Since we’re still uber broke I’ve been trying to do what I can to save money. While I’ve learned to try and use less of our utilities, use less paper goods, less plastic goods, there’s still more that can be done and a part of that means using less of those things that we know we have to replace on occasion, including items like dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, toothpaste, and so on. Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the past few months:
- Dishwasher detergent – You do NOT need to fill the little dishwasher’s cubby hole completely full. Dishes get cleaned just fine with half or even less depending on how clean they were going into the dishwasher. Similarly, you don’t have to use heated dry… air dry works great given enough time.
- Dishwashing soap – Again, a little goes a long way. In fact, now that I think about it, often times once the dish was “clean enough” I spent the rest of the time washing out the soap suds from having used too much soap to start with! Using less soap still gets the job done and now I spend less time washing dishes and probably use less water too.
- Laundry soap – Just as with dishwasher detergent, there’s no need to pay attention to those silly little “fill here” lines on the dispenser cups. A little bit of soap goes a long way in the wash. At least, that’s what I tell myself. 😉
- Fabric softeners – We don’t use any fabric softener at all (maybe we should) but if you do you could probably do with using less. Try it and find out.
- Toothpaste – I used to like to fill the entire toothbrush with plenty of toothpaste. These days a small dab does just fine and, honestly, there’s really no need to use so much toothpaste to start with. After all, it’s not really the toothpaste that does the real cleaning anyway… it’s your scrubbing. The same can be said for mouthwash, maybe floss, and anything else like that.
- Lotion – I’ve been using coconut oil in general as my alternative lotion the past few months and I can say that stuff goes a long way. Now we’re using a lot less of the normal lotion we’ve been accustomed to using. Granted, we still use some of the traditional lotion, just a lot less of it.
- Shaving Cream – I’ve yet to find an alternative shaving cream that I actually like. Until them I’m trying to use significantly less of the shaving cream I purchase from the store. Yes, I don’t need to lather up as fully as I’d like and there’s really no difference most of the time. In fact, since I’ve started using a safety razor I found less need to use as much shaving cream in general.
- Hand soaps – I’d like to think I’m using less soap (both liquid and not) when I use them but odds are I’m probably still using about the same amount. Besides, if there’s one thing I want to ensure is clean… it’s me. 🙂 Similarly, I’d imagine most of us can stand to use less shampoo and conditioner but since I shave my head I don’t use them. If you do, try using less and see if there’s any noticeable difference. I’ll bet not.
- Toilet paper – I’m not quite down to one square but I don’t find need to wad it up like I used to. Enough said.
- Condiments – There’s all sorts of foods you can use less of and condiments are a big area I’ve found I cut back on. From seasonings (of my own dish, not meals) to things like mayo and ketchup, you can probably do just fine with less. In fact, I’m beginning to find that food is tasty enough in most cases.
I’m sure there’s other ways to use less of the stuff we use everyday, or nearly everyday. That’s what I’ve learned in recent months. If you have any useful suggestions I’d be grateful to hear about them.
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