Homemade Softscrub

I'm on a do-it-yourself kick right now. First, the burritos, now this homemade Softscrub,

and there's more coming....

Here we go with the Softscrub:

Supplies:

• Vegetable oil based liquid soap (we used Murphy Oil Soap)
• Baking Soda
• empty bottle
• funnel

Step one: Add 1/2 of a box of baking soda to a clean bottle. (I used an empty contact lens solution bottle with the tip cut a little larger.)

Step two: Add enough liquid soap until you get the consistency of icing. Keep adding a little soda or a little soap until you get the consistency you want.

Step three: Shake the bottle to mix thoroughly.

Here's the cost breakdown:

Baking soda: $1

Murphy Oil Soap: $1 (I only used about 6 oz of the 32 in the bottle.)

Softscrub cleanser costs about $5 or $6 at the grocery store, so we made it for 1/3 the cost.

That's all. It was a snap, and I love the way it cleaned my shower tile.

Here's my shower tile before the homemade softscrub (try not to get too grossed out):

And after...

Other shower cleaners took a lot more elbow grease than this did. I'm actually excited to clean it next time!

Tips:

• Feel good about going green. You're not only saving money, but you're also cutting down on waste from containers.
• Search "homemade soft scrub" on google to find other recipes to try.

One of a Kind Dress for Under $10

Here's my do-it-yourself One of a Kind dress for under $10

I have to admit that the hem isn't finished. It turned out a little shorter than I wanted, so I'm deciding whether to keep it short and wear it with tights, or add ribbon, fringe, or some other embellishment to the hem.

Fabric: $2 (2 yards @ $1/yd from Walmart)

Pattern: $1 on sale at Joann's.

I may even wear it to church!

Tips:

• Go for it! With fabric that cheap, even if you never wear, it's good sewing practice. I bought the whole bolt of fabric. Should I sew an overcoat, hat, and purse to match??
• Don't give up. The neck band gave me some trouble, but the 3rd time was a charm.
  
  

Free Samples

There's a world of free samples out there that I'm just discovering...








During my son's orthodontic appointment, I perused the August 2009 Ladies' Home Journal, where I came across an interesting article. The author and her husband decided to tighten their budget, which included *gasp* her "Beauty" category. So she endeavoured to live on free samples of beauty products for a month.

Her two avenues included 1) Signing up for freebies over the internet; and 2) visiting makeup counters and asking for samples.

I checked out the freebie sites she mentioned, and here are my favorites:

Shop4Freebies.com scours the internet for available free samples, then provides links to them. There are no strings attached.

P.S. This one is my favorite. I have already started to receive freebies: chocolate, feminine hygient, etc. If you sign up for their newsletter, they will send you a periodic email notifying you of the latest freebies available.

Momspective.com is a fun website that includes a page of links to free stuff.

Roboform.com provides free downloadable software that allows you to fill in forms with the click of a button.



Does anyone want to one-up the LHJ author? Can you live entirely for free for one month? I ain't doin' it, but I present the challenge...

Tips:

• Don't give away too much information. If a company asks for more than a name, email address, and physical address, I question whether it's legitimate.

Huge Sale at Restaurant.com

How do you get a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant for $1?!

Check this post at Fabulessly Frugal.

Tips:

• Hurry! The promotion only runs until 9/13/09.

Homemade Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Supplies needed for homemade frozen breakfast burritos:

Tortillas (10-in)

Eggs (about 2/3 of an egg per tortilla)

Bacon (we used turkey to try to keep it nutritious)

Potatoes (roughly 1 med potato for every 10 tortillas)

Cheddar Cheese (1 lb will fill ~25 tortillas)

Vegetable oil spray

Salt and Pepper (optional)

Gallon-sized freezer bags

Step 1: Spray large non-stick skillet with spray and heat to medium.

Step 2: Whisk 10 eggs at a time in a bowl.

Step 3: Scramble eggs in batches until no longer runny.

Step 4: Cook bacon in microwave.

Step 5: Shred cheese.

