What Things Do You Make LAST LONGER?

[LuxLiving]

No this is not a commercial for sexual enhancement products! There is a
saying about ...

1) Buy It Cheaper
2) Make It Last Longer
3) Use It Less

in regards to frugality and savings. I'm just wondering what are some items that you do make a concious attempt to make it (whatever) last longer? Splain' yo-self, Lucy!

[disneysteve]

Bar soap - When the bar is down to a sliver, I open a new bar. I wet the new bar and the old sliver and rub them together to make the sliver stick and become part of the new bar. Otherwise, the sliver would go in the trash.

Shower cleaner spray - The spray pump never gets the last bit in the bottle. I start the new bottle and once a little is used, unscrew the cap and pour in the remains from the old bottle.

Laundry detergent - We never use the amount the little scoop indicates. We use about half that amount and the clothes come out just fine. Same for the dishwasher powder.

Dryer sheets - We cut each sheet in thirds. A third of a sheet does the job just as well as a full sheet.

I'm sure there are more. I'll post again if I think of any.

[Homebody]

I do what Disney Steven does, except cut my dryer sheets in half. I will have to try thirds!
I also start adding water to my bottles of shampoo and use the same amount until it is about half water/half shampoo.

[greedy4chips]

We do all the ones disneysteve mentioned.

I have used CC return envelopes to send mail to recipients other than the credit card company.

Add water to juice for the kids. Same flavor, less calories, and less expensive!

[med12]

Hand soap - I have one container of soap in the bathroom (bought on sale w/coupon usually - or at dollar store) and one in the kitchen. Instead of trying to use up the last bit in the bathroom one, I'll pour it into the kitchen one. So, every couple of weeks, I have to buy a new soap for the bathroom but I've been using the same container in the kitchen for a while.

Dish soap - I buy the big container at Sam's and pour it into a smaller dispenser that used to be hand soap.

Dryer sheets - instead of cutting in half, I use them at least twice. That's if I use them at all. Sometimes I find that I don't need them.

Printer paper - I'll keep the extra sheets and use the backs of them for the fax machine reports. I also use it for lists and other stuff that I'm printing that doesn't have to be "clean"

Envelopes - I have just recently started saving and re-using reply envelopes.

Ketchup/mustard and other condiments - I will pour the last of it into the new bottle or use a scraper to get the last bit out of the old container and add it to the new one.

[poundwise]

Shampoo/Body wash: I don't water it down, but I use very little. A dime-size amount of shampoo, a nickel-size of body wash in a squishy-puff thing.

Sugar-Free drink mix: We mix it according to directions, but when I pour myself a cup, I fill it about 2/3 full and then add water to fill the cup.

Minutes: My home phone is a 500 minute plan and my cell is a 200 minute plan (plus free nights and weekends), so I stretch out my minutes by splitting calls between the two and trying to make certain calls after 7pm on the cell, etc.

Laundry detergent: We use less than the recommended amount. How much depends on the size of the load and what is being washed. Using less of a quality detergent lets us pay the same per load or less than if we used the cheap stuff. I've also learned that the cheap stuff doesn't 'stretch' well; that is, if you use less of it, then it doesn't do the job well.

[poundwise]

Shampoo/Body wash: I don't water it down, but I use very little. A dime-size amount of shampoo, a nickel-size of body wash in a squishy-puff thing. (Yes, I'm a man and I use a puff thing, wanna fight about it? )

Sugar-Free drink mix: We mix it according to directions, but when I pour myself a cup, I fill it about 2/3 full and then add water to fill the cup.

Minutes: My home phone is a 500 minute plan and my cell is a 200 minute plan (plus free nights and weekends), so I stretch out my minutes by splitting calls between the two and trying to make certain calls after 7pm on the cell, etc.

Laundry detergent: We use less than the recommended amount. How much depends on the size of the load and what is being washed. Using less of a quality detergent lets us pay the same per load or less than if we used the cheap stuff. I've also learned that the cheap stuff doesn't 'stretch' well; that is, if you use less of it, then it doesn't do the job well.

Auto fuel: Basic stuff; don't gun the engine or accelerate hard. Coast sometimes. General, easy driving and planned trip routes.

[Snoopy2645]

well laundry soap I use half the cup then I turn the bottle upside down & get more out

dish soap I rinse out the bottle to get 2 more washes out

clothes usually at least 2 people in my house can use if not 3 before we sale them on a garage sale because I have 3 girls they wear lots of hand me downs & oldest dd takes some of my old clothes & so does dh for work shirts he sometimes wears my ruined tshirts!!

