I have a family of five: a husband, a junior boy in high school, a sophomore girl in college, and a senior girl in college. The two college students have had to come home and finish up at local colleges because our family’s single income has continuously gone down since Obama was elected (both times). I’m back in school recertifying to hopefully attain that non-existent teaching position. Therefore, it has been my mission to not waste a dime if I can help it.
 |
| Photo from Homemaking for Teen-agers, Book 2, McDermott and Nicholas, 1958, p. 190 |
Where is Income Being Wasted?
Some
major household expenses are utilities, food, and clothing. These are things everyone basically wastes
money on even though we generally have nothing to show for it when all is said
and done. Once we eat food, it’s gone
(only the memory of a tasty meal and maybe an extra pound or two remain). And when we take that extra-long shower (more
than 10 minutes), or leave all the lights on and run the TV no one is watching,
etc. nothing remains of this expense as well.
Some of us are very good at purchasing and caring
for “classic” pieces and shoes that are well worth the initial expense. However, more than likely, we buy clothes
that will be outdated and worn out from misuse well before the expense has been
worth it.
Another Dave Ramsey Reference
I
recently heard Dave Ramsey tell a man with a single income of $140,000 (I wish) that if his wife would invest
$600 a month on a mutual fund for the next thirty years (she was forty), by the
time she was seventy the mutual fund would be worth OVER TWO MILLION
dollars! Her issue was having the latest
fancy car, but how much do we spend on clothes each month? How much does that accumulate each year? How much would we have if we were more
careful with our expenditures and invested the money saved on electricity, food
and clothes into a kick-!#* mutual fund.
I would like to be a millionaire if I’m lucky enough to reach
seventy! (P.S.—Dave didn’t mind if she had
a fancy new car—just pay cash for it!
And with their income, and only buying a new car every three or four
years, why would you not be able to do that?)
Take Care of Investments
Any-hoo,
the point of this post is that I find myself at this late date, having to teach The Fam how to wash clothes so they don’t ruin my irreplaceable Whirpool Duet
washer and dryer purchased in much happier financial times. Since I hope to find regular work soon and
cannot be on top of the clothes-washing situation, I have to protect our
investments of appliances, clothing and utilities. Plus, it would be nice if everyone knew how
to wash clothes properly. Hence—The
Rules.
The Rules
Believe me, there’s a story
behind each rule. Hopefully these rules
posted above the washer and dryer will promote appreciation for how much things
cost because “the buck stops here.” No
more Mom buying fancy detergents, clothing for school or gifts, or water and
electricity to re-wash forgotten clothes that have mildewed in the washer
overnight. I encourage folks to start
their own rules earlier than I did—kids (and husbands) can learn to wash
clothes as soon as they have enough to make three loads of just their
clothes! Does this mean they will do it
right when they leave home? Apparently not. But it won’t be because we didn’t try! These are the rules for our home:
If you have a problem with these
rules, the machine owner (Mom) will be glad for you to take your laundry
elsewhere:
1.
Do not start laundry after 9pm. Fold and put away each load immediately!!!
2.
Never use the Heavy Duty or
Whites Cycle without the owner’s permission.
If the clothes are extra dirty or the load a little larger, press the
button for more or less soil. There is
even a soak function if the clothes need to soak a while. Whites and Heavy Duty take much more
electricity and most of the time the normal cycle will suffice.
3.
________ can wash her clothes with Mom’s since she has "so
few clothes" because you can never wash all your clothes in one load—that will cost
money in the long run due to clothes deteriorating quickly with such abuse.
4.
Everyone has a clothes basket assigned to them. Only two people—________ and ________—may
keep their clothes baskets in the hall bathroom. DO NOT put your clothes in those
baskets unless they are yours!!!!
5.
Everyone should do at least 3 loads of clothes
each time they do their wash—DARKS, WHITES, and COLORS. You can put it on a smaller cycle or get with
someone else to make a larger load.
6.
Only ________ washes his clothes with the hypoallergenic
detergent. ________ has bought Gain, and
Mom buys Wisk or New Era
(red bottles) and Cling Free softeners.
There will always be a $1 detergent and softener available to those too cheap
to buy their own. Most of the time you
fill the dispenser only 1/2-full of detergent.
7.
Only wash clothes if you will be available to take them out
immediately and start the
next load immediately. With
everyone doing their own wash, it will take forever if some refuse to stay on
top of their laundry cycles.
In this economy, Dave Ramsey is a hot commodity. Do you agree that you should "live like no one else so that someday you can live like no one else?"
