Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Do you really feel like driving to the store every time you run out of dish soap? And do you really feel like spending $10 on name-brand deodorant that you could make at home for $3? Wake up, people! A self-sufficient lifestyle is so much more rewarding (and inexpensive)!
Once you know how to make everyday cleaning products and your favorite kitchen condiments, you’ll save yourself tons of trips to the store, reduce your carbon footprint with less plastic waste, save heaps of money, and remove tons of chemicals from your day to day life.
With more money in your pocket and less reliance on store-bought products, you are free to live the self-sustainable life you’ve always dreamed.
So, let’s stop buying and start making with these easy tutorials, recipes, and how-to guides! Below you’ll find a list of 60 household items you should stop buying and start making. For each one, I included a link to a tutorial where you can learn how to make it. Now on to the list!
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Skin & Beauty
1. Perfume & Cologne – Ladies and Gentlemen: Those $100 bottles of fragrance you buy at the department store are nothing more than a combination of essential oils and binders. Make your own dream fragrance for a fraction of the price!
2. Wrinkle Cream – Honey, eggs, sour cream… No, we’re not making Super Bowl appetizers; we’re making wrinkle cream that can smooth out those laugh lines with a simple combination of organic ingredients.
3. Deodorant – Calm your pits with this organic concoction that reduces odor and sweating.
4. Mouthwash – Here is a mouthwash that kills bacteria and freshens your breath with household ingredients. Involve your kids in the process to promote healthy habits!
5. Body Butter – These two simple words combined allow big name brands to slap big price tags on this simple product. Skip the prestige and create your own silky skin body butter for cheap.
Related Article: How To Make DIY Lotion Bars
6. Hair Mask – Reduce split ends, nourish heat-damaged locks, and help your hair grow faster with these DIY hair masks that you can sleep in or simply add into your weekly washing routine.
7. Leave-in Conditioner – Keep your tresses shiny and smooth all day long with a quick spray of water, coconut milk, and whichever essential oils brighten your day.
8. Everyday Conditioner – Hair conditioner is one of the most expensive beauty products us women buy. But why, when you can make your own nourishing conditioner at home?
9. Toothpaste – Toothpaste is quite simple to make. However, when you’re feeling ambitious, you can formulate teeth whitening variations with coconut oil and breath-freshening variations with herbs.
10. Diaper Rash Cream – Keep that baby bum smooth and free of irritation with a homemade diaper rash cream made. Store in a small jar with an airtight seal for easy access.
11. Sunscreen – Although many sites claim that carrot seed oil and red raspberry oils have an SPF of 25-50, it turns out this is a myth. However, you can make a halfway decent sunscreen from diaper rash cream, coconut oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera gel, almond oil, and beeswax.
12. Shaving Cream – Eliminate razor burn and save some money with this DIY shaving cream that will leave your legs feeling silky smooth.
13. Skin-Nourishing Body Soap – Amazing for allergy-prone or sensitive skin, homemade luxury soap will help you avoid chemical reactions while leaving you supple and soft.
14. Body Wash – Lather up in the shower with an organic body wash that will wash off sweat after your workout and nurture your skin in those dry winter months.
15. Body Scrub – If you’re not already exfoliating as a part of your daily routine, then you are missing out on that gorgeous celebrity glow! Slough off the dead skin to reveal a bright, fresh complexion that never goes out of style.
16. Shampoo – While you can make your own DIY shampoo that lathers and foams, consider trying the No Poo Method. Simply replace your shampoo & conditioning routine with baking soda and apple cider vinegar for amazing results.
Related Article: How To Make All-Natural Shampoo And Conditioner
17. Makeup Brush Cleaner – Makeup Brush cleaner runs for $7-$10 in the store. But why?! It’s such a simple concoction made with household ingredients.
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18. Scented Bath Bombs – There’s this store in the mall where they sell bath bombs for around $8 each. What a rip off! For $8, you can make a dozen bath bombs that smell and feel just as amazing.
19. Face Mask – The skin on your face is super thin and thus, super sensitive. Slow the aging process by giving your skin some deep moisturizing treatments with this homemade face mask.
20. Bug Spray – Deet is bad for you. Like really bad for you. But have no fear, here is a natural way to keep bugs away and bites at bay.
21. Antiseptic Ointment – When it comes to cuts, scrapes, and scratches, you can avoid infection with by using an antiseptic ointment.
22. Lipstick – Seriously! You can make your own moisturizing lipstick using spices from your kitchen to create gorgeous, vibrant color.
