Cut it Out

So I know it's not an original idea, but as I was washing my hands this morning I thought of another tip to give readers who may not have thought of it before. I am amazed at the savings you can accumulate when you simply use half of what you would normally use of certain items. The epiphany came like I said before, when using our hand soap this morning. On a whim I bought the "foaming" hand wash from Method (because 'sweet water' smells SO good!). When the container was empty and I refilled it with my normal hand soap, it didn't work because it was too thick. I always buy the refills in larger quantity from WalMart or Costco. So I poured half of it back into the big bottle and filled the remaining room up with water. Gave it a good shake and viola! It works just as well, foams nicely and in the long run is saving me half of what I normally pay for hand soap!
Like I said, there are lots of things I can do this with that I never even realized. As I started brain storming here are some of the things I came up with that work the same even when you cut them or the amount in half: dryer sheets, dish washer detergent (only fill the wash cup, not the pre-wash), juice (who needs all the extra calories anyway, especially with kids) flavored creamer (when you use half milk and half creamer it makes it more like a latte!), shampoo & conditioner, (try using half, if you make the bottle last twice as long you can buy the kind you like for the same price as the cheap stuff!), butter (my sister-in-law told me about his one! Blend in the food processor 1 lb. of softened butter with 1 cup of olive oil, it's really spreadable and much better for you than the margarine junk!) energy, (using less wattage reduces energy use) TV/Internet, (with all the tv shows available on line, why pay for cable when you've already paid for the Internet?)
These are just the ones that came to my mind! I know there are plenty more if you just look around your house. I love the idea of reducing waste as well as saving money!
Have one you'd like to add to the list? Let me know!

Vinegar

Hey there everyone. I stumbled up on this website today and thought you might want to see it too! I just bought a gallon jug for $2.35 today! Just think of how much money you'd save if you used vinegar in place of the more expensive uses (fabric softener, all purpose cleaner, ant repellent and so many more!)