So you’ve tightened up your budget as much as possible.  You use your club card at the grocery store, buy your morning joe at the local bodega instead of Starbucks, and take advantage of the myriad of free events around the city on a regular basis.  But sometimes routine necessities, like toiletries, can easily add up during a trip to the drugstore.

Just when you thought you’d tried out every DIY project available, something else worthy enough for a try comes along.  Castile soap is vegetable-based and biodegradable, so you can use it as a body wash, shampoo, laundry and dish  detergent, and a general home cleaner (especially good for around the kitchen).  Castile soap is very thin, so if you’re used to thick creamy liquid soaps and shampoos, don’t be put off.  It can still get the job done.

Here’s a quick formula I like to make a shampoo: Use 1 part water and 1 part soap, then add 1 tsp. of an oil (olive, jojoba or sweet almond).  If you’re making an 8 oz. bottle, you will only use 4 oz. of soap.

You can pick up a thirty-two ounce bottle of castile soap at most health food and beauty supply stores for around $10.  With the above recipe, you can make eight 8 oz. bottles of shampoo, which sure beats spending the same amount of money on only two 16 oz. bottles at Duane Reade.

Castile soap doesn’t contain harsh chemicals and detergents usually found in cleaning supplies, bath soaps and shampoos.  Since all those things end up down the drain, castile’s natural base makes it much easier on the environment. What beats saving money but saving money and being environmentally savvy.

For more tips on how to use castile soap, check out Green Living Tips.  They’ve got some excellent information on their website.

Related posts:

1. Double Duty: Cook, Clean and Beautify for the Price of a Bottle of Oil