23. Lip Balm – Protect against chapped lips and cracked creases with this easy to make DIY lip balm recipe!
Household Cleaners & Necessities
24. All-Purpose Cleaner – Countertops, muddy shoes, sticky spills–they can all be cleaned up with this homemade pet-safe cleaner on hand. No chemicals here!
25. Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Drop one of these little fizzy toilet balls into the toilet bowl and let it go to work removing stains and odors without you having to lift a finger.
26. Dish Soap – Big families run through their supply of dish soap like nobody’s business. Save your pennies by creating a way cheaper version that cleans just as well for a fraction of the price.
27. Carpet Cleaner – Kids tracking mud in the house, pets having accidents, and the occasional tipsy red wine spill can all be remedied when you have a DIY carpet cleaner on hand.
28. Wood Polish – Citrus wood polish not only keeps your furniture and floors looking shiny and smelling clean but also helps fend off bugs and rotting fungus.
Related Article: 10 Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself
29. Window Cleaner – Windex is over-rated and over-priced. Get yourself a spray bottle and start making your own window cleaner that leaves no streaks or residue behind.
30. Reusable Swiffer Sweepers – Do you have a Swiffer Sweeper? They’re amazing for cleaning dog hair and crumbs off of tile, linoleum, and hardwood, but the throw-away pads are expensive! Just make your own.
31. Dust Cloths – Keep the house looking tidy, smelling bright, and free of allergy-causing dust and dandruff with these homemade dusting cloths.
32. Silver Polish – Odds are, you don’t actually need to buy new silverware and those old picture frames are totally salvageable. Take a little DIY silver polish to them for a ‘good as new’ luster.
Shoes & Clothing
33. Laundry Detergent – What happens when you mix a tub of OxyClean, some essential oils, and a few home ingredients? You get a long-lasting supply of fresh, effective, and low-budget laundry detergent.
34. Reusable Dryer Sheets – Genius! You can make your own dryer sheets at home with just a couple drops of (you guessed it) essential oils mixed with vinegar.
35. Stain Remover – Kids are messy. We know this. Always have a stain remover on hand to quickly lift those heavy stains and you’ll save tons of money on new clothes.
36. Boot Socks – You can still be fashionable on the homestead! Cute and cozy boot socks are so simple to make with recycled sock material.
Related Article: 40 Surprising Uses for Old Socks
37. Shoe Deodorizing Spray – After a wet winter or a sweaty summer, you might be tempted to toss out your smelly shoes. Instead, keep them fresh all year round with this simple essential oil spray.
38. Leather and Shoe Polish – When you do invest in high-quality products, you want to make them last. Shine and protect your leather products with an easy-to-make polish.
Food & Condiments
39. Granola Bars – These healthy snacks are actually really simple to make, and you’ll avoid filling your family with preservatives and unnecessary sugar.
40. Ice Cream – Start copying your favorite Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream flavors at home. Once you know how to make the base of an ice cream, you can get as creative as your taste buds please.
41. Ranch Dressing – All things are possible with an herb garden, even homemade ranch dressing. Get ready for the creamiest, most satisfying Ranch Dressing you’ve ever had.
42. Mozzarella Cheese – It was time to start a new hobby anyway, right? Take a look in the mirror and say hello to your new resident cheese maker.
43. Pickles – What homesteader doesn’t love pickles?! You can pickle tons of veggies in your garden, especially cucumbers.
44. Spaghetti Sauce – Utilize your garden and canning skills by making tons of pasta sauce that you can use on more than just noodles! Use as a dip for zucchini bites, in your chili recipe, or as a marinara on pizza!
Related Article: 50 Staple Foods That Should Be In Every Cook’s Kitchen
45. Buffalo Sauce – Create your dream buffalo sauce with homemade ingredients that allow you to customize how zingy, tangy, or spicy you like it.
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46. Hummus – Clean eating starts with clean ingredients. Get a balance of nutrition and flavor with easy-to-make homemade hummus.
47. Taco Seasoning – This Taco Seasoning recipe will have you wondering why ever bought pre-mixed taco seasoning in the first place.
48. Salsa – What is taco night without salsa? Start with some tomatoes and grab some herbs from your garden for gourmet salsa.
49. Salad Dressing – Zesty Tahini, Cilantro Lime, Balsamic Vinegar…need I say more? These homemade salad dressings are so simple, so cheap, and so healthy!
50. Hot Sauce – Here is an opportunity to save money and to make money! If your hot sauce creations are tasty enough, bottle them and sell them on ETSY!
