Tips, Tricks and Efficiencies

After Jack made his nightly trip to our room at 5am to say "He's scared" and I escorted him back to bed, I couldn't sleep. By 6am I thought I would make good use of my time and go swim some laps. So I got up and suited up, and the gym apparently doesn't open till 7. So I knew if I went home I'd go back to bed and it would all have been a waste. So I drove up the canyon and watched the CATS groom the slopes at Snowbird. That's a whole other post.

This one, however, is about ways I try to save time, money and hardship.

1. By recycling ALL things recycleable I cut my trips to the garbage can in half, and save garbage bags, simply by using a recycling bin.

2. When giving juice to Jack, I always dillute it halfway with water. That way he is getting the sweet drink he wants, with less sugar, and his tastebuds are sensitive to taste- hopefully benefitting him in the future to not like things that are TOO sweet. (Thus, less cavities.)

3. By using my fabric grocery bags I got at Harmon's for $1 each, I fit more groceries into each bag and have less to drag in from the car.

4. Organic milk stays fresh 1-2 MONTHS longer than regular milk. (Costco usually has the ones that last the longest.) That way, I know I will always make it to the end of the bottle before it expires.

5. We now use the "confetti" from our paper shredder to cushion breakable things we either ship, or pack. (Like christmas ornaments.)((I also use old egg cartons for ornaments as well.))

6. If I take Jack's diaper off for a bath or to change his clothes and it's BORDERLINE too wet to put back on him, I can extend the life of the diaper by pouring a little cornstarch in it. (And prevent a rash at the same time..)

7. If I run out of laundry detergent, I can get one extra load by filling the bottle up with water, shaking it to get all the soap coating the sides of the bottle, and pouring it into a new wash.

8. I try to only buy new clothes after selling some to Plato's Closet or donating them to the DI. That way my closet isn't to overwhelmed. And neither am I.

9. At the end of the year we collect ALL the change in the house (and cars), looking in every spot like under and inside of couches, places Jack will have put it, pockets, change purses and the laundry room- and we usually average about 75-100 dollars.


10. Keeping the same amount of dishes in your cupborad as there are people using them in the home, helps eliminate excess dishwasher usage (in turn, dish soap and electricity, and GAS if you use hot water), because each time you use your plate you are more inclined to just wash it, dry it, and put it away. (1 plate, bowl, cup, etc. per person. I understand this is harder with more people, kids, or teenagers.)

If anyone else has good tips.. please chare. Oh and I did go swimming after these thoughts. My back still hurts though.

~L