Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response to my first How I Saved Today post yesterday. I think this is going to be such a fun post to put together.
I’m going to try to get it this feature posted daily. However, I know you all will be patient and understanding if I don’t always get it done every single day. Because sometimes, well, life just happens and my best-laid blogging plans go out the window. 🙂
I knew I could count on you all to give me great input on repairing glasses with missing screws. I should have just asked you before I tried to fix them myself! But alas, they are fixed and now I had a kit to fix them should a screw go missing again in the future.
That said, I’m hopeful maybe there will be fewer lost screws in my future, because I took the advice some of you left and secured my glasses screws with clear nail polish this morning. What a brilliant tip! And one that I would have never come up with on my own. Thank you, all!
How I Saved Today
I saved today by making some more homemade foaming hand soap. This is SO easy to do and a great way to cut down on hand soap costs.
I used a little dish liquid, water, and some Citrus Bliss essential oil for the hand soap today. For detailed instructions, see my post on How to Make Foaming Hand Soap.
How did YOU save today? Tell us in the comments!
I made foaming hand soap today too. Several years ago you posted when you made thus for the first time. Ever since, I’ve been doing it too. I just buy an extra bottle of body wash….that I get for free or cheap with coupons….and use it for making my hand soap until it’s gone. For example, I bought a bottle of Suave body wash for making foaming soap in February. I have enough in that bottle for one more round of foaming soap. Love this idea!
I made home made toothpaste today! Yay!
We have 2 bathrooms that needed updating badly but our budget is low. I have a few cans of half-used beige and grey “Oops” paint from Home Depot and white paint from past projects in other rooms. I used the white paint on the ceilings and then added the rest of the white to the colored paints to lighten them up to paint the bathroom walls. 1 bathroom done and looks great!
Crystal,
That’s wonderful. I just don’t know how you have time to do all these. The only thing I do homemade is food. All others are brought from shop and I’m ok with that.
I work full time and blog (my passion). With the little time I have, I’d rather spend more time with my family than these. May be once my son gets little older, I can do it as one of the activities (he is only 7 months).
You’re such an inspiration. 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind encouragement! And just remember that I’m not trying to juggle both blogging and a full-time job like you are… that’s a LOT of work!
I am going to be make a batch of my essential oil orange cleaner today; each concentrated batch, added to water when needed helps to make nearly a years worth of cleaner. Last year I saved $46.00 on cleaners using this method! Thanks for a great, new series!
I have tried this before, and the only problem I continually have is the pump mechanism never seems to last more than one refill with the foam pump. It always breaks, and then I have to go out and purchase another foam pump bottle of soap. When I say breaks, I mean in will stop pumping up and down. Do you have any tips for this? Otherwise, this is a great tip.
They sell metal soap pumps at Lowe’s for under a dollar, and they never break!
Thanks, I will look into that at my Lowe’s!!
I’ve had this happen before too. What I’ve found through trial and error is that the ratio of soap to water is off if it is too hard to pump and over time the extra pressure breaks the pump. Try diluting your soap just a bit more.
As an even greater way to save money, I bought bar soap that was free after +UP rewards at Riteaid last Christmas. I’ve used the free bars with just a bit of glycerin to make my own liquid hand soap (I think you posted the recipe sometime last year Crystal). I don’t like the consistency of the homemade hand soap very much, because it is a bit slimy but it makes great foaming hand soap and it doesn’t contain all the antibacterial ingredients that many foaming hand soaps have. The largest expense is the glycerin and even with little ones who love to waste soap, I have only used about half the glycerin bottle and have quite a few more batches of soap that I can make from the free soap.
Hi, lovely to be on board with you.
My tip, for saving those pennies,& as we all know, mind the pennies, & the $ &€, will look after themselves, is to clean your windows with scrunched up newspaper, a light spray of water, & away you go,for gleaming,streak free windows.
Bye for now.
Antoinette.
Like me, my 2 yo is extremely allergic to mosquito bites…so bad that his whole right leg was swollen from one bite! After a quick to to the pedi and steroids for 6 days, I had enough of him getting bit and store bought repellents not working. So I made a safe all-natural version: 4 oz witch hazel, 2 oz water and 25 drops of Bug-Off Essential Oil (Plant therapy). I now have 2 spray bottles stashed in the house and roll-ons in the diaper bag, car, and my purse.
I have a $10 bottle of Dr. Bronners. It lasts FOREVER because you can just keep diluting. I fill a foam bottle up about an 1/8 of the way and fill the rest with water!
