7 Inconvenient Ways to Save Money (2024)

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March 27, 2013 By Jessi Fearon 37 Comments

Saving money is a challenge with numerous ways to make it work. The biggest issue with saving money is that most of us believe that saving money is only linked to couponing, sales, and ways to stretch your clothing budget further or earning free money.

However, there is another potential way that you could save even more money, inconvenient ways they may be, they can save you $100’s over the course of a year. By inconvenient, I mean making your family’s commonly used items homemade or switching to more cost effective options.

Paper Towels

(This one annoys all my neighbors when they come over and it annoyed my hubs for a long time too, until he realized it truly does save us money.) Get rid of them and replace with white bar mop cloths. You can save an average of $260 a year by making the switch. You can purchase bar mop cloths anywhere and buying them in white allows you to bleach any stains. Bar mop cloths are super absorbent and can be reused multiple times. Keep them next to your kitchen sink in a pretty container and you are all set!

Detergent

Make your own homemade laundry detergent. Making your own detergent can seem time consuming but it will save you a ton over the course of the year. Most homemade laundry detergent recipes will cost you roughly $0.06 a load and my family has saved over a $1,000 in eighteen months just by making our own laundry detergent. Another way to save in the laundry room is to clothesline dry your clothing. (This is great to do with little ones clothing – they dry fast hanging up.)

Daily Shower Cleaner

You can make this homemade too! All you need are equal parts vinegar and water. To cover up that vinegar smell you could use lemon or orange juice. If you have any essential oils at your disposal, you could add a drop or two to the solution. Possible Savings: $20 a year (per bathroom)

Fabric Softener

Use ¼ cup of vinegar in your washer’s fabric softener compartment and you could save an average of $78 a year. (I promise, it will NOT make your clothes smell like a pickle factory.)

All Purpose Cleaner

Use a more concentrated version that requires you to dilute before use. Buying a more concentrated cleaner can cost you more up front but since you will not need to purchase it as often you could potentially save over $70 a year. Another option for an all-purpose cleaner is equal parts water and vinegar.

Refill Liquid Hand Soap Dispensers

Instead of spending a bundle every couple of weeks replacing your hand wash dispensers consider buying a large liquid hand soap container and refilling all of your already purchased hand soap dispensers. Possible savings: $100 a year. If you are worried about germs, you can purchase a dishwasher safe refillable liquid hand soap dispenser and run it through the hottest cycle before refilling.

Floor Cleaner

Use a ½ cup vinegar for every gallon of water. This solution does not leave a sticky residue and is safe for hardwoods, laminate, and tile. If you have a spray mop that does not have a refillable charger, just poke a hole at the top of the charger and use a funnel to refill as many times as needed. If your spray mop does not come with a washable/re-useable cloth just use a microfiber cloth instead of the disposable ones. Possible savings: $75 a year.

If you decide to use all of these options, you could possibly save your family an average of $600 a year. It is no fun to have to be inconvenienced but considering the time that it would take you to clip the coupons, search the sales, get in your car, drive to the store(s), and back home, you could have made every item on this list yourself and saved the trip (and the gas!).

I personally use all of these methods of being inconvenienced to save our family money and now, they no longer seem inconvenient.

What are some inconvenient ways you have been able to save?