Of the two closets in our house that I would consider “storage closets” (meaning they aren’t inside a bedroom), one is in the mudroom/laundry room and one is in the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. So, as you can imagine, both closets serve a wide variety of different functions.

Although I often refer to the hall closet as the “linen closet”, it also houses office supplies, extra toilet paper, my sewing machine, and more. To prevent that closet from turning into an unmanageable nightmare, everything has to be neatly stacked or folded.

The Ultimate Folding Challenge: The Fitted Sheet

And that brings us to today’s post, where I’ll be demonstrating how to tackle the most challenging fold of them all: fitted sheets. Being able to fold a fitted sheet plays a crucial role in keeping my linen closet in order, and learning how to do it can do the same for you!

And honestly, it isn’t all that difficult to do! Once you’ve read through the steps in the tutorial below and watched the video to see the steps in action, all you’ll need is a little practice to pull it off yourself. :-)

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Like a Pro

Step 1 – Straighten Out the Top Edge

Start by locating the top or bottom edge of your fitted sheet, then put your hands into the corners along that edge.

Spread your arms out to flatten out the top edge, then carefully set the fitted sheet down on a flat surface.

Step 2 – Corners in Corners

Next, grab the opposite end of the sheet and place your hands into the two corners on that edge.

But this time, do it so that the corners are inside-out, then tuck the corners you are currently holding into the corners on the opposite edge of the fitted sheet.

Step 3 – Fold Along the Elastic

Set your sheet back down on the flat surface like you did in Step 1, holding your arms out to create a straight(ish) edge at the top.

Then grab the two ends of the elastic and bring them together, folding the sheet in half along the elastic edge.

Step 4 – Make a Rectangle

Then, holding the sheet in front of you with the elastic edge at the top, put your hand into the corner of the sheet, lining up all four corners.

Adjust the fitted sheet in your hands so that the top edge lines up with the corners, creating a straight-sided rectangle.

Step 5 – Fold in Thirds (Twice)

Set the sheet down again, and fold it in thirds (like you would fold a letter) to create a long, narrow rectangle.

Finally, fold it in thirds again. Then be sure to give yourself a hearty pat on the back, because you just successfully folded a fitted sheet! :-)

Want to Learn How to Fold Something Else?

While I’m sure that your current methods of folding clothes and linens are serving you well enough, it never hurts to learn another way to do something! After all, you never know when you’ll come across a method you like better (for whatever reason) than the one you’re currently using.

For more tutorials on how to fold everything from ankle socks to jeans, check out this blog post!

What’s your best tip for keeping your storage closets in order?

Here’s a variation on the method shown above that involves a stair railing (though the back of your couch would work just as well!):

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Dust isn’t exactly harmful, per se, but there are good reasons to try and keep dust at a minimum inside your home. Inside dust particles are dust mites, which are microscopic, spider-like critters that feed on the dead skin cells we continually shed.

According to allergy experts, dust mites play a role in why approximately 30 percent of the population suffers from one or more allergic disorders. So if you (or anyone in your household, for that matter) experience asthma or allergy symptoms, preventing dust from accumulating can be very much worth the effort.

If it sounds like a near-impossible task right now, it should sound a lot more doable once you’ve read today’s post! These 10 simple tips can go a long way toward reducing the amount of dust throughout your home (and they’ll make your regular cleaning routine easier too!)

10 Ways to Reduce Dust in Your Home

1. Keep Windows and Doors Closed

While fresh air is great, it can also be full of dust! Not even window and door screens can prevent airborne pollen and small dust particles from entering your home through open windows and doors, so keep them closed to reduce the amount of dust coming inside.

2. Change or Clean Air Filters Monthly

Whether you have a central air conditioning system or individual A/C units, it’s important to change or clean the air filters regularly to remove trapped dust and dirt. (If you have a hard time remembering to do it, use the monthly arrival of your power bill as a signal that it’s time to clean those filters!)

