BOTTOMLINE:Ignoringyourdentalhealthcanbeexpensive.Take
careofyourchoppersbybrushingandflossingregularlyandsmile
withyourdentalsavings.
Clear your sinuses with a Neti pot. If you suffer from allergies, congestionorsinusailmentsandspendmegamoneyonmedicationslike
decongestants, you may want to try an inexpensive Neti pot to clear your troubled passageways. A Neti pot looks like a tiny teapot with a small spout; it is used to rinse out the nasal cavities with warm salt water.Medicalstudieshaveshownnasalirrigationtobesafe,withno
problematicsideeffectsaslongastheNetipotiskeptclean.Don’tturn yournoseupatalternativesolutionstoexpensivesinusproblems.Neti
pots have been used for centuries by various cultures to relieve congestion, reduce symptoms of allergies and reduce inflammation of thenasalpassagesandsinuses.
BOTTOM LINE: At $20 to $30 for a little pot, the Neti could save you upwards of $180 a year on various decongestants and other medications.
HomeSpaIdeasfromYourKitchen
Goingtothespaeveryonceinawhileisafunwaytokickbackand
enjoysomerestandrelaxation.Mostofuswouldlovetotreatourselves to a spa day more frequently, but let’s face it—the costs of all these treatments can reallly add up. As an affordable alternative, stay home andraidyourkitchentode-stressandpamperyourselfanytime.Many
oftheingredientsforthesebeautiful-bodyrecipesareprobablyalready stockedinyourkitchen.
LoveYourLocks:AvocadoandLemonHair-ConditioningTreatment
1.Mixtogether1avocado,1tablespoonlemonjuiceand1teaspoonofsea saltuntilitbecomesasmoothpaste.Thisisagreatwaytouseupyour overripeavocados!
2.Massagetreatmentintoyourhairfor3minutestoworkitthroughfrom roottoend.
3. Leave conditioner in for 20 to 30 minutes while soaking in the tub, readingabookorlisteningtomusic.
4.Rinseandshampootocompletelyremovetheavocadotreatment.
JustFaceIt:EggWhiteMask
Useasimpleeggwhitetotightenyourfacialporesandremovetoxinsfrom yourskin.
1.Takeaneggandseparatethewhitefromtheyolk.Savetheyolktocook with.
2.Beattheeggwhiteforabout1minuteoruntilfrothy.
3.Gentlyapplyeggwhitemasktoskinandletitdryforabout10minutes.
4.Removeeggwhitemaskwithwarmwater.
EasyontheEyes:CucumberCompress
To relieve puffiness and revitalize the sensitive skin around the eyes, simplyplaceafewcucumberslicesoveryourtiredeyes.
FullBody:OliveOilTreatments
Skin:Savemoneyonstore-boughtmoisturizerbymassagingadropor twoofoliveoilintoyourskin.Applyanextradroptoyourelbowsand
feet—orotherrough,dryareasthatneedextrasoftening.
HandsandNails:Treatyourdrychappedhandsatnightbysmoothing onagenerousamountofoliveoilbeforebed.Besuretowearsomelight gloves to maximize absorption. For dry and brittle nails, soak your fingertipsinasmallbowlofoliveoil.Storetheoilandreuseitforfuture treatments.
Lips: Save money on name-brand lip balm by applying a tiny drop of oliveoiltoyourchappedlips.Thistreatmentworkswonderstosoften
sore,crackedlips.
Ease a sore throat with a salt gargle. Take a pass on sugary syrups and lozenges and save some sick cash by
rinsingwith asaltwater gargle.Just add halfa teaspoon of
salttoaglassofwarmwater,mixandthengargleaway!This
can soothe a rough scratchy throat while rinsing away bad
bacteria.
BOTTOMLINE:Save$3onabagoflozengesbyreaching
for a soothing saltwater gargle for achy and scratchy
throats.
Buygenericmedicinesoverbrandnames. Genericand
brand-name medicines contain the same active ingredients.
Theonlydifferencesbetweenthetwotendtobepackaging,
marketing and price! For example, a bottle of brand-name
ibuprofencancost$20,whileanequivalentgenericcansell
for$14,andmayevencontainmoretablets.
