Frugal Gifts for the Housekeeper
April 24th, 2008 | 
Author: A frugal gift is measured first by it’s usefulness. With that in mind, the frugal mind that is, the gift actually serves two practical purposes; it is useful and saves money. Most frugal women will Below I will explore a couple of ideas for thoughtful, practical-and yes, frugal-gifts.
Fill a sturdy laundry basket with one or two boxes each: Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, 20 Mule Team Borax and a few bars of Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap. Mix up one batch of the following recipe and put in a tightly sealed container. You can make a decorative container yourself from a quart mason jar and some decorative fabric banded over the top or any kind of sealed glass container. Tie with pretty ribbon. And include the following recipe. Place with the laundry detergent ingredients.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
Mix Together:
1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
 Use one Tablespoon per load, or for heavily soiled clothes, use 2 tablespoons.
The frugal person most likely makes her own cleaning solutions and is always looking for cleaning and organizing tips. For a cleaning basket that will be truly appreciated, include a couple of spray bottles, steel wool, a pumice stone, cream of tartar, vinegar, baking soda, gloves, scrub brushes, utility towels or cleaning rags, dusters, cloth diapers (make great cleaning rags), household cleaning and organizing tips book or recycling tips. You might compile a book of homemade cleaning recipes to get her going. An added gift might be a “coupon” booklet offering your services for childcare, pet-sitting, or other amenities so the receiver can get away for a bit and enjoy some relaxation.
Gift baskets are only limited by your imagination. Look around at the things you use most often, thing about your recipient’s lifestyle and take it from there.
Posted in My Finances
I love making gift baskets! The possibilities are endless : ]
What a creative idea! As the economy worsens and prices keep going up on groceries and cleaning supplies I have been looking for ways to spend less. I have definitely started stockpiling sale items.
that was really a TRUE FRUGAL WAY of getting things done and considering your frugal brain gave my frugal brain the great tip I am bound to say a frugal thank you to you for your frugal work
lol
THANKs..
Wow!This is indeed frugal, I’ll try to give this a shot this Christmas for my househelp here.
An excellent gift idea with a very special personal touch. as an added thought, how about placing these into a reusable tote bag?
Thank for your posting, an idea I will use.
Yes that is correct RWhite. Why not placed then into reusable tote bag?
That is really nice idea! I save it and use it at next Christmas. Just Frugle it…..
A great idea. Wish I’d seen this before spending on lots on Christmas gifts. I’ll be sure to send this on to my family and friends as they too could do with economising.
When I was a kid we would do stuff like this for my mom. She loved it. I don’t know if I would ever want a gift like this. I’m holding out for a Hawaii trip.
An excellent advice. I know its a year old but it is still applicable. A frugal gift indeed.