For central air systems, consider replacing dirty filters with clean HEPA filters that remove at least 99.9 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and airborne particles. And don’t forget to clean or change the filters in your range hood, clothes dryers, and other appliances with air intakes regularly too!

3. Use Doormats and Remove Your Shoes

Placing washable or easily cleaned doormats inside and outside the doors into your home will go a long way toward keeping out the dust and dirt that can get tracked in by shoes and paws. Reminding everyone to take their shoes off at the door will also help a lot.

4. Add an Air Purifier

Air purifiers do more than eliminate odors from the air—they also capture dust. Most purifiers use a fan system that pulls air in through a filter that captures particles, then recirculates the clean air.

Air purifiers are available in a variety of sizes, capacities, and prices, and are well worth the investment if you have an allergy or asthma sufferer in the house. (My husband and kids who have seasonal allergies swear by their air purifiers for making life more bearable when pollen counts are high!)

5. Change Bedding and Towels Weekly

Since dust mites feed on dead skin cells, bedrooms and bathrooms are prime real estate to these critters. Keep allergens and dust mites down by washing your bed linens, towels, and bath mats once a week.

You can also reduce the number of dust mites in your sleeping area by encasing your pillows and mattress in protective covers.

6. Clear the Clutter

From the stack of papers on your desk to your grandmother’s collection of teapots on an open shelf, every item out in the open is continually collecting dust. Reduce the number of dust-collecting items in your house by getting rid of items that you don’t use or need, or by displaying collections behind glass to keep them dust-free.

7. Identify Dust Traps

Certain surfaces trap more dust than others, and while you probably won’t want to get rid of all of them, it’s important to at least identify them so you know what needs to be washed or cleaned regularly.

• Fabric upholstery: Fabric traps and releases dust much more easily than leather upholstery or non-upholstered furniture.
• Heavy drapes and blinds: These trap more dust than lightweight curtains that can be washed frequently.
• Faux plants: Dust has a way of clinging to faux plants, where live ones can be easily rinsed off.
• Faux fur: Throw pillows and throw blankets made of faux fur trap more dust than their lightweight counterparts.

8. Use Dust-Trapping Cleaning Tools

Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will help to trap dust rather than pushing it around or back into the air, as will an electrostatic duster like a Swiffer duster or microfiber cloth. Additionally, make sure to keep your cleaning tools clean so they can operate at full power and function.

9. Brush and Bathe Pets

They may be part of the family, but pets also contribute significantly to the amount of dust in our homes between dander and the particles they settles on their fur. Bathe and brush your pets frequently—or vacuum them, if that’s something your pet enjoys—and consider keeping your number of pets low if someone in the house is highly sensitive to dust.

10. Don’t Forget Your Clothes

If there’s dust on the shoulders of any clothes hanging in your closet, that may be a sign that it’s time to get rid of them. For items you want to keep, wash them before storing them in a breathable storage bag (which, ideally, should also be washable).

How do you fight dust in your home?

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The 90/90 method is usually used for decluttering homes, but it’s a great method to apply to the digital clutter on your phone! Much like a cluttered house, a cluttered phone can be overwhelming to navigate and make simple tasks harder than they need to be.

What Is the 90/90 Method?

The 90/90 method can help you determine what’s useful and worth keeping, and what’s just taking up space. It’s easy to use — just ask yourself these questions:

• Have I used this in the last 90 days?
• Will I use this in the next 90 days?

Whenever you answer “no” to both questions, it suggests the item isn’t all that useful, and you can probably live without it. Applying this method to the contents of your phone can help you free up valuable storage space, boost performance, and even save money!

How to Declutter Your Phone With the 90/90 Method

1. Clean Up Your Photo Library

Our photo libraries are packed with pictures we could never bear to part with, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every photo is worth keeping. Apps like Slidebox can make it easy to review your photos and delete duplicates and other shots you don’t want to keep.

iPhone users with a lot of photos can save storage space with iCloud Photos. Go to Settings > Your name > iCloud, then tap Photos under Saved to iCloud and make sure the Optimize iPhone Storage option is enabled. Learn more at Apple Support.

