Cleaning

12 Homemade Cleaning Product Recipes for Every Area of Your House

February 25, 2019 By Jennifer Derrick 33 Comments

With the prices of everything skyrocketing, making your own cleaning products can be an easy way to save money. In addition to saving money, most are homemade cleaners are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and safe for use around pets and children. They take very little time to make, so they don’t add to the workload. Friends and family members frequently ask for my homemade cleaning products recipes, so I’m sharing 12 of my favorites. I’ve tried all of these and found them to be at least as effective, if not more so than commercially prepared products.

Getting Started

Before you get started mixing things up, you’ll need a couple of spray bottles to hold your homemade cleaning products. You can get inexpensive bottles in the travel section of stores like Wal-Mart or Target, or you can use glass spray bottles like these on Amazon, which are reusable and come with labels.

You can also reuse spray bottles from commercial cleaners as long as you thoroughly clean them out to prevent unwanted chemical reactions. Be sure to label your bottles to prevent accidents.

You’ll also need some old rags, sponges, or cloths for scrubbing purposes. I use an old fashioned sponge for the heavy scouring work and microfiber cloths for cleaning surfaces like countertops. Microfiber cloths can be rinsed/washed and reused over and over, making them an inexpensive choice if you don’t like rags or old washcloths.

12 Homemade Cleaning Products Recipes

Now that you’ve got your basic supplies, on to the recipes!

1. Window/Glass cleaner: Mix equal parts water and distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle. You can use a rag to wipe the glass, but a sheet of newspaper does even better.

2. Floor cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar into one gallon of water. Mop the floors as usual.

3. Countertops: Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe down countertops with a sponge or cloth. For stubborn stains, scrub with baking soda.

4. Tubs/sinks: Straight baking soda works well for scouring away soap scum and mildew. Sprinkle it into the tub and add just enough water to make a paste. Then scour away. Spray the chrome with the countertop mixture (above) of vinegar and water then wipe down to make it shine. If you have heavy mold or mildew, straight vinegar sprayed directly on the affected area works well for loosening it.

5. Toilets: Sprinkle straight baking soda into the toilet and swish around with a brush. Let it stand for a few minutes, swish a final time, and flush.

6. Fabric softener: Pour 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser or add manually during the rinse cycle. This softens clothes, removes excess detergent and does not leave a smell behind.

7. Carpet deodorizer: Sprinkle straight baking soda on the carpet, using more in heavily trafficked areas or where pets stay. Vacuum after 20-30 minutes.

8. Powdered laundry detergent: Mix 5 cups soap flakes and 7 cups of Borax and shake well to mix the flakes and Borax. Store in plastic container or old laundry detergent box. Use 1/2 cup per load.

9. Exterior house wash: If you have vinyl siding, this cleanser will get rid of mold and mildew. Mix one quart of bleach per gallon of water in a hand sprayer. Add 1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid (hand washing liquid such as Dawn or Ivory, not dishwasher liquid). The dishwashing soap just makes the mixture “sticky” so it will adhere to the wall long enough for the bleach to do the work. Spray on the walls and then rinse with a garden hose or light pressure wash.

10. Drain Cleaner: Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar and plug the drain until the fizzing stops. Pour one gallon of boiling water down the drain to flush out the clog. Prevent clogs by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain once per week.

11. Dishwasher Rinse Aid: Pour distilled white vinegar into the rinse agent compartment and wash as usual.

12. Furniture Polish: Mix 1/4 cup olive oil or mineral oil with 4 tablespoons distilled white vinegar and 20-30 drops of lemon essential oil. Pour into a spray bottle and shake well before using.

Homemade Cleaning Product Concerns

One of the concerns I often hear about the recipes that use vinegar is that the vinegar will leave a smell behind. Let me assure you that once it dries or runs through the rinse cycle in the washer, it no longer smells. One of the benefits of homemade cleansers is that most leave no scent whatsoever behind, so your home does not smell like a hospital. If you want to add some scent, you can experiment with essential oils such as peppermint or lemon. You can find these at health food stores, or places like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Another concern is that these cleansers don’t kill bacteria. Research has shown that vinegar does kill certain household pathogens, so if you want to disinfect without using harmful antibacterial chemicals, vinegar is a great choice. Tea tree oil is another great disinfectant and can be mixed with water and used on countertops and in sinks, tubs, and toilets to disinfect.

