In this economy, most folks are trying to stretch their money as far as possible. Here are a few simple ways to do that.
1. Limit your paper towel use. Of course, if you don't buy paper towels at all, and opt for microwave food covers, washable cloths, etc., that will save you the most money.
But, many people DO buy paper towels for certain household needs. That being said, they are too pricey to waste. The fewer we use, the better.
2. Save on your morning brew. It's at least twice as expensive to make a cup of coffee with a k-cup coffee maker than it is to do so from a drip pot. Using a regular coffee maker that doesn't require you to use k-cups, is also nicer to the environment. So, if you're debating those two options for your next coffee pot purchase, and money is a factor, consider the regular coffee pot.
If you prefer a k-cup coffee maker, you can reuse a k-cup for your second cup of coffee, instead of using a brand new pod, and still get a decent brew. That being said, this is best done pretty quickly. In other words, have your first cup and if you're wanting a little bit more coffee, make your second half or full cup with that same
pod.
If you're going out for your daily cup of joe, consider making your coffee at home and keeping it hot in a travel mug. That will save you a whole bunch of money.
But if you insist on buying take-out coffee daily, save your more expensive brews for special days. There are many establishments where you can still buy a To Go cup for a buck or two, versus the
astronomical $5 to $7 many folks are paying.
3. Hold on to those paper goods and condiments. Now, I'm certainly not suggesting you hoard a drawer's worth of soy sauce from
every Chinese food delivery you get, but you can save yourself a trip to the grocery store now and then, plus keep extra money in your wallet, if you save some of the paper goods and condiments that you use often.
For instance, I recently purchased take-home sandwiches from Subway for me and my husband. The staff included a stack of napkins in the bag. Joe and I only used two napkins for lunch. So we saved the rest of the stack. They went right on top of the napkins in our napkin holder and we used them until they were gone.
Do you have extra unused condiment-sized containers or single use packets of dressing or special sauce that you like and didn't use from your last restaurant visit? Save them and use as a salad dressing or dinner condiment this week.
4. Use every last drop of makeup or hand cream. You've used up most of your makeup foundation or hand cream, but you know there's still a useful bit in that container that you can't easily get out. Plus, it's super pricey and you feel horrible just throwing it out.
Have no fear. A set of silicon spatulas will help you use up every last drop.
5. Turn it upside down. Some items, like hair conditioner, tend to settle to the bottom of the plastic bottle. Get that conditioner to the top of the bottle by capping it and storing it upside down. When you're
ready to take your next shower, you'll be able to get a few more uses out of whatever product is still in there.
What are YOUR favorite tips for getting more use out
of what you have? Reply and let me know. I'll publish your tips in future editions of this newsletter.
