I live in Australia and we have been in a drought for several years. Water and it’s supply has gone up in price substantially and we have had many restrictions placed on it’s use. Four years ago I purchased a watering system for my garden that reused the grey water from my laundry. Although it was expensive it has proved to be a very good purchase. At the time I was only able to water my garden for two, two hour periods per week on a Sunday and Wednesday morning between 6 am and 8 am which was very inconvenient. I have also connected most of the water drained from my roof to it and most of my small garden is watered automatically and I very rarely have to buy water for this use.

The down side is that I have to be really careful about what products I put into my washing machine. I have been using tri nature alpha plus washing liquid which has the same PH as water. My garden thrives but it is quite expensive. If I use a soaker I usually throw a switch and the water goes into the sewer. I try to get back to switch it for the rinse but this is not always possible and I also forget semi-regularly.

Do you have any suggestions for cost savings in this situation? I wouldn’t be game to try your clothes washing formula. I have put a lot of love and care into my garden.

Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Julie.

Thanks for all the hints. I will now consider taking a cooler on my long drives, even though I go by myself. And I love the idea of taking your own cereal, coffee, etc. with you. Maybe because I do love the idea of sleeping in on vacation.

Good traveling everyone.

I won’t give up coffee, but I do buy whole beans and grind my own; and 8-O’Clock is the best for the money. I went the Starbucks route when they first opened but soon wised up.

Laundry detergent–when I read that I said no way but now that I read it again I am going to look up the instructions and try it.

I won’t bring lunch to work but I do buy a lunch and save half for the next day. I always look for lunch deals and freebees on the job.

I once felt as Wendy did–on a ski trip the group wanted to make chili and watching TV in the evenings; I was outdone but now I understand.

I love The Simple Dollar!

Let’s keep some perspective.

Hey, not every tip is for everyone . . .

People need to pick, choose and use what makes sense.

Since we have kids, even an inexpensive breadfast at McDonalds can cost $20-25, so we save a ton just with this one method.

The kids tend to like it too, but one of the other things about vacation that they like is sleeping in. With food on hand, they can sleep in and/or take the morning slow, so we don’t get many complaints about our budget breakfasts. We can save over $150 for a week long trip, so it’s well worth the trade off.

Sara (149)–I completely agree with what you’re saying about the time it takes to get to and wait at a restaurant. Sometimes it’s just not worth the wait, especially if you’re traveling, or at a place where there’s lots of competition for your time.

I have a feeling that the people who don’t like the idea of sandwiches on vacations are the ones who are already planning every detail of the vacation and just need a break. They might should try involving others in the decision making process and the load would probably feel lighter.

I only let my inlaws plan one vacation that I just “rode along” for before I realized I could contribute and make things better for all of us by introducing them to hummus and homemade pita as alternatives to mayo and sliced bread. (By the way, if you haven’t tried PBJ on wheat pita after a hike, you don’t know what you are missing!) Brownies and cookies keep well in tupperware for car trips. And all kinds of meat can be seasoned/marinated then frozen to be put in coolers to slowly defrost in the ice chest then be cooked on a grill at a local park.

Prepping a meal can easily take less time than waiting for a table in a restaurant. With less whining if some people aren’t happy with the restaurant choice!