Stretch With Quick Oats, Refresh Your Home for Free — Plus 3 More Ways To Save This Week

Some of the best money-saving ideas don’t involve spending less—they involve getting more from what you already have. Whether you’re repairing instead of replacing, making ingredients go further or finding new ways to enjoy your home, these small changes can add up over time.

Here are five practical ways to save money this week.

1. Repair a Screen Instead of Replacing It

A torn window screen doesn’t always mean you need a new one.

If the damage is relatively small, a patch can buy you plenty of extra life. One clever method involves placing a scrap piece of fiberglass screen over the hole. By sandwiching the repair between sheets of parchment paper and carefully applying a hot clothes iron, the fiberglass screen can be fused together into a durable patch.

This approach works only on fiberglass screens—not traditional aluminum screens—and it’s a good idea to test the technique on a scrap first before repairing a visible area.

For oversized or custom screens, repairing instead of replacing can save a surprising amount of money.

2. Let Quick Oats Stretch More Than Breakfast

Quick oats are among the least expensive ingredients at the grocery store, and they’re useful far beyond a morning bowl of oatmeal.

Adding uncooked quick oats to meatloaf, meatballs or hamburger patties helps stretch the meat while improving texture and helping everything hold together.

They’re also a great addition to quick breads like banana or apple bread. Mixing oats into the batter can stretch recipes, add fiber and create a soft, hearty texture.

As an added bonus, oats are rich in soluble fiber, making them a nutritious ingredient that supports heart health as part of an overall healthy diet.

3. Rearrange Your Home Before Buying Something New

Sometimes what you’re craving isn’t a purchase—it’s simply a change.

Before buying new décor, try moving things you already own.

A lamp in a different room, artwork on another wall or a favorite decoration in a new location can make your home feel refreshed without spending a dollar.

Even small changes can make a difference. Moving a wind chime to a window where you’ll hear it during the day or relocating a favorite chair to a new corner can make familiar spaces feel new again.

It’s a simple reminder to enjoy what you already have before shopping for something different.

4. Separate Essential and Discretionary Spending

If you’re trying to get a better handle on your budget, consider separating your spending.

One simple approach is to use one credit card for essential expenses like groceries, utilities and gasoline, and another for discretionary purchases such as dining out, entertainment and hobbies.

Seeing those totals separately each month can make spending patterns much easier to spot.

Of course, this strategy only works if you pay both balances in full every month. Otherwise, interest charges can quickly erase any budgeting benefits.

5. Create a “Repair First” Box

Instead of throwing damaged items into a closet or replacing them immediately, keep a small box for things that need simple repairs.

It might include:

• Clothing missing a button
• A loose cabinet knob
• A toy needing new batteries
• Shoes that need glue
• A picture frame with a loose hanger

Set aside 30 minutes once a month to work through the box.

Many repairs take only a few minutes, but completing them can save you from replacing perfectly usable items—or buying duplicates because you forgot something could be fixed.