10 Things You Should Stop Buying to Save Money

I am always looking for ways to save at the grocery store. We live on a tight, okay really tight, budget and getting the most bang for the buck has become a requirement of living within our means. My favorite way to cut costs is to find multipurpose products that allow me to buy one thing for a dozen different uses instead of a dozen different products.

No. 1 Stain Removers for Laundry, Carpet, and Other Fabric Surfaces

I have tried a lot of DIY products in the name of saving money. Only those that are cost effective, really, truly work and do not require a lot of fuss to make stay on the keep list. I both like and need to save money anywhere that I can, but if it is too complicated or requires too much effort, I don’t feel that it is worth the hassle.

By far, the best product that I have ever used to treat stains of any kind is a DIY recipe with common household products that you are likely buying anyways.

No. 2 Facial Cleansers and Moisturizers

A few years ago, a friend at work turned me on to using an oil blend for face wash. which contained equal parts of coconut oil and castor oil with a touch of vitamin E. I took a sample from her and gave it a try and that was the beginning of my addiction to coconut oil. My skin was more hydrated, less oily, softer and younger feeling than ever.

It might not be a cost-savings if you are not already buying coconut oil. But for me, I already buy it in bulk for cooking and a dozen other uses so it is regularly on-hand. If you are not already buying it, it is readily available at any grocery store. But, I find the price is best at Sams/Costco.

No. 3 Disinfectant Spray

Distilled vinegar and citrus fruits both have natural disinfecting properties and work well as household cleaners. I use a DIY multipurpose spray made from white vinegar and original blue dawn dish soap diluted with water. It works every bit as well as any commercial cleaner.

No. 4 Stainless and Chrome Polishes

Get sparkly clean polishes on your sink faucets, door handles and other fixtures with baking soda instead of spending your dollars on commercially made polishes. Also, skip wood furniture polish (which leaves a waxy residue anyway) in favor of olive oil or coconut oil.

No. 5  Vegetable/Produce Wash

Yes, insecticides are nasty business and yes, you absolutely still want to wash your produce when you bring it home. But, spending money on commercially made products for this purpose is kind of just using more chemicals to wash away chemicals. A better, cheaper, and likely on-hand solution is to wash your produce in lemon juice. Citrus fruits have natural disinfecting properties and provide an excellent natural alternative.

No. 6  Deodorizers (for any purpose), but especially carpets/upholstery, garbage disposals and refrigerators

Baking soda alone does a fantastic job of absorbing orders. Most products that you sprinkle on carpets are just a base of baking soda with chemicals/additives for scent and filler. Using straight baking soda actually works better because it doesn’t contain the fillers. For the garbage disposal, save your citrus rinds and use the disposal to grind them up for a bit of freshness.

No. 7  Anti-fungal Treatments

If you are prone to fungal infections, you might already have the best remedy on-hand. Listerine mouth wash is a powerful disinfectant that does well at killing athletes foot and toenail fungus when used as a foot soak. Sprinkle cornstarch inside your athletic shoes to prevent these infections and bust smelly foot odors.

No. 8 Shaving Cream

I have been shaving with hair conditioner for years because it is slicker and helps the razor glide better, giving a closer shave. I buy cheap conditioner for this purpose and not my good stuff, but somewhere along the way I discovered it and I just liked it better. For an even-cheaper alternative, you can shave with coconut oil. I personally have not tried this one, but given my love for coconut oil I just might try it in the near future.

No. 9  Makeup Remover

It is no surprise that coconut oil makes a wonderful multipurpose beauty product. I have personally found over a dozen uses for it in my home. I don’t where a lot of eye makeup, but when I did, I remember how essential it was to have a product that removed it well. On the rare occasion that I go out in full glam these days, coconut oil works perfectly to remove all evidence.

No. 10  Acne Treatments

The fastest way to eliminate an unsightly blemish doesn’t require a pharmaceutical or a costly spot cream. If you already keep Listerine mouthwash in the medicine cabinet, just remember that it is a powerful disinfectant. You can dab a bit on the blemish with the end of a q-tip and clear the blemish up in one day.