Life Hackery

Convenience is big business. It’s become such an ingrained part of our culture that many of us have no idea that we can make most convenience items at home. In fact, everything that we need was once made in the home. Not that long ago, every household made its own soap, butchered its own meat, and sewed its own clothing.

Whether you’re trying to become self-sufficient, be more environmentally friendly, save some money, or just reduce your dependence on certain corporations, there is a way to make almost anything you need at home. Here are 10 of the best. Click the links below to get instructions for every item.

Solar Energy Generator: This sounds intimidating, but with a little determination it’s entirely possible.

Cheese: Yes, you can make your own cheese – and it’s not as difficult as you might think.

Lamp: It’s actually pretty easy to take a decorative item and make it into a lamp. These instructions start with a ready-made lamp kit, but if you are more handy with wiring it’s easy to do from scratch.

Laundry Detergent: Making your own laundry detergent can save you a shocking amount of money each year. Bonus tip: even if you continue to buy laundry detergent, cut down the cost by using half as much as usual per load. Your clothes will get just as clean, but you’ll save money. Why does this work? The measurements indicated on the measuring cups provided with store-bought detergent are much larger than they need to be so that you’ll use (and buy) more.

Peanut Butter: a staple of the American diet. The commercial varieties are full of sugar and preservatives, but this version is just peanuts and oil.

Coffee: Sure, it’s convenient to pick up a latte on your way to work, but how much money do you spend on that habit in a year? Not to mention the support you may or may not be giving to a certain giant corporation in the process. If you want to go all-out, roast your own beans. If you have a little less time, just make your own gourmet coffee drinks at home.

Yogurt: If you’re old enough, you’ll remember the whole-foods movement of the 70s and 80s, when making your own yogurt was a pretty common thing. You don’t need any special equipment for this version.

Biodiesel fuel: Biodiesel is hard to find in a lot of places. If you are anxious to try it out but can’t find it near you, why not make it yourself?

Beer: Beer is good. Very, very good. Make it yourself, save money, and reduce the amount of waste you produce.

Multi-purpose cleaning solutions: Commercial household cleaners are expensive, create a lot of waste, and contain harmful chemicals. Homemade cleaners use natural products and still manage to clean brilliantly.

Give some of these things a try and see how much more rewarding it is to make it yourself. Have any more ideas for things you can make yourself? Tell us in a comment below!