These Summertime Hacks Will Save You Time & Money

What it is: Sand-proof beach blanket 
What You’ll Need: Fitted sheet
Estimated Cost to Make: $14.99*

Most of us have a few extra fitted sheets lying around. Take one or two to the beach, and it’ll help keep the sand away from your things. Make sure to turn the corners of the fitted sheet up before placing your cooler and items away from the sand.

thekrazycouponlady/Twitter.com

The raised corners of the fitted sheet will help keep sand away. Also, fitted sheets are usually larger than your average beach towel, so you’ll have a lot of room for picnicking and laying out. Need an extra? On Amazon, the Bare Home brand sells them for just $14.99.   

What it is: Sunburn relief 
What You’ll Need: Aloe vera plant/lotion, ice cube tray or oven tray, freezer
Estimated Cost to Make: $5* 

If you haven’t got an aloe vera plant handy, then shame on you. Every house should have one. These plants are amazing for all sorts of reasons. Not only do they help with various skin complaints, but the juice can even be good for the digestive system. 

Aloe Vera Ice Cubes @casper479feil54068289 / Pinterest.com

If you don’t have a plant, then just pop into a store like Walmart and buy some aloe lotion or juice. If you’ve got the plant, you can chop it up into squares, put it on a tray, and freeze the cubes to create soothing, instant sunburn relief that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Juice or lotion can be poured into ice cube molds and frozen that way!

What it is: A way to keep cool 
What You’ll Need: A freezer 
Estimated Cost to Make: Free 

Yes, it sounds bizarre, but when the temperatures soar and you’re desperately trying to stay cool, you’ll take anything you can get. Believe it or not, there are those out there that swear by sticking clothes in the freezer before putting them on. 

Freeze Your Clothes @onecountry / Pinterest.com

In theory, it’s supposed to offer relief for a short time before they get warm again. Some people even suggest sticking sheets in the freezer before going to bed so that you can slide between them and have a better chance at getting some shuteye on a hot summer night. 

What it is: A way to find a hole in the floatie and fix it 
What You’ll Need: Soapy water, spritz bottle, tape 
Estimated Cost to Make: $10* 

There’s no bigger summer buzzkill than a hole in your pool floatie. If you’re trying to enjoy a nice day floating around in the pool, a hole in the floatie can definitely ruin those plans. You might know there’s a hole, but it can be hard to locate, especially on a large floatie.

©2mmedia/stock.adobe.com

Finding the leak is easy. Just spray the floatie down with soapy water. Do a couple of square feet at a time, and the air leaking through the hole will create soap bubbles. Once you’ve found the culprit, just patch up the hole with waterproof tape. 

What it is: A tray for condiments 
What You’ll Need: A muffin tray 
Estimated Cost to Make: $11.99*

Muffin trays are wonderful things that most of us have lingering in our cupboards anyway. However, we’re all guilty of only using them for cakes or other items like that, when we’ve been missing a trick. 

Ingredients/Condiment Holder ©exclusive-design/stock.adobe.com

Next time you have a meal out in the garden, don’t waste time putting out all the condiment bottles on the table. Just squirt some of each one into the different compartments on a muffin tray and serve. It’s easy to clean and easy to carry, making this a total game-changer that we won’t forget in a hurry. 

What it is: A way to remove hair from corn 
What You’ll Need: Toothbrush
Estimated Cost to Make: $1* 

Everyone knows that corn is a key element to any successful barbecue, the fresher the better. If you love peeling ears of corn but get annoyed at having to get all the corn silk off, then look no further than your bathroom cabinet. 

©/stock.adobe.com

Toothbrushes reportedly do a stellar job at getting off all the leftover corn silk that you can’t see with the naked eye. That way, you can quite easily prep the corn for the grill without having to take a long time picking all the strands off. It’s simple, but it works. 

What it is: New way to peel mangos 
What You’ll Need: Glass, mango
Estimated Cost to Make: $2-$4* 

Youtuber @CrazyRussianHacker figured out a great new way to peel a mango. The way to eat summer’s most delicious fruit (move over, watermelon) is to use a glass. First, cut the fruit along the pit. Then, use the edge of the glass to separate the peel from the fruit. Place the rim at the place where the skin and fruit meet and push the mango down the side.

Mango Hack @instructables/Twitter.com

The skin will come off in one piece, not wasting any part of the mango. This food hack is one of many food hacks that have made us realize that there are way easier ways to go about enjoying delicious snacks. Thank you, YouTube.   

