Bare Bones

filigree_2

My fortunes have gone up and down over the years and sometimes I've given up luxuries and don't miss them ie the Imelda Marcos pixie boot habit, the glossy magazines and I definitely don't miss smoking.

Trouble is I've introduced luxuries when times are good, but at least I can look at something and say "well, I managed without it for years I can do it again".

Definitely first to go would be the expensive bubble bath habit - I know I don't really need Lush ballistics! Luckily I've got various special offers stashed away and I could probably ride out a financial crisis by using up the unfeasibly large bubble bath collection.

I haven't got a car, tumble drier or dishwasher so no sacrifices to be made there. I gave up smoking years ago and don't drink a lot.

I couldn't give up the TV, we need it for the DVD player, video and PS2 so getting rid of the TV would make a lot of other things redundant. Without them we couldn't use the DVDs and videos, which would be a bit of a waste of the money spent on buying them. They offer cheap home entertainment, if you cook a nice meal and make popcorn you can have a "date" without the expense.

You can prise my computer out of my cold, dead hands! This site alone has saved me lots of money, then there are opportunities like high interest internet only savings accounts. I reckon my dial up pays for itself, although broadband would be a luxury.

JCL

filigree wrote:

I couldn't give up the TV, we need it for the DVD player, video and PS2 so getting rid of the TV would make a lot of other things redundant.

You could get rid of the TV tax though. Don't need to pay it if you only use your TV for watching DVDs, videos or playing games.

moggins

filigree wrote:

Definitely first to go would be the expensive bubble bath habit - I know I don't really need Lush ballistics!

Nooooooo, I'd give up eating before I'd give up Lush, with my kids the only peace I get are my lovely Lush baths

calleyw

Some interesting replies.

I don't like to drape wet washing all over the house. I prefer to keep it rooms are what I call already wet. The kitchen and the bathroom.

I use a old style rack that is hauled up to the ceiling for drying my clothes during bad weather. Works really well and means it is up off the floor. With the kitchen window open it dries over night.

Yours

Calley

crana999

When I wash my double duvet cover I just fold it over a clothes rack in my bedroom (being as I don't have any other rooms..) and every now and then I refold it so a different part is on top. Works fine.

filigree_2

JCL wrote:

You could get rid of the TV tax though. Don't need to pay it if you only use your TV for watching DVDs, videos or playing games.

The TV licensing authority don't care if I use the set to watch DVDs or use it as a coffee table, if it's a TV capable of receiving a signal I have to pay the licence fee! Paying a stonking fine just to save £100 a year really isn't good MSE practice.

We all watch the TV anyway and I don't grudge the cost of the licence fee. Pound for pound it's the cheapest leisure activity in the house (not counting free activities like the library).

tiff

I hate the TV, I dont think it should be a leisure activity at all. IMHO that is

Lillibet_2

JCL wrote:

You could get rid of the TV tax though. Don't need to pay it if you only use your TV for watching DVDs, videos or playing games.

Actually I believe you do need a TV license to use a video, but not a DVD plyer. You can own & use a TV & dvd player without a TV license as long as the signel receiver has been removed from the TV set (analogue, not sure how this would apply to digital sets?).

Sarahsaver

moggins wrote:

Nooooooo, I'd give up eating before I'd give up Lush, with my kids the only peace I get are my lovely Lush baths

You can make similar things at home with the old style favourite - bicarbonate of soda. I have a recipe somewhere, will have a rummage later;)

Mrs_Thrift

Sarahsaver wrote:

You can make similar things at home with the old style favourite - bicarbonate of soda. I have a recipe somewhere, will have a rummage later;)

I've got one here, Sarah, and moggins.

I make my own bath salts, bath milk, bath soaks (my own special invention!), body scrubs, face scrub, massage bars, dry skin salve and lip balm, but not bath bombs, but here's a recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons citric acid or ascorbic acid
1 tablespoon Borax powder
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
1/4 teaspoon essential oil
Combine dry ingredients in bowl and stir until well blended. Drizzle in almond oil and stir until mixture is moistened. Add vitamin E oil and fragrance and stir until well mixed. Take teaspoon size globs of mixture and form balls. If mixture is crumbly, add more vitamin E oil. Put balls on sheet of wax paper and leave for 2 or 3 hours. Reshape balls, then let air dry and harden for 10 days. Store in a closed container.

Here's a more step by step recipe, but it had photos with it which aren't here now, so you'll have to use your imagination!

1-1/2 Cup of Baking Soda
1/2 Cup of Citric Acid
WitchHazel in a fine mist sprayer
SoapCrafters Fragrance
Large Bowl and Spoon
Optional:
Powdered Colorants
Lots of Patience

Here we are mixing up baking soda, citric acid.

Now it is time to add a little Water Based powdered colorant. Just about 1/16th of a teaspoon or less will do! Really! Think in terms of crumbs here. Just a speck goes a very long way

The colorant is added and now we're going to mix it in. You'll notice that it seems to all disappear. Don't worry about that. When your finished bath fizzie hits the water, all that color comes out in full force.

Adding fragrance or essential oils should be done by the drop. An amount as little as 1/4 teaspoon will probably be overpowering in the bath, so add drop by drop until you achieve the strength of scent you're looking for.

Once your scenting material is well blended, then it is time for the tricky part. You need to give the mixture a couple of sprays of witchhazel. Be careful of adding too much. Once you add too much, there is no going back. It will set off the fizz.

So, spritz about 3 or 4 times and stir and spritz and stir, being careful not to over spritz before you stir. You're going to get really tired of spritzing and stirring, but this is how it is done. If you take too long through this process, your Bath Bombs won't stick together very well. Figure you'll spend about 10 minutes spritzing and stirring.

When it is done, it'll stick to itself a bit when you pinch it between two fingers. Then it should be ready for the mold. You will probably think it isn't quite done, but if it begins to hold together, it is done. Be very careful you don't overdo the spritzing. Witchhazel is quite good about not setting off your fizz, but if you give it too much Witchhazel, then it will set off your fizz. And adding more of the powdered ingredients isn't going to stop it.

In this photo, we have attained the correct dampness and is pressing it into our mold with her hand. Press well. You need to press it in hard.

Here is what the molds look like once they are filled with the bath fizzies. Give it a good press all around with your thumbs.

Leave the bath bombs in the molds for about 5 or 10 minutes, then flip the mold over and tap it out. Give it one or two spritz of WhitchHazel again to let the outside of the bath bomb get a little crust on it. It will still be fragile, but this helps a bit in toughening it up.
Set them out in a dry place until you need to wrap them in lace or use them. You might want to let them sit over night before attempting to wrap them up or package them for sale.

When storing your bath bombs, be sure to put them in a very dry place.