As a librarian, thank you for highlighting how useful a library card can be! I've seen public libraries offer anything from free seeds for your garden to free rental of their music studio to free classes to design and 3-D print cookie cutters, on top of the programming, books, databases, and streaming they provide. A lot of libraries also provide a 'Library of Things' where you can borrow telescopes, tools, tennis rackets, etc. SO many things come free with a library card that people pay for unnecessarily!
Money Recall how would you suggest going about finding out what your local library offers with your card I know I’ve have a few things available to me but as someone who has always exercise their card I’d like to take full advantage for myself and my children
My local library offers a free Lynda.com subscription, I never go to the library but I use this all the time as a Developer to expand/refresh my skills
The best way is either to explore their site or ask at the reference desk. I think most public libraries also offer ebook lending if that is your preferred format. (also a librarian here.)
I'd like to say a little something. It doesn't have muvh to do with the topic of this video, more the topic of the channel. I started watching these videos while I was homeless. Yup. Homeless. I wasn't very messed up at first but the homeless life carried me into a mess of hating myself and taking drugs and getting welfare but never having enough money to eat a full meal. At some point, I started deciding to be the responsible adult in my life and make healthy, productive decisions for myself, like a parent would. And watching these videos inspired me to aim for a life in which the tips you give would apply. Right now, I have an appartment, but I'm putting money on the side and investing the rest in the necessities and some healthy habits just so that when the day comes, I'll be functional and productive enough to just get an actual life without having to ease into it. Anyways. This is a little thank you, I guess. I'm definitely applying some of your tips and will do more when options arise. Keep up the great work!
a small step is also using blocks of soap instead of liquid soaps. They last longer, are very cheap and environmentally friendlier (no water has to be driven hundreds of miles to be bought by you) with the same effectiveness 👍
They make reusable Swiffer Mop pads. Just wanted to share that for disabled people who use a Swiffer because it's lighter to push around and easier on your hands and upper body.
I leave the pad on the one we have. I usually use it for small, quick jobs that don't really require the full mop-and-bucket treatment (like a doggy accident in a small spot). I can add a little water if I need it.
You can also wrap a towel or rag around the swiffer mop and use the towel/rag as a mop pad. I use it at work (I’m a dishwasher, so lots of heavy duty mopping) and it works pretty well.
xfortunesquex i like to use microfiber cloth on the swifter. They can be used dry and wet, are washable, usable for years and cheap to replace if necessary. They can also be recycled (here in Germany).
If it's the swiffer wet jet that you like, and I did for years, both vileda and Rubbermaid make a version with reusable microfiber pads that velcro on and a removable and refillable bottle for whatever floor cleaner you would like. I love that I can use a greener, less harsh cleaner, and I have several of the pads so that I always have a clean one at the ready - a must with little kids. The pads just go right in the wash.
I have ALWAYS machine wasged my less than $50 bras, and I have yet to have any of them wear out unless they're lacy. I use a bra bag - hella cheap - and the gentle cycle. The damage comes from machine DRYING them - they need to be air dried. I have perfectly fine bras that are easily over 10-15 years old.
I agree Mary. I machine wash bras in a lingerie bag on regulat cycle in cold water and air dry. The dryer does incredible damage to synthetics. I have two drying racks and air dry all my clothes. Towels and sheets are the only machine dried items.
I work in the womenswear industry and can say while you might not see your bras falling apart from machine washing, you’re likely losing quality in your fit and breast support. A good bra has a lot more going on than compared to a dress or pair of jeans, and should not have a comparable lifecycle.
As a seamstress and a costumer, I understand the importance of well-fitting foundations. I've even made some in he past. I STILL feel perfectly comfortable advocating putting bras in the washer, provided they are in a lingerie bag, and the load is not overstuffed. I also wash them after every wearing, and not necessarily in cold water. They STILL fit properly for years. Yes, not as long as jeans, but jeans can last for multiple decades if the quality is there in the fabric and construction. As someone who works in the industry, your primary goal is to make a profit - which incolces getting people to buy cheaper guality items more often than necessary. Of course you would disagree with me.
As a person who writes in cafes and also takes her laptop on the subway all the time, laptop theft insurance has been a great thing for me. And an external harddrive back up is an absolute must.
Please do not perpetuate shopping at outlets. Discount stores like Ross or Steinmart are fairly up front about being sell off and overrun products. Outlets however are blatant manipulations of brand perceptions. Ralph Lauren outlet is not damaged or overrun products from their stores. It’s cheap crappy copies or even new products made for the outlets. Some outlet stores aren’t even “outlets”, but retail stores in an outlet environment so you think they are an outlet. For an accessible overview and sources I’d suggest Adam Ruins Everything on the topic.
I grew up with immigrant parents and IF we used a paper towel, we had to lay it out to dry and re-use it until it fell apart, lol. To this day it hurts my soul a little when I see someone use a paper towel to dry their hands at home and toss it in the trash.
Hey! I actually wouldn't reccommend outlets for higher ticket items: outlet items are made to be sold in outlets and are designed to be sold at a reduced price so the quality is often far less than a full price item, even on well known and higher end brands. I'd more strongly advise waiting for sales at department stores, or in the stand alone shops at the end of seasons/ using discount codes and cash back on clothing items.
Agree. I worked at an outlet and they straight up told us it was cheaper quality for the outlets specifically. But you would get use out of your sewing kit then. 😋
Agreed. Also, I've been appalled at the lack of discount of products at outlet stores lately! (Looking at you Nike, trying to discount a regularly $35 shirt to $32.99...)
Amy Great point! I'd forgotten that tip. Also, people may not know this, but big box retailers will partner with a known bestselling manufacturer to make what looks exactly like their top selling product, but isn't. They will make a stripped down version. So consumers will think they are buying the real deal, when it's actually a watered down copy. I learned this the hard way on a high end laptop. The best thing is to look at the label and will usually say "product packaged for ***** store." Another scam trick is done on some Amazon products. I check the more recent reviews because it reflects what customers are really receiving. In other words, an item has high ratings and has drawn a favorable following. However. The vendor then has a cheaper, lower quality counterfeit made, which is what ships. Can we say bait and switch?
Just used my library card last month for books I would have bought normally and on my receipt it showed how much I saved by not buying. $92.78 WOW 😳 And I took the info I need out of them returned the books and glad I am now a library card using money saving mama.
Thanks for the tips!! I was wondering if you guys would be doing a budget planning for inconsistent incomes for college students! I feel like I’m always spending more of my money than I earn 😩😢
There is a free app called "iSaveMoney" that I have found very helpful. You start by putting in your income, then you put in expenses by category: rent, electric, clothing, groceries, etc. It will show you how much you are spending and how much you have left in each category budget.
Do not overinvest in brand new books. Try second-hand ones from older students or borrow them. If You photocopy anything reuse one-sided photocpies. Go digital as much as You can with Your books and other materials.Look for side-hustles in advance.
Cut costs where you can. Here are a few tips: 1. Buy second hand whenever you can 2. Its majorly expensive to always buy your meals even if its only 1 or 2 lunches a week, it really adds up. So make your lunch & if your not fond of cooking just make a big batch of something & portion it for the week. My go to's are rice, beans, eggs: scrambled or hard boiled & Potatoes. All Seasoned to taste of course ;) there are some great simple & cheap recipes here on youtube too .3.Plug all of your electronics into one of those big power strips that has an on/off button & every time you leave the house turn it off. There is ne need for them to be taking electricity all the time. 4. Use public transportation (if you're lucky to be in a place that has it) or carpool. Bike or walk if the destination is close.
Hey 'm a student too. Here are some of the stuff that works for me. 1 - I have finally taken my credit card out of my wallet. Now I use ''real'' money (debit or cash) It keeps me realistic. 2- Textbooks, femmeNikita27 said it best 3 - I have discovered I can tell my very outgoing friends "nope, not tonight. I'm on a budget."
great vid! im surprised menstrual cups weren't on the list, but that's probably because they typically cost more than 20 dollars. for anyone reading my comment, they can save u heaps in pad/tampon costs, though! and its less waste, too :)
I've used cloth pads for 13 years, and a menstrual cup off and on for 7 years. I bought them as a freshman because I wanted to reduce waste and save money. Not only were they great for that, they are amazing for sensitive skin. They are incredibly comfortable. I prefer the pads personally so it might be an option to explore :)
I've been using cloth menstrual pads. Etsy has 👍 sellers. And it works for me bc I have accessible laundry. If i lived in an apartment - can wash them at home... I found it a bit difficult tho! & cloths are made diff.. some easier to dry and clean. Hence etsy. Many ppl make decent pads that wash and dry well. It can be a 30 ish for set of 5 cloths.. So a comfortable set of liners, over night, and normal sized pads, that will last a long time (years, for a total of 90-100$ that will reduce waste). I only have 10 pads and spent....50$ so far. It is great per month. Pays forward immediately. Every month. Every year 😂
as IT technichian I can assure you, that cooling pad is not an option if start notice your laptop overheat. Just google how to disassemble it and get those jayers of dust from your laptop by yourself or give it to professional.
And if anyone is wondering yes you can get into MacBooks. I know because I spilled coffee on mine after only 2 months of use. I used Ifixit.com and replaced the Upper Case of my laptop (for $200) and now 2 years later, it is still working fine. Oh, and I had to buy a special set of tools that was maybe $20.
If you take the amount of times you wear an item and divide it by the cost you will usually find that the slightly more expensive and higher quality items cost less over the long hall. With the added bonus of looking better.
I really think here it comes down to luck a lot of the times. Like how people say fast fashion falls apart easily, but I had shirts from H&M and New yorker that i bought in high school and still wear to this day, a collage diploma later. I really think that a lot of the times upkeep might have a lot more to do with it.
Patrick One of my fave UA-cam folks, Justine LeConte, has videos to teach you how to spot quality. She breaks down construction of garments and explains why cheap garments are cheap and expensive garments are expensive.
We use old bedsheets as cleaning rags. One bedsheet can be cut into so many rags that by the time you're finished with them (months) there's another bedsheet ready to take its place.
Old t shirts that are not in a good enough condition to donate work as well! Also good for cleaning dry surfaces like wood cabinets. Those are the kind of things I learned from my frugal (to a fault) parents.
~6:00 mark, when talking about overheating: I used to work tech support at an international tech co. If your computer is overheating, there can be multiple reasons. Some you can control. Some require parts replacement. The simplest ones? Laptops are actually NOT meant to be on your lap. Your lap insulates the parts and often blocks the vents, causing parts damage. Is your environment (your job, your apartment) 80F+? Your computer can't keep cool if it's in a hot room. Keep the vents around your computer clean of dust and animal hair, and do NOT smoke around your computer (the particles cling to the parts and build up goo, which breaks your parts). If you have a typical PC, make sure it has enough ventilation on the sides. Some people have them in these narrow desks that block vents too much so that air doesn't effectively circulate. No air circulating, no cooling. Those laptop cooling pads are just fancy fans. They don't contain freon. They cannot cool your computer past a certain point. You can put the laptop up on a new cooling rack from the kitchen, too. If you've done these things and something is STILL overheating? SOMETHING IS WRONG and you need to back up your data on a different place (a hard drive, cloud, whatever) and call tech support. Paying the extra money for service in your country is WORTH IT. If your computer keeps overheating, a cheap fan replacement can turn into a motherboard replacement that costs more than the computer was when you bought it. Your computer can actually sometimes catch fire, but not likely unless something outside of the computer is bad, like subpar wiring in the walls. It's rare, but it happens- especially if the problem is a bad power supply, or bad wiring. Smelling smoke? UNPLUG THE COMPUTER and take it to a reputable repair shop. Usually it's just diodes bursting on the mobo, but practice fire safety, unplug the computer immediately, and use good judgement. There, I just saved you like, $200 for Best Try's tech once-over.
