One of the great principals of a frugal lifestyle is to use less or extend what you already have to make it last longer than it normally does. Think about it. If you can go from buying a big box of laundry detergent every month to buying one every other month, you have just cut your cost for laundry detergent in half.
It can be a fun challenge to discover how to use less of an item without compromising your standards. for example, I cut my facial cloths in half to save money on them. I tried cutting them into fourths, and while I got through the box, I decided that doing fourths was going a little too far for me. I have a friend who showers every other day to save on shampoo, conditioner and heating and water. She says that is also prevents her skin from drying out. One reader here at Families.com told me that whenever she buys hand soap and brings it home, she immediately pours half of the bottle into an empty bottle, and then fills up both bottles with water to make up the difference.
As you can see, there are many different ways to stretch something out. To keep your motivation up for stretching something and make the challenge fun, try this sneaky trick. The next time you bring something home, such as dish soap, take a piece of masking tape and place it somewhere on the item. Write down the date that you first open of use the item. When your item is done (such as when the bottle of dish soap is empty), write down the end date. You can paste the piece of tape in a book or the inside door of a cabinet, if you like. When you replace the item, do the same thing. Challenge yourself each time to make the product last longer. See just how long you can stretch something.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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