Simple Living Series-Citurs Infused Vinegar

As I put conditioner in my ever graying hair Sunday morning I thought how much easier my life would be if I just went gray.  Is it gray or grey?  I really dislike being a slave to coloring my hair.  It's not the money I am out since I color it myself.  It's just the time it takes and having to worry about doing it more often now.  And that is how my new blog series was born. 

A Simple Living Series.

Now first off I am not an expert on this style of living, but we are trying all the time to live more of a simple life. And have been for a few years now. Over the past few years we were led to change some things in our life to make it more simple.  And many new habits were picked up.  Some we have just started.  And then I have some things I plan to start soon.

What is simple living to our family? 

For us it is being satisfied with what we need rather than what we want.  It is finding ways we can do things for ourselves.  Sometimes those things save us money.  They allow us to live a more frugal lifestyle.  I said frugal not cheap.  Cheap is not always better! 

Simple living for our family is also saying NO to lots of extras.  And activities as well.
A couple of things come to mind right off the bat.
-Eating out less (or not eating out at all).  I refuse to pay $5 for a "kids grill cheese sandwich meal" that I can easily make at home for pennies! Plus eating out is rarely a good experience for us.  The food stinks and I usually have some sort of reactions (headache and rapid heartbeat) to the highly processed food in restaurants. It is not worth it to us.
-And the other is paying cash for everything while staying on a budget.
Paying in cash you see it and feel it as it leaves your hands.  And the old budget....you know, when the money is gone your spending STOPS!  That kind of budget.  It's not always fun, certainly not always easy and far from being popular.  Most people think you are weird too.  I always loved being to odd one.

Simple living is simply changing your habits.  Simple living can have a totally different meaning to different people.  So, these are our views on simple living.

One thing I have learned along the way is take it slow.  I am not one to dive in head first with all new ways to live a more simple life.  I like to slowly get my feet wet and test and try ONE new thing out at a time.  If it works and is a good fit for our family I then add another new way to live a simple life. 

And most importantly not everything that we have found to work for our family will work for yours and vice versa.  Like I said simple living for you and for me could be totally different.

I will begin sharing different ways we have found that make our life easier.  And maybe write a post when we begin something new.  Several of those coming up soon. And of course I will give you the ugly truth about it all too.

So let's get started. 

Citrus Infused Vinegar

My jar collection comes in handy.

I have been cleaning with vinegar for at least two years.  For a couple of reasons.

1. Store bought cleaners are full of chemicals and the smells literally make me sick.  A cleaning day use to turn into an afternoon in bed with a major headache or migraine.
2. It is MUCH MORE frugal!!!! 


I started out cleaning with plain vinegar.  I know for many the smell is not so great.  You do get use to it though.  So at the beginning I used essential oils in with my vinegar to add a pleasant smell.  And still do from time to time.  But that requires a special trip to a special store to buy the essential oil. 

I do indeed like a simple life and don't care to run all over for different products.  So I started adding citrus to my vinegar.  I infuse the vinegar for a couple of weeks with peels or cut up citrus.

I'll try to give you an idea of my savings....yesterday I bought a 1 gallon bottle of vinegar for $2.08 and three lemons for $1.  I can't even remember the last time I bought vinegar so there is no telling how long this will last.  Compare that to a bottle of kitchen or bathroom spray.  How much does it cost?  Since I don't buy it anymore I am guessing close to $3.  Have you bought any lately?  

The savings are there!


This bowl of lemons and limes have been in the fridge for a while now.  They are getting old and hard.  Instead of tossing them I'll cut them up, add to a jar and pour in the vinegar. 

I give them a shake every now and then. And in two weeks I take out the peel or cut-up citrus and pour my good smelling vinegar into a spray bottle. 
And then I get to cleaning! 

Save your jars!

So what are some ways your family lives a more simple life?  I am always open to new ideas.  Please share!

And because I know you are wondering if I intend to go gray or not......the verdict is still out.  But I have not colored it in a  l   o  n   g while.