A SINGLE mum who became a millionaire thanks to her thrifty lifestyle has shared some of her top household tips.
Serina Bird, 47, from Canberra, Australia, began working at a discount store age 15, and through her frugal lifestyle has been able to save a literal fortune.
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And over the years in order to save as much money as possible the mum has come up with some seriously thrifty yet nifty household tips.
Here we share some of Serina’s most ingenious hacks that will cost you next to nothing…
Use newspaper to clean mirrors
The 47-year-old says that newspaper is the best tool for getting mirrors sparkling clean.
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Simply scrunch it into a ball and wipe the surface – you can wet it for any stubborn stains if needed.
Writing on her lifestyle blog The Joyful Frugalista, Serina says: “You might think that since you get black ink all over your hands when you touch newspapers that it would leave streaks on mirrors. Not so.
“It is actually amazingly effective at getting off grubby marks and leaving mirrors sparkling clean.”
Toothpaste is an excellent shower cleaner
Forget fancy bathroom sprays, Serina says that toothpaste is the most effective way to get your shower sparkling clean.
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She explains on her blog that you should pour half a teaspoon of shampoo combined with half a centremetre of toothpaste onto a damp cloth.
Use circular motions to scrub the shower screen before washing off with warm water.
Serina says you should do this regularly to avoid a buildup of soap scum.
Make your own washing powder
Washing detergents can be very pricey but Serina has shared her own unique recipe for making your own.
All you will need is…
1 bar pure soap (grated)
1 cup washing soda
2 cups bicarbonate of soda
up to 20 drops of eucalyptus oil, or if your budget can extend to it, lavender oil
Simply bung all the ingredients in a food processor and voila – you have a homemade detergent ready to go!
Use salt to clean red wine stains
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Red wine on the carpet? No problem! Serina has a trick for that too.
She says you should at first clear the liquid up as much as possible using paper towels before applying plenty of salt to the affected area, rubbing it in vigorously.
Serina says you should then leave the stain to dry overnight before vacuuming it up – the stain should have completely vanished.
Washing up liquid is a great stain remover
Stubborn stains are a pain when it comes to laundry, but Serina says there is no need to splash out on pricey stain removers.
She says that washing up liquid works just as well.
Writing on her blog, she said: “One of the best pre-wash stain removers for greasy things is dishwashing liquid. I pour a little bit on, rub it in, then wash as normal.”
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In other money-saving news, this bloke bagged £70 of fresh food at the supermarket and made it last six months.
And we also shared how a mum feeds her family-of-four for £1.50 each a day and shares her monthly meal plan so you can too.
Plus a woman bags massive Tesco grocery haul for just £11.92 thanks to yellow stickers, then gets slammed for being ‘greedy’.
