My New and Improved Push Mower

I know.... I know....  It's stupid.  It's dangerous.  But its pretty awesome too!   I've been clearing some land around my place and this thing is great for cutting paths \ trails.   It cuts down small trees, vines, brush like no other.  There is no finer thing than turning something that was otherwise useless into something that is extremely useful and somewhat bad ass!!  I suppose I could have spent 10 grand on a real brush mower... But this thing is doing the trick quite nicely so far.  :)

I do not recommend you try this at home...  I keep telling myself that its only dangerous to the people standing in front of it.

Save Big Money on Detergents, Soaps, and Cleaners

I recently became irate over the monthly cost of soaps and detergents my household was using.  "Surely there is a better way."  I thought to myself.   I began to read articles people have written on the topic, and decided to do some real world experimentation.  The recipes below have worked for my household.  We are saving a good deal each month, and I hope that you will find these useful...

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe:

1 Tablespoon 20 Mule Team Borax

1 Tablespoon Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 Tablespoon of "LemiShine"

Put it in the dishwasher and run like you normally would.

(You can mix larger batches and store in a dry place.  I mix 2 cups of each ingredient and store in a plastic container.)

Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe:

1 Bar of Ivory Soap

1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

5 Gallons of Water

Instructions for Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe:

1. Shred the Ivory Soap (or equivalent no-name brand) into fine shreds with a cheese grater.
2. Warm up, but do not boil, a pot of water.  
3. Drop in the shredded soap.  
4. Stir slowly until soap fully dissolves.
5. Put about a gallon of cool water in a 5 gallon bucket.
6. Dump pot of hot soap water into the 5 gallon bucket.
7. Add 1 Cup of 20 Mule Team Borax and 1 Cup of Arm & Hammer SUper Washing Soda into the bucket.
8. Stir until slowly until all is dissolved.
9. Fill the bucket the rest of the way up with warm water.  Stir throughly.
10. Allow mixture to cool.  
11. Store in gallon jugs, soda bottles, etc.

(Use approximately 4 ounces per load of laundry.  This recipe should be enough for over 100 loads of laundry!)

Fabric Softener:

Add 1/4 cup of White Vinegar to the load.

Liquid Hand Soap:

Heat up but do not boil 1 gallon a water.

Grate 1/2 bar of Ivory Soap or equivalent no-name brand.

Stir the grated soap into the gallon of hot water.

Once fully desolved add 2 more gallons of water to the mix.

Stir well, and allow to cool.

Store in jugs.  Refill your dispensers as needed.
That's 3 gallons of hand soap for under $1.00!!

Review: Black and Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor

I just installed a Black and Decker EM100B Energy Saver Power Monitor devices on my electric meter.  I found them on sale on Amazon and got it for next to nothing (under $30).  All I can say is... "Wow... This is what the electric companies should be giving us instead of the crappy meters they give us."

The unit installs easily.  I think it took me about 5 minutes to get it up and running.  It requires 4 AA batteries (not included).  I was actually surprised at how easy the installation was.

The data that the unit displays is very useful for people like me who are trying to cut their expenses.  The EM100B shows current usage and also estimates how much you are spending on electricity.  You can use the device to identify potential energy hogs.  For instance, I found that while my heat pumps were running it was costing .45 cents per minute.

I would highly recommend the Black and Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor to anyone who wants to spend less on electricity.  This device can pay for itself in no time!

DIY 55 Gallon Drum Incinerator

I got tired of paying for trash pickup. In these times hard times in which we live one has to come up with ways to reduce expenses in order to survive. I had an old 55 gallon drum that was just collecting dust. I decided to make an incinerator that I could burn my paper & cardboard in. I know... I know... Its probably not the greenest solution in the world, but hey... its saving me 30 bucks a month in trash removal. :)

We actually recycle our plastics. The nasty food stuff goes into a compost pile. The rest gets burned. Saves $360 a year. Works for me. So far everything that I have fed into this burner has burned completely and has been reduced to ashes. For my next trick I might try to harness the heat from something like this for home heating in the winter months. Imagine heating your house with trash. :)

Parts used:

1 55 Gallon Drum

1 Toggle bolt (for door handle)

2 Galvanized Hinges

1 4" x 5' Galvanized duct pipe

1 4" Duct Rain Cap

Tools used:

Dewalt Hand Grinder

120 VAC Arc Welder (This thing is worth its weight in gold!)

Drill with 1-1/2" Hole Saw attachment (For holes in bottom of barrel for air.)