Simple Living Updates

Assalamualaikum wbt and peace be upon you,
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Tonight I want to write a bit on simple living coz I haven't touched on the subject for quite a while.
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So, how do we further simplify our lives?
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1. Fast. It's the month of Rejab and my family have started on the fasting routine every Monday and Thursday. My mom and sisters have to fast to cover what they have missed last Ramadhan (coz you know, it's the women issue!!!. Know what I mean?). Since we are slowly getting into the routine before reaching the full gear in Ramadhan, the issues with what to eat at the canteen, what to eat for breakfast, what to eat at the coop, what to eat in the afternoon, evening, what to snack on, what to drink etc have gone to the wind. So, fasting has further simplifies our lives and my mom's task in the kitchen. and we save too coz we eat only once a day.
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2. Composting. Our family wanted to have a compost bin at first, and then my mom asked my big sis to make a DIY bin coz she's studying Agri Science, but then my mom decided to do it the traditional malay style. Just dig a hole in the ground and bury your organic waste and the earth will do the decomposting for you. When we went back to Muar the other day, we saw that Mak Nojah also does the same thing. So we save about RM400 (about USD 150) if we bought the compost bin. And the earth will become more fertile too so you save on having to buy fertilizers.

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3. Wash your own clothes manually. My mom insists that we wash our night gowns/pyjamas manually when we take our bath. That way we save more compared when we use the washing machines. My mom also washes all her other clothes manually. So she doesn't need the machine at all. but since she has to wash dad's clothes and our other clothes as well, so the machine is still an essential item. My mom learns the trick from our next door maid. Whenever the children come home from school, she'll straight away bathe them and wash their uniforms and let it dry in the sun (coz her employer does not allow her to use the machine coz she doesn't know how to operate it). All her tasks are done straight away so she has very little housework burden.
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4. Less outing. We don't go out as much anymore. My mom hardly goes out after she came back from Makkah last March. She said she's trying to save all the allowance that my dad gives her every month and only spend on the allowance that she receives from her part time job. That way, she'll save a lot more than before.
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5. Do not replenish on what have been used up. My mom and my sisters have decided that they don't want to use make up anymore. So my mom said she'll save more coz makeups are quite expensive. I'm also currently preparing my own traditional face powder. I learn it from Mak Ila. Just soak some uncooked rice or glutinous rice in a bowl. Change the water every single day. It will take a few months to become powdery and the smell is sooo bad due to the microorganism activities. You can put scented flowers in the water to mask the smell. My mom wash her face with the water before changing it daily but I don't have the gut to do it coz it smells like cat shit. After it becomes powdery, drain the water and make it into droplets on a muslin cloth and let it dry in the sun. Then collects all the powder that looks like tear drops, throw in some dried scented flowers and  pandanus leaves which have been cut into small pieces and keep in a bottle. Use a couple every night(mix with water and apply on your face) before you go to sleep. You face will become translucent and tight. No need to use SKII and whatnot.