Simple Ideas to Save Money

admin | September 15, 2012

Save Money (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

I am always looking for ways to save money. The thing I have recently realized is that it does not have to be difficult or complex to save money. As a matter of fact, the simplest things are often the best ways to save. With that in mind, I offer you some simple ideas to keep your wallet fat and your home in shape.

Save broken flip-flops –If you have a favorite pair of flip-flops but the hole has gotten so stretched out that it pops loose, or worse has split, then you may be thinking about buying a new pair. Save your time and money with a simple fix. Just use a bread tie, one of those square plastic ones, and slip it between the rubber and the hole on the bottom of your flip-flop. There you have it! Your favorite shoes are once again ready to hit the road.
Clear up headlights – If your car has grimy, dingy, yellowed, or scratched headlights, you may have trouble seeing at night. You may just not like the look of them and want them looking new and shiny once again. Do not spend a ton of money buyingsomesuper-secret recipe to clean headlights from the auto parts store. Instead, use toothpaste. With a little scrubbing your headlights will come out looking brand new.
Reusable Swiffer – If you invested in the Swiffer mops/brooms and you are spending all your money on replacement cloths, then stop now. You can just use a regular dish cloth. Use and reuse it and then wash it to use it again. Easy, works well, and is much better for the environment.
Clean your shower head – Hard water and gunk build up in the small holes of the shower head making it erratic and unpleasant to use. Do not invest in harsh and expensive chemicals to clean it out. Instead tie a plastic baggie full of white vinegar to it. Make sure the shower head is fully immersed in the vinegar. Let it sit overnight and by the morning the shower head will be as good as new, no scrubbing required.
Make your own dustpan and scoop – I do not know about you, but I am always breaking or losing my dustpan. I also let my kids take off with my scoops for flour, dirt and more. I do not want to keep buying the expensive plastic implements however. That is why I was so excited when I ran across a way to make my own. Making a scoop is very easy. Simply use an empty milk carton and cut off the top part of the handle. Then cut a triangular piece from the base of the other side of the handle all the way to the bottom of the carton. There you have it- a scoop! Making a dust pan works much the same way, but a large square container like one for orange juice works better. Cut out the handle and a square section from the lower part and you have a small but usable dustpan, great for getting in tight corners or to use with a hand broom.
Keep your keys safe and dry at the beach – Going to the beach is fun for the whole family, but it can be killer on you when you have to keep track of the cell phones, the keys and the money. Make it easier on yourself and keep everything safe by hiding it in an old lotion bottle. Just clean out the bottle and slip in your things. No one will mess with a bottle of lotion and it is less likely to get splashed or crushed.
Keeping kids in bed – I know that when I am traveling, it is hard to drag around safety rails to keep my kids snug in their beds. I do not know why kids love to roll out of bed in the middle of the night, but mine really do. So, this idea was a great one for my family. All you have to do is place a pool noodle under the fitted sheet along the side of the bed that is open. Then the kids cannot roll off! It is soft so it does not bother them as they sleep either. It is also light and very portable. They can even use it in the hotel pool! What great thinking!
Cover up scratches on wood – I am always scratching up my desk and other furniture. Sometimes it is due to a heavy or sharp object I drag across it and then sometimes it just happens for seemingly no reason. I do not have the time, money or ability to re-varnish all my woodwork. This tip is really strange but it works. All you have to do is rub a walnut across the scratches and they vanish! Make sure you shell the walnut first, though, or you will end up with more scratches then ever!
Cool drinks without watering them down – Sometimes you do not have the time or room to chill the drinks before you serve them to guests. You do not want to dilute the drinks with ice though, so what can you do? Simple! Just make ice cubes using whatever drink you are going to serve. Of course, this will not work with all drinks, but it can be a great idea for parties and large gatherings to make sure your punch bowl stays icy cool but not watered down.
Easy open and close storage bags – How many times have you been out with the kids and they have spilled a plastic bag full of cereal all over the car? I bet it is a lot. They can’t seem to get those plastic bags resealed and, frankly, I do not blame them. It is hard to do. Even I have trouble. So, to make it easier just reuse bottle tops. Cut the top off a plastic soda bottle or water bottle and use it to seal up plastic bags. Kids can unscrew the lid, pour out some cereal, and screw the lid back on. No muss, no fuss.
Prevent boil over – I am always boiling water over on the stove. It can create quite a sticky mess, especially when I am making pasta. To prevent boil over and keep your stove squeaky clean, all you have to do is lay a wooden spoon over the top of the pot. The spoon will prevent the water from boiling over. Wow, I wish I had known that a long time ago!
Fill a big bucket – Did you ever need to fill a large bucket with water and then get frustrated because it will not fit in the sink? Of course you have! This is a common problem, especially when you are trying to keep things clean. Here is a tip: using a clean dustpan, place the dustpan under the faucet spout with the handle over the edge of the sink. Put the bucket below the sink, directly in line with the dustpan’s handle. Turn the water on wand watch as the water flows down the dustpan’s handle, over the edge of the sink, and into the bucket. Wow, what a simple idea that works so well.

Hopefully these twelve ideas will get you on the right track to saving money simply. Just take a moment to think about how things you already have can be used in different ways. It might end up saving you a lot of time and money in the long run. After all, isn’t it a good idea to be able to reuse and recycle what we already have to make things better?

Author Byline:

Kelsey is the editor in chief for www.findananny.net/. She loves to write article and ideas that parents & nannies would be interested in hearing. She helps society on giving information about nannies through nanny services. She is a professional writer & loves writing on anything.