You will not connect the supply line until the rest of the toilet has been assembled. The water supply shut off valve (stop valve) is located just above the floor and is aligned on the same side as the toilet’s tank inlet.

The parts that will be used include a plastic nut (usually supplied with the toilet) and a new fill valve that comes with the nut. A supply tube is needed but must be purchased separately. There are many types of tube but the sturdiest is said to be chrome-plated metal. Chrome-plated tube is also said to be the hardest to work with. A compression nut and ferrule will be used, and usually come with the stop valve.

First connect the tube to the inlet just to see how close it will align with the stop valve. If the alignment is off you will have to apply a bend to the pipe and this can be tricky. If you have a tube bender the process can be quick and easy but do not try to bend the tube by hand. If a pipe bender is not available you can use a PVC pipe fitting as a bending guide (try a 2″ elbow). Once the pipe is bent in a similar angle, reaching from the inlet to the stop valve, you are ready to trim the tube to size. Be careful as there may be little room for error.

Now you will want to add the plastic nut by slipping it onto the tubing. Then slide the compression nut on and secure the ferrule.

Connect the plastic nut to the inlet by hand and then give it an extra twist with a sturdy pair of Channel-Lock pliers. Then extend the tube into the body of the stop valve by about 1/4 of an inch.  When tightening the compression nut it will squeeze the ferrule into place and mold it tightly around the tubing. The ferrule will not move once it has been tightened. Be aware that excessive force can cause damage to the tubing so be cautious when tightening the compression nut.

Now you will want to turn your water supply ON. Now all you need is to affix the lid to the bowl and you have a new toilet that is running perfectly.

Uses for Bread Recipes

If you love the taste of pizza, rolls, pitas, and bread, you might be surprised to know that you can make all of them with the same basic dough.  For example, if you find a bread recipe that’s easy for you to work with, you can toss it into a pizza shell, in addition to shaping the dough into loaves.  Or you may want to shape some of the bread into rolls, and then sprinkle them with sesame seeds before baking them.  There are many ways to shape bread dough into different food bases, and at the same time, you’ll be saving an enormous amount of money on each item.

Budgeting Advantages

If you buy bread in the store, it’s likely to cost you over $2.00 per loaf, while frozen pizzas may cost three to five times as much.  On the other hand, one five-pound bag of flour is more than enough to make two loaves of bread, plus three large pizzas, for only a few dollars a bag.  All you’ll need to do from there is add your toppings.  In many cases, you’ll find that whatever products you bake at home wind up being at least 50% cheaper than their pre-made, store-bought counterparts.

Finding Bread Recipes

If you have a basic cookbook at home, you may already have access to a good bread dough recipe, or you can find some excellent bread recipes online.  As you browse the online listings, authors will detail whether you’re working with a soft dough or a stiffer one.  You’ll also be able to read reviews left by other people that have tried these recipes.  In some cases, you may even find suggestions for recipe changes, as well as tasty additions.

Baking Bread on a Schedule

Of course, few people have the time to bake bread on a daily basis, since the process may take a few hours.  That said, if you can carve out a single five hour block of time in your weekly schedule, you should be able to bake enough bread, pizza and desserts for the rest of the week.  If you enjoy cooking, you may even find that the soothing process of baking bread becomes the part of the week that you enjoy most.

Every time you buy bread – or any other food that is based on bread dough – it’s as if you’re throwing away half the money in your food budget.  In many cases, if you can dedicate just a few hours a week to baking, you’ll have delicious, healthy bread products for your family to eat, since when you do your own cooking, you won’t be adding the preservatives or other harmful additives that commercial breads often contain.  At the same time, you’ll save money over grocery store alternatives, allowing you to stretch your food budget even further.

Making Plant Based Soaps

As you may or may not be aware, most commercial soaps are made from animal fats.  While you can make these products on your own, you may not be able to tolerate the smell of fat rendering if you live in an apartment or poorly ventilated area.  That said, there are many plant-based soap recipes for you to try at a fraction of the cost.  In many cases, you’ll find that these soaps clean just as well as animal-based ones.  You’ll also be able to add a variety of herb-based skin conditioners and fragrances to improve your homemade soaps.

Budget Home Fresheners

Of course, you can always go to a dollar store and buy home air fresheners on the cheap.  But have you ever read the warning labels on many of these products – the ones that read, “Do not inhale directly”?  There’s no way to know what, if any, long term health problems could result from breathing in these foreign chemicals, so you may want to consider some other ways to deodorize your home.  For example, you may want try burning natural beeswax candles to improve the smell of your home, or try making your own blends of essential oils and potpourris.

In the kitchen, a simple open box of baking soda will keep your refrigerator and freezer smelling fresh and clean.  You may also want to freshen up carpets by sprinkling baking soda on them, and then vacuuming the next day.  This method will work well for pet odors, as well as many other unpleasant odors.  Unfortunately, if it’s humid in your area, you may find the baking soda sticks to the carpet.  If you aren’t sure whether or not this will work for you, it may be best to test the product in a small area first.

Vinegar and Your Laundry

Even though white vinegar is fairly cheap, it’s one of the best things you can add to your laundry to prevent static cling, increase fabric brightness and reduce all kinds of stains.  In many cases, presoaking with vinegar and water will restore clothes with all kinds of stains on them, including wine, grass and grease stains.  As more information becomes available about the link between the fragrances used in soaps and an increase in cancer rates, it may be to your advantage to avoid commercial products at all costs.  Fortunately, you’ll find that vinegar is a safe, inexpensive alternative.

Aside from being expensive, there’s a growing body of evidence that commercial soaps can have negative health consequences.  Therefore, being budget conscious when it comes to these items may also equate to being health conscious.  For example, simply substituting vinegar for your fabric softener and stain booster may save you from being exposed to a number of harmful chemicals.  In a similar way, using baking soda to eliminate odors can help give you a clean smelling home without the financial and health costs associated with commercial deodorants.