28 EXTREME Money-Saving Household Hacks 

Just a reminder that the bots are out and I don’t have a private coaching program or helpline, and I’ll never try to sell you something by responding to your comments! 😊

When I grew up my Mom was a master of making do and reusing. She reused glass jars for storage and canning . Bread bags were used for dirty cloth diapers when you were out of the house and food storage and to for snow boots that had a leak. Sewing scrapes were made into quilts ,clothes became cleaning rags.Shoe boxes and other ‘good boxes’ were used as storage. Kitchen scraps were given to the dogs and pig . Cool whip and butter bowls were our Tupperware.The Quaker oatmeal box became a kids drum ,baby food jars were for screws and small do-dads. We used paper bags for book covers ,art paper or she would open the bags up and use them to make pattern pieces for clothes. She would cut up my dads worn out overalls and use the legs for patches for other overalls or jeans. Feed bag strings were saved . Old pans became animal feed bowls . My mom would use old envelopes to put my lunch money in or she would open them up to use as note paper. Foil was saved and reused ,cereal bags and other bags were used as lunch sandwich bags. Paper and cardboard was used as fire starters. We didn’t have much trash to get rid of.

I collect the bags off toilet rolls to line my bathroom and bedroom bins

I’ll go you one better on the laundry detergent recommendation. I have a front loader Speedqueen and when the technician sme out to do some work On it he recommended ONE tablespoon per load. He said that the washing machine uses so little water so that’s all you need. Anymore will make your clothes dingy because the soap won’t fully rinse out. This wasa GameChanger and I can attest that our clothes come out VERY clean using one tablespoon. We use the Kirkland brand detergent as well.

I've heard this called "shop your house first". Always a good idea.

I am trying to become more plastic-free in my life. I discovered that my old hot sauce bottles make great spray bottles as the nozzles fit perfectly on them!

We have chickens. We were told to mix oyster shells into their feed which we did to start off with. Once they started laying eggs, we saved the egg shells in one of those air tight containers that many people keep sugar or cereal in. When it was full, we baked the egg shells for 20 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit and then sent them through the blender to make a nice powder. Then we mixed that into their feed to help build the calcium for eggs they laid.

I use vinegar in place of Jet Dry in my dishwashers rinse aid compartment.

Bread twist ties are really useful for random things, like tying up herbs to hang up and dry them out or closing partially opened bags of frozen foods. Plastic containers that some foods come in get a second life as storage containers for leftovers/meal prep. Swapping out single-use for reusable items like dryer balls instead of dry sheets, a reusable coffee filter, reusable freezer bags, etc., saves us a lot over the lifetime of these items. Paring down what you actually need versus what you are made to think you do in terms of anything really can help as well and be more beneficial in the long run in terms of upkeep: using fewer skincare products since using too many types at once just wrecks your skin barrier; using simpler cleaners that are gentler but still work like vinegar-based ones you can make for cheap and then don't wear down the surfaces being cleaned and don't harm your respiratory system when breathed in during use; skipping fabric softener and heavy-fragranced added products like scent-beads/etc. which damages clothes over time, prevents them from actually getting clean, and can irritate your lungs and skin.

This was a game changer.... Buying big pieces of chicken or fish on sale ..finding a way to freeze them without them getting freezer burned ..I discovered that you could freeze them in water. .. just use any kind of jar with a lid or a Cool whip container etc..add water and leave enough room at the top for expansion.

I had an old tupperware that has changed color over the years, so I used it as a small planter and the lid is my spoon rest for cooking, or i put teabags on there so they can cool down before i throw them / compost them.

We save plastic tubs that lunch meat comes in for freezer containers. If we batch cook chicken, pork chops or hamburger, we fill the tubs and freeze. Sometimes the tubs crack or break, but usually after a few uses so it's no big to toss. I try and keep all the same sizes and lid colors and let go of the odd balls. A thrift store we frequent has model railroad material (grass and little bits of landscape architecture) he gladly accepts our odd plastic bits. We save the heavier plastic ice cream tubs. Mainly we use those for marinading in our batch cooking, but we've put popcorn or chips in them too. We also save the country time plastic lemonade containers. Very useful for garage projects as they won't break. We made a camping light out of one of them by putting in a battery string of white holiday lights inside. One of those little battery tea lights would work too.

