Ways to Save Money $$$
Ridiculous Ways to Save Money
Many people seriously under-estimate ways they can save money without even realizing it. Americans are wasteful by nature and it’s such a shame when you see not only our poor but the poor of the world suffering, people that are not even lucky enough to have running water. I’ve compiled a list of ways my household saves money in ridiculous ways. We do these things for many reasons. If you are cheap and frugal, chances are you get a “kick” out of saving, or finding deals, as I do. That’s one reason we do these things. Another reason is to teach our kids to not be wasteful and appreciate the things they do have. It cuts costs on things we don’t want to always buy, and I’m mostly talking about the wasteful “throw-away” products. These are some additional things you can do besides the obvious like switching light bulbs, adding faucet filters, turning off lights, unplugging appliances when not in use, etc… My husband first thought I was insane when I started doing some of these things, but he quickly joined in and I believe he is thankful to not have a “high-maintenance” wife. And as odd as it sounds, we have fun doing these things.
Fire your cable provider
- Fire your cable provider!
There are to many options now for entertianment to entertain a cable company with your income! Fire your cable provider!
Don't be afraid to dumpster dive!
- Dumpster Diving! Find treasures!
Find treasures in dumpsters? Really? Yes! All free with a little effort and lack of personal shame! Go dumpster diving and find your treasures now!
Money down the drain!
In the Kitchen
- Beforehand washing dishes or using the dishwasher, wait for full loads. When you wash dishes by hand use a bucket of soapy water to reuse. Don’t just let the sink run and run. Use leftover sink water to water your plants.
- Save the water you boil pasta in to water plants
- Give up cold cereal and eat oatmeal, cheaper and healthier
- A no-brainer...pack your lunches
- Grow a garden if you have space for fresh veggies
- Save paper towel and toilet paper rolls for crafts, or gardening. You’d be surprised how many uses these have. My stepson and I have made marble tracks out of these, and I've used them in flower arrangements, and gardening when starting new baby seeds (they are biodegradable, so you can move the seedlings directly to the ground when planting).
- Re-use paper towels when you can. If you wipe up water, rinse them out, let them dry and use them 2-3 more times before throwing them away, or better yet use washable clothes!
- Consider using a “steam mop” to clean your floors. You’ll save on cleaning products and won’t be putting harsh chemicals on the floor
- Plan a weekly "soup" night to use up leftovers. Fun for family get-togethers!
- Hang recycle bags in a closet and fill them with plastic and aluminum cans as you can, and recycle. We save milk carton rings for cat toys. Our cat loves them!
- When you have an empty bottle of salad dressing, “wind-mill” it. This is the act of spinning it around and around in your hand to get the remaining amount out. Stand up and hold the top of the bottle in your hand. Spin vigorously in a “windmill” motion. Enjoy one more salad before recycling the container! Wait until you see how much is left! This works great for other bottled items as well!
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Buy eggs when they’re on sale and freeze them. You can use them in baking, omelets, and scrambled eggs. Don’t freeze the eggs whole; crack each egg into a section of a clean plastic ice cube tray. When frozen, remove the egg cubes from the tray and package in a large zip-top freezer bag
- Buy generic pop from Aldis or another discount grocer, it tastes great and runs about $2.50 for a 12 pack, not $5.00.
- Stretch ground beef. Stir in cut-up bread crusts, oatmeal, homemade breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, or plain cereals. This is a great way to use up stale cracker
- Always reuse what you can. Old jars or bottles can be used for storage or crafts.
In the Bathroom
- With the toilet, there really is no need to flush every time. Toilets are HUGE water wasters in a house. Follow the old saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down
- Place a brick or milk jug full of water inside the toilet tank to reduce filling every time you flush
- When showering wash clothes in there too, hang it to dry. Less damage on the fabric and it helps extend wear and tear
- Again save toilet paper rolls for crafts and gardening
- Take a 60-second shower! If you're really brave, use cold water, saves on having your water tank having to frequently reheat
- Buy a .49 cent box of baking soda and make a “home-made” environmentally safe cleanser
- Use baking soda as a natural teeth whitener, just a dab mixed with a little toothpaste is great!
