Okay, Peoples, I have officially gone over the crunchy-granola edge. I've decided to make my own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. This is on top of the homemade household cleaners and laundry detergent I am now using.
A year ago I'd have laughed uproariously if you'd told me this was in my future.
So I had the kids in the car and I announced that we'd soon be using homemade shampoo and stuff.
Saskia screamed.
"What's wrong?" I cried, imagining a stray pin left somehow on the front passenger seat and insinuating itself into her derriere.
She drew herself up and said with a chilly dignity, "My personal hygiene is NOT NEGOTIABLE."
I laughed. Benjy said, "Come on, man. It's just shampoo."
I said, "It's wholesome. Forget the cost savings. You use my shampoo and you won't get cancer. It'll be awesome." I had just heard an episode of On Point about chemicals in household items, which scared the bejesus out of me.
Saskia rolled her eyes and flumped back in her seat. "You suck," she muttered.
"You too," I said, "and you're gonna use my shampoo if it's the last thing you do."
In case you think she's a total teenage b****, she's off tutoring special needs kids as we speak. She's a good egg, just a bit rigid.
She comes by it honestly...Lars is about as rigid as they come. He'll LOVE my homemade personal care items, though; he'll just dilute them with water to squeeze a few extra servings out of them. He's a bigger cheapskate even than I am.
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Holiday Gifts
This Hanukkah/Christmas season is posing an interesting challenge. In the days when we lived beyond our means (that would be most of our days until a year or so ago) I'd simply charge up a bunch of presents for the kids, for teachers and therapists. Not for Lars, though -- we can't justify spousal gifts except for something small on birthdays. Even when we were living like the upper-middle class people we weren't, we couldn't justify gifts for each other.
And really, we THOUGHT we were super economical, looking for deals, buying the least expensive remote control car or the paperback edition instead of the glossier hard cover. I'd go looking at TJ Maxx and Target for cute, cheap teacher gifts (tiny picture frames for $7.99 each, or a box of pretty little note cards for six bucks. Problem was, we had a boatload of people to buy for if you counted, along with the teachers, the therapists, music teachers, and SPED administrators we wanted to thank every year -- not to mention our dear nieces and nephews, my brother and sister-in-law, R-- and J--, and our closest friends. Grandma and Grandpa insist that we not buy them anything, and we gratefully oblige.
Anyway, this year we are no longer living like people who have expendable income, because we have even less of that we did before. Now that I am unemployed we have to ACTUALLY BE SUPER-ECONOMICAL and not just play at being shepherds and shepherdesses. We are no longer aristocrats, folks -- we are tending the sheep.
I actually don't mind sheep -- I find them rather sweet. So it's all good, but the problem is, how do you buy gifts when you have about $100 available for the whole shebang?
Here's what I've been doing:
You know, I don't mind at all that buying/making holiday gifts is so much more work than usual. I think of it as a problem to be solved -- how do I take care of everyone and maintain my budget? And it feels REALLY good to know we are not going into debt just because someone decided you need to ply everyone with goodies at the winter solstice.
I'll save that for when I have to cough up a couple hundred dollars so Benjy can continue fencing in January. He loves it, feels good about himself when he does it. THAT will be money well spent.
And really, we THOUGHT we were super economical, looking for deals, buying the least expensive remote control car or the paperback edition instead of the glossier hard cover. I'd go looking at TJ Maxx and Target for cute, cheap teacher gifts (tiny picture frames for $7.99 each, or a box of pretty little note cards for six bucks. Problem was, we had a boatload of people to buy for if you counted, along with the teachers, the therapists, music teachers, and SPED administrators we wanted to thank every year -- not to mention our dear nieces and nephews, my brother and sister-in-law, R-- and J--, and our closest friends. Grandma and Grandpa insist that we not buy them anything, and we gratefully oblige.
Anyway, this year we are no longer living like people who have expendable income, because we have even less of that we did before. Now that I am unemployed we have to ACTUALLY BE SUPER-ECONOMICAL and not just play at being shepherds and shepherdesses. We are no longer aristocrats, folks -- we are tending the sheep.
I actually don't mind sheep -- I find them rather sweet. So it's all good, but the problem is, how do you buy gifts when you have about $100 available for the whole shebang?
Here's what I've been doing:
- Making homemade assorted truffles and packing them in festive, be-ribboned bags for teachers, etc
- Searching Craigslist for used video games (most of the Chez Delaunay decor is brought to you courtesy of Craigslist, just fyi)
- Visiting Savers in search of that perfect shirt, pair of boots, or jacket for Saskia, and -- if we are extremely lucky -- for some kind of video game for Benjy
- Buying personal care items -- bath gel, moisturizer -- at TJ Maxx
You know, I don't mind at all that buying/making holiday gifts is so much more work than usual. I think of it as a problem to be solved -- how do I take care of everyone and maintain my budget? And it feels REALLY good to know we are not going into debt just because someone decided you need to ply everyone with goodies at the winter solstice.
I'll save that for when I have to cough up a couple hundred dollars so Benjy can continue fencing in January. He loves it, feels good about himself when he does it. THAT will be money well spent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)