397 Ways to Save Money: Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less - PDFDrive.com

by Kerry K. Taylor

  andpreventsclaspsandzippersfromsnagginginthewashingmachine.

  Qualitymeshlaundrybagscostaround$3to$5andcanlastforyears.

  Meshbagsprotectfabricsfromunduewearfrommachinerubbingand

  agitationwithotherfabricsinthewash.Clothingprotectedinmeshbags islesslikelytobestretchedorharmedduringthespin,washandrinse cycles.

  BOTTOMLINE:Properlysortingandpreparingyourclothesbefore

  washingthempreservesthevalueofyourwardrobeandkeepsyou

  lookingfabulousforless.

  Hand wash delicates. Hand wash your delicate garments, like hosiery, panties and bras, to extend fabric life and keep them looking new.Washingmachinescanbehardondelicateorstructuredgarments,

  tearingthemevenwhenthey’reinmeshlaundrybags.Tohandwash,

  justfillasinkwithcoldwaterandcarefullywashwithsomegentlesoap, then let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Without wringing,gentlysqueezewaterfromclothing.Gentlyrollthegarmentin aclean,lightcolouredtoweltoabsorbexcesswater.Hangtodry.

  BOTTOM LINE: Hand washing delicate and fragile garments can keepthemlookingnewandpreventsthemfromgettingdamagedin

  the washing machine, saving you the cost of replacing your

  wardrobe.

  FrugalStainRemovalGuide

  Maintaining your clothing by acting fast to fight stains can save you hundredseachyearinnothavingtoreplaceyourgarments.Brandname

  stainremovalpotionsandlotionsareexpensive,andoftendon’tremove

  stainsany betterthan inexpensivehousehold items. Trysome of these frugalstainremoverstosaveyousomeclothingbucks.

  Generaltips

  •Dabsmallspotswithacottonswab.Dablargerspotswithapapertowel orcleanwashingtowel.

  •Some garments may need to be dry cleaned, so be sure to check the label.

  •MildliquiddishwashingsoapsuchasDawncosts$2to$3forabottle

  anddoeswondersforremovingstains.

  Blood. Ifyouhavesmallchildrenwhoscrapeelbowsandknockknees, chancesareyouhavebloodstainstolaunder.Bloodstainscansetand

  becomepermanent,especiallyifexposedtotheheatinhotwaterora

  clothes dryer. Prevent blood from staining clothing by treating it as soonaspossible.

  •Rinsewithcoldwater.

  •Spitonthestain,addsaltandrubitin.Theenzymesinyoursalivawill helpremovethestain.

  •Rinseagain,andthenwashincoldwater.

  Grassstains. Grassstainscanbethemostchallengingstainstoremove, especiallyfromdelicatefabrics.Avoidusingammonia,degreasersor

  alkalinedetergents,whichwillsetthestainpermanently.

  •Dabstainwithrubbingalcohol.Repeat.

  •Dabstainwithvinegar.Letsoakfor1hour.

  •Washasusual.Donotputindryeruntilstainiscompletelygone.

  Forextremelyharshgrassstains. Warning:Usedigestiveenzymesonly on cotton or synthetic fabrics. They will destroy silk and wool. You can buy human digestive enzymes at the drugstore for $7 for 90

  capsules,enoughtotreat45grassstains.

  •Mixateaspoonofpowder(crushpillsoropencapsules)withenough

  lukewarmwatertomakeapaste;addingcoldorhotwaterdeactivates

  theenzymes.

  •Applytostainandletsitfor1hour.

  •Washasusual.

  Greasestains.

  •Pre-treat the stain with a few drops of mild liquid dishwashing soap suchasDawn.Letsitforseveralminutes.

  •Washinthehottestwaterthegarmentwilltolerate.

  Lipstick.

  •Scrapeoffanyexcesslipstickwithatableknife.Takecarenottosmear itinfurtherorspreaditout.

  •Dab—don’t rub—stain with a clean white cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol(soyoucanseehowmuchofthestainisbeingremovedand

  alsotopreventtransferringcolourfromtheclothtothegarment).

  •Dab on mild liquid dishwashing soap such as Dawn. Let sit for a few minutes.

  •Wash garment as usual, but do not put in dryer until the stain is completelygone.Youmayneedtorepeatthisprocessafewtimes.

  Redwine. Warning:Hydrogenperoxidemaybleachsomefabrics,sotry onaninconspicuousareafirst.

