You Can Save So Much Money With Any Of These 35 Genius Home Hacks

Swap your single-use paper towels for these reusable bamboo paper towels, and eliminate one regular purchase from your grocery shopping list. One roll contains 20 towels, which are hand-washable in cold water and last up to 100 uses. If you do the math, that means one roll of these super soft, organic, and biodegradable towels will last the equivalent of three to six months of single-use paper towels. You can use them in the same ways you would disposable towels, though they’re significantly better for the earth and your wallet.

I’m definitely guilty of not using my fresh fruits and vegetables in time, but these produce freshness saver balls are a non-toxic solution that extends the life of fruits, veggies, and herbs by absorbing the ethylene gas that causes ripening. Simply insert one unopened packet inside each of the blue apples and stick them in your refrigerator crisper drawer or fruit bowl. Each blue apple lasts up to three months, and will keep your produce looking and tasting good so you don’t have to toss them out.

This jar spatula is here to the rescue all of the deliciousness at the bottom of your peanut butter or pasta sauce jars. With a thin, long neck and a silicone-covered spatula head, you can scoop the food out from the very end of the jar, which can honestly save a lot of dough (and/or make your dough delicious). It’s dishwasher safe, comfortable to hold and seriously comes in handy, which is why this tiny kitchen gadget has an astonishing 4.9-star rating on Amazon.

When your favorite couch or duvet cover starts to show signs of wear and tear, just pass over the fabric with this fabric defuzzer to make it look new again. It safely removes pills and matted fibers from your textiles, with three different depth settings for different fabrics. This particular model is rechargeable and the 2-inch face shaves fabric quicker than similar products, helping this model get over 59,000 five-star reviews. Reviewers note they become absolutely obsessed with defuzzing furniture, blankets, sweaters, and anything else that needs a little love.

These wool dryer balls will help you make the swap away from single-use dryer sheets, which are actively making your textiles lose quality. Over time, dryer sheets leave a coating on towels, sheets, and other fabrics that makes it harder for them to absorb water, so they become harder to wash. These dryer balls also reduce drying time and the amount of lint produced, so you’ll save money on your energy bill. Pro tip: Spritz each dryer ball with a few drops of the essential oil of your choice for fresh-smelling warm laundry.

The 13-piece furniture repair kit includes six wood-toned markers, six corresponding wax sticks, and a wax stick sharpener, so you can simply color in any scratches, scuffs, or other imperfections in your wooden furniture, extending its life and saving you big bucks. For deeper nicks, fill in the gap with the wax stick closest in color to your piece and draw over it with the appropriate marker. It’s as easy as coloring!

This pack of four bamboo charcoal air purifying bags actually remove aromas from the air, and are made with natural ingredients that last much longer and are less harmful than aerosol air fresheners. Place or hang one of the bags in any area of your home, from the bathroom to the closet, and the organic bamboo charcoal will get to work eliminating odors. Place them for an hour in sunlight each month to “recharge,” and each bag will remain usable for up to two years.

Prevention is often the best way to save money, so I definitely recommend following the footsteps of 70,000 five-star reviewers on Amazon and investing in a TubShroom drain protector. The patented device sits right within your drain and catches hair and other debris before it washes away. Simply remove and wipe off the TubShroom periodically, and you’ll save yourself the hassle of clogged drains that might otherwise require harmful chemicals or a costly repair.

Stop wasting your money on single-use zip top bags and swap them for these reusable food storage bags instead. The one-time purchase will set you back less than $15, and comes with 10 BPA-free PEVA bags in three different sizes. Just one set saves 350 or more disposable bags, and they’re usable in exactly the same ways because they’re leakproof and freezer-safe — all you have to do is hand-wash them in between uses to keep them clean and fresh.

This grounded power switch is an unexpected way to save power and control hard-to-reach devices. The single-outlet plugin has a convenient on/off switch on the side, and when switched off, absolutely no power is directed towards whatever is plugged in. It works well for controlling electronics that don’t have an easy-to-access power switch, like holiday lights or kitchen appliances, and makes it so that you can leave your devices plugged in 24/7 without wasting energy.

Save your money by brewing a barista-quality cup of coffee at home in this pour over coffee maker, which includes a stainless steel mesh filter to extract optimal flavors instead of absorbing them, and an elegant, durable glass coffee carafe that is actually quite beautiful. It makes up to 34 ounces of coffee at once and is compact enough to store even in small spaces. It’s even dishwasher safe, so cleanup is an absolute breeze.

