 The Human Condition
Examining how the human condition affects our financial life.
My secret: I pay less than one cent for laundry detergent per load. That’s right, less than one cent. I have recently discovered the art of using cheap typical household products to create other expensive typical household products I once bought. I saw a recipe on the Internet for homemade laundry detergent and was determined to try it.
I was a little nervous about the laundry detergent because I still actually wanted clean clothes, but I figured it was worth a shot if it would save me at least $0.15/load. So I went to the store and grabbed Borax, washing soda, and a bar of Ivory soap (it took me a couple trips to different stores to figure out which ones had washing soda).
I then grated the soap with the finer side of a cheese grater until I had about a cup of shavings. I mixed in a half-cup each of the washing soda and Borax and put the whole powdered mixture in an airtight container. I put a tablespoon of the concoction into the washing machine with my next load of laundry and waited. My clothes came out great, and more importantly were clean – I was thrilled!
Remember, most of the products you buy are drastically marked up for convenience for use. If you have extra time and can do it yourself, why pay the extra money? Plus, it helps the environment if you aren’t throwing away a plastic detergent bottle every two weeks.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
- ½ cup washing soda
- ½ cup Borax
- 1 cup grated Ivory soap
Use 1 tablespoon per load – more if clothes are extra dirty.
Don’t stop there! There are plenty of other household items you can make yourself – shampoo, conditioner, cleaning supplies, dishwasher detergent. This little change in behavior will result in about a $39 yearly savings and $195 savings over five years. Are there some “leaks” in your routine spending that may be modified in order to reduce expenses? Remember, the problem is not how much we earn, but how much we spend.
 A Spiritual Perspective
Looking at the world through the focused eyes of faith.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” John 14:1
I recently joined a book club. At the first meeting I attended, I learned that several members had recently become unemployed. In light of that fact, the next suggested book was “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.” The idea was to gain encouragement and a new perspective on life through the book. I won’t go into depth about the book (as of today I’ve only read about a chapter), but let’s just say I can tell it’s not going to be a Christ-based “awakening”.
During difficult times, people look for help. They may turn to family members for monetary loans, financial magazines for advice, or friends for support. When these things fail, humans start to branch out, reaching for anything that might help them (even new age books on awakening). People get desperate – humans usually enjoy being in control.
The funny thing is, we never actually were in control. It was God who guided our lives to where they are today. He’s in the driver’s seat – he knows the way. Jesus’ words above remind us to put our complete trust in God – and to lose that uneasy out-of-control feeling in our stomachs. God is our provider and he will take care of his people.
It’s hard to trust something that isn’t there, but that’s why we have God’s Word available to us to strengthen our faith daily. God gives us access to his heart through the pages of the Bible so we can know that he is in control, and we never have to be. Many in this world will continue to seek out books hoping to find direction. Thank God that we have His Bible as our guide. Open the pages of Scripture and allow God to drive your life – put it completely in his hands.
Additional passages that are helpful for giving direction in this life:
- Luke 16:9
- 1 Timothy 6:6-8
- Philippians 4:11-13
- Matthew 7:11-12
 Focus Facts
Crunching the numbers as you keep your focus on your finances.
Global market research firm Synovate conducted a survey in February, 2009, of 1000 people to gauge Americans’ feelings on their own economic landscape. It found that the following were top concerns:
In addition, the survey asked respondents to determine how they will assuage those fears in the coming six months. Results are listed below:
Heart in Focus encourages you to examine your own financial situation. Detail a plan to mitigate your top concerns – a good place to start is bulking up your emergency savings and examining “needs” vs “wants”.
Source: Synovate, www.synovate.com
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