When it comes to living a frugal life, one of the best ways you can save is to use less of the products that you do buy.

When you use less the product will last longer, which means you’ll have to buy refills and replacements less often.  Many of us use far too much of things without even realizing it.  Often we do this simply out of habit but if we’ll slow down to think about how much we’re using we can save so much!

The key is to remember is that there is no correct exact amount for these items.  You’ll have to experiment with each of these to figure out exactly how much is needed for you and your family.  Some of you may be able to reduce your usage by more than half while others aren’t able to even give up half.  These small savings may seem inconsequential but when combined together they can add up to some serious savings.

Here are 13 things you can cut in half to save money:

• Paper-Towels/Napkins – Buy the perforated paper-towels that way you can only tear off what you need and none is wasted!  I love these!  Most of us barely use paper-towels or napkins before throwing them away.  If you’re not sick and you don’t have stains on them, why not reuse them?   I learned this trick from my grandpa.  He would always have a stack of napkins at his seat that he would reuse when my grandmother didn’t prepare the meal and give him another napkin.  Of course you could also use fabric napkins that you can throw in the wash and reuse instead!

• Dryer Sheets – As soon as you buy the box, break out the scissors and cut your dryer sheet expenses by 50%! Or you could use each dryer sheets twice, this works just as well with less work! {Check out the other ways to save on laundry costs.}

• Laundry Detergent/Fabric Softener – Danielle, from Family Centsibility, recommends cutting the recommended laundry detergent and fabric softener in half.  I agree with her!  Since I did this for my baby’s clothes and it got them just as clean, removing stains and all, I decided to try it on all of my laundry.  It works like a charm and I’ll never switch back to their recommended amounts!

• Soap – You can reduce the amount of liquid soap you use by  50% or more without sacrificing clean hands.  All you really need is a tiny drop.  Trust me, the liquid soap manufacturers know this too.  You know what foaming soap is, right?  It’s nothing more than a small amount of liquid soap mixed with water.  You can make your own refill of foaming soap by mixing a tablespoon of liquid soap into a foaming soap dispenser, adding water, and shaking.  The foaming soap gets your hands just as clean as liquid soap which shows just how little of the liquid soap is really needed.

• Sponges – Simply cut them in half before using them and only use one half at a time.  You’ll never miss the other half!  Plus, microwave them or run them through the dishwasher to disinfect them so you can use them longer. {Check out the other unusual items you can run through your dishwasher.}

• Serving Size – Most everyone in our culture overeats on a daily basis.  There aren’t many people who wouldn’t benefit from smaller portions.  Not only will this save a lot of money but a lot of extra calories too.

• Juice – Juice is yummy but it’s also an expensive habit if you’re not careful.  No one was meant to drink 30 strawberries or 12 apples at once.  100% juice is a lot stronger than you need to drink.  We usually water our juice down by half and while it took a while to get use to at first, because 100% is all we ever knew, we love it and are completely satisfied with it now.  If you start your children off with watered down juice they’ll never know any difference.

• Printer Ink –  Printer ink costs an arm and a leg and this is especially true for colored ink.  While cutting your ink cartridge in half won’t help at all there are a few simple steps you can do to reduce the number of cartridges you buy. The first step is to change your printer settings so it only prints in monochrome.  You can simply change it back to color any time you need to print in color.  The next is to set it in draft mode for all your printing.  You can switch it back to the full mode when printing an important document.  These simple steps will help you save at least half of your ink!  {Check out how to save $20 a year by switching fonts.}

• Dish-Washing Soap – It doesn’t take much dish-washing soap to make a sudsy sink.  Whether you put the dish-washing liquid in the water or directly on the sponge or dishes, you just need a handful of drops.  A few drops is just as effective as a huge squirt but will cost you a lot less over time.

• Shaving Cream – A think layer of shaving cream is all you need.  A thick layer of shaving cream doesn’t make the shave any closer. If you want a closer shave, the best way to get this is to shave twice with thin layers of shaving cream.  Shaving twice with thin layers of shaving cream will give you a closer shave and you’ll still use half the amount of shaving cream than most people do.

• Make Up – Contrary to what some may think little is actually more when it comes to make up.  It’s important to find the colors that are best for your complexion, face shape, and hair color.  It may take some time (and money) to find the best look for you but once you do you’ll save your self time, a lot of wasted product, and frustration.

• Kool-Aid & Other Drink Mixes – Amy, from Savvy Saving Couple, recommends cutting the drink mixes in half for 50% less sweet drinks.  This is better for your figure and your wallet!  I like it!

• SOS Pads – Laura, from Another Cent Saved, says that cutting SOS pads in half will not only make them last you twice as long but cutting them will also sharpen your scissors!

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