How to Save Water and Save Money in the Shower

Many people think that saving money requires sacrifice and deprivation. They think that frugal people spend all their days shivering in blankets, with the heat turned down low, while cleaning and straightening out used foil paper.

They are probably expecting a post that tells you to only take showers twice a month. While this method will work to save money, it could potentially lose some friends, so I would not recommend that. I will say you shouldn't take more than one shower a day, because it is bad for your skin. But there are other ways you can save money in the shower that actually improve the quality of your life.

The Japanese, and probably people from other cultures as well, turn off the shower after they have wet their body. They apply soap while the shower is off, and then they turn it back on to rinse off.

This method actually does not decrease the quality of your life like you think it might. Generally you don't want the water to rinse you off until you are ready so you have to contort your body into uncomfortable positions to keep the water away. Or you may move away from the stream of water, potentially causing you to slip or fall.

Turning off the water while soaping and shaving will save you on your water bill, your energy bill, and help protect natural resources.

A low-flow showerhead reduces the amount of water that is being used without reducing the amount of pressure you feel. This means you can save money without reducing the quality of your life.

The water savings will be beneficial to you since you will pay less for water, and the energy to heat it, and will be beneficial to the environment as well.

It is relatively inexpensive. Since you can easily save a great deal of money by installing a low-flow showerhead, it is a great investment.

The bonus of these shower-heads is that there are different settings which change the flow of the water, to adjust to your preferences. Also, since I got one that was hand-held version, I could use it to get water to all reaches of the bathtub while I was cleaning it. I did not have these features on my old shower head, so the quality of my life actually went up a little with the low-flow showerhead.

Make sure you buy soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors, and other toiletries while they are on sale and use coupons. Many of these items can be obtained very cheaply, even free, if you take the time to shop for sales. There was at least decade in my life - that is right, ten years when I did not have to pay for razors for the entire family, because there were so many different sales available, and I stocked up when they were free. I had to stop getting them because we couldn't use them fast enough.

Some people like to take really hot showers. It can also burn you or your children. You can adjust the temperature on your hot water heater to make sure that the water that comes out is not scalding. This will keep your family safe from burns. Turning down the temperature will also give you peace of mind since you do not have to worry every time your child turns on the water.

Taking a shower with hot water will dry out your skin, making you uncomfortable. You will then require more lotion. You may even think you need to see a dermatologist about why your skin is in such bad shape. This costs money and time that is really not necessary. By turning down the temperature of your shower just slightly, you will be able to have comfortable showers that are also good for your skin.

If all of the members in the family are not willing to turn off the water while soaping, and even if they are, a soap pump is another great investment. It saves money, reduces energy, and improves the quality of your life. Picking up the old bottle, opening the lid, pouring the liquid onto your hand, closing the lid, and putting it back on the shelf take a great deal of time, and if you do this while the shower is running, you are wasting water and the energy to heat it.

Use them for your shampoos, conditioners, soap, lotion, baby oil, and anything else you regularly use in the shower.

A soap pump dispenser makes it much easier. No longer do you have to try to pick up the bottle with wet hands, and risk having it drop on your foot. No longer do you have to worry about pouring too much liquid on your hands and trying to figure out what to do with all the excess.

If you buy a soap pump that fits the size of the shampoo you regularly buy, then it will be a simple matter of changing lids when you put out a new bottle. If you get a dispenser, you will have to pour the liquid from the bottle to the dispenser, but this is generally not difficult, and does not have to be done very often.

There are some shampoos and conditioners that already come with a soap pump attached, although they tend to be more expensive.

Probably the biggest money waster in the shower is that we use it to get away from the hectic household. We tell the children not to bother us while we are in the shower, and we can wash away the stresses of the day. I completely understand and have done that quite a bit. But then, it becomes a habit, and we take long showers not only because we are stressed, but because we are accustomed to taking long showers. Instead of cutting out long showers completely, maybe we can limit them to one or two a week.

There are other ways to get away without wasting water. You can read a book in the bathroom, or pamper yourself in some other way, like manicuring your nails or giving yourself a facial. You can also try to train your children to leave you alone while you are more comfortable reading in a bedroom. You could set a timer, and tell the children you will only be available after it goes off.

The inspiration for this hub was a Weekly Topic Inspiration about improving the quality of life.

Saving money does not have to involve great sacrifice. By using the tips I have outlined, you can have better skin, spend less money, protect the environment, protect your family, and even increase the quality of your life.