97 Comments
User's avatar
MommaMosh's avatar

Excellent compilation of essentials. However, I will not be supporting Amazon. Costco is a much better option all around.

Jesse Damiani's avatar

Godspeed! Folks with Costco memberships are well poised.

Gabby's avatar

I’ve found Target is generally cheaper than Costco.

MommaMosh's avatar

Target is a Nope too. Sorry

Steveo's avatar

Costco is no differe t and their water is no good

G Alan's avatar

One difference between Costco and Amazon is that with shopping at Costco, you aren’t contributing to Jeff Bezos.

Now that I think about it, that is a huge Costco advantage. They should advertise that difference.

Steveo's avatar

It's no different really. All packaged posion products at bulk, just what cheap fat america loves. Just another woke company. Eventually It's all we'll have left, walmart, amazon, costco, all of the woke show your digital passport and put on your mask.

Sherry Slade's avatar

You lost me at "woke." Nothing you said before or after that word has any credibility.

Steveo's avatar

Your loss! Go get all of the bulk prepackaged poison you wish! Eat up! And stay up to date on your shots!

Lorver's avatar

We use the filter pitcher for our drinking water.

Steveo's avatar

Does it remove azatrine or flouride?

Catherine Foley's avatar

If people would stop using plastic bags for yard trash and use cardboard boxes from grocery store discards NOW, it would be a good behavior to practice. Cardboard disintegrates like the yard trash; it is recyclable. It is great to use under mulch.

What do young people think we used before there were plastic bags for just about everything.

Cotton diapers instead of plastic-wrapped disposable diapers worked and still work well. When babies out grew cotton diapers, the cloths became washable dish towels and dust cloths (vs paper towels).

Newspapers and a shovel were used to collect, then well-wrap dog poop.

Emma G's avatar

You can get washable sanitary products too, or a moon cup.

ZuZu's avatar

Thank you for this. All this time I have been breaking down cardboard and putting it in the recycling bin when I could be using it under my mulch for my flower beds. Brilliant!!

VC's avatar

I love that - using cardboard or paper bags to collect yard waste. We compost ours for the garden, win-win!

Some random poster's avatar

Back in the days before plastic bags, paper grocery bags were used for trash. Every evening after cleaning up after supper, the bag went outside into the trash bin. But I think we had far less waste then, too.

Sandra's avatar

Ive been told only to compost brown cardboard without ink

Gabby's avatar

In my neighborhood in the Washington suburbs yard waste either goes in the garden, in paper bags lawn bags if you want it picked up, or big trash bucket specifically for such waste to be composted. They literally won’t take it in plastic.

I don’t use paper anything, except toilet paper. I use rags that I wash. You can get big lots of them cheap in the paint department of Home Depot.

I agree that nightly trash can go directly to the trash can, no plastic bags required. You can get paper bags at the grocery store if you ask. They need to just go back to paper.

I will buy toilet paper, dog food, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, powdered.

Anna Sicalides's avatar

We don’t have newspapers…look how far we’ve come

Treemason's avatar

I was with you until you mentioned using outgrown cloth diapers as dish towels… I’m aware of the science of disinfection, but I’m also just inherently disgusted with that lol. But on everything else, you said, I definitely agree. I don’t even let people change diapers on my couch or my bed or in my kitchen (my parents always seem to try and change diapers on kitchen counters and couches where people sleep lol) that shit belongs in the bathroom.

VC's avatar
May 5Edited

I have been making my own laundry detergent for nearly two years now, even selling it at farmers' markets. You can't possibly get a lower price for detergent than that.

All you need is Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels-Naptha soap. I like to add some OxyClean, but that is not strictly necessary. All these items are widely available and inexpensive. I also like to add lavender essential oil because I love the smell, but you can use any essential oil or go scent-free.

Here's a simple recipe:

Ingredients

1 box Super Washing Soda 3.7 lb

1 box Borax 4 lb 12 oz. size

3 5.5 oz bars of Fels-Naptha

1 container Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb

Essential Oil of choice to taste

Instructions

Finely grate the Fels-Naptha. ( I cut mine in smal lchunks then grind it in a food processor)

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a container of your choice.

Use 2-3 Tablespoons of detergent per load. I add some white vinegar to the load to break down soap residue and mineral buildup.

Juliet Rigtrup's avatar

Thanks. I love homemade and less chemicals!!!

Time to Write's avatar

Can you say how many drops of essential oil for a nice scent but not oversaturated?

Jeri A. Simpson's avatar

So have I and I love it.

Terry Gilman's avatar

Naphtha is from oil, isn't it? Making a supply right now makes sense.

Tee's avatar

Stocked up on dog food, pet food. Costs will rise due to gas for delivery. I have over a years worth.

Dawn Hansberry's avatar

That sounds like a great idea, however please be aware that there is a shelf life to dog food. So be sure to check expiration dates.

Tee's avatar

Thanks. Dry food from 1 to 2 years unopened

SWL's avatar

Please store dry pet food/treat in the freezer. Dry food will go rancid in a years’

time.

Michael Matthews's avatar

All of these items can be replaced by using reusable bags, bidet instead of toilet paper, cloth diapers instead of disposables , and actually washable feminine hygiene products products. We need to get away from paper products and inorganic substance shampoos.