The Shmop beats the sponge mop or swiffer. It's a large flat rotating head on a mop handle and you put terrycloth covers over it that have been soaked and wrung out of whatever your preferred cleaning solution is. Then you can even reverse the cover and use the inside, and then throw the cover in the wash. I've been using mine for 20 years!
Free audiobooks through the library-y'all need to get on that. Most libraries use OverDrive and it's great. Not a huge fan of reading books on a screen, but audiobooks are fantastic.
Overdrive + LibriVox = life. I LOVE both of those products. Introduced my boss to Overdrive and he said his daughter reached the limit on books she could check out at once within 2 weeks. And the best thing is not having to pay late fees, because the books return themselves. I belong to 4 different libraries (and hoping for more) so I can check which has the book I'm looking for.
Good ideas. But I need to share something.. I'm glad to see an American an talking about this... I know that many are like you but maybe not the majority.. I'm from Brazil and in my first months here I needed to rent a room and I could "share the house". And I was shocked at the amount of garbage produced in a house here, with paper towels to clean everything in the kitchen and everywhere, wipes, Many kinds of products, processed foods (that usually have plastic and paper packages), and packages of disposable coffee cups... And about electricity waste.. unbelievable... For example: about not having a broom at home for little repairs and maintanance (I bought one) and using the vacuum cleaner for absolutely everything ... electric coffee maker, air fryer, electric oven, toaster, sandwich maker... many things that.. well, I really prefer to cook and to use the traditional stove (like my coffee with a italian moka haha)... I really adaptable with cultures but definitely these things to me are bad for the environment and for my financial life... and I won't change my good habits... In the Last 7 months that I'm alone I can keep everything organized and clean with my reusable cloths and few products, I have a drying rack to some clothes I prefer wash by hand, and I pay alone my bill to Coned and is much less than when I shared... And I try to rethink my habits every day, because we always can improve something.. *thank you Chelsea, I've been following your channel since I moved here and your videos help me with the language and to learn/understand many new things.
Hey oh, I just borrowed The Financial Diet book from the library! Holla! (I also angstily borrowed all the career books after having a bad day at work.)
When I stopped using Swiffer products I kept the actual mop and started poking a microfiber cloth into the little holes on the top to hold it in place. Then I simply spray the floor with homemade cleaner and use the mop as I would a Swiffer. It has saved me a lot of money and works infinitely better than the disposable pads ever did.
I am from Europe and lived for a couple of years in New York. It drove me nuts that people used their dryer so much, even during the summer - a drying rack is easy and quick, plus prevents many clothes from getting wrinkly 😩. You don’t need a dryer on a regular basis unless you live in an extremely humid and cold place. The Swiffer pads are ridiculous too. Why not use a regular mop? Cheaper + more effective + almost just as easy to use.
I'm a fan of drying on the line or rack, but our summers in many parts of US are very high humidity and things take forever to dry. I use my dryer in summer but much less in winter when it is very dry
phronsiekeys thanks for the reply - I currently live in Barcelona (Spain) which is pretty humid. Fair enough, having them out to dry for a while can make them smell funny compared to winter. Still prefer drying my clothes in a drying rack, they last so much longer and feel better. Saves on electricity bill too! :)
I use a swifter because i have about 20 square feet of moppable surface, everywhere else is carpet. it feels wasteful and expensive to make a bucket of mop water.
Those laundry tips are so true! I have a salad spinner dedicated to hand washing items. It's especially useful for things like bras, so you don't have to wring them out and damage them :)
7:05, an even better solution to this problem, don't use Apple products. Most other options are cheaper, more flexible, and cost less in the long term to maintain. PCs and Android devices can be built or bought for far cheaper and support more hardware and software overall. That should have been the tip...
I would say that depends. For example the iPhones gets updates for much longer than android devices, so if you don't drop it, it can last longer. And if you compare iPhone to top level android phones you'll pay about the same. That being said it you can take some compromises (for example having a huge phone) you might be able to have a 90% as good android device for half the price of a iPhone. In short, it depends.
@@PatrikKron it might just be me, but every iPhone user I've met upgrades at least once a year and that means they are perpetually paying for their phones. Add to that phones are becoming increasing hard to repair (I know because I've worked with electronics for years and repaired many versions of Android phone and iPhone). iPhones and Android phones aren't as far apart as iPads and Android tablets when it comes to cost though, when comparing similar features. PCs and Apple computers on the other hand are worlds apart (watch the Linus Tech Tips nightmare story about them attempting to repair a new iMac they bought for a review, that they damaged during teardown, and were willing to pay it of pocket for repairs but it was cheaper to buy a new one because Apple controls the parts so strictly). Having to be an "Apple Certified Technician" just to order genuine parts from them, having to send the part to be replaced first before a working replacement will be sent (unless you are a Genius Bar employee, in which case you'd have some parts in stock), and stripping someone's Apple Technician status if they perform an "unauthorized repair" are all reasons to avoid Apple aside from the cost. Controlling the manufacturing and programming from start to finish is great for quality and uniformity of user experience, but it also creates a monolith that you have to deal with just to get your device working again. Therefore they can bottleneck the parts at any point so you can't get them or have it cost as much as a new system just to replace one part. Monopolies are never good and Apple has created a non-illegal one by keeping everything in-house. Therefore, phone screens as well as some other iPhone and iPad parts can be bought aftermarket because you are voiding your warranty and often buying something below the specs of the original, because only Apple techs can order and install the genuine parts and that's the way they want it so you all buy Applecare or pay out the ass for repairs (if they deem your repair worthy by not violating the hundreds of batshit crazy rules they have for people just wanting something fixed or the people trying to do their job and fix broken computers). Here is a link to the LTT video I was talking about before: ua-cam.com/video/9-NU7yOSElE/v-deo.html BTW, if you just do a search for "Linus Tech Tips Apple repair" you're going to find a few response videos justifying Apple's behavior which is awful because (while fanboys are there worst) Apple is clearly in the wrong not offering replacement parts at fair market value and controlling their product out of intimidation, but what is worse is that these same people would most likely have a shit fit if someone told them that they might as well buy a new car or new central air unit for their house because fixing one part in it would be the same as buying a new one anyway. Things break, if it is our fault or not shouldn't matter. Diversification and choice give consumers power, which is being taken away by companies like Apple (though technically they consumers are throwing away their choice by buying Apple products).
EdwardThimbleHands I certainly agree that it’s a huge problem that Apple does not sell replacement parts (since they only are available to "authorized repair places") and that it's really bad that newer devices are close to impossible to repair. Although it's not only a problem with Apple devices, Apple is not doing a good job in making their devices repairable. A screen and battery replacement is responsible easy to do (harder in the waterproof devices) but everything else is hard. Right now I have a iPhone 6 (the only iPhone I've owned, bought second hand.) I might switch back to android next time. I've done some repair on it, with non original components, since I can't buy the original.
I have to agree, I have had my galaxy s4 for 4 years, not once have I had to repair it. Only now am I getting a new phone as I've dropped the phone resulting in a screen crack, the cost of repair doesn't warrant it because it's so old. I've dropped this phone in a pool, it was submerged for 5 secs and still worked after the old rice trick. Apple have lost a lawsuit as they've admitted that they have purposefully made their phones to lag after 2 years. Iphones just aren't worth the money
Ok, Please Do Not get a sponge mop, get a mop with a removable washable head, microfiber or cotton. Self wringing makes it even better. Making these more reusable and personally clean better. There are even ones out there where you only have to touch the plastic above the mop head, no need to touch anything gross.
I get hand washing delicate items to increase their longevity, but aside from that, it's less efficient in terms of water usage. The water also still has to get hot (if appropriate) so you're not saving on heating the water when you wash fewer garments at once. When fully loaded, washing machines are far more efficient than human labor and use less water. I've tried hand washing bras and certain shirts (I actually stained some expensive bras this way, so do your research first!) and it can be really labor intensive - soaking wet slacks are heavy and hard to wring out fully! When you work 9-5 and don't have a helper with the washing up, you have to find ways to combine efficiency AND timesavers. My favorite are laundry bags for delicates - they keep bra hooks from snagging pantyhose or cami straps from getting tangled on other items. If you buy a bunch of them, you can use them for keeping socks together and not getting eaten by the sock monster!
About the cable reinforcement: You can take a pen spring (those pens that has a click to it; take one that doesn't work anymore, it's super easy) and roll them tight to both ends of the cable. At least on Apple products, the connection between the cable cord and the charging end is where they get you. Source: Have lost charging cable, had to pay hundreds of dollars on a new one ('alternative' ones are also expensive and you'll never know if it's destroying your notebook).
I LOVE how you also incorporate environmental friendly ideas :) being green is usually also the better way to save money. Making your own cleaning supplies and menstrual cups for the ladies are other really good tips!
For the swiffer tip - here's a fun hack to keep the convenience of swiffering over a standard mop! Instead of using the pads, you can keep the handle and use rags in place of the disposable pads. I retired a bath towel last year and cut it into the size of little swiffer pads, and just pop them into the rubber grippers on each corner, and wet the rag/use cleaning product as desired. And then just wash the rags and use them again and again. I've even seen people knit/crochet reusable pads if that's more your style (I knit but I can't be bothered to knit swiffer pads), and people sell sewn ones on etsy as well if you like a more polished look than a rag. My mom uses the swiffer style that sprays water, and she makes her own cleaning solution to refill it with vinegar, water, and soap + essential oils.
If you’re looking for sewing basics, look at freecycle and Facebook marketplace and ask if someone will gift you their extras for free. I and many crafters find ourselves with so many extra pins, needles, and tread, that I’m sure lots of people would give away their extras! I also think you’re likely to get higher quality materials than a cheap kit, and it’s more eco friendly to get second hand stuff when you can!
I usually watch your videos while hanging my clothing to dry. I've got two wall racks in my room (Ikea) and for 9 months of the year I hang my laundry to dry. The other three months I can dry it outside. While I still occasionally use the clothes dryer, by and large, everything air drys. I love it.
I'm actually not sure if machine washing clothes in an efficient washer uses more water than hand washing. Also, clothes just get way cleaner when they're in a washer for 30-60 minutes than when you hand wash them for about 15 minutes.
Not to mention, labour costs. What could you have been doing for the time you spent hand-washing clothes (more durable items, like jeans and blankets) vs. literally anything else enjoyable? We invented washing machines for a reason!
Janika yeah, good luck washing blankets and jeans... not to mention you can't squeeze the water out like the washing machine would, so the water would be dripping from them on the dryer!
...dry... OH RIGHT. yes. I remember this. Here in the city, you can actually be fined thousands of dollars for having an outdoor clothing line, but other places, we would just... put the clothes outside on the drying lines for the day. I did washing in the morning, and had it on the line by early-mid morning so it had all day in the heat to dry. By the time afternoon comes, around 4-5, just bring it all in. Helps if it's a more arid, hot, dry climate. The water just evaporates right out. ^^ But yeah, you def can't do tub laundry and then throw things in the dryer.
