This is my first post on here, and it is late, so for anyone reading, please excuse any typo's and just unclear sentences. I will fix/update them as I get time.
Over the past two years, I have tried to save as much money as possible. First it was little things like cutting coupons from newspapers and using coupons in emails. Then I expanded and tried searching for as many coupons as possible online that I knew I'd use. Well that turned sour because I found myself printing coupons for things that I wouldn't normally buy, so I was saving money on a product, but it was on a product I didn't want/need or really used as much as I thought I would. Now I only find coupons for items I need. (see below). So it went from simple couponing, to how to save items. Instead of just saving money at the store, I wanted to save the actual item at home.
I've made a short (supposed to be) list of ways I've saved money over the past year with household items. I realize there are thousands of lists like this that can be found all over the internet, but I think mine has a few on it that I've never see anywhere else. I will update this website as I find more money saving tips or as I remember daily things that I do to save money. I should add a disclaimer that many of these tips and tricks I’ve found on pinterest and others I’ve thought of myself. If I’ve included a link, then more than likely I did not think of it myself.
I should also include that I am a senior in college, living alone. I think this is important because it tells a lot about how I am able to do some of the follow things, whereas it might not be as easy for a family of 5 or someone who isn’t in college. Also, I am unmarried. Not that these are going to change when I get married, but I figured I’d add it.
This image is not mine, but this is the stuff I use around my house, and how it use it to save money (buy in bulk, dilute).
1. Use a small amount of soap: Most dishwashing
soaps come ultra concentrated. Which means it can be watered down and still
have same effect. I've done the spread/smear plates with common bacteria; I
know that it still kills the same amount of bacteria (if done properly). What I
do is buy the best one for my money (generic at Dollar General is 72fl.oz for $1). Soap all
has the active ingredient in it and works the same. I put about 1/4 cup into a small,
empty soap container. Then dilute up with water to about half the bottle. Just
a 1:1 dilution. This way I also see how little soap I have and think to use
less. For the water I use to dilute, it must be clean. No tap water, or from a
sink. I either use distilled or boiled water. Since boiled is cheaper, I use that! The boiled water used must be room
temperature before adding. Or at least I make it room temperature. The warmer water will help it go into solution, but you don't want to try to pour boiling water. If by chance
I boil too much, I use the rest of the water to water my plants. I keep the large container I bought just out
of site, and when the one at the sink is empty, I just refill it using same process. It is normally once every 2 months. Here is the bottle I use at the sink daily. This was made from a fruity scent and water. I've also noticed if I fill the bottle all of the way full, I use more. If I leave a small amount in there, it lasts longer.
2. Make own foaming hand soaps. I normally
get 1-3 foaming hand soaps a year at Christmas from Bath and Body works. I love
how they smell but they are gone so quickly. One thing I did last year was pour
¾ of the soap into a spare jar (I'm a spaghetti jar freak—see 5 below) and label
to save it. I then dilute the rest up with the distilled/boiled water. If by
chance I run out I use regular hand soap (gel kind). The large refills for the
small dispensers are so much cheaper to buy (see below) and you get a wide
array of types of choose from. To make it foaming in the special dispensers, I
put about ½ inch of soap. Just eyeball it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Then
add water (boiling or distilled) and slowly mix by going to side to side. This
is a process, but with my science background I was able to find a good
technique to get the soap into solution. Then fill rest of way up with water. I
will also sometimes add the soap, then a small amount of water, and vigorously
shake. Then add a little more water and shake again... and I do this until it
is about ¾ of the way full. (I did find a link to this after I wrote this. It
gives photos how to do it yourself.) - http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/05/how-to-make-homemade-foaming-soap.html
3. Reuse bags: Don't waste money on trash
bags if you have a small family. I noticed I waste trash bag space because it
smells before it is full and I take it out. I live alone so it's hard to fill
up before it starts to smell from food. I also save almost every bag I get from
Walmart, target, Meijer, you name it! I use these as trash bags. I hung up a bent
nail and I just put the bag on that! They fill up daily or every 2-3 and are
easy to take out. Even with a coupon I was still spending a chunk of money on trash bags.
Not anymore! My goal is not to use any for a year, or longer. When I go to a
self-check out lanes at stores I use a lot of bags. They don’t monitor too
closely and they won’t even notice. I prefer some self-check outs because I can
see just how much I save when I use a coupon; however it can be a pain if it is
busy.
