20+ Simple Home Hacks to Save Money
These thrifty tricks could save you as much as $500 a year!
Changing your furnace filter could save up to $60 a year
Keeping your furnace (gas or electric) tuned up has two big benefits: It makes the furnace run efficiently, and it prolongs the furnace’s life span. The best part? You can perform the annual tune-up yourself in about three hours (here’s how). As for regular maintenance, you’ll want to change the filter every month of the heating season (or year-round if the filter is also used for A/C). Be sure you insert the new one so it faces the right way. The filter protects the blower and its motor; a clogged filter makes the motor work harder and use more power.
Use every last drop of leftover paint
Don’t throw your leftover paint away! Mix it up and save it for use as primer later. I have several rental properties that seem like they’re always in need of repainting. Instead of throwing out leftover paint, only having to buy more later, I put it to use. I take multiple cans of interior latex, partially-used paint and primer, any sheen, any colour, and mix them all together. It doesn’t matter how much junk or debris is in the paint. Just pour it all in. I use a power mixer to blend them, and then dump all of the mixture into a bigger container.
After all the assorted paints in the vat are mixed, it usually ends up an off-white or antique white. The sheen is usually an eggshell to satin. If the colour is too loud, I tone it down by adding a can of white paint. Now, I pour the paint into five-gallon buckets with strainer bags inside. Lift out the strainer bags to remove any debris and pop on a lid to keep the paint fresh. This is a great way to use up leftovers when you do a lot of painting. — Tom Dvorak
Arm yourself with more painting tips from the pros.
Wash in warm, rinse in cold
Here’s a tip that could save you $50 to $100 a year. If you’re washing and rinsing your clothes in hot water, you’re wasting a chunk of change heating all that water. The juice needed to power the machine motor doesn’t cost much—the big expense is heating all that water.
Detergents are designed to perform in temps of 65 to 85°F (18 to 29°C). And cold water is just as effective for rinsing as warm or hot. So dial back those temperature settings! Check the water temperature in the tub right after it fills. You just might find that even the cold setting on the washing cycle is above 65°F and no hot water is even needed.
Check out more laundry hacks that take the hassle out of laundry day.
Clean carpet for cheap
I used to think dropping a loaded paintbrush on the carpet meant replacing the carpet, until a former foreman told me this little tip. Pour some denatured alcohol onto a rag and scrub away the paint. Use a rag that is as close in colour to the carpet, as the alcohol can transfer some of the rag’s colour to the carpet. – Tom Gerdowsky
Still can’t get that stain out? Before calling an expensive cleaning service, try these homemade carpet cleaners.
Kill energy vampires
Seventy-five per cent of the electrical use by home electronics occurs when they’re turned off. These “energy vampires” suck electricity all day long—costing you an extra $100 each year. So if you’d like to keep that cash in your wallet, unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip, then turn off the strip.
Don’t worry about losing the settings on new computers and TVs. They have a memory chip that resets everything when you power back up. If you have devices that flash when the power goes out, keep it plugged in. Some power strips, like the one shown, have a few outlets that always have power even when you flip off the switch. This type of strip has a main outlet for the computer. When you turn off the computer, the strip also shuts down other devices, such as your scanner, printer or modem.
Find out more energy conservation tips that could spell major savings.
Rent versus purchase
Many DIY projects such as tile removal require a special tool—a jackhammer—that can be quite expensive to purchase. Common tools you can rent by the hour or day include pressure washers, jackhammers, hammer drills and carpet cleaners. Chances are good that your local tool rental centre will carry the tool you need for your project.
Make sure you avoid these home renovation mistakes.
Stay-fresh wood putty trick
Wood putty is often a one-time use product for me. Before I even think about using it a second time, it’s dried out. The trick I found was to fill an empty paint can with water and store all my putty jars submerged so no air can get in. Now I can finally say that I have seen the bottom of a putty container. – Kim Boley
Growing your own vegetables
Growing vegetables at home can be a great activity that is fun for the entire family. You don’t have to rent a plow and tractor to grow a few tomatoes in your backyard. Many vegetables—tomatoes, squash, radishes, etc.—are easy to grow in containers. This garden practice utilizes containers such as a simple wooden box or even five-gallon buckets for planting vessels. Aside from the fun you will have growing your own vegetables, the next time you need a tomato, you will save time, money and gas when you can just pick it from your own garden.
Follow these simple tips for growing a vegetable garden—anywhere!
Extend the life of your shop vac
Now that I have started wood turning, my shop vacuum gets a lot of work. I stopped using filter bags since they quickly fill with the large volume of chips and other wood debris, and instead I use a pleated filter. However, the filter can get plugged, reducing the efficiency of the vacuum. I solved this problem by placing a large sheet of window screen fabric between the tank and the top part, which includes the filter. Now, dust and chips enter below the screen and won’t clog the filter. — Bill Wells
Here are nine places you’re not vacuuming—but should be.