Android users who utilize Google Photos can learn more about managing their storage at Google Account Help.

Jillee’s Take:

If you’re like me, cleaning up your photo library will be the hardest part of decluttering your phone. But you probably have plenty of blurry shots and duplicates, and taking the time to delete them will make the good ones easier to find and enjoy!

2. Get Rid of Unused Apps

Some apps take up a lot of storage space, so it doesn’t make sense to keep them on your phone if you don’t use them.

On your iPhone, open Settings > iPhone Storage to see a list of downloaded apps ordered by file size. If you see any large apps you don’t use, delete them! On Android, open the Google Play Store, tap the profile icon at the top right, then tap Manage apps and devices > Manage.

3. Delete Downloaded Media

Who hasn’t downloaded a movie or episodes of a favorite show to watch while traveling and never bothered to delete them after? Downloaded media files can take up a lot of storage space too, so it’s a good idea to periodically review what’s on your phone so you can stay on top of it.

iPhone users, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and look for Review Large Attachments under Recommendations. Android users, open Google Play Movies & TV or the Google TV app, then tap the checkmark next to downloaded videos to remove them from your phone storage.

4. Thin Out Old Texts

Keep your favorite group chats and text conversations, but there’s no reason to keep old text exchanges that have no emotional value to you. Just scroll to the bottom of your text messages and start deleting some of those old conversations.

5. Review Your Subscriptions

While you’re working on your digital decluttering project, take the opportunity to review your ongoing subscriptions for various apps and services. If you’re not sure what you’re subscribed to, you could be paying for things you haven’t used in ages!

On iPhone, go to Settings > Your name > Subscriptions to see your active and inactive subscriptions. (Note that this will only show you subscriptions you’ve used your Apple account to sign up for.) Android users, go to Settings > Google > Your name > Manage your Google Account, then tap Payments & subscriptions.

6. Audit Your Contacts List

Is your contacts list riddled with school teachers, doctors, coworkers, and acquaintances you haven’t spoken to in ages? There’s no need to keep those numbers — on the off-chance you do need to reach out to one of them in the future, you can likely find them on social media.

Conclusion

It will likely take a bit of time and dedication to declutter your phone, but you’ll be so glad you did. And after cleaning up what’s inside your phone, don’t forget to clean the outside too!

How do you stay on top of digital clutter?

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For the most part, there’s no “correct” way to keep your home clean. Whether you prefer dusting surfaces around the house or wiping them down with a wet cloth, things still end up cleaner than than they were before! But even though there aren’t any hard and fast rules to cleaning, there are certain “cleaning mistakes” that could actually make things dirtier!

The mere idea of spending time and effort on a cleaning task, only to realize afterward that my efforts actually made things worse, is enough to fill me with (hypothetical) despair. And I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience that despair either! So today I thought I’d address some of those cleaning mistakes in this post, so that we can all avoid these backfiring behaviors! :-)

Related: These 7 Cleaning Mistakes Are Making Your Life Harder

9 Cleaning Mistakes That Are Making Your House Dirtier

1. Overloading the Dishwasher

You can help conserve both water and energy by only running your dishwasher when it’s full. However, there’s a line between full and jam-packed, and crossing that line can do more harm than good! If your dishwasher is overly full, there’s a good chance that some of your dishes won’t get properly cleaned.

Related: 11 Dishwasher Do’s and Don’ts You Need to Know

2. Overusing Your Cleaning Rag

Most people have a rag that they use for a variety of different tasks when they’re working in the kitchen. I know I do! I’ll use it to clean my hands off, wipe up overspray at the sink, clean up stove splatters, and more. Having a kitchen rag like this isn’t a bad thing, but it can be if you’re not cleaning it regularly!

If you use your kitchen rag several times a day, swap it out for a clean rag daily. If you use your rag a bit less frequently, swap it out for a clean one every other day.