4. (Has been relocated to the end because of length)
5. Save jars. I'm a freak about it.
Spaghetti jars, olives, sauces, candles…etc. I actually get excited when I buy
it! They are great for everything throughout the house, nails, craft items,
everything. I have a storage bin just fill of jars that are labeled with what
is in them. It makes organizing MUCH easier and I’m not being wasteful! The
jars are also good for saving extra soap from #5.
6. Use a towel by the week. For bath
towels I only get a new one on Sunday's. I am clean when I get out of shower so
why is it dirty? The “dirty” towel on Sunday gets used to wrap my hair and then
in the dirty towels. This helps save my towels hamper from building up. Same
with kitchen towels; I get two out a week. One to dry dishes on or with and one
for hands after washing. They are hung and labeled in my kitchen properly. I do
believe this is a common practice, but when I only own 4 bath towels, I had to
think of something.
7. Cut sponges in half.
I noticed one day
while using a sponge that I don't need the whole thing. I've found the
best
deal for them is at Dollar General. You get 6 for $1 which is cheapest
I've
found even with a coupon. I cut these in half to get 12. So I get 12
sponges
for $1. I store them in an old soda - liter bottle with top cut off
under
the sink. I often will put the sponge through the dishwasher or in the
microwave (in a bowl of water) for 5 minutes to kill bacteria. For the
shower I use 1/2 a sponge that i leave in a mason jar under the sink.
The sponge is in an isopropyl alcohol solution to kill bacteria and I
normally heat in microwave before I use. [[[[I also cut dry sheets in
half!]]]]]]. This is a photo of how my sponges look when cut in half:
8. I buy cheapest for my money. Even if
that means buying in bulk and spending more now. For example, water. I do buy
bottled water. I know I should get a Breta filter and just refill bottles but
I'm not there yet. For water I buy the cheapest. I get 36 bottles for $3.68 at
wal-mart. It is normally great value brand but sometimes with a coupon I'll get
Dasani. I see people buying the 6 packs and I just think "seriously?
You'll be back sooner. You're not going to stop drinking water" so I buy
the most for my money. 9 times out of 10 the bigger packages cost less, per
bottle. (you also should look at per oz if they are not the same amounts). Also
with things like deodorants, bar soaps, toilet paper, computer ink, napkins I
buy in bulk. It is $19 for a 12 case of deodorant but it isn't like I'm going
to stop smelling any time soon. The price of 12 for $19 is better than 2
for 4+. I buy things that I know I will be buying again. Chicken, I buy the
largest pack I can find, and cheapest. I like fresh chicken, over the frozen
patties, so I buy the big packet. When I get home, I cut the fat off each one
and portion into a freezer bag. I normally do 2-3 per bag, because that’s how
many I’ll typically make for a meal (with company). Things that can be frozen
are great to buy in bulk because it can last a while in the freezer! List of
items that I buy the largest pack of: Chicken, deodorant, soaps, tp, napkins,
ink). When I make the chicken, I wash the bag thoroughly and reuse for something else!
9. Coupons. If I know I need something for
the house (napkins, food, ink, paint…etc) I make a list. First I tell myself “one
hour”. I allow one hour before I shop to search for coupons. I've gotten lost
online for hours before so the time limit gives me a direction. I try to find
name brand coupons for items in buying anyways. The brands website is a good
starter. Then coupon.com and places like that. For example, I found coupons for
Tide, Borax, Washing Soda, Toilet Paper, Napkins, etc… all online. You just
print off, and use! I have an iPhone and I take advantage of it! I have so many
free coupon apps that you just find the store you’re at, and you can find a 50%
off one item, or a buy one get one (BOGO) free. I also sign up for stores that I go to
a lot email program. I get emails from kohls, Joanna fabric, Michaels, Hobby
Lobby, Gordmans, …you name it! MOST of the time the store will accept the
coupon electronically. A tip: I’ve noticed some stores I have terrible Internet
at and I can’t load the coupon while in it. I will get to the coupon, save it
to my phone and just access it through photos when I need it. Coupons can also
be found at the end of phonebooks and in newspapers. Websites I use:
Coupon
Database
Smart Source
RedPlum
Coupons.com
Cellfire.com
Savingstar.com
10. Saving Ink and Paper While Printing. I print
on back of pages I don't need anymore. Most of my schoolwork is front and back
to save paper. So if I print or copy something that was a mistake I reuse the
back mainly for coupons. I cut the coupons out so it isn't a huge deal. On my
printer settings I also only use “Fast Draft and Black And White” so it doesn’t
waste color ink and it isn’t the top notch quality, but for some things, it
doesn’t need to be. When I buy ink, I buy the refurbish ones online. I just
google search buy ink, open an excel spreadsheet and figure out which site will
give me the lowest price for ink. It takes about 15 minutes. Last time I think
I bought 12 inks (6 black, 6 color) for $54. It was something like $4-5 a
piece!
