Gettin' On My Soap Box: The Laundry Detergent Debacle

Over at Trent Hamm's excellent blog The Simple Dollar, Trent deals with a recurring, ongoing matter of great fiscal importance; it's the cause of many highly emotionally charged posts and comments, dividing good, kind, tax-paying, God-fearing people into snarling mobs.

No, it isn't health care reform. It's laundry detergent. Like many serious frugalistas, Trent home-brews his own laundry detergent. The recipe is here. It's very simple, and very cheap to make. Trent calculates his cost at about .0225 per load (that's two and a quarter cents per load). This is very inexpensive compared to, say, Tide with Bleach at regular price at the grocery store, which runs about .20 per load (twenty cents per load). With this one decision, Trent calculates that he saves about sixty five bucks a year (or six hundred fifty bucks over ten years, or . . . well, you do the math).

It is amazing to me -- simply amazing -- how much flack Trent gets for this one particular decision from his readers. And I think it is symptomatic of a couple of things that are currently plaguing American society.

For one thing it's interesting that for most people, laundry detergent is consistently on the "to buy" list. This is curious to me, as I don't buy it very often at all, and a 300 ounce jug (which is supposed to last 100 loads) lasts my family a good 4 to 5 months. Second, it's interesting how much brand loyalty is out there. Otherwise rational people appear to get totally incensed when someone insinuates Tide is overpriced and overmarketed -- you'll pry their Tide from their cold, dead hands, thanks very much. And it's wild to note how many people don't think they have the time or the energy to take the five minutes making a batch of laundry soap requires out of a 24 hour day, but seem to have lots of time to devote to snarking about other people's decisions on a personal finance blog.

All that said, I'm most bewildered by the people who seem . . . well, flabbergasted that someone knew how to do such a thing. It's as if they believed laundry detergent has just always existed and someone came along and tried to replace The Real Thing with a sad imitation.

Reality check, people: laundry detergent, like 98 percent of everything else at the grocery store and the drug store and the Wal-Marts (I know it's Wal-Mart, but that's what we called it down south, "the Wal-Marts"), is an artificially created need. Yep, that's right, you don't really NEED laundry detergent, at least not in the form it is presented at the store. Trent's stuff is the real deal -- actually, Trent's stuff is a little bit gussied up; all our forefathers used for "warsching" was boiling water, soap (usually lye soap they made themselves), and a rock to beat it on. All other manner of washing paraphernalia are just variations on a theme.

Y'all, there is a happy medium. We can all just get along on this issue of grave importance to the American people.

• If you want to make your own laundry detergent, knock yourself out. Keep a couple of things in mind, though. One, it does tend to gel up pretty well, so you won't be able to decant it into smaller jugs -- the big honking bucket is what you'll need to keep it in, and that may be risky if you have pets or toddlers. Also, I don't think it is approved for high efficiency washers, and I frankly ain't risking voiding the warranty on mine. Finally, I used to make this homebrew myself (GASP!! THE HORROR!!) and over time I noticed a soap buildup that made my clothes a little dingy and faded. I didn't like that. Your mileage may vary. God speed to ya.
• If you love that clean linen scent, I am not going to fault you one bit for loving your Tide. Hey, we all have our simple pleasures. If you are brand loyal, you can still work to get your cost per usage down to the lowest it can be and still have your Tide Simple Pleasures Lavendar and Lily Pad Scent With Bleach For Cold Water Machines. I explain how to do that here. Also, consider using less. Bump your usage down to the place where it's painful or doesn't work, then bump it back up a notch.
• If, like me, you prefer the convenience of premade laundry detergent but wish to minimize your cost per usage to very very low or none at all (!!) yes, it can be done, and yes, I do that on a regular basis. If you aren't brand loyal, laundry detergent can be had for cheap or free after coupons, sales, and rebates. I have at least 150 loads worth of laundry detergent down in my basement that cost me nothing. Nada. And in fact, I made a little money on some of it. If this kind of frugality rings your chimes, stick around. I can help.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be stepping off my soap box and rinsing out the inside to get the last bits out before I recycle the box.

Link Luv: Twelve Money Saving Hacks from Trent at the Simple Dollar

Trent at www.thesimpledollar.com is one of my favorite personal finance writers, and he posted a great list of twelve money saving hacks for substituting cheaper and more environmentally friendly products in place of disposable or commercially created products. Go check it out here.

Lockdown Budget Update: Almost Halfway There

If you're wondering how we're doing on the lockdown budget, the answer is: spectacular. Fabulous. Wonderful.

We had the opportunity to take a short vacation to a touristy town in northern Wisconsin (I had a business matter that I sandwiched in, which made it deductible and partially reimbursable. Love that multitasking). We left Friday morning, got there in the afternoon and basically spent 36 hours walking around, eating, shopping, and soaking up the last of the summery atmosphere. We took snackies and drinkies from home. Though we are on lockdown, because the trip itself and many of the expenses were reimbursable, we felt it was right to seize the day and go. We also happened to have some vacation money from pre-lockdown budget contributions -- and I am happy to report we still have lots left in that category. We will be looking at about $100 out of pocket for that little jaunt, and it was well worth it.

