Money Saving Ideas.....Waste Not, Want Not
@cindiowens (5120)
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
March 24, 2017 10:39am CST
I don't know about you, but here at my house money is tight. I live from paycheck to paycheck, trying to stretch the money all the way til payday. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't.
I have found ways to cut back though, and I thought I would start sharing those ideas with those of you who are interested. Who couldn't use a little extra change in their pocket, right?
The first one I would like to share, I will call "Waste Not, Want Not."
Everybody does laundry. It is a must. Well, unless you want to go around with dirty stinky clothes it is.
One of the biggest wastes of doing laundry, I think, is fabric softener, or dryer sheets. You put a cap full of liquid softener into every load of laundry, and then send it down the drain. You put a dryer sheet in each load, then toss it out into the trash (or it sticks to the inside of your underwear and you don't notice it until you get that itchy-scratchy feeling when you're in a very populated public place).
Here is my solution:
I went to the Dollar Tree and bought 1 10 load bottle of Downy (My personal favorite). 3 packs of 2 cellulose sponges, and one plastic deep container with a lid. $5 in total.
I cut the sponges in half, rinsed them out and placed them in the container. Then I poured 1 cap full of Downy over the sponges and filled the container halfway with water, and placed the lid on.
Now, when I put a load in the dryer, I pull out one or two sponges, ring them out just so they are not dripping, and toss them in with the clothes. When the clothes are dry, the sponges go back into the container for a later use. Clothes are soft, smell great, and are not costing me a small fortune.
That ONE CAP FULL of Downy has so far lasted me for three weeks! 10 cents worth of softener! One dollar spent for 10 loads worth of softener is going to last me an entire YEAR! (And so far, the dryer hasn't eaten any of my sponges. I think it prefers socks.)
19 people like this
21 responses
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
I also make my laundry detergent, and I put baking soda in it.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
25 Mar 17
@cindiowens Baking soda is a great product, it has so many different uses in a house.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
26 Mar 17
@Lupita234 I do not add lemon when I wash my laundry, because it contains sugar and can damage the fibers.
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
24 Mar 17
I do not use softener sheets or liquid. It is full of toxic chemicals, and some of the fragrances make my allergies have issues. I use white vinegar in the wash in the rinse dispenser. It is like a color safe bleach and it softens the clothes as well. It is a good idea to pay attention to these small drains on our expenses. Your idea was great for those who use those products.
4 people like this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
I have used vinegar, and it does work great for softening, but not for static cling.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
24 Mar 17
I only use fabric sheets - I cut them in half and use each half twice. I hate Downy - and it messes up the cup where you put that stuff. And I only use perfume free, the only stink in my house is me
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
24 Mar 17
@paigea I think that is from the perfumes.
2 people like this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
I can't use the dryer sheets, but this idea works great for me.
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
24 Mar 17
That sounds like a great money saving idea and one I'll have to try. I'm guilty of using fabric softener and it is expensive. I'm always looking to cut corners and save money whenever I can
3 people like this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
It really does great!
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
24 Mar 17
Nice idea. I use dryer balls that cost $1.00 about ten years ago. Fabric softener has not been in my house for at least 15 years. The perfumes and the chemicals tend to cause skin irritation. I hang almost all my clothes on the clothesline....except for a brief period in the winter when it's too cold. That saves me a lot more money and no fabric softener required. 
3 people like this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
And they smell so good. We don't have anywhere to put a clothes line here.
2 people like this
@paigea (35693)
• Canada
24 Mar 17
I have never used fabric softener, I just don't like the smell. And I have heard that it should not be used with towels, it makes them less absorbent. Since I wash all my clothes together I don't use fabric softener for that reason too.
I use the clothesline year round. When it is really cold I hang the clothes inside. I have always enjoyed reading money saving ideas. Magazines often have them and I always look for new ways to be frugal. ( get the magazine from the library, don't buy it.) 
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
24 Mar 17
That's right - fabric softener of any kind makes towels less absorbent. I stopped using it on towels years ago. I always wash towels separate and sheets separate from clothing
4 people like this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
I can't take credit for the idea. I saw it on Youtube. It really works!
2 people like this
@rebelann (111180)
• El Paso, Texas
24 Mar 17
Have you ever tried to put a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle to get them softer @cindiowens ?
1 person likes this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
I shouldn't put chemicals on my clothes, but that is one thing I have found very hard to give up.
1 person likes this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
@rebelann Yes, I have done that. It does work, but you still have the static electricity.
1 person likes this
@shaqziad1610 (506)
• Malaysia
29 Mar 17
My mother happily hang our laundry to dry everyday, it's always sunny here in Malaysia. But during rainy season, she did used a local brand softener, because imported Downy is expensive here. Her method is, she will dilute the softener in a pail, rinse the laundry in the diluted solution and keep the diluted softener in the pail. She could use it for up to five batch of laundry, or so she said.
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24 Mar 17
Yes they do. I am always looking to save money.
1 person likes this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
25 Mar 17
It really does, but sadly that is not an option for me. Too many clothes and not enough room.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
24 Mar 17
That's a great idea. For my clothes, I don't use fabric softener anymore. My mother does fuss at me. But she makes me use dryer sheets in her loads.
1 person likes this
@zebra2222 (5269)
• United States
28 Mar 17
That sounds like a very good idea to save a little money.
@shaqziad1610 (506)
• Malaysia
29 Mar 17
My mother happily hang our laundry to dry everyday, it's always sunny here in Malaysia. But during rainy season, she did used a local brand softener, because imported Downy is expensive here. Her method is, she will dilute the softener in a pail, rinse the laundry in the diluted solution and keep the diluted softener in the pail. She could use it for up to five batch of laundry, or so she said.
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
27 Mar 17
Good for you!
We just did this after watching a video about the sponges, but use our own formula.
We make our own laundry soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. Although we were making our own fabric softener, it was just not right. Now we make it in a new way using the sponges instead of clothes and it is better.
@JudyEv (325787)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Mar 17
That's a great idea. I don't use fabric softener. We have rain water for laundry use and the clothes dry in the fresh air but this is still a great idea.
