Household Items

My parents both saved money in ways that they didn't plan to, but rather they did these things because they wanted to.  These are ways that can be helpful when saving some money and they go hand in hand with helping the envirnoment, which if you haven't noticed I'm pretty big on.  

The first thing is using vinegar and baking soda whenever possible in place of other cleaning chemicals, which can be costly. 

Vinegar and baking soda for cleaning:

My Mom uses vinegar and baking soda for everything! Here are just a few ways she uses these items:

1. Cleaning the floors (vinegar and water ) ~ Vinegar will get out almost any stain in carpets.  Mix a solution of about 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. 
2. Declogging the sink (vinegar and baking soda) ~ Combination of 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 salt, then 1-2 cups vinegar poured down drain, then 15 minutes later pour as much as boiling water down the drain as you can. 
3. Cleaning the shower (baking soda) ~ Sprinkle some on let it set for 30 min or so, scrub, and then rinse away. 
4. Cleaning the sink (baking soda) ~ Sprinkle some on let it set for 30 min or so, scrub, and then rinse away. 
5. Rinse aid in dishwasher (vinegar) ~ Add vinegar to your rinse aid compartment 
6. Cleaning hard water stains (vinegar) ~ Heat vinegar just until boiling, and pour over hard water stains, or soak the heated vinegar with paper towels and drape on the hard water stains, set for 15-30 min and then wipe off. 

Another use for vinegar that a friend told me about; use vinegar in place of fabric softener.  Not only does it work as a fabric softener it also works as a stain remover so it's double helpful in the wash.

Finally, baking soda and vinegar are great ways to help relieve diaper rash.  One day my Peanut got a diaper rash bad and so I googled natural rememdies for diaper rash.  These two are ones that not only worked great, but are cost friendly:

1. Baking soda bath: 1 Tablespoon baking soda dissolved in bath water.
2. Vinegar wipes: 1 teaspoon vinegar to 1 cup water, mix and add to a washcloth to use to wipe.

While my Mom saved money on cleaning the house, my Dad saved money on things we used in the house, like electricity. 

Turning off the lights: 

Growing up my Dad was always having us turn off the lights whenever we weren't in the room.  Now owning my own home I realize how much you can save by turning the lights down when you aren't in the room.  Although, I'm not a big fan of dark, so when I'm home alone I like the lights on, but I've found I can save a little by using lamps instead of the overhead lights.  Plus, during the day, open those curtains and windows, let that natural light in and turn off the lights!



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