I love to save money, so I’m always looking for even the smallest way to cut costs. Pennies add up, so even if I can only save a few cents on something, I’m on it. These are a few of the unconventional things I do that save me pennies. I hope they can help you too.
Use diluted cheap dishwashing liquid as hand soap. I buy the $1 bottles of cheap detergent, which are usually already diluted, and then dilute them again with 2 parts water before refilling my hand soap dispenser. This way, you don’t have to wet your hands before washing, which saves water. Just squirt, lather, and rinse.
Dilute your shampoo. Any hairdresser will tell you that full-strength shampoo is not good for your hair, especially if you wash daily. If you dilute it with five parts water to one part shampoo, you will be shocked at how long a bottle lasts! Plus, it still cleans your hair just as well. To save even more pennies, use that diluted shampoo as body wash. This is great if you take military showers, which is another excellent money saving idea.
Reuse coffee grounds twice. I don’t dump my coffee grounds after I make a pot because of this nifty trick I learned years ago. Leave your old grounds from your first pot of coffee in the filter, then add half as much. For example, if you use 4 scoops for 8 cups, use only two for the second pot. This, along with the coffee left in the old grounds, makes another pot of coffee. If it’s too weak, play with the amounts. I found with cheap coffee, sometimes I have to add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 scoop, but it really does save you money. After your second pot, dump those coffee grounds into your compost pile or around your acid-loving plants.
Use cheap scented floor cleaners in scent warmers. This is probably the strangest thing I do, but it really works. Scented floor cleaners are concentrated, and contain the same ingredients as some of those expensive liquid scents. My favorite scent is lavender, so I buy a cheap $1 bottle, dilute it by half, and put it into an old small candle jar on my scent warmer. It works just as well and cost me about a quarter of what the bottles of liquid scent cost.
Another alternative is to cram an old candle jar with leftover wax bits and then pour the full-strength scented cleaner over them. It will melt down into a nice, scented warming candle. When the scent fades, add some cinnamon or cloves for a spicy smell.
Finding creative ways to reuse and repurpose items can save big money over time. Do you have a favorite penny-saving tip? If so, share it in the comments.
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