Classic Household & Utilities Tips for Saving Money:
I often use AI to help me brainstorm ideas for articles and chapters, and today I took a deep dive into “Throwback Thursday” tips for saving—and making—money around the house, focusing on those tried-and-true strategies that our parents, grandparents, and many resourceful friends still swear by. Many of these methods have been around for generations, standing the test of time because they simply work—and sometimes, they’re more effective now than ever before!
Going through these classic tips brings to mind one particular friend who’s mastered the art of stretching a dollar. She’s living proof that a thoughtful mix of old-fashioned wisdom and modern know-how can keep expenses down without feeling deprived. I’ve added a few of her favorite tricks to my list, but I bet you have some of your own! If so, please jump in and share them in the comments—I love learning from this community.
What follows is a curated collection of household and utility tips that save money in thoughtful, almost effortless ways. We’re talking real habits: hanging laundry outdoors, patching and mending clothes, making simple cleaners, reusing jars and bags, and squeezing every drop of utility out of items most folks would toss. These are the kinds of practices that not only reduce your expenses, but also lighten your footprint—a true win-win!
Classic Household & Utilities Tips for Saving Money:
- Hang Laundry Outdoors
- Dry clothes on a clothesline or drying rack outside when weather allows; this saves electricity and helps garments last longer by avoiding the wear from machine drying.
- Save: $16–$36/year (Air-dry 1–2 loads/week, saves $0.30/load on electricity/gas)
- Make Your Own Cleaning Products
- Mix vinegar and baking soda to clean countertops, sinks, and even stubborn stains. Use a spray bottle for surfaces or combine with warm water for mopping floors.
- Save: $20–$50/year (Basic DIY mixes save on 4–10 bottles of cleaner at $5 each)
- Save & Reuse Glass Jars
- Wash and use glass jars (from pasta sauce, jams, or pickles) for storing leftovers, home-canned goods, bulk dry foods, or DIY crafts like homemade candles or spice mixes.
- Save: $5–$20/year (Repurpose 5–10 jars vs. buying new food containers)
- Patch or Mend Clothes
- Sew up holes or tears with basic needle and thread skills. Reinforce worn knees or elbows with cloth patches, extending the life of jeans, work shirts, or jackets.
- Save: $10–$100+/year (Repair 2–5 garments instead of buying new or paying for tailoring)
- Transform Worn-Out Clothes
- Cut old T-shirts or sheets into cleaning rags, dust cloths, or reusable napkins. Use larger fabric pieces for homemade quilts, pillow covers, or pet bedding.
- Save: $5–$25/year (Use as rags or pet bedding instead of buying disposable products)
- Repurpose Flour & Sugar Sacks
- Wash out cloth sacks and use as dish towels, reusable shopping bags, aprons, or handkerchiefs. These strong materials withstand frequent laundering and have charming vintage prints. (My flour and sugar sacks are made of paper, but maybe yours are cloth?)
- Save: $5–$12/year (Turn 2–4 sacks into kitchen towels/aprons instead of buying)
- DIY Fabric Softener
- Add white vinegar to the wash during the rinse cycle for softening fabric and reducing static, avoiding the cost of store-bought softeners.
- Air-Dry Dishes
- After running the dishwasher, just open the door and let the dishes air dry. Saves energy that would be spent on the heat dry cycle. (I have my heat cycle turned off, but hot water turned on and the residual heat almost always dries the dishes within an hour or two)
- Save: $5–$20/year (Air-dry after dishwasher, saves electricity for 1–3 cycles/week)
- Homemade Draft Stoppers
- Roll up towels or sew tubes filled with uncooked rice or beans to lay at the base of doors and windows. This blocks cold air from seeping in during winter, reducing heating bills. (Or pay for them at the hardware store - they will pay for themselves after a single winter!)
