10 Things You Can Make Yourself to Save Money

Most of us waste a lot of money. For one, we spend entirely too much for the ease of convenience and then we wonder why our savings accounts are so sad. The simple truth is that we should be making a lot more than we are so that we can save money. We often spend frivolously on things we can make at home just because it is easier and less time-consuming to simply purchase items than it is to make them ourselves; but the price is much higher.

If you are in the market to save a little money, especially since the holidays have arrived, perhaps you might consider making some of the things you use the most rather than purchasing them for a price that’s entirely too high. We have some suggestions for you right here.

Coffee at Home

We all love to go out and buy our coffee as we leave for work or to drop our kids off at school, but it’s a waste. We spend too much time in line and too much money on a cup of coffee we could make at home for a fraction of the price. I know we all love our holiday lattes but at $5 a piece, we really spend too much. How about buying your own favorite flavor of Starbucks coffee K-cups or ground coffee to make at home for $10 a package (and two weeks worth of coffee) instead of spending $25 a week on coffee? That’s a savings of $40 every two weeks.

Baby Food

If your baby loves to eat things like bananas and other fruit, just stick that stuff in the ninja blender and turn it to baby puree. It’s simple, it takes all of three minutes and it’s a great way to make a lot more baby food for a lot less money than ever before. We recommend it because it’s easy; and we think that you will love this. We do recommend, however, you do a little research on making your own baby food first just so you can have some insider tips and knowledge to work with.

Presents

Instead of going out and buying gourmet gifts for other people, why not create your own DIY gifts at home to save a little money. We recently created fun favors for a Christmas gathering in our home that we thought would be fun parting gifts and they ended up being all the rage. Everyone loved them and is now calling and texting to say that they are making them for their coworkers, their friends and their families. All we did was buy mason jars, download a fun personalized holiday label to print from Etsy with a cute thank you saying from us, small bottles of different flavor liquors and cans of different flavor mixers. For example, we would put a can of Starbucks espresso coffee in one mason jar and tie a bottle of Baileys to the outside of the jar, stick a bow on top and make a mixer. We did the same thing with cranberry and vodka and we did the same thing with rum and diet. People loved it, and they were dying with excitement over it – and that is just very simple idea for something you can make yourself (that’s really, really inexpensive, too).

Dinner

Instead of eating out at dinner time, why not make your own at home? Sites such as Pinterest are filled with amazing recipes that are restaurant-quality but so much less expensive to make at home and so much healthier to make at home, too. It’s a wonderful idea for anyone looking for a nice date night without going overboard, or just a family dinner to have at home.

Countertop Cleaner

We all clean our countertops a million times a day, so why not do it with something that’s more cost-effective than the stuff you buy at the store? We are not going to offer you any specific recipes since some people prefer to go green and others prefer other methods. However, a simple internet search will provide you with a number of ideas that will allow you to make your own cleaning products for just a few dollars that will last you an entire year or more.

Fruits and Vegetables

I know, I know; it’s not really a make it yourself kind of deal, but it kind of is, you know? I always say that I’m going to grow my own garden because we use so many fruits and vegetables but they go bad so quickly and we are forced to go to the store a million times a week to keep up with them. It’s so much faster, less expensive and healthier to just grow your own at home. We love this idea.

Hair Masks

We know that we all have to do our hair at some point so that we look good and our hair is healthy, but that means we have to spend a lot of money on these products to use at home. Instead, we can make our own with a very simple recipe; just mix two parts coconut oil, two parts honey and in part apple cider vinegar together and use it as a deep conditioner for your hair anytime you need it. Put it into dry hair and leave the mixture in for 10 minutes, wash and rinse and your hair will be all that much more gorgeous because of it.

Body Scrub

We need to exfoliate every few days, and exfoliation scrub is pricey. We can make our own using a very simple method that does not take much time or money, but lasts forever. Pour sugar into a mason jar about 2/3 of the way full and then add your favorite olive oil to the mix so that it becomes damp but not soaking wet. You can then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil scent to make it smell like something amazing. This leaves your skin not only healthy and glowing, but also smooth and smelling amazing.

Party Décor

I’m guilty of spending entirely too much money on things that I can make at home for nothing, and that is especially true when it comes to party favors and décor. Instead of spending insane sums of money with professional party décor people, I like to go to Etsy and find things that I can use throughout the year, personalize them at home and make my own décor when needed. For a dollar or two, I can download a fun 8×10 print that says “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and then put it in a plain white frame to use at a Christmas party. Then I can use the same frame and the same concept and make one for birthdays or Valentines or any other holiday I wish. It’s simple and perfect for any time of the year.

Air Freshener

I love the smell of the holidays, but the other day I realized that I was all out of my holiday candles (I am a huge Partylite fan) and my new shipment wasn’t arriving for another day or two. I love the smell of wonderful holiday fragrances and was missing them, so I looked online and found a simple recipe for a great air freshener and made my own. I simply put a little bit of water, a few drops of vanilla extract and a few cinnamon sticks in a pot and put them on the stove on a warm setting for the day. The smell that it emitted in my home was to-die-for and it made me ever so happy. You can use this for months on end, switching up essential oils and ingredients to create scents that are seasonally appropriate at any time.

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