Comparison Shopping

We all know that we can save money by shopping sales and going with the off-brand instead of the name brand, but this isn't always the case. For instance, at Sam's Club, they offer their brand diapers along with Huggies. It turns out that the Huggies size 5 diapers end up being cheaper per diaper than the Sam's brand. While the Sam's size 3 diapers are cheaper by about a penny per diaper. And then when Wal Mart is having a sale, it ends up being cheaper to buy two smaller cases than the one larger one at Sam's.

So remember to check the unit cost and don't just always assume that the "cheaper" brand is actually saving you money, and membership clubs don't have the best prices on everything they sell!

Bacon

To save time, you can cook a bunch of bacon and then keep it in the fridge. When you want to use it, put it on a paper towel in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, depending on how crispy you want it. The microwave will cook the bacon more if you keep it in longer. I cook three pounds at a time (I get it at Sam's Club that way) on a couple cookie sheets in the oven, and then store it in the fridge in a Ziploc bag. I'll use a couple pieces at a time for breakfast burritos and sandwiches. Enjoy "fresh" bacon all week long without the hassle of cooking it every day!

Better Bubble Baths

To super-charge your bubble baths, use a wire whisk to "whip" the water. You will have bigger bubbles and can end up using less. Xander makes sure I use the whisk every time!

Questions or Suggestions?

If you have a question you would like an answer to, or a suggestion about a subject we should cover, please let us know by adding it as a comment to this post!

Homemade Liquid Soap

In my internet wanderings, I stumbled across a blog that shared how to make your own liquid soap. I haven't tried it yet, but thought I'd put it here. I imagine this soap solution could be made to work in a foaming dispenser as well.

Supplies

• 4 oz. bar of natural soap
• Grater
• 1 gallon of distilled water
• 1 big pot
• Hand mixer

Here are the steps, summarized from Suite 101:

1. Grate your bar of soap.
2. Heat the water just enough to steam.
3. Add the grated soap to the water.
4. Take the mixture off of the heat, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
5. Blend the mixture, with a hand mixer if you have one.
6. Let it sit overnight.
7. Make sure the mixture is completely blended. If not, blend again, and let it sit. Then, blend again.
8. Pour it into an olive oil bottle and wash your hands!

Taken from CasaSugar

The Suite 101 link goes into detail how you can personalize your liquid soap as well as some other uses for it. I found it interesting. Check it out!

Linoleum Floors

If you have old linoleum floors with dirty dimples, take a Scotch Brite pad and scrub the floor with your solution, then wipe the excess water off with a rag.

Fabric Softener Sheets

Try cutting your fabric softener sheets in half. Chances are half will do the job and the sheets will end up lasting twice as long. If you have a batch that will require more, just throw in a second half!