Do This!

Cut your bottles!

If you want to make it count and pinch those pennies, cutting bottles is a must. Honestly the stuff that gets stuck in those hard-to-squeeze-out places can last me from a few extra days to a week or more! I do this for diaper creams, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, etc.

The way I cut it generally depends on what it is. Tubes of diaper cream get cut in to strips, because it's easier for me. I grab a strip, rub my finger on the inside to get any cream that is sticking to it, and use what comes off. One strip usually has enough cream on it to cover one diaper change. Sometimes it can take or three. Chunky bottles like shampoo, conditioners, or lotion get cut in half, right through the middle. I use my fingers to pull up any lotion that sticks to the bottom or top (and trust me, there's always a lot).

This is where I store the "leftover" diaper cream. It's in a little diaper changing station-bin-thing by our bedside. Keeps it convenient .

There are a couple downsides: it's messy. After I cut it, I clean my scissors and then store the cut containers in bags. This keeps them from leaking all over or drying out. You also need to exercise caution because cut edges can be sharp! My husband hates using these "leftovers", so I always have the new bottle ready to go for him while I finagle with the messy stuff.

So okay, it may seem like a big effort for little reward. But I've done it so long now that it's just habit. All of these things you do now to save money are going to be so rewarding in the future. Using up the products we buy to their fullest extent is best for your wallet and best for the environment. If the bottles are not able to be reused, it only makes sense to squeeze out every last drop.