Gyroscopic Investing

I was wondering if people would be interested in sharing unusual tips/experiences with doing or making things yourself rather than buying commercial products.  I've found quite a number of examples where homemade is cheaper, better, AND more time efficient than ready made when you count up things like making appointments, shopping, buying, carting home, unpackaging etc.

Here's a short list to start off:

- Kefir:  Very simple to make from milk & a starter that you can save for the next batch.  Requires no special equipment apart from a pot and a Mason jar.

- Shampoo/conditioner:  I've been using baking soda & apple cider vinegar and found it to work better than commercial products.

- Cat food:  Between the health issues that cats have with dry food and the potential problems with canned (like the mass melamine poisoning in 2007), I've opted to feed my cats homemade raw.  It's super easy and takes about 2-3 hours a month, which I recoup quite easily in litterbox cleaning time.  The cost beats any commercial food out there except the cheapest, crappiest dry food.

- Cutting your own hair:  I finally got this one down and it's HUGE.  Salon visits have always been > $100 (the Manhattan factor) and a half day expedition.  Haircuts now take no more time than I used to spend just calling the salon for an appointment.  What a thrill to be able to give that up.

- Laptop repair:  thanks PS, CraigR and others for the very useful tips!  It kind of started a trend...my whole lab ended up doing the same upgrade.  Definitely beat standing in line for hours at the Apple store.

Great, can't wait to hear what other people relate.

I use a cat food recipe published online by a vet who has used it for her cats > 10 years:

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood

with the multiglandular supplement, but without any of the fiber suggestions.  I grow cat grass in pots and that's all they need, plus they stopped destroying my houseplants :-)

It's also possible to use the recipe for ground mixes of meat/bone/organs, which you can buy online.  I get rabbit from Hare Today in Pennsylvania when they have sales especially - right now the grinds are $3/lb.

Home improvement is an outrageous racket and money sink if you don't do everything yourself. People spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on things and then complain bitterly about lazy workers, incompetent contractors, long schedules, broken promises, callbacks, incorrectly-installed products, messes not cleaned up, etc.  I'm a huge fan of DIY home improvement, because not only do you save a huge amount of money, you learn a lot of skills and can make sure things are done to your satisfaction. Last year for example I installed all new hardwood flooring, windows, fans, light fixtures, and a whole-house swamp cooler, and I estimate that I saved more than $10,000 compared to hiring these and other things out. It's amazing how easy a lot of this stuff is with some YouTube instruction and a bit of confidence. I just last week installed new doors and replaced a toilet... none of this stuff is actually difficult; it's just intimidating if you've never done it before. Next week I'm installing blinds and planting a prairie in my previously-barren front yard. $50 for the seeds! Beats hiring a landscaper big bucks and pouring valuable expensive water on it for the rest of my life. Gonna redo the plumbing in my busted laundry room soon to put in a graywater system that automatically waters the fruit trees I planted.

But my favorite DIY thing in terms of effort vs payoff has been drying laundry indoors or outdoors on a portable wooden drying rack instead of using a dryer. I didn't even ever buy a dryer in the first place, and each "load" costs precisely $0, so the "payback" was immediate. In my high desert climate, the air is so dry and the sun so sunny that clothes dry in 2 hours outside in the summer and a day or so indoors in the winter. And drying indoors when it's cloudy adds some much-needed moisture to the air. And this way there's no added maintenance task of cleaning the dryer duct or risk of burning the house down, either.

I use aluminum foil and a bit of vegetable oil to remove rust on a lot of stuff. Saw that trick on ERE and I've used it a ton.

Great topic!  I'll have to give that cat food recipe a try.

I'd call this tip pretty basic rather than advanced, but I'm surprised it took me so long to buck the system.  I'm a homeowner with a lawn and lot of trees.  When I first got my house, I followed the lead of my neighbors and spent many hours in the fall collecting leaves and bagging them to be taken away.  In the spring, I spent a few hundred bucks on new mulch for the flower beds. 