Lena H "here in the city"? Well, here in my city you don't get fined for that. Also, drying clothes outside - especially in the sun - makes them fade. You wanna have a drying rack at home
The laptop cooling pad could be OK if you own a laptop that can't be taken apart easily, but I think you're far better off investing that money in a good tech tool set. There are a million videos and tutorials showing you how to take apart and clean computers which will allow you to directly address the problem rather than a symptom. Plus, odds are, if your computer is running slowly or is giving you errors, it's probably a hard drive issue. Getting enough confidence to replace the hard drive yourself with a $30-$150 SSD (depending on your required storage) will pay off massively. This is one stereotypically (nerdy) male skill that everyone could benefit from learning, especially as it gets more and more common for people to own multiple expensive devices.
prasaja mukti The thermal paste used between the cooling and the processor degrades over time. I don't know if it's enouth of a problem that it would benefit from a replacement though. The easiest fix for a overheating computer is to remove dust from the computer. Don't use the laptop on a soft surface (I.e. Bed) it will block the fans in many computers and there will be a faster buildup of dust in the computer.
uuugh have you ever unscrewed a lenovo? The last one I did had over 90 different screws. 90+ screws. Most had *slightly* varying lengths that you might not even notice until you put the wrong one in. It was.... singularly awful. I was so tempted to buy the client a new computer rather than have to deal with replacing some parts in his.
Lena H I've opened many Lenovos (although only one model). But the things I've had to replace has not required 90 screws to be taken out, put instead maybe 10. Different computers are differently hard to repair. For example, many thin laptops no longer have replaceable ram or storage (harddrive/ssd).
Great tips Chelsea, thank you! I do believe that having LED is much better and using the dryer less is so important. Pro tip: if you use the rinse on the washing machine at 1200 or 1400 (depending on the type of washing machine you have) that makes the clothes much dryer already so when you transfer them to the dryer they do no need as much time to dry therefore you are using less electricity.
Being European + a student I already use 6/7. The domain name is a difficult one though, I think, especially if your exact profession and with that the need to even have a domain isn't clear yet. Still, as always, I enjoyed your video :)
Hands down the best thing I ever got was a heated airer for my clothes. In the UK it isn't that common to have a tumble dryer, but it's very often too cold/damp here to air dry clothes. Mine cost £100 upfront, but it only costs 5 pence an hour to run and it drys all my clothes, even thick heavy towels and sheets in about four hours. So 20p. I've had mine for about 5 years and my parents have had theirs going on 10 and it's brilliant!
My husband and I found a full, brand new sewing kit in the garbage once.we did replace the needles, those were one dollar per packet. We occasionally replace the thread,three pack for a dollar. As for buttons, if you have old button down tops that don't fit,or are old,raggedy,no saving it,cut off the buttons. Store in an old pill bottle.same with needles and straight pins.
A sewing kit has saved me so much money! I lean toward cheap clothing most of the time, which often means shoddy seams. Backstitching might not be pretty, but it's pretty strong and I didn't buy it for looks. A 1-hour patch up job gives me back a useful $20 pair of pants.
Microfiber sheds very small fibers that apparently get into our water system and apparently can't be removed by our current water systems. So, how about rags made from old towels?
Any material made of synthetics are the culprit. Others aren't so much of a threat, like hemp, wool, or cotton. Do your best to check your labels before making a purchase.
Just got LED lights on sale at Costco for $5 for a pack of 4. Just remember that if you rent, most rentals want you to put standard bulbs back in before you move. I got hit with a $195 light bulb replacement charge ($15 per bulb) after completely forgetting to replace them back when I moved. I asked if I could at least have the bulbs back, and they told me they threw them away.
Good info. I switched 95% of my light bulbs. My dryer broke one year ago and I have only miss it when I want to us an item quickly. You are right my electricity bill went down by far.
reuseable towels on a spool? I never hear of this. 🎶 A whole new world 🎶 Honestly that's great to know and I might switch to that Also I'm pretty sure you can buy LED fairly lights.
I know a lot of small businesses in America that make very affordable reusable paper towels, they call them "unpaper towels". One of my favorite is small mom owned business called Indie Knit Works, they sell on Etsy.
Yes. In Eurpe very common. German companies make lots of such ecological, reusable items. To me as a European it's pretty shocking that Americans do use so moany items once. Not to mention we do not use dryers for washing clothes so often since they do really make clothes last shorter (fabrics lse colors, elasticity etc.). Usage of rags and slow drying is regular in Europe. As for LED lights- there are nice colors there as well. I hvae LED lghts everywhere. Low electricity consumption, less heat in summer, and they give more light than traditional light bulbs. I use them wtith warm color, so no LED lights are not only office like agressive, cold lights.
+Jessie B - This is good to know. I was thinking about sewing it myself, which I still might try, but knowing that I could buy something that will save me money in the long run is a good plan b. +femmeNikita27 - good point
Anyone who wants a better alternative to swiffer wet jets needs to check out the homevative mopping system. Its $30 but with it you get 3 thick reusable mop pads, 2 bottles of juice to spray out (def helps if you want your own cleaners or DIY vs buying a lot of caustic crap), and a scraper that attaches to the handle so u can get the chunks of dirt off before throwin the pads in the wash. Im a disabled SAHM and i have loved this product for a long time. Im also a biz owner so I cant spaz over crap like how me doing chores are costing me more money and screwing over mother nature. Love all you guys at TFD! Thanks for helping people like me discover that you can do ALL THE THINGS. Within reason and staying legal of course. 😊😊😊 Much love from Virginia!
That laptop cooler one is so important. I was using one but I stopped when summer was over. My dorm was still too hot though, and my computer overheated enough times it killed the laptop. The sautering was weak and it slipped and hit the floor, not even from high up, and the harddrive came free and snapped. I lost all of my non-backed up writing forever because we couldn't do a data recovery. I learned to protect my next laptop, which I still haven't been able to purchase yet, and I learned to invest time and/or a small amount of money to backup on dropbox, google drive, and/or similar online data storage. As an author, loosing my work was devistating.
A laptop cooler won't help you in that situation. It's a misnomer. Those coolers are only two cheap fans on a motor. They only circulate air. If your surrounding temperature is hot, it will circulate hot air, and can actually blow dust back into your computer vents.
A tip adding on to making use of the library is to take advantage of your school libraries. When I was studying in college, I always borrowed textbooks if the library had them. Saved a good chunk of money!
I was blessed growing up in a home where microfiber cloths and machinewashable mop ”cloths”. Using disposable paper to clean made no sense to me. Especially when it seemed way less effective, like using paper instead of microfibercloth to clean a mirror. Though, I still have paper towels which I use mostly to dry/soak up pots & pans that still might have a little grime on them. Sometimes to quickly wipe up spilled food that go into the bin anyway. Though I try to use microfiber cloths most of the time.
After watching a previous video, I went out and got a library card and was shocked at the amount of online resources libraries offer. Just one example is that I used to pay for a monthly subscription to men’s health magazine but then found out that I can get the most recent copy including dozens of previous copies all for free with my library card. Great tip!
❤️ fantastic video! I am in the states since a week and shocked about how people in 2018 stilllllll ignore the environmental problems like ten or twenty years ago. Girl, you are a fresh breeze!
I use rags. Rags instead of paper towels, rags on a swiffer, rags in a mason jar with cleaning solution as wipes, so much you can do with rags- and it's a great way to use clothes or old towels or old sheets that just can't be patched or sewn up anymore.
Always have used a sewing kit (and my mum uses the sewing machine as I’m lazy, and have avoided learning it). If people are throwing out clothes because they don’t wear them/don’t fit etc, there are a range of places that will take them and they can be resold at thrift stores. I’m NZ based so don’t know where you’ll go in other countries but I’m sure there are many places to donate your old clothes.
A lot of these were really informative. I especially do like the sewing kit, reusable cleaning supplies, and domain name. I purchased my own domain name (of my name) a year ago and while I haven't done much with it, I now know it's mine to use.
Thank you for mentioning the library card! I work at a public library and am surprised how many services people don't realize we have for them. Love your channel!
So, I *immediately* went and purchased my name as a domain after watching this. This has never occurred to me, and for some reason it struck me as extremely important. I feel like this will come in handy soon. Thanks so much for the tip!
1) In our home, we own a small sewing kit and use it regularly. Hole in a shirt, hole in a sock or towel, a hem, belt loop.....even made a clothespin bag.. 2) we don't buy paper towels--we use cloth napkins and reusable washable dish cloths, 3) we have a library card for books, movies, and games 4) n/a, 5) my spouse is an IT tech and ensures we have everything needed to protect our computer (which he made from scratch), 6) we use washing machine but don't use a dryer. We don't have one anymore....we have used a huge clothesline outside and have a plastic drying rack for rainy days for YEARS, and 7) we only use LED bulbs
I completely agree with the paper towel problem and I am 100% guilty of it. But as someone who lives in NYC, it’s tricky because we don’t have garage disposals. So we have to use something to wipe ketchup and salad dressing into the trash before washing dishes.
Lauren Conrad True, but we have free green waste recycling in NYC. So you can toss your non-dairy dressing and ketchup and any non-meat food scraps into a bag in your freezer and walk it to your farmer’s market.
air-drying items can save a lot and maintain items well. But... handwashing is *not* cost-effective. It can often mean more water used per pound of clothing (depending on how you do it). It's generally more efficient to use the gentle cycle on your washer and making sure to fill your washer. Also, using power laundry detergent (and a little less than recommended) is often just as good and often less expensive.
My LED fairy lights were one of the best purchases I've ever made! They've lasted over 4 years and survived 3 moves with no sign of letting up yet. The quality of light took a little getting used to (not harsher, necessarily, but cooler) but ultimately I prefer them for giving off a nice, even light for winding down and reading in bed. 10/10 would recommend. Plus I got mine for almost 50% off by buying them at a craft store in July!
We don't have a dryer at home and due to our climate, drying clothes indoors can cause damp and mould. Therefore we only put on a wash when the weather's good 😄
I never realized how many of these we do here in New Zealand! We don't have a dryer where I live, we use reusable cleaning things, and my parents and I go to the library!
As a professional seamstress, hems are so easy to do by hand. They take some time, but anyone can do it and it makes a huge difference. You just need a needle, matching thread, iron, and ruler (NOT tape measure).
Good idea. I would like to see it too. But good advice would be to buy locally, nearby- low costs of transport, from materials which can be recycled, second-hand if possible, withut buying food including plants or animals from endengared spiecies lists or foods which destroy Amazonia forests for example. Choose comapnies which pay taxes in your town, country, region, which are fair-trade companies etc.
You may search for ethical shopping apps for your country like those:goodonyou.eco/ethical-shopping-apps/ There are also communities of this, forums, stores. In various countries bio markets have lots of fair trade products and there are also fair trade products only online stores. Personally I like getting my cocoa, chocolate, tea and coffee from fair trade. WWF offers lists of fish which face extincion. Some of them are foldable and one can carry them in their wallet. I have one. I do not buy fish which is in danger of going extinct. And there are books on how t make your own cleaning products which are both cheap and safe for you and for your kids, domestic animals and for the nature in general.
