Save like Nana did. I think I could make that...

I love to look in stores at what is new and what the prices are.   For the last few years beautiful knit throws and scarves have been featured and I think  "I think I could make that..."   I know I got this from Mum and Nan.   They were both always nutting out a new pattern or cooking something using an idea they got from somewhere.    Another thing I see everywhere are rustic little containers with succulents and they are priced high!  They look lovely... but... I could make them up myself....     And so it goes!   

Today I am going to share some "I think I could make that" classics that are much cheaper and usually healthier than the shop bought version.   I have roped in some Bluebirds to add their homemade recipes in the comment section.  So over the next few days a lot of valuable and helpful recipes will appear.   Please add yours.  We can build quite a list! 

I am going to share a couple of my best recipes that I made up by trying to copy something we had eaten out.   You know when something is just so good that you wish you could make it at home?    I was determined that I could make that!  

One is Chicken Mondiali.  This was a restaurant in the city that we went to many times years ago and no longer exists.   Their pasta sauce was so good.   I eventually got it right.   However my recipe is very flexible!   Also I make a lot.  It is good for the lunches next day, if you have any left over.  

In a big pan fry up a couple of chopped onions and some garlic.  (Or add garlic powder in later.)   Add in a heap of diced chicken and cook until browned and a nice colour.   Pour over 1 or 2 cans of condensed tomato soup and stir and let this simmer on low for as long as you can.  I like an hour.   You want melt in your mouth chicken.   Add a tub or block or cream cheese.   Cook until that is blended and no lumps.   Add a carton of cream near the end and bring up to heat.  Taste... season...   sometimes I add more garlic powder.   It can also have some bacon...   Serve this over a big heap of pasta.  

Another I had many attempts at was a Bread and butter pudding/cake that another cafe often featured.  It was just spectacular and delicious.  I finally got it!   That recipe is a good one for using up any left over bread at all.  It is amazing.   That is here Never waste one slice of bread.

In previous posts I have covered a lot of recipes for the dry mixes we all use... like Cream of Chicken and French Onion soup mix.   Making them yourself you can make sure they are all natural and gluten free too.   Money Saving Dry Mixes.     Many of you have seen these recipes already.   

Something I used to buy was dish washer cleaner.   Now I use an old toothbrush to de clog any blockages and throw some bi carb soda, some lemon juice or vinegar... if I have been using lemons I save the left over rinds and throw them in.  Run a cycle and your dish washer smells so fresh and sparkles.   The carb soda and vinegar and hot water is also good for drains are running slowly or don't smell too good.

Bi carb soda makes a great paste to scrub out the kitchen sink.  Once it is rinsed properly dry your sink with a cloth.  I like a drop of Lemon essential oil or even some fresh lemon in the mix.   It smells so nice and makes the sink sparkle.  

Vaseline on a rag will bring up leather boots to brand new and waterproof them.   A soft toothbrush and a little bit of shampoo with clean up suede beautifully.   The specialty products sold to do the same jobs are expensive! 

I love a blog called One Good thing by Jillee.   She has a method or recipe to clean anything. 

Patsy at A Working Pantry has a lot of pantry/recipe/gardening tips.  She makes her own Turmeric tablets.   This saves her a lot.   Take a look because if you take these they can be quite expensive especially over time but not if you make them!   Making Turmeric Capsules.

Jess has a huge list of things to make from furniture polish to homemade cough medicine.  Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Homemaking and DIYs.

Jane has shared tutorials on   The Tuesday Afternoon Club.      (See files.)

An example is her laundry liquid which she has been making for years.    

Laundry Liquid

Here’s another household item that costs so little make in both money and time. 

I started making this in the mid 2000’s when I was a full time working mother of two and helped my full time working husband run a large market garden. I am adding this info so that you don’t look at this and think Jane is retired that is why she can do this. It takes very little time to make. 

When I started making this Bluey was a horticulturalist in the tropics of Australia. It was hot, sweaty and very dirty work. I had a son who played Aussie Rules Football in the Winter and Cricket in the Summer. My daughter was dancing and doing gymnastics. I was teaching little people with special needs. This laundry liquid had a lot to deal with.

I first read about it on Rhonda Hetzel’s blog, Down to Earth. I have continued to make this liquid for all these years. I use it straight out of the bottle on stains and leave it to sit for about 20 minutes. I then add the item of clothing to the washing machine. I use about ½ cup per load. , 

I add water soluble lavender oil to mine. I know Annabel likes to add Eucalyptus to hers. She also adds colouring as she likes hers to be a pretty pink. I like the white simplicity of the liquid.

