changing habits to save

We all have them--the things we thoughtlessly do day in & day out that are drizzling into our household expenses. Changing your habits to save is a two-part process. First, you have to identify the habits that are costing you money and secondly, you have to purposefully focus on them for at least 7 days to invoke a permanent change.

Here are some common habits that are worth investigating:

Too much detergent
I have participated in many consumer surveys for a large consumer-products company based in our town. I remember one in particular where it seemed the entire point of the survey was to see if I would notice that the cap size on the laundry detergent was larger on the new bottle than on the older one. Conveniently, the cap doubles as a measuring cup for the liquid detergent. Do you automatically fill the laundry detergent cup when you put in your detergent? How about your dishwasher detergent? Your dish soap for handwashing? Your shampoo?

A good rule to remember is that soft water needs less detergent and hard water needs more. Use this as a starting point and then experiment. I have found that 2 Tbls. of laundry detergent works well for me & 1 Tbls. of dishwashing detergent in only one dishwasher compartment. However, more dish soap works best for me so that dishes don’t come out greasy. Find the perfect amount for you rather than acting out of habit.

Tossing dinner-gone-wrong in the trash
I’m certain there is not a single cook out there who hasn’t experienced dinner-gone-wrong--multiple times, most likely. My last experience was just last week. I made 8 loaves of sourdough bread and used two entire bags of whole wheat flour in the process. I accidentally pulled 2 of the loaves out of the oven too early, so after they cooled, they each had a large, doughy middle. I considered what I could do with the loaves. Since they had no preservatives or other added chemicals, I mixed some of the doughy parts into some chicken broth for our dog (she has no wheat allergies). Then, I cut the rest into small squares, coated them with oil & spices, and baked them in the oven at 250 degrees to make croutons. My daughter loves them.

Unless your food has been burnt beyond recognition, you can probably think of a way to save it.

Tossing food & garden waste in the trash
You don’t have to be a gardening genius to make compost. First, forget all the green/brown business. Throw out calculations, specialty boxes, and watering requirements, too. If you have a yard of any size, find a corner of your lot and start dumping at least your cut grass & raked leaves there. Add your kitchen food waste (no meat or fat) if you can. We don’t add kitchen waste because our dog would consume it all and a fence for the compost pile is not currently in our budget.

Don’t worry about taking the temperature of your pile or anything else the “experts” tell you to do. Trust that mother nature will do its job.We know that plants would keep growing with or without humans in the picture, because when dead matter falls in the forest, it decomposes into the soil and creates a nourishing environment for future growth. This is what will happen in your pile, too. Use the compost as soon as it’s dark & crumbly.

Loading your computer printer with fresh paper
Do you need to print your MapQuest directions on a fresh clean piece of paper? Or would the back of the article you printed out a couple night ago suffice?

Renting a Saturday night movie
Do you need the newest release every Saturday night? Is it possible that the library has a movie you’ve been wanting to see sitting on its shelves? Or, maybe you could plan ahead and request something you’ve been wanting to see so that it’s waiting for you at the library on Saturday afternoon?

Saving money is part discipline, part attitude & part creativity. Develop an attitude of examining every habit, use your creativy to come up with a new routine, then be disciplined in using your new routine for at least a week. At the end of the 7 days, you will likely have a new habit--one that’s keeping your money in your bank account.

Get Moving: Examine your usage of non-food consumer products this week, such as laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, hand dishwashing soap, shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, toilet paper & paper towels. Experiment with using less until you find the amount the works for you. Make that amount your new habit.
hint: it can be helpful to replace the measuring devices provided by the company with a smaller one of your own

Annoying but necessary disclaimer: All information contained herein express my opinions only and are based on my health status & location. Each person's situation, health, and local laws & ordinances are different. By all means, use your own common sense & don't do anything you see here if someone more important than me (like your doctor, your local police, your own conscience) would disagree. If you're easily persuaded by everything you read, and you think I might cause you to hurt yourself or break the law, quit reading my site, please.