Penny Sawdye's avatar

I stopped buying most of these paper/plastic items a long time ago because of the environmental impact and costs. Reusable food containers and old towels for rags and cleaning. Vinegar, baking soda, a couple squirts of dish soap and water make the best general cleaner. Still trying to figure out how to make liquid laundry detergent. What the heck do you think our great grandma used? It all started with the advertising business telling us what would make us happy.

Diane Nohr's avatar

They processed lard, added lye. Check it out. My grandmother made it but wasn’t “good” for new washing machines .

Michel Stasse's avatar

We haven't used ANY of those products in like 20 years.... The best prepping you can do is weaning yourself from modernity....

Doreen Corwith Eckert's avatar

oops here is correct link

https://bagups.com/

biodegradable trash bags

run by a US veteran

Sandi R.'s avatar

Thank you! Another product source i can use, without compromising my principles!

Sandi R.'s avatar

Link didn't work for me. Maybe my browser ...

Sandi R.'s avatar

I buy my soap from Hon's Honey in Baltimore. Made by local women re-entering the workforce.

I buy my toilet paper and paper towels from Honeycomb.

I refill soap from the local Refill store.

I would compost for less trash, but have nosy black bears.

I am disappointed that your recommended product links went to Amazon, where I don't shop.

I buy as local as possible or mail order directly from an environmentally sound choice. Could use advice on trash bags - the two of us fill one about every 10 days.

Linda's avatar

Thank you for this list

Dave Conrey's avatar

Costco is your friend for pretty much all of these items. Not sure about bar soap unless you like big name brands.

MJ Merriner's avatar

Costco has Kirkland bar soap

Dave Conrey's avatar

Is it real soap, or is it like detergent soap, like Ivory or Dove?

Jettina's avatar

Here are a few brands we buy from on the regular and actually use. I buy direct and some do have subscriptions:

- who gives a crap TP (recycled and bamboo toilet paper)

- good juju - they stared shipping from Canada again! (Detergent sheets, also bar soaps, bar shampoo and bar conditioner, wool dryer balls)

- Blueland (we do direct subscriptions for their luffa sponges that you can compost and then assorted cleaners)

- Ecologie by Danica - Swedish dishcloths and “paper towels’, and beeswax wrap (it all comes in cute patterns too!)

Branches to Roots's avatar

Are we frickin’ great yet? 😩

Hudson E Baldwin lll's avatar

Don't buy bottled water! Get a purifier. JFC that shit should be banned!

Dottie's avatar

We use a Berkey water filter system. Check their site out. They are #1 on the list of water purifiers. We have been using ours for many years. Highly recommended.

g.a.jennings's avatar

Things to not buy. Shampoo and dish soap. Just use non-coloring, non-scented bar soap (lessens allergens too). Remember that many harsh chemical products go down the drain into the water table and ponds. Buy laundry sheets - they work. Liquid detergent comes in huge plastic bottles. Use tap water! Except for some municipalities that do a bad job at filtering it. Buy liquid food products that come in paper containers (though they have some plastic.) Try to stop biying food in hard plastic containers. Whole Foods is very bad due to the amount of plastics they use!

Hudson E Baldwin lll's avatar

What is a "laundry sheet"?

g.a.jennings's avatar

Oh, right, I did not say that correctly. I mean a laundry detergent that comes in sheets in a small paper box rather than a liquid or powered plastic bottle.

The are usually called “Eco” friendly, or “plant based”, but that’s just advertising, it’s still soap of some kind, with ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate, oxides, etc. But no dyes, perfumes, phthalates, etc.

The are a bit expensive, I get 50 sheets about 5” x 6” for like $12.00 (I think it was). But one sheet per load.

semina rossi's avatar

maybe consider voting another president or god forbid impeachment

Babel's avatar

Sadly, this is being pushed way above any president we have. This is a global effort, in the works for decades. That is why no matter who is running a country, the powers that be will continue to push this plan forward.

semina rossi's avatar

what kind of antisemitic dog whistle is this?

Babel's avatar

What kind of a response is THAT? I’m talking about the WORLD Economic Forum. What are you so defensive about Semina? You know, not EVERYTHING is racist, antisemitic, etc. We see what our heart wants to see Semina.

semina rossi's avatar

so I was right, okay. don t get me (even more) wrong, the war is idiotic(and deathly for iranians), but using antisemitic/ conspiracy theory narratives doesn t help at all

Babel's avatar

You were right about what? So you don’t believe there is a World Economic Forum? Or you think that is some jewish thing? I am trying to understand your point here.

War is a money making scam, and those who profit from war are willing to sacrifice their own, if need be. This isn’t about political parties, its bigger than that Selena. There are those who pretend they care and behind closed doors, they devise plans to eliminate us to a ‘reasonable’ population count. They are very open in telling us if you know where to look. They pin us against one another in picking sides, so we don’t focus on the real enemy- THEM. Because a country (or world) divided, can’t or won’t stand against them. This has been going on for decades, but is even more prevalent now. Its not conspiracy Selena. Its whats going on.