Related: 9 Things in Your House You Should Never Clean With Water

3. Neglecting Your Coffee Maker

The warm, moist environment in your coffee maker and coffee pot can make a comfortable home for bacteria and mold. Make sure to clean the coffee pot and any removable parts in your coffee maker after each use. A clean coffee maker is a happy coffee maker, and it makes better tasting coffee too! Check out the link below to learn how to use denture tablets for a cleaner coffee maker.

Related: 11 Unexpected Ways That Denture Tablets Make Cleaning Easy

4. Neglecting “Touch Points”

It’s easy to forget to clean “touch points” (places or things that are frequently touched or handled) around the house. But it’s crucial to keep these surfaces clean to avoid the spread of germs! Clean or disinfect touch points like faucets, handles, light switches, remote controls, and door knobs every few days. (You may even want to clean them daily during cold and flu season!)

5. Using a Feather Duster

Feather dusters can move dust around, but they aren’t that great at picking it up off of surfaces. Replace your feather duster with microfiber (either a microfiber cleaning cloth or a microfiber duster.) Microfiber creates a bit of static electricity as it glides over surfaces, which helps grab onto and lock in dust much more effectively than feathers.

6. Storing a Wet Toilet Brush

While there’s really no such thing as a “clean” toilet brush, putting it away while it’s still wet is only going to make it dirtier. Instead, let it dry for a while before you put it back in its holder.

I learned a great trick for this from a woman who cleaned professionally for years! Just prop your wet toilet brush between the bowl and the toilet seat, so that the brush is suspended over the water. Any drips will go right into the toilet, and the brush will be dry in no time!

7. Using Dirty Sponges

Kitchen sponges can be a hotbed for bacterial growth, which is why it’s so important to replace them regularly (about every other week). Cleaning your sponge can also help eliminate the most harmful strains of bacteria. To clean your sponge, pop it in your dishwasher with a heated dry cycle, or get it wet and microwave it for a minute.

Questions or concerns about cleaning your kitchen sponge? Check out this helpful article on NPR that clears up some of the misinformation that has been floating around on this particular topic.

8. Using Too Much Detergent

Using more detergent in your washing machine won’t necessarily yield cleaner clothes. In fact, it could product the opposite effect! Using too much detergent for your washer or load size will make it less likely that your clothes get properly rinsed during the rinse cycle.

The detergent residue that lingers in the fibers of your clothes can attract dirt and grime, leaving them dirtier than ever! So make sure to follow the detergent recommendations on your detergent bottle and in your washing machine’s user manual.

9. Neglecting Your Reusable Bags

Reusable bags that you use at the grocery store can collect food bacteria overtime. Failing to clean those bags properly can lead to the spread of bacteria, and no one wants that! To clean your reusable bags, either wash them in your washing machine on a gentle cycle, or spray them inside and out with hydrogen peroxide and let dry.

Do you know of any other counterproductive cleaning “mistakes” that could be included in this list?

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Does anyone else find the experience of pulling warm, fluffy laundry out of their dryer oddly luxurious? Sometimes I’m tempted to skip folding altogether and carry it over to my recliner chair, use my warm laundry as a blanket, and grab a nice midday nap!

Unfortunately, not every load comes out of the dryer warm and fluffy. Some loads become hopelessly tangled together during the process, which results in damp pockets that require additional drying time.

I used to struggle with this regularly and was frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to prevent those troublesome laundry clumps. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I finally corrected my mistake by discovering the wonders of dryer balls.

In this post, I’ll share why relying on dryer sheets alone was my biggest dryer mistake, and how dryer balls were the fix I never knew I needed. If you’ve been having dryer woes of your own, you’ll soon know exactly how dryer balls can help solve them!

7 Of The Best Reasons To Use Dryer Balls In Your Dryer

1. They Cut Down Your Drying Time

Adding wool dryer balls to a load of laundry often drops your drying time by 10 to 25%, depending on your fabric type and load size. As the balls tumble around, they separate layers of damp fabric and create small pockets of air throughout the load, so heat can circulate freely instead of getting trapped inside twisted towels and tangled sheets.