  •Mixequalamountsofhydrogenperoxideandamildliquiddishwashing

  soapsuchasDawn.

  •Daborpourcarefullyontothestain.

  •Blotwithacleancloth.

  •Rinsewithcoolwater.

  Drying

  Don’tgethungouttodrywiththeexpenseoffluffingyourfabrics.There arewaystogetthemostoutofyourdryerdollarswithminimaleffort.

  Or,tokeepyoursavingsspinning,trythenaturalalternativetodryers.

  Hangdryyourwetclothing. Yourclothesdryerusesalmostasmuch electricityasyourrefrigerator.Theeasiestwaytosaveondryingyour clothes is to hang them to dry either indoors or outdoors. A wooden indoor clothes rack costs around $15 and can be used for years as an energy-efficientalternativetotheclothesdryer,savingyouhundreds.An outdoorclotheslinecouldcostaslittleas$20andusestheheatfromthe sunforfreetoquicklydryyourlaundry.Hangingyourclothingtodry

  carries the added bonus of extending the life of your wardrobe by reducingfabricwearandshrinkage.Ifyoupreferthefeelingoffluffed towels or shirts, then place the wet items in your dryer for just 15

  minutesonhighheat,thenpullthemoutwhilethey’restilldampand

  hangtoairdry.Usingacombinationoffluffdryingwithamachineand

  hangdryingonarackcanleadtoconsiderablesavingsaswell.Always

  hangclothinginareaswithgoodairflow.

  BOTTOMLINE:Hangingyourlaundrytodryisfreeandbeatsthe

  operatingcostsofeventhemostefficientclothesdryers.Airdrying yourwashcansaveyouhundredsayeardependingonthesizeof

  yourfamilyandthevolumeoflaundry.Ifyouairdryfourloadsa

  weekinsteadofusingthedryer,youcansaveover$40peryearin

  electricity.

  Remove dryer lint. Cleaning the lint trap after each load can save youupto30%ondryingcosts.Afulllinttrapdoesn’tallowmoistairto escapeproperly,whichslowsdownthedryingcycle,whichusesmore

  energy.

  BOTTOMLINE:Bycleaningyourdryerlintanddebrisfromthelint

  trapaftereveryload,youcansaveupto$25inenergycostseach

  year.

  Don’t mix fabrics when drying. Drying light and heavy fabrics together,suchasheavysweatersandlightT-shirts,driesupyourdollars fast. Mixing dissimilar fabrics in the dryer prevents the fabrics from dryingatthesamespeed,leavingthelighterfabricsdamp.

  BOTTOMLINE:Dryinglighterandheavierfabricsinseparateloads

  increasesthedryingspeedforeachload,savingyoumoney.

  Checkyourdryer’sairvent. Checkyourdryer’sairoutsideventto be sure it’s venting well and free from obstruction. Good dryer ventilationisimportantfortheefficiencyandlongevityofyourdryer.

  BOTTOM LINE: Check your dryer’s outside vent and clear any

  leavesordebristhatmaycompromisethemachine’sefficiencyand

  longevity.

  FrugalAlternativestoDryerSheetsandFabricSoftener

  Manyfrugalalternativestocommercialfabricsoftenersanddryersheets will keep your laundry soft and static free. Here’s how inexpensive commonhouseholdbasicscansoftenyoursweatersandkeepstaticfrom
r />   clingingtoyoursocks.

  Preventstaticclingbynotfullydryingfabrics. Removelaundryfrom thedryerbeforeitiscompletelydry.Statictakeschargeofyourlaundry duringthelastminutesofthedryingprocess,sokeepingalittlebitof moistureinthefabricskeepstheclingaway.Lettheitemsfinishdrying ondryingracksortheclothesline.Hangdryingyourlaundryisfreeand savesyoufromspending$5.49onaboxofbrand-namedryersheets.

  Drynaturalandsyntheticfabricsseparately. Inmostcasesthesynthetic fabricsaretoblameforcausingstaticcling.Dryingyournaturalfabrics separately from your synthetics can help reduce static cling.

  Alternatively,hangdryfabricscontainingnylon,rayonandpolyesterto

  bestpreventstatic.Hangdryingwillalsoincreasethelongevityofthese fabrics.