Last fall, I looked outside and realized that was dumb.  I mowed up the leaves (chopping them into small bits in the process) but instead of bagging them I immediately spread them throughout my flowerbeds.  I thought they might float away in the rain or blow away with the wind but it's never been an issue.  And it looks great.  Now I have free fully-renewable mulch every year.

Pointedstick wrote: But my favorite DIY thing in terms of effort vs payoff has been drying laundry indoors or outdoors on a portable wooden drying rack instead of using a dryer.

Yup!!  Being in a coop apartment building, I avoided the high-priced laundry room by getting a portable twin-tub washer and then drying clothes on a rack.  Even if I had a dryer I'd prefer this method...less stress on clothes so they last longer and far simpler.

The work involved in maintaining, storing, and cleaning "time-saving" gadgets is not to be underestimated.  It's something we don't think about when we encounter a wonderful new gizmo and get the itch to pull out the credit card.

WiseOne wrote: - Kefir:

I used to make this weird drink called Rejuvelac from a starter of fermented cabbage juice. I loved it, but got lazy.

I don't know if this counts, but I prefer making hummus to buying it. Various recipes.

You can make your own mouthwash with a bit of vodka + other ingredients, but I don't.

Kriegsspiel wrote: I use aluminum foil and a bit of vegetable oil to remove rust on a lot of stuff. Saw that trick on ERE and I've used it a ton.

What wrong with using like Rust Off?  I've got rust on my weights I've been lazy (years) about getting off.

WiseOne wrote: - Kefir:  Very simple to make from milk & a starter that you can save for the next batch.  Requires no special equipment apart from a pot and a Mason jar.

You can't get real kefir in a store anyway.  Commercial operations use a limited freeze dried starter which is hardly diversive.  Real kefir is something you reuse to infinity like sourdogh starter.

- Shampoo/conditioner:  I've been using baking soda & apple cider vinegar and found it to work better than commercial products.

I've read about this.  Is it of any use for controlling dandruff?  After several years, I'm finally almost done using up my 6 large bottles of Fructis 2 in 1 and am planning on switching to using a natural body wash soap + GSE.

WiseOne wrote: - Cutting your own hair:  I finally got this one down and it's HUGE.  Salon visits have always been > $100 (the Manhattan factor) and a half day expedition.  Haircuts now take no more time than I used to spend just calling the salon for an appointment.  What a thrill to be able to give that up.

Behold the second coming of the FlowBee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJD000Xufmo

MachineGhost wrote:

Kriegsspiel wrote: I use aluminum foil and a bit of vegetable oil to remove rust on a lot of stuff. Saw that trick on ERE and I've used it a ton.

What wrong with using like Rust Off?  I've got rust on my weights I've been lazy (years) about getting off.

Well, I guess a main advantage to this method is that you probably already have aluminum foil and oil in your house, so you never have to buy or think about Rust Off.

Alternatively, you could just soak the item in white vinegar for a while, and it looks like it does the same thing as Rust Off, for maybe 10% of the cost? Although if you are like me, you don't go around removing rust from a ton of shit, so the lifetime savings are pretty negligible.

Maybe this should have gone in a "NOOBLAR DIY" thread.

Kriegspiel, personally I really liked your tip!!  I have a bottle of CLR ("calcium-lime-rust") which works for hard to get areas like around faucets, but it's pricey and I would prefer your method for a large area.  But..what does "NOOBLAR" mean??

MG: depends on the cause of your dandruff.  I had very stubborn seborrhea in just a couple of spots that drove me crazy with the itching, and I'd tried all kinds of things including prescription Nizoral for it. Now it's completely gone.  Certainly it's worth trying!

I found that I have entirely eliminated my decade-long dandruff problem by stopping using shampoo entirely. Haven't used it in a year now (almost by accident; started due to laziness ) and after a while I realized the problem was going away so I kept on not using it! Not sure if this counts as DIY, but I'm certainly happy.

