Do they prevent static cling, too? I have a big problem with that....especially in the winter.

Thanks, I may just have to give them a try. I just bought one of those old fashioned wooden clothes drying racks. I figure I can hang up towels and t-shirts and then pop them in the dryer once they are almost dry so that they will get fluffy. I think RW mentioned once that her mother did this and it really saved on electricity usage.

I use the dryer balls, too, but still have static cling. I don't know why they don't work for me, but they do help to dry things quicker, so I keep using them.

where do you get dryer balls?

Use a towel frank. :rolleyes:

see and I didnt post dryer bootcamp

CVS, Walgreen, WalMart, Target...

:D

Sorry...couldn't help myself Frank. :o

I still use the spot of softener on a cloth thing. I just spot the cloth with softener and toss it in the dryer with the load, whether I am going for a fluff or a full dry. I don't wash the cloth between loads either.

I would think the sponge would work just as well. I would make sure that it is wrung out pretty good so the softener doesn't stain the clothes if it gets caught in one place in the load.

I have had the same bottle of softener for more than a year! I just add more water if it starts to get thick. :rolleyes:

I don't use softener or a ball. Well, I'll use softener once in a blue moon, if I want a nice smell on my stuff, but nobody else's skin can handle it.

Drying everything on low keeps it from having static, and not drying too long. Keeps the electric bill down and saves wear and tear on your clothes too. I wash everything - 'cept the tidy whities - on cold.

Oddly, I find the biggest diff is the towels last amuch better, no puckering, and they stay fluffier. Towels are designed to be fluffy, and fabric softner seems to gum the fibers together and make them less absorbent.

we have been pouring a small amount on a dish cloth about 1-2 tbsp not even and tossing it in on top of the cloths, soft, smells fresh and omg hardly use any I dont need dryerballs although I am going to look into the cost and maybe get a pair

Same here Kitty. Clothes don't fade or have a worn out look. Saves a lot of money.

I have to wash all the towels for the club. The cleaning rags too. My electric bill would would be sky high from all those loads.

One thing I did buy at WalMart, a retractable clothes line for indoors. I works perfect in my laundry room. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10162272

The one I got was about $6. I didn't need a long one. Works perfect for all the basketball uniforms Lil'monkey has.

frank and i are trying to cut our heating bill by 25% ... not sure if we can with all the sub zero weather we have been having ... each of the areas in our house are individual (like a bedroom is individal) kitchen, laundry, and livingroom all open into each other (no doors just doorways) the kitchen has sliding glass doors and a large window (would love to make it a bay window) both of which keep the kitchen and the laundry room cold ... livingroom also has a large window so these rooms are always cold ... anyway frank and i hung a sheet (doubled over for thickness) between the kitchen and the livingroom ... we noticed a huge difference in temp for the livingroom ... close vents in kitchen and our heater doesn't kick on as much ...

I bought the dryer balls and they were so NOISY banging around in the dryer!! Even shutting the laundry room door didn't help and we couldn't stand the racket! :eek:

I tried giving them away and no one wanted them for the same reason so ended up tossing them. They never worked anyhow as clothes came out full of static in the dry area we are in. Fabric softener is a MUST here in the desert. :)

well minus the cement pond I feel like granny clampet, boiled down the soap added the water and other products testing it on a medium load of some dirty cloths, and if it works we got 5 gallons of laundry soap pluse the makings for another 25 gallons and it all cost us a total of twelve bucks and we will have over 25 gallons of laundry soap 299 x1 289 x1 99x6 not bad shall make my final decision after the cloths come out in twenty momentos

well hmm what to say what to say. i had my hesitations on this my jeans looked really blue and clean the throw rug from the bathroom look real clean, now do I want to sit down with a calculator and see how much money I wasted over my life on laundry soap:Bang-Head:

Janie that was my worry the noise, that would drive me nuts and as you all know, that is already a short drive

20 mule team I can find, but I have never seen A& H washing soap.

I've been using vinegar instead of a rinse agent for years in the dishwasher though and you guys will love that.

It not only cleans the dishes, it keeps the dishwasher clean and running smooth. My washer is 17 yrs old and counting. Still runs like a top. Knock on wood.

I was thrilled yesterday as I sat down and did my budget for the upcoming month. SSDI only comes once a month and I have to plan the best I can. It's tight but we make it. Anyhow, I realized yesterday that this month I only spent $240 in groceries. That fed all 3 of us and I still have food left. I was thrilled.

At the beginning of the month, we eat the fresh fruits and veggies and towards the end we eat the frozen. I buy only what is on sale and save on an average between $50 and $70 on my groceries. I also found that planning a "menu" based on the sales helps save so much money and time. I do not buy any type of junk food like chips, soda, cookies, etc. I do buy crackers though.