11. Acquire Computer Paper Elsewhere. This
is one tip that I have access to that some readers here won’t. I rarely pay for
computer paper. I go to a college and printing isn't free. So one thing I've
been known to do is re-home (or steal, whichever you prefer) paper from a copy
machine. The copy machine requires a card to use but one thing that isn't
protected, is the paper. Normally the drawers at the bottom can be opened to
load paper. The paper is just as easy to unload and put in bookbag. A simple
way to get tuition money worth.
12. Goodwill and Thift stores are your friend! My
mother
would be so proud to hear me say that! I literally look at Thift stores
and Goodwill before anywhere else when shopping for a specific
appliance, toy,
game, clothing items…etc. I do pick thift stores over goodwill
(cheaper). For
example, I found a cheese grater that I use for soap, a store bin I use
for my
glass jars and so many odd kitchen items. Like I stated, I am in college
– so I
don’t have a lot of stuff. When I find myself in need of baking pan, or a
new
pair of shoes, I hit up cheaper stores first. I even have graduated to
buying
clothes there! I used to never do it, until I went to Mexico and needed
to buy
dresses and warmer clothes. It was way to expensive to buy everything
new and I
figured I only wear it 6-7 months out of the year, so why not. I do
typically
only buy name brands at goodwill/thift stores, but the savings is crazy!
(example: Abercrombie jeans – my size – perfect condition- $75 at store.
$5 at
Thift store. That’s a $70 discount on NEW designer jeans!). I will
SOMETIMES buy at Plato's Closest, but it's rare. I have been known to
sell clothes to them!
13. Buy online! This all started when I
wanted to buy something but didn’t want to buy it in stores! I searched online
and found drugstore.com. This was great! I found so many items (vitamins, hair
care) products that were actually cheaper to buy online. I waited until I found
$25 worth of stuff (for free shipping) and paid. Every few months they give you
5% back on what you’ve spent + $5 off (over $40), so I take advantage of that!
I find products that are cheaper on the website (they have great BOGO deals)
and order. It isn’t worth it to buy the products that won’t qualify for free
shipping, so I avoid that. Another tip when I buy anything online, from ANY
website, I search for a coupon. For example, I was buying some shirts at
zazzle, well before I checked out, it had a place for a coupon, so I went to
google, typed in zazzle coupon and bamm, found one for 15% purchase. It saved
me $5.40. Amazing, just for less than a minute of my time and google. Now, I
won’t checkout any website before searching google for more coupons.
14. Shower at school! This is one thing I
have wanted to start doing, but haven’t! Recently my apartment’s hot water
heater changed from electric to gas. This was a bummer because gas is more expensive
here and I enjoy showers that set off the fire alarm. I HAVE to pay (no way
around it) for a gym membership to my school’s gym. I go daily to take full
advantage of this. If I work out hard and am terribly sweaty, or if I have some
place to go after, I will rinse off briefly at the showers in the locker room.
However, when this new semester starts, the way my classes and the group
exercise classes work out, I will be ending each day at the gym. I am going to
start showering at the gym after my work out. I have always been a person who
enjoys a nightly shower opposed to morning, so it works out perfect. This will
reduce my gas bill and I will have to clean my shower less often.
15. Craigslist and eBay. I am probably one
of the most paranoid people you might know, if you knew me. I have a PO Box set
up so that if my license gets lost or stolen the person who finds it won’t know
my address. I also do this because I like the security of my mail to be
…secure. I have the only key to get it out. Packages aren’t left out on the
porch for hours and no one else has access to my mail. With this said, I am
extremely careful on craigslist. When selling items (house hold décor mainly),
I research the person interested like crazy. When someone emails with their
interest, I google their email address and name until I find who they are and
if are deemed safe or sketchy. For
example of a sketchy person: I was trying to find a new home for puppies and
one lady contacted me asking if I’d be willing to give her one, opposed to her
buying. I thought about it for a while. Then when I googled her, I found her
facebook (which was wide open) and after reviewing her leisure activities and
lack of privacy settings I decided not to
“give” a sweet puppy to this person who doesn’t even know how to use
privacy settings.
When I sell
anything on craigslist, I meet them in an OPEN location were cameras are
present and ask for CASH only. Any parking lot or after hour car dealer ship
works. One tip is starting high. If someone has a desire for your product, they
will contact you and either ask you to lower your price, or pay full price. I
was asking $300 for a table I had, fully expecting to be talked down to $200.