Pets & Animals
51. Dog Treats – Once I started making these coconut oil dog treats for my 4-legged family member, his coat became so shiny and healthy with less shedding.
52. Cat Toys – Recycle cardboard, strings, and old fabric to create cat toys that will keep both your and your feline entertained.
53. Puppy Sweaters – Pet parents that live in cold climates like to keep their animals nice and snug with some extra insulation. Reuse some old t-shirts for cute and cozy pet sweaters.
54. Chicken Feed – Depending on how many chickens or ducks you’ve got in the coop, you can supplement or totally replace their feed by farming your own bugs!
Related Article: Medicinal Herbs for Chickens? Yes!
55. Dog Toys – Have some old t-shirts or rags lying around? Give them a good wash and then follow this DIY toy tutorial to make some puppy toys that won’t devastate you when they’re eventually ripped to shreds.
56. Dog Food – Homesteaders who live off the land often find themselves with an excess of produce. Don’t let all that nutrition go to waste! Instead, try making organic dog food.
57. Cat Food – Cats can be picky! But this DIY cat food recipe is a hit with the felines and much healthier than store-bought cat food.
Fun Stuff for Home & Play
58. Festive Holiday Décor – You can be frugal and festive at the same time! Make your house a home with DIY holiday décor made from upcycled materials.
59. House Rugs – A rug for the kids’ bathroom, a rug for the kitchen, a rug for the foyer…when you hand-make your own rag rug, you can customize the colors and the size to fit any space.
60. Kids Toys – Sock Puppets, race cars, and toy guns are all items that your kids will eventually outgrow, so what’s the point in spending $20 a pop? Instead, upcycle materials around the house to entertain the troops.
As you may have noticed, the majority of these DIY recipes and projects require many of the same staple ingredients like essential oils, coconut oil, vinegar, old t-shirts, cardboard, and so on.
Buy those staple ingredients in bulk and save upcycle-friendly materials that you can repurpose later. This will save you an insane amount of time and money in the long run.
Your biggest problem now? Figuring out what to do with all that extra cash left over at the end of the month.
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All you have to do is click through to each article. Click on the links (the name of the product, such as, Homemade Wrinkle Cream) and you will go directly to the “recipe”. I absolutely love this and am so happy to have found it! I am considering quitting my job to start blogging full time. And until I can replace my income saving money by making my own products sounds awesome! I hope you come up with even more products soon!
Why out anything on Pinterest if you only do it for the money. Or the affiliate ads. I personally do not click on them so you lost dollars on me. Also don’t want to pay for what others are giving for free. You just wasted my time.
You’re perusing Pinterest, man. How sacred could your time be? Lol maybe take a sec to figure out the post before leaving an irate comment? Hmmm?
Dude Really?…Quote:
“Why out anything on Pinterest if you only do it for the money. Or the affiliate ads. I personally do not click on them so you lost dollars on me. Also don’t want to pay for what others are giving for free. You just wasted my time.”
…As if the time you spend futzing around on the Internet has a dollar figure value or some critical value to life! I like what they did here, I found the post very interesting & helpful!
All Hail J.ANDERSON who’s time is worth more than anything, big spender of Internet dollars!… better not waste their time again or you will lose dollars on their time again!! They are probably a Trump supporter anyway. What a jerk!
Dumas!
Yeah!!! Brilliant!!! Make everything political. That’s why the country is in the shape it’s in. Try working together for the common good instead of dedicating your efforts to destroying a political party.
Good for you. Some of us Trump supporters are very frugal and are more than willing to share what we know with others. I appreciate it this blog very much
Hey, stay off the site, man. You don’t have any interest in these tips? Then get lost, we don’t give a crap about your comments.
So helpful to have all these links in one place! I have found many of my own versions of these DIY’s due to an organic wellness lifestyle, but it took months of research to find the best ones! I’m just so happy you shared all of your trial and errors with us! Thank you so much! Love this inspiring blog!
I guess some people don’t know how these blogs and such work so they biath about the persons blog oh and all the advertisements. No one needs to click on them and if a person wants the info touch the letters that are blue. And I thought when I started on Pinterest I didn’t know what I was doing boy I’m mistaken. Thanks for some knew ideas , I have been making a lot of different things but now can try more.
And when Armageddon occurs, I REALLY need to worry about making my own hand cream, perfume, cologne, etc.?? Get real…..
This site isn’t just about surviving armageddon. In fact, it’s mainly for people who want to save money and enjoy living off the grid.
Armageddon? Seriously you need to get real – if you are that concerned then you need to read different articles on Pinterest Gayle 🙁 It’s a shame you feel the need to be so rude!
