10 Money Saving Household Tips

There are many ways you can save money around your house, simple things that you may not have thought about. Here are ten tips that I use all the time:

1. Dryer sheets are good for more than one load of clothes. The same dryer sheet can be used for 3 or 4 loads. When a dryer sheet has lost its scent you can dust off a couple of shelves and the television screen before tossing it in the garbage.
2. When your shampoo, conditioner or liquid soap bottles no longer dispense their contents, there is still residue on the bottom and sides of the inside of the bottle. Add some water and shake. You can get a couple of more washes out of your shampoo and weeks' worth of hand washings from the liquid soap.
3. When you think your toothpaste tube is empty, place the tube flat on the counter. Use the handle of your toothbrush starting at the bottom of the tube and press down while pushing more toothpaste to the top of the tube.
4. Keep a juice jug next to your kitchen sink. When washing dishes, especially jars and bottles, pour the rinse water into the jug. When you need fresh water for tea or coffee, empty the old water from the kettle into this jug. The next time you fill up the sink to wash dishes, add the jug of water and you won't need as much from the tap to fill your sink.
5. Any juice, water, coffee or tea left in cups can be used to feed house plants. Use room temperature water so as not to “shock” your plants.
6. If you use pasta sauce from a jar or can, after you “empty” the container add some water and swish it around to get every bit of sauce off the inside and add it to your meal preparation. This will give you more sauce without having to open another container.
7. Extra spaghetti sauce or sauce created in a slow cooker can be frozen and used again for the next time you need that sauce for a meal
8. When asked at the drive-thru of your favourite fast food restaurant if you want ketchup, always say yes. Put the extra packets in the fridge to use for school lunches like macaroni & cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches.
9. All pieces of paper have two sides. Be sure to use both sides of the paper. Printer paper can be printed on both sides; paper scraps and used envelopes can be used for notes and lists.
10. Keep an old towel in the dryer. The dry towel will help your clothes dry faster. And be sure to put your next load in while the dryer is still warm. You will use less energy than if you had to heat it up again.