Helpful Tips and Warnings

As with any sort of cleanser, test your creations on inconspicuous areas to make sure there’s no discoloration, scratching, or other adverse effects. And two final words of warning: First, never use vinegar on natural stone such as granite or marble because it will scratch and pit the stone. Second, never mix bleach with vinegar because it will give off a toxic gas.

Using homemade cleansers is just as effective and much less expensive than using commercial cleansers. Once you’ve mastered the basics, don’t hesitate to experiment with the concentrations and added scents you use to find what works best for you. Just remember to always test anything new before using it widely.

Do you make your own household cleaners? Share your tips in the comments below!

10 Mobile Apps for Laundry Delivery

May 3, 2018 By Jackie Cohen Leave a Comment

Mobile apps for laundry delivery have a certain appeal.

Mobile apps connected to laundry delivery services have a very specific appeal: people with busy schedules who one way or another would have to share a washer and dryer with other renters who all want to use the machines at the same time.

Although the services cost a lot more than what you would otherwise pay to wash and dry your own clothes (and the pricing schemes can get complicated for some of them), the time savings may make the expense worthwhile for people whose hourly earnings exceed what a typical delivery costs.

Plus, the cleaned clothing arrives folded more perfectly than you might be able to do on your own. You can also get dry cleaning and ironing for additional fees.

Sweetening the deal: Many of these startups offer initial discounts on your first delivery to get you to try them. Here’s a rundown of companies offering laundry delivery services that you can order from your mobile device.

Mobile Apps for Laundry Delivery

Cleanly

Prices: Wash-and-fold starts at $1.50 to $1.99 per pound, depending on what city you’re in. On top that there’s a 95 cent service fee, and Bedding and bath mats cost more to launder, anything you want to dry by hanging costs another $1; and dry cleaning ranges from $6.99 to $25 per garment, depending on the type of item. Orders under $30 also have a $4.99 delivery fee; for overnight delivery, add another $4.99, and if you want it the same day, that goes up to $9.98. A subscription version costs $14.99 per month or $119.99 per year, giving you free deliveries on any amount of laundry, with rush jobs for just $1.99 extra. There’s also a free two-week trial subscription.

Availability: As of this writing, the company operates in New York city, Brooklyn San Francisco and Washington DC.

Delivery.com

Prices: Laundry is among several things this outfit delivers, and what you pay for deliveries depends on which local dry cleaner you select in your respective city — some may have a minimum order size of around $30. The company is offering a $7 credit to new customers plus a free laundry bag.

Availability: As of this writing, the company operates in 35 cities in partnership with local dry cleaners that you get to choose — and Delivery.com promises a 24-hour turnaround.

Dirty Laundry

Prices: Wash-and-fold starts at $1.50 per pound, and there’s a $25 minimum; wash-and-press is $2.75 to $3.75; and dry cleaning ranges from $4.50 to $35 per item; turnaround times are 24 hours for laundry and 48 hours for dry cleaning and wash-and-press. The company requires you to provide a credit card so it can charge a $10.50 deposit on pending orders, releasing that amount when the transaction completes. With your first order, you get a free laundry bag — plus 25% off when you input the code DIRTY at checkout.

Availability: As of this writing, the company operates in New York city — and more specifically Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

DryV

Prices: The company appears to give custom price quotes. If you choose to have pickups and deliveries to a DryV locker there’s no minimum, but if you schedule it to come to your home there’s a $20 minimum.

Availability: This company operates seven days a week in Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

FlyCleaners

Prices: Wash-and-fold starts at around $1.55 per pound; dry cleaning costs $3.25 to $16.50 per item; there’s a $20 minimum to get a delivery, and you pay a delivery fee of $3.99 if your order is under $30. New customers get $10 off their first order and a free laundry bag.

Availability: As of this writing, the company only operates in New York city — hours are 6:00 am to midnight, seven days a week.

Handy

Prices: Rates appear to vary based on local supply and demand; whether and how frequently you want your items laundered; and how far in advance you schedule. New customers can get up to 50% their first order. Note that the site lists different variations on house cleaning without providing a dedicated area for laundry, although it’s definitely something you can hire on the site.

