Saturday Share: 10 Thrifty Tips to Save Money

How about sharing some easy tips to save you some bucks? Some of these tips will save you some serious bucks.

Unlike some thrifty tips, these are actually very easy to do.

1. Instead of dryer sheets, cut a sponge in half. Soak both pieces in a container with 1 cup of liquid fabric softener and 2 cups of water.

Wring a sponge half out and toss it into your dryer with the wet clothes. When clothes are dry, drop the sponge back into the container. Replace the liquid mixture every 3 months.

2. In a spray bottle, place equal parts white vinegar and water and a few drops of dish washing liquid like Ivory. Use this as you would use any multi-purpose spray cleaner.

3. Use baking soda as a mild abrasive cleaner instead of a powdered cleanser like Comet. Just sprinkle some baking soda in the sink.

4. Have a saucepan with burned food in it? Put a cup of hot water in it, add a few spoonfuls of baking soda, and put the pan on the stove to boil. Turn heat off and let it cool. The burned residue should be easy to wash away.

5. Another use for baking soda is for indigestion. That's what people did back in the day before Alka-Seltzer was invented. In fact, Alka-Seltzer is mostly sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and aspirin. Instead, mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/4 cup of water. Stir and drink.

6. Instead of mouthwash, use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of warm water. Swish as usual. Sodium bicarbonate has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

7. Set your water heater on 120 degrees instead of the factory setting which is usually 140. You'll save a lot of money and also prevent possible scalding.

8. Relieve itchy skin with a baking soda bath. Add 1–2 cups of baking soda to a lukewarm bath.

9. Remove stinky garbage odor. Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your trash bins.

10. Clean fruits and vegetables with a natural solution of baking soda and water. Of course, peeling produce is the best way to remove pesticides, but if that's impractical—lettuce for instance—soak the produce in a baking soda solution for 15 minutes.

Takeaway Truth

It's amazing how much you can save by making your own household products.