Recently an artist posted tips for making "freelance life easier by saving you time and money and keeping your morale up". Her tips included (summarized):
- Put dish soap on greasy pans first before water and rub it around
- Throw out scrubby sponges when they smell.
- Use vinegar for everything.
- Buy a cheap pumice stone to scrub porcelain.
- Shop at the 99 cent store for produce, food, etc.
- Don't shop at Goodwill or Salvation army. Instead shop at local thrift stores.
- "Couponing is a full-time job, and you often have to buy in large quantities."
There's some good advice there, but lacking in my opinion. Going over her tips, I'd add:
- When dish sponges are getting smelly (actually before) but are in good shape, bleach them. Make sure you let the bleach soak in and disinfect the sucker. Another option is to wet them then pop them in the microwave. Also, wring them out and allow them to dry out between uses because most bacteria thrive only in moistness.
- Pumice stones and vinegar are great, but the former can scratch some surfaces and the latter requires some good rinsing to remove the smell, but you know what cleans crud off the bath easily? Shampoo! It's made to remove the oils product buildup from hair, so it works great on soap scum. Buy a cheap bottle, apply with a rag or bath poof, let it sit a bit, then rinse clean.
- Don't overlook the power of lemon juice, salt, and baking soda either. Google all the uses, from rust stain remover, metal polish to finger nail whitener (toothpaste works too).
- Shopping only local thrift stores is a nice idea, but to be honest, most I've visited have fewer hours and poor selection than the big two. Then again, the main things I buy there are dishes and odds and ends for crafts. If you really have issue with their policies, it's a matter of comparing how important that is to your need. Growing up on a lower income, we didn't have that luxury.
- "Couponing" can get out of control, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it. Check if any stores around you have double coupon days. Also keep them on hand for quick shopping trip, and don't clip willy-nilly. Save and organize the coupons you actually will use.
Here's a few more of my own:
- Your oven racks looking icky with burnt on food? Put in your tub with a hot water and cheap powder dish-washing detergent. Let sit for a couple hours. To avoid scratching your tub, lay it on an old towel.
- Buy store brand medicines. Check the active ingredients. 99% of the time they're the same and half as expensive.
- Speaking of store or generic brands, don't be afraid to give them a try. There are still some products where I prefer the "name" brand -- the first time I tried a decent peanut butter growing up I knew I could never go back -- but they've come a long way since the old black and white minimalist packaging of the 80s.
- Do the math when shopping. Is that $5 paper towel really cheaper than that $7 one? Calculate the cost per foot or square foot.
- Don't buy brown paper to mail packages. Use paper bags from the store. It's sturdy, and I've not bought packing paper in years.
- Love those sugar scrubs for the bath?* Make some yourself. There's many recipes online. The tiny bottles of oil or essence used in some recipes are the most expensive part, though, but it goes a long way, and, put into a cute inexpensive jar with a bit of decoration, they make great personalized gifts.
- "Use-by dates and expiration dates aren’t strict mandates designed to save you from the brink of gastrointestinal hell, they’re more like guidelines."
*Note: Not everything do it yourself is cheaper. True, you'll know what went into it, but there's discount stores where you may find deals that are actually less expensive and time consuming than making it yourself. Don't be afraid to poke your head into one to see what they have to offer. Be wary of food items in some discount stores though.