Stop Spending Money on Products You Can Make Yourself!

Your wallet is bleeding out. Every week you’re buying cleaning products, beauty items, or thinking about gift ideas. Plastic bottles pile up. Your bank account shrinks. And you’re left wondering why you’re paying $5 for an all-purpose cleaner that costs about 75 cents to make at home.

I know this feeling. Standing in the store, staring at yet another fancy bottle of something I could make in five minutes. The guilt of plastic waste. The sting of the price tag. Then I realized something most people don’t: you’re not actually saving time by buying store-bought. You’re just… paying more for someone else’s easy solution.

What if I told you there’s a tool that shows you exactly how much you’re overpaying? That’s what I built.

The Truth About DIY vs Store-Bought

Here’s the reality that nobody talks about. Store-bought cleaning products cost you money three ways. You pay the price on the bottle. You pay with plastic waste in the environment. You pay with chemicals you can’t pronounce.

The DIY version? Costs a fraction of that. An all-purpose cleaner costs $5 at the store. Making your own costs about 75 cents. Do that 12 times a year and you’re looking at $60 spent on store-bought versus $9 on DIY. That’s not a saving. That’s a steal.

But here’s what really bothers me about this math. Most people don’t actually know how much they could save. They guess. They assume. They feel too intimidated to actually try.

Meet the DIY vs Store-Bought Cost Analyzer

I created a tool to take the guesswork out of this. You pick a product—could be a cleaning spray, a body butter, or a handmade gift. You enter what you’re currently spending on store-bought versions. You tell it how often you make (or would make) the product. Then it shows you the real numbers.​

The tool breaks down three categories. Cleaning products like all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, even laundry detergent. Beauty items including face scrubs, body butter, lip balms, and hair masks. DIY gifts like scented candles, handmade soap, bath salts, and sugar scrub sets.​

Each one shows you the annual savings. The savings percentage. What you’d save over five years. And the environmental impact of ditching store-bought in favor of homemade.​

Try it yourself here: DIY vs Store-Bought Cost Analyzer

How to Use the Calculator (Step-by-Step)

Here’s exactly how to use the tool. Takes less than 60 seconds to see your potential savings.​

Step 1: Choose Your Category
Click one of the three tabs at the top. Cleaning for household products. Beauty for skincare and self-care items. Gifts for handmade presents. Start with whichever category you’re most curious about.​

Step 2: Select Your Product
Use the dropdown menu to pick what you want to make. Say you’re in the Cleaning category. You’ll see options like All-Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Laundry Detergent, and Dish Soap. Pick one.​

Step 3: Enter the Store-Bought Price
Type in what you currently pay for the store-bought version. If your all-purpose cleaner costs $5 at the store, enter 5.00. Be honest with yourself here. Check your last receipt if you’re not sure.​

Step 4: Enter How Often You’d Make It
Put in how many times per year you’d make this product. Most people make cleaning products monthly (12 times). Beauty items might be quarterly (4 times). Gifts depend on how many people you’re gifting to.​

Step 5: Click “Calculate DIY Savings”
Hit the purple button at the bottom. The calculator instantly shows you the breakdown. DIY cost versus store-bought cost. Annual savings. Five-year savings. Environmental impact.​

The tool also shows you the exact recipe. Ingredients you need. Time it takes to make. Cost per batch. Everything you need to actually start making it today.​

The Numbers Are Honestly Wild

Let me walk you through what happens when you actually use this tool.​

Say you use a basic all-purpose cleaner. Store-bought costs $5. DIY costs $0.75. You make it 12 times a year. Here’s what you’re looking at:​

Store-bought annually: $60
DIY annually: $9
Annual savings: $51

That’s an 85% savings. Over five years, you’ve saved $255 from one single cleaning product.​

Now multiply that. What if you also make your own window cleaner? Your own body butter? What if you give handmade gifts instead of buying them? The savings compound.​

