Skip to Content

Swap these 7 things to help save you money monthly right now

Sharing is caring!

Are you looking to cut expenses or save money?

Finding ways to save money is different for everyone but I will share with you a few that have worked for us as a family.

*This post contains affiliate links and I am an affiliate with Amazon.  This means that if you click-through and make a purchase I receive a small commission (at no cost to you).  I only write and endorse products I personally use, love and what I find helpful in being an awesome mom.  For more details, Click here

Every year I am trying new ideas to find ways to cut costs. When you are living on one income you need smart and simple ways to stretch your monthly dollars.

I have learned that swapping out certain items will significantly reduce your monthly out of pocket cost. Also, these certain items end up being healthier for my family and the environment. Which I love.

PIN FOR LATER!!

1. Laundry Detergent/Dryer sheets

In 2019 I discovered a new product called the Ecoegg. If you are spending money each month buying laundry supplies this will cut that cost forever! The Ecoegg cost $34.97 for a year’s worth of laundry detergent and dryer balls.

With essential oils and natural minerals to clean your clothes its a win-win. To read my full product review check it out here.

2. Household Cleaners

A couple of years ago I transitioned to all-natural cleaning products. My current cleaning lineup includes Thieves concentrated essential oil all-purpose cleaner, vinegar, baking soda, murphy’s oil soap, scrub daddy, and magic erasers.

The switch has been an awesome reduction of monthly cost and toxic chemicals.

For example, a bottle of Thieve super concentrated household cleaner for 14.4 oz is about $30 bucks. This thing can last me anywhere from 6 months to a year depending on how much cleaning I need to do.

I use these super adorable glass spray bottles which have DIY chalk labels. They hang on the inside of my kitchen cabinet.

I have 3 main spray bottles one all-purpose one, one with vinegar and water mixed and one with my mixture of Murphy’s Oil soap to clean my wood floors.

My cleaning supplies are clutter-free, they are all-natural and save me money each month.

3. Paper Napkins

I don’t know about your kids but mine can be so messy during meal times. After every meal, I use a cloth to clean them. I even have a dedicated drawer of cloth’s for them and my cleaning cloths. This helps cut down on the napkin/paper towel use.

But you can take it even a step further and buy cloth napkins for everyday use. The amount of money you spend upfront won’t even add up to the amount of money you waste on paper napkins.

Cloth napkins are:

  • Super affordable
  • washable
  • eco-friendly
  • perfect for everyday use
  • long-lasting

I am still in the transition stage for this but have my eye on a couple of ones I like and that fit my budget.

I found these on Groupon that would be perfect for the kids to use. The colors are dark and I wouldn’t care what got on them.

Then I found these for let’s say we have guest over and I want things to look a bit nicer.

Pretty much you can get fancy and buy ones from Bed Bath and Beyond if you want. I would suggest saving the coupons that come in the mail to get a better discount and sign up for their emails to get coupons sent to you.

4. Change your showerheads/free way to do it

If you are a homeowner responsible for water/sewage and pay for this on a monthly bill you can significantly cut your cost by swapping your showerheads.

While I realize water for everyone is not the same. In the area where we live our normal water bill is almost $300 a month. Yup, you read that right!

So for my family, we have to cut corners where we can. We don’t water our lawn EVER! We reduce the gallons of wasted water by changing our showerheads.

It’s the quickest way to save gallons of water by using energy-efficient water-reducing showerheads.

If you are worried about the cost of replacing those shower heads you may want to keep reading to find out how you can get these for free.

Many energy and water companies offer what is called free energy conservation kits.

[mailerlite_form form_id=2]

This is what we did. We contacted our local energy company and inquired about their program. They took a few pieces of information from and then sent me a free box in the mail.

Here ‘s a list of a energy programs that might be near your:

This is not a complete list. It’s just to get you started. A simple Google search for free energy conservation kits should point you in the right direction.

This part isn’t a swap technique but I wanted to throw it in here because it is also a huge water waster.

After talking to the water company one month complaining about our high water bill. The representative mentioned a technique to me called the food coloring test.

So what is this food coloring test?

It’s a simple test you can do right at home and with food coloring.

Basically place a couple of drops of food coloring in your tank. Wait for a while return to your bowl to see if the water has changed colors. If you come back to your bowl having different color water you know that it has leaked.

This small leak could be costing you money every day hour after hour. If you have more than one toilet this means even more money or in this case water.

5. Swap your light bulbs

Yet again another simple swap of a light bulb can reduce your monthly cost and you may qualify for a rebate with your energy company. By switching to CFL’s or Led bulbs you use less energy for the same amount of energy. This simple switch can save you anywhere from $30 to $40 a year.

6. Stop buying ziplock bags

Between the snacks, leftovers, frozen meat and everything else us moms use plastic ziplock bags for. The convenience is great. But you throw it away after your done.

It’s like throwing coins in the garbage every time.

Each ziplock bag is around 5 cents to 20 cents each. Now think about how many of these bags you go through. It’s ok I will wait…

Years worth of money thrown away not to mention years of environmental damages too.

Sure it may be a couple a dollars a month for baggies. But we are penny-pinching here. $10 is a tank of gas, gallon of milk or a meal.

My next transition I am going to be making switching is our plastic containers and buying these silicone baggies. I will write about this on the blog soon.

One of the reasons I am switching our plastic containers is for health reasons the other is for cleaning reasons. I hate the stains that food leaves inside them. I also hate how they come out of the dishwasher with these white stains that are kinda melted on. I know its soap residue cause I can eventually get it out with scrubbing by hand.

Oh and I also hate that plastic containers crack when they are frozen. Ever had a plastic container crack and shatter on your kitchen tile floor. Yup me too! Plus what do you do when they break, you buy more.

Such a waste!!

I have my eye on these for when the time is right.

Here is why:

  • They have no plastic lids- their lids are bamboo
  • The lids are so much easier to store {you know the lids with the flaps are so annoying and don’t stack well}
  • Heat and cold resistant from 400 F to -20 F
  • Plus they can go in the microwave, oven, and freezer

7. Makeup removing cloths/solution

About seven years ago I walked into a Sephora store just because. During my leisure stroll through the store, this pink cloth caught my eye. It was called the Makeup Eraser.

So I asked a few questions and what the salesperson told me was enough for me to shell out the $20.

This magic cloth erases everything! I am talking waterproof makeup, hard to get off eyeliner, those stubborn lipsticks. Everything!!

I have been using this cloth ever since. I no longer buy anything to remove makeup off my face.

So mama are you ready to start saving some money this month?

The bottom line… just making a few of these swaps can save you money on your monthly bills allowing room for you to save for a rainy day or free up much-needed funds.

You’ll also be reducing toxins and help to save the plant. (What a smart cookie you will be)😉

If you found this article helpful be sure to share it with others. Sharing helps support the blog and more content creation. Don’t forget to pin this for later.