Cool DIY Projects that are Quick and Save Money

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Quick Money Saving DIY Projects

One of my favorite chores is vacuuming because of the instant gratification of seeing all the dirt on my floor go away just like that. I get the same gratification when I do quick DIY projects around my house that I know are saving my family money.

If you’re looking for ways to use DIY projects to cut costs in your home, allow me to suggest a few of my favorites:

1. Kitchen Compost Bucket

Composting is a great way keep kitchen scraps out of the garbage and create organic material to fertilize your garden. The problem is, most compost receptacles you’ll find sell for at least $20…for a bucket that holds food that’s gone bad.

Instead, you can make your own inexpensive kitchen compost bucket in a matter of minutes with a few simple tools and an old coffee can. See the tutorial here.

2. Homemade Latte

Speaking of coffee … When I started drinking coffee a few years ago, I quickly realized what an expensive habit it could be, especially because I loved lattes. At an average of $3.75 per latte where I live, I learned that I needed to stop drinking them (I failed miserably) or find a much cheaper alternative.

Enter the French Toast Latte. This yummy drink can be made at home with no special equipment and contains only coffee, milk, honey and cinnamon (you could also use this pumpkin pie spice instead), which is much healthier than syrups at most coffee shops. Best of all? You can keep your $3.75. Here’s the recipe.

3. Cloth Napkins

Over the years, I’ve found that by switching to cloth napkins, I’ve been able to save a whole lot of money and I don’t even miss the disposable alternative.

Making cloth napkins is a simple, fast project that can literally save you money for the rest of your life. Here’s a great tutorial.

4. Homemade Laundry Detergent

Have you noticed that you usually have to pay more to buy products that don’t have a lot of harmful chemicals added to them? The same is true with laundry detergent. Thankfully, you can make your own laundry detergent pretty easily. You can find our recipe here.

If you still want it to smell great, add essential oils (I make my laundry detergent in a food processor and add essential oils while I’m mixing everything up in there.) Some of my favorite combinations are lavender/lemon and peppermint/orange. (Find 100 % pure essential oils here.)

5. Homemade Yogurt

I was really intimidated by the idea of making yogurt for a long time but finally gave it a try after my friend insisted it really was easy. And it was!

Best of all, it saves us a lot of money because my kids love their yogurt. And because I love how much they enjoy this nutrient-dense fermented food (I wish I could say the same about other foods), I’m happy to give it to them frequently. Here’s our recipe.

6. Cleaning Spray

One of the first natural DIY projects I made was a cleaning spray. After reading about all of the harmful chemicals in commercial cleaners (and remembering the time my husband stopped me from mixing bleach and ammonia), I knew I wanted a safer alternative.

DIY cleaning spray is super easy to make and just takes a few minutes. Here’s a simple recipe.

7. Hang a Laundry Line

I started dreaming about having a laundry line shortly after I started on my DIY natural journey. Yes, you read that right. I really wanted a laundry line. Not only do they save money when it comes to utilities, but they help your clothing budget because your clothes aren’t getting beat up in the dryer.

Laundry lines can also be put up rather quickly, whether you have to hang one up in your bathroom or garage (as I did before I got a real one) or can set one up outside. See our laundry line recommendations here, here, and here.

What quick projects have saved you the most money?

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About Nina Nelson

Nina is a writer, student midwife, and mama of four. She blogs regularly at Shalom Mama and loves helping others create wellness through simple living. Check out her website for more simple wellness tips.

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Comments

  1. Avatar photoMichael Jerome says

    I’ve been collecting my produce scraps / egg shells & the like in a icecream bucket. When it’s full I’ve transfered it to an empty garbage can (outside) w/cover. I plan to do this over winter. Can I transfer this to a hole in the spring and begin a “compost pit” or must I build a “bin”? I intend to start a garden next year. Thank-you for your advice.

  2. Avatar photoroy says

    charcoal is good for garden, farming etc…called biochar….one way is mix with compost…google biochar, an ancient system….roy

  3. Avatar photovivian says

    Purchase men,s hankies at the 99cent store.
    Three to a package, snow white . They make wonderful napkins even for a fancy dinner party.

  4. Avatar photoVickiBartlett says

    Really appreciate these posts! Speaking of clotheslines, I have not used a dryer (other than for bulky items, on rare occasions), for 20 years. I have two drying racks, and I have put a couple of extra shower-curtain rods over my tub; I hang many items to dry, and then I can simply move them to the closet, since they are already on hangers. I even dry heavier items, like jeans and small rugs, by hanging on my balcony rail, since I live in a second floor apartment. I’ll usually put a couple of clothespins on these outdoor-dried items, on windy days; haven’t lost any items, yet!