And yes, we started with the big things, like refinancing the mortgage at a lower rate and saving $300 a month in payments and so on. But after all that, we do try to use less of everything, keep lights off when we aren’t using them, eat cheaply, etc. Some people would look at us like, “oh you can afford more!” but by saving in big and SMALL ways, we have bought ourselves a lot of freedom.

Rather than pouring it out of a box and into the detergent dispenser until the dispenser is full,
I pour the automatic dishwasher detergent into a plastic tub and cover it, and put a teaspoon on top.

When I go to do the dishes, rather than filling up the detergent dispenser in the machine, I put in either one or two teaspoons only, depending on how dirty the dishes are. I find that even one teaspoon does the trick in my dishwasher.

This saves about 2/3 on the cost of detergent. Really, it’s not a big deal monetarily, but it’s still saving me a small amount of money (a couple bucks) every few months. And it takes no effort or focus except in the first part of deciding to find a better way to dispense the detergent.

I think some of the readers are missing the wider picture of this post. We go on automatic about so many things in our life. Toothpaste, salting our food, etc. it is a good idea to slow down and be more present in our day and more conscious of our consumption of anything!

Tiffany

This post was awesome – hands down a great job. Gave me lots to ponder over in my own life.

As for my son using one square, he’s three years old. He uses one square, then sometimes another, then sometimes another. That’s how he does it, regardless of how he’s encouraged.

It’s why I pick up pennies, not just larger coins and bills, when I see them on the ground. Maybe it doesn’t make a huge difference in my life, but it helps me think no financial improvement is too small. This leads me to follow up on rebates, question being overcharged, pay down higher-interest debt first, etc. The change in mindset is invaluable.