Skip These 14 Store-Bought Items for Quick & Easy DIYs

By

Andreas Jones

Hey! I’m Andreas Jones and I am the founder of KindaFrugal.com. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and lifestyle businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur On Fire, Lifehack.org, Influencive and Goalcast.

| Published on April 15, 2024

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If there are two skills you can master that will benefit your finances time and time again, they are creativity and resourcefulness. Plus, there’s an empowering sense of accomplishment that comes from solving challenges with ingenuity. We’ve all faced moments when a clever DIY solution saved the day and spared our wallets. So why stop there? Here are 14 Easy DIYs you can do that will eliminate a few items from your shopping list and help you save money along the way.

Cleaning Products

Easy DIYs
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Several inexpensive pantry staples can double as multipurpose cleaning agents. Don’t panic if you stare at a huge mess without your go-to cleaning supplies. You can make your own natural cleaners using ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils.

Bread

Baking bread
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A loaf of bread costs around $2.35 on average, while white pan bread costs less than $1.50 per pound. Bread is an everyday household staple. Baking your bread at home can save you money. Homemade bread is fluffier, softer, and more tender than store-bought loaves. You can make simple 3-ingredient bread or choose bread recipes that don’t require kneading if you find it too laborious.

Personal Care Products

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Even a beginner DIYer can create effective natural beauty products by following a recipe. Make your shampoo bars and scrubs from natural ingredients. For example, honey and sugar together produce a fantastic antibacterial exfoliator.

Clothing

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Sewing or knitting your clothes allows you to create unique garments that fit you perfectly. You can choose the materials, prints, and layouts that best reflect your style. Books and the internet offer a wide range of patterns and tutorials for sewing, allowing you to create anything from a basic dress to a more stylish style.

Accessories

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Beads, jewels, metals, and wire are just some things you can play around with to make stunning accessories. Bead stringing, wire wrapping, metal stamping, and even polymer clay sculpture are all valid jewelry-making methods. There is a huge variety of materials and equipment accessible, so even a beginner can make something wearable that looks like nothing else.

Home Decor

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Handmade, one-of-a-kind house decorations are conceivable. Consider which rooms might benefit from your freshly personalized home decor arrangement. One way to add flair to a bedroom is to hang prints from string lights. Motivational quote art, photo tiles, and framed prints are all possibilities.

Gifts

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I enjoy receiving DIY gifts. Receiving something created explicitly for you adds a special touch. Although inexpensive, these items hold great value to their owners. There is no reason to skip holiday gift-giving this year. Building rope bowls is easy, and they look sculptural and attractive when displayed on a shelf. Homemade sweets, candles, photo albums, or greeting cards make great gifts.

Gardening Supplies

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You can easily make gardening supplies at home to have the necessary tools for a pleasant gardening experience. Composting is a fantastic way to recycle kitchen waste and yard trash into nutrient-rich compost for your plants. You can build a compost bin from wood pallets, wire mesh, or plastic bins. You can also repurpose old containers, buckets, or wooden boxes to make one-of-a-kind and inexpensive planters.

Furniture and Storage

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You can never have too much storage, but buying boxes may be expensive! You can create budget-friendly DIY storage boxes for a fraction of the price. You can construct gorgeous storage boxes from any cardboard box of any size. These DIY storage boxes are ideal for storing belongings in various locations, including bedrooms, living rooms, and workplaces. You can improve their mobility and versatility by adding wheels or handles.

Cookies

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If you already have flour, sugar, and eggs, baking cookies is a cheap and easy DIY project. You don’t have to be a master baker to reap the rewards of making your own cookies.

Salad Dressing

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Making your salad dressing from pantry staples can save you up to $4. Mix one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, six tablespoons of olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Alter the flavor with various vinegar, such as balsamic or apple cider vinegar.

Dishwasher and Laundry Detergent

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You can make your own laundry detergent that is just as effective as commercial detergents but without synthetic fragrances and additives. Consider using a homemade mixture recommended by laundry and cleaning specialists for an eco-friendly and effective detergent. You need baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, borax, and a gentle dish soap.

Side Salads

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Buying pre-made salads and side dishes at the supermarket is handy, but it can also be expensive, with prices inflated by 40 to 60 percent, with a single box costing up to $5. There are numerous salads that you can prepare at home. Salads with just cucumber, potato, macaroni, and veggies are delicious. With complete control over the combination you desire, the options are limitless.

Simple Syrup

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Producing simple syrup is incredibly easy. Since it has a long shelf life in the refrigerator, we can make a large batch and have it on hand whenever we want to mix a drink. The recipe for simple syrup requires only two ingredients: the same proportion of hot water and sugar. 

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