Availability: The company claims to have thousands of cities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Instawash

Prices: Wash-and-fold starts at $1.50 per pound, with a minimum order of $25; same-day service costs $1.90 per pound. Blankets cost $15 to $30, depending on size. Dry cleaning ranges from $5.50 to $15.96 per item, depending on size. Google search for Instawash coupons that will save you up to $10 on your first order.

Availability: As of this writing, the company operates seven days a week in San Francisco.

Laundry Butler for You

Prices: A one-time wash-and-fold costs $1.99 per pound, but if you sign up for it weekly, the price drops to $1.75 per pound. Bedding linens range from $8 to $35 per item. The minimum order size is $25.

Availability: The company operates in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, California.

Rinse

Prices: Wash-and-fold starts at $1.75 per pound plus $3.99 for standard delivery in three days or $5 for a rush delivery within one to two days. Blankets cost $15 to $30, items that need to hang to dry cost $1 to $8, and prices for dry cleaning and wash-and-press range from $1 to $18 per item. New customers get a $20 credit good toward any services.

Availability: As of this writing, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, and Boston; pickups and deliveries are limited to between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm local time.

TaskRabbit

Prices: The app lists laundry help among many other tasks you can hire out and rates are set by the taskers — although they’re driven by local supply-and-demand plus ratings by customers. Additionally, you end up paying more if you need the help right away and less if you’re willing to wait. Do a Google search on coupons for new customers and you can find savings of up to 25% on your first order of any kind — so no dice if you’ve already hired a tasker in another area.

Availability: As of this writing, the company operates in 43 metropolitan areas across the U.S. and U.K., although not all of them have laundry yet. The site’s FAQ says that if TaskRabbit isn’t yet in your city, you can request it.

Do These Apps Come and Go?

Although the number of companies in this space has steadily increased over the past half decade, at least one startup in this actually space shut down — namely, Wash.io. Others like Wash Cycle Laundry have curtailed doing business with individuals in order to focus exclusively on companies.

Others that are still in business maintain both consumer and business clientele. Some employers subsidize all or part of the cost of cleaning as an employee benefit.

Although these services may seem like a luxury to those who live on tight budgets, people with busy schedules may appreciate the time savings as well worth the expense.

Readers, if you’ve used any of the laundry delivery experiences above, tell us about your experiences with them in the comments section below.

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Can You Afford To Hire Spring Cleaners?

March 30, 2018 By Jackie Cohen Leave a Comment

Should you do whatever it takes to find a way to afford to hire spring cleaners this year? Hiring someone to clean your home may sound like a luxury you can’t fit into your budget. Unless you can find cleaners whose hourly rate falls below what you earn per hour, you have to get creative. Here’s how to do exactly that so you can afford to hire spring cleaners.

Work the Free Trial Offers

You just might be able to get at least one completely free home cleaning — but more likely you’ll score discounts on first-time cleanings — by checking out websites that provide lists of local service providers along with mobile apps that offer subscription-style pricing for domestic help. These websites and apps include listings of home cleaning providers and may have promotions in some local markets:

Get Your Kids To Do It

This suggestion might double as a way to instill a sense of responsibility in your children while giving them something to do during spring break. You could offer to pay them based on the quality of their work and still end up paying less than you would if you hired an outside party to do the job. Just don’t get overzealous about this: If your kids are too young, you might end up doing the cleaning yourself.

Barter with Cleaners

If you’re an entrepreneur of any kind, you might be able to barter with cleaners who might need your services. If you drive for a rideshare service, you could offer to take the cleaners to their gigs.

Accountants might be able to barter tax return filings, tutors might give some lessons, marketers could provide promotional services, cooks might offer up some meals, and so on. If you have a skill to offer that might save the cleaners some time, and your pay rates seem similar, you stand a chance at negotiating a trade.

Sell Stuff to Pay for It

One of the simplest ways to cost justify hiring a spring cleaner involves attaching some cash flow to the exercise: sell household items to provide you with enough funds to pay for the cleaning help.

This only works if you have self-discipline because it effectively puts the proverbial cart before the horse — otherwise, people usually come up with their pile of things to sell at the end of a spring cleaning exercise. Read more about this specific type of sale by clicking here, here and here.

