1 Vinegar + 4 Water = 5x Savings

A gallon of vinegar will cost you $2 to $3. A plastic spray bottle from a dollar store will cost you $1. Four gallons of water has a negligible price. Why do we so readily shell out up to $5 for "natural" cleaners?

If you go the vinegar cleaner route, you're spending around $4 for 20 times the amount you get from a spray bottle of natural cleaner. Vinegar is non-toxic, anti-bacterial, and extremely effective at cleaning adhesives and grease.

So why isn't everyone clamouring to use vinegar? Why isn't the cost of household cleaners being driven down? Because, mixing vinegar with water is too much of a pain for most people. However, how much time does it take to purchase 20 bottles of household cleaner?

Picture yourself right now getting into your car, going to the grocery store, walking down the aisles, putting the cleaner in your car, going to the cashier, taking out your credit card, putting bags into your car... etc. Not fun.

What would be your reaction be if you saw a household cleaner on the shelves that was labeled Natural Vinegar and Water Cleaner? If someone were to effectively market this, they'd make a fortune.

The point here isn't really to talk about vinegar or household cleaners, it's that there are certain things that we spend money on that give us less value and cost us more time. Replacing this type of waste with better alternatives will bring you more happiness.

UPDATE: A gallon of vinegar was on sale this week for $1.67.