Basic car maintenance
You can perform routine maintenance on your automobile to cut the costs of repair and upkeep. All that’s required is some basic knowledge, some common tools and a little elbow grease. It’s not that difficult to change your oil, replace wiper blades or even replace a broken side view mirror. Folks who are just not mechanically inclined can take advantage of free services offered by many auto parts dealers. Many retailers will install wiper blades, batteries and even air filters for free if you purchase the items directly from their store.
Plant-in-a-pot landscaping design
Ever wish you could save loads of money and reorganize your garden after seeing how the mature plants look? Here’s a clever way to do it.
You’ll need a bunch of landscape pots of the same size, so they’ll nest in each other. Put your plants in doubled landscape pots, and then bury them at ground level. Whenever you want a change, lift out the top pot and put in a different one. This method is great for quickly changing out seasonal plants, and allows for easy experimentation with colour and placement of plants and flowers. It’s also really slick for bringing plants indoors over the winter.
Here are more genius gardening hacks that will make your life easier.
Tighten a loose pair of glasses
Are the arms of your eyeglasses feeling a bit wobbly? Paint a thin coat of nail polish on the screws to keep them from coming loose. Remove the screw, paint it with the nail polish and screw it back in. The nail polish keeps it in place as it gets in all the cracks and spaces.
Check out 20 more extraordinary uses for nail polish.
Make your own household cleaners
You can help the environment and save a few bucks by making your own household cleaners. For instance, instead of using store-bought glass cleaner, mix 2 cups of water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar to create your own. Another easy formula for all-purpose cleaning involves mixing 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 quart of warm water.
You’ll wish you’d known these brilliant baking soda hacks sooner.
Make your old shoes look like new
All you need is an old toothbrush and a little toothpaste to get your old sneakers looking like new! Non-gel white toothpaste works great for cleaning white-soled sneakers (coloured toothpaste may stain rather than clean sneakers).
Apply toothpaste to an old toothbrush and then work the paste into the dirty spots. Leave the toothpaste on the shoes for about ten minutes, and then wipe it off with a damp towel. Repeat the process if necessary.
Zip-tie to the rescue
When my bathroom sink gets clogged, I don’t reach for toxic chemicals as a drain cleaner. Instead, I use an inexpensive long zip tie, with several notches cut on the zip-tie’s end. It’ll hook the hair clog, allowing you to pull it out. Problem solved! — Rick Holmen
Find out how to unclog a toilet—without a plunger.
Buy Energy Star appliances
When you shop for appliances, look for the Energy Star label. It means the appliance meets certain energy-efficiency guidelines, and can cut your energy expenditure by 30 per cent. You don’t have to replace everything to see a savings; even replacing one eight-year-old refrigerator with a new Energy Star model can save a lot of electricity.
Here are 50 proven strategies to save more money.
Another great carpet cleaning hack
When gum freezes, it gets brittle and easily breaks apart. So, if you have gum stuck in your carpet, freeze it to remove it quickly and neatly:
- Place a sandwich bag filled with ice cubes on top of the gum and wait about a half hour.
- When the gum is frozen, break it apart and pull it out of the carpet. No trace left behind!
Here are more clever uses for ice cubes you’ll wish you knew sooner.
Install a clothesline
Electric clothes dryers can really put a dent in your pocketbook, especially if you have a large household. A simple clothesline, on the other hand, allows you to dry your clothes for free using the power of the sun. While a clothesline does require a bit of manual labour to hang the clothes, you will enjoy a fresh, natural smell in your laundry as well as a reduced utility bill.
If you absolutely can’t line-dry, make sure you avoid these mistakes that shorten the life of your washer and dryer.
Repurpose old clothing
Purchasing cotton rags for painting, cleaning or dusting projects adds up over time. Make your own rags for free using old T-shirts and other unused garments. A few minutes with a pair of scissors or a utility knife is all it takes to convert unwanted clothing into useful rags.
Need a quick fix for that broken chair, shower head or window blind? Check out these quick home repairs you can tackle in 10 minutes (or less).
Make old sweaters look like new
Breathe new life into old sweaters by getting rid of telltale pilling. The best method? Try shaving it with an electric razor. Even a non-electric razor works! All you have to do is gently run the razor back and forth across the pills, and be careful not to snag your sweater. — Jerry Ervin
Check out 100 vintage home hacks that are still brilliant today.
Keep old seeds fresh
If you don’t use up all of your seed packets, store them in an airtight container with silica packets to keep them fresh for next year. The silica packets prevent the seeds from germinating or getting moldy.
Here are more gardening tips that’ll save you time and money.
Fix wood scratches with walnuts
Furniture gets beat up over time, but you don’t have to live with the unsightly scratches. In fact, you can remove years of damage with a simple snack food: walnuts. Simply rub a walnut over a scratch in wood several times. Then, with your fingers, rub the scratched area. This will help the wood absorb the oil from the nut. Lastly, use a soft cloth to buff the area. Now the scratch is sealed and gone!
Discover more secrets real estate agents want you to know.
Switch to LEDs
Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lightbulbs (CFLs) is one of the quickest, easiest ways to save money—and a place everyone can start. LEDs use significantly less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. When you shop, keep in mind that light fixtures with dimmers require special LEDs; be sure to read the label.
Next, check out 20 thrifty tricks to make everything you own last longer.