We have a birthday box, and I keep all the reusable decor (balloon weights, table cloth, banners, etc.) and any cheap decor I come across in the birthday box. This helps save money because with three small children having reusable special items (like at Christmas and Easter) makes things easier and cheaper. :)

I had a cantaloupe "volunteer" in my compost, which is enclosed by pallets. I used pieces of old pantyhose to make "hammocks" for the melons so they wouldn't be sitting on the soil/compost.

I save the bags in cereal boxes and reuse as wax paper. I also use them on cookie sheets and flash freeze summer produce like any leftover raspberries we didn’t eat or cut up pieces of rhubarb or celery from my garden. Once frozen I can easily transfer the frozen pieces into a freezer container and they do not freeze in a big.

I couldn't believe the price of the plastic sticks you use to tell seedling apart at the store, so we cut up used Sour Cream Containers instead. That was actually my non frugal husband's idea. Also of you can, Classic Pasta Jars will seal with canning lids & rings. It's not cheaper than buying new Mason jars which are like $1 each, but when classico is ok sale for $1.99 a jar I get 3 and we get pasta sauce and Jars for when the tomatoes need processed into pasta sauce.

I always save the rubber bands that come with fresh produce, and I am currently saving all of my bar soap "slivers" to melt down and mold into a new bar of soap!

Speaking of laundry detergent- while I do hang most clothes- I also place certain clothes into the dryer. I have been cutting the dryer sheets in half for many years. You simply do not need a whole dryer sheet! A half of sheet does the exact same job as a whole sheet and the box of dryer sheets will last twice as long! I also agree with your advice about laundry detergent. My mother-in-law told me over 25 years ago that you only need half of the directions say to use. The clothes do in fact come out just as clean with less detergent. Also, using more detergent (the amount the bottle indicates to use) only wears out your clothes and diminishes the colors of the clothes much faster.

We stopped by the dumpsters by our house one day while we were on the way to go get groceries and someone had set a tub out and it had a bunch of plastic baskets in it. So we grabbed the tub and the baskets because my kids bathroom needs a new tub because theirs has a crack in the bottom of it and it is smaller than the standard size because we live in a double wide and that tub was the same size and the baskets had potting soil all in them, so we just cleaned everything up and I am using the baskets through out the house and the tub we have it for when we get the time to put it in.

Laundry - I started putting two cups of distilled vinegar in the wash - my clothes are now getting clean! (actually I was able to cut down to 1.5 cups - note we have a quite large top loader).

My grandmother taught me to use the treated paper milk containers as mini garbage bins for anything smelly. Just clip the top together again and it can stay in the refrigerator or freezer. If it’s garbage with more yucky stuff, cat litter, close the top and staple the sides together.

I use my freezer to store veg scraps, etc in an ancient tupperware until I'm ready to take them out to the compost. Not only avoids possibility of mold, but during the warm weather, fruit flies don't get a chance to breed.

Empty and clean prescription pill bottles can be reused for many things - small sewing kits; to carry gum in my purse; to carry fire starter when hiking or camping; to store pins, needles, screws, nails, picture hooks, etc. I appreciate that they're "child proof" and so things are safe from curious little ones.

i would use the ear holders of disposable surgical masks as emergency shoe ties, hair bands, key chain.. and other random things that need to be tied. also the metal piece that holds the nose helps hold things together. I compost food waste instead of buying fertilizer

I save the wire band from celery and cut it up to use as twist ties. Save the foil lid liners from yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. You can use them to cover opened cans for storing. Just secure with a rubber band.

I keep dryer lint and old mail and papers that the kids no longer need for school and use them as fire starters for the fireplace during the winter.

Thanks for the time you put into these videos !! I learn so much . Much love .

I also use random elastic bands that pass through my life to close up a bag of half eaten frozen veggies or french fries.

I discovered that regular sized tuna can lids can be reused with wide mouth canning rings to cover food you want to store in a wide mouth canning jar in the refrigerator or pantry. not for canning of course. Just temporary storage.

I save the bags from milk. Here in Ontario we buy 4l of milk in 3 smaller bags, all in one large bag. I use the large outer bag to line the small trash bin I use for the kitty litter. Keeps the bin clean and easy to pull out and dump in the trash

Enjoy your personality Much Success on Your Channel

I’m so enjoying all the practical wisdom here 😊 Thanks for the inspiration, everyone!

