Buy 11 Products That Pay You Back

This was an article in a recent All You magazine, and although I haven't tested many of these products, they may be worth it to you to check out!

Faucet aerator

• Pays for itself in 10 days (save $73 per year)
• This simple device screws into your faucet and reduces the amount of water that flows out, saving you up to 50 gallons of water - and 20 cents - every day.
• Get it - Niagara Conservation 0.5-gallon-per-minute low-flow dual-thread faucet aerator - $2.00 - e3living.com

Battery charger

• Pays for itself in 6 uses (save $380 per year)
• This investment means you'll no longer have to shop for disposable batteries. The rechargeables last for about 40 charges.
• Get it - La Crosse Technology AlphaPower charger with eight rechargeable batteries - $60.00 - amazon.com
• My input - There are so many times you can get free batteries through rebates or Staples rewards, I'm not sure rechargeables are really worth the expense. I can't remember the last time we paid for batteries.

Cable alternative

• Pays for itself in one month (save $700 per year)
• The average cable customer hands over about $75 a month. Consider swapping your monthly bill for cheaper streaming subscriptions, and you can watch TV shows, movies, sports and news via the Internet. To make this work, first purchase subscriptions - the most popular are Netflix and Hulu Plus. Next, purchase a Roku box, which allows you to play streaming videos on your TV. If you already own a Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 or Netflix-enabled Blu-ray player, you don't need a Roku box.
• Get it - Netflix - $8.00/month - netflix.com or Hulu Plus - $8.00/month - hulu.com and Roku - $60.00 - roku.com
• My input - This isn't a good fit for everyone. As I've said multiple times, we must have a landline for our security system and we must have Internet so I can work from home. It makes more sense for us to bundle with a cable company.

Dryer balls

• Pay for themselves in 8 months (save $31 per year)
• These accessories help prevent static cling (which means you can skip dryer sheets) and might cut drying time as well.
• Get it - Nellie's PVC-free dryer balls - $20.00 for 2 - nelliesnatural.com
• My input - Considering the fact that I've never used dryer sheets and I have no need for them (or at least no one has ever complained to me that I need them), this would be a waste of money for me.)

High-efficiency showerhead

• Pays for itself in 1 1/2 years (save $40 per year)
• These devices can reduce the amount of shower water you use by up to 70% without major changes to pressure. Plus, you save on water-heating costs.
• Get it - American Standard FloWise Transitional three-function water-saving showerhead - $65.00 - at home stores

Water-heater insulation kit

• Pays for itself in 1 year (save $27 per year)
• If your tank is warm to the touch, it needs more insulation. Adding a blanket is a cheap and easy solution that will reduce heat loss by up to 45%, which could bring down your heating costs by 9%.
• Get it - Frost King water-heater insulation blanket - $18.00 - $25.00, depending on thickness - at home stores

Power strip

• Pays for itself in 6 months (save $40 per year)
• Most electronics keep drawing energy when turned off but still plugged in, adding up to $100 per year in electricity costs. Connect your gadgets to a power strip and turn it off when you're not using them.
• Get it - Four-Outlet Power-Saving Timer Essential Surge Arrest - $19.00 - apc.com

Choose dishrags over paper towels

• Save $234 per year
• On average, each American family uses 1 1/2 rolls of paper towels per week - 78 rolls a year! Assuming one jumbo roll costs $3,  you can save hundreds of dollars by using cloth instead. Make your own rags by cutting old bath towels, T-shirts, or cloth diapers into squares. 

Choose dishes over paper plates

• Save 52 cents per meal for a family of four
• Paper plates cost about 15 cents each. It costs about 2 cents to wash a plate in a dishwasher, so you're saving about 13 cents every time you forgo paper.

Choose cloth napkins over paper napkins

• Save $44 per year
• A family using 12 paper napkins every day spends $88 per year. A set of six cloth napkins costs about $18, and you can expect to pay about $8 per year washing them. Based on those factors, you'll shell out $44 the first year you own the cloth napkins - half the cost of paper. And because the cloth variety lasts about eight years, you'll save even more in the years to come.  
• My input - Cloth napkins are easily purchased at secondhand stores or estate sales! They are beautiful and nowhere near $18 like this article states! That is all we use and they are such a pretty addition to our meal times!

Water-filtration pitcher

• Pays for itself in one month (save $335 per year)
• Disposable water bottles pile up in landfills and pad your grocery bill. If you replace the filter in your pitcher every two months, you'll enjoy clean water for just 12 cents per day. Compared with bottled water, you can save about $30 per month.
• Get it - Clear2O water-filtration pitcher - $20.00 - clear2o.com

Any comments? Which of these do you use??