Money Saving Monday

Is it Monday again already? (Do I ask that every Monday, I think I do...)

Here are a few small ways that I know I can save money for my family each week:

• Use rags instead of paper towels. I know. This sounds a little like nickle and diming, but it does work. I make sure that instead of grabbing a paper towel to clean off the counters or to wipe up a spill, I grab a towel or washcloth. It IS important though, to throw a washcloth or towel in the laundry if you have something like raw meat that you are cleaning up after. You don't want to get your family sick! I wash all of my cleaning rags together in one wash also, in warmer water. I have also noticed I don't need to buy paper towels NEARLY as much, which is saving us money!


• Make your own cleaner. I make a super simple cleaner that I use on my table and counters. It is safe, and I don't worry about it getting on any food. Water and vinegar. That's it. I take a spray bottle and fill it about 3/4 with water, and probably less then 1/4 with vinegar. And YES, it smells like vinegar BUT like I said, I don't worry about it getting on any food! Plus it is VERY cheap!


• Keep all appliances clean. If you keep your stove, oven, microwave, toaster, etc clean, then you are saving yourself loads of money. Stuck on food will actually ruin surfaces and will make your appliance work harder to get it's job done, THUS shortening its life.


• Clean the most "touched" surfaces in your house AT LEAST weekly. Door handles, light switches, sink handles, walls in the hallway or stairway, the top backside of kitchen chairs, etc. This will keep germs from spreading in your house. I make sure I do this several times a week when one of us gets sick or has a cough. And usually the illness runs out of the house pretty quickly. Doctor bills aren't cheap, so prevention is key to saving money at the doctor or pharmacist!

So, how do YOU save money for your family? Either leave a link going directly to a blog entry OR leave a comment on how you save money. Thanks for sharing!