Mary Catherine over at Stylish Savings made homemade grout cleaner….

Homemade worked just as well as store bought, was cheaper and non-toxic!

Click here to see how she did this!

Click here to see how I did homemade BBQ sauce and here for homemade Ranch!

You just might be surprised by the results…..

As a part of our Saving Experiment for the month of May, Alecia over at SavingandStewardship made homemade baby wipes!  She has her pros and cons and an amazing saving by using this method.

It’s complete with recipe for the homemade wipes here!

We had some more homemade Ranch tonight with salad for dinner…yum, yum!  Read that post here! Compete with Recipe too.

Jenna over at Bucktownbargains made homemade baby food: mango and peas….

Click here to see how she did this.

…And Click here to see how she made homemade juice!

Awesome!  Healthy and homemade for your babies!

I made homemade BBQ sauce to go on our Ribs for dinner…yum yum!  This BBQ sauce recipe is very basic…you can add to it and I’ll give suggestions.  It’s simple and uses everything you already have in your kitchen!  I also think it’s pretty kid friendly!  It’s sweet, tangy, and not overpowering….so, my girls will eat it.

My all time favorite BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Rays….I have to say, mine tastes nothing like it.  My husband says…not bad.  Take that as you will, I take it as not his favorite!  I think it’s pretty good, my girls like it too.

Recipe

1 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

1 table spoon mustard

3 tablespoons Worsteshire sauce

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (regular OK too)

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

salt, pepper to taste

I do boil to get the flavors to mix and condense (thicken)….sit over night, but you can use right away.

There are tons you can add to this: Hot Sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, onion, honey, maple syrup, molasses, cayenne pepper, Burbon, I could keep going…..

I added onion, garlic, pineapple, and honey to the recipe above.

Homemade is on top, Baby Rays on bottom

Cost Comparison:

This was a lot of breaking down!

1 cup ketchup = $.71

3 Tbs mustard =$.12

3 tbsp Vinegar = $.55

1 Tbs Lemon Juice = $.11

3 Tbs Br Sugar = $.22

So, I figure out that I got 12 oz.  If I make it 16 ounces which is what the Sweet Baby Rays was I would get $3.02 for homemade.  The Sweet Baby Rays was $3.39.

Analysis:

There is a $.37 difference homemade is less expensive, but not enough for me to say that homemade is super cheaper!  I think they come to just about the same. However, this is a good back up recipe if you don’t have your favorite store bought on hand!   You win some and you loose some…in this case, I think store bought just might be eqaul in price!  YIKES!  Someone had to try it!

Alecia over at Savingsandstewardship  has written a great post on the difference between Homemade Baby Powder and Store bought!

Click here to learn more!

Stylish Savings tried out making homemade Window cleaner…guess what?  It worked! 

Her receipt:

Since I’m reading all of my fellow bloggers experiments, I decided to give Gretta’s Vinegar vs. Fabric Softener a try!  I have to tell you, it works!!! 

I never use Fabric softener in my kids clothes because it’s just not good for you.  Do you really know what is in your Fabric Softener?  If not, click here, it’s yucky!  It creaps me out to think all those toxic chemicals are up against my daughters skin all day long!  I have a little one with food allergies so, I try to keep all the unnecessary extra’s away!

Anyway, thanks Gretta!  My girls clothes did not stink like Vinegar, no static cling…in fact, I think they smelled cleaner!  I love this and it’s even cheaper than Fabric Softener!  …And, all natural!

Here is what Gretta did:

Use 1/4 cup vinegar per load.  You can do this in one of two ways:

1. Pour vinegar into washer during the final rinse cycle
2. Pour vinegar into a Downy Fabric Softener Dispenser Ball

Price comparison:

She bought the Walmart store brand.  Vinegar is vinegar, right?

• A 32oz container of vinegar costs $.84.
• Each 1/4c load costs about 5¢

Compare that to the average price of traditional fabric softeners:

• Downy Ultra 60 load $6.29 (10¢ per load)
• Sun & Earth 32 load $4.30 (13¢ per load)
• Snuggle Exhilarations 32 load $4.75 (15¢ per load)
• Seventh Generation 40 load $4.99 (12¢ per load)

To read my post on homemade Ranch Dressing vs. Store bought, click here….which do you think is cheaper?

I’m sold on the vinegar in the wash!

One of my blogging friends over at Bucktown Bargains tried out making homemade Organic baby food, Applesauce!  Yum Yum!  While my baby food days are over, yours might just be starting….The verdict is out…homemade is cheaper!

Here is her breakdown:

3lb Bag of Organic Applesauce – $3.99/12=$.33
12 x .$79 (I was using Earth’s Best Baby Food)=$9.48
Difference of $5.49 for 12 servings!

Checkout the receipt here!  Enjoy!

I put my experiment to test today, thinking I may need it this weekend with Mothers Day tomorrow.  My first experiment:

Homemade vs. Store bought Ranch Dressing!

 I went to my local grocery store and searched out my favorite store bought Ranch, Hidden Valley.  It wasn’t on sale this week, and was priced at $4.28 for a 16 oz bottle.  Ouch!

I came home and made my homemade Ranch.  Here’s the receipt, I wish I could tell you where it came from, but it’s years old, fading, and even ripped in places.  Anyway, I’ve used it many times.  My husband LOVES it.  He feels like it tastes just like Creamy Garlic from one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago.  It really does taste like something that is restaurant made.  Only thing is…tastes a bit more like Creamy Garlic than Hidden Valley Ranch.  However, all the different brands of Ranch taste a bit different, and I am a shade heavier on the garlic than the receipt calls for.  I also adjust up the sour cream and down on the mayo…sorry, I always adjust to taste!

Homemade Ranch Dressing:

1 clove garlic

salt to taste

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (fresh)

2 tbs chives (fresh)

1 cup Mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

milk for consistency (I go about 2 tbs)

*mince garlic turn it into a paste w/ salt.  mix it into the rest! (go light on the salt, you can always add more later!)

Cost analysis: 

I had all of these ingredients at home!  I think that is one reason why I love this receipt, it’s free for me to make!  However, I realize most don’t so, I researched some prices.

Hellman’s Mayo: 30 oz $2.50

Breakstone Sour Cream 16 oz $1.49

1 clove garlic $.24

 I did not do the chives, parsley salt or milk because they are ingredients you probably have.  Even if you don’t have fresh you probably already have dried herbs in your home.  Just remember to go less and taste as you add! 

1 cup May = 8oz or $.66 (based on prices above)

1/2 cup Sour cream = 4 oz or $.37 (based on prices above)

1 clove garlic= $.02 cents (per clove if 10 clove in the bunch-based on prices above)

My receipt made 12 oz.  The bottle of Hidden Valley was 16 oz.  Putting the cost of the 3 ingredients above into the equation, it came out to $1.05 for 12 oz.  Now, lets say the other ingredients that I left out were $1.00 and I think that’s high!  It would be $2.05 for 12 oz of Homemade Ranch.

Results:

The Hidden Valley was $4.29 for 16 oz.  If I make my Homemade Ranch 16 oz, it would be $2.73 a bottle.  Remember, you are going to have remaining Mayo, Sour Cream, Garlic etc. to use in other receipts!  Bonus! 

Homemade is less expensive,  hardly takes any time to whip together, tastes yummy, and you probably already have all the ingredients in your home to make it!  Oh, and think about how fresh with the summer herbs from your garden!

Enjoy!