TGIT! Whose ready for Thursday? I know I am! I’m so ready for more #MerDer drama on Grey’s Anatomy.
Each week I do a quick roundup of the thrifty and frugal things I’ve been up to. It’s also a good time for me to reflect on my week and figure out how I can save even more money in the future. Here my latest edition of Thrifty Thursday.
DIY Pedialyte
Robert got sick with a bout of diarrhea on Friday. He couldn’t go more than 30 minutes without going to the bathroom and he was in so much pain. I hated seeing my baby like that. We’ve been lucky that he’s only ever had to drink Pedialyte once and he hated it. I hated the fact that I spent so much on a stupid drink that he wouldn’t even drink.
I figured there had to be a better way. Plus I wasn’t in the mood to take a poopy toddler out in public. Kids have been getting sick for years before the existence of Pedialyte, and I’m pretty positive kids in third world countries can run to the drug store anytime they are sick. For those reasons I decided to look at the World Health Organization website and found this article about oral rehydration salts. It’s really long, so don’t download it unless you are a crazy person like me.
Instead, just copy the solution and make your own!
DIY Pedialyte
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tsp. sugar
1 liter of water
Mix it all together until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
I used coconut milk instead of water and added less sugar. I knew that Robert would down the coconut milk without a problem since it is his favorite. I found a bunch of websites that say watered down orange juice or coconut water would work just as well. But remember, I have no medical training. Don’t trust random bloggers on the internet! You should probably clear this with your pediatrician first.
Cheap diaper rash cream
Another issue that came accompanied Robert’s illness was a diaper rash. This is only the second one he has ever had. I don’t know if it is luck or if we are doing something right when it comes to diapers. (Sidenote: we mostly use cloth diapers and when we do use disposable we use Seventh Generation Touch of Cloth.)
I wasn’t sure what to do with this nasty rash he got from being sick. I tried using some traditional cream that is made for disposable diapers since we were using disposable for all the nasty diapers. That did not work at all. I usually use coconut oil so I decided to go back to that instead of changing it up.
Turns out it only took 2 application of heavy coconut oil to clear up his rash. It was cheap and easy!
Lent check in
I decided to give up spending money on myself for Lent. Overall it is has been a great experience. I’m glad I did it. I made a few exceptions when it came to food. There were too many times that I wanted a donut or coffee so I let those trips slide. Other than that, I didn’t spend money on myself at all. I’m really proud of myself.
I’m hoping I can hold onto this feeling and continue with it. I don’t want to be that strange person who deprives herself of all purchases, but I don’t want to be the person who has to buy something for herself every time she walks into Target. This experience taught me that I don’t have to look at the clearance rack every time I shop. It also taught me that I don’t have to shop in order to be thrifty or frugal. That was a tough one to learn.
On budget for the third week in a row
I can’t believe I’m on budget with my groceries/ spending money for the third week in a row. I went to Trader Joe’s this week and spent $124.14. My usual budget is $100 for groceries. For this Trader Joe’s trip I had an extra $25 to use to buy ingredients to develop a recipe with wild blueberries. Mom’s Meet sent me a $25 gift card for the recipe development and I put it to good use. Can’t wait to share some of the recipes I come up with. Be on the lookout for it on the blog sometime in May.
Any thrifty finds to share this week?
So did the homemade Pedialyte work well? I wish I had known about this back when my kids were little, we went through a ton of Pedialyte and it wasn’t cheap even then. We never had a huge problem with diaper rashes though, even though we used disposable diapers. Coconut oil sure is versatile!
Good job with your frugal efforts too! I was just thinking this week that I rarely spend anything on myself but I’m totally OK with it… because I get many freebies and use my Discover Rewards and Swagbucks to get things that will, in most cases, benefit me (like the tortilla press that I just got). Since I’m middle-aged, I already own many things so I need way less; I don’t do make-up or even enjoy getting haircuts or manicures etc. I don’t like going to the movies and I prefer brewing my coffee at home unless I have a freebie for a coffee shop. What I really like is saving money and my library because I love reading. So when I go shopping, the way I treat myself is actually by finding great deals on everything. I constantly remind my husband how lucky he is to have a wife like me, lol. I wish the young me (who thought a day at the mall with a credit card was the best entertainment ever) met the old me. We’d probably be millionaires by now!
I’m cracking up at your splurges! I’m the same way. I love finding good deals. Except I do love a good splurge at a coffee shop. I love the atmosphere, but I’m getting better at making my own at home.
The Pedialyte did work well. Or at least I think it worked well. Either it worked or he just recovered on his own. He loved drinking it though, which is nice since he hated the real pedialyte.
Poor kiddo! It’s just the worst when the your baby is sick, and it makes it even harder when it’s a messy sick!
I’ve never even thought of making my own Pedialyte! We’ve only tried the store bought kind once as well and my son wanted nothing to do with it. Now we go the popsicle route when he we are worried about dehydration because he will literally eat as my popsicle as we will give him! I’m thinking that this can be a base for a pretty great hydrating popsicle though!
Ohhhh! Popsicles. What a great idea. I’ll have to try that!
Great job with not spending on yourself. That’s a tough one. There is always something I would like at Target. All the clutter at home stops me though.
Target is the worst! Or best. It depends on how much money I have to spend! It’s so hard not to look at stuff for myself when I walk in that store. I’m glad I’m not alone.