You do not need specialist equipment. You will most likely have everything in your kitchen. 

What you need

10L bucket that fits under a tap. I do this in the kitchen but you may need to do it in the laundry.

Stick blender

Empty containers. Mine are a mix of plastic milk bottles and vinegar bottles.

 Ingredients

I cup Lux flakes or a pure soap bar grated

½ cup of borax

½ cup of washing soda.

 Place all the ingredients in the bucket and have it positioned under the cold water tap. 

Pour a kettle full of boiling water over the ingredients and blend until dissolved.

Turn the cold water tap on slow and blend with the stick blender until the bucket is nearly full.

  Add your fragrance if you want. This is an optional extra. Blend again.

Dip a jug in the liquid and pour into your bottles. Leave a couple inches of space at the top.

Here are a few things to be aware of. You need the space at the top for shaking the bottle before you use it. The liquid does gel a little and may even separate. This is normal. Just shake and this will bring it all together again.

For this reason, don’t think about using a larger container with a tap on it. I did this once and could not shake it enough. I thought I was being quite clever. Nope.

 If you like to use a cleaning paste on you bath tub or stove top then you simply mix a small amount of the liquid with bicarbonate of soda until you get the consistency you like. 

This liquid is also one of the best stainless steel cleaners I have come across. You do need to buff with a cloth after cleaning but the results are worth it.

With this recipe you get a lot of laundry liquid, 10L, for about one Aussie dollar. It’s so worth the little bit of time and effort to make.

Have a go and you just might surprise yourself.   

Thank you Jane!   This is an excellent tutorial!   In the US an equivalent to Lux flakes is Ivory flakes.  Other tutorials Jane has written up for us include  Miracle Cleaner,   deodorant and toothpaste, soap making, recipes and more! 

Cath has an endless list of things we can Make our Own (MOO) and many of them are regulars in our house.  You can find them here  31 Days of MOO.    Probably the one I used the most is Miracle Spray.  This cleans almost everything and smells amazing.  No nasties and so easy to make.  Look through her list of things you can make yourself,  you will be amazed and end up making things you never considered that were even possible to make at home. 

You might feel there is just no time to make so many things!   The thing is it might only take one or two soap making sessions a year.  One of two card making,  cleaning products, seasonings,  soup mixes and so on.   The most common mix I need is Cream of Chicken Soup mix so when I make it I make at least enough for the next year.  It takes a few minutes.   Some of your homemade items are also potential gifts.   With the prices of food and cleaning products, cleaning cloths,  soaps etc these all make lovely presents.   I love to make things in batches,  it feels very productive and then I am ahead in that area.   

Last year I made lots of makeup remover pads because lots of people use disposable makeup wipes.  These were really pretty, useful and easy to make. 

The whole family uses microwave hot pads.  They are so simple to make and are lovely gifts too.

Baby pram blankets,  bigs,  burp cloths are easy sewing, practical and useful.  

Fire lighters are drier lint, toilet rolls,  pinecones,  scrap paper.

Yoghurt is easy to make and really worth it if your family eats a lot of yoghurt weekly.    

Iced tea,  electrolytes,  herbal teas.... all easy! 

Special diet goods like gluten free,  dairy free etc are all much more expensive yet with simple substitutions very inexpensive to make.   I don't use special GF recipes at all,  just swap out ingredients and away you go. 

Beauty treatments,  hair makes, facial scrubs, nail treatments,  salves,  so many are easy to make.   

Menstrual pads and wash cloths, napkins, alternatives to paper towels,  shopping bags, produce bags...   so many potential savings there.    It just goes on and on but sometimes it only takes learning to make one or two things to make a huge difference.   Picking an item that is costing a lot is one way to choose what to make first.  When I first started I picked Andy's work lunches as a big area to tackle,  later I chose making our own pizzas on Friday nights.  I tried making my cleaners and soaps.   I learned to hand wash and do my own "dry cleaning" as the very last time I had anything dry cleaned the price was three times more than I paid for the dress!   So I learned to clean anything myself.  And so it went. It is also fun!  I love using my own cleaning cloths and cleaners and I love making some laundry soap or cleaner.    I love soap making,  sewing and all of it!    There are just so many things we can make ourselves and we have the internet and library to give us instructions to just about anything.    We need an "I think I could make that" attitude like Nana had.   

If there is something you would love to be able to make but don't know how please ask as someone here will help! 

Now lets go over to the comment section for many more easy and money saving things we can make.xxx