I’ve seen people use this calculator and realize they could save $200 to $500 yearly just by making products they’re already buying. And that’s before you factor in the environmental wins.​

Why the Environment Actually Cares About Your DIY Choices

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about seeing the actual impact.​

Every time you make your own all-purpose cleaner instead of buying one, that’s one less plastic bottle. Multiply that by 12 times a year and you’re removing 12 bottles from the waste stream annually. Over five years, that’s 60 fewer plastic bottles taking up space in landfills or oceans.​

The chemical piece matters too. Store-bought cleaning products often contain ingredients designed to be strong and industrial. Most people don’t read the labels. They just spray and hope it works. DIY versions use simple, recognizable ingredients. Vinegar. Water. Essential oils. Things you’d actually let your kids be around.​

For beauty products, you skip the synthetic fragrances and preservatives that sit on the skin for hours. For gifts, you create something personal using ingredients you chose yourself. It’s not just cheaper. It’s actually better.​

What You’ll Actually Make

The tool gives you the recipe for everything. Here’s what’s included in each category.​

Cleaning Products:
All-purpose cleaner needs one cup white vinegar, one cup water, and ten drops of essential oil. Five minutes and you’re done. Window cleaner is even simpler—two cups water, quarter cup vinegar, half teaspoon dish soap, ten drops lemon oil. Laundry detergent and dish soap recipes are there too.​

Beauty Items:
Face scrub is literally half cup sugar, quarter cup coconut oil, and ten drops essential oil mixed together. Body butter takes maybe 20 minutes with shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils. Lip balm needs beeswax, coconut oil, and peppermint oil. Hair mask is an avocado, some coconut oil, and honey from your kitchen.​

DIY Gifts:
Scented candles use soy wax, wicks, and essential oils. Handmade soap needs a soap base, essential oils, and colorant. Bath salts combine Epsom salt, sea salt, and essential oils. Sugar scrub gift sets are sugar, coconut oil, and your choice of oils. All beginner-friendly.​

The Real Benefit Isn’t Just the Money

Yes, you save money. That’s the obvious one. But there’s something else that happens when you start making your own products.​

You realize how simple these things actually are. That expensive face cream? Sugar, oil, and maybe an essential oil. That “premium” cleaner? Vinegar and water. You realize companies have been selling you complexity and packaging when the actual product is almost free to make.​

It builds confidence. You start thinking about what else you’re overpaying for. You get curious. You become the person who makes things instead of just buying things.​

And honestly? That’s the cheaper way that actually matters.​

Common Questions About DIY Products

How long do homemade products actually last?
Most last 1 to 3 months when stored properly in a clean container. Cleaning products typically last longer than beauty items because they don’t have the same spoilage concerns. Label everything with the date you made it.​

What if I mess up the recipe?
You won’t. These recipes are forgiving. Even if you add a bit too much of something, the product still works. The worst case scenario is it’s slightly less effective or smells different than you expected.​

Do I need special equipment?
No. A mixing bowl, a spoon, and some clean containers are all you need. Most of us already have these in our kitchens.​

Can I really save that much money?
The calculator shows you the exact numbers for your situation. But yes, most people save between $100 to $500 yearly once they’re making multiple products consistently.​

Is it worth the time commitment?
Most of these products take 5 to 45 minutes to make. You do it once a month or once a quarter. Compare that to a weekly shopping trip where you’re buying store-bought versions. You’re actually saving time overall.​

Start Today

The DIY vs Store-Bought Cost Analyzer is there. Free. Ready to show you exactly how much money you’re leaving on the table every time you buy store-bought cleaning products, beauty items, or gifts.​

Put in your actual numbers. See your actual savings. Then decide. Most people who run the numbers end up trying at least one DIY product. And most of those people never look back.​

Your wallet will thank you. Your environment will too.​

Have you ever made your own cleaning products or beauty items? What was the biggest surprise when you tried DIY for the first time? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear your story.