Deb's Daily Dollar Idea: Save the Soap

Today's idea comes from my mother, a truly frugal woman!  Sometimes we overlook ways to save money because we may only save a few coins in so doing.  But consider that a few coins added up over the course of a year is no small change!  Saving money in many instances just requires a frugal mindset.  Most of us want to get the most possible use out of something before we have to replace it.  Replace an item fewer times and save some green.  So today's idea has to do with making those bars of soap last longer.

1.  To make bar soap last a lot longer, open the packaging when you get home and let the bars "dry" out and harden before using.  A month or two should do - especially if you live in the WEST where we have dry mountain air to do the drying.  Ever notice how a bar of soap that falls in the bath water just melts away?  A soft bar of soap won't last long.  A rock hard bar of soap will last a long time - yet get you just as clean.

2.  Don't throw away soap bar slivers.  Collect them, along with those little bars you collect from motel visits, and put them all through your grinder - like your food processor.  Add a little water until softened and form into "new" soap bars the size of soap bars.  Forget them for a while and you have new, hard bars.  It is amazing how fast those slivers and bars add up.  Another plus side is a fun activity to do with your kids or grandkids.  You can use cookie cutters to form the soap into fun shapes.