Why take a Staycation when there is VRBO?

We just finished a week at the beach in a private condo and spent less than $1000 for the entire week - food & gas to get there (2000 miles round trip) included - for a family of five. This was much better than a Staycation which is how we spent the Fourth of July week last year.

The key to our great, low cost vacation was finding a private condo, one block from the beach for $490 for the week. (True, it wasn't directly on the beach, but walking the block to the beach didn't kill us.) I found the condo through a website called Vacation Rental By Owner - VRBO. The owner of the condo was very pleasant and everything worked out great!

The condo had cooking facilities, so I was able to prepare the majority of our meals. It also had a washer and dryer, so we didn't have to pack a lot and we were able to clean up our beach clothes each day when we got back.

Another benefit of renting from a private individual was the beach where we were was not very crowded during the week because those around us in the other condos were at work! It was wonderful.

Check out this great condo find here: http://www.vrbo.com/56023

My experience with VRBO was great, just like the experiences of the individual who recommended it to me. So, check it out and don't suffer another Staycation at home!

Until another frugal moment hits...

The Frugal Queen

Cutting Eveyday Expenses - Make Your Own Laundry Soap

On occasion in the past I had heard about individuals who made their own laundry soap, but I had no information on how to do it until I watched a show on "The Duggars" on the Discovery channel. After watching the show and learning how they are raising a family of 18 through the pay-as-you-go method (no credit, no loans, etc.), I checked into their website and tried their recipe.

I have been using their recipe now for over three months and it has saved me a tremendous amount of money. Full credit for the following recipe goes completely to The Duggars (here is a link to their website: http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html) :

* 1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap (shredded)
* 1 cup of Washing Soda
* 1/2 cup of Borax

Mix and use 1 to 2 tablespoons of this laundry soap per load. I have a front loading washer which is newer, so I normally use only 1 tablespoon (2 when the clothes are extra soiled).

I made a triple batch of laundry soap and the total cost was only around $5. I got approximately 120 loads out of this batch. This was an incredible savings for me as I have been a die hard Tide user for years.

A few tips if you want to purchase the ingredients and try it yourself:

#1 - call around to make certain the store carries the ingredients
#2 - there is such a thing as washing soda (it is in the laundry aisle if the store has it) don't let anyone tell you it doesn't exist - it just is not as common as it was in years past - the box I purchased was Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)
#3 - make sure your container is clean and dry before you put the ingredients in it and that it has a lid
#4- don't reuse old containers from other items as you don't want to mix chemicals (this can be fatal in some cases - I don't want to scare you, just to caution you not to mix chemicals accidentally)

Thanks again to The Duggars! You are my frugal heroes!

Until another frugal moment hits....

The Frugal Queen