Well nope, the person liked it so much, she paid full price without questions
for it! As for eBay, have a separate banking account set-up just for ebay sales
and purchase. I don’t really ‘save’ money here because I normally buy something
when I get paid for something else, but it is the circle of life! An example of
a great eBay sale I made that you could also: I got an UGLY pair of Ugg boots
for Christmas. They were a size too large and in brown. I hated them to say the
least. I wore them one time and decided they needed to go. I would much rather
pocket the money than have these gross looking boots interrupting my closet. So
I waited for eBay to have free listings and listed. In 7 days they sold. I
asked for the buyer to pay for shipping, UNLESS selling price was over $100.
They sold for $200 something. Then when I subtracted the selling fee associated
I still made well over $190 profit from shoes I was never going to wear again.
16. Paper items: My
view on paper plates, plastic forks, napkins, paper towels..etc. Being
in college and on the go, I do use paper plates to save time and dishes.
Half of the week, I will use regular plastic washable plates. I figured
the cost of water (which my landlord pays) + soap (that is diluted) is
cheaper than the 1 paper plate I was using that i'll just toss away or
in recycling. I do not use plastic forks or utensils for this reason
also. I buy napkins over paper towels for the costs factor. A napkin and
a paper towel does the same job. I use napkins for grease clean up or
other odd jobs, rarely for dining. I have reusable washable cloths for
that. Napkins are a WHOLE lot cheaper than paper towels. I forget the
exact figures (since I haven't bought in so long), I just know I get
more napkins for my money, than paper towels.
17. Make laundry and body soap. At first I
was kind of reluctant to try this, but I am so thankful that I did. I already
had a full bottle of Tide so I didn't want to make my own until it was gone.
But it was new bottle and I was excited to try this! I will probably never buy
expensive laundry soap again. This works just as well! Here is the link I used
to make my own. The only modifications I made were instead of Dawn dish soap, I
used my Tide (so I still got the GREAT Tide smell).
She has TONS
of great DIY recipes and is just a genius!
To calculate
my price per load and jug, I did this:
Borax 3.38 at
Walmart for 72 oz or 2.15kg (need 3 Tablespoons)
Washing Soda
3.24 at Walmart for 55 oz or 1559 g (need 3 Table spoons)
Tide was 14
after coupon (need 2 tablespoons – I used 3 so I only dirtied 1 measuring cup).
Washing Soda:
$3.24 for 1559
grams
28 grams in 1
tablespoon
I needed 3
tablespoons
$3.24 for 1559
grams
$x.00 for 84
grams
$0.18 PER
gallon of Washing Soda.
Borax
$3.38 for 2150
grams (2.15kg = 2150grams)
28 grams in 1
tablespoon
I needed 3
tablespoons
$3.38 for 2150
grams
$x.00 for 84
grams
$0.13 PER
gallon of Borax.
Tide (OR which you decide to use)
$14.20 for 2.95
Liter
68 tablespoons
in 1 liter (201 tablespoons per jug)
I needed 3
tablespoons
$14.20 for 201
tablespoons
$x.00 for 3
tablespoons
$0.21 PER
gallon of Tide needed
=0.21 + 0.13 +
0.18 = 0.52 for 1 gallon! Each load I
use about ¾ to 1 cup each load (it is very thin) so I get about 16 loads! So
0.52/16 = 0.03 per load!! This was remarkable! If I were just using a ½ cup of
tide (like I used to) I would be spending (let’s see ½ cup = 16
tablespoons…there is 201 tablespoons per jug that costs 14.20 with coupon so)
$1.13, which is a savings of $1.10 per load. (I do realize this was very
detailed, but it was nothing given what I do all day)
I only made
one gallon at a time! I do laundry once a month or so, (WHERE I USE MY OWN
DETERGENT). 75% of the time when I do laundry it is either at relatives when I
visit (family doesn’t care) or at my boss’s house when I’m housesitting. And
since I live in an apartment, I use an old dish-soap container to store it in.
My laundry is down 4 sets of stairs, so the whole thing of laundry detergent +
laundry is heavy. I just use the small container attached to an old measuring
spoon I found at goodwill ($.25) to travel.
Body Soap:
As for body
soap I knew bar soaps were much easier to come by and so much cheaper. I used
this link to make my own. http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/make-your-own-body-wash.html (For the recipe I used, go down to the bottom
of the post).
How To Make
Your Own Body Wash:6 cups water
3 bars of soap, grated.
Put into a pan on the stove on medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the soap is dissolved.
