Frugal Friday

Remember my litter bucket trick? The proof is in the pudding, or the water bill. It came down $5. Wow!

Aside from saving several gallons a day by pouring shower water down the toilet, I'm actually using less water in the shower. When I start the water, the hand-held shower massage head comes off it's perch and goes into the bucket. All the water that would normally go down the drain is now going into the bucket.

I don't have to wait for the water to get hot before I step into the shower, since that initial cold water blast is contained in the bucket, not spraying in the shower.

The shower floor is dry when I step in. This is a bonus! I have peripheral neuropathy, and stepping into the wet shower is a little unsteady. Having a dry shower floor to step onto is so nice.

Now I don't get side tracked while water is running down the drain. I've been known to start cleaning the counter, futzing with my hair, smearing stuff on my face, pinching my zits.... all while I'm waiting for the water to get hot. Sometimes I would goof off a quite a while before I'd actually get back to check the water. Bad, bad, bad.

I keep the bucket in the stall while I shower. It catches more water and quite a bit of hair and conditioner that would otherwise be collecting in the drain. That collection of gunk won't clog the toilet.

The toilet is getting a doses of soapy, conditioned water every day. It's staying cleaner.

The only pitfall to this is when I use the bucket of water to flush. Sometimes I miss the target. Oh, well, the seat gets cleaned daily.