Today I’ve been trying very hard to eat ‘NORMAL’ sized portions and eat non-processed foods. Not only are wholefoods cheaper but healthier too! So far, so good and the cost of feeding myself today will work out to be less than £1 so I’m doing pretty good!
The things I have done today to save money and live frugally are
a) Made a huge protein rich, red cabbage, carrot, kidney bean and red lentil stew (20-25p a large portion)
b) Made a nice tasty homemade malted loaf of bread perfect with the stew! (50 p a loaf)
c) Changed completely the way I am going to do my laundry in the future. (save £33.51p per year)
I’ve recently been looking at longer term ways to save money and be kinder to the environment and decided that I would spend £9.99 of my Christmas money I got given by family (I now have £40.01 left) on a practical item and try moving over to the chemical free and more environmentally friendly ‘Eco Egg’.
As a family we probably do 200+ laundry loads throughout the year. Our washing machine has a smaller drum so our laundry loads are smaller so we use it more frequently. The ‘Eco Egg’ I bought is said to do 210 loads which would roughly be about a years worth of laundry. I did a price comparison.
- Regular store brand laundry capsules 15p per capsule that we currently use = £31.50 for 210 washes (1 year)
- Regular store brand fabric softener = £12 for 210 washes for the amount I typically use (1 year)
- EcoEgg replaces detergent and softener = £9.99 for 210 washes (1 year)
If I have my math right I make that a saving of £33.51 per year just making that one change in my household.
While £33.51 isn’t a world changing amount of money it is just one small change made and I do feel that if I can make other similar small changes throughout the year in other areas of my life then it does then become significant indeed!
I’ll let you know how I get on with the EcoEgg and I’d certainly be interested to hear how you got on with it if you’ve already used it!
C xxxxx
Used an ecoegg (or the earlier version)for years ,largely because my skin reacts to standard detergents . The one thing you might want to invest in is the stain remover that goes with it -because it’s not full of bleaches and chemicals the odd little stain like beetroot or tomato needs a helping hand . Other than that I love them , i’m not in a muddy job and no football/rugby playing kids so they work perfectly for me …
That sounds very positive! 😉 xx
I am very interested to how you’ll get along with the eco egg. I really dislike the smell of every washing powder of liquid I have ever tried. I have tried making my own which resulted in my washing smelling of old chip fat, not what I want either. So the fragrance free version sounds great. Please do let us know how you get on with it.
I have the opposite problem, I live alone and my washing machine has an 8kg load, I try to limit myself to one load of washing a week. Just brought a load of clothes in off the line, they were only airing, but it does cut down on washing clothes purely to freshen them.
I’ve used them for years -love them . Cuts down on money , cuts down on chemicals and my clothes stay the colour they started out at -no itchy skin , no scratchy eyes -no disadvantages.
I’ll let you know Su once I’ve done a few loads xxx I’ve got to try and do more air drying like you too (I love my tumble dryer). When we get the better dryer days I will air dry xxx
That all sounds positive Carolyn!
Thanks… I will be trying to find other ways in the household to be less wasteful and save money too…this is just the start LOL! xxxx
Lose weight, save money, then when slimmer raid the charity shops and get clothes that you can alter!
Sounds just perfect!!!! I’m going to buy a secondhand £20 bicycle in 3 months time so I can cycle to work each day for the exercise! It will all help! xxxxx
I read a review in the ethical consumer magazine last year. It covered the egg and lots of others. Came in that soap nuts dis the best for cleaning using low temperatures being environmentally friendly etc… but o my if you boilee them first and used the liquid
I use them for everything
Washing up
Laundry
Household cleaner
They have full instructions which each purchase and how to make all your own cleaners
https://www.soapnuts.co.uk/
Sounds interesting, look forward to hearing how you do with it. We save money on laundry by going to the local launderette 2-3 times a month. When our washing machine gave up the ghost 5 years ago we had to use the launderette for a bit and it got us thinking about costs including electricity and general maintenance costs. We worked out that we would save £200-300 in our first year just by not buying a new washing machine!
You’ve got me thinking about this. It sounds really good, it’s be interesting to hear how you get on with it after a couple of weeks.
Can I ask how you made that lovely loaf of bread? Looks delicious.
Hi Sue…made the dough and put it in a banneton (proving basket) and when it had risen turned it out onto a baking tray and then into the oven xxxx
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsI have a problem with folk using the highly perfumed washing products. I worry about bees and butterflies getting caught up in laundry that they think are flowers because of the smell so I use Ecover products.One way that I keep an eye on the cost though is to put a mark on the bottle/box when I use the powder/liquid etc. I have a great time trying to beat the “number of washes” indicated on the product, I manage it every time, Washing still comes out fine and I use the half/ecowash option on our 20year old machine.
I think small portion sizes prove most helpful in re-training one’s feeling of satiety, repleteness.
Interesting to see the variety of laundry detergent options available in other countries!
Best wishes 🙂
Valerie are you in uk? When in the USA I find I have to order a child’s portion and still can’t finish it -and I consider I have a healthy appetite ! Normal portion size is fairly similar across Europe. It’s certainly very easy to eat meals that are too big ,but if I eat very small meals i’m still hungry and that’s hopeless if you’re trying to stick to a reduced calorie intake . Best trick for me is small (10inch) plate and half fill with veg ,then 1/4 carbs and then your protein /main .
Mrs V.C. – I’m not in the UK, or the USA.
If I eat out I usually ask for “no potatoes” or “no fries” as I dislike the thought of eating more than I need because it’s “there”.
I rarely have dessert – like, once or twice a year.
I agree that the smaller plate-size at home is best.
Hi Carolyn. Do you know if the eco-egg is a UK only product as I don’t recall seeing them here in Australia. I would be very interested in trying one if available. Any help when on a pension is much appreciated.
I’ve googled and can see this….. https://www.fishpond.com.au/Homeware/Ecoegg-Laundry-Eggs-54-Wash/0609722950992 xxxx
and on eBay xx http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ecoegg-Laundry-Dryer-Eggs-Refills-Stain-Remover-Detox-Tabs-Spray-Refresh-/141620791471
If you are interested, you can save money with wool dryer balls, an eco-alternative to fabric softener but still get scent (if you want by adding essential oils) and definitely shorten drying time and softening product: https://botanicalalchemyandapothecary.com/cleaner-and-greener-laundry