No More Dryer Sheets!

In this tight economy, even the small expenses can add up quickly. One unnecessary expense is the use of dryer sheets. At the end of last year, I purchased these funky little dryer balls. I was sceptical at first, but I was amazed at how well they actually work! I bought them for around $7 for the pair. I keep them stashed in my dryer at all times (unless Branson finds his way to the "shirt balls.") They work wonders on our clothes. No more wrinkles, no more static and no more expensive dryer sheets. If you use vinegar in your wash load, they work even better, as the vinegar prevents lint from sticking to your clothes.

If you're not quite ready to give up the ol' fabric softener, here are a few money-saving tips to decrease your spending.

1. Cut dryer sheets in half. A half-size dryer sheet does just as good of a job as a full sheet, but the box will last twice as long!

2. If you use the liquid fabric softener, here is a new twist on it.

Take one container of fabric softener. Take four regular sponges and cut them in half. Pour entire bottle of fabric softener into a large bucket. Fill the empty fabric softener container up with water and pour into the bucket. Do this again. This will give you a mixture of two parts water to one part fabric softener. Now put the sponges into the mixture. Keep this by the dryer. When you are ready to dry a load of laundry, wring out a sponge and throw it into the dryer with the clothes. Remove sponge when clothes are dry and place back into bucket.

*They now sell "wet" dryer sheets at the store. This is the same idea, but for a fraction of the price!*