Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to be even more creative in providing for the needs of my home in order to save our hard earned money. And having a handy hubby has been a big bonus! There have been quite a few things that we have had a need for, but no money to go out and spend. So, we’ve had to improvise. Here are a few things we’ve done lately to save some cash!
One of the things I’ve needed recently was a waterproof pillow protector. With a little one potty training, we were having quite a few overnight accidents. Thankfully, I think we are past that now, but for a while I had a real problem with Ty’s pillow getting wet all too often. I could have went out and bought a cover for it for around $18. Instead, I simply put the pillow into a kitchen trash bag, tied the end really well, and put it back into the pillow case. Sure, it crinkled a little, but Titus didn’t seem to mind one bit. And it worked! (Note: if you have a mischievous little one, a plastic bag may not be a good idea. Use your own judgment!)
We’ve also had an issue with the laundry room becoming almost impassable as shoes and coats cluttered the floor. This is our main entry way, so it really needed to be cleaned up! The only problem was that I had nowhere to put anything!! I really wanted a big shoe rack to hold all of our boots and sneakers, but the cheapest I could find was about $20. I also needed coat hooks, but again the least expensive I could find was around $18. So… we got creative.
Since we have a ton of scrap wood around here, Jerry set to work making the two items we desperately needed. Now, is he a master woodworker? Hardly. But it doesn’t take a lot to make these basic pieces. Can you tell they are handmade? Yep. Do I care that they aren’t perfect? Nope. You know why? Cause they cost practically nothing to make, and they do their job perfectly!! We ended up paying less than $6, which covered the cost of the coat hooks from the hardware store.
I also wanted some popsicle molds to make frozen treats for the kids, but for 12 bucks… forget it!! I’m just gonna use an empty yogurt container and a stick from my bottle drying rack until I find a nice mold at a yard sale!
All in all, these simple fixes saved us over $60! Quite a significant little chunk of change, if you ask me!
I share these things with you to encourage you to try to think creatively before just going out and buying whatever it is that you need. Is there something that you already own that could serve the purpose? Do you have materials you can use to make whatever it is that you need? Ask around and see if anybody might have one you can borrow. Whatever it is, I urge you to think hard and get creative before blowing your paycheck. You may just surprise yourself!!
Have you gotten creative lately? I’d love to hear your money saving projects!!
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
Very nice! You are right it saves a LOT to make it yourself. These are two things we need as well…only we have been waiting because we couldn’t afford them. I have toyed with the idea of making them myself, and now I am really inspired to do just that! Thanks!
Get a copy of the Tightwad Gazette at the library. Lots of great ideas in there along these lines.
I love it! Jerry did a GREAT job, wish he could come to my house and fix a few things… My boyfriend isnt very handy 🙂
Kendra,
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Kelle
PS. Your “Coat rack” looks like something I would be willing to buy. Your husband did a very good job!!
I love doing things like this. Finding things for cheap, or making things work with what we have. God has provided every need, and I love making things myself!! My husband may not be a handy man, but I love to make things myself, and he’s always so proud of what I do. I love making things work with little.
What great ideas. We are having trouble with snow gear as well. Just no where to put it and it is always wet and yucky too. i would give anything for a mudroom!
Your stuff looks a lot like mine.
We have since added another row for kid coats – lower, with the hooks staggered, and with the kind of hooks you used. They HATE them – everything falls off them. I’m going to have to get more hooks like what I have on the upper rack.
You are so awesome, Kendra. I love your ideas and we certainly agree with your philosophy of making do with what you have.
We live in a camper at the present time and last winter the doorway was cold and the floor around the door was always wet and icy. Mr. D solved that this year by adding a small mudroom all constructed of scrap lumber picked up from the dump. This small room also holds our refrigerator. The heat given off the ‘fridge keeps the temp in there above freezing and we store all our coats and boots and other large items out there. It also makes a great place to keep produce that needs cool storage. Our coat rack actually looks a lot like yours. He did not make a boot rack, but with just the two of us we just use a boot tray.
I also loved the shower curtain idea. I have tried to wash shower curtains before with little success, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried baking soda or washing with towels.
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. D
Great job – I love stuff like this! I try to think of ways to use what I already have instead of always buying new. We have a new grandbaby and bought a travel crib (on sale of course) to keep here at our house so our daughter doesn’t always have to bring hers. It lacked a waterproof liner, and also had fiberboard for stiffening so the whole thing couldn’t be washed ugh! Don’t ask me why a company that produces things for babies/toddlers wouldn’t make the liner waterproof but they didn’t. I had saved a shower curtain liner that I wasn’t using and made a liner for the crib pad from that. I sewed it on so the little one can’t remove it, then covered with securely with a sheet. It doesn’t match as well as before but who cares? I can at least wash it now….
Blessings!
My hubby is totally not handy! I have done 99% of the work around the house myself. I am jealous of your hubby! He did a great job.
Honey, that coat rack and shoe rack are absolutely beautiful in my eyes! I prefer those to store bought. Good job! You should be proud!