You Can Afford to Hire Spring Cleaners

If you really need to save time or physical energy, that might be all the justification you need to make the case that you can afford to hire spring cleaners. Perhaps you might even be able to set up an ongoing arrangement with someone to help you tidy up.

If you create a budget that’s based on your priorities, hopefully you can find a way to line up the funds for the things you want or need most.

Readers, what experience have you had with paying for home cleaning services?

Easy Ways to Save Money With Pinterest

January 22, 2016 By Alexa Mason 2 Comments

Pinterest has continually grown in popularity over its short existence. It brings new ideas to people all over the world. You can find creative dinner ideas, crafts, workout plans and even ways to save money. There may be a few things you are passing up when it comes to the “saving money” aspect of Pinterest though.

Cleaning Products on Pinterest

People pin down so many interesting things on Pinterest. A lot of these are DIY projects that users are eager to share with their friends. There are many Pinterest users who post homemade cleaning products that can range from laundry detergent, dish soap, wipes, or stain remover. The best thing about these homemade products is that they usually cost almost nothing to make. Some of the homemade products is that they can cost around $0.10 per tub or container compared to the $5 you’re used to spending.

Clothing on Pinterest

Pinterest is also a great site to use for comparison shopping. By pinning down multiple clothing pieces from different sites, you can compare prices and quality. It’s a great way to see what stores are offering similar items for a cheaper price. Some Pinterest boards also offer ideas on how to make your own trendy apparel using clothing and household items you already own, cutting down on the money you’d spend buying it directly from the store.

Cooking and Groceries on Pinterest

Everyone knows how expensive groceries or eating out is. By browsing Pinterest, you can check out the many different cheap, easy recipes that people have pinned down. Cooking at home often sounds time consuming, but there are many people on Pinterest who are committed to posting recipes that are easy on your wallet and your time.

DIY Pinterest Furniture

Anyone who’s tried to decorate an apartment, house, or dorm room knows that furniture can be expensive and that interest, unique furniture is often very overpriced. Pinterest can offer ideas on how to repurpose your old furniture. For instance, if you search the tags “furniture” and “diy”, you can find dozens upon dozens of tutorials on how to cheaply reupholster furniture, how to create new furniture out of existing materials, or how to paint quirky patterns onto your dressers, bookcases, or coffee tables to give your room some interesting décor. Most of these methods don’t cost much and will save you from buying an entirely new piece of furniture!

DIY Home Decorating

Pinterest is also a great place to look for home decorating ideas. Many of the ideas are DIY projects that take everyday items and turn them into exciting craft projects. Are you wondering how much you’ll have to shell out for a nice vase? Look for some of the pinterest items that suggest using a pretty wine bottle instead. Need some more shelving for your walls, but don’t want to pay for sturdy shelves? One pinterest board suggests using old hardback books: paint the cover and spine (or cover them with any sturdy paper of your choice) and use those as shelves instead.

Pinterest DIY Home Remodeling

As previously discussed with decorating ideas, Pinterest also offers some wonderful DIY ideas for home remodeling. Of course, you’re going to have to spend some money, but the website has plenty of user ideas on how to repurpose cabinets, floor tile, or wallpaper. Looking through other users sites might also give you a great idea on how to save money and remodel your kitchen or bedroom yourself, instead of hiring someone else to do it for you.

Coupons on Pinterest

If you search “coupons” on Pinterest, you’ll have plenty of pins to go through since a lot of users are dedicated to sharing store or website coupons. This is a great resource for people who are looking to save money. Just beware of scam coupons or coupons that are expired. With so many coupon deals, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of which ones you can use online, in a store, and which ones are still active.

Pinterest Artwork

Most people like to buy art to hang on their walls. It’s a wonderful way to brighten up a room and add some character. But art can be very expensive. Pinterest has many examples of DIY art projects that cost next to nothing. For example, you can buy a canvas from an art store for a couple of dollars and create any type of art you want. Browse through “diy art” to come up with some cheap, fun art projects!

Entertainment on Pinterest

Many Pinterest members are not only interested in DIY projects, but in providing their friends and other Pinterest users with cheap or free activities. Some users have lists of unique activities to do with a friend, family members, or on a date. Or they’ll repost community or city events that are going on that you might not have heard of otherwise. This might not be your cup of tea, but if you’re on a budget and you’re trying to limit your entertainment expenses without sacrificing them entirely, this is something you should definitely check out.

