Legit Laundry Detergent

             Laundry detergent: two words that don’t exactly inspire excitement, until now. What if I told you that you could wash 128 loads of laundry for $1.76? That’s right, 128 loads for less than it would cost you to get a burger and fries off the dollar menu- no lie. 

            This stuff is off the chain, yea I said it, and it only takes three ingredients and a little bit of patience to make. My family has been using this recipe for a while, and I still use it today so I can vouch for it. This soap will seriously get your clothes so fresh and so clean.  

So fresh and so clean like the Outkast song..

             So here is the deal, the recipe for this is detailed and I don’t want to explain it wrong so I’m going to include a hyperlink to it: Detergent Recipe. 

            Now that you have undoubtedly read the recipe, let me tell you how you can take this soap to the next level. Two words: essential oils. What are essential oils you ask? They are the business. Seriously though, essential oils are natural oils that usually come from plants. They come in scents like lavender, cedar, peppermint, lemon, and many more. All you have to do is take an eyedropper of your favorite oil, put a few drops in the laundry soap, and then BAM- you have achieved next level laundry soap.

The next level laundry soap in question. Yes, this is my jar. 

              At this point, you may be asking yourself, “why go to all this trouble when I can buy laundry soap relatively cheaply at ANY supermarket chain?” The answer is simple: you don’t know what companies put in those soaps. Many companies use ingredients that are harmful to you and the environment. Many detergents, like Ajax 2X Ultra, contain formaldehyde. That’s right, formaldehyde- the stuff used to preserve dead bodies. If that doesn’t make you want to run screaming from the detergent aisle than read on. Many companies like Tide and Gain have received health ratings of F, the worst you can get, from the Environmental Working Group. A significant portion of these companies received these ratings because of, “poor ingredient disclosure.” If we already know that many of these detergents contain ingredients like formaldehyde and they are still receiving bad ratings for poor ingredient disclosure than the question is: WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY PUTTING IN THESE SOAPS??! Seriously folks, play it safe- make your own soap AND save money in the process. Why not?

Budgeting Time like a Boss

      We’re all guilty of putting important things off till the last minute. It’s so easy to do, and things sometimes have a way of sneaking up on you. As a once professional procrastinator, I am going to share some of my newly found tips for maximizing productivity.

Tip #1- Prioritize

      This may seem like an extremely obvious tip, but it is the key to balancing your time. If you have several important things to do in a day, make a list and number it from most important to least important. After doing this, run through your list and accomplish all your goals like a champ.

                                                                   Even cavemen have to prioritize. 

Tip #2- Make meals ahead of time

      If you have free time one weekend make a big batch of one of your favorite foods (think lasagna or soup). Once you have it made, portion it out into several containers and freeze it. This will not only save you from eating ramen noodles again, but it also makes your meals relatively quick and healthy. All you will have to do for a quick meal is pull the food out of the freezer and reheat it. This will give you more time for important stuff like avoiding schoolwork or watching Netflix.

Tip #3- Don’t get stressed

     When you have a lot to do and a short amount of time to do it in, it is easy to lose your nerve. Whenever you feel like things are starting to get out of hand, take a step back and re-evaluate your situation. Think about how the things you have to do will impact you both now and in the future. Go back to tip #1 and make a list of everything you have to do. After making and ranking your list take the time to do something small to calm yourself down. Usually something like a short walk, or a little bit of time surfing the web is all you need to cool your jets. 

Redneck Candy Bars: The gift that keeps on giving

         It’s that time of year again. The holiday season is bearing down upon us like a freight train, and soon we will all be whisked away in a frenzy of yuletide carols.    

                                  Did I say whisked away? I really meant whiskered away..

          
           While this sentimental time of year is enjoyable, it can really do a number on your wallet. So, in order to combat the wallet leeching tendencies of the holiday season, I am going to share one of the biggest weapons I have in my money saving arsenal: redneck candy bars. Yes, you read right- redneck candy bars.

                                             The redneck candy bar in all of its glory. 

           
            The recipe for these candy bars was passed down to me from my mother, and they make great gifts. They are also a great dish to bring to parties, but be forewarned: these candy bars will attract every mullet bearing, wife beater wearing Nascar fan within a five-mile radius. They are just that delicious.

            The recipe for this dessert is dangerously simple and cheap. In fact, this recipe is so easy and delicious that you might be tempted to live off of it. Just remember, once you start eating these candy bars you won’t be able to stop. You have been warned. Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

40 saltine crackers

1 package of chocolate chips

1.  Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a cookie pan with foil and place your crackers on it.

3.  Boil the butter and brown sugar for 3-4 minutes, and then pour it over the crackers.

4.  Place this mixture in the oven for 5 minutes.

5.  Remove the pan from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over it. Once the chips are melted, spread them with a spatula.

6.  When the dessert is cooled, break it into bars and enjoy.

This recipe is the best-kept secret this side of the Mississippi. I hope it brings you as much joy, and savings, as it has brought me.

Shopping Like a Pro

            Love it or hate it, shopping is an intrinsic part of our culture. From a young age we are bombarded with advertisements enticing us to, “try this” or “buy that.” It is easy to spend all of your money when you live in a society that tries to convince you that your life can be improved through three simple installments of $19.99. Sometimes we have to take a step back and ask ourselves, “Do I really need this?”

            As a society,  we often fall into the trap of thinking, “Wow, I have really worked hard this week. I should treat myself to________.”  You fill in the blank. It can be anything for anyone.

                           Parks and Recreation said it best with their episode about treating 
                           yourself to the finer things in life. 

            
            For me, the blank is clothes, which can be a slippery slope. In this post I want to share with you the best kept secret to clothes shopping- thrift stores. You’re probably thinking this isn’t a very good secret, after all everyone and their mother has been to Goodwill. The thing is Goodwill, although a great resource, is not the only thrift store. For example, just in Knoxville alone there are all sorts of creative thrift and vintage stores like Nostalgia, which is my personal favorite. The point is, don’t rush off to Urban Outfitters to buy the newest trend when you can go get a more original item for half the price at any thrift store.

            I understand that some people are really put off by the thought of buying clothes second hand. This is all well and good, unless you’re on a budget. Now, if you’ re someone on a budget and you’ re saying this, than it is time for you to don your big girl panties and face the facts. You can go to any flagship store in the mall and pay $60 for a cashmere blend sweater, or you can go to Goodwill and find the exact same thing. For example, I went to Goodwill today and found a cashmere blend Ann Taylor sweater for three dollars. That’s right. Three. Freaking. Dollars. What’s that? Pics or it didn’t happen?

                                                 Boom.

The moral of the story is, don’t feed the commercial industry anymore than you have to. You will be just as happy wearing a $3 cashmere sweater as you would be wearing a $60 one. 

Welcome

This blog aims to show college students, and all others on a budget, cheap ways to do great things. If you have ever wanted to do something, but haven’t had the money or the resources to do it, then this blog is for you.