Reader B. asks,”I’m a new reader and appreciate your menu planning and budget ideas. Do you have a budget and plan for purchasing your household necessities like cleaning products and toiletries?”
Actually, we don’t have a specific budget for household items (shocking, I know!). My primary strategy is to watch for sales on items we regularly use like toilet paper, shampoo, etc. and stock up when I see a really low price.
As far as household cleaners, I only use a few:
Bar Keepers Friend-great for sinks, counters, tubs and toilets, has no chemical smell and costs around $1.38. I use this to clean my stainless steel pots and pans as well, and it works great to get stuck on food off in a jiffy!
Unscented Bleach-I mix about 1/8 cup of bleach with a liter of water in a spray bottle labeled “Bleach” and use this for disinfecting counter tops or sinks after I have handled raw meat, bleaching out stains and cleaning the bathroom surfaces to keep germs to a minimum. The 1.42 gallon of bleach costs less than $3.00 and lasts FOREVER (not really, but a very long time)!
Vinegar-I use white vinegar mixed with water to clean my windows and to mop the floors. I use this DIY Citrus Cleaner for other surfaces.
Laundry Detergent-I buy an allergy free brand which my daughter with skin issues uses to wash her clothes. I watch for sales and printable coupons and stock up at the lowest price which is usually $2.50 for a 50 ounce bottle. One bottle lasts a couple of months with only one person using it. I also buy a 1.5 lb. box of powder detergent for around $1.00 for everyone else’s clothes. We use about 1 box every 3 or four weeks. You can read more here about my experience with homemade laundry detergent (along with lots of great tips in the comments of the post.)
Dish Detergent-I buy the cheapest dish detergent and dishwasher detergent I can find and we only use about a tablespoon of the dishwasher detergent per load. If you read the manufacturer’s instuctions, you only need a small amount of detergent to wash dishes effectively.
On average, I spend between $20 and $30 a month for cleaning and toiletry products including toilet paper.
If you have a question you would like answered, please email me: Kimberlee (at) ThePeacefulMom (dot) com.
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