As a professional at money-saving, does it get tiring to be money-aware all the time? My husband and I are frugal and to an extent enjoy challenging ourselves to save more and get good deals. But from time to time we just weary of thinking about the pros and cons of almost every purchase and nickel and diming our way through life. Do you at the TFD have this problem as you're probably even more price-conscious than typical frugal people?
Just a little correction--the laptop cooling pads are more or less useless because the heat that is not getting dissipate is due to a bad/dirty heatsink which is around the processor. While the cooling pad cools the outer surface so although you could see around 1-3° of temperature you feel ,it is not economical in long run
I love a Love2Clean mop. Its like a swiffer mop but the pad can be washed and reused and you put in your own floor cleaning solution in the chamber and it doesn't require batteries
I normally totally agree, but I have to differ here. I have never needed or recommended a laptop looking pad. And the cable issue is fixable with some sugru, which isn't chap, but it's better than an expensive cable.
Can you do a video based on how to make the most of your yard space?, I myself have come to learn that I’m very blessed to have an incredibly large yard but with that being said we don’t use the majority of it my children have a trampoline and my dog goes outside occasionally will use the small section for a fire pit but it’s huge and such a waste of space I’ve often try to think of ways that I can use the land to make extra income or maybe even grow some small vegetables or sublet a small piece of the property in a different manner, but I’m really looking to broaden my outlook and use my space to full potential and benefit from that
Grow a garden: we mostly grow tomatoes and cucumbers (eat them fresh or can them, nothing beats fresh veggies). Plant some fruit trees or berry bushes (apple, cherry, raspberry, currant, rhubarb, mulberry, gooseberry, [look some up that may interest you]...). You get fresh fruit from trees and can eat the fruit or make juice for later. Put up a hammock (stand or tree) where you can spend time outside to relax/read. Put up some bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, they are relatively inexpensive and you can watch many birds. Plant flowers (annual/perennial).
Wish you would’ve added diva cups and Glad rags to your list. As a female, switching to reusable feminine hygiene products have saved my family a ton of money during the year and has improved the health of the women in the family. No one has had a yeast infection since we switched. It really should be discussed more
So a note on library cards. One of my local libraries now has services you can borrow things like fishing poles and now they offer loaning internet hot spots. There are requirements you have to meet by could be really helpful to people who are in transition or shopping for internet services.
A cooling pad is pretty much useless if the laptop is dusty. With the exception of warranty (and why would you pay for new laptop, most people don't need to performance) there's nothing nothing stopping you from scrrwing open the laptop to vaccuum and blow the dust away. Use an aerosol air can or just a tire pump to blow - not your moist breath
Washcloths fit in a Swiffer perfectly. I just dip them in a mixture of water and vinegar. They're great if you have small kids and don't feel like getting the bucket out.
I don’t buy paper towels. I use dishrags and sponges. I know how to darn and sew too. I crocheted pads for my swiffer that I just wash. This all saves hundreds. Get more than on library card. I have ones for every surrounding county and use overdrive. If you get a domain name don’t let it lapse! I went to renew mine and it had been bought out from under me and now I can’t buy it back because they want $2,000 Hanging clothes on hangers off the shower rod works as well as a drying rack.
I can say with pride that I’m a library addict. I currently have 1 book checked out, 2 on hold, and 4 DVDs on hold. I got a DVD player for my laptop just to use to play library DVDs. Bigger selection than streaming and free. I also use it for Lynda.com classes and attend events run by third party groups that utilize the physical space.
Air drying laundry depends upon the climate in which you live. I've lived in humid places where that definitely works. I've lived in drier climates where the clothes dry differently, they are crunchy.
Great tips! A dryer can be useful in a household with little children where as a parent you wash clothes almost every single day. Otherwise I don't see the point of it. Why should I pay for the energy and the dryer itself when sunshine is free? :D
Because clothes would take literally up to a week to dry during the winter, at least where I live. And hanging them inside the house encourages mould to develop. Summer is ok though.
Yeah I see your point. Luckily winters are good here. The problem for me is the opposite, because of the heating the air inside is very dry and hanging the clothes helps.
1. It's an investment, but buy a sewing machine. You can get $20 ones to learn on, but they are cheaply made and not sturdy. However, as you get better, you can learn to alter or even make your own textile products. In high school, my parents saved a TON by buying me supplies at the beginning of the summer rather than new clothes two weeks before school started. I altered clothing from the year before or made totally new! And it came in handy during theatre season when I could make/alter thrift store clothing for costumes. 2.1. Do NOT buy the sponge mops. Those things are disgusting after one use, and you will be wiping not only the yuck from the first mopping, but also the mold and bacteria that grew on it in the interim. Instead, buy mops with washable microfiber pads (preferably the ones with fuzzy and flat sides). Family Dollar (in the US) has a cheaper alternative to O-Cedar, and the pads are interchangeable with either. You can even buy just the pads. We have a total of 3 that get rotated through during the week. 2.2. Invest in prefold cloth diapers. Yes, even if you don't have children of diapering age, these things have been a LIFESAVER when it comes to spills. Any kind of spills. Obviously good for pee when potty training/de-diapering, but also that one time you accidentally spray the kitchen floor when your partner chooses dish washing time to spring the Freddy Krueger mask on you, or the time that expensive bottle of white shiraz falls out of the refrigerator and shatters, or the time you accidentally overfilled your coffee mug and now have coffee all over the counters, cabinets, and floor. 6.1. Even if you are not the type of person who likes to hand wash clothing, you can easilly do it with 3 more items: · 5-gallon bucket (or larger, if you can) · The lid · A toilet plunger. Cut a hole out of the lid for the toilet plunger handle to come through. Make sure the plunger is stuck to the middle bottom of the bucket. Fill about half to 2/3 with water and appropriate amount of soap, and then fill with clothing, making sure all clothing is below the water surface. 5-gal bucket will hold 2-3 adult outfits, 3-4 towels, or one day of toddler clothing. Lid it, and plunge for about 20 minutes, the wring and drape. 6.2 If you don't have much yard space, or live where it stays damp most of the time (looking at you, Florida), you can typically get a few dozen yards of laundry line for only a couple bucks, and some command hooks. Attach the hooks to your bathroom walls (or a rarely-used room, such as guest room) and run the laundry line (TIGHT) across them in an S-pattern. Hang your laundry from back wall to door. When you get home, you'll have dry clothing and can easily disassemble. You can even "hide" the command hooks with normal things like art or storage 😁 6.3. If you have an organic stain (veggie/fruit, food oil, even poop or blood!) on a white item of clothing, and you didn't Tide pen it fast enough or worse, dried it in (😵), NEVER FEAR! There are 2 options I've found that will get it out. · Murphy's Oil Soap, undiluted, on a rag, and scrub. · Sun-bleaching. This is literally just leaving it out in the direct sunlight for a few hours. No poop stains!
the FIRST thing I do when moving to a new apartment is get new LED lights to save up on energy costs. Sometimes I even bring them with me when I move. Also, I recently changed to reusable everything to clean and store things at home and I already see the impact. I recommend anyone to get a bidet attachment on their toilet to save up on toilet paper!
Definitely get a sewing kit! I spent $35 each to get hems repaired on two pairs of pants, only for them to fall out again! I fixed them myself the second time.
The NY Public library offers free Lynda.com use for all of its card members, which is SUPER valuable. Not sure if all libraries offer this, but it's definitely something worth getting a card for if you're in NYC
😂One of my simple pleasures is seeing the white bedding from our four beds blowing in the breeze on a Hills Hoist in the sunshine. The sunshine makes them bright white.
one more thing is to not throw away stuff before they broke unless the upkeep of said stuff is more than just buying a new more efficient stuff especially true with clothes, car, computer and phone. sure if you're dying to get a better computer because the current one is crap, go get one but if your current one is fine, just wait till it's not fine i think another benefits is that it's more satisfying when you buy a new one, because you've jumped 2-3 incremental upgrade also very true with car, buying a new electric car when your current one is fine probably will have a very very long ROI time, and the pollution it make by making a new one is enough to outweigh its benefit when you factor in your still fine old car
I use a microfibre mop which i got on amazon for $25 including 3 washable pads. For laundry I have a mini washing machine that sits in my tub and everything is hung to dry. Saves us about $75 a month for a family of 2
One thing that saves us money is dawn dish soap and tide laundry detergent. We tried the cheap generic stuff.it did nothing. We wasted multiple bottles of laundry detergent, multiple bottles of dish soap, lots of money at the laundromat to get our clothes and bedding clean. Didn't work. Our dishes were slimy,our clothes and bedding had to be thrown out. Buying good quality items saves money.
Chelsea and Erin from Broke Millennial share even more ways to save money in this video: ua-cam.com/video/PcLxjMsGfqk/v-deo.html.
As a librarian, thank you for highlighting how useful a library card can be! I've seen public libraries offer anything from free seeds for your garden to free rental of their music studio to free classes to design and 3-D print cookie cutters, on top of the programming, books, databases, and streaming they provide. A lot of libraries also provide a 'Library of Things' where you can borrow telescopes, tools, tennis rackets, etc. SO many things come free with a library card that people pay for unnecessarily!
I wish we'd have a library like this in my town. :)
Libraries are freaking awesome!
Money Recall how would you suggest going about finding out what your local library offers with your card I know I’ve have a few things available to me but as someone who has always exercise their card I’d like to take full advantage for myself and my children
My local library offers a free Lynda.com subscription, I never go to the library but I use this all the time as a Developer to expand/refresh my skills
The best way is either to explore their site or ask at the reference desk. I think most public libraries also offer ebook lending if that is your preferred format. (also a librarian here.)
1. A sewing kit.
2. Reusable cleaning supplies.
3. A library card.
4. A domain name.
5. Tech protection.
6. Hand washing laundry (detergent, basin, drying racks).
7. LED lightbulbs everywhere.
Thanks!
Thank you for this!! :) Sooo kind!
Lovely Me haha thanks, no problem!
Thank you
"What's a drying rack?"
lol
I'd like to say a little something. It doesn't have muvh to do with the topic of this video, more the topic of the channel.
I started watching these videos while I was homeless. Yup. Homeless. I wasn't very messed up at first but the homeless life carried me into a mess of hating myself and taking drugs and getting welfare but never having enough money to eat a full meal.
At some point, I started deciding to be the responsible adult in my life and make healthy, productive decisions for myself, like a parent would. And watching these videos inspired me to aim for a life in which the tips you give would apply. Right now, I have an appartment, but I'm putting money on the side and investing the rest in the necessities and some healthy habits just so that when the day comes, I'll be functional and productive enough to just get an actual life without having to ease into it.
Anyways. This is a little thank you, I guess. I'm definitely applying some of your tips and will do more when options arise. Keep up the great work!
Congratulations!
WOW, that is amazing, you should be really proud of yourself! Hope that Chelsea will see your comment!
Huge applause for your facing the change
N the One
Wow, you are the inspiring one now. Thank you for sharing your story, you are helping many.
Keep going, you're doing great things for yourself!
a small step is also using blocks of soap instead of liquid soaps. They last longer, are very cheap and environmentally friendlier (no water has to be driven hundreds of miles to be bought by you) with the same effectiveness 👍
They make reusable Swiffer Mop pads. Just wanted to share that for disabled people who use a Swiffer because it's lighter to push around and easier on your hands and upper body.
xfortunesquex I use a sock on my swiffer. I like the fuzzy ones. They slip on and go into the laundry.