Once you’re cozied up underneath this double-sided sherpa fleece blanket, you’ll want to turn down the heat in your house. The Amazon favorite blanket is sure to become a household favorite, with a plush sherpa fabric on one side and smooth microfiber on the other. It comes in a variety of sizes and colors, so you can buy one of these for everyone in the family and for every room in the house. You’ll want to — if you don’t believe me, take a look at the average 4.7 star rating.

This digital piggy bank doesn’t just hold quarters and dimes — it counts your coins for you and displays the total on the LCD screen, too. This way, you’ll know exactly when it’s time to take your savings to the bank, which you can do by opening the wide-mouth jar with an accompanying small screwdriver. Keeping a change jar is a money-saving strategy that I use, and you’d be surprised how much change you can accumulate in just a few months. This piggy bank accepts all US coins and can store 800-1000 of them at once.

These silicone non-stick baking mats eliminate the need for pre-greasing or lining your pan with parchment paper, saving you from buying disposable products and extending the life of your sheet pans. They’re oven safe up to 480 degrees and easy to hand wash, which is why these best-selling mats have over 62,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Make the switch to rechargeable batteries and invest in this best-selling battery charger to save money and the environment. Just plug it into an AC outlet, and this device fully recharges up to four batteries at once in about four hours, with auto safety shut off to prevent damage from overcharging and maximize battery lifespan. Handy indicator lights tell you the charging status and if your batteries are bad, and the fold-out plug design makes this charger easy to store.

Cooking at home instead of eating out will save you a ton of money, and prepping your meals or storing leftovers in these glass food storage containers can help you on your home chef journey. They’re made from borosilicate glass that’s superior to plastic food storage containers in quality and just so happens to be oven-, microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe. The airtight snap-lock silicone lids keep food fresh for longer and allow these containers to be stacked in your fridge or freezer.

Much like myself, this certified USDA organic indoor herb garden starter kit is sustainably produced in rural Oregon. It comes with five types of herb seeds, compostable pots, potting soil discs, wood-burned plant markers, and a 26-page growing guide to answer all your gardening questions, making this a great kit for beginners. These herbs can be grown practically anywhere, no outdoor garden required, and your meals will benefit from the fresh basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, and thyme without you buying pricey herbs at the store.

This smart plug power strip has convenient energy-monitoring abilities to keep your power bill in check. Independently control each of the three outlets and monitor their usage in the Kasa smart app, where you’ll be able to see which devices are using the most energy and turn them off from anywhere. You can even connect it to your smart home device for additional voice controls. As a bonus, this power strip also has two always-on USB ports for easy phone charging.

Drafty doorframes make it harder to heat or cool your home evenly, not to mention making your feet cold in winter! Install these adhesive door draft stoppers to save some money on your energy bill. They have a super strong adhesive that’s easy to stick on and install, and they’re made of pure silicone, which prevents heat and cold from escaping interior and exterior doors. As a bonus they also reduce noise and can keep pests out, saving you on costly exterminators.

This four-pack of energy-saving smart bulbs will help you not only on your quest to save money, but also in your efforts to set the mood. The voice-controllable bulbs work with Alexa and Google Assistant devices, and have 16 million colors to choose from and light up your entire house. Control the brightness and color from the Sengled Home app, and set timers and schedules so they turn on and off automatically and help you save electricity.

If you’re short on counter space, this over the sink roll up drying rack can be a real relief. Made from food-safe, silicone-wrapped steel roods, this collapsible rack unfurls over the sink so your wet dishes can drip directly down the drain. Use the rust-resistant rack to dry produce or as a heat trivet too, because it’s heat resistant up to 400 degrees. You can toss this in the dishwasher as needed for cleaning purposes, the final convenient feature that helped this dish rack get a 4.8-star rating on Amazon.

Help control your electricity usage by switching your standard outlets for these smart plugs, which you can turn on and off using your smartphone in case you forgot to unplug your laptop or turn off a lamp before you left the house. When you are home, set timers or schedules and control the plugs with your Alexa or Google Assistant (aka, your voice). All of these useful features are why these plugs have over 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Perfect for use in your closets, cabinets, shadowy hallways, or pantry, these motion sensor lights turn on automatically when motion is detected within eight to 10 feet in a dark area. These 7 1/2 inch long lights are powered by four AAA batteries apiece and shut off after about 15 seconds, so they’re truly only on when they need to be. Complete with self-adhesive magnetic strips, they can be installed in minutes and save you from having to turn on harsh overhead lights when they’re not needed.

