Use a microwave instead of an oven. Almost everyone has a microwave in their home. Whenever possible, choose to use this instead of using your gas or electric oven. Microwave ovens have better cooking efficiency than gas or electric ovens, because they heat from the inside-out versus from the outside-in. ( more… )
Refill containers. Today, when I was refilling my hand soap bottles, I thought of all the plastic that I am saving. This year, I replaced all my plastic soap pumps with glass pump containers that I purchased from Grove.® I purchase large soap refills at the store to fill them ( more… )
Reuse gift bags and tissue paper. I am probably the cheapest gift wrapper around. In fact, people are lucky to get a card from me! I would rather put all my money into the gift a person gets than to put money into the wrapping and card that will most ( more… )
Get the plumbing checked in your house. The last time we had some plumbing fixed, we added a yearly service to check our whole house plumbing system. They were giving us a deal, so that is why we decided to do it. I am so glad we did. Our house ( more… )
Take care of your furniture. When I say to take care of your furniture, I do not mean to purchase all the extra coverage they offer you when you check out at the register. Most of those plans are a waste of money. Unless it is something you really plan ( more… )
Use dryer balls. I grew up using dryer sheets with every load of laundry. Then I moved to fabric softener. Then I moved to in-wash scent boosters. Did you know that wool dryer balls can be a substitute for all three of these? Wool dryer balls help with static cling ( more… )
Keep a pitcher of cold water in the refrigerator. Have you ever gone to the sink to get a drink of water and the water is warm and takes forever to get cold? This is why I keep small pitchers of water in the fridge at all times. When I ( more… )
Skip the individual snack packages. One of the things that causes unnecessary waste in our communities is all the individual packaging. It also causes unnecessary spending, as those individual packages cost more than the big bags of the same item. For example, lots of chip brands come in small packages ( more… )
Save and eat your leftovers. I would say that I have about a dozen leftover dishes in my refrigerator right now. It might be cut-up veggies, extra cooked chicken from dinner that I will use for another recipe for the men in the house, or leftovers from a meal the ( more… )
Invest in a water barrel. I am pretty sure we all can’t or would not want get a water barrel quite this size or type, but the concept is the same. I had a self-made water barrel on the side of my house for quite some time, but it was ( more… )