- Save: $10–$20/year (Blocks drafts, trims $2–$4/month off heating bills in cold climates)
- Reuse Plastic Bags
- Wash and dry plastic food bags (zip-top or bread bags) to use again for food storage, produce, packed lunches, or freezer items. (I always teased my mom for doing this, but now I've begun to do it too! I leave them to hang dry on my kitchen faucet - tacky I know!) :)
- Save: $5–$15/year (Reuse 1–2 per week instead of buying new baggies)
- Boil Laundry with Baking Soda
- Place dingy whites or cleaning cloths in boiling water with baking soda to naturally brighten them and remove odors without pricey laundry additives. (I never knew this one!)
- Save: $3–$10/year (Brightens whites without using expensive bleach and specialty products)
- Melt Candle Stubs for New Candles
- Collect ends of old candles, melt in a double boiler, and pour into clean jars, mugs, or tins with new wicks. Create custom scents by mixing leftover wax fragments. (This could be a fun project for kids with adult supervision! Save even more by not needing to buy a craft project!)
- Save: $5–$15/year (Repurpose remains to make 1–2 new candles)
- Save Soap Slivers
- Place tiny soap pieces in a mesh bag or melt them together in a mold to form a larger, usable bar instead of tossing out slivers. (Oh boy - this is dedication!)
- Save: $2–$5/year (Combine scraps to form 1–2 full bars over a year)
- Double Up on Oven Use
- Bake multiple dishes at once or use the oven for bread, vegetables, and dinner simultaneously. This makes the most of each heating cycle and saves on energy. (I do this because 45 minutes at 400 degrees for one or two frozen burritos just doesn't make sense to me!)
- Save: $5–$12/year (Batch-cook 1 meal/week, marginal additional energy savings)
- Rainwater Collection
- Set up a rain barrel or bucket (where legal) to collect rainwater, and use it for watering gardens, houseplants, or cleaning patios. (Our community offers free water barrels to connect to your gutter downspouts in order to save water and money! See if yours does too!)
- Save: $10–$40/year (Water plants/garden without paying for tap water)
- Fix Leaky Faucets & Insulate Pipes
- Regularly check for and repair drips to reduce wasted water. Insulate pipes with foam wraps to lower heating costs, especially in older homes. (The foam insulation is pretty expensive, but very worthwhile. Our community subscribes to a website where you can check your water use by day to see if you might have any leaks or to help you see just how much money those long showers are costing you!)
- Save: $10–$60/year (Address a single minor leak or insulate exposed pipes)
- DIY Potpourri & Air Fresheners
- Simmer orange or lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in water on the stove for fragrant air freshening. Dried herbs and flowers can also scent drawers or closets. (Project for kids?)
- Save: $5–$20/year (Homemade alternatives to store-bought fresheners, 1–4/year)
- Compost Kitchen Scraps
- Save fruit peels, coffee grounds, and veggie scraps to create compost for your garden or houseplants. This reduces waste and provides free, rich fertilizer. (Great for the environment, great for the garden. If you buy fertilizer or have a service, this could be your answer!)
- Save: $5–$20/year (Enriches soil, replaces store-bought fertilizer for a few houseplants or small garden)
As you can see, it’s the small changes and daily choices that add up to real savings over time. For a single person living alone, these classic household and utility tips could put anywhere from $100 to $550 back in your pocket every year—all without major sacrifices or dramatic lifestyle changes. Whether you’re mending a torn sleeve, drying your laundry in the sun, or brewing up homemade cleaners and air fresheners, you’re tapping into the same resourcefulness that helped past generations weather financial ups and downs.
It’s funny how often a tip I thought was “just for grandma” ends up being the solution I needed most. And more often than not, these old-school methods spark new ideas—sometimes leading to small business ventures, family traditions, or community swaps that go far beyond saving a few bucks. Even if some suggestions result in only pennies saved here or there, they’re all part of a bigger story: valuing what we have, using resources wisely, and finding satisfaction in the process itself.
So if you’re looking to save money or just feel a deeper connection to how you run your home, embrace these Throwback Thursday habits. Share your success stories (and creative twists!) in the comments, and let’s keep the tradition of smart, sustainable living going strong. Who knows—maybe one day someone will write about your money-saving tips as a timeless example for the next generation!
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