Being Frugal in Little Ways Can Add Up to Big Savings

Everyone is trying to be frugal and save money these days. Some folks are turning off landlines and just using cell phones. Some folks are lowering cable packages and limiting driving. Many people do not consider some of the little ways of being frugal that can actually save a lot in the long run.

Rinsing Out Bottles and Scraping Jars Saves Money

When you squirt that last bit of dish liquid from the bottle, you probably just toss it, right? I put a couple of inches of water in the bottle and shake it. There is a lot of dish liquid that clings to the sides that is still usable. You may get 2 or 3 more uses out of it. I also unscrew the pull top and run water over it right into my dish water. There is enough dish liquid accumulated in the cap to wash a small amount of dishes.

I do this same thing with shampoo bottles, conditioner and liquid laundry soap. I have seen people pour the last of the laundry soap into a washing machine and toss the bottle. I cringe because I know they just threw away enough soap to probably do a couple more loads of laundry.

Many people have taken to making their own soaps and laundry detergents to save money. If you do not have the time or desire to do that, these little frugal tips will save you money over time. Save money by buying a shampoo that already has a conditioner added to it instead of buying them separately.

While we are talking about shampoo; you really do not need to shampoo twice just because the bottle says to. It is a hard habit to break as we are used to this method, but your hair really will be clean after just one shampooing. Break the habit of using so much shampoo that you have a ton of suds on your head too.

Shampoo makers add a sudsing agent to the shampoo to convince you that the more suds the cleaner your hair. The bubbles have nothing to do with the cleaning. Besides if you refrain from having a head full of bubbles it will take less water to rinse and you will be saving money there as well.

Now let's discuss those peanut butter, jelly and mayonnaise jars that you toss into the trash. You are probably throwing away enough peanut butter or jelly to make a couple more sandwiches. Use a small rubber spatula to scrape every last bit out of the jars.

Knifes leave behind quite a bit in odd shaped jars and most of the time people will just toss the jar. You scrape everything out of the bowl when you make a cake don't you? Do the same thing with your jars. You'll be surprised that you may have been throwing away enough peanut butter for a few more sandwiches.

Downsize the Amounts to Save Money

You do not have to give up the things you like completely, just downsize the amounts you use. For instance, I am guilty of loving coffee and it is very expensive. Cheat your coffee pot by reducing the amount of coffee you put in it by just a few teaspoons.

You won't really notice the coffee being a tiny bit weaker and the coffee will stretch to make another pot or two. Instead of making a full pot of coffee for after dinner, I now only make half a pot. I still get my after dinner coffee, yet there is no fear of left over coffee. Also have instant cappuccino mix and will sometimes substitute a cup of that instead of making the coffee.

If you like sugar and creamer in your coffee, decrease the amount you use by a small bit to save money. If you use a heaping teaspoon of sugar try using a level teaspoon. You can do this with tea or just about anything you use sugar in too.

Kids, and some adults, love to squirt big globs of ketchup on their plates for French fries or sandwiches. How many times have you had to scrape or wash away excess ketchup? Pay attention to the amount they are using and teach them not to be wasteful. Allow them to squirt a small amount and tell them they can have more if necessary.

These frugal little ways may not sound like much, but you can save a lot over time if you start paying as much attention to the little ways to save as much as the big savings. After all, you paid for it, why shouldn't you use every last bit of it?