What it is: Way to protect against pit stains 
What You’ll Need: Pantyliners 
Estimated Cost to Make: $5.49* 

Summer might bring fun and sun, but it also brings sweat, and pit stains on your clothes are not a good look. If you want to keep your clothes sweat-stain-free in a non-noticeable way, use thin panty liners. Just attach a liner to the shirt’s armpit area. The liner will absorb the sweat, keeping your shirt stain-free.

Pantyliner Pit Protector @krazycouponlady / Pinterest.com

If you have to get sweat stains out of the shirt before then, don’t worry, as that’s a cheap fix too. Presoak the stained clothing in baking soda and warm water. Let the clothing soak overnight, and then wash them as usual.  

What it is: Solution for chlorine hair 
What You’ll Need: Lemonade Kool-Aid 
Estimated Cost to Make: $5* 

Any blonde person will tell you that chlorine can do weird things to the hair, making it turn slightly green. Luckily, this is just a build-up of the chemical and can be easily reversed with a surprising product: Lemonade Kool-Aid. 

©Halfpoint/stock.adobe.com

Mix a sachet of the sweet stuff in with your shampoo and lather, rinse, repeat. You’ll be amazed at what it can do to remedy the situation. In no time at all, you’ll be back to your glorious blonde shade, minus the strange emerald tint. It’s a trick that you’ll pass down to your grandkids. 

What it is: DIY party chip bowl 
What You’ll Need: Bag of chips 
Estimated Cost to Make: $2.68*

Nothing tastes better in the summer than a refreshing, crunchy bite of some chips and salsa. However, if you’re out partying outside, you might have forgotten to bring the bowls. Not to worry, as there’s a way to make a DIY chip bowl out of a chip bag.

Makeshift Chip Bowls @tsalemi67 / Pinterest.com

First, fold the top edge of the bag. Then, start rolling the bag’s bottom corners into the base of the bag, pushing up the chips as you go. In the end, you’ll end up with a DIY chip bowl, with the chips overflowing and ready to be eaten, no dishware needed. 

What it is: Wallet protector 
What You’ll Need: Diaper 
Estimated Cost to Make: $1* 

Going to the beach is excellent, we all know that. But, figuring out a way to keep your belongings secure isn’t. Thieves often operate at beaches because everyone is busy having fun and is already distracted. A lot of families take turns going in the water, which is advisable. 

Diaper Wallet Protector @marinaasenova / Pinterest.com

However, if you’ve got a spare clean diaper you might want to consider this idea instead. Wrap your wallet and keys up in one. Not only does it protect them from sand and stray water, but any thief isn’t going to want to touch it with a barge pole.

What it is: Spiral cutting hot dogs for optimal taste 
What You’ll Need: Long wooden skewer, hot dogs 
Estimated Cost to Make: $10* 

Hot dogs are the perennial summer food, and there’s nothing better after a long, hot day in the sun than biting into a hot dog topped with your favorite condiments. However, what if we told you there was a way to kick your grill game into a new gear?

Cook the Best Grilled Hot Dogs @sweetcebolla / Pinterest.com

The spiral cut is the way to go when it comes to hot dogs. Skewer the hot dogs before you cook, creating a spiral cut. This creates more of a surface area on the hot dog, which leads to more caramelization. There is also more space for your condiments to settle in. 

What it is: Way to score deals and beat the summer rush
What You’ll Need: Coke
Estimated Cost to Make: N/A

This handy trick is supposedly a good one for fishing enthusiasts. Catch and release is the best way to fish unless you’re looking for a meal. However, it’s a sad reality that some fish end up a little worse for wear when they’re thrown back. 

Coke for Fishing @drowningworms/Pinterest

Several websites claim that pouring Coke on a fish’s gills after removing the hook will stop the bleeding and give the fish a better shot when it’s back in the water. Some fishermen swear by it, while others believe it doesn’t do anything at all. 

What it is: Slide from the roof 
What You’ll Need: Pool liner/plastic sheeting 
Estimated Cost to Make: $20* 

We would like to point out that we don’t recommend this as it could be very dangerous, but it’s simply too interesting to be left out. Homemade slip and slides have been around for years, but it’s not every day you see someone making one on the roof of their house. 

Rooftop Slip and Slide @summere / Pinterest.com

Using a pool liner or plastic sheeting, this daredevil decided to set up the ultimate slide for adults. Let’s just hope the pool was deep enough and it wasn’t an instant belly flop, or that could have been all kinds of bad. It’s amazing what some people do for fun.