Saving Money on This & That
Sometimes there are money saving tips that simply don't fall into a neat little category. Here are a few of tips like this and tips like that:
Save money by using washclothes for cleaning around the house instead of paper towels or moistened wipes, use only white washclothes for cleaning (easy to bleach!) and save patterned or colored washclothes for bathing.
Washing things such as bathrugs and comforters can be rough on your home washer and dryer - not to mention can take a long time and use up a lot of energy. Breathe new life into these items - and save money and energy doing it - by taking advantage of the large, utility sized washer and dryers at a local laundromat.
Want to save those pretty bows for future use but can't seem to keep them from getting crushed? Make a one-time investment in a wide piece of PVC pipe from a local hardware store. Place the bows one on top of the other in the pipe and it can be stored either standing up in the back of a closet or slide under a bed. Use some scrunched up tissue paper to "close" off the ends.
Instead of purchasing expensive hand/pocket warmers, make your own reusable ones. Use a few small square pieces of fabric and place the printed or right sides together. Stitch all the way around the edges leaving a few inches unstitched. Turn the fabric right side out and fill with rice. Fold the unstitched edges together and stitch closed. Pop the pocket warmers in the microwave for a few seconds until warm.
Enjoy getting professional pictures taken, but don’t enjoy the hefty price tag? Don’t get suckered into purchasing a big photo package from the portrait studio. Buy one or two of your favorite poses in the largest size possible and take the portraits to the digital photo kiosk located in both grocery stores and discount department stores throughout the country to duplicate and resize for cheap! (Remember, though, it’s better to start off with a larger picture and shrink it then vice versa!)
Help keep yourself on a budget by keeping track of funds in two check registers. Allocate deposits into each check register according to a set budget. One register for set, ongoing costs such as monthly bills. The other register for fluctuating costs that you have control over such as groceries, gas and family needs like clothing and entertainment. The goal behind this process is to ensure you always have enough to cover all the bills that must be paid (thereby avoiding costly late fees and penalties) and you’ll have the incentive of saving on groceries and other necessities that you have some control over in order to be able to afford other things that you may want versus really need.