BOTTOM LINE: Save 30% to 50% by choosing generic
medicinesoverbrandnamestocurewhateverailsyou.
CHAPTER13
LaundryRoom
It’strickytosaysomethingcleanandrefreshingaboutadirtychorelike laundry. Few people enjoy sorting stinky clothing, attending to
machines,folding,ironingandwonderinghowthedryermanagedtoeat
yetanothersock.
What most of us don’t complain about, though, is the total cost of doing the wash. Unless you clean your clothing at a coin-operated laundromat,youwon’tseeasinglepennyspentonthespincycle.The
costsforwateranddryingareabsorbedintoyourutilitybills,whilethe expenseofdetergentsandothercleaningagentsareprobablyhiddenin
yourgrocerybudget.
The truth is, cleaning clothing can be expensive. If you add up the costs of energy, water and detergent, plus the wear and tear on your clothing and machines, you’ll probably find you spend hundreds each year.
When I moved into my first apartment decades ago, I couldn’t
understand why my utility bills were so high. Other than a small television,arefrigeratorandafewlights,Ididn’tthinkIwasconsuming alotofelectricity.ThenItookalookatmylaundry-washinghabits.By washingmywardrobeinhotwaterandrunningeverythingthroughthe
dryer, I was burning through considerable energy just cleaning my clothes. By making a few small changes to how I did my wash, I was able to cut my laundry costs significantly, while still keeping my clothingsmellingfreshandclean.
Onceyoulookatyourlaundrycosts,youtoomaybesurprisedatjust
howmuchyouspendonwashingclothing.Byfollowingafewtips,it’s
easytosaveasignificantamountontheweeklywash.
LaundryDetergent
When it comes to laundry detergent, it seems the choices are endless.
Many brands boast superior cleaning power, technologically advanced ingredientsandmeadow-freshsmells.Thesebrandscanalsobecostly,
ranginginpricefrom20to40centsperload,andthat’sonlyifyoustick to the minuscule recommended amounts. Before adding some soap to yourwash,trythesetipstosaveonyourdetergentbill.
Buygenericsorstore-branddetergent. Name-branddetergentsare muchmoreexpensivethanstore-brandequivalents,eventhoughbothdo
the same job. Brandname detergents cost from 30 to 40 cents a load, while generics cost 20 to 30 cents per load. Why pay more for the marketinghypeandpackagingassociatedwithabrand-namedetergent
whentheendresultforalldetergentsiscleanerclothing?
BOTTOMLINE:Stickwithstorebrandsandwashfor10to20cents
lessperload—asavingsof$41.60peryearifyoudofourloadseach
week.
Use powder instead of liquid detergent. Powdered laundry soaps cost far less than the liquid variety. The cost of powdered detergent ranges from 20 to 30 cents per load, while liquid laundry soap costs from30to40centsperload.Theseseeminglysmalldifferencescanadd
up to hundreds a year in lost money depending on the size of your family and the number of loads you wash. If you love using liquid to lessenthesoapresidueonyourclothing,thentrysavingwithp
owdered
byfillingyourwashingmachinewithwaterandpowderedsoapbefore
addingyourlaundry.Thismethodhelpsdissolvethedetergentpowder
moreevenlyintoyourwash.
BOTTOM LINE: Save up to 50% on each load by switching from liquidtopowdereddetergent.
Don’t overfill the liquid laundry cap. If you’re a liquid laundry washer,pay closeattention to themeasurements onthe detergent cap beforepouringforyournextload.Liquiddetergentisoftenconcentrated (often called “Ultra”), but the majority of us use more than the recommendedamountofliquidsoapandliterallywashmoneydownthe
drain. On the back of the detergent bottle you’ll find recommended amountsforvaryingdegreesofdirtylaundry.Foramedium-sizedload,
manymanufacturerssuggestyoufillthedetergentcaptothefirstline.If you wonder why you never get the advertised loads per bottle, it’s probablybecauseyou’reoverfillingthecap,maybeeventothebrim.
BOTTOMLINE:Lookformeasurementlinesprintedontheinsideor
outside of the liquid laundry cap to prevent spending triple the amountperload.
Use baking soda to deodorize, remove stains and soften fabric.