I leave the pad on the one we have. I usually use it for small, quick jobs that don't really require the full mop-and-bucket treatment (like a doggy accident in a small spot). I can add a little water if I need it.
You can also wrap a towel or rag around the swiffer mop and use the towel/rag as a mop pad. I use it at work (I’m a dishwasher, so lots of heavy duty mopping) and it works pretty well.
xfortunesquex i like to use microfiber cloth on the swifter. They can be used dry and wet, are washable, usable for years and cheap to replace if necessary. They can also be recycled (here in Germany).
If it's the swiffer wet jet that you like, and I did for years, both vileda and Rubbermaid make a version with reusable microfiber pads that velcro on and a removable and refillable bottle for whatever floor cleaner you would like. I love that I can use a greener, less harsh cleaner, and I have several of the pads so that I always have a clean one at the ready - a must with little kids. The pads just go right in the wash.
I have ALWAYS machine wasged my less than $50 bras, and I have yet to have any of them wear out unless they're lacy. I use a bra bag - hella cheap - and the gentle cycle. The damage comes from machine DRYING them - they need to be air dried. I have perfectly fine bras that are easily over 10-15 years old.
I agree Mary. I machine wash bras in a lingerie bag on regulat cycle in cold water and air dry. The dryer does incredible damage to synthetics. I have two drying racks and air dry all my clothes. Towels and sheets are the only machine dried items.
Mary Temple agree! my (sorta cheap) target bras survive the wash, and i hang dry. lasted me for a very long time!
Yep, using the gentle cycle is gentle enough for bras, IMO.
I work in the womenswear industry and can say while you might not see your bras falling apart from machine washing, you’re likely losing quality in your fit and breast support. A good bra has a lot more going on than compared to a dress or pair of jeans, and should not have a comparable lifecycle.
As a seamstress and a costumer, I understand the importance of well-fitting foundations. I've even made some in he past. I STILL feel perfectly comfortable advocating putting bras in the washer, provided they are in a lingerie bag, and the load is not overstuffed. I also wash them after every wearing, and not necessarily in cold water. They STILL fit properly for years. Yes, not as long as jeans, but jeans can last for multiple decades if the quality is there in the fabric and construction. As someone who works in the industry, your primary goal is to make a profit - which incolces getting people to buy cheaper guality items more often than necessary. Of course you would disagree with me.
As a person who writes in cafes and also takes her laptop on the subway all the time, laptop theft insurance has been a great thing for me. And an external harddrive back up is an absolute must.
Please do not perpetuate shopping at outlets. Discount stores like Ross or Steinmart are fairly up front about being sell off and overrun products. Outlets however are blatant manipulations of brand perceptions. Ralph Lauren outlet is not damaged or overrun products from their stores. It’s cheap crappy copies or even new products made for the outlets. Some outlet stores aren’t even “outlets”, but retail stores in an outlet environment so you think they are an outlet. For an accessible overview and sources I’d suggest Adam Ruins Everything on the topic.
Looooove some A.R.E.
I grew up with immigrant parents and IF we used a paper towel, we had to lay it out to dry and re-use it until it fell apart, lol. To this day it hurts my soul a little when I see someone use a paper towel to dry their hands at home and toss it in the trash.
This is madness
Hey! I actually wouldn't reccommend outlets for higher ticket items: outlet items are made to be sold in outlets and are designed to be sold at a reduced price so the quality is often far less than a full price item, even on well known and higher end brands. I'd more strongly advise waiting for sales at department stores, or in the stand alone shops at the end of seasons/ using discount codes and cash back on clothing items.
Agree. I worked at an outlet and they straight up told us it was cheaper quality for the outlets specifically. But you would get use out of your sewing kit then. 😋
Agreed. Also, I've been appalled at the lack of discount of products at outlet stores lately! (Looking at you Nike, trying to discount a regularly $35 shirt to $32.99...)
Amy
Great point! I'd forgotten that tip.
Also, people may not know this, but big box retailers will partner with a known bestselling manufacturer to make what looks exactly like their top selling product, but isn't. They will make a stripped down version. So consumers will think they are buying the real deal, when it's actually a watered down copy.
I learned this the hard way on a high end laptop.
The best thing is to look at the label and will usually say "product packaged for ***** store."
Another scam trick is done on some Amazon products. I check the more recent reviews because it reflects what customers are really receiving. In other words, an item has high ratings and has drawn a favorable following. However. The vendor then has a cheaper, lower quality counterfeit made, which is what ships.
Can we say bait and switch?
Just used my library card last month for books I would have bought normally and on my receipt it showed how much I saved by not buying. $92.78 WOW 😳
And I took the info I need out of them returned the books and glad I am now a library card using money saving mama.
Thanks for the tips!! I was wondering if you guys would be doing a budget planning for inconsistent incomes for college students! I feel like I’m always spending more of my money than I earn 😩😢
There is a free app called "iSaveMoney" that I have found very helpful. You start by putting in your income, then you put in expenses by category: rent, electric, clothing, groceries, etc. It will show you how much you are spending and how much you have left in each category budget.
Do not overinvest in brand new books. Try second-hand ones from older students or borrow them. If You photocopy anything reuse one-sided photocpies. Go digital as much as You can with Your books and other materials.Look for side-hustles in advance.
Cut costs where you can. Here are a few tips: 1. Buy second hand whenever you can 2. Its majorly expensive to always buy your meals even if its only 1 or 2 lunches a week, it really adds up. So make your lunch & if your not fond of cooking just make a big batch of something & portion it for the week. My go to's are rice, beans, eggs: scrambled or hard boiled & Potatoes. All Seasoned to taste of course ;) there are some great simple & cheap recipes here on youtube too .3.Plug all of your electronics into one of those big power strips that has an on/off button & every time you leave the house turn it off. There is ne need for them to be taking electricity all the time. 4. Use public transportation (if you're lucky to be in a place that has it) or carpool. Bike or walk if the destination is close.
Hey 'm a student too. Here are some of the stuff that works for me.
1 - I have finally taken my credit card out of my wallet. Now I use ''real'' money (debit or cash) It keeps me realistic.
2- Textbooks, femmeNikita27 said it best
3 - I have discovered I can tell my very outgoing friends "nope, not tonight. I'm on a budget."
Loving the emphasis on the environment in these videos! Always makes me happy to see this info reaching more people
great vid! im surprised menstrual cups weren't on the list, but that's probably because they typically cost more than 20 dollars. for anyone reading my comment, they can save u heaps in pad/tampon costs, though! and its less waste, too :)
I also find cups so much more comfortable and less effort!
I tried that but I went back to pads
But if it’s comfortable for you then great but get a good quality one
@@missmoxie9188 if you feel more comfortable in pads, you should try reusable ones. (Just giving advice, I don't want to sound rude)
I've used cloth pads for 13 years, and a menstrual cup off and on for 7 years. I bought them as a freshman because I wanted to reduce waste and save money. Not only were they great for that, they are amazing for sensitive skin. They are incredibly comfortable. I prefer the pads personally so it might be an option to explore :)
I've been using cloth menstrual pads. Etsy has 👍 sellers. And it works for me bc I have accessible laundry. If i lived in an apartment - can wash them at home... I found it a bit difficult tho! & cloths are made diff.. some easier to dry and clean. Hence etsy. Many ppl make decent pads that wash and dry well. It can be a 30 ish for set of 5 cloths.. So a comfortable set of liners, over night, and normal sized pads, that will last a long time (years, for a total of 90-100$ that will reduce waste). I only have 10 pads and spent....50$ so far. It is great per month. Pays forward immediately. Every month. Every year 😂
as IT technichian I can assure you, that cooling pad is not an option if start notice your laptop overheat. Just google how to disassemble it and get those jayers of dust from your laptop by yourself or give it to professional.
And if anyone is wondering yes you can get into MacBooks. I know because I spilled coffee on mine after only 2 months of use. I used Ifixit.com and replaced the Upper Case of my laptop (for $200) and now 2 years later, it is still working fine. Oh, and I had to buy a special set of tools that was maybe $20.
If you take the amount of times you wear an item and divide it by the cost you will usually find that the slightly more expensive and higher quality items cost less over the long hall. With the added bonus of looking better.
Patrick reviews are helpful.
I really think here it comes down to luck a lot of the times. Like how people say fast fashion falls apart easily, but I had shirts from H&M and New yorker that i bought in high school and still wear to this day, a collage diploma later.
I really think that a lot of the times upkeep might have a lot more to do with it.
Agreed Upkeep is key.
Aside from the formal clothes that you pay a shit tonne of money for and wear once lmao
Patrick One of my fave UA-cam folks, Justine LeConte, has videos to teach you how to spot quality. She breaks down construction of garments and explains why cheap garments are cheap and expensive garments are expensive.
We use old bedsheets as cleaning rags. One bedsheet can be cut into so many rags that by the time you're finished with them (months) there's another bedsheet ready to take its place.
Very good idea.
Old t shirts that are not in a good enough condition to donate work as well! Also good for cleaning dry surfaces like wood cabinets.
Those are the kind of things I learned from my frugal (to a fault) parents.
months? I own one bedsheet that I bought in 2013 and it's still perfectly fine.
@@justtrashed well thats quite extreme too.
~6:00 mark, when talking about overheating:
I used to work tech support at an international tech co. If your computer is overheating, there can be multiple reasons. Some you can control. Some require parts replacement.
The simplest ones? Laptops are actually NOT meant to be on your lap. Your lap insulates the parts and often blocks the vents, causing parts damage. Is your environment (your job, your apartment) 80F+? Your computer can't keep cool if it's in a hot room.
Keep the vents around your computer clean of dust and animal hair, and do NOT smoke around your computer (the particles cling to the parts and build up goo, which breaks your parts).
If you have a typical PC, make sure it has enough ventilation on the sides. Some people have them in these narrow desks that block vents too much so that air doesn't effectively circulate. No air circulating, no cooling.
Those laptop cooling pads are just fancy fans. They don't contain freon. They cannot cool your computer past a certain point. You can put the laptop up on a new cooling rack from the kitchen, too.
If you've done these things and something is STILL overheating? SOMETHING IS WRONG and you need to back up your data on a different place (a hard drive, cloud, whatever) and call tech support. Paying the extra money for service in your country is WORTH IT. If your computer keeps overheating, a cheap fan replacement can turn into a motherboard replacement that costs more than the computer was when you bought it.
Your computer can actually sometimes catch fire, but not likely unless something outside of the computer is bad, like subpar wiring in the walls. It's rare, but it happens- especially if the problem is a bad power supply, or bad wiring. Smelling smoke? UNPLUG THE COMPUTER and take it to a reputable repair shop. Usually it's just diodes bursting on the mobo, but practice fire safety, unplug the computer immediately, and use good judgement.
There, I just saved you like, $200 for Best Try's tech once-over.
The Shmop beats the sponge mop or swiffer. It's a large flat rotating head on a mop handle and you put terrycloth covers over it that have been soaked and wrung out of whatever your preferred cleaning solution is. Then you can even reverse the cover and use the inside, and then throw the cover in the wash. I've been using mine for 20 years!
