20 Home Hacks, Tips, and Tricks to Save Money and Change Your Life

Sep 4, 2021 | Organization

These home hacks are going to rock your world, save you some serious moolah, and absolutely change. your. life. Easy, cheap, and totally genius, you're going to wish you'd found this post sooner!

woman vacuuming mattress, from Fun Cheap or Free

Not sure what to do with that busted water hose? Is your mattress smelling a little off? Tiny closet getting you down? We've got hacks for those and so much more! From the backyard to inside your house, these home hacks will make your life so much easier! Best part? Most won't cost you a penny!

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In true Fun Cheap or Free fashion, these home hacks are easy, simple, and dirt-cheap! You know how we roll… Keep on reading and let us make your life just a little easier with these clever, out-of-the-box ideas!


OUTDOOR HACKS TO SAVE YOUR SANITY

Drip hose in the garden from Fun Cheap or Free.

These home hacks will make your life outdoors a breeze. From pest control to muddy feet patrol, we've got a tip for you!

  • Busted Water Hose – Don't toss that leaky water hose! Instead, put it to good use and turn it into a drip hose. Drill 1/8 inch holes every two to three inches all the way down the hose. Put it in your garden or flower beds and you've got yourself a very cheap drip hose!
  • Feet Washing Station – Say no more to muddy feet prancing through your back door! Build a box from scrap wood and fill with river rocks. Keep it by the water hose for easy feet rinsing!
  • Cornstarch Ant Control – Place cornstarch in areas where you see a lot of ant activity. The ants will carry the cornstarch to the rest of the colony where it will eventually kill them because they can't digest it!
  • Tin Can Lanterns – Save those old cans and repurpose them into something beautiful! Spray paint the cans and drill holes around them in different patterns. Set a candle inside and place them around the patio for ambiance lighting that costs you next to nothing!
  • Noisy Downspout Fix – Does your downspout dripping drive you insane?! We have an easy solution! Stick a sponge at the bottom of the downspout. It dampens the noise but doesn't block the water.
  • Planter Hack – Soil is expensive! Use less of it by filling your pots 1/3 of the way with empty bottles, milk jugs, or rocks. Your plants will get what they need but you're not wasting money!

These outdoor hacks are here for you this summer. We've got more great home hacks, so keep on reading!


DIY HOME HACKS TO SAVE YOU MONEY

Hands cleaning the faucet from Fun Cheap or Free.

These DIY home hacks are here to save you some major cashola! Not a DIY gal? No worries—these are seriously easy and simple. No creativity required!

  • Homemade Cleaner – Ditch the expensive cleaners from the store and make your own with things you already have in your pantry! Check out exactly how we make our homemade cleaner in this post!
  • DIY Tiered Hanger – Small closet (literally) cramping your style? Use a piece of chain and hang it on a hanger so you can hang additional hangers down the chain. Ta-da! A DIY tiered hanger.
  • Boot Shaper – Use empty paper towel rolls or pool noodles in your tall boots to help them keep their shape while they are in the closet! Pretty clever, huh?
  • Bathroom Air Freshener – Ditch the expensive air fresheners in your bathroom! Instead, put a few drops of your favorite essential oil inside the toilet paper roll and the bathroom will smell amazing until you switch it out!
  • Homemade Lint Roller – Roll duck tape sticky side out around a paint roller to quickly remove pet hair from furniture!
  • Coffee Drain Cleaner – Did you know coffee, boiling water, and dish soap can clear out a clogged drain? Mix the dish soap with coffee grounds and dump into the drain. Follow that with a long pour of boiling water and your drain will clear right up! Find out what else you can do with coffee grounds in this post!
  • Time for Laundry – While this isn't a DIY hack, it will save you big! Some electric companies charge more during “peak hours,” so call and find out when their peak hours are and avoid running major appliances during these hours. (Find more laundry hacks here!)
  • Furniture Scratch Remover – Before you spend a ton of time and effort refinishing your coffee table, whip out the toothpaste to buff those scratches out! Use a pea-sized amount of non-gel toothpaste and rub it in a circular motion to watch scratches disappear!

These home hacks will save your cash and your sanity! Who knew life could be so easy? 😉


MORE HOME HACKS YOU NEED TO KNOW

These home hacks are ridiculously smart and… well, some are even a little strange! Regardless, you'll be glad you found them.

  • Handy Dandy Vacuum Finder – Lost something way back in the abyss under the couch? Stick a piece of cloth or panty hose on the end of the suction hose, then use that to pull it out without sucking it up!
  • Erase Crayon Art – Did your little Picasso create his latest masterpiece on your living room wall? No worries! Use a hair dryer to heat the wax and simply wipe it away!
  • Oven Door Cleaner – All you need to make that oven door sparkle is baking soda, hot water, and a little foil. Simply open the oven door, sprinkle the glass with baking soda, pour on a little hot water, and scrub with a wad of foil. Before you know it, that glass will look brand spankin' new!
  • Painted Keys – Use nail polish to paint the top of your keys so you'll always know which one you need at a glance!
  • Smelly Mattress No More – If your mattress needs a little freshening up, cover the whole thing with baking soda and let it sit for at least three hours. Then use your vaccum attachment to clean it all up and your mattress will smell super fresh!
  • Swiffer Those Cobwebs – A swiffer duster isn't just for the floor… Use it up on the wall to reach those pesky cobwebs and to clean the top of the door and window trim!

See, we told you they were good… So basic, yet so genius! For more life hacks and tips, check out this post, too!


Do you have any home hacks you want to share with us? Drop them in the comments below. We'd love to hear your ideas!

image with text that reads "cleaning and organization home hacks", from Fun Cheap or Free

Want more awesome life hacks? You don't want to miss these posts!

Happy home hacking!

10 Comments

  1. Ferial

    GREAT tips, thank you!!

    Reply
  2. Araceli

    Wow! Thanks, I love every tip you’ve given!

    Reply
  3. Alecia

    Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Erica

    A lot of these look great! The only one that looks doubtful is the one about warding off mosquitoes; they are attracted to body heat and exhaling. I am SO trying the corn starch and ants trick though and maybe the newspaper and weed trick as well.

    Reply
  5. JoJo

    The pin for static electricity would have been good 20+ years ago! I cannot remember the last time I saw someone in pantyhose. I don’t even recall seeing slips in stores for ages!

    Reply
  6. Jenni Parkin

    Rub hand lotion on skin or stocking to prevent static. A litle safer than safety pins if anxious about the pin opening.

    Reply
  7. Marian Cates

    Wow! Wonderful source of tips. Pinned to Pinterest board.

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Thanks Marian!

      Reply
  8. Karen DeOlden

    Pallet projects on Pinterest….Maybe another shelf project (floating g shelves) or else random board art color and slap in a random pattern.?

    Reply

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