Step 6: Dice potatoes, and saute until tender in sprayed non-stick skillet.

Step 7: Setup assembly line--it doesn't matter what order.

Step 8: Spray the inside of a freezer bag.

Step 9: Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of eggs, 1 heaping tablespoon of potatoes, 1 slice of bacon, and 2 heaping tablespoons of cheese on tortilla. (Anymore than this, and the burrito gets too full.)

Step 10: Roll up the tortilla as tightly as possible without ripping it.

Step 11: Place burrito in freezer bag. You can fit about 6-8 burritos per bag.

Step 12: Freeze.

When you are ready to eat them, you can heat them individually in the microwave, or several at a time in the oven (350 F for 10-15 min).


So is it worth all the effort?

A box of 6 small frozen breakfast burritos at Wal-mart costs $3.74 or $0.63 per burrito. My supplies cost me $25 and I made 90 burritos (or $0.28 per burrito). That's a savings of just over half.

Furthermore, I think our burritos were probably healthier than the ones I priced at Wal-mart, because we could control the fat and salt content.

And finally, my kids LOVE me! Because now they are not doomed to eat cold cereal for breakfast every morning before school.

Tips:

• Invite a friend. I can't take all the credit for this post. My friend, Heather, actually invited me to do this with her. It was fun to share the work with someone, and we saved money buying in bulk for two families.
  

Mint.com

Money management software has been a marriage-saver in our home. I seem to have a black hole in my wallet, while my husband keeps a TIGHT grip on every penny. Since I keep track of our finances (because my mom did), when the money disappears, it's on my shoulders.

Mint.com offers free web-based software to help you keep track of your expenses, follow a budget, and perhaps make changes where needed.

Tips:

• Read cnet.com's review.

Thanks, Jamie, for the head's up!

Antix White Multi Frame Knock-Off

This Antix White Multi Frame (at Conranusa.com for $225) appeared in the July issue of InStyle magazine. I loved the frame immediately, but not the price.

So I decided to make it myself...

Supplies:

• Various frames
• 1/4" MDF
• sandpaper
• wood glue
• spray paint

Step 1: Purchase various frames.

I found seven frames at thrift stores for an average of $1 a piece. It doesn't matter what they look like since they will be painted, but these are all wood (or pressed wood) so that I can work with them easier.

Step 2: Cut mdf to the appropriate size.

I chose to cut mine to 24" x 30"

Step 3: Sand edges of MDF.

The finished product looks more professional if the edges are slightly rounded.

Step 4: Make a slot on the top edge of each frame.

This will allow you to change photos. We used a router (at a depth of ~1/16" to do the job, but if you don't have a router, you could use a dremel, a chisel, or sandpaper (or all three).

Step 5: Sand slot to smooth edges.

Step 6: Scuff the front of any glossy frames.

This will help the spray paint stay on better.

Step 7: Spray paint each frame.

Following carefully the directions on the spray paint can will produce the best results.

Step 8: Spray paint MDF.

It may take several coats. In fact, I probably should have used primer, but I didn't.

Step 9: Lay out the frames on the backing.

Measure carefully and mark them.

Step 10: Use wood glue to attach each frame to the backing.

Step 11: Weigh down the frames and allow to dry overnight.

As you're placing the weight, be careful not to shift the frames. (I did, but didn't notice until I saw these pictures. When you get to the end, can you tell which frame is not straight?)

Step 12: Spray paint one final coat.

Step 13: Attach picture hanging hardware to back.

Step 14: Display!

Total cost: $21.

Total time: 2-3 hours

• Frames: $7
• MDF backing: $5
• Spray paint: $8
• Sandpaper: in garage ($2-$3 at home improvement center)
• Wood glue: in laundry room ($2-$3 at home improvement center)
• Picture hanging hardware: $1
  

Tips:

• Choose frames that are different from each other. Find ones that have embellishments to add character.
• As a rule of thumb, an odd number of frames will please the eyes more. Seven seemed to work well.

Did you find it? It's the top right. I hope it doesn't drive me crazy!