Faster drying times reduce your energy costs over time, and they’re especially noticeable on heavy loads like towels, sheets, and comforters. Shorter cycles also mean less wear and tear on your dryer—and less heat and friction on your clothes—helping both last longer.

Read More: How to Make Your Laundry Dry Faster (Without Buying a New Dryer)

“My dryer heating element is going out, and I was desperate for some drying help while I get the dryer figured out, and guess what? Yep, you guessed right, the dryer balls make a HUGE difference in the time it takes my dryer to dry. I was skeptical at first, but I was desperate, and Jillee is the real deal and true to her word! I am so happy!”

Darleen

2. They Prevent Static Cling

Static forms in your dryer when friction between dry fabrics produces an electrostatic charge. Because wool dryer balls naturally hold onto moisture, they keep the air inside the dryer from getting bone-dry—so less static forms in the first place. This is most noticeable in dry winter air, when there’s already very little humidity to work with.

That said, if you live somewhere with especially dry air, the dryer balls alone may not knock out every last bit of static. The good news is that a couple of simple tweaks can give them a real boost:

• Soak your dryer balls: Before adding them to the dryer, soak a few balls under running water while squeezing them lightly to make sure they’re fully saturated (but not dripping wet). As the water evaporates during drying, it increases the humidity inside the dryer, which helps prevent static buildup—and the effect lasts throughout the drying cycle.
• Add safety pins: Pinning one or two metal safety pins to your dryer balls can help prevent static by attracting extra electrons and discharging them as the pins make contact with the drum.

“These have to be the best dryer balls. My clothes and towels come out soft and static-free. I have used other dryer balls before, and I still had static with my clothes and towels, but with yours, I don’t have static, and clothes come out soft.”

Cecilia

3. They Leave Everything Softer And Fluffier

Have you ever pulled a towel off the clothesline only to find it stiff and crunchy? That happens because the fibers dry flat and matted together when nothing is moving them around.

Wool dryer balls prevent that. As they bounce through your load, they keep the fabric tumbling and fluff the fibers back up so they don’t dry flat. The result is laundry that comes out softer and fluffier with no fabric softener required—a difference you’ll notice most on towels, blankets, and bedding.

“Not sure how I did laundry without ’em all these years! ALL my laundry comes out softer and fluffier than ever – without pilling.”

Molly

4. They Smooth Out Wrinkles

Wrinkles set when damp fabric bunches up, and the dryer’s heat presses the folds into place. Dryer balls keep your laundry separated and tumbling freely instead of twisting into one big wet knot. The result is far fewer wrinkles and a lot less time spent ironing.

“My dryer is famous for wrinkling all my clothes. These dryer balls really do the trick. My clothes come out almost wrinkle-free.”

Sharon

5. They Don’t Contribute To Residue Buildup

Dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners work by coating fabrics in a thin layer of chemical softeners. That waxy coating builds up on your laundry over time, leading to skin irritation, towels that don’t absorb as well, clothing that doesn’t breathe, and even mold and mildew growth.

That residue isn’t just an issue for your laundry, either—it builds up on your dryer’s lint screen, restricting airflow and creating a potential fire hazard.

Dryer balls sidestep all of it because they’re simply made of wool, so there’s no coating or residue to leave behind.

Read More: These Simple Dryer Tips Can Help Prevent A Fire

“I have a new dryer, and the lint filter has been a nightmare that had to be cleaned every week with hot water and Dawn. A friend told me the buildup was from dryer sheets. I got these wool balls and stopped using the dryer sheets, and I no longer have the gummy buildup.”

Susan

6. They’re Free Of Harmful Chemicals And Irritants

A set of 100% wool dryer balls doesn’t contain complicated ingredients or anything that could irritate sensitive skin. That’s a real advantage over dryer sheets and fabric softeners, which often get their scent from undisclosed synthetic “fragrance” blends. Those fragrances are a common trigger for allergies, skin irritation, and headaches.

