138. With cleaning products, the rule of halves almost always applies. Use half a cup of detergent, half a dryer sheet, half a sponge, and so on. You’ll effectively cut your supply costs in half, without losing effectiveness.
139. The citric acid in orange instant drink-mix crystals will clean the inside of your dishwasher just as well as expensive cleansers made specifically for this purpose.
140. Stainless-steel polishes can be pricey. Instead of purchasing them, use a mix of denture cleaner and water.
141. Instead of using exorbitantly priced (and toxic) oven cleaner to absorb a spill, use salt. Pour salt liberally on top of the oven spill to absorb it—make sure you act quickly, before the stain hardens—then use paper towels to remove the mess.
142. Steam clean your microwave without using any cleaning products at all. Just soak a clean dish towel in water, place the towel in the microwave, and “cook” on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the towel with tongs—it will be hot!—and use a paper towel or clean rag to wipe down the inside of the microwave.
143. When you’re cleaning your garbage disposal, there’s no need to invest in a specialized product you’ll rarely use. Just freeze a solution of 1 part water and 1 part white vinegar and crush it in your disposal. The vinegar’s acid will break down any undigested food and get things moving smoothly. To deodorize, put half an old lemon in the disposal and turn it on.
144. Windshield washer fluid costs less than half the price of brand-name home glass cleaners. Buy it in bulk when it’s on sale, and refill your old brand-name spray bottles.
145. Steel wool pads can be tough on oven ware—and they don’t come cheap. So forgo them entirely! Baked-on food will come off easily when scrubbed with half a raw potato dipped in powdered detergent.
146. Don’t waste cash on sponges and scrub pads when you have mesh onion bags lying around—use them to clean your dishes.
147. Never buy aerosol air fresheners—they’re murder on your pocketbook, as well as on the environment. Just squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice into your vacuum bag before you run the machine to freshen the air in your home.
148. Minimize your use of paper towels to cut costs. Use rags for most wipe-down tasks.
149. Instead of using a harsh drain cleaner that can harm your pipes, blast clogs with a solution of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. Just mix and pour down the pipe, then flush with hot water until the drain clears.
150. Newspaper cleans glass better than paper towels do—it leaves no residue.
151. Make your own kitchen or bathroom deodorizer by adding 2 teaspoons baking soda to 2 cups (480 ml) water in a spray mister. Add a drop of essential oil—such as tea tree or lavender—to make a scented version. Spray lightly on kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
152. To clean a greasy coating from the inside of your oven, place a bowl of water on the lower oven rack, and a bowl of ammonia on the top oven rack, while the oven is still warm. Leave the bowls in place overnight as the oven cools; then thoroughly wipe the inside of the oven in the morning. All the grease will wipe out easily.
153. To make copper shine, rub it with half a cut lemon dipped in salt, and apply a light film of lemon oil. Or, for a one-step polish, use ketchup. Just apply a thin coat and rub off.
154. A cork will shine your silverware. Just rub it along the surface of knives and spoons—it will pick up whatever is tarnishing the surface.
155. Buff china with baking soda to remove tea stains. Just dip a damp kitchen towel or washcloth in some baking soda; then gently rub the stain in a circular motion. Wipe off with the clean side of the cloth.
156. A solution of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts warm water will clean crystal without leaving streaks or spots. Just use a sponge to gently bathe crystal in the solution. Air dry upside down.
157. Rubbing alcohol will remove spots from stainless steel. Just apply some to a cotton ball and wipe the tainted spots away.
158. Kitty litter will absorb paint and oil spills in an instant. Dump a liberal amount of kitty litter on top of the spill, and then wait until the spill is absorbed. Gather the whole mess up in sheets of newspaper and sweep up any leftovers.
159. Use a couple of teaspoons of baking soda dissolved in hot water to clean inside thermoses or coffee pots. Just fill the vessel two-thirds full with hot water; then add baking soda, close the lid, and shake. Dump the solution and rinse clean.
160. Soak tarnished silverware in the cooking water left over from boiling potatoes. The starch will dissolve the tarnish.
161. Furniture marks, fingerprints, and food spots will come right off wallpaper when rubbed with stale bread. The bread attracts whatever’s on the surface, much like the Magic Eraser products you’ll find in the cleaning aisle.
162. Clean varnished wooden surfaces with a cloth dipped in cool, weak tea—it contains no detergent that could break varnish down, and its faint staining property will add luster to the wood.
