Flip over your jeans. To make jeans last longer, turn them inside out when you wash them (in cold water on the gentle cycle). If some of the dye escapes from the fabric during the wash, it has a better chance of being reabsorbed into the legs.
Patch ’em up. Are your favorite jeans soft and comfortable and beautifully worn—and in danger of ripping? If so, reinforce the insides of the knees, the corners of pockets, and any other places that look likely to split with iron-on patches. You’ll help make your beloved jeans last even longer.
Wash and dry with care. Don’t toss your jeans into the wash if you’ve worn them only once. Wait until they’re dirty enough to need cleaning. And don’t just throw them in the dryer, either. Use a no-heat setting, or better yet, hang them to dry, out of direct sunlight. You’ll save wear and tear on your jeans and on your energy bill, too.
Fix it and forget it. Reset loose stones in your costume jewelry easily and inexpensively with nail polish. Simply use clear nail polish as the glue; it’s a quick fix that no one will detect.
Do double duty. Why spend money on a fancy jewelry box when any number of other organizers will serve the same purpose just as well or even better? Try using an ice-cube tray, a silverware tray, or a craft box designed for beads if you want to separate your jewelry. Hang your necklaces and bracelets from push-pins on a bulletin board. Put post earrings on a mesh pen holder or an upended colander. Your choices are unlimited (and the price is right!).
A custom-made puzzle for the price of cardboard. Make a jigsaw puzzle by gluing leftover wallpaper or magazine photos, or even a picture you took yourself, enlarged on the computer, onto cardboard. When it dries, cut it up into the kinds of pieces—small or large, simple or complex—that you want for your puzzle. You’ll save $10 to $20 just by using what you have on hand, and any kids in the family will be thrilled.