So here’s the recipe:

Distilled White Vinegar

Baking Soda

Combine the two so that it’s runny. Dip your head back or forward. Pour mixture over hair. Use your fingertips and massage the mixture through your hair and scalp. Rinse. Follow with a light conditioner.

You will not believe how squeaky clean your hair will be - and feel! You might even find that you don’t have to wash it as often. I found this to be true myself. By the way, I’m a runner - at least 3 or 4 times a week, so I wash my hair often. This mixture prevents my hair from drying out.

Try it - it will save you money and cut out more chemicals from your bathroom cupboard! Tell me what you think!

Yes, my husband wrote a book. It’s called “The Ultimate Furnace Installation Guide”. Anthony was an HVAC contractor for over 20 years. He owned his own business since 93. I worked with him after we got married and he really is a wizard when it comes to furnaces. He can fix anything. Actually the nickname “wizard” came about when he worked with a friend of his, and Anthony got sent to all the jobs that none of the other guys could fix! Ofcourse I’m going to be partial, but it really is a fantastic book!

So what is it about? The Ultimate Furnace Installation Guide is about installing your own furnace. It’s geared toward “handy men or women” that want to save some money, and install their own furnaces. Trust me. It can be done. Don’t let any contractor tell you otherwise. After editing the book, even I can install a furnace! The book is meant to be used as a reference guide, along with the instruction manual you get with your furnace. It’s like the “cliff notes” to the manual because the manuals are written in hyrogliphics, and not meant to be understood, you know?

It’s the time of year to start thinking about your furnace. If it needs replacing, it needs to be done now - BEFORE the blizzard!

So check it out. It’s only $9.97. There is also a tutorial in there that teaches you how to put ductwork together.

http://www.furnacebook.com/

I made only about a 1 tbsp batch and of course put in my “hint of vanilla” - which, by the way, my husband complemented me on how good my hair smelled (this is not normal that’s why it merits mentioning).  But instead of letting it firm up to a jell-o texture I applied it to my hair while it was a liquid.  I found that 1 tbsp was actually too much for my hair because as it air-dried my curls were crispy.  I had to scrunch the crispiness out as I diffused it.  Next time the batch will only be about 1/2 tbsp.

So if you struggled as I did with putting “jell-o” in your hair, try it this way.  I hope this works for you as well as it has for me.  I love this!  My hair is softer than it has ever been!  No more mousse, no more gel, no more product graveyard in my bathroom - just jell-o!

P.S. While we’re on the subject of hair (and the thought is in my head) … what celebrity do you think has the most amazing hair?  I cast my vote - hands down - for Howard Stern.

I have naturally curly hair - corkscrew curls on the bottom and boticelli curls on top.  I have battled my hair all my life.  I grew up wanting “Jennifer Aniston” hair.  Unfortunately this was impossible for me.  I even had my hair chemically straightened once - a process my hairdresser promised would make my hair straight and remove all frizz - only to find that not only was my hair now flat, but it sustained its curl and frizz!  My mother’s remedy was to put her hair in curlers and hold the hair dryer on it for 45 minutes until it dried.  She did this faithfully for decades.  She finally retired her curlers last year and now has a shorter cut that is more manageable for her.

After Anthony and I got married we were out and about on a beautiful summer day - happy, in love, enjoying each other’s company.  He was not yet sensitive to the torture I had endured during my lifetime because of my hair.  The beach, humidity, rain - even a slight drizzle or mist.  All of these words struck in me an intense fear of going outside.  So with a twinkle in his eye he looked over at me, did a once-over of my hair with his eyes and proclaimed, “Yup!  It’s humid today!”  I said, “What?!”  “You’re my humido-meter.  I can tell how humid it is by the size of your hair!”  he said with a smile, intending it to be funny, but with absolutely no idea that at that moment he would have died had we not been bound by a contract.

