Life hacks that’ll save you time (and money!)

Last updated on 12th December, 2018 at 09:11 am

Everyone likes a good life hack, especially if it means saving you time and money in the long run. The good news is that so many of them can be created by using stuff that you already have!

1 Turn unused objects into instant hacks

Instead of throwing out old, disused household and kitchen items, be creative and find new uses for them, for example:

• Put old and unused ice and cutlery trays next to each other in a drawer to store your jewellery.
• Use your old shower caddy to organise the fluids and oil canisters for your car.
• Don’t just discard old bathroom towels; by ‘tweaking’ them, they can serve a useful purpose, for example as floor mops, knotted bathroom mats, beach bags, toiletry caddies, hot water bottle covers, etc.
• Skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets by making your own dryer balls. Use that sock that lost its mate or a pair of worn-out panty hose to tumble-dry your clothes faster and keep it nice and soft without the use of chemicals.
• Leaky tap but trying to avoid calling a plumber? Try wrapping a finger from a latex glove around the leaking threads to create a seal.

2 DIY cleaning products

As buying cleaning products for your house can quickly add up, rather use items that you most likely already have in your house for this purpose:

• Make your own inexpensive, all-natural, all-purpose household cleaner by loosely filling a heat-resistant glass container with leftover citrus peels, then adding equal parts boiling water and white vinegar. Cover and let it sit for a week before straining it into spray bottles.
• A mixture of olive oil and lemon can double up as an all-natural wood polish.
• Toothpaste works very well to brighten up dull pieces of silver jewellery.
• Don’t discard leftover pieces of soap! Instead, melt them, add four teaspoons of lemon and eight teaspoons of glycerine, pour into moulds and – voilà! – you’ll have brand new soap bars.
• Baking soda or bicarbonate soda is a magical cleaning agent in nearly 40 different ways – from smelly bins, drains, ovens, pots and pans, to carpets, shoes, sports gear and pet bedding.
• Scrub the rust off of your pots, pans – and anything else – by using potato and salt.

3 Get clever in the kitchen

Initially you may think you’re spending a lot of money when you buy fresh produce in bulk, but when you break down the costs per serving, you’ll realise that you’ll likely be saving money.

Some fresh food markets combine bags of popular, frequently used veggies such as onions, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin in affordable offerings. This type of offering could see a family of four through for two weeks or more. Then set aside an hour or two every week to prepare your meal portions in advance and freeze them to save you time. (And to save money if food is turning, and you want to save it for longer.)

Likewise, you can score money by bulk-buying beans, grains, nuts, seeds, as well as other produce items and store them in airtight canisters and jars. Buying in bits and pieces inevitably costs more!

4 Give bottled water the boot

Unless you’re living in an area or environment where the tap water is undrinkable (South African municipal water is clean and safe to drink) or where drought is a problem, avoid spending money on bottled water. Not only will you save a fortune, but you’ll be helping the environment by reducing plastic usage, too.

5 Try these apps to save you time and money

• Spending Tracker helps with budgeting.

• Splitwise keeps track of who owes what in families and friendship groups.

• Fuel Log helps you log and plan fuel usage.

• Price Check compares prices.

• SnapnSave offers you everyday savings.

Use that money saved to secure your future! Here’s how

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