Pin Instead of Shop

Are you still eager to head out to a store and shop, even though you can’t afford to buy anything? Pinning an item you’ve been looking at instead of running out to buy it is one way to combat spending money. There are plenty of fashion or home decorating pinboards you can browse and pin down as a wishlist. Try this and see if it will help calm your urge to shop.

Photo: Flickr: Jurgen Appelo

Reflections on a Purge

March 29, 2013 By Jennifer Derrick 2 Comments

This winter I have focused on purging my house of excess stuff. I’ve never thought of myself as having a lot of stuff (and compared to some I don’t), but a real dig in to the deepest recesses of my closet, attic, and drawers revealed some things I’d been holding on to that needed to go. As I purged, I learned it’s often not as much about the stuff as it is about reconciling who you were with who you are now.

The first week of the purge, I found some shirts from college in my closet. We don’t need to point out how long ago college was for me, but let’s just say it wasn’t yesterday. Worn and faded, those shirts were reminders of a different time. Some were from my sorority days and other were from spring breaks or football games. None of them were in good enough condition to be worn in public and, I asked myself, even if they were, would I (at my current age) want to be seen in a shirt with sorority letters on it, or advertising spring break foolishness? Um, no.

So the shirts got marked for the rag-bag (they are still god for cleaning up paint spills and cleaning off dip sticks). I decided to keep two favorites, to be used for painting and other messy chores. The others I was sad to see go but before I cut them into strips, I took a second and snapped some photos of them, just to have the memories. The shirts took up space; pictures don’t.

After settling the shirt issue, it was on to my tape collection. Holy cow, I had a lot of tapes. I hated to get rid of them but, again, they were taking up space that I needed for other things. I didn’t know how long it had been since I’d listened to them so by that reckoning, they must not be that important to me anymore.

Regardless, I took a weekend and went through every one of those tapes. What I realized was that, in most cases, I’d bought those tapes for one or two “good” songs and I really didn’t care about the rest. (This was in the days long before iTunes let you buy a single song.) So I made notes of which songs were the important ones and then downloaded those to my iPod. I gave the tapes to the thrift store. The digital files don’t take up the space in my home that the tapes did. I salvaged the important reminders from days gone by and let the rest of it go.

There were many other things like this that I found. Remnants of hobbies I found fun long ago but no longer enjoy. Collections of things that used to be important to me but for which now I can only muster a slight, “That’s kind of neat.” A few toys from childhood that have fond memories attached, but no practical use since I’ll never have kids to pass them on to. As much as this purge was about freeing up some space in my house, it was also about letting go of the person I used to be and making room for the person that I am now.

I can’t deny that I was sad to see those old things go because it not only meant the things were gone, it also meant letting go of that younger person I used to be. I let go of the girl who listened to tapes on her “boom box” every night until she fell asleep. The sorority girl without a care in the world is now in the rag-bag. The kid who played for hours with Fisher Price toys is now in the thrift store. The kid who read Goodnight Moon and Trixie Belden is awaiting the library’s annual book sale.

But the woman who loves board games is alive and well, as is the one who loves science fiction and fantasy novels. The woman who collects shells is still here and she still has her iPod filled with everything from classical to reggae. The marathon runner is well represented because now I can display my medals instead of having them crammed into boxes. The person I used to be is gone, but the person I am now has plenty of room in her house to showcase her interests. Old loves no longer crowd out new ones.

There’s something to be said for sentiment (which is why I took pictures of almost everything I discarded). But I learned that I don’t need the stuff to remember the person I used to be and the fun I used to have. The stuff only hampered me from enjoying the person I am now to the fullest. I hope I can do better at keeping my stuff more current as I go through life and I won’t have to do this on this scale again. But if I do, it will help to remember that life marches on and that old stuff only interferes with the new phases of life.

(Photo courtesy of mamamusings)

Leaving Places in Better Shape: Day 7

January 7, 2013 By Jeffrey Strain 4 Comments

I know it’s been a good week when I felt it was strange that I wasn’t able to go and travel someplace today, although I did get to enjoy the backyard views of the house where I was house sitting (see above). As far as weeks go, I have a feeling that it’s going to be quite difficult to beat this one during the rest of the minimum wage challenge in both the amount I was able to do and how little it cost to do it.