163. Rub superficial scratches in light wood furniture with brazil-nut or walnut meat. The natural oils in the nut will nourish and seal the damaged wood, so the scratches seem to disappear. Just go down the length of the scratch, rubbing with the nut in small circles. Then polish with a soft cloth.
164. Scratches in mahogany wood will vanish when dabbed with iodine—its natural color makes it the perfect touch-up paint.
165. Remove white spots from mahogany by coating them with petroleum jelly. Leave it on for 48 hours; then wipe off with a soft cloth.
166. A cinnamon stick boiled in water will deodorize the kitchen.
167. Dirty tile grout will clean right up when scrubbed with the rough side of a sponge, or an old toothbrush, dabbed with white toothpaste.
168. Don’t throw out old or mis-matched socks. They are perfect for dusting blinds—just slip them on your hand and run across the slats.
169. Black lacquer can be hard to clean—its shiny finish is delicate and scratches easily; plus, any moisture on its surface almost always streaks. Wipe it with a soft cloth soaked in cool, strong, black tea—the tea won’t leave a residue or damage the finish.
Most of us know that tea contains high concentrations of antioxidants and is a healthful alternative to coffee. But you might be surprised at how many things it’s good for outside of a teacup.
• It removes odors from hands and feet. Whether you’ve been chopping garlic or running a marathon, soaking in tea makes stinky smells a mere memory.
• It’s a great pick-me-up for houseplants. Water them with weak tea once a week.
• It soothes sunburn. Apply damp, cold teabags as compresses.
• It makes an excellent air deodorizer. Just put cold, weak tea in a spray bottle and mist in musty rooms. Earl Grey is especially fragrant.
• And guess what else you can do with tea bags? Mend torn nails! Just cut a small swatch out of an unused bag, dot with clear nail polish until it’s tacky, and place over the tear. Apply two coats of clear nail polish to seal.
170. Stop yelling at guests who forget to use coasters. A paste of salt and vegetable oil will remove water rings from wooden furniture. Just apply the paste to the rings and massage in with a soft cloth.
171. After just-painted windowsills dry, coat them in furniture wax to make them easy to wipe down and keep them squeaky-clean.
172. Sprinkle baking soda on upholstered surfaces before you vacuum them. This trick also works to deodorize carpets, and it keeps your vacuum cleaner smelling fresh.
173. Save a scorched pan by sprinkling it with baking soda. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons (approximately 60 to 75 g) salt and let it stand overnight. Then scrape out the remains with a rubber spatula.
174. A carpet remnant is the best tool for scrubbing stains off carpet.
175. Add some salt to the cycle (at the same time you add the detergent) when washing dark clothes for the first time. This will help set their color. A touch of salt will also brighten clothes that have faded.
176. To restore deep color to black clothing that has faded, add coffee or strong tea to the rinse water. Half a dryer sheet will take away any coffee or tea odor.
177. Who says you need to toss dryer sheets after using them just once? They can actually perform for up to four loads. After the sheet has lost its scent, use it as a dust cloth. It will also work well as a duster when taped to your disposable sweeper mop.
178. Put a clean, dry old towel in the dryer with your wash. It will absorb moisture, helping clothes dry faster.
179. Treating your clothing with respect will make the items last longer and help them keep their shape and vibrancy. The simplest way to ensure that you don’t damage clothing during cleaning? Don’t remove care labels—and do take the time to read them.
180. Avoid dry cleaning bills. Most items whose care labels read “dry clean only” can actually be washed with care at home. After all, dry cleaning is by no means dry, and avoiding it can actually extend the life of a garment. here’s how to handle a variety of different fabrics:
• Wash silk in a sink full of tepid water with a capful of gentle shampoo. Hang on a sturdy hanger (wooden or cloth, not wire) to dry.
• Wash woolens in lukewarm water—too hot or too cold can shrink or toughen fibers—on your machine’s shortest cycle. Dry flat on a towel in the bathtub.
• Wash cashmere in gentle shampoo. Press water out gently and let dry flat on a towel, being sure to shape the garment so it doesn’t stretch.
• If velvet is looking tired but doesn’t necessarily need to be cleaned, use a soft brush to stroke it in the direction of its nap; then use an iron to steam its underside and hang it up to dry.
• You’d be amazed at what the small brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner can do for a suit. Work it around the collar and lapel and you’ll find you need to send the suit to the cleaners much less frequently.
181. To help your washer and dryer kick their sock-eating habit, use a safety pin to connect socks to one another before you wash them.
