10 tips for making your stuff last longer

I am a VERY frugal person and have been doing several of these things for years. They do indeed work.

1. Quit washing your jeans

How often do you wash your blue jeans? After each wearing? Once a week? Once a month? According to some enthusiasts, you're destroying what should-be a longtime love affair. Blogger Dr. Denim says the most enthusiastic denim lovers will wear their new jeans six months before the first washing, then three months before a second washing.

And these aren't washings as you might picture them. Carl Chiara of Levi Strauss and Co. told the Wall Street Journal that at the six-month mark, he soaks his jeans in the bathtub with some very mild soap and lets them air-dry. That's it.

There is also an environmental spin to this issue: The United Nations put out a video encouraging people to wash their jeans less often.

Heat, water and detergents can make those new jeans look old in a hurry, but that's not such a good thing when the goal is to increase the lifespan of your favorite denims.

2. Dry your razor blades

Among the most overpriced items on the pharmacy shelf, IMHO, is the razor blade. An 8-pack of Gillette Fusion 5-blade cartridges from Amazon costs $2.64 per cartridge. If you go through one every two weeks, you'll spend $68.58 in a year. If you could cut that in half, what would you do with the extra $34 in your pocket?

Could these savings be as simple as drying your blades after each use? Oxidation of the steel blade can dull the cutting edge quicker than wear and tear against your facial hair, and the bathroom is the perfect climate for oxidation: warm and moist. If you store your razor in the shower (guilty!), don't be surprised if you find those telltale specs of rust on your blade after only a few days.

To extend the life of your blade, dry it carefully after use (if you use a hair dryer, waft it over your razor, too) and store it in a drawer away from the sink and shower.

There are a number of devices on the market that promise to resharpen your blades, but little information on whether they really work or not. Have you tried one? What was your experience?

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