Cut Back on Household Items
Since starting the BudgetBuster blog, I have been passionate about finding “real” ways of saving money for everyone and not just those that are strapped for cash. So I am constantly brainstorming to figure out what the next blog would be about. Today’s blog was conceived while I was cleaning my house before a trip to visit my parents for their 50th anniversary. I am extremely excited to say the least. With that being said, let’s get down to business.
Keeping a house intact and tidy is not only time consuming, but it can cost a lot to maintain your personal castle. I will let you in on some of the things I have personally done to save money on household items and cleaning products. Some of the ideas are directly related to my mom and dad who were very disciplined cleaners. I remember spending entire weekends keeping the house in order and although I despised my arduous chores back then, I am eternally grateful that my parents were so dog-gone strict about cleaning because it prepared me for my single years. It felt great to not have to date Susie Q because I didn’t know how or like to do laundry 
.
The alternative ways I discovered growing up have saved me a fortune on household items and I want to share them with you.
One of nature’s best kept secrets is vinegar. It can be used for a variety of applications in the home. One way that I used to use vinegar was to clean glass in the house and the family’s Econo-Line Ford van. The vinegar actually worked better than Windex and any other cleaner I had ever used, and since I had been the official glass cleaner in the family, I could definitely tell the difference. Another way to utilize vinegar is as a laundry softener. That’s right…I said laundry softener. What the vinegar does to the laundry is break down the laundry detergent which keeps it from leaving your favorite pair of jeans from feeling as stiff as a board after coming out of the dryer. It also helps keep allergies down for people with sensitive skin. Vinegar can also be used as a drain cleaner when coupled with baking soda. This will eliminate those foul odors that sometimes permeate from drains when food gets trapped in the garbage disposer and pipes.
The second tip that I use around the house is the re-use of plastic grocery store bags. There are an
Recycle your plastic bags
unbelievable amount of uses for those plastic bags from the grocery and covenience stores that some of us throw away. One way that I use my plastic bags is as a pooper scooper when I take my dog for a walk. It keeps my neighborhood from being riddled with fertilzer from my dog and it also gives me a way to re-use my plastic bags. Another use that I am sure that many of you may already be implementing is to use plastic bags as trash can liners in your small trash cans. I usually place at least two bags in the bottom for quick replacement of the full plastic bag being removed. Other ways to recycle your plastic bags are:
- Reuse at the grocery store.
- Place a few in your vehicle to use as trash dispensers.
- Store out-of-season clothing.
- Use as lunch bags.
Most of us have a box of baking soda around the house and use it for either cooking or keeping our
There are many uses for baking soda in the home.
refrigerators smelling fresh. But did you know that baking soda can be used in a variety of ways? If you have toddlers in the house and use cloth diapers, baking soda can be used to soak and wash the diapers. By doing so, you minimize an allergic reaction that can be caused by the chemicals found in most detergents. But it isn’t just for the baby’s diapers; baking soda can be added to any wash to get your clothes cleaner. I use baking soda to clean my sinks and toilets. The baking soda serve as a soft abrasive, cleaner, and freshener at the same time when cleaning sinks and toilets. Lastly, baking soda is a great teeth cleaning agent. Many tooth paste manufacturers include baking soda in their ingredients when producing their product. It has been used in this manner for decades and is a permanent fixture in plenty of bathrooms across the country.
As you can see, there are many ways to cut back on household items by finding low cost alternatives. We hope that this blog has been helpful and would love to hear your testimonies and BudgetBuster ideas. Send your ideas to budgetbuster@hotmail.com or just leave a comment.