I have always had a graveyard of hair care products.  I would try anything that promised “frizz-free” hair only to find that nothing really worked. It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I finally came to terms with my hair and embraced it for its uniqueness and beauty.  It was after I read a book called “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey.  Acceptance was the first step in finding the beauty in “our” hair.  It is what it is - frizz and all. She encouraged using natural remedies to enhance the health of your hair which would in of itself eliminate a lot of the frizz because your hair would be healthy and moisturized.  She included all kinds of natural recipes that I use to this day to help my hair be as healthy and natural as possible.  One recipe not in her book though is this one for gel:

Hair Gel

1/4 tsp gelatin (plain, no flavor or color - you can get it in the jell-o aisle)
1/2 cup boiling water

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water.  Let it sit at room temperature until it firms up.  That’s it.  I add a little vanilla extract for a nice, light scent.  You can add whatever scent you like - essential oil or extract.  Apply to your wet or dry hair.  Best used at room temperature so I recommend only making enough for one or two days.  If you make a larger batch it will have to be refrigerated.

I have shoulder-length hair and only needed about 1 tbsp of this!  I applied a little when it was wet, let it air dry for a while, then after I diffused my hair I added a little as a glaze.  I can’t believe how soft and curly my hair is!  I would never have believed it unless I tried it.  I hope all you curly girls out there give this a try.

Another plus is that gelatin is all protein - something that hair desperately needs!  This gel is light enough that it can also be used for those of you with straight hair that like to use a product as a glaze or shine. This is a VERY inexpensive way to be very kind to your hair.  You don’t have to use a lot so a little goes a long way. If you only used this finishing product on your hair you would save a tremendous amount of money!

Remember:  you get what you give.  Give your hair what it needs and it will give you what it’s got.  Very scary, but very true!

Peggie

P.S.  Check out the article below from our archives about Baking Soda and how it can help your hair/scalp too!

http://cheapcheez.com/2008/07/25/home-remedy-series-miracles-in-your-cupboard-exposed/

Okay, ladies.  Let’s talk feminine wash.  If you’re like me and have really sensitive skin “down there” you cannot use any kind of soap or feminine wash - even if it’s labeled “for sensitive skin.”  Soap is just not an option for us.  So let me share with you what I use:  Distilled White Vinegar. Here’s the recipe:

Feminine Wash

1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 cup water

Put the vinegar in the water.  Rinse the feminine area.  Follow with a rinse of water.

Trust me.  You will not smell like a salad.  I have done this for years now.  The white vinegar is very mild and if followed by a rinse of water any mild scent will be gone.  You will be very clean.

By the way, I use this wash on my daughter.  After she was born I used some of the “fragrance-free” wipes I had been given and within 24 hours she developed the worst rash I had ever seen.  My husband even shuddered.  It took two days for it to clear up.  So from that moment on I was only able to use a wash cloth rinsed in water to clean her after diaper changes.  When she was finally potty-trained I scratched my head thinking what am I going to do now?  I can’t use soap on her because it irritates her skin.  So I tried the same wash on her that I use on myself and had pleasant results.  She was clean - with no skin irritation, no chemicals, no smell.

And have you checked the price of Distilled White Vinegar at the grocery store?  Very inexpensive.  So save yourself some money buying expensive feminine washes that are filled with nasty chemicals and grab some distilled white vinegar.  I keep a bottle of DWV in the shower with a cup and make a batch while I’m in there.  It’s inexpensive, non-toxic, and convenient!

If any of you have used other home remedies for this type of thing please pass them along!

Peggie

Check it out before you do ANY shopping - they just might have a coupon for that flat screen TV you want (or those shoes you’ve been dying to purchase at Payless) that will save you a ton of money!

http://www.retailmenot.com/

If you have a coupon site you prefer make a comment below and pass the savings along!

Peggie

So I have been as sick as a dog for the last week.  In and out of the bathroom with the big “d” word.  So this time, instead of running to the store for some Gatorade to stay hydrated, Anthony found a couple of recipes for homemade Gatorade and gave them a try (on me, ofcourse).  Here they are:

Recipe 1

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• water

Recipe 2

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon lite salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• water

I personally did not like the second recipe.  I’m not a fan of the honey.  But recipe # 1 is now a household favorite.  Plus, if you fresh squeeze the orange juice it’s even better! By replacing this simple and inexpensive way of making Gatorade you are also cutting out unnecessary chemicals and sugar!

This drink is really refreshing!  Plus, it got me over the “d” word.  So now I know what to do next time!  Enjoy!

Not a bad idea seeing as we learned how to cut our grocery bill by making our own goods.

