had to pay for the 2 nights out of pocket, we would spend $220 plus tax just on the hotel. Not to mention the park tickets at $85 a pop. But since we are utilizing our credit card benefits, we are saving that $220.
   The key to putting all your purchases on a credit card to maximize your return is to pay off the credit card bill at the end of every month. Don't go into debt just to earn points on your card! The interest alone could set you back quite a bit. Spend responsibly!

Coin Jar

   As simple as it sounds, you may be overlooking one of the easiest ways to save money. An at home piggy bank. A mason jar, 5 gallon water drum, a bucket, a wine jug, an actual ceramic pig, whatever you prefer. Toss your spare change in the container and forget about it. When I was growing up, my dad kept a 5 gallon drum - his coin jar - in the corner of his closet. Whenever it got full, he would let me roll the coins in little paper cylinders to take to the bank. He always gave me a percentage for helping him roll the money. And to teach me about savings. And here I am. Blogging about savings.

Rules:

   1. Keep your coin jar in a common place in the house where everyone can contribute.

   2. Determine how long you will save your coins. One year. 10 years. Until retirement. You choose. The key is to NOT TOUCH IT until then.
   3. Decide what you will use your coin savings for. A new car down payment, a home project, a new wardrobe, paying off your credit card. Ian and I cashed in our coin savings the year we got married and used it for spending money when we visited our friends in Alaska. It was only $200, but it sure helped! I heard about a guy who started his coin savings when his son was born. By the time the boy was 18, the father had saved enough to pay for the son's college tuition! That really puts things in perspective - especially for those of you with young kids.
   This project is not a catch all bowl on your coffee table that you give and take from regularly. It is a savings project. Empty the coins in your pocket/change purse on a daily or weekly basis with the purpose of saving it. If you're tempted to take quarters from it to pay parking and tolls, then make the opening only big enough for coins to go in and not out. Pick a container you can break open when you reach your goal in time. This will help keep you accountable.