Rescuethesodafromyourfridgeandtossitintoyourwashtonaturally deodorizestinky gearand smellyshirts. Baking sodais cheapest when purchasedfromananimalfeedstorefor50centsperkilogramandcan
save you hundreds by replacing expensive stain removers and fabric softeners.Justadd1/4cup(50mL)ofbakingsodaatthestartofthe
rinse cycle for an economical fabric softener and odour remover. To treatgreasestainsbeforeputtingclothesintothewash,rubwithapaste madeofa50/50mixofbakingsodaandwater.
BOTTOMLINE:Bakingsodaisaninexpensivewaytoremovestains
andsoftenfabric,andsavesyouhundredsbyreplacinganarsenal
oflaunderingproducts.
Use white vinegar to cut grease, whiten, brighten and remove residue. Use white vinegar in your wash to help clean your dingy laundry.Whitevinegarcansoftenwater,whitenwhitesandremovesoap
residue.Dependingonthesizeoftheload,addanywherefrom1/8to
1/2cup(25to125mL)ofwhitevinegartothefirstrinsecycle.Your
clothingwillsmellcleanandfreshandyouwon’tsmellanyvinegarafter yourclothingisdry.
BOTTOM LINE: A 4-litre bottle of generic white vinegar sells for only$1.50anddoesthejobofmanybrand-namelaundrycleaners.
Addboraxpowdertoboostcleaningortocleandiapers. Boraxisa naturalmineralthatcanbeusedtoenhancethecleaningpowerofyour
laundrydetergent.Mostsupermarketscarryboraxforabout$4fora2
kg box. When added to your wash, borax is an antibacterial, water-softening, whitening wonder that stretches your detergent by boosting itscleaning power—allowingyou touse less detergent.Borax is every
newparent’sbestfriendbecausewhenaddedtodiaperwashesitgetsthe dirtystuffcleanerwhileremovingodours.Justadd1/2cup(125mL)to
yourwashtogetcleanerlaundryforlessmoney.
BOTTOMLINE:Forpenniesaload,addboraxtowhitenyourwash,
soften your water and neutralize the stuff in baby diapers while usinglessdetergent.
Whiten with sunshine and lemon. Rather than using chemical bleaches to whiten your wash, hang your whites outside on a bright sunnyday.Theraysfromthesunshinewillnaturallybleachyourfabrics forfree.Forextrawhiteningpower,soakyourwhitesinamixtureofhot waterandlemonjuicebeforewashing.
BOTTOM LINE: Use a 20-cent lemon and sunlight to naturally
whitenandbleachyourwhites.It’snearlyfreeandminimizesyour
useofchlorinebleach.
Make your own laundry detergent. Making your own laundry detergentisaveryfrugalwaytocutcostsonyourtotallaundrybill.The ingredientsforhomemadedetergentcostonly$2perbatch,addingupto
only 3 cents per load. The cost for powdered generic and brand-name detergentrangesfrom20to30centsperload,whilegenericandbrand-name liquid laundry detergent ranges from 30 to 40 cents per load.
Doingthemath,it’seasytoseehowmakingyourownlaundrydetergent
cansaveyouhundredsofdollars.
BOTTOM LINE: See the feature “How to Make Your Own Laundry
Detergent”forinstructionsonhowtosavelaundrylooniesonyour
weeklywashing.
HowtoMakeYourOwnLaundryDetergent
Making your own laundry detergent is easy and cheap and saves you moneyovertime.
Ingredients
1/3barofsoap
1/2cup(125mL)washingsoda(notbakingsoda!)
1/2cup(125mL)boraxpowder
Instructions
1.Gratethesoaporchopintosmallpieces.
2.Inasaucepan,meltsoapin6cups(1.5L)ofwater.Donotboil.
3.Slowlyaddwashingsodaandborax,stirringuntildissolved.
4.Pourmixtureintoa2-gallon(8L)container.
5.Stirinenoughwarmwatertofillthecontainer.
6.Letmixturesitfor24hourstosetintoagelorliquidlaundrysoap.
LaundryInstructions
For every load of laundry, use 1/2 cup (125 mL) homemade
laundrydetergentforatotalof64loadsperbatch.
