Oh for the love of... Laundry...

I am a granddaughter of the depression. A true mix of Chuck and Beth Vaughan a frugal engineer and an eccentric artist. Grandpa could calculate to the bean the best value for a can of kidney beans.
I carry on this trait as I often waive crowds by as I stand with my calculator in the grocery store.

So there has been a lot of chatter about making your own laundry soap. A friend  was recently shocked to learn I don't make my own... I gave it a whirl a few years back and hated it! It was snot like, required an afternoon to prep, and left clothes smelling sour sometimes and was just to inconsistent.

But it's cheaper you say... oh my friend... get your calculator ready!!!

If you follow the most popular version of the homeade laundry soap recipe found on Google it equates to roughly 7 to 9 cents per load. Let's also factor into this the gathering of pots, buckets, cheese grader, etc. To make it and roughly an hour prep and clean up.

So... I head once a month to a local close out grocery store. I picked this beauty up. At its markdown price it equates to 5 cent per load and it is a consistent product I know gets the crap off my crap. 

Because let's face it... it's way more fun to spend an afternoon making dirty laundry!

Yours in Frugality, 

AVR

This Old House

This old house has been my home for all of my "adult" years. I moved here right after college at the wise age of 22. My RKR was the 1st baby to the house in 92 years!

The L. F. WRIGHT FAMILY

Old farm houses are mystical creatures. Built before a thought of electric or running water. In fact 2950 didn't go on the grid until 1950 becasue the Wright Family simply "didn't need it." A battery powered radio kept them in touch with the world and that suited them just fine.

I love being self sufficient growing tomatoes, foraging for black berries, and switching on the light in the bathroom to take a long hot bath after.


This old house has had an antiquated well system that has been the bain of my existence since coming here. I fondly called it "the pit of despair " We had to pump tons of electric into it to keep it heated all winter, shoo the rogue  heifer off it's roof, and convince the groundhogs it wasn't a time share vacation rental. That all changed yesterday!


After many years we finally hooked a new well to the house! When you embrace homestead ideologies one of the best assets is a supply of amazing friends who are skilled tradesman at the ready in any time of need! We made plans with a friend who is an electrician, bartered to borrow a neighbors backhoe,  and called in a favor to our mule man who also happens to be the best damned well guy around!

For the 1st time in memory  I did a load of wash AND took a shower... a feat never before attainabledue to poor water preassure and a requires recovery time to build back pressure.

It's a happy day indead as I enjoy a long draw of sweet water aftet our first sunshine in days!

These 1st few days we'll have to be vigilant as our pipe system is "talking" a bit with creaks and pops as it adjusts to the new flow of water, but this homestead momma is sure pleased!

Until Next Time,
~AVR