YOU GUYS!! I can’t say it enough…this year we are on a money saving mission! We have some big dreams which requires some big commitment on our end. Fortunately, we got on the monthly budgeting train a few years ago and never got off. For us, it has snowballed from looking at what we were spending to starting to reduce what we are spending. And then….we took action on some of the things we were doing on a normal basis to eliminate or reduce a bill here or there. 4 years later, and we don’t know what life was like before. Best part about it…we have spent less and less over the years and put more and more money back into our pocket. We haven’t changed our quality of life, but we certainly have saved more money on items that are just typically used once and thrown right in the trash.
Below are all the things we have changed out from plastic or one time use to reusable. For us, our family focuses on changing 1 big thing each year to give us time to grow, adapt and completely adopt before we move on to the next big change. It isn’t a shock to the system and it allows us to stay consistent over time. Here are the biggest 4 household items we eliminated or reduced to save ourselves some serious money!
These small changes over time has amounted to amazingly large savings
and shifts in mindset. We always remember…what you focus on expands. <3
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1. Eliminate Water Bottles
Eliminate or reduce your use of plastic water bottles by using a reusable water bottle or tumbler and getting a water dispenser for your household. By purchasing reusable 5 gallon water jugs and a tumbler, there is no need to purchase cases and cases of water. Bulk water purchases will save you tons of money over the years.
A Water Cooler Dispenser
This Primo Stainless Steel water dispenser gives you instant hot, cool and ICE-cold water. We have had our cooler for about 7 years and we have had zero issues with it. We find ourselves using this cooler multiple times per day and refilling before travel so we don't purchase water on the road.
A Water Cooler Pump- Perfect For Travel!
In my search for more travel friendly ways to eliminate water bottles, I found this awesome little water bottle pump! It is USB chargeable and lasts approximately 30-40 days of use. It is BPA free and made with food safe silicon. If you have some extra space for 1,3, or 5 gallon jugs of water in your travels, this would be an AMAZING option to eliminate those water bottles!! We wish we would have found this sooner for our weekend trips at the lake!
Subscription-Based Water Jug Delivery
Try a subscription based water delivery service. Not only are you eliminating bottled water, but you are eliminating hauling cases of water from the store to your house. If you fear not being able to lift those giant 5 gallon jugs of water, getting them delivered is a game changer! Amazon now delivers water on subscription, but other companies like Primo, Nestle, Crystal Springs, and others also deliver depending on your location.
Insulated Tumbler
It took me a long time to buy into the hype of Yeti products. I bought my husband one and he loved his!. After he ranted and raved about it, I finally caved. It has by-far been the best products our family has bought to pair with our water cooler dispenser! It keeps ice like nothing I have ever seen before! There are a ton of colors to choose from and multiple sizes such as the 20 or 30oz Yeti Rambler.
Insulated Tumbler- Lid with Straw
Best thing I purchased with the insulated Yeti tumbler was this lid with straw. Personally, I feel like I drink more water through a straw throughout the day. It's easier for me to quickly sip on water through the straw instead of opening the top especially when running around chasing a toddler or in work meetings. The materials are made of safe materials and have held up amazingly through the dishwasher the past few years.
2. Eliminate or Reduce Your Paper Towel Use
Think about every situation you immediately go for paper towels- we use them for just about everything! Eating, wiping up counter tops, wiping down toilet seats, soaking up Sunday morning bacon grease, just to name a few. Each time you rip off a piece of that paper goodness, think about the amount of money that is literally just getting thrown away. This year, we opted to eliminate (or at least drastically reduce) the amount of paper towels we use by subbing them out for reusable paper towels….now also known as unpaper towels among the Pinterest community!!
Home Bar Mop Towels
These bar mop towels are made of 100% cotton and free of any synthetic plastics or other harmful chemicals. They are super quick to absorb but also super quick to dry. After a few washes, they are lint-free and provide a great alternative for paper towels for cleaning and soaking up just about anything! We bought 2 packs (12 towels per pack) that should be plenty for our family this year!
3. Eliminate Aluminum Foil
There is nothing more frustrating than something you spend good money on something just to throw it away after one use. Paper towels, toilet paper, plastic baggies and the like. Aluminum foil is a big offender on this list. Good quality, non-stick aluminum foil costs biggggg money. We were purchasing the gigantic rolls at wholesale stores to save money, but with a package costing $15 at a time or more, we were done! Because we used the most aluminum foil when we cooked, we decided to completely eliminate the need for it with buying reusable products saving us a pretty penny each year!
Reusable Silicon Baking Mats
These reusable cookie sheets are amazing! They are super non-stick, dishwasher safe, oven safe up to 480 degrees and made of food grade silicon. These have held up really well to heavy, heavy, heavy use over the past few years. Because there is no need for oil or cooking spray, we also have noticed we save money on buying greasing products and oils! These baking mats are a must have for sure!
4. Eliminate or Reduce Your Plastic Baggie Use
Next to aluminum foil, the next biggest hurdle for us was eliminating our use of plastic bags. You know the ones- plastic zipper gallon size, snack size, quart size, and every other size for just about anything and everything. With a toddler snacking, it was easy to throw some goldfish into a plastic bag and call it a day. She would eat the goldfish and we would throw out the bag wherever we were. So wasteful and so expensive!! We had enough and went with reusable baggies instead!
Reusable Silicon Bags
It has been so easy to ditch the old fashioned plastic bags by using these reusable silicon food storage bags. They are so easy to use and come in multiple sizes perfect for any kind of food or snack storage. Best part about these....they are made of food grade silicon, completely leak proof with their design, microwave and dishwasher safe! Feel free to keep these in these in the fridge or freezer without ANY issues.
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I hope this post inspires you to change out some of those plastic household items for some that are completely reusable! Save yourself and your family some major money each year!!
Let us know what other money saving hacks you have in the comments below!
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