Ten Ways We Save Money # 2&3

Driving 65 mph is normal for us. Mr. F. started this about two years ago and he has noticed a big difference in our fuel bill. We fill up less often and we travel farther on a tank of gas. That translates to more money in our wallets. Who doesn't want that? ( More recently when possible we drive 60 mph for even more savings)

There is a drawback. A small one. Time. You need to give yourself more time to get to your destination. It really is a small drawback because it does not add that much travel time. Don't believe me? Read this post at Automatic. They even have a neat, easy to read graph and chart.

The bottom line is... The fastest drivers spend a lot to save a little.

"Driving an average of 5 MPH faster than the 65 MPH group, Ted saves only 4 minutes for every hour on the road but spends an extra $46 on gas every month." Leah Reich

(excerpt from "The cost of speeding: Save a little time, spend a lot of money.")

3. CLEANING SUPPLIES

- Soap & Water, Vinegar and Elbow Grease

Most of us are familiar with the concept of using vinegar to clean our homes. Not everyone buys into the idea. Some feel they have to use strong chemicals to clean with. In reality to clean your home not much more than soap and water, vinegar and peroxide are all you need. And....these items are soooo inexpensive in comparison to store bought chemicals. And a big plus...less harmful to the environment.

Don't just take my word for it. This is what Prof. Peter Collignon - Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology at the Canberra Hospital and Professor at the Medical School of the Australian National University has to say:

"When it comes to cleaning house we need to remember to keep it simple. Rather than concentrating on disinfecting or killing the bugs, we should focus on cleaning with hot soapy water and good old-fashioned elbow grease to physically scrub away organic material."

"You've got to clean the surface first and that's usually enough. Then you have to ask yourself whether you need to disinfect at all," he says.

"For the kitchen sink, for example, you probably don't need anything except cleaning."

However, that dirty chopping board might warrant disinfecting – but only after you've given it a good scrub with hot, soapy water.

It's only the act of rubbing and scrubbing a dirty chopping board that can break down the slimy matrix around certain types of salmonella, allowing the disinfectant to then get to work.

As for commercial cleaners, Collignon says we don't always need the level of disinfection in the home that these products provide.

"We over-use chemicals," he says. "Instead of using one unit, we use 1000 units, and the benefits are marginal."

"All of us would like to use a magic potion so that we don't have to use the elbow grease. But that's a false premise."

The bottom line is we don't really need much to clean our homes. And with these simple ingredients, children can help without worry of poisoning. Additionally, it's easy to make your own all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, etc. Here is a recipe I shared in the past. It's so simple. If you want to enhance these cleaners you can try this idea I posted.

Jump over to ElsJourney.com for more information and a few recipes for laundry detergent.