Bad Idea because I have not written an article on how to make salsa. LOL - my wife asked me where the article was and I said ‘It’s on the website.’  NOT! –> So here it is.

We save 50% + on salsa . What made us start to make our own?  It’s really simple and the cost of salsa was over $4 for a little jar in our grocery store.

You simply buy one thirty-two ounce can of diced tomatoes.  One small can of green chili peepers.  One small onion and a small batch of cilantro.  The cilantro is with your lettuce and what not in green section.

Dice the onions small.  Cut the cilantro into small pieces, stems and all, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on taste.  I like to fry the cilantro and onion in butter but you do not have to.  Now mix it all together in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 15 minutes.  Bammm!  You have some really great salsa and for less than 1/2 the price with twice as much product.  BTW, the cilantro really makes the salsa.

Enjoy.

‘What was “it”‘ you might ask?  A lump.  A lump the size of a pea behind one of my beautifully pierced ears.  ‘A lump of what’ was what my mother and I were asking.  Fortunately, at the time, a family friend was living with us.  She took a look at my ear and simply handed my mom a can of this “stuff” and told her to take the earring out (oh, I was so sad - after all the torture I had been through just getting them pierced!), put it on the lump and it would be gone in a few days.  So that’s what my mother did and within a week the lump was gone!

…..and so the love affair between my family and Rawleigh’s Antiseptic Drawing Salve began.  That was 25 years ago.  Does it still work?

Well, in July we were visiting my parents in NY and I had been bitten (in North Carolina) by a spider on my leg.  It was itching like crazy.  Then I looked at it a few days later and it was red and infected.  So my mom handed me the same can (yes, the same can she’s had since I was 7) and told me to put it on the bite and it would go away.  Sure enough, two days later the redness was gone and it was starting to heal.

This stuff is absolutely amazing!  It “draws” the infection out of anything.  Try it the next time you get a splinter and put away the needle and tweezers!  You can even apply it to really dry skin.  It will save you money in the long run because it lasts forever!

Get a can and see for yourself!  Just click on the link below and order!  Be sure to write back and tell me what you used it for!

http://www.rawleigh.net/antiseptic_salve.htm

I have to admit, this loose concoction of cheap and easy to find products made me nervous.  As my wife was starting the washing machine, I was getting the mop, bucket, wig, used baby diapers (ewww) anything that would pick up water and soap from our rented home’s floor. No overflow whew!!!!

Now the real test - and I know all you readers are asking - ‘But were the clothes clean?’  Yes, they were!  As clean as any product we have ever bought in the supermarket.

Next question:  ‘Isn’t  it a  little inconvenient and hard to make our own soap?’  No.  Your local grocery store or Walmart will have the ingredients.

So how much will you really save ?  We saved this much:

1- Keeping in mind we are a family of three.  We have everyday clothes, exercise clothes, evening clothes, towels, etc.  Peg was doing 2 loads a day.  Maybe she was using too much soap.  She likes suds that’s all I can say.  Anyway, we were using laundry detergent that cost around $12 dollar every other week.  That’s $24 a month, $288 a year.  Just on laundry detergent.  And we’re just 3 little donuts.  Imagine having a larger family!

2- The ingredients for the homemade version of laundry soap costs …please sit down… approximately $6 per batch and a batch lasts a month.  What?  That’s only $72 dollars per year and a savings of $216.  Now that may not be earth shattering to you, but to us that’s money that can be put to much better use.  Like what?—– BEER, duh.

So here is the recipe:

2 cups grated Ivory soap (or any natural soap of your choice)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Put the mixture together in an airtight container.  Use 2 tbsp for a large load.

You’re done.  It’s really that simple to make.  My wife would double the recipe so that she would have it for a while.  She also used about 4-6 tbsp for her loads and it still lasted a while.  Like I said, she likes suds.  You really don’t have to use that much, that was her personal taste.

By the way:  the second reason that got us into making our own laundry soap was to reduce the amount of chemicals we put in our bodies.  The chemicals in the commercial laundry detergents stay in your clothes and get into your bloodstream when it touches your skin.  And don’t get me started on dryer sheets!!!

Now come on guys share some of the ways you save money in the home!  Tell us how great, or bad this worked .