DIY and Save Money
Posted By :Elena Difiore
Posted At : Wednesday, Mar 16, 2011
Pretty much all of us have had the experience of being flat broke. Whether you are a poor college student living off of Top Ramen noodles, or currently in-between jobs and down on your luck, we could all benefit from pinching a few pennies here and there. For this week’s Mid-Week Update, we’ve compiled some clever DIY ideas that’ll help save you money. Read on to learn about common items or services you can save money on by doing them yourself at home.
Laundry Detergent and Dry Cleaning
This may sound like a daunting task at first, but it’s fairly simple. By searching the Internet for “homemade laundry detergent,” you can find dozens of clever recipes from money-saving savants. Many of the recipes include simple ingredients you can find around the house or at your local grocery store such as bars of soap, washing soda, Borax, and tap water. If you have the discipline to try out some of these techniques, you can go from paying an average of $.30-$.45 cents a load using store-bought detergent, to around $.03 cents a load with your homemade detergent. The savings may seem miniscule at first, but eventually it adds up! Plus, by making large quantities of detergent at one time, you can stock up and not have to repeat the process for months.
Another way to save money on your laundry is by skipping expensive dry cleaning services. Instead of paying ridiculous prices for a few items of clothing, try products like Dryel that allow you to achieve pretty much the same results at home.
Household Cleaning Products
Did you know there are several items in your pantry that could replace some of the expensive name brand cleaning products you use on a daily basis? Vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are great additions to any cleaning arsenal.
Vinegar works great as a disinfectant as well as a deodorizer. Simply take an empty spray bottle and mix one part vinegar with one part water and you’ll have a great product for cleaning most household surfaces.
Lemon juice is a great solution for battling soap scum as well as shining brass and copper. Also, if you combine 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1 cup of olive oil, you’ll have a great DIY furniture polish.
Baking soda is a great substitute for commercial abrasive cleansers. On top of that, it’s a great deodorizer. Placing a box of baking soda in the refrigerator or freezer with help to absorb any odors.
These are just a few of the DIY techniques that can go a long way to saving you more money. Try out these tips and see how far you can stretch your dollar.
