How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

I DID IT!!  I can’t believe how simple it was to make homemade laundry detergent.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the folks over at DIYNaturual.com !

This is the information straight from their wonderful site:

Soap/Detergent cost breakdown & savings

Prior to making our own, we were using Arm & Hammer liquid detergent.  Here is the breakdown in cost analysis:

Note: you only need to use 1 tablespoon of this homemade detergent per load, although you can use 1 – 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads)

• Arm & Hammer® liquid 100 ounce detergent – $6.79 – 32 loads = $0.21 per load
• Tide® with Bleach powder 267 ounce detergent – $20.32 – 95 loads = $0.21 per load
• Jabs Homemade powder 32 ounce detergent – $2.98 – 64 loads = $0.05 per load

As you can see, whether I compare against traditional store bought liquid or powder, I am saving $0.16 per load!

A SIMPLE RECIPE

Each batch yields approximately 32 ounces (between 32-64 loads based on how many Tbsp used per load).

• 1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha)
• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of washing soda

Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results!  That’s it folks…seems too good to be true, but it is true indeed!

I was able to purchase all of the items for less than $6 at Walmart.  The Borax and the Arm and Hammer Washing Soda should last me for about 10 more batches!  CRAZY!  Have you ever made your own soap or cleaner?  I want to learn…please share your information with me and all of your zoned in friends!  The easiest way to save money is not to spend it!!

“It was quite a bit of grating on the fine hand grater, so I had to find a less exhausting way to get the job done…TEENAGERS!”

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

Thrift Store Super Find of the Day!

Our family loves the thrift store!  My kids have been going to them with me for years, and agree that it is much more fun to pay 10% the cost of a product rather than 100%, especially when it comes to spending their own money. Today, I stopped in to see if I could find any more Tupperware for my super clean pantry.  I am normally able to find it for a buck or 2 per piece.  But today, there were no bowls to be found.  Instead, I found The Perfect Brownie Pan!  If you are wondering why I’m so excited, it’s because my 17 year old has asked for one for 2 years now, and I could never bring myself to pay $20 for a single pan that wasn’t a top shelf brand.

There it was, right next to the old nasty looking pot without a handle.  A ‘brand new’ Perfect Brownie Pan with all the parts.  It looked like it had never been used!  I turned it over and found the price tag…$2 dollars!!  Woo Hoo!  Of course it had to come home with me.  I was so excited to show my teen, the one that has asked for one for 2 years.  I totally expected a big “Oh Mom, You’re the greatest!” or something to that effect.  Instead, I get an, “oh, that’s nice”.  Really?

Her response, and lack of enthusiasm completely reinvigorated my stance on second hand shopping.  Obviously, she was only hyped up about it around Christmas time, because of the commercials.  Now, when we are in March, and it is from the thrift store, it was no big deal.

Well, I’m off to make some perfect brownies…with my new toy!

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

Would You Offend St. Patrick?

You only have 4 more days to get this great deal on Irish Spring Body Wash!

Irish Spring Body Wash, 15-18 oz, Bar Soap, 6 pk or Deodorant, 2.7-3 oz $3.50
Buy 2, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Use 2 $1.00/1 Irish Spring Deodorant from SS 3/11 (exp 3/31)
or $0.50/1 Irish Spring 3pk+ Bar Pack or Body Wash excluding 2.5oz from SS 3/11 (exp 3/31)
Pay $5.00, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $0.50 each when you buy 2

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

Feeling Like the Seven Dwarfs?

Snuffly, Sneezy, Sleepy…

 

Head on over to your local CVS store and pick up your free pack of Zyrtec 24 Tablets 5ct. You pay $5.99 up front, then you receive $5.99 Extra Bucks Reward. This is a good item to donate to charity or give to a neighbor if you can’t use it.

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

So You Found a Ton-o-Taters for $1?

I went to my local $.99 cent store today, and found a 5 lb bag of potatoes for $.99 cent.  I know we won’t eat them all before they go bad, so I began a quick search to see what I could do to preserve them for future use.  That’s when I came across the idea of freezing them.  In my years of cooking and storing food, I have never had great success with freezing potatoes.  They always came out…ugly.  I now know the missing link, boiling them for a bit seems to make the difference.  What have you done to preserve your potatoes?

Make ready-to-cook frozen French fries:

• Peel and cut the potatoes you want to freeze into “French fry lengths.”
• Boil cut potatoes in salted water until partially cooked.
• Drain and place in a single layer on a sprayed sheet pan.
• Freeze until solid; transfer to freezer bags or containers and put in freezer.

To cook the frozen French fries: toss frozen potatoes with 2 tbsp. of oil, place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees until nicely browned (about 15 to 20 minutes). Turn occasionally. Salt and serve.

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

How to Stockpile Fresh Eggs!

Have you ever wondered how to keep eggs from going bad before you use them?

When I find a great deal on eggs, my first instinct is to stock up on 4 or 5 cartons.  Our family can go through these pretty quickly.  There are times when I can find them for .99cents per dozen, but not often.  So, I wanted to see if there was a way to make them last longer, without the hassle of dehydrating them, or freezing them.  So off I went perusing the blogosphere for answers, and look what I found!

By Kellene Bishop, The Preparedness Pro

Preserving eggs in the refrigerator for 9 months is unfathomable to most people, let alone safely preserving eggs that long without refrigeration. But today I’ll make crystal clear how you can preserve eggs worry-free without compromising your health and taste standards and perhaps I’ll even shed some light on how you came to believe that eggs can only be preserved in a refrigerator.

