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http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Welcome to a column from The Financial Diet, one of our very favorite sites, dedicated to money and everything it touches. One of the best ways to take charge of your financial life is through food and cooking. This column from TFD founders Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage will help you be better with money, thanks to the kitchen. A version of this post originally appeared on The Financial Diet.

A few summers ago, I was bored one day and decided I would figure out how to lighten my hair at home. I didn’t feel like buying anything, so I quickly looked up some DIY recipes and settled on the first one I came across that involved ingredients I already had. That ended up being a combination of honey, olive oil, and cinnamon. I applied a thick layer to my hair, wrapped it up in plastic wrap, wrapped it in a towel when the plastic wrap failed to keep the goop from running down my forehead and the back of my neck, waited 30 minutes, and rinsed it out in the shower. Guess what? It did not lighten my hair, and it took several washes for it to come out all the way. It also ruined a perfectly good white towel. (At least it smelled good, and made my hair extra shiny.)

Needless to say, I am no DIY queen. I love the idea of making fancy, complicated home products on my own, but that ends up manifesting itself in me making a hasty decision to try making something after doing very little research on what would actually work best. For example, I once tried to fix a rampant fruit fly problem in my kitchen by making some DIY traps that ended up just making the problem worse. I have never gotten into making my own beauty products because it seems like a bit too much effort, even though many people swear by them. I’ve known several people who’ve found a ton more DIY success than I have.

However, there are several “DIY” products that I’ve made work for me time and again. I say DIY in quotes, because they’re all things that can be used on their own, for many purposes beyond their “intended use” — like apple cider vinegar as a face toner, or coconut oil as a makeup remover. It’s a huge plus when I already own something for cooking purposes, and then find out I can use it for several other things. I’ve put together the following list of products you likely already own that do simple, everyday things either all on their own, or in combination with just one or two other products. Doing It Yourself should be accessible to anyone, so if you’re low on time or patience, these handy products can make your life a little easier with very little effort. Enjoy!

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