Extreme cheapskates...maybe too extreme

So I get wind of a new show from TLC called Extreme Cheapskates that airs next weekend. It features cheapskates and the stuff they do to save money. Some are smart tips like cutting the bottom off the toothpaste tube when it's "out". You just KNOW there's still paste in there! But somethings are just silly like re-using paper towels and rinsing out disposable cups. Why would you spend money on buying paper towels, and use them over and over and not just use kitchen towels / dish rags that are already re-usable, washable, eco-friendly? Nope. Disposable cups and plates too; you have re-usable dishes, they're called plates and glasses. You can wash and re-use them THOUSANDS of times!

It brings me to my favorite re-usable/repurposed items at home that save me money on the little things.

1) Lonely socks. You know them, they've lost their partner somewhere in the dryer and are doomed to a life of watching other socks snuggle in the drawer or go out to a movie. Well no more; they're perfect for the Household Soil Managemnt Division. That is: dusting. Your lonely socks can join other lonely socks and old t-shirts that now have a real purpose in life than just hanging around you all day.


2) As mentioned above, T-shirts. C'mon, there's so much they can do! Dust, wipe, wash; they're handy! Van Halen and Journey can make your house look goooood.

Items three and four are Swiffer products. At the risk of sounding like a corporate schill or a paid advertiser (which I am not, since Swiffer has no idea I'm even posting this), I like passing on good tips to moms like me, SO:

3) Swiffer Sweeper sheets. These things take a beating when used instead of a paper towel , sponge or cleaning rag. I found this out while helping Sister Christian clean out her old apartment. She'd run out of paper towels and handed me a Swiffer sheet. I used it over and over and over again! I cleaned the whole bathroom with ONE sheet. and it was still in great condition when I was done with it. You can dry it out and use again...and again...and again. That's one pennywise product.

4) Another is the Swiffer Sweeper Vac. It doesn't come with re-useable sheets, but you can purchase good, fluffy cleaning rags that you can wash and use over and over. And it doesn't just save me money, it saves me TIME which is my most precious commodity. A big thanks to my dear S-I-L who turned me on to it!
 
5) Last is the Libman Freedom Mop. The pad is washable and re-usable so I don't have to spend money buying more and more pads. The bottle can be filled with any cleaner...that includes vinegar which you can get a GALLON of for about 2 bucks at the grocery store!

Being cheap isn't always being smart....be smart.