[disneysteve]

Another BIG one is our cars. We keep all with all routine maintenance: oil changes, filters, tires, fluids, etc. so that we get years of relatively trouble-free driving and years without car payments. We also tend to ignore repairs that aren't critical to safety or function. For example, there is a sensor light flashing on my wife's dash. We've had it checked out and the problem is a bad sensor, nothing else. Replacing the sensor (it's the one that says your seat belt isn't fastened - we always wear ours) would be $400. No thanks. We'll just deal with the light flashing.

[Broken Arrow]

Viag..! Oh, bummer.

Well, I habitually split my paper napkins into halves or thirds, depending on how much I think I need.

Also, another FYI is that some inkjet printers out there are capable of printing two sides for you, but you may or may not have to buy an extra attachment to do so. I had an old printer once that did that. The attachment wasn't cheap ($80), but I felt that the financial and environmental benefit, as well as reducing the overall paper clutter, far off-set its cost.

Speaking of which, the ink on many of the popular brands (*cough* HP *cough*) are rather expensive to print per page. Other brands such as Canon, with their individual tanks, and off-brands such as Brother, costs even less, or is at least better at reducing wasted ink.

Laser printer cartridges may seem quite expensive, but overall, their prints per page may come out to be cheaper still. It also helps that personal laser printers are now as affordable as personal inkjet printers.

Personally, I don't even have a printer right now. I just don't seem to have too much printing needs, and if I do, I'll just have it printed at work. No printer means no cartridges or paper to pay.

[Ima saver]

I don't use my printer. (don't know how) I use 1/2 the amount of dish and laundry detergent than they call for. I tear paper towels in half and use a napkin more than once.

[Staceyy]

I cut dryer sheets in half and facial cleansing cloths in half and sometimes in fourths. I use half the recommended amount of detergent and dishwashing liquid. I use my paper towels twice, I wash and reuse plastic bags and aluminum foil. I use half the amount of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner; I leave my new soap bars out to dry. I buy name brand mouth wash and add one third water and one third peroxide. I water whole milk with half water to make 2% milk. I use both sides of my printer paper. I save plastic containers so I don't have to rely on plastic wrap and aluminum foil too much. I practice "Once A Week Cooking" so I don't have to waste my time and enegy or keep washing pots and pans each night nor keep lighting my gas stove each night to cook. I simply reheat in the microwave. I save my pickle juice and add sliced cucumbers to make new pickles (they must sit in the juice for at least a week). I stretch soda pop by alternating each days soda use with a day of drinking water. I stetch my water use by taking military showers.

[Ima saver]

I drink diet sprite with rum at night. If the sprite gets flat, I drink it anyway, it does not bother me.

[Thrifty Ray]

Laundry- In addition to using less soap, we reuse our towels and clothes at least twice before washing.

I add a little water to 'empty' soap/shampoo/cleaning bottles and try to get a few extra uses before it is 'officially empty'.

When I am not leaving the house for the day, I wont wear makeup and I skip (1 day max) the shower.

I dust with a duster and only use polish a few times a year.

[Fern]

Originally Posted by greedy4chips

We do all the ones disneysteve mentioned.

I have used CC return envelopes to send mail to recipients other than the credit card company.

Add water to juice for the kids. Same flavor, less calories, and less expensive!

Check to see if those envelopes have a bar code at bottom, as most do. I used to reuse those envelopes too until the original company who sent them informed me they were being re-directed to them as the PO reads the bar code.

[Ima saver]

I don't ever mail, in the left over envelopes because of that bar code. I just use them to put checks in, to leave in the mail box for sub contractors to pick up.

[crazyBMB]

I turn the bottles of all of my products upside down to get the last drop out. I put a little bit of water in some things to get the rest of it out, like laundry soap. I reuse envelopes too.
Many other things also, but this is the short list.

[shengmei]

I try to make everything last longer, but the same cannot apply for food purchases.

Everytime I try to make anything food-related last longer, they spoil first.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by shengmei

Everytime I try to make anything food-related last longer, they spoil first.

Unless it is something you can freeze. One of our best money-stretching purchases was our extra freezer. It allows us to cook in larger batches, buy in bulk and take advantage of good sales.

[PrincessPerky]

Cut it, whatever it is I can usually cut it with water, milk, or something.

beverages are 'watered down'
milk is the exception, though chocolate versions are 'milked down'

ground beef is breaded down (add bread crumbs made form toast and a chopper) adding pureed veggies or finly chopped ones is good too.