How to Use Less Over Timeby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 10 Sep 2009 09:56 AM Being able to reduce the use of something will make it last longer, whether it is a television or a bottle of shampoo. Do enough of using less, and you can save a significant amount of money over your lifetime. The monthly or yearly cost savings is also nothing to sneeze about. For normal household items that you use up, challenge yourself to make these things last longer. Use less of them each time you use them and make sure that you use up all of your products. Here are some practical examples: Use half of your laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner and body soap. Chances are that you normally use more than needed to do the job. Cut back as far as you can until you notice a difference. One time use items, such as facial cleansing cloths, paper towels, etc, can be cut in half or quarters, so you only use what you really need. Another way to use less of these products is to not use them at all! Washcloths and dishtowels can replace these paper products for most uses. There are many ways to get the last bit of a product out of a container. Invest in some inexpensive spatula or bowl scrapers. You'll get the last bit of pancake batter or cookie dough out that way, as well as the last bit of peanut butter or mayonnaise. For stubborn products, such as skin lotion, you can get quite a lot out of the container by simply slitting or cutting the back of the container and extracting the product. I learned this from reading an article in Consumer Reports! As you get used to making sure that you get all of your products out and usable, you'll discover new ways on your own to make things last longer. A lip brush or even a cotton swab can get the last of your lipstick out, for example. You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here! Related Articles: Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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