Why would you want to spend hours scrubbing at your tile floors, counters, or backsplash when you can restore the color of your grout with this tile paint pen in a fraction of the time? The non-toxic, water-based colorant pen makes old grout look new again in any room and dries in just five minutes. It works best on unsealed grout, and you can choose from a narrow or wide tip depending on what best suits your purposes.

Invest in this foldable drying laundry rack to hang-dry your delicates. It’s made from a sturdy steel that holds up to 32 pounds despite weighing only about 4 pounds, and the foldable design means you can collapse it for storage or move it from room to room as needed. You’ll find with time that your clothes will last longer, and that it takes less time to dry your remaining clothes in the dryer.

These extra-strong magnetic vent covers help direct air flow where you want it most, so you don’t waste energy heating and cooling unused rooms. These covers come in a set of three to use anywhere around the house — including ceilings, walls, and painted vents — the magnets are just that strong. The covers can be cut to size to fit your vents, making these a flexible, easy-to-use solution to a pricey problem.

Herbs and veggies can go bad quickly even if you keep them refrigerated, but the OXO herb keeper will help them stay fresh in a basket with 360 degree air circulation and a sturdy construction that protects delicate leaves. It has a hinged basket opening for easy access, and you can fill the bottom of the herb keeper with water so your rosemary, basil, parsley, and more stay hydrated. This unique storage solution fits neatly in most refrigerator doors.

These charger cable savers are designed to prevent the true annoyance of having to run out and buy a new phone or laptop charger the second yours starts to fray. Slide the flexible silicone protector over the cable to protect from dirt, tangles, knots, and damage, extending the life of your charger. They’ll also help distinguish your charger from others’, and come in a pack of 24 so you’ll never run out, no matter how large your tech collection is.

Not only are single-use plastic water bottles bad for the environment, they’re also a money suck. Instead, invest in a Brita faucet water filter system to remove impurities from your tap water and make it taste better. It’s easy to install, and reduces 60 contaminants, including 99% of lead, chlorine, asbestos, and other harmful particulates from the water. Once the equipment is installed you’ll only need to replace the filter three times a year, and a convenient status indicator will let you know when the time comes.

To preserve bulk amounts of food safely for an extended period of time, you’ll have the best luck with this vacuum sealer. The easy-to-use machine seals food airtight in less than 30 seconds, keeping meats, veggies, cheese, and other food fresh up to five times longer than they would last with conventional food storage methods. In fact, frozen meats stay good for a remarkable two to three years when vacuum sealed with this device, so you can take advantage of big sales and keep food for later.

You’re way more likely to use the foods in your pantry if you can actually see them, so store canned goods efficiently with this can rack that holds up to 36 cans at once. This sturdy pantry organizer has three shelves with six adjustable dividers allow you to store different sizes of cans, and rubber pads at the bottom keep the rack from scratching whatever surface it sits on.

One of my new year’s resolutions is to make and stick to a budget, but I haven’t yet found an electronic solution that makes sense for my needs. I love this budget planner though, a pen-and-paper solution to plan out your monthly finances. Keep track of your savings, budget, debts, payments, and expenses, and use the planner to track spending and manage your financial goals. You’ll be able to easily spot bad financial habits, and take control of your spending by filling out the various spreads. There are even stickers to make it cute!

As a former daily Keurig user, I loved the convenience of K-cups but quickly noticed how expensive they can be. These reusable K-cups allow you to use whatever coffee grounds you want, and are an affordable, sustainable alternative to single-use pods. They’re compatible with most Keurig models and the stainless steel pods are easy to rinse clean between uses.

Installing the Amazon smart thermostat in your home will get you well on your way to a smarter, more energy-efficient home. Set the temp from anywhere in the Alexa app, and once you sync it with your device, she can do it for you via voice control or automatically based on the time of day to keep you comfortable without wasting energy.

This window insulation shrink kit is an easy-to-install solution that could save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs. The nine-pack of film prevents up to 35% of heat from escaping through your windows. To use, just secure it to your window frame with the included tape and use a hair dryer to create a seal. And take it from one reviewer, who installed this kit after the furnace in their Chicago home broke in the middle of winter. “This did the trick and the house actually felt warmer,” they wrote. “We made it through without freezing in the low 20s weather.”