- Never buy a store-bought toilet bowl cleaner unless you have exceptionally hard water. Instead, just sprinkle some baking soda all over the inside of the bowl, add a little white vinegar, leave it for a few minutes, then scrub it down with a toilet brush and flush it. ·
- Or...to clean a toilet drop and effervescent tablet in the bowl. Wait for it to dissolve and then flush. Beautiful.
- When the toothpaste runs empty, and you’ve squeezed out all you can, cut off the bottom end, and use your toothbrush to “scoop” out what remains. There is still a lot in there!
- When shampoo or conditioner runs low, add a little water and shake the container, you can still get 2-3 more washes!
- When you use bar soap and only have a small bit left, squish it into a new bar and keep using it
- When using the bathroom, pee in a seal-able bottle. When full, pour on your compost pile to help gardening. And...save money on flushing!
In the Laundry Room
- Save old socks or shirts for dusting cloths
- Line dry laundry
- Save lint and fabric softener sheets for summer fire starters or for camping
- Dust electronics with fabric softener sheets
- Use fabric softener sheets 2-3 times
- Always wash clothes with cold water, it reduces the use of your hot water tank, and you won’t have to separate whites from darks. Just put them all together
- Make your own laundry soap
- Use vinegar as fabric softener
General Cleaning
- Put baking soda in your vacuum bag/container, it helps to naturally deodorize and it’s cheap
- Use vinegar for cleaning
- Put old coffee ground in a spray container with water and use this solution to wash windows perfectly! Wipe windows with old newspaper, for a PERFECT streak free shine. We save newspaper junk mail for this! Free!
- Reuse old socks and fabric for dusting
- Don’t use garbage bags in bathrooms, use containers you can dump into large bags
- Save grocery bags for packing lunches & cleaning cat boxes
- Take the time to use cleaning as an excuse for a quick exercise. Set an alarm for 45 minutes and have everyone run through the house cleaning as fast as they can, see who does the best job
Product samples!
General House
- Save and collect samples! I have not bought perfume in years! When I go to a mall I ask to sample my favorite scents, you usually get a small spray container that can last weeks depending on how often you use them. You’ll also find tons of samples in magazines
- Save all samples for use. I’ve gotten laundry detergent, lotion, perfume, bath products, various beauty products, snacks, food samples, dental floss, I can’t recall the last time we bought dental floss. These are great for travel and camping!
- If you go to a hotel, take those samples too. You can use them for future travel, or just around the house. They make good stocking stuffers too. Why not take them?
- Carpool or walk when its an option
- Get rid of your car if you can! Use a bicycle
- Downsize your home
- Get a renter or room-mate
- Challenge your property taxes
- Barter with neighbors
- Take advantage of thrift stores
- Dumpster dive!
- Learn how to forage for edible greens in your local woods!
- Use coupons or buy generic brands
- Take advantage of Thrift Stores
- Use corn starch for "dry shampoo"
- Catch rainwater and recycle it in your garden
- Get rid of cable-use an antenna, Roku, or Netflix, or use the library for free video rentals
- Use Skype for a home phone, or Majicjack and get rid of your landline or cell phones!
Live under your means
- Simple things that can lower your Natural Gas Bill
There are a few easy things you can do in less than 20 minutes to lower your gas bill... read on to find out... - How To Live Under Your Means, Enjoy Your Life, & Sav...
You don't have to give up the life you love, just make a few adjustments!
What do you have to lose?
Try these suggestions in your own home and you’ll begin reaping minor rewards. You can even track the savings if you are a stickler on your budgeting like I am. Extra money can be saved for clothing, dining out, or vacations.
The Dollar Tree is useful
- Things You Should Buy From Dollar Tree
There are things you should absolutely buy from the Dollar Tree. Why overpay when you just don't have to!
© 2013 Rebecca