Some small modifications I made was I did 1.5 bars and 3 cups of water. I figured I could also make it when I needed. The pack of 6 bars (at Dollar General) was $4.50. I used 1.5 bars so = $1.13 per making. Now I make a new one about once every few months. (I only use a small amount in shower – maybe 2 teaspoons on sponge). I was buying the Dove, or generic Dove type just like the website says and it was anywhere from 4-6 dollars. I save old milk jugs to keep it in if I make too much. I also didn’t go buy a pump, whereas I had an old soap bottle that was nearly empty that I use. I also do NOT use the same grater for this soap as I do my cheese. I went to goodwill, found an old one and labeled it SOAP ONLY! IT was 50 cents and works great.
Small money saving tips:
-When I’m away
housesitting for my boss, or visiting family at home, I unplug appliances like
my coffee maker (it take less than a minute to reprogram the time and it costs
money to keep it running), TV (big plasma TV sucks power even when not on),
phone chargers…anything that is plugged in that will not be used, or have
something crazy happen if unplugged. Pretty much the only thing I leaved
plugged in while I am gone for more than 24 hours is the fridge and alarm
clock. Everything else gets the boot! Lamps, a/c unit/ chargers…etc.
-I charge my
phone at work/school. Most of my classes are either large or extremely small.
Some classes are so large that instructor doesn’t notice that a computer is out
(sucking power from the school), or that my iPhone is plugged into that
charging, syncing..etc. And some classes are so small that the instructor
doesn’t care that it is plugged it and away. One of my instructors jokingly
encouraged it. If it was by the outlet, it wasn’t by me and I wasn’t
distracted.
-I recycle all
types of bags; not just store bags. Whenever I get a birthday or Christmas
gift, I save the tissue paper and the bag. That way when someone’s birthday
comes around I don’t have to spend $1+ on another bag when I have a perfectly
good one! I am also that person who asks for bags back if they are going to be
discarded.
-When
I buy produce, I google the best way to store it! Like I know oranges
should be kept away from every other fruit. And bananas last longer if
you take them apart. And asparagus should be covered in water, in the
fridge. These little tips that can easily be found on google has saved
me so much money on food that used to be thrown away.
-I also keep a
“note” in my phone for items I buy that are common and WHERE. I know at dollar
general it is cheaper to get 12 sponges for a $1 and at Meijer it is cheaper to
get fruits over walmart. I normally just put “Tea Bags – 100 for 2.75-DG” And I
know what this means. If I see it cheaper elsewhere I update it. For things
that vary, I don’t include, but I remember well!
-I
only turn on a/c when I am at home and whenever needed. As the summer
months come, I am trying so hard to leave windows open! A nice breeze is
nicer than artificial cold air! however, at night if it is just too
warm, I turn on my a/c unit in my bedroom only. This localizes the
coldness and prevents me from having to cool the entire apartment. I
have a timer on my a/c unit. One way to get me out of bed in the morning
is I set the timer for 1 hour before I want to wake up. By the time the
room gets hot, I am sweaty and ready to get up.
-I
am a sucker for Yankee Candles. With my coupon app I can normally get
BOGO free. When the wick gets too small to light, I put it on the candle
melter and either let it make the room smell good that way, OR I make a
smaller candle. I have many baby food jars that I use to make candles. I
bought wick at Michael (with my coupon) and secured it in the jar,
waited for wax to melt, poured in and bam, new yankee candle. If the jar
is warm enough the label will peel right off and can be put on the new
candle.
-Lastly, I am
that person who will get their phone out at the store and see which is cheaper;
generic or name brand. Is 10 freezer bags (generic) for $1.25 better than 15
for $1.87? Yes, but only by $0.001, so in this case, I will always go with the
name brand. I have no problem buying
generic anything! On my main shopping days I start at Aldi, then Dollar General,
then Shop n Save and if there is anything I didn’t find there or I knew I count
get cheaper at Walmart/Meijer, I head there. County Market also has very good
deals and coupons so depending if I have any coupons exclusively there I will
go there first.
This
is all I
can currently think of that I do to save money. I hope some of this list
has
inspired or helped you in some way. I do plan on updating/editing as I
can. It
is 3am and this is quite long, so I do applaud you if you read this! I’m
clearly crazy over my money-saving, but when you’re in college and on a
budget
then every penny counts! After reviewing this on my own, I noticed this
does seem like a lot of effort. But really, it isn't! Don't be
discouraged! Most of it just second nature now. If I go to buy something
and it seems a little high, I will make a note of it and find a coupon.
If I can't find it, then I decide from there if I REALLY need it.
