Even doing a simple thing like your laundry can save you money -- if you do it right. Most of us use too much detergent.
"If you don't measure you could risk using too much, you'll end up with residue and poor rinsing in your clothes and even a hard-to-remove residue in your machine," said Carolyn Forte of Good Housekeeping.
The home care director at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute says that's not as easy as it sounds. The measuring lines inside the cap are not always easy to read -- but in general it's one for medium load, two for a large load. If you have a newer front loading or lower water usage machine, consider using h-e or high efficiency detergent.
"Those detergents are formulated to work better in less water, so you really shouldn't just use less of your regular detergent. Use this special detergent and still measure," said Forte.
Another option is the newer detergents -- like single dose laundry sheets and a pump dispenser. Those will save you money by helping you use the right amount of detergent and taking the guess work out of laundry.
