Small little frugal changes can really add up. Let me give you an example. About 6 months ago I stopped buying commercial cleaning products. Until I stopped buying them, I had no idea how much money I was wasting each month on them since they just came out of my grocery budget. Just by making those small changes and not changing my buying habits otherwise, I ended up saving $60 per month which quickly adds up over the course of the year.

Let me share a few tips with you on how I accomplished this. Start by skipping the expensive detergent and make your own homemade laundry detergent instead.. To get my clothes nice and soft, I use I also switched to this frugal fabric softener made from things I have sitting around anyway.

I also started to clean my home with things that I already had sitting around, including:

• baking soda
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• mild dish soap
• salt

Here is how you can put those ingredients to use as homemade household cleaners.

For an all purpose disinfecting counter cleaner mix 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water. Pour it into a spray bottle, spray and clean away.

For a simple but effective scouring powder mix baking soda with a little bit of mild dish soap until you get a paste. Put in a little elbow grease and scrub away.

Make a simple floor cleaner with a bucket of warm water with ½ cup of vinegar and a few drops of the dish soap.

Make your own wood polish by mixing a cup of olive oil with ½ cup of lemon juice. Mix everything in a spray bottle give it a little shake before each use. Add a little of the mixture to a soft cloth and apply it to wood tables etc. Wipe any residue off with a clean soft cloth.

For hard to remove stains mix equal parts of baking soda, salt and borax. Pour this mixture on the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes. Give it a good scrubbing with an old nail brush, then wipe everything clean with a damp cloth.

Baking soda is a wonderful carpet freshener. Sprinkle it on and then allow it to sit for at least an hour. To remove the baking soda, just vacuum over it a few times and you’re done. This also works on mattresses, sofas etc.

Speaking of baking soda … it is also perfect for keeping odors in your refrigerator at bay. Open a box of baking soda and stick it in the back of your fridge.

Last but not least, don’t waste money on expensive drain cleaners. Mix a cup each of baking soda, salt and vinegar and pour it down the drain. Leave it for a few minutes then rinse it with plenty of hot water. This simple recipe has unclogged quite a few drains for me and saved me a bundle.

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