Use it up -- ALL of it

A Smart Spending message board reader reports that "empty" doesn't always mean "empty." Posting on a thread about general frugality tips, "Canoes" told about cutting open a depleted tube of lotion and scraping out up to an extra week's worth of product.

Boy, am I glad I'm not the only one who does this. 

Recently I got an extra five days' worth of toothpaste this way. In between uses I protected the cut-open tube inside a piece of wax paper that once held Ritz crackers. If I hadn't had any Ritz wrappers I'd probably have used one of my recycled plastic bags.

• Bing: How to make your own toothpaste

Another example: After I poured all that I could from a refill-sized bottle of liquid hand soap (bought on sale with a coupon), I added some water to the bottle and shook it. The even-more-liquid "soap" was used to do hand laundry. At the rate of two squirts of soap per bathroom-sink full of water, I was able to wash 28 garments -- which were, of course, dried on a rack.

Readers: How do you make sure you get the most out of cleaning products, toiletries and the like?

Published Feb. 10, 2009