Thanks for the cindy'sporch website!! Never heard of it.......just checked it out and loved it!!!

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becky

Just wanted to chime in about cutting the fabric softener sheets in half ----

Goodness, this really works and they lasted so long I thought I'd never have to buy more!!! I just cut my new box of sheets in half...I should write the date on it to see how long it lasts!

I cut dryer sheets in half as well! It's simple, doesn't take a lot of time and I've never noticed a difference. We work with a group home of teenage boys and I've made all of them do it as well and only one has ever complained.

One of the things we do to save $/time is cooking ahead and making a couple runs of a dish and freezing them. This way, if I'm called on to make food for a new mom or a grieving family, I have something ready to go instead of going to the store & impulse buying while I buy missing ingredients.

I got some free perennials and gardening advice just by asking around this year. A friend of a friend actually came to my house, analyzed what was already here, came up with some ideas & gave me the plants for FREE.

We trade babysitting with friends rather than paying for a babysitter. It isn't often we go out alone, but when we do, I can't afford to pay a babysitter AND go out somewhere. It's also gread for my kids b/c they get a chance to spend time with their friends.

We try to limit errands to one day a week. Between getting four kids ready, etc., it can be later in the day when we actually get going. This turns into a long, drawn out day with grumpy kids. When we stay at home, I spend less money & the kids get to just enjoy being kids

P.S. - I love the other ideas - I plan to start looking for some cloth bandanas/napkins ASAP at yard sales!!!

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ncleslie4
mommy of 4 blessings :love: ages 6, 4, 2, & 1
ask me about adopting from Ethiopia

This is one I just figured out.
The new Dawn foam pump, after i finished the bottle I thought I would try and refill it myself. It took trial and error but now I have it down. I use about 4tbsp of the original and fill the rest with water. This will make one bottle of regular dish soap last a couple months or more!!!

Also, this is one I picked up several years ago... Air freshners.
Take a CLEAN empty spray bottle and fill about 1/5 with liquid fabric softener of your choice, fill the rest of the way with water. Hose the house down; carpet, couch, bed, car......
People that come over are always amazed at how great it smells.


Warning: If you spray your carpet please be careful when walking from carpet to hard floor until it dries, it can be a little slippery the first few mins after you spray. I always save this job until DD goes to school.

You can do this with any foam soap bottle, like in your bathroom for your kids. Just add a little soap and then rest water.

We woman use ALOT of lotion.. what I do is buy a bottle of the more expensive shimmery lotion and add it (you can put in as much or as little as you want depending on how shimmery you want to be)to whatever lotion i have instant scented shimmery lotion it doesnt take much of the expensive stuff to make a whole bottle of shimmery lotion with the generic bottle of lotion you have on hand. and 1 large bottle of expensive shimmer will make at least 10 bottles of the shimmery lotion Its great!

Great ideas. One of my fav ideas is also to take my daughters to different libraries around town. They are all inter-library connected, so you can borrow and return books, movies at any location. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter. Fun time for everyone.

Ditto. If I do need to get something at Wal-Mart (some things are much cheaper there), I take cash and don't use my debit/credit card. It's more painful to use cash, and I much more careful adding up my purchases.

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