Awesome, Ive done it! I don't know if it's the pregnancy or not, but I couldn't work out for the life of me how to write a new post! Finally figured it out...
Anyway - I am pleased to announce that I have faced one of my fears and MADE my own toothpaste! AND it's nowhere as disgusting as I thought it would be :)
Will post the recipe and some pictures in the next few days. If you're serious about budgeting, you will love this one...works out to be about .6c a week, or around 30c a month for toothpaste. Take that Macleans!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Out Damn Spot, OUT!!
Last month I discovered our new buggy (if you count a purchase from Trade Me as being new!) had been attacked by mould as a result of living in our damp, leaky garage for 6 months.
I figured that, if it was deemed to be unsafe to load the new born babys' pram with soft toys, should they fall on her face and block her airways, then it probably wasn't the safest thing to allow other 'friends' into the pram either - friends such as tiny microbial infestations aka MOULD. Babies airways, lungs and immune systems are still very immature and don't cope well with having to breath in dangerous mouldy spores.......
With my new budget in mind, and being mindful of the fact I wanted to remove the mould with a safe product for bubs, I did a quick internet search and came up with the following quotes for mould removal:
Wet and Forget 1L - $25.00 - CAUTION always use protective equipment including mask
Exit Mould 1L - $19-25.00 - CAUTION always use protective equipment including mask
Vinegar and Water 1L - .70c
Good old vinegar and water.
.70cents
Made sense to me!
Here is a sample of the said mould......
Buggy disassembled, sprayed with vinegar and water mould removal and hung in sun to dry...
and here is the mouldiest part of the buggy, 1 month later....
Not a spec of mould in site, and no signs that it plans on returning!!
I would caution that it's advisable that you still use gloves and a mask if you wish, and do this in a well ventilated area. This has nothing to do with the vinegar and more to do with the risk of breathing in the spores - especially if you are pregnant, experience respiratory illnesses or have an impaired immune function.
Unfortunately, mould can be a part of our daily lives, especially for those damp New Zealand homes. But save yourself $$$ as well as nasty chemicals by using good old fashioned white vinegar and water!!
I figured that, if it was deemed to be unsafe to load the new born babys' pram with soft toys, should they fall on her face and block her airways, then it probably wasn't the safest thing to allow other 'friends' into the pram either - friends such as tiny microbial infestations aka MOULD. Babies airways, lungs and immune systems are still very immature and don't cope well with having to breath in dangerous mouldy spores.......
With my new budget in mind, and being mindful of the fact I wanted to remove the mould with a safe product for bubs, I did a quick internet search and came up with the following quotes for mould removal:
Wet and Forget 1L - $25.00 - CAUTION always use protective equipment including mask
Exit Mould 1L - $19-25.00 - CAUTION always use protective equipment including mask
Vinegar and Water 1L - .70c
Good old vinegar and water.
.70cents
Made sense to me!
Here is a sample of the said mould......
Buggy disassembled, sprayed with vinegar and water mould removal and hung in sun to dry...and here is the mouldiest part of the buggy, 1 month later....
Not a spec of mould in site, and no signs that it plans on returning!!I would caution that it's advisable that you still use gloves and a mask if you wish, and do this in a well ventilated area. This has nothing to do with the vinegar and more to do with the risk of breathing in the spores - especially if you are pregnant, experience respiratory illnesses or have an impaired immune function.
Unfortunately, mould can be a part of our daily lives, especially for those damp New Zealand homes. But save yourself $$$ as well as nasty chemicals by using good old fashioned white vinegar and water!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Clean hair!
It works! It really, truly works!
I decided not to mix the baking soda with water as I felt it wouldn't work so well tipping it on my head. Instead, I scooped the baking soda out of the container with my hand and mashed it all into my hair.
People have been asking me "didn't it fizz up!?". Either my baking soda is old or just not the fizzing variety!
I must admit, it felt strange rubbing white, gritty stuff on my head, and gave me flashbacks of using henna in the early 1990's. But it rinsed out really well.
The vinegar conditioner was also a real hit. Be careful you don't spray it near your eyes! I recommend having one hand on the trigger - and the other hand shielding your eyes - just until you get used to the trigger action...
There was a slight vinegar smell as I was drying it off, but 5 minutes later ALL smell had gone. And my hair looks amazing!! So soft, so fluffy, so...clean!
I've decided my next project will be white vinegar to remove mold - our baby buggy has been stored in our damp, mouldy garage - something I was thrilled to discover this afternoon!! Vinegar is meant to be fantastic for removing this toxic substance from canvas without staining....so I'll be getting busy with that in the next day or so!
