7 quirky, random money savers

Saving money is the big topic these days, and I’ve been collecting links that help you do that. These aren’t general money saving tips – they’re very specific and sometimes quirky potential savers that might apply to you and might not.

1. Recycle a moth eaten sweater by stitching elegant patches worthy of a designer (yes, you can make these yourself) over the holes. [Via Feeling Stitchy.]
2. There could be several weeks’ worth of product still lurking in a pump bottle that will no longer pump anything out. Make sure you get every last drop of your lotions and soaps.
3. Making bread is a huge saver compared to buying it from stores. Here’s an oatmeal bread recipe that comes out to 15-17 cents per loaf!
4. TipNut has 18 slow cooker recipes – these save you money because you can use cheaper cuts of meat, cook in bulk, use up stuff you bought that never quite matched any of your entrees as a side dish, etc.
5. Make your own disaster preparedness kit – in case you need to evacuate your home suddenly, it’s great to have a kit full of foodstuffs, water, first aid supplies, pet food and everyone’s medications. These kits can cost a lot of money: by putting together your own with an inexpensive kids’ backpack and supplies from a military surplus store, you can save money.
6. Cara scores again with How to Reuse Dryer Lint. Not every use she mentions is necessarily a money saver, but using it as kindling and pet nesting material definitely could save.
7. Make your own wedding invitations. Not only can this save money, it allows you to get creative and make an invitation that’s totally you instead of a stock choice from the local printer.

Bonus link:

This one’s partly a money saver, and partly just a handy reference from GOOD Magazine to know how much water you’re causing to be used by the things you make. You will only save money by cutting the water you use directly, but you can reduce your environmental footprint by reducing your use of things that require more water before they ever get to you. For example, it takes a lot more water to make coffee than tea – indirectly. [Via LifeHacker, via SeriousEats.]

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Posted in Frugal on March 25, 2009