For those just wanting to try it out, Target sells Dr. Bronner’s 2oz bottle for $1.99 in the travel size section.
Thanks for this great tip!
This is going to be a fun series! Love learning things like this…even if it’s just something to keep in mind for down the road!
I saved money by going to the Back-to-School night at the library. They were handing out Fine Freebie cards (amnesty for library fines up to $30). Back in Florida, they forgave fines all through September. So it’s definitely worth it to check with your local library system to see if they do this.
I saved money by eating at home last night. I had a meal out on my menu plan but decided to cook at home last minute. Also, we took advantage of a free concert at the local library last night.
Crystal I was also thinking that sometimes you’ve posted a picture and post from a reader and wondered if you thought about doing that with the how I saved today posts. You could do it on a certain day and readers could share too. Just a thought. I love saving money to and get a little giddy!
I saved this week on books. I’ve been getting books for 20cents and saving them for my kids. Last week when the book orders arrived I knew it was the right time to pull out my stash and surprise the kids! The books they wanted were $14 and $15 dollars. I was able to give them the same books plus more for $2.20!!! love, love, love saving money!
Where do you get books for .20?
My library actually sells used kids books for 20cents! Or donated kids books that weren’t circulated, even. I’ve gotten 25$ books in pretty decent shape for 20c, even. 🙂
Could you clarify what you’re referring to as far as a picture from a reader? I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to and how it’s different than having readers share in the comments on these posts like I’ve been encouraging people to do. Let me know!
I’m not sure if this is what Marie was suggesting, but this would be a fun area in which to have readers “guest post.” That way you don’t have to post quite as often, but we still get lots of examples. I’m thinking something similar to the “we paid cash” posts, which I LOVE!
I do this all the time, but I just use the large economy-sized store brand of hand soap. Hint…if you have trouble with the soap and water not mixing well, try using very warm water (not to hot!). It seems help the mixing process.
Instead of sending away my daughter’s shattered iPhone to be fixed, my husband ordered a screen online and spent 10 minutes fixing it himself saving us $50.
My daughter just shattered her iPod. Where did you get the screen, and was it difficult to replace? Did you find any online instructions? We need to replace it, but I know it will be expensive. Thanks for your help.
I always make my own. The secret is the bottle! If you don’t have one,ask for a friend to give one they are done with.
P.s. shampoo makes a great hansoap and it gets that last little bit out of the bottle. Add water. Shake. Pour into your new hand soap bottle.
G
Does the citrus serve a purpose or is it for scent? I’m sensitive to scents.
I was on another blog and there was a huge discussion going on about how adding water can spread Mersa… no idea, but it freaked me out about this!
I would love to try it though.
I just add it for scent. You can totally leave it out. You could use distilled water if you’re concerned about spreading anything. You can pick up a gallon very inexpensively at the store and it’d still be quite a bit less than paying the regular price (or even sale price!) for hand soap.
Just be careful using citrus essential oils in plastic. Unless it’s a high-quality plastic made for oils, the citrus will break down the plastic eventually. I’ve had it happen to me before.
Thanks so much for the word of warning!
I’m going to try foaming hand soap once ours runs out – it looks so easy! I saved today by shopping at the Dollar Tree for some treats my daughter wants to take to her friend who recently had his appendix out. I paid $2 for a box of candy and a mylar balloon! She’s so excited to take it to him tomorrow! 🙂
Does it count if today I provided the means for someone else to save money in the future? I was at the hairdressers today. She was chatting and mentioned that she and her husband were going to a local steakhouse this weekend. I told her there had been coupons in the paper a couple weeks ago. She said they didn’t subscribe to the paper. So after my appointment we went out to my car and I gave her 2 coupons for the steakhouse. She will save $4 off 2 entrees. She was delighted and I made brownie points with my hairdresser. (Note: I have a folder that contains any restaurant/fast food place coupons that come out in my area. I thoroughly enjoy sharing them )
I LOVE this!! Such a great idea!
Can’t wait to try this! I Didn’t necessarily do this to save money, but to make money (hopefully!) – I tagged and delivered items for a local kids consignment sale today!
I hope the consignment sale is a huge success for you!
I had two birthday cards I needed to buy and send today. Instead, I took notecards(purchased this summer on clearance) that were decorative on the front and blank inside and made my own cards, which included some of my one – year – old’s art work. I’ve noticed when I include my son’s masterpieces(of course they are;), people always comment and tell me they put it on the fridge. Why not save money and make someone’s day? Win-win!
SUCH a great idea!