The first thing that I did was to let go of our cleaning service that came twice a month. This meant that I had to step up on cleaning my home from top to bottom, and not just the many accidents and spills created by my dog and two children (and me!) Believe me when I say that cleaning up after the kids is almost a full-time job in and of itself.
This week I cleaned the downstairs bathroom (the half-bath for guests) and wondered why we need a 3rd bathroom that takes me 45 minutes to clean? Is it really necessary? Note to self: next house--fewer bathrooms! Could we get away with just one? Hmmm.
I also cleaned my sons' bathroom, which reminded me why I do rather like the idea of having a separate bathroom from them--so I can sit down on the toilet seat when I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and not have to worry about sitting in a puddle. Let that imagery soak in. (No pun intended.)
I swept and mopped the floor in the kitchen one afternoon, only to have it look exactly the same as it did before I mopped 1 hour after finishing. That's depressing.
Even though I haven't tackled the whole house and done the major cleaning yet, I did notice one thing. When I actually DO clean, I do a better job than the cleaning service. And I use more environmentally-friendly cleaning products--mainly baking soda and vinegar (try this for all bathroom surfaces! Just be sure to rinse with clean water or the baking soda will leave a residue.)
The problem has always been doing it consistently. So if you are like me and haven't been able to keep up with the Flylady system or any other system (while having pets and children in the home at the same time--because face it, we are all better at keeping house when we are just cleaning up after one!) then stay tuned as I explore new ideas. Better yet, you work on it too, and let me know what you come up with that works for you!!
The only other things I have done to save money this week have been eating at home more and making my own "frappuccinos" at home instead of going out for an afternoon Starbucks run. Here's my recipe for a completely de-lish mocha frappuccino (this requires a good blender that will blend up ice.) If you aren't a coffee drinker, then just omit the coffee!
Mocha Frappuccino
1- 1/2 cups ice
1/2 to 1 cup half and half (Land o Lakes fat free works!)
scoop chocolate powder mix (hot chocolate mix or nestles or sugar free, whatever)
1 level tablespoon of instant coffee (I use decaf)
squirt of honey
dash of vanilla
Add fat free milk as you are blending to get it to right consistency. You can also use powdered milk and a bit of water.
I have always packed lunches for my kids instead of their buying lunches at school. This week I will be packing lunches for my husband as well. I have purchased insulated soft-side lunch boxes for the boys, but also generally buy applesauce and yogurt in serving size containers which they then throw away instead of recycle as we do at home. So I am going to try to buy larger sizes of foods like applesauce (no sugar added, of course), goldfish crackers, yogurt, and drinks, etc. and pack them in re-usable containers. Then my family won't be throwing away so much trash! Green and money-saving at the same time.
Earth Day is coming up this month and I am thinking about what I might do to celebrate. Last year my older son and I volunteered at a local nature preserve to clean up trash and remove invasive weeds that had accumulated at the site. We spent 5 hours in the great outdoors getting exercise and enjoying our blessed natural world. (And I got a great REI volunteer shirt that says "Get Dirty" on the front! Ha ha!) I'm going to be checking out events in our area to take part in this year, as well as making a commitment to be a better steward of our planet, our home. Won't you join me? (And let us know what you find to do!)
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