3 ways to squeeze more from household dollars

Many consumers have become diligent shoppers, seeking out bargains and choosing needs over wants. But how about making the most of products they do buy?

We all can learn from the Tightwad Tod column in the Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter. Among Tod Marks' suggestions: As shampoo runs low, invert the bottle so it's easier to coax out what's left; in a food processor, grind broken cookies into crumbs for use as pie crust; put a binder clip at the end of the toothpaste tube to squeeze out the toothpaste more efficiently.

Here are further tips:

Repurposing: Carolyn McCormack, director of education, SafeGuard Credit Counseling Services Inc. in Hauppauge, says her mother freezes bruised or overripe bananas for later use in bread, muffins, pancakes. Her work colleagues suggest rinsing out and reusing Ziploc bags that have contained dry goods like crackers, chips or cereals. And Allen Levy, an IT consultant in East Meadow, says he recycles printer paper, turning over those misfires and printing on the other side.

Stretching: McCormack's colleagues also suggest adding a little water to soaps and shampoos that are running low.

As for face cream in a tube, "when the tube is finished, I cut off the bottom and you would be amazed at how much of the cream is left," says Cheryl Mera, 59, of Huntington Station. "You can get another couple of days."

Reviewing: Yes, these actions may seem minor and in some cases, obvious. But remember that they are cumulative, that sometimes we drift and need reminders, and that some people are seeing them for the first time.