Stay tuned for more money saving tips!
I decided not to mix the baking soda with water as I felt it wouldn't work so well tipping it on my head. Instead, I scooped the baking soda out of the container with my hand and mashed it all into my hair.
People have been asking me "didn't it fizz up!?". Either my baking soda is old or just not the fizzing variety!
I must admit, it felt strange rubbing white, gritty stuff on my head, and gave me flashbacks of using henna in the early 1990's. But it rinsed out really well.
The vinegar conditioner was also a real hit. Be careful you don't spray it near your eyes! I recommend having one hand on the trigger - and the other hand shielding your eyes - just until you get used to the trigger action...
There was a slight vinegar smell as I was drying it off, but 5 minutes later ALL smell had gone. And my hair looks amazing!! So soft, so fluffy, so...clean!
I've decided my next project will be white vinegar to remove mold - our baby buggy has been stored in our damp, mouldy garage - something I was thrilled to discover this afternoon!! Vinegar is meant to be fantastic for removing this toxic substance from canvas without staining....so I'll be getting busy with that in the next day or so!
Stay tuned for more money saving tips!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Project number 1 - Clean Hair for a few cents
A wee while ago, I decided to be brave and look at our "budget" for grocery spending. Instead of doing a weekly shop, we were individually spending up a storm at the supermarket, with no real idea of how much of our hard earned money was being invested in PaknSave.
Much to my horror, it seemed that we were spending around $250 a week on groceries for a family of 3. I don't know how that sits with your budget, but I found that to be a huge amount of money!
As luck would have it, there was a seminar being held that week by a woman who had cut her grocery budget down to $75 a week for her family of 3. Now that seemed a little too adventurous for us - but after going to her seminar and gaining some tips, I figured we could at least cut it down to $150 a week to start with....
The thing that struck a chord with me was the notion of making your own cleaning products. It seems that, if you have a tonne of baking soda, washing crystals and vinegar, you can clean just about everything for next to nothing.
So, my first project - shampoo and conditioner. The recipe is simple - shampoo=baking soda. Yep, that's it. Conditioner=white vinegar. Apparently there will be no bad smell!
In preparation for a detox from my trusted Pantene, I've purchased the following from Moore Wilsons.
The spray bottle will be for the vinegar, but right now I've got nothing to keep the baking soda in. I wanted a shaker, that would seal, but they suggested I try Bunnings. I don't want to get water all through my baking soda so today I think I'll just make a paste in a container.
After some internet research, I've decided to do 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 3 cups of water, stir that up and pour it over my head. I'm looking forward to it, in a strange, gritty sort of way.
I'll also mix half the spray bottle with water and half with vinegar and spray that over my locks for a deep conditioner...so I'm told.
Ok troops, I'm going in. Wish me luck......!
Much to my horror, it seemed that we were spending around $250 a week on groceries for a family of 3. I don't know how that sits with your budget, but I found that to be a huge amount of money!
As luck would have it, there was a seminar being held that week by a woman who had cut her grocery budget down to $75 a week for her family of 3. Now that seemed a little too adventurous for us - but after going to her seminar and gaining some tips, I figured we could at least cut it down to $150 a week to start with....
The thing that struck a chord with me was the notion of making your own cleaning products. It seems that, if you have a tonne of baking soda, washing crystals and vinegar, you can clean just about everything for next to nothing.
So, my first project - shampoo and conditioner. The recipe is simple - shampoo=baking soda. Yep, that's it. Conditioner=white vinegar. Apparently there will be no bad smell!
In preparation for a detox from my trusted Pantene, I've purchased the following from Moore Wilsons.
- 1 500ml spray bottle - $4.00
- 500g baking soda - $1.89
- 1ltr White Vinegar - $2.20
- 1 Whittakers Sante Bar - $.80c (nothing to do with cleaning, but oh so nice)
The spray bottle will be for the vinegar, but right now I've got nothing to keep the baking soda in. I wanted a shaker, that would seal, but they suggested I try Bunnings. I don't want to get water all through my baking soda so today I think I'll just make a paste in a container.
After some internet research, I've decided to do 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 3 cups of water, stir that up and pour it over my head. I'm looking forward to it, in a strange, gritty sort of way.
I'll also mix half the spray bottle with water and half with vinegar and spray that over my locks for a deep conditioner...so I'm told.
Ok troops, I'm going in. Wish me luck......!
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