But you don’t have to choose between fresh-smelling laundry and your health. Just apply 3–4 drops of my Freshly Washed Essential Oil Blend to a few dryer balls before you start the cycle. It leaves a light, natural, clean-laundry scent—without the overwhelming perfume that many store-bought softeners leave behind.

If you’d like a stronger, longer-lasting aroma, try these simple tricks:

• Let it absorb first: Allow the oil to soak into the dryer balls for 1–2 minutes before tossing them in.
• Adjust the amount: Start with 2–3 drops per dryer ball for a light scent. Increase to 5–6 drops for a stronger aroma, but don’t overdo it, to avoid oil stains.
• Apply at the right time: For a scent that lingers, add Freshly Washed to your dryer balls during the last 10–15 minutes of the cool-down cycle.
• Try a cool-air boost: Dry your laundry as usual, then apply essential oil to your dryer balls, toss them in with the dry clothes, and run a 5–10 minute cool-air cycle to help the scent cling to fabrics.
• Store for freshness: Keep unused infused dryer balls in a sealed container or bag between laundry cycles to help retain the scent.

Read More: Here’s What Your Dryer Sheets Are Really Doing to Your Clothes (and Your Skin)

“I love how my laundry feels and smells now. The scent is fresh and natural, not overpowering like store-bought products. My sensitive-skin family members haven’t had any reactions!”

Linda

7. They’re Reusable And Cost-Effective

A set of dryer balls is a “one and done” purchase, as opposed to dryer sheets that you have to buy repeatedly over time. A single set lasts about 1,000 loads, so you can reuse them for years to come. So you’ll cut back on waste from single-use items and save money in the long run.

“I decided to try these felt dryer balls as a substitute for commercial dryer sheets. Boy, am I glad I did! They help dry my clothes and minimize wrinkles without heavy perfume. They will be a money saver as I won’t have to buy dryer sheets anymore.”

Nicole

Ready To Make The Switch?

If you’re ready to ditch dryer sheets and make your laundry routine gentler (and a whole lot more efficient), these are the exact products I use and recommend:

• Wool Dryer Balls · 6 Pack: A reusable, natural alternative to dryer sheets that helps cut drying time, reduce static, and leave your laundry softer.
• Freshly Washed Essential Oil Blend: My favorite bright, citrusy blend for naturally fresh-smelling laundry.
• Laundry Kit: The easiest way to get started! It includes Wool Dryer Balls, Freshly Washed, and my How To Wash Everything eBook.

And there’s no better time to try them! My Summer Cleaning Sale is on now, where you’ll save 30% on both Wool Dryer Balls and Freshly Washed. But if you want the biggest savings, grab my Laundry Kit for 40% off!

Ready to make the switch to naturally fresh laundry?

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

I know, I know… the subject of today’s post sounds pretty disgusting! But just bear with me here, because I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. :-)

Today I’ll be sharing some useful tips for putting expired foods to good use. But before we get started, I want to be very clear about what I mean when I say “expired.” (Spoiler Alert: “Expired” does not mean “rotten!”)

Defining “Expired” Foods

For the purpose of this post, I am using the term “expired” to describe a food that is past the expiration, use-by, or sell-by date.

There is almost always a certain amount of time between a food’s expiration date and the date when it actually goes bad and becomes unusable. That in-between time is your window of opportunity to put that food item to good use!

So how do you know when a food has gone from “old but still usable” to downright rotten? Trust your senses of sight and smell! If the color or texture has changed dramatically, go ahead and throw it out. Likewise, if it smells bad or dramatically different from how it used to smell, throw it out.

Okay, so now that we’re all on the same page here, let’s get to it.

9 Useful Ways to Use Expired Foods

1. Mayonnaise

Use old mayonnaise to shine up your stainless steel appliances. It sounds strange, but the oil content in the mayo will really make your stainless steel sparkle! Check out more interesting uses for mayo at the link below.

