Save Money with Natural Cost Cutting Substitutes (2024)

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The trick to cutting costs and saving money is to find cheaper cost cutting substitutes! More often than not these substitutes are superior to the more expensive “commercial” way of doing things. Natural is always better! Furthermore, with the addition of chemicals, artificial ingredients and God knows what else added to our products a cheaper cost cutting natural substitute may actually be better for you. At least you know what you are dealing with. Here are a few ideas for natural remedies and products that will help you save money, cut costs and improve your daily life.

Home-made Soap:

Regular soap isn't even soap it's usually detergent. Home-made soap is all natural and of course it doesn't have any harsh chemicals. Also, it costs about a third of store bought soap.

Home-made Body Butter:

Not only is making your own body butter better for you, it's a lot cheaper too. Here is a link for one of many recipes.

http://wellnessmama.com/6544/whipped-body-butter-recipe/

Mustard for heartburn:

Use mustard for heart burn, yes I said mustard!: If you have the occasional flare up of heart burn mustard actually works better than any pill on the shelf. Just put a little on bread and eat it and it will relieve your heartburn. Keep taking it until it is completely gone. You can also try vinegar as it is the vinegar in the mustard that does it but it's easier for me to eat mustard.

Egg Yolks for facial masks:

Instead of using expensive facial masks use a beaten egg yolk. Apply the yolk to your face, wait until it dries completely then wash it off, you will have the silkiest, smoothest skin ever! You wont use the whole yolk so save it in the fridge for the next couple of nights. You can also use egg yolks in your hair, after-wards wash with one of the shampoos you've made from this article.

Vinegar and Baking Soda to Unclog a Drain:

Vinegar and baking soda will unclog a drain. Simply pack the drain with baking soda and then pour vinegar on it. Follow this up with boiling water.

Baking Soda instead of Toothpaste:

Of course you can use baking soda instead of toothpaste and save money as well.

Baking Soda as a Facial Scrub:

Why pay tons of money for some fancy apricot scrub when baking soda is a thousand times cheaper and it makes your face feel baby soft..try it, you'll like it!

Olive Oil for Ear Aches:

Olive Oil for ear aches. I once had an earache and since I have no health insurance I didn't want to pay a huge fee to go to a clinic. I read that if you put a few drops of olive oil in your ear with some cotton before you go to sleep that it will clear it up AND IT DID!

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent and Shampoo:

Make your own laundry detergent (see video), you'll save a fortune and you'll know what is going in your detergent so that you can ward off allergies.

Make your own shampoo; most of what goes into shampoo is water, the rest is easily obtained and will save you a ton of money (see video to your right)

Vinegar instead of Conditioner:

Use Vinegar instead of conditioner, it's better for your hair, the environment and it's cheap, cheap, cheap! You can also use it to wash your windows!

Making Your Own Liquid Soap:

Make your own liquid body soap from the left over soap (You know the little ones that you can't use up at the end). Simply put the left over soap in an old dish soap container with some water and shake.

Make Your Own Clothes:

Get a sewing machine and mend clothes instead of throwing them out. Keep scraps for projects.

Green Tea for Hives:

Drink Green Tea for hives, it's much cheaper than going to the doctor and better for you than Benedryll.

Tea Tree Oil for a Pedicure:

Use Tea Tree Oil for foot fungus or just to have pretty feet: Spray a little mixture of vinegar and water on your feet, let it dry, then spray some bleach let it dry, then put tea tree oil on the area, let it dry, then rub in some Vaseline. Not only will the fungus be gone if you have no fungus but just want beautiful feet this will work as well!

Dryer Sheets Repel Mosquitoes:

I don't know about you but I've been woken up in the middle of the night by a pesky mosquito that I couldn't find. The next day I had to go to work and I had to get some sleep. I looked up on the internet how to repel mosquitoes and read that dryer sheets will do the trick. I grabbed some dryer sheets and slept with them in my hands near my head. The mosquito stayed away and I was able to sleep for the rest of the night! Tea Tree Oil will also repel mosquitoes, as will dryer sheets. Just put a little tea tree oil on your arms and/or carry some dryer sheets around with you and the mosquitoes will stay away. If you have already been bitten use a solid stick deodorant on the bite and the itch will go away.

Valerian for Insomnia:

Use Valerian for Insomnia. Valerian is an herb that you can get in tea form at your local health store or you can grow your own. I have found it works better and is not addictive. Also, when you drink it (they also have Valerian pills) or take a Valerian pill you will not wake up groggy as with some over the counter and prescription drugs.

Make your own Bisquick:

Make your own Bisquick instead of buying a pretty box that will go into a land fill someday! And, it goes without saying you should buy all of your basic items in bulk.

Coconut Oil instead of Face Cream:

Coconut oil is great, not only to include in your diet, but also as a moisturizer for your skin. You can buy a bottle of coconut oil for less than 8 dollars and it will last forever! You can also use it for softening up rough elbows or to soften up your feet. Some people have also suggested using it in your hair but I haven't tried that yet.

A few more helpful hints:

Get rid of your land-line; use your cell for all calls

Hand wash your clothes and hang them up to dry; don't use a washing machine

Hand wash dishes ...no dishwasher

Cancel your cable service and quit watching TV; read instead

Learn to cook rather than going out to dinner

Unplug ALL of your electrical outlets (except maybe the fridge :) when not in use) or better yet go “Off-Grid” altogether!

The key to cutting costs these days isresearch. Do not assume that Madison Avenue has all the answers. The first thing most of us do when we have a problem is run to thestore when more often than not, the commercial solution is much moreexpensive and not as good as the homemade and/or natural solution. Start looking for cheap cost cutting substitutes in your daily lifeand you will soon be living a more natural and free lifestyle and you will save a fortune.

Happy Hunting!