182. If your favorite sweater shrinks inexplicably, soak it in water with a touch of gentle shampoo, rinse, and reshape.
183. When ribbed cuffs or waistbands lose their elasticity, dip them in hot water and they should spring back together.
184. Can’t remove a collar ring on a light-colored shirt? Rub it with a heel of stale bread before washing.
185. A solution of 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed into 1 pint (480 ml) of cold water makes the perfect spray starch. Keep it in a plastic spray bottle and shake like crazy before using so it stays dissolved. Spray onto a clean clothing item just before ironing. This is great for people who are sensitive to the synthetic fragrance in commercial spray starch.
186. If you’re not sure whether new items are colorfast, add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts for every gallon (3.78 L) of wash water to your washing machine. Since the average washing machine capacity is about 20 gallons (75 L) of water, this means about ½ cup (60 g) Epsom salts for the average load. This will keep colors from running and keep them bright.
187. Another way to brighten colors: add ½ cup (120 ml) vinegar to the rinse cycle.
188. There’s no need to spend $10 on a mesh lingerie bag. Wash underclothing in a pillowcase knotted at the top.
189. Disposable dryer sheets are really expensive and create unnecessary waste. To get the benefits of reduced static and added fragrance, moisten a washcloth with inexpensive liquid fabric softener and toss into the dryer with your laundry.
190. To reduce static without using softeners, pop a ball of aluminum foil into the dryer with wet clothes.
191. Forgetting to remove a load from the dryer, only to find it later wrinkled beyond belief, is frustrating. Instead of washing it all again, just throw a wet towel in with the wrinkled stuff, and re-dry. The wet towel will create steam that releases wrinkles.
192. Don’t get rid of feather pillows when they flatten out—just throw them in the dryer with three clean tennis balls, and run everything through a low-heat cycle. The balls will beat the feathers back into shape.
193. To maximize drying time, open the dryer halfway through its cycle and remove lightweight items that are already dry—this will help them last longer and reduce the drying time of the rest of the load.
194. If you accidentally scorch a cotton tablecloth, napkin, sheet, or shirt while ironing it, soak the item in cold water overnight. This may help restore the fabric’s softness—but unfortunately it won’t remove a burn.
195. Wash clothes inside out to prevent pilling on the exterior surface, which is caused by items rubbing against each other during the wash cycle.
196. Don’t throw old towels away. Sew them together to make an outdoor blanket, or cut them into cleaning rags so you can save on paper towels.
I am ashamed to admit how many times I’ve tossed a perfectly good (and expensive!) garment just because it’s tainted with a stubborn stain. Rarely do the highest-tech stain sticks and salves work for me, and I’ve managed to stump my ingenious dry cleaner on more occasions than I can count. Well, it turns out that acting immediately is the key to successful stain removal, and, further, some of the most effective cleaning agents are already sitting right in your cupboards. Here are some foolproof, low-cost stain solutions that really, truly work:
• Grass stains and dirt come right out when treated with liquid dish soap. Just rub it in—no water necessary—let it sit for a few hours, and launder as usual. If grass stains persist, treat them with white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.
• Spray yellow underarm stains with hydrogen peroxide. Let them sit for 30 minutes; then toss in the washing machine.
• Blood will usually come right out when you soak it in cool water (never hot—it sets the stain). If the stain is especially stubborn, soak it in hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes and then wash as usual. You can also make a paste out of meat tenderizer and water to lift the stain.
• Chewing gum will peel right off a garment if you stick it in the freezer for a few hours.
• Remove ink by placing a paper towel underneath the stain and blotting the top with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. The towel should absorb the stain. You can also try spraying the ink spot with hair spray and blotting with a clean paper towel.
• Grease and oil stains will usually come right out when treated with shampoo—just make sure not to use a fatty, moisturizing formula.
197. Porcelain paint is expensive—car paint is much cheaper and just as durable. Repair chipped sinks and tubs with auto touch-up paint, which you can buy in a small brush-pen dispenser at an auto supply or discount store.
198. Quadruple the yield of a roll of toilet paper by pressing it flat before you put it on the bathroom roll. Since it will be harder to unroll because of the creases, you’ll use fewer squares.
199. Don’t throw your shower curtain away when it’s covered in soap scum—just toss it in the washing machine with two bath towels and 1 cup (240 ml) vinegar. Keep an eye on it and take it out before the spin cycle, which could tangle and damage the curtain. (You can wash both fabric and vinyl curtains this way.
200. To unclog a toilet without a plunger, pour 1 cup (240 ml) dish soap into the bowl. Wait 10 minutes and add 1 gallon (3.78 L) of boiling water. After 10 more minutes, the toilet should flush easily.)
