Little Known Penny Pincher Strategies

If you’re like me and like to stretch your dollar and get the most out of your money, while helping the environment also then here’s some basic tips I use. These are just a couple of my favorite ideas that I use frequently to get you started, I am sure you will come up with more ways to “pinch those pennies”.

Paper napkins/Towels: Instead of buying paper napkins or towels, buy different colored wash cloths and use for wiping down kitchen surfaces and use for napkins also. They save us money as they are washed and used many times over and are environment friendly. When the wash cloths start to look old and worn out they work great to use for cleaning rags.

Grocery bags: They work well for small waste baskets and to use in the kitchen as well. We set up a fresh bag each day and hang it on the kitchen doorknob, and throughout the day all garbage that would create a smell like chicken bones, pet food cans get tossed in there, and at the end of the day the bag gets taken out. The large kitchen trash can we have set up in our kitchen we use store bought bags for that, but only throw junk mail, paper food boxes and such in there, garbage that won’t create a smell and that way extend the life of each bag as they are not tossed out until they are full.

Vacuum bags: This method can be a little tricky and messy, but I’ve used this tip when I am in the middle of vacuuming and realize the bag is full and I am out of new bags. Take your full vacuum bag out and cut the top open and empty it out in your garbage can outdoors, that way you’re not spreading the dust it creates in the air all over your house. Then all you have to do is use packing tape and fold down the opening and tape shut. I have used the same bag several times over before having to replace with a new bag and it works like a charm.

Padded envelopes: Most of us have gotten in the mail items sent in padded envelopes, simply peel off the labels and reuse them. I save all my envelopes I get in the mail and have them in different sizes, they really come in handy when I have to mail stuff out.

Plastic food containers: Use them for leftovers, pet food, lunches etc. We use these types of containers a lot in our household, I pack my boyfriends lunches in these for him to take to work instead of sending him with my good “Tupperware”, if he throws them out or misplaces containers it is no biggie.

Newspaper: Run newspaper through your paper shredder and use it for packing materials for your shipping and moving boxes.

Fabric softener sheets: Recycle your used fabric softener sheets by soaking them in liquid fabric softener, hang dry them and store in a container and they are all set to use in your dryer.