Frugality’s Worth
Finished batch of homemade laundry soap. It's part frugality, part science! 
On Frugal Dad, Jason once wrote about balance and frugality, relating to things he will not do for frugality’s sake. He specifically mentioned making laundry soap and questioned whether it was “really worth the few dollars saved.” That protest is one that I hear often, one that irritates me.
People assume that frugal tactics do not save them enough money for the time it takes. Generally, they compare the money they save versus their hourly wage. This method is not accurate, as it does not take into account several factors. First, their hourly wage is before taxes, so subtract 15-20% off of the hourly rate to get a more accurate number. Ten dollars an hour becomes eight dollars an hour, like magic (though not the good kind!). Secondly, there are costs that go with work, such as gas and lunches, which may cost about fifty cents an hour. Our hourly wage is now at $7.50, a far cry from where it was. The money saved is tax free, so its number stays the same in this comparison. It’s important that folks really understand the math, before they say it’s not worth the time.
Furthermore, I doubt that anyone is going to stay home and make laundry soap instead of going to work. The time spent doing frugal things would not have been used to work and make money. Excuse the gross generalization, but the time would have most likely been spent watching television. Television has taught us that we need to avoid work at all costs and buy products that save us time. Time which should be used to watch more television, specifically commercials. At any rate, unless you’re going to stay home and bake bread instead of going to the office, it’s like finding extra money. I have far more opportunities to save money on a small, daily scale than I do on buying refrigerators or negotiating on cars. The times that I wash out a plastic baggie will eventually add up to much larger amount.
I just loath the fact that everyone assumes that frugality is a drudgery and that I must be suffering horribly. As a matter of fact, I happen to enjoy doing things for myself. I get a kick out of making most of my necessities myself. Bearing that in mind though, I have to agree with Jason’s conclusion that frugality is a highly personal concept, varying from person to person. I would never recommend frugal tactics that would save money but cause misery.
As far as the laundry soap goes, I make 64 loads worth in about 14 minutes. It costs me $.71 per batch, while the equivalent in commercial soap, at sale prices, would be $8.95. I save $8.24 in, for simplicity’s sake, 15 minutes which brings our “hourly rate” to a hefty $32.96/hr. Who knew laundry soap could be so lucrative?
Themocracy
Hi! I’m a relatively new reader. I would love to make my own laundry soap. I think that it is an excellent use of a person’s time, and I enjoy reading your idea of time v. money. I agree with you! Is the “how to” of laundry soap on your site anywhere? Thank you for your interesting blog!
Tamarie- The laundry soap demonstration isn’t up yet, but I will post it, just for you!
great post…so true.
Yeah, I get to wrestle with this issue quite frequently at work, so I have much to say on the topic.