201. Before calling a paid professional to consult on a household problem (in the bathroom or elsewhere), go to your local hardware store and pick the shopkeeper’s brain. He or she may help you solve the problem yourself. If you do need to hire an expert, at least you’ll know just what to expect and be able to avoid unnecessary costs.
202. To prevent delicate china cups from chipping, hang them from hooks suspended under your cabinets instead of stacking them.
203. Pouring hot liquid into glassware can cause it to crack. Prevent damage by placing a spoon into the glass before you pour—the metal will absorb the heat from the liquid.
204. To keep from breaking crystal glasses when you wash them, place a rubber mat in your kitchen sink.
205. If you chip or nick a piece of good crystal, you don’t need to throw it away. Just take it to your local jeweler, who will be able to file the chip smooth.
206. If you’re having a dinner party and you don’t have enough wineglasses, spare yourself a run to the cookware store, and serve European style: pour wine into your tiniest stemless tumblers for a look that is festive and cool.
207. If you do need to buy glasses for a party, head to a restaurant supply store instead of a department store—you’ll save money and you’ll score durable, high-quality goods.
208. Conceal minor furniture scratches with melted crayon wax.
209. Grease stains will come right out of leather when treated with stiffened egg whites. Just beat a couple of egg whites until they form soft peaks, and apply to leather with a soft cloth. Massage the egg whites in gently; then wipe off with a clean part of the cloth.
210. Olive oil will soften dehydrated “crunchy” leather upholstery. Keep leather from flaking by washing it with saddle soap and a damp cloth every couple of months. After it dries, drip some olive oil on a soft cloth and gently polish.
211. Leather that has lost its shine can be revived by a quick wipe-down with a cloth dampened with milk.
212. Rotate and flip your mattress every couple of months to keep it firm and lump free as long as possible.
213. Put away that toxic spray and deter bugs naturally.
• Ants hate honey mixed with boric acid, white pepper, sage, mothballs, chalk lines, baby powder, apples, and cucumbers with salt on them.
• Wasps and hornets hate having their wings coated with hairspray.
• Cockroaches hate boric acid.
• Flying bugs hate smoke. (Use any scented candles—they don’t have to be made of citronella.)
• Crawling bugs hate walls and baseboards painted with a solution of 2 tablespoons alum mixed into 3 quarts (2.83 L) boiled water.
• Moths hate cheesecloth bags full of cloves hanging in your closet.
• Mosquitos hate onions and oranges.
WALL, WINDOW & FLOOR MAINTENANCE & DECORATING
214. To bring an entirely new look to a room, just rearrange the furniture. Put a chair at a diagonal or move a lamp to a new spot—you’ll be amazed at how different things look.
215. When hotels re-model, they often sell barely used, high-quality furniture for a song. Check your local newspaper and online classified ads to find out about sales.
216. Buy cheap, ugly art in frames at yard sales and toss the art. Free frames!
217. Pick up art books for next to nothing at Goodwill, garage sales, or library sidewalk sales; then cut out and frame the images in them. This looks especially sophisticated when you hang associated images in a grid—say, a series of flowers above a bed, or a bunch of black-and-white travel photographs in the kitchen.
218. Look into outdoor furniture, even when you’re decorating indoors and especially for playrooms. It’s durable and tends to be inexpensive.
219. Make your own bulletin board by buying a painter’s canvas at an art-supply store, padding it with cotton batting, and then covering with fabric. Just staple the fabric to the canvas’s frame.
220. Use beach towels to re-cover the pillows on indoor-outdoor furniture.
221. Hang paper lanterns as chandeliers.
222. Check online classifieds for incredible deals on furniture—people will sometimes practically pay you to take their stuff when they’re moving.
223. Find inexpensive needlepoint pillows at thrift stores. Remove the needlework and frame it, or sew it onto new pillows from a discount store.
224. Glue feathers onto an inexpensive lampshade for a super-spendy decorator look. Just layer the feathers onto the shade so they’re overlapping one another—like fish scales—fastening them to the shade with a glue gun.
225. A bowl of charcoal briquettes placed on the floor of your closet will prevent dampness and odors.
226. No need to invest in exorbitant scent sticks or candles—just place a drop of your favorite perfume on lightbulbs before company comes over.
227. Potpourri is easy to make—just dry some orange peel strips and mix them with your favorite sweet spices, like cinnamon sticks and whole cardamom, allspice, or cloves. Leave a few small bowls throughout the house.
