Ah, it’s that time of the year again . . . the birds are chirping in the sky and soon we’ll be letting the cool breezes of spring blow through the windows. Opening those windows might reveal a cobweb or two and before you know it you become enveloped in your own personal if you give a ________ a _______ story where one things leads to another and you’re on a organizational and cleaning streak. If you’re not careful, what begins as a really great endeavor – spring cleaning – ends up being a curse in the end. From cleaning supplies to tools and decor, you can really break the bank. Here are a few tips to keep in mind that will lead to spring cleaning financial success.
1. Begin with the cleaning out. Somehow during the winter months, we amass more than we realize. Before you buy a single cleaning product or organizational system, begin by de-cluttering. Be sure to list items you will donate so that you can write them off on your taxes next year. Post unwanted items on eBay or Facebook Marketplaces and perhaps make a few dollars. Or go around your home snapping pictures of items that your family no longer needs and offer them up for free. Move unused or unwanted items out the door before you begin cleaning at all.
2. Inventory the Cleaning Supplies You Already Have. There’s nothing worse than buying something, bringing it home, and realizing you already have the same thing. After you de-clutter things, take an inventory of the cleaning products you own. Reorganize the space where you store them. Note what you need and what you already have on hand. Then, make a list so that you don’t walk down the aisle and put every cleaning product you encounter into your cart. Never purchase a cleaning product without first searching for a coupon. A strategic plan of evaluation and preparation will save you big bucks in the long run.
3. Put on a Kettle. From caked on toothpaste to clogged drains, one of your first lines of defense should always be hot water. You might not need a harsh chemical or drain opening product. Instead, use boiling water to bust through those icky issues. Just be sure to check if your pipes are plastic or metal. If the water alone doesn’t do the trick, try 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of baking soda, and 1/4 cup of cream of tartar, mixed together. Gradually place the powder down the drain 1/4 of a cup at a time and chase it with two cups of boiling water.
4. Invest in White Vinegar. You don’t need fancy high priced cleaning products. In fact, the items that your mother or grandmother used hold true today. I’m not sure there’s anything that white vinegar can’t do. From jewelry cleaner to laundry softener, it is the super solution. This week on Pinterest, I learned how to clean copper pots using only salt and white vinegar. The best place I’ve found to purchase white vinegar is at Sam’s Club. You can score 2 1 gallon bottles for as little as $3.76. Borax, Epsom Salts, Baking Soda, and Washing Soda are also other great simple household cleaners that you can use to make everything from your own Laundry Detergent to your own Dish Washing Detergent and more. Check out 10 Frugal Household Cleaners.
5. Check out Amazon Subscribe & Save. Amazon Subscribe & Save: I love purchasing the majority of our household supplies from Amazon Subscribe & Save. If I do it right, sometimes I can score a better deal online than I can in stores and with coupons. Typically I begin by scanning Amazon’s coupons (did you know that Amazon has coupons?!) for toilet paper coupons. After “clipping” the coupons, I begin to scan which items are also Subscribe & Save items. Typically many of the most popular coupons are ones that can be paired with Subscribe & Save deals. Once I match a coupon to a Subscribe & Save deal, I click to subscribe. This will save an additional 5% off of the list price. I aim for five Subscribe & Save items per month because that will drop the price of each item by 15%. The discount will be reflected on all five after you meet the minimum. Each item beyond five will also be a 15% savings on list price. The items will ship once a month on an assigned date. After they ship, you want to be sure to cancel the subscription. Subscribe & Save prices are not locked in at the same rate each month, so you don’t want it to inadvertently ship at a much higher rate.
Gain inspiration to pay off debt! Check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!
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