How many things can you make yourself instead of buying, to save money?

How did our grandparents live without myriad of products to buy?

There are main 2 reasons why many prefer making their own products instead of buying.

1. You can make your own products to save money;
2. When you DIY, you avoid using toxic and unpronounceable ingredients.

With so many products available for sale (some even for cheap!), of course it’s tempting to just buy everything instead of taking the time to do it yourself.

We all live busy lives. Finding time to make your own products can turn into quite a challenge.

However, if you need to save more money or simply care a great deal about the environment and your health, you’ll see that making your own products isn’t always time consuming.

Things you can make instead of buy
to save money

Food from scratch

Starting with the most obvious: home cooked meals.

Eating out is great, since you have someone else ‘slave’ in the kitchen instead of yourself and it’s someone else who sets the table, brings your food and washes the dishes afterwards.

That’s pretty cool!

Except it’s expensive.

And although you know your order, you don’t exactly know if the ingredients are fresh or of great quality.

Cooking at home is much healthier and cheaper as well.

Besides, the time it takes to get to the restaurant, the time you wait for your meal, then wait for the waiter to bring the bill… you could actually cook at home and it would be a lot faster!

Here’s an example of breakfast, lunch and dinner:

• Breakfast – Waffles, that take about 30 minutes to make. Or homemade peanut butter, healthier than store bought.
• Lunch – Risotto, done in half an hour. Or any pasta recipe, they’re all quick & ridiculously easy to prepare!
• Dinner – Hummus you can serve on toast. Or maybe you prefer a nice roast? It’s much cheaper than ordering it at a restaurant and it’s incredibly easy to prepare.

You can even make your own drinks at home.

My all time favorite is homemade lemonade. I make it quite often, it’s easy to make, healthy and refreshing!

DIY cleaning products

To save (a ton) of money, you can easily take care of cleaning using alternative methods.

Cleaning ceramic tiles – Instead of buying lots of expensive products that promise to wash the dirt away in seconds, you can actually use vinegar to clean both bathroom and kitchen

Vinegar diluted with a bit of water does wonders when it comes to cleaning tiles. You can use it to clean the fridge and freezer as well, your sink and, especially, surfaces affected by limestone (it literally dissolves when in contact with vinegar).

Cleaning windows – Every once in a while, windows need some freshening up, right?

Instead of spending money on window cleaners, you can use (cheap) rubbing alcohol.

Mix it with water, spray your windows (after you remove loose dust with a dry cloth) and use old newspapers to wipe your windows clean.

Cheap and easy! And extremely effective too!

Silverware & silver jewelry – Instead of paying to take your silver to the cleaners or buying expensive polish, did you know you can use toothpaste to clean anything silver?

I’ve learned about using toothpaste to clean silver ever since I was little. My parents and grandparents used this method. If it worked for generations, I’m surely not gonna spend on silver cleaning products.

Homemade body & hair care

I have to admit, I’ve never tried making my own soap or dry shampoo.

But these couple of tips can do wonders and they won’t cost you a dime!

Get rid of dandruff – Many people have dandruff problems, although few admit it because, well.. it’s not something you shout from a mountain top!

Instead of expensive anti dandruff shampoos though, you can use egg yolks to wash your hair.

Use only 1 if you have short hair, or 2 for medium-long.

Take the yolks with you in the shower and use them as if they were a ‘normal’ shampoo.

It’s that simple! (don’t forget to rinse properly and avoid walking around with scrambled eggs in your hair).

Egg yolks are extremely nutritious and they can be a great help if you have dandruff problems.

As a bonus, your hair will become shinier and, without doubt, healthier!

Say goodbye to acne – Every teenager on the planet has (or will have) acne problems. It’s not uncommon for adults to struggle with acne as well, though.

For a really cheap DIY acne treatment, you’ll only need 3 things: a steaming big pot of water (or tea, chamomile works great, it’s cheap too), lemon salt and 1 lemon slice.

You start with steaming your face, to open up the pores. Simply sit with your face on top of the hot, steamy pot, with a towel over your head to keep the steam from dissipating.

After about 10 minutes, scrub your face with lemon salt. This should help remove blackheads and other impurities.

To finish, apply the lemon slice on your pores to close them. Or you can mix some lemon juice with water and apply that instead.

It’s not exactly a pleasant treatment, but it works and it’s almost free to DIY!

Presents for your loved ones

Birthdays, anniversaries, Holidays… there are many occasions throughout the year when buying presents is “tradition”.

However, if having to spend money on gifts makes you roll your eyes, try D(ing)IY.

Not only will this help your budget, but you’d be taking the time to create something unique for someone you care about!

What’s more personal? A store bought, generic product or something you make yourself while thinking of your loved one?

Baked goods – I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t appreciate cookies in a jar!

If you’re a talented baker or cook, taking the time to cook something special for your friends and family will always be appreciated! And you’ll spend less money while you’re at it.

Baked or cooked goods make amazing gift ideas for the Holidays! They can save a lot when planning your Easter or Christmas shopping list!

Handcrafted gifts – You don’t need to be extremely talented to create your own handcrafted gifts.

You could easily create jewelry to give away as a gift. Or personalize a photo frame for your family. Or simply throw together a gift basket containing a jar of cookies, a bottle of wine and a hand written card.

What other product do you prefer to make yourself instead of buying?