Related: 17 Surprisingly Clever Uses For Mayonnaise

2. Greek Yogurt

You can use past-its-prime Greek yogurt to make an exfoliating face mask. Greek yogurt is packed with lactic acid, which helps exfoliate dead skin cells to reveal brighter skin underneath.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply the mixture to your face in an even layer, let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash it off with warm water.

3. Ground Coffee

If your ground coffee has gotten stale, you can still put it to good use as a face scrub! Coffee is packed with antioxidants and has an astringent effect, a combination that can help nourish and tone your skin.

Just mix your stale ground coffee with enough milk to form a paste. Rub the coffee paste onto your skin for a minute or so, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then rinse clean.

4. Milk

Have a carton of milk that’s started to go sour? Use it for baking! Add it to cakes, biscuits, waffles, and pancakes for a dose of added flavor. Slightly soured milk can be used as a substitute for buttermilk in a lot of baked goods and they turn out delicious.

You can read more about baking with expired milk at The Spruce Eats.

5. Wilted Herbs & Veggies

Have fresh herbs or veggies in your fridge that have started to look a little sad or wilted? Instead of tossing them out, store them in your freezer to make homemade vegetable or chicken stock later. Learn how easy it is to make your own homemade stocks below.

Related: How to Make Homemade Veggie Stock the Lazy Way

6. Brown Sugar

I can’t even count how many times I’ve gone to grab my brown sugar and realized that it had hardened into a brick. I used to believe that made the sugar unusable, but now I know better—you can use your blender to revive hard brown sugar.

Just pulse the brown sugar in your blender a few times until it softens up. You may need to add a few drops of water to help break up any very hard clumps.

7. Bread

Stale bread isn’t very pleasant to eat, but it’s great for making homemade croutons. Just cut up a few pieces of stale bread, toss them in a bit of olive oil, add your favorite seasonings, and bake until brown and crispy. Then use them in your favorite salad recipes for added crunch. We like putting them in soup, too!

8. Eggs

If you have some old eggs on hand, hang on to the shells. Eggshells are great for your garden because they’re rich in calcium and other minerals.

Just crush them up into tiny pieces and sprinkle them around your established plants. You can also sprinkle eggshells into the bottom of holes while you’re planting to give seedlings a boost.

Related: 8 Smart Reasons You Should Be Keeping Your Eggshells

9. Avocado

Who among us hasn’t waited a moment too long to use an avocado? While an overly-ripe avocado might not taste great, it’s not a problem if you’re using it as a moisturizing treatment for your hair.

Smash up an avocado in a bowl and apply it to wet or dry hair. Let it sit for an hour, then wash it out with your normal shampoo and conditioner. Your hair will look silky smooth and moisturized afterward!

Related: 11 Beauty Hacks From Back in the Day That Everyone Should Know

What’s your best tip for using less-than-fresh foods?

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Whether you’re living on a shoestring budget or simply trying to spend responsibly, you can never have too many money-saving tricks up your sleeve. In this post, we’ll explore the “30/30 rule,” a simple rule for spending that can help you avoid impulsive purchases you might eventually regret.

Jillee’s Take:

This spending rule is less about *what* you buy and more about *when* you buy things. Simply waiting to decide whether to buy something can help you make a more mindful and responsible choice.

What Is the 30/30 Rule?

The rule is simple: when considering a purchase over $30, wait at least 30 hours before deciding. Much like putting something in your virtual shopping cart and leaving it there for a while, the 30/30 rule gives you time to consider whether the thing you want to buy is worth the money.

After 30 hours, you may not feel as strongly about the item as you did before, in which case you’ll have saved money (and potentially some buyer’s remorse!) And if you still want the item after 30 hours, you can then purchase it with a degree of confidence.

You can tweak the 30/30 rule to work for more costly purchases, too. For items over $100, challenge yourself to wait 30 days instead of 30 hours. You’ll either lose interest in the item before the wait is over, or you’ll be able to purchase that big-ticket item confidently and responsibly.

If your finances could use some cleanup after the holidays, the 30/30 rule is a simple tip that can go a long way!

What’s your best tip for spending money wisely?

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