Free audiobooks through the library-y'all need to get on that. Most libraries use OverDrive and it's great. Not a huge fan of reading books on a screen, but audiobooks are fantastic.
Overdrive + LibriVox = life. I LOVE both of those products. Introduced my boss to Overdrive and he said his daughter reached the limit on books she could check out at once within 2 weeks. And the best thing is not having to pay late fees, because the books return themselves. I belong to 4 different libraries (and hoping for more) so I can check which has the book I'm looking for.
There are also some interesting audiobooks on UA-cam.
Putting an old rag onto a swifter works even better than a mop or the pads.
Good ideas.
But I need to share something..
I'm glad to see an American an talking about this... I know that many are like you but maybe not the majority..
I'm from Brazil and in my first months here I needed to rent a room and I could "share the house". And I was shocked at the amount of garbage produced in a house here, with paper towels to clean everything in the kitchen and everywhere, wipes, Many kinds of products, processed foods (that usually have plastic and paper packages), and packages of disposable coffee cups...
And about electricity waste.. unbelievable...
For example: about not having a broom at home for little repairs and maintanance (I bought one) and using the vacuum cleaner for absolutely everything ... electric coffee maker, air fryer, electric oven, toaster, sandwich maker... many things that.. well, I really prefer to cook and to use the traditional stove (like my coffee with a italian moka haha)... I really adaptable with cultures but definitely these things to me are bad for the environment and for my financial life... and I won't change my good habits... In the Last 7 months that I'm alone I can keep everything organized and clean with my reusable cloths and few products, I have a drying rack to some clothes I prefer wash by hand, and I pay alone my bill to Coned and is much less than when I shared... And I try to rethink my habits every day, because we always can improve something..
*thank you Chelsea, I've been following your channel since I moved here and your videos help me with the language and to learn/understand many new things.
Hey oh, I just borrowed The Financial Diet book from the library! Holla!
(I also angstily borrowed all the career books after having a bad day at work.)
I hope you're continuing to look even now. It's good to know what you're worth when review time comes around.
Niceee
Bad work days make you do that!
When I stopped using Swiffer products I kept the actual mop and started poking a microfiber cloth into the little holes on the top to hold it in place. Then I simply spray the floor with homemade cleaner and use the mop as I would a Swiffer. It has saved me a lot of money and works infinitely better than the disposable pads ever did.
I am from Europe and lived for a couple of years in New York. It drove me nuts that people used their dryer so much, even during the summer - a drying rack is easy and quick, plus prevents many clothes from getting wrinkly 😩. You don’t need a dryer on a regular basis unless you live in an extremely humid and cold place.
The Swiffer pads are ridiculous too. Why not use a regular mop? Cheaper + more effective + almost just as easy to use.
Dryers don't make your clothes wrinkly... Not if you have one from the past 10-15 years...
I'm a fan of drying on the line or rack, but our summers in many parts of US are very high humidity and things take forever to dry. I use my dryer in summer but much less in winter when it is very dry
Miguel Rosa I guess the one in my building was super old haha
phronsiekeys thanks for the reply - I currently live in Barcelona (Spain) which is pretty humid. Fair enough, having them out to dry for a while can make them smell funny compared to winter. Still prefer drying my clothes in a drying rack, they last so much longer and feel better. Saves on electricity bill too! :)
I use a swifter because i have about 20 square feet of moppable surface, everywhere else is carpet. it feels wasteful and expensive to make a bucket of mop water.
Those laundry tips are so true! I have a salad spinner dedicated to hand washing items. It's especially useful for things like bras, so you don't have to wring them out and damage them :)
7:05, an even better solution to this problem, don't use Apple products. Most other options are cheaper, more flexible, and cost less in the long term to maintain. PCs and Android devices can be built or bought for far cheaper and support more hardware and software overall. That should have been the tip...
This.
I would say that depends. For example the iPhones gets updates for much longer than android devices, so if you don't drop it, it can last longer. And if you compare iPhone to top level android phones you'll pay about the same.
That being said it you can take some compromises (for example having a huge phone) you might be able to have a 90% as good android device for half the price of a iPhone.
In short, it depends.
@@PatrikKron it might just be me, but every iPhone user I've met upgrades at least once a year and that means they are perpetually paying for their phones. Add to that phones are becoming increasing hard to repair (I know because I've worked with electronics for years and repaired many versions of Android phone and iPhone). iPhones and Android phones aren't as far apart as iPads and Android tablets when it comes to cost though, when comparing similar features. PCs and Apple computers on the other hand are worlds apart (watch the Linus Tech Tips nightmare story about them attempting to repair a new iMac they bought for a review, that they damaged during teardown, and were willing to pay it of pocket for repairs but it was cheaper to buy a new one because Apple controls the parts so strictly). Having to be an "Apple Certified Technician" just to order genuine parts from them, having to send the part to be replaced first before a working replacement will be sent (unless you are a Genius Bar employee, in which case you'd have some parts in stock), and stripping someone's Apple Technician status if they perform an "unauthorized repair" are all reasons to avoid Apple aside from the cost. Controlling the manufacturing and programming from start to finish is great for quality and uniformity of user experience, but it also creates a monolith that you have to deal with just to get your device working again. Therefore they can bottleneck the parts at any point so you can't get them or have it cost as much as a new system just to replace one part. Monopolies are never good and Apple has created a non-illegal one by keeping everything in-house. Therefore, phone screens as well as some other iPhone and iPad parts can be bought aftermarket because you are voiding your warranty and often buying something below the specs of the original, because only Apple techs can order and install the genuine parts and that's the way they want it so you all buy Applecare or pay out the ass for repairs (if they deem your repair worthy by not violating the hundreds of batshit crazy rules they have for people just wanting something fixed or the people trying to do their job and fix broken computers).
Here is a link to the LTT video I was talking about before:
ua-cam.com/video/9-NU7yOSElE/v-deo.html
BTW, if you just do a search for "Linus Tech Tips Apple repair" you're going to find a few response videos justifying Apple's behavior which is awful because (while fanboys are there worst) Apple is clearly in the wrong not offering replacement parts at fair market value and controlling their product out of intimidation, but what is worse is that these same people would most likely have a shit fit if someone told them that they might as well buy a new car or new central air unit for their house because fixing one part in it would be the same as buying a new one anyway. Things break, if it is our fault or not shouldn't matter. Diversification and choice give consumers power, which is being taken away by companies like Apple (though technically they consumers are throwing away their choice by buying Apple products).
EdwardThimbleHands I certainly agree that it’s a huge problem that Apple does not sell replacement parts (since they only are available to "authorized repair places") and that it's really bad that newer devices are close to impossible to repair.
Although it's not only a problem with Apple devices, Apple is not doing a good job in making their devices repairable. A screen and battery replacement is responsible easy to do (harder in the waterproof devices) but everything else is hard.
Right now I have a iPhone 6 (the only iPhone I've owned, bought second hand.) I might switch back to android next time. I've done some repair on it, with non original components, since I can't buy the original.
I have to agree, I have had my galaxy s4 for 4 years, not once have I had to repair it. Only now am I getting a new phone as I've dropped the phone resulting in a screen crack, the cost of repair doesn't warrant it because it's so old. I've dropped this phone in a pool, it was submerged for 5 secs and still worked after the old rice trick. Apple have lost a lawsuit as they've admitted that they have purposefully made their phones to lag after 2 years. Iphones just aren't worth the money
Ok, Please Do Not get a sponge mop, get a mop with a removable washable head, microfiber or cotton. Self wringing makes it even better. Making these more reusable and personally clean better. There are even ones out there where you only have to touch the plastic above the mop head, no need to touch anything gross.
I get hand washing delicate items to increase their longevity, but aside from that, it's less efficient in terms of water usage. The water also still has to get hot (if appropriate) so you're not saving on heating the water when you wash fewer garments at once. When fully loaded, washing machines are far more efficient than human labor and use less water. I've tried hand washing bras and certain shirts (I actually stained some expensive bras this way, so do your research first!) and it can be really labor intensive - soaking wet slacks are heavy and hard to wring out fully! When you work 9-5 and don't have a helper with the washing up, you have to find ways to combine efficiency AND timesavers.
My favorite are laundry bags for delicates - they keep bra hooks from snagging pantyhose or cami straps from getting tangled on other items. If you buy a bunch of them, you can use them for keeping socks together and not getting eaten by the sock monster!
About the cable reinforcement: You can take a pen spring (those pens that has a click to it; take one that doesn't work anymore, it's super easy) and roll them tight to both ends of the cable. At least on Apple products, the connection between the cable cord and the charging end is where they get you. Source: Have lost charging cable, had to pay hundreds of dollars on a new one ('alternative' ones are also expensive and you'll never know if it's destroying your notebook).
I have taken some heatshrink tubing and put it over the lightning/micro USB ends. Works well and available in many colours for cheap.
MrsRCharlton can you link to a website where we can find “heatshrink”. Please.
I LOVE how you also incorporate environmental friendly ideas :) being green is usually also the better way to save money. Making your own cleaning supplies and menstrual cups for the ladies are other really good tips!
For the swiffer tip - here's a fun hack to keep the convenience of swiffering over a standard mop! Instead of using the pads, you can keep the handle and use rags in place of the disposable pads. I retired a bath towel last year and cut it into the size of little swiffer pads, and just pop them into the rubber grippers on each corner, and wet the rag/use cleaning product as desired. And then just wash the rags and use them again and again. I've even seen people knit/crochet reusable pads if that's more your style (I knit but I can't be bothered to knit swiffer pads), and people sell sewn ones on etsy as well if you like a more polished look than a rag. My mom uses the swiffer style that sprays water, and she makes her own cleaning solution to refill it with vinegar, water, and soap + essential oils.
Throwing away 80+ Lbs Of clothing is hilarious to me because I haven't bought clothing in forever.
Ikr, what about donating instead of throwing away? Or reusing them as cleaning rags if they're damaged?
I don't even own 80lbs worth of clothing lol
Yeah, my family doesn't throw away clothing unless it's not donatable (rare) or something like underwear.
I hate shopping too much leg work and I don't buy clothes unless can put them on first.
If you’re looking for sewing basics, look at freecycle and Facebook marketplace and ask if someone will gift you their extras for free.
I and many crafters find ourselves with so many extra pins, needles, and tread, that I’m sure lots of people would give away their extras!
I also think you’re likely to get higher quality materials than a cheap kit, and it’s more eco friendly to get second hand stuff when you can!
I usually watch your videos while hanging my clothing to dry. I've got two wall racks in my room (Ikea) and for 9 months of the year I hang my laundry to dry. The other three months I can dry it outside. While I still occasionally use the clothes dryer, by and large, everything air drys. I love it.
I'm actually not sure if machine washing clothes in an efficient washer uses more water than hand washing. Also, clothes just get way cleaner when they're in a washer for 30-60 minutes than when you hand wash them for about 15 minutes.
Not to mention, labour costs. What could you have been doing for the time you spent hand-washing clothes (more durable items, like jeans and blankets) vs. literally anything else enjoyable? We invented washing machines for a reason!
Janika yeah, good luck washing blankets and jeans... not to mention you can't squeeze the water out like the washing machine would, so the water would be dripping from them on the dryer!
