Saving Money

I am a coupon clipping, money saving, frugal mum who thrives on getting a bang for her buck and I am not afraid to say it!

I have decided that not only am I gluten free but in order to be able to afford it I have to save money in other places around the home.

Here are some money saving ideas.
Energy bill:
Dress in more layers, leave the oven door open after baking or cooking, make wool socks for yourself and family.

Buy in bulk

Pay off loans: with the money you save from coupons and the other savings from each month.

Coupons:
Save.ca

Points cards at The Bay (HBC POints) Zellers, Shoppers, Air Miles.

Weekly Flyers:
I look for the products I always buy and wait for them to go on sale. If I have a coupon for the product then I double save. Believe me it can happen, not often but it can.

I find that Canada doesn’t have the money saving resources the U.S has but we are getting better.

Clothing sales
I wait for the sales at the end of the season, I recycle by passing on our clothes to a few large families I know, I buy a few clothing items from Thrift Stores. On occasion I will shop for new fashion which is less expensive like: Gap or Abercrombie at Good Will or I will pick up some great vintage clothes that nobody would even think I bought second hand! It's a great feeling to get amazing deals!

Make your own clothes! Simplicity has great patterns that are in style. I have made p.j's, approns, and my daughter has made a purse/bag. I make my own quilts.

Grow your own fruits and vegetables!

Homemade laundry detergent
Liquid
- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!
From the Duggars website

Powder
Ingredients:
•2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
•½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
•½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
•Container large enough to hold 2 cups of laundry detergent
Directions:
1.Grate the Fels Naptha laundry soap with a grater or use a food processor. Approximately 2/3 of a bar of soap will make 1 cup of grated soap.
2.Add the ½ cup of Borax and ½ cup of washing soda to the grated soap.
3.Shake and/or mix well
Use:
One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash. If you have a high-efficiency machine, you might want to experiment with using a little less detergent for normal loads. If your clothes come out feeling stiff, lower the amount of detergent. For clothes that are heavily soiled, add a teaspoon more of the detergent..

Yield:
The recipe yields 2 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 1 tablespoon per load, you will be able to wash 32 loads of clothes.

Read other ideas at Suite101
Suite101

Sell your hand made items or unused, unwanted in good condition items from around your home at E-bay, Kijiji, etc.

Before you buy something think…do I need it or do I just want it? If the answer is need it then go for it, but first do some price comparisons.

Homemade: How-to Make Hundreds of Everyday Products Fast, Fresh, and More Naturally
Baking Soda, Banana Peels, Baby Oil, and Beyond: 1,715 Tips for a Better Home, Garden, and Life

Vacation S.O.S

I went away for March Break, thinking I was prepared for any G-Free situation I ran into!

Boy was I WRONG!!!!

It seems that everything I do concerning G-Free is expensive! How can I change this problem?

Tips on being organized before going on a trip and being prepared while away.
#1. El Peto factory outlet in Cambridge is cheaper than buying in grocery stores and they have other products too. They are the Glutino distributor for the tri-city area.

#2. I find it easier to buy recipe books from chapters, they are cheaper to buy online than in the store! [Although I borrow them from the library first and make a few recipes before purchasing!] I make mixes myself from the many G-Free recipe books out there. I just mix all the flours and powders and gums together in a large plastic container and scoop out what I need when baking or cooking. It takes time but is much cheaper. I order a lot of things online, but I really do find it cheaper that way. I try to buy the amount the on-line store requires for free shipping that way I have money in my pocket. There are also a large variety of Blogs that offer free recipes on-line just print off and your on your way!

A few favourite gluten free baking books:
#1. Gluten-free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts,
#2. Gluten-free baking by Rebecca Reilly,
#3. Great Gluten-free Baking by Louise Blair
#4. Complete Gluten-free cookbook by Washburn and Butt. They have the best bread recipes I've ever tried making!

I figure that just because we are away from home doesn't mean we have to spend money we wouldn't have if we stayed at home.

#3. Organizing: Okay, all that being said...Before we leave on vacation I make a loaf of bread, cheese crackers, a cookie or muffin. This type of preparation works when on a trip for a week or so in a hotel room with a kitchenette. Camping that's a whole other blog post! (Stay Tuned!!!)

#4. I bring apples, bananas, grapes, kiwi, plums and peaches when in season and strawberries, blueberries and pineapple or a melon. I also pack veggies for snacks or salads like carrots, lettuces, red peppers, cucumber and green beans. For snack and treat time I will buy G-Free chocolate bars, chips, and candy.

#5. When a kitchenette is available and we are at the vacation spot I will go to the local grocery store and buy eggs, cheese, canned or frozen veggies and fruit, meats, potatoes and rice to cook up for lunch and/or supper. It makes it simple, easy, fast and Gluten-Free!

Who says Gluten Free isn't tasty? All that sounds good to me! I think the most important thing to remember is that foods come in natural form so buy them in that state rather than the processed, pre-packaged junk that is not healthy for our bodies anyway!

#6. I locate the G-Free restaurants in the area if on occasion we decided to eat out I am prepared. For example Wendy's, Pizza Nova and Kelsey's are all popular and easily found in most of Canada.

Here are some exapmles of what I purchase on a monthly basis and make sure I am not without on vacation! P.S. The Cocoa Loco chocolate bars from Enjoy Life are the best treat! I love them!!!! Yum Yum, even my kids (teenagers) will eat them!
Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, 5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)Pamela's Products Amazing Wheat Free & Gluten-free Bread Mix, 4-Pound Bags (Pack of 3)Chocolate Chex Cereal, Gluten Free, 14.25-Ounce Box (Pack of 6)