Today I spend most of the morning and early afternoon cleaning. I have a personal policy to try to always leave places I have been in better shape than when I go there (if you ever see me hiking, I’m the one with a garbage bag in my hand picking up random trash that has been left on the trail). That also extends to the houses where I house sit. I like to leave them in at least the same shape as when I arrived, and hopefully a bit better. No matter how neat I am, a dog (Gigi in this case) wandering around the house for a week leaves plenty to be cleaned up.

In addition to doing basic cleaning around the house, I also washed all the sheets and towels that I used while I was there. Nobody wants to come home from traveling and wash someone else’s laundry since they have plenty of their own. I also realized that this is yet another area where I save money by being purposely homeless rather than having my own place — no need for a washer/dryer, detergent, etc. or to go to coin laundries to get my wash done.

The last big cleaning project was washing the car and cleaning out the inside. Since the owners were kind enough to let me to use their car while they were gone, I also wanted to make sure it was in tip-top shape when I gave it back to them. While these are all things that I could probably get away without doing, I think that doing so probably gets me a lot more recommendation references to others in need of a house sitter (and it’s something that anyone who wants to house sit to make some extra money should consider).

The final thing that I did is I went to the store and bought some basics — milk, fresh fruit and eggs. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to use coupons and stacking to get them at greatly discounted prices, but again, I think it’s just basic courtesy that the family has basics for breakfast when they return and don’t have to immediately go to the store after returning from a trip. Those items put me back $6.27, but I came out far ahead with having virtually no food costs for the entire week. This may be an area of concern long term as I know if I had my own place, I could collect coupons on a regular basis and shop the deep discounts. I’m not sure if I will be able to do much of this at all while traveling.

After picking them up from the airport, they wanted to give me a $100 tip — since I won’t be able to use that money as part of this challenge (Rule 4: I can’t do other activities outside the 40 hours to raise more money so that I can spend more), I suggested (and we all agreed) that a donation to their local ASPCA in that amount would be a good compromise. While I don’t get credit for making the donation as part of this challenge, knowing that I helped to get the donation made is good enough for me.

I made a big mistake heading to the airport without any prepared snacks with me which could have ended up being pretty costly with the prices of food at airports. Luckily I found an old granola bar (a bit stale, but edible) tucked into one of my hiking day-pack pockets which held me over until I got on the plane. Since I often forget to plan like that, I think I need to fill my day-pack with an assortment of snacks at the first opportunity so I do have an emergency stash I can count on when I don’t plan well like today. Good lesson that fortunately didn’t cost me anything.

The rest of the month of January looks like this:

I fly to visit my mom for 2 days (8, 9)
I have a house sitting job from the 10th – 18th
The 19th – 25th are currently open (possibly visit my sister or go to Oregon to visit friends)
I have a house sitting job from the 26th – Feb 2nd

That leaves me in pretty good shape for this month in regard to housing (only 1 week where I don’t currently have confirmed housing of some type). February looks like it will be a lot tougher month with it basically an open slate at the money except for the first 2 days. These are the confirmed house sitting jobs I have thus far for this year (for those that might be interested)

January 10 – 18
January 26 – February 2
April 21 – May 8
September 1 – 17
November 6 – December 7

I will definitely need to find more of these opportunities as the year goes on if I am going to make this challenge successful. It’s simply to early to tell if I will be able to fill in enough space to make it work and will probably need to evaluate at the end of February or March since I don’t have anything set up at the moment for either of these two months.

Except for getting the basic food for the owner’s return ($6.27), I managed to make it through the day with no other expenses. That means I made it through the first week spending $13.54, or just under $2 a day. Of course, this doesn’t count the cost of insurance which will hit eventually, but I would mark it an extremely successful first week (just to make my sister steam a bit). I can only hope that I can continue to do as much for as little as I did in the weeks to come.

Today’s Spending

Food: $6.27
Car: $0.00
Housing: $0.00
Travel: $0.00
Misc: $0.00

Total: $6.27

Total Spending

Food: $7.39
Car: $0.00
Housing: $0.00
Travel: $0.00
Misc: $6.15

Next article: Day Eight: Reevaluating Habits

Total: $13.54