Three Simple Ways You Can Save Money

With the rising prices everywhere, we’re all looking for ways to save money. Here’s a mantra that sounds a little old fashioned but that will help you save more money than you might think: “Don’t waste that!”

Using what we have, and using it well, goes a long way toward saving money. Here are three simple ways to do that.

1 – Eliminate food waste when cooking

If a recipe only uses half of the can (diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, cream soup, canned pumpkin, etc.), I pour the rest into a ziploc bag, lay it flat for easy storage and thawing, and write something like “diced tomatoes, 1/2 can, 5/2/23” on the bag. That bag goes into a specific section in my freezer.

Any time I need something canned for a recipe, I first look in the freezer to see if I already have that item. If I don’t have time to defrost it in the fridge overnight, I place the bag in a bowl in the sink and run hot water over it until it’s thawed enough to use.

I also make sure to get every last drop of sauce or liquid out of a can or jar. When I’m making spaghetti, I pour as much sauce as I possibly can out of the jar. Then I add just a teaspoon or so of water, screw on the lid and give it a shake. That loosens all the extra sauce from the sides of the jar and gives me as much as a 1/4 cup of sauce I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to use!

The same practice applies for cans of cream soup. I put a little bit of the milk into my “empty” can of cream of mushroom soup. After I scrape the sides with my spoon, I’m able to get the rest of the soup that sticks in the bottom of the can.

2 – Use samples and travel size toiletries for everyday 

I have quite the stash of samples and travel size toiletries, and I imagine you to doo. When I’m about to run out of shampoo or body wash, I grab one of those to tide me over until the product I want is on sale. I try to never pay full price for brand name items – and using those travel size items helps me to accomplish that goal.

3 – Use cloth napkins and cleaning rags instead of paper

We use cloth napkins at every meal. Not only is it cheaper, I find that cloth napkins do a better job of keeping your hands and face clean! I cut up dingy dish towels for cleaning the kitchen and use old t-shirts for dusting. They work great and are basically free.

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When you’re looking for ways to save money, start by looking for ways to eliminate waste in the products throughout your home!

Read More:

• Three Ways To Spend Less On Groceries
• How To Store Produce To Make It Last
• 5 Recipes To Help You Make the Most of your Meat