Just thought I'd share that with my thrifty friends.;):p

Read this FAQ about the washing soda - they give you a UPC code to help locate it.
http://www.thelaundrybasket.com/Ques...per_washi.html

Also, please note that it is pure Sodium Carbonate and I know you have a pool so check out your pool chemicals because if you have a ph increaser it is probably 100% sodium carbonate. I've been looking for the washing soda, too, and I saw on a message board that a lot of people are using the pool chemical version interchangeably and cheaper than the A & H Super Washing Soda!

My local Ace Hardware carries A&H Super Washing Soda as well as the borax. I wonder if Home Depot or Lowes may have it as well.

wally world has the arm and hammer washing soda and you can also order it from the manufacture

like I said I was skeptical about the laundry soap, let me just say it works real well

I've been to two WalMarts here and neither one carries it. Now I feel ripped off. That is why I started to look into pool chemicals. They are cheaper and easier to come by.

Holly all else fails you can order it online although it was a couple bucks cheaper at the store, and they are right its not in the normal area its with the color bleacn stuff.

Thank you ladies for all your insight on these things, the dishes came out clean, and i made sure it was a dirty dirty load to test it and see how well it worked, it worked:yahoo:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post457536-110.html

I tried the instant oatmeal recipe and it's really good. I tested it on Kevin and he couldn't tell the difference. I had to tweak it a bit to get just the right balance of brown sugar and cinnamon.....but it costs less than a penny a bowl.....versus the pre-made kind that's almost .40 a bowl. Kev eats four to five packets at a time....so it's going to be a big savings for us. I want to get some dried fruit and make the fruit/cream version. You just put a bit of non dairy creamer in the mix along with the fruit.

If ya'll try it let me know how yours turns out! :)

DDs and I have been doing that for years. We just buy the plain stuff, make it and add our "embellishments" like brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, berries, raisins, cranberries, nuts, etc. They pick and choose what they want in it.

Also, just recently we started doing the same with rice. I had left over rice and one morning I decided to make it for DD17. I reheated the rice and put a little cream in it and then added raisins and cinnamon. She loved it.

These are far cheaper than buying boxed cereal and I am sure much healthier choices.

Kelly - I don't "make" my own. I just buy the quick oats, heat the water, and then add the stuff. It takes the same amount of time as the packaged kinds do but less sugar.

Tips from CNN Money, Gerri Willis
 

I received this in my email today and figured it might help someone. :)

Quote:

Cut the cost of your bare essentials Some tips on saving money for those things that are impossible to cut completely out of your budget. By Gerri Willis, CNN NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There are some things you just can't live without. But here's how you can pay less for your essentials. 1. Check your plan Is the grass always greener with someone else's cell phone plan or credit card? Check out billshrink.com. This free Web site lets you enter in some information about your usage and compares this against other offerings in the market. You'll get a personalized list of what other cell phone plans or credit cards would fit your needs - and an estimate of how much you would save annually by switching. 2. Get the resources It's rare to find anything free - especially in health care. But we've put together a few resources for free and reduced cost services. Check out free Federal clinics at ask.hrsa.gov/pc You do not have to have health insurance. Pay what you can afford. You can get immunizations, checkups, dental care and prescription drugs. Find out what free clinics and other free care is available in your area at the Association of Medical Colleges. That Web site is aamc.org/uninsured. If it's just medicine you need, you'll want to check out some programs intended to cut the cost of prescription drugs. Many drug manufacturers sponsor what's called "patient assistance programs". These programs are intended to help those who otherwise can't afford prescription drugs. Here are some places to go: freemedicineprogram.org and rxassist.org. 3. Cut your insurance Keep your credit score as high as you can because it's the basis for the rate you pay on car insurance. Most car insurers filter your credit information into a formula to determine what your "insurance risk score" is. This score determines how likely you are to file a claim. And what you do for a living counts, too. Some insurance companies give discounts for people in certain low-risk professions in a few states. If you're an economist, an accountant or a teacher you may be able to shave some dollars off your bill. If its home insurance you want to lower, consider raising your deductible. Don't lower your coverage - but think about raising the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance kicks in. And ask about group coverage.

Got my box of 24 bars of Fels Naptha Soap yesterday!! I bought two hand-held graters at the store and told my boys that was their new job....grating up the soap for me!! You can buy it pre-grated on the soapsgonebuy website but it's way more expensive. Plus, they get a good arm workout with the grating exercise!!

I have been meaning to post this sorry, im an idiot:) :eek:I myself am not using Fels Naptha we are using a soap bought at a Hispanic groceries its called ZOTE so if you are having trouble finding Fels Naptha the Zote brand comes in a few makes and am pretty sure you will be able to find a brand of this soap regardless of name at a Hispanic grocers......one is pink smells purty and the white one has more bleaching type of super powers, think there was a blue one which was one that had pseudo fabric softener added, like i said I meant to post this a while ago I just... I dont know... am an idiot lol