Money Savers from Pinterest that Make Life Easier

As someone who looks out for ways to save money practically (read: not just being cheap, but finding ways to do the same things for less), I have spent some time on Pinterest. I love the creative ideas there, but most of all, I have found some great ideas for ways to save money and make life easier. All of the items on Pinterest link back to some great blogs that can help with any variety of ideas and money-saving tips.

For example, I have heard a lot of talk lately about using good old household products instead of chemical-laden cleaners because they are safer and cheaper, but I did not really think that it would save that much time or money, and especially not work better. But I happened across a few pins that turned the light on for me, not to mention an article about the dangers of household chemicals. I am not overly health-conscious or someone who will push ideas about going green on others, but I found some things that made sense, and once I tried them I was sold. So I wanted to pass a few ideas along:

• DIY Grocery Bag Holder – this took a little time up front but cleaned out a closet over-flowing with grocery bags, and they are convenient to take on the go as well as easy to refill. You just use one of those old bottles left over from cleaning wipes, roll up some grocery bags, and voila! (There are more detailed instructions on the blog in the link, but it is very easy to do).
• Instead of anti-slip mats for rugs, you can easily line the back of the rug with caulk every 6 inches or so for much less (and when the kids pull up the rugs, they will not move the liners to another part of the house and cause you to have to hunt them down and replace them). This site has several other good, easy tips.

• How to clean high chair straps – with just bleach, baking soda, and dish soap you can transform those disgusting, smelly high chair straps back to looking new and free from the old, moldy, caked-on food smell.

We sent out an iMoneyMinute email not too long ago about household cleaners and how to make your own laundry soap. If you are not getting our iMoneyMinute emails and want great tips every 3 weeks that in a minute or less will save you time or money or show you how to make money or reduce your financial risk, be sure to sign up here. All of the links from that email can be found on Pinterest too. Here they are with their original links:

• 45 Uses for Vinegar – who knew this very inexpensive product could do so much? I ended up following this recipe for making naturally scented vinegar using orange peels so it would smell a little better.
• And here are 31 Uses for Baking Soda – my new BFF. Baking soda is also very inexpensive, and I have found it works much better than many of my old chemical cleaners.
• Another good friend is rubbing alcohol. Here are 25 Alternative Uses for Rubbing Alcohol that are sure to help you save money and time (i.e. easy ice pack, relieve mosquito bite itch, jewelry cleaner, etc.).
• Homemade Laundry Soap – I tried this recipe about 6 months ago and still have plenty of laundry soap left. For only $26 at Walmart I found all of the ingredients. PLUS, I have a laundry sink where all of the water from the washing machine drains, and it has been much darker and dirtier since I started using the homemade laundry soap. This is a good sign! I wonder now how much of that dirt was getting left on my clothes before.

While Pinterest can be a time-stealer, if you are already on there you can make it productive by looking for more money-saving ideas that will also save you time and make life better (yes, having a clean showerhead does make my life better!). And thanks to the creative blog authors who came up with these fantastic ideas!