This is my first time visiting your channel, and I have to say your smile and bubbly personality drew me into your video. Thanks for the info. Keep on smiling 😊.

Thank you for the mention... it was so unexpected. 😊

Those plastic tabs that close bread bags is great for scraping junk off non-stick pans. They're plastic, so it won't harm your cookware's surface. And they are free, unlike store-bought plastic scrubbers.

I use Amazon package bags for our small trash can liners. I turn them inside out , I haven’t bought trash bags in a really long time. We don’t throw wet stuff in trash cans so bags are reusable.

I’ve had a surplus of cleaning rags, so lately I’ve been cutting up “destined for the trash” T-shirts into smaller 3”x3” sections for eye make-up remover wipes. I cut up the T-shirts while watching TV and store them in a decorative ceramic canister in the bathroom. I think they work much better than the tiny disposable make-up rounds, and I am getting a last use out of the fabric to keep something else out of the landfill. I also reuse the clear plastic lidded containers that some manufacturers now place over stick chewing gum packages to protect the gum from getting crushed. These are perfect for storing small desk supplies, such as pushpins, or small beauty supplies, such as Q-tips or hair ties. They fit in the narrow, unused gaps within a drawer and keep things organized. I have a label maker that I use to label the top of each so that I can see what is in them at a glance.

The plastic produce containers for planting seedlings. Plastic butter containers, yogurt containers, etc for tub toys. Any glass jars for recanning or storing dry goods and small glass jars for extra spices. Single use bags for litter box and dog walking bags as well as garbage bags, lunch bags, etc. I use the potato bags for weekend food prep to sort the waste or compost so i dont have to go back and forth from the sink. We make an effort not to purchase items in plastic or foam. I wish I had a second use idea for the laundry containers.

So many great ideas, thank you!

These are great ideas Hillary, thanks for sharing 👍 😀

I really enjoy seeing you laugh. You have such a unique laugh. Makes me laugh with you. ❤

Thank you! New follower and I am totally enjoying the content and your funny quirky style. Useful and entertaining. Never change.

If you don’t use your food scraps for your own use in the garden, check with your local garbage/waste company to see if they have a compost program. Where I live in California, we received a free composting bucket that we use for food scraps. It is smaller so we can keep it on our counter. I do purchase the green composting bags but they were a decent price for box of 100. The waste company turns it into composting material which they sell (pretty cheaply) back to the public.

I heard about a soap mitt ( for lack of a better term) from Homestead Tessie - another RU-vid channel- to use up all the 🎉small bits of soap in the shower. She uses her homemade soap for dishes and drops them into the mitt. I use mine in the shower and love it! You drop your soap pieces in and use it as you would a wash cloth, but It lathers great and the ones I found exfoliate too.

Really enjoy your channel. Thanks for sharing. Love 💕 and Hugs. 💙💙💙

I clip my recipes to my cabinet knob with a clothespin. My cabinet draw pulls are vertical.

Youve got some great comments. Ive learnt a lot. Thanks 😊

I cut the bottoms of food boxes to organize all my drawers years and years ago. Custom made. And free

I do not recommend melting crayons in a silicone baking container. The chemical odor will be absorbed into the silicone and will take your baked goods in the future. If you do try it, use paper muffin cups, but it will still stink up your kitchen.

You are a treat 😊

The paper storage idea with cereal boxes and the magnet for posting recipes on the microwave...so useful, and I've not heard them before. Thanks!!

I love these hacks esp the greenhouse cutout milk container. I will recycle my gallon Poland Spring. Lettuce and spring onion are fun and easy.

Aw...I just found you and you are so lovely...the things you described are things that I already do ( and I do more!) but I will continue to watch you (from the UK) as you are never tooold to learn.x

