In today’s economy, it’s important to save time and money where you can. Although the recession seems to be over and things are getting better, wages don’t seem to be keeping up with the high cost of living. It can be expensive maintaining a home, so I’ve put together a list of frugal home hacks that I’ve either used myself or heard of from others. I hope you find them as helpful in saving time and money as I have.
Save Electricity
Earlier this month, I wrote about keeping your home cool without spending a lot of money. Many of those tips apply here for saving on electricity. In addition, use the following tips to save even more.
1. Switch to CFL bulbs – although they are a bit more expensive than regular bulbs initially, you do save considerably more money on your electric bill. Look for sales: sometimes you can pick CFL bulbs up for as little as $.99 a bulb.
2. Wear clothing more than once before washing – I’m not trying to be gross here, but if you only wear an outfit for a few hours, chances are it’s not dirty (unless you spilled food or drink down the front of it). You can probably wear it one more time before having to wash it.
3. Reuse bath towels – You’re clean when you come out of the shower, so your towel isn’t dirty after drying off with it.
Save Water
4. Reuse dishwater to water houseplants.
5. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
6. Don’t water your lawn in the summer – If you can’t stand the though of a brown lawn, place your sprinklers on a timer so if you forget to shut them off, they go off by themselves.
Cleaning and Maintenance around the Home
7. Reuse dryer sheets to dust electronics. The anti-static nature will help repel dust longer.
8. Make your own home repairs. The Internet is full of tutorials on just about anything you need to fix.
9. Don’t buy drain cleaner ever again – Pour a cup of baking soda down a clogged drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let it bubble and set for an hour, then pour boiling water down.
Go Green and Save
10. Recycle – Rather than throwing away those empty soda cans, collect them and turn them in for cash. Depending on whether you crush them or not and what the price per pound is for aluminum, you could make a nice tidy sum.
11. Compost – If you garden, the money you save on fertilizer is well worth the effort.
12. Don’t upgrade your appliances until they no longer work – Get as much use as you can out of appliances and only replace them when you have to. Not only will you save yourself some money, you’ll be helping the environment, too.
Do you have any tips that help you save time and money?
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