Laundry

There are many things we can do daily that conserve energy, reduce monthly expenses, and improve the quality of our lives. Some are:

1. Use ceiling fans! They use 1/10 of the electricity as A/C. My results: my electric bills have dropped $150 to $200 a month! This does keep the place comfortable most of the time, when I feel too hot I take a shower and use my Young Living essential oils. So for the couple of really hot days we have per month I am sure happy to make this trade-off and be saving hundreds of dollars every month!

2. Dry laundry on a clothesline – they will smell better too!

In 1998 The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History mounted an exhibition titled “American Clothespins,” which consisted in part of displays of patent models of clothespins from as long ago as the 1850s. People came in droves. Those old wooden pegs inspired a huge outpouring of nostalgia. Then one day Barbara Janssen, the curator behind the exhibition, was walking through the museum and saw a boy turn to his father and ask, “What’s a clothespin, Dad?” It’s no wonder the child had never seen one before.

Nearly 60 percent of American homes are now equipped with automatic clothes dryers. It’s in the shadow of the dryer that quaint old clothespins and clothespin doll kits turn up on auction at eBay. The device has become so superfluous that Janssen herself, the leading expert on its evolution, has no use for it beyond its appeal as a collector’s item. She once purchased a pack with playful flower-shaped heads at Target, but not to hang garments with. When asked if she has a clothesline, she replies, “Of course not. I use a dryer.” And, let’s not forget about the clothesline to hold the laundry and clothespins!

3. Use the “Air Dry” setting on the dishwasher – better yet, hand-wash dishes and use a dish drain.

4. Use a pressure cooker rather than the stove. They’re fast and keep the food moist and more nutritious. I don’t recommend microwaves as they are not beneficial for our food or our health.

5. Use an outdoor grill. Cook meats, poultry, and veggies on a low and slow temp – they will taste better and they’ll be more juicy and tender. I do not recommend charcoal grills though as the chemicals from lighter fluid and from the charcoal get into food. For instance, get the least expensive cut of beef that’s 2 1/2 – 3 inches thick, braise it, add some chopped onions, 1/2 – 3/4 cup red wine, a bunch of carrots (chopped to about 1 inch in length), 6 cloves of fresh garlic chopped fine, fill the braising pan with water to cover the meat & carrots, put the pan in a 325 degree F oven for 4-5 hours (remove the lid for the last hour). Guaranteed to be the most tender, juicy, flavor-filled easiest meal you’ve had in decades! Serve with green salad and a baked potato (put the potatoes in the same oven, at 325 they will take 2 hours to bake). Drizzle the sauce over potatoes, and enjoy!

6. Wear light-weight and light colored clothing. A wet bandanna around the head or neck is also cooling to the body.

7. Let your hair “air-dry.” Hair dryers make our hair horribly dry and brittle, causing drying and split ends. I haven’t used a hair dryer in over 40 years and the texture of my hair is “silky” – I also only use Young Living’s shampoo & conditioners, no sodium lauryl sulfate or other poisons! They are extremely concentrated too, so a small amount goes a long way! For instance, two bottles of conditioner last me a year – NOW THAT’S Savings!!!

8. Keep your car cool while parked. Use one of the many window shades. Of course, having a light colored car will help significantly too.

9. Indoor lighting – I have BIG concerns over these compact fluorescent light bulbs. Sure they may save the home user some money but I think the serious risks far out-weigh the savings – by the way – do NOT throw them in the trash, they contain mercury! I don’t find them to be ‘Green’ at all – read my article to learn what they’re not telling us about them. It’s probably better that we get to bed early anyway, rather than stay up late with artificial lighting – our ancestors used to get about 18 hours of darkness during the winter in temperate climates and had better levels of melatonin than we have.

10. Become a “wholesale” member with Young Living! You will save 24% off retail pricing, you can buy what you want when you want, the only thing you have to do to maintain your wholesale pricing is have a total of 50PV (about $50 wholesale) worth of purchases a year – that’s almost nothing! You can save 10% to 20% more by joining the Essential Rewards program – buy whatever you want every month. A very cost-efficient way to get ‘Green’ and save a lot – it ends up being cheaper than buying generic brands in the store! Check it out, and let me know if you have any questions. Or, buy at wholesale pricing – and – make some money sharing Young Living!

11. Learn more about how to use essential oils! Being well saves hundreds or thousands in health care expenses! Get the Essential Oils Desk Reference, read the articles we post here at the Young Living Circle Blog, tune in to my monthly webinars, attend a Young Living class or event. Read 4 Ways to Stay Cool with Peppermint Essential Oil

12. Take advantage of the Young Living monthly specials! The freebies are fantastic! See them featured here at the beginning of each month to plan your shopping list.

13. Use Vinegar to kill weeds! Read my article to do it right: A Safe Weed Killer: do we kill ‘em or eat ‘em?

14. Start a garden! If you have horrible soil and are lazy or too busy to build sup your soil consider having a Straw Bale Garden or Container Garden! If you’re doing a container garden do NOT buy pots and things, get creative and re-use things such as old wood or plastic crates, metal or plastic dish pans, old colanders, etc.

15. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins or paper towels! They feel luxurious and are washed and reused!

16. Use a smaller trash can in the kitchen! This helps to eliminate stinky-rotten odors and keeps the insects down too. The garbage gets taken out more often creating a much more sanitary space to live in. How we ever became convinced that tall trash cans in the kitchen was a good idea I will never understand, it’s disgusting!

17. Compost! Here’s an article I wrote on my cheap compost bin to make: No Turning, No Fuss Compost Bin This is the best designed compost bin I’ve ever had.

18. Walk or ride a bike! Whenever we don’t use vehicle transportation it benefits us far more than we realize. My thoughts and a tip on How to Beat Summertime Heat – it’s been hot and I’m getting tired of enough not being done.

Evelyn Vincent

Article by Evelyn Vincent, Young Living Independent Distributor #476766

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"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." ~ Dr. Seuss

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