7 Frugal Living Tips – In The Bathroom
October 1, 2009 by Hillbilly Housewife
Filed under Frugal Living
Last week we talked about frugal living tips for the kitchen, this week we’re talking about how you can save in the bathroom.
Before we dive into my seven tips, I wanted to point you to an article I recently wrote about a frugal definition. If you’re not quite sure what living frugally means, take a minute to read through it.
Let’s get back to our frugal living tips for the bathroom…
Turn The Water Off
Do what you can to save water. Not only is it frugal, it’s good for the environment. When you’re showering, turn the water off while you soap up and shampoo your hair.
Don’t leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth. All these small changes add up.
If It’s Yellow…
When we lived in Colorado we went through a serious water shortage and the old “When it’s yellow let it mellow, when it’s brown flush it down” was used by everyone. Even restaurants had the saying hanging in their bathroom stalls. Nothing wrong with implementing it at home as well.
Homemade Bathroom Cleaners
Use vinegar and baking soda to clean just about any surface in your bathroom. A mixture of half vinegar and half baking soda makes an excellent toilet cleaner. A paste made from baking soda and water cleans soap scum and a dash of vinegar added to warm water is perfect for wiping down counters and mopping the floor.
Reusing Towels and Such
Don’t toss your old towels when they are no longer soft and absorbent enough. Just them up into rags and use them to clean your house or the car. They also make great pet blankets and beds.
Free Air Fresheners
No need to buy air fresheners for your bathroom. Use perfume samples from magazines. Tear them out and stick them inside your toilet paper roll or in the bottom of your bathroom trash can. You can also scatter (almost) empty bottles of perfume with the lid open.
Only Use What You Need
You usually don’t need nearly as much shampoo, shower gel as you may think. See how little you can get away with and still get good results. I haven’t bought shaving gel in years, a little tiny dab of conditioner works just as well.You can usually water down shampoo and conditioner quite a bit as well.
Don’t wad toilet paper. Fold it instead and teach your kids to do the same. You can greatly reduce the amount of TP your family uses.
Repurpose
Before you head out to buy something new for your bathroom, see if there’s a way to repurpose something you already have. You can braid strips of old towels into a bath rug. Just about anything sturdy and metal or plastic can become a bathroom trash can.
An old candy tin holds my cotton swabs and such and an other one has my cosmetics in it. My hair dryer and brushes are sitting in an old bread basket I bought at a yard sale for 25 cents.
That’s it for this week. Stay tuned for some more frugal living tips next week.
Warmly,
Susanne Myers- The Hillbilly Housewife
Visit me at www.hillbillyhousewife.com and while you’re there, take a moment to subscribe to my newsletter and discover more frugal tips.
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I’m always looking for great ways to save money! Thanks for these tips.