This is more for reference, the video explains how she uses/reuses all of this; tissue boxes [for drawer organisers] Smaller produce bags [for smaller smellier rubbish] Excess Clothes pins [for art displays] and chip clips and so on Milk Jugs [cut to make small greenhouses for new plants] Previous measuring cups [to make scoops for ease] Chipped mugs [flowerpot] Baby food jars [sharps storage] Spice containers [for spices!] Bull clips [hanging freezer food from freezer shelf to save space] Leftover fluid from botle of wipes [reuse as cleaning spray] Magnets [hold recipe above oven] Cereal boxes [Magazine box/paper storage/small open drawers] Photo/certificate frames [use as whiteboard] Packing tape [laminate items] Shoe boxes [storage] Crayons [melt to make larger crayon balls/new crayons] Produce bags/bread bags/potato bags [small bin bags, for bathrooms and such] Bulk food hard containers [still for food storage, and you can get some for free if you ask] Old shirts [smocks/rags/gardening ties] Personally I have borrowed the work laminator to laminate a white sheet of paper to be my portabel whiteboard :) I have cut up an old sheet that had a horrible and stiff oil spill on it, using the rest of the sheet to make dozens of hankies. Old notebooks that I'm sure I've checked for any interesting notes to keep in mind, great paper for papier mache. Some I confetti shred for stuffing and to be used as confetti decroation. I have old cotton bud containers in the bathroom holding soap chips and when I have enough I can melt them together for a new bar. I save any ruined clothing that's black, white, red, green or gold and cut them into patchwork Christmas decroations. I reuse the same pen again and again because the refills are a tenth of the cost of buying the whole thig. And of course the fat that comes from cooking, I' sure Hillary has that in a different video but don't throw that out either!

Absolutely love these hacks! I had to laugh when you mentioned the freezer/smelly food hack. I do that all the time. And then I forget to throw them away on garbage day. So when I go to pick from the many bags of frozen chicken I'm always disappointed when I open it and it's onion skins lol. I need a remembering to throw it away hack!

You are resourceful.

I make my own cloth soap with dawn soap one part to two parts water... saves a ton of money. Also turn off breakers in the house when I leave the house and the appliances are not in use. Saves me about half the bill as before I did this.

Thank you

We used a beer box in the pantry before. Using the boxes that your zip lock bags come in would work better in your drawer, Add some masking tape to make them sturdier.

Oh my goodness. Great tip about using a magnet on the microwave to hang recipes!

The cardboard boxes bananas arrive in at the grocery store are amazing as moving boxes, the staff are usually happy to give them to you for free if you ask! They come in two parts with a lid that snugly cover the entire bottom part instead of just resting on top if it, so they are very secure.

I shop once a week and when my son moves out in January it will just be the two of us and I will start going to the store biweekly.

Old socks? No that’s now a reusable dusting mitt!

I know someone who puts a heavy plastic bag in her freezer and puts compostable food/items in it until it is full in the freezer and then puts it on her compost pile. Keeps the compost smell out of the kitchen and doesn’t have to make constant trips to the compost pile.

Love the crayon 🖍️ idea. Excellent for babies/toddlers who will break regular crayons! Do you simply melt the crayons in the mold in the oven at a low temperature ?

I know exactly what you mean about single use plastic bags not being single use in the first place. We have a similar law. HOWEVER we were allowed to purchase thicker plastic bags. Made no sense. Now Walmart doesn't sell the thicker plastic bag for 10 cents. But they will sell you a piece of junk bag for 79 cents. Wasn't it just better before the new law???

My cheap skincare routine.... Wash my face morning and night with a wet face cloth. That's it. You will have beautiful skin if you do this. Or an improvement, I promise. Any dry spots especially after a shower , dab with a drop of olive oil, coconut oil or a piece of cocoa butter. The wash cloth face cleaning is best treatment for teens going through puberty. And put a crushed wet aspirin on angry pimples, secure with small round bandaid overnight.

Good morning

Put those tacks in a child lock bottle. A lot of times even the vitamin bottles have child locks on them.

Costco cereal boxes are the best for magezines

😀😄😊

Was dumbfounded by an extreme YT channel 2-3 hours long showing sped up scenes investing $1000s in installed and loose organizing tools, bins and decanters into every shelf, crevice, closet, cabinet and room in the home. Holy wow. Makes me love my less inventory with room in some cabinets to spare and few organizers at all needed. Just some bins in the garage mostly. Do like my pyrex glass storage containers for food; lids can tear prematurely but prefer over plastic most of the time.

Sorry but I take out the trash every morning. It doesn't need to be setting around until it starts smelling and drawing bugs. YUP. I'm always rebuying stuff that I can't find. Especially out in my tool shed. I'm always forgetting where I put stuff at time's. I guess cause I'm getting old 😮..

Talk a slightly bit slower please.

Always learning something new!