I haven't actually tried doing this yet myself, but probably will next time I run out of laundry detergent:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/making-y ... ual-guide/

Great idea on starting this topic btw, many thumbs up

I actually suspect my dandruff/scalp rash is a chronic allergic reaction to who the hell knows what of those innumerous "toxic" chemicals in shampoo.  I only discovered this by accident when I tried the natural body wash soap as shampoo for a week or two to see if it would make my hair less frizzy.  It cleared up the rash; not sure about the dandruff, but wasn't going to risk it coming back when I still had all that annoying Fructis to use up.

What's the latest recipe for the baking soda and vinegar?  2T of either to 1 cup of water?

I enjoy watching and laughing at the show "Extreme Cheapskates". There are some good ideas in there inter-mixed with a bunch of ideas that most people wouldn't consider (like taking food out of the garbage and giving it to guests without them knowing it).

WiseOne wrote: Kriegspiel, personally I really liked your tip!!  I have a bottle of CLR ("calcium-lime-rust") which works for hard to get areas like around faucets, but it's pricey and I would prefer your method for a large area.  But..what does "NOOBLAR" mean??

I always thought it was just another word for a noob, but according to Urban Dictionary, it's actually the Lord Of The Noobs, the one noob to rule them all. But, you know, internet.

MachineGhost wrote: I actually suspect my dandruff/scalp rash is a chronic allergic reaction to who the hell knows what of those innumerous "toxic" chemicals in shampoo.  I only discovered this by accident when I tried the natural body wash soap as shampoo for a week or two to see if it would make my hair less frizzy.  It cleared up the rash; not sure about the dandruff, but wasn't going to risk it coming back when I still had all that annoying Fructis to use up.

What's the latest recipe for the baking soda and vinegar?  2T of either to 1 cup of water?

I've mostly seen recommendations to dissolve ~1 tsp baking soda in 1/2 cup water (you can use more but that is likely enough), and to mix the apple cider vinegar with equal amount of water.  But I'm lazy, so I just shake the baking soda into my hand and wet it with shower water before rubbing it on, and I use the vinegar full strength but in a small amount - I figure there's plenty of water in my hair already. 

It occurred to me when I read your & PS's posts that my problem might have been an allergy/sensitivity too.  Interesting!  I know I'm allergic to nearly all hair colors, whether professional, drugstore, or health food store in origin.  The only one I can use is Robert Craig, which is designed only to darken hair, not lighten it.  That works for me since I just wanted to cover up gray.

Speaking of vinegar, here are my other uses for distilled white vinegar:

- fabric softener

- kitchen disinfectant - this or hydrogen peroxide; no need for Clorox

- general purpose cleaner: vinegar, water, and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle.  This is probably equivalent to Desert's recipe.  In the past, I've saved citrus peels and boiled them on the stove for about 30 minutes, then strained them.  The liquid mixes nicely in the above recipe, and doesn't go bad.  The remains of the peels work great to clean cutting boards and also freshen up garbage disposals (when I had one of those).

Thought I'd try to move this thread back up to the first page :-)

Here's another cat related DIY: the litter box.  The boxes in pet stores are ridiculously small AND expensive.  I got Sterilite bins from Home Depot for around ~$5, and cut a door in the side with a razor, then filed down the edges.  Voila.  If you keep the lid on it and put the door on the long side (not short side), litter doesn't scatter around nearly as much.

I heard about toilet training cats from a few people, but the process sounds very onerous and risky.  Feeding homemade food fixes most litter box issues so I don't have much motivation.  But I'm curious to know if anyone else has tried it.

Maybe not "advanced", but thought it fit best with this thread.

[quote=http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2015-1 ... expiration]Food garbage is often generated out of ignorance. Expiration dates do not pertain to food safety, yet every day perfectly fresh food is chucked out of fear. To keep the food on the table, here are 7 products that are almost always safe to eat past the printed date:

Eggs: Eggs can last for weeks after expiration and in Europe, eggs are not even refrigerated. When in doubt, preform the float test. Fill a deep dish or glass with room temperature water and carefully drop in an egg. If it floats, it’s spoiled. Alternative: Less-than-fresh eggs will sink in water, but tilt slightly upward. Use them for baking. Eggs that are thoroughly cooked are less risky.