  Use white vinegar or baking soda as a fabric softener. Both white vinegar and baking soda are natural alternatives to chemical-based fabric softeners. Just add 1/4 cup (50 mL) of baking soda to your washingmachine’sfirstrinsecycletosoftenfabrics.Ifyoupreferwhite vinegar(don’tworry,youwon’tsmellit!),add1/2cup(125mL)tothe

  firstrinsecycle.

  Ironing

  Save your wallet from getting flattened by ironing costs. The irony is that ironing can be done with less effort and for less money by using thesesimplepressingtips.

  Ironless. Anaverageironcandrawover1,000wattsofpower,costing you5to10centsinelectricityeachhour.Bypurchasingclothingthat

  does not require ironing, you can save time and money on ironing equipmentandenergy.

  BOTTOMLINE:Goingwiththe“wrinklylook”orbuying“ironfree”

  clothing can save you from buying ironing equipment and save energy costs. Ironing three hours less each month can save you around$4eachyearandmanyhoursofwork.

  Ironyourownclothing. Takingyourshirtsandpantstothecleaners can cost you big bucks over time, even dollars a shirt. Do your own ironingathomeandreducethecostsofmaintainingyourwardrobe.An

  ironcancostaslittleas$20andanironingboardabout$40to$120

  dependingonquality.Ifyourgarmentisdrycleanonly,thendogeta

  professionaltolaunderyourwares.

  BOTTOMLINE:Buyanironfor$20andsavehundredsbyironing

  your own shirts. For example, ironing five shirts yourself each week instead of having them dry cleaned for $1.50 each or more cansaveyou$390ayear.

  Makeironingeasierbyremovingclothingfromthedryerwhile

  it’s damp. Ironing your favourite shirt or office pants is a lot easier when the fabric has not fully dried. Remove clothing from the dryer whileit’sstillwarmandatinybitdamp,andthensmoothitflatona

  table. Leaving clothes in the dryer sets wrinkles, which require way moreironingtimeandcostsmoreinenergyconsumptionandpatience.

  Ifsomewrinklesdopersist,getaninexpensive$3spraybottleandspritz somewateronthefabric.Sprayingtomoistenwrinkleshelpstorelease

  foldsandreducespressingtime.Forclothesthatarehungtodry,make

  sureyousmoothallcreaseswhenhangingthemontherack.

  BOTTOMLINE:Reduceyourironingtimeandenergyconsumption

  by smoothing flat slightly damp clothing rescued from the dryer early.Usea$3spraybottletosoftenalreadysetwrinkles.

  Removecreasesbyhanginggarmentsinbathroom. Passonbuying

  aclothingsteamerandreleasewrinklesandcreasesfromdriedgarments

  byhangingtheminthebathroomwhileyoushower.Thesteamwilltake

  outmostofthecreasesforfree.

  BOTTOMLINE:Hangwrinklyclothinginthebathroomwhileyou

  showerforfreeandsaveupto$150bynotpurchasingaclothing

  steamer.

  Usealuminumfoiltoreduceheatuse. Insertaluminumfoilbetween theironingboardandthecover.Thefoilwillreflecttheheatbackup

  throughthegarment,decreasingironingtime.

  BOTTOMLINE:Usea$1sheetofaluminumfoiltoconserveironing

  heatandreduceironingtime.

  CHAPTER14

  Garage

  Wealwaysseemtobegoingsomewhere,whetherwe’redrivingtowork,

  commutingtoschoolorheadingouttothesupermarket.Whateveryour

  destination,thepriceyoupayfortransportationcanbesignificant.

  MostCanadianfamiliesownatleastonevehicle,andevenifyoudon’t

  owntheslickestsetofwheelsontheblock,there’snodoubtthesticker priceforyourridewasthousandsofdollars.Buyingacarisjustonepart of the expense, though. There’s maintenance, insurance and fuel costs too, bringing the total cost of keeping a car on the road to thousands eachyear.

  There are ways to get where you need to be for less. I made the ultimate automobile sacrifice years ago when I needed to drastically reducemytransportationcosts—Isoldmycarandoptedtowalk,bike

  andbustoworkdaily.Byrentinganapartmentclosetowork,Imanaged

  to commute inexpensively and saved thousands. While it might be financiallyideal,livingacar-freelifeisnotanoptionforeveryone.But therearenumerouswaysyoucangetyourmotorrunningandstillsave

  moneyonpurchasinganewcar,buyingautomobileinsuranceandfilling

  upatthepump.

