Ways to Save--Cleaning Products

I would be lying if I said I have spent my whole weekend, thus far, cleaning.  In my mind, I've been busy dusting/vacuuming/scrubbing/etc but really, I've been having more fun thinking about decorating the house for Christmas!

In case some of you may BE busy cleaning--or thinking about cleaning--I thought I'd pass along some cheap tips I learned this summer.

Have you ever received one of those emails with the Top 100 Uses for Baking Soda...Top 100 Uses for Vinegar, etc???

I have--and I immediately delete it because I will never remember each and every use for the ingredients!

I'm more the Google-and-Find-Out type of person...especially on those days where I realize I'm out of a cleaning product, my hair and make-up are a wreck so there's no way I'm going to the store.  Here are some quick-fixes for store bought cleaners...most of the ingredients should already be in your pantry!

Stove Top Cleaner:

For those of us who own a smooth-top range, you probably already know that the bottles of stovetop cleaner are NOT cheap!

The alternative:

I had a hard time believing baking soda only would clean up the nasty burnt-on messes, but it did!  In fact, we rediscovered some of the "burner circles" that had disappeared long ago and the stovetop looked cleaner than ever before.  But the best part--my hands felt like they'd just had a manicure :-)  For the super easy instructions, check out:

Furniture Polish:

Our house is always dusty and I'm constantly out of furniture polish.  Not that I'm a big fan of furniture polish, anyhow--it always seems to leave a greasy, dull appearance on wooden surfaces.

The alternative...

Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup vinegar; pour into spray bottle for use.  The best part--it doesn't leave behind any greasy residue!

Pet Stains:

I discovered this recipe when one of our pets decided it would be great fun to potty on our area rug...It's almost like they sensed I was out of store bought carpet cleaner! 

This particular recipe seems to combine several different cleaning methods into one...It can take some time to clean up the mess, but it works really well!  Basically, mix equal parts water and white vinegar; treat the affected area and blot dry.  Apply a handful of baking soda over the affected area and drizzle it with 1/4 C. hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1t. liquid dish soap.  Work it in with a brush or your fingers to dissolve the baking soda. Blot again and allow it to dry. Once dry, vacuum up the dried baking soda--both the stain AND smell will be gone!  Sure as heck beats paying $5/bottle of "Pet" carpet cleaner and running out after just a few spritzes.

Hopefully, some of these tips will be helpful.  It's always nice having a chemical-free cleaning option or just knowing how to clean something without having to make an impromptu grocery store run!

Ways to Save--Hair Products

I go through "hair product" like crazy...especially since my hair is getting longer, it requires more mousse and definately more hair spray. 

I'm a sucker for professional hair products--I've tried different brands from grocery stores, Target, Walmart, etc but I just never find anything I love. 

The thing is--I hate how much the professional stuff costs. 

I had always heard that JCPenny, of all places, has the best sales on hair products.  Really???  Turns out, it's true!  The other day I got a Redken Liter Set for $30...not too shabby!  In fact, most stores base their sales off of JCPenny's salon sales.  Who wudda thunk it...

It seems JCPenny is ALWAYS sending out those $10-off coupons in the mail...you know what I'm talking about!  We received yet another coupon in Sundays's paper that was good for July 3rd and 4th only.  And this girl was out of hair spray...

I headed over to Penny's with my coupon in hand and turns out...they were having a "Buy 1, Get 1 for $1" sale on all their products.  Talk about perfect timing!

I paid $23 for $62 worth of hair product.  That's a savings of $39!  My items went from being $15.50 each to $5.75 courtesy of the sale and my coupon.  

Thanks to JCPenny's, I can still have my professional hair gunk AND have some money left in my wallet!  And if you're lucky, maybe I'll show ya some pics of my growth one of these days!

One Way to Save--Laundry Detergent

I'm all about trying to save a buck here and there.  Even though I am in awe, I'll never be like those people on "Extreme Couponing."  That takes too much time and energy.  Deep down, though, I've always longed for a membership to Sam's Club.  However, with it just being the two of us and living an hour away from the closest one, I'm not sure if we'd even end up really saving anything...???

I have started using Dillon's digital coupons--that way, they're always with me and I also download any coupons that may be of use in the event that the brand I'm loyal to is out of stock, etc...

The other day, I ran to Dillon's to pick up some fabric softener.  I had a $.75 digital store coupon and a $2.00 manufacturer's coupon...I was about to get the bottle of Downy for $2....woot woot!

Ummmmm, turns out Dillon's doesn't allow you to "stack" meaning you can't use a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon together.  The real kicker--they would only accept my $.75 store coupon and told me I'd have to use my $2.00 manufacturer's coupon at another time.  Way to rip me off, buddy!

I came home with my now $4 bottle of Downy and decided I was going to find a better way of saving money on laundry products.  If Dillon's wanted to be difficult about it, I was taking my business elsewhere.

Hello, Amazon.com!!! 

At Dillon's, Tide is anywhere from $.22-$.50+/ounce.  It all depends on which size bottle and variety you want.

On Amazon, I found Tide with a Touch of Downy for $.11/ounce--half price!  And--it included free shipping!  It did require that I buy 4 bottles at once to get the low price, but at the rate we do laundry, I'd rather stock up than pay full price little-by-little at the grocery store.  Oh, and should I mention my total savings was $58???  Eat that, Dillon's!

Check it out yourself at http://www.amazon.com/Tide-Touch-Lavendar-Actilift-Bottles/dp/B002V1H2WA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309709252&sr=8-1