Chances are you already have aluminum foil, Coca-Cola, salt, baking soda, peanut butter, vinegar, Windex and coconut oil in your pantry or utility closet. If not, they’re worth adding. These everyday staples can prevent emergency runs to the store and help you stretch your budget.
You may never need to repurchase bleach, stain remover or furniture polish again!
Our roundup of practical uses for these inexpensive items can cut down on chores and expenses, sometimes in unexpectedly clever ways.
30 Ways to Use Baking Soda
Opening a small box of baking soda is like uncovering a frugal treasure trove. There are so many applications for baking soda you might forget its original purpose was baking. Cut flowers stay fresh longer, litter boxes stop smelling, and you may even ditch your usual toothpaste.
Baking soda excels at neutralizing odors and lifting laundry stains. It clears clogged drains, counterbalances overly spicy dishes, and fluffs up omelets. And that’s just the beginning — there are 22 more baking soda hacks to explore.
26 Ways to Use Salt
Salt does far more than season meals. Its gritty texture makes it perfect for exfoliating scrubs and scrubbing out tough stains. It can help control dandruff and even eliminate weeds growing between paving stones.
We’ve compiled over two dozen salt uses that might make you stock up on this versatile mineral. Plain table salt is usually best for these jobs — reserve the fancy sea salt flakes for finishing dishes.
25 Uses for Peanut Butter
When you think of peanut butter, you likely picture sandwiches and chocolate. But it also removes gum from hair and carpets. Explore more peanut butter uses and you’ll be surprised at how useful this childhood favorite can be.
In a pinch, peanut butter can quiet squeaky hinges, act as a skin moisturizer, seal the top of an ice cream cone, and help give pets their pills. And, yes, many still enjoy it on bread with jelly.
25 Ways to Use Coconut Oil
There are far more coconut oil uses than most people expect, and many can save both time and money. Refined coconut oil is a wholesome option for cooking. It’s praised for benefits to hair and skin. It can even remove dead insects from your car’s surface.
Coconut oil cleans makeup brushes, soothes dry skin, polishes wood, restores leather and performs many other household tasks. Check the article for some unexpected uses.
24 Uses for Vinegar
We all know vinegar can clean glass, but there are many additional applications — 24, in fact. Vinegar brightens laundry, replaces fabric softener, and keeps coffee makers clean.
Vinegar is astonishingly versatile. It can strip rust, substitute for eggs in certain baked goods (handy given egg prices), and combat ant problems. Not bad for something so inexpensive.
Most of these tips use diluted white vinegar. Keep the balsamic for salads and fresh mozzarella.
21 Uses for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has quenched thirsts for generations, but it also has many non-beverage uses, especially for lifting stubborn grime from tubs, tile grout and cookware.
The soda’s carbonation combined with phosphoric acid makes it an effective household and garden helper. Diet varieties can produce different outcomes, but if you don’t have Coke on hand, Pepsi or a store-brand cola will usually work for these hacks.
13 Uses for Aluminum Foil
We were surprised at how many ways aluminum foil can be useful beyond wrapping leftovers. Want to sharpen scissors? Try folding and cutting foil — it really sharpens them. Foil has uses in the garden, laundry room and even before a manicure.
Read on to discover how foil might help illuminate a dark area when batteries are missing or even trim your heating costs.
10 Uses for Windex
You’ll be pleased at how many money-saving uses this familiar glass cleaner has, and part of the fun is seeing how a few sprays can solve odd problems around the home.
Windex can make moving bulky furniture simpler, remove certain stains and even repel insects. This modest bottle offers at least 10 helpful household tricks.