Washing
Thenexttimeyoutakeyourwardrobeforaspin,trysomeoftheseeasy
methodsforwashingyourclothingforless.
Loadwashertocapacity. Doinghalfloadsmayfeelproductivebut it’saninefficientandexpensiveuseofyourwashingmachine.Halfloads uselesswaterbuttheyconsumethesameamountofpowerasfullloads,
costingyoumoretolaunderless.Bysavingupyourlaundryandfilling
yourmachinetocapacity,youcansaveonbothwaterandenergy.
BOTTOMLINE:Fillyourwashingmachinetocapacityandsaveas
muchas$50ayear.Onelargeloadoflaundryuseslessenergythan
multiplesmallerloads,plusyou’lldolesslaundrywhileyou’reat
it.
Adjustwaterlevelstotheloadsize. Ifyou’rewashingapartialload, make sure you set the water level to match the size of your load.
Overfillingyourmachinewithwarmorhotwaterusesmoreenergyand
costsyouadditionaldollars.
BOTTOMLINE:Washingapartialloadinanexcessofwarmorhot
water costs you at least $27 a year more than if you set your machinecorrectly,ifyoudothreeloadsaweek.
Usetheshortestwashingcycle. Choosetheshorterwashingcycles for lightly to moderately soiled clothing, leaving the normal to heavy washcyclesforthereallydirtystuff.Washsettingslikethepermanent press option use extra water for rinsing, which can add up to extra dollarsspentiftheclothingisonlylightlysoiled.
BOTTOMLINE:Optingforshorterwashcyclesforlessdirtylaundry
cansaveyouaround$30ayearonfiveloadspermonth.
Washincoldwater. Getoutofhotwaterandsavebigbucksonyour energybillbywashingincoldwater.Cold-waterwashingandrinsingis
theeasiestwaytosavemoneyondoinglaundry,asthemajorityofthe
costisinheatingthewater.Lookfordetergentsspeciallyformulatedfor cold-waterwashingtogetyourclothingitscleanest.
BOTTOMLINE:Byswitchingtocold-waterfromhot-waterwashing,
theaveragefamilycouldsaveupto$27dollarsperyear.
Usetherightamountofdetergent. Addingtoomuchdetergentto
yourwashmakesyourmachineworkh
arderandisawasteofmoney.
Rather than pouring excess detergent down the drain, read the
recommended amount on your detergent package and review the
manual for your washing machine to learn what amount of soap is requiredforhardorsoftwater.Contactyourlocalwaterutilitytofind outhowhardorsoftyourwateris.
BOTTOM LINE: Adding too much laundry detergent to your wash
wastesmoneyonsoapbutalsomakesyourwashingmachinework
harder.Thiscostsyouinincreasedenergyconsumptionandcould
cost you even more by prematurely wearing out your washing
machine.
Switch to a front-loading washer. If you’re shopping for a new washing machine, take a spin with an ENERGY STAR front-loading
washer to save water, energy and detergent. ENERGY STAR front-
loading washers start at $1,000 and can cost thousands more for
premiumbrands.Newwashersarenotcheap,soifyourcurrentmachine
isingoodcondition,thentakeapassonanewoneuntiltheoldoneis washedup.
BOTTOM LINE: Investing in a new front-loading washer can
decreaseyourwaterconsumptionby40%to50%andyourenergy
costsbyupto60%.
Sort,invert,zipandbagtoprolongclothinglife. Thesimpleactof sorting your whites from colours, turning your clothing inside out, zipping zippers and placing delicates in a mesh laundry bag before washing can preserve fabrics and make your wardrobe last longer.
Sortingfabricsandwashingwhitesseparatelyfromcolourskeepsfabric
dyesfrombleedingandstaininglightercolouredfabrics.Washingrough, heavy clothing separately from delicates protects fragile fabrics from gettingsnaggedbydurableclothinglikejeans.Turningclothinginside
outpreventstheexteriorofthefabricfrombeingexposedtothefriction fromthemachineandfromotherfabrics.Fasteningsnapsanddoingup
zippersonpantsorjacketshelpsmaintaintheshapeofsomegarments
397 Ways to Save Money: Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less - PDFDrive.com Page 15