The Incredible 7 person shower

I have found that I am capable of staying in the shower until the hot water runs out; so are my daughters. This is a huge waste of resources.
So, I invented the incredible 7 person shower. To put this to use in your house, you may need to make a small purchase (less than $5) and you may need to address modesty issues if there are any.

Here's how it works:
Two girls get in the shower, turn on the water, and take turns washing and rinsing (one stands under the water, gets wet, moves out to lather; 2nd girl moves in, gets wet, switch, first girl rinses while second girl lathers)
Mom waits outside the shower, but in the bathroom, getting undressed while girls are in the shower.
First girl finishes rinsing and gets out of shower, second girl rinses, mom gets in, second girl gets out. Girls leave and send dad in.
Dad gets undressed while mom is in shower.
Note: when only one person is in the shower; use the "navy shower" to stop water flow during lather stage. This is where you might need to make a purchase. A 'navy shower' is a showerhead (about $2 at Walmart) that has a lever on it to stop the flow of water without turning it off or changing the temperature; well worth it's cost.
Mom gets out, dad gets in. Mom leaves bathroom and sends in boys. Dad gets out, boys get in...
you get the idea.
We have put this into effect (not everyday, sometimes we skip showering altogether, but that's for another article), and can rotate all seven of us (baby still gets his own bath) in and out of the shower before the water runs out.
Everyone gets clean, girls even have time to wash their long hair.
The trick to quick is start at the top and wash down, then back to the top and rinse down. It can be done much quicker than people think.
Imagine how fast you would clean yourself if you only had cold water to work with. That's how fast you can be out of a hot shower too!

This blog is written to encourage cheapskates. The author, Corinne Johnson, is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband Don, and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel. www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Recycle water, quit flushing the toilet

Okay, we are in the middle of an experiment with our water usage. After the coffee filter experiment, we knew that our water has a cost of just under a penny per gallon.

That means that it is the cheapest and healthiest drink by far!

But, we also took a look at how much water we use each month and decided to try to lower that amount even though it isn't all that expensive.

The current experiment? We pay per gallon that comes into the house. There is a fee for water and a fee for sewer, assuming that whatever comes in; an equal amount is going out. Also, we know that the same quality drinking water is being piped in to flush the toilets.

We have shut off the water to the toilet tank (this will also prevent our 2 year old from flushing just because he can), and instead have placed a shallow tub in the kitchen sink to catch any water that would have gone down the drain. Each time the tub fills up, we use it to flush the toilet.
It takes about two gallons of water to flush the toilet, so we are waiting to see how this affects our overall usage as well as our actual bill.

This blog is written to explain how our family of 8 survives with as little income as possible.
The author: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother to six, help meet to her husband and author of Vacation Education Books
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Getting your money's worth

I prefer to spend no money at all, but if I do spend it, I want to get my money's worth; an idea I hope my children inherit. Thursday, our son found a grocery cart filled with K'NEX pieces for $9. We had to go online and find a set of directions, but spent all day Friday and much of Saturday putting together a Turbo Coaster. We had plenty of pieces and lots leftover, and it is quite entertaining to watch. The educational value for our son (who looked up later that retail value of the Coaster kit ($80), and learned math, science and engineering in the process. He also learned the value of saving his money. $9 is a lot for an 8 year old to spend, but he had enough saved up that he was able to make this purchase. Two days of entertainment just building this project, plus the fun of watching and playing with it now that it is done, and we can take it apart and build something else later.

Not all Money Savers actually save money

This morning as I went to make coffee, I noticed a built in filter basket for my coffee maker. This little basket is removable and is a permanent filter that we can simply fill with grounds and there is no need for paper filters. I can see the reasoning behind this invention as four fold.
1) Cost: Never buy coffee filters again
2) Eco-Friendly: No waste of paper filters
3) Convenience: Never run out of filters, never need to add them to the grocery list
4) Space saving: One less item to make room for in your cupboard

However, here is a reality check based on our experience with this machine.

The built in filter basket has to be cleaned out after each use. I don't mind except that the old grounds don't completely dump out, and I have to spray out the basket with water. Since I live in town, and pay a city water bill, I think the cost of the water used might exceed the cost of the paper filters. I would also say that I think the water used exceeds the eco damage done by the paper filters (they are thin and nearly disintegrated by the water and grounds by the time they hit the trash can).
I have not thoroughly tested this theory, but started with these facts: 200 filters cost $1.99, plus tax @ 6% $2.11 - about seven months worth; our water bill is about $40 per month.
Note: This apparently is very conservative, another family of 7 (we are 8) pays double that - when I heard this, my first question was 'have you checked for leaks?',but that is just how much they use; twice as much as us.
So, I figured that a $ amount wasn't a very accurate measure.

The actual cost of water is about $.0079 per gallon (just about 8/10 of a penny).
I used the filter and rinsed it out, measuring the water used at 3.5 cups.
200 uses would take 700 cups or 43.07 gallons.
At a cost of $.0079 per gallon, It would cost me about 34cents for 200 uses.