...dry... OH RIGHT. yes. I remember this. Here in the city, you can actually be fined thousands of dollars for having an outdoor clothing line, but other places, we would just... put the clothes outside on the drying lines for the day. I did washing in the morning, and had it on the line by early-mid morning so it had all day in the heat to dry. By the time afternoon comes, around 4-5, just bring it all in. Helps if it's a more arid, hot, dry climate. The water just evaporates right out. ^^ But yeah, you def can't do tub laundry and then throw things in the dryer.
They do not. Just like with dishwashers they are way more efficient than handwash.
Lena H "here in the city"? Well, here in my city you don't get fined for that. Also, drying clothes outside - especially in the sun - makes them fade. You wanna have a drying rack at home
The laptop cooling pad could be OK if you own a laptop that can't be taken apart easily, but I think you're far better off investing that money in a good tech tool set. There are a million videos and tutorials showing you how to take apart and clean computers which will allow you to directly address the problem rather than a symptom.
Plus, odds are, if your computer is running slowly or is giving you errors, it's probably a hard drive issue. Getting enough confidence to replace the hard drive yourself with a $30-$150 SSD (depending on your required storage) will pay off massively.
This is one stereotypically (nerdy) male skill that everyone could benefit from learning, especially as it gets more and more common for people to own multiple expensive devices.
pretty much, yeah
and there's also the concern of cooling pads driving even more dust to the inside of the laptop, doing it more harm than good
Oh, and I read a lot about getting a thermal paste for your laptop if it's slowing down, is it really proven? anyone tried it before?
prasaja mukti The thermal paste used between the cooling and the processor degrades over time. I don't know if it's enouth of a problem that it would benefit from a replacement though. The easiest fix for a overheating computer is to remove dust from the computer.
Don't use the laptop on a soft surface (I.e. Bed) it will block the fans in many computers and there will be a faster buildup of dust in the computer.
uuugh have you ever unscrewed a lenovo? The last one I did had over 90 different screws. 90+ screws. Most had *slightly* varying lengths that you might not even notice until you put the wrong one in. It was.... singularly awful. I was so tempted to buy the client a new computer rather than have to deal with replacing some parts in his.
Lena H I've opened many Lenovos (although only one model). But the things I've had to replace has not required 90 screws to be taken out, put instead maybe 10. Different computers are differently hard to repair. For example, many thin laptops no longer have replaceable ram or storage (harddrive/ssd).
Great tips Chelsea, thank you! I do believe that having LED is much better and using the dryer less is so important. Pro tip: if you use the rinse on the washing machine at 1200 or 1400 (depending on the type of washing machine you have) that makes the clothes much dryer already so when you transfer them to the dryer they do no need as much time to dry therefore you are using less electricity.
Being European + a student I already use 6/7. The domain name is a difficult one though, I think, especially if your exact profession and with that the need to even have a domain isn't clear yet. Still, as always, I enjoyed your video :)
Hands down the best thing I ever got was a heated airer for my clothes. In the UK it isn't that common to have a tumble dryer, but it's very often too cold/damp here to air dry clothes. Mine cost £100 upfront, but it only costs 5 pence an hour to run and it drys all my clothes, even thick heavy towels and sheets in about four hours. So 20p. I've had mine for about 5 years and my parents have had theirs going on 10 and it's brilliant!
My husband and I found a full, brand new sewing kit in the garbage once.we did replace the needles, those were one dollar per packet. We occasionally replace the thread,three pack for a dollar. As for buttons, if you have old button down tops that don't fit,or are old,raggedy,no saving it,cut off the buttons. Store in an old pill bottle.same with needles and straight pins.
A sewing kit has saved me so much money! I lean toward cheap clothing most of the time, which often means shoddy seams. Backstitching might not be pretty, but it's pretty strong and I didn't buy it for looks. A 1-hour patch up job gives me back a useful $20 pair of pants.
Microfiber sheds very small fibers that apparently get into our water system and apparently can't be removed by our current water systems. So, how about rags made from old towels?
I use rags made from old towels, old tshirts or any old piece of clothings that was knit and not woven.. except sweaters.
Any material made of synthetics are the culprit. Others aren't so much of a threat, like hemp, wool, or cotton. Do your best to check your labels before making a purchase.
didn't knwo this thansk for posting
That's what I use. I must prefer the feel and texture of terry cloth over microfiber.
They can be removed by our current systems, so they do not end up in drinking water, but they do end up hurting environments that they wind up in
Just got LED lights on sale at Costco for $5 for a pack of 4. Just remember that if you rent, most rentals want you to put standard bulbs back in before you move. I got hit with a $195 light bulb replacement charge ($15 per bulb) after completely forgetting to replace them back when I moved. I asked if I could at least have the bulbs back, and they told me they threw them away.
Good info. I switched 95% of my light bulbs. My dryer broke one year ago and I have only miss it when I want to us an item quickly. You are right my electricity bill went down by far.
reuseable towels on a spool? I never hear of this. 🎶 A whole new world 🎶 Honestly that's great to know and I might switch to that
Also I'm pretty sure you can buy LED fairly lights.
I know a lot of small businesses in America that make very affordable reusable paper towels, they call them "unpaper towels". One of my favorite is small mom owned business called Indie Knit Works, they sell on Etsy.
Yes. In Eurpe very common. German companies make lots of such ecological, reusable items. To me as a European it's pretty shocking that Americans do use so moany items once. Not to mention we do not use dryers for washing clothes so often since they do really make clothes last shorter (fabrics lse colors, elasticity etc.). Usage of rags and slow drying is regular in Europe. As for LED lights- there are nice colors there as well. I hvae LED lghts everywhere. Low electricity consumption, less heat in summer, and they give more light than traditional light bulbs. I use them wtith warm color, so no LED lights are not only office like agressive, cold lights.
+Jessie B - This is good to know. I was thinking about sewing it myself, which I still might try, but knowing that I could buy something that will save me money in the long run is a good plan b.
+femmeNikita27 - good point
Anyone who wants a better alternative to swiffer wet jets needs to check out the homevative mopping system. Its $30 but with it you get 3 thick reusable mop pads, 2 bottles of juice to spray out (def helps if you want your own cleaners or DIY vs buying a lot of caustic crap), and a scraper that attaches to the handle so u can get the chunks of dirt off before throwin the pads in the wash.
Im a disabled SAHM and i have loved this product for a long time. Im also a biz owner so I cant spaz over crap like how me doing chores are costing me more money and screwing over mother nature.
Love all you guys at TFD! Thanks for helping people like me discover that you can do ALL THE THINGS. Within reason and staying legal of course. 😊😊😊 Much love from Virginia!
That laptop cooler one is so important. I was using one but I stopped when summer was over. My dorm was still too hot though, and my computer overheated enough times it killed the laptop. The sautering was weak and it slipped and hit the floor, not even from high up, and the harddrive came free and snapped. I lost all of my non-backed up writing forever because we couldn't do a data recovery. I learned to protect my next laptop, which I still haven't been able to purchase yet, and I learned to invest time and/or a small amount of money to backup on dropbox, google drive, and/or similar online data storage. As an author, loosing my work was devistating.
A laptop cooler won't help you in that situation. It's a misnomer. Those coolers are only two cheap fans on a motor. They only circulate air. If your surrounding temperature is hot, it will circulate hot air, and can actually blow dust back into your computer vents.
A tip adding on to making use of the library is to take advantage of your school libraries. When I was studying in college, I always borrowed textbooks if the library had them. Saved a good chunk of money!
I was blessed growing up in a home where microfiber cloths and machinewashable mop ”cloths”.
Using disposable paper to clean made no sense to me. Especially when it seemed way less effective, like using paper instead of microfibercloth to clean a mirror.
Though, I still have paper towels which I use mostly to dry/soak up pots & pans that still might have a little grime on them. Sometimes to quickly wipe up spilled food that go into the bin anyway. Though I try to use microfiber cloths most of the time.
After watching a previous video, I went out and got a library card and was shocked at the amount of online resources libraries offer. Just one example is that I used to pay for a monthly subscription to men’s health magazine but then found out that I can get the most recent copy including dozens of previous copies all for free with my library card. Great tip!
❤️ fantastic video! I am in the states since a week and shocked about how people in 2018 stilllllll ignore the environmental problems like ten or twenty years ago. Girl, you are a fresh breeze!
I use rags. Rags instead of paper towels, rags on a swiffer, rags in a mason jar with cleaning solution as wipes, so much you can do with rags- and it's a great way to use clothes or old towels or old sheets that just can't be patched or sewn up anymore.
Always have used a sewing kit (and my mum uses the sewing machine as I’m lazy, and have avoided learning it). If people are throwing out clothes because they don’t wear them/don’t fit etc, there are a range of places that will take them and they can be resold at thrift stores. I’m NZ based so don’t know where you’ll go in other countries but I’m sure there are many places to donate your old clothes.
A lot of these were really informative. I especially do like the sewing kit, reusable cleaning supplies, and domain name. I purchased my own domain name (of my name) a year ago and while I haven't done much with it, I now know it's mine to use.
Thank you for mentioning the library card! I work at a public library and am surprised how many services people don't realize we have for them. Love your channel!
So, I *immediately* went and purchased my name as a domain after watching this. This has never occurred to me, and for some reason it struck me as extremely important. I feel like this will come in handy soon. Thanks so much for the tip!
1) In our home, we own a small sewing kit and use it regularly. Hole in a shirt, hole in a sock or towel, a hem, belt loop.....even made a clothespin bag.. 2) we don't buy paper towels--we use cloth napkins and reusable washable dish cloths, 3) we have a library card for books, movies, and games 4) n/a, 5) my spouse is an IT tech and ensures we have everything needed to protect our computer (which he made from scratch), 6) we use washing machine but don't use a dryer. We don't have one anymore....we have used a huge clothesline outside and have a plastic drying rack for rainy days for YEARS, and 7) we only use LED bulbs
I completely agree with the paper towel problem and I am 100% guilty of it. But as someone who lives in NYC, it’s tricky because we don’t have garage disposals. So we have to use something to wipe ketchup and salad dressing into the trash before washing dishes.
Lauren Conrad True, but we have free green waste recycling in NYC. So you can toss your non-dairy dressing and ketchup and any non-meat food scraps into a bag in your freezer and walk it to your farmer’s market.
You can put a tiny sieve on top of your drain that will catch everything that can't go down the drain.
You can just scape the plate with cutlery. So weird.
Thank you everybody for all these fantastic tips!
air-drying items can save a lot and maintain items well. But... handwashing is *not* cost-effective. It can often mean more water used per pound of clothing (depending on how you do it). It's generally more efficient to use the gentle cycle on your washer and making sure to fill your washer. Also, using power laundry detergent (and a little less than recommended) is often just as good and often less expensive.
The dryer RUINS clothes. My clothes last forever. Don't use a dryer. Great channel!!!
My LED fairy lights were one of the best purchases I've ever made! They've lasted over 4 years and survived 3 moves with no sign of letting up yet. The quality of light took a little getting used to (not harsher, necessarily, but cooler) but ultimately I prefer them for giving off a nice, even light for winding down and reading in bed. 10/10 would recommend. Plus I got mine for almost 50% off by buying them at a craft store in July!
We don't have a dryer at home and due to our climate, drying clothes indoors can cause damp and mould. Therefore we only put on a wash when the weather's good 😄
I never realized how many of these we do here in New Zealand! We don't have a dryer where I live, we use reusable cleaning things, and my parents and I go to the library!
