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Hey Steemians! What you might not know about me is that I am as handy around the house as I am cheap. :)

So, I wanted to share some money saving things you can easily do around the house to make your life better and save money to boot!

Laundry Stuff!

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Aluminum foil in the dryer

Okay, I didn't believe this one myself, but it works! And it doesn't have all those yucky fabric softener chemicals that may or may not be carcinogenic...

So, take a large sheet of aluminum foil (I used about 3ft per ball) and wad it up pretty tightly, then throw two of them in the dryer with your clothes. Not only do they fluff your laundry, but they discharge a huge amount of static. I use these with two wool dryer balls and the combination seems to have that sweet spot between completely static-free clothes laden with chemicals and a tolerable level of static in my clothes. The static is very minor, mind you!

These seem to last a while, months maybe. I've used them for I don't know how long (months at least, now) and the two I originally made are still holding up.

Conditioner-based fabric softener

If you're like me at all, you probably have bottles of hair conditioner lurking in your linen closet. Either the poor lonely bottle has run out of its shampoo mate or it was a brand that you just had to try and found it unsatisfactory. Odds are, you probably have some to spare.

If it smells nice but makes your hair feel crappy, recycle it into fabric softener!

The recipe is super simple:

6 parts good old h20
3 parts white vinegar
2 parts conditioner
essential oils of your choice (optional)

Mix up and use just like any old fabric softener. If the conditioner doesn't cover the vinegar smell enough, add some essential oils until your nose is no longer offended. This recipe may work with lotion, but I haven't tried! If you have, comment below!

Household Stuff

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Stop using paper napkins and paper towels!

For the last ten years I have been using the same 36 pack of white linens I bought at Sam's club for around $30. I even bleach them like I'm NOT supposed to, and they have lasted TEN YEARS. It only takes me a little longer to fold the laundry. I think most people spend twice that in a year, depending on how many napkins used during the day!

I am getting these next time I buy them, which will be soon!

Use a lot of paper towels? You might want to consider getting yourself a pack of bar mops. I buy them 24 at a time, and again in the last ten years I've only bought TWO packs.

Oh, and the environment thanks you for your service.

Healthy Houseplants

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My houseplants love me all the more when I put a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in a gallon of water. Also, add just a scant pinch of Vitamin C powder in Ascorbic Acid form (nothing with calcium, please) to the same gallon, shake up, and give to the plants. The peroxide oxygenates the roots (they need oxygen for processing nutrients - who knew?), and the vitamin C kills the chlorine and chloramines that are bad for plants. You could let the water sit for a couple days or use a fish tank bubbler to get the chlorine out, but neither of these methods effectively remove the chloramines.

Oh, and you can put the ascorbic acid in your bathtub, too, to remove the chlorine from bath water.

Outdoor plants love peroxide and ascorbic acid, too.

Freezing Avocados and bananas

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These suckers get ripe so fast that I hardly get to use them. I make smoothies A LOT, so if you're like me, you might want to take up freezing these two common smoothie items to save some headaches and time. Oh, and of course, money from not throwing away over-ripe fruit!

Yep, these are perfect to freeze for smoothies, avocado ice cream, and guacamole. I was so tired of throwing away over-ripe avocados, but I love them so much so I had to find a solution. I cut them into quarters and pop them in the freezer to use as needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Bananas are a little more tricky. They usually aren't very good out of the freezer on their own, so I put them into smoothies as frozen slices (4-5 oz frozen banana slices for a whole banana). Pro tip though: when you freeze them, make sure to freeze them flat and in a single layer if possible, then you can transfer them to a freezer bag when they have set up, else you'll end up with banana slice "clumps".

I like to take 6 oz of bananas and put them in my blender with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, a tablespoon of cocoa, a bit of honey or agave nectar, and a slice or two of frozen avocado. And I blend till I have a delicious "ice cream" that's dairy free.

Be sure to comment if you have any tips to share!

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