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.

• 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......!