As a professional seamstress, hems are so easy to do by hand. They take some time, but anyone can do it and it makes a huge difference. You just need a needle, matching thread, iron, and ruler (NOT tape measure).
I'd love for you guys to make a video about how to buy ethically while also being fiscally responsible!
Good idea. I would like to see it too. But good advice would be to buy locally, nearby- low costs of transport, from materials which can be recycled, second-hand if possible, withut buying food including plants or animals from endengared spiecies lists or foods which destroy Amazonia forests for example. Choose comapnies which pay taxes in your town, country, region, which are fair-trade companies etc.
femmeNikita27
That sounds great, but how do I find out that information? I’ve started looking but I cannot seem to find it.
You may search for ethical shopping apps for your country like those:goodonyou.eco/ethical-shopping-apps/ There are also communities of this, forums, stores. In various countries bio markets have lots of fair trade products and there are also fair trade products only online stores. Personally I like getting my cocoa, chocolate, tea and coffee from fair trade. WWF offers lists of fish which face extincion. Some of them are foldable and one can carry them in their wallet. I have one. I do not buy fish which is in danger of going extinct. And there are books on how t make your own cleaning products which are both cheap and safe for you and for your kids, domestic animals and for the nature in general.
You may start here: biofriendlyplanet.com/nature/environment/50-ways-to-make-your-life-more-environmentally-friendly/
Look up the Wonder Wardrobe. Daría is a UA-camr and sustainable/ethical fashion advocate. New video out recently for men too!
As a professional at money-saving, does it get tiring to be money-aware all the time? My husband and I are frugal and to an extent enjoy challenging ourselves to save more and get good deals. But from time to time we just weary of thinking about the pros and cons of almost every purchase and nickel and diming our way through life. Do you at the TFD have this problem as you're probably even more price-conscious than typical frugal people?
I always think things like this are common sense, but I am very foolish indeed
Really enjoy watching TFD. I have recommended your channel to my daughters.
Just a little correction--the laptop cooling pads are more or less useless because the heat that is not getting dissipate is due to a bad/dirty heatsink which is around the processor. While the cooling pad cools the outer surface so although you could see around 1-3° of temperature you feel ,it is not economical in long run
Finally got my own library card! I love it! As a student it's just 5€ a year 😄
You pay for a library card?? I mean yeah at first to buy it but I’ve never heard of reoccurring payments for library cards
I love a Love2Clean mop. Its like a swiffer mop but the pad can be washed and reused and you put in your own floor cleaning solution in the chamber and it doesn't require batteries
Ok 👌🏽 I’m a new first time 🏡 homeowner and the lights are a must have for sure.
I normally totally agree, but I have to differ here. I have never needed or recommended a laptop looking pad. And the cable issue is fixable with some sugru, which isn't chap, but it's better than an expensive cable.
I would also look into bamboo towels. The ones I saw on Amazon say that they can be used up to 120 times, you just throw them in the wash to clean.
Can you do a video based on how to make the most of your yard space?, I myself have come to learn that I’m very blessed to have an incredibly large yard but with that being said we don’t use the majority of it my children have a trampoline and my dog goes outside occasionally will use the small section for a fire pit but it’s huge and such a waste of space I’ve often try to think of ways that I can use the land to make extra income or maybe even grow some small vegetables or sublet a small piece of the property in a different manner, but I’m really looking to broaden my outlook and use my space to full potential and benefit from that
Grow a garden: we mostly grow tomatoes and cucumbers (eat them fresh or can them, nothing beats fresh veggies). Plant some fruit trees or berry bushes (apple, cherry, raspberry, currant, rhubarb, mulberry, gooseberry, [look some up that may interest you]...). You get fresh fruit from trees and can eat the fruit or make juice for later. Put up a hammock (stand or tree) where you can spend time outside to relax/read. Put up some bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, they are relatively inexpensive and you can watch many birds. Plant flowers (annual/perennial).
Wish you would’ve added diva cups and Glad rags to your list. As a female, switching to reusable feminine hygiene products have saved my family a ton of money during the year and has improved the health of the women in the family. No one has had a yeast infection since we switched. It really should be discussed more
So a note on library cards. One of my local libraries now has services you can borrow things like fishing poles and now they offer loaning internet hot spots. There are requirements you have to meet by could be really helpful to people who are in transition or shopping for internet services.
A cooling pad is pretty much useless if the laptop is dusty. With the exception of warranty (and why would you pay for new laptop, most people don't need to performance) there's nothing nothing stopping you from scrrwing open the laptop to vaccuum and blow the dust away. Use an aerosol air can or just a tire pump to blow - not your moist breath
Washcloths fit in a Swiffer perfectly. I just dip them in a mixture of water and vinegar. They're great if you have small kids and don't feel like getting the bucket out.
I don’t buy paper towels. I use dishrags and sponges. I know how to darn and sew too. I crocheted pads for my swiffer that I just wash. This all saves hundreds.
Get more than on library card. I have ones for every surrounding county and use overdrive.
If you get a domain name don’t let it lapse! I went to renew mine and it had been bought out from under me and now I can’t buy it back because they want $2,000
Hanging clothes on hangers off the shower rod works as well as a drying rack.
I can say with pride that I’m a library addict. I currently have 1 book checked out, 2 on hold, and 4 DVDs on hold. I got a DVD player for my laptop just to use to play library DVDs. Bigger selection than streaming and free. I also use it for Lynda.com classes and attend events run by third party groups that utilize the physical space.
Air drying laundry depends upon the climate in which you live. I've lived in humid places where that definitely works. I've lived in drier climates where the clothes dry differently, they are crunchy.
At the library in Trondheim, you can also borrow seeds, in addition to books, music, movies etc
Great tips! A dryer can be useful in a household with little children where as a parent you wash clothes almost every single day. Otherwise I don't see the point of it. Why should I pay for the energy and the dryer itself when sunshine is free? :D
Because clothes would take literally up to a week to dry during the winter, at least where I live. And hanging them inside the house encourages mould to develop. Summer is ok though.
Yeah I see your point. Luckily winters are good here. The problem for me is the opposite, because of the heating the air inside is very dry and hanging the clothes helps.
1. It's an investment, but buy a sewing machine. You can get $20 ones to learn on, but they are cheaply made and not sturdy. However, as you get better, you can learn to alter or even make your own textile products. In high school, my parents saved a TON by buying me supplies at the beginning of the summer rather than new clothes two weeks before school started. I altered clothing from the year before or made totally new! And it came in handy during theatre season when I could make/alter thrift store clothing for costumes.
2.1. Do NOT buy the sponge mops. Those things are disgusting after one use, and you will be wiping not only the yuck from the first mopping, but also the mold and bacteria that grew on it in the interim. Instead, buy mops with washable microfiber pads (preferably the ones with fuzzy and flat sides). Family Dollar (in the US) has a cheaper alternative to O-Cedar, and the pads are interchangeable with either. You can even buy just the pads. We have a total of 3 that get rotated through during the week.
2.2. Invest in prefold cloth diapers. Yes, even if you don't have children of diapering age, these things have been a LIFESAVER when it comes to spills. Any kind of spills. Obviously good for pee when potty training/de-diapering, but also that one time you accidentally spray the kitchen floor when your partner chooses dish washing time to spring the Freddy Krueger mask on you, or the time that expensive bottle of white shiraz falls out of the refrigerator and shatters, or the time you accidentally overfilled your coffee mug and now have coffee all over the counters, cabinets, and floor.
6.1. Even if you are not the type of person who likes to hand wash clothing, you can easilly do it with 3 more items:
· 5-gallon bucket (or larger, if you can)
· The lid
· A toilet plunger.
Cut a hole out of the lid for the toilet plunger handle to come through. Make sure the plunger is stuck to the middle bottom of the bucket. Fill about half to 2/3 with water and appropriate amount of soap, and then fill with clothing, making sure all clothing is below the water surface. 5-gal bucket will hold 2-3 adult outfits, 3-4 towels, or one day of toddler clothing. Lid it, and plunge for about 20 minutes, the wring and drape.
6.2 If you don't have much yard space, or live where it stays damp most of the time (looking at you, Florida), you can typically get a few dozen yards of laundry line for only a couple bucks, and some command hooks. Attach the hooks to your bathroom walls (or a rarely-used room, such as guest room) and run the laundry line (TIGHT) across them in an S-pattern. Hang your laundry from back wall to door. When you get home, you'll have dry clothing and can easily disassemble. You can even "hide" the command hooks with normal things like art or storage 😁
6.3. If you have an organic stain (veggie/fruit, food oil, even poop or blood!) on a white item of clothing, and you didn't Tide pen it fast enough or worse, dried it in (😵), NEVER FEAR! There are 2 options I've found that will get it out.
· Murphy's Oil Soap, undiluted, on a rag, and scrub.
· Sun-bleaching. This is literally just leaving it out in the direct sunlight for a few hours. No poop stains!
the FIRST thing I do when moving to a new apartment is get new LED lights to save up on energy costs. Sometimes I even bring them with me when I move. Also, I recently changed to reusable everything to clean and store things at home and I already see the impact. I recommend anyone to get a bidet attachment on their toilet to save up on toilet paper!
Definitely get a sewing kit! I spent $35 each to get hems repaired on two pairs of pants, only for them to fall out again! I fixed them myself the second time.
I live in the U.K. And air dry my clothes all year round , I think most people could do it too
I loved the focus on the environment in this video! 🙌🏽🙌🏽
The NY Public library offers free Lynda.com use for all of its card members, which is SUPER valuable. Not sure if all libraries offer this, but it's definitely something worth getting a card for if you're in NYC
😂One of my simple pleasures is seeing the white bedding from our four beds blowing in the breeze on a Hills Hoist in the sunshine. The sunshine makes them bright white.
I love my drying rack, it's 10 years old and still going strong!
Used my library card to read your book! Even though I'm older than the typical FD subscriber, I found it educational. Keep up the good work!
one more thing is to not throw away stuff before they broke
unless the upkeep of said stuff is more than just buying a new more efficient stuff
especially true with clothes, car, computer and phone.
sure if you're dying to get a better computer because the current one is crap, go get one
but if your current one is fine, just wait till it's not fine
i think another benefits is that it's more satisfying when you buy a new one, because you've jumped 2-3 incremental upgrade
also very true with car, buying a new electric car when your current one is fine probably will have a very very long ROI time, and the pollution it make by making a new one is enough to outweigh its benefit when you factor in your still fine old car
I use my library like a Free Family Video/Blockbuster. They always come out with the newest copies of movies when they come out!
I use a microfibre mop which i got on amazon for $25 including 3 washable pads. For laundry I have a mini washing machine that sits in my tub and everything is hung to dry. Saves us about $75 a month for a family of 2
One thing that saves us money is dawn dish soap and tide laundry detergent. We tried the cheap generic stuff.it did nothing. We wasted multiple bottles of laundry detergent, multiple bottles of dish soap, lots of money at the laundromat to get our clothes and bedding clean. Didn't work. Our dishes were slimy,our clothes and bedding had to be thrown out. Buying good quality items saves money.
TWO ROLLS PER WEEK?!?!?! I haven't had paper towels in my house for a year I think, don't miss them
I've never bought paper towels in my life.