So, my assumption was incorrect! This little basket is actually a BIG money saver. $1.77 might not seem like much but that is like getting 84% off - you would be crazy to bypass that kind of clearance sale.

So, in conclusion:
Cost? yes
Convenience? throwing out is more convenient than cleaning out, but not by much.
Eco friendliness? I don't know. Does 200 paper filters do more or less damage than 43 gallons of water wasted?
On the issue of space saving? The built in filter wins here too.

This blog is all about spending as little money as possible, preferably none.
The author: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband, and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Trade, Barter and Choose your friends wisely

Since we are approaching tax time; I should mention that a true "barter" system may have tax implications.

Here are some examples of ways that you can save money, and help others save money too, just by being friendly. Let me first say that I am always available to help others out, I give away the items I don't need, and I do a lot of favors, not because I expect anything in return, but because I just think it's the right thing to do. Also, if someone offers us something for free, we always say yes, knowing that even if we don't need that particular item, we can pass it on and the giver will know that we are grateful for anything they have to offer. This way of living has made it so that everyone knows we are happy to take things they no longer want, and that we find good homes for things we don't need, so people are happy to help us when they can.

1) After being evicted, a renter left our house full of trash. We expected to pay $140 for a dumpster, but then a friend showed up and offered to take care of it. We had to bag it all up and separate the metal for recycling. We did spend about $20 on garbage bags. In the process, a neighbor found out we had someone hauling metal to the recycling center and offered him some old appliances to take also.

2) When our car kept overheating and Don wanted to try some minor repairs (hoses and such) before taking it in, we called a friend who has been working on cars as a hobby for most of his life. He is even in the process of setting up his personal garage with all the fixin's for automotive repair. He & Don worked together to make the repairs on our van. A major benefit of this arrangement is that these are two men who both love God and working on the van is an excuse to hang out all day talking about their faith. Later on, we were remodeling a garage at our rental and offered this same friend the cabinets for use in his garage. That's just what friends do!

3) One summer, we had a friend who was working maintenance at a local Christian camp and needed a camper to stay in since they provided hookups, but not actual housing. We loaned him our travel trailer (he lived in it full time for the next two years). Later that first year, he was over and noticed our garage roof leaking (not just leaking, it actually had several large holes in it), and so he spent his next few days off repairing and putting new shingles on it.

4) There is a man who we have hired to do a few household projects for us over the past ten years. He always goes above and beyond and never over charges us (this is particularly impressive since we have had some experience who unscrupulous contractors - you know who you are). This man has become a dear friend and we often keep in touch with him. When our car battery needed replacing, he gave us one that had only been used a few months. We just had to go visit him to get it. It was well worth the trip.

5) Last January, my friend and I both had new babies, about ten days apart. We had both spent the summer scouring yard sales for cute clothes. Now, since neither of us knew what we would have, we ended up with a collection of boy and girl outfits. I had a boy and she had a girl; so I'm sure you can guess what we traded. This is a great example of friends helping friends. We didn't shop the same sales, and so I found deals she wouldn't have and she found deals I wouldn't have. I had no intention of putting pink dresses on my son, and so no use for those items, but I was immensely blessed by an abundance of adorable little blue suits that I would use.
We each gave up something that had no useful value to the giver, but did for the recipient. That is a great trade!

There are some things that are helpful when trading.
1) Be generous when you are able, without expecting anything in return. We have a man on our street who owns a snowblower; and when he blows his own property, he does the entire block, just because he can. I bet that people often think of him, when they want to do something nice for someone.
2) Don't be too proud to accept help, even if you don't necessarily NEED it. We could have paid for a dumpster, or bought a battery, but when help was offered, we graciously accepted. We have a friend who is always offering to help people, but because he works a lot of hours and spends most of his free time working on things for others, some think he is too busy and don't accept his help. He spends all his free time helping others because it is what he loves to do, and he is disappointed if he offers and is turned down.
If you have ever done something nice for someone without them asking, you know the wonderful feeling that comes from serving others. (If you've never experienced this, then it is high time that you get involved in a service project or mission trip, because you don't know what you are missing.) I used to be too proud to accept help; "I can handle it all by myself" was my attitude. I was happy to help others, but never to accept any help, because I didn't think I 'needed' it. Then, it was pointed out to me that by denying someone the opportunity to serve, I was denying them that wonderful feeling that comes when you know that you have helped someone else. Taking that away from them is just plain mean. So, I have learned to swallow my pride and step back and say yes when someone offers to help me. It has brought us many blessings.

This blog is all about ways to live without spending money, and is written to encourage those who are trying to.