We did spend a little unnecessary money (gifties for the kids, a pair of winter shoes for me), but that's all right -- because in 48 short hours or so we will be a little less than five hundred dollars short of HALFWAY TO OUR GOAL for the three month lockdown period. Amazingly, very very shortly after we decided to lock down the budget, a couple of large matters closed and that got us a long way very fast. For that, I am very thankful. I anticipate, based on my accounts, that we will be halfway there by the end of September. God is really, really good.

In terms of spending, we've got a couple of expenses coming up; dance class and new tap shoes for The Girl, and possibly karate or basketball for Animal. Otherwise, I'm stocked on every other possible thing except perishables, and it seems I may not have to pay for milk this month, given all the good cereal and milk deals happening in September. And the garden is finally producing, and I have some zucchini to saute and shred for zucchini bread. Yum, life's good.

Since we made such quick progress so fast and were able to knock out the credit card giving us grief, I'm contemplating our next move. Our saving account is precipitously low; I don't like seeing it that empty, and neither does Baboo. I also don't like giving Chase any more of my money than I have to. We do have a balance transfer deal available to us that would lock in a very low interest rate for a long time, and we may do that and opt to shovel all my income into savings for the next two months instead, paying off debt in smaller "chunks" instead. Whatever we decide, I anticipate staying on "lockdown." It is eye-opening to see that we really can live on one income (tight though it may be), and to know how significantly my income can impact our debt when we choose to lockdown.

So I'll throw it out there: what would you guys do? Assuming lock down until December 1, would you throw all additional income in your savings account, or at your debt? Discuss. In the comments, if you please.

Tightwad Tip Tuesday: Lazy Girl Granola

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT spend money on granola cereal at the grocery store. Instead, use this spectacularly easy recipe.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil (we use canola)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
7 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups total of any of the following goodies:
nuts (slivered work best)
coconut (sweetened)
sunflower seeds or pepitas
raisins or craisins or other dried fruit

combine brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla in saucepot. heat until boiling. combine oatmeal and other goodies except for raisins/craisins/fruit. pour sauce mixture over oatmeal mixture and stir to coat well. place on a jelly roll pan or two cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. when the ten minutes is up, stir the granola, turn off the oven, and go to bed.

remember to take the granola out of the oven the next morning before preheating the oven for cinnamon toast (IMPORTANT!!!) store granola in an airtight jar or a Ziploc bag. enjoy!!!!

Tightwad Tip Tuesday: Cut Open Your Tubes

I luuuuurve Bath and Body Works lotion and shower cream. Luuuurve it. And hate when I run out. When I get to what I think is the end of the tube, I take my handy dandy kitchen shears and cut open the tube at the crimp and along the side. There is usually enough in the tube for one or two more applications. This tip will work for anything in a tube -- even toothpaste.

Tightwad Tip Tuesday: Reduce your Mailing Costs

Need a large waterproof envelope but don’t want to send your package Priority Mail? Grab a few free Priority Mail envelopes from the Post Office and turn them inside out. The inside is blank and you can fit a nice amount in there and mail using your choice of postage. Just make sure you weigh the package, provide the proper postage for your chosen rate, and abide by all rules for that given rate.

Mythbusting: I Don't Use Coupons Because . . . .

If you know me, you know it's a rare thing that I step foot into a retail establishment without some form of coupon on my person. Coupons are a kind of hobby for me, much like quilting or scrapbooking are for other women, insofar as they all require scissors and elevate cutting things into small pieces into high art.


I started young, at the feet of my dear Granny T. She was a handmaiden of the Depression, raised 3 children and lost one during that terrible time in the middle of the Dust Bowl, and as a result was not one to let a penny get past her without some serious negotiation. When I was knee-high to a grasshopper Granny T showed me how I could save a nickel or dime or sometimes even a quarter just for cutting out squares from the Sunday papers. It stuck with me and I think I was the only teenager in my little Southern town who used coupons to satiate my desire for all manner of Cover Girl, Maybelline, and White Rain.

I recognize I am unusual. Most people don't get it. In fact, most people don't get it in a big way. Most people, when they find out I have this sickness, this obsession with not paying full price for anything, proffer some version of "I Don't Use Coupons Because." People, I've heard them all. And not a one of them is true.