228. Sprinkle cinnamon on aluminum foil and place it in a hot oven, leaving the door open. It will smell like you’re baking.
229. Now that we’ve discovered that breathing candle smoke can be toxic, scent sticks—reeds that diffuse liquid home fragrance from a bottle—are all the rage. At department stores, reed diffusers can cost as much as $100, but you can make your own for less than $5. Just find a glass container with a small opening (about the size of a quarter). Fill it with a mixture that contains 3 parts DPG (dipropylene glycol, a base for fragrances sold in most hardware stores) and 1 part fragrance oil. The fragrance oil is where you can get creative—use any essential oil you like, or blend a few to create a custom scent. The truly industrious can switch scents seasonally—peppermint oil is crisp and fun for winter; lavender works well for spring. You can also use your favorite cologne or eau de toilette—just be sure not to choose anything too strong. Once you’ve made your mixture, drop in a handful of reeds—skinny sticks of bamboo or rattan that you can buy inexpensively online. The fragrance mixture will be absorbed into the reeds and will subtly scent your room.
230. A shot of vodka added to a vase will keep your cut flowers fresher much longer than plain water will. A spoonful of sugar and a pinch of lemon juice will also do the trick.
231. Tulips don’t just cost money; they also love it—pennies, specifically. Drop a few in their water and they’ll last twice as long.
232. Add a few teaspoons of bleach to water in a glass vase to keep it from going cloudy. The bleach won’t affect the look or life of the flowers.
233. Spray flower petals with hair spray just before they wilt; this will help prolong their life.
234. If your flowers wilt prematurely, place freshly trimmed ends in hot water for 20 minutes or so; then put them back in their original vase. They should draw the water in and plump up immediately.
235. Before you hang a picture, place a piece of tape on the spot you’re going to nail—that way the plaster won’t crack, chip, or flake.
236. Before you buy cans of new, customblended paint, ask a sales associate at the paint store whether they’re selling any returned paint at a discount. Though you may not get the exact color you had in mind, you’ll probably be able to find something similar to what you were looking for—at a fraction of the cost.
237. Instead of buying decorator fabric curtains, find large flat sheets in a pattern you like and sew a pocket for a curtain rod on top. Just fold the sheet’s top edge over an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm), depending on the size of your drapery rod, and sew a tunnel. You can even use hemming tape for a no-sew solution.
238. Treating the feet of your furniture with furniture wax will protect wood floors from scratches.
239. Use clear nail polish to repair small tears in your sheer curtains.
ELECTRONICS, APPLIANCES, GADGETS & COMMUNICATION
240. Load the dryer while it’s still warm from the last load. Your dryer will use less energy, since it doesn’t need to heat itself up.
241. Invest in a thermostat with a timer so the heat’s on only when you’re home.
242. Turn your water heater off when you go out of town.
243. Along the same lines, be sure to turn off all the lights before you leave on a trip.
244. Set your ceiling fan in the correct direction. In summer, run it clockwise to draw hot air up. In winter, run it counterclockwise to push hot air down.
245. Turn your thermostat from 72°F to 68°F (22°C to 20°C) or lower. You’ll save as much as 15 percent on your heating bill. Invest in a programmable thermostat to keep the temperature in your home at a minimum level.
246. Nestle a hot-water bottle or two at the foot of your bed instead of turning on central heat at night.
247. Clean your lightbulbs weekly by dusting them with a rag. Dusty bulbs reduce the efficiency of your lighting fixture.
248. Close off unused rooms to lower your heating and cooling costs. Shut their heating vents, and place rolled towels along the crack between the door and the floor to prevent drafts.
249. Run an extra spin cycle in your washer, especially when washing heavy fabrics like denim and canvas. This will reduce drying time and save energy.
250. You’ve heard about putting a brick in your toilet tank to cut back on water usage and save money. To save even more, fill a half-gallon milk jug or 2-liter soda bottle with water and place it in the toilet tank. This will cut your toilet water usage in half.
251. Be good to your appliances—from washers to dryers, refrigerators to toaster ovens—and they’ll be good to you. Clean them frequently and remove any dust that might clog the works. Vacuum their vents so they can work efficiently. They will cost less money to run, and they’ll last longer.