The author: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband and the author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Give Your Dryer a Break - 50cents a load

The average cost to run one load of laundry through an electric dryer is 50 cents; an expense, but what are the alternatives?
I don't mind hanging laundry on an outdoor clotheline, but it is a time consuming task, and I have to wonder whether or not my time would be better spent on a task that provides a better hourly wage.
I live in Michigan, where the sunny days are few and far between. My grandmother lived in the upper peninsula and hung out her laundry all year long. She taught me that they will still dry in the winter, no matter how cold, it just takes longer.
At 50 cents a load, I was not very motivated to hang laundry outside, but then the dryer quit working. The financial cost of having the dryer increased significantly. A service call (just to find out what is wrong, not to get anything repaired) is $70. So, then my question becomes, how inconvenient is it to hang up laundry for a savings of $70?
We decided to try it before calling a repairman. So, for about four weeks we have been without a working dryer. Our washing machine still works fine. We have found that with our family of eight, we can wash two loads a day and keep up including towels, bedding, and diapers.
We have not yet hung anything outside, instead we are using a rack in the laundry room, the bathtub, towel rods, banister, stair rail, over the bathroom door, etc. Anywhere that we can think of to hang items, we are using in an effort to keep up without having to take it outside. (There have been some negative 15 temperature days here, it's more than a little cold).
We are able to wash and get dry two loads per day. Assuming that the actual amount of dirty duds we produce has not changed, we were washing and drying an average of two loads per day with the working dryer also. That is a cost of $1 per day to run the dryer. So, over the past month, the broken dryer has saved us $30 in electrical costs. I don't have the actual electrical bills to prove this, it is only an estimated guess.
An added benefit is that the air is normally very dry here in the winter, but the hanging clothes allow moisture to evaporate, increasing the humidity in the air. So, if you used a humidifier, you could turn that off too, saving even more.
As an added note, we will likely get the dryer repaired at some point, however, I think not having it for awhile has helped to change our perspective on its importance. We will be on the road traveling for our ministry for much of the summer and there has been a lot of discussion about our laundering options in the motor home. Living without the dryer has been a reminder that while we have lived with one and taken it for granted most of our lives, it is not necessity, and no matter where we are on the road, we can make due without one.

The author of this blog: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband Don, and author of the series Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn; unit studies for families who love to travel. To find out more, visit www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Don't let other people pressure you into spending $

I should know by now that I will almost always end up the fool if I spend money!
Case in Point: Our newborn son was baptized this last weekend. A week ago, I got a call from a mom (I won't say whose, but it wasn't mine) very concerned about what kind of luncheon we were preparing for our guests to enjoy after the baptism.
My plan at that time? NONE
Not only did I not plan a luncheon, I hadn't even planned to have any guests. But, I had just given birth two weeks earlier, apparently, I wasn't thinking too clearly.
Feeling guilty (mostly because I knew that if I didn't have a plan, then this person was going to go to the store and buy a bunch of food to compensate for my failure), I decided that I would put together some simple snacks in case anyone wanted to stop by the house after church. This would be 10:30ish - I figured I could get away with snacks as opposed to a whole meal.
Now, I manage to spend no money by avoiding the store altogether, not because of any fancy shopping techniques. By the time I got home, I had spent an entire day, been to three different stores, spent $200 and had a van full of food; every possible item that my potential 'guests' might want to eat. Then, I recruited my daughters and we spent an entire day making dips, cutting veggies, making cookies and so on. Every member of our church could come by and there would be enough food to go around.
I didn't need to do all of this - but, I had this obsessive desire to make sure that my one particular guest wouldn't feel the need to buy any food for us; the only thing that bothers me more than spending money is someone else spending money on me because they think we are somehow deprived. Well, I did accomplish that, but here's how God made me feel like a fool...
Saturday evening, Caitlin became ill, Sunday morning she was throwing up in the bathroom at church, Don was so sick he barely made it through the service, and I wasn't feeling so great either. We suggested to all of our family that they not come by the house lest they get ill as well, and while we had a ton of food to share, we didn't think that food prepared by our hands (just hours before we were vomiting) would be very healthy for others to eat.
But, it gets even better. My refrigerator is often nearly empty. I have a full pantry and freezer and make meals from raw foods, so mostly leftovers go in the frig, and then we eat those up leaving a mostly empty refrigerator. But, now it was full of all the prepared foods we had made. Sunday, half of our family was sick and we had no guests, so very little was eaten. Monday, we began to get our appetites back, but then attended a fellowship dinner where we visited for quite awhile and were one of the last to leave. They packed up many leftovers for our family to take home. We felt very blessed.
As we arrived home Monday night, I said to my husband, "I feel like an a-s for spending $200 on junk food, and now I have just received a weeks worth of meals for free and there's no room in my refrigerator." I can think of several bill collectors who would have liked it if I'd sent the $200 to them instead!
So, the moral of my story is that if God has always provided for you, know that He will continue to, and don't be the fool that makes purchases based on someone else's idea of 'need'.
If someone comes to visit, and wants to buy you groceries; try not to be offended. Or if you cancel the cable and sell the tv, then someone who loves you thinks that you are deprived and buys you a tv/vcr for Christmas... just be thankful!

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, helpmeet to her husband Don, and author of a series of educational unit studies based on favorite family travel destinations. She writes about their life without regular paychecks to encourage others to follow God's lead wherever it may take them. Learn more about them at www.vacationeducationbooks.net