Myth #1: I Don't Use Coupons Because I Don't Eat Processed Foods

While it's fair to say that the majority of coupons out there are for what I call "flourescent foods," or "foods" that would not be recognized as such by my dear sweet Granny T were she still with us today (Yogos, anyone?), there are coupons a-plenty for fresh, wholesome foods, meats, produce, dairy, and other pantry items. A quick flip through my coupon file and I see coupons for bagged salad, cherry tomatoes, cheese, yogurt, milk, baking powder and baking soda, chicken, ham, bacon, Cornish game hens (yes. Cornish game hens). Also, do you eat cereal? That is processed. Do you eat condiments like ketchup and mustard? Processed. Yogurt? You guessed it . . . processed (though you can make your own!). If you live in the twenty-first century, you eat processed food.

All this talk of "food" also completely ignores the vast number of coupons out there for health and beauty aids, cleaners, detergents, and other products people use on a daily basis. So what if you don't eat processed food? You use toothpaste, yes? Laundry detergent? Of course you do. And coupons make those products less expensive. Myth #1 busted.

Myth #2: I Don't Use Coupons Because I Like To Stick To My Brands.

Shoot! If you know what brands you prefer, all the more reason to have the coupons that are available for those brands! Combine those coupons with a sale, and buy enough to get you to the next coupon and sale. You just saved money and time. And don't tell me they don't have coupons for what you use. Use your handy dandy google and enter the name of your brand with "printable coupon" in the search box. Click and print. Take to store and save. Easy.

Myth #3: I Don't Use Coupons Because I Save More Money Buying Generic

Although I have no problem with generics per se and they can be a great "gateway tactic" for saving a ton of money at the grocery store, I can beat the generic price 80 percent of the time when I use coupons and wait for a sale. For example: I could buy weird-brand peanut butter for 1.59 per jar at my local supermarket, but if I wait for a sale, I can get a jar of Skippy Naturals for .62. If I wait for double coupon day, I can get that jar of Skippy for .25. Which would you rather pay?

Myth #4: I Don't Use Coupons Because I Don't Have Time

I wouldn't say I have a lot of time either. But I also don't think using coupons takes that much time. I estimate I spend about an hour a week clipping, matching, and sorting. I save at least $100 per week. Do you make $100 per hour? Is the third re-run of Jon and Kate Plus 8 worth $100 to you? Turn off the tube, or at least clip and sort while you're watching Kate ber8 Jon.

Myth #5: I Don't Use Coupons Because I'm Not Organized Enough

Okay, this is the one myth that hovers on that line between truth and fiction. Some people are organizationally challenged, and I get that. Believe me, I do (said as she looks over her shoulder at Baboo's desk). That said, it is not impossible to save with coupons even if you do not love the idea of clipping, filing, and matching. Look at your grocery list. What shows up regularly, every single time you go shopping? Take five or ten of those items. Clip coupons for those five or ten items. Place with your list and/or your money/debit card (you aren't using a credit card to pay for your groceries, are you?). When you hand your money to the cashier, hand the coupons over as well. Done, and you will have saved a little moolah in the process.

Or, do what I did in the beginning. Focus your efforts on one store. For me, that was CVS. I learned how to match sales with coupons and Extra Care Bucks deals and focused on that until I got the hang of it. I also was able to learn what a "good deal" really was by watching the prices in the ads and at the store fluctuate. Fast forward a couple of years, and I now have a nice little stockpile of toiletries, household items, and other needed stuff that I got for pennies, and I can wait for the "really good" deal.


Myth #6: I Don't Use Coupons Because I Don't Think They Save Me Enough Money.


Please. I regularly save 40% on my grocery bill without even trying very hard, and save 70-90% on toiletries, household goods, and other items we need (think school supplies, dishawasher detergent, light bulbs). Many times, I get items we need for free or I am paid to take an item out of the store. For example, this week I got pens, rulers, notebooks, and school scissors for free. How is "free" not saving you money? Yes, it requires effort. Yes, it requires time. But if you calculate the time spent multiplied by the amount saved, you will find that your hourly rate of return is more than most lawyers make, and it's pre-tax (a dollar you save is a dollar you don't have to earn). How is an hourly rate of $40-100 not saving you money?


The reality: for most people, "I Don't Use Coupons Because" is code for "I Don't Want to Be Bothered." This is fine, if you are within your budget and you have enough money to do all the things you want to do. But if you are consistently frustrated by the high cost of living, if your money ends before your month does, or you are simply trying to squeeze out a little money or raise your standard of living without working harder or longer for The Man, then why not try coupons?

Tightwad Tip Tuesday

Today's Tightwad Tip: Save yourself a ton of money on children's advil!! Once your kids are old enough to swallow a pill (at about age 5 or 6 for mine), one regular ibuprofen tablet at 200 mg is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of ibuprofen liquid suspension or 2 chewable tablets.

Cost for one dose of generic ibuprofen suspension from an 8 oz bottle: .33 per dose.
Cost for one dose of generic ibuprofen from a 750 count bottle: .008 per dose.

I dunno about you, but with five kids, for a while there I wished they marketed ibuprofen suspension in 55 gallon drums. . . .