Click on the link below for the full article.

HOW TO PRESERVE EGGS

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

It looks like we are going to have a fun Mommy/Daughter Day making Kicked Up Pumps!! Thanks for the grand idea Marisa!

Marisa Quijano

Glitter DIY Pumps!

This tutorial is super cute! I’m going to be fancy this weekend and try this out!!!! I’m pretty messy when it comes to glitter & glue! The glitter usually ends up all over my face..the glue too! haha!

Thank you to:
Restyle.Restore.Rejoice
for this awesome post!

The information below is from her post. If you would like to view her blog just click on the link above! Enjoy!

Supplies

Modge Podge:High gloss glue. Perfect for glittering shoes

Pumps:Lauren Conrad for Kohls. It doesn’t mater what the sole consistency is. These were rubber.

Fine glitter-This can be found anywhere. I got mine at Joanns

Paintbrush-I used one I didn’t care about so I could just throw it away after.

Newpaper-Glitter everywhere is not fun to clean up!

I used a paper cup and filled it with about a 1/4 cup of Modge Podge.

Then I poured in glitter…

View original post 386 more words

 

So, You’re Running Out of Toner…

I use my printer quite a bit, and was very excited to see these prices when searching for toner before I run out.

Look what I just found!

HP LaserJet 1022 Toner only $8.04!

I have used this kind in the past, with no issues at all.  I am very impressed with the amount of pages I get from it.  I ordered last April, and just ran out!

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

Great Coupon for Bar Keepers Friend!

I am so excited!  I have looked for a coupon for Bar Keepers Friend for almost a year now.  It is the only product that will get my porcelain sink white again in the kitchen.  Thanks to I Heart The Mart, I found out about the coupon!  The scenario below is if the item is purchased at Wal-Mart.

Bar Keepers Friend $1.74
Use $0.55 off one Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser
Total: $1.19

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.

 

CVS Deals for 3/11/12

I just found my new favorite CVS deal website!  It’s called Simply CVS.  She breaks everything down so simply, anyone can save money at CVS!  Take a look a this scenario she put together.  There are more great deals on her site.  You should go check it out, I know I am.

Below are deal scenarios for the CVS ad for the week of 3/11 for shoppers just starting their CVS shopping adventure or who do not have any or many extra bucks on hand and do not want to spend much cash.  There are scenarios for $5 out of pocket cash and $10 out of pocket cash.

You can save the extra bucks left from the last transaction for next week’s extra buck deals and have even less out of pocket, or you could use them towards some of the CVS deals this week or other sale items.

TOTAL CASH OOP:  $4.86 + tax

EXTRA BUCKS REMAINING:  $2
MERCHANDISE VALUE:  $26.84 sale priced

Transaction 1:

Buy 1 (one)   Zyrtec 24 hr 5 ct $5.99 Get $5.99 ECB
Use 1 (one) $2/1 Zyrtec Printable – sign up required
CASH OOP:  $3.99   + tax
EXTRA BUCKS RECEIVED:  $5.99
MERCHANDISE VALUE:  $5.99 sale priced

Transaction 2:

Buy 1 (one)   Pedia Care Liquid 4 oz or infant drops 2 oz. $5.99 Get $5 ECB

Use 1 (one) $1/1 PediaCare Product, any – 10-09-11 SS

Buy 1 (one)   Purex UltraPacks 18ct. $2.49
Use 1 (one) $1/1 Purex UltraPacks detergent (RP 3/11)

Use $5.99 ECB from Transaction 1
CASH OOP:  $0.49   + tax
EXTRA BUCKS RECEIVED:  $5
MERCHANDISE VALUE:  $8.48 sale priced  

Transaction 3:

Buy 2 (two)   Reach brushes @ $3.69 x 2 = $7.38 Get $2 ECB x 2 = $4
Use 1 (one) $2.00 off any two (2) REACH Toothbrushes Printable (excluding Crystal Clean)

Use $5 ECB from Transaction 2
CASH:  $0.38  + tax
EXTRA BUCKS RECEIVED:  $4
MERCHANDISE VALUE:  $7.38 sale priced 

Transaction 4:

Buy 1 (one)   Dial NutriSkin or Dial for Men Speed Foam Lotion 21 oz. $4.99, Get $2.00 ECB
Use 1 (one) $1/1 Dial lotion 12oz+ RP 3/11

Use $4 ECB from Transaction 3
CASH:  $0   + tax
EXTRA BUCKS RECEIVED:  $2
MERCHANDISE VALUE:  $4.99 sale priced  

Thank you for taking the time to visit The Katy Coupon Zone, blogged straight from Katy, TX A.K.A…God’s Country!

Happy couponing and…stay in the ZONE!

Warning: Extreme Couponing may become addicting.

Some symptoms may include but are not limited to: You have acquired excessive shelving (everywhere) and it’s on your Christmas list; Scissors and a coupon binder are your new “fashion accessories”; Fat wallet syndrome; You started a blog about it; You have gotten coupon binder envy; You have become your local Coupon Fairy; You traded up from your 3 inch binder to a 4 inch double sided Case It Z binder with a strap.  If symptoms last more than 4 weeks you may want to seek a professional home organizer or FlyLady. Also, remember your daily dose of The Katy Coupon Zone for realistic, real world tips to help keep your couponing balanced and under control.