New Washing Machine

We have a new washing machine this morning. We purchased a "scratch and dent" model, damaged at a warehouse. We came in under budget and saved so much. There is no way we could have afforded to buy such a nice machine otherwise. I'm not bothered in the least. My laundry room is not for entertaining.

Now, we are dealing with a plumbing problem in the kitchen. It's been a rough few days with both laundry and dishes in crisis, while trying to begin new lessons. We're in a bit of a financial annoyance, but a few years ago, this would have put us in financial crisis. Thanks to Dave Ramsey and our faith, we are merely annoyed.

Fixing the Soap Dispenser

I fixed our kitchen hand soap dispenser. While not the most pressing of issues, it has been a lesson in perseverance and frugality. When we moved into the Cottage, the dispenser had been broken for who knows how long. I could have gone to the hardware store, and purchased a new one. Instead, I made do with another dispenser and just waited until I could arrange the soap system better. I'm so glad I did. For the second dispenser also broke just recently. However, I was able to see through the clear plastic, and realize how the fault occurred. I thought it likely that the same catch had occurred with the first one. That is, granular matter lodged within the spring mechanism. I soaked both dispensers for quite some time, and tried to force as much water inside each. After a time, the water dissolved the matter, and now both work well. Since I used the left over water from washing dishes, the cost to me was nil. I now can transfer the plastic dispenser to the bathroom, and have liquid hand soap there, too. Of course, I now prefer the soap from the Dunbar Mercantile - just a little irony to brighten my day.