6 Tips to Cleaning on a Budget {Guest Post}

Since we are still on our way home from a long weekend away, my friend, Mandy from Daily Cup of Grace, graciously agreed to guest post for me. I love so many things about Mandy, but one thing she has a passion for is cleaning. Me – not so much. But that makes her the perfect person to write this post! Enjoy!

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Cleaning our homes – whether owned or rented – is one of those necessary evils of life.  Most of us do not enjoy this frequently needed work.  {In all honesty, I may be the weird exception as I do like to clean.}  But for some, it’s high up on the list with other detested activities like visiting the dentist or changing a dirty diaper.  Today’s rising prices cause us to cringe deeper yet as it costs more and more to do something we already despise.

Never fear!  That is why I am writing this post today.  My purpose is to arm you with 6 tips to help cut the cost of cleaning so you can stay within your budget AND possibly squeeze out a few extra pennies for a small treat for yourself.  After you finished the cleaning, of course! *wink*

1. Reusable Mop – Most of us have floors to mop and while those Swiffers sure are easy and quick, they are also very expensive in the long run.  You can make your own refills and homemade pads, but it may be more time efficient and just as cost effective to buy a mop with a reusable pad.  I personally really enjoy this one from The Clean Report.

2. Wash Clothes – Sure you can get a cheap roll of paper towels from your local discount store, but why not save even more money?  Whenever your wash clothes get dingy looking, turn them into cleaning rags.  I keep a whole basket full in my cleaning closet and when I’m done using them I just run them through the washer.  No paper towels or expensive sponges.

3. Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies – This can cut expenses down very quickly.  When I began to make my own laundry detergent I saved $5 to $10 a week!  Over a year’s time that adds up to some serious savings…and that’s just laundry detergent.  Pinterest has some great recipes for you to try…just keep experimenting until you find the right ones for you.

4.Buy The More Expensive Product – Wait? Say that again? Yes!  Sometimes buying the more expensive cleaning product is actually cheaper.  For example, I like my dish soap to be really sudsy.  I can buy the cheap brand for $1.89 and use more quantity each time to get the amount of suds I like, or I can buy the more expensive bottle for $2.48 and use less each time which makes it actually last longer and therefore is cheaper in the long run.

5.Invest In Good Tools – Along the same lines as tip #4, it pays to invest in good tools.  Buying the expensive vacuum that lasts longer is actually cheaper than buying a cheap vacuum that you have to replace in 18 months.  The more expensive brands usually clean better, too.  Make both your money and time work for you by investing in long-lasting and efficient tools!

6.Buy In Bulk – It’s easy to look at the cost in front of you and opt for the cheapest figure.  But pause, pull out your calculator, and break the price down.  Sometimes it is cheaper to buy the more expensive, yet bigger packs, than it is to buy the cheaper but smaller packs because the price per ounce or item is actually less.  However, if you really want to save money, price out all sized because bigger is not always cheaper.

Now that I have given you my 6 tips for cleaning without breaking the bank, I hope you’ll share your tips, too, by leaving a comment!

Mandy Hoffman connects God’s grace to the daily grind at DailyCupOfGrace.com. She is married to her soul mate and favorite pastor – Justin. God has graced them with two girls and one boy – all blonde hair and blue-eyed. If Mandy isn’t cleaning the house, baking cookies, or helping her kids pass the next level of Angry Birds, she can be found cozied up with a book or counseling teens and women.

 

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