  YourCar

  Buyasmallercar. Asmallercarisnotonlycheapertobuybutwill saveyouthousandsinmaintenanceandoperationcostsoverayear.The

  Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) publishes a yearly study

  comparing the costs of owning and operating larger and smaller

  vehicles. Check out the CAA online (www.caa.ca) to calculate the ownershipcostsofvariousvehicles—whatseemslikeaminordifference

  cansaveyouthousandseachyear.

  BOTTOMLINE:AccordingtotheCAA,theannualoperatingcostsof

  alargerGrandCaravancomparedwithasmallerCobaltLTare28%

  higher,whiletheaverageannualownershipcostsare33%higher.

  DrivingasmallercarliketheCobaltLTwillsaveyou$2,800ayear

  ifyoudrive18,000kmayear.

  Buyanoff-leaseusedcar. Thesimpleactofdrivingasparklingnew caroffadealershiplotdepreciatesthevalueofyourrideinseconds.Buy aqualityusedcarfromareputabledealerandletsomeoneelseabsorb

  thousandsinlosses.Whenbuyingausedride,considerathree-orfour-

  year-oldvehiclethatjustcameoffitslease.Off-leasevehiclespresentthe bestvalueforyourused-cardollarbecausetheyarescheduledreturnsto amanufacturerandarethereforelesslikelytohavebeeninaccidentsor havemechanicalissues.Usedvehiclesfreshoffaleasearegenerallywell maintained and are covered by the remainder of the manufacturer’s warranty. Always have a mechanic you can trust inspect the vehicle beforefinalizinganydecision.

  BOTTOMLINE:Buyingausedoff-leasecarsavesyouthousandsin

  depreciationcosts.

  Paycashwhenyoubuyanautomobile. Whilesavingenoughcash

  to purchase a house outright is a tall order for many families, saving enoughtobuyavehicleinfullisapossibility.Buyingacaroutrightcan saveyouhundreds,eventhousandsofdollarsincar-loaninterestwhile

  allowingcompoundinterestonyoursavingstoworkinyourfavour.For

  example,buyinga$15,000carwithaloanat4.5%overfiveyearscosts

  you about $280 each month and totals $1,775 in interest, adding a whopping10%tothetotalcostofthatcar.Ontheotherhand,ifyou

  saved up to buy the car by puttin
g $280 each month into a Tax-Free SavingsAccount(TFSA)at3.5%interest,you’dsaveenoughcashtobuy

  the car outright in just over four years—paying off that car one year sooner than if you leased. By saving instead of borrowing, your total investmentforthe$15,000carisonly$13,775.That’s$3,000lessthan

  whatyouwouldpaywiththeloan.

  BOTTOMLINE:Itpaysthousandstosavealittlemoneyeachmonth

  sothatyoucanpaycashforbigpurchaseslikecars.

  Losetheextravehicle. Getcreativeandoptimizetheuseofasingle-

  familyvehicletosavehugemoneyoninsurance,gas,maintenanceand

  car payments. You may be surprised with how many thousands of

  dollars can be saved by reducing the number of cars parked in your driveway.

  BOTTOMLINE:Bytakingyoursavingsfromowningfewercarsand

  applyingittoyourmortgage,youcouldbemortgage-freefiveyears

  sooner,savingyouthousandsmoreoninterestovertheyears.For

  example,bycuttingoutonecarandputtinganextra$3,000from

  insurance, fuel and maintenance against a $285,000 mortgage at 5% over 25 years, you may pay off the mortgage five and a half yearsearlierandsave$51,285.19inmortgageinterest.

  Maintainyourvehicle. Routinemaintenancecansaveyouabundle bypreventingmajorrepaircostsintheyearstocome.Followyourcar’s usermanualtokeepup-to-datewithoilchanges,replacementairfilters and regular tune-ups. Keeping an eye on dents, parking in a garage overnightanddoingroutinerustproofingwillkeepyousafeandincrease thelifeofyourride,savingyouthousands.

  BOTTOM LINE: Regular maintenance makes your vehicle safer to

  driveandincreasesitslongevityandfuelefficiency.

  Gas

  Filling up at the pump does a great job of emptying your wallet, but there are many things you can do to lighten your fuel consumption.

  Since gas prices swing wildly, they’re also hard to budget for and to calculate—unless I’ve noted otherwise, all my tips assume a price per litreof90cents.Here’satrunkloadoftipstokeepyoufuelfrugal.