Save Money On Laundry! Some tips from "Everyday Cheapskate" Mary Hunt

Recently, I skimmed through Mary Hunt's book Everyday Cheapskate's Greatest Tips: 500 Simple Strategies for Smart Living. The whole book is full of great advice, but here are some laundry-related tips from the book that you can use:

* Wash your clothes inside out. Your clothes get just as clean, but it reduces the wear on them and will help them last longer.

Suave shampoo, often only
$.88 or $1, makes a cheap
pre-wash for laundry.

* Use cheap shampoo as a pre-wash before throwing your laundry in the washing machine.

* If you spill something on your shirt, don't worry about having a name-brand stain remover stick handy. Instead, use a bit of hand sanitizer (available in three packs at the dollar store!)

* If you use fabric softener sheets, cut them each into four strips: You only need one strip to do the job, and the box will last four times as long!

For more helpful hints, be sure to check out Mary Hunt's book! Here's to another happy week for your wallet, peeps!

Greetings and Lesson One: Laundry on the Cheap

Welcome to the home of yours truly, Captain Cheap!

I'm a guy in grad school (in other words, broke), and I live alone. Living alone can provide special challenges in the art of being chea--er, frugal. I'll be posting some of the tips and tricks I learn on the cheap - feel free to take and use them -- for free! (The best way to save money.) Also, PLEASE post comments and feedback if you know of a better way - or more money-saving way - to do something.

Now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to a laundry quick-fix.

SITUATION: I currently have $4 in my bank account, which is not enough money to ride the bus to the store, buy laundry soap, ride the bus back to my apartment, pay to use a washer, and pay to use a dryer. But... my dish cloths have... an interesting smell to them that makes me not want to eat around them. I'm losing my appetite over laundry that needs to be washed!



No longer smelly dishrags



SOLUTION: I took out my saucepan, filled it with water, and (generously) poured in some baking soda. I set it on "high" and once it started to boil, threw in my dishrags. I moved them around with a fork and kept them on the stove about five minutes. Then I hung them to dry over my bathtub. And...voila! No more smelly dishrags, and $4 still in my bank account.