INSTEAD OF BEING NEGATIVE JUST SAY THANK OR THANKS BUT NO THANKS AND MOVE ON , WHAT ISNT SOMETHING YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE MAYBE IMPORTANT TO OTHERS TO HAVE IN DIRE STRAITS.
OK – I get the ratio falls off twitter sometimes.
I’ve been in disaster zones. Whether they need it or not, people want things to brighten their day, if only for a moment – so there is no point in your post based on thin air. And in a real disaster, you get cut up, scratched and deal with all sorts of things – you will be grateful for at least that hand cream. And when you’ve been a month bathing in a creek, IF you are lucky enough to find one – your companions will be grateful for the perfume.
If that is the worst thing you have to complain about, you should be thankful you have such a successful life.
Thanks for putting all these together in one place. Ignore the naysayers, I strongly think it is important to know how to do these basic things. In harder times, these can be helpfull and in good times, you can save money for things you really want or need.
I loved your blog I’m new to this and love to save money so thank you very much. I like the idea that I know what’s in the products my family are using and I can pronounce all the words. will be looking for more from you .
Thanks for all the info. Having all this in 1 post makes it much more time efficient. Have an awesome day.
This is great even just for a family who is trying to go organic and get away from all the poisonous chemicals today.Thank you for taking the time to put all of this into one article, it will save me from Googling it all on my own.
xoxo Kay
CitytoSimple.com
Never, never, never use carrot oil as sun screen. This is extremely dangerous. Posts that claims it has a FPS of 38-40 are just spreading a false information based on a misinterpretation. It will burn your skin more than anything.
Here is a article that explain very well why it is a myth :
gwens-nest.com/diy-sunscreen-myth-busted/
Would you consider taking off this tip so no one get hurt ?
Otherwise, great article ! Thank you ! 🙂
Thanks for letting me know, I had no idea! I updated the article and linked to Gwen’s sunscreen recipe.
Hi the links I’ve looked at so far are good the only thing I’d like to point out is don’t use baking soda to wash your hair regularly as it REALLY damages your hair – great in short term but long term big hair loss and damage – lots of articles about this if you want to look it up – otherwise useful to have all this info in one place thank you!
I enjoy going through different articles and I usually find something new and like to try my hand at making. On the “, homestead sites or frugal living sites” I find people who has made a decision to live a certain type of life and they’re offering to others information. Now when I read this post and read some of the comments I was blown away, please tell me how someone can get “,Trump” from the post? I thought I’d seen everything there was out there for someone to blame Trump, I WAS WRONG. To that person, you might want to consider talking to someone. The other about Armageddon, you have nothing to worry about, if you’re a believer in Christ you should be fine. But if you do want to save and create a stock pile of items, the ones who are left behind will be thankful if the find it. To the person who took the time to sit down and put the information they have, so it could help or save a life. Thank you so much. Starla Wright
I think the same guy is posting on all these articles. Very angry person. I worry for his neighbors.
Thanks for posting. The links are very helpful.
Thank you for sharing all the great info/ideas. I truly appreciate it. Never understand why folks feel the need to leave a negative comment rather than moving on to something that interests them.
The ingredients for the sunscreen add up to:
Desitin Diaper Rash Cream Tube – $4.99
Coconut Oil 16oz. – $9.99
Pure Raw Cocoa Butter 1lb – $12.48
Aloe Vera Gel 12oz. – $13.89
Almond Oil 16oz. – $8.29
Beeswax 1lb – 10.99
TOTAL – $60.63 w/6% tax = 64.27
NO-AD SPF 50 Sunscreen is $6.99 for 16oz. at my local supermarket. Can someone on here explain to me how this concoction is supposed to save me money?!?! I estimate that the ingredients above, if all of them were used, would equate to around (6) 16oz. containers of sunscreen for almost $65. Why wouldn’t I just buy the same NO-AD SPF50 sunscreen for $42 and save myself the hassle of mixing all this untested stuff together?
With today’s prices for all the ingredients needed for laundry soap. Are we saving a lot or just a bit? I just went on Amazon and the prices are all double of what you quote in your article.
Thank you for this post!!! I am enjoying all the links – and I’m going to be enjoying trying some new things. I’ve always been into doing this like this, but there are some new ideas here I just have to try!
You have a brand new fan, lol!
Great to have all these together in one file I can print off at my leisure and sort through which are most appropriate for our situation.
Thank you. This has saved literally hours and hours of combing through various sites.