Bread: Stale bread is still edible, just don’t eat any mold—it can be harmful. Alternative: Feed stale bread to chickens or, as the EPA recommends, turn it into croutons or scrumptious French toast.

Bagged salads and greens: Even wilty lettuce deserves a second chance. As long as greens aren’t slimy or rotting, revitalize by chilling in ice water or blend them into a smoothie.

Canned goods: They are meant to last forever in bomb shelters and basements. Alternative: If you are stashing cans that you won’t eat, donate them to a food bank. Most food banks accept expired canned food. Exception: Do not eat from dented or bulging cans. Damage to metal cans can break the seal and let in bacteria and air, forming a deadly botulism cocktail.

Meat and fish: Pop it into the freezer before the date and it will stay fresh for months. Just make sure that you eat it within one day of defrosting. Exception: Deli meats are one of the main carriers of the deadly listeria bacteria—they are one food that it is better to be safe with.

Milk and yogurt: People are skittish about expired dairy, but milk and yogurt can last up to a week after expiration. Use your nose—it’s not hard to detect spoiled milk.

Honey and olive oil: While crystalized honey and cloudy olive oil may seem doomed for the trash, they are not spoiled. Heat honey in a glass jar in boiling water to restore its gooey loveliness and take the olive oil out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature. Both are safe for years after their expiration dates, just be sure to pitch the oil if it has an off flavor or odor.[/quote]

MachineGhost wrote: https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/c ... _use_soap/

I guess if the toilet is the only thing you touch that is dirty, not using soap might be possible. Some of us work outside and go to the gym, wherein not using soap would classify as Fucking Gross.

Kriegsspiel wrote:

MachineGhost wrote: https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/c ... _use_soap/

I guess if the toilet is the only thing you touch that is dirty, not using soap might be possible. Some of us work outside and go to the gym, wherein not using soap would classify as Fucking Gross.

A report on what happens when you don't use vaccines.  Probably nothing, except when it does

Kriegsspiel wrote: I guess if the toilet is the only thing you touch that is dirty, not using soap might be possible. Some of us work outside and go to the gym, wherein not using soap would classify as Fucking Gross.

Actually, I think washing your hands after using the toilet is now a bad idea because you want to keep your gut microbiota and relative herd immunity intact.  So feel free to spread it around your house, your keyboard, your mouse, etc.. However, I wouldn't go that far in regards to external sources, such as public restrooms, etc..

Water is a solvent.  Why should it not get off funk, sweat and grime?  Try it for a week and see.  Oversoaping seems to be as much of a marketing fiction as diamond engagement rings are.

I tried using baking soda on my skin a couple times, thinking well if it worked for my hair...  It actually functioned like a great scrub.  But, I found I still needed soap after emerging from the sauna-like conditions of the NYC subway in August.  I bet I could do without it in the winter though.

WiseOne wrote: I tried using baking soda on my skin a couple times, thinking well if it worked for my hair...  It actually functioned like a great scrub.  But, I found I still needed soap after emerging from the sauna-like conditions of the NYC subway in August.  I bet I could do without it in the winter though.

Never been in a NYC subway but that's interesting to hear its like a sauna in summer.  They don't have air circulation down there to keep it cool and non-stuffy?  That's really weird.

I use baking soda as an exfoliator once a week.  It is the least harsh toothpowder to enamel you could ever hope to possibly find, so it is very gentle to the skin.  Many woman use it for 1-min every night for a radiant complexion.  I don't think I could tolerate that, too sensitive.

I've been using the natural body wash for shampoo for over a week now, mixing in the baking soda every now and then for extra cleansing action.  Scalp seems a bit less rashy.  But since the body wash is pH balanced, I'm afraid the baking soda throws the pH off; plus I think you would definitely want to rinse with the vinegar to restore the extreme scalp alkalinity back to normal or you're going to have skin barrier compromisation eventually.  Unfortunately, it seems that the FDA poo pooed on GSE as far as providing internal liquid drops go (it's been weakened dramatically), so my plan to put it into the body wash for a natural anti-dandruff shampoo isn't going to work.