Simple Tips for Saving Money On Household Items
As many of my fans already know, I have made it my mission to live frugally and to save money wherever I can. Recently, I’ve been taking stock of my household items again to see what I needed to add onto my grocery list for the week and it dawned on me how much waste my family actually goes through. This train of thought was sparked by throwing the empty roll away from our paper towels and putting them on my list. When I really thought about it I was a little shocked at just how much paper towels/disposable napkins we go through on a daily basis.
This led me to think of all the other wasteful products we’ve been buying over the years and what I could do to not only limit the waste but save money as well. As I began making a list of all the things my family throw away on a daily basis, it occurred to me how easy it would be to replace these items with more durable versions that would help save on costs but also get more use out of the items too. They might cost a little extra at first but the more I compared costs and durability, the more I became certain that it was worth it in the long run.
For the benefit of my readers I’ve begun putting together a list of items that I’ve found that have replaced the cost and waste of some of our daily household items. Luckily for me and for you, many of the household items that we love are easily replaceable with long lasting materials that are both better for us and for the environment but also better for our bank accounts too.
- Paper Towels. As I mentioned above, these are something that are pretty much a staple in our home. If you think of how many you go through per each meal on a daily basis and do the math for how many napkins add up per week per family member, you have a ton of waste on your hands. You can easily learn how to sew up paper towels for yourself, there are tons of useful tutorials online, or you can go online to almost any retailer or Etsy and pick up some for a pretty decent price.
- Napkins. Just like with paper towels, I know a lot of people go through this things like they’re nothing but in the long run, they’re costing you quite the pretty penny. You can make or buy these online but personally, I love going to Etsy and seeing all the lovely designs and monogrammed versions. Not only are they cute and functional but they also save you money.
- Wipes. Whether you’re using them to clean the house or on little bottoms, cleaning wipes aren’t cheap. I’ve used enough in my daily cleaning routine and on little ones to know. Not only do you save money by making your own but you can also nix all the nasty chemicals that come with the store bought ones as well.
- Straws. My family loves having straws in our drinks. We often keep a big package of them in the cupboard, mainly for the little ones, because lets face it, what kid doesn’t love to have a straw in their drink? A great option to replace these plastic straws would be switching to either glass or stainless steel. We just recently made the switch to stainless steel and LOVE them. They’re built tough and super easy to clean and can usually be bought on the cheap.
- Dryer Sheets. Oh my goodness, if I had a dollar for every one of those that I use in the laundry, I’d be millionaire. Sure, they make your clothes smell heavenly but all those dryer sheets really add up over time and aren’t good for our landfills. Buying your own Wool Dryer Balls is a great way to cut the cost and get the same great feel to your laundry. Plus, you can even add essential oils to the wool dryer balls to get that fresh laundry scent that you love.