252. Find any air leaks in your home by shining a flashlight along the edges of doors and windows. Have a friend stand on the other side of the window. If your friend sees a ray of light on the other side, there’s a draft. You can also close a piece of paper in the door or window and then try to pull it out. If it slips out easily instead of tearing, you’ve got a leak. Air sealing—treating these gaps with weather stripping or caulking—will dramatically reduce heating and cooling costs. Use caulk for gaps less than ¼ inch (60 mm) wide, and weather stripping for movable joints like windows and doors. You can save up to $30 per year on your heating bill if you add weather stripping just to your front and back doors.
253. Compact fluorescent bulbs last ten times longer than incandescent ones, and they use less electricity—an amount equal to $60—over their lifetime.
254. Put motion sensors on outdoor lights.
255. Electronics consume 40 percent of their energy when they are turned off. Keep them unplugged, or invest in a timed power strip that will shut electronics down when you’re not using them.
256. If your water heater was made before 2004, wrap it in insulation and save 10 percent on your water-heating bill.
257. Have your furnace tuned up every other year to get major savings on your heating bills.
258. Use cold water to wash your clothes and save the energy your washer would otherwise use to heat water. Set your dryer on the moisture sensor, not the timer, and cut energy use.
259. Reduce the temperature on your water heater from scalding to just hot—about 120°F (48°C) is plenty warm and will save you money.
260. Install a low-flow shower head and save more than 7,000 gallons (26,498 L) of water a year—$30 to $100.
261. Fix that leaky faucet and save 2,700 gallons (10,221 L) of water per year.
262. Put a drop of food coloring in your toilet tank to test it for leaks. If water in the toilet bowl takes on a tint, you may be wasting up to 200 gallons (759 L) of water a day. In that event, call a plumber to have the leak fixed.
263. Run full loads of clothes and dishes. Most of a dishwasher’s energy is used to heat a set amount of water, so running smaller loads wastes both energy and water.
264. To save water, turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, and take a shower instead of a bath.
265. Install aerators in your faucets. They will reduce flow rates and water consumption, cutting your water bill substantially.
266. Computers are like cars—often much cheaper but just as good when you buy them used. When shopping for a new computer, check out the “refurbished” sections of manufacturer Web sites first (Apple and Dell both offer them). Although these deals are rarely publicized, some manufacturers offer factory-reconditioned products—usually from returns—with great warranties and even better savings.
267. Make “phone calls” from your computer. Services like Skype will let you make long-distance—even international—calls at a great savings. Or look into VoIP phone service for your home phone. Companies such as Vonage provide phone service over the Internet instead of phone lines, and the resulting bills are much cheaper.
268. Use video chat instead of the phone—most services are free and it’s fun to see whomever you’re talking to. Many computers now come with webcams, but if yours doesn’t have one, just pick one up for less than $20 at any discount store. You’ll recover the $20 in your first month’s long-distance telephone savings.
269. Evaluate your landline extras. Services such as caller ID and voicemail can add as much as $50 to your monthly bill, and, since most of us have cell phones these days, you may not need them. In fact, you may not need a landline at all.
270. To save money on supplies, perform as many tasks as you can digitally, instead of using paper.
• Sign up for online bank and credit card statements—not only will the electronic notices help you avoid late fees, but you’ll also be able to dispute mysterious charges quickly and manage your budget on your computer with little additional effort.
• Pay your bills online. This will help you save on stamps and checks, and you’ll also have a record of your payments when tax time rolls around.
• To save on postage, send an e-mail instead of snail mail.
• Create an electronic holiday card rather than a paper card or newsletter.
• Send invitations online instead of via post. A bonus benefit? RSVP’s are much easier to keep track of this way.
271. Instead of buying a fax machine, use an online service to send and receive faxes. Though you’ll need a scanner or digital camera to send certain things, such as signatures, you can send documents directly.
272. Go for the slower Internet service option if your service provider offers a choice. A change in surfing speed is often barely perceptible, but the savings can run from $10 to $25 per month when you downgrade.
273. Never spring for the extended warranty at electronics stores. The manufacturer’s warranty usually offers enough coverage.
274. Use open-source software whenever you can. You’ll save on licensing fees. Most brand-name word processing, photo organizing, and video editing programs have a free, open-source equivalent—sort of like store-brand cereal or generic drugs. To find open-source programs that suit your needs, check out www.osalt.com.
275. Connect all electronic devices to a surge protector—this will prevent power surges that can damage them.
276. When your favorite CD gets scratched, try rubbing toothpaste into the CD’s surface with a soft cloth—some toothpastes will make scratched CDs stop skipping.
277. Look for unusual, expensive appliances at moving, garage, or yard sales. You may find a $200 bread machine for $20, simply because someone can’t bear to pack it up and move it.
