Plastic Baggies

A great tip to save money and the environment:  wash and reuse your sandwich baggies!  For ease of cleaning, turn the baggie inside-out and insert your hand into it for easier wiping with a soapy cloth.  Rinse and then hang to dry on any drying utensils.

*I recommend not reusing baggies which have held raw meat or peanut butter (if you have a peanut allergy in the family).

Shop Around

Have you been with the same trash company for several years?  It might be time to make some calls to see if you are still getting the best deal.  I recently did and I was surprised to see how great the differences in prices were.  You may be able to save a lot of money by switching.  Or you may discover you are already getting the best deal.  Either way, you'll ensure you are saving!

Jamie

Fabric Softener Sheets

For years I saved money by never buying fabric softener sheets.  I had read that you shouldn't use them for baby's and children's pajamas because it negates the flame resistance of the clothing.  Since the baby's clothes were washed with ours, I never used them.  However, the static cling started to take it's toll!

We now have enough laundry to wash baby's clothing separately, so I enjoy the "luxury" :-) of fabric softener.  But I still want to stretch my dollar.  Take the fabric softener sheets and cut them in half.  Then use just one half sheet per load.  I promise it works just as well!

Jamie

Another Use For Grocery Bags

Thanks to N. for reminding me of this great tip:

Plastic grocery bags also work great as garbage can liners for small garbage cans!  When it's full, pull it up by the handles, tie them up, and toss it out.

*Timesaver Tip--Put extra bags inside the bottom of the can to have bags on hand when you take out the trash.

Do you dislike having extra grocery bags cluttering your cabinet?  Take an empty tissue box and stash your extra bags in there.  It's a quick, easy (and FREE!) way to keep the bags organized!

Jamie

Money Saving Kitchen Tool

One of the best money saving tools in the kitchen is....

drum roll, please...

The Spatula!

I know, pretty basic, right?  But some people don't use it very often.  I use mine for every can or jar I'm just about done with.  For example, by using my spatula, I can usually get out enough peanut butter for an extra sandwich or two.  Why waste food from a nearly empty container when you paid for all of it?

Jamie